the God of your Fathers and have said you would have no King but Caesar since you have said His Blood be upon us and upon our Children since you have maliciously taken away his Life and reproach'd his Death your Walls have been thrown down your Temple burnt your Kingdom ruined your selves either slain or captivated or chased into strange Countries where you have been hâ—…ted and oppressed and never suffer to knit into one Body again which Curse shall be upon you to the end of the World As you have quitted him and delivered him to the Gentiles so hath he ever since discharged you and planted his Church especially amongst them As you have renounced your King who was so plainly prophesied and so long expected and betaken your selves only to Caesar so he hath delivered you into Caesar's Hands he hath given you your Choice but it cost you dear it cost you the Lives of eleven hundred thousand Persons in one Siege besides ninety thousand who were made Captives And because you did not only say Let this Blood be upon us but also added and upon our Children you have your Desires for your Posterity have been dispersed and despised in all Countries and in most Piaces evil-entreated So it often falleth out that the Wicked have no greater Punishment in this World than the Accomplishment of their own Desires It is the common Reward of Evil Doers to be the Instruments of their own final Ruin But with respect to our Saviour what can be sufficiently said To be so afflicted as never was any for he was despised and evil-entreated in the midst of all his Afflictions in all Calamities it is some Comfort to find some Compassion we desiâ—…e generally if we cannot be delivered or eased to be pittied to see some that condole our Misery who wish us well who want not the Will but the Power to relieve us But these Bandogs of Satan these Hell-hounds had utterly put away all sense of Humanity from them They were so far from Pity that they were mightily pleased and satisfied in seeing the unheard of Cruelty of themselves and Calamity of our Saviour Again a generous Heart is more touched with Grief to see his Enemies take pleasure in his Death than to endure it yea oftentimes a free and noble Spirit taketh not his Death from his Enemies so unkindly as one spiteful and abuâ—…ve Word Again these Injuries and Despites wâ—…re so much more sensibâ—…e to the Son of God by how much more than others he deserved the contrary For in all our Calamities it doth much ease the pain we endure when we compare it with the Fault we have committed But because our Saviour could compare these Contempts that were put upon him not only with his Faults nor his Innocency only but with his innumerable and inestimable Deserts he did the more grieve at them or rather at the Malice from whence they did proceed And further his Love was so great for the Salvation of Mens Souls that his Torments were not so grievous to him as to see that they did his Tormentors no good It was worse than Death to him to see his Executioners would make no profit of his Death even as a loving Friend esteemeth less his Labour for another than to find it unprofitable and not accepted or as a good Mother grieveth more at the ungâ—…ateful and ungracious Behaviour of her Child than at the Travails she endured at its Birth But O impudent and audacious Jews wherefore did you misreport what Jesus had said A thing well spoken may easily be corrupted by Report Jesus did never say I will destroy but destroy you this Temple He said not I will build it but I will raise it in three days not meaning your material Temple but his own Body John 2. 9. which was indeed the true Temple of God not in a Figure but really and personally Because in him dwelleth the fulness of the God-head bodily Col. 2. 9. And was it not sufficient for you to blaspheme Jesus but must you stâ—…etch out your Throats into high and horrid Blasphemy against the most High He trusted in God let him delivâ—…r him if he favoureth him What! do you think God was not able to deliver him out of your Hands Or must he deliver whom you please or when you please or after what manner you will prescribe Did ever any trust in God and was not delivered Or did God ever finally forsake those whom he favours Or is delirance from temporal Calamities an assured Sign of God's Favour No. Certainly God delivereth the wicked out of desperate Distress many times he suffereth the Godly to sink under bo dily Oppressions but this is no concluding Argument that he favoureth the one or forsaketh the other O ye great Doctors of the Law that by Prosperity and Adversity judge of the Favour or Hatred of God tell us then whether God loved best Abel or Cain Jacob or Esau Tell us wherefore were not the Prophets delivered from Death who were murthered by your Fathers and whose Sepulchers you did build If such Deliverances be an infallible Argument both of favour from God and trust in him verily the Judgments of God are not only secret and unsearchable but for the most part counterpoint to that which the natural sense of Man would prescribe Temporal Occurrences may go and come we may flourish or we may wither in this World as God in Mercy or Judgment may see best for us But nothing makes a Man miserable or happy but that which is eternal O crucified Jesus on the Cross we love thee on the Cross we adore thee on the Cross we believe in thee who upon the Cross didst give thy self to Death for us what hath a Man more than Riches Honour and Life all which thou didst bestow upon the Cross to redeem us For thou who diâ—…st create all things didst hang naked upon the Cross thou who thought'st it not Robbeâ—…y to be equal with God wast numbered with Malefactors thou who at the Lord of Life didst suffer a most shameful Death and that we may not fall short of this great Benefit that thy precious Blood be not unprofitably shed for us we prostrate our unworthy Souls and cry unto thee not as the Jews did to come down from the Cross but which is more to raise us up and fasten us unto thee for they whom thou lovest are known by nothing more than by taking paâ—…t with thee in thy Passion not to save thee but to save our selves Save us Lord from our Sins save us from the Power of all our Spiâ—…itual Enemies from the Decei's of this wicked World save us from the flattering force of our own Appetiâ—…es which is the mightiest and basest Tyrant we have to deal with defend the Dignity and Glory of our Souls from being Slaves-to our sensual Lusts that we be not captivated to the false Pleasures of this Life Deliver us from variety of worldly Desires from vain Hope from
of them than what God shall say of them in the last day Behold from hence we may draw both Divine and Moral Comforts in all Miseries that either Malice or Unkindness can bring upon us Divine for that no greater Reproach Shame or Infamy can befal us than did our Lord and Master for our Sakes Moral for that we may see how foolish and false the Opinions of Men are prone always to judge well of the wicked and hardly of the Good For behold here Vertue is counted Vice Truth Blasphemy and Wisdom Folly Behold the Peace maker of the World is judged a seditious Person the Fulfiller of the Law a Breaker of the Law our Saviour a Sinner our God a Devil Wherefore should we murmur or repine at any Trouble that doth befal us God handleth thee no otherwise than he did his only Son no nor so bad neither and it is not only a Comfort but a Glory to be a Partner and a Fellow-sufferer with Christ he delighteth to see in us some Representation of himself How can we be Members of Christ if we will not participate with him in his Suffering Hereby we are farther taught that the business of God's Glory and the Health of Men's Souls howsoever base or ignominious it may seem to the Judgment of the World must be resolutely undertaken and performed by us from the King upon the Throne to the Peasant upon the Dunghil Of our Saviour's being spitefully used and abused Matth. 26 67. Then did they spit in his Face and buffeted him and others smote him with the Palms of their Hands NOW when Jesus was brought again from Herod to Pilate the Jews refuse to enter into the Judgment Hall lest they should be defiled and thereby made unfit to eat the Passover so scrupulous were they in an outward Ceremony when their Consciences were guilty of many bloody Pollutions especially at this time in using their uttermost endeavours to destroy the Lord of Life They had not long besore hired Judas to betray Jesus suborn'd false Witnesses against him encouraged Officers in a most unsufferable manner to abuse him yet was all this covered with an outward shew of Religion And whereas it is nothing but Justice to bring the Accusers and Accused Face to Face they did not and although they charged him with Blasphemy against God and Treason against the Emperor yet they perswaded Pilate to so much Injustice as to enquire no farther into it but to condemn him upon their Words affirming That by their Law he was worthy to die and that if he had not deserved Death they would not have brought him O cursed piece of Injustice But O blessed Saviour what great Satisfaction did he make Pilate for remaining one Night in his House by sprinkling eveâ—…y part thereof where he came with his most precious Blood What can we say for our selves so wretched as we are How do our Sins defile our Souls seeing they have so defiled the pure Glass of the Majesty of the Father so troubled the clear Fountain of all Beauty and Delight O blessed be this Son of Justice and Light of his Father's Glory for his being willing to receive that great Punishment that was due to us for our Sins Isa. 63. 2. Wherefore is thy Apparâ—… red and thy Garment like him that treadeth in the Wine press Were it not more Justice that we the Offenders should suffer for our own Deserts than that our innocent Lord should thus be tormented for them Had it not been fitter that our filthiness should have remained upon us the proper Dunghil than â—…o be cast upon him the Purity of all Beauty and Glory O let us intercede with our precious Redeemer to give us Hearts that will yield him that Obedience and Praise that is due to him for this his unspeakable Love towards us Let us beseech him not to cast us off whom he hath created for himself and redeemed with his most precious Blood Let us heartily desire and fully resolve to be his and to bear Fruit to no other but to him who hath planted us and doth continually both water and purge us Let our Hearts be so much set upon him above all Let our Tongues continually praise him our Feet follow hard after him our Hands serve him our Understandings always contemplate upon him our Memories never let him go our Will always delight in him and our Souls enfolded in the Flames of his Love O Lord environ us with fiery Walls shut all the Gates thereof set the Cherubims to keep the way that nothing may enter but thy self Let us pray all the Creatures of this World and if they will not be entreated we will abjure them by virtue of that Obedience we owe to our Lord to come not near nor trample within this Garden for all is the Lord's we will observe all to serve him you shall be all meer Strangers unto us we will abandon all Creatures for the love of him who hath abandoned his Kingdom for Love towards us for this end were we created and we can make no better Recompence for all his Sufferings but to love him only and always to praise him Blessed be the Name of the most high God who is the Comfort of our Life the Light of our Eyes the End of our Desires All his Angels and Saints yea all Creatures for ever praise him for by the Merits of his unspeakable Charity and Humility he bowed his back to endure the Misery that was due to us for our Sins He hath not only freed us from all Evil but also hath given several degrees of his Graces to us and has taken upon him our Flesh and gave us of his good Spirit He took upon him our Sins and hath given us his Righteousness He took upon him the Punishment that we could not avoid and gave us that Glory which he did possess by making himself like unto us he hath in some degree made us like himself in the sight of his Father and by his suffering that which we deserved he hath procured that for us that we could not deserve So that all his Troubles have conduced to our Joy His Dishonour our Gloâ—…y his Misery our Merits his Sufferings our Satisfaction his Reproach hath made us without Blame his Bands hath freed us his Stripes healed us his Sorrows comfort us his Travels refresh us his Condemnation justieth us and by his Death hath brought us unto eternal Life Now when Pilate saw that Jesus looked so pitiful he thought the sight of him sufficient to break the blood Purposes of his Enemies he led him forth to the People and said Behold the Man what would you have more if it be for Malice that you are so violent against him behold how miserable he is If for fear behold how contemptible Faults he hath done none Certainly this shewing of Jesus doth plainly shew he was made a woful Spectacle so woful as Pilate did verily believe that the very sight of him would
vain Fear Above all deliver us from thy Wrath and from thy Curse and from the inseparable Companion thereof eternal Death Let some small Drops of thy most precious Blood distil into our Souls that we may present it to thy Father in full satisfaction for all our Sins Give unto us the full Fruit of thy Death Grace here and Glory hereafter O Lord Jesus O the Salvation of our Souls behold we come to thee as we are poor vile Creatures we make bold to approach to the Rivers of thy Mercy to the sweet Streams of thy Grace to the true Son of thy Justice whose Beams are spread over the whole World and giveth great Light to all those who do not wilfully shut their Eyes Behold we prostrate our unworthy Souls at thy Feet we do not revile but we praise and adoâ—…e thee we do not mock but we mourn at thy Passion O thou who wert pitiful to thy Enemies be not hard to thy Supplicants thou who didst pray for them that reproached thee pray for us that pray unto thee lift up thy Voice unto thy Father for us and cease not till he hath forgiven us Of our Saviour's pardoning the Thief his tasting of Vinegar how he cried to his Father Luke 23. 43. And Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise WE are further encouraged O our Redeemer to crave not thy Prayer only but also thy Pardon by Example of the Thief that died with thee who although he had spent his Life in all manner of Debauchery and Wickedness yet when he desir'd thee thou didst presently return answer This Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise O sweet Word O Heart nothing so tender thy Lips are the Honey-comb Honey and Milk do flow from thy Tongue thou didst pray for Sinners upon the Cross to shew thy self our Advocate Thou didst pardon Sins to shew thy self our Judge What is this O liberal Loâ—…d how marvellous are thy Mercies towards us To those who mocked reviled and blasphemed thee thou madest no answer but when the Thief prayed to thee his Petition was no sooner made but forthwith it was granted Thou gavest more also than he did desire the Thief desired thee only to remember him and thou didst give him the Kingdom of Heaven But when O gracious Lord Even that present Day With whom Even with thy self implying hereby that the same Glory thou didst enjoy thou wilt give to thy Elect for which Reason they are called Co-heirs with thee Rom. 8 27. This Glory and Felicity is perfect in thee and from thee distributed in measure as from the Head to the Members What would'st thou deny us or what would'st thou not give unto us if we were to thee such Servants as thou art unto us a Lord Seeing thou art so bountiful and ready to forgive such open Offenders which although it ought not to encourage us to defer our Repentance until the end of our Lives because of this Conversion of the Thief as it was the last Work thou didst in thy Life so it was not the least Yet it may encourage us never to think our Sins too great or our time too short to obtain thy Pardon Come unto him then all ye that are feeble hearted and never think you shall be damned See what a Lover of Men he is how desirous of our Salvation see how easie to be entreated for the greatest Matters and how ready to give his Glory at the first Request He seeketh all Occasions he desireth nothing more than to bestow it upon us He forgave David his Sin upon the fiâ—…st acknowledgment He gave to the Thief his Kingdom upon the first desire He that is so inclinable to forgive Sins and to give Glory wherein can he be hard or unkind to us If ye will say ye have done little Service whereby he should hope for so high a Reward Fear not it sufficeth that you have a desire to serve him This is a Property of him That he is liberal and merciful for which Vertues he is especially commended not so much to regard the Work of our Bodies as the Willingness of our Minds He so thirsteth after the Salvation of our Souls that he often accepteth our Purpose for Performance it sufficeth many times that we are prepared in Will the rest he doth supply by his Grace His gracious Goodness perfecteth what we have and supplieth what we want Be not therefore affrighted at his terrible Justice but rather comforted let them fear who are stubborn and flinty-hearted who will not be converted and come to him who follow Vanity with all their Might who boldly sin and then say What Evil have I done Let them tremble who are so far from calling upon him as they will not know him It is dreadful for such to fall into his Hands But they who are smitten with Sorrow for their Sins they who arise and return to him let them be encouraged with this That he that hath drawn them will certainly receive them It is not the Thief alone who was received but let all Sinners be brought forth and there is not one that can be named were he never so great who truly repented and was converted but he was justified He so loveth converted Sinners that if it were necessary so to do he would rather suffer death again than consent that one of them should be damned O happy Thief how pleasant were thy Pains how delightful was thy Death being assured thou shouldest â—…orthwith reign with him in Heaven who suffered with thee and for thee upon Earth The other Thief demanded of Christ to be delivered from the Cross and it was conditional if thou be the Son of God he desired neither as he should nor what he should But the converted Thief having heard him openly profess That his Kingdom was of another World desired no bodily Benefit but only to be remembred of him when he came into his Kingdom Pilate in his Tribunal the People standing by and the Thief in Fetters heard these Words of Jesus But Pilate contemned him the Multitude mocked and the Thief only believed in him Assuredly O good Jesus thou art a most invincible King otherwise thy Children could not be able to sustain their continual Combats nor ever be drawn out of the cruel Bondage of Satan Nor Pilate would not have written upon the Cross altogether against the advice of the Jews Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews But the same Spirit that guided Pilate to pronounce him innocent guided him also to write this Inscription And in truth the Hebrew Word Messias and the Greek Word Christ which signifies anointed was the Original of the Unction of the Hebrew King Yet our Saviour was not declared by his Name to the Fathers at the first to Adam and the Patriarchs he was revealed under the Title of The Seed of the Woman Jacob called him Sheloh but to David this Son was promised under the Figure and
Shadow of Solâ—…mon by the Title of a King whose Dominion has no end 2 Sam. 7. 13. 1 Chron. 22. 10. Since which time the Glory of this King hath been excellently extolled as well in many Psalms as by the Prophets in all Ages This King was manifested by the Angel to the Virgin Mary Luke 1. 32 33. The wise Men in the East were not ignorant of him yea many Histories do testifie That about the time that Christ was born a common Brute did run throughout the Empire of Rome and did declare That a great Pursuivant King should be born among the Jews this held Herod in great Jealousie and Fear Matth. 2. 3. The Apostles also did apprehend it albeit according to the vulgar Error until they were otherwise instructed Thou art a Lilly O blessed Saviour and Redeemer amongst many Thorns thou lovest neither Idleness nor sloathful ease We must endure not only Labour but Smart if we will enjoy thee If we will have thy Head it is crowned with Thorns if thy Heart it is pierced with a Spear if thy Hands and Feet they are struck through with Nails Thou art a Lilly amongst Thorns After the Troubles and Turmoils of many Years when Christ drew nearer towards his Deâ—…th the heavier was his Father's Hand the weightier was his Wrath the more Stripes did he double upon him in the Garden of Gethsemane he cried to his Father Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me But now feeling that which then he feared the Storm now breaking upon him which did then begin to appear he cried out again My God my God why hast thou forsaken me At both these times what were either his Feeling or his Fears what the Torments of his Body what the Anguish of his Soul whether he did despair or how far his Despair did reach it iâ—… dangerous to define we know them not we may be too adventurous to determine concerning them The Suffering of Christ are known only to the Heaâ—… that felt them but to be altogethâ—… abandoned in these Extremities to havâ—… no Comfort afforded no Care taken 〈◊〉 be bereaved not only of the Help but 〈◊〉 the Pity of all which in some degree 〈◊〉 very Man doth find seemeth to be thâ—… accomplishment of Miseries First He was deprived of all Earthly Comforts for his Disciples some betrayed and sold him others forsware him all fell away and fled from him And as for the People among whom he lived working many Miracles and doing good they preferred Barabbas before him It was they who in the midst of his miserable State most insolently insulted over him It was they who when he cried out Eloi Eloi did in a base manner de I de him saying He calls for Elias It was they who when with extream Faintness and Pains and by reason of the great loss of his Blood he did thirst not only denied him a drop of Water as Abraham denied to the rich Glutton in Hell but gave him Vinegar and Gall to redouble his Torments Secondly He was deprived of all heavenly Comforts which is the true Restorative in all dolorous Distress And this was the cause of his heavy Cry not that his Friends but his Father did then forsake him not that Earth but that Heaven did not yield him any Comfort All the Punishments which the damned do endure are commonly brought under two Heads viz. Pain of Sense and Pain of Loss Now the Pains of Sense were very sharp both upon the Body of our Saviour and upon his Soul upon his Body not only in regard of the greatness and baseness and variety of his Torments but also in regard of the Body it self for as it was miraculously made so was it of a more perfect Constitution of a more apprehensive Sense to feel Torments than Bodies brought forth by an ordinary Course of Nature The Pains of his Soul were unspeakable even unanswerable too Christ remained always during this Combat personally united to the Person of the Son of God who could not be severed from the Father and the Holy Ghost But it received no Comfort or Assistance for a time to relieve it from the full Sense of God's severe Indignation against Sin For as a Soul is noâ—… essentially separated from a Body thaâ—… sleepeth and yet it worketh not aâ—… when the Body is awake otherwisâ—… than to keep it in Life so in this extream Agony of our Saviour the Deity was not severed from the Humane Nature only it did not exercise the Actions to administer Comfort and Strength otherwise than to support it from being overthrown The Heavenly Father did then forsake his innocent and only Son and yet was not the Union between them dissolved he dissolved not the Union but withdrew his Vision and restrained those Beams which might any way refresh the passionate Powers of his Soul Many Martyrs have suffered violent and terrible Torments which they did not only quietly but chearfully endure Will you know the Reason They were delivered indeed but therewith also they were not forsaken for the Grace of God did administer such sweet and secret Supplies of Comfort that they tired their Tormeâ—…tor in bearing patiently all those Torments which merciless Tyranny could execute or invent but in Christ in regard of his infinite Dignity for that it is that seâ—…teth the Sacrifice at so high a Price the least Torment although only in Body might have sufficed for redeeming many Worlds yet would he suffer greater Torments than can be conceived First to manifest thereby his exceeding Love in making our Redemption the more valuable For the less he had suffered the less had his Love been esteemed And also to awake us and to leave us inexcusable if we love him not again Lastly to stir us up to settle our Assurance in our Tribulations but most especially our Hopes upon him when we suffer for his sake O God of our Salvation grant unto us thy unworthy Servants we beseech thee That at the Separation of our Souls from our Bodies we may spend our last Breath in these Words of our Saviour Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit Comfort us then with the Virtue of his Passion which is Life to the Dead Pardon to the Wicked and Gloâ—…y to the Saints that ending the last Minute of our Lives in the midst of his Wounds in the very depth of his Death and Blood we may confidently commit our Souls that thou mayest receive them readily into thy Hands Receive thy precious Son for a Ransom and with him receive the Souls of thy Servants whom he redeem ed for as he died in Obedience to thee so died he also for our Redemption We have nothing to offer unto thee but his Death nothing but his Blood the Love where with he gave us his Blood His Soul he hath commâ—… unto thee but unto us he hath given his Blood this is all our Treasure this is all our assured Trust Of this Blood we will not return
the World Seeing therefore he hath been condemned for us in High Treason both against God and Man seeing he hath endured the Punishment for all our Rebellions What have we any further to answer His Obedience hath made Satisfaction for our riotous Rebellion By his Condemnation are we acquitted his Condemnation at a Tribunal on Earth has acquitted us before thy Tribunal in Heaven His Sufferings are a sufficient Discharge between us and thy Justice and his Love is a sufficient Discharge between his Sufferings and us because his Love â—…eh nothing for all hiâ—… Sufferings but only that we love him again O what an unspeakable Obligation is this not only to love our Sâ—…iour but to love him above and before all one would think it were impossible to do any otherwise thâ—…n to love him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Glory and Majesty to suffer so much â—…sery to save us from eâ—…l Damâ—…tion O good Jesus O Health of our Souls havâ—… Mercy upon â—…s we beseech thee and help us to strike this Fire within our Hearts let our Souls be satisfied with thy sacred Love Thou art O Lord our 〈◊〉 out last End the Mark â—…hether we aim the Poâ—…t whereto we saâ—… the Ferm the Râ—…t of all our Desires Wherefore then do we not love wherefore do we not desire thee with that ardency wherewith all Creatures do love and desire the place of their Rest The Fire and the Air do overthrow Mountains rend up Rocks shake the whole Earth to break forth to their Natural Places wherefore do not we break through all Impediments all Hinderances and leave all Creatures to come to thee who art the only place both of our Refuge and Rest O our Desires O our sweet solace our assured stâ—…ength wrap our Souls in the Flames of thy Love that all careless coldness may be consumed thereby possess our Souls so intiâ—…ely with that Divine Fire that we may have no sense of any worldly things Most Sweet Loving Beautiful Noble Rich Wise Glorious and worthy to be both loved and adored O life of our Soul who didst die to give us Life who didst die to kill death mortifie us wholly even our Wills and all our evil Inclinations and whatsoever is ours within us Then revive us again in thy lively Love by uniting all the Faculties of our Souls unto thee and making them obedient to thy Will Seeing we have so rich a Treasure so liberal a Distributer of the same how is it possible we should not rise in Hope Justice hath sound out a way to strike the Innocent and cannot Mercy find a means to save the Guilty Assuredly yes for it is a greater Miracle that God should be condemned and crucified than that Man should be acquitted and live If therefore we have the greater we have no cause to sear the less for Justice has executed her Severity upon the Innocent and Mercy will shew her Favour upon Offenders Yea if it was Justice that the Innocent should be condemned and executed for to make Satisfaction for Sin it is Justice also that the Offenders for whom he suffered should be discharged from that Debt that the voluntary Surety hath fully paid Therefore although Grace is not due to a Sinner as a Sinner yet it is due to him as he is redeem'd It is Mercy that a Sinner should be saved in respect of the Sinner but it is Justice in respect of Christ the Just was handled as a Sinner that Sinners might be accepted of as just foâ—… it is not agreeable to Justice that one Offence should be twice punished Hâ—… hath joyned he hath united himself to us As he cannot be condemned again so cannot we likewise be condemned except we break Union and wilfully fall from him O let us admire love and adore this great Love of our Lord Jesus Christ and then we shall never break Union with him or fall from him but be inâ—…allibly saved by him The Sentence of Death being given forth against Jesus they laid that heavy Tree upon his Shoulders that had been unmercisully battered with Whips torâ—…enting him not only with the Sight but the Weight of that which was appointed to be the Instrument of his 〈◊〉 Which painful Burthen with â—…he sull Weight of all our Sins he refused 〈◊〉 to take upon him but went on his way with great Alaâ—…ity both in Love towards us and in Obedience to satisfie his Father's Justice as a true Isaac bearing the Wood for the Sacrificing of himself But whither doth our Lord go What has he to do upon this stinking Hill of Calvary which being a place of common Execution is tainted with puâ—…rified Bodies To be sure he will find there no sick Persons to cure no Devils to cast out no Temples wherein to teach but there he will find Dead to raise and Sinners to forgive there he will find many scattered Souls of executed Offenders which expect his coming which as the true Elizeus thy dead Body should restore them to Life What should all this mean that our Saviour has not only made choice of an infamous Death but of an infamous Place the Place was infamous but the Death was accursed for cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree It did not satisfie his Love to die for us but he must die the most accuâ—…sed death to assure us thereby that he had delivered us from the Malediction of the Law Certainly our Saviour's Death containeth many Mysteries It is not enough for us to say that he died for us but we are further to consider how ye would die which was by the ignominious death of the Cross with whom also even with Malefactors When in the principal strength and beauty of his Age In what Year in the great Year of Jubilee Upon what Day at the great Solemnity of the Passover even when they did celebrate the Figure of him In what place on the Mount of Calvary only made glorious by his Death He was neither privily made away nor tumultuously slain he dyed not in a Corner that dyed for all the World he was condemned in the publick place of Judgment and suffered upon the common place of Execution upon a Day and a Year of the greaâ—…est Solemnity that could be God set him upon the Stage of the Woâ—…ld to declare as well his Fury against Sin as his Love and Mercy towards Sinners O glorious Calvary where the Prince of Light did encounter and overcome the Prince of Darkness where at one instant our Life for a time ended and our Death did for ever dye Therefore let us not only seek our Saviour in the Temple but upon Mount Calvary for in the Temple he scourged Sinners but upon the Mount he died for them upon that he opened his Arms to embrace them It was objected against him that he was a Friend to Publicans and Sinners True he was a true Friend to them indeed but his Friendship did never more plainly appear than in this Action and upon this place
〈◊〉 to the Cross and set to the 〈◊〉 show and shame of World What shall I say God in his Humanity died Stay O our Souls or we are not able to step any father Hâ—…b 1. 3. Lord I heard thy Words and was afraid I saw thy Works and my Bowels were troubled I was amazed and my Lips did shake Certainly our weak Faculties are unable to comprehend this great Mystery They can never reach this boundless Height they can never fathom this bottomless Depth we may coldly speak of it and drowsily affect it but Principalities and Powers stand astonished at itâ—… Therefore let us list up our heavy and and dull Souls after him even after the Man of Grief Isa 53. But he was wounded for our Transgressions he was crucifiâ—…d for our Iniquities the Chastisernert of our Peace was upon him by his Stripes we are healed But O King of Glory what hâ—…dst thou deserved what hadiâ—… thou done Pilate could find in thee no Cause of Death but only the abundance ofthy Goodness and Love for it wasâ—…our Sins that thus distressed thee â—…hese Nails these Whips these Sâ—…reams of Blood are perpetual Monuments of our wicked Lives Pilate Caiaphas and all the rest either thy Judges or Tormentors whom we charge with this cursed Cruelty towards thee were only secondary and instrumental Causes we are the principal Cause of all thy Troubles and Afflictions we cannot shift it to any other but say every one to himself as the Prophet Nathan said to David thou art the Man I am the Man I am he that did thus afflict thee we have committed the Offence and thou wouldst bear the Punishment We have surfeited our selves with Sin and thou wouldst take the bitter Potion to purge us Thou didst fast for us in the Wilderness thou didst sweat for us in the Garden thou didst bleed for us upon the Cross so thy Head underwent the Cure for the Members O then that our Heads were but Fountains of Tears that we might therewith wash the Wounds und bathe the Bruises that our Sins have made O Lord let us worship and adore thee for thy Loving-kindness is very great let us praise thy Holy Name and give unto thee hearty Thanks because thou hast so loved us as with thy most precious Blood to wash away all our Sins and reconcile us again to thy Father's Favours Blessed art thou therefore for ever who art the Reconciler the Redeemer and Saviour of Mankind the Vanqâ—…isher of Hell and of the Devil the Giveâ—… of Life the Destroyer of Death What doth stay our Hearts O Lord that they run not unto thee Is any Clog so heavy any Chain so strong that can either hold or hinder us from hastening unto thee If all the things of this World are nothing but a Flower fresh to Day and dead and gone to Morrow shall such light Matters as any thing this World can afford in comparison of thee keep us from coming to thee No Lord Can a small weak Wind stay a heavy Stone in the Air from falling to its natural Place Shall the light Chaff of this World for all is no more stop our coming to thee who art our last End our perfect Felicity the true Rest and Center of our Souls No. Come unto him all hungry and thirsty Souls this is the handful of Meal 1 Kings 17. and the little Oil of the Widow of Sarepta which will never waste this is the mystical Rock which Moses struck with his Rod in the Wilderness Exod. 17. 6. out of which gushed forth Rivers of Waters of Life all you that dislike your sinful Birth may be born again John 14. 4. Come all afflicted Consciences this is the good Samaritan who will pour Oil and Wine into your Wounds Luke 10. 34. Come all you that are oppressed with Poverty bring hither your empty Vessels 2 Kings 4. This is the Pot of Oil of the Widow that came to Elizeus wherewith and by no other means you may pay your Debts Be not discouraged because it is little the Vertue thereof is great it will never cease running as long as there is any Vessel to fill Come all ye that desiâ—…e to be at Peace with God this is the perfect Peace-Offering this is the sweet Sacrifice whose Blood crieth not for Vengeance as did the Blood of Abel but crieth for Pardon for all Offenders This is the Gate through which we must pass if we go into Heaven this is the Ark whereinto we must enter if we will be saved this is the Palace of Peace Psal. 132. 14. This is my resting Place for ever and ever here will I dwell for I have a delight herein How our Saviour was mocked and reviled and how he prayed for his Enemies Matt. 27. 39. And they that passed by reviled him wagging their Heads AFTER they had thus cruelly crucified Jesus the High-Priests with the Scribes Elders and Pharisees and after them the Multitudes so prevalent are the Examples of great Men that also the Soldiers tormented him and one of the Thieves that suffered with him reviled and blasphemed him disgracing the Doctrine he had taught one upbraids him and says Thou that destroy the Temple and buildest it again in three Days save thy self Another bid him come down from the Cross and they would believe him Another cries He saved others himself he cannot save Another He trusted in God let him deliver him if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God He that suffered for all had all against him and among all that great Multitude that at that time was at Jerusalem there was not one who would openly avow Jesus to be the Christ whereby our Lord Jesus would shew to us That our Redemption is his singular Mercy and Grace for there was not one but what made himself unworthy of it some for Malice persecuting others for Fear disowning the rest not regarding of him as thinking that which concerned them most concerned them nothing at all And it was a Mystery that our Saviour was condemned by the Jews and afterwards by the Gentiles That he was delivered by the Jews to the Gentiles that he was pursued to Death by the one and by the other who died indifferently for them both Go to go to ye base Children of the Synagogue mock on Leave you have in regard to us double your Malice in Revilings if you please you do us greater Kindness thereby than you are sensible of for look how fast his Infamy doth grow so fast doth our Shame decrease Whatsoever will do us good he hath imparted to us and hath taken to himself whatsoever might do us harm But in regard of your selves O ye stiff-necked Jews it had been better your Tongues had been torn out of your Throats than they should have been thus impiously employed all your insulting is but like the putting of a red hot Iron into cold Water to make a great Noise to extinguish your selves For since you have disavowed
to what end should the Clothes have been left To whom did they more properly belong than to the Body that was enfolded in them Is it probable O ye stiff-necked Jews that any Thief would have been so religious as to have stollen the Body and left the Clothes Would any have been so adventurous as to have stay'd the taking them off and folded them together in such order whilst the Watch slept round about them All Men know that Myrrh sticketh as fast as Pitch or Glue And what Pleasure or what leisure can we imagine the Disciples should have to stay to pull off his Clothes that doubtless stuck extraordinary close and to bear away the Body rather naked than covered Theft Deceit a guilty Conscience always is afraid they want time they dispatch hastily what they go about they have no leisure to lay things in order a guilty Conscience ever worketh in extream Fear Could the Disciples be any way secure or sure that whilst the Seals were broken the Stone removed from the Mouth of the Tomb the Body uncased the Linnen folded and orderly disposed that the Watch all of them should continue in sleep Assuredly if the Body had been stollen the Linnen and the Myrrh being Matters not easily to be left and worth carrying away would never have been taken off and left in such order Your selves did see when he was stripp'd at the Cross his Apparel did so cleave to his battered Back by reason of the congealing of his Blood that they could not be pulled off without tearing away several parts of his Skin but look upon the myrrhy Clothes that is of a far more cleaving Nature than Blood and tell us what Token of violent pulling off you did see O assure your selves O ye stiff-necked Jews that such a mangled Body could never be unwrapped out of myrrhy Clothes in great haste without light or much help but many pieces of his sweet Skin and bruised Flesh would have been seen But what such Testimony did any of you find Can any Man believe that you would either omit to enquire after such Circumstances or else conceal it if it had been found In that you did take no notice hereof your own silence hath utterly condemned you and it is plain that our Lord Jesus Christ in spite of all you Malice and devilish Actions against him is risen from the Dead and now sitteth at the Right Hand of God the Father from whence he shall come to judge the World in Flames of Fire to pour his Vengeance upon all those that fear him not nor call upon his Name We are much afraid O good Jesu of that strict Account wherewith we shall be charged at that Day we doubt we shall be able to give but a slender Reckoning seeing we have scarce retained it in our Memories because so much as we love and cherish our selves so much do we forget thee and it is no less a Fault not to make Profit of thy Blood than it was to shed it Sweet Saviour let thy precious Blood stream within our Souls that all our Thoughts may be bathed in it let all Actions be valuable or Vile according as they participate thereof let us be careful of nothing more than that we be not too careful about the Matters of this Life let us fear thy Judgments now that then we may be confident in thy Mercies O blessed Stream whereof one Drop is sufficient to satisfie all our Thirst whereof if one small Drop had fallen into Hell the Damned thereby might have been saved If there were ten thousand Worlds and they would all embrace this Redemption there would be enough and to spare for them all FINIS
There is no Question buâ—… the Pains that our Saviour did enduâ—…e in his â—…dv were exceeding great yet nothing comparable to the Torments of his Soul In bodily Pains 't is possible some have born as much as he But as for the Sorrow of his Soul the unspeakable Sorrows of his Soul there was never any came near him And indeed the Pain of the Body is not comparable to the the Sorrow of the Soul Prov. 18. 14. The Spirit of a Man shall sustain his other Infirmities But a wounded Spirit who can hear And first begun his Sorrows in his Soul For as Sin beginneth always at the Soul and from thence extendeth to the Body it was most proper that the Punishment of Sin should begin at the Soul and afterwards proceed to the Body This Grief of Soul of our Saviour's was very great as one of the Evangelists testifieth Matth. 26. 37. He began to wax sorrowful and grievously troubled Another Mark 14. 34. He began to be afraid and in great heaviness and says Luke 22. 14. He was in an Agony But in a more peculiar manner he did express it himself Matth. 26. 38. Now is my Soul trâ—…ubled now is my Soul heavy even unto death and also by Actions in that when no violence was offered to his Body no Man stood near him to do him any harm he was so much inwardly pressed in Spirit and in so great an Agony that in an extream cold Night when he lay upon the cold Earth all the Forces of his Body were distracted the Humours disturbed the Pores opened and he was cast into a great and bloody Sweat not a thin faint Sweat but consisting of such great Drops which issued so plenteously from every part of his Body that they came through his Apparel and trickled to the Ground in great abundance Luke 22. 44. Sure never was any Garden thus watered never Ground thus wet Adam might moisten the Earth with the Sweat of his Brows but never was it moistned but at that time with a bloody Sweat O let us therefore look upon our Saviour and upon our selves Upon our Saviour as upon the true Adam not cast but came out of Paradice of his oâ—… Love and free Will for to redeem us from our Sins labouring in a bloody Sweat to get for us the Bread of Life Upon our selves as those that were at that time his only Tormentors for the Executioners did not then tear him with Whips they did not then press a Crown of Thorns upon his Head It was not the Nails nor the Spear that then did pierce him but it was our Offences that did so much afflict him our Sins were the heavy Burthen under which he did so grievously sweat For then were represented to him the Sins of the whole World both past and to come which to him who bears so great a Love and Zeal to the Honour of his Father it could not but be an unspeakable Sorrow and Trouble to him Then also was presented to him the most terrible sight in the World the great Fury of the Father before whose Majesty when he is moved to Wrath the Angels cover their Faces the Mountains sweat the Earth trembleth the Sea flyeth before whom if he appears as Judge no Creature can stand and verily if the Wrath of God against one Sinner for one Sin be termed Unquenchable Fire a Worm that dâ—…th not Watling and Gnashing of Teeth and yet not sufficiently expressed What Words can the Wisdom of Men devise to represent the terribleness of that Judgment that was against him who was to drink of the whole Cup of his Father's Wrath not for one Sin only but for the Sins of the whole World and if he had left one drop if he had not drank up the very Dregs we had not been excused from eternal Damnation Also he beheld the Ingratitude of many who would not endeavour to make any profit to their own Souls of this great Benefit which doubtless was a sharper cut to him than all the outward Torments he endured ever as it is less grievous to a Man to take pains for another than to know that his Pains shall not be regarded Our blessed Saviour did bend under this heavy Burthen and dipt his Garments in his own Blood and he took the Cup of his Father's Wrath which had no mixture of Mercy in it He did lay upon his Shoulders a light Burthen and a sweet Yoke but we have laid upon him an unmerciful Load which none but himself is able to bear No Element is heavy in its proper place and therefore as one that diveth into the Water feeleth not the Weight of the Water which is above So he that is plunged in the depth of his Sins has no sense how heavy they are because Sin is there in its natural place But Sin in our Saviour was out of its proper place and above its Sphere and therefore lay the more grievously upon him For if a Sinner that is sanctified is oftentimes pressed with his own Sins that he crieth out with holy David Psalm 38. My iniquities are a sore Burthen too heavy for me to bear How grievous must this Sea of Sin be to him who is Sanctification it self and from whom it all flows O heavenly Father What is this that thy innocent Son thy only Son thy Son in whom thou art well pleased in this humble and heavy manner laboureth before thee Their Fathers hoped in thee and thou didst deliver them they called upon thee and were not confounded Wherefore then is thy innocent and only Son begotten of thy Substance forsaken of thee How shall we sinful Wretches expect to find any Mercy with thee seeing thou art so seveâ—…e against thy only Son So merciful a Father against so good and loving a Son Is not thy Wrath appeased when thou seest this miserable Spectacle of him that is so dear unto thee This bloody Sweat whereof every drop is of greater value than a Thousand Worlds Is it not a sufficient Satisfaction for our Sins a sufficient Price for our Redemption O admirable and upright Justice for this was but a small Skirmish to the main Battel which did follow after Sure if thy Eyes Holy Father were fix'd upon the Cross whereunto thy only Son was fastned thou wouldst not be satisfied nor appeased because thou hadst before ordained that Death which was a Curse belonging to Sin must also be the Punishment of thy Son that the Devil that prevailed by a Tree should also be by a Tree subdued O what a painful Purchase has our Saviour made what a sharp Price has he paid for our Redemption how intolerable may we think was the end of his Sufferings when the beginning was so dreadful and how cruel were those Torments that were by him to be endured which were so terrible in being feared O therefore let the sight of our Sins draw some Drops of Tears now from our Eyes seeing they did draw so many Drops of Blood from
every part of our Redeemer's Body Take a little touch of that Grief which did lie so heavy upon him whose Power sustaineth the Heavens that it made his Soul heavy unto death being so deeply drowned in the Nature of Man that he seemed to forget that he was God Let us accuse and condemn our selves of all manner of unworthiness and take up with a godly Sorrow both for love to our Saviour and in hatred to our Sins the one for suffering for our sakes and the other for being the only cause of it and let us not be like to the Disciples that were with our Saviour who fell into a sound and secure Sleep whilst their Master both watched prayed and sweat a bloody Sweat for their Redemption He was like a loving Father who spares no pains to get Bread for his Children whilst they remain free both from Trouble and Care If drowsiness of Spirit overcomes thee pray to God to awaken thee with his Heavenly Voice if that will not do to make you smart with the Rod of Affliction that so you may watch and pray lest you fall into Temptation Let us by this grievouâ—… Agony that vexed his Soul by that terror and trembling that wholly possess'd his Body and by all the pains wherein he was plunged for us detestable Sinners beseech him that in the last hour of our lives when Fears and Distresses come upon us that he would give us stedfast strength and confidence in his Mercy that in that hour when we are leaving the World he would not leave us and in this fearful Conflict not to forsake us but send his holy Angels to assist us and to minister Courage and Comfort to us that no Temptations of the Devil may prevail against us but that he would be pleased to arm our Hearts with Humility and Patience that they be not distracted or distempered with any fear of Grief but that in all things our Desires may be conformable to his Will Let us implore his Goodness to give us such constant courage such hope such love towards him that the weaknesses of our Flesh may not be overcome by any fear of Death but we may both safely and sweetly pass from the Society we have with thee here by Grace to the Society which the Saints enjoy with thee in Glory Mat. 26. 48. Of our Saviour's being sold betrayed and apprehended Matt. 26. 47. And while he yet spake lo Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with Swords and Staves from the Chief Priests and Elders of the People BUT when the Son of God did in so high a degree both love and value the Sons of Men that he thought nothing painful to himself that might be profitable to them yet see how the Sons of Men did either value or love the Son of God they took all Occasions first to slander him and afterwards to slay him they sold him one to another for thirty Pieces of Silver O devilish and malicious Spirits to hate the Author of our eternal Salvation As no means are thought bad enough to bring him to his Death so to undervalue the Lord of all Creatures as not many Beasts are sold at so base a Price O infinite inequality of Affection between God and Man God came to save Man and Man goeth about to destroy God God bought Man with the dearest Drops of his Blood and Man sold God for Thirty Pieces of Siver O the Love of the Lord Jesus was great when he came to redeem those that were lost and the Saviour of the Redeemed how great was his Love to come into the World when he had no need nor we any Merit to sanctifie it with his Justice to enrich it with his Grace to enstruct it with his Doctrine to confirm it by his Example to redeem it with his Blood that as by the Pride of one who being but Man did aspire to be God we were condemned so by the Humility of another who being God became Man we should be saved Being sold at the Price of Thirty Pieces of Silver to such cruel Merchants as desire no Profit by him but his Life the Traytor Judas whose Feet a little before he had washed came unto him attended with a bloody Band And how willing our Saviour was to embrace his Passion did appear by his voluntary presenting himself to them and in that he turned not away his Face from this barbarous Beast that came to kiss him But O innocent Lord What hast thou to deal with Traytors and Tormentors What Courtesie between the Lamb and the Wolf What Commerce between God and Belial Our Saviour did not only permit Judas to kiss him but he did also smite his obstinate Heart with this soft Speech Friend wherefore comest thou dost thou betray the Son of Man with a Kiss But wherefore did our Saviour call Judas Friend when he had betrayed him To testifie that altho' the Knot of Friendship was broke on his part yet on our Saviour's it remained whole and entire to reduce him again to his Friendship for if he could have said without despair with holy David I have sinned he should presently have heard I have forgiven If our Saviour had kissed Judas he should never have despaired or destroyed himself for his Kisses inspire Life and therefore the Spouse beginneth the most excellent Canticle with these Words Cant. 1. 1. Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth 1 John 4. 10. It is he that hath loved us first Ephes. 1. 4. It is he that hath chosen us and not we him Or if Judas had kissed him as the Psalmist speaks of Psalm 2. 12. Kiss the Son lest he be angry That is if with sincerity of Soul he had rendred him that Faith and Homage that is due to him it had gone well with him but because he was like one of those whom the Prophet speaks of Isa. 9. This People approach to me with their Mouths and their Hearts are far from me because he came with a treacherous Hypocrisie this Kiss could draw no Vertue from him but turned it to his Condemnation O cursed cruelty cursed because obstinate cruel because unjust which neither the Power of a Miracle was able to astonish nor the Kindness of a Benefit could any way appease But they proceeded notwithstanding to lay Sacrilegious Hands upon him as upon a Malefactor to bind his Holy Hands which had wrought so many Miracles among them with rough and knotty Cords his Disciples either forsaking of him or falling off from him and to lead him away in a more opprobrious manner than the Ark of the Testimony was taken and carried away by the Uncircumcised Philistines Poor and miserable Jews whom do you thus hale away Against whom have you taken up Arms Your Prisoner hath made you Captives he whom you have bound with Cords hath chained you with Fetters of Iron he hath been to you as a Bait or a Hook that taketh the Takers Never