for you from the beginning of the world For I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink But instead of it they prepared a Vessel of c John 19.29 Vinegar such as might mock his intolerable Thirst and by retaining his Spirits only prolong his Torments wherewith they filled a Spunge and put it upon Hysop and put it to his Mouth They had before afflicted him in all other Parts his Head with Thorns his Face with Buffets his Back with Scourges his Hands and Feet with Nails his Body with shame and in all other Senses his Feeling with Pain his Hearing with phemies his Sight with Abominations his Smelling with the Ordure of their Infernal Mouths And now as if they intended the last Sense he should suffer in should be the same in which d Gen. 3.6 Eve first offended and Providence would make use of them to fulfil the e Psal 69.21 Scripture they gave him Vinegar to drink This was all the Kindness the Son of God received at their hands for whom he died This was all the Refreshment the Beloved of the Father was allowed while he thirsted for the Redemption of Sinners And he who feeds the Earth with the Dew of Heaven and fills all things living with Plentifulness wanted himself that we might enjoy Rivers of Pleasures in the coelestial and eternal Paradise Thus he suffer'd for our Ebriety and Intemperance in all Senses for all our Sins and dried up himself who says in the Gospel f John 7.37 If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Prayer O my dear Jesu Life of my Life and unexhausted Fountain of Mercy which can never be drawn dry to what sort of Sufferings has not thy Love Subjected thee for my sake that thou might'st purifie my Soul and present me unblamable to thy Heavenly Father To what sort of Gratitude should this induce me who know thy Blood to have been drain'd for me but a thankful Remembrance of thy Death and after thy Example an universal Charity to all that stand in need of it Yea I will receive the Cup of Salvation and I will call upon the Name of the Lord. I will magnifie his Mercy in shewing forth his Death and with confident Expectation of his coming again to Crown me with the Purchase of his precious Blood And though I am unworthy through my manifold Sins to offer unto him any Sacrifice at all yet will I present my Soul and Body to be a reasonable holy and lively Oblation not doubting but in Mercy he will accept my Service and with the same Affection wherewith he thirsted for me SECT XLV Of those Words of Christ It is finished and the Resignation of his Spirit to the Father WHen Jesus therefore had received the Vinegar all Prophecies being then fulfill'd as far as belong'd to the Life of the Messiah he said g John 19.30 It is finished or now is compleated whatsoever was predicted in the Scriptures of my Person to the end that Men might believe that I am he who was ordain'd by the eternal Wisdom and Mercy to be the Saviour of the World and so believing escape Hell and Death and be adopted into the Inheritance of the Son A dreadful Speech to the Powers of Darkness and to the Enemy of our Salvation and God's Glory the Devil all whose Desires tend to Damnation and whose Prey are the Souls of Men As if he had said Satan Thou hast hitherto tried all thy Wits to destroy me and my Gospel and frustrate the Happiness of all that should embrace it Thou hast sow'd thy Tares and the Seeds of Ingratitude in the Hearts of this People to whom I was h Matt. 15.24 first sent as the chosen of God exalted their Fury blinded their Judges animated their false Witnesses extorted my Death By thy Instinct one of my Disciples betray'd me another deny'd me the rest have forsaken me and all my Friends stand afar off or dare not own me in this ignominious place By thy Stratagems the Jews have rejected me my Followers despised and these Infidel Soldiers to consummate thy Malice nail'd me to this Tree But now the Quiver of thy Rage is empty and all thy Mischiefs shall return upon thee Nor shalt thou only have nothing in me but shalt lose many Millions of Souls by me Thy Force shall be abated Thy Kingdom wasted thy Wickedness restrained thy Acts ridicul'd For behold by me is finished what the Father hath appointed by me is finished what the Law required by me is finished what the Prophets have foretold as necessary and circumstantial to the Work of Redemption The Types are compleated The Shadows are abolished The Malice and Violence of the Enemy endured And the Sacrifice offer'd which God has requir'd Sin has an end Righteousness begins The Law is fulfill'd and the Gospel Succeeds God is reconciled and Man redeemed Thus did he terrifie the Infernal Powers with the same Word which supports the Faithful with the highest Consolation that Heaven can give or Earth is capable to receive For if all be finished there is no room for Fear A Shield is given us against all Evils The Lust of Sin the Sting of Death the Power of the Grave and the Fiery Darts of the Devil all are vanquished and we are more than Conquerors through him that has loved us and not we alone but his precious Blood is sprinkled backwards to our first Parents and forwards to the last Man that shall be upon Earth though not fully in Possession yet in hope and there is now no i Rom. 8.1 Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus After this there remain'd only the Recommendation of himself and of all those whose Reconciliation he had wrought to the Divine Majesty to be accepted protected govern'd and preserv'd till they might be glorified in his Heavenly Kingdom Which made him seal up his dying Lips with a loud Cry uttering these Words k Luk. 23.46 Father into thy hands I commend my Spirit My God my God my eternal Father behold me on this Pile Sacrificed to thy Justice according to thy Will pre-determin'd of me and my Desire from the first Moment of my Conception thy Pleasure having ever been engraven in my Heart with a Chizzel of Fire and an eternal Character so that I have wisht it I ever would it and I will protest it with my last Breath while my Soul shall be upon my Lips To have but one only Desire in the World to accomplish what thou hast pre-ordained to be done by my Obedience for the Salvation of Men. And now O Father I have endur'd with Patience all the Storms of thy just Indignation I come to thee who art the desirable Haven of all that obey thee and seek for Rest I have manifested thy Name I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to do I now return offering up my self upon this Altar of the Cross a full perfect and sufficient
combine to destroy the Heir of the m Isal 5.7 Vineyard of God and of whom the Prophets said n Psal 140.3 They had placed the Poyson of Serpents upon their Lips o Isai 5.7 I expected Justice and behold a cry p Jer. 12.8 My Heritage is unto me as a Lion in the forest it crieth out against me and therefore have I hated it For thus in the height of their wicked Imprecations they furiously persecute Christ to his Cross crying out the more q Mat. 27.22 23. Let him be crucified let him be crucified Why r Mat. 27.23 saith the Governour what evil hath he done and a Å¿ Exod. 13.21 third time declares I have found no cause of Death in him I will therefore chastise him and let him go When he saw the implacable Rage of the Jews neither to be restrained by force nor persuasion he hop'd a lesser Draught of his Blood might stop the Fury and Rapidness of their Passion and that by exposing his Body to Scourges the Roman Usage to Malefactors he might avoid the greater Evil of condemning him to Death and that when the Jews should see him so tormented they would relent in Pity and their Cruelty abate Thus he who cloaths all was despoiled of his Garments and confounded before the People who covers our Confusion and bound to a Pillar who went before them by day in a Å¿ Exod. 13.21 Pillar of a Cloud to lead â—em the way and by night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light to go by day and night that they might escape their Enemies and his Body which was the most sacred Temple of the Deity torn with vehement Stripes from unrelenting Hands till the Pavement was purpled with a Shower of holy Blood and his Person more beautiful than the Sons of Men wholly deform'd and hardly to be known according to what himself had t Mark 10.34 Luke 18.33 foretold of his being deliver'd to the Gentiles to be scourg'd and the u Isai 53.5 Prophesie of Isaiah long before his Incarnation He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities the Chastisement of our Peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed For if Christ had not sustain'd for us this Denudation and Confusion we could never have been cloathed with the Garment of his Righteousness or been able to have appear'd unblameable before God's Justice Seat in Heaven Behold therefore O! my Soul with devout Meditation this Portion of the Sufferings of thy wounded Jesus which was the Wonder and Astonishment of Heaven and Earth Behold with what profound Humility and Silence the great Lord of the World condescends to undergo the Punishment of Slaves Behold with what a sweet Patience this innocent Lamb yields to have his Body plow'd and furrow'd by merciless Infidels Behold him naked helpless and unpitied whilst the furious Executioner tears his Skin and tender Flesh with forked Scourges to satisfie the Cruelty of a barbarous Multitude Prayer Grant me O my God who hast laid such Severities upon thy only and beloved Son that I may never think any Austerity Mortification or Pennance too much to be undergone for that great Guilt which I have contracted by my Sins and for which it was necessary my Redeemer should thus be punished And whatsoever shall be wanting in my Sufferings for the Iniquities I have committed heal with the Stripes of this bruised Love who came to shed his Blood a Ransom for the World That owing the Cure and Salvation of my Soul to such an inestimable Remedy as that I may for ever Praise thee for thy incomparable Mercy SECT XXIX Of the Injuries done to Christ by the Roman Soldiers AFter this the Soldiers who because of the frequent Seditions and Tumults of that Nation were quartered at Jerusalem and now especially call'd together to curb the prodigious Concourse at the Feast hoping by an extraordinary and cruel Officiousness to receive a liberal Reward from the Jews whom they saw so inveterately set against him take him and use him in that inhumane manner we should hardly believe were it not faithfully Recorded They strip him and put on him a * Mat. 27.28 Scarlet or x John 19.2 Purple Robe such as their Commanders used to wear jeering him by this as Herod had done by the white and when they had platted a y Mat. 27.29 30. Crown of Thorns in stead of a Royal Diadem they put it on his Head and a Reed in his Right Hand for a Scepter All to signifie he had made himself a King but that his Kingdom was as weak and vain as those Ridiculous Emblems of his Royalty And they bow the Knee before him with a contumelious Address and mock him with a reproachful Salutation saying Hail King of the Jews And then they spit upon him and strike him with z Mat. 27.30 Reeds and their a Joh. 19.3 Hands upon his Head pressing his Temples with a thousand Punctures and forcing the Blood under the Crown of Thorns to descend upon his Cheeks and mix with his Tears and the loathsome Spittle of the People till he became truly what the Prophet had describ'd him b Isai 53.2 Without form or comeliness and to those that saw him there was no Beauty that they should desire him Prayer Whither O whither Thou great Martyr of Love shall thy Humility descend thy Piety proceed thy Compassion extend I have been proud and thou art humbled I have been wicked and thou art punished I that am a lost Man have been the Cause of all thy Weaknesses and Afflictions It is thy Love and my Iniquity which has brought thee thus low Teach me I beseech-thee to apprehend the Baseness of my Sin in proportion to the Calamities thou hast suffered for me that I may hate the Cause of thy Sufferings adore thy Mercy and imitate thy Graces For Lord what is thy Servant that thou should'st suffer one Stripe or the least Irrision for so poor a Creature And how great a Misery must it be to provoke by Sin so great a Mercy as thou hast reveal'd But thy Love is infinite and I am Dust and Ashes Let thy Holy Spirit support and sanctifie me and suffer thy self to become the Object of my present Dolours that thou mayst hereafter be the Fountain of my everlasting Joy SECT XXX Of Pilate's fourth Declaration of Christ's Innocence OUR Saviour thus c Isal 53.3 despised and rejected of Men bearing our Griefs and carrying our Sorrows Pilate thought it impossible to behold him without Pity and once more brings him forth to shew him to the People hoping so sad and miserable a Spectacle would not only draw Tears from the Eyes of the Beholders but even Showers of Blood from their Hearts and a fourth time publickly declares him innocent and that he ought no further to proceed against him d Joh. 19.4 5. saying Behold I bring him forth unto you that ye
Enemies could reduce him and when they had spent all the poison of their lips that they were now reduc'd to an involuntary silence He that he might leave nothing undone which might magnifie his Mercy above all their provocations and to give an undeniable proof of his Ministery that he came to reconcile the World to God broke into this most admirable intercession for them m Luke 23.34 Father forgive them for they know not what they do O God! O Goodness O Love What Word what Speech what Voice is this He was not more sensible of the madness of the People then he was compassionate of their infirmities nor griev'd with their Malice so much as Merciful to their Sins Hitherto they had objected against his being the Messiah and now he will give them an undoubted demonstration opposing himself by Prayer to the Anger of his God Heavenly Father whose Honour I have observ'd whose Commandments I have fulfill'd and at whose Will and Pleasure I was sent into the World and being of thy substance took humane Nature to be a Pacifier Intercessor and High-Priest to make reconciliation for the Sins of the People who now hang bleeding and dying upon the Cross in the midst of so many Reproaches Torments and Griefs offering up my self to thee in Tears and Crys for the Sins of all whoever offend thee Spare thy people Good Lord spare them and wash away their Sins in my propitiatory Blood Adam transgress'd and his posterity became abominable and the whole World lies in wickedness Even thine own Inheritance which thou hast chosen out of all People and lov'd above the rest of the works of thy Hands have added this weight to the guilt of all their Sins to deny the Holy one whom thou hast sent and to spill my innocent Blood upon the Earth For how great is my Dignity which they have set at nought How infinite is thy Majesty they have despis'd in me Nevertheless tho' hitherto thou hast justly dealt with Man in shutting Heaven against his transgressions and opening Hell and sending Death into the World nor shouldst thou ever justly spare without satisfaction to thy Eternal Justice nor could all the Blood of Men make that atonement yet now behold me who am come to satisfie thee by the dignity of my Divinity joyn'd to the nature of offending Man Man's Salvation depends on me on me alone who came an exile hither from those Essential Joys I had in thy Bosom to suffer Cold and Heat Hunger and Thirst Nakedness and Weariness Watchings and Temptations Afflictions Persecutions and this cruel Death What Griefs what Torments have I not endur'd in this tender body of Flesh What Sorrow what Streights what Agonies have I not experienc'd in this frail constitution of Mortals Was there ever any grief like mine wherewith thou hast afflicted me in thy fierce anger What remains then O Father of Mercies who hast n Exod. 34.6 proclaim'd thy self Gracious Long-Suffering and abundant in Goodness and in Truth forgiving Iniquity Transgression and Sin but that thou should'st lay aside thine Anger Remit Pardon and Pour forth thn Grace My Blood crys not for Vengeance as o Gen. 4.10 Heb. 12.24 Abel's did against his Murderer nor do I appeal to thee now as a Judge but as to a Father I implore thy Mercy unless there shall be any who shall account it unholy and trample my Covenant under their Feet I have Pardon'd who Suffer'd and am Crucified Pardon thou those whom that thou mightest Pardon thou sentest me into the World thus to suffer Now all manner of Sinners which shall ever be in the World they are my Tormentors they are my Crucifiers as well as these Jews and Romans about me I Pray therefore for all as I Suffer for all and offer my self a ransom for all But more particularly for these my Brethren because no Sin can equal theirs that thou wouldst be pleased to be favourable to their Blindness for they know not what they do The vail of Darkness is over their Hearts and this covering of Flesh has clouded me that they cannot discern my Divinity but hereafter they will look on him whom they have pierced and mourn and the World shall acknowledge me their Crucified Lord. Is it not by thy permission that Satan has thus blinded them and hid from their understandings the Mystery of my Incarnation Destroy not therefore an ignorant Nation who are to fulfil the designs of thy Wisdom and Mercy For did they know me they would not Crucifie me and notknowing me they are subservient thy Providence After the same goodness likewise do thou ever pardon all that offend against thee ignorantly and out of Infirmity that they may return to thee and Repent and be acceptable through the Merits of this my Sacrifice which I here offer for their Ransom Let my Death overcome their Death Let my Resurrection despoil their Hell And when I return Triumphantly to thee let me also make a way for my Ransomed to pass Prayer O Bleeding Love my Dear Intercessor who hadst the Patience thus to Pray for thine Enemies among so many Torments and Deaths wherefore didst thou not Pray thy Heavenly Father that he should mitigate thy own Griefs for thou neglected'st the Beloved of God and interceededest for his rebellious Servants Thy Hands and Feet were nailed to the Cross thy tender Flesh torn with Whips thy languishing Head pierced with Thorns and all the parts of thy Body disjoynted and strugling under inexpressible pains Why would'st thou not pitty thy Sacred Body who hadst such compassion of thy Tormentors Why would'st thou not be eas'd from temporal pains who wast so desirous to have them freed from the Eternal Art thou not bound to defend the Innocent And why dost thou not defend thy self who art most eminently and undoubtedly such by the Testimonies of thy Betrayer and Judge But thou becomst an Advocate for the guilty Thou excusest a Sin which cannot be paralel'd Without being desir'd thou Prayest for the Actors and for the love of those who kill thee art content to die And why all this Gracious Lord but for my instruction that I a Sinner should have compassion towards Sinners that I who commit so many Sins my self should not only forgive such as do offend me but also excuse and Pray for them that so I may become a Son of thy Eternal Father and a true Disciple of thy Beneficent Love O fill my Heart with thy Exuberant Charity and transform me into thine own likeness Dissolve into meekness all pittiless Spirits abolish with thy Grace all Mortal Vengeances and convert with thy Clemency those Tyrannous Souls who know not what it is to Pardon when once Offended That after thy Example we may embrace our Adversaries quench their passions with Tears of Love and become acceptable to that infinite Charity wherewith thou redeemest the the Sinning World SECT XLI Of the Penitent Thief and Christ 's Mercy towards him NO sooner had the
you and for many for the Remission of Sins another Representation of that Innocent Blood which was now barbarously designed to be shed enough to have wounded a heart of Marble or turn'd a Rock into a Fountain of Tears Since by both it may appear the perfidious Traitor was not more studious to deliver his Lord to the barbarous cruelty of his implacable Enemies then the Benign Jesus was to pursue him with Kindness and to contrive how he might reap the Advantages of his Sufferings out of an unalterable purpose to do more then die for us by finding out a way whereby he might live in us for ever But it seems the unbelieving and the Slaves of Sin cannot have experience of the Divine Bounty because through the Blindness and Hardness of their Hearts they will not weigh so unspeakable a Gift as the Death of Christ for taking away their Guilt Something less Mysterious may possibly suit better with a Carnal mind and a Corrupt understanding and an Action of Humility from the most High may draw the Admiration of the most insensible Jesus therefore knowing that the Father had given * John 13.3 all things into his Hands and that he was come from God and went to God and what could the Evangelists have said more proper to make us Sensible of his wonderful Condescension For we can never truly esteem his Humiliation unless at the same time we consider his Sublimity as we cannot rightly estimate his Charity without considering how unworthy they were on whom he bestow'd it He knew himself to be Lord of all and that he came from God by Eternal Generation and was shortly to sit in Glory at his Right Hand Yet for the love of Men and to draw them to himself he laid aside his Power or rather hid it and took upon him the form of a Servant with all the Circumstances of an humble Ministration x Joh. 13.4 c. He rose from Supper put off his Garment girded himself with a Towel pour'd Water into a Bason kneel'd down and wash'd his Disciples Feet Who would have thought the Messiah was to come among Men to execute the Office of a Moabite or Slave for thus saith David y Psal 108.9 Moab is my Washpot implying he would humble the Moabites so low they should serve only to bring Water to wash away Impurities What Force has conquered him What Arms have brought him under What Power has subjected him to so dishonourable a Servitude Are they not the Charms of his own infinite Love which have render'd him thus enamour'd of his Spouse the Church that to wooe and gain her he will become any thing And are they not a Token he intends shortly to cleanse and purifie her in his expiatory Blood I am not surprized that Peter should be afraid and contract himself saying z Joh. 13.6 Lord dost thou wash my Feet when he saw Heaven stoop to Earth and the Vility of Man next to infinite exceeded by a Mercy equal to the Immensity of God I rather wonder to see so many Christians burn Incense daily to that Idol call'd Point of Honour when the Son of Man came not to be Ministred unto but to a Mark 10.45 Minister and to give his Life a Ransom for many He did not disdain to wash the Feet of his Betrayer with those Hands which had opened the Eyes of the Blind cured Lepers heal'd Diseases and when lift up to Heaven restor'd the Dead to Life He might have washed the Head or Hands a Service something more honourable but he bends rather to the Feet for the Opportunity of a more humble Posture and apter Signification of his infinite Charity Prayer Adorable Jesu I burn with Love among thy Purifying Waters I desire affectionately to humble my self But where shall I find so low a Place as thine when thou wast humbled before Judas to wash his Traiterous Feet I therefore resign my self with thy faithful b Joh. 13.9 Disciple and not my Feet only but my Hands and my Head even all that I am Beseeching thee to work in me what shall be pleasing to thy Will and to Grant That by the Waters of Repentance and Regeneration my Soul may be renew'd to everlasting Life SECT III. Of the Divine Predestination in respect of the Betrayer I Know not whether Simon shew'd more Love to his Master in violently c Joh. 13.8 refusing at first and as eagerly d 9. permitting him at last to wash his Feet among the rest of the Disciples or Judas more Obstinacy in continuing insensible under such an admirable Dispensation of Goodness For our Saviour pronounces against his invincible Infidelity enough to strike Terrour into the most confident and assured e 10. Ye are clean but not all f 18. I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen g Luk. 22.22 The Son of Man goeth as it was determined but wo unto that Man by whom he is betrayed h Joh. 13.19 Now I tell you before it come that when it is come to pass ye may believe that I am He. O God! what Lightnings what Darts are here what a Night without a Day what a Precipice without a bottom what an Ocean without a Shore O Height of the Wisdom and Knowledge of the Almighty how fearful and horrible are the Mysteries of thy Secrets All this was long since praedicted by the i Esai 53. Zec. 11 12 13. Prophets All this is acted according to the Counsel and k Act. 4.28 Praedetermination of the Divine Majesty and yet the Actor is in fault Judas is admitted into the Apostolate and yet not chosen to present Grace but not to final May it not suffice to believe That no Man is Reprobated without Justice no Man Saved without Mercy and that what was decreed from the Beginning to be done by Judas was now to be fulfill'd without any new Counsel in a certain Order of Time long before seen and determined Not that Judas was compell'd to betray Christ lest the Scriptures should be found false for otherwise he were not to be blamed but rather praised yea his Sin would be charged upon God But because he was ready to do this of his own accord the Holy Spirit foreseeing it foretold it to come to pass Prayer O dreadful Majesty who dost justly Condemn and undeservedly Save Souls I tremble at thy Judgments I prostrate my self before thy Mercy if thou enterest into Judgment with me I cannot be justified if thou thinkest upon me in Mercy I cannot be condemned Pierce thou my Heart with a Fear of thy Judgments that I may always dread them and never feel them If I forget thee awake my Memory If I fly from thee recall me again If I defer my Amendment stay for me in Mercy and when I return O cast not out my Soul but think upon the Rigorous Justice that thou hast executed upon the Son of thy Love for the
Blessings of his Calling The dismal Figure of all Apostate wretches How great an Advantage had this Miserable Disciple to know where his Master was and where he might be found if he had made a right use of it For what does the e Cant. 2.7 Bride in the Canticles desire but tell me O thou whom my Soul loveth where thou feedest and and where thou liest down But abusing his knowledge to his own destruction and so much more wicked then the rest of the People as the Serpent was by being wiser then theother Creatures and for that a more opportune instrument of Homicide to the Devil the Devil makes use of him to destroy the Celestial Man in his Body as he had made use of the Serpent to destroy the Terrestrial in his Soul But Jesus nothing surpris'd at what he fore-knew would come to pass and to give an undeniable evidence that his Death was voluntary and not caused by the Treachery of Man prevents the Betrayer and f John 18.4 offers himself to his Enemies alone against a multitude unarm'd before their Weapons plain and sincere without regard to to their Malice He had formerly g John 12.36 hid himself when they admir'd his Miracles and h John 6.15 departed from 'em privately when they would have made him a King But now he meets them notwithstanding their Hostility because the hour prefixed by the Father was come For as we are not to tempt God by inconsiderate Rashness in our affairs so are we chearfully to resign up our selves to his will and obey him with great readiness of Mind when he calls us to â—â—ffer for a good Conscience and for the Confirmation of his Truth He teaches us Submission is the way to exaltation while he expects to ascend unto the Father from the Cross and lets us learn for the Hope of future Glory to despise all present and Momentary Evils and not consider what it is we suffer but that it brings us to the Father He might justly have reprehended 'em for their Ingratitude and Impiety against so many Benefits he had conferr'd on them or destroy'd 'em with the least breath of his Displeasure as unworthy of Life who came to destroy the Lord of it But now was the time of Mercy and not of Judgment of Patience and Long Suffering and not of Anger and the greatest Evil was to be overcome of Good He asks in the most familiar though convincing manner i Joh. 18.4 Whom seek ye and what would you have Is it an Enemy or a Robber against whom you are come with these Arms or have ye heard of any Insurrection against the State or Rebellion against Caesar that ye have made this great Preparation or do ye come out against an innocent Person who sat daily with you in the k Mark 14.44 Temple teaching and ye laid no hold on him If this be your Intention you might long since have taken him there needed not this Charge and Trouble and Pains But consider what it is to destroy a harmless Man The Blood of the Guiltless l Gen. 4.10 cries from the ground to Heaven and how much more will the Blood of the Son of God They answering said m John 18.5 We seek Jesus of Nazareth And Jesus said unto them I am He. Terrified at which Sound of the Divine Voice they went n Joh. 18.6 backward and fell to the ground The fatal Omen that all shall be cast down that rise up against the Lord and his Anointed but particular Intimation of the Fall of that People whom his Miraculous Works had rendred inexcusable For if he did this in the Form of the Lamb what will he do when he comes in that of the Lion If he did this being himself to be judged what shall he do when he comes to judge the World If he did this when he was to dye what will he do when he shall Reign eternally If such were the Dew of his Sacred Word who shall be able to abide the Thunder The least Rays of Divinity are so powerful in Nature that its very Shadow cannot be seen by us without a holy Horrour and Concern Which is the Reason that even Virtue has such venerable Attractives we cannot approach it without Love and Reverence Yea the Soul of a just Man is the o Isai 57.15 Throne of God the Theatre of his Power the List of his Courses the Field of his Battles and the Palace in which he makes his Abode which is the Cause the Saints have done so many Wonders in the World the p Gen. 7.9 Dan. 6.22 Luk. 10.19 wildest Beasts changing their Natures before them and all the q Gen. 7.19.8.16.9.22.10.21 Elements though insensible seeming reasonable to obey them But the Divinity and Humanity of the Blessed Jesus did so communicate in Effects from his Nativity to the day of his Death that no great Action past but as the Sun shining through a Cloud they gave Illustration and Testimony to each other He was born a tender and crying Infant but was ador'd by the r Mat. 2.11 Wise men as a King and by the Å¿ Luk. 2.13 Angels as a God He was circumcised after the Law as a Man but had a t Luk. 2.21 Name given him which signified him to be the Saviour of the World He fled into Egypt like a distressed Child under the Conduct of Helpless Parents and as soon as he entred into the Country the u Isai 19.1 Euseb de Demonst c. 20. S. Athanas lib. de Incarnat Vrbi Idols fell down and confest his Divinity He was presented in the Temple as the Son of Man but by Simeon and Anna was * Luk. 2.32 38. own'd for the Messiah and celebrated with Divine Praises He was baptised as a Sinner by John in Jordan but the Holy Ghost descending upon him proclaim'd him the x Joh. 3.17 Beloved Son of God He was hungry in the Wilderness and tempted as a Mortal but was supported by his Divinity and the holy y Matt. 4.11 Angels came and ministred to him as supream Lord. A little before his Passion when he was to take upon him all Affronts Miseries and Exinanitions of the most despised and abject he received Testimonies from above and was wonderfully transfigur'd upon the z Matt. 17.2 2 Pet. 1.18 holy Mount And now being to be taken by rude hands they are repell'd by the Majesty of his Person and the Glory of his Presence Seeing therefore they had no Power to take him without his Permission he recovers them out of their Confusion with the same Words saying unto 'em again a John 18.7 Whom seek ye And when they said Jesus of Nazareth he answered I have told you I am he If then you are sent to take him I resign my self I am that Jesus I am your Prisoner let these go their way That the b John 18.9 Saying might be fulfilled which
of Intention and if after the example of thy own injuries we shall be brought before ungodly Magistrates to suffer for Righteousness and the Gospels sake Give us the like Patience Who art the true Peace and Comfort of all that put their trust in thee SECT XVII Of Peter's Fall WHile these things were transacting concerning the Lord * Mark 14.54 c. Peter who follow'd him afar off into the Palace of the High-Priest and sate with the Servants and others and warm'd himself at the fire for it was then a cold season being engag'd in a strange and evil company in the midst of danger without time to deliberate invent subterfuges or fortifie himself was surpris'd with the Questions of a Servant Maid and twice deny'd shamefully that he belong'd to him and at the third time began to curse and swear that he knew not this Man of whom they spake who yet was known to him as his own heart and was dearer to him then his Eyes and for whom he had profest a little before he would go into Prison and to Death So Vain and Frail are the greatest Spirits being left destitute to themselves they become Barren suffer Ecclipses and give examples of Terror to the World But the Merciful Jesus in the midst of his own Sufferings was not unmindful of his Servants danger Notwithstanding the dishonour of his present condition the sense of his Fathers Indignation the Foresight of his approaching Desertion while he is wholly possest of weakness he is yet at leisure for an act of Power The Righteous Justice of his God and the unjust cruelty of Men are not able to drive him from the exercise of his Mercy He came to suffer all these things for Man and in the midst of his Troubles remembers Man honouring the Scorns and Buffets of his Judgment with the Conversion of a fallen Apostle He cast a Gracious Eye upon him when the Cock crew according to the x Luke 22.61 prediction he had made of his Fall and the piercing Animal was made the Preacher and his Look was the grace that made the Sermon effectual Who will not admire the Sage Prudence and Miraculous Conduct of his Designs to bring to pass his abundant Mercy Who will not remain astonished in Contemplation of his wonderful Operations and above all when he shall discern the care he always has for the preservation of his Elect Alas How stupid is the Wisdom of Men How Imprudent their Resolutions How feeble are the Forces of their understanding when they are sever'd from the Blessed Jesus But there needs but one heavenly raye of his to enlighten all the obscurities of the Earth but one single drop of his Dew to soften all Hardned and Rocky Hearts but one glance of his Eye to give a Soul and Life to all the most inanimated bodies in Nature Yea when a Man thinks himself utterly lost then presently he shows him his way in the midst of all his wandrings and there is no climate so dry no soil so unfruitful where his Omnipotent Goodness cannot cause a Thousand Fountains and Springs to rise to the end it may be everywhere known and Extoll'd that he is the source of all Living and Salutiferous Waters Methinks I see in his Face a conflict of the Affections of Pity Mercy Favour and Grace striving together in this compassionate Action Pitty commiserating the frailty of his Disciple Mercy forgiving and converting him Favour inviting him and Grace assisting him Prayer O Amiable Eyes of my Dear Jesus Stay O stay Benign Lord and never let thy saving Face be turned from me Cast upon my dull and heavy Soul one beam from those thine Eyes which make all storms Clear and all disasters Happy The very Faithful themselves would lie still in the Depth of Sin whereinto they have been plunged by their inadvertency did not thy pitty raise them up They cannot remember their Danger or thy Word till thou remember their Misery and Relieve them O let me dwell for ever in thy Presence for out of the sight of thine Eyes there is no safety SECT XVIII Of Peter's Rise NO sooner did Peter remember the words of Jesus and what slight esteem he had made of that Caution which should have arm'd him against Temptation but he went out and y Matt. 26.75 wept bitterly z 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 14.72 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophylact. covering his Head and mingling his Tears with the Sighs and Groans of his broken heart Leaving it disputable whether he felt more Joy or Sorrow in the acts of Love or the remembrance of his Fall Alas says he How true is it that a proud Felicity has reeling Feet That when we trust to our own strength we are then in most danger That negligence and presumption are the Forerunners of a Fall Thou who didst defie the gates of Hell hast yielded thy self to the voice of a simple Woman All those Conquests thou didst promise to thy self are become the Trophies of so weak a Hand Return to the Combat and since she has Triumph'd over thee do thou at least Triumph over thy self Alas I am afraid to behold the place of my Fall and the weak snares of a foolish Woman appear to me as rigorous as Chains of Iron Yet what can he fear who is resolv'd to die or make himself a Sacrifice to his offended Lord But our Soul is yet too foul for an Oblation to his Service let us wash it with Tears till its impurities are cleansed I fell before the Fire and I will rise by the Water the salutary waters of Repentance I have a Matt. 14.29 walked upon the Sea to come to my Jesus and I will now return to him by the way of my Tears I will now speak only by my Eyes since I have lately talk'd so wickedly with my Mouth Since we have nothing left free to us but Sighs and Groans let us make use of the last liberty that is left and when all is spent return to the Mercy of Jesus which all the Sins of the World can never evacuate I will from henceforth be a perpetual Example to the Church by my Fall and rising again from Death for the comfort of Sinners and a warning to the Faithful and the fault of one Night shall be lamented by me all the days of my Life in a kind of continual Martyrdom Come and Rejoyce over me ye holy Angels since the greater is my Sin the more will his Mercy be magnified in my Forgiveness and Conversion Let all such as Stand here these Words and take heed lest they Fall Let such as are Fallen imprint them in their Hearts that they may endeavour in like manner to Rise Here is not propos'd an Example of Falling but an Example of Rising after Falling And since none but the Tears of the Damned are Remediless let us hasten with this Penitent to the Pool of Contrition and bath our Souls in those Salutiferous
envious Friends Deceivers Beds of Down no better than Sepulchres and Life is but a Death or at best but a long and dolorous Sickness unless God be the Loadstone of our Hearts the Center of our Affections and the Height of our Glory It is a horrible thing to see a Soul left to it self after it has forsaken the Inspirations of God It becomes a desolate Vineyard without Enclosure The wild Boar enters it and all unclean and ravenous Beasts do there sport and leap without Controll God hangs Clouds over it but lets no Dew fall upon it The Sun never looks upon it with a loving Eye but all there is Barren Venomous and near to Hell Blackness of Darkness and eternal Night Melancholy rack'd by Despair Guilt scourg'd by Shame Rage tortur'd with Envy and Vexation stabb'd by Regret and a tempestuous Repentance And if this be the Unhappiness of the present time O! how great will be the Solitude of such a Soul in her Separation When in an Instant she shall see nothing but all the Evils she has done and all the Wickednesses of her Life spread before her Eyes as so many Firey Serpents for which she must answer before the dreadful Tribunal which even now appears before her Eyes Prayer O! just God will there need any Chains to sink it lower than its own Weight has done Will there need any other Darkness to cover the Soul which such a Cloud of Sorrows has already benighted and cast into the bottom of the Abyss of Miseries One Deep calls upon another the Depth of Misery upon the Depth of thy Compassion In the midst of thy Wrath remember Mercy Afford us here such Grace as may prevent Despair for our Sins cannot be greater than thy Mercy and in the Day of Judgment grant us such Mercy as may pardon our greatest Sins SECT XXI Of the Deplorable end of Judas POor Judas under these apprehensions of Shame Guilt Fear Despair Grief Rage Anguish and Torment the reproof of Devils and Wicked Men departed and went and e Matt. 27.5 hanged himself Which judgment was made more notorious by an unusual accident as the Greek Scholiast and some f Euthym. in 26. Matt. Oecumen in c. 1. Acts. Juvencus Hist Evang. Beda de Locis Sanct. cap. 4. others report out of Papias St. John's Scholar that he fell from the Fig-tree on which he hanged before he was quite dead and surviv'd his attempt some while being so sad a spectacle of Deformity Pain and a prodigious tumour that his plague was deplorable and highly miserable till at last he burst in the very substance of his Trunk as being extended beyond the possibilities and capacities of Nature Which reconciles the relation of St. Matthew to St. Luke's of whom the former says he g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27 5. hanged or strangled himself the latter he h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 1.18 fell headlong and burst asunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out Such is the real unfruitfulness of Sin and perplexed estate of unjust gain We are afterwards more indigent then we were before and know not what to do with the cursed thing when we have it Such is the purchase of Treason and reward of Covetousness momentary in its Possession unsatisfying in the fruition uncertain in the stay sudden in its departure horrid in the remembrance a certain and astonishing ruin in the end And such is the confusion of all those who are terrified with the remembrance of their Sin but cannot apprehend the greatness of Gods Mercy or build their repentance upon the Divine Compassion Whose sin is reveal'd to 'em but but not the Gospel who are sorry for their loss or what they suffer but cannot Confess Believe and heartily sue for Pardon Prayer O thou most Gracious yet dreadful Majesty Gracious in the dispensations of those means which lead us to believe in thy dear Son as in thy manifold offers to Judas Dreadful in the emanations of thy Justice sealing up his incorrigible and impenitent Heart Suffer me not I beseech thee ever to despair either of thy Mercy for what is past or of thy Grace for the future I am cast down when I consider the misery of the Betrayer but I lift up my Soul to the Mercy of the Betrayed I tremble when I consider the fruits of Sin but am encouraged by those of the Sufferings of my Jesus For whose infinite Merits I implore thine infinite Compassion to deliver me now from a reprobate Mind and in the day of Judgment from Eternal Condemnation SECT XXII Of the Wonderful Providence of God in the manner of Christ's Death NOthing comes by chance in respect of God but all things are disposed by his wise Providence to bring his determinate Council to pass After Judas by his desolation had i Acts 1 20. Psal 109.7 fulfilled the Scripture it was further necessary that Christ whom he had deliver'd should suffer in a manner prefigur'd therein thô not prescrib'd by the Law of Moses For as a k Exod. â—â— 46 bone of the Typical Lamb was not to be broken so neither was any to be broken in the true Lamb the Great passover of the Christians Whereby it was intimated the Saviour of the World should suffer that Death to which the breaking of Bones was usual which according to custom was that of Crucifixion to put an end to the Miserable life of the Sufferer but only in that Death should by the Providence of God be so particularly preserv'd as that not one Bone of his should be touch'd The Psalmist likewise predicting of him they l Psal 22.17 pierc'd my hands and my feet plainly represented he should die the Death of the Cross to which the Hands and Feet of the Person Crucified were affixed In order to this Death which was after the Roman manner great had been the Revolutions and Changes in the World between the Type and Prophesie and the time of the event And Judea that was once m Lâ—m. 1.1 great among the Nations and Princess among the Provinces had now been made tributary by Pompey the Great about threescore years before Christ and a part of a Province of Syria under the care of the President of that Province appointed by Tiberias the Emperor According to which Institution a particular Procurator was assigned to it for the disposing of the Publick revenue and because the President who had the power of the Sword was forc'd to attend the other parts of his Province therefore n Tacit. Annal. l. 15. Tertull. Apologet. cap. 21 Cyprian adv Demet. Josephus de bel jud Philo de legat ad Cajum Justin Mart. Apolog. Eusebius Hist l. 1. c. 10. Pilate the Resident Procutator of Judea was furnish'd with power of Life and Death and administred the Supreme Power as to the Jews This gave opportunity that Christ might be deliver'd to a foreign Jurisdiction and suffer Death after the custom of that
in Rivers of Blood with so horrible a Slaughter that in the Siege of their City the Living sufficed not to bury the Dead He x Numb 20.11 opened the sides of the hard Rocks to quench their thirst in the barren Wilderness And why has he dried up the paths of their Women who saw their little ones die in their arms themselves unable to moisten their lips unless it were with the Tears of their Eyes He showr'd down y Exod. 16.13 14. Manna and Quails about their Camp and by a z Exod. 16.19 daily Providence supplied their wants And why has he afflicted 'em with such enraged famine that the hands of the Mothers slew their Infants and roasted 'em on Coals to satisfie their Hunger and the People greedily devour'd the Bodys Dead partly by Famine partly by Pestilence He a Deut. 32.10 11. led 'em through the Desert and the waste howling Wilderness as the Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young and beareth them on her wings And why did he abandon 'em to Eagles and Vultures which so often made Carrion of the Flesh of his Children who were cast over the walls into the ditch of the City till it was fill'd with their putrefaction He gave them strength as a consuming Fire before which all the Nations were but as Straw their Hearts b Deut. 2.25 trembling and being in Anguish because of them And why did they become the prey of the Arms of Infidels He gave them liberty for an Inheritance and c John 8.33 freedom from Bondage as being the Seed of Abraham And why obtain'd they not so much as an honourable Servitude that there being not Crosses enough to Crucifie 'em their Enemies reserv'd 'em for Beasts to devour rather than they would derive any Service from 'em and that those who were sixteen years of age and under were sold by Cesar for thirty a penny He gave them knowledge above all Nations and made 'em a d Deut. 4.6 wise and understanding People the Admiration of the World for the Statutes he had given them And why are they become Blockish Idle and Stupid with a perpetual e 2 Cor. ◠vail over their hearts He ordain'd for 'em the Protection and Assistance of Angels and sent 'em f Exod. 23.20 before them to keep them in the way and to bring them into the place which he had prepared And why did those holy Presidents forsake the Temple crying aloud g Joseph de bello jud Let us depart hence He had destin'd 'em for Royalty and h Deut. 9.3 Empire over their Neighbours and had brought'em into the possesion of a Blessed Countrey a land i Deut. 26.9 flowing with milk and Honey And why have they not one Inch of ground now especially of that where Jerusalem was formerly built unless they purchase it with their Money only to enjoy it one hour or two in a Year and to bedew it with the Water of their Eyes after they have so often moistened it with their blood He established 'em with a Priesthood an Altar and Services such as distinguisht 'em from the rest of the World and showed 'em to be the peculiar care of Heaven and where is the Temple that Seat of his Holiness Where is the Propitiatory the Table of the Shew Bread the Rationale the Majesty of the High Priests the Comeliness of the Prelates the perpetuity of Sacrifices From whence comes it that 't is sixteen hundred years ago since this miserable Nation goes wandring through the Regions of the Earth as abandoned into an Eternal Exile without Temple without Priests without Offerings without King or Government O God Eternal how hast thou thrown down thy Footstool O God of Justice how hast thou made desolate thy Royal Priesthood O God of Vengeance how hast thou suffer'd thine Admirable Sanctuary to be prophan'd To what Sin may we attribute this but to the neglect of the Essence of the Word Incarnate and to that dreadful Imprecation of guilt on the whole Nation His Blood be upon us and upon our children For after the Son of God had shut his Eyes steep'd in Tears and Blood over the miserable Jerusalem he never yet has open'd 'em to afford it Mercy Prayer Great Eye of God which art ever open upon the Sins of all the Earth who can steal from thy piercing rages Great Hand of God who Thund rest and Lightnest perpetually over Rebellious Heads who is able to resist thy Judgments O injur'd Goodness who for the satisfaction of thy Justice rewardest the obstinate according to their desires and returnest the Wickedness of Sinners upon their Heads when they have rejected the tenders of thy Grace since thou hast given up thine own Inheritance to be punish'd in this World according to their choice what will become of those profligate Souls who have impiously devoted themselves so frequently to the Devil and importun'd thee to confound and damn ' em If such hideous Punishments to all Posterity have pursued Israel for having neglected thy Son in Bonds Afflictions Ignominy and Death What will become of those who have dishonour'd the Lord Jesus in the Chariot of his Triumph with all the Glory Power Wisdom and Sanctity of the Universe under his Feet Set a watch O Lord before my Mouth and keep the door of thy Servant's Lips let nothing proceed thence but what being in Subjection to thy Will and Holy and Harmless in its self may tend to the Glory of the Kingdom of Christ and the Advantage of my Soul Let me kiss the Son lest he be Angry and I perish in mine infidelity Let me Embrace him in his Abasement and Exinanition that he may Crown me in his Exaltation SECT XXXIII Of the Procession of Christ to Golgotha IT was now the k Mark 15.25 third hour and about the l John 19.14 sixth or near Noon For the Jews divided the day into four equal parts which they call'd hours the first from Six in the Morning till Nine the third from about Nine to High-noon the sixth from thence to Three in the Afternoon the ninth from Three to about Six in the Evening and whatsoever was done in any part of these four spaces was said to be done in that Hour and so of the Night when Pilate having wash'd away as he thought the guilt from himself thô he did not afterwards go unpunish'd for he was m Euseh in Eccles Hist l. 7. c. 8. Joseph l. 18. c. 7. banish'd to Vienna where he lived ingloriously till in despair he Slew himself gave sentence that it should be as they required und n Luke 23.25 released unto 'em him that for Sedition and Murder was cast into Prison whom they desired but deliver'd Jesus to their will to be o Matt. 27.26 Crucified Then did the Jews having obtain'd what they so much desir'd and the Roman Soldiers who could have no Tenderness for a Person Condemned under the Notion
him mournfully afar off And the pious Women who had believ'd and abhor'd his Death would bewail him Suffering Dying and Dead Our Gracious Lord regardless of the furious Multitude and q 2 Tim. 2.19 knowing who are his turns to these saying r Luke 23.28 Daughters of Jerusalem weep not for me but for your selves and for your Children For behold the days are coming in which they shall say Blessed are the Barren and the Wombs that never bare and the Paps that never gave suck and so great shall be the Terror they shall begin to say to the Mountains fall on us and to the Hills cover us as if the dreadful Day of Judgment were then appearing Not that it was indecent to bewail his Passion for humanity commands a Sympathy and some pity towards the Sufferings of a real offender much more towards the misfortunes of an Innocent Person But because it was not fit to bewail him as others who died not as others die for we come to Death by Sin but Christ came to Death by Righteousness therefore he says Daughters of Jerusalem there is no necessity you should weep for me who have long since been prepar'd to go this sad procession I suffer not this for my own Sins And what you are Ignorant of this my end will bring Joy to the whole World Such Grief becomes not those who Triumph nor is Lamentation suitable to Victory But if your tenderness must vent in Tears you have reason to shed abundance for your selves and your Posterity to avert if possible those Dreadful Judgments which hang over this City and Nation For behold those adverse times are coming when Men as well as Women Young and Old Rich and Poor shall be reduc'd to such streights that they shall wish they had never been Born nor ever had Sons or Daughters Yea so great shall be the afrightment that ye shall wish your selves under the Earth rather than upon it in the Bowels of the Mountains and the Caverns of the Hills least any one should see or find you out For if they do these things in a ſ Luke 23.31 green tree in me and my Disciples What shall be done in the dry If I who have done t Heb. 4.15 no Sin who am the u John 15.1 living Vine and the * John 6.35 bread of Life pass not out of the World without this fiery tryal What shall become of those who are void of all fruit who are near to x Heb. 6.8 cursing and whose end is to be burned If Judgment begin at the House of God and all that will live Godly shall suffer persecution What shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel Ah my dear Reader how Quick and Powerful how Sharp and Piercing is this word of God even to the dividing asunder the Soul and Spirit and of the Joynts and Marrow What a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the Heart How shall God punish us for our own Sins who is so wrathfully displeas'd with our Redeemer for the Sins which are none of his If Christ his Obedient Son were thus grievously Afflicted how shall his Rebellious Servants hope to escape unpunish'd And what must the Reprobate undergo in the day of Judgment if such be the sufferings of the best beloved Oh the infinite anger of God! Oh the inestimable rigour of his Justice who is thus enraged against his only Son his beloved Son his Son the partaker of his Essence And that not for his own Sin but because he interceded for Sinners What will become of the polluted Soul which continues still to go on securely in Sin when the Immaculate Jesus is thus tormented Let the Creature fear which has Crucified the Creator Let the Servant tremble who has slain his Lord. Prayer O thou Great God of Power and Mercy whose Lightning Flashes preceed the Thunder to give warning of thy Wrath and Terror to the Universe and who never punishest Sinners without premonition let thy sore judgments threatned against others and at last inflicted on 'em because of their Obstinacy waken our Souls out of their Sinful security to a due consideration of those means which may avoid them that we turning from our Sins thou mayest turn from thy fierce anger and leave a blessing and we Perish not For if the present punishments of the Impenitent are the fore-runners of the Eternal Torments to be inflicted on 'em in Hell thy Temporal Mercies towards returning Sinners shall be their assurances of they everlasting Favours SECT XXXV Of the Bitter Potion given to Christ at Golgotha WHile Jesus was thus painfully Travelling in the way either because they thought he went too slowly under the weight and their fury was impatient of any delay or that they fear'd he might Faint and Die and Frustrate the cruel end shame they had designed or that they would reserve his Spirits for his greater Torture having found a man of Cyrene y Matt. 27.32 Simon by name him they compell'd to bear his Cross a person by Providence z Mark 15.21 passing the road at this juncture and his name by interpretation signifying Obedient as if God would thereby teach us that none can bear it profitably but such as are attentive and submissive to his Will and that he will not suffer the faithful to be tempteà a 1 Cor. 10.13 above their ability but together with the temptation give a means to escape There were also two Malefactors led with him to be put to Death for his greater disgrace and increase of Grief by dying in their Company after he had first seen them struggle in the pangs of Death before him At last they came to b Mark 15.22 Golgotha which is the same with c Luke 23.33 Calvary a mount on the West side of the City and by signification the place of a Scull for being the common place of Execution there lay the Bones of such as before had Suffered the Frightful remains of what the ravenous Birds or Beasts had left of their devoured Carcasses a place among the Jews of the greatest impurity for none might touch a dead body and be d Num. 19.11 clean much less the Bones of a cursed Malefactor and such was every one that e Deut. 21.23 hanged upon a tree nor was any thing thought by 'em to give a greater Contagion of Pollution then the f 1 King 13.2 2 King 23.16 burning Mens Bones upon what they intended to prophane Nevertheless our Saviour who had himself also g Matt. 23.27 represented the abominations of the Hypocrites by these Emblems of defilement would descend himself to the extreamest impurities that the might sanctifie and cleanse whatsoever was impure and by humbling himself teach us the true way to Glory So different are the ways of Christ from those of the World which aims at high things by hasty ascents and the more it is lifted up falls with the greater
Men unto me Gentiles as well as Jews to believe on me Prayer Be it so my Jesu O draw me to thy self and by the Eye of Faith let me ever behold thee as suffering for me that I may ever love thee But alas while I now seek thee I can represent to my Thoughts nothing but the Shadow and Appearance of a Body all crusted over with gore Blood I look for Limbs but find nothing but Wounds I look for the Ensigns of a glorious Redeemer I discern only a Skin all bloody fastned to a Cross between two Thieves and strugling under the Convulsions of Death But O Eternal Father that which has made thy Son thus vile and wretched in the Eyes of the World has made him most precious and acceptable in thy sight Look down we beseech thee from thy Sanctuary and thy Dwelling-place in Heaven and behold the Sacrifice which our great High-Priest and thy holy Child Jesus offers unto thee for the Sins of his Brethren and be favourable to the Multitude of our Iniquities Behold the Voice of our Brother's Blood crying unto thee for Mercy upon us Behold the Lamb who is without Blemish now bearing our Sins in his Body upon the Tree and look not upon us as we are in our selves but in the face of thine Anointed who becomes thus obedient unto Death to deliver us from the Guilt of Disobedience And let not the Scars of his Wounds ever depart from before thy Presence that thou may'st ever be mindful in all our Transgressions how great a Ransome he has paid for us and let his Blood be as the Rainbow in thy sight ever about thy Throne in Heaven that thou mayst no more destroy every living thing Behold O Creator the Humanity of thy Son and be ever merciful to the Debilities of our Nature Behold the torn Members of thy beloved and remember our Substance that we are but Dust Behold the Sufferings of the Redeemer and forgive the Sins of the Redeemed SECT XXXVIII Of the Scituation of Christ's Cross between two Thieves and the Title which Pilate affixed to it BUT it was not enough for the cruel Jews to murder the Messiah by the painfullest kind of Death unless they might stain his very Passion too by placing him in the q John 19.18 midst of two egregious Malefactours which for his greater Disgrace they had brought to suffer with him that by Strangers he might be thought to be a Partaker in their Crimes if not the worst of all by his Station between them and so it might be reported in the Neighbouring Regions That three notorious Villains were that day Crucified at Jerusalem of which the Impostor that went by the Name of Jesus was as being the chief placed in the middle whereby the Scripture was fulfilled which saith of him And he was reckoned among the r Isai 53.12 Transgressours Nevertheless there were some Reports went of the Purity of his Doctrine the Greatness of his Miracles the Sweetness of his Conversation and the Beauty of his Person above all the present view of his Sufferings and admirable Patience and Clemency towards his Crucifiers fill'd the Hearts of many with heavy Sighs and their Eyes with an Inundation of Tears And Pilate among the rest who best knew his Innocence and that for Å¿ Mat. 27.18 Envy he was deliver'd and condemn'd prick'd in his Conscience and fearing the Consequence lest he might be defam'd or accus'd to Caesar for consenting to the Death of such a wonderful Person without declaring the Cause of his Condemnation according to the Custom of the Romans towards Malefactors order'd his Accusation thus to be written and to be fastned to the top of the Cross t John 19.19 Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews that a Rumour at least might pass he was not put to death as a Prophet of the Jewish Nation or as the Son of some immortal God but as a Spreader of Sedition among the People and one who affected a Kingdom in Jewry For so they had accus'd him u Luk. 23.2 we found this Fellow perverting the Nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar saying that he himself is Christ a King And when Pilate sought to release him they cried out saying * John 19.12 If thou let this man go thou art not Caesar's friend Whosoever makes himself a King speaks against Caesar This was the meaning of Pilate by the Title whereby he Thought to signifie the Cause of his Condemnation But as in the Prediction of Caiaphas concerning his Death the Spirit of God had another Intention different from the Design of the High-Priest so likewise in this besides what Pilate thought as well as in the Mock-Purple the counterfeit Scepter and the bloody Diadem of Thorns which were mystical Representations of a real Kingdom there was intended him a Name and a Kingdom without end and he was signified to be the true Messiah the King both of Jews and Gentiles whose x Zech. 9.10 Psal 72.8.11 Dominion should extend from one Sea to the other and to whose Scepter the Kings of the Earth should submit their Majesty That this might be more manifest to the whole World it was directed by Providence in the y Joh. 19.20 three chief Languages in Hebrew because of the Jews who gloried in the Law in Greek because of the Wise-men and Philosophers of the Gentiles in Latine because of the Romans who then govern'd the Jews That it might be known throughout the whole World that almighty God had anointed this Jesus to be a King over all Nations and the z Dan. 7.14 Prophesie of Daniel might be fulfill'd which saith There was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdom that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion which shall not pass away and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed The Jews therefore envy'd him this Title lest every Tongue should confess afterwards that he was the Lord to the Glory of God the Father and desir'd Pilate that it might be a John 19.21 alter'd or abolish'd For they were now ashamed because it might be thought by Strangers this was their King who was so ignominiously put to Death But neither did b John 19.22 Pilate endeavour to alter it nor would the Divine Providence suffer it this Title being given him by the Will of God Prayer O King eternal who for the Humiliation of thy Beloved and his Obedience unto Death even the Death of the Cross has highly exalted him and given him a Name which is above every Name That at the Name of JESUS every Knee should c Phil. 2.9 10 11. bow of things in Heaven in Earth and under the Earth and that every Tongue should confess That Jesus Christ is Lord to the Glory of God the Father Grant we beseech thee Conversion to Infidels to all Jews Turks and Hereticks that thy way may be known upon Earth thy
Faithful expectant For whom I forget they are cut of from my Hand are cast out of the light of my countenance and reserv'd for Judgment under chains of Darkness But whom I remember to them I am merciful whom I remember to be Merciful to in my Kingdom they are Eternally Blessed in the Presence of my Father Verily therefore I say unto thee that in remembring I will remember thee and with the Righreous thou shalt be had in Everlasting Remembrance Mine Eyes shall always be upon thee and thou shalt abide under the shadow of the Almighty I will defend thee under my Wings and thou shalt be safe under my Feathers Thou shalt be with me to be with whom the Saints have desir'd to be dissolv'd and it shall be there whence neither the a Gen. 3.24 flaming Sword nor Cherubims shall drive thee from an absolute enjoyment For it shall be in the Celestial and Heavenly Paradise the place of the blessed Angels and Saints where God with his Divine Majesty fills 'em with the light of Righteousness and quickens their Spirits with Everlasting Joy Yea thou shalt be the Example and Mirrour of my Mercy wherein every Penitent may see his own condition and know that my Bounty is greater then his Sin if he will truly turn to me that I may receive him and that while there is Life still there is hope of acceptance upon a sincere and hearty repentance and a stedfast Faith And that to the end of the World whosoever shall hear thy Sins were pardon'd may never despair but trust in Mercy and turn to me and seek Salvation and find it and desire it and receive it Prayer O Sweetest Saviour when I consider this Penitent I must needs confess that even Thieves and Barbarians would have serv'd thee better then I had they receiv'd so many Favours and Graces as it has pleased thee to bestow upon me Nevertheless since by the same instance of thy Mercy thou raisest me to a lively hope of acceptance by true Repentance and a strong Faith encrease in me I Beseech thee the Seeds of both making way for my Salvation by thy assisting Grace till my Soul being purified as another Miracle of thy Goodness thou Vouchsafe to receive me to those Blessed Enjoyments which thou hast purchased with thy precious Blood SECT XLII Of the Sorrowful Interview between Christ and the Virgin Mother his Compassion towards her and his Love to Saint John NOW while Jesus was receiving the Penitent Thief there b John 19.25 stood by his Cross the Holy Virgin Mother Sad and Silent with a modest Grief deep as the Waters of the Abyss but smooth and full of Love and Patience and by her side his Mothers Sister Mary the Wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalen and the Disciple whom Jesus loved When Jesus therefore saw his Mother and the Disciple by whom he loved then it was we may imagine burst forth those c Heb. 5.7 Tears which Saint Paul mentions to have been shed upon the Cross accompanying that Tender and Heart-breaking sight when he began first to behold her with his dying Eyes He would not acknowledge her of whose Sorrows he was most sensible least he might seem to have respected Persons or Affections But having before Prayed for his Malicious Crucifiers and then Comforted the Penitent Thief as a token that all these bitter Sufferings were to intercede for and save Sinners He now turns to his Mother in that manner the apprehension whereof must needs affect the most insensible Heart The presence of Friends is indeed a refreshment to the miserable while there is any comfort to be expected from them and two are better than one because they have advantage from their Society for if they fall one will lift up his fellow But here there was no such conveniency in the meeting which was most deplorable to the Mother standing by who could lend no assistance to her tortur'd Son and to the Crucified Son who by his incessant pains could only augment the grief of his Mother We read when he was a Child and missing but three days She sought him sorrowing among her kinsfolks and acquaintance d Luke 2.48 her Love Admiration and Meditation perpetually attending this mavellous Birth But now she may no longer find him among his Friends for they had all forsaken him and fled and left him environed with whole Troops of Enemies except those few which accompanied her there incited to it by her magnanimous constancy to be present at the Crucifixion of her dear Son For she had said in her heart where she ever e Luke 2.19 treasur'd whatsoever was Prophesied concerning his Person I will wait and expect the Death of my Beloved I will follow him out of Jerusalem tho' with the saddest thoughts and I will behold with weeping Eyes whither they bring him how they strip him how they bore his Hands and Feet how they nail him to the wood and how they lift him upon the Cross and when all this is done and they shall recede from him and stand afar off and look upon him as accursed then will I draw near and stand by the Cross of my Jesus then will I embrace the wood with my Arms and wash it with my Tears and kiss it with my Lips and thô I may not die with him yet will I fix my Eyes upon him to engrave his wounds deep in my Heart I will not now desert him dying who past by all other creatures and Children of Men to come to me the lowest of his Servants and receive from me an humble being But I will see how he goes out of this World who alone know how he came into it and in the miserablest kind of Fellowship will suffer invisibly in my Heart whatsoever he suffers visibly in his Body And thus was fulfill'd that f Luke 2.35 Prophecy of old Simeon which he spake at her Purification That a Sword also should pierce her very Soul Here then we may imagine the saddest conflict between the Soul of the Blessed Virgin and the Eyes of the Beloved Jesus which at the same time they were hastning unto Death were call'd back to look upon his Mother burning in an unutterable Flame of Love O how deep must the rays of that Vision penetrate not only her Heart but her very Soul wherewith the Lord vouchsaft to behold her dying And how opprest with Sighs and overwhelmed with Grief and drowned in Tears did she lift up her Eyes to behold his disfigur'd torn Body with the Blood distilling from the four great Wounds to behold him dying and looking upon her when she was ready to die her self There could nothing be represented to him in this view but the Martyrdom of the Soul of his dear Mother Nor could she do any thing but by most passionate reflections imprint in her heart all the Torments which he suffer'd At last after this most passionate and doleful interview wherein the rays of their
Let them on their Knees approach him on the Cross and reverently cover his naked Body We cover him when our Charity clothes his Servants and hides the infirmities of his little ones Let them with diligence unfasten the Nails and gently draw them out of his Hands and Feet We draw them out when we freely obey his Will and loosen our Affections from cleaving to the World And when they have thus rescued their adorable Lord let them Nail themselves in his stead to the Cross And this we do when we put off the old Man and Crucifie the Flesh with its Affections and Lusts Prayer O Blessed Jesu whose Sacred Body was laid in a Sepulchre after thou hadst Suffer'd Death for the life of my Soul make me so frequently to renew in my mind the memory of thy precious Death and Burial as may put me upon a serious preparation for my own And since thou didst not design to stay any longer on Earth then till thou hadst made a way for thy ransomed to pass let not my heart be set on any condition how comfortable soever it may appear to my senses which may make my Soul desire to be absent from thee But cause me to grow daily less and less affected towards the uncertain pleasures of Life and more and more in love with thy Eternal Joys Grant me My Redeemer a true Penitent Heart for all my former neglects of Thee Deliver me from the punishment my Sins deserve and from the Sins that deserve those Punishments That when I close mine Eyes in Death I may rest in thee and being absent from the Body may be refresht in the Repositories of thy Mercy So shall my Time be govern'd with thy Grace and my Eternity Crown'd with thy Glory SECT XLIX Of the Sealing and Watching the Sepulchre of Christ NOW the Chief Priests and Pharisees upon mature Consideration revolving all the accidents of the past day and comparing the circumstances of his Words and Actions with the Predictions of the Prophets concerning the Messiah and the wonderful ways by which they were compleated and especially remembring those Mystical words which before they pretended they could not understand and z Vid. Sect. 16 r.s wrested to a seditious intent against their worship of his building again in three days the Temple they should destroy and that he had given such his restoration from the Dead as a a Luk. 14.29 30. sign at their request to convince the World of his Truth they came to Pilate early on the next day that followed the day of the Preparation being the great Sabbath of the Pascal week wherein all other People were at their devotion and Prayers so restless and industrious were the Powers of Darkness to have buryed the Gospel in the Grave of Christ and said b Mat 27.63 64 65 66. Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive after three days I will rise again Command therefore that the Sepulchre be made sure until 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 error shall be worse 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 Thus did that obdurate and impenitent People harden themselves by those wonders which should have wrought their Faith and Conversion and justly feared the last error would be worse then the first hereby Prophesying ignorantly against themselves For their Sin became unpardonable because seeing they would not see But blessed be God all their obstinacy has been subservient to the Magistery of his Providence which orders all things prudently by the means of others They thought to have accomplished their malice against Christ and at the same time fulfill'd the determinations of his Will They thought by sealing the mouth of the Grave and setting a strict Guard over the Corps to have buried his Memory in perpetual silence and all the while were giving Testimony to his Resurrection and setting a sure seal to the Truth of his Divinity For securing and watching the Sepulchre with such diligence they have placed the Resurrection the Foundation of our Faith beyond doubt to future Ages and much firmer then if they had never watcht This is that which gives Glory to the Empire of Christ and whereby we perceive its Divine Power and the miraculous extent of its Conquests whose establishments have been so contrary to all humane ways When we consider how he was exalted by the lowest abasements glorified by his ignominies enriched by his Poverty lives by his Death and is Eterniz'd by his Sufferings And that our Religion ever oppos'd by the Wicked is nevertheless Victorious and Triumphant over impiety enricht by its Losses Glorious by its Persecutions establish'd by its Totterings and honour'd by its Wounds This is that which transports humane understanding into an admiration of the greatest of our Christian Profession Prayer O Crucified Jesu the Fountain of Love Let the wonders of thy Mysterious Incarnation and Death set all the Powers of my Soul on work that I may desire and pant after thee that I may Admire Adore and Imitate thee that I may take sweet and Heavenly delight in the Communion of thy Cross that I may with Praise and Thanksgiving receive thee into my Soul attend and watch thee till thou arise with thy Graces there There will I Love only Love always love to entertain thee SECT L. A Reflection on the foregoing History with Thanksgiving for the Death of Christ AND now my Soul thou hast seen this Great Mystery God Incarnate dying on the Cross to make satisfaction to the infinite Justice by the dignity of his Person Suffering in the Nature which had offended whereby thou art raised to a lively hope of obtaining Heaven which otherwise thou hadst lost and been for ever miserable in Hell with what words with what Affections with what Actions wilt thou glorifie the Author of so inestimable a gift as this O depth of Love Abyss unsearchable of the infinite Mercies of God! That God should delight to make his own Son a Sacrifice who would not suffer Abraham to offer his That God should design it from the foundation of the World foreseeing we should stand in need of it and without it perish Everlastingly That God should reveal it when we no ways deserv'd it nor could on any account hope for it and command us to seek the Benefits of it and enable us to obtain them by his preventing and assisting Grace O God Eternal who hast redeemed my Soul by the precious Blood of thy dear Son I am less then the least of all thy Mercies and of all that Truth which thou hast revealed to thy Servant I praise thee I bless thee I worship thee I extol thee I give thee thanks for thine infinite Compassion O Lord God Heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesu Christ Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have Mercy upon me receivâ— my Prayer and unite me to thy self in the flames of Love For thou only art the Saviour thou only O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the Glory of God the Father Glory and Honour and continual Thanks be given to Thee Lord God Almighty The Father the Son and the Holy Ghost for the Redemption of the World by the Death and Passion of Christ whereby thou mightst exalt us to Eternal Life Amen FINIS
Satisfaction of my Sins SECT IV. Of the Grief of Christ for the Apostasie of his Servant The dreadful Condition of such as fall from him and the happy Privileges of Persevering in the Faith WE may perceive the great Lover of Souls was extreamly troubled at the Apostasie of one of his Disciples when he express'd so much Satisfaction in the Preservation of the rest l Joh. 17.12 13. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one as we are While I was with them in the World I kept them in thy Name Those that thou gavest me I have kept and none is lost but the Son of Perdition Nor would he conceal the Grief of his Spirit foreseeing in him a Representation of all those who should afterwards reject his Admonitions and Benefits and trample his Love under their Feet For though we may have hitherto thought but of one Judas who falling from his Profession sold his Lord deliver'd him to his Enemies betray'd him to be crucified yet such is every one who renouncing the Faith and following the Motions of Satan and his own Lusts m Heb. 6.6 Crucifies to himself the Son of God afresh and puts him to an open Shame The Wonder if not the Grief of the blessed Angels in Heaven who n Luk. 15.7 rejoyce at the Conversion of every penitent Sinner as o Heb. 1.14 ministring to those who shall be Heirs of Salvation is to see so many Christians falling from the Truth and abasing the great Mystery of the Religion which they profess by a settled Tendency to Sin and Death Who have given up their Names but not their Hearts to Christ who have begun well and are not established who have partaken of the Holy-Ghost and have chased him away again who have eat and drunk at their Master's Table and are the chief that lift up their Heel against him A most miserable Spectacle and not to be exceeded unless by that of their departure into everlasting Punishment For as an Angel falling became the Devil so a revolting Christian is the worst of Men because of the Eminency of his former Station and will have his p Mat. 25 41. Portion allotted him with that Apostate Rebel This was that which q Joh. 13.21 troubled the Spirit of the Holy Jesus when he testified and said Verily verily I say unto you That one of you shall betray me This was that which made the Disciples exceeding r Mat. 26.22 sorrowful and to begin to say Lord is it I And O that it might have the same effect upon us to search our Hearts to examine our Faith and all our Thoughts Words and Works that we fall not among those who draw back to Perdition How sad was this Feast where both the Master and the Disciples sympathize in an inexpressible Grief One that he must be betray'd to Death by his Friend the others that one of them should be the accursed Betrayer One that he knew the miserable Estate of that Wretch for whom it had been Å¿ Mark 14.21 better that he had never been born the others that they are not yet deliver'd from their Fear which it should be of whom he spake and whose Being should be worse than not to be at all Ah! Sinners where are we Alas do we not remain under the same Suspence One of you shall betray me is a fearful Saying and the Eccho of this Voice is addrest to all and loudly resounds the Danger of Sin and Impenitency Is this to live to have a Being worse than none And can we call that a desirable Estate which will inevitably tend to the Abyss of Misery through Pains Torments Terrors and Deaths O Life how sweet art thou when thou dost fear and love nothing but God! O Death how dreadful art thou when we have forsaken him and devoted our selves to the Creature What Favours and Benedictions are there in the Life and Death of a Virtuous Man But what Horrours Anathema's and Maledictions during the Course and at the End of the wicked Life of a Sinner Blessed was that Disciple who all this while might rest securely in the t Joh. 13.23 Bosome of his Lord. Whether Grief or Fear had inclin'd his Head or whether it were the Sweetness of his Master's Actions which ever drew the Admiration of the Beholders or whether it were Love which minds not what it does but silent in a sublime Tranquility of Passions adheres to its Beloved for an Eternity not admitting the least Disunion or whether it were Excess of Rapture and Contemplation of what he writ afterwards of the u Joh. 1. Divinity of the Word surely never any Mortal had so sweet a Repose or near Approach to the Beatifick Vision Since he might lean on his Breast to be admitted to whose Feet many Prophets and Kings would have accounted it the greatest Felicity A Spirit separated from the Pretensions of the World and purified from all the Forms of the Creatures intire to God and which lives by the flames of holy Love has a mighty Privilege with the Prince of Purity and neither doubts to ask nor fears to be deny'd while ungovernable Zeal receives many Repulses and hinders not a Votary from being less * Matt. 16.23 Satan than he that favoureth not the things that be of God but those that be of Men. Peter therefore whose Rashness had often been rebuk'd yet impatient and desirous to be rid of his Fear x Joh. 13.24 c. beckon'd to him who was lying on Jesus Breast that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake And Jesus answered He it is to whom I shall give a Sop when I have dipped it And when he had dipped the Sop he gave it to Judas Iscariot the son of Simon That the y Joh. 13.18 Psal 41.9 Scripture might be fulfilled He that eateth Bread with me hath lift up his Heel against me And after the Sop Satan entred into him A Speech truly dreadful but much more the thing it self for a Man to arrive at that height of Misery through the Obstinacy and Impenitency of his Heart as to be cast off reprobated and given up to the Devil Yet such is the admirable Analogy and Proportion between the Judgments of God and our Sins when we continue to despise the means of Grace He z Libravit Iter Psal 78.51 weighs a way to his Anger as it were in Scales punishing our Sins with evil Habits our evil Habits with hard Hearts our hard Hearts with Obstinacy our Obstinacy with Impenitency our Impenitency with Damnation Judas who had wilfully given up himself to Covetousness Hypocrisie Ingratitude and Contempt of all that was Holy is now deliver'd to be obsirmated by Satan and made incurable of his Sin that being like the Devil he might never return And this is the Malediction which the Holy Ghost had long since imprecated by the mouth of David