Entry 4

Thus much of the incarnation of Christ: Now followeth the third and last point which is to be considered in the description of Christ, namely the estate of Christ after his birth, which is two-fold, the estate of humiliation, and the estate of exaltation.

The estate of humiliation, is the condition of Christ the Mediatour, in which he abased himselfe euen to the death of the crosse, that by that meanes he might performe the office of a priest in making satisfaction to the iustice of his father.

This estate agrees to the whole person of Christ according to both natures. For first of all his manhoode was abased and humbled, in that it was made subiect to the infirmities of mans nature, as also to the miseries and punishments which were due vnto man for sinne. Secondly, his Godhead was abased; not as it is considered in it selfe. For so it admits no alteration or chaunge. But in respect of the flesh or manhoode assumed; vnder the which as vnder a vaile, the Godhead lay hid from the first moment of the incarnation to the time of his resurrectiō, without any great manifestation of his power and maiestie therein.

The order of these two estates must be marked. First is the estate of humiliation, and then in the second place followes the estate of exaltation. As Christ saith of him selfe, O fooles, and slow of heart to beleeue, &c. ought not Christ to haue suffered these things and to enter into his glorie.¹ And here we for our part must learne a lesson. The same which was true in Christ the head, must be verifyed in all his members; they must also haue their two-fold estate. First in this life the estate of humiliation: secondly, after this life the estate of glorie. And as Christ first entred into the state of his humiliation, and then into glorie: so it is with his members, first they must be abased in this life, and secondly exalted in the worlde to come. He that will raigne with Christ and be exalted, must first suffer with him, and be humbled: hee that will weare the crowne of glorie, must weare first a crowne of thornes: they that will haue all teares wyped from their eyes, must here first in this life shed them. And the children of God before they can sing the song of Moses,² and of the seruants of God, and of the lambe, must first swimme through the sea of burning glasse: wherby it is signified, that those which after this life would sing songs of praises to Christ, must in this life be cast into a sea of miserie. And if this be true, then we may heare learne, that it is a wretched case for a man in this life to haue perpetuall ease, rest, and quietnes both in bodie and soule, goods, and good name: for we see by Christs example, that through aduersitie we must come to happines: and if a man would haue rest and peace in the life to come, then in this life he must suffer trouble, persecution, and sorrow. Indeede in the iudgement of the world, they are blessed that alwaies liue at rest; but before God they are most miserable: and (as oxen which are made fat in the best pasture) readie for the slaughterhouse euery day. Secondly, here is an excellent consolation for those which professe the Gospell of Christ▪ in the time of trouble and persecution they must reioyce, because the state of humiliation in this life is a signe that they are in the plaine and right way to saluation and glorie. A man is to take his iourney into a farre countrey, and inquiring for the way, it is told him that there are many plaine waies; but the straight and right way is full of woods, and hills, and mountaines, and great daungers: now when he is traueiling, and comes into those places, he gathereth certenly that he is in the right way: so the child of God that is going to the kingdome of heauen, though there be many waies to walke in, yet he knowes that there is but one right way, which is very straight and narrow, full of trouble, sorrow, and persecution: full of all manner of crosses and afflictions: and when in this life he is persecuted and afflicted for good causes, whether in bodie or in minde, if he be content to beare his crosse, it agreeth plainly that he is in the right way vnto saluation:³ for thorough many afflictions wee must enter into the kingdome of heauen.

The humiliation of Christ is first of all set downe in the Creede generally, and secondly by his parts or degrees. Generally, in these words, suffered vnder Pontius Pilate. Where we must consider two things; the passion it selfe, and vnder whome it was. For the first, that we may the better conceiue the passion in his owne nature, seuen speciall points must be opened. I. The cause efficient. The principall cause of the passion, as it is the price of our redemption, was the decree and prouidence of God;⁴ as Peter saith expressely that Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God. The impulsive cause that mooued God to worke saluation by this meanes, was nothing in man (for all mankinde was shut vp vnder vnbeleefe, and therefore vnable to procure the least fauour at Gods hād) but the will and good pleasure of God within himselfe. The instruments which the Lord vsed in this busines, were the wicked Iewes and Gentiles, & the deuill himselfe; by whō he brought to passe the most admirable worke of redemption; euen then when they according to their kind did nothing els but practise wickednes and malice against Christ. II. The matter of the passion, is the whole malediction or curse of the Law, containing in it all manner of aduersities and miseries both of bodie and minde. All which may be reduced to three heads, the temptations of Christ, his ignominies and slaunders, his manifold sorrows and griefes, especially those which stande in the apprehension of the vnsupportable wrath of God. III. The forme of the passion▪ is that excellent and meritorious satisfaction which in suffering Christ made vnto his father for mans sinne. We doe not rightly consider of the passion, if we conceiue it to be a bare and naked suffering of punishment, but withall wee must conceiue it as a propitiation or a meanes satisfactorie to Gods iustice. The passion considered as a passion, ministers no comfort: but all our ioy and reioycing stands in this, that by faith we apprehend it as it is a satisfaction or a meanes of reconciliation for our offences. In this very point stands the dignitie of the passion, whereby it differs from all other sufferings of men whatsoeuer. Therefore most damnable and wicked is the opinion of the Papists, who besides the alone passion of Christ, maintaine workes of satisfaction, partly of their owne, and partly of the Saints departed: which they adde to the passion as an appendance thereof. IV. The ende of the passion is, that God might bring to passe a worke in which hee might more fully manifest his iustice and mercie, then he did in the creation, and that is the reconciliation betweene God and man. And here remember with the passion to ioyne the obedience of Christ in fulfilling the lawe: for Christ in suffering obeyed, and in obeying suffered. And they must be ioyntly conceiued together for this cause. In reconciliation with God, two things are required, the remoouing of sinne in regard of the guilt, of the fault, and the punishment, and the conferring or giuing of righteousnes. Now the passion of Christ considered apart from his legall obedience, onely takes away the guilt and punishment, frees man from death,⁵ and makes him of a sinner to be no sinner, and that he may be fully reconciled to God, and accepted as righteous to life euerlasting,⁶ the legall obedience of Christ must be imputed. And therefore in the Scriptures, where all obedience is ascribed to the death and passion of Christ, this very obedience which stands in the perfect loue of God and man must be included and not excluded. V. The time of the passion was from the very byrth of Christ to his resurrection: yet so, as the beginnings onely of his sufferings were in the course of his life, and the accomplishment thereof to the very full, vpon the crosse. VI. The person that suffered was the sonne of God himselfe: concerning whome in this case two questions must be resolued. The first, how it can stand with Gods iustice, to lay punishment vpon the most righteous man that euer was, and that for grieuous sinners: considering that tyrants themselues will not doe so. Answer. In the passion, Christ must not be considered as a priuate person: for then it could not stande with equitie that he should be plagued and punished for our offences;⁷ but as one in the eternall counsell of God set apart to be a publike suretie or pledge for vs, to suffer and performe those things which we in our owne persons should haue suffered and performed. For this cause God the father is said to giue his sonne vnto vs,⁸ and the sonne again to giue his life for his friends. The second question is, how by the short & temporary death of the sonne of God, any man can possibly be freed from eternal death & damnation, which is due vnto him for the least sinne. Answer. When wee say that the sonne of God suffered, it must be vnderstood with distinction of the natures of Christ, not in respect of the Godhead, but in respect of the assumed manhood: yet neuerthelesse the passion is to be ascribed to the whole person of Christ God and man: and from the dignitie of the person which suffered, ariseth the dignitie and excellencie of the passion, whereby it is made in value and price, to coūteruaile euerlasting damnation. For when as the sonne of God suffered the curse for a short time, it is more then if all men and angels had suffered the same for euer. VII. The difference of the passion of Christ, and the sufferings of Martyrs: and that stands in two things. First Christs passion was a curse or punishment; the sufferings of the Martyrs are no curses, but either chastisments or trials. Secondly, the passion of Christ is meritorious for vs euen before God, because he became our Mediatour and suretie in the couenant of grace, but the sufferings of martyrs or not of value to merit for vs at Gods hand, because in suffering they were but priuate men, and therefore they nothing appertaine to vs. By this it appeares, that the Treasurie of the Church of Rome which is as it were a common chest, containing the ouerplus of the merits of Saints, mingled with the merits of Christ, kept and disposed by the Pope himselfe, is nothing else but a sensles dotage of mans braine. And whereas they say that Christ by his death did merit that Saints might merit both for themselues and others, it is as much as if they should say, the sonne of God became Iesus, to make euery one of vs Iesus. And it is a manifest vntruth which they say. For the very manhood of Christ considered apart from the Godhead, cannot merit properly: considering whatsoeuer it is, hath, or doth; it is, hath, and doth the same, wholly and onely by grace: whereas therefore Christ meriteth for vs, it is by reason he is both God and man in one person. For this cause it is not possible that one meere man should merit for an other.

⁹The vse of the passion followeth. It is the manner of Friers and Iesuits in the Church of Rome to vse the consideration of the passion of Christ, as a meanes to stirre vp compassion in themselues, partly towards Christ, who suffered grieuous torments, and partly towards the virgin Marie, who for the torments of her deere sonne was exceedingly troubled: and withall to kindle in their hearts an indignation towards the Iewes, that put Christ to death. But indeede this kinde of vse is meere humane, and may in like manner be made by reading of any humane historie. But the proper and the speciall vse of the passion in deede is this: First of all we must set it before our eyes as a looking glasse, in which we may cleerely behold the horriblenes of our sinnes, that could not be pardoned without the passion of the sonne of God: and the vnspeakeable loue of Christ, that dyed for vs, and therefore loued his owne enemies more then his owne selfe: and lastly our endles peace with God and happines; in that, considering the person of our redeemer, who suffered the pangs of hell, we may after a sort finde our paradise euen in the middest of hell.

Secondly, the meditation of Christs passion serues as a most worthie meanes to beginne and to confirme grace, specially when it is mingled with faith; and that two waies: For first, it serues to breede in our hearts a godly sorrowe for our sinnes past, when we doe seriously with our selues consider, that our owne sinnes were the cause of all the paines and sorrowes and calamities which he suffered in life and death. When any man had sinned vnder the Law, he brought vnto the temple or tabernacle some kinde of beast for an offering, according as he was prescribed,¹⁰ laying his hande vpon the heade of it, and afterward slaying it before the Lord. Now by the ceremonie of laying on the hand, he testified that he for his part had deserued death, and not the beast; and that it beeing slaine and sacrificed, was a signe vnto him of the sacrifice of Christ offered vpon the crosse for his sinnes. And hereby we are taught, that so oft as we remember the passion of Christ, we should lay our hands as it were vpon our owne heads, vtterly accusing and condemning ourselues, euermore keeping this in heart, that Christ suffered not for himselfe, but for our offences, which were the proper cause of all his woe and miserie. And as Christs passion was grieuous and bitter vnto him, so should our sinnes likewise be grieuous and bitter vnto vs: let vs alwaies remember this; otherwise we shall neuer reape any sound benefit by the passion of Christ.

Againe, the passion of Christ is a notable meanes to stirre vp in our hearts a purpose and a care to reforme our selues, and liue in holines and newnes of life; on this manner: Hath the Sonne of God so mercifully dealt with me, as to suffer the curse of the whole law for my manifold iniquities, and to deliuer me from iust and deserued damnation? yea, no doubt, he hath, I am resolued of it: if I should goe on in mine old course, I should be the most vngratefull of all creatures to this my louing Sauiour: I will therefore by his grace returne, and reforme my life. And in this very point of reformation, the passion of Christ is set before vs as a most liuely patterne and example to follow. For as much (saith Saint Peter) as Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh,¹¹ arme your selues likewise with the same minde, which is, that hee which hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sinne. Where hee teacheth, that there must be in vs a spirituall passion answearable to the passion of Christ. For as his enemies did lade him with miseries euen to the death of the crosse; so should we lade our owne flesh, that is, the corruption of our natures, with all such meanes as may subdue and weaken, crucifie and kill it. To the doing of this, three things especially are required. First, we must consider that the corruption of our rebellious natures is like the great and mightie Goliath, and the grace of God which we haue receiued like young and little Dauid: and therefore if wee desire that grace should preuaile against corruption, we must disarme the strong man, and strippe him of all his weapons: which is done, by giuing all the members of our bodies to be instruments of the seruice of God in righteousnes and holines. Secondly, we must indeauour to keepe in the corruption of nature as it were choking and smothering at the heart; that by it neither the worlde nor the deuill preuaile against vs. And this must be done by hauing a narrow regard vnto all the powers and faculties of bodie and soule, setting a watch before our eyes, eares, lippes, and all other parts of the bodie, that are in any action the instruments of the soule;¹² and aboue all, as Salomon saith, by countergarding the heart with all diligence. By the outward senses of the bodie, as through open windows the deuill creepes into the heart; and therefore our duetie is, to stoppe all such waies of entrance. Thirdly, when originall corruption begins to rebell either in the minde, will, or any of the affections, then must we draw out the sword of the spirit which is the word of God, and incounter with that hidious gyant, laying load vpō him by the iudgements and threatnings of the law, & as it were beating him down with clubbes, as Paul speaketh.¹³ And if it fall out that concupiscence beginne to conceiue and bring foorth any sinne, we must cruise it in the head, & dash it against the ground, as a bird in the shell, least it growe vp to our vtter confusion. These are the dueties which wee should learne by the passion of Christ. But lamentable are our daies, in which all for the most part goes contrarie: for commonly men are so farre from killing and subduing the rebellion of the naturall concupiscence, that all their studie and care is, howe they may feeede and cherish it, and make it stronger then the mightie Goliah. But let vs for our parts be conformable to Christ in his passion, suffering in our flesh as he suffered in bodie and soule for vs. And let vs daily more and more by the hand of faith apprehend and applie to our hearts and consciences the passion of Christ, that it may as a fretting corasive eate out the poyson of our sinnefull natures and to consume it.

Now followeth the second point concerning the passion of Christ, which is vnder whome he suffered, namely vnder Pontius Pilate. And Christ may be said to suffer vnder him in two respects. First, because he was then the President of Iurie.¹⁴ For a little before the birth of Christ the kingdome of the Iewes was taken away by the Romane Emperour, and reduced into a Province, & Pontius Pilate was placed ouer the Iewes, not as king, but as the Romane Emperours deputie. And this circūstance is noted in the historie of the Gospell, & here specified in the Creede, to shew that the Messias was exhibited in the time foretold by the Prophets.¹⁵ Iacob foretold that Shilo must be borne after the scepter is removed from Iuda. Isaiah saith,¹⁶ that the familie of Ishai shall be worne as it were to the root before Christ as a branch shall spring out of it. Againe, Christ suffered vnder Pontius Pilate as he was a iudge: whereby we are giuen to vnderstand of a woonder, namely that Christ the sonne of God, King of heauen and earth, was arraigned at the barre of an earthly iudge, & there condēned. For thus much the words in meaning import, that Pontius Pilate sate as iudge on Christ, to examine him, to arraigne him, and giue sentence against him. Wherefore before we come to speake of the degrees of the passion of Christ, we must needes intreat of his arraignement vpon earth. In handling whereof wee must generally consider these points. First, that when hee was arraigned before Pilate he was not as a priuate man, but as a pledge and suretie,¹⁷ that stood in the place and steade of vs miserable sinners, as the Prophet Jsaiah saith, He bare our infirmities,¹⁸ and carried our sorrowes: and withall in him was mankinde arraigned before God. Secondly, this arraignment was made not priuately in a corner, but openly in the publique court, and that in a great feast of the Iewes, as it were in the hearing of the whole worlde. Thirdly, though Pilate in citing, examinig, and condemning Christ, intended not to worke any part of mans redemption, yet was this wholly set downe in the counsell & good pleasure of God, in whose roome Pilate sate, and whose iudgement he exercised.¹⁹

The generall vse of Christs arraignement, is two-fold. First, it is a terrour to all impenitent sinners: for there is no freedome or protection from the iudgement of God, but by the arraignment of Christ: and therefore such as in this life receiue him not by faith, must at the ende of this worlde be brought out to the most terrible barre of the last iudgement, there to be arraigned before the King of heauen and earth. And marke the equitie hereof. Christ himselfe could not haue beene our Sauiour and redeemer, vnlesse he had beene brought out to the barre of an earthly iudge, and arraigned as a guiltie malefactour: and therefore there is no man vpon earth that liues and dies out of Christ, but hee must whether hee will or no, holde vp his hande at the barre of the great iudge of all mankinde, where he shall see hell vnderneath him burning red hotte, and opening it selfe wide to swallow him vp: and on the right hand of God standing all the Prophets, Apostles, and Saints of God giuing iudgement against him: on the left hand, the deuill and all his angels accusing him; and within him a guiltie conscience condemning him. And thus shall be one day the arraignment of all those persons, that with full purpose of heart cleaue not to Christ: and yet, alas, huge and infinite is the number of those which make more account of transitorie and earthly matters, euen of their pigges with the Gaderens, then of him and his benefits: but such should rather be pitied then despised of vs, considering their estate is such, that euery day they are going as traytours pinnioned to their owne iudgement, that they may goe thence to eternall exequution.

Secondly, Christs arraignment is a comfort to the godly. For he was arraigned before Pilate, that all such as truly beleeue in him, might not be arraigned before God at the day of the last iudgement: he was accused before an earthly iudge, that they might be cleared and excused before the heauenly iudge: lastly he was here condemned on earth, that we might receiue the sentence of absolution and be eternally saued in heauen.

The arraignment of Christ hath three parts: his apprehension, his accusation, his condemnation. In the apprehension, wee must consider two things: the dealing of Christ, and the dealing of Iudas and the Iewes. The dealing and proceeding of Christ was this, when he saw that the time of his apprehension and death was neere, he solemnly prepared himselfe thereto. And his example must teach euery one of vs, who knowe not the shortnes of our daies, euery houre to prepare our selues against the day of death, that thē we may be found readie of the Lord. What? shall the Sonne of God himselfe make preparation to his owne death, and shall not we most miserable sinners doe the same, who stande in neede of a thousand preparations more then he? wherefore let vs continually thinke with our selues that euery present day is the last day of our life, that so we may addresse our selues to death againe the next day.

The first thing which Christ doth in this preparation, is to make choice of the place, in which he was to be apprehended, as will appeare by conferring the Evangelists together. S. Matthew saith, he went to the place called Gethsemane:²⁰ S. Luke saith, he went to the mount of Oliues as he was accustomed. And that wee might not imagine that Christ did this that he might escape and hide himselfe from the Iewes,²¹ S. Iohn saith, that Iudas which betraied him knewe the place, because oftentimes he resorted thither with his disciples: whereas if he had feared apprehension he would haue rather gone aside to some other secret and vnwonted place. This thē is the first point to be cōsidered, that Christ knowing the time of his owne death to be at hand, doth willingly of his owne accord resort to such a place in which his enemies in all likelihood might easily finde him, and haue fit opportunitie to attach him. For if he should haue still remained in Ierusalem, the Scribes & Pharisies durst not haue enterprized his apprehension, because of the people whome they feared: but out of the citie in the garden all occasion of feare is cut off. By this it is manifest, that Christ yeilded himselfe to death willingly, and not of constraint: and vnlesse his sufferings had bin voluntarie on his part, they could neuer haue bin a satisfaction to Gods iustice for our sinnes. Here a question offereth it selfe to be considered, whether a man may lawfully flie in daunger and persequution, seeing Christ him selfe doth not. Answ. When good means of flying and iust occasion is offered, it is lawfull to flie. When the Iewes sought to kill Paul at Damascus, the disciples tooke him by night, and put him through the wall and let him downe in a basket to escape their handes. When Moses was called by God to deliuer the Israelites, after he had slaine the Egyptian, and the fact was knowne, and Pharao sought to kill him for it, he fled to the land of Madian. And our Sauiour Christ sundrie times when he was to be stoned, and otherwaies hurt by the Iewes, withdrewe himselfe from among them. It is lawfull then to flie in persequution, these caueats obserued. First, if a man finde not himselfe sufficiently strengthened to beare the crosse. Secondly, his departure must be agreeable to the generall calling of a Christian, seruing to the glorie of God and the good of his brethren, and the hurt of none. Thirdly, there must be freedome at the least for a time from the bond of a mans particular calling. If he be a magistrate, he must be freed from ruling, if a minister, from preaching and teaching, otherwaies he may not flie. And in this respect Christ, who did withdraw himselfe at other times, would not flie at this time; because the houre of his suffering was come,²² wherein hee intended most willingly to submit himselfe to the good pleasure and will of his father.

The second part of the preparation, is the praier which Christ made vnto his father in the garden. And herein his exāple doth teach vs earnestly to pray vnto God against the daunger of imminent death, and the temptations which are to come. And if Christ, who was without sinne, and had the spirite aboue measure had neede to pray, then much more haue we neede to be watchfull in all kinde of prayers, who are laden with the burden of sinne, and compassed about with manifolde impediments and daungerous enemies.

In this praier sundrie points worthie our marking are to be considered. The first, who prayed? Ans. Christ the Sonne of God: but stil we must remember the distinction of natures and of their operations in one and the same Christ; he prayeth not in his Godhead, but according to his manhood. The second is, for whome he prayeth? Ans. Some haue thought that this & all other his praiers were made for his mystical body the Church; but the truth is, he now praies for himself, yet not as he was God, for the Godheade feeles no want, but as he was a man abased to the forme of a seruant: & that for two causes. First, in that he was a man, hee was a creature, and in that respect was to performe homage to God the Creatour. Secondly, as he was man, he put on the infirmities of our nature, and thereupon praied that hee might haue strength and power in his manhood to support him in bearing the whole brunt of the passion to come.

The third point is, to whome he prayed? Answer. To the father: neither must this trouble vs, as though Christ in praying to the father, should pray to himselfe, because he is one and the same God with him. For though in essence they admit no distinction, yet in person or in the proper manner of subsisting they doe. The father is one person, the Sonne an other: therefore as the father saying from heauen, This is my welbeloued Sonne,²³ spake not to himselfe, but to the Sonne: so againe the Sonne when he praieth, he praies not to himselfe, but to the father.

The fourth point, what was the particular cause of his prayer. Answ. His agonie in which his soule was heauie vnto death; not because he feared bodily death, but because the malediction of the Law, euen the very heat of the furie & indignation of God was powred forth vpon him, wherewith he was affected and troubled, as if he had bin defiled with the sinnes of the whole world. And this appeares, 1. by the words whereby the Evangelists expresse the agonie of Christ, which signifie exceeding great sorrow and griefe: 2. by his dolefull complaint to his disciples in the garden,²⁴ My soule is heauie vnto the death: 3. by his feruent prayer thrise repeated, full of dolefull passions: 4. by the comming of an Angel to comfort him: 5. by his bloodie sweate, the like whereof was neuer heard. And herein lies the difference betweene Christs agonie, & the death of martyrs: he put on the guilt of al our sinnes, they in death are freed frō the same: he was left to himselfe void of comfort, they in the midst of their afflictions feele the vnspeakeable comfort of the holy Ghost: & therfore we need not meruaile why Christ should pray against death, which neuerthelesse his members haue receiued & borne most ioyfully. Againe, this most bitter agonie of Christ is the ground of all our reioycing, and the cause why Paul biddes all the faithfull in the person of the Philippians, to reioyce alwaies in the Lord, & againe to reioyce. And here we are further taught, that when we are plūged into a sea of most grieuous afflictions, & ouerwhelmed with the gulfes of most dreadfull temptations, euen then, then I say, we shoulde not be discouraged, but lift vp our hearts by fervent prayer to God. Thus did Christ when in the garden he was drinking the cuppe of the wrath of God and sucking up the verie dregges of it: and David saith, that out of the deepes he called of the name of the Lorde and was heard.²⁵

The fifth point, what is the matter and forme of this prayer. Answer. Christ praies to be delivered from the death and passion which was to come, saying on this maner, Father, let this cuppe passe from me: yet with two clauses added thereto, If it be possible, and, Not my will, but thy will be done. But it may be demaunded, how it could be that Christ knowing that it was his Fathers will and counsell that he should suffer death for man, and also comming into the world for that end, should make such a request to his Father without sinne. Answer. The request proceedes only of a weakenesse or infirmitie in Christes manhood without sinne, which appeareth thus. Wee must still consider that when hee made this praier to his father, the whole wrath of God and the verie dolours and pangs of hell seased upon him: whereby the senses and powers of his mind were astonished, and wholly bent to relieue nature in this agonie. For as when the heart is smitten with griefe, all the blood in the bodie flowes unto it to comfort it: so when Christ was in this astonishment, the understanding and memorie, and all the parts of his humane nature (as it were for a time suspending their owne proper actions) concurred to sustaine and support the spirit and life of Christ, as much as possibly might be. Nowe Christ being in the middest of this perplexed estate, praieth on this manner, Father if it be possible let this cuppe passe. And these words proceede not from any sinne or disobedience to his Fathers will, but only from a meere perturbation of mind, caused onely by an outward meanes, namely the apprehension of Gods anger; which neither blinded his understanding nor tooke away his memorie so as he forgot his fathers will, but only stopped and staied the acte of reasoning and remembring for a little time: even as in the most perfect clocke that is the motion may be staied by the aire, or by a mans hand, or by some outward cause without any defect or breach made in any part of it. It may be obiected that Christes will is flat contrarie to the will of his father. Answere. Christes will as he is man and the will of the father in this agonie, were not contrarie, but onely divers, and that without any contradiction or contrarietie. Now a man may will a divers thing from that which God willeth, and that without sinne. Paul desired to preach the worde of God in Asia and Bithynia,²⁶ but hee was hindred by the spirite. For all this, there is no contrarietie betweene Paul and the spirite of God; but in the shewe of discorde great consent. For that which Paul willeth well, the spirite of God willeth not, by a better will: though the reason hereof be secret, and the reason of Pauls will manifest. Againe the minister in charitie reputing the whole congregation to be elect, in holy maner seeketh and willeth the saluation of euerie one, which neuerthelesse the Lorde in his eternall counsell willeth not. Nowe betweene both these willes there may be and is a difference without contrarietie. For one good thing as it is good may differ from another; but it can not be contrarie to it. It may further be alleadged, that in this prayer there seemes to be a combat and fight in the minde, will, and affections of Christ, and therefore sinne. Answere. There are three kinde of combates: the one betweene reason and appetite, and this fight is alwaies sinnefull, and was not in Christ: the second is betweene the flesh and the spirite, and this may be in Gods childe who is but in part regenerate; but it did not befall Christ who was perfectly holy. The third is a combate of divers desires, vpon sundrie respectes drawing a man too and fro. This may be in mans nature without fault: and was in Christ, in whome the desire of doing his Fathers will striving and struggling with another desire, whereby nature seekes to preserue it selfe, caused him to pray in this manner.

The sixt point is, in what maner Christ prayed. Answer. Hee prayed to his Father partly kneeling, partly lying on his face, and that with strong cries and teares, sweating water and blood: and all this hee did for our sinnes. Here then behold the agonie of Christ as a cleare crystall, in which we may fully see the exceeding greatnesse of our sinnes, as also the hardnesse of our hearts. We goe vaunting with our heads to heauen as though it were nothing to sinne against God, whereas the horrour of the wrath of God for our rebellions, brought downe euen the sonne of God himselfe and laid him groueling vpon the earth. And wee can not so much almost as shed one teare for our iniquities, whereas hee sweates bloode for vs. Oh let vs therefore learne to abase our selves and to carrie about us contrite and bleeding hearts, and be confounded in our selues for our sinnes past.

The last point is the euent of the prayer, in that it was heard, as the authour of the Hebrewes saith, Christ Iesus in the dayes of his flesh, did offer vp vnto his father prayers,²⁷ and supplications, with strong cries and teares, vnto him that was able to saue him: and was also hearde in that thing which he feared. But some will say, how was Christ heard, seeing he suffered death and bare the pangs of hell, and the full wrath of God; if hee had beene hearde he shoulde haue beene delivered from all this? Ans. We must knowe that God heares our prayers two waies. I. when hee directly graunts our request. II. when knowing what is good for vs, he giues not vs our requests directly, but a thing answerable therunto. And thus was Christ heard: for he was not deliuered from suffering: but yet he had strength and power giuen him, whereby his manhood was made able to beare the brunt of Gods wrath. And in the same manner God heareth the prayers of his seruants upon earth. Paul prayed to be deliuered from the Angell Satan that buffeted him: but the Lord answered that it must not so be, because his grace wherby he was inabled to resist his tēptarion was sufficient: & Paul finding the fruit of his praiers on this maner,²⁸ protestes hereupō that he will reioyce in his infirmities. Others pray for tēporall blessings, as health, life, libertie, &c. which notwithstanding God holds back, and gives in stead thereof spirituall graces, patience, faith, contentation of minde. Augustine saith, God heares not our prayers alwaies according to our willes and desires,²⁹ but according as the things asked shall be for our salvation. He is like the Phisition, who goes on to launch the wound and heares not the patient though he crie never so, till the cure be ended.

Nowe followeth the second thing to be considered in Christs apprehension, namely the dealing of the Iewes: wherein we must consider foure things. I. how they consult togither concerning Christes apprehension. II. howe they came to the place and mette him. III. how they laid hands on him. IIII. how they bound him and tooke him away. For the first: before they enterprised this matter, they did wisely and warily lay their heads togither, to consult of the time and place: and also of the manner of apprehending him. So S. Matthew saith, There assembled togither the chiefe priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people into the hall of the chiefe priest called Caiphas:³⁰ and consulted how they might take Iesus by subtiltie. Whence wee learne two good instructions. First, the Iewes hauing a quarrell against Christ, could never be at rest till they had his blood: and therefore they consult how they might take him: but God did so order the matter, and dispose of their purposes and consultations, that hereby he did both confound them and their nation. For by reason of this heynous sinne against Christ, came the iust wrath of God upon them, and so remaineth unto this day. Whereby wee see, that those which will be wise without the direction of Gods word, and against Christ, the Lord will ouerthrowe them in their owne wisdome. And thus it was with Achitophel, who for wisedome was as the oracle of God: yet because he rebelled against the Lords anointed, God confounded him in his owne wisdome. For when his counseil which he gaue against Dauid was not folowed,³¹ he thought himselfe dispised as the text saith, and sadled his Asse, and arose and went home into his citie, and put his houshold in order, and hanged himselfe, wherein he shewed himselfe more senselesse then a bruite beast. And in our daies the Leagers that haue bound themselues by othe to roote out the Church of God; by his most wonderfull providence turne their swords against themselues and destroy ech other. Therefore if wee will be wise, we must learne to be wise in Christ; for els our counsell will be our owne confusion. Secondly, hence wee learne, that if men will liue in their stubbernnesse and rebellion against Christ, the Lord will so carrie and order those men, or that people, that they shalbe the causes of their owne perdition. This wee may plainely see in the example of these Iewes: for they evermore envied Christ, and now they goe on to take counsell against him: but God so disposed of it, that thereby they brought destruction vpon themselues & theit cuntry. This must teach thee to take heed how thou livest in thy sinnes: for if thou doe so, the Lord hath many waies to worke thy confusion: as, thy conscience to condemne thee; thy friends to forsake thee; the divell & his angels to torment & molest thee; & his creatures to annoy thee. Yea, the Lord can leaue all these, and make thine owne selfe to be the direct meanes of working thine owne confusion, both in body and soule eternally: and that euen then, when thou art most wary and wise in thine owne behalfe: & this is the reward of all those that walke on in their euill waies.

Hauing consulted, in the next place they come to the garden, where Christ was to be apprehended. And here wee are to consider who they were that came, namely the Scribes, and Pharises, the high priests, and their servants;³² a band of soldiers, and the servants of Pontius Pilate, and the Elders of the Iewes: all which came with one consent to the place where Christ was, that they might attach him. Where we may learne a good lesson that all sorts of wicked men disagreeing among themselues, cā agree against Christ. The Scribes and Pharises were two contrary sectes, and at discord one with another in matters of religion: and Iudas was one of Christs disciples: the Elders differed from them all: the souldiers were Gentiles: all these were at variance among themselues, and could not one brooke another. So also we read that Herode and Pontius Pilate were not friends: but at the same time when Christ was apprehended, Pilate sent him to Herode, and they were made friends.³³ Now as these wicked men did all conspire against Christ: so doe the wicked ones of this world in all cuntries and kingdomes bande themselues against the Church of Christ at this day. And howsoeuer such be at discorde among themselues, yet they doe all ioyne hand in hande to persecute Christ in his members. And the reason is plaine; because Christ and his religion is as flat opposite to the corrupt disposition of all men, as light is to darkenesse.

Againe, whereas we see so many sortes of men so amiably consenting to take Christ: we may note how all men naturally doe hate and abhorre him, and his religion. And looke as then it was with Christ, so hath it bene with all his members, and will be to the end of the world. They are accounted as the offscouring of the world, men not worthie to live on the face of the earth: as Christ tolde his disciples,³⁴ saying, Ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake.

Let us also marke how all these came furnished to apprehend Christ: the text saith, they came with clubs & staves as vnto a thiefe.³⁵ All the whole nation of the Iewes knewe right well that Christ was no man of violence, but meeke and humble: and yet they came armed to apprehend him; as though he had ben some mightie potentate that would not haue beene apprehended, but haue resisted them. Where wee doe see the propertie of an euill conscience, which is to feare where there is no cause at all. This causeth some to be afraid of their owne shadowes: & if they see but a worme peepe out of the ground, they are at their wits end:³⁶ and as Salomon saith, The wicked flee when none pursueth them.

After that they are now come to Christ, we are to consider two things in their meeting. I. Christs communication with them. II. The treason of Iudas. Concerning their conference,³⁷ it is said, Iesus knowing all things that should come vnto him, went forth, and said unto them, Whome seeke yee? they answered him, Iesus of Nazareth: Iesus answered, I am he. Now so soone as he had said, I am he, the stoutest of them fell to the ground, as being astonished at the maiestie of his word. Where note, that the word of God is a word of power. The same power was in his word, when he raised up Lazarus: for when he had iyen in the graue, & had entred into some degrees of corruption, he did no more but said, Lazarus, come forth: & he that was dead came forth. And hence we may also marke what a wonderfull might and power is in the word preached: for it is the very worde of Christ, and therfore being preached by his ministers lawfully called by him therunto; hath the same power & force in it which Christ himselfe shewed when he spake on earth. It is the savour of life unto life to saue those that heare it: or the savour of death unto death. It is like to a vapour or perfume in the aire,³⁸ which in some mens nosthrilles is savourie and pleasant, and doeth reviue them: and others it striketh starke dead. And therefore everie one that either now, or heretofore hath heard this word preached, shall find it to be vnto them either a word of power to saue their soules, or through their corruption the ministerie of death and condemnation. Againe, if a worde spoken by him, being in a base and lowe estate, be able to overthow his enemies, then at the last day when he shall come in his glorie, and power, and maiestie to iudge both the quicke and the dead; what power shall his wordes haue▪ Goe you cursed of my father into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devill & his angels? The consideration of this, that the word of Christ shall euen be as powerfull at that day, must be a motiue to euerie one of vs to cause us to come vnto Christ: and while wee haue time in these dayes of grace and mercie, to seeke to be reconciled vnto him for all our sinnes, least at the last day wee heare that dreadfull voice of Christ sounding against vs, Goe ye cursed into everlasting fire, &c.

And thus much for the communication. Now followeth Iudas his treason: wherein wee are to obserue these things. I. the qualities and conditions of the man that did the treason. He was by calling a disciple chosen to be an Apostle which is the chiefest in Ecclesiasticall callings: & among the Disciples he was in some account; because hee was as it were a stewarde in Christes family, and bare the bagge: but yet hee was a traitour, and did more against Christ then all the Iewes did. For he brought them to the place where they might apprehend him: and when they were come, did point him out unto them, and delivered him into their hands: nay he gaue them a signe and token saying,³⁹ Whome I kisse, he it is: take him and lead him away warily. Here we see the cause why Christ called Iudas a Divell: for he said, Have I not chosen you twelve, and one of you is a divell.⁴⁰ Hee became to be a devill and a traitour by nourishing a wicked and a covetous heart. And here we are taught that the ministers of Christ, if they make no conscience of sinne, by the iust iudgement of God do prooue deuils incarnate: this exāple of Iudas doth manifest the same: and the reason is plaine, for the more knowledge a man hath, the more wicked he is if he want grace. They are like in this case unto a man that hath meate & drinke enough, but no stomacke to digest it: and so the more he eateth, the more it turneth to his hurt. This I speake not to deface the callings of ministers; but that those which preach Gods worde, should not doe it with impenitent hearts, living in their owne sinnes. For it is a fearefull thing for a man to speake unto the people of the pardon of their sins, and yet himselfe not to apprehend the same by faith. A lumpe of wax if you keepe it from heate, or from the fire, it keepes his owne forme still, but if it be helde to the fire, it melts and runnes abroad:⁴¹ so ministers who by reason of their callings come neare God, if they be lumps of iniquity & liue in their sins, they shall find that the corruptions of their hearts wil melt abroad as wax at the fire. And therfore every one that is designed to this calling,⁴² must first purge him selfe of his owne sinnes, or else Gods iudgements will fall on him, as they did on Iudas that betraied Christ.

Secondly let vs consider what mooued Iudas to betray his master; namely, the desire of wealth and gaine: & this couetousnesse, which is an insatiable desire of mony,⁴³ is the roote of all sinne: not that all sinnes came of it, but because where it is, there all other sinnes are preserved, and doe get strength. The desire of thirtie peeces of siluer caused Iudas to make an agreement with the Iewes, and to betray his master. But some will say this practise of Iudas is strange, and no man that liueth now would do the like for any money. Answer, Iudas is dead indeede, but his practise is yet aliue: for in the high and waightie calling of the ministery, he that hath charge of soules, and either cannot teach and feed his flock, or else will not, though he betray not Christ, yet he betrayes the members of Christ unto the deuill. If a nource should take a mans child to bring up, and yet neuer giue it milke, insomuch that the childe dieth for hunger: is not shee the murtherer of it? yes verely. And so it is with him that taketh upon him the charge of Gods people, and neuer feedes them with the milke of Gods worde, or els so seldome that their soules doe famish: he is the murtherer of them, and hath betraied them into the handes of their enemie: and shall be condemned for them as a traitour unto God unlesse he repent. Besides, those that liue by traffique in buying and selling, make gaine by lying, swearing, and breaking the Lordes Sabaoth: they are also Iudasses: for they choppe away their soules with the deuill for a litle gaine. And more lamentable is their case, because it is harde to finde one of an hundred in the worlde that makes conscience of a lye, or of any bad dealing; if any gaine at all may come thereby. Men use to crie out on Iudas for betraying Christ: and well, yet they themselues for a litle worldely pelfe betray their owne soules. And if such would not be counted Iudasses, they must leaue off to sinne & keepe a good conscience in Gods worship, & the works of their callings.

Thirdly, let us note what course Iudas tooke in betraying Christ: hee was verie submisse, saying, Haile, Master, and kissed him. Why did he so? Herein hee played the most palpable hypocrite: for hauing gotten a peece of money, he thought that neither Christ, nor any of his fellowe disciples should haue knowne of it (though Christ knew it well enough) & therefore he comes in this manner to him thinking that he would haue conveighed him-selfe from amongst them at the verie pinch, as he had done often times before. And this practise also of Iudas is common in the world: Iudas an enymie vnto Christ speakes him faire, and salutes him, and so do most of our secure and drowsie protestāts in England: they will salute Christ, both by hearing his worde and receauing his sacramentes: and as the prophet saith, they honour god with their lips but their heartes are farre from him. Wee may see daylie experience of this: everie man will say, Lord, Lord, but in there lives & conversations, few there be that deny him not; both in the dutyes which they owe unto god: and also towardes there brethren. Many wil come to heare gods word because they are compelled by the magistrates laws: but when they are come they worship not god in therehearts: which is plainly seene by the breach of gods holie saboth in euerie place: and that they make more account of a messe of pottage with Esau, then of their birth right: and of 30 peices of siluer than of Christ▪

The 3 pointe to be handled in Christes apprehension is that they lay hand on him: wherein we must consider 2 things. I. the resistance made by Christs disciples. II. their flight. For the first, Christs disciples resisted, and principally Peter drawing his sword, stroke one of the hye priests seruāts, & cut off his eare. This fact our sauiour Christ reproues: & that for these causes.⁴⁴ I. because his disciples were priuat men: & they that came to apprehend him were magistrates Secondly, he was to worke the worke of mans redemption: now Peter by this did what he could to hinder him. And frō this practise of Peter we may learn, that nothing in the worlde is so hard unto a man, as to take vp his crosse & follow Christ. One would thinke it should be a harde matter for him to encounter with enemies, especially they being strōger then hee: but Peter stoutly resisting makes nothinge of yt: whereas a litle before when Christ tould him & the rest concerning his passion they were so heavie with griefe that they could not hold vp there heads: so hard a thing it is to beare the crosse: and for this cause afterward when Christ reprooued him for striking, both he & all the rest of the disciples fledde away. Secondly Peter in all mens reason was to be cōmended, because he strake in the defēce of his master: but Christ reproves him for it. Whence we learne, that if a mā be zealous for Christ: he must be zealous within the cōpasse of his calling: and not be zealous first, & then look for a calling, but first looke for a calling & then be zealous. which thinge if Peter had marked he had not delt so rashlie: for being without the compasse of his calling hee could not but doe amisse. Heere it may be demaūded, whether Christ and his religion may not be maintained by the sworde? I Answere, that the magistrate, which is the vicegerent of the lord, is the keeper of both tables: & therfore is to maintaine religion with the sworde: and so may put to death both Atheistes, which hold there is no god, of which sorte there is many in these daies: and hertiques, which maliciously maintaine, & hold any thing that ouerthrowes religiō in the Churches whereof they were members. But some obiect, that in the parable of the field, the seruants are commanded not to pluck up the tares from the wheat,⁴⁵ but to suffer both to grow till haruest: and that therefore there must be no separation of heritiques, and true christians before the last daye of iudgement. Answer. The scope of that place is not to forbid the execution of heritiques: but it speaks only of the finall separation which must be in the end of the world. For there the Master of the familie doth signifie God him-selfe, and the field, the Church militant spread ouer the face of the whole earth: & by tares is ment not only heritiques; but also all those that are forth of the church: the seruantes are gods holie Angels, and the haruest is the last iudgement. Here further it may be demaunded who may use the sworde? Answere. That man may use the sworde to strike and to kill, into whose hands God putteth the sworde. Now God putteth it into the hand first and principally of the publicke magistrate who when iust occasion serues may draw it out. And againe into a private mans hand sometime. A priuate man when he is assailed of his enemie, may take the sword in way of his owne defence, and may kill his enemie therewith (if there be no other helpe) not doing it upon malice, but because he can not otherwise escape, and saue his owne life: and so for want of a magistrate, he is a magistrate unto himselfe.

In the flight of the disciples we may consider 2. things, the time, and the qualitie of the persons. The time was at the apprehension of our Lord and Sauiour. And this came to passe not without the speciall providence of God: that it might be knowen, that Christ had no helper or fellowe in the accomplishment of the worke of our redemption: & that, whereas we for our sinnes deserued to be forsaken of all creatures, hee being our pledge and suretie, might be forsaken for vs. As for the qualitie of the persons that flie, they were the chosen disciples of Christ such as had beleeved in him, confessed him, and preached in his name. And this serueth to teach vs that God will otherwiles forsake his owne children and seruants and leaue them to themselues in some part, that they may feele their wants & miseries, and their weaknes in themselues, and by that means be hūbled throughly, & be touched with an hungering desire after Christ. As a mother sets downe her young child & hides her selfe, suffering it to crie & breake the face, not because she hates it, but that she may teach it to depend upon her, & loue her: so God giueth grace to his children, & yet againe somtime he doth in part withdraw it from them, & then they faile in their duties sundry waies: & this he doth to make them ashamed of themselues, & to cause them to put all their cōfidēce out of thēselues in the merits of Christ.

The fourth thing to be considered in Christes apprehension, is their binding of him. In which action of theirs wee are to obserue first of all the circumstance of time,⁴⁶ when this binding was. When our Sauiour Christ had saide unto them, I am hee, they being astonished fell to the ground: and withall, when Peter had smitten off Malchus eare with his sworde, Christ healed the same miraculously. Yet after all this, though they saw his wonderfull power both in worde and deede, they proceede in malice against him, and lay hands on him, and binde him as a malefactour. In this wee note what a fearefull sinne hardnesse of heart is: the danger whereof appeareth in this, that if a man be taken with it, there is nothing that can stay or daunt him in his wicked proceedings: no not the powerfull wordes and deedes of Christ himselfe. And indeed among Gods iudgements there is none more fearefull then this: and (how fearefull soeuer it be) it is to be founde amongst us in these daies. For it is verie euident by common experience, that the more men are taught the doctrine of the lawe, and of the Gospell, the more hard and senselesse are their hearts: like unto the stithie: which the more it is beaten upon with the iron hammer, the harder it is. And againe, it is hard to finde men that sorrow for their sinnes, and feele the want of Christ: which argueth the exceeding deadnesse of spirit. And let vs be resolued that it is a most terrible iudgement of God, the rather to be feared, because it is like a pleasant sleepe, into which when a man is fallen, he feeles neither paine nor griefe. And therfore we for our parts must looke unto it with feare & trembling, lest it take such hold of us, that we be past all hope of recoverie.

Furthermore, this binding of Christ was prefigured unto us in the sacrifices of the old testament: for the beast that was to be sacrificed, was tyed with cords and bound, & so brought to the altar. And wheras Christ is bound, we must not consider him in his owne person; but as he standing in our roome and steade beares the person of all sinners: and therefore whereas he is thus taken captive by his enemies, to be brought before a mortall iudge, there to be arraigned for us: hence we learne two good instructions. First here is a comfort to all the people of god: Christ was bound by his enemies, that they might be unloosed from the bondage of Satan, sinne, & their owne corruptions (under which they lie bound by nature) and might have free libertie in & by him. Secondly all impenitent sinners are taught hereby to reforme and amend their hearts and liues. For what exceeding madnesse is this, that they by Christs bonds being set at libertie, will yet liue and die in their sinnes, and take pleasure to lie bound hand and foote vnder the power of sinne & sathan? And indeed this sheweth unto us the fearefull & dangerous estate of all those that goe on still in their sinnes. For what can they say for themselues at the day of iudgement, when as now they haue freedome offered and will not accept of it?

Thus much of Christes apprehension: Now followeth the inditement. For they proceed against him iudicially, after the custome of the Iewes.⁴⁷ Christs inditement was twofold. One before Caiphas the high priest in the great councell at Ierusalem; the second before the civill Iudge Pontius Pilate, as is plainely set forth by all the Euangelistes. And Christs arraignement before Caiphas was a preparation to the second before Pontius Pilate, that the Iewes might throughly proceed against him. In the first we are to consider these points. I. The time in which Christ was indited. II. the end of his inditement. III. the whole tenour & proceeding thereof. For the first: Christ was indited earely in the morning at the breake of the day: for he was apprehended in the night, & with all hast brought into Caiphas his hall, & there they kept him all night: & at the breake of the day Caiphas the high priest, & the Elders with the Scribes & Pharises, held a solemne councell against him: & there they had accused him and condemned him before morning, & sent him then to the common hall, as S. Matthew saith,⁴⁸ When the morning was come all the chiefe Priestes, & elders of the people tooke counsell against Iesus to put him to death: and lead him away bound, & deliuered him to Pontius Pilate. In which action of theirs we are to marke two points. First the diligence of vngodly men & the quicknes of their nature to practise sinne & wickednes: as it was said of the old Iewes, their feet runne to euill, & they make hast to shed blood.⁴⁹ When the Israelites would sacrifice to the golden calfe which they had made;⁵⁰ it is said, they rose up early in the morning. Hence it appeares, that if God leaue us to our selues, we are as ready to practise any mischiefe as the fire is to burne without delay and with violence. Now the consideration of this must mooue euerie one of us to take heed of all occasions & provocations to sinne whatsoeuer they be, that it breake not foorth any way. Secondly in the circumstance of time of this councell, we may marke the rashnes of this solemne assembly in iudiciall proceedings: whereas they examine him both of his doctrine, and also of his disciples, omitting such circumstances as should haue bin used; as the serious examining of witnesses, & the waynig of his cōtrarie answers: for he is takē & brought before the iudge & cōdēned on a suddē ▪ now as this was the practise of this councel, so on the cōtrary the cōmon cōplaint of these times is of the slow dispatch of matters in lawe, and of the long delay: insomuch that some be almost undone before their suits be ended: wheras iudiciall proceedings were ordained by God, not for mens undoing, but for the maintaining of the common peace, and libertie, and wealth. And therefore iustice ought to be dispatched with such speed, as men thereby might be furthered, and not hindred.

The end of Christs inditement was directly to kill him,⁵¹ & to put him to death. Here is no indifferent proceeding to be looked for, but plotting on euery hād for the very blood of Christ. Where note, that in the hearts of all wicked men, there is an ingrafted hatred of Christ, & as it were bred in the bone: & the same affectiō they cary to the mēbers of Christ. This hatred is manifested in the first giuing of the promise, I will put enmity between thee and the woman, between thy seed and her seede. It appeares in the hatred that Cain bare to his brother Abel, Ismael towards Isaac, Esau towards Iacob: & the Gentilēs that were without the couenant, towards the Church of god at all times. And to come nere to our selues, this ingrafted hatred that is in the heart of the wicked against Christ & his members, is as plentifull & euident as euer it was, euen in these our daies. For among all men, none are more maligned & hated then those that professe Christ: & for none other cause, but because they professe Christ. And hereupon the very profession of religion is laden with nicknames and reprochfull termes by all sortes of men.

And thus much of the end and intent of their counsell. The proceeding in iudgement standes in these pointes. I. they examine Christ. II. they bring witnesses against him. III. they adiure him to tell them who he is: of these in order. First, they examine our Saviour Christ of his doctrine suspecting him to be a false prophet: secondly of his disciples, as suspecting him seditiously to raise up a new sect unto himselfe, to make a faction amongst the Iewes. Nowe to this examination let us marke Christs answere; in which hee saieth nothing at all concerning his disciples: whereas notwithstanding he might haue said,⁵² that one of them betraied him, another denied him, and the rest fled away: whereby wee note, that it is not our dutie at all times, and in all places, to speake of the faultes and wantes that we know by others. Secondly, the answere which he makes is onely concerning his doctrine: whereby the ministers of God and all men els are taught, that being called before their enemies, to giue reason of their doctrine: they are (as S. Peter saith) to be alwayes ready to give an account of the hope that is in them.⁵³ And further wee are to consider the wisedome that Christ useth in answering; for he saith nothing of his doctrine in particular, but said, I speake openly to the world, I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple whether the Iewes resorted:⁵⁴ in secret have I taught nothing: aske them therefore what I saide which heard me: Behold, they can tell you what I said. Now the reason why he answereth thus sparingly in generall tearmes is; because their examination serued only to intangle him: and out of his words to gather matter of accusation. After whose example wee may learne, that being called to make answere of our faith & doctrine before our enemies, we are to do it so, as thereby we do not intangle our selues; nor giue any advantage unto our enemies: and hereof we haue a notable example in the Apostle Paul, Act. 23.6. In the words of Christes answere we must obserue 2. things. First that the place where Christ taught was publike. Now hence it may be demāded, whether ministers may handle the word of god privately or no? Ans. The state of Gods Church is twofold: peaceable, or troblesome. In the time of peace ministers must preach the word publikely: but in time of persecution, for the safetie and preseruation of the Church of God, they may with good warrant preach priuately: and indeed at such times the assemblies of the Church make priuate places publike.⁵⁵ And hence we learne, that in time of peace, all those that are called to the office of the ministerie, must (if it be possible) spend their labour publikely, so as they may doe most good. Secondly, whereas Christ saith, he preached in their Synagogues and temple, which at that time were places full of disorder;⁵⁶ in so much as he called the Temple a denne of theeues: and the Scribes and Pharisies had corrupted the doctrine of the Law,⁵⁷ transgressing the commaundements of God by their owne traditions: and they taught iustification by the works of the Law, as Paul saith, they beeing ignorant of the righteousnes of God,⁵⁸ and going about to stablish their owne righteousnes which is by workes, haue not submitted themselues to the righteousnes of God. Besides all this, they were loose and wicked men in their liues and conuersations: & therefore Christ commaunded the people that they should obserue,⁵⁹ and doe whatsoeuer the Scribes and Pharisies bidde them, sitting in Moses chaire: but after their workes they must not doe, because they say and doe not. Now although these corruptiōs & deformities were in the Iewish Church, yet our Sauiour Christ severed not from it, but came and preached both in their temple & Synagogues, where these seducers and false teachers were. And hence we gather, that the practise of all those men in our Church, which separate themselues from all assemblies for the wants thereof, holding that our Church is no Church, that the grace which is wrought by the preaching of the word among vs is nothing else but a sathanicall illusion; that our Sacraments are no Sacraments, I say, this their practise is condemned by our Sauiour Christs conversing among the Iewes. For if Christ should haue followed their opinion, hee ought to haue fled from amongst the Iewes, and not so much as once to haue come into the tēple, or taught in their Synagogues; but contrariwise he ioyned himselfe with them: and therefore wee can not in good conscience disjoyne our selues from the Church of England. The second thing to be obserued in Christs answeare is, that he referres Caiphas to the iudgement of his hearers, beeing resolued of the truth of his owne doctrine, though sundrie of them were his vtter enemies. Behold then a good example for all the ministers of Gods word to follow; teaching them to deliuer Gods word so purely and syncerely, that if they be called into question about the same, they may be bolde to appeale to the consciences of their hearers, although they be wicked men.

Now after this answer, one of the seruants of Caiphas smites Christ with a rodde: in whome the saying is verified,⁶⁰ Like master, like seruant, that is, if the master be wicked, seruants commonly will be wicked also: if the master be an enemie to Christ, his seruant will be Christs enemie also. And this is the cause why there are so many lewd prentises and seruants, because there are so many lewd masters. Many masters complaine of seruants now adaies; but there is more cause why they should complaine of themselues: for vsually seruants will not become obedient to their masters, till their masters first become obedient vnto Christ: therefore let masters learne to obey God, and then their seruants will obey them also.

Further, Christ beeing smitten, makes this answeare: If I haue euill spoken, beare witnesse of the euill: but if I haue well spoken, why smitest thou me? making complaint of an iniurie done vnto him. Now hereupon scoffing Iulian the apostata saith, Christ keepes not his owne laws, but goeth against his owne precept; when as he saide, If one strike thee on the one cheeke,⁶¹ turn to him the other also. But we must know, that in these words Christs meaning is, that a mā must rather suffer a double wrong, then seeke a priuate reuenge. And before Christ spake in his owne defence, which a man may lawfully doe, and not seeke any reuenge: for it is one thing to defend his owne cause, and an other to seeke reuenge.

Now follows the secōd point in their proceeding, which is, the producing of false witnesses against him; as S. Matthew saith,⁶² The whole Councell sought false witnesse against him, and though many came, yet found they none: for they could not agree together, because they alleadged false things against him, which they could not prooue. And thus the mēbers of Christ haue often such enemies as make no bones shamefully to auouch that against them, which they cā not be able to iustifie. The ten persecutions which were in the first 300. yeares after Christ,⁶³ arose oftentimes of shamelesse reports that men gaue out, which said that Christians liued of mans flesh: & therfore slew their owne children: 2. that they liued on rawe-flesh, 3. that they committed incest one with another in their assemblies: 4. that they worshipped the head of an asse: 5. that they worshipped the sūne & moone: 6. that they were traytours, & sought to vndermine the Romane Empyre: & lastly, wheresoeuer was thunder or earthquakes, seditiōs or tumults, or any disquietnes or trouble, Christians were accused as the authors thereof. Such enemies haue they had in all ages: and in these our daies the same is practised, & will be to the worlds end. Now when the first witnesses could not agree among themselues, then two other false witnesses came forth, which auouched that Christ said, I will destroy this temple made with hands, & within three daies will build another made without hāds.⁶⁴ Indeed Christ said some such wordes: for saith he, Destroy this temple, and within three daies I will build it vp againe.⁶⁵ But he spake this of the temple of his bodie: whereas they maliciously did interpret him to haue spoken of the temple in Ierusalem. And againe they chaunge the words, for Christ said, Destroy this temple, &c. but these witnesses say he said, I will destroy this temple made with hands, &c. And thus they chaunge both words and meaning: and therefore the holy Ghost calleth them false witnesses. By this we must be aduertised to take heede how we report mens words: for if we chaunge the meaning, though in part we retaine the words, we may soone become slaunderers and false witnesses: and as this duetie must be performed towards all men, so especially towards the ministers of the Gospell: & the neglect of this dutie procureth many slaunderers to thē in this our Church: whereof indeed the reporters are the cause, and not the ministers themselues.

Now at this false accusation Christ was silent, so as Caiphas asked him why he answeared nothing. Herein wee are to consider many things: I. why Christ was silent. The causes be two: first he was to shew himselfe a patterne of true humilitie and patience, therefore euen then would he be silent when he was most falsely accused of his aduersaries. Secondly he is silent; that standing before the iudge to be condemned, the sentence might proceede against him, and he might suffer the death appointed, which was due vnto vs, and so become our redeemer. And in Christs example we must note, that it is a speciall dutie to knowe when to speake, and when to be silent. The ordering of the tongue is a rare gift, and few attaine vnto it. Some will peradventure aske what rule we haue to direct vs herein? Answer. The generall rule for the ordering of the tongue, is the law of God▪ We are commaunded to seeke the glorie of God in the first table; and in the second the good of our neighbour: when thy speach therefore will serue either for Gods glorie, or the good of thy neighbour, then thou must speake: if it serue for neither, then be silent. Againe, if thy silence be either for Gods glorie, or the good of thy neighbour, then be silent; if it will not, then speake. And because it is hard for a man to know when his speach or silence will serue for these two ends: therefore we must pray vnto God that he would teach and direct vs herein: as Dauid doth, Set a watch (saith he) O Lord,⁶⁶ before my mouth, and keepe the doore of my lippes: and againe; open thou my lippes, O Lord, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.⁶⁷

Thus much for the false witnesses produced. Now followeth the third point, which is, the adjuring of Christ: for Caiphas the high Priest charged him to tell him whether he were the Christ the Sonne of God, or no. To adiure a man, is to charge and commaund him in the name of God, to declare a truth, not onely because God is witnesse thereof, but also because he is iudge to reuenge, if he speake not the truth.⁶⁸ Thus Paul adiured the Thessalonians, charging them in the Lord, that his epistle should be read vnto all the brethren the Saints. And the like doth Caiphas to Christ. And here is a thing to be wondered at; Caiphas the high Priest adjureth him in the name of God, who is very God, euen the Sonne of God, which shewes what a small account he makes of the name of God: for he did it onely to get aduantage on Christs words: and so doe many nowe adaies, who for a little profit or gaine make a matter of nothing to abuse the name of God a thousand waies.

Now Christ beeing thus adjured, though silent before, yet now in reuerence to Gods maiestie, answeared & said: first, Thou hast said it: and in Saint Marke, I am he.⁶⁹ In this answeare, appeares the wonderfull prouidence of God. For though Caiphas take hence the occasion of condemning Christ, yet hath he withall drawne from him a most excellent confession, that he is the Sonne of God, and our alone Sauiour. And by this meanes he proceeds to shut heauen against himselfe, and to open the same for vs.

Thus we haue ended the first inditement of Christ before Caiphas. Nowe followeth the second, which was before Pontius Pilate, in the common hall at Ierusalem.⁷⁰ The historie of it is set downe at large in all the Evangelists. In this second inditement of Christ (that we may referre euery matter to his place) we are to obserue foure things: I. the accusation of Christ before Pilate. II. his examination. III. Pilats pollicie to saue Christ. IV. Pilats absolving of him; and then the condemnation of Christ in both courts, Ecclesiasticall and civill: of these in order. In Christs accusation, wee must consider many points. The first is, who were his accusers, namely the high Priest, the Scribes, and Pharisies, and Elders of the people, and the common people: all these conspired together to accuse him. The cause that mooued the Pharisies and Elders of the people hereunto, is noted by Saint Matthew, who saith of envy they deliuered him. Envie is nothing but a sadnes in a mans heart,⁷¹ at the prosperitie of his better. And it raigned in the Scribes and Pharisies, and the occasion was this. Christ had taught most heauenly doctrine, and confirmed the same by most wonderfull miracles, and did greatly exceede them all, and was in more account among the people: and for this cause the Scribes and Pharisies and high Priests, repined & grudged at him. Nowe their example serues to admonish vs to take heed of this sinne, as beeing the mother of many mischiefes. And we must rather follow the example of Moses, who when Iosua desired him to forbid Eldad and Medad to prophecie,⁷² answeared, Enviest thou for my sake? yea I would to God that all the Lords people were prophets. And we must be of the same minde with Iohn Baptist, who hearing by his disciples that the people left him, and followed Christ, said, his ioy was fulfilled, for Christ must increase, and he must decrease.⁷³ And so we must be glad and content when we see the prosperitie of our neighbours any way. Nowe the cause why the common people ioyne with them was, because the chiefe priests and the Scribes & elders had perswaded them to a bad conceit of Christ.⁷⁴ Hence it appeares that it is most requisite for any people, be they neuer so good, to haue good magistrates, & godly rulers to gouerne them by wise and godly counsell. The necessitie hereof was well knowne to Iethro Moses father in lawe, though hee were a heathen man: for he biddeth Moses to prouide among all the people men of courage fearing God, men dealing truly,⁷⁵ hating couetousnes, and appoint them to be rulers ouer the people. Teaching vs, that if couetous, malitious, and vngodly men, not fearing God, goe before the people, they shall in all likelihood be caried into the like sinnes by their example.

The next point concernes the place where they accuse him, which was at the doore of the common hall: for hauing brought him before the councell at Ierusalem,⁷⁶ and there condemned him of blasphemie, afterward they bring him vnto the common hall where Pilate sate iudge. Yet did they not enter in, but staied without at the doore, least they should be defiled, and be made vnfitte to eate the passeover. In which practise of theirs, we are to marke an exāple of most notable both superstition, & most grosse hypocrisie. For they make no bones to accuse & arraigne a mā most iust & innocent, and yet are very strickt and curious in an outward ceremonie. And in like manner they made no conscience to giue thirtie pieces of siluer to betray Christ: but to cast the same into the treasurie,⁷⁷ they make it a great and hainous offence. And for this cause Christ pronounceth a woe vnto the Scribes and Pharisies,⁷⁸ calling them hypocrites: for, saith he, you tithe mynt, anyse, and commin, and leaue the weightie matters of the lawe, as iudgement, and mercie. And the very same thing wee see practised of the Church of Rome at this day, and of sundrie Papists that liue amongst vs: they will not eate flesh in Lent, or vpon any of the Popes fasting daies for any thing; and yet the same men make no conscience of seeking the bloud of the Lords annointed, and their dread soueraigne. And in this wee see the most palpable, and most grosse hypocrisie of those that be of that Church. But shall we thinke that our own Church is free from such men? no assuredly: for take a viewe of the profession that is vsed among the people of England, and it will appeare that they place their whole religion for the most part in the obseruation of certain ceremonies. The manner of most men is to come to the place of assemblies, where God is worshipped, and there mumble vp the Lords prayer, the commaundements, and the beliefe in stead of prayers, which beeing done, God is well serued thinke they: whereas in the meane season they neglect to learne and practise such things as are taught them for their saluation by the ministers of Gods word. At the feast of Easter, euery man will be full of deuotion and charitie, and come to receiue the Sacraments, as though hee were the holiest man in the world; but when the time is past, all generally turne to their old biace againe: and all the yeare after liue as they list, making no conscience of lying, slaundering, fraude, and deceit in their affaires among men. But we must knowe that there is no soundnes of religion, but grosse hypocrisie in all such men: they worshippe God with their lippes, but there is no power of godlines in their hearts.

The 3. point is, cōcerning the partie to whom they make this accusation against him; namely, not to a Iew, but to a Gentile: for hauing condemned him in their Ecclesiasticall court before Caiphas the high Priest, they bring him to Pontius Pilate the deputie of Tiberius Caesar in Iudea. Where we must obserue the wonderful prouidence of God, in that not onely the Iewes, but the Gentiles also had a stroake in the arraignement of Christ, that that might be true which the Apostle saith, God shut vp all vnder sinne, that he might haue mercie vpon all.⁷⁹

The fourth point is, the matter of their accusation: they accuse our Sauiour Christ of 3. things. I. that he seduced the people.⁸⁰ II. that he forbad to pay tribute to Caesar. III. that he said he was a King. Let vs well consider these accusations, especially the two last, because they are flat contrarie both to Christs preaching, and to his practise. For when the people would haue made him a King, after hee had wrought the myracle of the fiue loaues and two fishes, the text saith,⁸¹ he departed from among them vnto a mountaine himselfe alone. Secondly, when tribute was demaunded of him for Caesar, though he were the kings sonne, and therefore was freed; yet saith he to Peter, least wee should offende thē, go to the sea, and cast in an angle and take the first fish that commeth vp, and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt finde a piece of twentie pence, that take and giue vnto them for thee and me. And when he was called to be a iudge to deuide the inheritance betweene two brethren, he refused to doe it, saying, Who made me a iudge betweene you? Therefore in these two things, they did most falsely accuse him. Whereby wee learne, that nothing is so false and vntrue, but the slaunderer dare lay it to the charge of the innocent: the tongues of the slaunderers are sharpe swords, & venemous arrows,⁸² to wound their enemies: their throats are open sepulchers, the poyson of aspes is vnder their lipps. If a man speake gracious words, his tongue is touched with the fire of Gods spirit: but as Saint Iames saith, the tongue of the wicked is fire,⁸³ yea a worlde of wickednes, and it is set on fire with the fire of hell: therefore let this example be a caveat for vs all, to teach vs to take heede of slandering, for the deuill then speakes by vs, and kindles our tongues with the fire of hell.

The fifth point is, the manner of their accusation, which is diligently to be marked: for they doe not onely charge him with a wonderfull vntruth, but they beseech Pilate to put him to death, crying,⁸⁴ Crucifie him, Crucifie him:⁸⁵ in so much that Pontius Pilate was afraid of them: where wee may see how these shameles Iewes goe beyond their compasse, and the bounds of all accusers, whose dutie is to testifie onely what they know. Now in the matter of this their accusation, appeares their wonderfull inconstancie. For a little before when Christ came to Ierusalem riding vpon an asse, shewing some signes of his kingly authoritie, they cut downe braunches from the trees, and strawed them in the way, crying, Hosanna, Blessed is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord: but nowe they sing an other song, and in stead of Hosanna, they cry, Crucifie him, Crucifie him. And the like inconstancie is to be found in the people of these our times. They vse to receiue any religion that is offered vnto them: for in the daies of King Edward the sixth, the people of England receiued the Gospell of Christ: but shortly after in Queene Maries time, the same people receiued the wretched and abhominable doctrine of the Church of Rome. And not many yeares after when it pleased God to bring againe the light of his glorious Gospell by our gracious Prince, the same people turned from poperie, and imbraced the true religion againe. And thus with the Iewes one while they cry Hosanna to Christ, & receiue his Gospell; and shortly after they cry, Crucifie him, Crucifie him, by imbracing idolatrous poperie. Let vs therefore learne in the feare of God, by the ficklenes of the Iewes, that sing two contrarie songs in so short a space, to acknowledge our inconstancie and weakenesse in the matter of religion: whereby if God leaue vs but a little to our selues, wee shall straight way forsake Christ, his Gospell, and all.

Thus much of the accusation. Now followeth Christs examination before Pontius Pilate: for when the Iewes had thus falsely accused him, then Pontius Pilate tooke him, and brought him into the common hall, and asked him this question; Art thou a King? Nowe Christ beeing thus examined, made as Paul also testifieth, a good confession. The summe thereof stands in foure heads.⁸⁶ The first is, that he confesseth himselfe to be a King;⁸⁷ not such an one as they accused him to be, yet a true King. Whence we may learne diuers instructions. First, that euery Christian man in the midst of his misery & afflictiō, hath one that is most sufficiēt euery way to defend him against all his enemies, the world, the flesh, & the deuill. For this king can doe whatsoeuer he will: & therfore when the legion of deuils would enter into a herd of swine, they could not without his leaue. And when the Centurions daughter was dead,⁸⁸ he but spake the word and she arose. And when Lazarus was dead, and had lien in the graue foure daies, he but said, Lazarus come forth, & he came forth bound hand and foote. Yea euen hell and death giue place to his word, & nothing can resist his power. And therefore he that is a true member of Christ, needes not to feare any enemies be they neuer so great, or so many. And againe, as Christ is able, so is he readie and willing to saue and defend all that beleeue in him. For he it is that gaue his life for his subiects, which no king will doe, and shedde his bloud for their redemption: which hee would neuer haue done, if he had not desired their saluation. Secondly, when as Christ is a mightie king, which can doe whatsoeuer he wil, let al such amōg vs that haue hitherto liued in ignorāce, & by reason of ignorāce liue in their sinnes, at length begin to come vnto him, & do him homage, & with penitēt hearts fal down before him: otherwise if they continue in their old rebellions, let them know whosoeuer they be, high or low, that he hath a rod of iron in his hand to bruise them in pieces;⁸⁹ their soules shall smart for it: as both Pilate, Caiphas, & the rest of the Iewes were with a full cup rewarded, for crucifying the Lord of life. And if Christ cannot draw thee in this life from thy crooked waies, be sure at the houre of death he wil breake thee in pieces like a potters vessel. This must wee learne in regarde of the first point, that hee saide plainly, He was a King.

Now follows the second part of his confession, namely that his kingdome was not of this worlde. Where hee sets downe what kinde of king he is; he is no earthly king, his kingdome standes not in the power of men, nor in earthly and outwarde gouernement; but his kingdome is spirituall, and his gouernement is in the very heartes and consciences of men. His kingdome is not outward to be seene of men, but inwarde in the heart and soule▪ and therfore it is onely begunne in this life, and is continued and accomplished in the worlde to come in the kingdome of glorie: where Christ shall be all in all in the hearts and consciences of all the elect. Nowe then, if this be so, howsoeuer Sathan haue heretofore raigned in vs, and made our heartes as it were his pallaces: yet nowe let vs prepare a roome for Christ that hee may come and dwell in vs: let him rule our hearts, wills, and affections that they may become conformable to his will: let vs resigne our selues wholly to be ruled by him, that his spiritual kingdom may be in vs. This kingdom in the heart & conscience is the pearle and hid treasure,⁹⁰ which when a man findeth, he sels all that he hath & buyeth it. Let vs therfore in the feare of God, esteem it as the most pretious thing that may be, and so liue in this worlde, as that Christ may rule inwardly in vs, by his word & spirit. And againe seeing this regiment of Christ is heauenly, & the full manifestation of it is in the life to come: we must therfore vse this world & all things in it, as honour, wealth, ease, & libertie,⁹¹ as though we vsed them not. As a trauailer vseth his staffe in his iourney; as long as it doth further him, so long he will carrie it with him: but when it hindereth him, then he casts it away: so must we vse the things of this life, namely as long as they are helps to further and make vs fitte for the kingdome of heauen, but if they be any hinderance to this spirituall regiment of Christ, wee must renounce them and cast them away, be they neuer so pretious to vs.

The third point of Christs confession is, concerning the meanes whereby he gouernes his kingdome: I came (saith he) into this world to beare witnes of the truth, that is, to preach the gospell & doctrine of saluatiō: & herby he teacheth that the outward administration of his kingdome, stands specially in the preaching of the word, which is a principall ordinance of his, seruing to gather his Church from the beginning of the world to the end thereof. And for this cause he hath in all ages set apart chosen ministers for the publishing of the doctrine of the Gospell. And by this it is manifest that the gift of prophecie, is the greatest gift that God bestows on his Church for the building thereof. And therfore it ought to be most highly esteemed of, as a most pretious iewell. And for this cause also the schooles of learning are to be reuerenced and maintained, and all other meanes vsed for the furthering of them; because they are vnder God the fountains and welsprings of this gift of prophecie.

The last point is, concerning the subiects of Christs kingdome, expressed in these words, They which are of the truth, heare my voice. In which he sets downe the true marke of his seruants and subiects, that they are hearers of that heauenly and sauing word which he reuealed from the bosome of his father. It may be alleadged the most wicked men vpon earth, yea the deuils themselues may be hearers of the truth of Christ. Answer. There be two kind of hearers: one which heares onely the outward sound of the word with his bodily eares,⁹² and he hauing eares to heare doth not heare: the second, is he that doth not only receiue the doctrine that is taught with his eares, but also hath his heart opened to feel the power of it, & to obey the same in the course of his life. This distinction is notably set foorth by Dauid, saying, Sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldest not haue:⁹³ but my eares hast thou pierced: whereby hee insinuates as it were two kinds of eares: one that is deafe and cannot heare: and thus are the eares of al men by nature in hearing the doctrine of saluation: the other is a newe eare pearced and bored by the hand of God, which causeth a mans heart to heare the sound and operation of the word, and the life to expresse the truth of it. Nowe the subiects of Christs kingdome are such, as with the outward hearing of the word, haue an inward hearing of the soule, & grace also to obey: & therfore al those that make no cōsciēce of obediēce to the word of god preached vnto them, are no lesse then rebels to Christ. We may perswade our selues that we are good subiects, because we heare the word and receiue the sacraments, but if our liues abound with sinne, and if our heartes be not pierced through by the sword of Gods spirit, whether we be high or low, rich or poore, let vs be what wee will be, wee are no right subiects indeede, but rebels and traytours vnto the euerliuing God. It may be hereafter God will giue further grace; but as yet all impenitent persons, though liuing in the midst of Gods Church, are not obedient & faithfull subiects: and therfore while we haue time, let vs labour to performe in deede that which we doe in word professe.

Thus much of the examination and confession of Christ. Nowe followeth the third point concerning the pollicies which Pilate vsed to saue Christ: and they are three. First, when he heard that Christ was of Galilee, he tooke occasion to sende him to Herod,⁹⁴ thinking thereby to shift his hand of him, and not to shed his bloode. In which pollicie, though he seeme vnwilling to put Christ to death, yet herein he is a most vniust iudge: for hauing giuen testimonie of Christ, that he is innocent, he ought to haue acquitted him, and not haue sent him to Herod for further iudgement. In Herods dealing with Christ, we may obserue these points. The first, that hee is wonderfully glad of his comming. Why so? the text saith,⁹⁵ because he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him, and trusted to haue seene some signe done by him. Here marke howe he reioyced, not in Christ because he was Christ, that is, his Messias and redeemer, but because he wrought myracles, signes, and wonders. And so it is among vs at this day: it is a rare thing to finde a man that loueth Christ, because he is Christ: some loue Christ for honour, some for wealth, and others for praise: in that they get honour, wealth, and praise by confessing his name. Againe, many professe Christ, onely because it is the law and custome of their nation. But wee must learne to be of this minde, to loue Christ, because he is Christ, euen for himselfe, and not for any other sinister respect: and wee must reioyce in Christ for himselfe, though wee neuer haue profite nor pleasure, neither honour or wealth by him. And if we loue him for wealth or pleasure, or for any other ende but for himselfe alone, when these things are taken away, then we shall vtterly forsake Christ in like manner. The second point is, that Herod desires Christ to worke a miracle. He can be content to see the works of Christ, but he can not abide to heare his word, & to beare his yoke. Like to him are many in these daies, which gladly desire to heare the Gospell of Christ preached, onely because they would heare speach of some strange things, laying aside all care and conscience to obey that which they heare. Yea many in England delite to read the strange histories of the bible; and therefore can rehearse the most part of it, (and it were to be wished that all could doe it:) yet come to the practise of it, the same persons are commonly found as bad in life and conuersation, yea rather worse then others. Let vs therefore labour that with our knowledge we may ioyne obedience, & practise with our learning; and as well to be affected with the word of Christ, as with his works. The third point is, that Herod derides Christ, and sends him away, cloathed in a white garment.⁹⁶ This is that Herod whome Christ called a foxe; who also when hee heard Iohn Baptist preach, did many things, & heard him gladly. How then comes Herod to this outrage of wickednes, thus to abuse Christ? Answer. We must knowe, that although Herod at the first heard Iohn preach, yet withall hee followed his owne affections, and sought how to fulfill the lustes of his flesh. For when Iohn told him that it was not lawfull for him to haue his brother Philips wife, he cast him in prison, and after cut off his head for it: after which offence, he is grown to this height of impietie, that he now despiseth Christ, & cānot abide to heare him. Where we learne, that as we are willing to heare Gods word preached, so withall we must take heede that we practise no maner of sinne; but make conscience of euery thing that may displease God. Thou maist, I graunt, be one that feares and fauours Iohn Baptist for a time, wallowing in thy old sinnes▪ but after a while, yeilding to the swinge of thy corrupt heart, thou wilt neuer heare Iohn, nor Christ himselfe, but hate and despise them both. This is the cause why some which haue beene professours of religion heretofore, and haue had great measure of knowledge, are now become very loose persons, and can not abide to heare the worde preached vnto them; the reason is, because they could not abide to leaue their sinnes. Therefore that wee may begin in the spirit and not end in the flesh, let euery one that calls on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie.

Now follows the second pollicie of Pilate. For when he saw the first would not preuaile, then hee tooke a newe course: for he tooke Iesus into the common hall and scourged him, and the souldiers platted a crowne of thornes and pur it on his head, and they put on him a purple garment,⁹⁷ and saide, Haile King of the Iewes, and smote him with their roddes. And thus he brought him foorth before the Iewes, perswading himselfe, that when they sawe him so abased, and so ignominiously abused, they would be content therewith, and exact no greater punishment at his handes: thinking thus to haue pacified the rage of the Iewes, and so to haue deliuered Christ from death, by inflicting vpon him some lesser punishment. This pollicie is as it were a looking glasse, in which we may behold of what nature & cōdition all plotts & pollicies of mē are, which are deuised & practised without the directiō of Gods word. In it we may obserue 2. things: the first is, the ground thereof; which is a most silly, simple, or rather sensles argument. For he reasoneth thus: I finde no fault in this man,⁹⁸ therefore I will chastise him and let him goe. A man would hardly haue thought, that one hauing but his common sense, would not haue made such a reason, much lesse a great iudge sitting in the roome of God. But in him we may behold & see the ground of all humane pollicie which is beside the word of God, namely the foolish and blind reason of men. The 2. thing to be considered is, the proceeding and issue of this pollicie. Pilat must either whip Christ beeing innocent; or put him to death: which are both sinnes and great offences. Nowe hee maketh choice of the lesser, which is to whippe him, and is perswaded that he ought to doe so: whereas of two sinnes or euils, a man ought to doe neither. And in doing this, Pilate begins to make a breach in his conscience; and that is the fruit that all politicks reape of their deuises, which proceede by the light of their owne reason, without the word of God. By this example, we are admonished of two things: first, that before we enterprize any businesse, wee must rectifie our iudgements by Gods worde. Dauid was a most wise King, and no doubt, had withall a graue and wise councell, but yet he preferred the word of God before all, saying, Thy testimonies are my counsellers.⁹⁹ Secondly, in our proceedings we must keepe an vpright, pure, and vnblameable conscience, as Paul exhorteth Timothie to haue the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience; giuing vs thereby to vnderstand,¹⁰⁰ that a good conscience is as it were a chest or cupboard, in which we are to keepe and locke vp our religion, and all other graces of God, as the most pretious iewels that can be: and that if we suffer this chest to be broken vp, all our riches and iewels are gone.

But let vs yet view the dealing of Pilate more particularly: he whippes Christ, puts on him a purple garment, puts a reede in his hand, sets a crowne of thornes vpon his head, and causes the souldiers to mocke him, and spit in his face. Now in this that Christ standing in our roome, was thus shamefully abused, we must consider what was due vnto euery one of vs for our sinnes, namely shame and reproch in this life, and in the life to come endles confusion. And we see the confession of Christ to be true which he made to Pilate, that his kingdome was not of this world; for if it had beene so, they would haue put a crowne of gold vpon his head, and not a crowne of thornes, nothing at all beseeming an earthly king: and in stead of a reede they would haue put a scepter into his hand: and in stead of buffetting and spitting on him, they would haue adored him, & falne downe before him. Againe, whereas Christ our heade in this world, ware no other crowne but one made of thornes, it serueth to teach all those that are the members of Christ, that they must not look for a crown of glory in this life; because that is reserued for the life to come. And if we would then weare the crown of glorie with Christ▪ we must here in this life weare a crown of thorns, as he did: for as Paul saith, If we suffer with Christ, we shall also raigne with him:¹⁰¹ and that which was fully verified in Christ the head, must in some part be verified in euery true member of Christ.

Pilats third pollicie was this: when he saw that neither of the two former would preuaile, he comes forth vnto the Iewes, and makes an oration to this effect; that now was the feast of the Passeouer, and that they had a custome that the Gouernour should then deliuer vnto the people a prisoner whome they would: therefore he asked them whether he should let loose to them Barrabas, or Iesus which is called Christ: this Barrabas was a notable malefactour, that with insurrection had committed murther. And thus Pilate cunningly matcheth Christ with Barrabas, thinking that the Iewes would rather chuse him then Barrabas, beeing a notorious malefactour, not worthie to liue on the face of the earth: and by this meanes he thought to haue deliuered Christ frō death, though otherwise he accounted him also as a malefactour. The ground of this pollicie (as we see) is an old custome of the Iewes, that a prisoner should be let loose at Easter. And it may be the ende of this custome was, to increase the solemnitie of the feast. But whatsoeuer in truth the end was, the fact it selfe was but a prophanation of the time, and an abomination before the Lord: for Salomon saith, He that iustifieth the wicked,¹⁰² and condemneth the iust, euen they both are abhomination before the Lord. The like practise takes place with many in these daies, who thinke the Lords day neuer well spent, vnlesse they may adde solemnitie thereunto, by reuel and riot, by frequenting of taverns and alehouses. And furthermore, where Pilate matcheth Christ beeing innocent with Barrabas, and the people preferre him before Christ, hauing libertie to chuse eyther; it shewes that God in his prouidence had appointed that Christ should not stand in his owne roome before Pilate, but in our roome and stead, as a Mediatour betweene God and us. And in this fact of the people we see how sinne by degrees takes hold of men & that speedily. Who would haue thought that these Iewes, which a little before cryed Hosanna, and spread their garmentes before Christ in the way, woulde euer haue preferred a murtherer before him? But it was the doing of the high priests, the Scribes, & Phases, who did animate and stirre them up to this wickednes: and hereupon when they had yeelded, first to attach him, and then to accuse him, they are caried to an higher degree of impietie, namely to seeke his blood: and least he should escape their handes, they plunge themselues deeper yet preferring a wretched murtherer, euen seditious Barabbas before him. This must teach euery one of vs to take heede of the beginnings euen of the least sinnes; for the deuill is cunning, he will not plunge a man into the greatest sinnes at the first: but his manner is, by little and little to creepe into the heart: and hauing once possession thereof, by steppes to bring men to the height of sinne, and that with speed. We must therefore in the feare of God preuent sinne betimes, and at the first motion cut off all occasions hereof: that which Paul saith of heresie, comparing it to a canker or gangreene,¹⁰³ may be saide of all sinne. The nature of the gangren is to runne from one ioynt to another, from rhe toe to the foote, from the foote to the legge, from the legge to the thigh, till it haue wasted and destroyed the life of rhe bodie. So giue any sinne but an entrance, and it will soone ouerspread the whole man: and if the deuill may be suffered but to put one talent into thy heart, he will presently wind himselfe into thee, his head, his bodie and all. The Psalmist saith that he is blessed that taketh the children of the Babylonians and dasheth them against the stones,¹⁰⁴ and as truly may it be saide, blessed is the man that dasheth the head of his sinnes against the ground while they are yong, before they get strength to ouer master him.

¹⁰⁵Thus haue wee seene the pollicies of Pilate: Now followeth the absolution of Christ: for when Pilate had used many meanes to deliuer him, & none would prevaile, then hee absolues him, by giuing diuers testimonies of his innocencie: for he came foorth three times, and bare witnesse thereof:¹⁰⁶ and last of all hee testified the same by washing of his hands, which rite signifieth properly the defiling of the handes before, but as yet Pilate had not defiled his handes, and therefore he used it as a token, to shewe, that Christ was innocent, and that hee would not defile his owne hands with innocent blood. There were three causes that mooued Pilate to absolue Christ.¹⁰⁷ First hee sawe that hee was a iust man, as Saint Matthew noteth, and that the high priests and people had deliuered him vp of envie, as S. Marke saith. By this it is plaine,¹⁰⁸ that a very Pagan or infidell may in some things goe beyond such as be in Gods Church, hauing better conscience, and dealing more iustly then they. Pontius Pilate was a heathen man and a Gentile, the Iewes were the Church and people of the liuing God: yet he sees plainely that Christ was a iust man, and thereupon absolues him: whereas the Iewes which should be men of conscience and religion, seeke his death. And thus a verie Pagan may otherwhiles see more into a matter thē those that be reputed of the church. And this must admonish all such as professe the gospell to looke unto their proceedings, that they doe all things with upright conscience: for if wee deale uniustly in our proceedings, wee may haue neighbours, men of no religion, that will looke through us, and see the grosse hypocrisie of our profession, that would be loth to doe those things which wee doe. The second cause that mooued Pilate to absolue Christ, was his wiues dreame: for when he was set downe upon the iudgement seate, shee sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to doe with that iust man:¹⁰⁹ for I have suffered many things in a dreame by reason of him. Dreames are of three sortes: naturall, rising from the constitution of the bodie: diabolicall, such as come by the suggestion of the deuill: divine, which are from God. Some haue thought that this dreame was of the deuill▪ as though hee had laboured thereby to hinder the death of Christ, and consequently our saluation: but I rather thinke that it was occasioned by the thinges which shee had heard before of Christ, or that it was immediatly from God, as the dreames of Pharao & Nabuchodonoser, and serued for a further manifestation of Christs innocencie. Here it may be asked, whether we may regard our dreams now, as Pilates wife did or no? Answer, Wee haue the bookes of the olde and new Testament to be our direction,¹¹⁰ as Esai saith: to the law, and to the testimonie, they must be our rule and guide. In these daies we must not looke to be taught by visions and dreames: yet shall it not be amisse to obserue this caveat concerning dreames, that by them we may gesse at the constitution of our bodies, and often times at the sinnes whereunto we are inclined. The last motiue which caused Pilate to absolue Christ was a speech of the Iewes: for they said, that Christ ought to die by their law, because he saide he was the sonne of God. And the text saith,¹¹¹ when Pilate hearde that, hee was afraide. Marke how a poore Painym that knew not Gods word, at the hearing of the name of the sonne of God is striken with feare. No doubt he shall rise in iudgement against many among us that without all feare rend the name of God in peeces by swearing, blaspheming, cursed speaking. But let all those that feare the Lorde learne to tremble and be afraide at his blessed name.

Thus much for the causes that moued Pilate to absolue Christ: as also for the second part of Christs arraignement, namely, his accusation. Now followes the third part, which is his condemnation: and that is twofolde. The first by the Ecclesiasticall assembly and councell of the Iewes at Ierusalem, in the high priests hall before Caiphas. The tenour of his condemnation was this.¹¹² He hath blasphemed, what have we any more neede of witnesses, he is worthy to die? The cause why they say not he shall die, but, he is worthy to die, is this. The Iewes had two iurisdictions, the one Ecclesiasticall,¹¹³ the other civill, both prescribed and distinctly executed by the commaundement of God, till the time of the Machabees, in which both ioyntly togither came into the hāds of the priests: but afterward about the daies of Herod the great, the Romane Emperour tooke away both iurisdictions from the Iewes and made their kingdome a province, so as they could doe no more but apprehend, accuse, and imprison: as doth appeare by the example of Saul, who gate letters from the high priest to Damascus,¹¹⁴ that if hee found any either man or woman that beleeued in Christ, hee might bring them bound to Ierusalem, and imprison them: but kill or condemne they could not.

By the fact of this counsell we learne sundry points: first, that generall counsels and the Pope himselfe sitting iudicially in his consistorie may erre. If there were any visible Church of God at that day upon the face of the whol world, it was no doubt the Church of the Iewes. For Caiphas the high priest was a figure of Christ, the Scribes and Pharises sate in Moses chaire, and Ierusalem is called by Christ the holy citie, Mat. 4.5. & 27.53. Yet for all this that which was foretold is now verified, namely, that the chiefe corner stone should be reiected of master builders. For by the generall consent of the councell at Ierusalem, Christ the head of the Catholike Church and the redeemer of mankind is accused of blasphemy, and condemned as worthy of death. Wherefore it is a meere dotage of mans braine to avouch that the Pope cannot possibly erre in giuing a definitive sentence in matters either of faith or manners. Neither can the Church of Rome pleade priviledge, for Ierusalem had as many prerogatiues as any people in the worlde coulde haue.¹¹⁵

Againe, by this wee see there is no reason why wee should ascribe to any man or to oecumenicall counsels themselves absolute and soveraigne power to determine & giue iudgement in matters of religion, considering they are in danger to be ouertaken with notable slippes and errours. And therefore the soueraigntie of iudgement is peculiar to the sonne of God who is the only doctour and law-giuer of the Church:¹¹⁶ and he puts the same in execution in and by the written word. As for the speech of the Papistes calling the scriptures a dumb Iudge, it is little to be regarded: For they are, as it were, the letter of the living sent from heauen to his Church upon earth: and therefore the scriptures speake as plainly and as sufficiently unto vs of all matters of faith, as a man can speake unto his friend by letter, so be it, we haue the gift of discerning. Yet doe wee not barre the Church of God from all iudgement. For the ministeriall power of giuing iudgement both publiquely and priuately is graunted 〈◊〉 of God: and that is to determine and giue sentence of matters in question according to the worde as the lawyer giues iudgement, not according as he wil, but according to the tenour of the law.

Thirdly we learne, that personall succession is no unfallible marke of the true faith, and of true pastours, vnlesse withall be ioyned succession in the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles. For Caiphas held his office by succession from Aaron: and yet in publike assembly condemned the Messias spoken of by Moses and the Prophets. Therefore the succession of the bishops of Rome from Peter is of no moment vnlesse they can prooue that their religion is the religion of Peter which they can neuer doe.

And thus much for Christs first condemnation. The second was by Pontius Pilate, who sate in an other court as a civill iudge, and the tenour of his sentence was, that the Iewes should take him and crucifie him.¹¹⁷ Here we must consider the reasons that mooved Pilate to determine thus: the first was, the impatience of the Iewes: he for his parte was loth to defile his hands with innocent blood, but the Iewes cryed,¹¹⁸ his blood be upon us, and on our children: which according to their wish came upon them within fewe yeres after, and so remaineth still unto this day. By which we are taught to take heede of imprecations against our selues, our children, or seruants, or any other creatures: for God heareth mens prayers two waies: either in his mercy, or in his wrath and anger. If thou curse thy selfe, or any other, except thou turne unto the Lorde by speedie repentance, hee may heare thy prayer in his wrath, and verifie thy curse upon thee to thy utter confusion. The second reason that mooued Pilate to condemne Christ was, because he feared men more then God: for being deputie vnder Tyberius Caesar ouer the province of Iudea,¹¹⁹ for feare of loosing his office, and of displeasing the Iewes, hee condemned Christ after he had absolued him: whereby wee see, that it is a grieuous sinne to feare dust and ashes more then the living God. And therefore S. Iohn saith, that the fearefull shall have their portion in the burning lake: that is,¹²⁰ such as are more afraid of man then of God. And this sinne in Pilate wanted not his iust towarde for not long after hee lost his deputy-ship, and Cesars favour,¹²¹ and fledde to Vienna; where liuing in banishment, hee killed himselfe. And thus God meetes with them that feare the creature more then the Creatour. That we may therefore avoid the heauie hand of God, let us learne to feare God aboue all: els we shall dishonour God, and shame the religion which we professe.

The proper ende of Christes condemnation set downe though not in Pilats will, yet in Gods eternall counsell was, that he might be the cause of absolutiō at the barre of Gods iustice unto all those whosoeuer they are which shall come to life eternall for we must still remember, that whē Christ was condemned by mortal Iudges, he stood in our place, & in him were all our sinnes condemned before God. Therefore to conclude this point; if this were the end in the coūsell of God, to haue his owne sonne condēned by Pontius Pilate a mortall iudge, that we might not be condemned but absolved before Gods iudgement seat: let us all labour to haue this absolution sealed up in our hearts by the testimony of Gods spirit. For one day we must come to the bar of Gods iudgement: and if we haue not an absolution by Christs condemnation at Pilates earthly barre, let us looke for nothing els but the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the celestiall bar of Gods iustice, to be uttered at the day of the last iudgement. If a man should commit such an heynous offence, as that he could no other way escape death but by the princes pardon, he neither would nor could be at rest, till by one meanes or other hee had obtained the same, and had gotten it written and sealed: which done, hee would carrie it home, locke it up safe and sound, and many times looke upon it with great ioy & gladnes. Well, this is the case of euerie one of vs: by nature we are rebells and traitours against God, and haue by our sinnes deserued ten thousand deaths. Now our onely stay and refuge is, that Christ the sonne of God was condemned for vs: and therfore in Christ we must sue for pardon at Gods hands, and neuer rest till we haue the assurance thereof sealed up in our hearts and consciences: alwaies remembring, that euer after we lead a new life▪ and neuer commit the like sinnes against God any more. It were a blessed thing if this would enter into our hearts: but alas, we are as dead in our sinnes as a deade carkasse is in the graue. The ministers of God may teach this often unto us, and we may also heare the same: but Satan doth so possesse mens hearts, that they seldome or neuer beginne to beleeue or receiue it till it be too late. Euery one can say, God is mercifull, but that is not enough: for Christ being most righteous was condemned, that thou being a wretched sinner mightest be saued: and therefore thou must labour for thy selfe, to haue some testimony of thine absolution by Christs condemnation, sealed up in thine owne conscience, that thou maist more assuredly say, God is and will be mercifull unto thee.

Hauing spoken of the whole arraignement of Christ, and of his passion in generall. Now let vs proceede to the partes of the passion, which are three: Christs Execution, his Buriall, & his Descending into hell: This being withall remembred, that these three partes, are likewise three degrees of Christs humiliation.

Christes execution is that part of his passion, which hee bare upon the crosse, expressed in the words of the Creede, he was crucified, and died. In handling of it we must obserue fiue things. I. the person that suffered. II. the place where he suffered. III. the time when he suffered. IIII. the manner how he suffered. V. the excellencie of his passion. For the first, the person that suffered was Christ the iust, as Peter saieth, Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes, the iust for the vniust: and againe, Christ Iesus the iust (saith S. Iohn) is the reconciliation for our sinnes.¹²² And in his execution, wee shall haue manifest declarations of his righteousnesse and iustice, consisting in two most worthie points. First, when he was upon the crosse, and the souldiers were nailing his handes and feete thereunto, and racking his bodie most cruelly, he prayed, Father forgive them they know not what they doe.¹²³ These souldiers were by all likelihood the verie same that apprehended him, and brought him before Caiphas, and from thence to Pontius Pilate, and there platted a crowne of thornes and set it on his heade, and buffetted him, and spitefully intreated him as we haue heard: and yet Christ speaks no word of reuenge unto them, but with all patience in the extremitie of their malice and iniurie, he prayeth his father to forgive them. Hence we are taught that when iniuries are done unto us, we ought to abstaine from all affection of reuenge, and not so much as manifest the same either in word or deede. It is indeed a hard lesson to learne and practise: but we must indeauour to doe it: & not onely so, but to be readie for evill to doe good: yea, even at that instant when other men are doing us wrong: euen then (I say) we must be readie, if it be possible to doe them good. When as Christes enemies were doing unto him al the trecherie they would, euen then he performeth the worke of a Mediatour, and prayeth for them unto his father, and seeketh their saluation. Againe, whereas Christ prayeth thus, Father forgive them, we gather, that the most principall thing of all that man ought to seeke after in this life, is the forgiuenesse of sinnes. Some thinke that happinesse consisteth in honour, some in wealth, some in pleasure, some in this, some in that: but indeed the thing which we should most labour for, is reconciliation with God in Christ, that we may haue the free remission of all our sinnes. Yea this is blessednesse it selfe as David saith, Blessed is hee whose iniquitie is forgiven, and whose sinne is covered.¹²⁴ Here then behold the madnesse of most men in this world, that either seeke for this blessing in the last place or not at all.

The seconde testimony of Christs righteousnesse given in the middest of his passion was, that he behelde his mother standing by,¹²⁵ and commended her to the custodie of Iohn his disciple: whereby he gaue an example of most holy obedience unto the fift commaundement, which prescribeth honour to father and mother. And this his fact sheweth, that the obseruing of this commandement standeth not in outwarde shewe and reuerence onely; but in a godly recompence, in procuring unto parents all the good we can, both concerning this and a better life. It often falls out that children be as it were Cains to father and mother: some raile on them, some fight with them; others see them pine away and sterue, and not relieue them. But all dutifull children must here learne, that as their parents haue done many duties unto them; & haue brought them up: so they againe must in al reuerence performe obedience vnto them both in worde and deede: and when occasion is offered relieve them, yea in all that they can, do good unto them. Againe in this wee may see what a wretched state is that which the Church of Rome calleth the state of perfection; namely to liue a part from the companie of men, in fasting and praying all the daies of a mans life: for hereby the bond of nature is broken, and a man can not doe the duty vnto his parents which Gods law requireth, and Christ here himselfe practiseth, nor the duties of a mēber of Christ which are to be done to the whole Church, and to the rest of the members thereof.

The place where Christ suffered is called Calvary or Golgotha, that is, the place of dead mēs skulls, without the walls of Ierusalem. Concerning the reason of this name, men be of divers opinions. Some say it was so called, because Adam was buried there, & that his skull beeing there found, gaue the name to the place.¹²⁶ And this is the very opinion of some ancient divines, that Christ was there crucified where Adā was buried: but because it hath no certen ground, I leaue it as uncerten. Others thinke it was called Calvary, because the Iewes were wont to cary out the bones of dead men, & there to heape them togither, as in times past the manner was in the vauts of sundry Churches in this land. And some others thinke it was called Golgotha or Calvary, because theeues and murtherers, and malefactours were there executed, stoned, burned: whereby it came to passe that many skulles and bones of dead men were found there.

The time when Christ was executed, was at the Iewes passeover, when not onely the Iewes, but also many Proselytes of many countries and nations were assembled: and therefore this execution was not in a private corner, but openly in the viewe of the worlde. For as he was a Sauiour not to the Iewes onely but also to the Gentiles: so it was verie requisite that his death shoulde be publicke before all men both Iewes and Gentiles. As for the houre of the day in which he suffered, there is some difficultie in the Euangelists: for S. Iohn saith, that hee was condemned about the sixt houre of the day: and S. Marke saieth,¹²⁷ he was crucified the third houre. Hence it may be demaunded, how both these can stand togither. Answer. Howsoeuer the Iewes naturall day began at evening, yet the artificiall day began at sunne-rising and ended at sunne-setting: and it was divided two waies. First, into twelue partes called twelue houres, whether the daies were longer or shorter. Secondly into foure partes or quarters, and euery part contained three houres: as from the first houre to the third was one part called morning; from the third houre to the sixt, an other part called the sixt houre; from the sixt houre to the ninth, the third part called the ninth houre; and from the ninth houre to the twelfth, the fourth part called euening. Nowe when S. Iohn saieth, Christ was condemned about the sixt houre, it must be understood of the second quarter of the day, called the sixt houre: and whereas S. Marke saith he was crucified the thirde houre of the day, he speakes of the lesser houres, twelue whereof made the whole day: and thus they both agree, for the third houre of the day and the beginning of the 2. quarter followe ech other immediatly. Againe it may be answered, that Christ was condēned at six of the clock after the Roman account,¹²⁸ which begins the day at midnight; & crucified at 3. (which is 9. of the clock in the morning with us) aftet the Iewes accoūt who begin their artificiall day, as I said, at the sunne-rising.

The fourth & last point is the order & whole proceeding of Christs executiō: which may be reduced to 4. heads: the first, his going to execution, the 2. his crucifying, the 3. his death, the 4. the consequents of his death. Againe in his going to execution we may consider many pointes.

The first that he is brought out of Hierusalem as a malefactour. For the olde and ancient custome of the Iewes was to put those whome they iudged to be notorious offenders to death without their tentes when they wandred in the wildernesse,¹²⁹ and without the walles of Hierusalem, lest they should any way be defiled with their blood. And this fell out by the speciall providence of God, that that might be fulfilled in Christ which was prefigured in the sacrifices of the old testament, when the bodies of beasts were not eaten of the priests,¹³⁰ but burnt without the campe: therfore (saith the H. ghost) even Iesus that he might sanctifie the people with his owne blood,¹³¹ suffered without the gates.

Hence may all Christians learne to know their owne estate and condition: first, in this world they must looke to be accounted the offscouring of the earth, and the filth of the worlde,¹³² as the Apostle saith, and wee must all prepare our selues to beare this estate. They that will be Gods children must not looke to be better accepted of in the world then Christ was. Secondly by this every one of us must learne to be content to use this world, as straungers & pilgrimes; being every day and houre readie to leave the same: for if Christ the sonne of God himselfe was brought out of Ierusalem, as not beeing worthy to haue his abode there, then must euery Christian man looke much more for the like extremitie. And therefore it is not good for us to haue our hearts tyed to the worlde, & to seeke alwaies to be approoued of the same, for that argueth that we are not like to Christ, but we must rather do as poore pilgrimes in strange cuntries, & that is only to look for safe conduct through the miseries in this worlde, hauing in the meane season our hearts, wills, & affections set on the kingdome which is in heauen. The second thing is, that Christ was made to beare his owne crosse: for so it seemes the maner of the Romanes was to deale with malefactours. And this must put vs in mind of that notable lesson which Chtist himselfe taught his disciples: namely, that if any man will be his disciple, he must denie himselfe, take up his owne crosse daily and follow him: where, by the crosse we must vnderstand, that portion of affliction,¹³³ which God hath alotted to euery one of his children: for there is no child of God to whome hee hath not measured out as it were some bitter cup of misery in this life. And therfore Paul saith, Now reioyce I in my suffering for you,¹³⁴ & fulfill the rest of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh. By Christes sufferings he meaneth not the passion of Christ, but the sufferings of the bodie of Christ, that is, the Church whereof Christ is the head. Moreouer wee must suffer as he did, & that daily: because as one day followeth another, so one crosse comes in the necke of another. And whereas Christ beares the crosse that was laide on him by the hands of the soldiers, it must teach us not to pull crosses upon our selues, but waite till God lay them on vs, and then we must willingly bend our shoulders, stoope downe, and take them up; whether they be in body or in soule, and that every day if it be Gods will so long as we live: and by this shall we most notably resemble our Saviour Christ.

Thirdly, when Christ had carried his crosse so long till he coulde carrie it no longer, by reason of the faintnesse of his bodie, which came by buffets, whippings, and manifold other iniuries, then the souldiers meeting with one Simon of Cyrene a stranger, made him to beare the crosse:¹³⁵ where we are put in mind, that if we faint in the way and be wearied with the burthen of our afflictions, God will give good issue, and send as it were some Simon of Cyrene to help us, and to be our comforter.¹³⁶

The fourth points is, that when Christ was carrying his owne crosse, and was now passing on towards Golgotha, certaine women mette him, and pitying his case wept for him: but Christ answered them and said, Daughters of Ierusalem, weep not for me, but for your selves, & your childrē, &c.¹³⁷ By this wee are first of all taught to pitie the state of those that be in affliction and miserie, especially those that be the children of God: as the Apostle exhorteth vs, saying, Remember them that are in bonds,¹³⁸ as though you were bound with them: and them that are in affliction, as though you were afflicted with them. In this land by Gods especiall blessing wee haue enioyed the gospell of Christ with peace a long time, whereas other cuntries & Churches are in great distresse: some wallow in palpable ignorance & superstition: others haue libertie to enioy the gospell and want teachers: and some haue both the word & teachers and yet want peace, and are in continuall persecution. Now when we that haue the Gospell with peace do heare of these miseries in our neighbour Churches, we ought to be mooued with compassion towardes them, as though we our selues were in the same afflictions. Secondly, whereas Christ saith, Weepe not for me, but for your selves, he doth teach vs to take occasion by other mens miseries to bewaile our owne estate: to turne our worldly griefes into godly sorow for our sinnes: whereby wee doe rather weepe for our offences, then for our friends, although euen that may also be done in a godly manner. When a man by bleeding at the nose is brought into daunger of his life, the Phisition lets him blood in an other place, as in the arme, and turnes the course of the blood an other way to saue his life: and so must we turne our worldly sorows, for losse of goods or friends, to a godly sorrow for our offences against God: for as S. Paul saith, Godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvatiō,¹³⁹ not to be repented of: but worldly sorow causeth death.

The fift point is, that when Christ was brought to the place of execution, they gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with mirrhe and gall:¹⁴⁰ some say it was to intoxicate his braine, and to take away his senses and memorie: which if it were true, we may here behold in these Iewes a most wicked part, that at the point of death when they were to take away his life, they had no care of his soule. For this is a dutie to be observed of all magistrates, that whē they are to execute malefactours, they must haue an especiall care of the salvation of their soules. But some thinke rather that it was to shorten and end his torments quickely. Some of vs may peradventure thinke hardly of the Iewes, for giving this bitter potiō to Christ at the time of his death: but the same thing doth every sinner that repēteth not. For whensoever we sin, we do as much as tēper a cup of gal, or the poisō of aspes, & as it were giue it to god to drink: for so God him selfe cōpareth the sin of the wicked Iewes to poison, saying, Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, & of the vines of Gomorra, their grapes are grapes of gal, their clusters be bitter,¹⁴¹ their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruell gall of aspes. And for this cause wee ought to thinke as hardly of our selues as of the Iewes, because so oft as we cōmit any offence against God we do as much as mingle ranke poison, & bring it to Christ to drinke. Now whē this cup was given him he tasted of it, but drank not, because hee was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the crosse, without any shortening or lessening of his paine.

Thus we see in what maner Christ was brought forth to the place of execution: Now followeth his crucifying. Christ in the providence of god was to be crucified for two causes: one, that the figures of the olde testament might be accomplished and verified. For the heave offering lifted up and shaked from the right hand to the left, and the brasen serpent erected vpon a pole in the wildernes, prefigured the exalting of Christ upon the crosse. The seconde, that wee might in conscience be resolved,¹⁴² that Christ became under the lawe & suffered the curse therof for us, & bare in his owne bodie and soule the extremitie of the wrath of God for our offences. And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God, as stoning and such like; yet was the death of the crosse in speciall maner aboue the rest accursed, not by the nature of the punishment, not by the opinions of men, not by the civill lawes of cuntries and kingdoms,¹⁴³ but by the vertue of a particular commandement of God, foreseeing what manner of death Christ our redeemer should die. And hereupon among the Iewes in all ages this kind of punishment hath bene branded with speciall ignominie, as Paul signifieth when hee saieth, Hee abased him selfe to the death,¹⁴⁴ even to the death of the crosse: & it hath beene allotted as a most grievous punishment to most notorious malefactours.¹⁴⁵ If it be said that the repentant theefe upon the crosse died the same death with Christ and yet was not accursed, the answere is, that in regard of his offences he deserued the curse and was actually accursed, and the signe of this was the death which he suffered, and that in his owne confession: but because hee repented, his sinnes were pardoned, and the curse removed. It may further be said, that crucifying was not knowen in Moses daies, and therefore not accursed by any speciall commandement of God in Deuteronomy. Ans. Moses indeed speakes nothing in particular of crucifying. yet neverthelesse he doth include the same under the generall. For if euery one which hangs upon a tree be accursed, then hee also which is crucified; for crucifying is a particular kinde of hanging on the tree. Lastly it may be alleadged, that Christ in his death coulde not be accursed by the lawe of Moses, because he was no malefactour. Ans. Though in regard of himselfe he was no sinner, yet as he was our suretie he became sinne for vs, and consequently the curse of the law for vs, in that the curse every way due unto us by imputation and application was made his.

Furthermore Christ was crucified not after the maner of the Iewes, who used to hang malefactors upon a tree binding them thereto with cords, & that whē they were dead; but after the usuall maner of the Romans: his bodie being partly nailed to the crosse,¹⁴⁶ & partly in the nailing extremely racked; otherwise I see not but that a man might remaine many daies togither alive upō the crosse. And here we haue occasion to remēber that the Papists who are so deuout & zelous towards crucifixes are far deceived in the making of thē.¹⁴⁷ For first of all the crosse was made of 3. pieces of wood, one fastned upright in the ground to which the bodie and back leaned, the second fastened towardes the toppe of the first, overthwart to which the hands were nailed: the thirde fastned towards the bottome of the first, on which the feete were set and nailed: whereas contrariwise popish caruers & painters fasten both the feet of Christ to the first: secōdly the feete of Christ were nailed asunder with two distinct nailes,¹⁴⁸ & not nailed one upon another with one naile alone as Papists imagine, and that to the verie body of the crosse, for then the soldiers could not haue broken both the leggs of the thieves, but only the outmost.

Let vs now come to the vse which may be made of the crucifying of Christ. First of all here we learne with bitternes to bewaile our sinnes: for Christ was thus cruelly nayled on the crosse, and there suffered the whole wrath of God, not for any offence that euer he committed, but beeing our pledge and suretie vnto God, he suffered all for vs: and therefore iust cause haue we to mourne for all our offences, which brought our Sauiour Christ to this low estate. If a man should be so farre in debt that he could not be freed, vnlesse the suretie should be cast into prison for his sake; nay, which is more, be cruelly put to death for his debt, it would make him at his wits ende, and his very heart to bleede. And so is the case with vs by reason of our sins; we are Gods debters, ye bankrupts before him, yet haue we gotten a good suretie, euen the sonne of God himselfe,¹⁴⁹ who to recouer vs to our former libertie was crucifyed for the discharge of our debt. And therefore good cause haue we to bewaile our estate euery day, as by the Prophet it is said, They shall looke on him whome they haue pierced, they shall lament for him as one mourneth for his owne sonne:¹⁵⁰ they shall be sorrie for him as one is sorrie for his first borne. Looke as the blood followed the nailes that were striken through the blessed hands and feete of Christ, so should the meditation of the crosse and passion of our Redeemer be as it were nayles and speares to pierce vs, that our hearts might bleed for our sinnes: and we are not to thinke more hardly of the Iewes for crucifying him then of our selues, because our sinnes they also crucifyed him. These are the very nayles which pierce his hands and feete, and these are the speares which pierce through his side. For the losse of a litle worldly pelfe, oh how are we grieued! but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the sonne of God was crucifyed, let vs (I say it againe and againe) learne to be grieued for them aboue al things, & with bleeding and melting hearts bowe and buckle vnder them, as vnder the crosse.

Secondly, Christ saith of himselfe, as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes, so must the sonne of man be lifted vp:¹⁵¹ the comparison is excellent, and worthie the marking. In the wildernes of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God, and thereupon he sent fierie serpents among them, which stong many of them to death: now when they repented, Moses was commanded to make a brasen serpent, and to set it vpon a pole, that as many as were stong might looke vnto it and recouer: and if they could but cast a glaunce of the eye on the brasen serpent, when they were stong euē to death, they were restored to health & life. Now euery man that liueth is in the same case with the Israelits; Satan hath stong vs at the heart, & giuen vs many a deadly wound, if we could feele it, and Christ who was figured by the brasen serpent was likewise exalted on the crosse, to cōferre righteousnes & life eternal to euery one of vs: therfore if we will escape eternal death, we must renoūce our selues, & lift vp the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified, & pray for the pardon of our sinnes: & then shall our hearts & consciences be healed of the wounds & gripes of the deuil: & vntill such time as we haue grace to do this, we shall neuer be cured, but stil lie wounded with the stings of satan, & bleeding to death euen at the very heart, although we feele no paine or griefe at all. But some may aske how any man can see him crucifyed now after his death? Answer. Wheresoeuer the word of God is preached, there Christ is crucifyed, as Paul saith, Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth,¹⁵² to whome before Iesus Christ was described in your sight, and among you crucifyed? meaning that he was liuely preached among them. We neede not to goe to wooden crosses, or to golden crucifixes to seek for him; but where the Gospell is preached, thither must wee go, & there lift vp our eyes of faith to Christ, as he is reuealed vnto vs in the word; resting on him and his merits with all our hearts, and with a godly sorow confesse and bewaile our sinnes, crauing at his hands mercie and pardon for the same. For till such time as we doe this, we are grieuously stong by Satan, and are euery moment euen at deaths dore. And if we can thus behold Christ by faith, the benefites which comes hereby shall be great: for as Paul saith, the old man, that is, the corruption of our nature, and the bodie of sinne that raigneth in vs, shall be crucified with him: for when Christ was nayled on the crosse, all our sinnes were laide vpon him; therefore if thou doest vnfainedly beleeue, all thy sinnes are crucified with him, and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died vpon the crosse.

Thirdly, we must learne to imitate Christ: as he suffered himselfe to be nailed to the crosse for our sinnes, so answearably must euery one of vs learne to crucifie our flesh, and the corruption of our nature, and the wickednesse of our owne heart, as Paul saith, They that are Christs, haue crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof.¹⁵³ And this we shall doe, if for our sinnes past we doe waile and mourne with bitternes, and preuent the sinnes to come into whieh we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures, by vsing all good meanes, as praier and fasting, and the word of God preached, and by flying all occasions of offence. We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues, but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vs, and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit. Christianitie stands not in this, to heare the word of God, & outwardly to professe the same, & in the meane season stil to liue in our sinnes, & to pamper our owne rebellious flesh; but it teacheth vs alwaies to haue in readinesse some speare or other to wound sinne, & the sword of the spirit to cut down corruption in vs, that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede.

Fourthly, by this we may learn that the wrath of God against sinne is wōderful great, because his own Son bearing our person, & being in our place, was not onely crucified, & racked most cruelly, but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soule: and therfore we must leaue off to make so litle account of sinne as commonly we doe.

Fiftly, wheras the person crucified was the sonne of God, it sheweth that the loue of God which he bare vnto vs in our redemption is endlesse; like a sea without banke or bottome, it can not be searched into: & if we shal not acknowledge it to be so, our condemnation will be the greater.

Sixtly, in this that Christ bare the curse of the law vpon the crosse; we learne that those that be the children of God, when they suffer any iudgement, crosse, or calamitie, either in bodie or in minde or both, doe not beare them as the curses of God, but as the chastisements of a louing father. For it doth not stande with the iustice of God to punish one fault twise: and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God, shall either in his owne person, in his good name, or in his goods feele the heauie hand of God, God doth not as a iudge curse him, but as a father correct him. Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome, which hold, that we by our suffrings doe in some part satisfie the iustice of God: but this can not stand, because Christ did make a perfect satisfaction to the iustice of his father for all punishment. And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporall punishment is needelesse, and much derogates from Christs passion.

In the crucifying of Christ, two things specially must be considered. The manner of the doing of it, and his continuance aliue vpon the crosse. Touching the manner, the spirite of God hath noted two things. The first, that Christ was crucifyed betweene two theeues, the one vpon his left hand, the other vpon his right; in which action is verified the saying of the Prophet Esay, He was numbred among the wicked:¹⁵⁴ and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie that they esteemed him to be not some common wicked man, but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues & malefactours whatsoeuer. Nowe whereas Christ standing vpon the crosse in our roome and stead, is reputed the head and prince of all sinners, it serueth to teach euery one of vs that beleeue in him, to iudge our selues most vile and miserable sinners,¹⁵⁵ and to say of our selues with Paul, that we are the chiefe of all sinners. The second thing is, that Christ was crucified naked: because he was stripped of his garments by the souldiers when he was to be crucified. The causes why he suffered naked, are these. First Adam by his fall brought vpon all mankinde death both of bodie and soule, and also the curses of God which befall man in this life: among which this was one, that the nakednes of the bodie should be ignominious; and hereupon when Adam had sinned, & saw himselfe naked, he fled frō the presence of God, & hid himselfe euē for very shame.¹⁵⁶ Christ therfore was stripped of his garments, and suffered naked, that he might beare all the punishment and ignominie that was due vnto man for sinne. Secondly, this came to passe by the goodnes of God, that we might haue a remedie for our spirituall nakednes, which is, when a man hath his sinnes lying open before Gods eyes; and by reason thereof hee himselfe lieth open to all Gods iudgements. Hereof the Angel speaketh to the Church of Laodicea, saying, Thou saiest J am rich, and encreased with goods,¹⁵⁷ and haue neede of nothing, and knowest not how thou art wretched, miserable, blinde, and naked. So when the Israelites had committed idolatrie by the golden calfe, Moses telleth them that they were naked,¹⁵⁸ not onely because they had spoiled themselues of their earings, but especially because they were destitute of Gods fauour, and lay open and naked vnto all his iudgements for that sinne. And Salomon saith, Where there is no vision, there the people are made naked, that is,¹⁵⁹ their sinnes lie open before God; and by reason thereof they themselues are subiect to his wrath and indignation. Now Christ was crucified naked, that he might take away from vs this spirituall nakednesse; and also giue vnto vs meete garments to cloath vs withall in the presence of God, called white rayment,¹⁶⁰ as Christ saith, I counsell thee to buie of me white rayment, that thou maist be cloathed, and that thy filthie nakednes doe not appeare: and, Long white robes dipped in the blood of the lambe, which serue to hide the nakednes of our soules.¹⁶¹ What these garments are, the Apostle sheweth when he saith, All that are baptized into Christ, haue put on Christ. And,¹⁶² Put on the new man which after God is created in righteoosnes and true holines. Our nakednes maketh vs more vile in the sight of God, then the most loathsome creature that is can be vnto vs, vntill we haue put on the righteousnes of Christ to couer the deformitie of our soules, that we may appeare holy, and without spot before God. Thirdly, Paul saith, We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed, we haue a building giuen of God,¹⁶³ &c. For therefore we sigh, desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen, because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked. Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakednes of Adam after his fall; and therefore giueth vs another reason why Christ was crucified naked, namely that after this life he might cloath all his members with eternall glorie.

If this be so, that a part of our reioycing stands in the glorious nakednes of Christ crucified, there is no reason why we should be puffed vp with the vanitie of our apparell. It should rather be an occasion to make vs ashamed, then to make vs proud. The thiefe may as well bragge of the brand in his hand, or of the fetters on his heeles, as we may of our attire; because it is but the couering of our shame: and therfore should put vs in mind of our sinne & shamful nakednes.

The abode of Christ vpon the crosse, was about the space of sixe houres.¹⁶⁴ For the death of the crosse was no suddaine but a¹⁶⁵ lingring death. And in this space of time there fell out five notable euents. The first, that the souldiers hauing stripped Christ of his garments, deuided them into foure parts, and cast lotts for his coat, because it was woven without seame. And by this appeares the great loue of Christ to man, who was not onely content to suffer, but also to loose all that euer he had, euen to the garments on his backe to redeeme vs; teaching vs answeerably that if it please God to call vs to any triall hereafter, we must be content to part with all for his sake, that we may winne him. Againe, in these souldiers we may behold a picture of this world: when they had nayled Christ to the crosse, they will not loose so much as his garments; but they come and deuide them and cast lotts for them: as for Christ himselfe, the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde, they regard him not. And thus fareth the world; it is a hard thing to finde a man to accept of Christ, because he is Christ his redeemer: but, when gaines comes by Christ, then he is welcome. Esau that esteemed nothing of his fathers blessing, made great account of his brothers pottage. The Gaderenes made more account of their swine, then of Christ: for when they heard that they were drowned, they beseech him to depart out of their coasts. Nay so bad is this age, that such as will be taken to be the speciall members of Christ, doe not onely with the souldiers strippe Christ of his garments, but more then this, they bereaue him of his natures and offices. The Church of Rome by their transsubstantiation strippe him of his manhoode: and by making other priests after the same order with him, which doe properly forgiue sinnes, strippe him of his priesthoode: and of his kingly office, by ioyning with him a Vicar on earth, and head of the Catholicke Church, and that in his presence, whereas all debitishippes and commissions cease in the presence of the principall. And when they haue done all this, then they further loade him with a nomber of a beggarly ceremonies; and so doe nothing else but make a¹⁶⁶ feighned Christ, in steade of the true and alone Messias.

The second euent was, that Christ was mocked of all sorts of men. First, they set vp the cause written why he was crucified, namely, This is the King of the Iewes: then the people that passed by reuiled him,¹⁶⁷ wagging their heads at him, and said, Thou that destroiest the temple and buildest it in three daies, saue thy selfe, &c. Likewise the high priests mocking him, with the Scribes and Pharisies and the Elders, said, He saued others, let him safe himselfe. The same also did one of the theeues that was crucified with him, cast in his teeth. Behold here the wonderfull strange dealing of the Iewes: they see an innocent man thus pitifully and grieuously racked, and nayled on the crosse, and his bloode distilling downe from handes and feete; and yet are they without all pitie and compassion, and doe make but a mocke and a skoffe at him. And in this we may plainly see howe daungerous and fearefull their case is, who are wholly giuen vp to the hardnes of their owne hearts: and we are further admonished to take heede how we giue our selues to iesting or mocking of others. And if any thinke it to be a light sinne, let them consider what befell the Iewes for mocking Christ. The hand of God was vpon them within a while after, and so remaineth to this day. Little children wickedly brought vp, when they sawe Elisha the man of God comming, they mocked him, and said, Come vp thou bald pate, come vp thou bald pate:¹⁶⁸ but Elisha looked backe on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord, and two wilde beares came out of the forrest and tare in pieces two and fourtie of thē. Iulian once a Christian Emperour, but after an Apostata, did nothing els but mocke Christ and his Gospell, & made iests of sundrie places of Scripture: but beeing in fight against the Persians, was woūded with a dart no man knows how, and died scoffing and blaspheming, And such like are the iudgements of God, which befall mockers and skorners. Let vs therefore in the feare of God learne to eschew and auoide this sinne.

Furthermore, if we shall indifferently consider all the mockes and skornings of the Iewes, we shal finde that they cannot truly conuince him of the least sinne; which serueth to cleare Christ, and to prooue that he was a most innocent man, in whose waies was no wickednes, and in whose mouth was found no guile: and therefore he was most fitte to stand in our roome, and suffer for vs which were most vile and sinnefull. And here by the way a question offereth it selfe to be skanned. Saint Matthew saith, The theeues which were crucified with him,¹⁶⁹ cast the same in his teeth which the Scribes and Pharisies did: Saint Luke saith, that one of the theeues mocked him.¹⁷⁰ Nowe it may be demaunded, how both these can be true? Answer. Some reconcile the places thus; that the Scripture speaking generally of any thing,¹⁷¹ by a figure doth attribute that to the whole, which is proper to some part onely: and so here doth ascribe that to both the theeues which agreeth but to one. Others answer it thus: that at the first both of the euill doers did mocke Christ, and of that time speaketh Matthew: but afterward one of them was miraculously conuerted, then the other alone mocked him, & of that time spake S. Luke. And this I rather take to be the truth. But what was the behauiour of Christ, when he is thus laden with reproch? In wonderfull patience he replies not, but puts vp all in silence. Where we may note, that when a man shall raile on vs wrongfully, we must not returne rebuke for rebuke, nor taunt for taunt: but we must either be silent, or else speake no more then shall serue for our iust defence. This was the practise of the Israelites, by the appointment of Hezekias, when Rabshakah reuiled the Iewes, and blasphemed the name of God; the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the kings commandement was, answer him not. So Hannah beeing troulbed in minde, praied vnto the Lord,¹⁷² and Hely marked her mouth, for shee spake in her heart, and her lippes did mooue onely, but her voice was not heard, therefore Hely thought shee had beene drunken, and saide, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy drūkennesse from thee.¹⁷³ Such a speach would haue mooued many one to very hard words: but she said, Nay, my lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit, I haue drunke neither wine nor strong drinke: but haue powred out my soule before the Lord. This is a hard lesson for men to learne; but we must endeauour our selues to practise it, if we will be followers of Christ, and ouercome euill with good.

The third thing that fell out in the time of Christs crucifying, was the pitifull complaint, in which he cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lamasabact hani, that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?¹⁷⁴ In the opening of this complaint many points must be skanned. The first is, what was the cause that mooued Christ to complaine? Answer. It was not any impatience or discontentation of minde, or any dispaire, or any dissembling, as some would haue it: but it was an apprehension and a feeling of the whole wrath of God, which seazed vpon him both in bodie and soule. The second, what was the thing wherof he doth complain. Answer. That he is forsaken of God the father. And from this point ariseth an other question. Howe Christ beeing God can be forsaken of God? for the father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost are all three but one and the same God. Answer. By God we must vnderstand God the Father the first person. According to the common rule, when God is compared with the Sonne or holy Ghost, then the father is ment by the this title God, as in this place: not that the father is more God then the Sonne, for in dignitie all the three persōs are equal: but they are distinguished in order only, & the father is first. And againe whereas Christ complaineth that he was forsaken, it must be vnderstood in regard of his humane nature, not of his Godhead. And Christs manhoode was forsaken, not that his Godhead and manhoode were seuered, for they were euer ioyned togither frō the first moment of the incarnation: but the Godhead of Christ, and so the Godhead of the father did not shew forth his power in the manhoode, but did as it were lie asleepe for a time, that the manhood might suffer: when a man sleepeth the soule is not seuered from the bodie, but lieth as it were dead, and exerciseth not it selfe: euen so the Godhead lay still, and did not manifest his power in the manhoode, and thus the manhood seemed to be forsaken. The third point is, the manner of this complaint; My God, my God, saith he: these words are words of faith, I say not of iustifying faith, wherof Christ stood not in need: but he had such a faith or hope, wherby he did put his cōfidēce in God. The last words, why hast thou forsakē me? seem at the first to be words of distrust. How then (will some say) can these words stand with the former: for faith & distrust are flat contraries? Answ. Christ did not vtter any speach of distrust, but only make his mone & cōplaint, by reason of the greatnes of his punishment: & yet still relied himselfe on the assistance of his father. Hence we learne, first that religion doth not stand in feeling, but in faith: which faith we must haue in Christ, though we haue no feeling at all: for God oftentimes doth withdraw his grace & fauour frō his children, that he may teach thē to beleeue in his mercie in Christ then, when they feele nothing lesse then his mercie. And faith & feeling can not alwaies stand togither; because faith is a subsisting of things which are not seene, and the ground of things hoped for: and we must liue by faith, and not by feeling. Though feeling of Gods mercie be a good thing, yet God doth not alwaies vouchsafe to giue it vnto his children: and therefore in the extremitie of afflictions and temptations, we must alwaies trust and relie on God by faith in Christ; as Christ himselfe doth when he is as it were plunged into the sea of the wrath of God. Secondly, here we may see howe God dealeth with his children: for Christ in the sense and feeling of his humane nature was forsaken, yet had he sure trust and confidence in God, that caused him to say, My God, my God. God will oftentimes cast his deare children into huge gulfs of woe and miserie, where they shall see neither banke nor bottome, nor any way to get out: yet men in this case must not despaire, but remember still that that which befell Christ the head, doth also befall his members. Christ himselfe at his death did beare the wrath of God in such measure, as that in the sense and feeling of his humane nature he was forsaken: yet in all this he was the Sonne of God, and had the spirit of his father, crying, My God, my God. And therefore though we be wonderfully afflicted either in bodie or in mind, so as we haue no sense or feeling of Gods mercie at all, yet we must not despaire and thinke that we are cast-awaies, but still labour to trust and relie on God in Christ, & build vpon this that we are his children, though we feele nothing but his wrath vpon vs, against mercie cleauing to his mercie. This was Dauids practise: In the day of trouble (saith he) I sought the Lord: my sore ranne and ceased not in the night: my soule refused comfort.¹⁷⁵ I did thinke vpon God and was troubled: my soule was full of anguish: and so continueth, saying, Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer? and will he shew no more fauour? hath God forgotten to be mercifull?¹⁷⁶ but in the ende he recouereth himselfe out of this gulfe of temptation, saying, Yet I remember the yeares of the right hand of the most high: I remember the works of the Lord, certenly I remember the wonders of old. Wherefore this practise of Christ in his passion, must then be remembred of vs all, when God shall humble vs either in bodie or soule or both.

The fourth thing which fell out when Christ was on the crosse was this: after Christ knew that all things were performed, & that the Scriptures were fulfilled, he said, I thirst; and then there standing a vessell full of vineger,¹⁷⁷ one ranne and filled a sponge therewith, and put it about an hyssope stalke, and put it to his mouth: which when he had receiued, he said, It is finished. The points here to be considered, are foure. The first, that Christ thirsteth. And we must know that this thirst was a part of his passion; and indeede it was no small paine, as we may see by this: when Sisera was ouercome by Israel,¹⁷⁸ and had fled from his enemies to Iaels tent, he called for a little water to drinke, being more troubled with thirst, then with the feare of death at the hand of his enemies. And indeede thirst was as grieuous to men in the East countrey, as any torment else. And hereupon Sampson was more grieued with thirst, then with feare of many thousand Philistims.¹⁷⁹

Againe, whereas Christ complaines that he thirsteth ▪ it was not for his owne sake, but for our offences: and therefore answearably we must thirst after Christ and his benefits, as the dry and thirstie land where no water is, doth after raine:¹⁸⁰ and as the hart brayeth after the riuers of water, so must we say with Dauid, My soule panteth after thee, O Lord, and the benefits of thy death.

The second, that a sponge full of vineger tied vpon an hyssope stalke, was reached to Christ vpon the crosse. Now it may be demaunded, how this could be, considering the stalke of the hyssope is not past a foote long. Answer. As the tree of mustard seede with the Iewes is farre greater and taller then with vs, in so much that the birds of heauen build their nests in it: so it may be that hyssope groweth much longer in those countries then with vs. Or, as I take it rather,¹⁸¹ the hyssope stalke was put vpon a reede, and by that meanes the sponge was put vp to the mouth of Christ.

The third point is, that Christ drinketh the vineger offered: but when? Not before all things were finished that were to be done on the crosse. And by this he shewes his exceeding care for our saluation. He laide aside all thinges that would turne to his owne ease, that he might fully worke our redemption, and fulfill the will of his father who sent him into the world for that ende. The like care must euery one of vs haue to walke dutifully, and as it were, to goe with thorough-stitch in our particular callings▪ that God may be glorified by vs. When Abrahams seruant came to Bethuel to get a wife for Isaac, meat was set before him, but he said, I will not eate before I haue said my message: so likewise we must first see Gods glorie procured in our affaires, and then in the second place,¹⁸² if commoditie or praise redound to vs, we must afterward take it.

The last point is, that when Christ had drunke the vineger he said, It is finished. Which words may haue a double sense: one, that such things as were figured by the sacrifices of the old testament are accomplished: the other, that now vpon the crosse he had finished his satisfaction to the iustice of his father for mans sinne. And this of the twaine I rather thinke to be his meaning. If it be said, that the buriall and resurrection and ascension of Christ, &c. which are very necessarie to mans redemption, were not yet begunne, the answer is, that the works of Christs priesthoode which follow his death serue not to make any satisfaction to Gods iustice for sinne, but onely to confirme or applie it, after it is made and accomplished on the crosse. And if this be so, that Christ in his owne person accomplished the worke of redemption, and made a full and perfect satisfaction for vs, as these words import, It is finished, then humane satisfactions to Gods iustice for sinne are altogether superfluous.

The fifth euent that fell out when Christ was vpon the crosse was, that he cryed with a loud voice, and said, Father, into thy handes I lay downe my spirite, that is, I commende my soule as being the most pretious thing which I haue in this worlde into thy custodie, who art a most faithfull keeper therof. These words are taken by Christ out of the Psalmes: for when Dauid was in daunger of his life by reason of Saul, and had no friend to trust, he makes choice of God to be his keeper, and said, Into thy hands, O Lord, doe J commend my spirite.¹⁸³ Nowe our Sauiour Christ beeing in the like distresse, both by reason of the Iewes, who euery way sought his finall destruction and confusion, and especially because he felt the full wrath of God seazing vpon him, doth make choice of Davids words, and applie them to himselfe in his distresse. And by his example we are taught not onely to read the generall historie of the Bible, but also to obserue the things commaunded and forbidden, and to applie the same vnto our selues, and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoeuer: thus the Prophet Dauid saith, In the rolle of the booke it is written of me, that I should doe thy will,¹⁸⁴ O my God! Howe can this be? for no part of Scripture penned before the daies of Dauid saith thus of him. True indeede: but as I take it, Dauids meaning is, that he read the booke of the Lawe, and found generall precepts and commaundements giuen to Kings and Princes, that they should keepe all the ordinances and commaundements of God, which he beeing a King applies particularly to his owne person, and thereupon saith, In the volume of the booke it is written of me, &c. And this dutie is well practised by the people of God at this day: for the Psalmes of Dauid were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time: and in these daies the Church of God doth sing the same with the same spirite that Dauid did, and doth applie them to their seuerall estates and conditions.

Now in that Christ commends his soule into the hands of his father, he doth it to testifie that he died not by constraint, but willingly: and by his owne practise he doeth teach vs to doe the like, namely to giue vp our owne soules into the hands of God. And because this dutie is of some difficultie, we must obserue three motiues or preparatiues which may induce vs to the better doing of it. The first is, to consider that God the Father of Christ, is the creator of our soules, and therefore he is called the father of spirits. And if he be a creator of them, then is he also a faithfull preseruer of them. For sure it is, that God will preserue his own workmanship. Who is or cā be so careful for the ornament and preseruation of any worke, as the crafts-master? and shall not God be more carefull then man? wherefore Saint Peter exhorteth vs to commit our soules vnto God, as vnto a faithfull creator. The second motiue is this, we must looke to be resolued in our consciences, that God the Father of Christ is our Father: euery man for himselfe must labour to haue the assurance of the pardon of his owne sinnes, and that the corruption of his soule be washed away in the blood of Christ, that he may say, I am iustified, sanctified, and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus, he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soule into the hands of God. This was the reason which mooued Christ to lay downe his soule into the handes of God, because he is his Father. The third motiue or preparatiue is, a continuall experience and obseruation of Gods loue and fauour towardes vs, in keeping and preseruing him; as appeares by Dauids example, Into thy handes (saith he) I commit my soule:¹⁸⁵ for thou hast redeemed me, O thou God of truth.

The time when wee are specially to commende our soules into the hande of God, is first of all the time of any affliction or daunger. This was the time when Dauid commended his soule into the handes of God in the Psalme before named. Wee knowe that in any common daunger or perill, as the sacking of a citie, or burning of an house, if a man haue any pretious iewell therein, he will first fetch that out, and make choice of a faithfull friend, to whose custodie he will commit the same: euen so, in common perils and daungers, we must alwaies remember to commit our soules as a most pretious iewell into the hands of God, who is a faithfull creator. An other more speciall and necessarie time of practising this dutie, is the houre of death, as here Christ doth, and Steuen, who when the Iewes stoned him to death, called on God, and saide, Lord Iesus receiue my spirit. And as this dutie is very requisite and necessarie at all times, so most especially in the houre of death; because the daunger is great by reason that Sathan will then chiefly assault vs, and the guilt of sinne will especially then wounde the conscience. Lastly, at all times we must commit our soules into Gods hands: for though we be not alwaies in affliction, yet we are alwaies in great daunger: and when a man lieth downe to rest, he knoweth not whether he shall rise againe or no; and when he riseth, he knoweth not whether he shall lie downe againe. Yea, at this very houre we know not what will befall the next.

And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie. When Dauid was in great daunger of his life, and his owne people would haue stoned him, because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken; it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God.¹⁸⁶ And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent: For the which cause (saith he) J suffer those things,¹⁸⁷ but I am not ashamed: for I know whome I haue beleeued, and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto him against that day. This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand: and therefore he saith, In all my sufferings I am not ashamed: where we may see, that if a man haue grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand, it will make him bold euen at the point of death. And this must be a motiue to cause euery man euery day and houre to lay downe his soule into the hands of God, although by the course of nature he may liue twentie yeares longer. But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable, yet few there be that practise the same. Men that haue children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnder some mans tuition; and if they haue cattell, sheepe, or oxen, they prouide keepers to tend them: but in the meane season for their owne soules they haue no care, they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will. This sheweth the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world, that haue more care for their cattell, then for their owne soules: but as Christ hath taught vs by his example, so let euery one of vs in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hande of God.

Againe, in that Christ laies downe his owne soule, and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the handes of the father, we further learne three things. The first, that the soule of man doth not vanish away as the soules of beastes and other creatures: there is great difference betweene them: for when the beast dieth, his soule dieth also: but the soule of man is immortall. The consideration wherof must mooue euery man aboue al things in this world to be carefull for his soule: if it were to vanish away at the day of death, as the soule of beastes doe, the neglect thereof were no great matter: but seeing it must liue for ever, either in eternall ioy, or els in endlesse paines and torments, it standes vs upon, euery man for himselfe, so to provide for his soule in this life, that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie, it may live in eternall ioy and happinesse. The second, that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God, because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father, and so answerably the soules of euery one of the faithfull are. The thirde, that euerie one which beleeues him selfe to be a member of Christ, must be willing to die when God shall call him thereunto. For when wee die in Christ, the bodie is but laide asleepe, and the soule is receiued into the handes of a most loving God and mercifull Father, as the soule of Christ was. Lastly, whereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands, calles it a spirite, we note, that the soule of man is a spirit, that is, a spirituall, invisible, simple essence without cōposition created, as the angels of God are. The question whether the soule of a child come from the soule of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies, may easily bee resolued. For the soule of man beeing a spirite, can not beget another spirit, as the Angels being spirituall doe not beget Angels: for one spirit begetteth not another. Nay which is more▪ one simple element begetteth not another, as the water begetteth not water, nor aire begetteth aire: and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other. Againe, if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parentes, then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof. If it be said, that the whole soule of the parents be propagated, then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue. If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated: I answer, that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance can not be parted: and therfore it is the safest to conclude, that the bodie indeed is of the bodie of the parents, & that the soule of man while the bodie is in making, is created of nothing:¹⁸⁸ and for this verie cause God is called the Father of spirites.

Thus much of the crucifying of Christ: Now followeth his death. For hauing laid downe his soule into the handes of his Father,¹⁸⁹ the holy Ghost saith, he gave vp the ghost: to giue us to understand, that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death, in that his bodie and soule were severed as truly as when any of vs die. In treating of Christes death we must consider many pointes. The first, that it was needfull that hee should die, and that for two causes. First, to satisfie Gods iustice: for sinne is so odious a thing in Gods sight, that he will punish it with an extreame punishment: therefore Christ standing in our roome must not only suffer the miseries of this life, but also die on the crosse, that the verie extremitie of punishment which wee shoulde haue borne, might be laide on him: and so we in Christ, might fully satisfie Gods iustice: for the wages of sinne is death. Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of Gods worde which had saide, that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die the death. The properties of Christs death are two:¹⁹⁰ The first, that it was a voluntarie and willing death: The second, that it was a cursed death. For the first, whereas I say Christes death was voluntarie, I meane that Christ died willingly, and of his owne free accord gaue up him selfe to suffer upon the crosse. Howsoeuer the Iewes did arraigne, and condemne, and crucifie him, yet if he had not willed his owne death, and of his free accord giuen him selfe to die▪ not the Iewes nor all the whole world coulde euer haue taken away his life from him. Hee dyed not by constraint or compulsion, but most willingly: and therfore he saith, No man taketh my life from me, but I (saith hee) lay it downe of my selfe: I have power to lay it downe▪ and have power to take it againe.¹⁹¹ And our Saviour Christ gaue evident tokens hereof in his death, for then Iesus cryed with a loude voice, and gave vp the ghost. Ordinarily men that die on the crosse, languish away by little and little, and before they come to yeelde up their lives they loose their speech, and onely ratle or make a noise in the throate:¹⁹² but Christ at that verie instant when he was to giue up the ghost, cryed with a loud voice: which sheweth plainely, that he in his death was more then a conquerour ouer death. And therefore to give all men a token of his power, and to shew that he died voluntarily, it pleased him to crie with a loud voice. And this made the Centurion to say that he was the sonne of God. Againe, Christ dyed not as other men doe;¹⁹³ because they first give up the ghost, and then lay their heads aside: but he in token that his death was voluntarie, first layes his head aside after the manner of a dead man,¹⁹⁴ and then afterward gives up the ghost. Lastly, Christ died sooner then men are wont to doe upon the crosse, and this was the cause that made Pilate wonder thar he was so soone dead.¹⁹⁵ Now this came to passe not because he was loth to suffer the extremitie of death: but hecause he woulde make it manifest to all men that hee had power to die or not to die. And indeed this is our comfort that Christ died not for vs by constraint, but willingly of his owne accorde.

And as Christs death was voluntarie, so was it also an accursed death, and therefore it is called the death of the crosse. And it contained the first and the second death:¹⁹⁶ the first is the separation of the body from the soule: the second is the separation of bodie & soule from God: And both were in Christ: for beside the bodily death, he did in soule apprehend the wrath of God due to man for sinne: & that made him cry, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And here we must not omit a necessarie point, namely, how farre forth Christ suffered death. Answ. Some thinke that he suffered onely a bodily death and such paines as follow the dissolution of nature: but they no doubt come to short, for why should Christ haue feared death so greatly if it had bene nothing but the dissolution of nature. Some againe thinke that he died, not onely the first, but also the second death: but it may be that is to goe to farre: for if to die the first death be to suffer a totall separation of bodie and soule, then also to die the second death is wholly and euerie way to be seuered from all fauour of God, and at the least for a time to be oppressed of the same death as the dāned are. Now this neuer befell Christ, no not in the middest of his sufferings, considering that euen then he was able to call God his God. Therefore the safest is to follow the meane; namely that Christ died the first death▪ in that his bodie and soule were really and wholly seuered, yet without suffering any corruption in his bodie, which is the effect and fruite of the same: and that withall he further suffered the extreame horrours and pangs of the second death, not dying the same death nor being forsaken of god, more then in his owne apprehension or feeling. For in the verie middest of his sufferings the father was well pleased with him. And this which I say doeth not any whit lessen the sufficiencie of the merite of Christ: for whereas hee suffered truly the verie wrath of God, and the verie torments of the damned in his soule, it is as much as if all the men in the world had died the second death, and had bin wholly cut off from God for euer and euer. And no doubt Christ died the first death, only suffering the pangs of the second, that the first death might be an entrance not to the second death which is eternall damnation, but a passage to life eternall.

The benefites and comfortes which arise by the death of Christ are specially foure. The first is the change of our naturall death, I say not, the taking of it away, for we must all die; but whereas by nature death is a curse of God upon man for eating the forbidden fruite, by the death of Christ it is changed from a curse into a blessing: and is made as it were a middle way and entrance to conveigh men out of this worlde into the kingdome of glorie in heauen: and therefore it is saide,¹⁹⁷ Christ by his death hath delivered them from the feare of death, which all the daies of their lives were subiect to bondage. A man that is to encounter with a Scorpion▪ if he knowe that it hath a sting, he may be dismayed: but being assured that the sting is taken away, he need not feare to encounter therewith. Now death in his owne nature considered, is this scorpion armed with a sting: but Christ our Saviour by his death hath pulled out the sting of our death, and on the crosse triumphantly saith, O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?¹⁹⁸ & therefore euen thē whē we feele the pāgs of death approch, we should not feare but conceiue hope, considering that our death is altered and changed by the vertue of the death of Christ. Secondly, the death of Christ hath quite taken away the secōd death frō those that are in Christ: as Paul saith, There is no condēnation to them which are in Christ Iesus,¹⁹⁹ which walke not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Thirdly the death of Christ is a meanes to ratifie his last will and testament: For this cause was Christ the Mediatour of the new testament, that through death (which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were in the former trstament) they which were called might receive the promise of the eternall inheritance.²⁰⁰ For where a testament is, there must be the death of him that made the Testament: for the Testament is confirmed when men are dead: for it is yet of no force, as long as he is alive that made it. And therefore the death of Christ doeth make his last will and testament which is his couenant of grace, authenticall unto us. Fourthly, the death of Christ doth serue to abolish the originall corruption of our sinnefull hearts. As a strong corasive laide to a sore eates out all the rotten and deade flesh, euen so Christs death being applyed to the heart of a penitent sinner by faith, weakens and consumes the sinne that cleaues so fast unto our natures and dwelles within us. Some will say, how can Christes death which now is not, because it is long ago past and ended, kill sinne in vs now? Answer, Indeed if wee regard the acte of Christs death, it is past, but the vertue and power thereof endureth for euer. And the power of Christes death is nothing els but the power of his godhead, which inabled him in his death to ouercome hell, the graue, death, and condemnation, and to disburden him selfe of our sinnes. Now when wee haue grace to denie our selves, and to put our trust in Christ, and by faith are ioyned to him, then as Christ himselfe by the power of his godhead ouercame death, hell, and damnation in himselfe: so shall wee by the same power of his godhead kill & crucifie sin & corruption in our selues. Therfore seeing we reape such benefite by the death of Christ, if wee will shewe our selues to be Christians, let us reioyce in the death of Christ: and if the question be, what is the chiefest thing wherein we reioyce in this world? we may answere, the very crosse of Christ, and the least droppe of his blood.

The duties to be learned by the death of Christ are two: the first concernes all ignorant and impenitent sinners. Such men whatsoeuer they be, by the death of Christ upon the crosse, must be mooued to turne from their sinnes: and if the consideration hereof will not mooue them, nothing in the world will. By nature euery man is a vassall of sinne, and a bondslaue of Sathan: the deuill raignes and rules in all men by nature, and wee our selues can doe nothing but serue and obey him. Nay (which is more) we lie under the fearefull curse of God for the least sinne. Well now, see the love of the sonne of God, that gaue himselfe willingly to death upon the crosse for thee, that he might free thee from this most fearefull bondage. Wherefore let all those that liue in sinne and ignorance reason thus with thēselues: Hath Christ the Sonne of God done this for us, and shall we yet live still in our sinnes? hath he set open as it were the very gates of hell, and shall we yet lie weitring in out damnable waies and in the shadowe of death? In the feare of God let the death of Christ be a means to turne us to Christ: if it can not moue us, let us be resolued that our case is dangerous. To go yet further in this point, euery one of us is by nature a sicke man, wounded at the very heart by sathan: though we feele it not, yet we are deadly sicke: & beholde, Christ is the good Phisition of the soule, & none in heauen or earth, neither Saint, angell, nor man can heale this our spirituall wound, but he alone: who, though he were equall with the father, yet he came downe from his bosome and became mā, & lived here many yeres in miserie & contēpt: and when no hearb nor plaister could cure this our deadly wound or desperate sicknes, he was content to make a plaister with his owne blood: the paine hee tooke in making it caused him to sweat water & blood: nay the making of it for us cost him his life, in that he was content by his own death to free us from death: which if it be true, as it is most true, thē wofull & wretched is our case if we will still liue in sinne, & will not use meanes to lay this plaister unto our hearts. And after the plaister is applyed to the soule, we should doe as a man that hath bene grievously sicke, who whē he is on the mending hand gets strength by litle & little. And so should we become new creatures going on frō grace to grace, and shew the same by liuing godlily, righteously, and soberly, that the worlde may see that wee are cured of our spirituall disease. O happy, yea thrise happy are they that haue grace from God to do this. The second duty concernes thē which are repentant sinners. Hath Christ giuen himselfe for thee, & is thy conscience setled in this? then thou must answerably beare this minde, that if thy life would serue for the glorie of God & the good of his Church, thou wouldst then giue it most willingly if thou be called thereto. Secondly, if Christ for thy good hath giuen his life, then thou must in like manner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ if need be: He (saith S. Iohn) laid down his life for us,²⁰¹ therfore we ought to lay down our liues for our brethren. Thirdly, if Christ was cōtē t to shed his own hearts blood not for himself, but for the sins of euery one of us, thē we must be thus affected, that rather then by sinning we would willingly offend god, we should be content to haue our own blood shed: yea if these two things were put to our choise, either to doe that which might displease God, or els to suffer death, we must rather die then do the same. Of this mind haue bene all the martyrs of God, who rather then they would yeild to Idolatrie, were content to suffer most bitter torments & cruell death. Yea, euery good christian is so affected, that hee had rather choose to die then to liue, not moued by impatience in respect of the miseries of this life: but because he would cease to offend so louing a father. To sin is meat & drinke to the world, but to a touched & repētāt hart ther is no tormēt so grievous as this is, to sinne against God, if once hee be perswaded that Christ died for him.

Thus much for Christs death: now follow those things which befell Christ when hee was newly dead; and they are two especially. The first, that his legges were not broken as the legges of the two thieves were. Of the first, S. Iohn rendreth a reason, namely that the scripture might be fulfilled,²⁰² which saith, not a bone of him shall be broken: which wordes were spoken by Moses of the paschall lambe, and are here applyed to Christ,²⁰³ as being typically figured therby. And hence we obserue these two things. First, that Christ crucified is the true paschall lambe as S. Paul saieth, Christ our passeover is sacrificed:²⁰⁴ and S. Iohn saith, Behold the lamb of God, distinguishing him thereby from the typicall lambe. In this that Christ crucified is the true paschall lamb, the childe of God hath wonderfull matter of comfort. The Israelites did eate the passeouer in Egypt,²⁰⁵ and sprinkled the blood of the lambe on the postes of their dores, that when the Angell of God came to destroy the first borne both of man and beast, and saw the blood upon their houses might passe ouer them, that the plague should not be upon them to destruction. So likewise if thou doest feede on the lambe of God, and by a liuely faith sprinkle the dore of thine heart with his blood, the iudgements of god in this life, and the terrible curse of death, with the fearefull sentence of condemnation at the day of iudgement, & all punishments due unto thy sinnes shall passe ouer thee, and not so much as touch thee. And whereas the legges of our Sauiour Christ were not broken by the souldiers, who sought by all meanes possible to worke against him all the mischiefe they could: wee may note, that the enemies of Christ and his Church, let them intende to shewe neuer so much malice against him, they can not goe beyonde that libertie which God giueth them: then Gods will is they can doe no more for their liues. The Medes and Persians are called the Lords sanctified ones:²⁰⁶ Cyrus is called the man of Gods counsell, because whatsoeuer they intended against the people of God, yet in all their proceedings they did nothing, but that which God had determined before to be done. And whē Senacherib came against the Iewes as a wild beast out of his denne, the Lord telleth Hezekiah cōcerning Ashur that he will put his hooke in his nostrills,²⁰⁷ & his bridle in his lippes, and bring him back againe the same way he came, that is, he will so rule him that he shall not do the lest hurt unto the Iewes, more thē god will. This is a matter of great cōfort to Gods Church oppressed with manifold enimies, Papists, Iewes, Turkes, & all infidels, maliciously bent against it for Christs sake. Now they may intend & practise mischiefe, but more then Gods will and counsell is they cā not doe: for he hath his ring in their nostrills, and his bridle in their lips to rule them as he listeth.

The second thing which fell out immediatly upon the death of Christ is, that the soldiers pearced his side with a speare, & thence issued water & blood. The use which ariseth of this point is twofolde: First, it serves to prooue that Christ died truly, & not in shew, or a fained death: for there is about the heart a filme or skin like unto a purse wherein is contained cleare water to coole the heate of the heart,²⁰⁸ and therefore when water & blood issued out after the pearcing of the side, it is very likely that that very skin was pearced: for els in reason we can not coniecture whence this water should come. S. Iohn an eye-witnesse of this thing, being about to proue that Iesus the sonne of Mary was the true Messias, bringeth in sixe witnesses: three in heauē, the Father, the Worde, and the Holy Ghost: and three in earth, the Water, the Spirite, and the bloode:²⁰⁹ where no doubt hee alludeth to the water and blood that issued out of the side of Christ▪ by spirit wee may vnderstand the efficacie and operation of Gods spirite making men to bring foorth the fruits of the same, as loue, peace, ioy, &c. And the second witnes namely water, hath relation to the water that came forth of Christs side, which signifieth the inward washing away of sinne, & the purging of the heart by Christs blood: which also is and was signified by the outwarde washing of the bodie with water in baptisme. The thirde witnesse hee calles blood, alluding to the blood that issued out of Christs side: whereby is signified the expiation or satisfaction made to Gods iustice for mans sinne. The same use had the ceremoniall sprinkling with blood in the old testament, typically signifying the sprinkling of Christs blood. Now these three witnesses are not to be sought for in heauen, but euerie Christian man must search for them in his owne heart and conscience, & there shall hee finde them in some measure. And this water and blood flowing out of the side of Christ being now deade, signifieth that he is our iustification and sanctification euen after his death: & that out of his death springs our life: and therefore as Eve was made of a ribbe taken out of the side of the first Adam: so springs the Church of the blood that flowes out of the side of the second Adam.

Hauing thus intreated of Christs execution, let us nowe come to the last point, namely, the excellencie of Christes passion, consisting in these two points. I. a sacrifice. II. a triumph. For the first, whē Christ died he offered a propitiatorie & reall sacrifice to his father: & herein his death & passiō differeth frō the sufferings & deaths of all men whatsoeuer. In this sacrifice, we must consider 4. things. I. who was the priest. II. what was the sacrifice. III. what was the altar. IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered. The priest was Christ himselfe, as the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues prooues at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these 4. points. The first, what is the office of Christs priesthood. Answer. The office of Christs priesthood stands in 3. things. I. to teach doctrine, & therefore he is called the high priest of our profession, that is, of the Gospell which we professe,²¹⁰ because he is the authour and doctour of the same. II. to offer up himselfe unto his father in the behalfe of man, for the appeasing of his wrath for sinne. III. to make request or intercession to God the father, that he would accept the sacrifice which hee offered on the crosse for us. The secōd is according to which nature he was a priest: whether in his manhood, or in his godhead, or both togither? Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures: & therfore he is a priest not as the papists would haue him, according to his manhood only, but as he is both God & man: for as he is a mediatour, so is he a priest: but Christ is a mediatour according to both natures: ech nature doing that which is peculiar to it, & conferring somthing to the worke of redemptiō: & therfore he is a priest as he is both God & mā. The third point, after what order is he a priest? Ans. The scripture mētioneth 2. orders of priests: the order of Levi, & the order of Melchisedeck. Christ was not a priest after the order of Aarō: & yet notwithstāding in that priesthood were many notable rites wherby the priesthood of our Sauiour Christ was resembled, & we may note 5. especially. First in the anointing of the high priests, as of Aaron & his sonnes after him, oile was powred on his head,²¹¹ & it ran down to the verie edge of his garments, wherby was signified that Christ the true high priest was annointed with the oile of gladnesse above his fellowes,²¹² that his manhood was filled with the giftes and graces of God, both in measure, nūber, & degree aboue all mē & angels. Secondly the sumptuous & gorgious apparell which the high priest put on when hee came into the sanctuary,²¹³ was a signe of the rich & glorious robe of Christs righteousnes, which is the puritie & integrity of his humane nature & of his life. Thirdly, the speciall parts of the high priests attire were, first the Ephod, the 2. shoulders whereof had 2 onyx stones,²¹⁴ wheron were engrauē the names of the 12. tribes of Israel: 6. names on the one stone, & 6. on the other, as stones of remēbrance of the childrē of Israel to god ward: secondly, the brestplate of iudgement like the work of the Ephod, wherin were set 12. stones according to the names of the childrē of Israel, grauē as signets euery one after his name. Now by these 2. ornamēts were figured two things in Christ: by the first, that he carries all the elect on his shoulders, & supports thē by his spirit so long as they are in this world, against the world, the flesh, & the deuill. By the secōd, that Christ our high priest being now in his sanctuary in heauen, hath in memory al the elect, & their very names are writtē as it were in tables of gold before his face, & he hath an especiall loue & care ouer them. Vpon this ground the church in the Canticles praies on this maner,²¹⁵ Set me as a seale on thy heart, & as a signet vpon thy arme. And indeed this a matter of cōfort to us all, that Christ hath our seueral names writtē in pretious stones before his face, though he be now in heauē & we on earth: & the particular estate of euery one of us is both knowē & regarded of him. Again, God gaue to Moses the Vrim & Thummim, which was put on the brestplate of the high priest, when he was to aske coūsell frō God of things unknowē, before the mercy seate, whence God gaue answer. What the Vrim & Thummim was it is not known: & it is like it was not made by any arte of mā, but giuē by God; & how it was used we can not tell: but yet the signification of the wordes affordeth matter of meditatiō. Vrim signifies lights, & Thummim signifies perfections. And by this a further matter was prefigured in Christ, who hath the perfite Vrim & Thummim in his brest: first, because in him are hidde all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge:²¹⁶ secōdly, because he reveiles to his Church out of his word such things as none cā know but the childrē of God: as Dauid saith, The secret of the Lord is reveiled to thē that feare him.²¹⁷ And for this cause the spirit of Christ is called the spirit of wisdom & revelatiō; & the spirit of God, whereby we know the things that are giuē unto us of God: as namely, our electiō, vocation, iustificatiō, & sanctificatiō in this life, & our eternall glorificatiō after this life: yea to euery member of Christ within his Church he giues a speciall spirit of revelatiō, wherby he may knowe that God the father is his father; the son the redeemer, his redeemer; & the H. ghost his sanctifier & cōforter. Lastly the high priest had a plate on his forehead, & therin was in grauē the holines of Iehovah: this signified the holines of Christ:²¹⁸ for as he is God, he is holines it self: & as he is mā, he is most holy, being sanctified by the H. ghost for this end, that he might couer our sins & unrighteousnes, with his righteousnes & holy obedience.

The secōd order of priesthood is the order of Melchisedec: of which Christ was, as Dauid saith, Thou art a priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck:²¹⁹ & that in 2. speciall respects. I. Melchisedeck was both a priest & a king: so was Christ. II. Melchisedeck had neither father nor mother, because his historie is set downe with mention of neither. So likewise Christ as hee is God, had no mother, and as hee is man, he had no father. The Papists auouch Christ to be a Priest of this order in a new respect, in that as Melchisedeck offered bread and wine, when Abraham came from the slaughter of the Kings:²²⁰ so (say they) Christ in the last supper did offer his owne bodie and bloode vnder the formes of bread and wine. But this is a friuolous deuise of theirs: for if we read Hebr. 7. where this point is handled, there is no comparison at all made of their two sacrifices; but the resemblances before named are onely set downe. Againe, it is not said in Genesis that Melchisedeck offered sacrifice; but that he brought forth bread and wine,²²¹ and made a feast to Abraham & his companie. And if Christ should be of the order of Melchisedeck, in regard of the offering of bread & wine, yet would this make much against the papists. For Melchisedeck brought forth true bread & true wine; but in the sacrifice of the masse there is no true breade nor true wine: but (as they say) the reall bodie and blood of Christ vnder the forme of bread and wine.

The 4. point is, whether there be any more reall priests of the new Testament beside Christ or no? Ans. In the old testament there were many priests one following an other in continuall succession, but of the new testament there is one onely reall priest, Christ Iesus God & man, & no more: as the author of the Hebr. saith, because he endureth for euer,²²² he hath an euerlasting priesthoode: & the word trāslated (euerlasting) signifieth such a priesthood, which cannot passe frō him to any other, as the priesthood of Aaron did. And therfore the priesthood of Christ is so tied to his owne person, that none can haue the same but he; neither man nor angel, nor any other creature, no not the father nor the H. Ghost. But the factours of the Church of Rome will say, that Christ may haue men to be his deputies in his stead to offer sacrifice. Answ. We must consider Christ 2. waies: I. as he is God: II. as he is mediatour. As he is God with the father & with the holy Ghost, he hath kings & magistrates to be his deputies on earth: and therefore they are called Elohim, that is,²²³ gods. But as he is Mediatour, and so consequently a priest and a King, hee hath neither deputie nor vicegerent; neither king to rule in his stead over his Church, nor priests to offer sacrifice for him: nay hee hath no prophet to be his deputie, as he is the doctour of the Church. And therefore he saith to his disciples:²²⁴ be not called doctours, for one is your doctour. Indeede he hath his ministers to teach men his will: but a deputie to offer sacrifice in his steade he hath not. And therfore we may with good conscience abhorre the massing priesthood of the Church of Rome, as a thing fetched from the bottome of Hell: & their massing priests as instruments of Sathan; holding this for a verie truth, that we haue but one only priest euē Christ himselfe god & man. Indeed all Christians are Priests to offer up spirituall sacrifice: but it is the propertie of Christ alone to offer an outward & reall sacrifice unto God now in the new testamēt.

Thus much of the first point who is the priest. The second followeth: what is the sacrifice. Answer, The sacrifice is Christ, as he is man, or the manhood of Christ crucified. As the priest is both God and man: so the sacrifice is man, not²²⁵ God. So it is said, we are sanctified by the offering of the bodie of Iesus Christ.²²⁶ Touching this sacrifice, sundrie questions are to be skanned. The first, what kind of sacrifice it was? Answer, In the olde Testament there were two kinde of sacrifices: one, propitiatorie which serued to satisfie for sinne: the other, eucharisticall for praise and thankesgiuing. Now the sacrifice of Christ was a sacrifice propitiatorie specially prefigured by the typicall sacrifice, called the whole burnt offering;²²⁷ the use whereof was from the beginning; for as it was all consumed to ashes upon the altar, and turned into smoke, so the fire of Gods wrath did seaze upon Christ on the crosse, and did consume him as it were to nothing to make us something. Secondly, whē Noe offered an whole burnt offering after the flood, it is saide, God smelled a savour of rest:²²⁸ not because hee was delighted with the smell of the sacrifice, but because he approued his faith in Christ. And hereby was figured, that Christ upō the crosse was an offering, & a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour vnto God:²²⁹ because God was well pleased therewith. Nowe whereas Christ was content wholly to offer up himselfe to appease the wrath of his father for us: it must teach us to giue our bodies and soules, as holy, liuing, & acceptable sacrifices, wholly dedicating them to the seruice of God.

The second question is, how oft Christ offered himselfe? Ans. Once only & no more. This must be held as a principle of divinitie: With once offering hath he consecrated for ever, them that are sanctified: & againe,²³⁰ Christ was once offered to take away the sinnes of many. And it serueth to ouerthrow the abominable sacrifice of the masse, in which the true bodie & blood of Christ is offered under the formes of bread and wine, really & substātially (as they say) for the remissiō of the sinnes of the quicke & the deade, & that continually: but if this vnbloody sacrifice of Christ be good, then it is either the continuing of that which was begun on the crosse by Christ himselfe, or the iteratiō of it by the masse priest. Now let papists choose whether of these 2. they will: if they say it is the continuing of the sacrifice of Christ, then they speake outragious blasphemy: for it is in effect to say, that Christes sacrifice was not perfect, but only begun on the crosse, and must be accomplished by the masse priest to the end of the worlde. If they affirme the second, that it is an iteration of Christs sacrifice, thē also they speake blasphemie: for hereby they make it also an imperfite sacrifice, because it is repeated & iterated: for upō this ground doth the authour to the Hebrues prooue, that the sacrifices of the old testament were imperfit, because they were daily offered. And wheras they say, that there be 2. kinds of sacrifices, one bloody once only offred upō the crosse: the other unbloody, which is daily offred. I answer, that this distinctiō hath no ground out of Gods word: neither was it known to the H. ghost who saith, that without blood there is no remission of sinnss.

The 3. questiō is, what is the fruit of this sacrifice. Answ.²³¹ The whole effect therof is contained in these 4. things. I. the oblation of Christ purgeth the beleeuer frō all his sinnes whether they be originall or actuall: so it is said, If we walk in the light, we haue fellowship one with another:²³² & the blood of Iesus Christ his sonne purgeth vs from all sinne: whether they be of omission in regard of our duties: or of cōmission in doing euil. II. the oblatiō serueth for the iustifying of a sinner before God,²³³ as Paul saith, We are iustified by his blood, & are reconciled to god by his death. This being here remēbred, that in the passiō of Christ we include his legall obediēce, wherby he fulfilled the law for us. III. the oblatiō of Christ serves to purge mens cōsciences frō dead works; How much more then shall the blood of Christ,²³⁴ which through the eternall spirite offred himselfe without spot to God, purge your consciences from dead works to serue the living God. IV. the oblation of Christ procures us liberty to enter to heauen, By the blood of Christ Iesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place,²³⁵ by the new and living way which he hath prepared for vs through the vail, that is, his flesh. By our sinnes there is a partition wall made betwene God & vs: but Christ by offring himselfe upon the crosse, hath beaten down this wall, opened heauen, and as it were, trained the way with his own blood, wherby we may enter into the kingdome of God, and without the which we can not enter in at all.

The last questiō is, how this sacrifice may be applied to vs. Ans. The meanes of applying the sacrifice be two. I. the hand of God which offreth. II. the hād of the beleeuer that receiveth the sacrifice offred. The hand of God wherby he offereth unto us his benefit, is the preaching of the word, & the administratiō of the sacraments, baptisme, & the Lords supper: & whersoeuer these his holy ordinances are rightly administred & put in practise, there the Lord puts forth his hand unto us, & offereth most freely the vertue & benefit of the death of Christ. And then in the next place cōmeth the hand of the beleeuer which is faith in the heart, which, when God offereth, doth apprehend and receiue the thing offered, and make it ours.

The third thing to be spokē of is the altar wheron Christ offred himselfe. The altar was not the crosse, but rather the godhead of Christ. He was both the priest, the sacrifice, and the altar: the sacrifice, as he is man; the priest, as he is both God & mā; the altar, as he is God. The propertie of an altar is to sanctifie the sacrifice, as Christ saith, Ye fooles & blinde, whether is greater the offering,²³⁶ or the altar that senctifieth the offering? Now Christ as he is God, sanctifieth himself as he was man: & therfore (saieth he) for their sakes sanctifie I my selfe, by doing 2. things:²³⁷ I. by setting a part the manhood to be a saerifice unto his father for our sins. II. by giuing to this sacrifice merit or efficacie to deserue at Gods hāds remissiō of our sins: the māhood of Christ without the godhead hath no vertue nor efficacie in it self to be a meritorious sacrifice: & therfore the dignity & excellencie which it hath is deriued thence. As for the chalkie & stony altars of the Church of Rome, they are nothing els but the toyes of mans brain. Christ himselfe is the only reall altar of the new testament. And instead of altars which were under the lawe, wee haue now the Lords table wheron we celebrate the sacraments of his body and blood, to shew forth his death till he come.

The 4. point is concerning the time of Christs oblation, which he himselfe calleth the acceptable yere of the Lord:²³⁸ alluding unto another yere under the lawe called the yeere Iubile, which was every 50. yere amōg the Iewes, in which at the sound of a trumpet all that had set or sold their possessions receiued them againe: all that were bondmen were then set at libertie. This Iubile was but a figure of that perfect deliverāce which was to be attained by Christs passiō, which was no temporarie deliverance for euery 50. yere, but an eternal freedome from the bondage of sinne, hell, death, & condemnation. And the preaching of the worde is the trumpet sounded which proclaimeth unto us freedome frō the kingdome of darkenesse, & invites us to come & dwell in perfect peace with Christ himselfe. Well, if the yeere of perpetuall Iubile be now come, in what a wrerched estate are all our loose & blind people that esteem nothing of that libertie which is offered to them, but choose rather to liue in their sinnes, and so in bondage under Satan & condemnation, then to be at freedome in Christ.

Now follow the uses which are to be made of the sacrifice of Christ. The prophet Aggai saith,²³⁹ that the second temple built by Zorubbabell was nothing in beautie unto the first which was built by Salomon: and the reason is plaine, for it wanted five things which the first temple had. I. the appearing of the presence of God at the mercie seat betweene the two Cherubims. II. The Vrim and Thummim on the breast-plate of the high Priest. III. The inspiration of the holy Ghost vpon extraordinarie Prophets. IV. The Arke of the Covenant: for that was lost in the captiuitie. V. Fire from heauen to burne the sacrifices. Yet for all this, the Prophet afterward saith, The glorie of the last House,²⁴⁰ shall be greater then the first. Now it may be demaunded, how both these sayings can stand together? Answer. We are to know, that the second Temple was standing in the time when Christ was crucified for our sinnes; and it was the sacrifice of Christ which gaue glorie and dignitie to the second temple, though otherwise for building and outward ornaments it was farre inferiour to the first. And by this we are taught, that if we would bring glorie vnto our owne selues, vnto our houses and kindred, either before God or before men, we must labour to be partakers of the sacrifice of Christ, and the sprinkling of his blood to purge our hearts. This is the thing that brings renowne both to place and person, how base soeuer we be in the eyes of the world. Secondly, all oblations and meate offerings were sprinkled with salt,²⁴¹ and euery sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes, was first salted: and hereby two things were signified. The first, that euery one of vs in our selues are loathsome or vile in the sight of God;²⁴² like vnto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered. A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome vnto vs; but we in our selues are a thousand times more loathsome vnto God. The second, that we are as it were salted and made sauorie and acceptable to God by the vertue of the sacrifice of Christ vpon the crosse. Our dutie thē is to labour that we may feele in our selues the biting and sharpnes of the oblation of Christ, to wast & cōsume the superfluities of sinne and the corruptions of our natures. And we must withall indeauour, that the whole course of our liues, and our speach it selfe be gratious and poudred with this salt, least God at length spue vs out of his mouth. To this end hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth,²⁴³²⁴⁴ that by their ministerie they might applie the death of Christ, and season the people. And it hath pleased God to besprinkle this land with more plentie of this salt, then hath beene heretofore. But, alas, small is the number of them that giue any rellish of their good seasoning. The more lamentable is their case. For as flesh that can not be seasoned with salt, putrifies: so men, that cannot be sweetned and changed by the sacrifice of Christ, doe rotte and perish in their sinnes. The waters that issued from vnder the threshold of the Sanctuarie,²⁴⁵ when they came into²⁴⁶the dead sea, the waters thereof were holsome: but myrie places and marishes which could not be seasoned, were made saltpits. Now these waters are the preaching of the Gospell of Christ, which flowing through all the parts of this Ile, if it doe not season and chaunge our nation, it shall make it as places of nettles and salt-pits, and at length be an occasion of the eternall curse of God. Thirdly, Christs priesthoode serues to make euery one of vs also to be priests. And being priests, we must likewise haue our sacrifice and our altar.²⁴⁷ Our sacrifice is the cleane offering, which is the lifting vp of pure hands to God without wrath or doubting in our praiers: also our bodies and soules, our hearts and affections, the workes of our liues, and the works of our callings: all which must be dedicated to the seruice of God for his glorie, and the good of his Church. The altar whereon wee must offer our sacrifice, is Christ our redeemer,²⁴⁸ both God and man, because by the vertue of his death as with sweet odours he perfumes all our obedience, and makes it acceptable to God. The ministers of the Gospell are also in this manner priests, as Paul insinuateth when he calleth the Gentiles his offering vnto God.²⁴⁹ And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife, whereby the old Adam must be killed in vs; and we made an holy and acceptable sweete smelling oblation vnto God, sanctified by the holy Ghost. Therefore euery one that heareth Gods worde preached and taught, must endeauour that by the profitable hearing thereof, his sinnes and whole nature may be subdued and killed; as the beast was slaine and sacrificed vpon the altar by the hand of the Leuite. Lastly, the exhortation of the holy Ghost must here be considered, Seeing (saith he) we haue an high Priest, which is ouer the house of God,²⁵⁰ let vs draw neere with a true heart in assurance of faith, sprinkled in our hearts from an euill conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water: the meaning of the words is this, that if Christ haue offered such a sacrifice of such value and price, which procureth pardon of sinne, iustification, sanctification, and redemption, then we must labour to be partakers of it; to haue our bodies and soules purified and clensed by his blood, and sanctified throughout by the holy Ghost, that thereby we may be made fit to doe sacrifice acceptable to God in Christ. This is the vse which the Apostle maketh of the doctrine of Christs priesthood in that place, which also euery man should applie vnto himselfe: for why should we liue in our sinnes and wicked waies, euery houre incurring the daunger of Gods iudgements, seeing Christ hath offered such a sacrifice whereby we may be purged and clensed, and at length freed from all woe and miserie.

Thus much of Christs sacrifice: now follows his triumph vpon the crosse. That Christ did triumph when he was vpon the crosse, it is plainly set downe by the Apostle Paul, where he saith, that putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against vs, which was contrarie to vs, he euen tooke it out of the way, and fastened it vpon the crosse, and hath spoiled the principalities and powers,²⁵¹ and hath made shew of them openly, and hath triumphed ouer them in the same crosse. This triumph is set forth by signes & testimonies of two sorts. I. By signes of his glorie and maiestie. II. by signes of his victorie on the crosse. The signes of his glorie and maiestie are principally seauen. The first is the title set ouer his head vpon the crosse, Iesus of Nazareth King of the Iewes. The ende why titles were set ouer the heads of malefactours was, that the beholders might know the cause of the punishment, and be admonished to take heede of like offences, and be stirred vp to a dislike of the parties executed for their offences. And therefore, no doubt, Pilate wrote the title of Christ for the aggrauating of his cause, and that with his owne hand. Yet marke the strange euent that followed: for when Pilate was about to write the superscription, God did so gouerne and ouerrule both his heart and hand, that instead of noting some crime, he sets downe a most glorious and worthie title, calling him Iesus of Nazareth king of the Iewes: which words containe the very summe and pith of the whole Gospell of Christ, deliuered by the Patriarkes and Prophets from age to age. We must not thinke that Pilate did this of any good minde, or vpon any loue or fauour that he bare to Christ: but onely as he was guided and ouerruled by the power of God for the aduancement of the honour and glorie of Christ. The like did Caiphas, who though a sworne enemie to Christ, yet he vttered a prophecie of him, saying, that it was necessarie that one should die for the people: nor that he had any intent to prophecie; but because the Lord vsed him as an instrument to publish his truth. And when Baalam for the wages of vnrighteousnes would haue cursed the Lordes people, for his life hee could not; nay all his cursings were turned into blessings. By this then it appeares, that it is not possible for any man, doe what he can, to stoppe the course of the Gospell of Christ: nay (as we see) God can raise vp the wicked sometime to spread abroad and to publish the truth, though they themselues intend the contrarie. Furthermore let vs marke that when the Iewes did most of all intend to bring disgrace and ignominie vpon our Sauiour Christ, then did they most of all extoll and magnifie his name: they could not for their liues haue giuen him a more renowmed title then this, that he was king of the Iewes. And the same is the case of all the members of Christ: for let a man walke in good conscience before God and man, he shall finde this to be true, that when he is most disgraced in the world, then commonly he is most honoured with God and men.

Further, Pilate wrote this superscription in three languages, Hebrew, Greeke, and Latine. And no doubt the ende thereof in the prouidence of God was, that the passion of Christ, as also the publishing of his kingdome and Gospell might be spread ouer the whole world. This shewes the malice of the Church of Rome, which will not suffer the word of God to be published but in the latine tongue, least the people should be intangled in errours.

Againe, when Pilate had thus written the superscription, the high priests and Pharisies offended thereat, came to Pilate willing him to chaunge the title, saying, Write not the king of the Iewes, but that he said, I am the king of the Iewes: but Pilat answeared them againe, That which J haue written,²⁵² I haue written. Though Pilate had bin ouerruled before to condemne Christ to death, against his owne conscience, yet will he not in any-wise condescend to change the superscription. How comes this to passe? Surely as he was ruled by the hand of God in penning it, so by the same hand of God was he confirmed in not changing it. Hence we learne sundrie instructions. First, that no man in the world, let him endeauour himselfe to the vttermost of his power, is able to stoppe the course of the kingdom of God: it stands firme and sure, and all the world is not able to preuaile against it. Secondly, whereas Pilate being but an heathen man was thus constant, that he will not haue his writing chaunged; we may note, how permanent & vnchāgeable the writings of the holy word of God are. They are not the wordes of heathen men, but were spoken by the mouth of the Prophets and Apostles, as God gaue them vtterance. The booke of Scripture therefore is much more immutable, so as no creature shall be able to chaunge the least part of it till it be fulfilled. Thirdly, by Pilates constancie, we learne to be constant in the practise and profession of the religion of Christ: this is a necessarie lesson for these daies, wherein mens professions doe fleete like water, and goe and come with the tyde. Many zealous professours to day, but to morow as cold as water. And the complaint of the Lord touching times past, agrees to our daies: O Ephraim, what shall I say to thee? thy righteousnes is like the morning dewe.²⁵³

The second is, the conuersion of the thiefe: a most worthie argument of the Godhead of Christ. For by it when he was vpon the crosse, and in the very middest of his passion, he giues vnto all the world a liuely and notable experience of the vertue and power of his death, so as his very enemies might not onely behold the passion it selfe, but also at the same time acknowledge the admirable efficacie thereof. And therefore with the passion of Christ, we must ioyne the conuersion of the thiefe: which is as it were a crystall glasse wherein we may sensibly behold the endles merit and vertue of the obedience of Christ to his father, euen to the death of the crosse. And therefore I will briefly touch the speciall instructions which are to be learned by it. First let vs marke that both the thieues in euery respect were equal, both wicked and leud liuers: and for their notorious faults both attached, condemned, & executed both on the crosse at the same time with Christ: yet for all this, the one repenting was saued, the other was not. And in their two exāples we see the state of the whol world, wherof one part is chosen to life eternall, and thereupon attaines to faith and repentance in this life: the rest are reiected in the eternall counsell of God, for iust causes knowne to himselfe, and such being left to thēselues neuer repent at all. Secondly we are taught hereby, that the whole worke of our conuersion and saluation must be ascribed wholly to the meere mercie of God: of these two thieues the one was as deepely plunged in wickednes as the other, and yet the one is saued, the other condemned. The like was in Iacob and Esau; both borne at one time, and of the same parents,²⁵⁴ & neither of them had done good nor euill when they were borne: yet one was then loued the other was hated: yea if we regard outward prerogatiues, Esau was the first borne,²⁵⁵ and yet was refused.

Furthermore, the thiefe on the crosse declareth his conversion, by manifest signes and fruites of repentance, as appeares by the words which he spake to his fellowe, Fearest not thou God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation. Though hands and feete were fast nailed to the crosse,²⁵⁶ yet heart and tongue is at libertie to giue some tokens of his true repentance. The people of this our land heare the word, but for the most part are without either profit in knowledge or amendment of life: yet for all this they perswade themselues that they haue good hearts & good meanings, though they cannot beare it a way, and vtter it so wel as others. But, alas, poore soules, they are deluded by satan: for a man that is conuerted, can not but expresse his conuersion, and bring foorth the fruits thereof. And therefore our Sauiour Christ saith, If a man beleeue in me, out of his bellie shal flow riuers of water of life.²⁵⁷ The grace (as Elihu saith) of God is like newe wine in a vessell which must haue a vent;²⁵⁸ and therefore he that sheweth no tokens of Gods grace in this life, is not as yet conuerted; let him thinke & say of himselfe what he will. Can a man haue life, and neuer mooue nor take breath? and can he that bringeth forth no fruit of his conuersion liue vnto God? Well, let vs nowe see what were the fruites of the thiefes repentance. They may be reduced to foure heads. First, he rebukes his fellow for mocking Christ, indeauouring thereby to bring him to the same condition with himselfe, if it were possible: whereby he discouers vnto vs the propertie of a true repentant sinner, which is, to labour and striue, so much as in him lieth, to bring all men to the same state that he is in. Thus Dauid hauing tried the great loue and fauour of God toward himselfe, breaketh foorth, and saith, Come children, hearken vnto me,²⁵⁹ and I will teach you the feare of the Lorde: shewing his desire, that the same benefits which it pleased God to bestow on him, might also in like manner be conveighed to others. Therefore it is a great shame to see men professing religion, carried away with euery companie, and with the vanities and fashions of the world, whereas they should rather draw euen the worst men that be to the fellowship of those graces of God which they haue receiued. That which the Lord spake to the Prophet Ieremie, must be applied to all men: Let them returne vnto thee, but returne not thou vnto them.²⁶⁰ In instruments of musicke the string out of tune must be set vp to the rest that be in tune, and not the rest to it.

Againe, in that he checkes his fellowe, it shewes that those which be touched for their owne sinnes, are also grieued when they see other men sinne and offende God. But to goe further in this point, let vs diligently and carefully marke the manner of his reproofe, Fearest thou not God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation. In which words he rippes vp his lewdnesse euen to the quicke, and giues him a worthie item, telling him that the cause of all their former wickednesse, had beene the want of the feare of God. And this point must euery one of vs marke with great diligence. For if we enter into our hearts and make a thorough search, wee shall finde that this is the roote and fountaine of all our offences. We miserable men for the most part haue not grace to consider that we are alwaies before God; and to quake and tremble at the consideration of his presence: and this makes vs so often to offend God in our liues as we doe. Abraham comming before Abimelech, shifting for himselfe said, that Sara was his sister, and beeing demaunded why he did so, answeared, because he thought the feare of God was not in that place:²⁶¹ insinuating that he which wants the feare of God, will not make conscience of any sinne whatsoeuer. Would wee then euen from the bottome of our hearts turne to God, and become newe creatures, then let vs learne to feare God: which is nothing else but this, when a man is perswaded in his owne heart and conscience that wheresoeuer he be, he is in the presence and sight of God, and by reason thereof is afraide to sinne. This wee must haue fully settled in our hearts, if wee desire to learne but the first lesson of true wisedome. But what reason vseth the thiefe to drawe his fellowe to the feare of God? Thou art (saith he) in the same condemnation, that is, by thy sinnes and manifolde transgressions thou hast deserued death, and it is nowe most iustly inflicted vpon thee, wilt thou not yet feare God? Where we are taught, that temporall punishments and crosses, ought to be meanes to worke in vs the feare of God; for that is one ende why they are sent of God. It is good for me (saith Dauid) that I haue beene chastised,²⁶² that I may learne thy statutes.²⁶³ And Paul saith, when we are chastised, we are nurtured of the Lord. And the Iewes are taught by the Prophet Micah to say, I will beare the wrath of the Lord, because I haue sinned against him.

The second fruit of his conuersion is, that he condemneth himselfe and his fellow for their sinnes, saying, Indeede we are righteously here, for we receiue things worthie for that we haue done, that is, we haue wonderfully sinned against Gods maiestie, and against our brethren: and therefore this grieuous punishment which we beare, is most iust and due vnto vs. This fruit of repentance springs and growes very thinne among vs, for fewe there be which doe seriously condemne themselues for their owne sinnes: the manner of men is to condemne others, and to cry out that the world was neuer so badde, but bring them home to themselues, and you shall finde that they haue many excuses and defences as plaisterworke to cast ouer their foule and filthie sinnes: and if they be vrged to speake against themselues, the worst will be thus, God helpe vs, we are all sinners, euen the best of vs. But certen it is, that he which is thoroughly touched in conscience for his sinnes, both can and will speake more against himselfe for his manifold offences, then all the worlde besides. Thus Paul when he was conuerted,²⁶⁴ calls himselfe the chiefe of all sinners. And the prodigall childe confesseth that he had sinned against heauen and against his father, and was not worthie to be called his childe.

The third fruit of his conuersion is, that he excuseth our Sauiour Christ, and giueth testimonie of his innocencie, saying, But this man hath done nothing amisse. Marke here: Pilate condemned Christ, Herod mocked him, all the learned Scribes and Pharisies condemned him, and the people cry, away with him, let him be crucified: and among his owne disciples Peter denied him, and the rest ranne away: there remains onely this poore sillie wretch vpon the crosse to giue testimonie of Christs innocencie: whereby we learne, that God chuseth the simple ones of this world, to ouerthrow the wisdome of the wise: and therefore we must take heed that we be not offended at the gospel of Christ, by reason that for the most part simple & mean men in the world imbrace it. Nay marke further, this one thiefe being conuerted, had a better iudgement in matters concerning Gods kingdome, then the whole bodie of the Iewes. And by this all students may learne, that if they desire to haue in themselues vpright iudgement in matters of religion, first of all they must become repentant sinners: and though a man haue neuer so much learning, yet if he be carried away with his owne blinde affections & lusts, they will corrupt & darken his iudgement. Men which worke in mynes and coale-pits vnder the earth, are troubled with nothing so much as with dampes, which make their candle burne darke, & sometimes put it quite out. Now euery mans sinnes are the damps of his heart, which when they take place, do dimme the light of his iudgement, and cast a mist ouer the mind, & darken the vnderstanding & reason: and therefore a needefull thing it is, that men in the first place should prouide for their owne conuersion.

The fourth fruite of his repentance is, that he praieth for mercie at Christs hands, Lord (saith he) remember me when thou commest into thy kingdome: in which praier we may see what is the propertie of faith. This thiefe at this instāt heard nothing of Christ but the skornings and mockings of the people, and he saw nothing but a base estate full of ignominie and shame, and the cursed death of the crosse, yet neuerthelesse he now beleeues in Christ, and therfore intreats for saluation at his hande. Hence we learne, that it is one thing to beleeue in Christ, and an other to haue feeling and experience: and that euen then when we haue no sense or experience, we must beleeue:²⁶⁵ for faith is the subsisting of things which are not seene: and Abraham aboue hope did beleeue vnder hope: and Iob saith, though thou kill me,²⁶⁶ yet will I beleeue in thee. In Philosophie a man begins by experience, after which commes knowledge and beliefe; as whē a man hath put his hand to the fire, and feeles it to be hoat, he comes to know thereby that fire burnes: but in Divinitie we must beleeue though we haue no feeling: first comes faith, and after comes sense and feeling. And seeing the ground of our religion stands in this, to beleeue thinges neither seene nor felt, to hope aboue all hope, and without hope: in extremitie of affliction to beleeue that God loueth vs, when he seemeth to be our enemie, and to perseuere in the same to the ende.

The answer which Christ made to his praier was, This night shalt thou be with in Paradise. Whereby he testifies in the middest of his sufferings the power which he had ouer the soules of men: and verifies that gratious promise, Aske and ye shall receiue, seeke and ye shall finde, knocke and it shall be opened to you: and withall confutes the popish purgatorie. For if any man should haue gone to that forged place of torment, then the thiefe vpon the crosse, who repenting at the last gaspe wanted time to make satisfaction for the temporall punishment of his sinnes. And by this conuersion of the thiefe we may learne, that if any of vs would turne to God and repent, we must haue three thinges. I. The knowledge of our owne sinnes. II. From the bottome of our heartes wee must confesse and condemne our selues for them, and speake the worst that can be of our selues, in regard of our sinnes. III. We must earnestly craue pardon for them, and call for mercie at Gods handes in Christ, withall reforming our liues for the time to come: if we doe, we giue tokens of repentance; if not, we may thinke what we will, but we deceiue our selues, and are not truly conuerted. And here wee must be warned to take heede least we abuse, as many doe, the example of the thiefe, to conclude thereby that wee may repent when we will; because the thiefe on the crosse was conuerted at the last gaspe. For there is not a second example like to this in all the whole Bible: it was also extraordinarie. In deede sundrie men are called at the eleuenth houre, but it is a most rare thing to finde the conuersion of a sinner after the second houre, and at the point of the twelfth. This mercie God vouchsafed this one thiefe, that he might be a glasse in which we might behold the efficacie of the death of Christ, but the like is not done to many mē, no not to one of a thousand. Let vs rather cōsider the estate of the other thiefe, who neither by the dealing of his fellow,²⁶⁷ nor by any speach of Christ could be brought to repentance. Let vs not therefore deferre our repentance to the houre of death: for then we shall haue sore enemies against vs: the world, the flesh, the deuill, and a guiltie conscience: and the best way is beforehand to preuent them. And experience shews that if a man deferre repentance to the last gaspe, often when he would repent he cannot. Let vs take Salomons counsell: Remember thy creator in the daies of thy youth, before the euill daies come. If we will not heare the Lord when he calleth vs, he will not heare vs when we call on him.

The third signe was, the ecclipsing or darkning of the sunne from the sixt houre to the ninth. And this ecclipse was miraculous. For by the course of nature the sunne is neuer ecclipsed, but in the new moone: whereas contrariwise this ecclipse was about the time of the Passeouer which was alwaies kept at the full moone.²⁶⁸ Question is made touching the largenes of it: some mooued by the words of Luke, who saith that darkenesse was vpon the whole earth, hath thought that the ecclipse was vniuersall ouer the whole word: but I rather thinke, that Saint Lukes meaning is, that it was ouer the whole region or countrey of Iurie. For if such a wonder had happened ouer the whole world, all historiographers Greeke and Latine and Astronomers, diligent obseruers of all ecclipses, would haue made speciall mention thereof. And though some²⁶⁹ writers say that it was ouer the whole earth, and that it was set downe in record both by the Romanes & Grecians, yet all their writings prooue no more but this, that it was ouer Iurie and Galelie and the countries bordering neere vnto. The vses of this miracle are manifold. I. This darkening of the sunne giues a checke to the Iewes for their crucifying of Christ: they were not ashamed to apprehend, accuse, and condemne him: yet this glorious creature the sunne pulleth in his beames, beeing as it were ashamed to behold that, which they were not ashamed to doe. II. It serues to signifie the great iudgement of God to come vpon the Iewes. For as when Christ suffered, darkenes was ouer all the land of Iurie, and all the worlde besides had the light of the sunne,²⁷⁰ so shortly after blindnes of minde was ouer the whole nation of the Iewes, and all the world besides saw the sonne of righteousnes shining vnto them in the preaching of the Gospell.²⁷¹ III. It serues to aduertise vs that such as carrie themselues towards Christ as the Iewes did, haue nothing else in them but darknesse, and that they sit in darkenesse and shadow of death:²⁷² and therefore not able any whit better to see the way that leadeth vnto life, then he which is cast into a darke dungeon can; who if they thus remaine, shall at length be cast into vtter darkenesse. This beeing the estate of all them that be foorth of Christ: we must labour to be freed from this darknes, that the day-starre may rise in our hearts,²⁷³ and shine vpon vs, and put life into vs. IIII. This miraculous and wonderfull darkening of the sunne doth conuince the Iewes, that Christ whome they crucified was the Lord of glorie, and the Sauiour of the world: and it is very likely that this was the principall end of this miracle. For whereas neither his doctrine, nor his former miracles could mooue them to acknowledge him for the Messias, yet this one worke of God doth as it were strike the naile to the head, and stoppe all their mouthes. V. Besides this, whereas at that very instant when Christ was about to make a satisfaction to the iustice of his father for our sinnes; the sunne was thus darkned: it teacheth vs first to thinke of the passion of Christ, not as of a light matter, but as of one of the greatest wonders of the worlde, at the sight whereof the very frame of nature was chaunged: secondly, to thinke of our owne sinnes, as the vilest things in the world, and that they deserue the intollerable wrath of God: considering that at the time when they were to be abolished, the course of nature euen in the very heauens is turned vpside downe.

The fourth signe is, the rending of the vaile of the Temple from the toppe to the bottome.²⁷⁴ The temple was deuided into two parts: the one more inward into which no man might come but the high priest, and that once a yeare; and it was called the holy of holies: the other was that where the people came and offered sacrifices vnto the Lord. Nowe that which parted the temple into these two parts was called the vaile, and at the time of Christs passion it was rent from the toppe to the very bottome. This hath diuers vses: I. The holy of holies signified the third heauen,²⁷⁵ where God sheweth himselfe in glorie and maiestie vnto his Saints: now the rending of the vaile figureth vnto vs, that by the death of Christ heauen which was otherwise shut by our sinnes is nowe set open, and a way made to enter thereto. II. It signifieth,²⁷⁶ that by the death of Christ we haue all without impediment, free accesse to come vnto God the father by earnest praier in the name of Christ; which is a most vnspeakeable benefit. III. It signifieth, that by Christs death an ende is put to all ceremonies, to ceremoniall worship, and the sacrifices of the old testament: and that therefore in the newe testament there remaineth one onely reall and outward sacrifice, that is, Christ crucified on the crosse: and the whole seruice and worship of God for outwarde ceremonies most simple and plaine. IIII. The Temple was the chiefe and one of the most principall prerogatiues that the Iewes had; it was their glorie that they had such a place wherein they might worship and doe seruice to the true God: and for the Temples sake God often spared them, and therefore Daniel praieth: O Lord,²⁷⁷ heare the prayer of thy seruant, and his supplication, and cause thy face to shine vpon thy Sanctuarie that lieth wast for the Lords sake. Yet for all this, when they beganne to crucifie the Lord of life, their prerogatiues helps thē not, nay they are depriued thereof, and God euen with his owne hand rends the vaile of the temple in sunder, signifying vnto them, that if they forsake him, he will also forsake them. And so may we say of the Church of England: No doubt for the Gospels sake we haue outward peace and safetie, and many other blessings, and are in account with other nations: yet if we make no conscience to obey the word of God, and if we haue no loue of Christ and his members, God will at length remooue his candlesticke from vs, and vtterly depriue vs of this ornament of the Gospell, and make our land as odious vnto all the world, as the land of the Iewes is at this day. Let vs therefore with all care and diligence shew forth our loue both to Christ himselfe & to his members, and adorne the Gospell which we professe by bringing foorth fruites worthie of it.

The fifth signe is the earthquake, whereby hard rockes were clouen asunder. And it serues very fitly to signifie further vnto vs,²⁷⁸ that the sinne of the Iewes in putting Christ to death was so heauie a burden, that the earth could not beare it, but trembled thereat, though the Iewes themselues made no bones of it. And it is a thing to be wondered at, that the earth doe not often in these daies, tremble and quake at the monstrous blasphemies and fearefull othes by the wounds and blood and heart of Christ, whereby his members are rent asunder, and he traiterously crucified againe. Secondly, the earthquake shewes vnto vs the exceeding and wonderfull hardnes of the hearts of the Iewes, and ours also: they crucified Christ and were not touched with any remorse; and we can talke and heare of his death, yea we can say he was crucified for our sinnes: and yet are we nothing affected therewith, our hearts will not rend when as hard rocks cleaue asunder. Thirdly, the mooving of the earth, & the rending of the rocks asunder, may be a signe vnto vs of the vertue of the doctrine of the Gospell of Christ: which is nothing els but the publishing of the passion of his death: which being preached, shal shake heauen and earth, sea and land. It shall moue the earthen, hard, and rockie hearts of men;²⁷⁹ and raise vp of meere stones and rocks children vnto Abraham. But the maine vse and end of this point is, to prooue that he that was crucified, was the true Messias the sonne of God: and therefore had the power of heauen and earth, and could mooue all things at his pleasure.

The sixt signe of the power of Christ is, that graves did open, and many bodies of the saintes which slept arose,²⁸⁰ and came out of their graues after his resurrection, and went into the holy citie, and appeared unto many. The use of this signe is this: it signifies unto us, that Christ by his death upon the crosse did vanquish death in the graue, and opened it, and thereby testified that he was the resurrection, and the life: so that it shall not haue euerlasting dominion ouer us: but that he will raise us up from death to life, and to euerlasting glorie.

The seuenth signe is the testimonie of the Centurion with his souldiours which stood by to see Christ executed: S. Marke saith, when he saw that Christ thus crying gaue up the ghost, he said, truly this was the sonne of God.²⁸¹ Thus we see it is an easie matter for Christ to defend his own cause: let Iudas betray him, Peter denie him, and all the rest forsake him, yet he can if it so please him make the Centurion that standeth by to see him executed to testifie of his innocencie. But what was the occasion that mooued him to giue so worthy a testimonie? S. Matthew saith, it was feare,²⁸² and that feare was caused, by hearing the loud crie of Christ, & by seeing the earthquake and thinges which were done. And this must put us in minde not to passe by Gods iudgements which daily fall out in the worlde, but take knowledge of them, and as it were, to fix both our eyes on them. For they are notable meanes to strike and astonish the rebellious heart of man, and to bring it in awe and subiectiō to God. After that the two first captaines with their fifties commanding the prophet Elias to come downe to king▪ Achaziah were consumed with fire from heauen: the king sent his third captaine ouer fiftie with his fiftie to fetch him downe: but what doth he? it is said, he fell on his knee before Eliah and besought him saying, O man of God,²⁸³ I pray thee, let my life and the lives of these fiftie servants be pretious in thine eyes. But what was the cause why he prayed thus? Surely he obserued what iudgements of God fell upon his two former fellowe captaines, Beholde, saith hee, there came downe fire from heauen, and devoured the two former captaines with their fifties: therefore let my life be pretious now in thy sight. Thus laying to his owne heart and making use of Gods iudgements, hee humbled himselfe and was spared with his fiftie. And Habbaccuk saith, When I hearde the voice,²⁸⁴ namely of Gods iudgements, rottennesse entred into my bones, and I trembled in my selfe that I might be safe in the day of the Lorde. Nowe what this feare of the Centurion was, there is a further question, and it is verie like that it was but a sudden motion or a certaine preparatiue to better things. For he was but an heathen man, and had as yet no knowledge of Christ, and whether hee repented or not it is uncerten: and wee must not maruell at this, for there are many sudden motions in shewe verie good, that upon like occasions rise in the heartes of naturall men. When God plagued the land of Egypt, then Pharaoh sent for Moses and confessed that the Lorde was righteous, but he and his people were wicked; and desired Moses to pray to God to take away the plague, who did so: but so soone as the hand of God was stayed,²⁸⁵ he returned to his olde rebellion againe. And as a dogge that commeth out of the water shaketh his eares, and yet returneth into it againe: so is the maner of the world: when crosses and calamities befall men, as sicknesse, losse of friends or goods, then with Ahab they outwardly humble them-selues and goe softly: they use to frequent the place where the word is preached and Gods name called upon: but alas, common experience shewes that these things are but fittes arising of uncerten and flittering motions in the heart. For so soone as the crosse is remooued, they returne to their old byas againe, & become as bad & as backwarde as euer they were: being like to the tree that lies in the water, which for a while is greene, but afterward withereth. And therefore wee for our partes, when wee haue any good motions come into our hearts as the beginnings of further grace, wee must not quench them but cherish and preserue them, remembring that the kingdome of heauen, is like a graine of mustard seed, which when it is sowne is the least of all seedes: but afterward it groweth up into a tree, that the foules of the heauen may build their neasts in it: & like to this are the first motions of Gods spirite, and therefore they must be cherished and maintained.

And thus much for the 7. signes of the power of Christs godhead. Now followes the second part of the triumph of Christ, which containeth signes of his victorie upon the crosse, notably expressed by Paul when he saith, And putting out the handwriting of ordinances which was against us, which was contrary to us, he euen tooke it out of the way & fastened it upon the crosse, & hath spoiled the principalities & powers,²⁸⁶ and hath made a shew of them openly, & hath triumphed over them in the same. In which wordes hee alludeth to the manner of heathen triumphs: for it was the custome of heathen princes when they had gotten the victorie over their enimies, first to cause a pillar of stone, or some great oke to be cut down, and set up in the place of victorie, vpon which either the names of the chiefe enemies were set, or their heads were hanged, or words were written in the pillar to testifie the victorie. This being done, there followed an open shewe, in which first the conquerour prepares for himselfe a chariot of victory wherin he was himselfe to ride, and then the chiefe of his enemies bound & pinioned, were led openly after him. Nowe on the same maner upon the crosse there was a pitcht field; the Emperour on the one side was Christ; his enemies on the other side were the world, the flesh, hell, death, damnation, the deuill, and all his angels: all which, banding themselues against him were all subdued by him upon the same crosse: & he himselfe gaue two signes of his triūph, one was a monumēt of the victory, the other an opē shew of his cōquest. Now the monumēt of Christs victory was the crosse it self, wheron he nailed the obligatiō or bill which was against us: wherby satan might haue accused & condēned us before god. For we must cōsider that god the father is as a creditour, and wee all debters unto him: hee hath a bill of our handes which is the lawe, in that it giueth testimonie against us; first by the legall washings, which did shewe and signifie that we were altogither defiled & uncleane; secondly by the sacrifices that were daily offred for propitiation for our sinnes. Now Christ was our suretie, and paid euery iotte of the debt which we shoulde haue paid, and requiring the acquittance, taketh the ceremoniall law, and the curse of the morall law, and nailes them to the crosse.

Furthermore in the shewe of conquest, the chariot is the crosse likewise: for it was not onely a monument of victory, but also a chariot of triumph. And the captiues bound and pinioned which follow Christ, are principalities and powers, that is, the deuill, and his angells, hell, death, and condemnation: all which are as it were taken prisoners, their armour and weapons are taken from them, and they chained and bound ech to other.

The meditation of this point serueth to admonish vs to abandon all manner of sinne, and to make conscience of euerie good duety if we will aright professe the gospell of Christ: for when we sinne, we doe as it were pull Christ out of his charriot of triumph, and untie sathans bonds, & giue him weapons, and (as much as we can) make him valiant and strong againe. Now for any man to make sathan and sinne valiant and strong against himselfe, whereas Christ hath weakened him, and euen bruised his heade, is no better then to become an enemie of the crosse of Christ.²⁸⁷ Againe, hereby we are taught to pray unto God that our blind eyes may be opened, that we may discerne aright of the passion of Christ. It is a wonder to see how men are caried away with a liking of vaine shewes, games and enterludes: how they spend euen whole daies in beholding thē, and their money also that they may come to the places where they are: oh then how exceedingly ought our harts to be rauished with this mast admirable shewe, in which the sonne of God himselfe rides most gloriously in his chariot of triumph, and leades his and our most cursed enemies captiue, yea treades them under his foote. This triumph is set forth unto us in the preaching of the Gospell, and may be seene of us all freely without money or money-worth. What wretches then shall we be, if we suffer our heartes to be filled with earthly delights, and in the meane season haue little or no desire to beholde with the eyes of our mind this goodly spectacle that is to be seene in the passion of Christ, that serues to reuiue and refresh our soules to life eternall.

Thirdly if Christ when he was most weake and base in the eyes of men, did most of all triumph upon the crosse; then euerie one of us must learne to say with the Apostle Paul, God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ Iesus our Lord. That we may say this truely,²⁸⁸ first of all we must labour to haue the benefite of the crosse of Christ not onely in the remission but also in the mortification of our sinnes: secondly, wee must not be discomforted, but rather reioyce and triumph therein. A Christian man can neuer haue greater honour then to suffer for the Gospell of Christ when God calleth him thereunto: and therefore S. Paul setteth forth another most glorious shewe which all those must make that suffer any thing for Gods cause. They must encounter with the world, the flesh,²⁸⁹ and the deuill, and are placed as it were on a theater: and in this conflict the beholders are men and Angels; yea, the whole hoast of heauen and earth: the umpire or iudge is God himselfe, it will giue sentence of victorie on their side, and so they shall ouercome. We must not hereupon thrust our selues into danger: but when it shall please God to call vs thereunto, wee must thinke our selues highly honoured of him. As when God sendeth losse of friends, of substance, or good name, or any other calamitie, wee must not dispaire, or be ouer grieued: but rather reioyce and addresse our selues then with our sauiour Christ to make a triumph.

Thus much of Christes triumph, and the passion of his crosse. Now followeth the second degree of his humiliation in these words, And buried. Where we must consider these pointes: I. why it was needfull that Christ should be buried. II. who was the authour of this buriall. III. the maner or preparation to his buriall. IIII. the place and time where and when he was buried. Of these in order. For the first; the causes are many, but especially foure why Christ was to be buried. I. that the truth and certentie of his death might be confirmed unto us, and that no man might so much as imagine that his death was a fantasticall death, or his body a fantasticall bodie: for men use not to bury a liuing but a dead man, or a man in shewe, but a true man. II. that his buriall might be vnto him a passage frō the estate of humiliation to the estate of exaltation, which began in his resurrection: and he could not haue risen againe, if hee had not bene first buried. III. that the outward humiliation in the forme of a seruant, which he tooke upon him, might be continued upon him to the lowest degree of all: and therefore it was not sufficient that hee should be crucified euen to death, but being dead, he must be also buried. IIII. Christ was buried, that he might not onely vanquish death on the crosse, but euen after the maner of conquerours subdue him at his owne home, and as it were, plucke him out of his owne cabbin.

The authors of Christs burial were Ioseph of Arimathea, & Nichodemus,²⁹⁰ who came to Iesus by night. Now concerning them & this their fact, there are many things worthy to be considered in this place. First of all they were disciples of Christ, and the difference betweene them and the rest is to be considered. The other disciples though in number they were but few, yet in the feast before his passiō they openly followed him: but when Christ was to be arraigned, & the persecution of the Church of the new Testament began in him, then Iudas betraied him, Peter denied him, & the rest fled away: yet euen at the same instant these two secret disciples of our Sauiour Christ, Ioseph of Arimathea & Nicodemus take courage to themselues, & in time of daunger openly professe themselues to be Christes disciples by an honourable and solemne buriall; God no doubt opening their heartes and inabling them to doe so. The like is to be seene in all ages since the passion of Christ in the Church of God, in which men zealous for the gospell in peace haue beene timerous in persecution, whereas weake ones haue stood out against their enimies euen unto death it self. The reason is, because God will hūble those his seruants which are often times indued with great measure of graces, & cōtrariwise exalt & strengthē the weake & feeble: & the same no doubt will be found true among us, if it should please god to send any new triall into the Church of Englād. This serues to teach us to think charitably of those which are as yet but weake amōg us: & with all in our profession to cary a low saile & to think basely of our selues, and in the whole course of our liues creep alow by the ground, running on in feare & trēbling, because the Lord oftētimes humbles those that be strong, & giue courage & strength to weake ones boldly to confesse his name. Secondly, whereas these two disciples haue such care of the buriall of Christ, we learne, that it is our dutie to be carefull also for the honest & solemne buriall of our brethren. The Lorde him selfe hath cōmanded it, Thou art dust, & to dust thou shalt returne.²⁹¹ Also the bodies of men are the good creatures of God, yea the bodies of Gods children are the temples of the Holy ghost, and therefore there is good cause why they should be honestly laide in the earth. And it was a curse and iudgement of God upon Iehoiakim that he must not be buried,²⁹² but like a dead asse be drawn & cast out of the gates of Ierusalem.²⁹³ And so the Lorde threatens a curse upon the Moabites because they did not burie the king of Edom, but burnt his bones into lime. And therefore it is a necessarie dutie one neighbour and friend to looke to the honest buriall of another. Hence it followes, that the practise of Spaine and Italy and all popish countries, which is to keepe the parts of mens bodies & such like relikes of saints unburied, that they may be seene of mē & worshipped, hath no warrant: dust they are and to dust they ought to be returned.

Furthermore the properties and vertues of both these men are seuerally to be considered. And first to beginne with Ioseph, hee was a senatour, a man of great account, authoritie, and reputation among the Iewes.²⁹⁴ It may seeme a strange thing that a man of such account would abase him selfe so much as to take downe the body of Christ from the crosse. It might haue bene an hinderance to him and a disgrace to his estate and calling: as we see in these daies, it would be thought a base thing for a knight to come to the place of execution and take downe a thiefe from the hand of the hangman to burie him: but this noble Senatour Ioseph for the loue he bare to Christ, made no account of his state and calling, neither did hee scorne to take upon him so base an office, considering it was for the honor of Christ: where we learne, that if we truly loue Christ, and our hearts be set to beleeue in him, we will neuer refuse to perform the basest seruice that may be for his honour, nothing shall hinder vs. It is further saide, that he was a good man and a iust:²⁹⁵ and also a rich man. And the first appeareth in this, that hee would neither consent to the counsell nor fact of the Iewes in crucifying Christ. It is rare to finde the like man in these dayes. From his example we learne these lessons. I. that a rich man remaining a rich man may be a seruant of God, and also be saued: for riches are the good blessings of God, and in them selues doe no whit hinder a man in comming to Christ. But some will say, Christ himselfe saith, It is easier for a²⁹⁶ cable to go through the eye of a needle, as a rich man to enter into the kingdome of heauen. Ans. It is to be understood of a rich man, so long as he swelleth with a confidence in his wealth: but we know, that if a cable be untwisted and drawen into small threeds, it may be drawen through the eye of a needle: so he that is rich let him denie himselfe, abase himselfe, and lay aside all confidence in himselfe, in his riches and honour, and be as it were, made small as a twine threede, and with this good Senatour Ioseph become the disciple of Christ, hee may enter into the kingdom of heauē. But Christ saith in the parable that riches are thorns, which choke the grace of God. Answer: It is true, they are thornes in that subiect or in that man that putteth his trust in them; not in their owne nature, but by reason of the corruption of mans heart, who maketh of them his God. S. Iohn saith further, that Ioseph was a disciple of Christ,²⁹⁷ but yet a close disciple for feare of the Iewes. And this sheweth, that Christ is most readie to receiue them that come unto him, though they come laden with manifold wants. I say not this, that any hereby should take boldnes to liue in their sinnes, but my meaning is, that though men be weake in the faith, yet are they not to be dismayed, but to come to Christ, who refuseth none that come to him. Draw nere to God (saith S. Iames) and hee will draw nere to you. Christ doeth not forsake any,²⁹⁸ till they forsake him first. Lastly the H. ghost saith of him, that hee waited for the kingdome of God, that is, hee did beleeue in the Messias to come, & therfore did waite daily till the time was come, when the Messias by his death & passion should abolish the kingdome of sinne & satan, & establish his own kingdom throughout the whole world. The same is said of Simeon that he was a good man & feared God, & waited for the consolation of Israell. This was the most principall vertue of all that Ioseph had, and the very roote of all his goodnes & righteousnes, that he waited for the kingdome of God. For it is the propertie of faith whereby wee haue confidence in the Messias to change our nature, & to purifie the heart, & to make it bring forth works of righteousnesse. There be many among us, that can talke of Christes kingdome, & of redemption by him, & yet make no cōscience of sinne, & haue litle care to liue according to the gospell which they professe: and all is, because they doe not soundly beleeue in the Messias, and they waite not for the kingdome of heauen, & therefore there is no chaunge in them: but we must labour to haue this affiance in the Messias with Ioseph, and to wait for his second appearance, that thereby wee may be made new creatures, hauing the kingdome of Sathan battered and beaten downe in us, and the kingdome of God erected in our heartes.

Touching Nichodemus S. Iohn saith, that he came to Iesus by night. Many men build upon this example, that it is lawfull to be present at the Masse, so be it in the mean seasō we keepe our heartes to God: and indeede such men are like Nichodemus in that they labour to burie Christ as much as they cā, though now after his resurrectiō he should not be buried againe. But though Nichodemus durst not openly at the first professe the name of Christ, yet after his death when there is most daunger hee doeth: and by this meanes reformeth his former doing.

Thus much of the persons that buried Christ: The third thing to be obserued is the maner of Christs buriall, which standeth in these 4. points. First they take downe his body from the crosse: secondly, they winde it: thirdly, they lay it in a tombe: fourthly, the tombe is made sure. Of these in order. First, Ioseph taketh downe the body of Christ from the crosse whereon hee was executed, but marke in what maner: he doth it not on his owne head without leaue, but he goeth to Pilate and beggeth the body of Christ, & asketh leaue to take it downe, because the disposing of dead bodies was in Pilates hand, hee being deputie at that time: wherby we learn, that in all our dealings & actiōs (though they haue neuer so good an ende) our dutie is to proceede as peaceably with all men as may be: as S. Iames saith: The wisdom that is from aboue is first pure, then peaceable, gētle,²⁹⁹ &c. Againe, this teacheth us, that in all things which concerne the authoritie of the Magistrate, and belong unto him by the rule of Gods worde, wee must attempt or doe whatsoeuer we doe by leaue. And here we may see of what courses they take, that beeing priuate men in this our Church, will notwithstanding take upon them to plante Churches without the leaue of the Magistrate being a christian prince. Hauing thus taken the body of Christ downe, they go on to wind it. And Ioseph for his part brought linnen clothes,³⁰⁰ and Nichodemus a mixture of myrrhe & aloes to the quantitie of an hundred poundes for the honourable buriall of Christ. His winding was on this manner: they wrapped his bodie hastily in linnen clothes, sweete odours put thereto. Besides all this, in the Iewes burials there was embalming & washing of the body, but Christs body was not³⁰¹ embalmed or washed, because they had no time to do it, for the preparatiō to the passeouer drew nere. And wheras these 2. mē burie Christ at their own cost & charges, we are taught to be like affected to the liuing mēbers of Christ: when they want we must relieue & comfort them liberally and freely. It may here be demanded, whether men may not be at cost in making funerals, considering euen Christ himselfe is with much cost buried. Ans. The bodies of all deade men are to be buried in seemely & honest maner, & if they be honorable, they may be buried honorably: yet now ther is no cause why mens bodies should be washed, annointed, & embalmed as the vse was amōg the Iewes: for they used embalming as a pledge & signe of the resurrectiō:³⁰² but now since Christs comming we haue a more certen pledge therof, euen the resurrection of Christ himself, & therfore there is no cause, why we should use embaulming and washing as the Iewes did. And the clause which is specified in Saint Matthew is not to be omitted, that Ioseph wrapped Christs body in a cleane linnen cloth: whereby we learne,³⁰³ that howsoeuer the strange fashions fetched from Spaine and Italy are mōstrous & to be abhorred: yet, seing the body of a mā is the creature of God, therefore it must be arayed in cleanly maner, & in holy comelines.³⁰⁴ Paul requires that the minister of the Gospell in all things be seemely or comely: & herein he ought to be a patterne of sobriety unto all men. Thirdly, after they haue woūd the body of Christ, they lay it in a tōb, & lastly they make it sure, closing it up with a stone rolled ouer the mouth of it. Also the Iewes request Pilat to seale it that none might presume to open it: besides, they set a band of soldiers to watch the tomb, & to keepe it that his bodie be not stollē away. Many reasons might be alledged of this their dealing, but principally it came to passe by the providence of God, that hereby he might confirme the resurrection of Christ. For whereas the Iewes would neither be mooued by his doctrine nor by his workes & miracles to beleeue, he causeth this to be done, that by the certenty of his resurrection hee might conuince them of hardnesse of heart, and prooue that he was the sonne of God.

Thus much of the maner of his buriall. Now followes the place where Christ was buried. In the place we are to mark 3. things: I. that Christ was laid in Iosephs tomb, wherby we may gather the greatnes of Christs pouertie, in that he had not so much groūd as to make himself a graue in: & this must be a comfort to the members of Christ that are in pouertie. And it teacheth them, if they haue no more but foode and raiment, to be there with content, knowing that Christ their head and king hath cōsecrated this very estate unto them. Secondly the tombe wherein Christ was laide was a newe tomb wherein neuer any man lay before. And it was the speciall appointment of Gods prouidence that it should be so, because if any man had bene buried there aforetime, the malitious Iewes would haue pleaded, that it was not Christ that rose againe but some other. Thirdly we must obserue, that this tombe was in a garden, as the fall of man was in a garden,³⁰⁵ & as the apprehension of Christ in a gardē beyond the brooke Cedron. And here we must note the practise of a good man. This garden was the place of Iosephs delight & holy recreation wherin he used to solace himselfe in beholding the good creatures of God, yet in the same place doth he make his owne graue long before he dyed: whereby it appeares, that his recreation was ioyned with a meditatiō of his end: and his example must be followed of us. True it is, God hath giuen us his creatures not only for necessity, but also for our lawfull delight, but yet our duty is, to mingle therewith serious meditation and consideration of our last end. It is a brutish part to vse the blessings and creatures of God, and not at all to be bettered in regard of our last end by a further vse thereof.

The time when Christ was buried was the euening, wherein the Sabbath was to begin according to the maner of the Iewes, which beganne their daies at sunne-setting from euening to euening according to that in Genesis: the evening and the morning was the first day.³⁰⁶ Now Ioseph commeth a litle before euening & beggeth the body of Christ and burieth it: where note, that howsoeuer we are not bound to keepe the sabbath so strictly as the Iewes were, yet when we haue any busines or worke to be done of our ordinarie calling, we must not take a part of the Lordes sabbath day to do it in, but preuent the time, & doe it either before as Ioseph did, or after the sabbath. This is litle practised in the world. Mē think if they go to church before & after noone to heare Gods worde, then all the day after they may doe what they list, and spend the rest of the time at their owne pleasure: but the whole day is the Lordes, & therefore must be spent wholly in his seruice both by publicke hearing of the word, and also by priuate reading and meditation on the same.

To conclude the doctrine of Christes buriall: Here it may be demanded, how he was alwaies after his incarnation both god and man, considering he was dead & buried, and therefore bodie and soule were sundred, & a dead mā seemes to be no man. Answ. A dead man in his kinde is as true a man as a living man: for though bodie and soule be not united by the bond of life, yet are they united by a relation which the one hath to the other in the counsell and good pleasure of God, and that as truly as man and woman remaine coupled into one flesh by a couenant of mariage, though afterwarde they be distant a thousand miles asunder: and by vertue of this relation euery soule in the day of iudgement shall be reunited to his owne bodie, & euery bodie to his own soule. But there is yet a more straighter bond betweene the body & soule of Christ in his death & burial.³⁰⁷ For as when he was liuing his soule was a meane or bond to unite his godhead & his bodie togither: so whē hee was deade his verie godhead was a meane or middle bond to unite the bodie and soule: and to say otherwise is to dissolue the hypostaticall union, by vertue wherof Christes body and soule though seuered ech frō other, yet both were still ioyned to the godhead of the sonne.

The use and profite which may be made of Christes buriall is two-folde. I. It serueth to worke in us the buriall of all our sinnes. Knowe yee not (saieth Paul) that all who haue beene baptised into Christ,³⁰⁸ have beene baptised into his death, and are buried with him by baptisme into his death? If any shall demaund how any man is buried into the death of Christ, the answere is this: Euery Christian man and woman are by faith mystically united unto Christ and made all members of one body, whereof Christ is the head. Now therefore as Christ by the power of his godhead when he was dead and buried, did ouercome the graue & the power of death in his own person. So by the very same power by means of this spirituall coniunctiō doth he worke in all his members a spirituall death & buriall of sinne and naturall corruption.³⁰⁹ When the Israelites were burying of a mā for feare of the soldiers of the Moabites, they cast him for hast into the sepulcher of Elisha. Now the dead man, so soone as he was down, & had touched the body of Elisha, he revived & stood upon his feet. So let a man that is dead in sin be cast into the graue of Christ, that is, let him by faith but touch Christ dead & buried, it will come to passe by the vertue of Christs death & buriall, that he shalbe raised frō the death & bōdage of sin to become a new mā.

Secōdly the buriall of Christ serues to be a sweet perfume of all our graues and burials: for the graue in it selfe is the house of perditiō; but Christ by his burial hath as it were cōsecrated and perfumed all our graues: & in stead of houses of perdition,³¹⁰ hath made them chambers of rest & sleepe, yea beds of downe, & therfore howsoeuer to the eye of mā the beholding of a funerall is terrible, yet if we could then remember the buriall of Christ, & consider how he thereby hath changed the nature of the graue, euen then it woulde make us to reioice. Lastly we must imitate Christs buriall in being cōtinually occupied in the spiritual burial of our sins.

Thus much of the buriall. Now followeth the third and last degree of Christes humiliation: He descended into hell. It seemes very likely that these wordes were not placed in the creed at the first,³¹¹ or (as some thinke) that they crept in by negligence because aboue threescore creeds of the most ancient councels & fathers want this clause: & among the rest the Nicene Creed. But if the ancient & learned fathers assembled in that councel had bin perswaded or at the least had imagined that these words had bin set down at the first by the Apostles, no doubt they would not in any wise haue left them out.³¹² And an anciēt writer saith directly, that these words, he descended into hell, are not found in the Creede of the Romane Church, nor used in the Churches of the East: & if they be, that then they signifie the burial of Christ. And it must not seeme strange to any that a worde or twaine in processe of time should creepe into the Creede, considering that the originall copies of the bookes of the old and new Testament haue in them sundry³¹³ varieties of readings and³¹⁴words otherwhiles which from the margine haue crept into the text. Neuerthelesse considering that this clause hath long continued in the creed, and that by common consent of the Catholicke Church of God, & it may carry a fit sense & expositiō, it is not as some would haue it, to be put forth.

Therfore that we may come to speak of the meaning of it, we must know that it hath 4. usual expositiōs, which we wil rehearse in order, & then make choise of that which shal be thought to be the fittest. The first is, that Christs soule after his passion vpon the crosse, did really & locally descend into the place of the damned. But this seems not to be true. The reasons are these. I. All the Evangelists and among the rest S. Luke intending to make an exact narration of the life and death of Christ haue set downe at large his passion, death,³¹⁵ buriall, resurrection, & ascension, and withall they make rehearsall of small circumstances, therefore no doubt they woulde not haue omitted Christes locall descent into the place of the damned, if there had bene any such thing. And the end why they penned this historie was, that we might beleeue that Iesus is Christ the sonne of God, & beleeuing,³¹⁶ we might haue life euerlasting. Now there could not haue bene a greater matter for the confirmation of our faith thē this, that Iesus the sonne of Mary who went downe to the place of the damned, returned thence to liue in happinesse for euer. II. If Christ did go into the place of the damned, then either in soule or in body or in his godheade. But his godhead could not descend, because it is euery where, and his bodie was in the graue. And as for his soule it went not to hell, but presently after his death it went to paradise, that is, the third heauen, a place of ioy & happines. Luke. 23.43. This day shalt thou be with me in paradise: which wordes of Christ must be understood of his manhood or soule, & not of his godhead. For they are an answer to a demād: & therfore unto it▪ they must be sutable. Now the thief seeing, that Christ was first of all crucified▪ & therfore in all likelihood▪ first of all die, makes his request to this effect. Lorde, thou shalt shortly enter into thy kingdome, remēber me then, to which Christes answere (as the very words import) is thus much. I shall enter into paradise this day, & there shalt thou be with me. Now there is no entrance, but in regard of his soule or manhood. For the godhead which is at all times in all places, cā not be said properly to enter into a place. Again when Christ saith, thou shalt be with me in paradise, he doeth intimate a resemblāce▪ which is betweene the first & secōd Adam. The first Adā sinned against God, & was presently cast foorth out of paradise. Christ the second Adam hauing made a satisfactiō for sinne must immediatly enter into paradise. Now to say that Christ in soule descended locally into hell, is to abolish this analogie betwene the first & second Adam. III. Ancient councels in their confessions and creeds omitting this clauseshew, that they did not acknowledge any reall descent, and that the true meaning of these words, he descended, was sufficiently included in some of the former articles, & that may appeare, because when they set downe it, they omit some of the former: as Athanasius in his creed setting downe these words he descended, &c. omits the buriall, putting them both for one as he expounds himselfe³¹⁷ else where. Now let us see the reasons which may be alledged to the contrary.

Ob. I. Mat. 12.40. The sonne of man shall be 3. dayes & 3. nights in the heart of the earth, that is, in hell. Ans. I. This exposition is directly against the scope of the place: for the Pharisies desired to see a signe, that is, some sensible & manifest miracle: & hereunto Christ answeres that he will giue them the signe of Ionas, which cā not be the descent of his soule into the place of the dāned which is impossible; but rathet his buriall, & after it his manifest & glorious resurrectiō. II. The hart of the earth may as wel signify the graue as the center of the earth. For thus Tyrus bordering upon the sea is said to be in the heart of the sea.³¹⁸ III. This exposition takes it far granted that hell is seated in the middest of the earth▪ wheras the scriptures reveale unto us no more but this, that hell is in the lower parts: but wher these lower parts should be, no man is able to define.

Obiect. II. Act. 2.37. Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Answer. These wordes can not prooue any locall descent of Christs soule. For Peters drift in alleadging of them is, to prooue the resurrection, and he saith expressely, that the wordes must be vnderstoode of the resurrection of Christ, vers. 31. He seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ. What? namely these words, his soule was not left in hell, &c. Nowe there is no resurrection of the soule, but of the bodie onely, as the soule cannot be said to fall, but the bodie. It will be replied, that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cannot signifie the bodie, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the graue. Answer. The first word signifies not onely the spirituall part of man, the soule▪ but also the whole person, or the man himselfe, Rom. 13.1. 1. Cor. 15.45. And the second is as well taken for the graue, as for hell. Apoc. 20.14. Death and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are cast into the lake of fire. Nowe we can not say, that hell is cast into hell, but the graue into hell. And the word in this text, must needes haue this sense. For Peter makes an opposition betweene the graue into which Dauid is shut vp, and the hell out of which Christ was deliuered, vers. 29. & 31. Againe it will be saide, that in this text there be two distinct parts: the first of the soules comming forth of hell,³¹⁹ in these words, Thou wilt not leaue my soule in hell. The second, of the bodies rising out of the graue in the next words: neither wilt thou suffer my flesh to see corruption. Answer. It is not so. For flesh in this place signifies not the bodie alone, but the humane nature of Christ, as appeares vers. 30. vnlesse we shall say that one and the same word in the same sentence is taken two waies. And the words rather carrie this sense: Thou wilt not suffer me to continue long in the graue; nay which is more, in the time of my continuance there, thou wilt not suffer me so much as to feele any corruption; because I am thy holy one.

Obiect. III. 1. Pet. 3.19. Christ was quickned in spirit, by the which spirit he went and preached to the spirits which are in prison. Answer. The place is not for this purpose. For by spirit is ment not the soule of Christ, but his Godhead, which in the ministerie of Noe preached repentance to the olde world. And I thinke that Peter in this place alludes to another place in Genesis 6.3. where the Lord saith, My spirit shall not alwaies striue with man, because he is but flesh. And if the spirit doe signifie the soule, then Christ was quickned either by his soule or in his soule. But neither is true. For the first, it can not be said, that Christ was quickened by his soule, because it did not ioyne it selfe to the bodie: but the Godhead ioyned them both. Neither was he quickened in soule: for his soule died not. It could not die the first death, which belongs to the bodie: and it did not die the second death, which is a totall separation from God: onely it suffered the sorrowes of the second death, which is the apprehension of the wrath of God; as a man may feele the pangs of the first death, and yet not die the first death, but liue. Againe, it is to no ende that Christs soule should goe to hell to preach, considering that it was neuer heard of that one soule should preach to another, especially in hell, where all are condemned, and in conscience convicted of their iust damnation, and where there is no hope of repentance or redemption. It will be answered, that this preaching is onely reall or experimentall, because Christ shews himselfe there to conuince the vnbeleefe of his enemies. Answer. This which is said is flat against reason. For when a man is iustly condemned by God,³²⁰ and therfore sufficiently convicted: what neede the iudge himselfe come to the place of executiō to conuict him. And it is flat against the text. For the preaching that is spoken of here, is that which is performed by men in the ministerie of the word, as Peter expounds himselfe, 1. Pet. 4.6. To this purpose was the Gospell also preached vnto the deade, that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh, that they might liue according to God in the spirit. Lastly, there is no reason why Christ should rather preach and shew himselfe in hell, to them that were disobedient in the daies of Noe, then to the rest of the damned.

And this is the first exposition, the second follows. He descended into hell, that is, Christ descended into the graue, or was buried. This exposition is agreeable to the truth, yet is it not meet or conuenient. For the clause next before, he was buried, cōtained this point: & therfore if the next words following yeelde the same sense, there must be a vaine and needelesse repetition of one and the same thing twise, which is not in any-wise to be allowed in so short a Creede as this. If it be said that these wordes are an exposition of the former, the answeare is, that then they should be more plaine then the former. For when one sentence expoundeth an other, the latter must alwaies be the plainer: but of these two sentences, He was buried, he descended into hell, the first is very plaine and easie, but the latter very obscure and hard, and therefore it can be no exposition thereof: and therefore this exposition also is not to be receiued.

Thirdly, others there be which expound it thus, He descended into hell, that is, Christ Iesus when he was dying vpon the crosse, felt and suffered the pangs of hell and the full wrath of God seazing vpon his soule. This exposition hath his warrant in Gods worde, where hell often signifieth the sorrowes and paines of hell, as Hanna in her song vnto the Lord saith,³²¹ The Lorde killeth and maketh aliue, he bringeth downe to hell and raiseth vp, that is, he maketh men feele woe and miserie in their soules, euen the pangs of hell, and after restoreth them. And Dauid saith, The sorrowes of death compassed me, and the terrours of hell laide holde on mee.³²² This is an vsuall exposition receiued of the Church, and they which expounde this article thus, giues this reason thereof: The former wordes, was crucified, deade and buried, doe containe (say they) the outward sufferings of Christ: nowe because he suffered not onely outwardly in bodie, but also inwardly in soule, therefore these words, he descended into hell, doe set forth vnto vs his inwarde sufferings in soule, when he felt vpon the crosse the ful wrath of God vpō him. This exposition is good and true, and whosoeuer will may receiue it. But yet neuerthelesse it seemes not so fitly to agree with the order of the former articles. For these words, was crucified, dead and buried, must not be vnderstood of any ordinarie death, but of a cursed death in which Christ suffered the full wrath of God, euen the pangs of hell both in soule and bodie: seeing then this exposition is contained in the former words, it cannot fitly stand with the order of this short Creede, vnlesse there should be a distinct article of things repeated before.

But let vs come to the fourth exposition; He descended into hell, that is, when he was dead and buried, he was held captiue in the graue, and lay in bondage vnder death for the space of three daies. This exposition also may be gathered forth of the Scriptures. Saint Peter saith, God hath raised him vp,³²³ (speaking of Christ) and loosed the sorows of death, because it was vnpossible that he should be holden of it. Where we may see, that betweene the death and resurrection of Christ, there is placed a third matter, which is not mentioned in any clause of the Apostles Creede saue in this, and that is his bondage vnder death, which commeth in betweene his death and rising againe. And the words themselues doe most fitly beare this sence, as the speach of Iacob sheweth, I will goe downe into³²⁴ hell vnto my sonne mourning. And this exposition doth also best agree with the order of the Creed; first he was crucified & died, secōdly he was buried, thirdly laid in the graue, and was therein held in captiuitie and bondage vnder death. And these three degrees of Christs humiliation, are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation. The first degree of his exhaltation, he rose againe the third day, answearing to the first degree of his humiliatiō, he died: the second degree of his exhaltatiō, he ascended into heauen, answering to his going downe into the graue, was buried: and thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God (which is the highest degree of his exhaltation) answearing to the lowest degree of his humiliation, he descended into hell. These two last expositions are commonly receiued, and we may indifferently make choice of either: but the last (as I take it) is most agreeable to the order and words of the Creede.

Thus much for the meaning of the words. Now follow the vses. And first of all Christs descending into hell, teacheth euery one of vs that professe the name of Christ, that if it shall please God to afflict vs, either in bodie, or in minde, or in both, though it be in most grieuous and tedious manner, yet must we not thinke it strange. For Christ vpon the crosse not onely suffered the pangs of hell, but after he was dead, death takes him and as it were carries him into his denne, or cabbin, and there triumpheth ouer him, holding him in captiuitie and bondage, and yet for all this was he the sonne of God: and therefore when Gods hande is heauie vpon vs any way, we are not to despaire, but rather thinke it is the good pleasure of God to frame and fashion vs, that we may become like vnto Christ Iesus as good children of God. Dauid a man after Gods owne heart was by Samuel annointed king ouer Israel, but withall God raised vp Saul to persecute him, as the fowler hunteth the partridge in the mountaine, in so much that Dauid said, there was but one step betweene him & death.³²⁵ So likewise Iob a iust man and one that feared God with all his heart, yet how heauily did God lay his hand vpon him; his goods and cattell were all taken away, and his owne children slaine, and his owne bodie striken by satan with loathsome biles from the sole of his foote vnto the crowne of his head, so as he was faine to take a potsheard and scrape himselfe sitting amōg the ashes. And Ionah the seruant and Prophet of the most high God, when he was called to preach to Ninivie, because he refused for feare of that great citie, God mette with him, and he must be cast into the sea, and there be swallowed vp of a whale, that so he might chastice him: and thus doth he deale with his owne seruants, to make them conformable to Christ. And further, when it pleaseth God to lay his hand vpon our soules, and make vs haue a troubled and distressed conscience, so as we doe as it were struggle with Gods wrath as for life and death, and can finde nothing but his indignation seazing vpon our soules, which is the most grieuous and perplexed estate that any man can be in: in this case howsoeuer we cannot discerne or see any hope or comfort in our selues, yet we must not thinke it strange, nor quite despaire of his mercie. For the sonne of God himselfe descended into hell, and death carried him captiue, and triumphed ouer him in the graue, and therefore though God seeme to be our vtter enemie, yet we must not despaire of his helpe. In diuers Psalmes we reade howe Dauid was not onely persecuted outwardly of his enemies, but euen his soule and conscience were perplexed for his sinnes, so as his bones were consumed within him,³²⁶ and his moysture was turned into the drought in sommer. This caused Iob to cry out that the arrowes of God were within him,³²⁷ and the venyme thereof did drinke vp his spirit, the terrours of God did fight against him, and the griefe of his soule was as waightie as the sand of the sea, by reason whereof he saith, that the Lord did make him a marke and a butte to shoote at:³²⁸ and therefore when God shall thus afflict vs, either in bodie or in soule, or in both, we must not alwaies thinke that it is the wrathfull hand of the Lord that begins to bring vs to vtter condemnation for our sinnes, but rather his fatherly worke to kill sinne in vs, and to make vs grow in humilitie, that so we may become like vnto Christ Iesus. Secondly, whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased euen vnto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be, it is an example for vs to imitate, as Christ himselfe prescribeth: Learne of me that I am meeke and lowly.³²⁹ And that we may the better doe this, we must learne to become nothing in our selues, that we may be all in all forth of our selues in Christ: we must loath and thinke as basely of our selues as may be in regard of our sinnes. Christ Iesus vpon the crosse was content for our sakes, to become a worme and no man,³³⁰ as Dauid saith, which did chiefely appeare in this lowest degree of his humiliation, when as death did as it were tread on him in his denne; and the same minde must likewise be in vs which was in him. The liking that we haue of our selues must be meere nothing, but all our loue and liking must be forth of our selues in the death and bloode of Christ.