esteem the Word of God the name of Christ Righteousness and the members of Christ even we would have killed Christ as well as the Jews This was the Evangelists opinion when they so exactly described Judas who sold him and the Jews that bought him Observe this too Never any of the Saints was so sold and so bought as Christ was viz. bought and sold to be slain Joseph indeed was bought and sold but not unto death but bondage Christ only was sold and bought to die and that at a low rate which by the righteous Judgement of God fell out to the great loss both of seller and buyers For instead of those thirty pieces of silver Psal 109. they got thirty most terrible maledictions which David fore-saw would come upon them As 1. Set thou a wicked man over him 2. Let Satan stand at his right hand 3. When he shall be judged let him be condemned 4. Let his prayer become sin 5. Let his days be few 6. Let another take his office 7. Let his Children be fatherless 8. And his wife a Widdow 9. Let his Children be continually Vagabonds and beg 10. Let them seek their bread out of their desolate places 11. Let the Extortioner catch all that he hath 12. Let strangers spoil his labour 13. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him 14. Let there be none to favour his fatherless children 15. Let his posterity be cut off 16. In the generation following let their name be blotted out 17. Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred with the Lord. 18. Let not the sin of his mother be blotted out 19 Let them be before the Lord continually 20. That he may cut off the memory of them from the earth 21. He loved cursing so let it come unto him 22. As he delighted not in blessing so let it be far from him 23. He cloathed himself with cursing like as with his garment 24. Let it come into his bowels like water 25. And like oyl into his bones 26. Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him 27. And for a girdle wherewith he is girded continually 28. When they arise let them be ashamed 29. Let mine Adversaries be cloathed with shame 30. Let them cover themselves with their own confusion as with a Mantle These are the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas sold Christ See now how wickedly how damnably he recovered the loss of the oyntment The wretched man thought that he should have had the thirty pieces of silver but he got nothing but thirty curses which stuck close to him after he had thrown the money from him in the Temple He did not as yet feel the weight of those curses but not long after he was sensible thereof when he hanged himself in despair Mat. 26. Nor did he go away alone with these Maledictions but the Jews also had their share with him and so shall all they who for gain shed blood or commit any other sin against God or their Neighbour They think to make themselves rich but it will be in nothing but endless curses which they their Children and Heirs commonly find by wofull experience It followeth Mat. 26.17 Luke 22.7 Now the first day of the Feast of unleavened bread when the Passover must be killed the Disciples came to Jesus saying Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the Passover Enough hath been said of the damned Traytor already Now the Evangelists are about to describe that most sacred Supper which was the last at which Christ was with his Disciples There is scarce any thing that the Evangelists do more exactly set down and that justly too For there was nothing said or done at that Supper but was worth the noting Now there must be some reason as also time and place for that Supper Of all which the Evangelists omit nothing The dayes of unleavened bread were the time of this Supper The place was a large upper room well furnished The occasion was the Paschal Lamb which the Jews did then eat according to the custom Why those were called the days of unleavened bread I have told you in the entrance of this discourse 'T is needless to repeat it now seeing the word it self explains it For Azymus is derived from A which signifieth without and Zyma which signifieth Leaven as much as to say without leaven unleavened bread Levit. 7. For in those days the Jews might not eat leavened bread nor offer such bread no nor so much as have it in their houses Luke 13. A figure that no Hypocrisie or any Pharisaical thing should be found in the Church Thus Christ expoundeth Leaven Beware saith he of the leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisie 1 Cor. 5. Let us keep the feast saith Paul not with old leaven but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth The feast of the Passover drawing nigh the Disciples took care about the Paschal Lamb for they were Jews Exod 12. and knew the custom of the Nation and the Command of the Law Therefore they did not delay till the time was come to eat it or till Christ put them in mind of it but thought on 't before hand of their own accord So that t is evident they had a great care that the Command of God should not be neglected lest it should be imputed to them as a great sin if they kept not the Passover Therefore all business laid aside they mind this only Where wilt thou say they that we prepare for thee c. Thus Christians should be carefull to observe all good old and godly customes and by no means sleight them For there will some good fruit come of it when the Church of Believers do unaminously go on in that which is good See here the Disciples willingness like devout men they are mindfull of the legal institution and like humble servants they tender their duty and service unto Christ The meaning Where shall we make ready c. as if they had said It becometh us to know thy pleasure it is our duty to serve and make all ready for thee our Master We know thou wilt not omit or neglect this legal Ceremony but where thou intendest to celebrate it we know not Thou hast no house of thine own at Jerusalem otherwise we need not ask this question John 1. Luke 9. Observe here O Christians the extream poverty of Christ Jesus who though he were Lord of the whole world yet had he not a house of his own to lay his head in So that he was fain to sup at another mans house and when he was dead he was buried in another mans grave He shewed himself truly a stranger on earth for our Example 2. Let the rich men of the world consider this well who cease not to joyn house to house Es 5.8 and land to land till there be no more place as though they only were born to
bewail it in thy heart and say unto God O Lord thou art rich in Mercy thou canst deliver this poor wretched creature from the dunghill of sin So on the contrary if thou see a man live godlily glorifie God and say I beseech thee O Lord preserve those gifts which thou hast given to this man T is a lovely Treasure of Grace which thou hast committed to him but the Vessel frail and brittle and there are many Thieves lurking about it If thou look not to it t will quickly be all wasted and lost Lo this may we learn from Peters denyal 3. But specially it warneth all those that are Rectors of Churches not to presume nor to be proud It is very dangerous when a presumptuous man is put into the Office of a Minister For he knows not how to take pitty and compassion upon others He knows nothing but how to domineer terrifie punish c and to hunt feeble souls to despair by his outragiousness and so all his Ministry falls to the ground Hence it is that Paul by way of special commendation of Christ saith that he was such an high Priest that was able and did know how to have compassion on others Heb. 4. And therefore did he suffer Peter to fall that he might learn to shew pitty to others 4. This denyal of Peter is comfort and instruction to all sinners Comfort not to despair of pardon see Peter received again into favour after so great a fall Instruction to learn by his Example what course to take to get into favour again Of which more at large hereafter 5. It wanted not a Mysterie that Peter should deny his Master at his first entrance into the house of the high Priest and that at the provocation of a little girl For the first or chiefest profession in Princes Courts is to deny Christ that is to postpone and undervalue God and Christ Equity and Verity yea the salvation of their own souls too and only to mind and look after the things of this world This comes to pass especially when a man is brought in by a maid i e. by covetousness For that is the root of all evil 1 Tim 6. But whom that faithfull servant the fear of the Lord doth usher in he will cleave close to Christ in the Courts of Princes and in the midst of his worldly business as we see in David Daniel Hester Mordecay Joseph c. 6. To conclude He that reads the fall and denyal of Peter let him pray to the Lord that he never fall into the like Temptation as to deny Christ Let this weakness of Peter be our strength inasmuch as we know of him that after he had received the holy Spirit he would rather suffer himself to be cut in pieces than to deny Christ The high Priest then asked Jesus of his Disciples John 18.19 and of his Doctrine Jesus answered him I spake openly to the world I ever taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Jews alwayes resort and in secret have I said nothing Why askest thou me ask them which heard me what I have said unto them behold they know what I said And when he had thus spoken one of the Officers which stood by stroke Jesus with the palm of his hand saying Answerest thou the High Priest so Iesus answered him if I have spoken evil bear witness of the evil but if well why smitest thou me They that are of opinion that there was nothing acted in Annas's house except for honours sake they brought Christ first to him these refer all these things to Caiaphas who was the High Priest that year But whither it was he that did this or whither it was Annas that was High Priest the last year doth not much concern us we shall only consider the matter it self That High Priest then whoever he was whether Annas or Caiaphas he undertook to examine Christ by vertue of his Office and to convince him of his errour Christ stands bound before him and bears the pride of that wicked man as if he had been the basest and meanest of men He yields himself to be examined as if he had been the veryest Dunce that ever was Is not here patience even beyond patience Be not thou offended if proud silly fellows despise thee Christ did here lead the way by his example Two things principally the High Priest enquired after 1. His Disciples And was this such a crime in Christ Did that scurvy Priest know nothing else against him And doth he therefore turn his Accusation into Interrogatories Peradventure he would ask where his Disciples were why he chose them what he meant to do with them This Querie tended to convince him of raising sedition and going about to bring in Innovations 2. His Doctrine what it was and whence he had it whether it agreed with the Doctrine of Moses and the Prophets q.d. Thou teachest far otherwise than Moses and the Prophets did Therefore thou art an Heretick and a Seducer and thou hast got thee Disciples to spread thy Heresie over all Iudaea Besides thou hast innovated a Baptism without our Authority In short thou dost all this yea although thou art not of the Tribe of Levi yet thou usurpest to thy self a power of preaching Thinkest thou that we will alway wink at it and never curb such insolency of manners and doctrine as we find in thee contrary to the custom and Rules of the Ancients Nay we have born with thee too long already Now thou shalt pay for alltogether Note here that t is not objected to Christ nor could it be objected against him that he was a Murtherer or a Thief or an Adulterer or an Extortioner but only that he did teach and take Disciples to him This is that above any other thing which the world doth lay to his charge that he never lets them alone but is still reproving them The world saith he hateth me because I testifie of it that the works thereof are evil John 7. If Christ would have held his peace and not so continually have been finding fault the world could have born him But how can Truth be silent and not declare against falshood How is it possible that the Sun-should not shew what is fair and what is foul See our ingratitude for even for that very thing which the world hated in him was Christ most deserving the greatest honour and altogether praise-worthy for his teaching the Truth and chusing whom he pleased out of the world that they might not perish with the world was the highest favour he could shew But whereas this High Priest questioned Christ about his Doctrine and Disciples there was no hurt in all that It is rather the duty of the Ecclesiastical Power to take care that no false Doctrine be broacht abroad The Priest then made a fair pretence but his mind was quite contrary For he knew the things which Christ taught were true Besides he might have made a true
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
tells us Mat. 5.22 Gen. 4.6 Tit. 1.13 That whosoever is angry with his brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rashly inconfiderately without a reason shall be in danger of Judgement Why art thou wrath and why is thy countenance fallen Indeed such may be the case that we ought to be highly displeased with our Brother and rebuke him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sharply bitterly as when he doth that which doth any ways hinder the Glory of God or the good of man Thus Christ was sorely displeased 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was wroth or had indignation against his own Disciples Mar. 10.14 Get thee behind me Satan said he to Peter a sharp rebuke when he did but unwittingly and out of his respect to his Master too speak that which savoured not of God but tended to hinder the salvation of Mankind Mat. 16.23 But there is a causless anger proceeding from the flesh causing divisions and War 1 Cor. 3.3 Jam 4.1 This cannot be quenched but by crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 When the Apostle had exhorted to be kind and tender-hearted forgiving one another he proposeth a Pattern the following whereof will lead unto the end to which we are exhorted viz. Forgiving one another as God in Christ hath freely forgiven us This he would have us imitate in God as dear Children This forgiveness is by walking in love this love must be conformable to that of Christ to us Eph. 4 32. 5.1,2 There is a gracious Promise Isa 2.4 concerning the coming of Christ that men shall beat their swords into Plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks and the Naâ—ions shall learn War no more When Christ is formed in the hearts of men and they conformed to the heart of Christ we shall see Halcyon days then shall men live in Quietness Love and Peace When the root of Jesse shall stand up for an Ensign then Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim Isaiah 11.10,13 41. Lastly In this knowledge of and conformity unto the death of Christ there is Cornucopia abundance of all things fulness of satisfaction and plenty of all good No good thing will be wanting Psalm 84.11 34.10 Si Christum discis sati est si caetera nescis Si Christum nescis nihil est si caetera discis They that enter into Gods house through this door shall be abundantly satissied with the fatness and goodness thereof Psalm 36.8 65.4 Luke 15.17 John 10.9 All things come with this knowledge of Christ Rom. 8.32 Here is the fatted Calf the paschal Lamb the feast of fat things which the Lord makes unto all people in his holy mountain Isa 25.6 Which mountain may well have respect unto Mount Calvary where our Lord was crucified as the 7th 8th 9th verses of that Chapter seem to intimate for there the Lord feasted all mankind with the riches and sweetness of his love David saith Psalm 17.15 That he should be satisfied when he did awake with Gods likeness God likeness or image is Holiness and Righteousness We must first sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 by dying with him and then awake unto Righteousness and sin not 1 Cor. 15.34 The Apostle seems to affirm that they have but little knowledge of God who continue in sin It s a great shame and a sign that men are grosly ignorant of the Grace of God and the death of Christ when they shall so audaciously affirm that there is no living without sin so long as we are in the body They deny the first Resurrection in Deed though not in Word They err concerning the Truth and seek to overthrow the faith of some who say that the Resurrection is past already 2 Tim. 2.18 For though Christ be risen as the first fruits from the dead yet the Resurrection is not compleat in the body although it be in the head There 's much of the Harvest to come in when the first fruits are gathered As there are sufferings of Christ behind Col. 1.24 so is there also a Resurrection behind We must suffer too if we will reign with him 2 Tim. 2.12 Great is the Glory that doth follow the sufferings of Christ Luke 24.26 1 Pet. 1.11 When Ruth lay dewn at the feet of Booz it was at an heap of corn and when she arose she was laden therewith Ruth 3.6,7,15 If we humble our selves in conformity to the death of Christ we shall have more then six measures of Barely we shall have an hundred fold here and inherit everlasting life Mat. 19.29 Vnto which blessed state of Rest and Glory God of his infinite Mercy bring us all through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen WHat I have more to say to you in particular my ancient Friends and Acquaintance of * And elsewhere Brinkworth may not seem so pertinent and agreeable to the Subject in hand yet I shall here insert it because I know not whether ever I shall make use of the Press any more hereafter My endeavour is to give you satisfaction concerning those things about which there hath been some disagreement in our Judgements of which I shall give you my understanding and present apprehension very briefly 42. That there is a Prescience and Prevision in the most Holy and only wise God whereby he did and doth fore-know and fore-see from all Eternity all things that are or shall be unto Eternity this I deny not But that there is such an absolute and peremptory Decree in God either according to the Supralapsarian or Sublapsarian opinion reprobating some men irrecoverably and unavoidably to Eternal damnation hating them before they were and necesstating them by vertue of such a Decree to sin after they had a Being unto this I cannot consent 43. For if God had hated any thing before it was be would never have given it a Being as the wise man saith Thou hast Mercy upon all for thou canst do all things and winkest at the sins of men because they should amend for thou lovest all the things that are and abhorrest nothing which thou hast made for never wouldst thou have made any thing if thou hast hated it Wisd 11.23,24 Nor can I believe that there is any impulsion as some say in the Decree of God as a cause or an occasion for man to sin For we must not say that it is through the Lord that we fall away or that he hath caused us to erre for he hath no need of the sinfull man Eccl. 15.11,12 44. These two Texts of those Wise men though Apocryphal prevail more with me then the contrary assertions of all others whatsoever And the Apostle James is positive and clear in this Truth Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evils neither tempteth he any man Jam. 1.13 So that to affirm there is an inherent coercion in the Decree of God necessitating men unto or towards their final Ruine is to impute
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
of Peter Wilt thou lay down thy life for me q.d. What dost thou mean Peter why dost thou thus presume what thinkest thou of thy self what dost take thy self to be wilt thou lay down thy life for me before I have done so for thee wilt thou undertake to conquer death wilt thou die for me who came to die first for thee it is my work to overcome death and not thine O how ignorant art thou of things to come how little dost thou think what will shortly come to pass this one thing I tell thee before hand which I would have thee beware of Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired you that he may sift you as wheat know this I say that the Devil doth lay more traps for you then for all men besides His main drift is to tumble and cast you down headlong as he did Judas fain would he hurl you also to hell he doth not so much care for others he is most afraid of you and if he could once get but you into his clutches he would not doubt to hold you fast enough for ever wherefore speak no more so exceeding proudly He hath Judas already and made him his bond-slave long since who but a little while ago was himself my disciple as well as any of you But he cannot content himself to hurry one only Judas to destruction he doth greedily covet ye all and useth all his wit and wiles by force or fraud to intangle you in his snares and therefore he will tempt you with the scandal or offence of my Cross to make you abjure and renounce both me and my doctrine And he is very confident that he shall catch you all having caught one of you already But through my protection his wicked devices shall be made frustrate and come to nought He shall not get so much as one of ye into his power except the Son of perdition against whom he hath lately prevailed But he will lay wait for thee Simon especially and as I have preferr'd thee to an higher place so he will the more furiously assault thee Yea so subtilly will he lurk for thee that I had need make a special prayer to the Father for thee by thy self For above all other he will set upon thee if haply he may bring thee into the same condition with Judas because thou art more eminent then the rest And it is not a little mischief that he will do thee but he shall not wholly prevail I have prayed the Father which if I had not thou hadst certainly perished and been lost for ever But all that he shall do now is to make thee deny my name he shall be able to go no farther he cannot cause thy faith finally to fail True thy leaves may fall but the root shall abide safe and sound in thee which in its season shall put forth good fruit I have obtained it for thee by my prayer But remember this that when thou shalt by my grace be recovered from that thy miserable and woful fall that then thou confirm and strengthen the brethren This is thy part to do as thou art a superiour to whom in a special manner I purpose to commit the care of my sheep c. But Peter did not much regard nor give good heed to the admonition of Christ so confident was he then of his own strength but after his fall he was most diligent to do what Christ commanded him Then be did strengthen all penitent sinners that they might not despair of Gods mercy by reason of their sins But is it not strange that Christ should confer this honour on him to make him a strengthener of others who before should deny him and whom the world would have thought altogether unworthy of any more favour But Christ judgeth not as the world judgeth Luke 15. God doth not cast off any that repent if the prodigal son return he is restored to his former dignity Learn we hence 1. that the devil doth project and plot against us 2. So on the other hand Christ doth take great care of us and look well to us the devil doth fight against us Christ doth defend us and intercede for us Let us beware of one and run to the other with all our heart But Peter considered neither of these at that time but trusting to himself more then was meet he speaks more vehemently I am ready to go with thee into prison and unto death Thou speakest well Peter thou canst give good words but wouldst thou endure a prison and death for Christ who couldst not bear the least word of his It should be so indeed that every Christian ought to be always ready if the case so require to die for Christ as it is written He that taketh not his Cross daily and followeth me he is not worthy of me Mat. 10. But neither Peter nor any man else could do this at that time Afterward when he had received the holy Spirit he was not able to do this but really did it and suffered bonds and death for Christ and with Christ Now since that Spirit was given might Paul truly say Acts 21. I am ready not only to be bound but also to die for the name of Jesus which also he did perform Thus should we now stand affected Now is the time that we should go with Christ into prison and unto death I say we should do that indeed which Peter promised but did not do Now that this confidence and vain boasting of his own abilities might be kept under and beaten down in Peter when he was come to himself again Christ sets his infirmity before his eyes and telleth him of his fall before hand and that with a great asseveration and oath Verily verily I say unto thee before the cock crow this night thou shalt thrice deny me See here what mans glorying comes to even confusion Peter resolved with himself that he would discharge the office of faith and constantly follow c. Neither did he find that he had any other purpose in his heart but afterward he found it otherwise with him and that he was not now the man he was before This is the glory of flesh which is but as the flower of the field and the blossom of grass Isa 40. Two things we are to take notice of in Peter 1. First His carnal rashness and confidence with which whosoever is prickt and puft up not considering the judgements of God will easily miscarry 2. Secondly The frailty of the flesh upon consideration of Gods judgement Who was more confident then Peter before his Lord discovered him Again who more weak and frail when his Lord condemned him judged him and gave sentence against him 1. Learn therefore from Peters fall to fear God 2. And from his repentance learn to believe and hope by which only thou wilt be able to stand in the evil day 3. But by all means if thou desirest to
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
is that to us We bought and sold we paid what we promised Therefore there can be no flaw against us at the Law Look thou to it whom thou didst sell it nothing conterns us But hear O ye Heads and Rulers of the Synagogue Ye dealt either justly or unjustly with Christ If unjustly as t is plain enough that ye did then are ye Christ-killers that is such as murther your own Messias If ye did justly with him then ought ye to have comforted poor miserable Iudas and not have heaped all the guilt upon him and laid all the load on his back but ingenuously have confest that he was in no fault at all But whereas ye shift of the blame from your selves and lay it on Iudas certainly you acknowledge that he did very wickedly And if his Treason were a filthy fact doubtless your murther could not be lawfull nor just and so ye are manifestly convinced of unrighteousness and that out of your own mouth 1. Note here what wicked men will do against their conscience so they may but satisfie their lust They deny not but that it was guiltless blood that was betrayed Wherefore hence we may observe to whom the poor sheep may safely commit themselves These should have comforted his conscience that was driven into despair but they say what is that to us O tender hearted Shepheards Here we see little of that affection that was in Moses toward the people Exod. 32. And in Paul to his Brethren Rom. 9. They are indeed no Shepheards but Wolves rather seeking their own and not the good of the Lords Flock c. 2. Observe here that they who do evil to please men if the wind turn and things fall out contrary they shall be flouted and forsaken by those very men for whose favour they did it Let no man therefore at any time do evil to humour others c. What should Indas do now being terrified in conscience and finding no comfort from those men whose turn he had served against his own conscience What else I say should he do or what indeed could he do but despair Wherefore he cast down the pieces of silver in the Temple and went and hanged himself being forced so to do by that sorrow which is unto death 2 Cor. 2. and that by the righteous Judgement of God that so the wickedness which he fomented against the Head of all the Saints might fall on his own pate and that he should be his own judge and Executioner Now 1. He hanged himself to shew that he was hated of heaven and earth who would not only not reform and amend that sin of Treason but also added this horrid offence to be his own murtherer 2. He hung in the ayr died and burst a sunder in the midst and all his bowels gushed out as Peter saith Act. 1. for he was not worthy of a burial Indeed he was not fit for the company either of Angels or men Therefore he could finde no place in heaven among the Angels because he betrayed the Lord of heaven and of the Angels nor ought he to be buried in the earth amongst men because when he was on earth he was a companion of Devils justly then did he perish in the ayr which is the place appointed for the Devils until the day of Judgement A figure of this untimely death we have in Achitophel who plotted the death and ruine of David 2 Sam. 17. who came to the same end as Judas here did for he hanged himself and for no other reason but because he foresaw that David would get the Kingdom in that Chushi Davids Friend was come over to Absolon not cordially but only personally So Judas saw that Christs name would not be forgotten in that the Apostles yet live to keep up the remembrance thereof and would survive that his memory should not perish As therefore Achitophels hanging himself was a sad presage that Absolon himself also should come to an ill end So Judas hanging himself portended the end and destruction of the Jews for unto this very day they hang yet between heaven and earth because in heaven they have no hope and on earth have not any setled place and their bowels are gushed out for they are scattered over the face of all the earth Now whereas it is here said that Judas brought back the 30. pieces of silver to the Priests into the Temple it is plain 1. That some of the Priests and Elders tarried in the Temple because of the Feast whilst others of the chief Priests and Elders accused Christ before Pilate For the Sacrifices of the Feast must be taken care of and if no other yet the morning Sacrifice which was the daily offering must be lookt after that nothing might be now left undone but that in both they might hold up the Service of God both by their Oblations in the Temple and by condemning Christ that grand Seducer who is indeed the Saviour of the world Hence we see how justly their Sacrifices were rejected Isa 1. Because your hands saith he are full of blood 2. Here also we may see what a fearfull thing it is to be forsaken of God For he that is deserted of God hath indeed a sense of his sin but he dares not hope for any mercy or pardon for his sin nor can he finde any comfort from men but must necessarily run into despair 3. We see also what a miserable end they come unto who are the persecutors of Christ they hang between heaven and earth They lose earthly things and cannot obtain heavenly 4. But let covetous men principally mark well this passage for here they may see what becomes of their covetousness For what profit or pleasure had this miserable Judas by all the money that he took Surely he got nothing but grief and sorrow of heart Riches are a perpetual vexation although thou get them with distracting care and fill all thy Store-houses therewith scraping them together by all means right or wrong What becomes of all at last Thou losest thy money bringest thy body to poverty and betrayest thy soul to the Devil And therefore O Christian take better heed and let not money master thee but if thou hast got it honestly use it soberly if dishonestly be careful to dispose of it to good uses or make restitution to those thou hast wronged But whence had Judas all this money And what became of it at last Doubtless the Jewish Prelates being in a confusion were forced to pick up the money again which he scattered in the Temple inasmuch as it came from them at first but when they had it they could not tell what in the world to do with it But it was the least of their thoughts to take care for the preservation of the Traitor when he had cleared Christs innocency They saw that Judas repented and recanted what he had done and returned again the earnest and contract of the bargain which he made But they keep the
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
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
thy Kingdom And Jesus said unto him Venily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Here we are first to take notice that the Cross of Christ was not only a torment to the condemned but as it were a Tribunal also of the Judge For it did mercifully receive one of the thieves and justly refuse the other just as it is now the Cross of Christ is to some a stumbling block but to others it doth become their salvation 1 Cor. 1. As in the beginning of the Passion we had an example both of Mercy and Judgement in Magdalen and Judas so now in the close we have another example in these two thieves whereby it was shewed before that the Passion of Christ would not be profitable to all not that it was in it self insufficient but because many refusing Grace when it was offered do yet sin with a stubborn will The first of these Thieves who blasphemed Christ it may be out of desperation and impatience as such men use to do may be a figure of all wicked wen who although they see Christ hang close by them yet they murmur and blaspheme under the Cross nor are they instructed by the example of Christ who took all things patiently But in vain do they rage and vex themselves for they are released never the sooner let them blaspheme never so long and never so much they get nothing by it but they die in their desperation without any Mercy as this Thief did The other Thief is a figure of the godly who do both patiently undergo whatever befall them imputing it to their own sins and labour what they can to reduce others to a sound and sober mind who blaspheme and repine This thief then hearing and seeing what would be done with Christ and being divinely inspired did not question that Christ thus suffered upon another account than he was to suffer for he saw Miracles wrought in Heaven and Earth and he easily conjectured that they were not wrought for any goodness or honesty of the Jews therefore he began to rebuke and blame his fellow as one that made no conscience so to blaspheme Christ And then turning about to Christ he doth beg for Grace and Mercy at his hands which petition of his was not in vain for he obtained more than he asked The Lord doth always give more than he is desired His prayer was after this manner Lord Remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom q.d. The Reason why I so highly esteem thee and run with such boldness unto thee is because I see what tender compassion thou hast of thy Creatures and with what unheard of patience thou dost undergo such great sufferings But especially because I now hear thee pray for them that despitefully use thee and dost excuse their heinous sin These are not humane but spiritual and divine things Remember me therefore I dare not ask more or greater things at thy hands I am sinfull unworthy of any favour do but only think on me let me not be quite forgotten let me at least with thy dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the table of thy Grace I desire no temporal thing in this life But when thou comest into thy Kingdom let me be remembred there c. 1. See here the wonderfull Judgements of God A Thief makes confession of Christ when all his Disciples did distrust him Therefore do not rashly condemn any though never so wicked For God can turn him in a moment of time 2. Observe here the Ingenuity and Faith of this Thief He had nothing at command but his heart and tongue Both these he presenteth to Christ that he might believe in his heart and confess with his mouth Rom. 10. He did not desire a Kingdom of which he thought himself not worthy but only that he might not be forgotten and then he did not care what he did indure And if you take good heed you may see in this Thief whatsoever is requisite in a Christian He consessed his sin he acknowledged Christs righteousness and though he were a Thief yet did he not despair of his salvation no marvel then if he obtained Justification and salvation 3. Here is also the fruit of his faith to wit Confession and Charity which he shewed to his brother when he reproved him and would have him acknowledge his sin and seek salvation in Christ Wherefore he was thought worthy to hear that truly comfortable and sweetest word Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise as if he had said The meaning My only Companion although thy great faith doth not crave the greatest things yet I am not ignorant what becometh me to give or what is fit for thee to receive I will reward that exceeding and admirable Vertue of thine with the best and choicest good For what is more wonderfull more pure than thy faith I am forgotten of all men as a dead man out of mind My Neighbours stand aloof off mine acquaintance will not own me Psalm 31. My friends are become mine enemies my Disciples forsake and flee from me Peter the stoutest of my Apostles was daunted at the voyce of one silly woman denyed and forswore me Judas whom I trusted with my self and all that I had is inticed with a little money and hath sold me The rest are scattered like stray sheep without a Shepherd destitute both of hope and faith But thou O Thief art come hither out of the lurking places of the thickets and woods and dost run to meet me with great affection more faithfull than my friends more constant then my Disciples thou dost believe hope adore confound the unthankfull rebuke the blasphemous bear witness to him that is condemned without a cause plead with thy tongue fighting for me with all the weapons thou hast Thou seest me used like a most notorious Villain and yet dost acknowledge me as the most holy Redeemer Thou seest me as thy Companion in punishment and yet dost pray to me as to the Lord in Heaven Thou seest nothing but the misery as it were of the vilest and worst of men yet thou confessest the infinite blessedness of my Kingdom in another world Surely flesh and blood hath not revealed these things unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven Mat. 16. Truly thy faith is great greater I have not found in Israel Mat. 8. Abraham believed me but 't was when I spake from heaven Gen. 15. Moses believed but I spake to him out of the midst of the fire Exod. 3. Isaiah believed but then I sat upon my Throne of Glory Isa 6. But thou believest now I am hanging on the most shamefull Cross and can hardly fetch breath as well as if I were working some extraordinary Miracle I never met with such a faith before Nicodemus and Nathaniel believed being instructed out of the Scriptures The woman of Canaan believed being perswaded thereto by clear and convincing signs Mat. 15.
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
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
good but this one man Why therefore hast thou forsaken me Why hast thou exposed me to so many sorrows Do I suffer for this Thief alone O thy wonderfull Love indeed to mankind Thou hast no need of the goods of any creature Thou art most absolute perfect and blessed in thy self How wonderfull therefore is thy goodness by reason whereof thou hast set forth and offered me thy Son to and for all men Psalm 22. Behold I the fairest of men thy Delight the Joy of Angel am become a worm and a very abject of worms for the Salvation of Worms I admire thy wonderfull counsell in Redeeming man I admire thy unspeakable goodness Nor do I less admite that I of my own endeavour should so lovingly so exceedingly beyond measure obey thy commands and offer up my self for unthankfull and disobedient men But so it seemed good unto thee Wherefore if there be yet any more punishment beâ—…d inflict it I willingly accept of it and bid it welcome I acknowledge thee yet to be my God It is my will that thy will be done My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Behold my heart is ready to fulfill all thy commands I am in great pain but the greatness of my love doth far exceed it Yea though thou shouldest yet forsake me more and though they should be yet more ungratefull yet I cannot be separated from the love of thee and them whom thou hast called For who shall separate me from thy Love Shall tribulation or distress But thou hast forsaken me that thou mayest not forsake me thou hast humbled me that thou mayest make me great thou hast cast me off that thou mayest receive me most honourably Thou hast forsaken me and hast left me only this that I may though without comfort flee unto and call upon thee Wherefore let thy chastened Son be pleasing to thee and willingly hear him who doth in his great exercise of affliction send up his roaring cry of charity unto thee My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 1. Now concerning this place we may observe first that this cry Why hast thou forsaken me was not fictitious or feigned but most real and true and not only of the mouth but also of the heart and all the humane force and powers For Christ at this hour had stript himself of God not by casting him away but by not perceiving and feeling him acting the part of a pure man It was truly and overmuch an Humane voyce proceeding from Humane affection so to complain why God should forsake him and why he should suffer wicked men to do so much So David I was envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked Psalm 73. And Jeremiah Why doth the way of the wicked prosper Jer. 12. And Habbakuk Why dost thou shew me iniquity and cause me to behold grievance for spoiling and violence are before me How long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear Hab. 1. Wherefore lookest thou upon them that deal treacherously and holest thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he Hab. 1.13 Thus Christ speaks here out of Humane affection And so he did sufficiently shew his true Humanity when he prayed before in the Garden But this miserable cry doth much more clearly shew the same against such Hereticks as should after spring up denying his Humane nature Let none therefore be offended at this complaint which was truly Humane but let every one think with himself that flesh and blood did here truly hang on the cross in the form of a servant Phil. 2. These things are tryed and proved on the cross by death and the pure Humanity But after three dayes you shall see and find much other things when the new and living and chearfull Body shall rise out of the Sepulchre So then it is plain that Christ as he was girt with greatest gladness so he was also compossed with extream sorrow And as he was endowed with the highest Truth so he was beset with the deepest and lowest infirmity and as he spent his life in the greatest peace so he lived also in sorest troubles I say as Christ enjoyed the sweetness of life so he tasted the bitterness of death 2. Observe that that Desertion of Christ is the fear and dread of our conscience for sin which we commit which doth find and feel the Judgement of God and eternal Wrath and is so affected therewith as if it were perpetually forsaken and cast out from the presence of God for ever according to that of David I said in my haste I am cut off from before thine eyes Psalm 31.22 Who can but despair when Judgement is revealed There is none can stand before the Judgement of God or is able to bear it For as the too great Splendor of the Sun will dazle and darken the eyes and loud noyse make one deaf so the Judgement of God is too loud for our mind and heart to endure and too heavy for our humane strength to undergo And therefore it forceth a man to despair because there is no way open to escape as Amos saith They shall not escape he that fleeth of them shall not flee away Though they dig into Hell thence shall my hand take them Amos 9. When the Lord comes thus to Judgement all the creatures obey him and further the Judgement of God to execute all fearfull plagues upon the damned as it is in Joel The Earth shall quake the Heavens shall tremble the Suu and the Moon shall be dark Joel 2. Again In that day the Sun shall go down at noon Amos 8. That is in the day of the Lords Judgement What is more miserable then man so judged of the Lord destitute of the counsel comfort and help of all the creatures and despairing This is the Judgement that all we deserved for our sins Christ therefore the only begotten Son of God did of his meer Mercy without any of our merit cast himself into our case and took that punishment which we had deserved upon his own shoulders Here we see on one hand the common people stand reviling Christ the Priests blaspheming the Thieves cursing the Apostles denying him his Friends forsaking him the Earth moved the Sun darkened in short all horrid things and all the creatures set against him On the other hand we see God also his Adversary and so forsaking him that he cryes out why hast thou forsaken me Which of us would not have despaired in such necessity But Christ took all this upon him that he might overcome our desperation and give us also hope in the like extremity So that this was our voyce or cry who by no means were able to bear the Judgement of God but must have despaired But Christ took that Cry upon himself and overcame our despair that now we may be sure God will never forsake us no though he seem so to do as Christ in that hour seemed to be