Lectures Upon the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ

THE FIRST LECTURE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

V NTO this part of this GOSPELL (beloved in the LORD JESUS) the LORD hath done the office of a Prophet and Doctor, going about to instruct the people of the IEWES in the way of Life and salvation, and to instruct and comfort His own Disciples especially in these last CHAPTERS. Now in the eighteenth and nineteenth CHAPTERS following, He doeth the office of a Priest. Ye know the LORD he is a King, a Priest, and a Prophet: He playeth the part of a Priest, in offering up himself: He offered up none other sacrifice than his own body for the world, and for the redemption and salvation of mankind. As concerning his passion and suffering, which is rehearsed in these two CHAPTERS, the history divideth it self very clearly: First, we have his Passion and suffering in the Garden: Next, we have his suffering in the Hall of Caiaphas the high Priest: Thirdly, we have his suffering before Pontius Pilate the Judge: Fourthly, we have his suffering in the place of Execution, which is called Caluaria, or in Hebrew GOLGOTHA, where he was crucified: And last, in the ende of the nineteenth Chap. we have the last point of his suffering, standing in his sepulcher and burial, which is the last part of his humiliation. Now this day we shall speak somewhat, as the time shall serve, of his suffering in the Garden.

In this first head of Christ's suffering in the Garden, first we have the part of Christ, offering himself to be taken and bound willingly, and of a set purpose: Next, we have the part of Judas, in coming out with a company of men of war against him, to the same Garden: he knew the place well enough, because the Lord, with his Disciples, were wont to resort thither: In the third place, we have the communication betwixt the Lord and them that came with Judas to take him: And fourthly, we have a fact of Peter, who will show his love towards his Master, and his manhood, by cutting off the ear of Malchus, the high Priests servant: And last, the taking of Christ, offering himself willingly, his putting into the hands of his enemies, and his binding. These things are set down in the first part of this history, Of the Passion of the Lord, concerning his suffering in the Garden.

Now to come to the words, and first to Christ's part: It is said, When JESUS had spoken these things, he went forth, with his Disciples, over the Brooke Cedron, where was a Garden, into the which he entered, and his Disciples. There is Christ's part: of very purpose he casteth himself to that place, which Judas knew, and where he knew that he was wont to resort: of very purpose he went thither, because the hour of his death was at hand. The time is well to be noted when he doeth this, when he had spoken these things, that is, when • ee had sufficiently instructed and comforted his Disciples, and made that prayer for them, and recommended them to the Father, to keep them in his absence: then he maketh himself for death, and purposely he went to that place to be taken. Here is a plain lesson offered unto us in the person of Christ: when he had discharged a duty, especially to them who were concredite unto him, after that he had instructed them, and after that by prayer he had commended first his own self, and then all his own to God: then in security and peace he goeth on to death: he goeth not to die before he discharge a duty to them that were committed unto him: then willingly he addresseth himself to death. Ye know the lesson. When a man or a woman hath discharged their calling faithfully towards them that were committed unto them, and done their duty to them to whom they are addebted, then in peace & rest, and with a good conscience they may offer up themselves at the pleasure of God, to lay down their life, and to die: therefore, whosoever they be that would die in rest and peace, (and alas, when shouldest thou have rest, peace, and quietness to thy soul, if in the hour of death thou have it not?) Let them take heed before they go to die, that they have discharged a faithful duty: and then having been faithful, when they go to die, they may lie down and rest in peace, and in a good conscience. But ye know again one folly in this point, and this is the common fashion of men, when they have their health, before the Lord call on them they are so slothful in discharging their duty to them to whom they are indebted, that when the soul is to depart out of the body, they are most occupied with business, and most troubled in making their Testament, and I know not what: Now make thy Testament before hand, and discharge thee of all things, and denude thine hand of all worldly affairs, that in that hour thy soul may rest on God, and be delited on heavenly things, and on that life which thou art going unto by death.

But to come forwards: It is said, He went over the Brooke Cedron, with his Disciples : This Brooke Cedron was a water, which ran between Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives, in a little and low valley: (Luke 2. Sam. 15.23.) and it was a little streape that ran when it was rain, but in time of drought it was dry: Now here was a Garden, into the which the Lord entered, with his Disciples; to the ende, that even as in the Garden (to wit, the Garden of Paradise) the salvation of mankind was lost through the fall of Adam and Eve ; Even so in a Garden, the salvation of mankind should begin to be recovered. Christ began his agony and passion in this Garden. There are sundry things concerning the suffering of Christ in this Garden of purpose omitted, and left out by John, which is mentioned and set down at large by the rest of the Evangelists, by Matt. in his 26. chap. & 36. verse. Mark. 14.37. Luk. 22.9. Only John speaketh of his taking and binding in the Garden: the rest speak of that agony and conflict that he had with the wrath of his Father in the Garden. They who are desirous to have these things more at large, let them read the rest of the Evangelists: only I shall touch that battle & agony that Christ had in his soul with the terrible wrath of his Father before any laid hands upon him. When he entereth into the gardē, the first thing he doth, he chose out three of his disciples, Peter, John, & James : & he calleth them aside from the rest, to the end, that as these three were witnesses of his glory, in that his glorious Transfiguration upon Mount Tabor, when Moses and Helias appeared unto him, Matt. 17.1. Even so, the same three should be witnesses of his humiliation, and that dejection in the Garden: and he commandeth the rest to sit down together. So these he calleth apart, Peter, John, and James, by name: and in their sight, first he beginneth to enter into that combat, and he beginneth to shiner and quake, & to be exceedingly heavy: and he crieth out with a loud voice in their audience, My soul is heavy on all sides to the death. There beginneth he his agony and conflict with the wrath of the Father for our sins, wherewith he was burdened. After that, he went from these disciples, about a stone cast, and he prayed to the Father with a loud voice, saying, Father, if it be possible remove from me this cup: that is, this cup of wrath & death, but not my will, but thy will be done. Thirdly, he goeth forward in that conflict & battle with the wrath of his Father: he feeleth the wrath of God to increase, & he crieth again that they might hear, Father, if it be possible, remove from me this cup. Then again the battle increaseth, & the agony groweth, & then the third time he prayeth the same words, Father, take this cup frō me : that is, the cup of the heavy wrath of God: at the which time an Angel came from heaven, & comforteth him. Yet the battle holdeth on, and he is in a greater agony with his Father than ever he was in before, & he prayeth at greater length, and more ardently & vehemently than ever he did of before: So that in his agony the drops of purple blood fell down from his face to the ground: such a thing was never seen, nor never befell unto any man since the beginning of the world, as to sweat blood: no man was ever under such a terrible and horrible wrath of God, as Christ was for our sins, and for the sins of the whole world.

Now in all this mean time, he is not forgetful of his disciples, whō he brought with him to be witnesses of his suffering, he is ay going to them, & from them, to hold them waking, & do what he could do, they are ay sleeping, the Devil is busy with them, that in the suffering of CHRIST (they being then sleeping) they should bear no witness of the suffering of Christ, the Devil was as busy to cast them in a sleep, as the Lord was busy to hold them waking, to bear witness of that agony & conflict. I will not insist in this matter, read thereof in Matth. 26. & in Luke 22. & in Marc. 14. and ye shall get this History at large: only we have thus far of the suffering of Jesus Christ in the garden: first, how heavy • weighty a thing sin is, all this was not for his sin, but for our sins, for the sins of the world: Next, ye see how heavy a thing the wrath of God is, that followeth on sin, for as Jesus Christ took on his back the burden of our sins, so did he also the weight of the wrath of God, and the punishment that followeth upon sin: if ye know not this, ye know nothing of Christ. Thirdly, ye see the greatness of the love of CHRIST to man, that first took on his back so heavy a burden of sin, and secondly, so heavy a burden of wrath, and all for mankind. If CHRIST had not suffered, never a man had been safe, but these burdens had pressed them down to hell, never a soul had been saved from Adam to the end of the world: Look then what love he hath shown to us: and last, this agony & suffering in the garden letteth us see that the Son of God, as he is very God, so he is very man also, and that he hath the body of a man, & the soul of a man, for this suffering in the garden was especially in the soul: in this battle the soul of Jesus Christ was especially set on by the wrath of the Father. There was none, touching the body of the Lord at this time, but the wrath of the Father was fighting with the soul. But to leave this, and to mark the purpose of JOHN, his purpose is only to let you see, that when Jesus Christ died, he died with a great willingness and readiness, that willingly he goeth to death, and is not drawn out against his will, but knowing that IVDAS would come with a company of men of war to that place where he was wont to walk and pray, of set purpose that he should be taken▪ he resorted thither. So this is the purpose of JOHN, to let us see that JESUS CHRIST offered up a voluntary Sacrifice for the sins of the world, for except He had offered up a voluntary sacrifice, His suffering had not been obedience to the Father, He had not been as is said, Phil. 2.8. obedient to the Father. So the Lord died, and he died to be obedient to the Father, that is, He died willingly at the good will and pleasure of the Father. And if He had not been obedient, His sacrifice had never been a satisfaction for the sins of the world, and then what good had the sacrifice of CHRIST done to me, or thee, or to any man: and therefore hereupon is our faith grounded, that we know the LORD JESUS, not only died, but also, that He died willingly; and so willingly, and with such a readiness to pleasure his Father, and to satisfy the wrath of the Father, as no tongue of man nor Angel can express. And when ever thou settlest thine heart on the death of CHRIST, look that thine heart settle it on a willing and obedient death: for if thou think not that He died willingly and chearefullie for thee, thou canst have no comfort.

Now to come to Judas part: Judas knoweth the place where the LORD was: he knoweth the Garden well enough, because JESUS oftentimes was wont to resort thither with his disciples, and Judas was one of them: for many times he was there with the rest of his disciples, and he knew, that commonly the LORD was wont to resort thither with his disciples, and on this he taketh occasion to betray Him: and when he hath gotten a band of men of war, and the servants of the high Priests, and Pharisees, he as a Captain to them, and they as a guard with swords and staves enter within the Garden to take the LORD JESUS.

Well, Brethren, it is the acquaintance and familiarity that Judas had with CHRIST, and with the place where He was wont to resort, that was the occasion of the betraying of the Lord. If Judas had not been acquainted with Christ, Judas had not come to this place to take Him. It is familiarity that makes traitors: he that will betray a man, must be a domestic & a household man to him. Will every man betray Christ? No: not every man, he that will betray Christ, must be one that knoweth Him, and His truth in some measure. Then thou that knowest Christ, take good heed to thy knowledge, and to thy familiarity, take good heed that knowledge of Christ be in sincerity, and that thou be not an Hypocrite, but be a friend indeed, and not outwardly, otherwise, if thy knowledge be but in hypocrisy, and if thy friendship be coloured, thou shalt be a traitor, and in the ende thou shalt make apostasy with Judas, from Jesus Christ. What is the cause that men become Apostates and traitors, and after that they have professed and subscribed, they fall away from Jesus Christ? what? but because they were never true nor sincere friends to Jesus Christ: All was but dissimulation, and shall end in persecution of Jesus Christ, and his members, and they shall end in destruction, as Judas did: for after that he had once made apostasy from the Lord, and betrayed his Master, he never took rest till he hanged himself. If ye will mark well, ye will find in the company of Judas two ranks & sorts of men: The first is a band of men of war of the Roman Deputies, that was one part of the guard: The other was the officers and ministers of the high Priest, they make out the other part. Then the third guard is partly of Gentiles, & partly of Jews. How came they? They came with lanterns & weapons & lights on a naked man with fear of war: they needed not. What needed all this company▪ the Lord Jesus being a naked man in the Garden, not minded to fight: What needed Judas to bring such a guard with him? The Spirit of God marketh in this Narratiue, that Judas in doing this, had an evil conscience, through his evil doing.

The man that taketh an evil or a wicked deed in hand, will think that he can never get men enew to do it with him, he shall fear for no cause: if ye should guard him with all the world, scarcely shall he be in security: for he wants that peace of GOD. Paul to the Philippians calls it that peace that passes all understanding, and that guardes the heart of man: for peace is nothing, but a good conscience, and he who wants this good conscience which is the inward guard, that man can never be saved with an outward guard: if all the world should stand about that man, he will ever be in fear, and albeit he were in the mids of an army, he will tremble and quake, but a good conscience will rest in peace: as David saith, Although I were helmed about with ten thousand men, yet would I not be afraid, for I know assuredly that thou wilt be with me. That heart is well guarded that hath a good conscience, for it will have peace inwardly, and will not seek that outward guard. The same thing is set out in the manner of his coming, he cometh with lanternes, and he cometh with lights, and in the night. This coming in the night manifesteth▪ that he had an evil conscience: for he that doeth evil, hateth the light. What needed all this company? Was not the Lord Jesus daily going in and out in Jerusalem ? And was He not daily teaching in the Temple? & yet they laid not an hand upon him. The very season and time of his out-coming, testifieth, that he had an evil conscience in doing of it, and therefore he came not in the day light. He that hath an evil conscience feareth the Sun, he dreadeth the light, and he seeketh to execute his purpose in the night. The night maketh an evil man impudent. All these things manifest unto us, that Judas had an evil conscience, but it was not well wakened, but when it was wakened, then he despaired, and he had Hell in his soul, and got no rest, till he had hanged himself.

Now I go forward to the communication betwixt the Lord and the Guarde: John saith, The Lord knowing all things that should happen unto him, and that were to come unto him, he cometh forward, he fleeth not away, he hideth not himself, he is not drawn out of an hole, as men who have done an evil fact, but vnrequired he cometh forth unto them, and upon his own free motive he offereth himself unto them: then he tarrieth not till they begin to talk, but first the Lord speaketh, & saith, Whom seek ye? and they answer (not knowing him by the face) they say, JESUS of Nazareth. He answereth, not denying himself, I am he : he confessed himself. Will ye mark these things: when he saith, he knew all things that should come unto him, John would let you see that the Lord Jesus willingly and wittingly offered Himself unto the death. This taking and laying hands upon Him, cometh not of hap-hazard: No, the Lord knew well enough all the things that should come to Him: He is taken wittingly: and as He is taken wittingly, so is He taken willingly: and He is readier to offer Himself to be taken, than they are to take Him.

But to come to the words: He saith, Whome seek ye here? and when they say, JESUS of Nazareth, then He answereth, I am he. These words do testify, that wittinglie and willingly He offereth Himself to be taken. And if ye mark, ye shall see in His answer such mildness as is unspeakable: He beginneth not to speak in wrath: and when they say, JESUS of Nazareth, He giveth not an answer scornefullie: So that as He offereth Himself willingly, so ye see also such a mildness in Him, when He is taken, (even as the Scripture spake) as He had been a Lamb. So that ye see that neither in word nor deed, he uttereth anything to hinder his obedience to his Father: this then is the thing that JOHN recommendeth unto us, and letteth us see, even that Jesus Christ was willing to die. And this lesson we should all learn, if it shall please GOD to call any of us to suffer for Jesus Christ's sake, that we suffer with such willingness and pleasure, that we run to death, and embrace it with our arms: let this mildness utter it self in all thy doings: away with that scorning: if thou would be like Jesus Christ, die in peace, & willingly; look not to the instrument, nor the Hang-man who putteth hands in thee, but lift thine heart to the God of heaven, and say, O LORD, seeing that it is thy will that I die, mine eye is on thee, and as JESUS CHRIST offered himself willingly, to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world: even so am I willing to obey thy will: It is noted that Judas was amongst the rest, and no question the eye of the Lord is on him, but never a word he speaketh to him. Now I think that this standing of Judas is mentioned, to let us see two things, the first is, that patient suffering of Jesus Christ, he beginneth not to upbraid him, and to speak angry words to him, or to look to him angrylie. Some would have thought, that the LORD seeing Judas, might have said to him, Well Traitour, art thou there who hast betrayed me: No: he giveth him not an angry look, he is even a very Lamb, as the Prophet speaketh of him: a Lamb without anger either in look or in word, but in suffering he useth such a mildness and patience as is wonderful: Next, to let us see that impudency of the traitor Judas, how durst he face the Lord JESUS whom he betrayed? a traitor is ay impudent and shameless, he hath ay an hard heart, and then a brazen face to the man whom he hath betrayed. Ye see how dangerous a thing it is once to harden the heart against Christ, and once to begin to do evil against conscience: if thine heart begin once to be endured, thou shalt not come back, whilst thou comest to extreme induration, and at last, to perdition. Judas could never come back, after that once his heart was hardened against the Lord, but past forward, till he came to that final induration and hardness of heart. Therefore far be it from us once to begin to harden our hearts against the LORD: If thou beginnest once, thou shalt grow in hardness, till thou comest to that final induration. Lord save us from that sin, the hardness of heart against the truth, and against Jesus Christ. It is to be feared, that these men, who with the betrayers of Jesus Christ have set their faces against Christ, & His true religion, & against their native country, and go forward in such induration and obstinacy of heart, that they shall come to that part of Judas. And it is a rare thing to see a man who hath gone so far forward in induration, come ever back again to grace. Now we have the effect that follows on this word that He speaks, I am he : for these words are no sooner spoken, (albeit they be few and gentle) but they are all amazed, tremble, and fall down backward to the ground. It is an admirable thing, that one word (and that so mildly spoken) should have wrought such an effect: for it is such a word, as they would have wished for. It is very wondrous, that such a gentle word should as a whirl-wind, or as a flashe of fire, so have stricken them. No question, this is to let them see, that the Lord needed not to have been taken with them, except it had been His own will: No, it was not possible for them to touch one hair of His head: for He saith Himself in the 10. Chap. and 18. verse. of this Gospel, No man taketh my life from me, I have power to lay it down, and to take it up again. So the Lord, by this wonderful effect of that word, I am he, will let them know, that they had no power to lay hands on Him, if it had not been His own will. And no doubt, He hath had a respect unto them, howbeit they were enemies to Him, yet He wished thē well. And by the striking of them to the ground, He would let them see, that if they encountered with Him, they would die: and He will let them see His power, that He might cause them to repent, or else to make them inexcusable: and to let them see, that He was the Lord of Glory, and that they put hands to the Lord of Glory, and slew the Lord of Life. We may gather of the effect of this word, that if such a sober and gentle word, coming out of the mouth of Jesus Christ, did drive them upon their backs, and cast them to the ground, what if Jesus Christ had spoken an angry word? what force would that have had? If the bleating of a Lamb had such a force, what force shall the roaring of a Lion have? Where shall the wicked stand? And if the voice of the Lord Jesus, humbly and like a Lamb, standing before them Himself alone, and speaking with such gentleness, had such effect, as to throw them down upon the ground, what effect shall that roaring, full of wrath and indignation, at that Great day: not out of the mouth of a Lamb, nor of an humble man, Jesus of Nazareth : but out of y ^e mouth of a lion, out of y ^e mouth of Jesus Christ, the Judge, sitting in His Glory & Majesty, & saying to y ^e wicked, Away ye cursed to that fire which is prepared for the Devil and his angels, Mat. 25.41. What effect then shall that voice have? Whither shall that voice drive them? And further mark: If that voice had such an effect, being no threatening, nor boasting, but gentle and mild; now what effect shall this voice have, whereby He threateneth the world, by His servants, with His judgementes? If the mild speaking had such a force, what effect shall these terrible threatenings have against the wicked? for it is another thing when Christ threateneth in wrath, and when He speaketh meekelie. Now, as certainly as this word that Christ Himself spake, wrought such an effect: As certainly also the word of Jesus Christ, which He putteth into the mouth of His faithful Teachers and Pastors, here in this world, shall be effectual, either to thy life, or to thy death: and as certainly the same word shall have effect to drive the wicked men upon their backs: as Zechariah saith, Chap. 1. verse. 4.5.6. When the men are dead that have spoken that word, after it hath been spoken, it shall be found living: and that same voice shall have effect when we are dead. It is true (saith the LORD) my Prophets died with your fathers: but my voice, which I put into their mouths, died not with them: and your fathers knew, that that word which I did put into their mouths, was living, and never left them, until it brought on judgment upon them. The LORD grant, that every soul may reverence the word of JESUS CHRIST: for it shall be found, that either it was spoken to thy salvation, or to thy damnation: And, Heaven and Earth shall vanishe away, before one jot of that Word pass away without its own effect.

But now let us see what they do after they are fallen down upon the ground: Leave they off? No, no, they rise again, and the LORD JESUS standeth still, and letteth them rise again: and when they are risen, they speak nothing: but He speaketh first, and He saith, Whome seek ye ? and they say, JESUS of NAZARETH. And He answereth, I am he. Now this is a strange thing: Who can think, that these men, who found so great a power proceeding out of the mouth of the LORD JESUS CHRIST finding such force, should have meddled with Him again. But left they Him for all this? No: but they get up again, and pursue Him, and take Him, and bind Him. It is an hard matter, to be given over to a reprobate sense: that is, to want feeling, when the Lord taketh out of the soul in His judgment all sight & sense, that person is miserable: and if thou be once stricken with that senselessness of the soul, albeit thou be thrown down upon thy back, thou shalt get up again, like a drunken man, and fight against the Lord▪ and that man is worse than any beast, horse, or mule: for once strike a Horse down, & he hath a feeling thereof, and he will beware of the like peril again: But a man, who should have reason, after that the Lord hath once stricken him with senselessenesse, there is no beast so senseless as he is: and as he is senseless, so he shall not leave off from evil doing: and he shall compt no more of the power of God, than of a flee: for they feel not the hand of God, they are so astonished: and they will up again, after they are casten down▪ and they will assaye His power again, and will not leave off till His wrath destroy him. Strive therefore, ever to keep the soul in a sense and feeling and let not that miserable scroofe to go over thy soul: but have still a feeling of the power of God, and mercy of God in thy soul, and always have a wakened conscience: for if thine heart come to that extreme senselessenesse, thy soul shall over-grow with such a fatness, that thou shalt have no more sense, than a dead stock: and thou shalt be like an Ox fed to destruction: thou shalt neither have feeling of mercy, nor of judgment. To ende with this: ye see that Jesus Christ, albeit he was but himself alone, a simple man to look to, and without armor: yet He provoketh them, and speaketh to them first: He dischargeth them to stir Him, until first they entered into a conditiō with Him, That His disciples should pass free, there is not such a thing that one of them could have power to put out their hand to take Him. And if there were no more but this, that they had no power to stir him, they might see more in Jesus Christ, than in a common man: they might see power in Him to keep Himself: yet their senselessenesse is so great, that they cannot see this. The Lord keep us in sense and feeling of Him, that when He hath ado with us, we may feel Him, and see Him, that our conscience may be wakened, and our hearts mollified, through Jesus Christ: to whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all praise and honor for evermore, AMEN.

THE SECOND LECTURE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

T HE last day (beloved in the LORD JESUS) we divided the whole History of the Passion and suffering of Jesus Christ, which is contained in these two CHAPTERS, to wit, the XVIII. and XIX. of this Gospel, in these parts: First, we have his suffering in the Garden: Then we have his suffering in the Hall of the high Priest: Thirdly, we have his suffering before the Judge Pontius Pilate : Fourthly, we have his suffering in the place of Execution, in Caluaria, otherwise GOLGOTHA: And last, we have the last part of his suffering, which is his Burial. The last day we entered into the first part of his suffering, which JOHN in this Chapter setteth down to be this: The Lord Jesus being in the Garden, is taken captive, and bound: John passeth by all that agony and conflict that the Lord had before his taking in the Garden, with the heavy wrath of his Father, for our sin, which he did bear. As concerning his taking▪ we have first the part of Jesus, who of purpose, wittingly, and willingly, came to this Garden to be taken: which Garden was known to Judas the Traitor. Then we have the part of Judas, he knowing the Garden, cometh forward, (because the Lord used, with his Disciples, to resort thither) accompanied with a band of men of war, with the officers, and servants of the high Priest, to take▪ and apprehend, the Lord. In the third place, we have the communing that fell out betwixt Christ, and them that came to take him; he knowing all things that should come unto him; he taketh not the flight, nor seeketh not to go his way, as he might have done, because it was night: but he cometh out unsought, and beginneth the speech, and saith, Whome seek ye? They not knowing him by face, answered, JESUS of Nazareth. He answered again, not denying himself, I am he : as he would say in plain words, I am the man whom ye seek, why seek ye any further? to let us see how wittingly, and willingly, how joyfullie, and gladly, and howe patiently he offereth himself unto death for our sins. Now he hath no sooner spoken this one word, I am he, which is a gentle word, but as soon they start backwardes, and fall to the ground: whereby the Lord would testify unto them, that they had no power to take his life from him, as he said before himself, he had both his life, and his death in his own hands, all the power in heaven and in earth was not able to cause him to die, if he had pleased to have lived.

But to come to this Text: When he hath stricken them to the ground, they leave not off: but when they are risen, they are as bent as they were before. It is a marvelous thing, for if it had been his will, he might not only have stricken them to the ground, but he might have stricken them thorough the earth, into hell: yet he letteth them rise again: but they are all senseless of that divine power, wherewith they are stricken. The Lord beginneth the speech, and he saith, Whom seek ye? They answer, not knowing him, JESUS of Nazareth. He replieth again, I said unto you, that I am he : he denieth not himself, but in a manner provoketh them to dispatch that business which they were about: yet he entereth into a condition with them, Take not these that are with me, stir not my Disciples: he giveth them a charge that they stir them not: and indeed none of that whole company had any power to lift up their hand against them. The words are plain: ye may easily perceive the note that riseth of this: It is a marvelous thing, that a naked and a simple man, (who was baser than the King of Glory was in the earth?) a man naked without armor: he is standing before them, who are like as many Tyrants, or tygers, and yet none of them had power to lay hands upon him, till he give them power: and more, he will not let them stir him, till he make a condition with them, That they handle not his disciples: He imponeth laws unto them, and without this law, that they meddle not with his Disciples, he will not yield himself unto them. So, Brethren, this is to let you see first that divine power which was in the Lord Jesus: Behold it, for it is a comfortable thing for Christians, to know that divine power that is in Jesus Christ: for although he never touched one of them, yet that divine power did so bind fast their hands, and so restrained that pride of their hearts, that they had no power once to move against him. Next, behold a miserable senselessenesse in them; for it is a wonderful thing, that they cannot perceive nor feel this power that was in him. If they had had any sight of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily, would they not have ceased from such a wicked enterprise? Brethren, it is an hard matter for any man or woman once to be given over unto a reprobate sense, and to be stricken with blindness and hardness of heart: And if God in his just judgment give thee to blindness and hardness of soul, albeit he would make judgment after judgment to cease upon thee, and albeit he would strike thee and beat thee upon thy back, thou wilt not be the better: but thou wilt get up again, like a drunken man: and if thou be once given over to thine own self, it is as sure a thing as is in the world, that except the Lord let thee see with his power a sight of mercy, thou shalt ever become worse and worse: and except the face of Jesus shine into thy soul, all afflictions shall harden thee like iron, that is often stricken upon: and the greater the afflictions be, except that mercy shine into thine heart, thou wilt be the more endured. Paul saith, When the heart is converted to the Lord, the veil is taken away, 2. Corinth. 3.16. Without conversion of the heart to the face of JESUS, that that merciful face may shine into the heart, all the things in the world will not be able to mollify thine heart: Therefore, whensoever the Lord afflicteth thee, pray for mercy, that as the power striketh thee, so the mercy may be powerful to convert thee: Yea, cry aye for the mercy, or else the power shall work a further induration in thee, and make thee worse.

To go forward: Ye see how careful He is of his disciples: men would think, that He being so hard straited, & so near the death, should have forgotten his Disciples: for this is our fashion, but the Lord doeth not so. And Brethren, this is a true note and token of a true Shepherd: he will forget himself, and his life, and he will remember his flock: and when he is adying, he will be careful of his flock: and when the Wolf is worrying him, yet he will do what lieth in him, that his flock, and every sheep thereof, may escape: and he will give his life for the safety of his flock. This is a good pastor. So we see the viue image of a faithful Pastor, in the Lord Jesus: he will give his life for his sheep, as he saith himself, He is but an hireling, that will not for the love of his sheep lay down his life. And this is the thing that I note chiefly here: When the Lord becometh weak in himself, thorough infirmity, yea, voluntary infirmity (he needed not to be infirm: what need had the God of glory to be infirm?) he suffereth himself to be bound till he become infirm. In the mean time he is strong and powerful in his Disciples to their safety: for although these that were in the Garden would never so fain, yet they could not get their hands laid upon his Disciples. The Lord Jesus, when he was hanging upon the Cross, the Jews scorned him, and tauntinglie said unto him, Thou who sauedst others, come down and save thyself : meaning he could not save himself, because he was crucified, as if he had no power: but they are deceived, for that same hour that the Lord was upon the Cross, and that same very time that thorough infirmity he died, and when he was hanging dead upon the Cross, that power went out from him that kept his D • sciples, and all the faithful in the world: For except that the Lord had kept them then when he was hanging dead, they had been a preye to the Devil. For this is our nature and infirmity, we cannot stand a moment in this world, except it be by the power of Jesus Christ.

Well then, Brethren, if Christ Jesus crucified, and crucified (as the Apostle speaketh, 2. Cor. 13.4. ) thorough infirmity, and so weak in himself in his human nature, had so great a power to save his Church, what shall we say then? What a power is that which proceedeth from Jesus Christ glorified? and cometh down now from the Heaven, and who liveth now (as the Apostle saith there) by the power of GOD, and liveth now in glory at the right hand of the Father. How great a power must this be, that proceedeth out from Christ glorified! Alas, if the world saw this, if the blind men saw the thousand part of that terrible power that cometh from Jesus Christ glorified, think ye, that for all the world, they durst confederate with the King of Spain, the Pope, and his power, and enterprise anything against Christ and his Church: but, alas, this blindness and induration letteth them not see nor feel, but in the ende they shall feel it (if the Lord in mercy convert them not) to their everlasting shame & confusion.

Well, to go forward, JOHN to this purpose allegeth an old prophecy which was prophesied before of Jesus Christ long before he came into the world; and this is the prophecy: Of them which thou gavest me, have I lost none. Now John draweth this prophecy to the preservation of Christ's disciples at this time, because the disciples that were concredite unto him, escaped at this time. Mark, Brethren, It is true indeed, that the prophecy properly is to be understood, not so much of a safety in this life presently, as of a spiritual safety to life everlasting: this is the meaning: Yet it hath pleased the Spirit of God, to apply this prophecy to this bodily preservation: the cause is this, At this time the bodily safety of his disciples, importeth that spiritual safety & the life to come: as by the contrary, the endangering of the present life, endangered the life to come. If the disciples had been taken at this time, to have suffered with their Master, they had all revolted and denied their Master: We may see the proof of this in Peter, and so they had hazarded not only this life, but also the life to come, because that the disciples were as yet but children in Jesus Christ, and were not strengthened enough with the power of Christ: and woe is to that soul that will deny Jesus Christ, and chiefly in death. There is not one who will suffer their little finger only to be burnt for the cause of Christ, except he be strengthened with the power of Jesus Christ, and there is not one that will now suffer affliction but they who are guarded with the power of God, and therefore ye see here God's mercy towards his disciples. This is the merciful dealing of God with his own, he will never let one of his own be tempted, but he will give them power to bear out the temptation, and He will never suffer them to be tempted, till He give them ability: and when He hath given them strength, then the LORD will lay on the burden. It is a wonderful thing, the heavier the burden be, that the Lord lays on his own, the greater strength He gives them to sustain it. The world hath wondered at the Martyrs of God, who had so great comfort in the time of their burning in the fire, and how in suffering they would sing Psalms unto their latter breath. The world wondereth at this: The heavier that the death hath been, the greater hath the power of God been, and the greater hath the life of Jesus been in the Martyrs. And these disciples whom he spared now, when He saw that they were ripe, Spared He them then? No, no, what was the whole lifetime of the disciples, after that Christ departed out of this world, but a perpetual suffering, till the life was taken from them, they died all by persecution, and then by the lossing of this life, they got life everlasting, in dying they died not, but in dying they entered into a more glorious life: So this is that merciful power of God. It appears that in this country there is little ripeness, because of this little suffering: and therefore the Lord hath dealt mercifully with us, and in great mercy hath holden men's hands off us: therefore we should pray, if it shall please him to bring any to the trial, to suffer for his glorious Names sake, Lord, I am not able to behold the sight of the fire, much less to suffer the cruelty of the fire: therefore if thou wilt have me to suffer, give me strength whereby I may be able to suffer. Now I go to Peters part: he setteth down his action, & certainly, it is worth nothing, albeit it seemeth to be very zealous. What doeth he? he hath a sword about him, & he seeing them rush on his Master, showeth his manhood. And he striketh the servant of the high Priest, whose name was Malchus, and he cut off his right ear. The rest of the Evangelists, Mat, 26. Mark 14. Luke 22 ) speak of something that was done before this: When the Lord was communing with them that took Him, then comes the traitor Judas to the Lord, and cries, Rabbi, Rabbi, Master, Master, & with that he kisseth Him: now this was a sign that he had given unto his company, that that man whom he should kiss, was the man that they should take. Now what doth the Lord, He makes no sign of anger, and there is none of us, but we think that He should have uttered great anger to the traitor (fie on thee, traitor, for of all men he is most detestable) but the Lord in mildness & meekness of Spirit (for all this whole time He takes purpose to suffer patiently: as Isaiah saith: He was as a Lamb before the shearer, & as a sheep led to the slaughter, & openeth not his mouth ) He says, friend, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss, He assayeth if the conscience will be brought to remorse: There is a wonderful patience of God to the most vile sinner, & whē he hath given them a sign, the whole company russhed upon Him. Then the disciples said, Master, shall we defend thee by the sword, but Peter not staying vpō an answer, he was hardie, & striketh off the ear of Malchus the high Priests servant. Now, Brethren, albeit that this Malchus the high Priests servant, deserved, that not only his ear should be cut off, but also that the head & the life should be taken from him (for he was in a very evil action: indeed he was cled with authority, but with an evil authority: if thou hadst the authority of all the kings in the world, it will never excuse thee before God, if thou shouldest get a subscriptiō to do evil against an innocent man, the Lord shall not alow thee, but His judgment shall overtake thee) & whether Peter did this of zeal, for no doubt he loved his Master exceeding well, & he would have had his Master out of his hands: yet for all this, the Lord's own words testify, that this fact of Peter is to be condemned. If ye will examine the zeal, it is a very preposterous and unskillful zeal: the zeal is nothing worth if a man go beyond the bounds of his calling. What was Peter but a private man, & this company being sent by the Magistrates & superior power, Peter ought not to have resisted them, & to recompense this injury by reason of his calling, albeit it was the greatest injury that ever was done in the world. Then the words of Christ do declare, that he did it of blindness: for he did that lay in him, to stay the work of the redemption of the world, he took no heed to his hand. Now to mark something: There is nothing more common to men, than this, to cloak their actions with the pretence of zeal, & he or she will say, I did it of zeal, but the Spirit of God in this place, (and mark it) letteth thee see, if thy zeal be a naked zeal, & if it go beyond the bounds of thy calling, albeit it be in a good cause, yet thy zeal is worth nothing: if thy zeal be with ignorance, & if thou hast not the warrand of this word, thy zeal is of no value, it will not warrand thine action: if ye would have surer rules of actions nor zeal is, take heed to th • se two things: First, to thy calling: Look that thou go not beyond the bounds of thy calling. Shalt thou that art a private man, strike with a sword? Is that thy calling? Then next, to God's word: What availeth it unto a man to go forward in blindness? if he be not illuminate with the light of God, it is but a blind zeal: and if thou wouldest have thine actions well ruled, then take that lantern of the word going before thee, to warrand thy conscience in all thy proceedings: for of all graces this is one of the greatest, to have the word of God thy warrand in all thine actions. As for zeal, I cast it not away, (it is over rare to be casten away) for it is a special grace of God: but take heed, if thou wouldest have zeal, look that it be moderate, and pass not the bounds of thy calling: and then look that thou have a warrande of the word of God: look that the eye of thy soul be illuminate: Join these two together, and then go forwards to the work of the Lord. Certainly▪ experience hath taught us▪ that this zeal hath had an evil success: no man by this zeal did ever get commendation of God. It may be, that men will run forwards rashly in zeal, and will have a good entry: but the ende will tell thee, that it was but foolish hardiness, & it will forthinke them. And no doubt, Peter, when he got this answer of his Master, he repented. No man hath need to find fault with men of this age: for there are few Peters now adays: where ye shall find one like Peter, who hath zeal, ye shall find ten, who have none. The zeal of God is away, that did eat up the hearts of the men of God of old. Then again, ye shall see in this fact of Peters, Peter was a good man, and one who loved Jesus Christ very well, and he was loath to leave Him: and when as the Lord said to His disciples, Will ye depart also from me? Peter answered, and saith: LORD, Whither shall we go? thou hast the words of life : he was very loath to depart from Him: And this action also which he hath in hand, is a good action & in the defense of Christ. Yet for all this, in this good action, and in the cause of God, see how he is miscarried, & the Lord findeth fault with him. Well, this is our nature, that when we would do the work of the Lord, our corruption defileth it, and oftentimes in doing it we will sin, and we will blot it with some foul blot. And Peter doing this, with some preposterous zeal, he is not allowed: for an unclean man, as he is unclean, so he shall make the work of the Lord unclean. So the chief thing that a man should be exercised withal, is prayer, that y ^e Lord would sanctify the person, that the work that y ^e Lord hath employed him in may be holily done: and mark again, the greatest default that was in Peter, was his too great zeal. We need not to be afraid for this in this lande: Nay, we may be afraid for default of it that the work of the Lord should perish, and we are to pray, that the King, and those whom he hath employed in this work may have an upright heart, and such an heart, as David and good Hezekiah had, an heart loving God, and hating God's enemies, I would not doubt then, but the work in his hand should take a good end, and he should report honor and glory. Now the Lord seeing what Peter did, He forbiddeth him, and showeth a greater anger against him, than against Judas : He spake not so angrylie against Judas, or any of them that pursued Him, as He did to Peter, and He saith: Put up thy sword into the sheath : and then he subjoineth the reason: Shall I not drink of the cup that my Father hath given me, Thou doest what lieth in thee, to hold off the cup, I will drink of the cup that my Father hath given me, of necessity I must drink it: for it was preordinate before all times, that I should drink it: and seeing it is so, I will drink it. Shall anything be enjoined to us to do of necessity, and shall we not do it willingly: The Father hath propined unto me a bitter cup of affliction, and I shall drink it out, dregs and all. Matthew in his 26. Chapter, giveth mo reasons, wherefore the Lord disallowed Peter, and this is one: He who strikes with the sword at his own hand, whom the Lord hath not armed to strike, he shall be stricken with the sword. It is a dangerous matter to slay, if the Lord put not the sword into thine hand: then he gives another reason, will I be defended with the arm of man: No, if I would pray to my Father, He would send me twelve legions of Angels: and lastly, saith He, Shall not the Scripture be accomplished of me, Shall I make the word of the Lord false, which hath foretold of my suffering: and therefore stay thy rashness. And note what Luke saith in his 22. Chapter, verse 51, He takes up the ear, and puts it on again : Ye may see here, that the Lord will have no man hurt in his taking, the Lord will have no unjust defense, Jesus Christ will not be defended with unlawful means, He will not be defended with Peters sword: for he had no power given him of the Lord, for to strike, He will not have injury repressed with injury: Nay, He will not have the man that hath the just cause to repress an authority. This guard came from the authority, from the Roman empire, and Christ will not have Peter a private man, to meddle with the superior power▪ He will not have him to defend Him against the authority. It is a dangerous thing to resist authority, albeit it be unlawfully used, & chiefly, a private man: and albeit that the authority had done wrong, yet a man who hath not authority, should not repress the injury done by the authority, the Lord will not allow it, the Lord will not have injury repaid by an injury. Well then, if the Lord will not have a wrong defense against injuries, He will not have a wrong to meet a wrong. What damnation lies on these men, who do an injury, & do delight to oppress the innocent. If Peter got such a reproof for the defense of Christ, against his enemies: What damnation shall these murderers get, who oppress the innocent man, the damnation of these men shall be great: I denounce an heavy damnation against thee: Let the King, the Magistrates, and all the world wink at thee, the hand of the Lord shall light on thee, this shall be thy recompense. Thou who takest pleasure in oppression, shalt be oppressed▪ the Lord shall thrust down thine head, and bloody hand, & shall press thee down forever: the Lord save us from this judgment: woe to them that oppress their neighbor either in word or deed. Now to go forward: Shall I not drink of the cup that my Father hath given me : By the cup is understood a measure of affliction, that the Lord will lay on any man: as a cup is a measure, so the Lord hath a measure of affliction to lay on his own: as the Master of a family hath a cup & drinketh to his family, & says, Drink thou this, & drink thou that: even so, the Lord is the Master of this world, & He will fill the cup of affliction, & He will say, Drink thou this, & drink thou that: & if He propine thee a cup, He will cause thee drink it: all the world cannot save thee, but if the Lord bid thee do it, thou must drink it, He hath commandment over his creatures, & good reason that we do His will, either to live or die as He pleaseth: if the Lord propine thee with a cup of affliction, if thou drink it not willingly (here is the danger) thou shalt be compelled to drink the dregs thereof, to thy destruction. Woe is to the soul that will in no measure lay down his neck to that burden: but again if thou take that cup gladly, as the Lord Jesus did (He drank the dregs of the bitter cup of the wrath of the Father: yea, He received it gladly, and thanked Him for it) albeit thou hadst bitterness in the beginning, yet in the end thou shalt find joy and sweetness. What followed on that cup? Glory: the more that thou sufferest, if it be patiently, the greater glory shall be to thee. Then seeing that we must also suffer in this world: for it is nothing but a suffering life (& woe is to thee, that wilt make thy heaven into this world, thou needest not to look for an heaven in the world to come,) What ever we suffer, let us strive against our rebellious nature (for it is full of rebellion) and strive to get patience, and say, Lord, I have no patience in mine hand, Lord give me patience & contentment, let this be our prayer in distress, and they who will seek this, I will promise them, the most glorious issue that ever was, the bitterness of the affliction shall not stay that glory. In this world we are all as it were on a Skaffold to try our faith, & to try our patience, that afterward all our afflictions may be turned in joy & glory, & all the tears that will gush out of thine eyes, the Lord with his hand shall wipe them away (wilt thou awaite to see this end) & thou shalt never again see dolour nor displeasure. Now remaineth one thing of the taking of the Lord, then saith he, Then the band and the captain, and the officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound him, He gave them good leave, or else they could never have bound Him: but will ye mark how particularly they are named that took Him: there is the band of the men of war, and the captain, and the servants, to let you see, that there was no man that was there, and was partaker of that doing, but the eye of God was on him & the holy Spirit recounteth them. Beware ever to be in evil company, if there were never so many in that company: yea, if there were ten thousand with thee, the Lord shall see thee, and judge thee, whether thou be a Captain, or a single soldier, or a gudget, beware to be in evil company, Say not, I am not a principal man, but a servant, I must obey the authority, and I must follow my Captain: No, that shall be no warrand to thee, for if thou shalt be in evil company, the eye of the LORD shall be upon thee, to judge thee, let none of these worldly excuses move thee, but say, Lord, thou seest whither I go, & with whom I come, & what I come to do, or else thy conscience shall terrify thee, whether thou be highest or lowest in doing an ill fact, the judgment of the Lord shall fall on thee. Now to come to his taking, the Lord is taken willingly, & resistes not, & whē they bound him, he put out his hands to be bound: look how he pointes out the suffering of Christ, First, he says he was taken, & then he was bound: think ye this is for no purpose There is not a word or a sillabe lost here: the taking of the Lord, and the laying hands on him, was for our cause, who lying under sin, the devil, and death, and this taking recounters, and meets our taking by the devil, and death: Every thing in Him and His suffering behooved to meet us, and our suffering, He that should redeem us, as we were taken: so it behooved Him to be taken, and as we were bound, so it behooved Him to be bound, and if His taking and binding had not answered to our taking and binding, He had not been a meet redeemer for us, and if he had not been bound as we were, we had not been delivered from the bands of sin, albeit it is hard to Him, yet to the sinner it is joyful, and if thou findest thine hands bound hard: thus the Lord Jesus was a captive bound for thee, it would be the joyfullest tithings to thee that ever was. Who is he, or she that feel the bands of death and damnation, but this will be joyful tithings to them, & because we feel not this, when we hear word of His taking, we take little thought of it, and are so little moved therewith. Therefore, Brethren, I recommend this lesson to you, and myself, seeing we are all sinners, lying under sin, and death, that we strive to be found in Jesus, that by faith in Him, we may find his passion, and all the partes thereof to be forcible and effectual to freee and deliver us from the bands of sin and death, and so may be made partakers of life and glory, through Him. To whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honor, praise and glory. AMEN.

THE THIRD LECTURE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

W EE have heard (Brethren) the first part of the suffering of Christ, which was in the Garden, by the Brooke Cedron, into the which the Lord, as he was accustomed, entered, with His Disciples. In this Garden, after that a cōmuning passed betwixt Him and them that came to take Him, the Lord Jesus is taken, and bound. This is that outward suffering in the Garden, besides the inward agony in the soul with the wrath of the Father, for our sins, which He did bear.

Now, Brethren, to pass by all things which we have already spoken, we enter into the second part of His suffering, which was in the Hall of the High Priest Caiaphas. It is said, when He is taken and bound, they lead Him away, first to the house of Annas, who was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high Priest for that year. The rest of the Evangelists, before they come to his part, they report some things done before: and namely, they make mention of a gentle reproof which the Lord gave to these that took Him, & handled Him so roughly, being the justest man in the world, He says, What needeth all this, that ye should come out against me, as a thief and an enemy? Might ye not have had me daily whilst I was teaching in your Temple in Jerusalem? for I avowed my doctrine before the world. Then He adviseth Himself, and says, Whereto should I speak this? this is your hour, and this is the time that the Father hath granted to you to work the work of darkness for a time, and as the Lord hath ordained, so it must be. But say what He would say, the miserable creatures are so blinded, that they go on furiously against the Lord. Another thing likewise they report: In the mean time that they were binding the Lord, the disciples are scattered and fled. Another thing also, ( Mark 14.51.52.) whilst they were leading Him to Jerusalem, there followed a young man, clothed with linen upon his bare body: and certain of the young men followed him, and sought to have caught him, but he left his linen cloth, and fled from them naked. This seemeth to have been one, who in the night being in his b • d, and hearing a noise and a dinne, cometh hastily to see what it was. Ye see here the insolency of these men who will run upon the Lord, they will take all the world if they might: they spare none. Now to come to our matter: They lead the Lord Jesus to Jerusalem, & they bring Him first to the house of Annas, because perchance it was the first house in the way that they came to, that was an house of estimation: and again, because Annas was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was High Priest that year, & they would gratify him to see this miserable spectacle, for he was a wicked man: Woe is them that delight to see the bands of Jesus Christ. They led Him before y ^e world to an open spectacle, after they had once caught Him. In these words (to speak this by the way) ye may mark & perceive a great corruption at this time in the Church of y ^e Jews : for before the coming of Christ, immediately all the estates of Churches and commō weals were confused & troubled: and the estate of y ^e High Priest being a most notable estate among them, was corrupted. By y ^e law of God it was appointed, that only one High Priest should be at once, & he all his days should brook it: yet such was y ^e corruptiō then, that they chose moe high priests together: & everyone of these served their course about in the office: & this was y ^t yere that Caiaphas served: but it had been better for him he had never served: for in his time y ^e moste mischievous fact was done that ever was in the world, to wit, y ^e crucifying of Jesus Christ, y ^e God of glory. So it was not for his good y ^e he served. I might tell you moe corruptions in the hie priesthood among thē: the high priest was wont to be chosē by the people, & by the mouth of God: this power was takē frō them, & givē to Ethnic princes, & presidents that ruled the people, they chose thē. And thē the high priests were wont to be chosē of the tribe of Levi, & posterity of Aaron only: but then any man was takē in by bribery, it was bought & sold: & whē they would shoot in one, they would shoot out another: this was the cōfusiō of the hie priests estate immediately before Christ came. There is nothing mentioned what was done with Jesus in the house of Annas : they took Him in here to drive over a piece of time, till Caiaphas should gather his counsel, before whō Jesus was to be accused: & it appears here, that there He was bound more straitly than before: Annas sends Him to Caiaphas his son-in-law, straiter bound than He was in the garden. It is marked what Caiaphas was, not to his praise, but to his shame, This Caiaphas was he that gave counsel, that one should die for the people : ye heard of this in the 11. Chap. and 49. verse. This was both a prophesy and a counsel. When the Scribes & Pharisees were in doubt what to do with Christ, he says, It is expedient that one should die for the people. In giving counsel, the Lord guides the foul tongue of him, as He did Balaam's tongue: for when Balaam was purposed to curse God's people, the Lord made him to bless them: Even so the Lord used the tongue of Caiaphas : he shall never have commendation of that prophesy: he was seeking the blood of Jesus Christ: yet the Lord ruled the tongue of him to prophesy of that which came to pass. But whereto is this repeated here, that Caiaphas gave them counsel? These words are not in vain: John would let us see by this description, that they who took the Lord, they brought Him to the greatest enemy He had, to him that gave counsel that He should die: all mē would have their counsels put in execution: & namely, a wicked mā, if he give counsel, he would gladly have it put in executiō, albeit it were never so wicked, if he should do it himself, he had rather hang himself than it went back, as ye may see in Ahithophel. John, the writer of this history, leaves Christ, and he returns to Peter, and makes rehearsal of a thing that befell to Peter in the mean time, of that foul fall of Peter, who boasted so fast of his strength, to be an example to the whole posterity never to trust in the power of man: he got a worse fall thā any of the rest of the disciples: for he denied the Lord with an execration, the rest fled only. In this fact of Peters, we have first, how he tempts God: then next, because he tempted the Lord, the Lord tempts him again: he who tempts God, God will tempt him: thirdly, we have the foul denial of Peter by a light temptation. Then Peter first tempts the Lord: for when as they led away the Lord to the Hall of the High Priest, there followed him Peter (albeit the Lord had fore-warned him of his weakness) but afar off, as Matt. 26.58. Mark 14.54. and Luke 22. 54. do note, and another disciple. What this disciple was, his name is not mentioned: some think it was John, for John, when he speaks of himself, he uses commonly to suppress his name, as ye see often in this book. Others think it was not John, nor any of the twelve: but some other godly man, who loved the Lord Jesus well, to see what issue should follow upon that taking; and this is more prooueable: for I think John had not such an acquaintance and court with the High Priest▪ being but a simple mā, a poor fisher, namely, a disciple of Jesus Christ: but whosoever it was▪ it is not much to the purpose. When they come to Caiaphas Hall, the Lord is taken in: amongst the rest, this other disciple getteth in, because (says John ) he was known to the High Priest. As for Peter, because he was not known, he stands at the door, which was straitly kept at this time. The other disciple pities Peters case and estate, (but it was a preposterous pity) And he entreateth the door-keeper to let in Peter. Take heed to friendship: and look that in pleasuring thy friend, thou be not an instrument of his destruction. Now Peter cometh in, and warmeth himself amongst the rest. This for Peters tempting of GOD: Now let us examine here what is commendable, and what is not. Indeed, there is no man that will not like of this love which Peter did bear towards his Master CHRIST JESUS, and of this zeal, and of this his unwillingness to depart from his Master: for he loved Him so well, that he would follow Him to the death: and would to God in this cold age, there were but a piece of this zeal in us, that Peter had: we have no zeal: and if it were but this incōsideratiue zeal, yet it is better to have it, than no zeal. So this love is commendable: for albeit he did well to love his master, yet he faileth in this, that in receiving advertisement out of the mouth of the Lord, that he was not able to suffer for Him, yet he would go forward: & when Jesus said to His takers, If ye seek me, let these go their way, Peter might have perceived by this, that he was not able to suffer, he might have retired to some private place with prayer & mourning, but he would step forward, & would not accept of that, that the Lord said to him, thou art not able: so he falleth here very far. We all have our lesson here, the day of our trial may come: let us therefore ever have our eye on the will of God, & that which He will have thee to do, that do thou, & what the Lord requireth not of us, that do not. Thou canst do nothing better than this, to take up thy Cross, and to follow Christ: but if the Lord bid thee not do it, do it not, if he require not at thine hand that thou suffer, enter not to suffer, if he forewarn thee that thou art not able to suffer the fire, go thy way, step aside, and let it be. But one will say, How can I get advertisement? Peter had the mouth of the Lord: how shall we be advertised by God, whether we shall offer our selves to the fire or not? Jesus Christ is not amongst us now face to face. I answer, The only way to know this▪ is this: Ere any man offer to put his hand to the Cross of Christ, look what he is able to bear: look what strength of God he hath: if thou werest like a Giant, thou wilt not bear the Cross of Christ, with man's strength: if thou findest in trial y ^t thou hast not strength enough, take it for a warning from heaven, & draw thyself away to prayer & meditatiō, & then being furnished with strength, come out and suffer, & then if thou hast strength, step forward & suffer. Another fault in Peter, when he cometh to the door of the high Priest, & finding it shut, yet he standeth, whereas by the shutting of the door he was commanded to leave off, at least, to try whether the deed in hand was lawful or no. It was by the providence of God, that the door was shut: he got a warning there to leave off, yet he would not. These impediments that are casten in, when we are of purpose to effectuat or do anything should not be idly looked on, but they should make us to enter into a careful and earnest trial of that deed, to see whether it be lawful or not: for nothing is without the providence of God: & when thou hast considered the work, & findest it a good work conformable to God's will, & that thou art able to do it, then go forward in despite of the Devil, and the world; but if thou findest after trial otherwise, either that it is an evil work, or else a good work, and yet that thou art not able to do it: then stay, and leave off: for if thou doest not, thou shalt think shame in the ende, as Peter did: Therefore, let no man look lightly to such impediments as they shall find to be casten in, in doing anything. Well, ye see Peters fall in these two points: First, he will not receive aduertisment: Secondly, he will not go from the door, till he get in. Search the ground of his doing, and ye shall see, that albeit Peter was a very weak man, yet he saw not his own infirmity: and when he thought himself strong enough in his vain conciet, he was blinded: he saw not his own infirmity, & this is the ground of his fall. It was the strength of flesh and blood that was in Peter, and an human spirit, such a courage as the Roman warriors had. This courage of flesh and blood will carry men a good piece forward in the cause of Christ, and will make them take up and lift the cross on their shoulders, and to go to the Hall of the High Priest, and to come to the fire: but there it leaveth them, for they will not put their hand to the fire: and in ende, this human courage will leave thee in the mire: for thou wilt neither die, nor put thine head under y ^e axe: therefore, if thou find boldness in thee, look whether it be throw y ^e spirit of Jesus Christ, or of manly courage: whether it be spiritual or human: and if it be of man, thou shalt fall, and if it be of God, thou shalt know it. He who is strong in Jesus Christ▪ he is strong in infirmity: & he who hath greatest faith in Jesus Christ, he hath greatest sense & sight of his own weakness: & when he finds Christ living in him, he will find himself dying in himself: if thou find thyself nothing, thou hast strength in God: if thou take a conceit of thyself, & boast of thy power, thou hast no power in Jesus Christ. Our Lord said to Paul, My grace may suffice thee only, for my power is made perfect thorough weakness. The Martyrs have confessed in y ^e hour of death, that they had no strength in themselves, but that they were strong in Christ: if thou have strength of thyself, & not of Christ, it shall leave thee in the end. Now when Peter hath tempted God, God meeteth him, & tempts him again: he cometh in, & who is y ^e instrument that the Lord useth to tempt him with? even she that would gratify him to let him in: he bought his coming in too dear, with the denial of his Master: And she saith, Art not thou also one of this man's disciples? First mark this well, ye will think this to be a light temptation. Who is the instrument that tempts him? who, but a silly damsel? if it had been a man of war, or a man, it had been thought he had had some occasion to fall back. And what s • ies she to him? not boastingly, Art thou one of this seducers servants? but in simplicity & gentleness, Art thou one of this man's disciples? So, whether we look to the tempter, or to the temptation, it is very light: & therefore, the greater is his fall and shame: thou gettest a foul shame, who for a light temptation fallest abacke. Behold howe the Lord will humble the vain and proud confidence of man: Peter was too proud: & the Lord will raise up the silliest of all His creatures, to tempt that man that is proud. All this natural boldness is nothing but weakness, & He will not encounter it with a great strength, but with a silly instrument: that man may see, that his own strength is nothing. Beside the fall of the proud man, there is shame with it, that shall pierce the heart more, than the hurt, that it should be smitten to the dirt with such an instrument. He will not raise up a champiō against thē, nor He will not enter Himself with thē, but He will stir up a thing of nothing to beat down carnal courage. She says, Art thou a disciple of this man's? He says, I am not. Is this he, that brags and says, I will not leave thee Lord, though all should leave thee ? is this he that denies his master? By this example we have a lively image of the vain pride and strength of man. The Lord will cause a girl to cast thee down & it both: yea, the very shaking of a leaf, shall make thee tremble: and vain fantasies and imaginations shall terrify thee, although there were nothing out with thee: for whosoever hath a confidence in himself, the Lord shall cast such terrors into his heart, as shall over-throw him. The terroures of his mind, though all the world should let him be, shall trouble him, and cast him down, so that he shall get no rest. Therefore, be never strong in the power of man: for if thou hadst all the world, yet the basest thing in the world shall cast thee down. But he or she, that would take up the cross of Jesus Christ, should strive to be strong in God, and care not howe weak thou art in thyself, for that strength of God will hold thee up. Paul says to Timothy, Be partaker of my affliction by the power of God : and ground thine afflictions vpō this power, for it is y ^e strength which will hold thee up: & this is the thing that will bear up the cross thorough all temptations manfully to the end. In the next verse. the Evangelist telleth where Peter is standing, and setteth down the place, & a certain occasion of his temptation, He is standing with a company of the servants and officers of the Priests and Pharisees, who had made a fire of Coles, for it was cold, & they warmed themselves. And then the Maiden cometh unto him: he was gone in too far: for it is not good to enter over far into the houses of wicked men: neither is it good for thee to warm thyself in the company of wicked men, nor yet to be at their table: it were far better for thee to abide the cold: for if thou accompany thyself with them, & take pleasure at their fire side, then a tempter shall come unto thee, either a Damsel, or a Boy: And therefore, let every man & woman beware, and as they would be free from temptation, so let them eschew evil company. He is well worthy to be tempted, who knoweth his own weakness, & yet will not tarry out of the company of the wicked: And it is God's just judgment, that our men make Apostasy, and come home foul Apostates, and Atheists, who will not tarry out of FRANCE, and SPAINE, where all is full of temptation: It were better to sit at home, and serve the LORD: for it is hard to know, if ever thou shalt get grace to take up thyself, as PETER did. The rest of the Evangelists say, that PETER had scarce said that, (when as the Cock crew, even as the Lord had fore-told him) but he getteth the warning, that he had made defection. Now after sin, there cometh commonly an induration and blindness; and in sinning the conscience sleepeth, yea, it sleepeth so sound, that when it getteth advertisement, it cannot be wakened: but the third time it was wakned: for PETER denied his Master once, twice, yea thrice, but at length he wakeneth; and yet not so much for the crowing of the Cock, as for the look of his Master; whereof LUKE maketh mention, CHAP. XXII. VERS. 61. And PAUL saith, When the heart shall be turned unto the LORD, the veil is taken away, 2. COR. CHAP. III. VERS. 16. This is my lesson: When a man committeth sin, the conscience will be asleep, and will not be wakened: and this falleth not out in the wicked only, but also in the godly: Ye read of DAVID, after he had committed adultery, his conscience sleepeth still; and after the adultery, he falleth out in murder, and yet he is not wakened, till the Prophet of the LORD came unto him. The longer that thy conscience lieth still in sin, the bitterer the wakening will be. A reprobate will get an hard wakening, Judas got a sore wakening, he was asleep whilst he kissed his Master, but when he wakened, he hanged himself. But the Lord dealeth otherwise with His own, He will waken them in mercy: and in the heaviest displeasure, they shall have the sweetest joy: and in the greatest abundance of tears, the greatest comfort.

Of all the things in the world, take best heed to the conscience: for it is always very ready to fall asleep, and of all judgementes, a sleeping conscience is the greatest: and therefore let us strive night and day to have a waking conscience, which may round in our ears, when we lay us down at Even, what we have done all the day: if thou hast done good, then thou mayest sleep with a sound conscience: but if thou hast done evil, it is better a thousand times, to weep with tears, and wake in mourning, till thou findest thyself to be reconciled to God again, than to sleep. We should never let the conscience sleep, but ever hold it waking, to tell us when we do evil, that we may have dolour: & whē we have done well, we may have joy, through Jesus Christ: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all Praise, Honor, and Glory, for evermore: AMEN.

THE FOURTH LECTURE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

B ELOVED in the LORD JESUS, we have heard the first part of the Passion of the LORD, which was in the Garden; beside that inward agony with the wrath of His Father, that He felt in His soul, outwardly in the Garden, where He was taken like a thief & bound: He was taken to deliver us from that captivity and bondage of sin and death. And then after we entered into the seconde part of His suffering which was in the Hall of Caiaphas : being taken and bound, He is led away to Jerusalem. The first house that He is brought unto, is the house of Anna • , the father-in-law to Caiaphas : and there He tarrieth a certain time, till the Priests, the Elders, and Scribes were assembled in the house of Caiaphas : and then Annas sends Him bound to Caiaphas the High Priest.

Now we heard the last day the History of Peter, how he denied his Lord and Master: Peter, upon a vain confidence, notwithstanding of an admonition of the Lord, he will follow Him to the house of the High Priest. Now the Lord entereth in, and the other disciple who knew the High Priest, and Peter was stopped at the door: this might have been an advertisement for him to have left off, but yet he would not: and the other disciple, thinking to gratify him, he desireth the maiden that kept the door, to let him in: and being no sooner entered in, but that same servant woman tempteth him. This temptation is by a sober instrument, neither uttered she any reviling words unto him: yet nevertheless Peter falleth: whereby ye may see whereunto the confidence of flesh and blood turneth, for the lightest assault will throw him down who trusteth in it. He is standing warming himself with evil company: and being standing securely, he getteth his reward: he dear bought his warming there: for he is tempted, and denieth his Lord and Master.

Now to come to this Text: There are two parts of it shortly: the first contains the suffering of the Lord Jesus in the Hall of the high Priest: the second contains the second and third denial of Peter. As for the first, it is said, that Caiaphas the high Priest begineth to ask of Jesus concerning his doctrine and his disciples : he layeth not down first such and such particular pointes of false doctrine, because he had none to lay to the charge of the Lord, and therefore this was no formal proceeding and dealing, to draw a man before a judge, and then not to have one word to lay to his charge. Should not the dittay be made before the man was taken: ye may see the malice of this persecution. Well then, to examine his words, he inquireth about his doctrine, and then for his disciples, whilst he asked him of his doctrine, he would mean, that his doctrine was not allowable, and that it might not abide the light, and that He teached lies, and whilst as he speaketh of His disciples, he would mean, that the Lord was a seducer, and had seduced so many among the people: the Lord answers, The thing that I have teached, I have teached openly before the world : and therefore, why askest thou me of my doctrine, as though it were not allowable, and as if I had teached in secret holes and caves: then he appealeth to the witnessing of his enemies, ask of these men, who have heard me, I will be judged by them. This is the effect first, of the question of the high Priest, and next of the answer of the Lord. The first thing that we mark here, is shortly this, Behold in the person of Caiaphas, the malice of the enemies of the truth in their hearts, they know the truth, and yet they will seem that they know it not: CAAIPHAS knew the truth, but he seemeth not to know it, the enemies will count light darkness, albeit the truth should shine in their faces more bright than the Sun in the noon-tide of the day, yet they will say, Light is darkness: But to come to Christ's part, as the truth loves the light, and desires not to be hid, neither to be teached in secret holes and caves: so the truth (so far as is possible) is publicly to be teached, in the presence of the world, it would have all men to know it, it would ever be heard, and the light would ever shine through the world. The Ministers of the truth should ever strive to preach in public, that all the men and women of the world may hear, even to preach in the most public places of the world, and if it were for no other thing than this: that thou mayest answer to the Lord, if it fall out that the light come to be challenged for darkness, thē thou mayest appeal & say, We have teached nothing in holes, and that the enemies of the truth may be convicted in their conscience, and compelled to bear witness of the truth: I mean not, that at no time it is lawful to preach in secret places, and as though the truth of God had ever a free course, and were publicly preached: for experience hath teached, that the truth of God hath fled to the wilderness in time of persecution, and the Saints of God have been glad to go to holes, to get the comfort of the word: but I mean this, that so far as possibly can be, is to be preached openly, and if that liberty of the truth be restrained, let us be content to suffer, and deliver in secret consolation by the word. Then mark again in Christ's answer: albeit the Lord suffereth willingly, offereth Himself to be taken, & giveth his hands to be bound, yet ye may see, that the Lord will not yield to the enemies, that He is a false teacher, or that He is a seducer, or that that light is darkness, or that the truth is a lie. It is true, that if it please the Lord, that we suffer for the truths sake, we are bound to suffer patiently and willingly: but look to this again, let never the truth of God be said to be a lie, never yield to the enemies that the truth of God is false, for all the torments of the world: Peter saith, Let us suffer for a good cause, and not as thieves and murderers, 1. Pet. 4. 15, 16. It is a pain to suffer for an evil cause, so long as the Lord giveth us a mouth, let us protest that the truth is truth. Paul says, 2. Tim. 2.9. I am in bands, and I am afflicted in bands as though I were an evil doer: yet the word of God that He hath put in my mouth is not bound, & all the enemies in the world, so long as I have a mouth, shall not restrain it. The Martyrs were never brought to this, to confess that they suffered for an evil cause: albeit thou yield hands and foot to any torture, beware of this, that thou never confess that it is an evil cause, wherefore thou diest; let ever the verity be free in all our suffering. When the Lord makes this answer, One of the officers which stood by, smote Jesus with his rod, and said, Answerest thou the high Priest so? Meaning▪ that the Lord had not answered him so reverently as He should have done. The Lord answereth, If I have evil spoken, bear witness of the evil, but if I have well spoken, why smitest thou me. Always, whether He had well or evil spoken, He findeth fault with him, that he should have smitten Him so rash • y: so, brethren, this is another part of the suffering of Jesus Christ: He suffers not only of the high Priest, but of his servants also: He suffers of all men, all this was done without any order of law. The high Priest speaks to Him against order of Law, and the officer strikes Him against order of Law: he fails in this, because he strikes Him for well doing, for He maintained the truth of His father. Thē again, why should he have stricken Him, till He had been judged? and then, if He were judged, yet it was no place to punish a man in judgment, though he were never so evil. So ye see in how many things these men fail. What shall I say? Ye shall commonly find the most innocent man, who hath been brought before evil men, and corrupted judges of the world, of all sort of men have been handled most vnformally, & unreasonably. A thief, or a murderer hath not been so evil handled, as the moste innocent: for they will let a murderer, or the wickedest man in the world, tell his tale in patience: and they will delay striking of him till the place of execution: but experience hath taught this, that whē an innocent man is judged, all the proceeding is without order: as we see in this example of Christ, the most innocent man that ever was. And such like in the Martyrs of God; never thief nor robber was so unreasonably handled as they. What is the cause of this? Even this, the malice of the heart of man was never so bent against an evil man, as the wicked man is against the innocent: yea, a just judge hates not so much unrighteousness, as a wicked judge hates innocency. And therefore, it is a wonder that the judgment of the wicked proceeds unorderly against the godly: the Lord answers, If I have spoken evil, thou shouldst not strike me without order, & if well, why smitest thou me. The Lord binds him that he hath done wrong, howbeit He suffered most willingly & patiently: but He strikes not again. Yet mark, in this patient suffering He will have wrong appear to be wrong, & that which is unjust to be unjust. In all our patient suffering let ay right appear to be right, and wrong to be wrong. Let not a man y ^t suffers be so dumb that he say not that wrong is wrong. No, let them speak, that the conscience of the wicked man may be convict, and brought to some remorse. The Lord no doubt pities this man that struck Him, & would have had his conscience convict, y ^t he might repent. So let the wicked see, that wrong is wrong in the most patient suffering, that the wicked may be convict, and God glorified. Now is subjoined, that Annas had sent Him bound to Caiaphas. He returns to the ground of His accusation: and the ground is this, Annas sent Him bound unto Caiaphas : howbeit in the house of Annas the Lord was not struck̄, yet Annas was not blameless: for these words are registrated to his everlasting shame, that he sent such an innocent man to such a burrio, & this makes him guilty of the blood of the Lord Jesus. Meddle nothing with the suffering of an innocent man, for if once thou seemest to consent to his death, thou art guilty, and if thou rejoicest in the wrack of the innocent, for if thou shalt once consent unto it, thou art guilty of all the innocent blood, frō the blood of Abel that was shed, unto the end of the world: for whosoever will consent to the blood of an innocent man, he may easily be brought on to consent to the shedding of the blood of all innocents y ^t ever was: keep therefore thine hands, thine eyes, & thine heart clean from any assent to the wrack of the innocent. Now to come to the second part of our text, which contains the two denials of Peter. All this time, Peter is standing warming him with the officers of the High Priest: on this rises another temptation, Some say, Art thou not one of his disciples, there he denies, saying, I am not. First, ye have the occasion of the temptation, Secondly, the temptation it self, Thirdly, the second fall, and denial. The occasion is, he is standing warming him in such a company, the words import a great security in Peter, he is so far from a remorse, that is, careless: think ye not, that having denied his Master once, that he should have gone aside & mourned & wept bitterly, but ye see he did not so. Sin when it is committed, bringeth on commonly a careless security: when a man hath fallen into a great sin, he will commonly lie still in a deadness & senselessness, & as a man who falls down from an high place, for a certain space lies without sense, & is dammished with the fall: even so▪ (what is sin but a fall from God) after that once we are fallen frō God, we are senlesse altogether, we lie without sense or motion, & the greater always that the sin be whereinto we fall, the greater is the senselessness: but above all sins, the denial of the Lord Jesus, & of His truth, brings on most fearful & deadly senselessness, especially if that sin proceed of a maliciousness of the heart, as that sin of Judah • did: he was senseless, he was so impudent in sinning, that he kissed His Master, to show Him to his takers. It is true, the sin of Judas, was of the hatred of the heart, but the sin of Peter was not of malice, but of infirmity, yet he falls into a deadness and sleep: So, Brethren, ever beware to fall, for after a fall comes a security. The estate of security is the most dangerous estate that ever was, better to be mourning day & night, than to be in this security: so then falling, he lies still senseless But look what follows, lying still in security, another tempter cometh again, to wit, One of the servants of the high Priest, his cousin, whose ca • e Peter smote off, said, Did not I see thee in the garden with him ? look what the estate of security brings on it, never wants temptation, & if thou shalt be put to that pinch, that thou should deny thy Lord, let a man lie still in security frō hour to hour, he shall never want temptation: when the devil lulles thee asleep in security, then he thinks that he gets his will. Peter says, I am not his disciple : the temptatiō is but light, yet for all the lightness of it he denies his Lord: for denying Him to be his disciple (albeit he spake slenderly) he denies Christ to be his Master: & in effect he denies the Messias: then, Brethren, a man or a woman lying in security, the least thing in the world, will draw him away, as a sleeping man with a small motion will fall: so when thou art sleeping, if the devil cometh, the least finger of the tempter will put thee over: above all things in the world, keep thee from security: for the smallest temptation will put thee away frō thy God: so men in this life should ever be groaning under the burden of sin: had Peter been groaning after his first denial, he had not been so easily overcome. Now to take it up in one word, sin brings on security, & when one lies in security, the devil is busy to tempt him, & that person is easily put over: so beware of sin, and strive to get a waking conscience, that thou sleep not in security: for the end of security is death everlasting▪ when he is crying peace, peace, then cometh a sudden judgment, like the pains of a woman in travel. Now come to the last denial of Peter : he hath denied the Lord twice: after his second denial, he is no more touched, than he was of before: & the second fall brings on a greater senselessness, than the first fall: the oftener that a man or woman falls, they are the more senseless, & once falling, & falling again, thou contractest the greater security. There is not a man or a woman that continues in sin: but after the second fall, that person shall be more senseless, than after the first: so growing in sin, brings on a growing in deadly security, & continuance in a dead sleep, thou shalt find thyself after the second sin more senseless than after the first: Well then, Peter conti • ues in a security, & as Luke noteth, there interu • enes one hour between the second & third denial: yet he is without remorse, & he is not moved▪ so continuing in this dead sleep of security, cometh on the third temptation, by a cousin of Malchus, whose ear he smote off: if thou sleepest in security, thou shalt not want new temptation: when thou sleepest, thy tempter is busily waking about thee: the more thou sleepest, and liest in security, the more busy is the devil to tempt thee: albeit thou feelest it not. Now when Peter hath denied Him once and twice, & as the other Evangelists do note, he putteth to a curse: Mark, as continuance in security bringeth on continuance in temptation: so continuance in temptation bringeth on continuance in sin. Now, I think, if the Lord had not stayed him in the ende, he had denied Him a thousand times: even so oft as they had asked of him. So there is never an ende of tumbling over and over, till the creature tumble in hell, where there shall be a black wakening: for if thou deniest the Lord once, thou shalt deny Him again and again: it is noted when he denied the third time, Then the cock crew, and Luke noteth, even as the cock crew, the Lord looked over his shoulder: there goes two things together, the crowing of the cock, & the looking of the Lord. S. Mark notes, the cock crew the second time: well then, doth Peter waken at the crowing of the cock? began he to get a remorse by it? No, all the crying & crowing of the world, will not waken the soul out of sin, except the Lord look in, by the beams of his countenance, and strike in to the heart, if the gracious beams of the Lord's face had not stricken on Peters heart, he had never wakened. This is to let you see, how hard a thing it is to raise a dead body that lies in sin: what crying in the world will raise a dead body: & so there is no crying, or remedy in heaven or in earth, to thy dead soul, except Jesus Christ look favorably unto thee, & make his gracious countenance to shine in thy soul: who would have that remorse of sin that Peter got, and that waking conscience, let that person strive to turn the heart to Jesus Christ: whē the heart is turned to the Lord, thē the veil shall be taken away: all the light of knowledge is in the face of Jesus Christ: no heat in the world is able to mollify thine heart, except that heat that cometh from the face of Jesus Christ: so, hold ever thine heart up to the face of Jesus Christ, that thou mayest have a continual remorse: for in the bitterness of sin, is the sweetness of joy: Now to make an ende, and shortly to examine this fall of Peters. Certainly, there are many faults in this fall: First, he is carried away with a vain confidence of flesh and blood: he will take up his cross and follow the Lord, albeit that the Lord advertised him that he was not able: and then the door was shut upon him, to advertise him, and put him in mind, yet he would not stay: then when he is let in, alas, he denies his Lord once, he denies Him twice & thrice, till the LORD did stay him: I dare not say, but all this time Peter carried a good heart towards his Lord, & a spunke of faith, & a spunke of love in the heart, albeit his faith & love were choked: it was suppressed with infirmities of the flesh, & namely with fear: then when he is entered in and come unto the fire side, if that faith and love was suppressed before with his nature, then it was far more suppressed, & this little spunke of love in the man, was smothered, & there falls such a weight of infirmity on it, that it was pressed down under the burden of corruption, and under security: if thou be sleeping in security, albeit thou have a spunke of love, it will be smothered, and this is most true, that this spunke of love was so smothered, yea, I say more, it was pressed, that except the Lord had looked over his shoulder, with the eye of his mercy, and wakened that spunke of love, it had died out. In Peter we have a clear example of the weakness of the godly men, into this life: albeit we have faith, and love, yet in the example of Peter we see, that the spunke of grace will be choked with corruption & infirmity: and then will ye come to God: Peter is one of the chief examples of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ: Paul to Timothy countes, that he was one of the greatest examples of mercy in the world: but if ye look to the sin of Peter, ye will find that it was greater than the sin of Paul : for Paul did all of ignorance, and so if Paul, as he says, was made an example of the mercy of God to sinners: surely this example of Peter, ought much more to be an example to all sinners: let no sinner that looks to him, despair of mercy, how burdened so ever he be with sin: for that same Jesus Christ, who was merciful to Peter, hath store of mercy for all them, that it pleaseth him mercifully to look upon: To Him therefore, with the Father, and holy Spirit, be all honor and glory, AMEN.

THE FIFTH LECTURE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

I N the eighteenth and nineteenth Chapters of this Gospel (Brethren) is contained the History of the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ; and it is divided in these parts: The first is the suffering of the Lord in the Garden: The next, is the suffering of the Lord under the High Priest Caiaphas, the Ecclesi • sticall Judge: The third, is the suffering of the Lord under Pontius Pilate, the Civil and Roman Magistrate: The fourth, is the suffering of the Lord in the place of Execution: The last, in the sepulcher. We have spoken of y ^e first part of His suffering in the Garden▪ besides the inward conflict He had with y ^e wrath of His Father for y ^e sins of y ^e elect which He did bear upon Him. The▪ Lord is taken like a thief or vagabond, and bound, & led to Jerusalem. We heard also the suffering of the Lord in y ^e Hall of the High Priest, whose name was Caiaphas. When the High Priests & Elders are set down in council. He is brought in before them: and being brought, they have not a word to say against Him, howbeit they bound Him, & brought Him to judgment. This was an vnformall dealing: therefore the hie priest demands of Him His doctrine, & of His disciples, to catch a word out of His mouth, wherupō he might make his accusatiō: whē they prevail not this way, the rest of the Evangelists note, that they begin to suborn false witness: but they get no vantage that way neither: for they cannot agree together. Thē the hie priest begins in wrath to adjure Him, to tell him, whether he be that Christ or no ? The Lord denies it not, but says, Thou hast said it: He gives him a fair testimony of this: after this He says, Ye shall see the son of man sitting at the right hand of the power of God, & come in the clouds of heavē. Then the high priest rent his clothes, as though He had blasphemed, & said What have we more need of witness ? behold, now ye heard His blasphemy, what think ye? Then he, & the rest of the council, concluded, y ^t the Lord was worthy of death, & so the council departed. In the mean time the Lord is kept still in the Hall of the hie priest, & the officers are all about Him, working all kind of injury against Him: y ^e rebukes y ^t should have befallē to us, are laid on Him, as the prophet said of Him, Psal. 69.10. Some spitted on Him, some put a veil on His face▪ & smote Him, saying in scorn, Prophesy Christ, who it is that striketh thee : nothing in the Lord but patience, He spake nothing He made no more resistāce than a silly lābe before the shearer: whē it is begun to become light in the morning, the Priests & Elders begin to sit down in council: & the hie priest asked of Him the same again, whether he was that Christ or no? He answereth, If I should tell you, ye will not believe me (what avails it to speak to an endured heart?) & He testifies again, Thou hast said it : & he gives an argument of this, hereafter shall the son of man sit at the right hand of the power of God : Then the hie priest and the Elders, the second time, concludes Him to be worthy of death, & adjudges Him to die: thē the council arises: & the first thing they do, they lead Him to Pontius Pilate the Roman deputy to the judgment Hall, to him to execute y ^t sentence they had given out. In this Text we enter into the third part of the suffering of Christ under Pōtius Pilate, the Roman governor. First, in the Text we have read howe the Lord is led into the Common Hall of Pilate : then we have what conference was betwixt Pilate & the Jews, concerning Christ. Then it is said, They led him into the common Hall : which is, as we call it, the Session-house, where the Roman Governor sat for the time, and ministrated judgment. Now Brethren, it would be well marked, when it is that they led Him to Pilate : it appears plainly in the writings of the Evangelists: namely, Mat. 26.59. Mark. 14.55. & Luk. 22.63. that they led Him in after they adjudged Him to be worthy of death. They led Him not in thinking that Pilate should sit down & try whether He was worthy of death or no: but that Pilate upon their word should give out the sentence of condemnation against Him. Mark & consider how they abused y ^e judge a man better thā thenselves, they make him but a torturer, & the best is, a damner to give out the sentence. Ye may see here a lively image of him who will be called the hie priest in y ^e Church this day: I mean that beast of Rome, the Roman antichrist. Indeed, this day, there is no hie priest, but Jesus Christ only, who did put an end to that office among the Jews : there is no hie priest, or small priest, great or small in the world, all is but usurped authority, He is that only hie priest according to the order of Melchizedek, who endureth forever. But he who falsely takes upon him that style, follows the fact & example of Caiaphas, first condemning Christ, and then giving Him over to Pilate to execute the sentence: for he will sit down in his council, & adjudge the innocent to death▪ as Caiaphas did Christ, & then he will use the power & arm of the Emperor: for what is the Emp. & so many kings, who have given thenselves over to his slavery, but like as many hangmen to the Pope? What is the king of Spain, but a Burrio to the Pope? he dare not but execute the decree of the inquisition: was he not compelled to pleasure the Pope & his crew in putting his own son to death? Ye saw never two things liker to other, than the Pope & Caiaphas. The time is noted when the Lord Jesus is led to the Common Hall: first it is in the morning, after the rising of the Sun, and after the council of the hie priest, and of the Elders was loosed. The manner of the delivery is noted: whē they come to the place of judgment, the Jews will not enter in, because they will not defile thenselves, if it were with the touching of a profane ethnik, or the walls of an house. O hypocrites! The cause is set down, They were in a preparatiō to eat the passover y ^t same night: now will ye see these holy folk, they will not be polluted with the touching of Pilate : they had polluted thenselves miserably with touching of Jesus that innocent, & polluted both hand & heart, in taking him, & leading him to the judge, accusing him, & abusing him : yet whē they have done all this, they will not be defiled with Pilate : they are profane in the greatest thing in the world, to slay the Lord Jesus: they are religious in a light ceremony of their own invention. Look the nature of Hypocrites, Paul Ephes. 5.12: It is ashame even to speak of those things which an Hypocrite will do in secret : and if ye will come to ceremonies and outward observations, no man is so precise, and will seem so holy as they, the faithfullest creature will not be so holy in bodily exercise as they: yea, I say unto you, if there be no more, but this bodily exercise, & keeping of ceremonies, the Lord countes all but abominations, as ye may see in Isaiah Chap. 1. Preaching and hearing, speaking, conferring, the Lord countes no more of them, than if He had never ordained them, if there be no more but this outward action, and as before, even so now I say, we have a viue image of the deceivers of the world. The Popes religion is nothing but a deceiving of the world, by keeping of vain and unprofitable ceremonies invented by him: will ye come to trifles, of their own inventions, they appear to be very religious, and exceeding holy, touch not, handle not, taste not, but their Cloister Monks are so defiled, that they defile the world: offer him gold, or silver, he will not touch it, and if a woman come into their Cloister, all must be purified with fire, after that she is come out, though she were a Queen: there is the lounes religion. I pronounce that in Popedom there is but a show of godliness, & have denied the power thereof: follow the Papists who will, they have nothing almost but trifles, & their own inventions. Well then, come to the conference between the Jews & Pilate, Pilate yielding to their vanity, & superstition, not so much to their religion, He cometh out to them, & seeing he must judge the Lord, He asketh if they had any accusation against Him, because they would not come in. It is not enough to judge a man, except the pursuer have an accusation, & Pilate would not sit down to judge, except he saw the accusation: indeed, the Jews took him, bound Him, and in the high Priests hall handled Him unworthily, before they had any accusation against Him, & they bring Him in judgment, but Pilate an Ethnic & a sinner as they called him, will not proceed that way, he is more formal, he will not sit down in judgment, till he hear the accusation, an Ethnic who lives without God in the world and without the promises, as Paul speaks, he is more just & formal in judgment, than all the Jews who professed the true God. This falls out oftentimes, that a • urke or Pagan who living without God in the world) will deal more uprightly in judgment, and especially with Christians who are persecuted for the Name of Christ, than they that take upon them the name of the Church. It is better for a Christian to fall into the hands of the Turk, than of the Pope▪ or of the Inquisition of Spain, let them assay it who please. Well, Brethren, there is no cruelty or wrong comparable to the cruelty of these who take upon them the name of the Church: Experience hath proved this. Now he requires a vardict of the Jews : but what answer they? If he had not been an evil doer, we had not delivered him unto thee. They answer presumptuously, What needest thou to doubt of his deserving? or of us? Thinkest thou, that this man would have been condemned by us without a sufficient cause of death? So ye see, it is not that he should sit down, and try whether He were innocent or no, that they brought Him to Pilate, but that upon their words he might give out the sentence: Yet there is some accusation here, that he is an evil doer. Is that sufficient, when a man is delivered to the Judge, to say, This man is an evil man? No, he must qualify it in particular, wherein he is evil, and hath failed: if they had found any, they would not have passed by it: in their own judgment seat they could get nothing to say against Him. Now when they came to the judgment of Pilate, and striving to accuse Him, they can say nothing, but in general, This is an evil man. Then this I mark thorough this whole process, that the Lord will always have these two things to be seen manifestly: First, the innocence of Christ, for (look the whole process, yea, when He is slain & dead upon the Cross) His very enemies themselves are constrained to testify, that He is an innocent man, as the Centurion did: The next is the wrongful dealing of the Jews against their consciences.

Now Brethren, as it was in this matter of Jesus Christ, so it hath been since in all the Martyrs: The Lord hath made both the innocence of the Martyrs to appear clearly, and also He hath made the cruelty and tyranny of their enemies to appear. Read the books of the Martyrs, and ye shall find these two. So Brethren, it is well for them that will suffer for a good cause, and chiefly, for the cause of Jesus Christ: yea, although it were but in this, That the Lord will have their innocence appearing. What and if all the world condemn thee, so the Lord Jesus justify thee? for albeit thou die, yet thine innocence dieth never. And this is our comfort indeed, that albeit this body should be burnt▪ yet the day shall come that our innocence shall appear: for at the glorious coming of the Lord Jesus, thou, and thine innocence shall stand up to shame the Tyrants of the world: Thus for their answer. Pilate says again, Ye have a law, take and judge Him after your law. Albeit Pilate seem to speak these things tauntingly, to mock the Jews, speaking one thing, and thinking another, to repress their pride: yet the Text following, testifies, that he spake it in earnestness, as he would say, Before that I should condemn any man this way without an accusation, for your pleasure, I had rather renounce of my right, and permit judgment to you, condemn and do as ye will. Well then, it is to be marked: I see here, that ere Pilate had judged the Lord wrangously, he had rather have given over his right, and the judgment of Capitall crimes: and well had it been for Pilate, if he had stood to this sentence, and it had been better that he had given over his right that the Romans had, albeit that he should have immediately been taken and hanged by the Emperor for it. Alas, the miserable man lost himself by the maliciousness of the Jews : yet albeit he be an Ethnic, he is a man of better conscience than the Jews were: The light of a natural conscience in this Pilate surpasses all the knowledge of the Jews : And the Lord at this time did set up that light of Pilate's on a Skaffolde, as a lantern and light, to condemn these Jews that had no conscience. The very words of Pilate are a lantern to let the Jews see, that they had no conscience: God in his wisdom, from time to time uses to do so, He will make the Pagans to stand up like light, to shame the professors of the Gospel, whose conscience is as it were burnt up with a hot irone. Is it not a great shame to thee, when the Lord will raise him up to be a light unto thee, who should be a light to him: and as in this world He will make men without God, to stand before the Professors in this world to shame them: So in the world to come, He will raise them up to shame, and to condemn them: Sodom and Gomorrhah shall rise up to the judgment of many in this age who profess Christ. Ye shall see howe Pilate, although he was a very evil man, yet he pities the Lord Jesus, & will not for their importunity consent to his death: They say, It is not lawful for us, to put any man to death : They require not that power to be given them▪ that the Romans had: for forty year before the destruction of the town and Temple of Jerusalem, they lost all authority to judge on Capitall crimes: they spake truly; And here they would appear to gratify Pilate, when they would acknowledge him to judge in capital crimes: but in effect they take the power of a judge from Pilate, when upon their sentence only, without accusation, trial, or verdict they will have him to condemn Christ: But better had it been a thousand times for Pilate, that they had taken that power to themselves: for they inuolued the man in their guiltiness by condemning Christ Jesus. And I say more, it had been better for the Priests, that they had taken the whole judgment unto themselves, because that blood of Pilate lies upon them. This is a true thing; the moc thou drawest to communicate with thy sin, thy damnation shall be the greater. It were better for the Princes of this world, who are like as many slaves to the Pope, the Emperor, the King of Spain, &c. to renounce all the right they have of judgment to the Pope, when he and his crew have condemned on innocent of Heresy, to execute him; rather than to be the Popes Burrio. It had been better for Sigismundus the Emperor, that he had resigned all authority to the Pope in burning John Hus, and Jerome of La Prague, than breaking promise and oath, to have executed the Popes malice upon them: it had been better he had never seen that council: and one day the Princes of the earth shall curse the time, that ever they were executers to the Pope. And it were good for the Pope also, that he inuolued not these Princes in the same guiltiness, for their blood lies upon him. Would God their eyes could be opened, to see that deceiver.

To return again: It is not they that must condemn the Lord: no, but it must be Pilate, he must do all, that they may be clean: and when the Lord is slain, are they clean? no Brethren, let Pilate condemn Him, and put Him to execution, yet the Priests and the Jews are greater murderers of Jesus Christ, than Pilate was: indeed Pilate hath his part in that woeful action, & woe unto him that ever he meddled with it, and now he findeth that he hath his part therein. But those High Priests, & those Jews, are the greatest murderers of Jesus Christ. Ye know the Papists use to say when a man is put to death, It is not we y ^t slay the man, it is the civil sword of the secular power. Who burnt John Hus, and Jerome of Prague, but the Emperor? The Pope is holy, and his hands are clean, and these sins hurt him not which are done by the hands of the Emperor. Who executes them in the Inquisition? The Kings, the Popes holy hands are clean of all. Excuse as they will, I pronounce (and the Lord shall ratify it in that Great day) that they are greater murderers than the secular power. Away with their vain excuses. When they have murdered the man, they will put the fault in the Magistrate. Will God accept such excuses? In the next verse. John subjoins wherefor y ^e Jews would not take upon them to judge of y ^e life or death of Jesus Christ, and says, that they answered so, that that might be fulfilled, that the Lord spake, signifying what death he should die. When He was conversant with His Disciples, He fore-told them, that He should die upon the Cross. Now the Jews will not take upon them the right of the judging Him, that these words might be fulfilled. If the Jews had taken it upon them, they would not have crucified him, because it was not usual among the Jews : they used to stone a deceiver or blasphemer to the death, according to the law, as they did Stephen afterwards. This death of the Cross was familiar, and usual among the Romans. Then Brethrē, we see here, the God of Heaven is the disposer of the whole action of the persecution & passion of Christ, what ever be man's part. There is not a word uttered, nor an action done, either by Pilate, or any of the Jews, which the Lord did not dispose. All that Pilate did, & all that the Jews did, as that spitting and buffeting of Christ, were all disposed by the Lord, And this is it that ye read in that prayer in y ^e Acts of the Apostles, cap. 4. verse. 28. The princes of the earth are gathered against thine anointed, Herod, Pilate, and the Gentiles. Whereto? That they should do that thing that thine hand and thy council hath ordained. Neither Herod, Pilate, nor any of the Jews or Gentiles, did anything in this execution, but that which God appointed. The understanding hereof serves to this, that there was nothing done to our Redeamer, but that which His father appointed: they were but persecutors appointed by God, even as the hang-man: the Jews, & Pilate & Herod, were like as many hangmen, to execute that decree of God. This would seem a very light word that the Jews say, We have no power to sit over the life or death of men : yet this is a mean whereby the Lord brings to pass that form of Cursed death. Brethren, we may speak as lightly of things as we please, and many times to little purpose: but there is nothing that passes GOD'S decree. Look to that providence that GOD hath in His creatures. The LORD disposes the lightest words that thou speakest, & He rules thine hand so, that whatsoever thou doest, He makes all to effectuate & produce that which He hath decerned: the thing that thou wilt speak or do, it will serve for some purpose to Him, how beit little for thee. In the mean time, let no man think, that when men speak or do evil, that they shall be the more excusable: for if there were no more but this, it shall make thee inexcusable: because in speaking evil, and in doing evil, thou hast not the LORD before thine eyes. Thou doest it not for obedience to His will. Take this lesson: Let every man and woman take good heed, that they be well exercised: and if our GOD employe us, let us take good heed, that we be in a good service, in speaking good, and doing good: Lende not thine heart, thine hand, nor thy tongue to the Devil in unrighteousness: And seeing thou canst not sleep from morning to evening, but must be speaking and doing; pray, that the LORD may employe thee to do well, and to speak well; and say, LORD, let me be an instrument to do well: And more, in doing well, be not content of the outward face of the action: but in doing, whether it be little or much, go ever to the heart, and see the disposition thereof: and look thou do it in sincerity, having regard to GOD. Think it not enough, and if the LORD work a good work by thee as an instrument: but look still, that He work in thee, that thou mayest find a good motion in thine heart: For alas, what availeth the outward action, if the heart be foul, which defileth all? Indeed we may not think, that there is any perfection in us, or in our actions in this life: but this is the perfect ground that makes that action to smell sweetelie in the sight of GOD, to wit, Faith in JESUS CHRIST. If that thou findest that thou hast JESUS CHRIST in thine heart by Faith, albeit with great weakness in thyself, yet in CHRIST all the imperfection and weakness is hidden: and when the action cometh before the LORD, it is pleasant and acceptable to Him. All things are pleasant that come to the Father thorough the Son: there is the ground of all grace and acceptation. Sticke to the LORD JESUS, and have Him not in thy mouth only, as the Hypocrites do: but let Him also be enclosed in thine heart, and dwell therein: for then thou shalt be acceptable to GOD, through Him: To whom, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all Praise, Honor, and Glory, forever and ever, world without ende: AMEN.

THE SIXT LECTURE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

T HE last day (Brethren) we entered into the suffering of Christ under Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, & Civil Judge in Iudeae for the time. Jesus is led into the Common Hall to the House of Justice, as ye heard, where Pilate sat. Now Pilate is not rash in judging: but before he sit down to judge, he will have an inditement, and will see what things the Jews have to lay to the charge of the Lord: He saw the accusers of Him, the Jews in multitudes: he saw no accusation: therefore he goes out unto them (because they would not come to him) and asketh, what accusation have they against Him: he receiveth little answer, or at least, little to the purpose: for they answer presumptuously, If he had not been an evil doer, we had not brought him unto thee. The thing they delate is very general: it is a sober inditement to say, He is an evil man, that must be qualified, and Pilate thinks this of no valor, and castes it off: at the last, after many words, he throws another accusatiō out of the Jews : the accusation is this, as may be gathered of the Text: he calls Him a king, and king of the Jews, and an enemy to Caesar, who would reaue the kingdom from him, and a traitor, and guilty against the Majesty of Caesar. The rest of the Evangelists have this accusation more plainly, and at greater length. The Jews say (Luke 23.2,) We have found this man perverting the people, and forbidding the people to pay tribute to Caesar, saying, he is Christ and king. So howbeit in this Gospel of John is not mentioned, that the Jews gave up this point of accusatiō, but that Pilate inquires, whether He was a king or no ? It is manifest, that they were delators of Christ to Pilate : and Pilate knew not this of his own head, as the Text following declares. Let us examine this more deeply: The Jews that persecuted Him, they delate Him not before Pilate, for blasphemy, they had adjudged Him already worthy of death in their own council for blasphemy: but when it cometh to the Roman judge, He is deleated of treason against the Emperor. This is a piece of craft, and of the wisdom of the childrē of this world: they knew the judge to be a profane man, who counted of religion, but as of a trisle, and knew that he was deputy to Caesar, and that he would be loath to see Caesar's hurt: therefore, they apply well their accusation to the honor of the man, and delates Jesus, as one who had committed treason against Caesar. Ye shall then note here a piece of craft in this their doing. Yet consider it more deeply: The thing that they deleate to Pilate of Jesus, was a lie: for Jesus was so far from that, to accept a kingdom in this world, that when the people assembled to make Him a King, He conveyed Himself secretly away to the Wilderness: (JOHN CHAP. VI.) and whereas they say, that He forbade to pay tribute unto Caesar, that was false also: for He paid tribute unto Caesar for Him and Peter, and gave commandment, to give unto Caesar, that which was Caesar's. So this point of accusation is nothing else, but a calumny, and a false accusation.

Yet let us look something further here. The IEWES would seem to be careful for CAESARS kingdom, and take delight to have CAESAR to reign over them: but indeed CAESAR was the only man in the world that they loved worst, and hated most: and the thing that moved them to give up this accusation, was an hatred they had against Christ. They flatter the Judge: and as they are crafty in their accusation, so they are flatterers, and all to get the innocent blood shed: they have an evil action in hand, yea, the worst that ever man had: and so they care not by what evil means, craft, calumny, or flattery they bring their purpose to pass. If thou once takest purpose to do an evil turn, thou wilt not care by what unlawful doing thou bringest it to pass: & to speak the truth, if once a man take an evil action in hand, then he will of necessity be compelled to follow out evil means: for an evil turn cannot be done but by evil means. If a man once set his mind to pursue innocent blood, of force he must use flattery, calumnies, and evil means. Therefore, as ye would eschew evil doing, eschew evil purposes: for thou wilt not care to get thy purpose, by all unlawful things. Now to come to Pilate's part: when he hath gotten this inditemēt, he enters into the Cōmon Hall, & calls on Jesus, & says, Art thou the king of the Jews ? no doubt, they thought, that they having accused Him so, that Pilate should not have looked on Him, but incontinent should have given out the doom: for treason against great Caesar was no small matter, yet Pilate was so far from that, that he speaks not a rough word to Him, he says not, What traitor, art thou seeking the empire of Caesar? but modestly, Art thou the king of the Jews ? A fair example of modesty and equity, to be in such a man, a profane Ethnic. Christian Judges may learn at Pilate, what modesty and equity they should use in judgment. This tells us plainly, that the mind of Pilate was void of such affections as makes Judges to pervert judgment: he shows he was void of hatred, he carried no hatred against Christ, neither sought he His blood: the man is evil abused by the High Priests and the Jews : he doeth all his endeavor to get Jesus absolved. Look this whole discourse. So Pilate's mind is void of these affections, of hatred, desire of revenge, and seeking of innocent blood: for Brethren, we know it is these affections that peruerts judgment. The judge who hates and envies the person accused, he will have him slain, though he were as innocent as Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, let Judges learn this lesson▪ To be void of hatred in judgment: I suppose the man be the wickedest in the world, yet seek not the destruction of the creature, but hate his crime, & look that thine affections slay not the man, but look that justice slay him: for if thou seekest the blood of the man, thou shalt be guilty of his blood in the latter day. The Lord answereth, and He answereth not at the first time to the point: but first, He says to Pilate Askest thou that of thyself, Is that crime that thou layest to my charge, of thine own head: Or hath any other told it thee : There is the meaning: So ye see, before the Lord will answer, He will understand who is the inuenter of this accusation. Well, Brethren, I see this through all this History, that the Lord will have every man's part known in the action: He will know, who is the delator, and who gives out the verdict: He will have Herodes part, Pilate's part, the Jews part, Caiaphas part, all their parts distinctly known, what each man doeth: the Lord hath a great eye to this action, as it were the greatest in the world: and when all is tried, ye shall see that the burden is laid upon the Jews, and especially upon the Clergy, to speak it so: Pilate had his part, Herod had his part, and both were guilty of the blood of Jesus Christ, but the sin of Pilate is laid upon the Jews, & of his blood they are guilty. So Pilate this day may curse the Jews, that ever he was governor of Judea. Let the Papists say what they will, and extenuate their martyring of the Saints, and say, that it was the civil sword that slew them: I affirm in the presence of God, that the whole blood of the Saints shall be required at their hands, & the sins of the Princes, whom they have abused, shall be laid to their charge, and the blood of those who perish, shall be required at their hands, and we shall see, that the blood of all that have been slain from Abel the just, shall be laid upon the back of the Pope, and his Clergy. The Lord save the Princes of the world from them. Another thing I would mark here: Jesus would have Pilate to take heed, not to the delation only, but to these also, who gives it up: He would have him to look to the Jews, and to their disposition and affection. It is not enough to a Judge, to look to the crime, but he must look to the accusers, and try their disposition: for if the accuser seek the man's blood, he will be a calumniator. There is not a Judge who is set on life and death, but he is bound to set his eye on the delators. Take heed to Pilate's answer: when Jesus hath demanded him thus, then Pilate grows somewhat angry, that Christ should have meaned that that sentence should have proceeded from him: So this is a sure argument, that Pilate very gladly would have kept his hands free of that blood of Jesus: for he saw that He was an innocent man, & that it was a false accusation which was laid against Him. Am I a Jew, says he, Thine own nation, and the High Priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done? First, he cleanses himself, that he was not the author thereof, because he was not a Jew : and therefore knew not perfectly His doings: Next, he showeth who was y ^e author, to wit, His countrymen, & namely the High Priests: for in conscience he was persuaded, both of Christ's innocence, and of their calumny: and therefore cleanses himself▪ but he was far entangled in this judgment, that he could not get himself free: he had done well, if he had said, I will have nothing to do with thee, or if he had delivered Him from these Jews, by his power, but putting his hands once to judgment, he could not get himself free. Look what it is, once to begin to judge the innocent: when the Judge begins to satisfy the appetite of wicked men, he cannot well quite himself, till he defile himself with the blood of the innocent, albeit he would absolve the man, yet his mouth shall condemn him. So, for no man's appetite let not a Judge enter in judgment against an innocent man, whom he knows in his conscience to be innocent: And if thou enter in judgment with him, absolve him, under the pain of thy life, or else thou shalt be guilty of his blood. This is a corruptiō sometime of the judgment of SCOTLAND, how the Judge will say, I behooved to do it, I did it against my will, I was compelled to do it. Well, that shall be none excuse to th • e, for if thou do it, thou shalt be condemned for it: it is no small thing be a Judge. We have heard Pilate's cleansing of Christ, he is so touched in his conscience, with the innocence of Jesus Christ, that he is compelled to cleanse himself first to Jesus Christ, before that Jesus cleanses Himself to him. Now follows the answer of Christ to this calumny: My Kingdom is not in this world: Thou askest at me, if I be a King: I answer, My Kingdom is not in this world▪ he denies not absolutely that He was a King: for the Lord Jesus is the most glorious King that ever was, or shall be, but He denies y ^t He was an earthly king. As the Jews accused Him, He gives a reason, If my Kingdom were of this world, my servants would fight for me : he who aspires to a kingdom▪ he will fight & all y ^t may do for him to the very death: if he had been seeking a kingdom, He would not have stayed Peter frō fighting as He did. Now to examine Christ's answer, First, He denies not y ^t He is a king, Next, not denying y ^t He is a King▪ cometh to a distinction, I am a King, But what a King? Not an earthly, but a spiritual King, that is true, the Jews lay to my charge, y ^t I affect an earthly Kingdom y ^t is not true. Now, Brethren, this is to be marked, He telleth him indeed, that his Kingdom is not of this world, but He telleth him not where His Kingdom was: He says not▪ My Kingdom is in Heaven, He says not this, My Kingdom is in the conscience of men and women in the world: He teaches not Pilate : this. Some would think, that He should speak more clearly of this matter to Pilate, but Christ entered not into the common Hall to play the Doctor, and to teach: but the Lord Jesus set Himself to play the Priest, & to suffer patiently, y ^t part of teaching was ended but knowing that the hour of His suffering was come, & that Pontius Pilate should be his judge, He would not stay him: And therefore He would not enter in doctrine, because the time of teaching was past: if Pilate would have been taught, he might have heard Jesus teach before, but he would not hear Him: He teaches Pilate as much as might make him inexcusable. Then, Brethren, I see, as Christ hath a time of teaching, wherein He will teach men, yea, his very enemies, as He uttereth, when they would have taken Him▪ & sought his life: so He hath a time of silence, when He will not open his mouth, He speaketh something, albeit little to Pilate, but He speaks not so much as one word to the High Priests, because He would have rather had him safe than them, because they were malicious. Christ hath not as yet shut his mouth in this land, but He teaches, not sparingly nor scantly, for to speak it so: The rain of the word of God, is poured abundantly out of Heaven, to water the thirsty souls of men: & if thou spendest thy time, & wilt not use it well, I warn thee, that the day will come, when thou shalt not get one word to thy comfort: wilt thou always have the blessed Evangel, and the ministry thereof? No, as Christ had but one time, & when that time was past, He would teach no more: so hath his ministers: all their teaching shall end as His did: I say, GOD showeth grace on the persecutors of this Land, when as yet He offereth grace to them: but I denounce, as the Lord lives, if they repent not in time, they shall not get so much as one good word to comfort them. Wherefore, let not the opportunity slip, & whilst it called the day, let us not harden our hearts. Thus far y ^e Lord hath purged himself, & hath teached Pilate, what a King He was, not an earthly but a spiritual King. I will not digress here, to speak of the kingdom of Christ, & therefore I come to Pilate's answer, Art thou a King? well then, would Pilate say, thou deniest not that thou art a King: he should have asked what a King He was, & where his kingdom was, that He might have gotten a part of it: there is y ^e cōfessiō that Jesus gave under Pontius Pilate, as is said 1. Tim. 6.13. Pilate should have been inquisitive of these things, and followed out that purpose about his kingdom: but he breaks off the conference, by an accusation of Jesus. An earthly hearted man knows not things heavenly, & so he cannot speak of them, but rather he will stay an heavenly purpose: Ye see earthly hearted men, when one will begin to speak of heavenly things, hath no more pleasure in them, than Pilate had: begin once to speak of heavenly things to a profane man, then he cannot keep purpose with thee, but he will break off purpose, & speak of earthly things, Paul 1. Cor, 2. sets down the ground here: The natural man, says he, knows, not the things of the Spirit of God : yea, he will wonder what that means, when thou speakest of Heaven, yea, he hath no power nor spiritual sense: for they are but foolishness to him: the most wise things of God, are but foolishness to the natural man, he delites not in them, because he hath not tasted how sweet the Lord is: So Pilate interrupteth Christ, Christ answers, & He says, Thou sayest that I am a King. In the which answer, the Lord denies not that He is a King, but He takes the mouth of Pilate to be witness that He was a King. Then he lets us see for what cause He came into the world: not to be an earthly King, Came I into the world: but that I might bear witness of the truth : I came not to be an earthly King, as other Kings are, but I came from the throne of a King, & a glorious Kingdom, that I may play the part of a servant in bearing witness to the truth. Jesus Christ, was God, equal with the Father, & thought it no robbery, but He made Himself of no reputation, by taking on the form of a servant, Phil. 2.6. As though he would say, I came into the world, & took on the flesh of man to be a servant to my Father, & to be a witness to the truth: then He subjoins, lest that Pilate should think that office of little effect, & that He labored in vain, & says, They who are of verity, to wit, begotten of the word, the immortal seed of the word of God: (for by verity here is meant the word of verity, as Chap, 17. verse. 17. preceeding, They hear my word. He draweth ne • re unto Pilate : if thou be such an one as is begotten of the truth, thou wilt hear my word: albeit Christ be stayed from speaking▪ & Pilate would have put Him off. He leaves not, but speaks again to Pilate : He would have win Pilate it had been possible. Albeit we be interrupted when we speak of heavenly things to profane men and women, we ought not to leave off, by the example of Christ: but howbeit we be interrupted, we should return again, and follow out the thing we have begun, to see if some words will sink in their hearts: or if they will not return, that they may be inexcusable. Speak of Christ, and of Heaven, it shall never be in vain, but as Paul says, 2. Corin. 2. it shall be a sweet odour to God, either to their salvation or damnation that God may be glorified, either in mercy in winning of them, or in justice in their perdition. And therefore, it is good to speak of things Heauēlie, the soul is nourished thereby. A man that redresses himself to a kingdom, would ever take delight to speak of it: if thou hast no pleasure at no time to speak of Heavenly things, it is a sure token that thou hast no part of that kingdom, thou hast never tasted the sweetness of it: for they who have tasted thereof, will have sometimes a delight to speak of things Heavenly, and will desire that sincere milk of the word, as Peter speaks. So if thou findest the word of life sweet, why shouldst thou not desire it continually? for it is that only food by the which y ^e life of God is nourished within thee here: and one day it shall present unto thee such satiety of all pleasure and joy in the face of God, as the heart cannot think of now, howbeit thou gettest but scant in this world. Alas, that we should let such a joy pass away, for fault of feeling & tasting! What is the verity, says Pilate? he asks this not with pleasure, but loathing & disdaining, & taries no answer, but goes his way : His stomach loathes Christ. Then in Pilate we have an example of natural men: if any will speak of things Heavenly unto them, of Christ, and of His benefits, they will stay the speech so far as they can: and if thereafter any will insist, and yet speak on, then at the last, if thou wilt urge them, they must speak something, but they will speak as Pilate did, lightly and disdainfully: and when they have asked, they will leave off, and will not care for an answer but asks for the fashions cause, when they are constrained thereunto. We are by nature like to Pilate, either we will not speak one word of things Heavenly, or else if we be compelled to speak, and words be thrown out of us, we will speak with a loathing, and disdaining of the heart. There was never anything in the world that could move the natural man more to loathing, than y ^e word of God, he will hear it with such disdain, that when one thing is said in word, he will say another in heart, and he will think him who teaches him the most foolish man in the world. And he who is wisest, if he be not regenerated and renewed, he shall count Christ, and things Heavenly, most foolish. A simple body is sooner won, than he who is wise in his own conceit in the world. If thou wouldest be an hearer or speaker of Heavenly things, strive always to get a reformation of thine own corrupt nature, and let thy meditation and prayer be thus, Lord, reform mine heart, that thy word may be fruitful in me, so that both I may hear with pleasure, and also that the words come not from the teeth forward, but from the deepness of mine heart, when I speak of Thee, and things Heavenly, that so thy word may edify both me and others. It is a more dangerous thing, to come to hear, if we be not duly prepared, than to tarry away: and better not to speak at all, than to speak of things Heavenly without the inward sense of the heart. Now the Lord grant us grace, that in hearing & speaking of things Heavenly, we may have this Heavenly disposition in some measure, for Christ's sake: To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit, be all Praise, Honor and Glory, both now and evermore: Amen.

THE SEVENTH LECTURE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

W EE heard these days past (Brethren) of the suffering of the Lord, First, in the Garden, Next, under Caiaphas, the High Priest for the time, and then we entered into the third part of His suffering under Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, who abode in Jerusalem for the time. We heard the accusatiō that the Hie Priests and the Jews allege to Pilate the judge, where he sat in judgment against Jesus Christ: the accusation was not blasphemous against God, for when the Priests thought Him afore in their own judgment seat worthy of death, but treason against the majesty of Caesar, he calls himself, say they, the king of the Jews, as though Christ had come into y ^e world to be an earthly king, and to take the kingdom over Caesar's head. Whē Pilate had posed Christ about this, after one or two answers, he finds this accusation vain, false, & feigned. And therefore, Brethren, first in this Text we have read this day, we have the purgatiō of Jesus, and y ^t out of Pilate's own mouth: Next, howe he seeks by all means to get Him out of the Jews hands: Thirdly, we have the part of the Jews, how they seek maliciously the life of the innocent, & prefers Barabbas (a murderer) unto Him. As to the first part, it is said, that Pilate went out again to the Jews, out of the Hall, and professed before them all, that he found no fault in that man worthy of death. Then Pilate, after his inquisition, finding Jesus Christ, who was accused before him, free of all affectation of Caesar's kingdom, yet finding that He denied not but that He was a king: and that was that good witnessing that Christ gave under Pontius Pilate, as Paul (1. Tim. 6.13.) says: but He was no king of this world. Then Pilate thinks there was no crime in Christ Jesus: as concerning the other kingdom, Pilate thought it but an imagination & fantasie: therefore, thinking that Jesus made Himself to be a fantasticke king, and sought not Caesar's kingdom from him, he would not count Him worthy of death, but he cleanses Him. Politic and profane hearted men in this world, who smell of nothing, but of the earth, and have no sense of Heauenlie things, if ye will but leave them the things of this world, as Caesar's kingdom, the glory, the honor, the riches, and the pleasures of this world, unto them, they care not what men speak of God, or His kingdom, or of Jesus Christ, or of matters of religion: howbeit that they would say, that they would climb up to the Heaven, and rave it from God: they care not for it, as Paul says, The natural man countes heavenly things but foolishness: speak to them of heavenly things, all is but imagination, & Heaven is as dream to them. Lysias the chief Captain who was in Jerusalem after this man, under the Governor Felix, when Paul was persecuted in Jerusalem, ye remember what he wrote to Felix, They accuse him of trifles, and of questions of their law, but I find nothing in the man worthy either of death, or of bands, Acts 23.29. Wordly men countes it not a crime, or a thing worthy of punishment, to derogate from God's glory. Well, let men spend their time, one day they shall feel it to their grief, that religion is the most earnest & excellent thing that ever was: and they shall curse the time that ever they esteemed anything excellent, but religion. Yet this is commendable in Pilate, that he gives so fair a testimony of Jesus, a Ethnic, who had no knowledge of God, nor sense of the life to come, to stand up in y ^e face of them, who should have known Jesus Christ, & to purge the innocent, might have made the High Priests & the Jews ashamed. Yet, will ye mark this more narrowly, albeit his purgation be fair, yet he faileth far, for in purgation he uttereth a profane heart, whilst he purges Him in words, he scorneth Him in his heart, & condemneth that Kingdom of His, & that truth whereof He spake, as a fable. Profane men, who have no part of sanctification, whē they speak fairest, and when they seem to do best, they do nothing but sin: Why? because in the mean time when they speeke fairest, their heart is full of vanity, & in their heart they scorn God: Albeit thou standest up & speakest much for the defense of Christ, & seemest to be angry at the Jews, as Pilate did: if in the mean time thine heart believe not in that Jesus, thou art but a scorner, & all thy speech serveth for no purpose to thee, if thou believest not: therefore in speaking of Heaven, & of religiō, & of Jesus Christ, we should take heed to the heart y ^t it be sanctified, & remember, y ^t while the mouth speaks God sees the heart, & whē thou speakest of that Name of Jesus Christ, let tihne heart grippe into Him, & so thy speech shall be edifying and gracious. Now when he hath cleansed Him by word, thereafter by deed he seeks to get him loose; And it is subjoined that Pilate says: Ye have a custom that I should deliver you a prisoner loose at the Passover, Will ye that I let loose the King of the Jews. The rest of the Evangelists, Matthew 27.12. Mark 15.3. Luke 23. setteth down another accusation that past in order before this immediately, which I shall touch shortly: the High Priests seeing that they obtained nothing by the first accusation, wherein they accuse Him of treason against Caesar, yet they will not leave off, but delates to Pilate many things, and heaps calumny upon calumny, and oppresses Him with accusations, as for Jesus, He made none answer: Pilate seeing this, he vrges Him once & twice to speak: He will not speak: Pilate wondereth at his great silence: the High Priests insist, & at last they accuse Him of false doctrine, which He had uttered from Galilee unto Jerusalem. When Pilate understood that He was a Galilean, he sends Him to Herod, who was Tetrarch of Galilee, thinking to gratify Herod, that being at variance, friendship should have been made: Herod rejoiced at his coming, and hoped that he should have seen some wonders of Him: for both Pilate and Herod thought to make a Iugler of Jesus: but Herod gets not one word of Him, much less a sign or a wonder: then Herod begins to mock Him, & puttes on a garment on Him, in token of derision, and sends Him to Pilate : then Pilate the second time with his own voice cleanses Him. Some will marvel, what moved Jesus to keep such a silence to them all: and some may think that this proceeded from stubburnenesse in Jesus: No, Brethren, in this He was so far from disobedience either to God, or to the Magistrate, that the Lord Jesus uttered a great obedience to God, and the Magistrate, and a wonderful patience, in that He will not repine in one word, knowing well, that it was the will of his Father in heaven, the hour was come: and therefore the hour coming, He will not help Himself in one word: so pleasantly and willingly He offereth Himself to the death. This was prophesied of Him in the 53. of Isaiah : He maketh no more repining, than a sheep or a lamb that stands before the shearer, He opened not His mouth, not for stubburnesse, but He was patient. Brethren, some would marvel of the boldness of the Martyrs when they suffered (O the boldness that they had in answering, evē in the fire) they suffered not one word to sl • p, but they answered for God's glory, and well of them that stood by: O! but the Lord kept silence. Some would think that Jesus Christ in this point was inferior to the Martyrs: but this is the m • tter, Christ was silent, that the Martyrs might speak: for except He had been silent, they in persecution should not have opened their mouths: He was dumb, that we might speak: and was made nothing that we might be something. Now to return to our text again: Pilate uses all means to get Jesus loose: he uses the present occasion to that purpose, knowing the use of the Jews, he would have been glad to have had Jesus set at liberty, above all the prisoners. To speak somewhat of this custom: they had this custom, to get a prisoner set at liberty at festival times, to the honor of their Feasts: the Passover was a Feast, in remembrance of that deliverance out of Egypt, now as they were delivered, so they would have a prisoner delivered, but therewith they dishonored God: is that to honor God, to break His commandment? this custom was not from the beginning, but entered in, when the Roman Emperor entered in, and this manner of doing wanted not a fair pretence, it had a pretence of clemency & mercy of the Governor: we know this, there is nothing wherein a Prince resembleth God, more, than in clemency: but it is a sin to let a wicked man escape, or that the Emperor should let him go: for God's Law says, Deut 11.12.13. Thine eye shall not spare the murderer, neither look vpō him with a pitiful eye. Will ye see what things these men have for them, who think, that Princes may give men that are convict of Capital crimes their lives. Some will say, hath not a free Prince license to give him his life, albeit the Law of God say, The murderer shall die the death : well, I say, and it is the truth, that were as much, as to give him an absolute power, but all the world shall not give him such a power, he may well usurp it: but not an Angel in Heaven hath absolute power over a beggar, to put him to death, and to keep him alive at his pleasure: much less a mortal man: only the great Creator (whose will is the rule of all righteousness) hath this power over his creature. It is true indeed, a Prince should be loath to put out that life y ^t God hath put in, & should beware to judge rashly in Capitall crimes: It is no small matter, to make a crime Capitall, but if the crime be Capitall and deadly, the Prince hath no power to hold his hand abacke from execution, and to forgive. Indeed for weighty and great considerations a Prince may mitigate the punishment, but to say, he may let the man go free, he hath no power: but yet they will insist further and say, Is not this one of the judicial laws, that was given to the Jews, then what have we to do with it. I answer, these laws, seeing the Jews and their Commonwealth, and laws political, are abrogate, in so far as they concerned that people, we have nothing ado with them, they are abolished, but for as much as they are grounded upon nature, and natural law, we have ado with them: as for this law, it is natural. Ye know that natural men, Ethnics, who had never the law of the Jews, they executed the murderer: but yet they insist, & they will bring in the example of good kings, who forgave Capitall crimes committed against the very universal and natural law: and namely of David : forgave he not Joab for slaying of Abner and Amasa ? and Amnon for committing incest: and again, forgave he not Absalom for slaying of Amnon his brother: but I answer: We are bound to live by God's laws, & not by examples: as for David if he had power to have punished those men, he failed: but it lay not in the hands of David : says he not of Joab, the sons of Seruia, are too strong for me, 2. Sam. 3. 39. Ye know what he left in his Testament to Solomon concerning Joab ? 1 Kings 1. Joab was a great man, if David might have punished, he failed: sin cannot be excused, albeit he punished it not. Some will say further, Should not, and ought not each private man forgive a private offense: is not that God's will and commandment? Hereupon they would conclude, and make it to follow: A Prince may forgive a wicked man for Capitall crimes: but I say and affirm, that there is a great difference between a private man and a King: When a King forgives a Capitall crime, he forgives God's right, he is free in another man's right: indeed there is a difference between these crimes that are Capitall, and the crimes that in their own nature are not Capitall, but by the laws of Princes are made Capitall: for upon just considerations the Prince hath power to dispense with them: as for Exāple, It was not deadly of y ^e own nature to Simei, to go out of the Portes of Jerusalem, but because Solomon forbade it, it became deadly. Like as it is in the hands of Princes, to make & to change such special laws: so it lies in his hands to forgive such a man, trāsgressing them upon weighty and great considerations. So to return, these crimes that are Capitall by natural law, a Prince hath no power to remit them, albeit he were ruler of all the world, he derogates to God's glory: and secondly, if there were no more to let us see, that God hath not given that power to forgive Capitall crimes, against God's Law and nature, the Judgments of God, which ceazed on such men and their posterity, were sufficient to show it: for if thou forgiuest a thief, he would hang thee on the same gallows. That sad example of the Judgment of God upon Saul, who against God's express commandment, spared Agag king of Amalek, might terrify other Princes to remit such persons. Some will come forth, and his remission to his abhominable murder and crimes in his bosom, upon whom the sun is not worthy to shine: God forgive them, who gives or purchases such remissions: the King of Heaven will not have any to usurp His authority.

Now, let us return, and consider Pilate's part: Pilate is careful to get Jesus the innocent let loose, and at liberty: and herein he is worthy of some praise. They who should have saved Him, are persecuting Him: and yet mark well, and ye shall see, that Pilate in thus doing and speaking sinneth. When he is of purpose to set Him free and at liberty: he cares not, albeit Jesus was most innocent, that He were counted nocent and guilty: he cares not, although He pass free as one worthy of death, and he compares Him with Barabbas : and when he doth the best he can, he doth but evil. Mark the duty of Judges, It is not enough to seek to set the innocent free and at liberty only: No, but also thou must see that the innocent be set free as an innocent man, albeit that all the world should speak against it. The will of that great Judge is, that not only the innocent should escape with their life, but also that they escape as innocent, that their innocence may serve to the glory of God: thou suppresses the glory of that great Judge, if thou clea • sest him not as an innocent: it were better for an innocent to die the death innocently, than to take on him a crime which he hath not done, or to take a remission of a crime whereof he is not guilty. To come to the part of the Jews, Pilate goes far beyond them, albeit he doeth evil▪ yet they do ten times worse: Alas, the judgment of Pilate in that day shall be nothing to the judgment of the malicious Jews : in doing of this, that he compares Him with Barabbas, & albeit he compares Him with him, yet he countes Him an innocent: but he compares Him with Barabbas by a policy, to pleasure the Jews : they will not only compare Him with Barabbas, but will prefer Barabbas to Him: Pilate compares, they prefer. Brethren, an ungodly man will hate more extreamelie virtue, and grace in a good man▪ than vice in an evil man: as concerning the wicked man, because he is wicked himself, he will not hate sin as it is sin: the pleasure that a wicked man hath, is to see the GOD of heaven displeased, that is his meat, that is his drink: if he do hate vice, it is not for the vices sake, but because the vice troubles him, because of some skathe and shame that follows it, and because he would have an easy life.

But to come to the ground: An ungodly man hates virtue, because it is virtue, and because godliness is of GOD, he hates it; and he hates a godly man, because he bears the image of GOD: the extremity of his hatred is against GOD: he will rather suffer a wicked man, than an innocent or godly man: but he never hates v • ce, because it is vice. The Pope will suffer Sodomites to dwell beside him, and Bordels: but he cannot hear of a godly man, but will persecute him who will profess to teach Christ truly: yea, he will pursue him to the death. There is greater hatred in the heart of an obstinate Papist against a Christian, than in y ^e heart of a Turk: & the greatest hatred, is ever under cloke of religion. So there is not one that hates a godly man so greatly, as they who clokes all things under the name of the Church: The LORD save us from them. I say, I had rather fall into the hands of a Turk, than into the hands of a Papist.

What is CHRISTES part? there is nothing but shame for Him: Where was there ever such an ignominy as this? Barabbas is preferred unto that just one: (if thou be an innocent man, and art counted worse than the wicked, it is a great shame:) and then not only is he preferred unto Him, but in hanging upon the Cross, He is put between two thieves, to testify, that they counted Him more worthy of death, than they were. And then, besides the suffering of that pain, He suffered pain in that they blasphemed Him, and held Him in derision. What ever was the part of the Jews, and of Pilate, the Father of JESUS CHRIST hath His part also: there was not a word spoken, but that which He directed: the Jews spake not this, but by the Lord's disposition, who ruled all this action: they did nothing, (as ye may read, Acts 4.28. ) but that which He had appointed from all eternity. Now, His dispensation was for thy weal: the dispensation of His shame was for thine honor, and, if He had not died in this ignominy, thou hadst died ignominious everlastingly, and He had not been a perfect Redeamer, if He had not suffered this: and as the Lord dispensed all this, how ever it be that they did vnjustlie, yet it is all turned to our weal. See the wonderful just dealing of GOD, when they are doing unjustly, He burdens His Son, with no burden either in body or soul, but that which our sin (that JESUS CHRIST did bear upon His back) procured and deserved. He was moste innocent in Himself, and altogether without sin, but our sins were laid upon His back: for He who knew no sin, was made sin for us, as the Apostle says, 2. Cor. 5.21. Look to these sins that Christ had upon Him: they were a thousand times greater than the sins of Barabbas : for He bare upon Him the sins of all the world, many murders, many adulteries, the LORD JESUS bare them all. So there is nothing that falls to JESUS CHRIST, but that which we procured unto Him. What ever CHRIST sustained, the reproaches, shame, and blasphemies, the pain, and extremity of pain in soul and body, it is thy sin that procured all this. Brethren, mark this well: When men either hear or read this History, they turn them to the Jews, and will defy the Priests, and the Pharisees, and Pilate, and in the mean time they look not to themselves: but look not to others, but to thine own self, for it is thy sin also that pierced Him thorough: and, if thou wouldest weep, weep for thine own sin. I mean not this, that any man should think to take his sins away from Christ, and lay them upon his own back: for there is nobody that is able to bear so much as an evil thought: then let thy sins lie upon Christ, for He is able to bear them all: And as thou layest thy sins upon Him, seek to be clad with His righteousness: and as He is made sin for thee, look that thou be made righteous before God in Him, for if thou be clothed with that everlasting righteousness in that Great day, thou shalt be counted just, and get that life of JESUS. Wherefore, to ende here, let us so abhor the malice, indignity, and cruelty of the Jews against CHRIST the innocent, that upon the other part we may with our whole heart reverence and embrace that moste just dispensation of GOD upon Him as guilty in us, and for our cause: and let us give Him thanks and praise continually, because He hath given His only Son for us, and He hath made Him sin for us, and He hath made Him subject to all shame, ignominy, dolour, and pain, both of body and soul, for our sakes. To Him, therefore, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be all Praise, Honor, Power, and Glory forever and ever: Amen.

THE EIGHT LECTURE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

N Owe Brethren, we insist further in the suffering of CHRIST, under Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor, who abode in Jerusalem. We have heard of two accusations that were laid against the innocent Jesus Christ: The first was, that He called Himself The king of the Jews, & so was guilty of treason against Caesar. Ye heard the effect of this accusation to be nothing: and therefore he goes forth, and with his voice before them all, purgeth the innocent. In the next accusation, there were many things laid to His charge: and this chiefly, that He had corrupted the whole Country, from Galilee to Jerusalem with false doctrine. Now when this was tried, Pilate yet holds Him innocent, in testifying His innocence: and therefore, he seeks yet to get Him set at liberty out of the hands of the Jews : and considering that the Jews at the Passover were accustomed to seek the liberty of a prisoner, who was guilty of a capital crime, he uses this opportunity, and asks of them whether they would have JESUS or Barabbas set at liberty? We heard the answer to this proposition, to wit, they cry, they will not have Him delivered, but Barabbas. Now the other Evangelists do insist more largelie in this purpose, and write more of it: and they report, that Pilate, when he heard this word, he asketh, What shall I do with Jesus? They cry all with one voice, Crucify him. Pilate the third time hearing this, he cleanses the innocent. Yet they report more, that whilst Pilate was sitting in judgment, there cometh a messenger from his wife, and says, Have nothing ado with this innocent man : Why? for I have been troubled for Him in my sleep. This is an advertisement sharp enough unto him, and the LORD wanted not His own work therein: for the LORD brought this to pass, partly in respect of JESUS CHRIST, that His innocence might clearly appear before the world, and that He might receive a testimony of His innocence from them who had little regard unto it: for, had not Jesus been innocent, we had been little the better of Him, for He could not have justified us: for, ere our faith rest on Him, we must have the full assurance of His innocence: partly in respect of Pilate, that he should be converted, or made inexcusable, if he would go forward. The working of the Lord is wonderful in the reprobate: for ere that decree of their reprobation be put in execution, the Lord assays to bring them to repentance. Rom. 9.22. He suffers with a long suffering the vessels of wrath. Rom. 2.4. He invites the reprobate to repentance : Yea, ere He put them in Hell, He will invite them to Heaven: There is not a reprobate that perishes in the justice of God, but ere He utter His justice towards them, He will utter His mercy in warning them to repent. We come, Brethren, to our Text: He follows out the suffering in these words which we have read: He tells us how earnestly Pilate seeks the liberty of Jesus: and he lets us see the means that Pilate uses to set Jesus at liberty: first, he takes Him out, and scourges Him, & puts Him out to be mocked; thinking that this would satisfy the Jews ; and then the fourth time, he professes His innocence: Then he brings Him out to them with a crown of thorns and a purple garment, thinking that he should have contented and moved the Jews to pity, but all was in vain. It is said, Pilate took JESUS, and scourged him, and not content with this, commanded His soldiers to put a crown of thorns upon His head, and a purple garment on Him, to scorn the Kingdom of Jesus Christ: and then smiteth Him with rods. Ye see, the Lord suffers mocking, & pain in body: the Lord of glory is put to ignominy: consider well & let it never go out of thy mind, that the Lord of Glory suffered such shame for thy cause: But to examine this fact of Pilate's, this is commendable, that he speaks so, to get the innocent Jesus set at liberty, but in the mean that he useth, he fails very far: Ye shall mark this, in profane and ungodly men, that one of these two things falls out, if not both: Either they shall not take in hand a good and godly purpose, or else, if any time it falls out, that they enterprise any good deed, that they shall choose ungodly & unlawful means to affectuate it, they shall do evil, that good may come of it. Cast your eyes upon this Land, & ye shall see this to be true: Yet let us search up the ground of this proceeding of Pilate : It cannot be denied, but that he hath a good purpose and deed in hand: but it is as true again, that as he hath a good deed in hand: he looks not upon it with an upright eye, he hath not God, nor his Glory before his eyes: for his conscience rather than any regard to God's Glory, or His will moved him to purpose to loose Him. Thou must not propone only to do good, but also thou must propone it, for God's cause, and for His glory, Pilate having no respect to God, goes astray, and out of the way. This is certain, Brethren, if the purpose were never so good and if thou have not the Glory of God before thine eyes, thou shalt waver: but by the contrary, that man that hath respect unto the Lord, he shall not readily waver, but the Glory of God shall glance before him as a lantern into his way, until he prosecute that deed. Blessed is he that hath the Glory of God before him: there is no light to bring us thorough this thorny way, but only the Glory of our God. Next, I see in this fact, in following out the means, that he would have had the innocent loosed, but so, that it were with contentment of the Jews, he would please all parties,, and for their pleasure, when he would cleanse the innocent, he punishes Him as a nocent: seeing then that he depended upon the appetite of ungodly men, it could not be possible, that he could bring a good action to pass: yea, whomsoever depends upon the lust of malicious men, can never affectuate any good thing: or if they do anything, they do it by evil means, and so fail greatly: let us therefore ay study to please God, let us, if we should die in the mean time, do that which is pleasant unto God, setting aside the pleasure of men. Mark Pilate's form of doing, he useth worse & worse means: The first mean is evil, in comparing Jesus with Barabbas the wicked man, the murderer: yet he thought by that means to set Jesus at liberty, but now he scourges Him: this is a higher degree of evil, and now he fails further: begin once to do against conscience, for pleasuring of wicked men, as Pilate doeth all this against conscience: if thou hadst never so good & so fair a pretence, thou shalt be compelled by process of time, to do a greater evil, albeit thou begannest with less evil, & thou shalt not speed at last: It is true, Pilate would do a less evil to get a greater Good done: but when he hath once or twice, against his conscience most unworthily abused the Lord Jesus: thou shalt see the end of it, he prevailed not. Thus for Pilate's part: The men of war under him, have their part of this action, they platte a crown of thorns, and put it on His head to his scorn, and to his pain, and they clothe Him with a purple garment, & smites Him with their rods, and then they go before Him, and say, Hail King of the Jews, and this they did at the commandment of Pilate : Lamentable is the estate of the subjects, when the Prince is ungodly, and it is a sore thing for the officers, when the Judge is unrighteous, yea, all the inferiors, even to the Hangman, may curse the wicked Judge. This commandment excuses not the soldiers: they lend their hands the members of their body, to be weapons of unrighteousness: and this showeth that there was some malice in their hearts: there is none that lendeth the members of their body to be weapons of unrighteousness, but they will be condemned: thou mayest not say, It was my masters will & commandment, & therefore I behooved to do it: the commandment of thy master will not excuse thee for no man's pleasure do evil, for his commandment shall be none excuse to thee at that great day: ye shall find that these soldiers were worse inclined than Pilate was: this falls out, if the master command them to do one evil deed, oftentimes the servants will do two: they desire but one word, or one wink to set all the country in a fire. Look the Acts of the Apostles, Chap. 4. verse. 27, Every man in particular who had part in this work are counted: Herod first, and next Pilate: leaveth he the part of the men of war: he calleth them the Gentiles, & next the people of Israel. This witnesses that the eye of the Lord was on them that did this fact, and not one of them all shall be excused: and if it were but a common soldier that is in an evil fact, he shall die at that day. Vain therefore is the opinion of silly ignorant bodies, who think that the commandment and will of their master will excuse them, for they shall die for their own sins, but their blood shall be required at the hands of their masters. Christ hath his part, Pilate is a worker of evil, and the men of war also. Now let us consider the part of Jesus the innocent. He is the sufferer, He suffers dolours and shame, and many unworthy things, & that by the most just dispensatiō of God: & being our surety, he bare our sins and iniquities: therefore the wrath of God ceased upon Him most vehemently. There is not a deed done here, or a word spoken, but the Lord decreed it from all eternity, and dispenseth it in time, and on his part all was just, because Jesus had taken on Him the sins of the Lord, therefore this pain and shame follows that burden. See the weight of the wrath of God, that lies on Him who had no sin in Himself: and further, the wrath of God, lieth not on a common man, but on His only begotten Son our cautioner. The Apostle to the Hebrews Chap, 5. verse 9, says, Although He was the only begotten Son of God, yet He learned obndience through His suffering, that is, He learned, what, and how good a thing obedience was, and what wrath & damnation follows disobedience: And there is not one of the Sons of God, but by afflictions they learn the same thing that the first begotten learned, how good a thing it is not to sin: It is good therefore that God humble us, that we may say, Now I learn what is wrath, and how good a thing it is to serve God, and to bestow my life for Him: & the godly when they feel a portion of this wrath, they will take up a better course, and will say, What if this God would pour on His whole wrath, on me, it is no children's play to play with God, & make a pastime of sin, and then cry peace, that wrath shall come upon thee like a mountain, and then thou shalt cry, Cursed be the time that I have disobeyed God, for now I shall feel that infinite wrath. If ye will mark the Text well, ye will see in the whole passion of Christ, that the Lord endeuoures to manifest two things, and things contrary the one to the other by appearance. By appearance He will have Him appear before the world the most innocent man, and the most guilty man in the world: How can these two stand? The Lord thus wise will have Christ to appear, in Himself the most innocent man, and in us the most guilty man in the world. Hereupon it cometh to pass, that Pilate absolved Him as innocent, & yet punishes Him as nocent: for Jesus Christ bare the sins of the whole faithful: and it is for this purpose, that we seeing these two things in Him, that we should account Him a meet Mediator for us, and our faith should rest on Him: Come to Experience, Except I understand that my Redeemer be innocent in Himself, I will never believe, that He can be able to bear my sin, and to redeem me: for He could not be able to bear his own sin, much less another man's sin, except He were innocent, Heb. 7.26 : such a Priest it behooved us to have, which is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separated from sinners: Next, except I understand that my sins are taken off my back, and laid on His back, and that He hath taken my guiltiness on Him, the consideration of His innocence will never move me to account Him my Redeemer: for without this, what is His innocence to me. But when thine heart is persuaded of these two things, ye would marvel what great and marvelous effects will follow in the heart of a faithful man: when I look to His innocence, I will be moved with commiseration towards Him, I will pity Him: As the women followed Him out of Jerusalem weeping and pitying His innocence, Luke 23.17, and when I see, that He being most innocent in Himself, is become guilty for me: then arises in mine heart a dolour and displeasure for that, that I should be the cause that He suffered innocently, I am moved for that, that I should have pierced the Lord through with my sins: I will be moved with sadness, as it is said in the first Chapter of the Revelation, and seventh verse. They shall wail before Him whom they pierced thorough: Then again, when I find myself disburdened of my sin and guiltiness through His guiltiness, mine heart will be filled with a joy unspeakable: it is a wonder what a joy will be mingled with the displeasure, that the world would wonder that these contrary effects should be in the heart of a Christian, this is the effect of repentance, if any man hath felt it: Again, when I see, that He hath loved me, mine heart will melt with love to Him again, as Paul says in the 2, Epistle to the Corinthians, 5.14, 15. The love of Christ constrains me, & binds up fast my senses, because that once we know that we were dead, and He hath died for us: And, he to whom much is forgiven, loveth much. (LUKE CHAP. VII. VERS. XLVII.)

Brethren, ye that have heard of the History of that notable Martyr JOHN HVSSE, who was burnt for the love of CHRIST: now when he was brought forth to be burnt quick, then his executers put a paper upon his head, whereupon were pictured three Devils, with this title set over their heads, HAERESIARCHA : the which when he saw, he said, My LORD JESUS CHRIST for my sake did wear a Crown of thorns; why should not I therefore for His sake, wear this light crown, be it never so ignominious? Suffer on: thou shalt not suffer the extremity: thou who wilt suffer pain or shame for Him, thou shalt be partaker of glory with Him.

Now I go to the rest of the means that Pilate uses. Pilate, when this is done, he goeth into the Common Hall, and cometh out himself, and the fourth time he witnesseth of the innocence of JESUS, that he could find no fault in Him. I see this, and it appears well by the testimony that he gives to Jesus, that all that Pilate did to Jesus, was against conscience: for would he immediately after he had scourged Him, have cried out to cleanse Him, if his conscience had not told him that He was just? He did it to a good end to deliver Him from death. This is the doing of ungodly men, who are not drawn out of the puddle of nature: they will do a smaller evil, for a greater good, as they think against conscience: they will not start at a straye; but behold the ende; it may be that a good thing may follow thereupon: yet thou shalt have no reward for it. Beware to sin against conscience, and when thou goest about to do anything that thy conscience forbiddeth thee, leave it off, and let it be, or else thou shalt go forward, till thou crucify Christ, and make shipwreck of Faith: Therefore, do nothing against conscience, yea, albeit it were a good deed.

The third thing: he caused JESUS to be brought forth before the people, with a Crown of Thorns, and a purple Garment, to see if the Jews would pity Him: To see an innocent man so handled, it would have moved any man to pity: then he says, Behold the man, I have done enough unto Him, ye may be satisfied now. I see here, that even during the time that he saw Jesus misused so sharply, this doing shows that he was moved with some pity of the innocent: for his conscience told him, that He was innocent: and not only did he this against conscience, but even against natural pity: and yet he went forwards to examination. If a man have but a natural pity, nature, and all the power therein will never hinder him to do a mischief.

Then Brethren, let us always seek night and day, to be raised up above nature, for if we have but the power of nature to hold us from sin, we and our nature both will go to Hell. Albeit that nature move us to pity men, yet if there be no more but nature, the malice of the heart smoothers it, and overcomes it: only, the Spirit of GOD is able to fight and prevail against nature. Otherwise, albeit the light of nature were never so great, the worse shall prevail. Therefore, as ye would be saved from evil, strive to get the Spirit of grace, and say, Lord, give m • e Thy Spirit, that by his power I may strive against the corruption of nature. This should be our exercise, if we would be partakers of Heaven: for never a soul shall see Heaven by nature. Look what effect this works in the hearts of the Jews : nothing can satisfy them but the blood of the innocent: they cried, Crucify him, crucify him. When men are given over to cruelty, nothing will satisfy them but the blood of the innocent. Pilate by all means assayed to set Jesus the innocent at liberty, yet all in vain: for nothing will satisfy them, because malice possesses their hearts. Indeed it is true, that by the eternal decree of God it behooved Christ to die: but in the mean time they are inexcusable: for they did all of malice. If ye will compare them with Pilate, they did worse than he: he is to be preferred to them a thousand degrees: they had the light of the word of God to have instructed them, which Pilate wanted: when Pilate got sundry warninges, and last a sharp warning from his wife, he in a manner gainstood them not, but he had a conscience of the innocence of Christ, and he had a natural pity in his heart, and fain would have delivered Him, yea, four several times he preached to the Jews, that Christ was innocent. But as for the Jews, for as oft as they are told of Christ's innocence, yet their conscience is not wakened, neither can they be moved so much as to a natural pity. So if ye speak of want of conscience, of induration, there is no comparison betwixt Pilate and the Jews. Think not that there is any man in the world that will have less pity in their hearts, than they who are liars against the Truth, & than they that say they are Church-men, Holy men, and Defenders of the Truth: And I say, that the Pope makes less conscience of evil, than the Turk: And it were better for an innocent person to fall into the hands of a Turk, than into the hands of the Pope, and those silly souls that lie in the Holy house would exchaunge the one with the other. The judgment of GOD is lying upon these doers, on HERODE, on PILATE, on the High Priests, and upon the IEWES: yet PILATE gets this grace, that he hath some conscience, and it is holden waking, and sounding in his ear, and staying him from that wicked action; and then Pilate gets a pitiful heart. But come to them, to wit, the Jews and High Priests, the judgment of GOD lies so upon them, that they proceed from degree to degree to fearful induration, till the action be finished, and the hearts of them are locked up from all pity, and their consciences are blotted away; so heavy is the judgment that lies upon the Jews. Therefore, think not that we are free from judgment, when we are sitting in ease, eating, and drinking, in wealth, honor, and glory: for I affirm, that the heaviest judgment that ever GOD lays upon any creature, is a senselessenesse: For, when as a man or a woman is doing evil, and hath no sense of that their evil doing; O! that is the moste miserable estate that can be: for it is a sure fore-runner of eternal damnation. No outward cross, neither sickness nor poverty, is so sure a token of GOD'S judgment, as to be rocked up in security, and to be lying sleeping in sin. Senselessenesse is a sure token of a sore judgment which shall overtake thee, so that thou shalt not be able to open thy mouth, to say, GOD help me: and therefore, beware of senselessness. Now the LORD hold our consciences waking, although it should trouble us, that we may cease from going forwards in sin, for CHRISTES sake, To whom be all Praise, Honor, and Glory, for evermore:

THE NINTH LECTURE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

W EE heard in the beginning of this CHAPTER (Brethren) how Pilate the Judge insisted earnestly to get JESUS (whom his conscience dited to be innocent) set free and loosed: and therefore, first he commands Him to be taken and scourged, to be crowned with a Crown of Thorns, and clad with a purple Garment, in derision of His kingdom; thinking thereby to have satisfied the Jews. Then, when he had done this, he cometh forth himself, and in presence of all the people, protestes the fourth time, that He was innocent. Thirdly, when he brings Him forth with a Crown of Thorns, and with a purple raiment, he utters a pitiful voice, saying, Behold the man, to move the Jews to be content: but their malice could not be satisfied, but the Jews and Priests cried out, Crucify him crucify him. Thus much we have heard already. Now in the beginning of this Text, we have the reply of Pilate to the Jews, and the communication betwixt him and them: Take ye him (says he) and crucify him, as for me, I find no fault in him : He answers indeed with an anger for he is commoned with the obstinacy of the Jews, because nothing would move them, but still they cried out, Crucify him : but he says, If ye will take it on your conscience, crucify ye Him, as for me, albeit I have right to crucify Him, I had rather give my right to you, than to de • ile mine hands with the blood of the innocent. Ye heard, when they urged Pilate, to condemn Him without a verdict: he answered, on this manner, Ye have a law, judge Him according to your law: Before I judged a man without a crime, I had rather resign my right to you. Ye see there, Pilate had rather give over his right, that he had of the Roman Emperor, in judging and executing, before he had condemned an innocent man: this had been very commendable in this Ethnic man, if it had not been forced out of him by the guiltiness of his conscience: his conscience cried within him, Jesus is innocent. So this is forced out of him: for Brethren, ye shall understand, that men do things in conscience two ways: either against their will, when they are compelled violently to do it: or else, with their will, when they do anything willingly, when the heart is as ready to do it, as the conscience charges. When a man doeth a thing upon constraint, he getteth little praise before God: when a man doeth willingly, then there is matter of true praise▪ if ye compare Pilate with the Jews, who had lost their conscience, he hath his own praise: for it is better to be commoned on conscience, to do anything, than to do against conscience: But let him who would have the true praise: not do anything on cōstraint of conscience only, but also with a willing heart, as the conscience requireth, that he do it: so let him be as glad to do it. Natural men will have a conscience, and do upon conscience, albeit they were never so profane, but if the heart agree willingly to do God service, there is more than nature there: if thou wouldest have praise of God, take not only heed to thy conscience, but look also that thou have a joy in thine heart in well doing. Will ye mark through this whole discourse, that the Lord lets not the conscience of Pilate sleep (Judges now who will be counted Christians, have not such a conscience) and as it is waking, so it lets him not rest, but causes him speak: if thy conscience be wakned, thou shalt be speaking, and shalt be compelled to say, the good cause is the good cause. But look to the High Priests: there is as great difference between them and Pilate, as it between the heaven & the earth: ye shall see nothing in them, but the conscience sleeping & locked up in a sound sleep: & the more that Pilate testifies of the innocence of Christ, they are the more hardened. This is a wonder, Pilate was but a natural man, who had none illumination, but through the light of nature: & ye must know that it is knowledge that makes a conscience. As for the High Priests, they had light by the word of God, yet come to the conscience, Pilate had a better conscience than they had all. Would ye search the ground of it: the High Priests, albeit they had the word of God, and light and illumination there thorough: yet the maliciousness of their hearts put out that light, corruption blotted it out: and when once a man is illuminate, and then beginneth to extinguish that light, it cometh by the just Judgment of God, that the light of nature is put out, and then all conscience is scraped out, and then he becometh like a beast, and so falleth into a reprobate sense: keep the light that ye have gotten by the word of God, and by that Spirit, as ye would see life: and if ye put it out, the Lord shall make you as senseless as a beast. They cried both, but Pilate cries, Judge ye him, They cry, crucify him: Pilate cries, I find no fault in him worthy of death. What ever be Pilate's part, who was a judge: what ever was the part of the Jews the accusers, the Lord hath His part also in it, and he appointes it by His eternal decree: the hour was come, and He will have His only begotten Son to die for the sins of the world, and He will be glorified in His death at this hour, and He will not have Him to die as one worthy of death in Himself, but like an innocent in the sight of the world. Now look to this wisdom, that his innocence should appear: He will have the Judge protesting His innocence oftentimes, before He should die. On the other part, He will have the conscience of the High Priests scraped out, and He will have them getting His blood: if the High Priests conscience had been wakned, Jesus had not died at this time for the sins of the world: and therefore to the ende that He should die, He hardened the hearts of the accusers. When any innocent man suffers, and chi • fly for Christ, the Lord hath disposed the world so, that He hath made some to testify of the innocence of the Martyrs, and some hath He hardened to seek the blood of the Martyrs, that He might be glorified. Look to Daniel, Darius had a conscience of his innocence, but the Princes had hardened hearts, Daniel 6.1. Look when Paul was accused, the Roman Governors, Lysias, Felix, and Festus, had a conscience of the innocence of Paul : but the High Priests persecutes Him to the death. When a malefactor sufferes, the Lord will not use this manner of doing: He will not have the Judge to testify the man's innocence where there is none, but he willl let him die and suffer, like a murderer, an oppressor, or a blasphemer, as he is in very deed, he will have Judge, accusers, and all men conspire together to take away such pestes from the earth: Therefore, if there were no more but this, if we must die, it should move us to die in a good cause, and the best cause is the cause of Jesus Christ. Take heed, that thou suffer not like a nocent, and guilty person, but like an innocent: so thy death shall be glorious: it is a pain to die, and a greater pain to die for an evil cause. Now the Priests answer: We have a law, and according to our law He merits the death : they challenge not a law to crucify Him, or any power to punish Him capitallie: for all power of this was taken away from them by the Romans, yet for all this, they forget not the right of their law, That the blasphemer should die the death: according to this law they affirm Him worthy of death. So, Brethren, What ever Pilate can do, or say, to mitigate and to asswage their malice: speak what he can speak, they continue in hardness against Christ: look what blinds them: The word of God that should make them to see it, it blinds them, and they use it to their blinding. All the things in the world, yea, the best things: the very word of God serves to wicked men for nothing else, but for their farther induration: the more they seee, the blinder they are, they will read, but the more they read, the blinder are they: for why? they abuse the word, they will not make it a rule to direct their affections and actions: but they abuse it to their fantasie, & makes a slave of it. Look to the Papists this day, they abuse the old and new Testaments, they make them to serve their appetites, they interpret, expone and apply the word as they please, they make the word of God the author of their lies. I affirm, that the word of God doth nothing to the Papists but blind them: it had been good for them, that they had never seen, heard, nor read the Scripture of God: Write on, say on, this shall be verified one day: but let us consider their reasoning: The law ordains, that the blasphemer shall die the death, but so it is, that this man is a blasphemer: for He hath made himself the Son of God: therefore He should die y ^e death, If ye look the ground, & the general: No mā can find fault with it: for it is set down in y ^e Law, Levite: 24.14▪ but come to the applicatiō where they subsume, Jesus is a blasphemer, there they fail for Jesus was, is, and shall be that only begot̄ Son of God: & therefore the conclusion is false, that He ought to die the death. So ye see the general is true, but the assumption, and the conclusion, is a lie. In wicked men ye shall find this, that no man will lay down fairer generalles out of the word of God than they, no man will do that better: but come on to the application, there they go astraye, they apply not right, but they apply either to this affection or that: As for example, The murderer should die the death: if there be an hatred in them against the man, they will apply it unto him, but by the contrary, if he be a kinsman or a friend, they will say, this man is no murderer, howbeit he be as great a murderer as Barabbas was, and therefore, he should not die. Take heed to thine heart, and think it not enough to know the general to be true, but take heed to thine heart, and to the affections thereof, that they may be sanctified, and chiefly thou who art a Judge: look that thine heart be free of hatred, and of perverse love: or else thy love, thine hatred, and thy perverse affections shall be poison to thee, and shall blind thee, and shall make thee pronounce false judgment. For, what avails knowledge, what avails it thee to have a great light in thine head, either thorough nature, or yet thorough the word of God, if thou wantest reformation and sanctification to thine affections? all is for nothing. True Christianity stands in the reformation of the heart, and without this, all the knowledge in the Scripture shall poison thee to the death: for except thou be reformed, it had been better for thee that thou hadst been ignorant, and never seen the Scripture. Now to go forward: When they have answered Pilate, he continues: and it is said, when he heard that that man was the Son of God, if he had a conscience before, now he hath a greater conscience: Even, as whatsoever Pilate can speak to the hie priests, did no more but hard̄ them on: so all the words they use to put out his conscience, stirs it up, and wakens it the more: Indeed they sought by all means to blot out his conscience. And all the doing of a consciencelesse man is to blind thee, and put out thy conscience, like as his conscience is put out, and such a man is dangerous company: But the Lord, who only hath power over the conscience, disappointes their purpose. The Lord hath such power over the soul & conscience of man, that whē He will have it blinded, all y ^e doings in the world will not waken it: by the contrary, when God will have it wakened, all the world shall not still it: the more means thou usest to still it, it shall be the more aloft: None hath power of the conscience, to waken it, or to still it: No, not a King, nor an Emperor, no, not all the world hath power of the conscience, but only God: He hath His throne in the conscience. Yet let us examine this better, When Pilate heard this, he was the more afraid. Pilate had no knowledge of God, but so much as nature furnished him: he was a man who lived without God in the world, yet at the Name of GOD, and at the Name of the Son of God he is terrified, and his conscience abhorreth to do anything against Him. Albeit thou never heard of the Scripture, nor never saw one of God's works, there is one thing within thee, that will tell thee, that there is a God, whom thou shouldest fear and honor: that is, thy conscience, & if thou honourest not that God, thy conscience shall stand up & judge thee: I say more, this conscience is very powerful: for if it serve not to thy saluatiō, it shall serve thee to thy damnation conscience natural abhorreth to violate that Majesty, it telleth thee this, honor this God, if thou dishonorest Him, thou shalt die, albeit thou never sawest the Scripture, & if there come a wicked thought in thine heart, the conscience will stand up to challenge it, & like an armed man to sl • y thee, & if thou werest but a natural man, ere ever thou get that Majesty violate, thy conscience shall stand up to plead for God, & to guard Him frō thine injuries, & ere thou get Him dishonored, thou shalt tread upon the belly of thy conscience. It is true indeed, albeit this natural spunke of light of conscience in man be as a precious rain to bridle man from sin, that the Lord hath left him after his fall (He hath left it of mercy) for if it had been taken away, men had been more miserable than beasts) yet it is very weak, there is nothing perfect in us, and there is nothing in us by nature, that will be able to hold us in the fear of God. This natural conscience for a time will brangle and stand up against the maliciousness of the heart: and if thou have no more, thou mayest stand for a while, but in the ende thou shalt give it over and succumbe. It is a pity to see, how Pilate strives, and then how in the ende the conscience fails, and against conscience, he gives sentence against the innocent, and gainstanding the conscience, he overthrows it. Trust not to nature, but strive to get grace: nothing is able to overcome nature, but the Holy Spirit, for it strives and gets the victory in the end: Therefore as we would be safe in that great day, let us strive to get that Spirit to pingill out, and get the victory against this canker in the heart. I see something more in Pilate: he gets not only a sight of God, and so is terrified: but he cometh forward, and his conscience gets advertisement of that same very man, who was standing before them all, that that same very man was God, not only that He was an innocent man, but that He was the God of heaven, he gets a supernatural knowledge, that that silly man was God: the reason is: if he had not gotten that advertisement, that that man standing in such contempt before him a glorious Judge, was God: would his conscience have accused him, would he have been so terrified, and would he have desired to absolve Him, if he had not gotten advertisement, that Jesus Christ was the God of glory? It is a natural thing to the conscience to speak of God, but not to speak of Christ, that He is the Son of God: Pilate was more afraid for Christ, who stood before him, like a poor silly man, than Christ was for him, albeit he was a glorious Judge in the eyes of the world, but this sight was like the glance of a flash of fire that went over the conscience of Pilate. The Lord will give the wicked glances & tastes of Heaven, but all is but in vain. Ye see of Agripp • Acts.26.28. When Paul was speaking to him, he says, Thou persuadest me almost to be a Christian : his heart was almost bowed, and was beginning to be persuaded, he scarcely begins to have this persuasion, when it euanishes: the Lord will furnish to wicked men glimmerings of that life, but they euanish away: thou wilt dream of happiness, but this is happiness, when the Lord gives thee a light, & bows thine heart, & establishes grace in thee & grace bides with thee, there is thy happiness. This glimmering is not for nothing: it serveth for this, to make Pilate inexcusable, and if it were no more: When Pilate shall appear before that Judge, this same blencke shall be a testimony against him to his everlasting damnation. If thou gettest a blencke of Heaven, pursue it, or else better it had been for thee, if thou hadst never seen it, or never to have seen Christ, or to have read the Scriptures. Again this glimmering that Pilate got, shall stand up against the High Priests, and give sentence against them, who had not only nature, but the word to guide them. Pilate looks in thorough that baseness, and gets a sight of that glory, that was in our nature in Christ, they cannot look in thorough that baseness: And if there were no more, Pilate shall stand up like a Judge to condemn all the Jews, who by the word was informed, that CHRIST should come in baseness and humility, Isaiah 53. 2. I come nearer: And if there were no more, but that light that Pilate gote, it shall condemn all them that do stumble at the ministry of the Gospel. The LORD will not have the Gospel with an outward glory, He will have it to shine in baseness: and if that outward baseness stop thee to look into it, thou shalt perish, and if thou get not a fight of that glory, therein Pilate shall condemn thee one day: yea, Pilate in that great day shall stand up against all men, who are offended at the voice of Christ: if thou contemnest y ^e base ministry, I promise thee, y ^t thou shalt never get life by that Gospel: if the Gospel be base, humble thyself under it, and strive to get thine eyes opened, to look to that glory of the Gospel, Look not to men, who do preach, and be not offended at the outward face of the Gospel, as thou wouldest be saved: Blessed are they who are not offended at the baseness of Jesus Christ. Now Pilate being terrified in conscience, and getting little blenckes, immediately he goes in again to the common Hall, and takes in Jesus Christ, and he says to Jesus, Whence art thou ? Art thou the Son of God: he had no certainty of this: this is worthy of commendation, that he getting a blencke, he will follow it out: who will say? but this was worthy of commendation in an Ethnic. If it shall please GOD, to give us a blencke any time, let us strive to follow it forth, and let that glimmering move thee to follow it out further: for all the joy in the world, is in the sight of GOD, thou never knewest what joy is, who hast not tasted of the pleasure of Heaven: fie on thee, who hast not tasted of this joy.

So, if it shall please the Lord to give us a glance of Jesus Christ, Pilate learns us to follow it: albeit it go out of thine eyes for a time, rest never till thou gettest it again, although men would give thee all the pleasures in the world.

Now, Brethren, we must not think that it was the love of the truth, that moved Pilate to ask this: No, it was rather the fear of danger, that moved him to ask it: for he feared some danger to come unto himself, when he heard that he was the Son of God: therefore partly for this cause, and partly, because Christ knew that