IT is the most excellent and worthy part of diuine wisdome to know Christ cru­cified. The Prophet Esaisaith, The knovvledge Esai. 53. 11 of thy righteous servant, that is, Christ crucifi­ed, shall iustifie many. And Christ himselfe saith, This is eternall life to knowe thee the onely God, Ioh. 17. 2. and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And Paul saith, I have decreed to know nothing among you 1. Cor. 2. 2. but Iesus Christ and him crucified. Againe, God forbid that I shold reioyce in any thing but in the Gal. 6. 14. crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. Againe, I thinke all things but losse for the excellent knovvledge Phil. 3. 5. sake of Christ Iesus my Lorde, and doe iudge them but dung that I might winne Christ.

In the right way of knowing Christ crucified, two points must be considered: one, how Man for his part is to know Christ; the other, how he is to be knowen of man.

Touching the first: Man must know Christ not generally and confusedly, but by a liuely, powerfull, and operatiue knowledge; for other­wise the deuils themselues know Christ.

In this knowledge three things are required. [Page 2] The first is notice or consideration, wherby thou must conceiue in mind, vnderstand, & seriously bethinke thy selfe of Christ as he is reuealed in the history of the Gospell, and as he is offered to thy particular person in the ministery of the worde and sacraments. And that this considera­tion may not be deade and idle in thee, two things must be done: first thou must labour to feele thy selfe to standin neede of Christ cruci­fied, yea to stand in excessiue need euen of the very least drop of his bloode, for the washing away of thy sinnes. And unlesse thou through­ly feelest thy selfe to want all that goodnes and grace that is in Christ, and that thou euen stan­dest in extreme neede of his passion, thou shalt neuer learne or teach Christ in deed and trueth. The second thing is, with the understanding of the doctrine of Christ to ioyne thirsting, wher­by man in his very soule and spirit longs after the participation of Christ, and saith in this case as Samson said, Giue me water, I die for thirst.

The second part of knowledge is application, [...]d. 15. 19. wherby thou must know and beleeue not only that Christ was crucified, but that he was cru­cified for thee, for thee, I say, in particular. Here two [...]les must be remembred and pra­ctised O [...], that Christ on the crosse was thy pledge & surety in particular, that he then stood [Page 3] in thy very roome and place in which thou thy selfe in thine owne person shouldest haue stood; that thy very personall and particular sinnes were imputed and applied to him; that he stood guiltie as a malefactour for them, and suffered the very pangs of hell, and that his sufferings are as much in acceptatiō with God, as if thou had­dest borne the curse of the law in thine owne person eternally. The holding and beleeuing of this point is the very foundation of religion as also of the Church of God. Therefore in any wise be carefull to applie Christ crucified to thy selfe: and as Elizeus when he would revive the child of the Shunamite, went vp and lay vp­on 2. King. 4. 34 him, and put his mouth vpon his mouth, and his hands vpon his hands, and his eyes vpon his eyes, and stretched himselfe vpon him: euen so, if thou wouldest be revived to euerlasting life, thou must by faith as it were set thy selfe vp­on the crosse of Christ, and applie thy hands to his hands, thy feete to his feete, and thy sinnefull heart to his bleeding heart, and content not thy selfe with Thomas to put thy finger into his side, but euen dive and plunge thy selfe wholly both bodie and soule into the woundes and bloode of Christ. This will make thee to crie with Thomas and say, My Lord, my God; and this is to be crucified vvith Christ. And yet doe [Page 4] not content thy selfe with this, but by faith also descend with Christ from the crosse to the graue, and burie thy selfe in the very buriall of Christ: and then looke as the dead souldiour tumbled into the graue of Elizeus was made a­liue at the very touching of his bodie; so shalt 2. King. 13. 21. thou by a spirituall touching of Christ dead and buried, be quickned to life euerlasting. The se­cond rule is, that Christ crucified is thine, bee­ing really giuen thee of God the father, euen as truely as houses and lande are giuen of earthly fathers to their children: this thou must firmely hold and beleeue; and hence is it that the bene­fits of Christ are before God ours indeede for our iustification and saluation.

The third point in liuely knowledge is, that by all the affections of our hearts we must be caried to Christ, and as it were transformed into him. Wheras he gaue himselfe wholly for vs, we can doe no lesse then bestow our hearts vpon him. We must therefore loue him aboue all, following the martyr Ignatius, who said that Christ his loue vvas crucified. We must value him at so high a price, that he must be vnto vs better then ten thousand worlds: yea all things which we enioy must be but as drosse and dung vnto vs in respect of him. Lastly, all our ioy, reioycing, comfort, and confidence, must be [Page 5] placed in him. And that thus much is requi­red in knowledge, it appeares by the common rule of expounding Scripture, that vvordes of knovvledge implie affection. And indeede it is but a knowledge swimming in the braine, which doth not alter and dispose the affection and the whole man.

Thus much of our knowledge. Now fol­lowes the second point, how Christ is to be knowne. He must not be knowne barely as God, or as man, or as a Iewe borne in the tribe of Iudah, or as a terrible and iust iudge, but as he is our Redeemer and the very price of our re­demption: and in this respect he must be consi­dered as the common Treasurie and storehouse of Gods Church, as Paul testifieth whē he saith, In him are all the treasures of knovvledge and Coloss. 13. wisdome hidde: and againe, Blessed be God, which Eph. 1. 4. hath blessed vs vvith all spirituall blessings in Christ. And S. Iohn saith, ‘that of his fulnesse we receiue grace for grace. Here then let vs marke that all the blessings of God, whether spirituall or temporall, all I say without exception are conuaied vnto vs from the father by Christ: and so must they be receiued of vs and no other­wise.’ That this point may be further cleared, the benefits which wee receiue from Christ are to be handled, and the maner of knowing of [Page 6] them. The benefits of Christ are three, his Me­rit, his Vertue, his Example.

The merit of Christ, is the value and price of his death and Passion, whereby man is perfect­ly reconciled to God. This reconciliation hath two parts, Remission of sinnes, and acceptation to life euerlasting. Remission of sinnes, is the re­moouing, or the abolishing both of the guilt and punishment of mans sinnes. By guilt I vn­derstand a subiection or obligation to punish­ment, according to the order of diuine iustice. And the punishment of sinne is the malediction of curse of the whole law, which is the suffe­ring of the first and second death. Acceptation to life euerlasting, is a giuing of right and title to the kingdome of heauen, and that for the merit of Christs obedience imputed. Now this benefit of reconciliation must be knowne not by conceit and imagination, nor by carnall pre­sumption; but by the inwarde testimonie of Gods spirit certifying our consciences thereof, which for this cause is called the spirit of Reve­lation. Eph. 1. 17 And that we may attaine to infallible as­sistance of this benefite, we must call to minde the promises of the Gospel touching remission of sinnes and life euerlasting: this being done, we must further strive and indeauour by the assu­rance of Gods spirit to apply them to our selues, [Page 7] [...]nd to beleeue that they belong vnto vs; and we must also put our selues often to all the exerci­ses of invocation and true repentance. For in and by our crying vnto heauen to God for re­conciliation, comes the assurance thereof, as scriptures and Christian experience makes ma­nifest. And if it so fall out, that any man in temp­tation apprehend and feele nothing but the fu­rious indignation and wrath of God, against all reason and feeling he must hold to the merite of Christ, and know a point of religion hard to be learned, that God is a most louing father to them that haue care to serue him euen at that instant when he shewes himselfe a most fierce and terrible enemie.

From the benefit of reconciliation proceede foure benefits. First, that excellent peace of God that passeth all vnderstanding, which hath sixe parts. The first is, peace with God and the bles­sed Trinitie, Rom 5. 1. beeing iustified vve have peace vvith God. The second, peace with the good Angels, Ioh. 1. 51. Ye shall see the Angels of God ascending and descending vpon the sonne of man. And that Angels like armies of souldi­ours incampe about the seruants of God, and as nources beare them in their armes that they be neither hurt by the deuil and his angels, nor by his instruments, it proceeds of this that they be­ing [Page 8] in Christ are partakers of his merits. The third is, peace with all such as feare God and be­leeue in Christ. This Esay foretold when he said, that the vvolfe shall dvvell vvith the lamb, and the leopard lie vvith the kidde, and the calfe and the lyon and a fatte beast together, and that a little child should lead them, &c. 11. v. 6. The fourth is, peace with a mans owne selfe, when the conscience washed in the blood of Christ, ceaseth to accuse, and terrifie: and when the wil, affections, and inclinations of the whole man are obedient to the minde enlightened by the spirit and word of God, Coloss. 3. Let the peace of God rule in your hearts. The fifth is, peace with enemies and that two waies. First, in that such as beleeue in Christ, seeke to haue peace with all men, hurting none but doing good to all: secondly, in that God restraines the malice of enemies, & inclines their hearts to be peaceable. Thus God brought Daniel into loue and fauour with the chief of the Eunuches. The last, is peace with all creatures in heauen & earth, in that they cap. 1. 9. serue for mās saluatiō. Psal. 9 [...]. 13. Thou shalt walk vpon the lyon and the Aspe: the young lyon and the dragon shalt thou tread vnder foot. Hos. 2. 18. And in that day vvill I make a couenant for them vvith the beasts of the fielde, and vvith the foules of heaven. Nowe this benefite of [Page 9] [...]eace is knowne partly by the testimonie of the [...]pirit, and partly by a daily experience thereof.

The second benefit is a recoverie of that right and title, which man hath to all creatures in heauen and earth, and all temporall blessings; which right Adam lost to himselfe and euery one of his posteritie. 1. Cor. 3. 22. Whether it be the world or life, or death: whether they be things present, or things to come, all are yours. Now the right way of knowing this one benefit is this. When God vouchsafeth meate, drinke, appar­rell, houses, lands, &c. we must not barely con­sider them as blessings of God, for that very heathen men, which know not Christ, can doe: ‘but we must acknowledge and esteem them as blessings proceeding from the speciall loue of God the father, whereby hee loues vs in Christ; and procured vnto vs by the merite of Christ crucified:’ and we must labour in this point to be setled and perswaded: and so oft as we see and vse the creatures of God for our owne benefite, this point should come to our mindes. Blessings conceiued apart from Christ, are misconceiued: whatsoeuer they are in thē ­selues they are no blessings to vs but in and by Christs merit. Therefore this order must be obserued touching earthly blessings: first wee must haue part in the merite of Christ, [Page 10] and then secondly by meanes of that merit, right before God and comfortable vse of th [...] things we enioy. All men that haue and vse th [...] creatures of God otherwise, as gifts of God but not by Christ, vse them but as flat vsurpers and theeves. For this cause is it not sufficient for vs generally and confusedly to know Christ to be our Redeemer; but we must learn to see, know and acknowledge him in euery particular gift and blessing of God. If men vsing the creatures of meate and drinke; could, when they beholde them, withall by the eye of faith behold in them the merit of Christs passion, there would not be so much excesse and ryot, so much surfetting and drunkennes, as there is: and if men could consider their houses and lands, &c. as blessings to them and that by the fountaine of blessing the merits of Christ, there should not be so much fraud and deceit, so much iniustice and oppression in bargaining as there is.

That which I haue now said of meats, drinks, apparrell, must likewise be vnderstoode of gen­trie and nobilitie, in as much as noble-birth without newe birth in Christ is but an earthly vanitie: the like may be said of physicke, sleepe, Consider Colost. 3. 11. & 2. 10. health, libertie, yea of the very breathing in the ayre. And to goe yet further; in our Recreations Christ must be knowne. For all recreation [Page 11] stands in the vse of things indifferent: and the holy vse of all things indifferent, is purchased vnto vs by the blood of Christ. For this cause it is very meete that Christian men and women should with their earthly recreations ioyne spi­rituall meditation of the death of Christ, and from the one take occasion to bethinke them­selues of the other. If this were practised, there should not be so many vnlawfull sports and de­lights, and so much abuse of lawfull recreation as there is.

The third benefit is, that all crosses, afflicti­ons, & iudgements whatsoeuer, cease to be cur­ses and punishments to them that are in Christ, and are onely meanes of correction or triall; be­cause his death hath taken away not some fewe parts, but all and euery part of the curse of the whole lawe. Now in all crosses, Christ is to be knowne of vs on this manner. We must iudge of our afflictions as chastisements or trialls, pro­ceeding not from a reuenging iudge, but from the hand of a bountifull and louing father; and therefore they must be conceiued in and with the merit of Christ; and if we doe other wise re­gard them, we take them as curses and punish­ments of sinne. And hence it follows that subie­ction to Gods hand in all crosses, is a marke and [Page 12] badge of the true Church.

The last benefit is, that death is properly no death, but a rest or sleepe. Death therefore must be knowne and considered not as it is set forth in the law, but as it is altered and changed by the death of Christ: & when death comes, we must then looke vpon it through Christs death, as through a glasse: and thus it will appeare to be but a passage from this life to euerlasting life.

Thus much of the merit of Christ crucified. Now followes his vertue, which is the power of his Godhead, whereby he creates new hearts in all them that beleeue in him, and makes them new creatures. This vertue is double: the first is, the power of his death, wherby he freed himself from the punishment and imputation of our sinnes; and the same vertue serueth to mortifie and crucifie the corruptions of our minds, wills, affectiōs, euē as a corasive doth wast & consume the rottē & dead flesh in any part of mans body.

The second, is the vertue of Christs resurre­ction, which is also the power of his Godhead, wherby he raised himselfe from death to life: & the very same power serueth to raise those that belong to Christ, from their sinnes in this life, and from the graue in the day of the last iudge­ment. Now the knowledge of this double ver­tue [Page 13] must not be onely speculative, that is, barely conceiued in the braine, but it must be experi­mental: ‘because we ought to haue experience of it in our hearts and liues, and we should labour by all meanes possible to feele the power of Christs death killing & mortifying our sinnes, & the vertue of his resurrection in the putting of spirituall life into vs, that we might be able to say that we liue not but that Christ liues in vs.’ This was one of the most excellent and princi­pall things which Paul sought for, who saith, I haue counted all things losse and doe iudge them to be dung, that I may know him and the vertue of his resurrection, Phil. 3. 10. And he saith that this is the right way to know and learne Christ, to cast off the old man which is corrupt through deceiueable lusts, and to put on the nevve man which is created in righteous and true holines, Eph. 4. 24.

The third benefite is the example of Christ. We deceiue our selues, if we thinke that he is onely to be knowne of vs as a Redeemer, and not as a spectacle and patterne of all good duties, to which we ought to conforme our selues. Good men indeede, that haue beene or in present are vpon the earth the seruants of God, must be followed of vs: but they [Page 14] must be followed no otherwise then they fol­low Christ, and Christ must be followed in the practise of euery good dutie that may concerne vs without exception simply and absolutely, 1. Cor. 11. 1.

Our conformitie with Christ stands either in the framing of our inward and spirituall life, or in the practise of outward and morall duties.

Conformitie in spirituall life is, not by doing that which Christ did vpon the crosse and af­terward, but a doing of the like by a certaine kind of imitation. And it hath foure parts. The first is, a spirituall oblation. For as Christ in the garden & vpon the crosse, by prayer made with stong cryes and teares, presented and resigned himself vp to be a sacrifice of propitiation to the iustice of his father for mans sinne: so must we also in praier present and resigne our selues, our soules, our bodies, our vnderstanding, will, me­morie, affections, and all we haue to the seruice of God, in the generall calling of a Christian, and in the particular callings in which he hath pla­ced vs. Take an example in David, Sacrifice and burnt offering (saith he) thou vvouldest not, but eares thou hast pearced vnto me, then said, loe I come: I desire to doe thy will, O God, yea thy law is vvithin my heart, Psal. 40. 7. The second is, [Page 15] conformitie in the crosse two waies. For first, as he bare his owne crosse to the place of exequu­tion: so must we as good disciples of Christ de­nie our selues, take vp all the crosses and afflicti­ons that the hand of God shall lay vpon vs, if it be euery day, and follow him. Againe, we must become like vnto him in the crucifying and mortifying the masse and bodie of sinne which we carrie about vs, Gal. 5. 24. They vvhich are Christs have crucified the flesh vvith the affe­ctions and lusts thereof. We must doe as the Iewes did, we must set vp the crosses and gyb­bets wheron we are to fastē & hang this flesh of ours, that is, the sinne & corruption that cleaues & sticks vnto vs, and by the sworde of the spirit wound it euē to death. This being don, we must yet goe further, and labour by experience to see and feele the very death of it, and to lay it as it were in a graue neuer to rise againe: and there­fore we should daily cast new mouldes vpon it. The third is, a spirituall resurrection, whereby we should by Gods grace vse meanes that wee may euery day more and more come out of our sinnes, as out of a loathsome graue, to liue vnto God in newnes of life, as Christ rose from his graue. And because it is an hard matter for a man to come out of the graue or rather dunge­on [Page 16] of his sinnes, this worke can not be done at once but by degrees, as God shall giue grace. Considering we lie by nature dead in our sinns, and stinke in them as loathsome carrion, first we must beginne to stirre our selues as a man that comes out of a sowne, awakened by the word and voice of Christ sounding in our deafe eares: secondly we must raise vp our mindes to a better state and condition, as we vse to raise vp our bodies: after this we must put out of the graue first one hand, then the other. This done, we must doe our indeauour as it were vpon our knees, at the least to put one foote out of this sepulchre of sinne, the rather when we see our selues to haue one foote of the bo­die in the graue of the earth, that in the day of iudgement we may be wholly deliuered from all bonds of corruption. The fourth part is, a spirituall ascension into heauen, by a continuall elevation of the heart and minde to Christ sit­ting at the right hand of the father, as Paul saith, Haue your conuersation in heauen: and, If ye be risen vvith Christ, seeke things that are above.

Conformitie in morall duties, is either gene­rall or speciall. Generall, is to be holy as he is ho­ly, Rom. 8. 29. Those whome he knew before he [Page 17] hath predestinate to be like the image of his sonne, that is, not onely in the crosse but al­so in holines and glorie. 1. Ioh. 3. He vvhich hath this hope purifieth himselfe euen as he is pure.

Speciall conformitie, is chiefly in foure vertues; Faith, Love, Meekenesse, Hu­militie.

Wee must be like him in faith. For as he, when hee apprehended the wrath of God, and the very pangs of hell were vpon him, wholly staide himselfe vpon the ayde, helpe, protection and good pleasure of his father, euen to the last: so must wee by a true and liuely faith depend wholly on Gods mercie in Christ, as it were with both our handes, in peace, in trouble, in life, and in the very pang of death: and we must not in any wise let our holde goe; no though we should feele our selues descend to hell.

We must be like him in meekenesse, Matth. 11. v. 28. Learne of me that I am meeke and lovvly. His meekenesse shewed it selfe in the patient bearing of all iniuries and abuses of­fered by the hands of sinnefull and wretched men, and in the suffering of the curse of the lawe, without grudging or repining, and with [Page 18] submission to his fathers will in all things. Now the more we follow him herein, the more shall we be conformable to him in his death and pas­sion, Philip. 3. 10.

Thirdly, he must be our example in love: he loued his enemies more then himselfe, Eph. 5. 4. Walke in love even as Christ loued vs, and hath giuen himselfe for vs an oblation and sa­crifice of svveete smelling savour vnto God. The like loue ought we to shew, by doing ser­uice to all men in the compasse of our callings, and by beeing all things to all men (as Paul was) that we might doe them all the good wee can both for bodie and soule. 1. Cor. 9. 19.

Lastly, we must follow Christ in humilitie, whereof he is a wonderfull spectacle, in that be­ing God, he became man for vs; and of a man became a worme that is troaden vnder foote, that he might saue man, Philip. 2. 5. Let the same minde be in you that vvas in Iesus Christ, who beeing in the forme of God, humbled himselfe and became obedient to the death, euen to the death of the crosse.

And here we must obserue, that the example of Christ hath something more in it thē any other exāple hath or cā haue: for it doth not only shew vs what we ought to do (as the exāples of other [Page 19] men doe) but it is a remedie against many vi­ces, and a motive to many good duties. First of all the serious consideration of this, that the very sonne of God himselfe suffered all the paines and torments of hel on the crosse for our sinnes, is the proper & most effectuall means to stirre up our hearts to a godly sorow for them. ‘And that this thing may come to passe, euery man must be setled without doubt, that he was the man that crucified Christ; that he is to be blamed as well as Iudas, Herode, Pontius Pi­late, and the Iewes: and that his sinnes were the nayles, the speares, and the thornes that pearced him.’ When this meditation beginnes to take place, bitternesse of spirite with way­ling and mourning takes place in like maner. Zach. 12. v. 10. And they shall looke vpon him vvhome they have pearced, and they shall la­ment for him as one lamenteth for his onely sonne. Peter in his first sermon strooke the Iewes as with a thunderclappe from heauen, when hee saide unto them, Yee have cruci­fied the Lorde of glory, so as at the same time three thousande men were pricked in their heartes, and saide, Men and breethren, What shall vvee doe to be saved? Againe, if Christ for our sinnes shedde his heart bloode: and if [Page 20] our sinnes made him sweate water and bloode, Oh then why should not we our selues shedde bitter teares, and why shoulde not our heartes bleede for them? He that findes himselfe so dull and hardened that the Passion of Christ doeth not humble him, is in a lamētable case; for there is no faith in the death of Christ, effectuall in him as yet.

Secondly, the meditation of the Passion of Christ is a most notable meanes to breed repen­tance and reformation of life in time to come. For when wee beginne to thinke that Christ crucified, by suffering the first and second death, hath procured unto vs remission of all our sinns past, and freed vs from hell, death, and damna­tion: then, if there be but a sparke of grace in vs, we beginne to be of another minde, and to reason thus with our selues: What? hath the Lord beene thus mercifull to me, that am in my selfe but a firebrand of hell, as to free me from deserued destruction and to receiue me to fa­uour in Christ? yea, no doubt, he hath, his name be blessed therefore: I will not therefore sinne any more as I haue done, but euer hereafter en­deauour to keep my selfe from euery euill way. And thus faith purifies both heart and life.

Thirdly, when thou art in any paine of body [Page 21] or sicknesse, thinke how light these are compa­red to the agony and bloody sweate, to the crowne of thornes and nailes of Christ When thou art wronged in worde or deede by any man, turne thine eye to the crosse, consider how meekely he suffered all abuses for the most part in silence, and prayed for them that crucified him. When thou art tempted with pride or vaine-glory, consider how for thy proper sinns Christ was despised and mocked and condem­ned among theeues. When anger and desire of reuenge inflame thine heart, thinke howe Christ gaue him-selfe to death to saue his ene­mies, euen then when they did most cruelly in­treate him, and shedde his bloode: and by these meditations, specially if they be mingled with faith, thy minde shall be eased.

Thus wee see how Christ crucified is to be knowen: and hence ariseth a threefolde know­ledge: one of God, the second of our neighbors, the third of our selues.

Touching the first: If wee woulde knowe the true God aright, and knowe him to our saluation, wee must know him onely in Christ crucified. God in him-selfe and his owne ma­iesty is inuisible, not onely to the eyes of the body, but also to the very mindes of men, and hee is reuealed to us onely in Christ, in whome [Page 22] hee is to be seene as in a glasse. For in Christ hee setteth foorth and giues his iustice, good­nesse, wisdome, and himselfe wholly vnto vs. For this cause hee is called the brightnesse of the glory, and the ingrauen fourme of the per­son of the father. Hebr. 1. 3. and the image of the invisible God, Coloss. 1. 15. Therefore wee must not know God and seeke him any where els but in Christ: and whatsoeuer out of Christ comes vnto vs in the name of God, is a flat idol of mans braine.

As for our neighbours, those especially that are of Gods Church, they are to be knowen of us on this manner: When wee are to doe any duty unto them, wee must not barely re­spect their persons, but Christ crucified in them, and them in Christ. When Paul persecuted such as called on the name of Christ, he then from heaued cryed, Saul, Saul, Why per secu­test thou me? Here then let this be marked, that when the poore comes to vs for releefe, it is Christ that comet to our dores and saith, I am hungry, I am thirstie, I am naked: and let the bowells of compassion be in vs tow­ardes them as towardes Christ, vnlesse wee will heare that fearefull sentence in the day of iudgement, Goe yee cursed into hell, &c. I vvas [Page 23] hungry, and yee fedde me not: I vvas naked, and yee did not cloath me, &c.

Thirdly, the right knowledge of our sel­ues ariseth of the knowledge of Christ cruci­fied, in whome and by whome wee come to knowe fiue speciall things of our selues. The first, how grieuous our sinnes are, and there­fore how miserable we are in regard of them. If wee consider our offences in them-selues, and as they are in vs, wee may soone be de­ceiued, because the conscience beeing corrup­ted often erreth in giuing testimony, and by that meanes maketh sinne to appeare lesse then it is indeede. But if sinne be considered in the death and passion of Christ, whereof it was the cause, and the vilenesse thereof measured by the unspeakable torments endured by the sonne of God: and if the greatnesse of the of­fence of man be esteemed by the endlesse satis­faction made to the iustice of God, the least sinne that is will appeare to be a sinne indeede, and that most grieuous and ougly. Therefore Christ crucified must be used of vs as a myrrour or looking glasse, in which we may fully take a viewe of our wretchednesse and misery, and what wee are by nature. For such as the pas­sion of Christ was in the eyes of men, such is [Page 24] our passion or condition in the eyes of God; & that which wicked men did to Christ, the same doth sinne and Satan to our very soules.

The second point is, that men beleeuing in Christ are not their owne, or lordes of them­selues, but wholly both body and soule belong to Christ, in that they were giuen to him of God the Father, and hee hath purchased them with his owne blood, 1. Cor. 3. Yee are Christs, and Christ Gods. Hence it commeth to passe (which is not to be forgotten) that Christ estee­meth all the crosses and afflictions of his people, as his own proper afflictions. Hence againe we must learne to giue vp our selues both in body and soule to the honour and seruice of Christ, whose we are.

The third is, that every true beleeuer, not as he is a man, but as he is a new man or a Chri­stian, hath this being and subsisting from Christ, Wee are members of his bodie, of his flesh, and of his bone, Ephes. 5. v. 30. In which wordes, Paul alludes to the speech of Adam, Genes. 3. Thou art bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh, and thereby he teacheth, that as Eve was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of Adam; so doth the whol Church of Cod, and euery man regenerate, spring & arise out of the blood that [Page 25] streamed from the heart and side of Christ cru­cified.

The fourth is, that all good workes done of vs, proceede from the vertue & merit of Crist crucified: he is the cause of them in vs, and wee are the causes of them in and by him. With­out me (saieth hee) yee can doe nothing: and, E­verie braunch that beareth not fruite in me, marke well he saith, in me, he taketh away, Ioh. 15. v. 2.

The fifth point is, that we owe unto Christ an endlesse debt. For he was crucified onely as our surety and pledge, and in the spectacle of his Passion wee must consider our selues as the chiefe debters, and that the very discharge of our debt, that is, the sinnes which are inherent in vs, were the proper cause of all the endlesse paines and torments that Christ endured, that he might set vs most miserable bankrupts at li­berty from hell, death, and damnation. For this his unspeakable goodnesse, if we doe but once thinke of it seriously, wee must needes confesse that we owe our selues, our soules, and bodies, and all that wee haue as a debt due unto him. And so soone as any man beginnes to knowe Christ crucified, he knowes his owne debt, and thinkes of the paiment of it.

[Page 26] Thus wee see how Christ is to be knowen: now wee shall not neede to make much exa­mination whether this manner of knowing and acknowledging of Christ, take any place in the worlde or no: for very fewe there be that knowe him as they ought. The Turke euen at this very day knowes him not but as he was a Prophet. The Iewe scorneth his crosse and passion. The popish Churches, though in worde they confesse him, yet doe they not knowe him as they ought. The Fryers and Iesuites in their sermons at this day, common­ly vse the Passion as a meanes to stirre up pitie and compassion towardes Christ, who beeing so righteous a man was so hardly intreated, and to inflame their hearers to an hatred of the Iewes, and Iudas, and Pontius Pilate that put our blessed Sauiour to death; but all this may be done in any other history. And the seruice of God which in that Church standes now in force by the Canons of the Councill of Trent, defaceth Christ crucified, in that the passions of martyrs are made meritorious, and the ve­ry woode of the crosse their onely helpe: and the virgine Mary the Queene of heaven, and a mother of mercy, who in remission of sinnes may commaund her sonne: and they giue religi­ous [Page 27] adoration to dumme Crucifixes made by the hand and art of man.

The common protestant likewise commeth shorte herein for three causes. First whereas in worde they acknowledge him to be their Sauiour, that hath redeemed them from their euill conuersation, yet indeede they make him a patrone of their sinnes. The theefe makes him the receiuer, the murderer makes him his refuge, Calvin. [...] Gal. c. 6. 2. the adultcrer (be it spoken with re­uerence to his maiestie) makes him the bawde. For generally men walke on in their euil waies; some liuing in this sinne, some in that, and yet for all this they perswade themselues that God is mercifull, and that Christ hath freed them from death and damnation. Thus Christ that came to abolish sinne, is made a maintainer thereof, and the common packe-horse of the worlde to beare euery mans burden. Secondly, men are content to take knowledge of the me­rite of Christes passion for the remission of their sinnes, but in the meane season the ver­tue of Christs death in the mortifying of sinne, and the blessed example of his passion, which ought to be followed and expressed in our liues and conversations, is little or nothing regarded. Thirdly, men usually content themselues gene­rally [Page 28] and confusedly to know Christ to be their Redeemer, neuer once seeking in euery par­ticular estate and condition of life, and in eue­ry particular blessing of God, to feele the be­nefite of his passion. What is the cause that almost all the worlde liue in securitie, neuer al­most touched for their horrible sinnes? surely the reason is, because they did neuer yet seri­ously consider that Christ in the garden lay groueling upon the earth, sweating water and bloode for their offences. Againe, all such as by fraude and oppression, or any kinde of hard dealing sucke the bloode of poore men, neuer yet knewe that their sinnes drew out the heart bloode of Christ. And proude men and wo­men that are puffed vp by reason of their attire, which is the badge of their shame, and neuer cease hunting after straunge fashions, doe not consider that Christ was not crucified in gay attire, but naked, that he might beare the whol shame and curse of the law for vs. These and such like whatsoeuer they say in worde, if we respect the tenour of their liues, are flatte ene­mies of the crosse of Christ, and treade his pretious blood under their feete.

Now then, considering this so weighty and speciall a point of religion is so much neglected, [Page 29] O man or woman, high or low, young or old, if thou haue beene wanting this way, beginne for very shame to learne and learning truely to know Christ crucified. And that thou maist at­tain to this, behold him often, not in the wood­den crucifixe after the popish manner, but in the preaching of the Worde, and in the Sa­craments, in which thou shalt see him crucifi­ed before thine eyes, Galat. 3. 1. Desire not here upon earth to beholde him with the bodily eye, but looke upon him with the eye of true and liuely faith, applying him and his merites to thy selfe as thine owne, and that with a broken and bruised heart, as the poore Israe­lites stung with fiery serpents euen to death, behelde the brasen serpent. Againe, thou must looke vpon him first of all as a glasse or specta­cle, in which thou shalt see Gods glory grea­ter in thy Redemption, then in thy creation. In the creation appeared Gods infinite wise­dome, power, and goodnesse: in thy Redem­ption by the passion of Christ, his endlesse iu­stice and mercy. In the creation thou art a mem­ber of the first Adam, and bearest his image: in thy Redemption thou art a member of the second Adam. In the first, thou art indued with naturall life, in the second with spirituall. In the [Page 30] first, thou hast in the person of Eve thy begin­ning of the ribbe of Adam: in the second, thou hast thy beginning as thou art borne of God, out of the bloode of Christ. Lastly, in the first, god gaue life by commanding that to be, which was not: in the second, he giues life not by life, but by death, euen of his owne sonne. This is the mystery into which the Angels themselues desire to looke into, 1. Pet. 1. 12. Secondly, thou must behold him as the full price of thy Redem­ption, and perfect reconciliation with God; and pray earnestly to God, that hee woulde seale up the same in thy very conscience by his holy spirite. Thirdly, thou must behold Christ as an example, to whome thou must conforme thy selfe by regeneration. For this cause giue diligence, that thou maiest by experience say, that thou art deade and crucified and buried with Christ, and that thou risest againe with him, to newnesse of life: that he inlightens thy minde, and by degrees reformes thy will and affections, and giue thee both the will and the deede in euery good thing. And that thou maist not faile in this thy knowledge, reade the histo­ry of Christes passion, obserue all the parts and circumstances thereof, and apply them to thy selfe for thy full conversion. When thou rea­dest [Page 31] that Christ went to the garden, as his cu­stome was, where the Iewes might soonest at­tach him, consider that he went to the death of the crosse for thy sinnes willingly, and not of constraint; and that therefore thou for thy part shouldest doe him all service freely and frankely, Psal. 110. 3. When thou hearest that in his ago­ny his soule was heavy unto death, knowe it was for thy sinnes, & that thou shouldest much more conceiue heauinesse of heart for the same: againe, that this sorrow of his is ioy and reioy­cing unto thee, if thou wilt beleeue in him; ther­fore Paul saieth reioyce, I say againe reioyce in the Lorde. When thou readest that in the garden hee prayed lying groueling on his face, sweating water and bloode, beginne to thinke seriously what an unspeakable measure of gods wrath was upon thy blessed Sauiour, that did prostrate his body upon the earth, and cause the bloode to follow: and thinke that thy sinnes must needes be most heynous, that brought such bloody and grieuous paines upon him. Al­so thinke it a very shame for thee to carry thy heade to heauen with haughtie lookes, to wal­lowe in thy pleasures, and to drawe the inno­cent bloode of thy poore brethren by oppres­sion and deceit, for whome Christ sweat water [Page 32] and bloode, and take an occasion from Christs agony, to lay aside the pride of thy heart, to be ashamed of thy selfe, to grieue in heart, yea euen to bleede for thine owne offences, casting downe and humbling thy selfe with Ezra, say­ing, Ezra. 9. O my God, I am confounded and ashamed to lifte vp mine eyes unto thee, my God: for mine iniquities are increased, and my trespasse is growen vp into heauen, &c. When thou readest that Christ was taken and bounde, thinke that thy very sinnes brought him into the power of his enemies, and were the verie bondes wherewith hee was tyed: thinke that thou shouldest haue beene bounde in the very same manner vnlesse he had beene a suretie and pledge for thee: thinke also that thou in the selfe same manner art bounde and tyed with the chaines of thine owne sinnes, and that by na­ture thy will, affections, and whole spirit is tyed and chained to the will of the deuill, so as thou canst doe nothing but that which he willeth: lastly, thinke and beleeue that the bondes of Christ serue to purchase thy liberty from hell, death and damnation. When thou hearest that hee was brought before Annas and Caia­phas, thinke it was meete, that thy surety and pledge who was to suffer the condemnation [Page 33] due unto thee, should by the high priest as by the mouth of God, be condemned: and wonder at this, that the very coessentiall & eternall sonne of God, euen the very soueraigne iudge of the world, stands to be iudged, and that by wicked men; perswading thy selfe that this so great con­fusion comes of thy sinnes. Whereupon being further amazed at thy fearefull estate, humble thy selfe in dust and ashes, and pray God so to soften thy stony heart, that thou maist turne to him, and by true faith lay holde on Christ, who hath thus exceedingly abased himselfe, that his ignominy may be thy glory, and his arraign­ment thy perfect absolution. When thou rea­dest that Barrabas the murderer, was preferred before Christ, though hee exceeded both men and angels in holinesse; thinke it was to mani­fest his innocency, and that thy very sinnes pul­led upon him this shamefull reproch; and in that for thy cause he was esteemed worse then Bar­rabas, thinke of thy selfe as a most heynous and wretched sinner, and (as Paul saith) the head of all sinners. When thou readest that he was o­penly and iudicially condemned to the cursed death of the crosse, consider what is the wrath and fury of God against sinne, and what is his great and infinite mercy to sinners: and in this [Page 34] spectacle looke upon thy selfe, and with grones of hearte cry out, and say, O good God, What settest thou heare before mine eyes? I, euen I haue sinned, I am guiltie and worthy of damnation. Whence comes this chaunge, that thy blessed sonne is in my roome, but of thy unspeakeable mercy? Wretch that I am, how haue I forgotten my selfe, and thee also my God? O sonne of God, how long hast thou abased thy selfe for mee? Therefore giue me grace, O God, that beholding mine owne estate in the person of my Sauiour thus condemned, I may detest and loath my sinnes that are the cause thereof, and by a liuely faith embrace that absolution which thou offerest me in him, who was condemned in my stead and roome, O Iesu Christ Sauiour of the worlde, giue me thy holy and blessed spirite that I may iudge my selfe, and be as vile and base in mine owne eyes as thou wast vile before the Iewes: also vnite me unto thee by the same spirite, that in thee I may be as worthy to be accepted before God, as I am worthy in my selfe to be dete­sted for my sinnes. When thou readest, that he was clad in purple and crowned with thornes, mocked and spitt vpon, behold the everlasting shame that is due unto thee, & be ashamed of thy [Page 35] selfe, and in this point conforme thy selfe to Christ, and be content (as he was) to be repro­ched, abused, and despised, so it be for a good cause. When thou readest, that before his cru­cifying, he was stript of all his cloathes, thinke it was that he being naked might beare thy shame on the crosse, and with his most pretious and rich nakednes couer thy deformitie. When thou readest the complaint of Christ, that he was forsaken of his father, consider how he suf­fered the pangs and torments of hell as thy pledge and suretie. Learne by his vnspeakable torments what a fearefull thing it is to sinne a­gainst God, and beginne to renownce thy selfe, and detest thy sinnes, and to walke as a childe of light, according to the measure of grace recei­ued. When thou commest to die, set before thine eyes Christ in the middest of all his tor­ments on the crosse: in beholding of which spe­ctacle to thy endles comfort, thou shalt see a pa­radise in the middest of hell: God the father re­conciled vnto thee, thy Sauiour reaching out his hands vnto thee to receiue thy soule vnto him; and his crosse as a ladder to aduance it to e­ternall glorie. Whereas he cried aloud with a strong voyce at the point of death, it was to shew that he died willingly without violence [Page 36] or constraint from any creature, and that if it had so pleased him, he could haue freed himselfe from death, and haue cast his very enemies to the very bottome of hell. When thou readest that he commended his soule into the handes of his father, consider that thy soule also (so be it thou wilt beleeue in him) is deliuered vp into the hands of God, and shall be preserued against the rage and malice of all thine enemies, and hereupon thou maiest be bolde to com­mend thy spirite into the hands of God the fa­ther. When thou readest of his death, consider that thy sinnes were the cause of it, and that thou shouldest haue suffered the same eternal­ly, vnlesse the Sonne of God had come in thy roome: againe consider his death as a ransome, and apprehend the same by faith, as the meanes of thy life: for by death Christ hath woun­ded both the first and second death, and hath made his crosse to be a throne or tribunall seate of iudgement against all his and thine enemies. When thou readest of the trembling of the earth at the death of Christ, thinke with thy selfe it did in his kinde as it were groane vn­der the burden of the sinnes of men in the worlde: and by his motion then it signified that euen thou and the rest deserued rather to [Page 37] be swallowed of the earth, and to goe downe into the pit aliue, then to haue any part in the merit of Christ crucified. When thou readest of his buriall, thinke it was to ratifie his death, and to vanquish death euen in his owne denne. Applie this buriall to thy selfe, and beleeue that it serues to make thy graue a bedde of downe, and to free thy bodie from corruption. Lastly, pray to God that thou maiest feele the power of the spirite of Christ, weakning and consuming the bodie of sinne, euen as a deade corps rots in the graue, till it be resolued to dust.

When thou hast thus perused and applied to thy selfe the historie of the Passion of Christ, goe yet further, and labour by faith to see Christ crucified in all the workes of God, either in thee or vpon thee. Beholde him at thy table in meate and drinke, which is as it were a liuely sermon and a daily pledge of the mercie of God in Christ. Beholde him in all thine afflictions, as thy partner that pitieth thy case, and hath compassion on thee. Be­hold him in thy most daungerous temptations, in which the deuill thundereth damnation, be­hold him, I say, as a mightie Sampson bearing away the gates of his enemies vpon his owne shoulders: and killing more by death then [Page 38] by life, crucifying the deuill, euen then when he is crucified, by death killing death: by en­trance into the graue, opening the graue and giuing life to the dead, and in the house of death spoiling him of all his strength and pow­er. Beholde him in all the afflictions of thy brethren, as though he himselfe were naked, hungrie, sicke, harbourlesse, and doe vnto them all the good thou canst, as to Christ him­selfe. If thou wouldest behold God himselfe, looke vpon him in Christ crucified, who is the ingrauen image of the fathers person; and know it to be a terrible thing in the time of the trouble of thy conscience to thinke of God without Christ, in whose face the glorie of God in his endlesse mercie is to be seene, 2. Cor. 4. v. 6. If thou wouldest come to God for grace, for comfort, for saluation, for any bles­sing, come first to Christ hanging, bleeding, dying vpon the crosse, ‘without whome there is no hearing God, no helping God, no sauing God, no God to thee at all. In a word, let Christ be all things without exception vnto thee,’ Coloss. 3. 11. for when thou praiest for any blessing either temporall or spirituall, be it whatsoeuer it will be or canbe, thou must aske it at the hands of God the father by the merit [Page 39] and mediation of Christ crucified: now looke as we aske blessings at Gods hand, so must we receiue them of him; and as they are re­ceiued, so must we possesse and vse them dai­ly, namely as gifts of God procured to vs by the merit of Christ: which gifts for this very cause, must be wholly imploied to the honour of Christ.