The Handmaid to Private Devotion, Fast 284 – Part 21
GOOD FRIDAY'S DEVOTION. OR, The Christian Fast on the Passion of our Lord.
The ground of this Fast:
In the Old Testament
Prophecies.
Types
geuerall,
speciall.
In the new,
Historie,
Sacrament of Christ's death: of which before in the preparatiō
PARALELL.
Prophecie.
Thou shalt bruise his heel, &c. Gen. 3. 15.
He was cut out of the land of the liuing, Isa. 53. 8.
He shal make his soule an offering for sinne. ver. 10. And after threescore and two weekes, M…ssiah shall bee slaine. Dan. 9. 26.
They shall looke vponupon him whom they hauehave pearced. Zac. 12. 10.
Historie.
This is your houre & the Power of darknesse. Luk. 22. 53.
Then Iesus cried with a loud voice, and yeelded vp the Ghost. Mat. 27. 50.
Him hauehave yee crucified & slaine. Acts. 2. 22. Christ dyed for our sins. 1 Cor. 15. 3.
He offered himselfe by the eternal Spirit. Heb. 9. 14.
One of the Souldiers with a Speare peirced his side. Iohn 19. 34.
Type.
Besides all sacrifices of the old Law which foreshewed Christs death, there are 2. speciall types.
1 Abraham builded an Altar, and bound Isaak his son, Gen. 22. 9.
And stretched out his hand, and tooke the knife to kill his sonne, ver. 10.
Accomplishment.
So God loued the world, that he gaue his onelyonly begotten. Io. 3. 16.
He became obedient to death, euen the death of the crosse, Phil. 2. 8.
So Moses made a Serpent of brasse, & set it vp for a signe: and when a Serpent had bitten a man, then he looked to the Serpent of brasse, and liued. Numb. 21. 9.
They crucified him.
Luk. 23. 33.
Iesus whō ye hauehave crucified. Act. 2. 36.
Hee was crucified concerning his infirmity. 2. Cor. 13. 4 I, if I were lift vp from the earth wil draw all men to me. Io. 12. 32.
This he spake, signifying what death he should die. v. 33.
IOH. 14.
As Moses lift vp the Serpent in the wildernesse: so must the Sonne of Man be lift vp.
For thine instruction meditate vponupon
Prophecie.
Tipes.
Storie.
of Christ's Passion.
For thy comfort apply to thy self the benefits of his death.
For thy correction remember and bewaile thy sinnes, for which Christ suffered and dyed.
Quicken thy
Faith by the Psalme.
Obedience and patience by the admonition.
Zeale and Deuotion by the Prayer ensuing.
THE ADMONITION for good-friday.
THE ANALYSIS.
We must suffer afflictions because
1.a By them we are made conformable to our Head Christ Iesus.
2.b They are the Chastisements of our heauenly Father.
3.c They proceede from louelove.
4.d They are moderated and mitigated by his mercy.
5.e They are sweetened, with many comforts.
6.f They are the common lot of all Gods dearest children.
7.g They are medicinable to the soule.
8.h They bring vsus to a sence of our sins, and remorse for them.
9.i They quicken our Zeale and Deuotion.
10.k They tryour saith, hope, and louelove.
11.l They are meanes to weane vsus from the louelove of this world.
12.m They preserue and free vsus from euerlasting torments.
13.n If we patiently endure them, our reward shall be plentifull in heauen.
14 o They teach vsus to compassionate our brethren, and comfort them in their adversities.
THE TEXTS.
a IT became him for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, seeing that he brought many children vntounto glory, to consecrate their Prince of their saluation by efflictions. Heb. 2. 10.
For in that he suffered and was tempted, hee is able to succour them that are tempted. verse 18.
Christ suffered for vsus. leauing vsus an example that we should follow his steps. 1 Pet. 2 21.
Whom he knew before to be made like to the Image of his Son. Rom. 8. 29.
b The Lord hath chastened and corrected me. Psal. 118. 18.
O Lord rebuke me not in thine anger, nor chasten me in thy displeasure. Psal. 6. 1.
When thou with rebukes doest chasten man for sin, &c. Psal. 39. 12.
c My sonne despise not the the chastening of the Lord, neither faint when thou art rebuked of him. Prou. 3. 11.
Whom the Lord loueth hee chasteneth, and scourgeth eueryevery son that he receiueth. Heb. 12. 6.
As many as I louelove I rebuke and chasten. Reu. 3. 19.
d The Lord hath seuerely corrected me, but he hath not giuen mee ouer vntounto death. Psal. 118. 18.
Great are the troubles of the Righteous, but the Lord deliuer him out of all. Psal. 34. 18.
From them all the Lord deliuered me. 2. Tim. 3. 11.
God is faithfull, who will not suffer you to be tempted aboue that you are able, but will euen giuegive the issue to the tentation, that ye may bee able to heare it. 1 Cor. 10. 13.
Blessed be God the Father of mercy, and God of all comfort. 2. Cor. 1. 3.
Who comforteth vsus in all our tribulations, that wee may bee able to comfort them that are in any affliction. ver. 4.
e For as the sufferings of Christ abound in vsus: so our consolation aboundeth through Christ. v. 5.
f What son is he whom the father chastneth not? Heb. 12. 7.
If therefore yee bee without correction, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons. ver. 8.
In the world yee shall hauehave afflictions. Iohn. 16. 33.
Which of the Prophets hauehave not your fathers persecuted? Act. 7. 52.
All that will liue godly in Christ Iesus, shall suffer persecutions. 2 Tim. 3. 12.
g It is good for me that I hauehave beene in trouble, that I might learne thy Statutes. Psal. 119.
No chastisement for the present seemeth ioyous but grieuous; but afterward it bringeth the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them which are thereby exercised, Heb. 12. 11.
Hee chastneth for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holinesse. ver. 10.
We know that all things work for the best to them that louelove God. Rom. 8. 28.
Count it exceeding ioy when ye fall into diuers temptations. Iam. 1. 2.
Before I was troubled I went wrong: but now hauehave I kept thy Word. Psal. 119. 67.
It is good for me that I hauehave beene in trouble, that I might learne thy Statutes. ver. 71.
h And they said, Wee hauehave verily sinned against our brother, because we saw the anguish of his soule when he besought vsus, and wee wonld not heare him, therefore is this trouble come vponupon vsus. Gen. 42. 21.
All that is come vponupon vsus for our euill deeds, and our great transgoessions. Ez. 9. 13.
Ierusalem hath greatly sinned, therfore she is in derision. La. 1. 8.
The Lord is righteous, for I hauehave rebelled against him. v. 18.
There is no rest in my bones by reason of my sinne. Psal. 38. 3.
My wickednesses are gone ouer my head, & are like a sore burden too heauy for me to beare. ver. 4.
i In their afflictions they will seeke me diligently.
Then hee came to himselfe, &c. Luk. 15. 17.
EueryEvery night wash I my bed, &c. Psal. 6. 6.
Behold how I mourne in my Prayer, and am vexed.
When hee was tryed hee was found faithfull. Heb. 11. 17.
Others were tryed by scourgings, &c. ver. 36.
k Knowing that the tryall of your faith, bringeth forth patience Iam. 1. 3.
That the triall of your faith being much more precious then fine gold that perisheth, might bee found to your glory. 1 Pet. 1. 7.
Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will deliuer thee from the houre of tentation which shall come to all the world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Rom. 3. 10.
Woe is mee that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech, &c. Psal. 120. 4.
O that I had wings like a Doue, &c. Psal. 55. 6.
Let me dye, for I am no better then my fathers. Ionah 4. 3.
m For when wee are iudged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we bee not condemned with the world. 1 Cor. 11. 31.
n If wee suffer with him, wee shall bee also glorified with him. Rom. 8. 17.
For I account the momentary afflictions are not worthy the glory that shall be shewed to vsus. ver. 18.
For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, causeth vntounto vsus a farre more excellent and an eternall weight of glory. 2. Cor. 4. 17.
He suffered and was tempted, that he might succour them that are tempted. Heb. 2. 18.
God comforteth vsus in all our tribulations, that we might be able to comfort them which are in any affliction, by the comfort wherewith our selues are comforted of God. 2 Cor. 1. 4.
The Hymne for Good-Friday:
Wherein is expressed the manner of Christs sufferings, death, and buriall, with the remarkable circumstances thereof.
In particular:
1 The Antecedents.
1 CHRISTS Agony.
2 Herods, Pilats, and the Rulers of the Iewes conspiracy against him.
3 Iudas betraying him.
4 The Disciples forsaking him.
5 The Iewes false accusing him.
6 His silence before the Iudge.
7 The Souldiers blaspheming and deriding him.
2 The Passion it selfe.
1 The enduring his Fathers wrath.
2 The racking his ioints.
3 The piercing his flesh.
4 His thirst, and the drinke giuen him.
5 His last cry vponupon the Crosse.
6 His giuing vp his spirit, the piercing his side, and not breaking a bone. Psal. 34. 20.
3 The consequents.
1 The gushing of water out of his heart.
2 The casting Lots vponupon his Vesture.
3 His buriall, and lying no small time in the graue.
THE TEXTS.
O Lord God of my saluation,1 The antecedents wherein, 1 Christs Agony. I hauehave cryed day and night before thee. Psal. 88. 1.
Mine eye mourneth by reason of afflliction: I hauehave called dayly vponupon thee, I hauehave stretched out my hands vntounto thee, ver. 9.
For my soule is full of trouble, and my life draweth nigh vntounto the graue. Psal. 88. 2.
My heart is smitten and withered like grasse, Psal. 102. 4.
By reason of the voice of my groning my bones cleaue to my skin. ver. 5.
The sorrowes of death compassed me, and the paines of hell gat hold vponupon me: I found trouble and sorrow, 2 Herod's, Pil…ts, and the Rulers of the Iewes conspiracy against him.Psal. 116. 3.
The Kings of the earth set themselues, and the Rulers take councell together against the Lord▪ and against his Christ. Psal. 2. 2.
Mine enemies whisper together against mee, against me doe they deuise hurt. Psal. 41. 7.
l Yea,3 Iudas betraying him. mine own familiar friends in whom I trusted, which did eate of my bread hath lift vp his heele against me. ver. 9.
I am like a Pelican in the Wildernesse, and an Owle in the Desart. Psal. 102. 6.
I watch and am alone, as a Sparrow on the house top. ver. 7.
My louers and my friends stand aloofe from my stroke,4 The Disciples forsaking him. and my Kinsmen stand a farre off. Psal. 38. 11.
Mine enemies reproch mee all the day long, 5 The Iewes false accusing him.and they that are mad vponupon mee are sworne against me, Psal. 102. 8.
But I as a deafe man heard not, 6 His mecks silence.and as a dumbe man that openeth not his mouth. Psal. 39. 13.
I am as a worme and no man, 7 The Souldiers and people blaspheming & deriding him.a reproch to men, and despised of the people. Psal. 22. 6.
All they that see me laugh mee to scorne, they shout out their lips, and shake their heads, saying. ver. 7.
He trusted in the Lord that he would deliuer him: let him deliuer him, seeing he delighted in him, Psal. 22. 8.
Many Oxen came about me: strong Bulls of Basan hauehave beset me round. ver. 12.
They gaped vponupon mee with their mouthes,2 The Passion it self, wherein 1 The enduring Gods wrath. as it were a ramping and roaring Lyon. ver. 13.
Thy wrath lyeth hard vponupon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waues. Psal. 88. 7.
I am powred out like water, all my bones are out of ioynt.2 The racking of his ioints. Psal. 22. 14.
They pierced my hands and my feet.3 The piercing his flesh. Psal. 22. 16.
My strength is dryed vp like a Pot-sheard, and my tongue cleueth to my gums. 4 His thirst.ver. 15.
Reproch hath broken my heart, and I am full of heauinesse: I looked for some to hauehave pitty on me, but there was none: for comforters, but I found none. Psal. 69. 20.
They gaue me gall to eat;His drinke. and in my thirst they gaue me vineger to drinke. ver. 21.
My God,5 His last cry. my God, Why hast thou forsaken me! Psal. 22. 1.
Into thy hands I commend my spirit,6 His giu…ng vp the ghost. Psal. 31. 5.
Thou keepest all my bones, so that not one of them is broken. Psal.3 The consequents. 34. 20.
My heart is like wax:1 Water gushing out of his strength. it is melted in the middest of my bowels. Psal. 22. 14.
They part my garments among them,2 Casting Lots. and on my vesture doe they cast lots. Psal. 22. 18.
Thou hast layed me in the lowest pit; 3 His buriall.in a place of darknesse, and in the deepe. Psal. 88. 5.
Free among the dead, like to them that bee wounded, and lye in the graue, which be out of remembrance, and are cut away from thine hand.
The close out of Ieremiah.
IS it nothing to you, all yee that passe by? Behold and see, if there be any sorrow like vntounto my sorrow which is done vntounto mee, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted mee in the day of his wrath, Lam. 1. 12.
A Prayer for Good-friday.
DEarest Redeemer, the Mediatour of Heauen and Earth, who this day werest placed on the Crosse betweene them both, with thine armes stretched abroad to embrace, and thy head bowed downe, as it were, to kisse all that come vntounto thee; I humbly prostrate my selfe at thy feet, desiring in vnfained repentance, with my teares to wash those thy wounds that bled for my sinne; and in a liuely faith to touch the print of thy nailes, and thrust my finger into the hole of thy side, thereby to take reall and corporall possession of thee, that I may with Thomas truely call thee, My Lord, and my God; my dread, and my louelove; my surety, and my ransome; my Sacrifice, and my Priest; my Aduocate, and my Iudge; my desire, and my contentment; the life of my hope here, and hope of my life hereafter. Before, I was thine (for thy hands hauehave made me and fashioned me:) but now sith thou hast offered thy selfe to be my pledge, and thy bloud for my ransome, thou art truly mine, My Lord and my God. O let the Speare which ranne thee thorow, fasten my heart to thy Crosse: Let the nailes which printed thy flesh, imprint thy louelove in my soule: let the thornes which pricked thy temples not suffer the temples of mine head to take any rest in sinne: let the vineger which was giuen thee, melt my adamantine heart into sorrow: let the Spunge which was offered thee on the Crosse, wipe out all my debts out of thy Fathers Tables. Let others goe on forward if they please; I will stay still at the Crosse, and take no other Lesson. for I desire no other Pulpit then that tree; no other Preacher then thy crucified body; no other Text then thy death and passion; no other parts then thy wounds; no other amplification then thy extension; no other notes then thy markes; no other points then thy nailes; no other booke then thy opened side. The first Adam did eat the fruit of the forbidden tree; therefore thou, the second Adam hangedst vponupon a Tree. By his fall all mankinde were so sorely wounded, that the whole head was sicke, and the whole heart faint; from the crowne of the head to the sole of the foot, there was nothing but wounds, and bruses, and sores, full of corruption: therefore thy whole head was pained, thy whole heart wounded: from the sole of thy foot, which was gored with nailes to the crowne of the head, which was pricked with thornes there was nothing but cuts, and stripes, and markes, and skars, and sores, and wounds in thy whole body. Because our heads plotted and deuised wickednesse, on thy head was platted a Crowne of thornes. Because our eyes burned with lust, thy eyes were bedewed with teares. Because we belched out blasphemies against God, thy face was spit vponupon. Because our bodies hauehave beene stretched want only vponupon our soft beds, thy body was stretched vponupon the hard Crosse. O Lord, our eares hauehave offended thee by listening to want on Musicke, prophane speeches and songs, therefore thou suffredst in thine eare by hearing scoffes and blasphemous taunts. Wee hauehave offended God in our smell by luxurious perfumes, and sweete odours, therefore thou sufferedst in thy smell by the stench of Golgotha. Our taste had offended in gluttony and drunkennesse, therefore thou sufferedst in thy taste by gall and vineger. Because our feet were swift to shed bloud, thy feet were nailed to the crosse. Because our hands were defiled, thy hands were bathed in bloud. Because all parts of our bodies offended, thou wast punished in all parts; in thy temples with thornes, on thy cheekes with buffets, in thy ioints with straines, in thy flesh with stripes. Lastly, because our hearts most grieuously offended in vnchaste, malicious, couetous, ambitious thoughts, desires, and affections, and piercing our selues with worldly cares; therefore thou wast most grieuously punished in thy heart which was run thorow with the Speare. If all the sufferings of Martyrs since the worlds beginning were put in one skale, and thine in the other, thy Passion would beare them all down, for thou barest the full weight of thy Father's heauiest hand. Neuer were there sufferings like thy sufferings, because neuer such a Sufferer, the torments being infinitely improued by the Bearer. Neuer sweat like thy sweat, because neuer any had a burthen like to thine. Neuer teares like thy teares, because shed for them who thirsted for thy bloud. Neuer torments like thy torments, because neuer flesh so pure and tender as thy flesh. Neuer horrour like to thy horrour, being forsaken of thy Father, because neuer louelove like to thy louelove of him. Neuer sorrow like to thy sorrow, because neuer sense and apprehension like to thy sense and apprehension of the infinite displeasure of God, for the sinnes of mankinde. O my most bountifull Redeemer, who bestowedst largely, and wast bestowed liberally for me, it concerneth mee to know how much I stood thee in. For how should I estimate thy louelove, if I cannot cast the totall of the Debt thou diddest discharge for mee? But no heart can conceiue what sorrow thou conceiuedst: no tongue can expresse what griefe thou diddest expresse by thy bloudy teares, and those thy strong cries when thou complainedst that thy soule was heauy vntounto death, & prayedst thy Father (if it were possible) to let this … passe from thee. I am appaled at thine agony, I am astonished or thy feare, I am amazed at thy patience, I am rauished at thy louelove. My heart riseth, my veines swell, my bloud boiles within me against thy Persecuters. If it were in my power, I would put them all to millions of torments; I would inflict a thousand deaths vponupon Iudas that betrayed thee, and Pilat that condemned thee, and the enuious Scribes and Pharisees that layed snares for thee, and the periured witnesses that gaue false euidence against thee, and that execrable rout that preferred a murtherer before thee, and the barbarous Souldiers that spit vponupon thee and buffeted thee, and the bloudy executioners of the Iewish malice and Romane cruelty that hanged, and nayled, and goared thee. But when I diue deepe into thy bloudy passion, I finde my selfe as deepe in the guilt of thy bloud-shedding as they. They were in that but accessaries, but I by my sinnes was a principall in the death of the Lord of Life. My sinnes by their tongues and hands did all this villany & outrage vponupon thee. Their nailes and speares pierced but the flesh, but my sinnes pierced thy very soule. My sinnes, my sinnes, O Lord by their hands crucified thee; wherefore I condemne mine eyes to continuall teares, my heart to perpetuall sighs, and my thoughts to euerlasting pensiuenesse. What shall I doe to wash away the guilt of thy bloud which alone can take away the guilt of my sinnes? Verily I should bee vtterly swallowed vp in this gulfe, but that the price of thy bloud hath satisfied (as for all other sins: so) for the guilt of spilling it selfe. And now my anger, and feare, and trouble, & anguish are all turned into ioy, and comfort, and louelove, & admiration of the infinite wisdome of thy Father in prouiding such a remedy, and his iustice in requiring such a satisfaction; but most of all thy infinite louelove, making so full payment of the infinite debt of my sinnes. What can I do, what can I suffer enough for thee? Gracious God to all the rest of thy blessings spirituall & temporall conferred vpō me, purchased by thy sufferings, adde this one aboue the rest, the special gift of the remembrance of these thy sufferings, that wheresoeuer I am, whatsoeuer I doe, I may hauehave thy passion in my heart and thy wounds bleeding afresh in my mind, with an infinite hatred of sinne that procured them, and louelove of thy goodnesse who induredst them for me. Thy Church, since thou leftest her is a widdow, and I am as one of her dead children, not (as the Samaritan was) halfe dead, but whole dead in my sinnes and transgressions. Thou Lord art the true Elias, who raisedst and doest raise from death this Widdowes children to life, by stretching thy body ouer them. O my gracious Lord, apply thy Body stretched this day on the Crosse to me. Lay thy head to my head, thy hands to my hands, thy feet to my feet, and thy heart to my heart, that I may receiue warmth from thy bloud, and ease from thy stripes, and health from thy wounds, and spirit from thy breath, and strength from thy grace to stand vp from the dead, and walke with thee from hence forth in newnesse of life. So bee it, Amen.
The weeke dayes Deuotions.
THe first day being the Christian Sabbath preceded the Festiualls, whither I referre thee. The others here follow in their order.