Law submits himselfe unto that legall precept Thou stalt not tempt the Lord thy God and with this Scripture retorts Satans attempted blow upon himselfe But what temptation of God had it been in the Sonne of God to have throwen himselfe downe from the pinacle of the Temple to have given proofe that hee had been that just man over whom God had given his Angels charge Some there bee who reply that Satan did alledge this Scripture impertinently imperfectly For the Psalmist saith He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes Now the wayes of men are not in the aire but upon the earth This interpretation I neither much dislike nor altogether approve because our Saviour doth not taxe Satan for his impertinent or imperfect allegation of the former Scripture Nor doe I see any reason why flying in the aire might not be one of the wayes of the Sonne of God made man as well as walking upon the Sea in a tempest if so it had pleased him or his heavenly Father by whose appointment or disposing hee did doe or suffer all things Now it was his Fathers will that by his walking on the water he should manifest himselfe to be the Sonne of God able to command either winde or water It was likewise his Fathers will that at this time as man hee should conquer the pride of life or that deepely implanted desire in all men of proper excellency or advancing themselves before due time By this free resignation of his authority over the Angels hee makes satisfaction for our first Parents pride in seeking to advance themselves above the Angels 4. Againe Paradise did affoord our first Parents as full satisfaction for the delight of the eye as it did for food and yet desire of that food which they needed not found entrance into their hearts or fancies by their eyes But the Sonne of God being made the Sonne of man having neither place to lay his head nor any prospect for the present to please his eye had all the kingdomes of the earth and their glory represented unto him with proffer of their sale or donation rather onely upon condition that hee would doe that homage unto this great Prince of the world which many Princes doe to Kings or Emperours or Emperours themselves had done to Popes or Prelates The pretence was faire and the temptation the strongest of all the three For what man who is but meere man would not adventure upon any practice for the gaining the Kingdome or Monarchy which their Ancestors had foolishly lost Now Adam was Lord and Monarch of this visible world untill hee suffered himselfe to bee conquered by Satan who did remaine de facto if not by right of conquest the Prince of it and Lord of men untill the Sonne of God made man did throw him out of possession But that houre of his was nor yet come so farre was hee from affecting the kingdomes of this world that hee was yet acting the part of a servant in it but a servant to his father onely not to men or Princes in this world Of how meane a condition soever he were as man yet he disdained to worship men or Angels though but with civill worship for any preferment and therefore dismisses this great Usurper thus with indignation Avoid Satan Satan it seemes had a prenotion or suspition that Christ was that Just and holy man whom the Psalmist describes Psal 91. Or such a Sonne of God as they were which appeared before the Lord when he was permitted to tempt Iob. That hee was the onely Sonne of God or equall with God was more than hee then knew 5. These three temptations wherein our Saviour foiled Satan are parallel'd to the first temptation of Iob which was losse of worldly substance more generally all the evills which the Sonne of God did suffer in our flesh or whilest he was conversant with men in the forme of a servant did beare Analogie to the Evills which Iob did suffer but for particulars more in number and more grievous there was no evill that comes ab extra which hee suffered not in greater measure than Iob did any As for losse of goods or worldly substance Iob made no reckoning the Sonne of God though heire of all things did not vouchsafe so much as to grace these by being owner or possessor of them He renounced the world and all things in the world before he came into it he would not be intangled or medle with them that he might please him who had chosen him to be his souldier his onely champion in this great conflict with the Prince of darknesse But to parallel Iobs other temptations with our Saviours CHAP. XI A parallel between Jobs second temptation and the Sonne of Gods sufferings in our flesh before the houre of his Agony or his Crosse 1 IOb was smitten with sores from the crowne of his head to the soles of his feet his disease was more than naturall at least incurable for he was thus smitten by Satan But was the Sonne of God thus smitten durum est affirmare Satan had no power thus immediatly to smite him For bodily diseases wee doe not reade of any that did take possession of his sacred body wee reade that he cured all maner of diseases but never stood in need of the Physicians helpe for himselfe No disease did breed in his body being free from sinne and being anointed to cure all he did not hee could not take any by contagion But though hee cured all manner of diseases or all the diseased which were brought unto him yet we doe not reade that he cured all in Judea which were diseased For so none should have died in that land during the time of his three yeares pilgrimage through it from his baptisme to his death Albeit hee cured many of diseases naturall yet not all that were naturally diseased though weake or sicke unto death For he was not manifested to dissolve or destroy the works of nature albeit he gave profe by many experiments that he was able to destroy or divert the whole course of nature But wee reade That JESUS of NAZARETH being anointed by the Holy Ghost went about from his baptisme to his death doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the Deuill Acts 10.38 And many were so oppressed which were not possessed Many diseases which to us would have seemed naturall or casually bred were as immediatly procured by Satan as Iobs plagues were and in these bonds of bodily affliction Satan had held them longer than he held Iob. Such was that womans disease whose cure being wrought by the Physician of our soules upon the Sabbath day the Ruler of the Synagogue did maligne as an ungodly work but the Sonne of Gods reply doth justifie as well the truth of our assertion as the lawfulnesse of his practice Hypocrite doth not each one of you on the Sabbath day loose his Oxe or his Asse from the stall and
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the unknowne sufferings Such I take it as no man in this life besides our Saviour alone did suffer nor shall ever any man suffer the like in the life to come in which the paines of Hell shall be too well knowne unto many But that our Saviour in this life should suffer such paines is incredible for this being granted the powers of darknesse had prevailed more against him than Satan did against Iob. For the actuall suffering such paines includes more then a taste a draught of the second death unto which no man is subject before he die the first death nor was it possible that our Saviour should ever taste them either dying or living or after death This error it seemes hath surprized some otherwaies good Divines through incogitancie or want of skill in Philosophie For by the unerring rules of true Philosophy the nature quality or measure of paines must bee taken not so much from the force or violence of the Agent as from the condition or temper of the Patient Actus agentium sunt in patiente rite disposito The fire hath not the same operation upon Gold as it hath upon Lead nor the same upon greene wood which it hath on dry Or if a man should deale his blowes with an eeven hand betweene one sound of body and of strong bones and another sickly crasie or wounded the paines though issuing from the equality of the blowes would be most unequall That which would hardly put the one to any paine at all might drive the other into the very pangs of death Goliath did looke as big did speake as roughly and every way behave himselfe as sternly against little David as hee had against Saul and the whole hoast of Israel Yet his presence though in it selfe terrible did make no such impression of terrour upon David as it had done upon Saul and the stoutest Champions in his hoast And the reason why it did not was because David was armed with the shield of faith and confidence in the Lord his God a secret Armour which was not then to be found in all the Kingdome of Israel besides But a farre greater then Goliath associated and seconded with a farre greater hoast both for number and strength than the Philistines in Davids time were able to make more maliciously bent against the whole race of Adam than the Philistines at this or any other time were against the seed of Abraham was now in field And all of us are bound to praise our gracious God that in that houre wee had a Sonne of David farre greater than his Father to stand betweene us and the brunt of the battell then pitched against us For if all mankinde from the East unto the West which have lived on earth since our Father Adams fall unto this present time or shall continue unto all future generations had been then mustred together all of us would have fled more swiftly and more confusedly from the sight or presence of this great Champion for the powers of darknesse than the hoast of Israel did from the Champion of the Philistines when hee bid a defiance unto them All of us had been routed at the first encounter without any slaughter been committed alive to perpetuall slavery and imprisonment But did this Sonne of David obtaine victory in this Duel with the Champion for the powers of darknesse at as easie a rate as his Father David had done over Goliath No If wee stretch the similitude thus farre wee shall dissolve the sweet harmony betweene the type and the Antitype The conquest which the Sonne of David had over Satan and the powers of darknesse whether in the garden or upon the Crosse was more glorious then that which David had over Goliath or Israel over the Philistines David was Master of the field sine sanguine sudore multo without blood or much sweat The Sonne of David did sweat much blood before hee foiled his potent Adversary And the present question is not about the measure but about the nature and quality of the pains which the Sonne of David in this long Combat suffered in respect of the paines which David or any other in the behalfe of Gods people had suffered As the glory of our Saviour Christ is now much greater than the glory of all his Saints which have been or shall be hereafter so no doubt his sufferings did farre exceed the sufferings of all his Martyrs But all this and much more being granted will not inferre that he suffered either the paines of Hell or hellish paines poenas infernales aut poenas inferorum such paines as the power of darknesse in that houre of extraordinary temptation had cast all mankinde into unlesse the Sonne of David had stood in the breach Admit the old Serpent had been in that houre permitted to exert his sting with all the might and malice he could against the promised womans seed that is the manhood of the Sonne of God yet seeing as the Apostle saith the sting of death is sinne not imputed but inherent it was impossible that the stinging paines of the second death should fasten upon his body or soule in whom there was neither seed nor relique neither root or branch of sinne Or againe admit hell fire whether materiall or immateriall be of a more violent and malignant quality than any materiall fire which we know in what subject soever it bee seated is and that the powers of darknesse with their entire and joint force had liberty to environ or begirt the Sonne of God with this fire or any other instruments of greater torture which they are enabled or permitted to use yet seeing there was no fuell either in his soule or body whereon this fire could feed no paines could bee produced in him for nature or quality truely hellish or such as the damned suffer For these are supernaturall or more than so not only in respect of the Agents or causes which produce them but in respect of the Subject which endures them Satan findes alwayes some thing in them which he armes against them some inherent internall corruption which hee exasperates to greater malignity than any externall force or violence could effect in any creature not tainted with such internall corruption from which the promised womans seed was more free than his crucified body was from putrifaction The Prince of darknesse and this world could finde nothing which hee could exasperate or arme against him 4. In respect of Divine justice or of those eternall rules of equity which the Omnipotent Creator doth most strictly observe it was not expedient only but necessary that the Son of God should in our flesh vanquish Satan and vanquish him by suffering evills even all the evills incident to our mortall nature There was no necessity no congruity that the Sonne of God should vanquish this great Enemy of mankinde by suffering the very paines of Hell or hellish torments These properly taken or when they are suffered in
triumph 2. Some goe a great way further and would perswade us that the people or multitude being sory that they had so sleighted our Saviours presence or invitations in the last feast of Tabernacles Iohn 7. to which this solemnity of carying branches was at the least originally proper did seeke to redeeme their former neglect and regaine the opportunity of tendring their allegiance unto him not as hee was the Sonne of David onely but as the God of their Fathers who had brought them out of Aegypt into the land of Canaan and redeemed them from Babilonish captivity to honour him with solemne feasts and other services in Jerusalem But that the multitude either all or most or any should have a more distinct explicite apprehension of his Deity or of the great mystery of salvation which hee was now to accomplish then his Disciples and Followers had is very improbable That his very Disciples though Actors in this businesse had no such distinct apprehension of the great mystery imported by this solemnity is unquestionable For S. Iohn upon a distinct review of all the circumstances of this Solemnitie whether congratulatory or precatory or both tells us These things understood not his Disciples at the first but when Iesus was glorified then remembred they that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him Chap. 12.16 3. Amongst the things which are written of him this was one that he should be acknowledged and publickely proclaimed for the Sonne of David 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the often promised and long expected Messias and Redeemer of the whole world And all this was acknowledged and proclaimed by the multitude as well by the forme of prayer which they used as by their reall congratulations First that the word Hosanna was uttered by way of prayer by the multitude is cleare from that passage in the Psalmist whereunto the word Hosanna with the matters of fact which did accompany it doe referre For so it is agreed upon by all sides that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psalme 118.25 is a solemne and formall prayer Save now I beseech thee O Lord O Lord I beseech thee send now prosperitie to wit unto the Sonne of David and unto his people by him And thus farre at least the apprehension or intention of the people when they cried Hosanna to the Son of David did reach For they thought this was the day which the Lord had made and did therefore rejoyce and were glad in it as in the day of their long expected redemption from the hands of all their enemies As they heard these things he added and spake a parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem and because they thought that the kingdome of God should immediately appeare Luke 19.11 This prenotion that the kingdome of God was now to be manifested did facilitate the assent or obedience as well of the owner of the Asse and the Colt whereon hee rode to Jerusalem as of the Master of the family wherein he did eate his Passeover unto the intimation or direction of our great Lord and Master The one story concerning their present obedience we have Matt. 21.5 The other more at large Luke 22.7 to the 14. Nor did they erre in taking this to be the day of their Redemption but in the confused notion of the enemies from which they were to bee redeemed They expected onely a deliverance from the tyranny of the Romans and other hostile Nations over whom they hoped the Sonne of David should exercise royall and temporall Jurisdiction And it is no wonder if the multitude whether of inhabitants of Jerusalem or strangers which went out to meet him and congratulate his approach did apprehend no more then thus seeing the two Disciples which accompanied him toward Emaus upon the day of his resurrection had no better a notion of the redemption promised then this though even this notion did fleet or vanish after they had seene him put to death Wee trusted that it had been hee which should have redeemed Israel Luke 24.21 This argues that their former trust was for the present extinguished till he by opening the Scriptures unto them did revive and kindle it 4. Againe when they cry Hosanna to the Son of David in the Highest not from heaven this no way argues that their salutation should not be formally precatory especially if Maldonats observation be without exception that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be equivalent according to the Hebrew dialect unto ab excelsis from the highest Heavens However taking the word Hosanna as in its primary signification forasmuch as the Lord send help or grant salvation and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the native Greek in the highest the naturall meaning or literall expression of the congratulation will amount to this that God would bee pleased to ratifie their petitions for prosperity of the Sonne of David in heaven not doubting but that God so doing his blessings upon him and them might bee established here on earth For so they further expresse themselves in the Psalmists words Blessed bee the King that commeth in the Name of the Lord Peace in heaven and glory in the highest Luk. 19.38 But though Maldonat with other judicious Commentators doe clearely evince this forme of congratulation Hosanna to be precatory yet was Maldonat more to blame then such as thinke it onely to have been congratulatory when hee avoucheth that this solemnity of carying branches of Palms and Olives had no speciall reference to the feast of Tabernacles and more to blame when hee thinketh that the feast of Tabernacles had nihil commune cum Christo no type or figure of this solemnity or that this solemnity did include no Emblematicall acknowledgement or testification that CHRIST JESUS was as truely the Sonne of God as of David as well Davids 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord as his Sonne CHAP. XX. At what time and upon what occasions the 118. Psalme was composed And at what solemne Feast especially used 1 FOr giving such as it may concerne more full satisfaction in the points late handled and for setting forth the sweet harmony betwixt the Propheticall song and the peoples acclamations and cry at this great and last solemne Festivity the best method I can conjecture would bee to make diligent enquiry at what time and upon what occasions the 118. Psalme was first written and at what solemne Feast it was principally used Mollerus a man of commendable paines in this particular search and one who had read very many telleth us that the major part of learned Interpreters whom hee had perused are of opinion that this Psalme was composed by David himselfe upon occasions of his victory over his enemies and freedome from disturbance or danger from the house of Saul upon the death of Ishbosheth And for strengthening this conjecture hee referreth us to the 2. of Sam. 6. And Coppen a most Ingenuous and exact Examiner of such Commentators as he had read seemeth rather
any man to death Iohn 18.31 How true or pertinent this answer was I will not here dispute But thus they answered as the same Evangelist there tells us that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled signifying what death he should die and by whom This saying or prophecy of our Saviour to which St. Iohn refers is punctually set downe by S. Matthew 20.17 18 Iesus going up to Ierusalem took the twelve Disciples apart in the way and said unto them Behold we goe up to Ierusalem and the Sonne of man shall be betrayed unto the chief Priests and unto 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 Unto this death of the crosse they brought him by their importunate and subtill sollicitations of Pilat to proceed against him upon another capital crime then they by their pretended law had condemned him for For they pronounc'd him as worthy and guilty of death by their law for blasphemy whereas now before Pilat they frame a new accusation against him for rebellion against Caesar because he profest himself to be King of the Jews as in truth he was for royall pitty and compassion towards them but without any purpose to move the people to take armes or to exercise any royall authority over them or any others upon earth because his kingdome was not of this world 2 Whilest the high Priest and Elders sate as Judges in their owne Councell-house they suborn'd false witnesses against him but whilest they accuse him before Pilat they themselves become the most malicious and falsest witnesses that ever were produced or offered themselves voluntarily to testifie in open Court against any living man in a cause criminall or capitall All these malicious practices against him were clearly foretold by the Psalmist his forerunner in the like sufferings and in particular I take it by David himselfe Psalme 35. False witnesses did arise they laid to my charge things that I knew not They rewarded me evill for good to the spoyling of my soule But as for mee when they were sick my cloathing was sackcloth I humbled my soule with fasting and my prayer returned into mine owne bosome I behaved my selfe as though he had beene my friend or brother I bowed downe heavily as one that mourneth for his mother But in mine adversity they rejoyced c. ver 11 12 13. c. Thus did the Composers of this Psalme and of some others to the like effect complaine every man respectively in their owne persons and upon just occasions And however they did not in their murmuring complaints yet in the causes or occasions of the sufferings they did really prefigure juster occasions more grievous matter of complaint on the behalf of their expected Redeemer And he must have uttered the like complaints in a farre higher straine if he had beene but a meere man not armed with patience or long suffering truly divine The indignities done unto him by Pilat and the Roman Souldiers by Herod and his men of warre were perspicuously foretold by David Psal 2. Why do the Heathens rage and the people imagina vaine thing This parallel between the prophecy of David and the historicall events answering to it not the Apostles onely but other inferiour Disciples did unanimously acknowledge upon the deliverance of Peter and Iohn and the rest of the Apostles from such violence intended against them by the Rulers and Elders of the Jews as had been practised by them upon our Saviour for working of a miracle in his name When they had further threatned them they let them goe finding nothing how they might punish them because of the people for all men glorified God for that which was done For the man was above forty yeares old on whom this miracle of healing was shewne And being let goe they went to their owne company and reported all that the chief Priests and Elders had said unto them And when they heard that they lift up their voice to God with one accord and said Lord thou art God which hast made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is who by the mouth of thy Servant David hast said Why do the heathens rage and the people imagin vaine things The Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord and his Christ For of a truth against thy holy childe JESUS whom thou hast annointed both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together for to doe whatsoever thy hand and thy Counsaile determined before to be done Acts 4.21 22. c. 3. All of our Saviours Persecutors whether Jews or Gentiles per dicta facta malè ominata did reade their own doome and the doome of all such unto the worlds end as shall continue the course that they begun The Roman Souldiers clothing him in a purple robe by putting a crown of thornes upon his head and by crying All haile unto the King of the Jews did act that part in jest or comicall merriment which they must one day act in earnest and more then tragicall sorrow For he had sworne it long before That all knees should bow unto him and in that day they which crowned him with thornes shall see him crowned with Majesty and glory Herod in sending him back to Pilat in a white or candid robe did beare witnesse of his innocency and integrity and withall of Herod his fathers scarlet sinnes in putting so many poore Innocents to a bloudy death upon the notice of his Nativitie And as for Pilat and the Roman state by whose authority he was scourged with rods here on earth hee whose seat is in the heavens did even then laugh them to scorne and since hath broken the whole race of Roman Caesars with a rod of iron and dasht them and their Monarchie to pieces like a Potters vessell What more shall be done against these cruell Actors or Abetters of their cruell practices against this King of Kings I leave it wholly with all submission to his sole determination But that the Indignities done unto him by the Jews by the Roman or other heathen Governors and the visible revenge which hath since befalne them were punctually foretold by David Psalme 2. the testimony before cited Acts 4. is a proofe most authentick and most concludent 4. Yet of all the sufferings which he suffered under Pontius Pilat besides the indignities done unto him in the extremities of his paines upon the Crosse at which Pilat was not present the rejection of him by the Jews when this heathen Governor out of a good nature or well meaning policy had proposed him with an infamous theef or murderer was far the worst and doth deserve the indignation of all that loved him And this circumstance is prest home to them by S. Peter Acts 3.13 14. The God of Abraham and of Isack and of Jaacob the God of our Fathers