knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit that is of God that we might know the things that are given us of God But the naturall man receiveth not the things of Gods spirit they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned This wisdome is a mystery ver 7. and therefore it is not knowne by nature but by revelation from God When St. Peter had made that excellent confession of Jesus that he is Christ the Sonne of the Living God our Saviour said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Mat. 16.16.17 for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father So that all who are indued with this wisdome are Theodidactoi taught of God as our Saviour saith Joh. 6 44. No man can come unto me except the father draw him And this he proves out of the Prophets saying it is written they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father commeth unto me As if he had said no man can come unto me except the father teach him for all that are taught of God and onely they come unto me and therefore no man can come unto me except the father draw him that is move him effectually for indeed Gods teaching is an effectuall working he not onely opens the eyes of the understanding but also convinceth the heart of the truth of his Doctrine and inclines us to embrace this wisdome So that a man may be learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians in all the philosophie of the Graecians he may be as wise as Achitophell whose counsell was esteemed as the oracle of God and yet be ignorant of this wisdome as our Saviour saith Math. 11.25 I thank thee O father because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Yea a man may be well learned in the Scriptures and yet ignorant of this wisdome the Scribes and Pharisees were doctors of the law and yet even of them the Apostle sayes which none of the Princes of this world knew In the second place hee charges them with an heinous and horrible murther they crucified the Lord of Glory where every circumstance in the text doth aggravate the murther 1. The person murthered is the Lord of Glory 2. The death inflicted on him was crucifixion the most shamefull and accursed death in the World 3. The persons who did this were they his owne people who of all others should not have done it even they crucified the Lord of Glory The person murthered is the Lord of Glory our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ Hee is the Lord as we confesse in our Creede by reason of the dominion which he hath over all and particularly over his church He is the Lord by right of creation For all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Ioh. 1.3 By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible c. Col. 1.16 Hee is the Lord by right of inheritance for he is the heire of all things Heb. 1.2 Hee is the Lord by the right of donation for the father is brought in saying unto him I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Plalm 2.8 So he saith Matth. 28.18 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Hee is the Lord by the right of redemption for he who redeemeth a captive becomes his Lord and Christ when we were captives hath redeemed us by giving himselfe a ransome for us wee were redeemed saith St. Peter not with silver or gold or corruptible things but with the precious bloud of Jesus as of a lambe undefiled Finally he is our Lord too by the right of conquest for after that hee had redeemed us by paying a ransome unto God for us Satan the Jailor would not let us goe but kept us fast bound in the fetters of sinne and therefore hee is falne to come with a mighty hand and outstretched arme and violently take us out of his gripes Hee is the stronger man mentioned in the gospell who hath overcome the strong man taken his armour from him Col. 2.15 and divided the spoyle He hath spoiled principalities and powers triumphing over them And as he is the Lord so the Lord of Glory that is a glorious Lord by an Hebraeisme He is called the King of Glory Plal. 24.7 Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up yee everlasting doores and the King of Glory shall come in And the God of Glory by St. Steven Act. 7.2 The God of Glory appeared to our father Abraham And here as also Iam. 2.1 He is called the Lord of Glory Glory properly signifies beauty praise honour and it is ordinarily used in scripture to expresse that Majesty and perfection of blisse which God injoyes from all eternity and which in some measure he communicates unto his blessed Angells and Saints in heaven Now well may our Saviour be called the Lord of Glory because he is the brightnesse of Gods Glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 He did injoy Glory with the Father from all eternity as he sayes Ioh. 17.5 And now O father glorifie thou mee with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And againe he prayeth for his Disciples saying ver 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory And as he injoyed glory with the father from all eternity so after a short ecclipse of that glory here on earth and after he had overcome the sharpenesse of death he was received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 He is crowned with glory and honour Heb. 2.9 And he tells us that at the last day he shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Mat. 24.30.25.31 Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory Finally he is called the Lord of glory because he is the author of glory unto others for saith the Apostle when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory Coloss 3.4 He gives unto his servants eternall life which in scripture is called glory a Kingdome of glory a crowne of glory an eternall weight of glory This is the person who was murthered and therefore the murther was most hainous For if it be a greater sinne for a man to murther his father than to kill a stranger to murther the King than to kill a fellow subject to murther an innocent person then to kill a malefactor Then how heinous a murder was it to kill him who was more than all these even
people they slandered the foote-steps of Gods anointed their tongues and their pennes too were sharper than swords piercing deepe into his soule many scandalous pamphlets were every day cast abroad which as he saies in his booke like sparkes in great conflagrations did flie up and downe to set all places on fire From every pulpit was sounded a trumpet to rebellion the Embassadors of peace being made the heralds of warre And as our Saviour by the pharisees was called an impostor a deceiver and perverter of the people a blasphemer a Samaritan and one that had a devill So such language and worse too was bestowed upon his Sacred Majesty by a pharisaicall broode of men who are great pretenders to religion but utterly void of it They have a shew of godlinesse but have denyed the power thereof Ioh. 8.59 When our Saviour was at Ierusalem the pharisees stird up the people to stone him whereupon he withdrew himself so when the King was at Westminster tumults were raised stones and blasphemies cast out against him that he was faine to remove from thence and then they cryed out against him for deserting his Parliament though it was the thing they most desired and they knew very well that he would have been glad to be with his Parliament as he often offered if he could have been there with any safety Being thus forced to retire from London they seized all his houses and furniture forts magazins ships and revenues they hunted him like a partridge from mountaine to mountaine that he might have justly taken up the complaint of our Saviour Mat. 8.20 that The foxes had holes and the birds of the aire had nests but himselfe had not where to lay his head When our Saviour had withdrawne himselfe from Ierusalem The Chiefe Priests and the Pharisees gave a commandement Ioh. 11.57 that if any man knew where he were he should shew it that they might take him So upon his Majesties flight such a commandement was given a more cruell and bloudy ordinance was made that whosoever should harbour or conceale the Kings person or did know where he was harboured unlesse he did immediately reveale it should forfeite his estate and die without mercy as a traitor As our Saviour was rejected of his owne people Ioh. 1.11 He came unto his owne and they received him not So was our Soveraigne rejected by his owne people they would not owne him for their King but disclaimed his authority and yeelded their service unto his enemies and as the Iewes denyed the holy one and the just and desired a murtherer to be granted to them Act. 3.14 So they denyed their holy and righteous King and desired the Parliament might rule over them in this they preferred robbers and murtherers worse than Barabas choosing rather to live in bondage under their Iron yoke than to injoy the liberty of subjects under the peaceable governement of a most gracious King As our saviour was rejected by his owne people so was he forsaken of his owne Disciples when the time came that he was to make his soule an offering for sinne then one of his owne Disciples betrayed him an other denyed him all forsooke him Isa 63.6 and left him to tread the winepresse alone So when our Soveraigns afflictions grew great some of his servants betrayed him like Iudas others denyed him and almost all forsooke him albeit they had got well by him yet they were loth to suffer with him And which was yet much worse he was forceably deprived of the comfort of his dearest wife his most sweet and beloved children and for a long time had none to converse with but beasts more savage than those which did company with our Saviour in the wildernesse When Christ was on the crosse one of the theeves who was crucified with him railed on him because he did not relieve them so when our Soveraigne was at Oxford some who suffered with him upbraided him and added griefe to his afflicted soule even railing on him because he did not helpe them when indeed he could not As our Saviour was tempted so was our Soveraigne tempted to distrust to perjury to sacrilege to atheisme tempted to deny God by forsaking his religion and destroying the church which his righteous soule abhorred As the devill made great proffers unto Christ of all the Kingdomes of the world saying All these will I give thee Mat. 4 9. if thou wilt fall downe and worship me So great proffers were made unto our Soveraigne that they would make him a glorious King if he would humble himself unto his Parliament and worship the Idoll which they had set up Besides his soule was daily tortured with reiterated unreasonable propositions and insolent demands as absurd as those which the devill made unto Christ The enemies of our Saviour sought how they might take him by craft and put him to death Much more craft and deceit too was used to catch our Soveraigne in their pit Mark 14.1 As when Christ was at Ierusalem the Pharisees not daring then to lay hands on him because they feared the people sought to fright him with Herod Saying unto him get thee out Luk. 13.31 and depart hence for Herod will kill thee when it was they themselves that intended to kill him So when his Majestie was at Hampton Court his enemies perceiving that the hearts of the people were so turned towards him that it was not safe to lay violent hands on him they did cunningly suggest feares unto him that there was a plot to kill him and so they made him flie into the snare which they had layed for him in the I le of Wight where they thought that Rolph should have dispatched him by poison or poinard but that being discovered they resolved to doe it in a more publicke way Our saviour was apprehended at night Mat. 26.51 so was our Soveraigne in a darke cold winter night taken out of his bed in the I le of Wight and carried unto Hurst Castle Mat. 25.59 They sought false witnesse against our Saviour so did they against our Soveraigne for open proclamation was made with sound of trumpet that all who could informe against the King should come to the painted chamber and give in their evidence and what was it they intended to prove even that he had done that whereof they themselves only were guilty in raising armes and making a warre in the Kingdom The people being suborned by the Priests cried against our Saviour Away with him John 19.15 crucifie him so some of the souldiers were suborned and hired to cry against our Soveraigne Justice Execution Our Saviour was mocked They wagged their heads at him so our Soveraigne had the tryall of cruell mockings Christ was reviled so was our Soveraigne reviled by his enemies especially their false Prophets Matth. 27.29 39 41. Hugh Peters instead of comfort did reach Gall and Vinegar unto Gods anointed in the agony of
his sufferings as the Jews formerly had done unto Christ Our Saviour was spit on so was our Soveraigne Matth. 27.30 John 18.12 Bradshaw and Cooke did spit out the froth of their ulcerous lungs against him to his face and a barbarous souldier did really spit in his face Our Saviour was bound so there was as intent to have bound our Soveraigne as himselfe observed on the Scaffold by the rings which were fastned to the block Our Saviour was watched the night before he suffered for he was apprehended at night in the Garden and carried away unto the High Priests house where he was haited all night in the morning sent to Pilate from him to Herod then back again to the common Judgement hall where he was condemned and at the third houre led forth to be crucified But our Soveraigne was watched many nights before he suffered for all the time of his tryall his chamber was filled with barbarous souldiers who deprived him of his rest and of all manner of privacy which was more bitter unto him then death At last our Saviour suffered death so did our Soveraigne at the very same houre of the day for our Saviour gave up the ghost at the ninth houre which is our three of the clock in the afternoon the same houre put a period to our Soveraignes life and to the happinesse of three Kingdomes I have now taken a briefe view of the paine in the next place consider the shame and then you will see a perfect crosse What greater shame and disgrace could be offered unto a King then instead of a Royall train a guard fitting the Majesty of his person to be watched and warded and dragged from place to place by the common souldiers the most rude and barbarous of all the people But in this he was like unto his Saviour also Matth. 26.25 They came against him as against a thiefe with swords and slaves As our Saviour was hurried from place to place from Annas to Caiphas from him to Pilat from Pilat to Herod and thence back to Pilat to the common Judgement hall so was our Soveraigne hurried from the Isle of Wight to Hurst castle from thence to Windsor from Windsor to St. James from thence to Westminster to the common Judgement hall to be tried as a malefactor at the Bar where no prisoner was ever tried but in the Kings name and by his authority for that Hall was never invested with any power of judicature without the King much lesse against him but as he sayes in his Book They thought fit to adde the mockery of justice to the cruelty of malice as they who crucified Christ that so they might destroy him with the greater pomp They pretended justice and religion to cover their perjury and paracide and so did establish iniquity by a Law and father their sin upon God who is the author of justice And as his tryall was publique and disgracefull so was his execution it hath been a custome to hang notorious traytors before their own doors for their greater shame so did they put our Soveraigne to death in a most insulting manner on an open scaffold erected before his Royall Pallace as if they meant to bid a defiance both to God and men Now joyn these together and tell me if ever any man might more justly then he take up that complaint which was uttered in the person of our Saviour by the Spirit of Prophecy Lam. 1.12 Behold and consider all ye that passe by if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Let us now see how he did bear this even as his Saviour had done Hebr. 12.2 Who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse despising the shame He contemned an earthly Crown for the assured hope he had of an immortall Crown that fadeth not away and so like his Saviour when he was reviled he reviled not again but was led as a sheep unto the slaughter Luc. 23.34 and opened not his mouth As Christ prayed for them that crucified him so did our Soveraigne poure out many devout prayers for his enemies which might serve to melt their hearts if they were not harder then the nether mill stone As Christ wept over Jerusalem so did our Soveraigne weep over his three Kingdoms Luc. 19 41. being more sorry for the miseries that are to come upon them Luc. 23.74 Vers 28. then for all that hath happened unto himselfe As women beholding Christs passion wept so many women beholding their Soveraigne on a Scaffold wept bitterly unto whom he might have said as our Saviour did unto the other Weep not for me yeâ— daughters of Jerusalem Eph. 5.25 but weep for your selves Christ gave himselfe for the Church he dyed for the people so our Soveraigne in another sense gave himselfe for the Church and died for his people for he might have saved his life if he would have consented to destroy the Church and enslave his people So that as he said on the Scaffold he was the martyr of the people Matth. 26.39 martyred by them and for them When our Saviours agony began he prayed unto his father that that Cup might passe from him Hebr. 5 7. but with a submission to his will He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death So was our Soveraigne frequent and instant in prayer unto God but as for removing the bitter cup he was to drink he prayed only with a submisâ—â—â—â— unto the will of his heavenly father Luke 22.48 When our Saviour was in his agony There appeared an Angel unto him from Heaven strengthning him so almighty God did from above minister abundance of comfort unto our Soveraigne otherwaies it had not been possible for him to have endured his crosse with such cheerfull patience as he did When Christ was apprehended he wrought a miraculous cure for an enemy healing Malcus his eare Luke 22.53 after it was cut off so it is well known that God enabled our Soueraigne when he was in prison to work many wonderfull cures even for his enemies and yet all that could not move these hard-hearted Jewes who sought his life he might have said unto them as our Saviour did unto the other Many good works have I shewed you John 10.32 Matth. 27.52 for which of them do you persecute me When our Saviour suffered there were terrible signs and wonders for there was darknesse over all the Land the earth did shake the Rocks clave asunder the vaile of the Temple was rent and the graves were opened so during the time of our Soveraignes tryall there were strange signs seen in the sky in divers places of the Kingdome and it was thought very prodigious that when he suffered the Ducks forsook their pond at St. James and came as far as Whitehall fluttering about the Scaffold so that our Soveraigne might have said unto his murderers as it
is in Job 12.7 Ask the beasts and they will tell thee and the fowles of the Heaven Matth. 27.54 Thomlinson and they will instruct thee what an unnaturall murder ye are now committing When our Saviour suffered the Centurion beholding his passion was convinced that he was the Sonne of God and feared greatly so one of the Centurions who guarded our Soveraigne beholding his most Christian pious and magnanimous carriage was convinced and is to this day stricken with great fear horrour and astonishment When they had crucified our Saviour John 19.23 they parted his garments amongst them and for his coat because being without seam it could not easily be devided they did cast lots even so having crucified our Soveraigne they have parted his garments amongst them his Houses and Furniture his Parks and Revenues his three Kingdoms and for Ireland because it will not easily be gained they have cast lots who should go thither to conquer it and so take it to themselves In all these things our Soveraigne was the lively Image of our Saviour NOw if your patience will goe along with me while I consider the third circumstance in the Text the quality of the murderers their you will finde the paralell to hold also Our Saviour was crucified by his own Nation They crucified the Lord of Glory They who were his brethren and kindsmen according to the flesh John 18.35 So Pilat told him Thine own Nation have delivered thee unto me More particularly the great Councell consulted against him hyred Judas to betray him sent Souldiers to apprehend him falsly accused and injustly condemned him The great Councell was their high court of Sanhedrim which was their standing Parliament In it were many members of divers Callings and Professions some Priests and chiefe Priests some Elders and those lay-Elders for as there was a Parliament against Christ so also a Presbytery some Scribes and Lawyers who were Chair-men for they sate in Moses Chaire They drew also into this conspiracy against Christ wicked Herodians whom otherwise those precise Jewes could not endure And were they not such who murthered our Soveraigne His own Nation his great Councell the Parliament the Presbytery some Priests but they are Jeroboams Priests of the basest of the people some Scribes and Lawyers And they drew into that combination too wicked Herodians that is dissembling Courtiers and profane Ruffians and as pure as they would seem to be yet were they content to endure all their God dammees to gain their assistances for to damn and condemn their Soveraigne As Christs Enemies were of divers professions so also of divers Sects and Religions some Pharisees some Saduces and those were very opposite one against the other yet both joyned together against Christ To crucifie him even Herod and Pilat were made friends Act. 4.27 For as the Apostles say against thine holy Sonne Jesus both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together So the enemies of our Soveraigne were of divers Sects and Religions some Papists some Presbyterians some Independents And though they be at oddes enough between themselves their heads are as farre asunder as Sampsons Foxes yet being linked by the tayles they banded against the Lord and against his anoynted The Papist may seem to have little hand in that murder yet they contributed very much unto it For they raised a most horrid and bloudy Rebellion in Ireland and most falsly pretended the Kings commission for it whereby they enraged his other Subjects against him they weakned his Forces there destroying many who would have assisted their Soveraigne and keeping others so busie that they could not come to his reliefe they promised him great ayd but when he depended upon it they utterly failed him The Presbyterians are deeply imbrued with his blood for they assaulted him both in England and Scotland deprived him of all power and means declared him unworthy to raign and so weakned him that it was an easie matter for the Independants who are drunk with his bloud for to kill him The Presbyterians framed both the Major and Minor Propositions and the Independants drew out the conclusion for thus the Presbyterians both preached and published a tyrant is to be opposed and destroyed but the King is a Tyrant Then comes the Independants and draw forth the conclusion which naturally follows from the premisses Ergo let him be destroyed Or to use their own distinction which they have so much abused the Presbyterians murderd the King in his politicall capacity the Independants in his naturall capacity Thus our Soveraign as well as our Saviour was crucified between two theeves but neither of them a good theefe These two factions as his Majesty well expresses it in his Book Are the twins which lately one wombe inclosed the younger striving to prevaile against the elder what the Presbyterians have hunted after the Jndependants seeke to catch for themselves And indeed they have taken the prey out of their mouths They who at first were but journey men unto the other have now set up for themselves Albeit these be the chiefe murderers there be many others who though as himself saith Their hands are not embrued in his bloud by acting and consenting to his death yet they are sprinkled with his bloud by deserting him Even all those who had power and means and did not use them for his defence Seneca For Non caret scrupulo occultae societatis qui manifesto discrimini non occurrit By the Law of nature and Nations all subjects are bound to defend their Kings Person Crown and dignity Our Saviour said unto Pilat If my Kingdom were of this world Joh. 18.36 then would my servants fight that J should not be delivered to the Iews Where he insinuates that the servants and subjects of an earthly King are bound to fight for his defence And therefore all those who did not aide him according to their power have incurr'd the curse of Meroz Judge 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angell of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Besides these neutrals who because they were not for the King were against him there are many who fought for their soveragin who have yet by their sins fought against him their debauched carriage gave much advantage to his enemies provoked God to forsake their armies by their rapine and plunder they did alienate the hearts of the people from their Soveraigne and by their strifs and emulations they lost the Kingdom and that gracious King there was a strife amongst Christs followers which of them should be the greatest but the strife that was among the Kings followers for places and preferments was farre more hurtfull and pernicious Yea as all of us were in some sort Rom. 4.25 guilty of Christs bloud for our sinnes were the meritorious and procuring cause of his
death He was delivered to death for our offences So the sinnes of every one of us hath added force unto this great stroke and wound given unto these Kingdoms in his Majestâ—es death As the good King Josiah was taken away by a violent death for the sins of Iudah that God might the more freely powre out the fiercnesse of his wrath so was our Gracious Soveraigne taken away for the punishment of our sinnes that the iniquities of these sinfull nations being now finished and come to an height by an horrible rebellion and particide hee might powre out the violls of his wrath upon them there being now nothing to hinder the stroke of his vengeance when he is taken away yea made away by themselves who like Moses stood in the gap between the sinnes of his people and Gods judgements So that we may all of us take up that lamentation Lam. 5.16 which the Church made for the death of Iosiah The Crownt is fallen from our head woe unto us that we have sinned But howsoever our Saviour had many enemies yet his most violent adversaries were the Pharisees and if you will but observe how they are described unto us in the Gospell Ill all not need to make any application The Pharisees were the most strict and precise sect of the Jewes Matth. 6.16 the Puritans of that age they were men of a sad countenance and great austerity they did bow down their heads like a Bulrush when as their inward parts burnt altogether with deceipt they were outwardly though hypocritically holy Whited sepulchers beautifull without and within full of uncleanesse Great pretenders they were to religion and desired to be accounted more pure than others Matth. 23.27 the only saints upon earth and so did separate from the rest of the Church and from thence were they called Pharisees Matth. 6.5.7 Matth. 23.14.12.2 Luke 11.45.46 They pretended especially such of that sect as were Scribs great knowledge of the Scriptures and revelations of the Spirit they were much for preaching made long prayers and that openly to be seen of men used vaine repetitions Under colour of long prayers they devoured widdowes houses They were superstitiously zealous of keeping the Sabboth but great profaners of the temple they made Gods house a house of merchandise and Denne of theeves for which they were sharply reproved by our Saviour as they often quarelled him for breaking the Sabboth Whereas the fift commandement injoynes us to honour our Father not onely our naturall Father Mark 7.11 but also our civill father who is Parens Patriae they made this commandement void by their Corban that is a gift where by Gods cause or rather their own ends is advanced They did draw the people after them who were so much addicted unto them that they would not beleeve nor follow any without their allowance for that is the rule they gave to the people Ioh. 7.28 Have any of the Pharisees beleeved on him And indeed their faction was so popular that as Iâ—â—ephus testifieth they governed not onely Jerusalem but all Judea too They did bind heavy burdens upon other mens shoulders Matth. 23.4 Vers 6. Vers 23. which themselves did not bear and so they made the way to heaven straite to others and wide to themselves They were invited to feasts and loved to sit at the head of the Table They made conscience of smaller matters as of ceremonies but omitted the weightier matters of the law judgement and mercy Now would you not thinke that the soules of these Pharisees by a pythagorean transmigration were entred into our new reformers As the murtherers of our Soveraign resemble the crucifiers of our Saviour so we find them acting all the same parts And first Judas who sold his Master of all that conspired against Christ is most odious for he was his disciple a domestick servant one whom he trusted with his purse and yet he his familiar friend who did eat of his bread lift up the heele against him So our Soveraigne was sold at a greater price than our Saviour by those who had as neere a relation unto him as Iudas had unto Christ for they were his countrey men brought up with him his servants and familiar friends whom he trusted with his purse with his counsels and his person cherished in his bosome and inriched with many princely favours In many respects they were farre worse than Iudas for when Iudas sold his Master he thought he would not have suffered but have escaped by a miracle as he had sometimes done before This is the conjecture of the Fathers and may be probably gathered out of the Text for it is said Then Iudas when he saw that he was condemned Matth. 27.3 repeated himself so that before he thought it should not have come to that but that Christ would have escaped and he gone away with the money But the Judases who sold their Soveraign knew very well that he could not escape being delivered into the hands of his enemies Againe Judas saw not the horror of his sinn before hee had committed it if he had it is probable he would not have done it but these men saw and knew very well what horrible fact it was to deliver up their King as may appear by Lowdon his Speech therein he professed that it is against the law of Nations for them to deliver up a stranger who had put himselfe under their protection much more to deliver their King And yet all that was onely for forme sake that he might better beat the bargain and raise the price as did appeare by the event Besides they have acted many more parts than Judas did for they were the first that tooke armes against him ingaging all his Subjects by a solemn League and Covenant to distroy the Church and the King they devested him of all authority within that Kingdome Seazed his Castles and revenewes and by their example and Covenant incouraged their Brethren in England to doe the like and when his Majesty was like to have prevailed against his Rebels in England they notwithstanding that the King to secure them on his side had gratified them by granting them all their unreasonable and impious demands yet came in the second time with a great army to assist strangers against their naturall King And they have persecuted all the Kings party in that Kingdom imprisoning banishing forfeiting and barborously murthering even under colour of justice all that adhered unto him Alas poor Judas did none of these things but would have rescued his Master out of the councels hands if it had beene in his power and yet because he sold him for money he is odious and infamous unto all generations Oh then what shall these men be Finally Iudas repented was swallowed up of sorrow confessed his sinne made restitution for he gave back the money and made some satisfaction too for hee tooke revenge upon himselfe when he betook him to the halter But we
our everlasting father the King of Kings and Lord of glory and withall a person so innocent that no guile was found in his mouth none could convince him of sinne Heb. 7.26 hee was holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens And yet this was done they crucified the Lord of glory But here you may say unto me how could the Lord of Glory be crucified seeing he is God and God is impassible he cannot suffer For answer you shall understand that there is so straight an union and conjunction between the two natures of Christ in one person that that which is proper onely to the one nature is vouched not as some foolishly imagine of the other nature but it is vouched of the person being denominated from the other nature This kind of speech is by the fathers called koinonia idiomatôn a communication of properties And it is a plaine Synecdoche very usuall in speech whereby that which is proper onely to the part is praedicated of the whole We have divers instances of it in Scripture Acts. 3.15 Yee killed the prince of life Christ was killed onely as man and yet because the same man was also God he saies yee killed the prince of life Acts. 20.28 Feede the church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Christ had bloud onely as he was man but because the same man was also God his bloud is called the bloud of God Iohn 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven the sonne of man which is in heaven Christ descended from heaven onely in respect of his divine nature and he was in heaven at that time when he was speaking unto Nicodemus here on the earth onely as he was God and yet because the same person was also man he saith the Sonne of man which is in heaven So here Christ was crucified onely as he was man and yet because the same man was also God the Apostle saies they crucified the Lord of glory And so I come unto the second circumstance the kind of death that he suffered it was crucifixion the most shamefull and ignominious death in the world The Apostle mentions scandolum crucis the offence of the crosse Galat. 5.11 and the shame of the crosse too Hebr. 12. ◠There is more shame in it than in any other death and therefore the Heathen tearmed the crosse arborem infoelicem and stipitem infamem a wretched infamous tree This death was so infamous that the Romans did not inflict it upon any but onely such as were esteemed base rogues and notorious malefactors And therefore we finde in the Ecclesiasticall History that albeit St. Paul suffered martyrdome at Rome as well as St. Peter yet they could not crucifie St. Paul he being a Romane had the priviledge of a gentleman and was beheaded but Peter being but a fisherman by his trade was esteemed a base fellow and so crucified as was his Master That which made this death more shamefull and ignominious was because all that were crucified were first scourged before they were crucified and that was peculiar to this death of the crosse Now for a man to be scourged is a foule disgrace a vile and servile punishment not to be offered unto any but unto bondslaves and therefore he in the comedy saies in great disdaine loris liber sum hee tooke it in great scorne the whippe should bee once named unto him who was free borne And yet our Saviour being to be crucified was first scourged And as this was a shamefull servile and ignominious death so was it a most execrable and cursed death for sayes the Apostle it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Gal. 3.13 It was not onely esteeemed so by men but it was so indeed being accursed by the mouth of God himselfe for it is said Deut. 21.23 Hee that is hanged is cursed of God And therefore Christ suffering this death the Apostle sayes that he was factus maledictum made a curse for us And as this death was an ignominious and accursed death so also a most painfull death First his flesh was torne with whippes They ploughed on his backe saith the Psalmist and made long furrowes on it Then his hands and his feet were bored with the nailes and the hands and feet of all other parts are most sensible by reason of the texture of all the sinewes there And being thus nailed unto the tree his whole body was stretched out on the crosse as on a rack till all his bones were out of joint as was foretold by the Psalmist This stretching was such that it made his very ribbes and bones breake through the flesh and the skinne which must needs be a paine out of measure painfull Therefore the heathen tearmed the crosse cruciabile lignum a tree of torture and most sharpe and bitter paines have their name from the crosse being called cruciatus Christ was no lesse than six houres in this torment even from the third houre untill the ninth and all that while in perfect sense for it is said he cryed with a loud voice and gave up the ghost He did not crie with the faint voice of a dying man but with a loud voice to shew that his 〈◊〉 strength was not one whit abated This death was devised for our Saviour not so much by Pilat and the Souldiers as by the Jewes for they cried out crucifie him crucifie him Ioh. 18.31 When Pilat said unto them take yee him and judge him according to your law they answered it is not lawfull for us to put any man to death And this came to passe saith the Evangelist that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should die Now what was that which he spake signifying what death he should die we find it Matth. 20.19 The sonne of man shall be betrayed unto the chiefe Priests and to the Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucifie him Thus they put off his triall from themselves unto the Romane Governour of purpose that he might suffer that Romane death At first they condemned him of blasphemie and then hee should have been stoned but that death seemed too mild for it would have dispatched him quickly Therefore they indite him a new of treason for speaking against Coesar that so he might suffer the death of a traitor even that ignominious accursed and painfull death of the crosse No lesse could satisfie their malice And who were they that did all this even his owne people they who were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh they crucified the Lard of glory they unto whom he came and for whom he came for he was sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel they amongst whom he had preached the word of life for it behooved the Gospell first to be