so much as one Drop unto thee unless it be in exchange of everlasting Life Of the Death of our Saviour and how they opened his Side with a Spear Matth. 27. 50. Jesus when he hath crye again with a loud Voice yâ—…lded up the Ghost AFter when Jesus knew that all things were performed he cried with a loud Voice and bowed his Head and gave up the Ghost and the Sun was darkened the Veil of the Temple rent through the midst John 19. 30. And the Earth did quake and the Stones were cloven and the Graves did open and many Bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the Graves after his Resurrection and appeared unto many Luke 23. Matth. 27. When the Centurion and they that were with him watching Jesus saw the Earthquake and the things that were done they feared greatly and said Truly this Man was the Son of God What is this O gracious Lord God! who ever saw two such Contraries combined together Whoever saw such Misery joyn'd to such Might when was so great Glory accompanied at any time with so great Grief Who is he that is so humble and yet so high Who is so powerful and yet so poor He that is contemned on Earth is honoured in Heaven he that is fastned naked to the Cross maketh the Earth to quake he that died raised the Dead to Life O our sweet Saviour thou didst now manifestly declare who thou wast and wherefore thou camest into the World The Centurion and they that were with him did acknowledge thee to be the Son of God and the Dead whom thou raisedst to Life did testifie that thou camest to overcome Death We will make no account of the Jews scoffing at thee seeing the Heavens the Earth the Living and the Dead did witness for thee And thus likewise in all the other Passages of his Life our Saviour did so bear and behave himself that he never did so high a Miracle but therein his Humanity did appear nor did he ever so mean a Work but his Divinity did therein shine All his Actions participated of both his Natures in every thing that he did or suffered the Glory of the one was joined with the Humility of the other It was great Humility to be conceived but it was great Glory to be conceived by the Holy Ghost It was great Humility to be born but it was great Glory to be born of a pure Virgin It was great Humility to be born in a Stable but it was great Glory to be worshipped of the Wise Men. It was great Humility to lie among Beasts but it was great Glory to be honoured by the Angels It was great Humility to be circumcised but it was great Glory to be named Saviour It was great Humility to be baptized among Sinners but it was great Glory that the Heavens opened and that the Spirit visibly descended upon him Lastly it was great Humility to die upon the Cross but it was great Glory that both Heaven and Earth were disturbed thereat That all Creatures adored his Death except Man only for whom he died The Sun beholding his great Creator naked drew in his Light to cover him with Darkness for as our Saviour was betrayed apprehended scorned reviled spit upon and buffeted in the Night so it was not inconvenient that the residue of this Work of Darkness should in Darkness be accomplished even as he said to the Jews Luke 22. 52. This is your very hour and power of Darkness But let us consider here are three Miracles before us First That this Eclipse of the Sun happen'd on the Fourteenth Day of the Moon that is in the full Opposition of the Sun and the Moon Whereas natural Eclipses happen in their Conjunction when the Moon is directly interposed between the Sun and our Sight It continued the space of three Hours whereas natural Eclipses continue not above the fourth part of an Hour and hardly that It was a total Eclipse which never happened by the Interposition of the Moon by reason it is so far inferiour to the Sun in magnitude What then shall we say but that the Sun drew in his Light because it should not display so sad a Spectacle That the Heavens hid their Beauty and suited themselves to their Makers State that they covered the Body of Jesus that was sacrilegiously used with Darkness as with a Veil One Star shewed the Glory of the Lord at his Nativity but the most glorious Star peâ—…formed this Service at the time of his Death neither was this Darkness ever better resembled than by the Darkness that was spread over the Land of Egypt but now over Goshen where the Jews did inhabit At this time the Land of the Jews only was darkned and all other Countries remained Light And that time the true Light was only among the Jews since this time they have been the greatest Strangers to it And at the end of this Darkness when Jesus cried with a loud Voice and yielded up the Ghost the Earth trembled also and the Rocks did rend whereof in the Land of Jewry in the Kingdom of Damascus and in the Mountains of Arabia Monuments and Accounts of it remain unto this Day Therefore do not think O ye Jews as his Life ended so did his Power He that laid down his Life retaineth his Power both in the Heavens and upon the whole Earth and was a less Matter to rise again than to suffer himself to die You cannot say that these things which were done at the very Hour of his Death were done by any ordinary means wherefore you must acknowledge in him Divine Majesty or Devilish Malice in your selves You were maliciously bent against him indeed but if all Men in the World oppose and be against him you see by what means he is able both to declare his Glory and his Power when no Man either durst or would open his Mouth in his Defence He did but utter his Voice and Five great and terrible Tongues did speak for him The Sun which is the lively Lamp of the World the Earth the Rocks the Veil of the Temple and the Dead when all Men were silent the Elements the Stones the Dead did speak they all preached his Mercies and thundered forth his Threatnings O good Jesu it was a great Voice indeed whereat the principal Powers of Heaven Earth and Hell diâ—… shâ—…ke which did astonish the Living and the Dead As the Cry of our Sins did reach to the Justice of thy Father so did thy Voice reach to his Mercy Thou didst cry with a great Voice to call the Living and summon the Dead that if any should lose himself if any would not be converted to thee it should not be because he was not called but because he would not come But woe be to every Soul which is not converted which will not come woe be to every Soul that is not moved at this Voice this mighty Voice O crucified Jesu have Mercy upon us poor
was Force so unfortunately applied Never was Prey so impossible to be held and so dangerous to be let go for he soon got out of your Hands but you shall never avoid his Curse O People well beloved thy malicious Madness hath made thee miserable thou art ruinously cast down thou art finally cast out and that which was no People is planted in thy place You came with Torches and Lanthorns to apprehend the Son of Truth but you would not see his glorious Light therefore you remain the blindest People in the World insomuch that all the Prophecies that have been spoken of you have been performed by you against your selves But what Folly is this O ye Jews how far is it beyond all Folly to carry him with Bands of Men that went of his own Accord into whose Brain could it sink that he would break away that went voluntarily himself He that hath power to give Life unto the Dead could he not have kept himself in Life He that delivered others from Devils could he not have delivered himself from you Assure your selves such was his infinite Charity wherewith he goeth to the Cross to appease his Father's Wrath and redeem the Sins of the World that you should have more to do to keep him in Life than you have to carry him to his Death He hath far greater both care and haste to redeem you than you can possibly have to murder him for he had not redeemed us if his Death had been forced upon him if his Sacrifice had not been voluntary it had not been satisfactory we could not have been saved by his Obedience if he had not died of his own accord and theâ—…efore his Father having given and he accepted of the Sentence of Death he used no means to escape for he was not driven by Force but drawn to it by his Obedience to his Father and Love to us There is no Man that fears Death but he whom Death is able to kill But Death had no such Power over the Son of God for he did voluntarily lay down his Soul even when he would himself O senseless Jews He that is to bury so many Figures to fulfil so many Prophecies to accomplish so great a Business as the Redemption of the whole World to what end should he run from you By all this you may see what base abuse was offered to the Son of God Certainly if it had not been the Will of his Father and of himself it had been better that Mankind should have rotted in their own Corruption than that infinite Vertue perfect Felicity the true Glory the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father should be so basely and vilely abused by those Sons of Belial But since it was his Pleasure because by this way he would manifest his Love it is our part to accept it with thankful Hearts and with Reverence both to love honour and praise him for the same Therefore let us lift up our Voices at all times and in all places to the Praise of Almighty God for this his unspeakable loving kindness since he has so far pitied our Condition as to come into it himself to exalt us to his Glory O admirable Dispensation of Grace thou hast pour'd forth thy Treasures without measure upon us we can desire no more than we do enjoy in thee for thou hast exalted us above the Heavens Our Saviour was seated in Majesty and Glory invironed with Angels hearing the sweet Harmony of his own Praise doing wonderful things in Heaven and in the Earth and in all the deep places But we lay in the Miâ—…e of our Miseries just fallen into the bottomless Pit of everlasting Sorrow void of the poorest Comforts of Calamity either helpless pity or vain Hope But our Saviour bowed down the Heavens and came down not by changing place but by manifesting himself in a holy Humanity He was admirable in Heaven but he became miserable and contemptible upon Earth He changed the Name of Majesty into Mercy and did cover himself with the Sackcloth of Mortality and did enter as it were into Perdition wherein he did both willingly wallow and take delight But our Saviour received no Spot nor Soil but he did stretch forth his Hand to the Work of his Hands whereby he drew sorth he did cleanse he did cloath he did comfort and confirm us he did reach forth his Hand by his blessed Birth he did draw us by his Doctrine he did cleanse us by his Death he did cloath us by his Resurrection he did comfort us by his Ascension and he did confirm us by his sending of the Holy Ghost therefore let us praise and magnifie the Lord for his great Love towards us for in all his Works he was ours moâ—…e than his own he took the Burthen of our Miseries upon him and laid the Benefits of his Merits upon us he heard the Cries of the Poor and came down from the highest Heaven to the Dâ—…ngeen of this World to deliver them from their Distress and to restore them to that Innocency and Immortality from whence they were fallen He was sold to redeem us he was apprehended to discharge us and he was bound to unfetter us all which he did plainly signifie in what he said to those that came to take him John 18. 2 I say unto you that I am he therefore if you seek me let these go their ways Of our Saviour being had before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilaâ—…e Matth. 26. 57. And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the High Priest where the Scribes and Elders were assembled AFter that Judas had betrayed him with a Kiss and they had taken him they led him away before Annas the Father-in-law to Caiaphas the High-Priest Annas sent him bound to Caiaphas where the Scribes and Elders were assembled He was accused of Blasphemy but very â—…sly and wrongfully And there an Officer in the Court in the full Face of Justice give him a Blow on the Face coâ—…trary to the Rules of any Court of Judicature Yet all these Ind gnâ—… did our blessed Saviour with indâ—…gable Patience bear Which Patience if we observe together with all his Behaviours in the other Passages of hiâ—… Passion we shall find a perfect Cure for all our Impeâ—…fections and a straight Rule to direct us in all the Affairs of this Lise O Gracious Countenance which filleth the Heavens with Glory which the Angels with Joy and Ravishment do desire to behold O perfect Image of the Father how deeply was thy Beauty and thy Majesty over clouded with Disgrace O infinite Humility O fâ—…t Lord Is it possible that there should remain in the World any Footsteps of Pride after this admirable Example of Patience O Earth and Ashes thy God did with deep silence endure all these Indignities and thou stirrest thou starest and turmoilest thy self and tormentest others upon the least touch of thy Reputation God did pray for those that blaspheme him but we diâ—…d
the World Seeing therefore he hath been condemned for us in High Treason both against God and Man seeing he hath endured the Punishment for all our Rebellions What have we any further to answer His Obedience hath made Satisfaction for our riotous Rebellion By his Condemnation are we acquitted his Condemnation at a Tribunal on Earth has acquitted us before thy Tribunal in Heaven His Sufferings are a sufficient Discharge between us and thy Justice and his Love is a sufficient Discharge between his Sufferings and us because his Love â—…eh nothing for all hiâ—… Sufferings but only that we love him again O what an unspeakable Obligation is this not only to love our Sâ—…iour but to love him above and before all one would think it were impossible to do any otherwise thâ—…n to love him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory and Majesty to suffer so much â—…sery to save us from eâ—…l Damâ—…tion O good Jesus O Health of our Souls havâ—… Mercy upon â—…s we beseech thee and help us to strike this Fire within our Hearts let our Souls be satisfied with thy sacred Love Thou art O Lord our 〈◊〉 out last End the Mark â—…hether we aim the Poâ—…t whereto we saâ—… the Ferm the Râ—…t of all our Desires Wherefore then do we not love wherefore do we not desire thee with that ardency wherewith all Creatures do love and desire the place of their Rest The Fire and the Air do overthrow Mountains rend up Rocks shake the whole Earth to break forth to their Natural Places wherefore do not we break through all Impediments all Hinderances and leave all Creatures to come to thee who art the only place both of our Refuge and Rest O our Desires O our sweet solace our assured stâ—…ength wrap our Souls in the Flames of thy Love that all careless coldness may be consumed thereby possess our Souls so intiâ—…ely with that Divine Fire that we may have no sense of any worldly things Most Sweet Loving Beautiful Noble Rich Wise Glorious and worthy to be both loved and adored O life of our Soul who didst die to give us Life who didst die to kill death mortifie us wholly even our Wills and all our evil Inclinations and whatsoever is ours within us Then revive us again in thy lively Love by uniting all the Faculties of our Souls unto thee and making them obedient to thy Will Seeing we have so rich a Treasure so liberal a Distributer of the same how is it possible we should not rise in Hope Justice hath sound out a way to strike the Innocent and cannot Mercy find a means to save the Guilty Assuredly yes for it is a greater Miracle that God should be condemned and crucified than that Man should be acquitted and live If therefore we have the greater we have no cause to sear the less for Justice has executed her Severity upon the Innocent and Mercy will shew her Favour upon Offenders Yea if it was Justice that the Innocent should be condemned and executed for to make Satisfaction for Sin it is Justice also that the Offenders for whom he suffered should be discharged from that Debt that the voluntary Surety hath fully paid Therefore although Grace is not due to a Sinner as a Sinner yet it is due to him as he is redeem'd It is Mercy that a Sinner should be saved in respect of the Sinner but it is Justice in respect of Christ the Just was handled as a Sinner that Sinners might be accepted of as just foâ—… it is not agreeable to Justice that one Offence should be twice punished Hâ—… hath joyned he hath united himself to us As he cannot be condemned again so cannot we likewise be condemned except we break Union and wilfully fall from him O let us admire love and adore this great Love of our Lord Jesus Christ and then we shall never break Union with him or fall from him but be inâ—…allibly saved by him The Sentence of Death being given forth against Jesus they laid that heavy Tree upon his Shoulders that had been unmercisully battered with Whips torâ—…enting him not only with the Sight but the Weight of that which was appointed to be the Instrument of his 〈◊〉 Which painful Burthen with â—…he sull Weight of all our Sins he refused 〈◊〉 to take upon him but went on his way with great Alaâ—…ity both in Love towards us and in Obedience to satisfie his Father's Justice as a true Isaac bearing the Wood for the Sacrificing of himself But whither doth our Lord go What has he to do upon this stinking Hill of Calvary which being a place of common Execution is tainted with puâ—…rified Bodies To be sure he will find there no sick Persons to cure no Devils to cast out no Temples wherein to teach but there he will find Dead to raise and Sinners to forgive there he will find many scattered Souls of executed Offenders which expect his coming which as the true Elizeus thy dead Body should restore them to Life What should all this mean that our Saviour has not only made choice of an infamous Death but of an infamous Place the Place was infamous but the Death was accursed for cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree It did not satisfie his Love to die for us but he must die the most accuâ—…sed death to assure us thereby that he had delivered us from the Malediction of the Law Certainly our Saviour's Death containeth many Mysteries It is not enough for us to say that he died for us but we are further to consider how ye would die which was by the ignominious death of the Cross with whom also even with Malefactors When in the principal strength and beauty of his Age In what Year in the great Year of Jubilee Upon what Day at the great Solemnity of the Passover even when they did celebrate the Figure of him In what place on the Mount of Calvary only made glorious by his Death He was neither privily made away nor tumultuously slain he dyed not in a Corner that dyed for all the World he was condemned in the publick place of Judgment and suffered upon the common place of Execution upon a Day and a Year of the greaâ—…est Solemnity that could be God set him upon the Stage of the Woâ—…ld to declare as well his Fury against Sin as his Love and Mercy towards Sinners O glorious Calvary where the Prince of Light did encounter and overcome the Prince of Darkness where at one instant our Life for a time ended and our Death did for ever dye Therefore let us not only seek our Saviour in the Temple but upon Mount Calvary for in the Temple he scourged Sinners but upon the Mount he died for them upon that he opened his Arms to embrace them It was objected against him that he was a Friend to Publicans and Sinners True he was a true Friend to them indeed but his Friendship did never more plainly appear than in this Action and upon this place
with all Fear and Reveâ—…ence we weep and worthless Worms prostrate our selves before thee O Lord Jesus Christ and give unto thee most humble Thanks for thy exceeding Mercy and Love towards us What have we Lord that we have not received from thee For thou art All our Creator Redeemer Sanctifier and Glorifier for thou hast given to us both the State of Nature and of Grace and hath also prepared for us the state of Glory and because to this high End many Means are required of thy infinite Goodness thou art unto us as well the Means as the End thou art our Defender our Keeper our Governour the merciful Scourge of our Sins the Curer of our Infirmities the Instructor of our Ignorance the Director of our Knowledge and Power thou sustainest thou stirrest thou orderest and helpest us in all our good Endeavours Thou art our Lord and our God even all the Goodness that we have and all that we can expect How our Saviour was crucified Matth. xxvii 35. And they crucified him and parted his Garments casting Lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet They parted my Garments amongst them and upon my Vesture did they cast Lots WHen he came to Mount Calvary there was the bloody Banner displayed there planted he the Tree of Life the Fruit thereof expelled the Poyson which the Fruit of the forbidden Tree had wrought Gen. 28. 12. And he dreamed and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and behold the Angel of God ascending and descending on it Then pitched he the Ladder which Jacob saw but in a Vision the top whereof reached up to Heaven whereupon not only the Angels go up and down with our Prayers unto God and his Mercies unto us but God himself descended to Man and Man ascended up to God And first to make his Death the more reproachful they stripp'd him of all his Garments which the Soldiers cast Lots for yet altho' the Law commanded that Malefactors should be crucified yet it did not command they should be crucified naked Wherefore then O good Jesus was this Extremity used against thee Were thy Executioners so covetous as to enjoy thy Apparel or were they so cruel to encrease thy Shame Or wouldest thou testifie thy Love in that thou wouldest not be exempted from any Ignominy we had deserved and in that thou didst discover thy naked Flesh and not hide any part of thy Body from us as before it had been covered with Figures and Ceremonies as with a Veil When Adam had sinned he would have hid himself from the Presence of God because he was naked being then attached with Impurity of Soul as well as Obscenity of Body which are the chief Causes of Shame but our Second Adam took both this Sin and this Shame upon his naked Body to carry them to the Cross and to crucifie them with him Assuredly O our Salvation howsoever thy Body was naked of Apparel it was loaded with our Sins as thy Apostle St. Peter saith 1 Pet. 2. 24. He bare our Sins in his Body on the Cross. For who could have violated thy Holy Members if thy Father had not found our Offences in them if he had not found this Accusation against thee This Man receiveth Sinners and harboureth Malefactors Didst thou not know O our Redeemer that in whose Hands the Thest is found he must be answerable for the same Should not the Father handle thee as a Sinner seeing he findeth thee so charged with Sins The Justice of thy Father findeth all our Sins upon thy Body executed upon thee and crucified them and thee together Hereby thou hast given us Example First to be merciful towards the Needy seeing that out of Compassion to us thou hadst no Pity upon thy self but wert cloathed with our Sins and our Shame to clothe us with thy Innocency and Glory Secondly To moderate our Desires in the vain either Bravery or Glory of this World the Bellows of Pride and of Presumption which do not only clog but quench the Devotion of our Spirits even as a Tree by having many superfluous Branches becometh less fruitful and as a Lamp which with a little Oyl is cherished but choaked with much For thou camest into the World to encounter their principal Evils Pride Avarice and Riot which proceed from the love of three things as Honour Riches and Pleasure all which are Branches of one Stock namely the love of our selves which is the universal Root of all Sins from these Branches all forbidden Fruit all the Choak Pears of this Life are gathered Against these thy Lise Doctrine and Death did chiefly tend Then they stretched his naked Body upon the hard Death-bed of the Cross and fastned it thereto with blunt and rough Nails driven through his Hands and through hiâ—… Feet out of which Wounds issu'd goldeâ—… Streams Zacb 11. Like the four Rivers oâ—… the Garden of Eden to water and fructifâ—… the whole World And with such Rage did the murdeâ—…ous Jews hunt and thirst after the Blood of Jesus that within the space of three Hours after they had brought him to Pilate he was accused condemned scourged despitefully used and lastly fastned to the Cross. Then they raised him up between two Thieves and placed him in open view to be tormented with a cruel â—…ingering Death the whole Weight of his Body bearing downwards and rending wider the Wounds of his Hands and Feet which by the Tenderness of the Sinews are the most sensible Parts of the whole Body Having also to encounter with he World and the Devil who is the Prince of the World with Death also and with Sin which is the Cause of Death Alas how far is the Madness of the World how far is the Love and Liberty of Christ extended Was God thus angry against Sin Would â—…o other Satisfaction seâ—…ve Was the Juâ—…tice of God so rigorous Was the Reâ—…emption of Man so preciouâ—… One Disoâ—…edience was sufficient â—…osed thâ—…y Manâ—…nd and were all these â—…hese â—…equisite or their Redemption 〈◊〉 Lord for Experience teacheth us That it more easie to ruinate than to repair One Fire brand is sufficient to destroy a whole City which cannot without much Time Toil and Cost be repaired O most righteous and upright Judge how merciful wert thou towards Sinners and how severe against thy own Son He was born in great Baseness the World no sooner received him but iâ—… persecuted him and chased him into foreign Countries As his Body grew so encreased hâ—… Burden both of Labours and Wants uâ—…til in the end he was betrayed to hâ—… Enemies by one of those that were hâ—… Followers Is any thing more admirabâ—… than this Liberty was sold Liberaliâ—… tied Innocency accused Justice coâ—…demned and Life executed Is any thiâ—… more admirable The Wisdom of tâ—… Father was derided his Power beate and bound his Beauty defiled his Glâ—…ry with Reproaches and Reproofs obsâ—…red Is any thing yet more admirablâ—… God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God was scourgâ—… God 〈◊〉
THE PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THE SON of GOD Shed without the Gates of Jerusalem For the Redemption of Lost and Undone SINNERS Whereby his great Love to Mankind is Undeniably Manifested In these following PARTICULARS His Agony in the Garden being betrayed by Judas being falsly accused before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilate his being Scourged Scorned and Spitefully Used his Condemnation and Going to Execution how he was Crucified of his being Reviled and Pardoning the Thief upon the Cross and of his giving up the Ghost All which is Practically Applyed and Improved for the bringing of Sinners out of the Way of Sin and Hell into Wisdom's Ways Whose Ways are Ways of Pleasantness and all her Path's are Peace By that Eminent Divine Mr. John Hayward The Tenth Edition London Printed for Robert Gifford in Old Bedlam without Bishopsgate 1699. Price bound â—â—s TO THE Christian READER Dear Hearts BY the reading of this small Treatise you may in some measure be made sensible of what Christ hath done for you in order to your everlasting Salvation Wherein his great Love is manifested unto all For greater Love hath no Man than this to lay down his Life for his Friends but he hath laid it down for his greatest Enemies to redeem them from everlasting Destruction By these sad and dolorous Sufferings of our Saviour we may see also what a dreadful and Soul-destroying thing Sin is that nothing but the precious Blood of the eternal Son of God could make Satisfaction for it Oh what Cause have we then to admire and adore the mighty God of Heaven for his infinite Mercy towards us in sending his Son his only begotten Son Christ Jesus to redeem us from Death and Hell Seeing such great things have been done for us let us make it our daily Practice and Business to walk in some measure answerable to them That we may so do is and shall be the hearty Prayer of your Soul 's Cordial Friend JOHN HAYWARD OF Our Saviour's Agony IN THE GARDEN Matth. Chap. 26. Ver. 38. Then saith he unto them My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death tarry ye here and watch with me AND not designing to take notice of the Meanness of his Birth and that continual Course of Sorrow and Misery that attended the former part of his Life wherein he took upon him not only the Form of a Sinner but a Servant I shall consider the time only towards his Death wherein in a most especial manner his great love to Mankind is manifested For as every natural Motion groweth more ardent towards the end so the Love of Christ towards the true Church his Spouse Not that he loved us better in the latter part of his Life but it did then most appear As some sort of Fire the more Water is thrown upon it the hotter it burns so both the Apprehension and Presence of Death was so far from lessening his Love that it did rather encrease it Therefore as in all the Passages of his Life so more especially towards his Death all his Doctrine was Holy Just and Good Milk for the Weak Meat for the Strong Medicine for the Sick not too deep for the Simple nor too shallow for the Wise but as a Ford wherein the Lamb may wade and the Elephant swim all his Actions were the Works of Justice and Mercy Examples of all Vertues but most especially of Humility which is the Foundation of all other Vertues as Love Pity and Compassion whereof our Miseries stood most in need His Life was so Pure and Holy that by that Example he hath set us we may plainly see what is either wanting or amiss in our selves even the Book which the Prophet Ezekiel speaks of That he saw Ezek. 2. written within by Instruction without by Example of Life wherein we have what to contemplate what to imitate and what to admire So that whosoever doth not only study but like the Prophet seek he shall attain inestimable both Knowledge and Vertue When our Saviour begun his Passion in the Garden of Gethsemane he was accompanied with those three Disciples who not long before had seen his Glorious Transfiguration upon Mount Tabor to the end that seeing so great a Change they might be sensible of the greatness of God's Severity and of his Love O Treasure of Heaven O Light and Life of the World How was his Glory obscured his Strength abated his Courage appaled insomuch that he did acknowledge to his Disciples that his Soul was heavy unto death Our Saviour began his Conflict with Prayer giving Example to us in all our Troubles to do the like teaching us also in what manner we ought to pray first in that he did fall prostrate upon the Ground he did thereby instruct us that with the greatest Humility and Reverence we must present our selves before the Majesty of Almighty God Secondly by his earnest praying with what fervency of Spirit we ought to beat at Heaven Gates Thirdly by his often praying we have an Example of Perseverance until he that doth engage us to beg shall let us have his Favour so far as to obtain Lastly He hath taught us to renounce our own Wills and to resign our Desires to the pleasure of Almighty God These things if at all times we endeavour to perform but especially in the Agonies of Death the Angels will certainly come to comfort us for God will cerly send us strength to bear what he is not pleased to remove But wherefore did our Saviour pray That if it were possible this Cup might pass from him Did he not freely and voluntarily offer up himself for Sin to save Sinners yes desirously for no necessity could be cast upon him no complaint of Justice because he was innocent no necessity through weakness because he was Almighty for he had twelve Legions of Angels at his Command but it was to comfort and strengthen his weak-hearted Members that their Courage might not be cast down under any Tryal or Tribulation that God might call them to And also he did hereby declare That he did bear the natural Weaknesses of our Flesh For none can possibly imagine the greatness of those Sorrows and Miseries that he went through Lastly he would manifest to us That he did consist of two Natures and two Wills not so separate as to make two Persons nor so confounded as to make one Nature and Will but distinguish'd in their essential Properties and Operations In his Humane Will he did pray to avoid this Cup in his Divine Will he did desire it He did desire Death in regard of the end but in regard to it self he did pray to avoid it Yet his Humane Will was not contraâ—…y or repugnant to his Divine Will Yet being surprized with the fear of Death through the frailty of his Hamane Will he seemed not to think of that which he perfectly did know not as drawing or declining from his Father's Will but forthwith resuming his Resolution submitted himself to his Decree
22 22. Pilate saith unto them What shall I then do unto Jesus which is called Christ They all said unto him Let him be crucified And the Governour said What evil hath he done But they cryed out the more saying let him be crucified NOW although Pilate had openly declared That Christ was innocent and also that he had Authority to acquit him yet gave way either to the Favour or Fury of the Jews rather than to Justice he pronounced Sentence of death against him and delivered him to his cruel and merciless Enemies O unjust President by thy own Judgment thy Judgment was unjust for thou gavest Sentence of death against him whom thrice before thou hadst pronounced Innocent Certainly in thee O President this was the greatest piece of Injustice thou couldest possibly have committed but it was a just Sentence of the High President of Heaven before whom all the Sins of the World stand in naked view and who will not suffer one of them to pass unpunished therefore because the whole World was not able to make satisfaction for one Sin he drew the Sword of his Justice and smote therewith his Innocent Son who only was able of all Men both to bear and to break his Wrath off from Sinners for Sin But O just Judge thou art never stirred to Wrath but by Sin thou art never very wrath but with great Sins At this time thy Wrath was very great and thou didst grievously smite thy only Son but in him thou couldst find no Sin at all What! didst thou not only release Offenders but with Caiaphas the High-Priest cause the Innocent without cause to be smitten And is it not more against the Law of Justice to condemn the Innocent than to discharge and acquit the Guilty How then may we count it Justice which doth not only release Offenders but also punisheth the Innocent O Light which had decreed this Mystery in thy holy Counsel from the beginning open thou our Understandings break off the Mistiness from our Minds that we may plainly see and understand this great Work of Justice and of Mercy which is more admirable than all thy wonderful Works besides Certainly he is not unjustly charged although he oweth nothing from himself that undertaketh another Man's Debt nor doth the Judge do any more wrong in giving Sentence against a voluntary Surety than if he gave it against the principal Debtor It is pity to see a Man pay that which he never had any thing for but if he will submit himself to be a Surety and in kindness repâ—…sent the Person of the Debtor Justice must have her Course against him It is pity to see a harmless Lamb lie bleeding to Death but if it be appointed sor a Sacrifice it is the Nature of a Sacâ—…ifice to be so used Even so althougâ—… ouâ—… Sâ—…our was without â—…in in himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ty and Sacrifice he did jâ—…ly â—…ffer for the Sins of others Although by Innocency he was free yet bâ—… Love he became entangled in Debt For his own Innocency God was well pleased with him but for our Impurities he justly gave way to his Wrath against him He was justly charged not with that which he had done but for that which he was pleased to undertake We in justice should have been smitten with these Sorrows This blow in justice was bent against us but he in love stept between the Blow and us and took the full weight of it upon himself Isa. 53. 4 5 6. He took upon him our Infirmities and bare our Sorrows He was wounded for â—…ur Iniquities and broken for â—…ur Transgressions The chastisement of our Peace was laid upon him and with his Stripes were we healed All we as Sheep were gone astray every Man to his own way and the Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquity of us all So then it was his Love and his Father's Justice that cast him into these Extremities Love entreated that Sinners might be saved and Justice exacted that Sin might be punished To satisfie both which Suits the mean was found that one unspotted Innocent not subject to Death and yet willing to die Who was without Sin and yet able to make satisfaction for Sin should thus â—…ruelly suffer for all Offenders And it may be O innocent Lord this might be one secret Cause why Barabbas although a villanous and great Offender yet he bare no Man's Sin but his own but thou wast charged with all the Sins of the World This also might be a great cause of thy great silence that neither the Malice of thy Accusers nor Falshood of Witnesses nor Injury of Officers nor Cruelty or Partiality of Judges were able to break it Thy Innocency needed no Defence but our Guiltiness could not possibly be defended Thy Innocency was well enough known to thy Enemies our Guiltiness was too well known to thee therefore being now charged with the Sins of the whole World and being appointed by thy Father's Justice and in thy own Love submitting thy self to suffer and make satisfaction for all Mens Sins thou didst with holy Job 32. 37. Lay thy Finger upon thy Mouth Not because thou wast not justly provoked to reply by many Indignities in regard of thy self but in regard of us nothing could justly be said there was no place for denial none for desence and therefore with a magnanimous silence thou endurest all as was prophesied of thee by the Prophet Isaiah Chap. 53. 7. He was oppressed and afflicted He opened not his Mouth He was brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he opened not his Mouth O most blessed O more than most pâ—…ecious silence of our Saviour which hath by this silence not only opened our Mouâ—…hs to speak but to cry out with a loud Voice and full Assurance Abbâ—… Father O blessed Saviour Our Offences have stopped thy Mouth but thy Innocency hath opened ours In regard of our Offences thou hast nothing to say but with regard to thy Innocency we may chearfully say Father What hast thou to say to us Thy innocent Son hath not only made full Satisfaction for our Offeâ—… but 〈◊〉 â—…arted of his innocency to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 only made us unpunishable by his 〈◊〉 but with his innocencâ—… 〈◊〉 us honourabe before thee 〈◊〉 â—…iful Father behold what Adâ—…m de serâ—…ed and beâ—…old what my Saviour hath done Adam rebelled against thy Maje sty both as rhou aâ—… God from everlasting and as thou art Creator and Lord oâ—… all the World over which he aspired to be absolure Master For the first our Saviour was condemned of Divine Treason namely of Blasphemy against God by Caiaphas the High Priest the chief Judge of Religious Affairs who as he did bear a Figure of Christ in this World should above all Men have known him and declared him to others Secondly he was condemned of Human Treason namely Rebellion against the Emperor by Pilate a President of the greatest Monarch in
in this place he was most friendly to Sinners In Heaven he is giorious In Hell furious In the World marvellous but upon Mount Calvary he was merciful and gracious and without his Mercy upon Mount Calvary we could never enjoy his Glory in Heaven Well then let our Souls accompany our blessed Savâ—…our in this painful Passage towards this place of his Combat also bow our selves under his Cross not upon necessiâ—…y and constraint as did Simon Cyrenius for nothing is more grievous to serve or be served by Constraint but let us do it chearfully and freely which will be best accepted by him For although he can command us as Slaves yet will he have us entreated as Sons Let us not be ashamed to stoop under Christ's Cross for he hath now taken away both the Infamy and the Curse of the Cross he hath made the Cross a Tribunal a Throne of Judgment be not ashamed of that Name which was a Reproach among the Romans as Gibbet-bearer or Cross-carrier because Malefactors used to bear their own Crosses Our Saviour has made this Action not only unblameable but honourable and in some degree necessary to us and take this Advice howsoever his Body was enfeebled partly with watching and Injuries all the Night before and partly with Cruelties all that Morning howsoever we see him charged with a Massy Cross whereof Simon Cyrenius did bear up that end that dragged behind him We see him also charged with a more ponderous Load namely the full Râ—…ge and Fury of God's Wrath against Sin which no Creature could help him to bear had he not been suâ—…ained by his Almighty Dâ—…ty howsoever when we see him either burthened or â—…ied let us cast our Sins upon him for woe be unto us if when they nail him to the Cross they nail not our Offences with him Assuredly unless our Sins are crucified with him we shall never be raised to Life by him sear not that he will shrink from them or shake them off for he hath manifestly declared both his Courage and his Care His Courage appears in that he forbad the Women to weep for him he manifested his Care in shewing himself more sensible of their Calamities than his own But stay let us consider and run not so fast by so high a Mystery What new thing is this Our Saviour would not speak one Word to Herod nor make Pilate any Answer altho' he was urged to it but without Request he turned his Face and spake to them that wept after him Herod questioned upon Curiosity and Pilate by way of Authority but the Daughters of Sion wept out of pure pity and therefore the Words of the one reached no farther than his Ears but the Luke-warm Drops of the other pierced his Heart He takes pity upon those that take pity upon others he values the Tears of the Pitiful much more than the Words of the Mighty for which cause he did not only turn and speak to those weeping Women but did seem more sensible of their Tears than his own Torments By this we may see which is the best way to obtain Favour of our Lord Jesus Christ that it is better to sue to him with force of Tears than multitude of Words because Words are formed by the Tongue but Tears commonly proceed from the Heart possess'd either with Grief or Love Let us use few Word and weep more for this is the Language of Heaven this the most prevailing Voice to call upon God Tears overcome the Invincible appease the Omnipotent and torment the Devil more than Hell fire When Tears cry to God when he is importuned by true Tears he will not delay to come to comfort us but will grow presently familiar with us But O Redeemer of our Lives wherefore is it thy pleasure that we should not weep for thee Thou didst weep for Lazarus thou didst also weep for the Stones and Walls of Jerusalem and wilt thou not permit us to weep for thee Dost thou make so small an account of the loss of thy Life Shall we so little value the shedding of thy most precious Blood What Law of Equity or Justice is it to command us to love thee and yet to forbid us to weep for thee For how doth he love thee that weepeth not at thy most cruel Torment Or wherefore dost thou consent we should weep for our selves and not for thee Are we of greater value than thou And can any of us be less worthily or more shamefully punished What shall we say Shall we with Reverence leave this high and obscure Mystery among many others to thy Divine Judgment Or wouldst thou signifie to those weeping Women that they should not judge of thee as then they saw thee nor of thine Enemies nor of themselves according to that State wherein then they were Or dost thou give us to understand too that it sufficeth not that we weep for thee if we do not discern how we weep because right Weeping consists not in multitude but in well placing of our Tears Or is it thy pleasure we should not weep for thy Death but the Workers of thy Death According to which Rule we have more cause that commit than those that suffer outrage and wrong Or wouldest thou have us to understand that our Life should be a long Martyrdom a continual crucifying of our selves and that we may have more reason to shew Compassion to the Wicked while they live than the Good when they die For it is better to die than to live amongst wicked Men because in Death there is but one bitter Morsel to swallow but the Society of the Wicked is a continual Torment Or Lastly Didst thou mean that we should not weep for thee in compassion to our selves because our Sins are so great that we have time little enough to lament for them And as thou art grieved at our Sins more than thy own Sufferings so thou takest greater pleasure that we let fall Tears for them than for thee for if we should not bewail our Sins thy suffering for us will little avail us First therefore we must weep in compassion to our selves and then for thy Passion We must acknowledge our Offences first and then be much agrieved for thy Wounds for if thou hadst suffered for thy self it should have been our Duty to weep only for thee but since thou didst suffer for our Sins it is most convenient that we should pour forth Tears principally for them However it is forbid us not O good Jesu Forbid us not we beseech thee to weep for thee for if thou dost with Tears we will entreat thee that we may weep We will entreat thee rather not to weep for the traiterous City Jerusalem than not to suffer us to weep for thee O Lord of all Life Do not only permit but enable us to weep and accept our Praises watered with our Tears With bended Knees and with all our Hearts swallowed up with a true Sense of our own Unworthiness and
Shadow of Solâ—…mon by the Title of a King whose Dominion has no end 2 Sam. 7. 13. 1 Chron. 22. 10. Since which time the Glory of this King hath been excellently extolled as well in many Psalms as by the Prophets in all Ages This King was manifested by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1. 32 33. The wise Men in the East were not ignorant of him yea many Histories do testifie That about the time that Christ was born a common Brute did run throughout the Empire of Rome and did declare That a great Pursuivant King should be born among the Jews this held Herod in great Jealousie and Fear Matth. 2. 3. The Apostles also did apprehend it albeit according to the vulgar Error until they were otherwise instructed Thou art a Lilly O blessed Saviour and Redeemer amongst many Thorns thou lovest neither Idleness nor sloathful ease We must endure not only Labour but Smart if we will enjoy thee If we will have thy Head it is crowned with Thorns if thy Heart it is pierced with a Spear if thy Hands and Feet they are struck through with Nails Thou art a Lilly amongst Thorns After the Troubles and Turmoils of many Years when Christ drew nearer towards his Deâ—…th the heavier was his Father's Hand the weightier was his Wrath the more Stripes did he double upon him in the Garden of Gethsemane he cried to his Father Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me But now feeling that which then he feared the Storm now breaking upon him which did then begin to appear he cried out again My God my God why hast thou forsaken me At both these times what were either his Feeling or his Fears what the Torments of his Body what the Anguish of his Soul whether he did despair or how far his Despair did reach it iâ—… dangerous to define we know them not we may be too adventurous to determine concerning them The Suffering of Christ are known only to the Heaâ—… that felt them but to be altogethâ—… abandoned in these Extremities to havâ—… no Comfort afforded no Care taken 〈◊〉 be bereaved not only of the Help but 〈◊〉 the Pity of all which in some degree 〈◊〉 very Man doth find seemeth to be thâ—… accomplishment of Miseries First He was deprived of all Earthly Comforts for his Disciples some betrayed and sold him others forsware him all fell away and fled from him And as for the People among whom he lived working many Miracles and doing good they preferred Barabbas before him It was they who in the midst of his miserable State most insolently insulted over him It was they who when he cried out Eloi Eloi did in a base manner de I de him saying He calls for Elias It was they who when with extream Faintness and Pains and by reason of the great loss of his Blood he did thirst not only denied him a drop of Water as Abraham denied to the rich Glutton in Hell but gave him Vinegar and Gall to redouble his Torments Secondly He was deprived of all heavenly Comforts which is the true Restorative in all dolorous Distress And this was the cause of his heavy Cry not that his Friends but his Father did then forsake him not that Earth but that Heaven did not yield him any Comfort All the Punishments which the damned do endure are commonly brought under two Heads viz. Pain of Sense and Pain of Loss Now the Pains of Sense were very sharp both upon the Body of our Saviour and upon his Soul upon his Body not only in regard of the greatness and baseness and variety of his Torments but also in regard of the Body it self for as it was miraculously made so was it of a more perfect Constitution of a more apprehensive Sense to feel Torments than Bodies brought forth by an ordinary Course of Nature The Pains of his Soul were unspeakable even unanswerable too Christ remained always during this Combat personally united to the Person of the Son of God who could not be severed from the Father and the Holy Ghost But it received no Comfort or Assistance for a time to relieve it from the full Sense of God's severe Indignation against Sin For as a Soul is noâ—… essentially separated from a Body thaâ—… sleepeth and yet it worketh not aâ—… when the Body is awake otherwisâ—… than to keep it in Life so in this extream Agony of our Saviour the Deity was not severed from the Humane Nature only it did not exercise the Actions to administer Comfort and Strength otherwise than to support it from being overthrown The Heavenly Father did then forsake his innocent and only Son and yet was not the Union between them dissolved he dissolved not the Union but withdrew his Vision and restrained those Beams which might any way refresh the passionate Powers of his Soul Many Martyrs have suffered violent and terrible Torments which they did not only quietly but chearfully endure Will you know the Reason They were delivered indeed but therewith also they were not forsaken for the Grace of God did administer such sweet and secret Supplies of Comfort that they tired their Tormeâ—…tor in bearing patiently all those Torments which merciless Tyranny could execute or invent but in Christ in regard of his infinite Dignity for that it is that seâ—…teth the Sacrifice at so high a Price the least Torment although only in Body might have sufficed for redeeming many Worlds yet would he suffer greater Torments than can be conceived First to manifest thereby his exceeding Love in making our Redemption the more valuable For the less he had suffered the less had his Love been esteemed And also to awake us and to leave us inexcusable if we love him not again Lastly to stir us up to settle our Assurance in our Tribulations but most especially our Hopes upon him when we suffer for his sake O God of our Salvation grant unto us thy unworthy Servants we beseech thee That at the Separation of our Souls from our Bodies we may spend our last Breath in these Words of our Saviour Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Comfort us then with the Virtue of his Passion which is Life to the Dead Pardon to the Wicked and Gloâ—…y to the Saints that ending the last Minute of our Lives in the midst of his Wounds in the very depth of his Death and Blood we may confidently commit our Souls that thou mayest receive them readily into thy Hands Receive thy precious Son for a Ransom and with him receive the Souls of thy Servants whom he redeem ed for as he died in Obedience to thee so died he also for our Redemption We have nothing to offer unto thee but his Death nothing but his Blood the Love where with he gave us his Blood His Soul he hath commâ—… unto thee but unto us he hath given his Blood this is all our Treasure this is all our assured Trust Of this Blood we will not return