turn to them Zach. 1. 3. That by thee I say they may know that I desire not the death of a sinner but that he should be converted and live Ezek. 18. 4. By thee they shall understand that as long as a man liveth there is no time too late for Repentance 5. They shall understand by thee that I pardon all offences alike both small and great few or many and that my mercies are over all my works 6. By thee they shall know what great joy there is in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth when thou shalt go before ninety and nine just persons and first enter into the kingdom of Heaven Luke 15. All these great Rewards I bestow upon thee as a recompence of thy excellent Faith Verily I say unto thee this day shalt thou be with me in Paradise What great piety What great pitty was in this wâ—… of the Lord How could he but dye joyfully who had so large a promise in his life 1. Sinners may learn from this Word by the Example of the Thief not to despair let none think that the bottomless Sea of mercy can be drawn dry 2. Let Christians here learn to pray not to multiply gain or to find out the old hoorded Gold of Kings not that they may joyn house to house and lay land to land but that Christ would remember them not in an earthy but in his Kingdom 3. We may learn from hence not to conclude any man either blessed or damned before the last day of his life We know not who is worthy of the hatred or love of God inasmuch as we see an Apostle damned and a Thief saved 4. But let none make the Thief an Example to defer his repentance and put it off till the last hour It is a rare thing for Grace to be given to such a one The Thief repented the same hour he was called and was saved The Lord also doth call thee to day this very day do not loyter nor linger follow the Lord lest happily with Esau thou go about weeping-cross seeking a place for repentance and find none Heb. 12. Look to it that thou abuse not this Example of mercy but rather be stirred up to a speedier approach with all thankfulness to the Throne of Grace Of the third Word NOw there stood by the Cross of Jesus John 19 25. his Mother and his Mothers Sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen When Iesus therefore saw his Mother and the Disciple standing by whom he loved he saith unto his Mother Woman behold thy Son Then saith he to his Disciple behold thy Mother And from that hour that Disciple took her unto his own home The women follow Christ even to the Cross and stay with him even to the very death Mean while the Apostles shift for themselves and get them out of sight Thus God chuseth the weak things of the world to confound the mighty 1 Cor. 1. Among all the Women that followed Christ the first that is named is the Virgin-mother to whom Christ spake the third Word He had first prayed for them that crucified him and first comforted the Thief not that he did not see his Mother standing by or did not know what great trouble and sorrow she was in but that he might not seem to respect persons or particular affections It was for the sake of sinners that he came into the world and they had most need of him therefore he doth first speak to the Thief But now the third time he turneth him to his Mother that he might not seem to neglect her Now Iohn doth most sweetly describe and set down this third Word with all the circumstances thereof and doth use such words as have truly a very hidden Vertue in them and are so powerfull to resolve and melt the tears of Believers into an Heavenly sweetness that if the most obdurate and hard-hearted man in the world should with dry heart and eyes pass by the reading of this stupendious and amazing Passion of Jesus yet when he cometh to these words in which are recited the standing of that blessed Virgin by the cross of her Son the tender respect and expressions of a dying Son to his Mother his silial recommendation and the separation parting or taking leave of that most Holy Mother and that so loving and dutifull Son one of another he would not be able to refrain weeping For every word here exprest will encrease and heighten his Devotion What need else had there been to have so exactly set down and described both how and where the Virgin Mother stood For 1. The presence of friends is wont to be a refreshing to the afflicted when they are destitute and deprived of some other comforts as Solomon saith Two are better then one because they have a good reward for thair labour For if they fall the one will lift up his fellow Eccl. 4. But this presence of friends here had no such advantage It was a most sad sight both to the Mother that stood by and to the Son that was hanging on the Cross 2. What a strange and new thing is here reported that the Mother of Jesus stood by the Cross For what hast thou O Holy Virgin what hast thou to do with the Cross What fellowship hath a loathsome and despicable place with the Temple of God What agreement is there between a cursed place of butchery and a blessed Armory of Heavenly Ammunition what accord is there between the punishment of Malefactors the Mirrour of Virgin-purity But she did not stand simply by the cross but by the Cross of Jesus who was both her Father and Son at one and the same time her Bridegroom and Lord her child and her God and because he had all these Relations in him and was all these to her therefore she could not forsake him She followed her beloved Son all alone at least accompanied with a very few although the Disciples were fled and the enemies enraged She doth follow I say and see what is done when he could neither help nor comfort her any way but with tears and tender compassion When she had lost him before but for three dayes she went up and down about the Villages near Jerusalem sorrowfully seeking him amongst her Kinsfolk and Acquaintance till she had found him as it is Luke 2. But now she could no longer look for him among his Acquaintance for they all stood afar off from him Therefore she took this motherly counsell with her self and resolved in her heart thus Here will I stand and stay to see the Sentence of death executed upon my dear child I will follow him close at his heels as he goeth out of Jerusalem I will observe and look with weeping eyes whither they lead him I will see how they spoyl him I will seriously mark how they pierce his hands and feet how they fasten him to the gallows how they will toss and mount him up how they will sling and
end should he multiply words to such cruel minded men who intended nothing but mischief to him A man shall get nothing of such men nor prevail any thing with them no though God himsâ—… were his Advocate to plead for him For thou wilt be compelled to be not what thou art but what they feign and fancy thee to be So that thou hast need of nothing but patience to deal with such men No good could have been expected from them although Christ had spoken never so excellently of the Incarnate Word surely nothing but scorn and blasphemy had come of it and consequently greater wrath and rage in these furious men And it had been to as little purpose if he had askt them about those Prophetical Scriptures none of them would or could have answered him What did they answer him when he askt them about Johns Baptism Matth. 21. And so concerning the son of David and of that verse in the Psalms The Lord said to my Lord c. Also when he asked them whether it was lawfull to heal on the Sabbath Day Mat. 22. Luke 14. Christ must answer either as one accused or ask as one contriving his defence The belief of his Judges was requisite to his answer but to his question their answer only was sufficient But in this Council Christ had neither credit given to his words nor an answer to his questions why they should he speak much especially seeing he knew that they were peremptorily and obstinately resolved to kill him and never more to let him scape alive out of their hands And indeed how should they believe the words of Jesus who would not believe his Divine Works which were more effectual to perswade Therefore this was a time to keep silence so that he answered nothing but Ye say so by which reply he doth send them again to their own consciences Besides he doth thereby again inculcate that they must come to judgement for what they did Hereafter saith he the son of Man shall sit c. q.d. I shall say no more but this the time will come when ye shall see me Judge you and all the world though now you most unjustly Judge me At this they made a fearfull and hideous out-cry again What need we any further witness we our selves have heard out of his own mouth And what was it O ye blind and wicked men which ye did hear from his own mouth I dare say you heard no blasphemy come out of his mouth for which he deserved death but an awfull reverence of Gods Name for which he was much to be honoured and will ye for all that pass sentence of death against him Are ye so forward to commit that grand sin even to murther the innocent Son of God O ye High Priests and sons of Aaron what 's become of your Unction now Where is your Clemency Have ye cast away all pity and compassion from you David could not go forward with the Temple because he had shed the blood of enemies and dare ye who offer Sacrifices daily ye that so swell and are puffed up with such a conceit of sanctity who glory in the sanctimony of your life and height of honour how dare you I say to pass sentence upon that most innocent and spotless one the very Fountain of life as one worthy of death Herod who was a stranger and otherwise a very bloody beast yet gave him more reverence then ye and would not pollute his hands with the blood of this harmless man Pilate also that barbarous bruit was terribly afraid and excused himself and washt his hands from his blood But you and shall like your holiness you holy high Priests affirm that he is guilty of death O the Religion O the Righteousness that shines in you Doubtless the very Heathen and the Samaritans will be your Judges Nay out of your own mouth shall ye be judged how much your ungodliness hath beed more cruell then the unrighteousness of Herod and Pilate But let us leave those vile men and proceed The conclusion of that bloody Counsell was Jesus of Nazareth doth deserve to die The reason is because he proved himself to be the Messias and the Son of the living God who is blessed for ever and that by the very Testimony of their own consciences besides the Signs and Wonders which he had wrought This was the Judgement which was given by those holy Pharisees at Jerusalem in that Counsell And now they have no need of any more evidence For they carryed their own cause but Jesus lost his Wherefore they hale him out of hand before the secular Court and set him before the Roman Governour bound with cords chained spit on and therefore irrevocably determined to be worthy of death the scullions and rafscallions with a great concourse and clamour of the people egging on against him that it might be fulfilled which Christ said Mat. 20. The son of man shall be delivered to the chief Priests and they shall condemn him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles This they now fulfill The whole multitude saith he arose c. viz. to set the fairer gloss upon the proceedings that their cause might seem to be the more just and honest Then they present him bound to the Governour thereby to shew that they had condemned him already They carry all things with much pomp and state that so they might the better cloak their hatred and malice Lo here he that came to loose all mens bonds is now the third time bound himself He is often bound and manicled because we had many fetters and chains which he was to break with his bonds Here then let us a little remember and consider our selves For as Christ is here brought to his Judgement and Trial for life and death by one consent and with great rejoycing of his Adversaries without any mercy or pity without all hope of acquitment or release no man owning him or opposing the sentence against him so should we have been brought before Gods dreadfull Tribunal if Christ had not put himself in our place and stood in our stead Wherefore if thou wouldst stand with boldness in Gods Judgement cast thy self on Christ by Faith For without him none can stand before God in the day of Judgement For no man living is justified or found righteous before God Psalm 143.2 Let us therefore follow our Lord Christ also as he was tossed too and fro from Caiaphas to Pilate from the spiritual Court to the civil Magistrate from the Jews to the Gentiles from the wicked to the ungodly from the superstitious to the Idolaters Nor is there any cause why we should be afraid All things shall work for our good in the end But first let us hear what end Judas came to who was the Ring-leader and incendi ary of all this mischief It follows in Matthew Then Judas which betrayed him Mat. 27.3 when he saw that he was condemned repented himself and brought again
glorified over all Isa 53. The lowest descent of Christ was to be accounted more base and wicked then a Thief or a Robber but this Descention is a means of his Ascention and the true and only way for him to be more highly exalted If thou therefore art despised and reckoned worse then the worst have recourse presently to Christ who in the sence of so great contempt transfer'd it on himself and overcame it that thou by Faith in him mightest overcome it also No marvell then if guiltless men be sometimes punished and the guilty escape Scot-free So it was with Christ And as it here fell out in Pilates Court the very same happened in Gods Court Adam that notorious Thief with his whole posterity stood accused before God all of them guilty of Death So did also the most innocent Son of God Now one of them must be punished with Death Divine Justice did so require it But God of his great mercy spared him and delivered his own innocent Son to Death for him 1. Brethren let us embrace this mercy of God and be thankfull unto him for it 2. Let us take heed that Christ that is the Righteousness of God be not taken and kept prisoner in us and the Thief that is unrighteousness be not let go at random But what doth Pilate do when he saw this frantick obstinacy of the Jews He little thought that they would desire Barabbas to be released unto them And nothing seemed more strange unto him then this unworthy behaviour of them Therefore he saith What then shall I do with Jesus c. q.d. If ye think it meet and just that a Thief should have his inlargement much more he that is proved to be innocent or with what justice can I condemn this man if a Thief must be released instead of him ye desire that he should be sent packing but require a Thief to be set at liberty Nay in requiring a Thiefs enlargement ye do necessarily desire this mans releasment For he that would an offender let go would much more that a Righteous man should not be kept prisoner And so is it indeed with those that are in their right wits but malice had blinded these mens eyes Therefore they cry out again Crucifie him Crucifie him These wicked Husbandmen had a will and a resolution to kill the Lord of the Vineyard thinking that then they should possess his Inheritance safely and hold it sure enough and so brave it out with great gladness and glory Mat. 21. Wherefore they sharpened their Tongues like Serpents But first of all they determine what kind of death he should dye Where again they discover their wickedness in that they would prescribe what manner of death to put him unto whereas this did not belong to the Accusers but to the Judge And t was not for nothing that they would have him crucified For thereby they thought to delude the people and alienate them from Christ that whereas it is written in the Law Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree they might shew them that Christ also was accursed of God and so by that means Christ might wholly perish not only in his person but in his good Name and repute among the people and the clearness of his Miracles and whatever else was good in him This was that which that wicked crew did plot and purpose even that the whole memory of Christ might utterly be abolished But God crossed their contrivances For the curse of the Cross was far from clouding Christs Renown that his Glory did the more sparkle and spread thereby Let not us think shame of the Cross of Christ but esteem it our greatest honour Let us now glory in nothing save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Gal. 6. For this will turn all cursing into blessing to us But how madly soever they cry out Pilate doth yet withstand them and doth the third time publiquely protest Christs innocency What evil saith he hath he done I find no fault in him For he knew and now had sufficient experience by the fact it self that for envy they had delivered him Nothing but envy I say was the ground of all this clamour For this had so blinded them that they could not see the Law of God or of Nature A manifest and plain Sign and Token of this their envy was in that they took no notice of the Judges excusing him but still cryed out more and more and what else should they do when they had nothing else to prove their charge In like manner the world afterward cryed out against the Martyrs of Christ The curse of the Cross light on them Away with them Throw them to the beasts make dogs meat of them Hence with these Malefactors c. How should they scape better then their Lord But though Ravens or Lyons devour us although the fire burn us or the water drown us let us never deny Christ or desert his Church It follows in the Text Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged him John 19.1 Mar. 15.16 Mat. 27.28 And the Souldiers led him away into the Hall called Pretorium and they call together the whole band And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet Robe And when they had platted a Crown of Thorns they put it upon his head and a Reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail King of the Jews And began to salute him Hail c. Mar. 15. And they smote him with their hands John 19.3 And they spit upon him and took the Reed and smote him on the head Mat. 27.30 And bowing their knees worshipped him Mar. 15.19 The Devil now at last through the furious rage of the Jews so far prevailed with Pilate who endeavoured to carry on things in a politique way of Justice to lay violent hands on Christ I say he laid hands on him whom he had so often excused For so the Scripture must be fulfilled Pilate knew well enough that for envy they had delivered him and yet he doth so far gratifie and condescend unto them that for their sakes and in favour to them he doth suffer and command innocent Jesus to be scourged And how many such Pilatists are there to be found now adayes in every Countrey who commonly Apprehend Oppress Spoyl Kill and condemn even the innocent for no other cause but because it will please their Princes Pilate might have rescued Christ out of the hands of the Jews having power and force sufficient to have done it as Lysias the Tribune or chief Captain did rescue Paul Act. 21. But thus it must be Christ foreknew and foretold his scourging long before Mar. 10. Luke 18. And Isaiah prophesied the same long before the Incarnation of Christ I gave my body to the smiters and my face to them that plucked off the hair c. Isa 50. The Apostles also in like manner were thus scourged and whipt afterward Acts 5.
Vagabonds upon the earth like Cain Gen. 4. And no doubt but ye have felt the smart of it long since how sorely this blood of Christ hath lain upon you But now 1659. years and opprest you and your Children now more than these fifteen hundred years Nor shall you ever have rest and quiet till ye be converted and turn to him and acknowledge your iniquity After Pilate had washt his hands and thought himself whiter than the snow then he gives sentence against Christ to put him to death He thought it a small matter to adjudge a poor mean man to die He thought no body would revenge his blood but he found it otherwise at last What matter is it if a godly man hath no man to take his part or none to revenge his quarrel so long as he hath God to avenge his wrong Vengeance is mine saith he I will repay Deut. 32. Thus Barabbas the Robber is let go without any punishment but innocent Jesus is whipt and judged to death even the death of the Cross The just for the unjnst So those sons of men Whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword did prevail and get the day because they stifly stood it out and held on their clamour so long till at last he was delivered to them to be crucified And so he that gives life to all bare the sentence of death for us For in the righteous Judgement and Court of God this sentence of death was due to us But Christ took it upon himself Thus I say He to whom the heavenly Father had committed all Judgement John 5. And who shall call to the Heavens from above and to the earth that he may judge his people Psalm 50. 2 Pet. 2. At whose Judgement the Powers of Heaven shall be shaken and the firmament shall pass away with fervent heat Hell shall give up its dead and every creature shall tremble he it this day set at naught and despised as the vilest fellow in the world and condemned to die But wo and alas 1. How were the hearts of his Disciples and the rest of his friends overcharged with sadness and grief when all hope of life was taken away and they heard that their faithfull Master their Lord and Helper was condemned by a most unrighteous Judgement 2. On the contrary what a frantick fit of jollity and howling exultation were these mad dogs put into when they had at last prevailed with the Judge by their importunate clamours to grant them their most abominable and horrid request which he had so often denyed them before when the wicked Judge delivered up Jesus the Saviour to the cursed and most cruel will of those who thirsted so much after his blood 3. How did the hopeless sadness of his friends and the furious mirth of his foes torture and afflict this meekest Lamb now in the midst of Wolves 1. Here we see Christians what we must have expected at Gods Judgement day even the Sentence of Eternal Death if Christ had not took pity on us and taken it upon himself 2. We see what little confidence we are to put in the World when Pilate who had hitherto so often stood in defence of Christ now to gratifie and please the Iews doth crucifie him without any other cause in the world So Herod heard Iohn willingly yet cut off his head at last Mark 6. This unrighteous Sentence Christ took and accepted of to free us from the most just Sentence of damnation and to teach us not to fear the unrighteous judgement of the World Let us alwayes remember this Judgement that we may with all our might and whole hearts give thanks to our Lord Christ who would be condemned to death for us and be delivered to the will of the wicked Iews yea he delivered himself that we might be able to stand before the Judgement of God And they took off the purple from him Mar. 15.20 and put his own cloaths on him and led him out to crucifie him And he bearing his cross went forth John 19.17 And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene Simon by name Mat. 27.32 who passed by coming out of the Countrey the father of Alexander and Rufus Mark 15.21 and they laid hold upon him Luke 23.26 him they compelled to bear his cross Mat. ibid. and they laid the cross on him that he might bear it after Iesus And there followed him a great company of people and of women which also bewailed and lamented him And Iesus turning unto them said Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but weep for your selves and for your children For behold the dayes are coming in the which they shall say Blessed are the barren and the Wombs that never bare and the paps which never gave suck Then shall they begin to say to the Mountains fall on us and to the Hills cover us For if they do these things in a green Tree what shall be done in the dry Luke 23.27 Dearest Brethren and friends of God you who wait to hear the end of the saving crucifying of the blessed Lord and beloved Jesus the good God imprint in your hearts the memory of this great suffering that thereby you may not only be more strengthened in your Faith but also animated and encouraged in patience to undergo the like if need so require Amen Invocate the Lords mercy and with most fervent minds pray for all Iews Pagans Hereticks sinners and sinneresses that God the Father and Creator of all would bestow his Grace and Mercy upon all men whereby they may be converted from unbelief to the Faith and from a wicked life to godliness O thou most high God remember this so infinite Passion and be not angry with us for ever These things I thought good to premise to stir up your minds and make ye more attentive to those things which now follow We have heard first what our Lord suffered before finall sentence was past upon him We have heard secondly what that sentence was to wit that he should be crucified Now thirdly we shall hear next how that sentence was put in execution Here then let us give all attention not so much with the ears of our body as of our mind The next thing to be done is to open the Veins of the Fountain of living Waters that that precious balsam which pierceth and softeneth the hearts of all the godly may flow out After that wicked sentence was pronounced those truculent and bloody Wolves took that meekest Lamb Jesus to rend him in pieces and destroy him utterly a thing which they had long desired and now at last had obtained So that what Christ had foretold was now fulfilled to wit that the world should rejoice in his sufferings Ioh. 15. Then is the world glad when it may do what it listeth without controul when there is none to reprove it when it hath those that rebuke it under its own power they took Christ
forsaken of God in that he could perceive no consolation from him whereas he was not indeed forsaken of him but was even then the most beloved Son of God So that here we are well assured that God is never more present then when he seemeth to be farthest of In a small moment saith he for a little while have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Isa 54. Christ therefore that he might deliver sinners put himself in the stead of all sinners yet was he no Thief Adulterer Murderer c. but he undertook the wages punishment and desert of sinners which are cold heat hunger thirst fear trembling horrour of death and Hell Desperation Death Hell it self that he might conquer hunger with hunger fear with fear horrour with horrour desperation with desperation death with death hell with hell in brief that he might conquer Satan by Satan It is the gallantest kind of Victory to kill the enemy with his own Sword Hence saith Paul Godsent his own Son in the likeness of sinfull flesh and for sin condemned sin Rom. 8. So Isaiah Thou hast broken the Rod of the oppressor as in the day of Midian Isa 9. For the Midianites slew one another Judg. 7. Thus Satan was overcome by his own arms as David slew Goliah with his own Weapon 1 Sam. 17. 3. We are here taught how to behave our selves in Tribulations and Afflictions even to run to God in them all with a believing mind that he would be pleased to look on our Affliction 4. Here also we learn that we should freely follow Christ in the same way by which he entered into the Kingdom of Heaven and not grumble at our pressures forasmuch as the Disciple is not above his Master nor the servant above his Lord. But then shall we be truly blessed when we partake of the sufferings of Christ suffer adversity for his Names sake when nothing is sweet unto us but Jesus nothing harsh but to be parted from Jesus and what wise man would not rather go with the King in a mourning Habit and with his Nobles clad in blacks into a most stately Palace of pleasure and joy then to be trimmed up in gay cloaths and with the rascall sort to be shut out of doors The Vestment of Christ is dyed purple with blood and so are the garments of the Martyrs for they pressed into the celestial Joy thorow many Tribulations and the most strict Life We see how little cause we have to complain of crosses and afflictions especially if we consider that we justly suffer for our sins 5. Lastly We are by this Word instructed how to quench the burning heat of lust To the beating down of which evil there is not a more wholsome and effectual Herb to be had then to consider that the Lord Jesus was thus forsaken of all yea of his very Father exposed to so many Torments void of all comfortable Refreshments and that he being guiltless should yet endure all manner of Tortures and Adversities for other mens faults But O ye Fornicators and Adulterers how do you requite your most miserably afflicted Christ If ye cannot endure to be deprived of some momentany and petty pleasures nor taste a little of some bitter or sharp potion for your health and eternal welfare how will ye be able to hazard blood body and life too for Christ and the brethren Where do ye fasten your affections Why do ye stick so fast to the earth whose birth and blood is higher then the Heavens O ye that dwell in the Vineyards of Engedi why perish ye like the dung in Endor Ye Citizens of Paradise why wallow you in the styes of Asphaltites why tumble ye in the mire and mud of the dead Sea Take a bundle of this Myrrhe meditate upon the Passion of the Lord that ye may be healed of that loathsome lust And so much for this Word It is added in the close that Christ even in this his dolefull and miserable cry did not want such as mocked him Behold say they this man calleth for Elias 1. Jerome is of opinion that these were the Roman Souldiers who understood not the propriety of the Hebrew Tongue 2. But others think they were Hebrews who did openly deprave and wrest the words of Christ against their conscience as if he now implored the help of Elias who before had said he was the Son of God If they had not been stark blind they might have seen that by this great cry he applyed to himself that place of Scripture where all things were foretold which they then saw to be fulfilled before their eyes and for the most part were already fulfilled Of the fifth Word MEn that are desolate and forsaken use to seek ease and ayd which way soever they turn themselves So Christ at the entrance into his Passion foreseeing and considering those things which he was to suffer fell into an agony the anguish of death sometime running to God by prayer then again returning to his Disciples seeking comfort from both So now here also when he found himself forsaken of God he doth seek for some small refreshment even from men especially by a little drink for of the two the want of drink is more tedious then that of meat to those that are weary and tyred out who sometimes are resreshed with a few drops Therefore Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished John 19 28. that the Scripture might be fulfilled saith I thirst Now there was set a Vessel full of Vineger and they filled a spunge with vineger and put it upon Hysop and put it to his mouth Christ is last of all tormented in his Taste as Eve in the last place sinned in her tasting Gen. 3. For before she had tasted the forbidden fruit she had sinned by lusting after it and reaching out her hand to take it Now this thirst of Christ was partly natural and partly Mystical For 1. First he was exceeding weary and had sweat abundantly besides he hung naked on the cross exposed to Sun and Wind So that questionless he must needs be grievously athirst which doth easily appear in that he doth so pittifully express the sharpness of his thirst by a mournfull intreaty as if he had forgot all his other pains although he did not do or say this so much to quench his thirst as to fulfill the Scripture That the Scripture might be fulfilled he saith I thirst But 2. He did spiritually thirst after our Salvation his desire was to overcome the Devil and to set man at liberty though he died for 't And this thirst he was never without but now in his Passion he did discover it more then before for here it doth truly appear how earnestly he thirsted for our Salvation however all his works also everywhere do witness this very thing The meaning then of the word is as if he had said The sense Dear Brethren whereas I am yours and do extreamly
Sepulchre wherein never man was yet laid Which new Sepulchre 1. Did prefigure that some new and unheard of thing was to be done to wit that he who was buried in that grave should return again to life 2. Also that Death was to be turned into a sleep especially as to the godly out of which sleep they were to rise again in due time as in a most pleasant and delicious garden Note Note that we do not read of any one Disciple that was present at the butial of Christ though t is to be believed that John was there which yet by the letter doth not appear lest it should be thought that they had carried away the body of Jesus and hid it in some other place Finally those good men rolled a great stone to the mouth of the Sepulchre 1. That the Jews might not easily offer any violence to the dead body And 2. That his Resurrection might be the more clear and eminent in that he could come forth when the Sepulchre was fast shut up Thus honour then of such a Funeral Christ suffered to be done unto him by these Honourable men that his enemies might not say none but base and worthless men did stick to this Nazarene although this was but a small Honour if compared to that wherewith he is now Honoured in all the Earth and in all the Churches not only as man but as God and man who doth no longer lie in the grave but sitteth at the right hand of God in Heaven Notwithstanding his Sepulchre is so Honourable to this very day that not only Christians but many Gentiles also come out of admiration very far to Jerusalem to see it In short the Sepulchre of Moses is not known where it is nor doth it much matter where he was buried but all know where the Sepulchre of Christ is for so it is necessary that by it we should learn both our own burial and resurrection For as the sufferings of Christ are ours so also is the burial of Christ ours For we are buried with him by baptism into death Rom. 6.4 Lastly It is said that those women of Galile observed the place where he was buried For they intended to anoint and perfume his body very carefully They did not judge it meet that so holy a body should putrifie and be eaten up of Worms For neither did they know that he was God and that he was shortly to rise again It follows in the Text. Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation Mat. 27.62 the chief Priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate saying Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive After three dayes I will rise again Command therefore that the Sepulchre be made sure untill the third day lest his Disciples come by night and steal him away and say unto the people He is risen from the dead so the last Errour shall be vorye then the first Pilate said unto them Ye have a watch go your way make it as sure as you can So they went and made the sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch The wicked are not nor can they yet be quiet although Christ were now dead and buried They vex and trouble Pilate again and importune him to make fast the Sepulchre for they were afraid that he had not given strict charge enough Now they understood the sign of Ionas which Christ said should be given them Mat. 12. Now also they understood the destruction of the Temple which was to be raised up again in three dayes however they wrested it to another sense before when they accused Christ Therefore now they run headlong together again even on that their Sabbath when the other Jews mean while were at their devotion and prayers They can neither rest themselves nor can Pilate be at quiet for them Such great Signs were there shewed at the death of this just man that they might very well have done otherwise But these signs had the same effect upon these men as those great Miracles heretofore took upon the Aegyptians They were only thereby more hardened Well might they fear that the last errour would be worse then the first They speak true at unawares and prophesie against themselves For their mistake was worse and they did err more in that they did not repent afterward But the Faith of Believers was thereupon the more confirmed concerning the truth of the Resurrection Having therefore got leave of Pilate they make sure the Sepulchre setting a watch and not content with this they seal the stone too Thus Humane prudence strives against God but all in vain For Christ will rise again in spite of your reeth O ye Pharisees nor can the Souldiers or sealing the Sepulchte hinder it one jott All the endeavours of mans prudence are to no purpose where God hath otherwise decreed Take to you all the strength of Caesar yet shall you not be able to keep this Nazarene in the grave All the care and pains which they take about the sepulchre they take against themselves And it was Divine Providence that the Sepulchre should be made so fast For hence the truth of his Resurrection is more clearly proved Here then diligently again remember the Divine chiefdom and Power in that it doth most wisely accomplish his own by anothers work Caiaphas thought it fit that Christ should be put to death and perish but God saw it needful that Christ should be the life of the world God therefore made use of the work of wicked Caiaphas and by it accomplished his own Design Thus also it was the prudence of the Iews to set a watch upon the Sepulchre lest any should steal away the body from thence and tell the people that he was risen But it was the Wisdom of God that the Resurrection of Christ should be made most manifest to all men God therefore doth take the design of others prudence to perfect thereby and compleat his own Purpose and Design For by this strict and narrow watch the Resurrection is made much more clear and manifest then if the Iews had not so diligently guarded the Sepulchre The Conclusion of the Passion Dearest Brethren HItherto we have heard how many and how great things the Creator and Lord of the world suffered from so many and such great men who were so mad and did so cruelly rage against him that he might satisfie the Divine Justice for so many and such great and miserable punishments which were due to our sins Wherefore 1. Let us give him hearty thanks for his most liberal and bountifull love towards us 2. Let us draw nigh and approach unto this Throne of Grace with full assurance of Faith that we may find mercy in time of need 3. But above all let us take all diligent heed lest at any time like unthankfull men we forget this so great work of Mercy and Love to us But let us fasten and indelebly imprint it in our minds and keep it fast in memory to the end that those wounds that Blood that Passion that Death may alwayes be before our eyes to water our hearts continually to take away their hardness to melt and soften them and be a constant and safe conduct to us through prosperity and adversity Let us meditate upon the Passion of our Lord first that we may not be puffed up in our prosperity with vain mirth and foolish jollity secondly lest in adversity we be cast down with too great grief and swallowed up with overmuch sorrow seeing Christ hath suffered far greater things for us The All-mighty and All-sufficient God grant that this Passion of Christ may become fruitfull to us and profitable for us Let him vouchsafe to fasten it in our hearts by his Spirit that by this Passion we may rouze and stir up our selves to all that is good and comfort our selves in all our adversity and afflictions but especially in death And at present let us give all diligence that we walk and keep our selves in his fear forasmuch as we are not Redeemed with corruptible things as Silver and Gold but with the precious blood of Christ Therefore 1. If hitherto we have crucified Christ let us now with the Centurion be converted and witness that Christ is the Son of God by a true and lively Faith 2. Let us return into the Houses of our hearts and with compunction cast our selves upon our couch 3. Let us wrap up pure Christ in the fine Linnen of clean cogitations and let us not suffer any dead carkass to lie in the Monument of our heart but let us present our hearts to Christ only to be inhabited by him alone 4. Let us chase away and banish hence all corruption of the World that when Christ shall return and we rise the third day that is after the first day of this Life and the other day of Rest to those Treasures of Grace which we receive here he may also bestow upon us the beatitude of our souls and the Treasures of the body of Glory that being made like unto him and fashioned after his glorious Body we may may have a most blessed entrance into the Inheritance of an Eternal Kingdom which he grant to us who Liveth and Raigneth Eternally to whom be all honour and glory of every creature now and for ever Amen Blessed be God world without end Amen FINIS
3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the Light The Pharisees could not endure that their righteousness should be condemned and they counted for sinners The Scribes could not bear it to be thought ignorant of the Law As Abel and Joseph were hated of their own brethren for no other cause but because one was righteous and accepted of God and the other better beloved of his Father than the rest so happened it also unto Christ No doubt but they made a fair pretence for this their hatred and malice even a zeal for Gods Law upon which ground Moses commanded that the false Prophets should be killed Deut. 13.5 This they often charged Christ with before but they neither did nor could they prove it yet as if he had been already convicted of that crime they resolve to put him to death because they would be taken for such as sought Gods glory more then others But O wicked Princes seed of Canaan and not of Juda What spirit taught ye to seek the glory of God by killing his only Son For your consultation is not against the Son of Ieseph but against the Son of the great God Your design was to take Jesus of Nazareth by craft and to slay him and it prospered But whom else have you taken and slain but your own Messias that true and great Prophet the Saviour of Israel the King of glory the Prince of life and the best Shepherd whom God of his infinite mercy sent to ye lost sheep Iacob foresaw this your counsel long ago and hated it Simeon saith he Gen. 49.5 and Levi have warlike weapons of wickedness O my soul enter not thou into their secret cursed be their anger for it was fierce Since that ye have had the like consultations more then once against the Apostles of Christ Acts 4.5,6 until the righteous God able to endure you no longer gave you to be destroyed by the Romans But you will say What moved those wretched men to such horrid counsels 1. It was the very Judgement of God by which as they well deserved they were long since given up to a reprobate sense to do those things against Christ which the hand and counsel of the Lord had determined For they were vessels of dishonour 2 Tim. 2.20 2. The Devil himself put them on who from their first taking the business in hand did so much the more rage by how much he saw the glory of God shine forth more brightly 3. There were besides these two other of the worst Counsellors of all Ambition and Covetousness They were afraid they should lose their glory and their gain There are no evils that these mischiefs will not hurry men into as may be seen in Chorah Dathan and Abiron in Absolon in Nebuehodonoser Cyrus Iudas the traytor and in all tyrants and wicked men Thus the sons of men naturally desire great things as glory and riches but herein they are mistaken in that they seek neither true glory nor the true riches nay they seek not those temporal things so as they ought For they that eagerly hunt after honour and wealth do not find them but they that despise them If thou cover true glory seek not the glory of men if thou covet the true riches distribute and spend the false riches upon the poor Mat. 26.5 But they said not on the feast day lest there be an uproar among the people By the feast day they meant that great Sabbath which fell out in the feast of the Passover of this they would have great regard not for the feast sake it self but lest there should be an uproar among the people They did not fear God but the rude rabble And they that durst not eat leavened bread although there was no cause why they should abstain from it yet were not afraid to pollute the feast day by committing murther on it As were the Priests such was the people But here is set down the nature of hypocrites who indeed do many good things but it is only that they may be seen of men and they forbear to do evil but no further then they are afraid to be punished by men They have no respect at all to God Psalm 14. there is no fear of God before their eyes saith the Psalmist Whence we may see Observat 1. That those wicked men were truly the vessels of Gods wrath For as when God will outwardly punish any Nation he giveth them wicked Princes and Magistrates for the peoples sins God setteth up an hypocrite to rule over them So when he will blind a Nation for their ingratitude he suffereth and sendeth evil Pastors such as these were who did spiritually and temporally yea eternally destroy the people Observat 2. Here we may also see that the counsel of God is not hindered but furthered rather by contrary designs For God had determined to glorifie Christ and to exalt him above-every creature Contrarily the Pharisees did endeavour to deprive Christ of his Kingdom and to root his Doctrine out of the hearts of Believers But by how much the more they strove against the counsel of God with their wicked endeavours by so much the more they promoted it for by death Christ entered into his Kingdom and Glory The same was heretofore in Iacobs sons toward their brother Ioseph Briefly 〈◊〉 37. â—…v 21.30 〈◊〉 14.27 there is no strength nor wisdom nor counsel against the Lord. What God hath decreed no man can disanull Hitherto we have heard what the wicked Jews thought on their part In the next place let us hear what good was done on the other part Mat. 26.6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the Leper there came unto him a woman having an Alabaster box of very precious Oyntment and poured it on his head as he sat at meat How happy are we Christians who have the benefit of the whole passion of Christ For as that very bloody Council of the Pharisees fell out for our good so is it for our advantage that that precious Oyntment was poured on the head of Christ In the Council of the Jews there Christ had his enemies on the contrary here are his friends and those that minister unto him Those did dishonour and intend evil against him This woman doth honour and do him good Thus even thus doth the Divine Wisdom ever order it that where we have enemies there also shall we find some friends as Paul saith 2 Cor. 6. Now concerning this History there hath alway been a great dispute among the Antients whether this anoynting be the same with that which John speaketh of John 12. or with that whereof Luke writeth Luke 7. The general opinion is that it is but one woman of which Matthew in chap. 26. and Mark in chap. 14. and Luke chap. 7. and John in his twelfth chapter do write Origen is of another mind in Hom 35. upon Matthew where he alledgeth
Bethany send forth the savour of a good report among all Nations Nor doth Christ himself interpret this unction otherwise he calleth it a good work A Christian then ought to do good works and not spare for any cost so long as he may do any good to the members of Christ He must not begrudge the Gold or Silver that is laid out on the Body of Christ It is not lost but laid up more safe and Christ is very well pleased with what thou dost for his members Mat. 26.8,9 But when his Disciples saw it they had indignation saying To what purpose is this wast for this Oyntment might have been sold for much and given to the poor Mar. 14.5 And they murmured against her John 12.4 What John faith of Iudas only that Matthew and Mark speak of the Apostles in general And so it might be that as well the other Apostles as Judas did murmur but in a far different manner The Disciples might do it either out of ignorance or simplicity supposing it was displeasing to Christ but know that he never used such Delicacies Nor did they doubt but that he would have been better pleased if it had been all given to the poor Therefore when they heard Christs answer they were silent and well satisfied But Judas was discontented upon another account which yet he covereth with a very fair shew For 1. He pretended as though he had been very zealous of his Masters honour as if he should have said Why do we trouble our good Lord with these trifles seeing we know that he careth not for such things 2. He pretended a great deal of zeal for the Reputation of the whole Colledge as if he had said Such state doth not become our Table we profess poverty following a poor Christ poverty befits us more What if men should know of it would it not be a scandal to them 3. But above all he made a shew as if he had been very mindfull of the poor as if he had said if they were resolved to bestow so rich a Present the Present might have been sold and the price given to the poor this had been a more religious act and more honourable for our Master O notorious hypocrite how doth he cloke his covetousness with a colour of conscience for the poor who would not have taken him for a very good and holy man But John plucks off his mask and shews his malice openly John 12.6 This he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and had the bag and bare what was put therein Here you have the reason why Judas had rather the Oyntment should have been sold for three hundred pence even because he would and then could play the thief with them for doubtless he might have done it very handsomly because he bare the bag c. Most truly was it said of him that he cared not for the poor how should he provide for the poor who durst deliver unto death the very mercies of the poor His mind exceeded all bounds of humane pity such a stranger was he to godliness that he destroyed godliness it self Again Most truly and with much modesty also is he called a thief For Iohn might have set him forth in worse colours He was not simply a thief but a sacrilegious one Now if secular Courts inflict more punishment on him that stealeth the publike Treasure than on him that robbeth but a private person how much more abominable is sacrilegious theft And if he shall be sorely punished that steals but from his own master how much more he that robbeth God But Judas was unfaithful to his own Lord and stole those things which did belong to Christ and the poor great sacriledge Thus in the entrance to the Passion we see both the mercy and justice of God his mercy in Mary that anoynted him and his Judgement in Judas That woman doubtless was a vessel of mercy and grace for the comfort of Believers but Judas was a vessel of wrath for the terrour of all ungodly persons 1. And what you here see of the woman and Judas in the beginning of the Passion Ezek. 1. the same may be seen in the end of the Passion concerning the two thieves So that it is true which Ezekiel saith of the four living Creatures that they had eyes before and behind For what are the eyes of this living Creature with four faces but the respect of mercy and judgement for both may be seen both before and behind to wit as well in the beginning as in the end of the Passion Both these Christ would shew in his Passion to let us know that it should be to ruine and resurrection of many to the ruine and condemnation of the wicked but to the Resurrection of the Godly 2. In Judas may be seen an example of such as do only personate Christians who have indeed a form of godliness do many good works but their heart is hardened with envy strife and covetousness as Judas kept company with the Apostles pretended himself a Disciple of Christ when in his heart he hated him 3. In Judas is discovered the base nature of Hypocrites who use to cloke their lusts with the name of God as the Pharisees hid their envy against Christ under the safety of the Common-wealth pretending the generall good of the whole Nation So Judas veiled his covetousness under his care of the poor whom he nothing at all regarded 1. As then there was a wicked Judas among the Apostles so will there ever be some like Judas amongst Christians viz. Hypocrites of whom we have spoken already 2. Such as clamour against the expences of others crying why was not this given to the poor when they themselves wickedly waste their estates without doing the poor any good at all They very much resemble Judas who will needs provide for the poor but for them only will they make provision censuring any thing else that is otherwise laid out for the service of God These condemn all men conditions and works whatsoever that are not outwardly beneficiall to their neighbour and altogether affirm that those only are good works which are bestowed on our neighbours But this zeal is not according to knowledge For we should so love our neighbour that we still love God above him These are guilty of a double Errour 1. Because they would have us serve our Neighbour only as though the three first Commandments stood for nothing We know that Christ commanded us to love our neighbour but we know also that the same Christ said This is the first and greatest command Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. So he did not only say give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars but he addeth and to God the things that are Gods Matth. 22.21 2. They are mistaken in that they think our Neighbours do stand in need
He girded himself with a white Towel i. e. with an immaculate body and uncorrupt humane nature which like a white Towel was not only clean in it self but also wiped away our spots and made us clean also Or thus he girded himself with a Towel i. e. with the anguish of his Passion and Death and so as he had begun magnificently to shew his charity he did more magnificently finish it 4. Then he poureth water into a Bason i.e. he poured out the Holy Spirit upon the Believers Ezek. 36. which by his Passion he merited for them which Spirit in Ezekiel is called clean water I will pour clean water upon you saith he c. Or He poured water into a Bason i. e. he opened our wits to understand the Scriptures That water was in a pot before the Scripture was shut up the Book was sealed the Mysteries of God were hidden the face of Moses was vailed But now Christ hath poured forth the water into a Bason i. e. he hath revealed the hid things of the Scriptures for the Salvation of believers From that time Christ began to wash us I say he began for he hath not made an end yet but doth daily wash and wipe us with his Towel i. e. the merit of his Passion So that from hence we may understand not only the love of Christ but our own misery also For it must be great filthiness which none but the Son of God could wipe away and that not without his death and blood By this t is plain that man had deeply fallen because we see the Son of God descend and humble himself so low Pastors of the Church should follow this Example of Christ Let them watch and arise and make ready to Minister Throw all away that hindereth the work whatever it be Let them expound the dark Mysteries of the Scriptures to others Let them wash others but so as they themseves be girt with a Towel lest while they make others clean themselves be defiled John 13.6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him Lord doest thou wash my feet Jesus answered and said unto him verse 7. What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter Perer 〈◊〉 unâ—… him verse 8. thou shalt never wash my feet Jesu answered him if I wash thee not thou hast no part with me Simon Peter saith unto him verse 9. Lord not my seet only but also my hands and my head Jesus saith unto him verse 10. He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit and ye are clean but not all For he knew who should betray him verse 11. therefore said he ye are not all clean There are some that think Christ began with Judas and so went upward till at last he came to Peter But others reject this opinion upon this ground that although Judas had patience and with a brazen face held out till Christ had done this to him yet the other Disciples could not hold their peace It is most probable that he began at Peter who was first among the Apostles not by Vocation for Andrew followed Christ before him but by Election unto the Apostleship for there Peter is put in the first place Matth. 10. And t was very proper in this washing to begin with the chiefest For where the Pastor or Prelate is unclean in Doctrine or life those that are under their charge will quickly be defiled and how shall such a man make others clean who is so filthy himself If the salt hath lost its saltness how shall it season other things Nor is it without a Mysterie that the Evangelist doth not call Peter only by that name which Christ gave but by that also which he had before He cometh saith he to Simon Peter seting down his old name first Peter as we shall see anon did express in himself the nature both of flesh and faith and therefore he is called by divers names In the discourse of Christ Peter speaketh three times but all differently First out of ignorance Secondly out of obstinacy Thirdly in Faith And Christ doth thrice answer him First he instructeth his ignorance Secondly he reproveth and repelleth his stubbornness Thirdly he commendeth his Faith And so we speak to God and he to us c. But whereas Peter first saith by way of question First word Lord doest thou wash my feet T is plain that he stood amazed at so great a condescention of his Lord. And no marvel for the rest would have done so too if he had begun with them Yea who could but admire to see the Lord of Majesty became so humble a servant unto men Exod. 3. It s a sign of a godly soul to admire and wonder at the works of God Thus Moses although he prest to see why the bush was not burnt yet when he heard God speak out of the bush he durst not approach Gen. 28 So Jacob when he had seen a Ladder in his dream c. he awaked as one in a trance and so great a vouchsafement of God How terrible saith he is this place If we consider this word of Peter we shall see that he had several respects partly good partly imperfect 1. First He had respect to that excellent dignity of his Lord when he said dost thou Lord I say he considered what a base employment it was to wash feet because the feet are the lowest and so the meanest members not named without saving your presence He thought it a great disparagement that those hands which had wrought so many Miracles among the people should now wash his feet and this was good in him 2. On the other hand he considered his own unworthiness when he said for Me or my feet and that also was commendable From both which he infer'd that 't was more fit for him to serve Christ than for Christ to serve him which also is praise-worthy We must needs acknowledge that God is nothing indebted to us but we much to him Lord dost thou wash my feet thou Lord of Majestie for me the vilest of creatures a wretched sinner But Peter was mistaken to think it a dishonourable thing for Christ to serve us as some now adayes think it a dishonour and disgrace to Christ to give us his body to eat whereas it is his greatest glory For hereby his infinite love and mercy doth perfectly shine upon us But the nature of our flesh is such that it hath no fear of God at all when it sinneth but when it should pray for pardon it would seem to have such reverence that it confesseth it self to be so unworthy that it dare not come nigh him So Peter seems here to have great reverence of Christ but by and by denies him in a fearless manner and so do we Again herein also Peter erred that under pretence of reverence to Christ he puts off and refuseth his Ministry as
that hath neither Christ nor his Apostles left them Christ being now about to finish his Sacrifice doth very preperly depart and go out from among them teaching us to withdraw from the tumult when we go to Prayer as it is said He sitteth alone and keepeth silence Lam. 3.28 because he beareth or lifteth himself above himself so the vulg Lat. read it And as it is in Hosea I will allure her Hos 2.14 and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably to her The Evangelists do very significantly set down both the way and place of this departure The way was over the brook Cedron The valley between Jerusalem and mount Olivet was called Kidron and the river which runs there was called by the same name This swift stream did fitly figure out the trouble of the passion For as a brook after much rain runs with great violence but quickly ceaseth as the water faileth so temptations assault a man with a furious onset as though they would presently swallow him up Psal 69.1 as David cryeth out Save me O Lord for the waters are come in unto my soul But it lasts not long 1 Cor. 10. 2 Sam. 15. For God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able This torrent David also passed over in sorrow and sadness when he fled from his son And this brook Christ passeth over twice First In his own person Secondly In his members This way must we follow Christ Nor let us distrust or doubt any thing For infinite wealth lieth in the bottom of this rough and troublesom river Gen. 26. Num. 13.23 1 Kings 15.23 2 Kin. 23.6,12 Here Isaac digged and found living water Here the Spies cut down a bunch of grapes and brought them to the tents of Israel In this brook Ezekias did burn the Idols of the house of Judah Thus the living water of comfort and the heart-rejoycing food is found in the torrent of tribulation For tribulation bringeth forth most excellent fruit in us It setteth on fire and burneth all vice in us as fire purgeth and purifieth gold The place which Christ went unto was mount Olivet Acts 1.12 For there he compleated his glory by his ascension in that mount therefore he prevented or made way unto that his glory by prayer and there also he began his agony Or thus he went out to the mount of Olives because out of great grace and meer mercy which the Olive signifieth he subjected himself to suffer and die Or he went to the mount of Olives to shew that the Cross should become very fruitful in that man offered himself to God not sadly or by constraint but freely and cheerfully Oyl signifieth gladness When thou fastest Mat. 6. anoint with oyl The Evangelist addeth that Christ oft-times resorted thither Whence observe Observation That Christ spent many nights abroad in prayer By day he taught and took pains in the Temple by night he continued praying in mount Olivet serving us in both places leaving us an example in both though we imitate him in neither For we labour not in the Temple but in the Tavern welabour indeed by night not in prayer but in chambering and wantonness Further the Evangelists say that he went not out alone but with his Disciples For as was said before he would have them be spectators of his Passion that they might testifie all things more certainly and that they might the better undergo their own sufferings afterwards by his example It is elegantly exprest in Luke that his Disciples followed him They followed indeed but with a heavy heart fearing and trembling knowing those words could not be recal'd which that Master of all Truth told them before in that night when he said that he should be numbered with Transgressors They followed him therefore as being now about to take their last farewell of him never more to follow him so again So that doubtless they went along with much sorrow with many tears and sighs sometimes thinking one thing sometimes another whilst their grief encreased for so pious a Pastor Father and Master It is to be observed Luke 10. that at other times the Disciples went before Christ but when he went to suffer they could not go before but followed him Nature trembleth at the Cross and therefore followeth here very heavily But the Cross could not stay them when Christ led the way Do but follow Christ to the Cross and thou shalt follow him to Glory As his sufferings abound in us 2 Cor. 1. so his consolations abound much more But did Christ go along with his Disciples and say nothing to them No doubtless He often repeated and inculcated that the time of his suffering was at hand This was the time to speak to and admonish them when so great a temptation was so near Verily saith he I say unto you All yee shall be offended c. whereby he sheweth that they should be so much offended and troubled at his Passion that they would forget whatsoever they had heard and seen of him and now think of nothing but which way to escape and save themselves Although he had endeavoured by several wayes of comfort at his last Supper to prevent this offence yet he knew that he could work nothing upon those simple ignorant men and all because the Spirit was not yet given The sense of the words John 7. nor was Jesus yet glorified The meaning then is All yee shall be offended c. as if he had said when ye shall see me taken bound drag'd kild c. And that I do no more Miracles nor defend my self then yee will doubt yee will think my promises were but pretences and that my Miracles were but Magical A carnal man will but scoff at Christ when he seeth all men forsake him 1 Cor. 1. For the Cross of Christ is foolishness to them that believe not But we are not to look so much at the appearance of flesh John 3. as at the will of the Father who so loved the world that he gave his Son Hence we learn what a hard matter it is not to be offended in times of temptation Matth. 11. Blessed is he saith Christ that shall not be offended in me 'T is no wonder to hear men in prosperity say and boast that God is their Father but t is a rare thing to find this Faith in adversity When God punisheth afflicteth and forsaketh a man When the Apostles saw Christ work such Miracles no marvel to hear them say Thou art Christ the Son of God But to believe that he was the Son of God when he was thus surpriz'd jeer'd slain this had been courage indeed but here they sunk that seemed to be Pillars That the Apostles might know that this word of Christ was agreeable to the Word of God he alleadgeth that of the Prophet Zachary Zach. 13.7 Virum cohaerentem mihi It is written
gates are open only to the rich and such as bring presents with them Hence Isaiah saith They judge not the fatherless neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them Isa 1. So chap. 59. Truth is fallen in the street and Equity cannot enter When Peter was shut out John makes way to bring him in but to his great loss It had been better for him he had never come in His Brother Andrew formerly gave him a much more happy entrance to Christ Iohn 1. For here he is in a sort led away from Christ In Caiaphas's house there was neither Truth nor Equity to be found But what Christ foretold must come to pass Thou shalt deny me thrice Now was fulfilled that which Christ shewed him long ago in a kind of Figure When the Disciples were all in danger together upon the Sea Mat. 14. Christ came to them walking on the water When Peter heard his voyce he offered of his own accord to go to him and he also walking on the Sea to go to Christ when he saw the wind was rough he was afraid and when he was almost drowned the Lord caught him by the hand In that Miracle was foreshewed what here came to pass For here the Lord did truly walk above the waters while his Disciples were toyling in the Sea because when his Apostles were offended he endured Tribulation quietly at his pleasure and suddenly rose up a Conquerer of Death So did Peter also walk upon the waters to go to Jesus for being yet mindfull of his former love he followed Christ in the confidence of that little Faith he had left although it was afar off But he saw a strong gust of wind coming against him and so was afraid for fear he denyed by denying he had been drowned if the Lord had not stretched out his hand to hold him Hear now who was that wind It is said when she that kept the door saw him If you consider the maid her self she was but a little cloud But if you look to that Council of those Malignants which Peter did so dread then you will find this maids word was crabbed it was indeed a very blustering wind Thus Satan that sifter of the Apostles layeth his plot so as to begin his crafty Temptations with a woman which sex did heretofore open the door of deceit to our first Parent in Paradise Gen. 3. But t is possible the maid might take pitty on Peter and speak to him to warn him that if he were one of Jesus his Disciples he should make haste and be gone out of sight And her words seem to imply as much For she did not accuse him nor speak positively Nor did she rail on Christ calling him a Deceiver but only a man Finally she did but ask Peter the question whether he were not one of that mans Disciples What doth Peter answer her Woman saith he I am not I know him not I do not know what thou sayst See how easily that strong Pillar was shaken with the blast of one breath Take notice what it was that Peter denyed and before whom He denyed that he belonged to Christ He that denies himself to be one of Christs must needs give up himself to the Devil Peter doth not deny before the Souldiers or the high Priest but before the Damosel What is now become of his former courage Is it not plain enough to be seen now that he took the Sword before for Christs Defence out of carnal affection and not out of a spiritual discerning If he were such a stout Champion in a just quarrel why doth he not now so much as with a word vindicate Christs innocency I say not fight for him with his Sword If he denyed before a maid the meanest of women what would he have done before Kings and Princes But we are all the same that Peter was Before the Lord comes to Judgement and while we are yet ignorant of our own weakness we are wont to be proud of our Power and as it were all on fire with zeal for God but in the Judgement of the Lord we are as wax before the fire and as the dust which the wind scattereth from the face of the earth so we melt and moulder away Psalm 1. Peter then is a Type of those who attempt to do any thing without the Grace of God it so falls out that they both accuse Christ of a lye and what they boast they will do they never perform They charge Christ with a lye for he saith Without me ye can do nothing John 15. And they are never as good as their word For Paul saith The good that I would that do I not but the evil that I would not that I do Rom. 7. Whence we may infer that the Evangelists did not so exactly set down this story of Peter out of any desire to inveigh against or aggravate the sins of other men but only for our instruction And it is most worthy of our observation For 1. We see here that not the least word of Christ was spoken in vain which is a great confirmation of our Faith For otherwise if but one word of Christ had failed we might have doubted all the rest 2. Here we see that there is as little as comes to nothing placed in mans power For as iron which of it self is hard yet will easily be blunted with stones unless it be hardened with liquors or something else so the mind of man although it boast that it can scorn all perils for the love of Truth yet will it be overcome with the sharp brunt of opposition if it be not strengthened by the Grace of the Holy Spirit If Peter a man of so great Faith and Love who lived so long with Christ and was so familiar with him that he gave him a taste of the Heavenly Joy in his Transfiguration did fall so fowly what may be expected of us There is no security any where so long as we are in this mortal body An Angel fell in Heaven Adam in Paradise Peter in the world Who then should not dread the incomprehensible height of Gods Judgements Well therefore doth Paul admonish Be not high minded but fear Rom. 11. Again Let him that standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10. Thou art righteous in thy own conceit but thou canst not tell whether thou art so in the sight of God Nay thou knowest not what thou mayst be to morrow Look on holy Peter Who would have believed that either he or any man else should have fallen from so great confidence and love into such fickleness and impiety without mighty opposition On the other hand who would have thought that that Thief should have been saved A man can be in no safer condition than to continue with all carefulness in deep humility to hope in Gods Mercy not to boast himself in his own merits or foolishly to censure and judge others When thou seest any man sin be he never so bad
heaven and was brought before the antient of daies and had power to judge given to him It seem'd impossible to him that this Jesus of Nazareth should be that Son of man Therefore he doth so rave and rage and so earnestly press and call for sentence to be past upon him But see the malice and hypocrisie of this high Priest They had often heard Christ say that he was the Son of God and that he came down from heaven and they had as often strove and contended with him about it as is clear in John 10. and many other places But here this Caiaphas exclaims at it and tears his cloathes as if he had heard some new and strange thing from him And all this he doth in ostentation and to stir up others more eagerly against Christ This was done by the counsel of God that Caiaphas the high Priest of the Jews should rend his own cloathes at the Passion of Christ when all the enemies could not tear the coat of our Lord whereby was signified that the Jewish Priesthood should be torn in pieces for the wickedness of their high Priests as it is now too much to be feared that our Priesthood will be shattered and torn for the sins of our high Priests What Caiaphas did hypocritically do in renting his cloathes counterfeiting great sorrow That let us do really and unfeignedly to wit grieve heartily for the blasphemy against God and not only be troubled at it but use all means to withstand forbid But such means only as God hath appointed and punish it What great confusion are we in who daily hear blasphemings and yet are not a jot troubled at it nor seek to vindicate and withstand the wrong offered to the name of God whereas wicked Caiaphas trembles at that which he did but think was blasphemy Let us now hear the sentence of the Council against Jesus It is said They all condemned him saying he is guilty of death Who pronounced this sentence The Priests and Pharisees the Scribes and Elders the blindest of all men But why did they pass this sentence Because Christ answered well and proved the same before by signs and miracles and afterward with reall proof They were swift and made haste to shed blood Therefore they were called to the Council Caiaphas knew very well where and of whom to get votes enough He knew they would all vote as he would have them Therefore the Evangelist saith plainly that they all condemned Christ not one among so many learned wise and grave men opposing it There was none stood up for the innocent there was no patron for him there none made his appeal no man craved further time for him to make his defence so wholly were they made and addicted for Caiaphas They all agreed in evil who could never accord in good And how oft amongst us also is sentence given in favour of Princes Potentates and great men against the innocent Thus Christ who sought the glory of his Father in all things is said to blaspheme and he that was free from all sin is proclaimed worthy of death Who sees not what shame they here cast on Christ when they condemn him to death for a blasphemer and so impiously disgrace that most holy Name which Phil. 2. is above every name at which every knee shall bow and by which only we must be saved whereas there is no greater loss than of a mans name and good report nor is there any thing that can be outwardly inflicted will so grieve a wise man as disgrace and shame A good name is better then great riches Prov. 22.1 Here then is fulfilled what Christ in David foretold long ago The reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me Psalm 69 We were and are Blasphemers and by consequence guilty of death These reproaches were ours but Christ transferr'd them and took them on himself lest our consciences should be tormented with them for ever Beware therefore O Christian that thou dost never blaspheme Christ for that reproach redounds on God himself For he that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father John 5. Wherefore Christ upbraideth the Jews saying Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanct fied and sent into the world Thou blasphemest because I said I am the Son of God John 10.36 Let us rather give thanks to him who was judged to death as a blasphemer for us It followeth And the men that held Jesus mocked him Buke 22.63 Mat. 26.67 and spit in his face and buffeted him and covered his face Mark 14.65 and smote him with the palms of their hands saying Prophesie unto us thou Christ who is he that smote thee And many other things blasphemously spake they against him Luke 22.65 They have condemned Christ to death for a blasphemer Now they mock him as a fool and handle him most shamefully and exercise all kind of devilish spite upon him When wicked men have extreamly defamed and impiously dealt with a man at last they jeer him so they first make a man a blasphemer and then use him like a fool And although nothing doth more scandalize and offend carnal men then the infirmity of Christ yet the Evangelists esteem it the greatest honour of Christ to record this injury offered to him For his goodness and mercy doth so much the more appear by how much the more he was abased and humbled for us And it is so much the sweeter to us by how much he was made more despicable for us For we may truly glory in his affliction And hence ariseth our greatest Consolation to see that he hath so abundantly expiated our pride and rebellion against God Therefore O my soul who art redeemed by the blood of Christ betake thy self into thy chamber and retire into the closet of thy heart and meditate on those great things which thy Lord endured for thee in that shadow of the night Consider the words of the Evangelists which though they be few yet they do fully express the huge affront and indignity offered to Christ The men saith he that held Jesus mocked him c. These were the servants of the High Priests and the Souldiers of the Romans which held Christ intangled in their snares To these he was now delivered to do with him as they listed after the Council had examined him And they to gratifie their masters who stood by loaded him with all the scorn and shame they could possibly devise and invent and exercised all the fury of their malice without any controll and no doubt but they received a special reward after from the High Priests for their great pains taken and their good service done in mocking Christ In expectation whereof these lewd servants and Souldiers did so much the more glory the more they could revile afflict and lash him So that they did cruelly and most miserably use the King of Glory all that live-long Night For 1. They did childishly fleer at him as they use
the thirty pieces of silver to the chief Priests and Elders saying I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood And they said what is that to us see thou to that And he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple and departed and went and hanged himself And he burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Act. 1.18 And the chief Prests took the silver pieces and said It is not lawfull for us to put them into the Treasury because it is the price of blood And they took Counsell and bought with those silver pieces the reward of iniquity Act. 1.18 the potters field to bury strangers in And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue Aceldama that is the field of blood unto this day Act. 1.19 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the Prophet saying And they took the thirty pieces of silver the price of him that was valued whom they of the children of Israel did value And gave them for the Potters field as the Lord had appointed me This part of the History is inserted by Matthew that we may first hear the just Judgement of God upon the Traytor before we hear the unrighteous sentence of Pilate against Christ that was betrayed And this miserable man must first dye For he was not worthy to live so long till Christ had dyed for the sins of men There is a two-fold sense of what is said When he saw that he was condemned 1. He either knew by certain signs and conjectures that Christ would now be condemned inasmuch as he was led to the Judgement seat from whence none return acquitted and for that he knew that the malice of the Iews toward him was implacable Or 2. He saw him to be but a damned creature for such an hainous and horrible fact as if he then first began to feel the weight of his sin The Devil will not let them whom he tempted see the hainousness of sin till they have committed it But when the sin is once acted then he will aggravate it and no less endeavour to throw them headlong into despair then he did before hurry them to sin Judas therefore being now sensible of his sin repents himself which repentance Jerome saith was too late and Ambrose saith it was to no purpose For he did not repent according to knowledge saith Origen He did not bewail his sin but his loss This was the repentance of Cain Saul Ahab Esau Wicked men are sorry that they are come into trouble and anguish of mind and if they can once get out of their streights they will make but light of their sin Besides this repentance of Judas was not sound and true for although he acknowledged his sin yet he did not hope or believe in Gods mercy His sin was revealed to him but not the Gospel This is the repentance of them who by the righteous Judgement of God are damned seeing indeed and acknowledging their sin but not daring to beg pardon for the same But true repentance is to judge or condemn and believe Now to judge or make judgement is to acknowledge ones self to be a sinner to condemn rebuke confess and punish or mortifie ones sins but to believe is to trust and relye upon God by Christ that he will not impute the sin but pardon it Thus did David Psalm 32. I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest c. Again Many are the sorrows of the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about So the Wise man For if we sin we are thine Wisd 15. knowing that we are accounted as thine This Faith in Gods mercy through Christ is most necessary to salvation and the remission of sins For when a man knows that Christ is the true Saviour the pledge of Righteousness the Fountain of Mercy he will hie and betake himself to Him notwithstanding the hugeness and excess of his sins By his knowledge shall he justifie many Isa 53. And again To know thee is perfect Righteousness Wisd 15.3 Therefore if thou art terrified with the remembrance of thy sins thou oughtest not to look upon the greatness of them only but also to consider and have respect to the mercy of God in Christ otherwise with Cain thou wilt cry out full of fear and despair My sin is greater then can be forgiven Gen. 4. Thus David begins his penitential Psalm 51. with remembrance of Divine mercy which makes scarlet sins like snow Isa 1. Judas perished because he had not this repentance nor did he know what it was Peters conversion was a Token of Gods mercy So Judas's damnation was a signal of his wrath God of his goodness grant that the like never happen to any Christian but help us rather to seek for Grace by true Faith and with our whole heart But what doth Judas do more He brought back the thirty pieces of silver c. See here this wicked Judas made restitution of his unjust gain but he was never the better for it because he believed not To shew us that all our good works without Faith are nothing worth in the sight of God The wretched man could not long keep that money which he had sold Christ for for a sign that all those good things which God of his bounteous liberality had formerly bestowed upon the Iews should ere long be taken from them again God had given them the Lands of the Heathens that they might keep his Statutes and observe his Laws Psalm 105. ult and because they did not so he said I will return and take away my corn and my wine Hos 2.9 Judas did not only repent and restore his ill gotten goods but confessed his fault too I have sinned said he in betraying the innocent blood And yet he was nothing the better for his confession and all because he believed not Yet is it of much advantage to us For this one Testimony of it self is sufficient for us against all the blasphemies of the Jews First The Traytor himself excuseth Christ Secondly He that denyed him repented and was converted Thirdly Pilate himself who was the Judge could find no fault in him Fourthly And what is yet more the chief Priests and Scribes themselves could not tell what to say when Judas confessed that Christ was innocent but only reply so as that they did upon the matter yield that what Judas said of Christs innocency was true Say they What is that to us see thou to it Which words of theirs sound as if they began now to doubt what they had done But all the blame they lay on Iudas the Traytor which they would never have done had they known that what he did had been warrantable and just And yet how coldly do they answer when they hear of innocent blood As if they would fain have said If it be righteous blood what
you want comfort here are ye disburdened of your sins and whatsoever separated is safely disposed of Dost thou fear like a slave to be punished for them Behold the punishment is taken away Art thou afraid to be dis-inherited as an hireling Lo here is a Thief received into Paradise Finally If thou dost thirst after and long for pregnant and full Sentences plenty and abundance of most wholesome Precepts or the very Fountain it self of all Knowledge then come hither and draw near to it here is brought to remembrance all that ever Christ taught at any time Here we are taught what to pray for what to sear what to hope for what to do what to avoid And that which thou shalt never find any where else here is a Doctor who at the same instant also infuseth what he teacheth one that rooteth out Vice and planteth Vertue that chaseth away errour sparkleth out the light of Faith inkindleth Charity and bestoweth all the gifts of Grace so that a man would wonder that so great a Treasure should lye hid under so few words and that seven drops should cause such mighty floods to flow from them But here that of David is fulfilled The Voyce of the Lord is powerfull the Voyce of the Lord is full of Majesty Psalm 29. And that of Paul The Word of God is quick and powerfull and sharper then any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow Heb. 4.12 Whosoever is of God let him hear keep honour and reverence these words of God Let the ears hear the words of him that created them let man keep those words that will preserve him let man honour those words from which mans Salvation doth arise Christ would be lifted up high in the ayr 1. that all might see and behold him He lifted up his Voyce like a Trumpet 2. that all might hear him He chose Jerusalem 3. that famous City in all the East to shew such great Mysteries in that from thence his sound might go forth into all the earth 4. and his words unto the ends of the world Psalm 19. Lastly He would suffer on the Jews Feast-day in a wide and open place without the City before such an Assembly of so many Citizens so many Forraigners before so many of so many several Tongues that the so great Mysterie of his Passion and farewell Speech might not be concealed from any of any Countrey State Language c. The Grace of God certainly is not in us nay we do very wickedly and therefore Wo be to us if either with Peter we betake us to our heels and run away from Christ or with the Jews fall a scoffing at him or with the Souldiers crucifie him and not with Mary the Virgin-Mother of God and John the Evangelist we hasten with all speed to this Sermon standing at the foot of the cross attentively listening hearkening with all diligence and let us treasure up those golden Words in a broken heart We are Christians whither shall we go but to that Master who hath the words of Life Iohn 6. By whom can we better stand to whom can we more justly cleave then to Christ our Lord and Friend hanging on the cross And if the very Heathen observe and keep those commands as religious holy and almost divine Precepts which are given in charge by parents and friends upon their death-beds how much more strictly ought we to mark and observe these last words of Christ and fasten them most deeply in our breasts For our greatest and chiefest Philosophie is To know Jesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2. For there is perfection of Righteousness to be had there is plenty of Knowledge there is the very Truth of Wisdom there all our Riches Righteousness Merits Mercies Salvation Life and Resurrection do consist Thus much by way of Preface Now let us hear every Word by it self Of the first Word viz. Father forgive them for they know not what they do WHen the Lord Jesus became that true and only Sacrifice and when he was now about to finish the work of our Redemption and Salvation although he lay under the pressure of unutterable distress and misery yet he did not forget why and for whom he suffered such Torments even for our sakes for which cause he went out to meet his Fathers wrathfull displeasure with his prayers as not minding his own pain and punishment he sets upon the Work and Office he begins to take the work of a Priest in hand he stands in the place of a Mediator between God and man he becomes an Intercessor a Protector for us and puts himself wholly as an invincible wall to withstand the Fathers anger For he could not possibly but remember his native and inbred goodness And therefore when others did curse blaspheme and bitterly revile he doth pray and make Supplications not for himself but for others and not for others only but for his most cruel enemies and crucifiers who yet were indeed most worthy to be destroyed and devoured with fire from Heaven or that the earth should swallow them up alive Hear and see how he doth stand and pray for us and thrust himself between the revenging God and us sinners saying Father forgive them for they know not what they do The meaning Father A short prayer indeed but very pithy and full of matter containing much in it It is all one as if Christ had said O Father I am thy Son begotten out of the womb of thine own Substance before Lucifer or the morning Star Psalm 110. I am the devout religious and devoted observer of thine Honour diligently doing all thy will and performing all thy pleasures although I hang here as the Prince and chief of all notorious Malefactors and as a blasphemer and enemy of thy glorious Name yet in the midst of all these so many calamities tortures torments deaths I cannot but think upon my duty and what I am to do forgetting all the wrongs which these of the City have done to me It is my part and office to interpose and stand between thy most righteous displeasure and the hainous sins of man It lyeth on me and t is my work to piece up make whole and firm reduce bring back and Redeem mâ—… the work of our hands a broken vessel a stray-sheep a poor captive creature It is committed and given in charge to me to Reconcile both the things that are in heaven and that are in earth At thy beck and command I came forth from thee and came into the world whom thou hast appointed and made the Mediator and the Peace-maker a Priest and Intercessor And that justly too For 1. I partake of both Natures I am one God equal with thee as also with men I am a true man and therefore I am the most worthy and fittest Mediator I can lay my hand upon both I can reach and touch thee the beginning
Have respect therefore to the sacrifice of thy Son that holy sacrifice which I the great high Priest offer unto thee that unspotted oblation which I present thee withall Consider the simplicity and ignorance of our Work-manship which was so miserably cheated and seduced by the craft and cunning of that old serpent and for thy infinite mercy sake restore it again graciously into thy favour and good Will reconciling it to thy self I will undertake to conquer death by my death to lay all Hell wast I will return to thee with rich spoils and glorious Triumph and unlook the Heavens with my blood Wherefore pardon them O Father for they know not what they do This was the first word of Christ this his prayer for us of which Paul saith Heb. 5. that he prayed with tears and strong cryings and was heard for the reverence which he shewed Here we see how truly it was said And he made intercession for the Transgressors Isa 53. that they might not perish To this prayer pertaineth what Paul saith I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor but I obtained Mercy because I did it ignorantly 1 Tim. 1. This prayer hath so far prevailed that many thousands of those that persecuted Christ should be converted Acts 2. 3. Quest But you will say If Christ was heard why are not all his Persecutors saved Answ Mark it With desire did Christ desire the Cross to die for men but it was for such who by faith make themselves partakers of his prayer not for those that continue in their Unbelief And the Lord doth bestow faith at his pleasure Exod. 33. and as he will I will have Mercy on whom I will have Mercy Nor is God to be blamed if he make one Partaker of Christs prayer by faith and harden another through unbelief For whereas he bestoweth faith on some according to his pleasure it is of Grace not of debt And whereas he doth harden others it is the just and righteous Judgement of God and no more but what they that are hardened do deserve If God therefore hath set any at liberty let them be thankfull But Esâ— gilt hic nit zancken sonder danexen i. e. Let us not here raise a controversie but be thankfull Learn we then from this first word to confess and acknowledge our fins For we are the first true and principal Authors of Christs death and he doth mean and intend us all when he saith Forgive them c. For those souldiers were our souldiers even the Officers or Servants of our sins who imposed that upon him which our sins had deserved But who did then know or doth now think that our sins should crucifie the Son of God yet is it that which Paul plainly affirmeth speaking of some who crucifie Christ afresh and put him to an open shame Heb. 6. And this is that of which we are yet too ignorant how great he is that is offended and how grievous the sin committed is both as to the offence and also to the condemnation And because these things are hid from our eyes we do not indeed know what we do when we sin 1. First Then this word teacheth that we are the Crucifiers of Christ and such as know not God 2. Let us from this word strengthen our faith For if Christ did so fervently pray for them that crucified him how much rather doth he now intercede for those that call upon him and believe in him If he were so ready to forgive a sin committed against his own person he will much more readily forgive us We may therefore boldly now draw nigh unto God as having a Patron and an Advocate for us We may now avoid the wrath of God and dwell under the Protection of the God of Heaven under the shadow of the Almighty Psalm 91. For God is our Refuge and Strength Psalm 46. Hence is that of Paul We shall he saved from wrath through him Rom. 5.9 Again We have access through him unto the Father Eph. 2.18 And that of John But if we sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins 1 John 2. 3. From this word we may learn true Charity as well to serve the good of our Neighbours as Christ served us by his Passion as also to forgive those that are indebted to us Let them hear this word of Christ who when they are once exasperated do rage with such hardness of heart that they had rather pine themselves with perpetual Rancor than be reconciled to their Offenders whereas in the mean while they cease not to offend God with innumerable sins and yet dare to hope for Mercy But of this read Ecclesiasticus chap. 28. 4. Not of Devotion as some say By this word we see what great evils Ignorance doth carry with it and how much it is to be avoided For it is the mother of Errors the Mistriss of Scandals the Foster-brat of wickedness that which doth banish bashfulness fear awfulness and all the incitements of Vertue and hurleth those head-long that hold it into the deep and dirty ditches of Vice and wickedness and then strikes them dumb takes away their tongue and deprives them of all speech that they cannot call and cry out for help when it hath with held them from help it presenteth them to eternal darkness and death It is that which led the Jews into this extream wickedness to crucifie Christ the Son of God Of the second Word CHrist had scarce finished this first Word and loe it took effect and brought forth fruit presently that quick and quickning seed was as it were ripe in the sowers hand before it was seen to sprout up out of the earth that ground which without this seed was but stony and barren For one of the thieves which did hang on the right hand sucking in the first word of Christ with a greedy desire changed his barren land into a fruitfull field for immediately of a Murtherer he became a Martyr and was the first that of the last escaped forsaking all he followed the Lord even as he hung upon the Cross He brought and laid down all that he had his whole possession such as it was at the feet of crucified Jesus he himself also being crucified with him with his heart he believed unto Righteousness and making confession with his mouth he found salvation Wherefore he was accounted more worthy than all the rest to whom Christ spake his second word upon the Cross Of which word the Evangelists thus write And one of the Malefactors which were hanged railed on him Luke 23.39 saying If thou be Christ save thy self and us But the other answering rebuked him saying Dost not thou fear God seeing thou art in the same condemnation And we indeed justly for we receive the due Reward of our deeds but this man hath done nothing amiss And he said unto him Lord Remember me when thou comest into
The Disciples believed because they were incouraged by being promised to sit upon twelve Thrones Mat. 19. Thou never sawest any of all these things Thou hast not read the Scriptures thou hast seen no signs thou hast heard none of the Promises and yet thou believest nay thou dost make glory appear out of infirmity and innocency out of condemnation Have but a little patience thou shalt not stay long without a reward of so great a faith For although thou art now hard by the gates of death and the Ax is cutting down the tree of thy life yet thou art come in good time and seasonably enough There is place yet for pardon the gate of Mercy is not yet shut nay the fountain of Grace and Favour doth now flow more abundantly than it was wont to do Go to Be it unto thee according to thy Faith Faith stopt the womans issue of blood it shall cleanse thee from the contagion of all thy sins Faith freed the Cananitish daughter that was vexed with Devils it shall quit thee of the serpent that lurketh at thy heel deliver thee from the snare of the Hunter and from the expectation of thine enemies whom thou hast served By faith the Lepers were cleansed the blind made to see the sick of the Palsie restored to health thou by this thy faith shalt obtain eternal Glory and the salvation of thy soul By this thy faith thou shalt not with Enoch see the bitterness of death thou shalt he saved from the flood with Neah thou shalt with Abraham receive a place which thou knowest not for an Inheritance thou shalt not with Moses be smitten with the destroying Angel and shalt pass safely through the sea Thou like another Caleb shalt enter into a land flowing with Milk and Hony I Jesus will conduct thee thither It shall be better and more honourable for thee that thou hast hung by my side than if thou hadst sate before Caesar in golden Hangings and in his Ivory Chair Thou shalt have much more Honour and Renown than Augustus himself It shall be more sweet and pleasant to thee to partake with me in my torments than if thou hadst been Monarch and sole King of all the earth For what had it profited thee if the whole world had been subdued under thee for a moment and thy soul tortured with eternal pains and darkness Mat. 16. What good would a little paltry pelf do thee if thou shouldst lie under perpetual torments Verily I say unto thee Verily I say to thee I shall not bring thee into fools Paradise with tempting and inticing allurements rely upon what I say be secure my Word is as much as my Oath But because of the excellency of faith I did heretofore swear to Abraham and the Fathers and I will swear to thee also but much more happily I swear unto these that which I performed many Ages after but what I swear to thee I will presently perform To day To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise This shall be thy Reward To day I say lest long delay become tedious to thy expectation This day is salvation come into thine house Luk. 19. This day will I begin to exalt thee before all Israel that they may know that I am with thee This day shalt thou take the Land of the living which thou hast trampled upon with thy feet for thine eternal possession because thou hast followed the Lord thy God This petition of thine seems but a light Request to those that are without for what is more easie than to remember Thou thinkest that thou hast asked but a small matter but they are great things that thou suest for and such only as none but my faithfull servants pray for even to remember thee in my Kingdom For whom I remember they are not forsaken but whom I forget they are thrown aside out of my hand and do vanish away as the smoak Those on whom I have Mercy I remember them whom I remember on them also I have Mercy They cannot but be blessed whom I remember in my Kingdom So that in this short form of prayer thou hast asked more than thou art aware of for I ever give more than I am desired Wherefore remembring I will remember thee and bless thee Memory Thou shalt be had in everlasting Remembrance and shalt not be afraid of evil Tidings Psalm 112. With me Thou shalt be With me lest at any time thou shouldest slip out of mind mine eyes shall be still upon thee thou shalt be born upon my shoulders I will cover thee with my feathers and thou shalt put thy trust under my Wings Psalm 91. Thou shalt be with me with whom that the Saints might be they desire to be dissolved Thou shalt be with me thou shalt fear none ill for I the Hand of the Lord and as a mighty man of War am with thee Thou shalt be with me free from fear full of joy in peace and safety Thou shalt be with me who am every where and am All in All. Then thou shalt see what and how honourable a thing it is to be with me thou shalt overflow and thy heart shall be enlarged For In Paradise Thou shalt be with me in Paradise Nor shall that flaming Sword or guard of the Cherubins drive thee thence Adam who hid himself out of my sight was justly expelled that Garden Gen. 3. But thou who hast turned to me that I might remember thee shalt mercifully be led thereinto 1. Thou shalt be in Paradise not in the earthy but Heavenly garden of pleasure where thou shalt be enlightened with the inaccessible Rayes of Light which enlighteneth the eyes of Angels cheareth the youthfull minds of the Saints where thou shalt drink of and be filled with the Fountain of Life where thou shalt celebrate the Sabbaths and keep Holy-day in the celestiall Jerusalem in the pure and pleasant beauties of peace Thou art the first that entered that Kingdom prepared for good men before the world began No man shall go into it before thee None had ever so much and so many good things bestowed upon them before Thus they that honour me I will honour them 1 Sam. 2. And thou shalt be for a Sign that all may know from the greatest to the least how Saving how Honourable how fruitfull the Faith of Believers in me is 2. Thou shalt be with me in Paradise and the Kingdom of the Church which this day I erect with my blood 1. That whosoever shall know that thy wickedness is pardoned he may not despair of the forgiveness of his own but that he also may be turned to me that he may seek salvation and find it ask of me that he may receive pardon 2. I say thou shalt be an Example and a Spectacle of my mercy in whom all that are laden with sin shall see that my mercy is greater than mans frowardness so that they will but return to me that I also may