HEAR, O Heavens, and give Ear, O Earth, for the Lord hath spoken it. O, what is this I hear? The Voice of the Son of God in the grievous Agony of his Soul, just breathing out his last, and crying to his God; nay, his Father [Page 2]to sustain and comfort him; either, O Holy Father, take from me this bitter Cup of Vinegar and Gaul of thy high Displeasure, or else forsake me not in the time of my drinking this bitter Portion.

Where is the Cry of the Son of God, the Saviour of the World? O where? Where? My distracted Soul, Where? Where shall I run? Where shall I fly, to find my Saviour? Whom shall I en­quire of? Where shall I go? Whom shall I find to direct my perplexed Soul?Flesh. It's dark, stormy, and tempestuous. If it were never so dark and dismal, I will go. I cannot longer stay. Thou art warm and safe in Bed, and within doors, why shouldest thou disturb thy self? Peace, lye still, and take thy rest: I may lye still, and slumber a little, but I cannot rest. I sleep, but my Heart waketh. Hark I Hark again! It is the Voice of my Beloved, that cryeth out, and he knocketh as he passeth by,Christ pas­s [...]th by to the Garden of Gethsemane. to see whether I will receive him, and let him in: I hear him speak: Open to me, my Sister, my [Page 3]Love, my Dove, my Ʋndefiled, for my Head is filled with Dew, and my Locks with the Drops of the Night. Lord! What's the matter? What makes him abroad now? What's the matter? I am sure, more than ordinary; I will rise and let him in. Thou hast put off thy Clothes; how canst thou put them on in the dark? Moreover, thou hast wash'd thy Feet; why should'st thou defile them again? I stand not upon these Curiosi­ties of my sinful Flesh, that must e're long crumble in the Dust. My Beloved hath put in his band by the bole of the Door, and my Bowels are troubled for him; I cannot rest; I must and will rise.

I have opened the Door to my Be­loved, but he is withdrawn, and is gone: My Soul even faileth with­in me.The Rude Multitude persuing our Saviour. I hear a confused Noise at a distance. I cal­led after the Noise, but he gave me no answer; and I have sought for him about the door, but cannot find him; well, I will after him. I stand not upon the exactness of Dress, nor the danger of the Night. I will along the Street, and, as near as I can, follow. A truly gracious Soul, [Page 4]touch'd once with the love of God, will follow him at his Call, and no ha­zard or difficulty can obstruct or hinder its eager pursuit after its dear Jesu, the good Shepherd of its Soul. My Sheep hear my Voice, and they follow me, John 10.3, 4.

Pardon me, if I here make a little digression,Christ com­mits the care of his scat­tered Flock to Peter. and anticipate the words of our Saviour to Peter. Happy art thou, O Peter, that the Saviour of Souls deems thee worthy to be his deputed Shepherd, and commits his Flock to thy vigilant Care, before he left the World; they were near and dear to him, they were the purchas'd of his Soul; He carrieth his Lambs (his ten­der Lambs) in his Arms, and gently leadeth those that are with Young; there­fore, Peter, you very well know the value I have for them, and the belief I have in you: Take care, I say, to feed my little Flocks beside, or near, the Shep­herd's Tents. Peter, be not angry that I ask you again and again. Do you love me? Do you love me more than all? Yea, Lord, thou know'st that I love thee. Then [Page 5]feed my Sheep, feed my Lambs, and see that none of them be lost: I know all their Names, and I bear them all in my Heart, as the High-Priest did the Tribes in his Breast, and I carry them all to Heaven with me, whither I am now pre­paring with all speed, after I have eaten with you. Where I am, there they shall be also.

And it came to pass, when Jesus had fi­nished all these sayings, be said unto his Disciples, Ye know, that after two days is the Feast of the Passover, Christ fore­tels his being apprehended. and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucifi­ed. Then assembled together all the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the Elders of the People, unto the Palace of the High-Priests, which is called Caiphas, and con­sulted, that they might take Jesus by sub­tilty, and kill him, but not on the Feast day, lest there be an uproar among the Peo­ple, Matth. 26. For Annas the High-Priest had, at that time, agreed with Judas to betray his Master, and had given him thirty pieces of Silver out of the Treasury, and Judas with them craftily concluded, it should be in the Night, for better security, and freer from disturbance.

[Page 6]Now the first day of the Feast of un­leaven'd Bread being come, the Disciples came to Jesus, and ask'd him, Where he pleas'd they eat the Passover? Jesus saith unto them, Go, two of you into the City to such a Man's House, and tell him, The Master saith, My time is at hand: I will keep the Passover at thy House this night. Accordingly they went, and made ready the Passover, and when Even was come, he sate down with the Twelve, and as they did eat, he said, Verily I say un­to you, that one of you will betray me; and they were exceeding sorrowful, and be­gan every one of them to say into him, Lord, Is it I? And he answered and said, The same that dippeth his hand with me in the Dish, shall betray me.

The Son of Man goeth, as it is written of him, but wo unto that Man, by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It had been good for that man, if he had never been born; Judas, being near unto our Lord, and hearing this sharp precaution, and the fore-knowledge that his Master had of his design, would seem, before the rest of the Disciples, to be as in­nocent of the thing, as any of them that were so exceedingly troubled, and [Page 7]therefore ask'd his Master, Is it I? Not thinking that Jesus could, or, if he could, that he would, point-blank charge him with it; yet notwithstand­ing, his Master said, Thou hast said: Now Judas was startled at all this, yet, for covetousness, and lucre of the Mo­ney, having already receiv'd it, would not go back.

And as they were eating, Jesus rook Bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to his Disciples, and said, Take, eat, this is my Body which is broken for you, this do in remembrance of me; and he took the Cup in like manner, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it, for this is the Blood of the New Testament, shed for many for the remission of Sins. But I say unto you, Luke 22.20. I will not henceforth drink of the fruit of the Vine, till I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom. And when they had sung an Hymn, they went out. Jesus saith unto them, Ye shall all be offended because of me this night; For it is written, I will smite the Shepherd, and the Sheep shall be scatter'd. Peter saith, Tho' all be offended, yet will not I. Jesus saith [Page 8]unto him, Before the Cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. Peter saith un­to him, I will be with thee, my Lord, both in Life and Death.

And as Ittai said to David, As the Lord liveth, and as my Lord the King liveth, surely in what place the Lord my King shall be, whether in Death or Life, even there also will thy Servant be, 2 Sam. 15.19, 20, 21.

And as Ruth said to her Mother-in-Law Naomi, Entreat me not to leave thee, nor to return from following after thee, for where thou goest, I will go, where thou lodgest, I will lodge, they People shall be my People, and thy God, my God; where thou dyest, I will dye, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, Ruth 1.16, 17. and much more also, if ought but Death part thee and me. Saith Peter, So is my Heart knit to thee, dear Master. Peter, I know that thou lovest me, and therefore Satan hath a desire to sift thee, and try thee, as he did Job; but I have prayed for thee, that thy Faith fail thee not, Job ch. 1.

[Page 9]Then Jesus goeth to Gethsemane, for his hour being now come, and taketh with him only three of his Disciples, Peter, James, and John, they being the three appointed by their Lord and Master to see the said Tragedy. Peter, be­cause his chief Disciple, to whom he should commend the Care of his Church, which e're long was to suffer great Per­secution. James, the last of the Dis­ciples, yet the first that was to suffer for the Gospel's sake, and therefore most fit to see his Master betray'd, that his Master's meekness and patience in suffe­ring might be a pattern and example to him, who e're long must follow. And John, the most beloved Disciple of Jesus, whom Peter ask'd his Master; But of this Disciple that lean'd on thy Breast at Supper-time, and first said, Whom it is, Lord, that shall betray thee? What shall this man do? Saith Jesus to him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Yet, most Holy Jesus, thou, that knowest all things, probably for such-like Reasons took these only a­long with thee, and said unto them, My Soul is exceeding sorrowful, even [Page 10]unto Death: Tarry ye here, and watch with me.

And be went a little farther, and fell on his face to the ground; and prayed, O my Father, if it be possible, let this Cup pass from me, nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt; For tho' Jesus, as Man, fear'd the approaching danger that was coming upon him, and just now ready to seize him, and therefore was, in this great Agony, sweating drops of Blood fal­ling to the ground; yet, as God, it was mutually agreed upon already in the great Court of Heaven, between his Father and Himself, that this was the only way could be found out for the Redemption of fallen Man.

For God so loved the World, that he have bis only begotten Son to death for it, that whosoever believeth in him, might not perish, but have everlasting life; there­fore, as God, God-Man was resolv'd to fulfil his Father's Will. Father, all things are possible to thee, but if this Cup shall not pass, Thy Will be done, O Holy Father.

And he cometh to his Disciples again a second time, but, finding them asleep, saith to Peter, Simon, Why sleepest thou? [Page 11]Could not you watch with me one hour? You know what I have Pray'd for alrea­dy. Watch and Pray, now, lest you enter into Temptation. The Spirit indeed, Peter, I know, is willing, but the Flesh it weak.

O Holy Jesu, what Sweetness and Love is this of thine, that even at the very minute that thou wert to be be­trayed, thou shouldest pity the Infir­mities of thy Servants, that even now thou hadst commanded to Watch and Pray, and yet, even in this very last minute, found them sleeping; one would rather have thought, thou shouldst have been extremely angry with them, but, instead of that, thou excusest their fault. This sweetness, and this behaviour of thine, and com­passion of Humane Infirmities, will draw all Men to thee.

Christ knew at this time, that short­ly he was to suffer for the Sins of the whole World, in what nature and kind soever, as to the aggravation and hei­nousness of them; and might he not then very well pass by the Infirmities of his beloved Disciples, when he knew, that their Sleep proceeded partly from their Trouble and Sorrow.

[Page 12] Jesus leaveth them again, and goeth a Third time, and prayeth more earnestly, and cryeth louder, and sweateth much greater drops of Blood than before. O Righteous Father, if it be possible, let this Cup pass from me, but yet, Holy Fa­ther thy Will be done.

O my Soul! where am I?The devout Soul hearing the Cry, seek­eth after our Saviour. Where? O Watch­men! Where am I? Where is my Beloved? Where is he gone aside? My Soul melteth away. I hear his Cry, but I know not where to find him. I am sure, it's his Voice, but I know not which way to go; the dark Night hath conceal'd him from my Sight, but not from my Heart: His Cry pierceth my Soul. O good Watch­men! Dear Watch-men! Where shall I find him, whom my Soul loveth, and longeth for? Hark! Hark! He cryes louder and louder. Help! Help! What's the mat­ter, dear Saviour? I cannot find thee; I know not where thou art; sometimes thy Voice seemeth near, and sometime farther off; sometimes on this side os me, and sometimes on that; sometimes before me, and sometimes behinds [Page 13]whether from the Walls and Vaults of Jerusalem, or whether from the Brook Cedron or from the Trees in the Gar­den, or from all these places together, these uncertain Sounds and Eccho's come, I know not; they perplex me, and confound me. I cannot find thee. I know not where thou art. Direct me, Lord, the way. I know, thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Light; but I know not where to find thee, thus at a distance, this dark Night. Di­rect me, Lord, the way. Speak, Dear Lord, and thy Servant heareth. My Soul is attentive to thy Call, but I am not able to bear longer thy Cry. O quickly! Dear Saviour, quickly! Tell me but where I shall find thee. What No Directions yet, Dear Jesu! O! dear Watchmen, for the Lord's sake, for my dear Saviour's sake! for my! poor Soul's sake! tell me, tell me, for why should I be as one that turneth aside from the Flocks of thy Companions.

Saith the Watchmen, we cannot lon­ger endure to hear thee cry, and make such moan. We suppose you may find him in or about the Garden of Geth­semane. We believe the Cry comes [Page 14]that way. We can hear it easily, but it is beyond our Bounds; we must not, nor dare not, go beyond our own Pre­cincts, especially without the Gates of the City, and more especially when there is so great a Noise and Tumult abroad; we know not, how soon there may be an uproar here, and therefore we must keep our Posts upon Life and Death, let what will come of it; other­wise some of us would go along with you, to direct you, and light you along; but that is the way. I, but are you sure the Cry and Noise comes from thence? That we are not sure; but this we are sure of, That a great Compa­ny and Multitude of Soldiers ran that way, and said nothing, but ran apace, whispering amongst themselves: Some carry'd with them Swords, others car­ry'd Staves and Halbards, and Can­dles and Lanthorns in their hands. We believe it's some great matter they are gone about, they carry it with so much secrecy, as they go along; but we cannot think it is for Jesus of Naza­reth, because we did see Judas, one of the Lord's Disciples, amongst them. Hark! the Cry is louder indeed now. [Page 15]I don't know what to think of it, but there's the ready way.

O, my dear Lord, have I found thee! What, in Blood,Soul. in the depth of thine Agony, with vi­olent Sweats, and drops of Blood run­ing down thy Face, and crying to thy thy Father too? What's the matter, dear Lord? Speak quickly to my Soul, or else I sink and dye; I cannot longer forbear, having run my self quite out of breath with thy grievous Cry. Grie­vous indeed it must needs be, that ma­keth the Son of God sweat, and cry, and bleed thus.

I am striving and strugling, praying,Christ. sweating, and bleed­ing for thy Salvation, with my Father's Wrath and Indignation; but thy Sins are so great, so heinous, and grievous, that nothing will satisfie him but thy Eternal Death, which thou, alas, art never able to endure, the Wrath and Indignation of an incensed and enraged God against thee. I have been pleading and interceding with my Heavenly Father, offering up strong Prayers and Tears for thy Atonement; but all will not do: A Life must be gi­ven, [Page 16]and I have offered my own, if nothing else will satisfie. Not my Will, but thy Will be done. It must be so, and the unalterable and uncontrouled De­cree of the Almighty must be fulfilled, and I come willingly, as in the Volume of the Book it is written of me, to do thy Will, O God; And behold, here they are, to whom I am betray'd. Whom is it you seek for, Soldiers, with your Lanthorns and Torches? Whom is it you look for? Jesus of Nazareth? I am he. What gaze you for? I tell you, I am he.

The Signal was before agreed upon, That whomsoever Judas kiss'd, him they must seize; therefore the strict Order before concluded of, and deli­vered to them, must punctually be ob­served, lest a discovery should be made, and they seize the wrong, and the King of the Jews make his escape. The Plot being laid thus cunningly and wa­rily before-hand, they must not too rashly nor unadvisedly proceed, but stood looking earnestly till the Signal should be given. Judas, thô the dark Night conceal me from thy Sight, yet here I am: The hour is now come, [Page 17]that the Son of Man must be betray'd in­to the hands of Sinners.

Then Judas came and cry'd, Hail Master! Judas betrays him. and kissed him, and straight way (or forth­with) they laid violent hands on him. What makes you come thus, with Swords and with Staves, Judas, as if I were a Thief and a Robber? And they began immediately to spit in his Face; and one of the Soldiers smote him on the Cheek with the Palm of his hand, and asked him, who struck him. But Jesus said to Judas, take me, and lead me away, and thy own Salvation too. I have a Baptism to be Baptiz'd with, and O, how I long till it is accomplisht.

Peter endea­vours his Master's Rescue.But Peter, as soon as he saw what inhumane rude­ness they offer'd to his Lord and Master, hastily drew his Sword, and cut off one of the Ears of the High Priest's Servants. Then Jesus rebuked Peter, and said, put thy Sword up into the Sheath; He that useth the Sword, let him perish by the Sword: The Cup that my Father giveth [Page 18]me, shall I not drink it? John 18. v. 8. 11.

Thinkest thou not, Peter, that if I would resist, I would pray to my Father, and he would presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels to rescue me; but how then shall the Scriptures be ful­fill'd? And it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and put him to Grief, when his Soul shall make and Offering for Sin, he shall see his Seed: he shall see of the Travel of his Soul, and be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my Righteous Servant justifie many, for he shall bear their Iniquities, Isa. ch. 53. v. 10, 11.

But stay, O Malchus! what,Malchus's Ear healed. wilt thou still per­sist in this bloody Deed and wicked Proceedings? Wilt thou not hear the Voice of thy God in this Fray? Thou shedd'st but a drop of Blood from thy Ear, and thy Saviour Sweats, not only drops of Blood in his Agony, praying for thy Soul, but also his Heart bleeds for thee, and he takes immediately Compassion of thee, and stretch'd forth his hand and cur'd thy Ear? And could not this Mi­racle of the Lord of Life toward thee work perfectly upon thee to endeavour [Page 19]thy Physicians Rescue? but still wilt thou go on to drag and hale him before the Judge? Will not the immediate Touch of the Hand of God cure thy wounded Soul, as readily as thy woun­ded Body? Will not this Miracle of Christ, and Love of his to thee, per­suade thee, That he is Christ the Son of the Living God? Wilt thou remain ignorant still of thy Saviour and Salva­tion? How many of the Multitude that follow'd Christ would have thought themselves happy to have been blest with such a Touch? yea, that it might be but the Hem of his Garment. Well, if thou wilt still proceed in persecuting him, he will proceed in praying for thee, with the rest of thy Confederates.

Peter! Was this the ef­fect of thy Passion,Christ repro­ved Peter. just rous'd from sleep, and be­gin to fight? When saw'st thou such Weapons used in my School? Was ever any thing but Prayers and Tears my Defence? Hast thou over­slept, and neglected thy God, and now fall immediately to fighting? Couldst not thou and thy Brethren have watch'd and pray'd with thy Savi­our [Page 20]for one hour? especially when wak'd and stirr'd up by thy Master, and when he had so lately told you the time was at hand in which he must be betray'd, and by one of thy Brother Disciples. Shouldst not thou rather have endea­vour'd to have watch'd the time of his coming, and dissuaded him from his intended Wickedness? especially when thou hadst seen thy Saviour exceeding sorrowful, even to Death. Was he earnestly praying, and in his Agony sweating drops of Blood, dropping up­on the Ground for thee? And couldst not thou be watching for him? but sit sleeping upon the Ground with the rest of thy Companions. Or if you had been so extremely sleepy, could you not have took your turns one after ano­ther? This, Peter, is great neglect of so good a Master. Was he striving, and struggling, sweating, and praying to his Heavenly Father, for thy Soul, and couldst not thou be watching of his Body? But he, being upon the Work of Salvation, excuses thy Infirmity, from the Consideration of thy frail hu­man Nature, that was not able to un­dergo one single hours watch. I know, [Page 21] Peter, thy Spirit is willing, but thy Flesh is weak.

How ready and willing is the Savi­our of the World to accept of any drowsy inclinations, or endeavours of his Servants, in his Service, if their Hearts be but sincere. The Disciples slumber, yet Christ trims their Lamps. O infinite Love of the Son of God! to excuse and save poor drowsy Sinners: For this Cause was he toucht with our infirmities, and took upon him our human Nature. This was the Cause of our Saviours interceding for us with his Father for our Lives. O infinite Love of the Son of God! that whilst we were yet Sinners, Christ dy'd for us.

Now let us follow him to the Judgment-Hall, Carry'd to the Judg­ment-Hall to be arraign'd, but first to Anna's House. and not, like Peter, stand at a distance from him, and at last deny him, but rather be a sharer with him in his Death, and pray, with the Thief upon the Cross, for Eternal Life.

They carry him first before Annas the High-Priest, Caiphas's Uncle, and in the way to his House, to see what he [Page 22]could find against him. This was one of the Great Council, that consulted how they might take Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews, and put him to Death. This was he, that deliver'd to Judas the thirty pieces of Silver out of the Treasury, after they had all a­greed upon it; but when he was brought before him, and he saw the Witnesses could not agree together upon their Examination, that they might have longer time to lay their Heads toge­ther, and more readily agree in their Accusation, sends them to his Nephew Caiphas, they being both High-Priests that year.

When he comes before Caiphas, he Examines him, and finding they could not yet agree in their accusing him, ra­ther than he should want full Witnesses against him, and for that let him go; he with the rest of them that were as­sembled together for the very purpose, all the High-Priests and Elders, and the Scribes, for many there were that did bear false Witness against him, but their Witnesses agreed not yet toge­ther.

[Page 23]Now the Great Assembly being all met, as I said before, to this very end and purpose, and consulted and agreed thus farther of him: He hath of late raised Lazarus out of the Grave, after he had been sour days dead, and be­gan to stink, and many of the Jews believe on him already, from the Mi­racles that he daily sheweth amongst them, and more especially for this Miracle that he wrought even now, of raising Lazarus from the Dead; and it is not barely a Report, to make a noise for a while, but it is, as to Mat­ter of Fact, a very great Truth and a Miracle, for some of us both heard him say at the Graves Mouth, Laza­rus come forth, and he immediately, as soon as this Man had call'd thus to him, he that was dead came forth; bound hands and feet, with Grave-Cloaths a­bout him, and a Napkin upon his Head; And this Man Jesus commanded some that stood by to loose him and let him go; and many of the Jews that were there believed on him and went away with Mary and Jesus; but we came to ac­quaint you, what we have both seen and heard, John 11.43.

[Page 24] Then the Chief Priests and Elders, John 11.47. with the Scribes and Pharisees further consulted, and said, What do we? for this Man doth many Miracles, and if we let him thus alone, all Men will believe on him and the Ro­mans will come and take away from us, both our Place and Nation. Caiphas said unto them, ye know nothing at all, nor consider that it is expedient for us, Caiphas pro­phesies a­gainst him­self. that one Man should dye for the People, and that the Nation perish not; and this he spake not of himself, but God order'd it so, that the Prophe­cy should come out of his own Mouth, and this being Recorded as his Opini­on, doth still remain, that out of his own Mouth himself should be con­demn'd at last; And so from that day forward they took Counsel together to put him to Death. John 11.53.

And when they saw that all their Machinations and Contrivances pre­vail'd nothing to the purpose, at last they hir'd two Soldiers, and gave them Money to come and swear against him in the High Priests Hall; And they with a loud and clamarous Voice ex­alted [Page 25]above the rest, with open Mouth say, This Fellow said, I am able to destroy the Temple of God, and to raise it again in three days. And so he were, this be­ing all Truth; but he spake of his Bo­dy, as the Apostle Paul saith, Our Bo­dies are the Temples of the Holy Ghost. That in three days time he should raise it from the Grave; But these two Fel­lows nor his Judges had not yet known the Scriptures, nor the power of God. Then said the High Priest, Is it true what these two witness against thee? But Jesus held his peace. Then said the High Priest, I adjure thee by the Living God, to tell us whether thou art Christ the Son of the Li­ving God? And Jesus when it was put thus home to him, in these three great Truths, Art thou Christ, the Son of the Living God? Answered, I am. Then the High Priest rent his Cloaths, and said, What need we any further witness against him? Ye have all heard now how he hath Blasphemed; What think ye? And they all with one consenting Voice con­demn'd him to be guilty of Death. Matth. 26.60, 6, 62, 63, 64. Mark 14.58. to th [...] 64.

[Page 26] Then they began to spit upon him, and to buffet him, and strike him with the Palms of their hands, and to revile him as a Pestilent Fellow, and one that sow'd Sedition and Rebellion amongst them, and they blind-folded him, and smote him on the Face, and said unto him, Prophesie now unto us (Christ!) who it was that struck thee; And at last, find­ing they could not agree together as to the putting of him to death, and to pass Sentence upon him, for they all acquiesc'd in the just Merits of his Con­demnation; yet he must be first sent to Pontius Pilate their Chief Governor: But before we come to that, we must observe the Words of our Blessed Je­sus verify'd concerning Peter, one of the beloved Disciples, who follow'd after his Master to the High Priest's Hall, to hear what they said of him, and did with him.

And happy are they, O Peter, that have once deny'd their Saviour that bought them, with Cursing and Swear­ing and bitter Execrations, to find a door of Mercy ready open upon their Repentance, to receive them again, and immediately embrace them.

[Page 27]And now Peter, what do I observe here? But thou that wast the greatest Votary to thy Master, and the for­wardest to follow him to his dismal Trial, where were all kind of the most wicked Profligate Wretches, that could be pickt out amongst the Jews, Scribes, and Pharisees, that were best and most notoriously qualify'd with Cursing and Swearing, with Reviling, Blasphe­my, and Perjury, such that they had cull'd out on purpose, that were qua­lify'd and abounded with all manner of Cruelty and Filthiness; amongst these do I find thee, Peter.

And had thy Soul, like Righteous Lot's been troubled with the filthiness of the Sodomites, as his was from day to day, thou hadst not so soon, so falsly, and so frequently deny'd thy Master: From hence we may observe, what sorce and power evil Company hath quickly upon a Righteous Person. Good Joseph being but a while in Pha­raoh's Court, came presently to that Mode of Honour to swear by the Life of Pharaoh. Abraham, the Father of the Faithful, and friend of God, twice deny'd Sarah to be his Wife: The [Page 28]Famine being grievous in the Land, Abraham takes his Wife Sarah, and travels into Egypt, and it came to pass, when he came near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarah his Wife, behold now, I know that thou art a fair Woman to look upon, therefore it shall come to pass, that when the Egyptians shall see thee, they shall say, this is his Wife, and they shall kill me, and they shall save thee alive; say, I pray thee, thou art my Sister. Gen. 12.10, 11, 13.

Again Abimelech said unto Abraham, What sawest thou in me, that thou hast done this thing? And Abraham said, because I thought surely the fear of God is not in this Place, and they will slay me for my Wifes sake; and yet indeed she is my Sister, the Daughter of my Father, though not of my Mother, and she became my Wife: And here Abraham, though he did deny his Wife at this time out of fear, and did wander from Place to Place, and Country to Country, yet he did not deny his God, neither could Abimelech tax him with that: For God had now made a Covenant with Abraham, and the chiefest Arti­cle in this Covenant, was, That Sarah [Page 29] should conceive and bear him a Son in his old Age, and should call his Name Isaac; And, said God, I will continue my Co­venant to him, so that in thy Seed, by Sarah thy Wife, shall all the Nations of the World be blessed: And it shall be for number as the Stars of the Heaven, and as the Sands on the Sea-shoar; yea, Kings and Princes shall come out of thy Loyns, and I will give thee the Land of Canaan for an Everlasting Possession to dwell in: And I will be thy God, and the God of thy Seed for ever. Neither did Abraham deny his Son Isaac to God, when he call'd for him as a trial of his Faith: But all these Promises and Covenants concentrating together, and terminating in Sarah's Womb, made Abraham take such care of her; for it was not in Ishmael, but in Isaac shall thy Seed be called, Gen. 17. and that Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews should proceed out of his Loyns.

But now, Peter, this is no excuse for thee; for Abraham, in saying, she was his Sister, did not deny her to be his Wife; moreover in all Ages, and all times, especially in the times and pla­ces of Plague, Famine, or Sword, it [Page 30]hath been allow'd to some to fly, and either to equivocate or excuse the Question, when propos'd by implaca­ble Enemies; Our Saviour himself be­fore his Disciples were fully prepar'd for Persecution, and found in themselves they were not able to stand the hard and severe, or Fiery, Trials they might be put upon, and so his Name, or his great Cause, might suffer by it; there­fore to avoid such, bid them, If they persecuted them in one City, for my Name­sake, and the Gospel's sake, to fly into another; but this was no denying him, and the Church hath always allow'd it, in two Cases especially, to fly and avoid Persecution; The one, if the Church was in its infancy, and not come to full strength,For this rea­son fled Greg. Bishop of Neocaesaria, when he saw the Decian Persecution grow very hot. Pr. Chr. Ch. 7. part 2. N. 17. then it might be lawful for the Ministers or Disciples of Christ to flee Persecution, to the intent the Gospel might be preserv'd, lest smiting the Shepherd the Sheep should be scatter'd; And the other is, in Case, as I mention'd before, they find themselves not yet strong enough, [Page 31]or courageous enough for Persecution, and so the Glory of God, and the Name of our great Master, and the Honour of the Church of Christ, might come to be dishonour'd: This as to the first.

St. Paul to avoid Persecution, was let down the Wall in a Basket, when the Governor of Damascus sought his Life; and thus we find the Apostles them­selves shunn'd the Storm, because they were the Instruments immediately de­puted by Christ to propagate and con­vey the Gospel to the World: And thus did Primitive Saints and Martyrs who wonder'd about in Desarts and Mountains, and in Dens and Caves of the Earth, and so have equally avoided Rashness and Cowardliness.

The second only gain'd a little res­pit for the present, that they might suffer with the greater advantage after­wards, thus did Joseph and Mary, from the Command of God by an Angel, flee with their Child, the Ever-Blessed Jesu into Egypt for fear of Herod.

But, Peter, 'twas quite contrary with you, you was not call'd to suffer, neither to the High-Priests Hall; yet [Page 32]thou voluntarily deny'dst thy Master, thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer, who oft had told you what you must expect, and that the time would come, that he must be betrayed into the hands of Sinners; and but the very night before told you, that you all would be offended because of him, and that the time would come, and was now at hand, that you all would for­sake him, in the time of his Dereliction, and he be left alone: And didst not thou thy self say? This was a hard saying, and who could bear it? and said'st, thou wouldst not be offended because of him, and if all forsook him, yet wouldst not thou; True, thou didst not so much forsake him, as deny him, which was worse.

And, indeed, Peter, I must follow thee, as thou didst thy Master, the Ever-Blessed and Eternal Jesu, the Sa­viour of the World, to the High-Priests Hall; And Pardon me, Peter, if I exactly observe every behaviour of thine there. It is not out of any ill to thee, Peter, for I very well know the love and value thy Master hath for thee, but that I may delineate thee to the Life, as fully and as well as I am [Page 33]able, in this little Enchiridion, what Sorrows, what Sufferings, what Stripes, what Indignities, what Reproaches, what Revilings, what Dereliction, what Abnegations, what Wounds, what Agony, and what Unexpressable Tor­ments, what Extensive, Convulsive, Distorsive, Lingring, and Cruciating Death, thy Lord and Master, but our Christ, our Saviour, our Redeemer, our Messias, and our blessed Jesu, our Advocate not only now in Heaven, where he is exalted above all Principali­ties and Powers, Thrones and Dominions; but while he was here on Earth, the Immaculate Lamb, the most beloved Son of God, beloved of the Father from all Eternity, before ever the World was, and Lamb of God which taketh a­way the Sins of the whole World; he suf­fered and endured here on Earth for us, which made him bitterly complain, and cry out; Behold, and see, all ye that pass by, if there were ever any Sorrow like to my Sorrow, any Wounds and Torments like mine, which I have receiv'd in the House of my friends.

[Page 34]Canst thou receive, suffer, and en­dure, all this for our Sins, and still call us friends? Canst thou, O Holy Jesu, still cry, call, suffer, bleed, and dye for us, and yet pray for us, and still be an Advocate for us, and a compleat Redeemer. O infinite! O unlimited! O unbounded! O inconceiveable! O inexpressible! O incomprehensible Love of God to us, that so loved the World, than he gave his only begotten Son to Death for us, for us Sinners, wicked Sinners, apostatizing Sinners, even dead in Trespasses and Sins; and all this, Pe­ter, thou art not ignorant of.

Now, Peter, more par­ticularly to thy self.The First Denial of Peter. And, as Peter was beneath in the Palace, there cometh one of the Maids of the High Priest, and when she saw Peter, warming of him­self amongst the Croud, she looked steadfastly upon him, and said in derision, Thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth, but he denied, saying, I know not, neither do I understand what thou sayest: And he went out into the Porch, as fearing they might seize on him, tho' but the Night before he had said, Tho' all for­sake [Page 35]thee, yet will not I: But he still lingers and stays, not that he intended to suffer and dye with his Master, as he had promised, but only had a mind to see what would become of his Master, and to hear what they did say to him, for now was the time that our Saviour told him, The Devil will tempt you, Peter; Satan hath a mind to winnow thee as Wheat▪ but I have prayed for thee; and well were it for thee, (Peter) that whatever thy Master endur'd for thee in his Sacred Body, yet he had secur'd thy Soul: I have prayed for thee, thy Faith fail thee not: And as he was stand­ing in the Porch, the Cock crew the first time; but as yet, neither the Time, nor the Scripture, was fulfilled, nor did Peter take any notice of it, Mark 14.68.

And while he was yet in the Porch,The Second. another Maid saw him, and said unto them that were likewise with her, This very fellow (pointing to him) was also with Jesus of Galilee; and when he had heard what she said, he flatly denied with an Oath, I know not the man, Matth. 26.71, 72.

[Page 36]How now, Peter, now I see the De­vil is tempting thee, indeed: Hast thou so much forgot thy self, and thy Duty to so good and so great a Master? Are all his Miracles forgot by thee? Are all his Lessons, Instructions, and Ser­mons or Sayings, forgot by thee? Are his very last and dying Words too forgot by thee? And are thy own Promises and Engagements to thy de­parting and dying Saviour, forgot by thee? This is a great Crime indeed, Peter, and in all Ages and Times hath been accounted most abominable, and unworthy, not to fulfil the Request of our dying Friends and Relations; and also, not to perform our Promises to their dying Person, and last Gasp; and especially for thee, Peter, who hadst so dear and tender a Lord and Master that had took such pains with thee, and care of thee, whose Words one would have thought could never have been forgot by thee, more especially not so soon, and at this very instant, when thou wast so near, as to hear how thy Heavenly Master, was confronted and abused, and most wrong fully impeach'd, and most falsely accus'd, yet not to re­miniscentiate [Page 37]the words of thy Master, but when thou wast so peremptorily charg'd, thou so flatly denied. Well, Peter, thou wilt pay for this at last: It's well thou hast a friend in Court.

Then came one of the Servants of the High Priest, The Third. being his Kinsman, and whose Ear Peter had out off, charges him home, and says, Did not I see thee in the Garden with him? And dost not thou very well know, I have a just Qua­rel against thee? And this is a fit place for it, for cutting off my Ear, when I laid hands of your Master in the Gar­den. Look here, and behold the mark I still bear of my Ear for thee, and if it were not that my Kinsman was so busie with thy Master, and I do not know how soon I may be called, and therefore am unwilling to create ano­ther Fray and Disturbance, otherwise I would make thee an Example, and make you know, you was thee, I have no so quickly forgot you, nor your Ear-mark neither, John 18.26. And moreover, if you should deny, and lye never so much, if there were no more [Page 38]in it but your Speech, your very Speech it self is enough to betray you.

Then began Peter, when he had heard all this, to Curse and to Swear with all the Execrations imaginable, and positive Denials. I never saw before this time the Man, neither do I know him, and immediately the Cock crew, Matth. 26.74. And the Lord turned back, and look­ed steadfastly on Peter; and Peter see­ing that, remembred the Words of his Master, how he had said unto him, Be­fore the Cock crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice, and he went out, and wept bitterly, Luk 22.61, 62.

Now, Peter, art thou in the Gaul of Bitterness, and in the Bond of Iniquity; now thou know'st not where to hide thy head, now the very Arrows of the Almighty, pierce the very Soul of thee, now thou seest thou art fallen; Let him that standeth take precaution by thy Ex­ample, lest he fall in the same manner thou hast done.

What! deny thy Master, Peter? thy Saviour, and thy Redeemer? And what! with such abominable Oaths, and positive Denials? This would make the very dumb Ass to open his [Page 39]Mouth, and upbraid thy unparalell'd unkindness. Thou, alone, Peter, to be the Man to deny thy Lord and Ma­ster, who had the most reason of any of the Disciples to have own'd him, be­cause present with him, and hearing the Ignominy and notorious Slanders that they impudently spake against him, thy own Conscience bearing thee Wit­ness.

O, how, with Cain, Peter com­plaining and praying for himself. am I branded with my In­famy! My Sins are greater than I am able to bear. O, that some one would even slay me. What! deny my Master! My Lord and Master! my God! my Saviour and my Redeemer! and my ever blessed Jesus! What! and three times! and with Cursing and Swearing too, that I did not know thee! O, sweet Jesu! not thee! what, not know thee! O, heavenly Jesu! that brought me up from the beginning! that con­verted me to the Faith! that made me one of thy Disciples, and not the least neither! one that thou more remarka­bly took'dst notice of, and care for, and foretold me of this very present hour, [Page 40]of Satan's Tempting me, and pray'd earnestly for me to be deliver'd from this fatal hour.

O blessed Jesu! well was it, that thou didst pray for me, or else I had been eternally lost. How can I but weep, and weep bitterly for this heinous and never-to-be-forgotten Sin? O, wretched man that I am! who shall deli­ver me? Was not my first Sin great enough in the Garden? to sleep when thou wert in thy Agony, and bid me watch; but must I commit a greater now? A Sin none ever did commit, nor ever can again, as to the Circum­stance, Time, and Place: Lord, help me to weep, and to weep more abun­dantly. O, Lord! that I could wash away my Sins, with my Tears, that are, of so deep a dye.

O, blessed Jesu! to make my La­ver the stronger, I will back again to the Garden of Gethsemane, to bewail my first Sin; that was the place I was first neglective of my God: And there also I will bewail the second too. Sure­ly, that is the fittest place, O my Soul! There was the place my dear Lord and Saviour, in his great Conflict, pray'd [Page 41]and wept, and made strong Supplications to his God, with Sighs and Groans that were unutterable; there he fell with his Face to the Ground, and humbled himself even unto Death, there is the place, he sweat drops of Blood in, mixt with his Tears, for me; thither will I run, and there will I prostrate my self on the Ground in the very same place, and as I said before, to make my Laver stron­ger, to wash my polluted Crimson-dyed Soul, I will mix the Blood and Tears of my dear Lord and Saviour, that are up­on the Ground, with my own Hearts blood and Tears.

O, sweet Jesu! I remember now very well thy last Words and thy last Prayers; and with these unparalell'd Ingredients I find here my poor sinking Soul begins to revive,The Tears and Drops of Sweat and Blood that fell upon the Ground from our Saviour in his Agony. and my Faith in thee, dear Jesu, springs again amain; and I see the Door of Mercy open to me, as well as to Mary Magda­len, to us that have sinned much; thou hast heard our Prayers, and hast seen and botled up our Tears, and hast forgiven much. But I have [Page 42]pray'd for thee, Peter, thy Faith fail thee not.

O, happy was it for thee, Peter, when thou wast so desperately woun­ded, to have thy Physician so near with the Balm of Gilead, like the good Sa­maritan, to pour Oyl and Wine into thy Wounds, to supple and cleanse them, and carefully bind them up for healing. If thy Saviour had passed by thee, and had not look'd upon thee, thy Wounds had putrifi'd and gangrean'd, and thou hadst been lost for ever. If Christ himself had not took notice of thee, and heal'd thy wounds, all others had pass'd by thee, Scribe and Pharisee, Jew and Gentile, some on the Right hand, and some on the Left, and no Man had taken Pity of thee. Happy are they that lye in the way Christ doth walk, yea, even at the Pool of Bethesda, they are sure to be heard by Christ, the Physician of Souls; they shall either be sure of his immediate help, or else of his Angels, that are ministring Spirits sent from him.

O! that I might as effectually find the Prayers of my dear Jesu for me, Peter, in the full Pardon of my Sins, [Page 43]now enthron'd in Heaven, as thou found'st him for thine on Earth. To open blind Eyes, and to take off Scales of Ignorance with St. Paul: Are not the Waters of Siloam to wash in better than Abana and Pharpar, and all the Rivers of Damascus?

But now to return back to Caiphas and his Confederates and Council, they being made up of the Chief-Priests, Elders, Scribes, and Pharisees, they unanimously agree, according to their Arbitrary Law, to condemn Jesus of Nazareth; but they had no Power to put him to Death, but after they had u­sed all the Villany to him they could, as spitting upon him, buffetting him, striking of him on the Face with the Palms of their Hands, and blindfold­ing of him, and asking, who it was that smote him, and with all the Reviling ill Language they were capable of, they very early the next Morning sent him bound to Pilate.

But now, when Judas found, that Caiphas had condemn'd him, and sent him to Pilate, he begins to repent of what he had done, and carries back the Thirty Pieces of Silver to the High-Priests, [Page 44] Annas and Caiphas: But more of that in the conclusion of his notorious Wickedness in betraying his Master. But now, as to the manner and behavi­our of Judas, and the Report abroad.

What! What! What news is this I hear?A devout Soul amazed at the report of Judas's be­traying his Master. My blessed Lord and Redeemer betraid! Betraid by a kiss! and by one of his own Dis­ciples, at the time of his Prayers, and in the place of his greatest Retirements, in the dark Night, where none could hear him or see him, but his God, his Heavenly Father; and betray'd at this time by Judas, while he was praying. O, Wonder and Amazement! While he was praying for his Disciples! O, how happy would my Soul have been, to have heard but on Whisper from thy Mouth, dear Saviour, to thy God, in my behalf, for my poor Soul. Thus was it with thee at this time; Praying and Pleading with thy Heavenly Father for the Salvation of Mankind, and more especially for his Disciples, to whom he was to commit the care of his poor scatter'd and distressed Flock, and for [Page 45]thee, Judas, he was praying with strong Prayers, Cries and Tears, and the more earnestly at this time of thy coming was he labouring and interced­ing with his Father, with Sighs and Groans, and in a very great Agony of Soul and Body, even to the extorting and drawing out great drops of Blood, the fell to the Ground. And how couldst thou come thus, Judas, with Tapers and Lights, as if thou wert (with the blessed Spouse in the Canticles) Sick of Love, as if no time or place could retain thee, or keep thee longer from thy beloved, nor no danger could affright thee from the Terrors of the dark and gloomy Night, but find him thou art re­solved of, & no sooner hadst thou found him, but how passionately, one would think, thou runn'st to him, and hang'st about his Neck, and kissest him, as if it exprest the greatest Passion and Fer­vency of thy Soul, with the most ear­nest Compleatment of thy Longings and Desires, to find out thy most endeared Friend; as if thou hadst come to him with the greatest Embassy or News, that God or Angels could reveal to thee, or employ thee in; or, as if thou hadst [Page 46]privately over-heard the dreadful Con­spiracy of the High-Priests and Elders, Governour, Soldiers, and Herod, a­gainst thy Lord and Master's precious Life; and as if this had been the only Minute and Time, in this dark and dis­mal Night, to make his Escape in; and thou thy self, with thy Fol­lowers and Lights,Dark Lan­thorns. hadst come secretly to conduct him securely through By­ways and untrodden Paths, that he might go conceal'd from these notorious Con­spirators; which, if this very Minute was not improv'd to this Advantage, thy Lord was unavoidably taken, to the Loss of his most precious Life, by these most accursed Miscreants and Blood-Hounds of Hell.

This, Judas, had been Love indeed, and could Men or Angels, that had no foreknowledge of any design, have judg'd it otherwise? And greater Love than this could not possibly have been shewn, thus privately and resolvedly to have ventur'd thy own Life for thy Master's. Or, Judas, it's a wonder, that, before thy foul and polluted Mouth came to his sacred Lips, thou [Page 47]couldst not discern the Tears and Drops of Blood upon his Heavenly Face; or when thou hadst once kiss'd him, through suddain eagerness, with­out discerning, yet the moisture of an unusual Kiss should have made thee im­mediately have look'd upon his distor­ted Agonious Face, and there presently have seen written in Cha­racters of Blood,Jesus oft' kissed his Disciples. the intent of thy abominable ap­proach, and wicked de­sign, and that it was not unknown or unlook'd for, and expected by thy Lord and Master, who the very Even­ing before had said, at the very time of eating the Passover together with his Disciples, I shall be betray'd this nigh [...] into the hands of the most wicked Jews, and it shall be done too by the hands of one of my own Disciples, and he that dippeth his hand with me in the Dish, the same is he that shall betray me. And hast thou quite forgot, Judas, thou answer'd and said, Is it I? Or, hadst thou quite forgot thy Master had al­ready told thee, He knew the very thoughts of thy Heart, and of the rest of thy Brethren, and had pray'd for [Page 48]you, that the very thoughts of your Hearts, if possible, might be forgiven you.

Thou, Judas, hadst oft seen many Miracles done by thy Ma­ster,The Earth open'd and swallow'd them up. and wast not thou afraid at this time, he might have wrought one, more upon thee, as upon Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, for offering strange Fire unto the Lord, and thou at this time offering strange Friendship; but will nothing of all this do, nor work upon thee to deter thee from thy Impi­ous Enterprize, and to alter thy wicked Intention?

But art thou resolv'd to give this betraying Kiss, and to go on with thy former Mercenary unparalell'd Resolu­tions, and to stifle all Reflects, Retorts, or Reminiscenciated Acts of Conscience, and to cry, All Hail, Master, and give the Kiss; And after this Kiss of thine, Judas, canst thou be looking upon, and be abetting, aiding, and assisting these Vile Wretches, Officers, and Soldiers, in all their rage and violency, with their rude Hands, thus to drag thy Saviour, and pull him along, and with their Swords and Staves in their Hands, [Page 49]to force him, and hale him on, and with their Lanthorns and Torches, the better to direct their blows upon thy Master. I say, Judas, couldst thou see all this, and still persist in unrelen­ting and obdurate Impiety and Impu­dence?

Saith our Dear Saviour; Judas, are you come out, as against a Thief and a Robber, with Swords and with Staves to take me? I was daily with you in the Temple teaching, and you took me not, but the Scriptures must be fulfill'd, they all forsook him and fled, Mark 14.48, 49, 50.

But thou, Judas, hear, thou deef, and look, thou blind, as Isaiah saith; Will nothing of all this bring any thing to thy remembrance, nor to behold any thing in my innocent Face? Who is blind but my Servant, or deaf as the Mes­senger I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect in all this wickedness, and blind as the Lord's Servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not: Opening the Ear, but thou hearest not. The Lord is well pleas'd for his Right­eousness sake; It becometh thus to be done, that all Scriptures might be fulfill'd. [Page 50]And canst thou, Judas, be ignorant of them? Or, hast thou blinded thy Eyes thus? And hardned thy Heart? And wholly sold thy self to the Devil, to work out and accomplish this wick­edness and cruelty, to thy Master, with thy Kiss? Whomsoever I shall kiss, the same is he, hold him fast, Matth. 26.48.

Now when Caiphas, and his Crew, had Examin'd Jesus, and had all with one consent unanimously voted his Death, yet it was beyond the Verge of their power to put into execution their deter­min'd Sentence, but bound him, and sent him away Malefactor-like to Pi­late.

When morning was come, all the Chief-Priests and Elders of the People take Counsel against Jesus to put him to death, and when they had bound him, they led him away to Pontius Pilate, their Chief Governor. Then Judas which had be­tray'd him, when he saw how they had us'd him, and that he, that he had private­ly agreed with the betray him to, had proceeded further in his Malice and Rage to his Master, than was agreed upon at first, and had Condemn'd him [Page 51]to Death, and was now carrying him from one Court and Council to ano­ther, and at this present time was go­ing with him to Pilate, and saw now it would be made a publick Business, of which he had a promise, it should be only private, and that he must in­evitably be known to be the Man, and Vengeance then would not suffer him to live, nor yet should he know where to hide his Head, when it was once come to be known amongst all the rest of the Disciples, therefore he began to repent him, (as he thought, in time) and resolv'd upon this course, to carry the Money back again to the High-Priests, and let them know, he had al­ledg'd false things against his Master, which were in no manner true, and therefore had brought them their Mo­ney again in full tale, and in the very same Bag, and threw it down upon the Treasury-Table in the Temple, where before he had receiv'd it, and told them plainly, he repented, and had sinn'd in betraying Innocent Blood, concluding in himself, this was the only Politick way left to save himself, and bring his Ma­ster off again, that he had so falsly be­tray'd.

[Page 52]But they took no notice of any thing that he said to them, they had already made use of him as a Property to be­tray Jesus of Nazareth to them, that they had of along time-past endea­vour'd to apprehend; and as for Ju­das in what he had done, whether well or ill to himself, what car'd they, he had done well for them, let him go and be hang'd, if he will, what do we care, say they, we will proceed with our sport.

And when he saw, that all that was said and done, would prevail nothing upon the Jews, he goes out and lays vio­lent hands upon himself.

Then Judas which had betray'd him, when he saw that they had condemn'd him, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of Silver to the High-Priests and Elders, saying, I have sinned in that I have betray'd the Innocent Blood, and they said, What is that to us? see thou to that, and he cast down the pieces of Silver in the Temple, and went out and hang'd himself. Matth. 25.5.

[Page 53]AND now, O most Holy Jesu, let this Blessed Spirit further assist me in this great Work, to present thee, Dear Lord, to the Life, to my Devout Soul, that it may the more perfectly see thee in all thy Agony Passion, Death, Burial, Resurrection, and Ascension; and to admire thee, and adore thee, most Blessed Lord and Saviour, in the greatest humiliation, and adoration, a poor Creature is able to do, as thou art daily interceding for me at the Throne of Heaven: And this I beg upon the bended Knees of my Soul, in thy own Name, and for thy own sake, who art my Lord and Saviour, and Ever-Blessed Redeemer and Advocate. Amen.

But now to proceed on with this wicked Tragedy of the Jews. After Judas had Hang'd himself, the Chief-Priests took the Silver-pieces, and said, It is not lawful to put them into the Trea­sury because it is the price of Blood; And they consulted together, and bought the Potters Field to bury Strangers in, where­fore that Field is call'd the Field of Blood [Page 54]to this day. Then was fulfill'd that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Pro­phet, saying, And they took the Thirty pieces of Silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the Children of Israel did value, and gave them for the Potters Field, as the Lord appoint­ed.

Jesus carried before Pilate. But the High Priests took Jesus, and bound him, and sent him away very early (it being a work of darkness,) to Pilate, and they themselves came after to ac­cuse him. Pilate, entring the Tribu­nal Seat, ask'd them, What Accusa­tions they did bring against this Man, they answer and say in in general, If he were not a Malefactor, we would not have de­liver'd him up to you; Pilate being un­willing to meddle in this Affair, per­ceiving it was for envy they accus'd him, and not any thing of a just Of­fence; Pilate ask'd them, Why they did not proceed against him, and judge him according to their Law, and not to trouble him? The Jews said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any Man to death, that the saying of Jesus might be fulfill'd, which be spake, signi­fying [Page 55]what Death he should dye, as he himself had prophesi'd of himself; And they shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucifie.

Then Pilate enter'd the Judgment-Hall, and when he saw no body come against him, calls to Jesus, and said un­to him, Art thou the King of the Jews? Thinking happily he might trap Jesus in his words, but Jesus as cautiously ask'd him another Question; Hast thou said this thing of thy self, or did others tell it thee of my? Pilate answer'd him, Am I a Jew? Thy own Nation, and the Chief Priests, have deliver'd thee to me, What hast thou done? For as yet none can testifie any thing against him, for they had not as yet their pretended Fact ready, whereby to accuse him; moreover, they found Pilate to be very strict in his Examination, and very unwilling to be both Accuser and Judge, and made them not willing to answer to any particulars, till they had drawn up full Proof against him, seeing a Gene­ral Charge had no Influence upon Pi­late: Jesus said unto Pilate, my Kingdom is not of the World: Pilate therefore said [Page 56]unto him, Art thou a King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King: For this Cause was I born, and for this Cause came I into the World, that I should bear witness to the Truth: What is the Truth? saith Pilate: Jesus answered, Every one that is of the Truth, heareth my Voice. Pilate then goes out to the Jews, and tells them, If they had nothing else to say against Jesus of Nazareth, he must, and will, discharge him; for be, for his part, found no fault in him at all, John 18.29. to 38.

Then when they heard this, rather than he should be discharg'd, the whole Multitude ran in with open Mouth, and began to accuse him, say­ing, If we must come to Particulars, we are prepared. We found this Fel­low teaching Sedition and Rebellion, and endeavouring to pervert the Nation from paying Tribute to Caesar, and say­ing, That himself is Christ, a King; saith Pilate, I have heard of this al­ready, and I will hear no more of it: I must discharge him, if this is all you have to say; for I tell you, I can find no fault in the Man: Then they were [Page 57]the more fierce against him, but all to no purpose, saying, He stirreth up the People, Teaching throughout Jury, be­ginning from Galilee, to this place. Pi­late being now quite wearied out with this Nonsense, and hearing he was a Galilean, knew that he belong'd to Herod's Jurisdiction, and turns him over to him, Luke 23.8 whom he knew to be at Jerusalem at that time,Jesus carried before Herod and there­fore sends Jesus to him, who had been desirous of a long season to see him, because he had heard many things of him; and hoped to see some of his Miracles done by him.

Then Herod begins to Interrogate Jesus, and finding he could get nothing from him, nor no Miracles to be done by him, and being most vehemently accused by the Chief Priests and El­ders, saying all manner of Evil against him, that the subtilty of Men or De­vils could invent, for they distrusted to have any good done by Pilate, and therefore concluded, this was the last Stake they had to play, and thereupon resolv'd to make the best of it. They [Page 58]said that He pretended to be a King, and had forbid them to pay Tribute to any Earthly Monarch, and that he did frequently sow Sedition amongst the People; and moreover said, He could destroy the Temple and build it again in three days: But he answered nothing to all this. Moreover, Herod was informed, they had been before Annas and Caiphas, and that their Wit­nesses could not agree together, and that Pilate could find no just Accusa­tion of Death against him, and, upon that account, had sent him to him, which he took very kindly from Pilate, and upon this occasion, they Two were made friends, which before had been at Variance and Enmity for a great while.

Notwithstanding, Herod calls a Coun­cil of his Mighty Men, and they de­bate the Matter amongst themselves, but yet could find no cause of Death in him, more than the violency of the People, so that Herod was neither wil­ling to release him, nor yet to con­demn him; but He and his Nobles make sport with him awhile, set him at [Page 59]nought, mock'd him, and arrayed him in a Purple Robe, (others, a White Robe) out of derision to his Regal Power, and on purpose to render him more the peoples Scorn, and the more to enflame their merciless Cruelty, and thus return him back again to Pilate with Thanks, and a great Compliment for the grand favour he had done him, in sending this Malefactor the King of the Jews to him. I have Rob'd him, and given him what Ignominy and Despite I thought convenient, but as for his Death, or to condemn him, belongs not to my Province, but more immediately to you, under Tiberius Cae­sar's Government.

And thus our Dear Lord and Savi­our, the Lord of Life and Glory, is carried first to Annas, then to Cai­phas, then to Pilate, afterwards to He­rod, and now back to Pilate again, toss'd and tumbled up and down, and per­mitted no where to rest, but posted and hurried from one Court, Council, and Judgment-Seat, to another, and none could yet determine the Matter, but blind-folded, spit upon, and struck [Page 60]in one Court, bound, mock'd, set at nought, and array'd in another; thump'd and revil'd in another; and scourg'd and buffeted almost in all, but yet not acquitted or discharg'd in any. Well might he bitterly complain; Foxes, have holes, and the Birds of the Air have Nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his Head.

Now a second time is our dear Jesus brought before Pilate from Herod's Court;Jesus carried before Pilate a second time. Pi­late being now much con­cern'd at the Clamour abroad, that was made against Jesus of Nazareth, by the most rude and common people, that run more by Tumult and Cry, than Reason and Judgment, and it appearing all along to be perfect, unheady, inconsiderate malice, Pilate resolves to trouble him­self no more with this sort of Cattle, but now he was minded to hear, what the Chief Priests, and Rulers had to say of themselves, Luke 23.13.

You have brought this Man before me again, What have you to say against him? And finding they had no more [Page 61]to say, than what they had said to Herod before, That he was a Receiver, and one that perverted the People from their Duty and Allegiance to the King, and calls himself a King: Says Pilate, I have been credi­bly informed, that in one of his Speeches he made to the People, he exhorted them quite contrary, to give Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom is due. And moreover, to give to Caesar the things that are Caesars, and to God the things that are Gods: And we have all read the Scriptures, and we know that they are all full, and a­bound every where almost with Predi­ctions of a Saviour, and of a Messias, and of a Christ, and of a King of the Jews, and this may be the Man, as far I know. This we are all sure of, that he hath given shrewd Demonstrations of his Godhead and Power, and why may he not be your King?

Forthwith they all cry'd out with one Acclamation, We will have no King, but Caesar: But hold, saith Pilate, If I must be his Judge, I must ground my Reasons upon good, clear, full, and agreeable Evidence, before I can con­demn [Page 62]him: I am not yet free to con­demn, I profess plainly, I have great Anxities of Mind; and there is one thing that continually disturbs my Mind of late, that I meet with in my Thoughts at every turn, and that is, That strange Miracle that was wrought by him of late, which none of you can be ignorant of, and that is, the rai­sing of Lazarus from the Dead, after he had been in the Grave four days, and began to stink: This is a very great thing, and a wonderful Miracle, let us rather permit him a while to go on farther with his Miracles, and if he be the Son of God, more and greater Wonders than these will appear, but if he be a Pseudo-Christus, a false Christ, or a false Prophet, we will immediate­ly condemn him.

But, say the Jews, if we let him go on thus, and he should do more Mira­cles, the Romans will come in upon us, and take away from us both our Nation and Synagogues.

Now when Pilate saw, they still per­sisted in this envious and malicious Im­peachment, saith he, Ye have brought [Page 63]this Man here before me, as one that se­duceth the people. Behold, Gentlemen! Silence in the Court, Cryer! I must speak plainly, behold, there he stands, I have examined him according to the strictness of the Law, and with as great Subtilty as I am capable of; and I have cross-examin'd him, to see if I could trap him in his words; but I pro­fess before you all, I find no fault at all in this man, touching those things where­of you accuse him. Nay, Silence, Gen­tlemen, I pray, and hear me a little farther: You your selves very well know, I was willing to give you all the satisfaction, that possibly I could. I did not clear him, nor acquit him, the time before, tho' I might justly have done it; for there was nothing from your Accusations, that was worthy of Bonds or Imprisonment, much less of Death; yet, to please you, seeing you were so eager of his Death, and with­al, to satisfie my self of Herod's Opi­nion, I sent you your selves with him bound before Herod, and I know you have no mean thoughts of Herod's Judgment, and you know, I suppose, [Page 64]that his opinion was, That he found no­thing worthy of Death in him, but hath return'd him back again to me, Luke 23, 11, 15.

I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. Moreover, you know, that you have a Custom, that I should release unto you one at the Passover, I will therefore release unto you the King of the Jews; then they came all in, crowding at the Door, and crying at once with a lond voice, Away with this Man, and release unto us Barabbas.

Now Barabbas was one, that for Robbery and Murder in the City, was cast into Prison. Pilate, being willing to release Jesus, spake again to them. But they cry'd, saying, Crucifie him, Crucifie him, Matth. 23.19, 20, 21. Pilate resolv'd then to see, if the following Severity, to the ever blessed Jesu, would satisfie them.

Pilate then took Jesus, and scourg'd him, and the Soldiers platted a Crown of Thorns, and put it upon his Head. Well might Isaiah say of the Sin of the Jews, Your Hands are defiled with Blood, for now were our blessed Saviour's Back and Sides all in a Gore-Blood; The Cha­stisement [Page 65]of our Peace was upon him, and by bit Stripes we are boaled. Surely be bath born our Griefs, and carried our Sor­row, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

He is despised and rejected of Men, a Man of Sorrows, and acquainted with Grief, which made the Cry break out of his Sacred Mouth, Behold! If any Sor­row be like unto my Sorrow. And Isaiah further tells, how his Disciples would leave him at this time, And we hid (as it were) our Faces from him.

And the Soldiers platted a Crown of Thorns, and put it upon his Head, and they put on him again the Purple Robe that Herod had array'd him in, and said, Hail, King of the Jews, and smote him with their hands, and, bowing he Knee, worshipp'd him in Scorn and Derision to his Kingly Attire, with his Sacred Tem­ples pouring down Blood, from the Crown of Thorns fasten'd into them, which made him say, The Arrows of the Almighty stick fast in me!

Lord! who is able to behold thee in this miserable, scourg'd, and bleed­ing condition? Thy Face besmear'd [Page 66]and daub'd with the precious Blood of thy Sacred Temples, mix'd together with the filthy Excrements of the most nasty and polluted Wretches Spittle.

How, O Lord, are thy Tender and Holy Back and Sides buffetted and bleeding with their Jewish Stripes, and thy Cheeks smitten with their filthy and brawny Hands. Who, Lord, is able to behold all this, and their Hearts not bleed, and even faint away, to see, how he is thus brought out, by Filate's Command, before all the Jews, who lead him up and down by the Hair of his Head; Speaking of its Excellency and Beauty in the Canticles, where all his Graces are set forih, And his Hair, as black, and as bushy as a Raven, now serves only as an Halter to lead him and drag him along.

Then saith Pilate, Tho' I bring him forth to you thus mangled and torn, yet it is only to please and appease you, but I find no fault in him, John 19.4. Then came Jesus forth, wear­ing the Crown of Thorns and the Purple Robe, and Pilate saith unto them, Behold the Man, ver. 5. And [Page 67]this could not be acted, without a Pro­phecy to the Jews.

Your Hands are defiled with Blood, and your Fingers with Iniquity-Your Lips have spoken Lyes, and your Tongues have uttered perverse Things. None calleth for Justice, nor any pleadeth for Truth. Their Feet run to Evil, and they make hast to shed innocent Blood. Their Thoughts are Thoughts of Iniquity, Wasting and Destruction are in their Paths. Judg­ment is far from them, neither to do Justice doth it overtake them.

Again, Judgment is turned away back­ward, and Justice standeth afar off, for Truth is fallen in the Street, and Equity cannot enter, Isa. 59.

And again, Isaiah saith more to the same purpose, Yea, Truth fail­eth, and he that departeth from Evil (alluding to our Saviour) maketh him­self a Prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displease him, that there was no Judge­ment.

[Page 68]And be saw there was no Man, and wonder'd that there was no Intercessor, therefore his Arm brought Salvation unto him, and his Righteousness sustained him, for he put on Righteousness as a Breast­plate, and as an Helmet of Salvation up­on his Head, and be put on Garments of Vengeance for Cloathing, and was clad with Zeal as a Cloak. According to their Deeds, accordingly, be will repay Fu­ry to his Adversaries, and Recompence to his Enemies.

Thus we may see how the Spirit of God leads out the good Prophet, and not only him, but all the Patriarchs and Prophets; they are all full, and abound, with the Predictions and Pre­figurations of Holy Jesu; of the Messi­as; but more especially this Pro­phet Isaiah. Herod before, and the High-Priests and Soldiers now at this very time, cannot open their Mouths, and make Sport with our dear and ever-blessed Saviour, but it shall be foretold.

Against whom do you sport your selves? Against whom do you make a wide Mouth, and draw out the Tongue? Are you not [Page 69]Children of Transgression, and a Seed of Falshood? Yea, for Judas betraying him: For the Iniquity of his Covetous­ness was I wrath, and smote him: I hid me, and was wrath, and he went on frow­ardly in his Heart, Isa. 57.4, 17.

Now notwithstanding all this, that Pilate had permitted them to do to innocent Jesus, thinking, that this In­dignity and Suffering of our Saviour, might have been full satisfaction to them all. When Pilate said unto them, Behold the Man, in his Kingly Robes, thus affronted and abused in all this Contempt, Scorn and Sufferings. Yet was there inverate malice and envy, a­gainst innocent and harmless Jesus, such, that all this Blood had not yet satisfied their Blood-thirstiness: But when the Chief Priests and Officers saw him, they cry'd out, all, This will not do, we must have him Crucify'd, nothing less than that will satisfie us. Pilate saith unto them, If nothing else will satisfie you, nor appease this Tumult and Uproar, Take ye him and Crucifie him your selves, for I find no fault at all in him. This would not yet appease [Page 70]them; for we have a Law, and accord­ing to our Law, we can put no Man to Death: Moreover, we have a strict Law against Blasphemy, not boring through the Tongue, but Death, and by our Law be ought to dye, because be hath made himself the Son of God.

When Pilate heard that Saying, he was the more afraid, and went into their Judgment-Hall a Third time,Jesus carried before Pilate a Third time. Luke 23.22. John 19.9 and said unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him him no Answer. Then Pilate said unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not, that I have power to Crucifie thee, and have power to Release thee? How Pilate! is thy Power so great? And wilt thou not do it? Out of thy own Mouth shalt thou be condemn'd,John 19 10. Jesus answer'd, and said unto him, Eusebius, speaking of Christ's Divi­nity, gloses up­on it. Christ's Divinity here, stoopt not to Pilate's Hu­manity. Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above. From thenceforth Pilate sought to Release him, but the Jews [Page 71]cry'd out, saying, If thou let this Man­go, thou art not Caesar's Friend. Whoso­ever maketh himself a King, speaketh a­gainst Caefar. When Pilate therefore heard that Saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sate down in the Judgment Seat, in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew Gabatha: And it was the preparation for the Passover, and about the sixth hour, and he saith unto them, Behold your King! But they cry out, Away with him, Crucifie him. Pilate saith, Shall I Crucifie your King? The Chief Priests answered, We have no King but Caesar, John 19.5.

Now Pilate when he saw that after all ways, and means, and courses, that he had taken with Jesus, to satisfie the Jews, nothing would do, less than to Crucifie him; He was now ready to pass Sentence, and had enter'd the Judg­ment-Hall, and sate down in the Judg­ment-Seat, in order to it; his Wife sends a Letter to him, with words to this effect. saying,

[Page 72]I beseech you, Husband, if you have any Love for me, and any Bowels of Pity and compassion for this poor innocent Man,Pro [...]ula, his Wife, whom the Greek Church Honour as a Convert of our Lord's, sends a Letter to him to this effect. Jesus, (that now is arraign'd and stands before you just ready to be Con­demn'd, and Sentence to be pass'd upon him, on purpose to gratifie the inordinate im­petuous desires of a rash Multitude, and blood-thirsty Jews,) forbear, I say, I humbly beg of you, and do not Con­demn him, and have nothing to do with this just Man, for I have suffer'd many things for him this day in a Dream, which I shall communicate to you, as soon as I see you.

When Pilate saw this, and that he could prevail nothing, but rather that a Tumult was made, He called for Water and wash'd his Hands before the Mul­titude, saying, I am innocent of the Blood of this just Person, see you to it, Matth. 27.19, 24. Then answered all the People, and said, Let his Blood be upon us and our Children for ever, if it will, we will [Page 73]have him Crucified. And the Voices of them and the Chief Priests prevailed, Luke 23.23.

Then Pilate released Barabbas unto them, and delivor'd Jesus to be Crucified, and they took him and lead him away, John 19.16. Then they called toge­ther the whole Band of Soldiers, and with the Scarlet Robe, and the Crown of Thorns on his Head, they put a Reed in his right band, in stead of a Scepter, and they bowed the Knee before him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! And then they spit upo [...] him, and took away the Reed from him, and smote him on the Head with it: And after they had done that, they mock'd him, and then they took off the Robe, that was upon him, by Herod's Appointment; for to Cru­cifie him in that King-like Robe, would be a great dishonour both to their King and Country.

And the Saviour of the World now being left to the Barbarous Multitude to be Crucified,The Jews and Gentiles con­sent and assist in the Cruci­fying of him, Mat. 20.18, 19. and to do what they would with him. You may imagine, [Page 74]with what Undecency and Rudeness they twist and turn about the Sacred Body of our Dear Jesus, that is alrea­dy most grievously sore and stiff with Blood, from their late Inhuman Stripes, and with what force and cru­elty they pull off his Robes, and put on his own Garments for his Crucifixi­on, is enough to make a Devout Soul quake and tremble.

Thus they took the ever-blessed Je­sus, and led him away, bearing His own Cross, toward Mount Calvary, or Golgotha, the place of a Skull, with all the Joy their Rage and Malice could invent.

Stay now, my Soul, and take a serious view of thy Lord and Saviour, thus far afflicted,The Devout Soul stan­ding to see its Saviour pass by to­ward the Mount, the place of his Execution. tormented, and forsaken. I say, now if thy Heart does not break to fast, and the Sluces of thy Eyes do not pour down Pears too vio­lently, take a view of him, and make a stand: It's the way to his Cross, and he will come dragg'd by presently. [Page 75]O my Soul! be like the true. Zacheus, make the best of thy Ground to view, and of thy Time to consider, for now the Agony of our Blessed Redeemer begins.

Ah cruel and miserable Pilate What hast thou now done? And whom hast thou Condemned? And whom hast thou delivered up to be Crucified? The Lord of Glory. The Son of God! The Redeemer and Sa­viour of the World! A just Person! As thou thy self hath testified of him. Thou found'st no Guile nor Evil in his Mouth. What canst thou expect from him then for thy own Salvation! See but yonder, how he is hal'd and dragg'd away from thee, with his Head crown'd with Thorns, his Temples bleeding, his Face besmear'd with Blood and Spittle, from the basest and vilest of the poor ignorant Jews, and his Back stooping under the Bur­then of his own Cross, and his poor Legs trembling, by reason of its weight, which, with the Dust, Dirt, Crowd, Sweat, Blood, and want of Sustenance [Page 76]to revive his poor droop­ing Spirits,His sacred Lips having received no nourishment from the time of the Passover till the time of his thirsting up on the Cross, which was the third day, and exactly forerun the time of his Body ly­ing in the Grave. is ready to sink, Canst thou look after him, Pilate, and see all this, and thy Heart and Soul not faint and bleed?

What wouldst thou give, Pilate, now, to recal thy wicked and abomi­nable Sentence of a just Person, thus spitefully used and dealt with? Like a Lamb to the Slaughter, or a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb, so openeth he not his Mouth,

But now, not for Pity to his tender Back,Simon the Cyrenian compell'd to bear our Sa­viours Cross. but for fear he tire before he come to the Place of suffering, and that they may give him some ease to lengthen out his Torments, and that they may be able to inflict more Stripes upon him, and that he may more become the publick view, and that he may be the better come at to receive his [Page 77]Stripes, and to be spit upon, and thrown at, let us seize and compel the Traveller, Simon of Cyrenia to bear his Cross.

O, happy art thou, Simon, to bear thy Lord's Cross! Let there be no un­willingness in thee. Thou hadst no hand in Condemning him, nor Crown­ing him with Thorns, nor spitting upon him, nor bussetting him; let it not grieve thee, thou may'st be am­ply rewarded for thy pains, if thou be­lievest in him; He, in requital, will bear thy Soul to Heaven for thee. How many poor Souls, now a days, would have been glad to have suffer'd for him, or with him, that have already found part of the Virtue of his Death and Resurrection?

But how can I blame thee, poor Simon, when all his Disciples had left him, and one of them was he that betray'd him to this, but all hid their Faces from him, as he himself had foretold them. And ye shall leave me alone, but I am not alone, because the Father is with me. O, dear Lord Jesu, joyful is this News to me, that I now here thee [Page 78]speak, That thou hast the Presence, Comforts, and Assistance of thy Father, of thy God, with thee in this hour, in this great Agony and Suffering.

And having thus far mournfully ac­companied our Lord and Saviour up the Hill, laden with Afflictions and Sorrows, to the top of Mount Calvary, where the Cross of our dear Saviour is to be fix'd, for the separating of his most Glorious Soul and most Precious Body. Who can but consider, and be amaz'd, to think, what stupendi­ous Sorrows and Sufferings our dear Lord, at this moment, feels and ap­prehends?

All Malefactors that we have at any time beheld with our Christian com­passionate Eyes; there are three Times especially, that conflict and operate most upon sympathizing Beholders; and according as the Sentence for the extinguishing part of Life is, so are we more or less affected, and afflicted with Sorrow.

First, at the time of their Condem­nation and dreadful Sentence, ‘Thou shalt return to the Place from whence [Page 79]thou camest, and from thence to the Place of Execution, and there be hang'd by the Neck till thou art dead, or Quarter'd alive, or burnt to Death, and the Lord have Mercy upon thy Soul.’

Secondly, at the present time of their going up the Ladder, or being fastned to the Rack, Cross, Stake or Block. What Eyes can behold this, but their Face shall gather Paleness and Sorrow,A simpathi­zing think­ing Chri­stian. and their Knees even knock to­gether with fear and trem­bling, to think what is at hand, and they now going immediately to suffer.

Thirdly, at the time of their being in the very present Agony of Death, where, not only the present Torment of Body they endure, but the dreadful Terrors of an affrighted Conscience at the immediate sight of a revengeful God, and irreconcileable Judge, that is now ready to cast both Soul and Bo­dy into Hell-Fire, do produce Com­passion. And this is the present and perfect state and condition of all Men, [Page 80]by reason of Sin. For this, and this alone, is our dear Lord and Saviour conflicted in the Garden, even to the extracting great drops of Blood trick­ling down his most sacred Hands and Face.

And when he saw, his most Righ­teous Father would not reverse this eternal Decree and Punishment to Man­kind for Sin, without his own ever blessed Son's undergoing and suffering Death and Hell for us. Saith he, If this bitter Cup shall not pass from me without drinking of it, Thy Will be done. A Body hast thou prepar'd, that is mount­ing the Cross, and ready and willing to suffer all the Misery and Torment, that the most cruel Rage and Malice of Men and Devils, and an enraged God, will permit to inflict, rather than poor Man shall suffer the deep Pressures of Thy Eternal Wrath and Indignation, in that Luke that burn­eth with Fire and Brimstone for ever­more.

O, blessed Father! Thou art my Fa­ther from all Eternity; and am not I thy Son? Prov. 8.23. I was from [Page 81]everlasting, before ever the Earth was. While as yet he bad not made the Earth or the Fields, nor the highest part of the Dust of the World. When be prepared the Heavens, I was there. When he set a Compass upon the face of the Deep. When be established the Clouds above. When he strengthen'd the Fountains of the Deep. When he gave to the Sea his Decree, That the Waters should not pass his Commandment. When he appointed the Foundations of the Earth: Then was I by him, as one brought up with him, and I was daily his Delight, rejoycing always before him. Rejoycing in the habitable parts of his Earth; And my Delights were with the Sons of Men; when thou createdst them in a state of Innocency and Perfection. And, O, Heavenly Father, shall I now forsake them, in a state of Sin and Misery and Eternal Destruction? No, O Holy Father, for this very end did I come into the World; I, that immaculate Lamb, slain from the beginning, conceiv'd by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, as to human Nature, am toucht with their Infirmities, and therefore [Page 82]came to succour poor tempted Souls. I know the Devil's Wrath and Power, and continual Attempts to all Mankind. For this cause was I carry'd into the Wilderness, endur'd Hunger and Cold, Fasting and Temptations, and I can­not but succour and relieve, and at last deliver, those that are tempted.

As Man, I my self, O Righteous Fa­ther, had fell by his Temptation; but, as God, I overcame him, and can I let them suffer, when I know Man is not sufficient of himself to overcome the Devil nor Sin, nor the Power of Death and Hell, nor thy Eternal Wrath and Displeasure. This was the Eternal Decree of the great Council of Hea­ven from everlasting, That seeing Man was not able to recover his lost state, That Man born of a Virgin, conceived from his God-like Power by the Holy Ghost overshadowing her, in the ful­ness of time should be born, the Son of God, fully qualifi'd God-Man, to make compleat Satisfaction and Atone­ment for laps'd Man, to the unsatisfi'd Justice, and incensed Wrath and In­dignation of God.

[Page 83]And for this Cause was I Born here on Earth, and left the Bosom of my Heavenly Father, and all Thrones and Dominions, Principalities and Powers of Glorified Saints and Angels, and took upon me Human Nature, and came cheerfully leaping over the Hills, and skipping over the Mountains, as a Roe, or young Hart upon the Moun­tains of Spices. For this Cause came I, as in the Volume of the Book it is written of me, to do thy Will, O God, That poor Man might not be Eternally lost, but thy incens'd Wrath might be ap­peas'd, full satisfaction might be made, the power of Hell might be broke, and Devils themselves reserved in Hell, bound in Chains of Darkness, until the great Day, and poor fallen Man acquitted and discharg'd, and his Soul Eternally Sav'd.

This is Love indeed! unbounded, unlimited, Love! infinite, inexhausti­ble, incomprehensible Love of the Son of God, the ever blessed Redeemer of the World. O, the Height, Length, Breadth and Depth of the Goodness of God to Mankind! This is transcen­dent [Page 84]Love, Love without comparison! Now, what must all this extort from us? To see our dear Lord and Saviour just now mounting the Cross, giving of himself up to the utmost Cruelty, that the wickedness of Men and Devils can inflict upon him, from the vehe­mency and Poison of their most bar­barous Rage, and all this for our Sins, and to set us free.

Here is the Sentence of Pilate; ‘Take him, scourg'd already, accord-to your Custom, and bound, Take him and Crucifie him, with this Inscription over his Head,That every one that passeth by might un­derstand it. written in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, This is Iesus of Na­zareth King of the Iews.’

The Death of the Cross was the ancient Punishment of the Jews for their most no­torious Malefactors,Dr. Cave's Primitive Christiani­ty. be­fore Christ's time, and therefore esteemed by the accursed Jews, most fit for our Sa­viour to dye by. Omitting all the [Page 85]various Forms and different kinds, which were all us'd towards the Pri­mitive Christians, there were two things in this way of suffering rendred it very severe, viz. the Pain and Ig­nominy of it. Painful it must needs be, because the Party suffering was fastned to it with Nails drove through his Hands and Feet, the most sensible parts of Man, from such a vast quan­tity of Nerves and Sinews uniting and terminating in those places: And they were pierc'd only in those extream Parts, so far distant from the Heart, on purpose that the exquisiteness of their Torments and Death, might be the more lingring and tedious. Inso­much that some, out of tender Com­passion, have caused some to be strang­led before they were Crucified, as Julius Caesar did the Pirats he had sworn to execute on the Cross; Sueton. in Vit. Caesar. Cap. 47. p. 76. But no such Favour was shewn to Christians; they were suffer'd to remain, during all these cruciating Pangs, till mere Hunger starv'd them, or the Mercy of wild Beasts, or Birds of Prey, dis­patcht [Page 86]them. Thus St. Andrew en­dur'd two whole days upon the Cross. Martyrol. Rom. p, 736.

Timotheus and his Wife Maura, af­ter many other Torments, hung upon the Cross nine days together, before they compleated their Martyrdom. Nor was the Shame of this way of Suffering less than the Pain of it; Crucifixion being the punishment of Slaves, Traitors, and the vilest of Malefactors: Insomuch, that for a Free man to dye thus, was accounted a­mongst them, the highest Degree of Ignominy and Reproach imaginable. Therefore the Roman Historians call'd it Servile Supplicium, a punishment on­ly proper for Slaves. But this pu­nishment of the Cross Constantine took away, out of Reverence to our Savi­our, not being willing, that that should be the punishment of the vilest Ma­lefactors, which had been the Instru­ment whereon the Son of God had purchas'd Salvation for Mankind. So­zom. Lib. 1. Cap. 8. p. 418.

[Page 87]But now, O holy Jesu, must thou be lifted up to suffer and dye upon the Cross, as it was Prophesi'd of thee.Christs nail­ing to the Cross. As the Serpent was lifted up in the Wilder­ness, so shall the Son of Man be lifted up. Now, O blessed Jesu, who is able to see thee, and behold thee, how with rude hands and sear'd Hearts they force and twist, pull, hale, and extend thy Sacred Hands, that were always doing of good, and healing Diseases, now nailing to the Cross? Who can but mourn and lament bit­terly, as not being able to behold thee, the Lord of Life. Our Souls within us must be pierc'd, and even our Hearts break in pieces, to see thy ever bles­sed Feet thus extended and rackt, and nail'd to the Cross, and to think what Agony and Torment they now endure, that always kept the steady Paths of thy God in the ready way to Man's Sal­vation.

Now, to see thee tread the Wine-Press alone, and of all the People there was none with thee. And as thou thy self said'st, I look'd, and there was none [Page 88]to help; and I wondred, and there was none to uphold; therefore my own Arm brought Salvation to me, and my fury up­hold me. In all their Afflictions, I was afflicted, and the Angel of his presence sa­ved th [...]m. In his Love, and in his Pity he Redeem'd them, and be bore them and carry'd them all the days of old. Thus the tender care and Pity of Christ was towards his Children and People from the beginning, it bore Date in the Re­cords of Heaven.

And now, dear Jesu, to see how with uncontroli'd Severity they pierce thy very Hands and Feet, and pene­trate into thy very Nerves and Sinews, not only forcing thy sacred Blood out of thy tender and del [...]cate Veins, but squeezing it out upon the very Cross; And all this for me, O Lord, and for my great and grievous Sins, that are numberless, dost thou endure this grie­vous torment, and shed infinite drops of Blood, crying out in the bitterness of thy Soul, Behold, and see, if there be any Sorrows lie my Sorrows. O Lord, who is able to see thee, bleeding, and groaning, and crying, and dying for [Page 89]me, and not Weep and mourn, and dissolve into Tears and Sorrow? Or, rather than my spent Eyes should want Tears, help my Heart, O Lord, to weep Tears of Blood. Who can for­bear, O Lord, when I consider every Sigh, every Groan, every Cry, every Tear, every drop of Blood, every Pang, every Pain, every Twitch, every Convulsion, and every Distortion that thou endurest, are the products and effects of my Sin. O Lord, let never a Minute be lost, nor never a Thought be spent in vain, now my Saviour is dying, and bleeding on the Cross.

And thus should every devout Soul endeavour to do, when they come to the Table and Supper of the Lord, that being the chiefest time to give the strongest and liveliest strokes in our Hearts and Souls, of the compleatest Resemblance and Commemoration of our dear Lord and Saviour's Suffering and dying on the Cross for us; to con­sider how his Body was broken, and his Blood gushing out for us, for our Sins and for our Salvation. This do, (as our dear Saviour's Words are) as oft [Page 90]as you do it, in remembrance of me, knowing that thus Christ dy'd for thee.

And now, O holy Jesu, help my poor crippl'd Soul through the Crowd,The earnest Petition of a truly sympa­thizing gra­cious Soul. to lay it self down at the foot of thy Cross, to receive the drops of Blood, as they come trickling down from thy Wounds, into my Polluted Soul, that not one drop of thy most precious Blood be spilt on the ground, or the sacred Li­quor of Eternal Life be wasted or lost. O Lord! Who is able to behold thee longer? O that I could bleed, die, and pour out my Soul with thee!

Happy art thou, wretch­ed Thief,The Thief upon the Cross rebuk­ing his Com­panion, and timely pray­ing for him­self. that was reserv'd till this time, to have the Lord of Life to suffer with thee, to have his Jewish ignominy thy poor Souls advantage, to hear now thy Prayers, and save thy Soul from Eternal Death. Let thy cursed Companion and Malefactor per­sist in his obstinacy and incredulity, with the rest of the wicked Jews, cur­sing [Page 91]and reviling his Saviour, and going head-long to Hell. If thou be Christ, come down from the Cross, and save thy self and us. Well as it done, O Thief, that thou so timely rebuk'd him. Why dost thou not now fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation, and same suffering? We, thou knowest, suffer justly for our Offences, but this Man hath done nothing amiss.

I cannot admonish nor persuade thee longer; my Soul is just ready to expire, and I am just fainting away. A mo­ment lost now is lost for ever. My time is but short to pray for my own Soul, that am loaded and crowded with an in­finite number of Iniquities and Sins. If thou wilt die obstinately; Lord, help me to die penitently; If thou wilt continue in Contempt; help me, Lord, to continue in Faith and Patience. If thou look'st upon him as a Deceiver I look upon him as my Saviour. If thou abound'st in reviling, and scorn­ing, (the opportunity now offer'd) I will abound to my last breath with strong Prayers and Tears, to the very last gasp, crying and calling to my Sa­viour, [Page 92]and ever-Blessed Redeemer, and King, Lord have mercy upon me quick­ly, quickly, O Holy Jesu, or I perish for ever; and remember me when thou com'st into the Kingdom.

O Blessed Jesu, that art so ready to give out Pardons and Remissions to poor Penitent Sinners, that call and cry to thee at the very last gasp: As soon as they ask, it is thy own Graci­ous Promise, Ask, and ye shall receive. Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but not one jot or tittle of thy Sacred Word, or Promise, shall pass away. Verily, Verily, thou shalt be with me this day in Paradise.

This is the time of Repentance; this is the time of effectual Prayers; this is the time of weeping and mourn­ing for Sin; this is the time of drench­ing and bathing thy Soul in the pre­cious Heart-blood and Life of thy Sa­viour. It's no matter, what the ac­cursed Jews say, in reviling and mock­ing of the Son of God, their King, their Saviour, and Redeemer. They that pass'd by, rail'd, and wagg'd their beads, saying, Ah! Thou that destroy'st the Temple, and in three days build it up [Page 93]again, come down from the Cross, and save thy self, it thou canst. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the Cross, that we may see and believe. If thou be the King of the Jews, savethy self.

O Lord! Let the wicked Jews be now making up the number of their Sins through Infidelity, till the time of Repentance is past, and the Door is shut. I will be still calling and cry­ing to my God. Let them in scorn and derision be Crucifying my Saviour between two Malefactors, as the chief­est of them. I, in the greatest bitter­ness of my Soul, will be pouring out the most ardent of my Prayers with Sighs, Groans, and Tears, that are unutterable, to remember me, both now whilst thou art on the Cross, and as soon as thou art exalted in thy Kingdom of Glory.

O God! the Son, Redeemer of the World, have mercy upon me, misera­ble Sinner. By the mystery of thy Ho­ly Incarnation; By thy Nativity and Circumcision; By thy Fasting, Baptism, and Temptation, Good Lord, deliver me. By thy Agony, and Bloody Sweat; [Page 94]By the Cross and Passion; By thy pre­cious Death and Burial; By thy Glo­rions Resurrection and Ascension; And by the coming of the Holy Ghost, Good Lord, deliver me. O Son of God! I beseech thee to hear me! O Lamb of God! that takest away the Sins of the World, Grant me thy Peace! O Christ! hear me! O Lord, hear me! O Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World, have Mercy upon me! Lord, have mercy upon me! Christ, have mercy upon me! O Lord, hear me, and remember me, now, now, thou art giving up thy most precious Life, and pouring out thy innocent, harmless, and compassionate Soul. Re­member me, when thou com'st into thy Kingdom. What can a poor Soul beg more, and desire more of its Redeemer at the point of Death? Or what can be given, or done more, by an ever-blessed Saviour and Holy Jesu, to save us from the Jaws of Death, Power of Hell, and Eternal Torments? Than to be pouring out his own Soul by Prayers and Tears to his Hea­venly Father, at the very last minute of his precious Life for us?

[Page 95]But stay, O blessed Jesu! What is it I perceive and see still in this black and dismal hour? O Lord! Is it thee still in thy Agony, and bloody Sweat? It is so dark, I can but just perceive thee. Is it not finisht yet? What say'st thou, Lord, now to my poor, fainting, dy­ing, Soul? Speak, Lord, one word of comfort to me, notwithstanding all thy Adversaries and implacable Enemies about thee. Speak, Lord, and thy Ser­vant heareth. Speak, Lord, and my Soul shall live. If thou art so faint, thou can'st not speak in this grievous Con­flict, let thy good Prophet speak for thee.

Wherefore, when I came, was there no man to help? When I call'd, was there none to answer? Do you think, I am past Saving of you, or Delivering of you, in this time of my Dereliction? Tho you all forsake me in this hour of my Crucifixion, I do not forsake you, my Children, my Flock, and my poor Lambs, my Redeemed, and the purchas'd of my Soul. Is my Hand shortned at all? though nail'd to the Cross? that I cannot Save, or that I [Page 96]cannot Redeem? Or, have I no power to deliver? Behold, at my Rebuke, I dry up the Sea. I make the Rivers a Wil­derness. The Fish stinketh and dieth for Thirst, because there is no Water. I cloath the Heavens with blackness, and I make Sack loth their covering. I make the Earth to quake and tremble, and it would tumble down to the Eternal Abiss, but that I bear up the Pillars of it, at this very moment, that I am bleeding and dying upon the Cross. Let the Jews have as vile and mean thoughts of me as they please, and cast all their scorn and malice, mixt with their cruel rage and poison, at me: It's I, that make the Rocks to rent, the Sun to gather pale­ness, and the Moon to be turn'd into Blood: Notwithstanding, that all the Scrip­tures might be fulfill'd, and my Re­deem'd Ones, the Purchas'd of my Soul, set at liberty, I give my Back to the smiters, and my Cheeks to them that pluck't off my Hair. I hid not my face from shame and spitting; for the Lord G [...]d doth and will help my Soul, and su­stain it, Whatever my Body doth, or shall cry out, and say; therefore I [Page 97]shall not be confounded; therefore I have set my Face like a Flint, and know that I shall not be asham'd. He is near, that justifieth me: Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my Ad­versary? Let him come near. Behold, the Lord will help me, Who is he, that will condemn me? Lo! they shall all wax old as a Garment, and the Moth shall eat them up. Who is it amongst you that feareth the Lord? Who obeyeth the Voice of hit Servant, that walketh in dark­ness, and hath no light? Let him trust in the Name of the Lord, and stay him­self upod his God. Behold all ye that kindle a Five, that compass your selves a­bout with sparks, walk in the light of your Fire, and in the sparks that ye have kind­led, this shall ye have of my hand, ye shall lie down in sorrow. Isa. 50.

But, my Soul, draw near, or else thou wilt lose the sight of thy Saviour. Darkness hastens on a-pace. O Holy Jesu, is it not thee? Let me wipe, and drain, my dim, and almost spent, and blind Eyes, and look again. Lord! it is thee. I still perceive thy Tears distilling down thy sacred Face; Thy [Page 98]Temples boiling out of Spirituous Blood; Thy Sacred Hands and Feet blubbering up, and venting out from behind the Nails, great Bladders of Blood and Froth, from the expulsive force of thy most exquisite Torments. O Lord! even now my Soul fainteth and dieth within me. My Spirits fail me. My poor Mortal Eyes, and ten­der, fainting, Heart, is not able to behold thee longer. Nor yet, while my Life and Strength remains, can I forbear (when an interval of Tears will permit my sight,) looking after thee still, and pouring forth my fer­vent, and frequent, requests to thee; and falling into these most strict Exa­minations within my self.

What! From the Sixth, till almost the Ninth Hour, is my dear Saviour in the height of this vehement Agony, and not over, yet? But still labouring and groaning under the burthen of my Sins? What great and heinous Sin of mine is it, that I am guilty of, that is not aton'd yet? That God is so ex­tremely incens'd at, and that he will not yet pardon? That my poor Savi­our is yet struggling for, till the last [Page 99]drop of his most Precious Blood is ex­hausted? Let me look immediately in­to my Soul, into every corner and crany of it, all must out, and be dis­cover'd, of what nature or quality so­ever it be, whether Lying, Cursing, Swearing and Forswearing, Theft, Murther, Fornication, Adultery, In­cest, Pollution with the Dead, or Co­pulation with Beasts, Blasphemy, Spite and Contempt against thy Holy Word and Sacraments.

O quickly, quickly, quickly, help me, O my God, to find it out, and to bring all to remembrance, that thou mayest no longer be extorted and con­vuls'd in these grievous Torments. Look upon me, dear Saviour, and cast quickly thy dying Eye to­wards me,Christ cast his dying Eyes to a Supplicant Sinner. as thou didst upon Peter, in the High-Priest's Hall, denying thee, that I may immediately remember it, seeing thy Righteous Father is so exact and se­vere, that there is no Redemption of thy most precious Soul, and Sacred Body, from the Cross, till thou hast paid the very utmost Farthing, and hast [Page 100]made full and compleat Satisfaction for me.

O, dear Lord! That Cast of thy languishing, distracted, dying Eye, to­wards me, hath brought all to remem­brance. And there, dear Saviour, in the speedy conveyance of a most ardent Ejaculation, is it most humbly and devoutly presented unto thee, that thou mayest instantly be deliver'd from the Torments and Bondage of Death, in making ample Atonement for it, and my poor Soul may be recorded, as soon as thou art exalted in thy Kingdom of Glory.

Stay, O my Soul! a small space longer, for now Darkness hastens on amain, that I can scarce see thee: But what is it I hear? Does this abomina­ble Sin of mine stick so fast still in the strict Court of Heaven, that it makes thee cry out thus? Will it not yet be discharg'd? What dreadful Cry is it? I'm sure, it must be my Sin. Thou, O blessed Jesu! art Spotless, and without Sin. Guile was not found in thy Mouth: It must be mine; O mise­rable and wretched Creature as I am! How impossible was I, and unable, to [Page 101]have under went this Suffering and Ago­ny for my Sin; as a poor Worm, Dust & Ashes, and sinful polluted Man, when it makes the Son of God thus com­plain, and cry out Hark! Hark! O my Soul, what is it that sounds thus in my Ears? 'Tis no usual Cry; it must come from my Tortur'd Redeemer. Hark! Harst! Silence! Hark! What is't? Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani! My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? O my Soul, what is it? What is it I hear? Eloi, Eloi, Lama-sabachthani? My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? O Lord! O God! O Saviour! O ever­blessed Redeemer! O my Christ! Son of God! Lamb of God! Dearly be­loved of the Father! Where shall I go? Where shall I hide my self from the Wrath and dreadful Displeasure of thy Father, if thou cry'st out so, that art his Son, his only begotten Son, in whom always he was so well pleas'd? What then can I do, or where shall I appear, if Wrath break out never so little to­wards me, when thou, that art a God, complains so bitterly? What then must a poor, vile, wretched, miserable, un­done Creature, and grievous polluted Sinner, do?

[Page 102]But stay, my Soul! Endeavour still to be looking up toward thy Saviour. Let my tremblng, fainting Heart, still endure the Crowd. If thou dyest here, thou mayest still be remembred with the Penitent Thief. It's the only time and place under Heaven, to give up a departing Soul; but if otherwise thou art called for a longer time on Earth, have patience, and see the last of thy erer-blessed Saviour. If the Mother of our ever-blessed Lord stand to see the last Gasp of her dearly beloved Son, and if Mary Magdalen, and o­thers, stand weeping, and crying, and praying, to see the last Gasp, and dis­mal End, of this unparalell'd Trage­dy, thou hast as much need. I say, if, amongst these, Mary the Mother of our ever-blessed Jesu, can stand to be­hold her Nine Months Labour in her precious Womb, and to see the Tra­vail of her Soul thus tormented to Death, canst not thou do the same? More especially, thy Sins, O my Soul, are great, which thou hast committed; have patience a while, and much shall be forgiven thee.

[Page 103]Let us now see, what further the Jews have to do, till their Wrath is quite spent.

And when the Sixth Hour was come, there was Darkness over the whole Earth, until the Ninth Hour; and at the Ninth Hour, Jesus cry'd out with a loud Voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, Lama sabachthani! Which, being interpreted, is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them which stood by, said, He calleth for Elias, let him come down and save him, if he can. Then presently he cry'd, I Thirst; immediately one runs, and fills a Spunge full of Vinegar and Gaul, and gives it him to drink, Psal. 69.21. Mark 15.23.

All this Suffering hitherto of our Blessed Lord and Saviour, had wrought nothing upon these Cruel, Incredu­lous, Jewish, Stony Hearts, but they squeeze this bitter Potion into his most Sacred Mouth with bitter Revilings, which at all times is counted most base and inhuman, to insult over the most vilest Malefactors, at the time of their suffering the satisfaction and penalty of the Law; yet such is the Cruelty [Page 104]of these barbarous Infidels; Let us see, say they, if Elias will come and take him down from the Cross, and save him.

But our Blessed Jesu, as he had liv'd Christ the Son of the ever living God, so he would dye Christ and Saviour of the World, p [...]aying for his most bitter and inhuman Enemies, at the very last minute of his most precious Life. Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.

But when they saw, that all their Rage, Malice, and Barbarous Cruel­ty, ended in a Prayer for them, their Hearts began to smite them, and they stood gazing one upon another; and when they began to see such thick Dark­ness fall upon them, and the Earth quaking and trembling under their Feet, they began to be convinc'd in their Consciences, some of them, and to say one to another, Surely, this is the Son of God, and cry'd, What shall we do. And looking up to Jesus a­gain, they saw him bowing his Head, and saying, Consummatum est, Now it is finished: Father, into thy hands I com­mit [Page 105]my Spirit, and bowed his Head, and gave up the Ghost.

And, as one devoutly observes, the posture of this Death carries in it a lively Representation of his great Love to Mankind, his Arms stretch'd out, as it were, to embrace all those that would come to him, and his Head bowing down to kiss them.

And at the Ninth Hour there was Darkness over the whole Earth, for the Sun began to hide his Head, as not a­ble to behold it: The Vail of the Temple was torn from the top to the bottom, the Earth quak'd, and the Rocks rent, which made the Centurion that stood by as a Sheriff, by Pilate's Command, to see our Saviour executed, begin to be grie­vously afraid, and to say, Of a certain, this was the Son of God, Luke 23.30. Matth. 27.54.

And no sooner had our dear Saviour let fly his Blessed Spirit, and ascended to his Heavenly Throne, and glorified Saints and Angels, but they, rejoy­cing at his glorious Presence, immedi­ately brake forth into singing of Praises and Hallelujahs, with the Penitent [Page 106]Thief. And having now overcome the Power of Death and Hell, forth­with the Graves open'd, and many Bo­dies of the Saints, which slept, arose, Matth. 27.52. and began to glorifie God, Like 23.47. But the Jews, when they saw all this, began to call to the Mountains, to hide them from the Wrath to come; Luke 23.48. And all the People that came together to that Sight, beheld the things that were done, and were a­maz'd, and smote their Breasts, and return'd, that the Scriptures might be fulfill'd; They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his Son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his First-born, Zech. 12.10.

This made Dionysius of Athens to say, (being in Aegypt at the same time of our Saviour's suffering,) when he saw this great Eclipse of the Sun, contrary as at other times, cry out, and say, Aut Deus natu­rae patitur, vel Mundi Machina dissol­vetur; Either the World was at an [Page 107]end, or the Maker of it suffer'd great Agony.

And now, O my Soul, what hast thou more to do, but to attend till thy Saviour is took down from the Cross, and, with the remainder of thy feeble Strength, and almost-spent Eyes, accompany his precious Body to his Funeral, which will be solemniz'd this Evening?

The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation for the Sabbath, and Even was come, and they had a Custom among themselves, That Bodies should not re­main upon the Cross on the Sabbath-day, especially at this time, it being a great and high Day, the Day of the Great Passover; the Soldiers therefore came to Pilate, and besought him, that the Bodies of the Malefactors might be taken down from the Cros [...], John, the Belo­ved Disciple, to whose Care Christ be­queath'd his Mother, saw this, and bore Record of it, that we might believe, John 19.35. and their Legs broken; which no sooner was granted, but one of the Soldiers a­bounding still with his inveterate Malice more than the rest, notwith­standing [Page 108]the wonderful Miracles he had so lately seen from the Glorious Sun of the Firmament, vailing its Head, the Earth trembling, the very Rocks breaking in pieces, and the Vail of the Temple (the most Sacred▪ Place of their Worship,) rent from the top to the bottom; yet he takes no notice of all this, but forthwith runs with his Spear in his hand, and violently pier­ces the tender Side of our dear Lord and Saviour, and immediately gush'd out Water and Blood, the Emblems of the Two abiding Sacraments, that our Lord left with us, in commemoration of His Blessed Humanity and Divinity, Baptism, and the Lord [...]s Supper. And this could not be done without a Pro­phecy, In that Day, there shall be a Fountain open for the House of David, and Inhabitants of Jerusalem, to wash in, for Sin and for Ʋncleanness, Zach. 13.1.

And when they took down the Bo­dies of the other Two Malefactors, found they were not dead, and brake their Legs. The Jews having a Cu­stom amongst them, to break the Legs [Page 109]of the Crucify'd Persons, when they took them down from the Cross, if they sound they had any Life in them. But when they came to Jesus, and found that he was already dead, probably from the vast expension of Spirits, so much exhausted and wasted, from his former▪ Sufferings, and for want of Respit, and fresh recruit of Sustenance, (for which we do not read, from the time of his Betraying, to the time of his Passion, of Care or Supply from any.) Or perhaps from the wound of the Spear in his precious Side, that might the sooner expire his Life; or, rather, from all together. Yet finding him already dead, they broke not his Legs: Or chiefly to fulfil the fore-de­terminate Will of the Almighty pre­dicted and prophesied of him, That a Bone of him should not be broken.

For as we see all along from the fore­knowledge, and all-wise Counsel of Heaven▪ and from the unalterable De­crees of Omnisciency, nothing could from his Conception to his Crucifixi­on, happen to him, but what was un­avoidably necessary and foretold, that [Page 110]it might be of Belief to persuade one, of the True Messias; and of Infideli­ty, to obdurate the other: For so says the Great Apostle, I preach Christ Cru­cified, to the Jews a Stumbling Block, and unto us Gentiles, the Life and Pow­er of God unto Salvation, for they nei­ther did, nor yet will, believe the Ema­nuality of the Son of God in this World; but still are vainly in expecta­tion of him.

Now Joseph being a just man, and altho' one of the Jews, yet had no hand in consenting to the Death of the Son of God, went in privately, in re­spect of the Jews, because he was of Arimathea, a City of the Jews, but went boldly unto Pilate, and begg'd the Body of Jesus.

And when Even was come, because it was the Preparation Even before the Sab­bath, Joseph of Arimathea, an honou­rable Counsellor, who also himself waited for the Kingdom of God, came and went in boldly to Pilate, and crav'd the Body of Jesus. But Pilate fill'd with Incre­dulity, marvell'd if he should be already dead: And, to be fully satisfied, sends [Page 111]for the Centurion, whom he had ap­pointed to stand by, and see the Exe­cution done, and ask'd, If Jesus of Nazareth was dead, and whether he had been any time dead, and when the Cen­turion told him, that he was dead, for his Body the Soldiers had already (with his leave,) taken down from the Cross, and they had broke the Legs of the other two: But when they came to Jesus of Nazareth, he they found al­ready dead, and therefore his Legs were not broken. When Pilate heard all this, he commanded the Body of Jesus to be given to Joseph, Mark 15.42, 46▪ Matth. 27.58.

And Joseph took him away, and wrapp'd his Body in Sindon, or new fine Linen Cloth; and also Nicodemus, which, at the first, came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of Myrrh, Aloes, and other Spices, as the Custom of the Jews was, and wrapp'd him up in fine Linnen, ready for his Funeral, which was to be solemniz'd this Evening in the Garden of Joseph, a place without the Gates of Jerusalem, and near to the place where our Saviour was Crucified, and [Page 112]in a new Tomb hewed out of a Rock, that Joseph had made for himself, and where never Man lay before.

And now, O my Soul, prepare thy self, with all Humility and Devotion, to attend thy Lord and Saviour to his Funeral. This is the last Office of Love thou hast to perform to the dear Body of thy departed Jesus, who had done and suffer'd so much for thee.

O my Soul! what an honour it is to thee to be esteem'd worthy by thy Lord to be bid a Mourner at his Fune­ral?

And happy and blessed art thou, O Joseph, that thou wast waiting impati­ently patient for the Body of Jesus, and for the Kingdom of God. O hap­py art thou, that, in this black and dismal night of sorrow, thy Faith fail'd thee not, and that thy transcendent Love to thy Jesu carry'd thee through all fears and difficulties of the Jews, to crave the Body of Jesus.

This was love indeed, that at such a time as this was, while the rage and malice of the Jews was still boiling hot in them, and seeing all his Disci­ples [Page 113]had left him before this Day of Trial, thou might'st reasonably have ex­pected, that their remaining rage might have spent it self upon them, that should have shewn any manner of kind­ness to the Remaining Body of a Cru­cify'd Jesus. Yet true Faith carry'd thee beyond fear; come Life, come Death, nothing can or shall separate a true Joseph, a truly devout Soul, from the Love of Christ Jesus.

Yet, withal, we may from hence ob­serve the Prudence and Care a Christi­an ought to have: He went privately, in respect of the Jews, whose precipi­tate rage had so lately embru'd their hands in the Blood of an Innocent, harmless, Jesus, and was still reeking hot with that Cruelty; but yet boldly, in respect of Pilate, he went in, and begg'd the Body of Jesus.

His Love and Faith to Jesus made him bold, but his Wisdom and Discre­tion made him cautions; If he must sacrifice his Life for his Love to his Saviour, it should be by the hands of a Legislative Power, and not by the merciless barbarity of the Mobile; [Page 114]but, if it must be so, ready and re­solv'd he was immediately to follow, and be second to so good a Saviour, for whose Salvation he had so long time waited.

O Blessed Joseph! Had'st not thou took care of the Son of God, of Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews, of the ever-blessed Jesu, Redeemer, and Saviour of the World, to have given him decent Burial, his Sacred Body might have laid all mangled, torn, distorted, and extended upon the cold Earth to the merciless Cruelty and savage Nature of Wild Beasts, and Birds of Prey. But this was design'd from all Eternity, that thou should'st be the Man appointed by the Hypo­statick Counsel of Heaven; I say, to be the Man to embalm and entomb the Body of the ever-blessed Jesus; and for this art thou sure, to have thy Soul embrac'd and enthron'd in Heaven in the Bosom of thy Saviour. He that is not asham'd to confess and own me before Men, in the most dangerous of times, him will I not be asham'd to con­fess and own before my Father which is in Heaven.

[Page 115]And now Even is come, and the time of Solemnity and Entombing of our Saviour is at hand; away now, my Soul, with all the heavy weight and burthen of thy Sins, to the Grave of thy Saviour.

The Body born by An­gels, vailing their Faces,The Solem­nity of our Saviours Fu­neral. who, in the time of his Humanity, were always appointed by God to at­tend upon him, and minister unto him, and also, while in the Grave, to perform the same Heavenly Office. And there appear'd two Angels sitting. the one at the head, and the other at the feet: And can we think, they should be spar'd or wanted at this time? Luke 24.4. John 20.12.

First, follow'd by Joseph of Arima­thea, and Nicodemus, John 16.39.40. Then Mary the Mother of the ever-blessed Jesus, Mary Magdalen, and Mary the Mother of James and Joses, and the Mother of Zebedee's Children. And the Women that follow'd after, as Mourners, b [...]held the Body where if [Page 116]was laid, Luke 23.55. And all the rest of the Mourners came following after, ordered by the great Herauld of Heaven. And I will in that day pour upon the house of David and Inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of Grace and Supplication, and they shall look upon me, whom they have perceiv'd, and they shall mourn for him, as one that mourneth for his only begotten Son, and shall be in bit­terness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his first-horn.

In that day there shall be a very great mourning in Jerusalem,Typically spoke of good Josiah a [...] ­ding to our Saviour at this time, Rev. 1.7. as the mourning of Haddadrimon in the Valley of Megiddon: And the Land shall mourn, every Family apart. The Family of the House of David a­part, and their Wives apart. The Fa­mily of the House of Nathan apart, and their Wives apart. The Family of the House of Live apart, and their Wives a­part. The Family of Shimei, and their Wives apart. And all the Families that remain; every Family apart, and their Wives apart, Zech. 12.10, 11, 12.

[Page 117]Come now, O my Soul, do thee fol­low after; gather up, I say, all thy Sins from the soot of the Cross, and bring them with thee to the Grave of thy Saviour. Bury them there in a Flood of Tears, with the rest of those Afflicted Mourners, that they may never rise up in this World more to affright thee, nor in the World to come to con­demn thee. Leave them all there, that they may all be laid upon the head of the scape-Goat, and carry'd into the Wilder­ness, the Land of forgetfulness.

And now strengthen your Heads, you weak Hearts, and gather strength, ye feeble Knees, for now is your Redemp­tion near at hand. And they roll'd a great stone to the door of the Sepulchre, and departed.

Thus having as succinctly, as possibly I could, run over the Passion of our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in that method and order the Holy Scriptures have most perspicuously testify'd of him, both by the Prophets, and also the Apostles, I shall conclude all with that of the most Holy Apostle, and, for the present, leave his precious Body in the Grave, with Angles to attend his [Page 118]Call to his Glorious Resurrection, which the blessed Apostle, in these few words, proclaims.

Ye Men of Israel! Hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approv'd of God among you by Miracles, Wonders, and Signs, which God did by him in the midst of ye, as ye your selves also know. Him, being deliver'd by the determinate Counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucify'd and slain. Whom God hath rais'd up, having loos'd the Pains of Death, because it was not possible that he should be holden of it. But David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my Face, for he is on my Right hand that I should not be mov'd.

Therefore did my Heart rejoyce, and my Tongue was glad, moreover also my Flesh shall rest in hope, because thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see Corruption.

Thou hast made known to me the way of Life, and thou shalt make me full of Joy with thy Countenance.

Now, Glory to God on High, Peace on Earth, Good Will towards Men.