A View of Mans Estate, Tract 1 · Chapter 11
The eleuenth Chapter.
¶A deſcription of the paſsion of Chriſte and the profite that commeth thereby.
BVt yet that this louelove mighte enter déeper, and take a more grounded roote in our hartes, let vsus ſomewhat conſider the deathe of the Lorde, let vsus ſée what a preparatiue he had to his cup, let vsus marke the maner of his deathe, and let vsus behold him with our inward eyes in hys pangs as hee hangeth on the croſſe: thys therefore did our Sauioure forewarne his diſciples what ſhould become of him, wherin we hauehave alſo a warning to conſider the louelove of God:Math. 20. Beholde (ſaith he) we goe vp to Ieruſalem, and the ſonne of man ſhall be deliuered into the handes of ſinners, vntounto the chiefe Prieſtes & vntounto the Scribes, & they ſhall condemne him to deathe, and ſhall deliuer him to the Gentiles to mock, and to ſcourge, and to crucifie him. This did our Sauioure foreſee as a God, and fulfill as a man ſent to redeeme men: firſte when the tyme of hys temptation drewe neare, hys ſchollers began to ſcatter and fléete from hym vntill they lefte hym cleane withoute company and comfort. For ſome faynting by default of faith he draue away with a word,Iohn. 6. whē he gaue them that leſſon cōcerning ye eating of the fleſh and drinking of the bloude of the ſonne of man: thys is a harde ſaying (ſaye they) who can away with thys? ſo they gaue ouer ſchoole and followed their maiſter no further. Then thoughte our Sauior good to make much of his twelue, and therefore to holde in them, that they ſhoulde not ſtart lykewiſe, he turned vntounto them as it were grating kindneſſe on them with thys pitifull queſtion: and wyll you alſo goe from me? Peters ſtomacke was yet ſomewhat ſtout, wherefore he anſwered the queſtion with thys other: Maſter to whome ſhall we goe? thou haſt the words of eternall life. That was Chriſtes chiefe captaine: it was to be thought he would hauehave a bidden the brunt, but of hym it ſhall be ſayde after. Nowe by thys time Chriſt had but his choſen twelue with him, and yet one of them was but a traytor, yea a diuell. For in that heauy feaſt and laſt ſupper, whereat he tooke hys leaue as it were of his diſciples: then began Satan to ſtirre himſelfe, to aſſaulte and ſift the ſimple ſouldiers of Chriſte, and tooke full poſſeſſion of Iudas to worke by hym that horrible treaſon againſte our poore Prince, which ſought by kyndneſſe to ouercome his enimies: for he as ſoone as he had receiued that choaking morſell the ſoure ſop, he got him out about the Deuils buſineſſe, ſéeking our ſauiours death and his own deſtruction. And for his farewel, ſaith Chriſte, that thou doeſt, doe quicklye, for belyke he felte panges of temptation duplicate page duplicate page alreadie vppon him, wherefore vppon this his departure, hée comforted himſelfe and the reſt of his diſciples with thoſe and the lyke ſayings as did declare the prouidence of God the Father in thys behalfe:Luke. 22. verily (ſayeth hée) it goeth wyth the ſonne of man as it is written of hym: it was wrytten, hée that eateth breade with mée,Pſal. 41. lifteth vp his heele agaynſte me. Whyles that Iudas and theſe blouddie merchantes were buſie aboute theyr bargaine, valuyng that innocent and ſauing ſoule at .xxx. ſiluerlings, Chriſt wyth part of his Diſciples went vp into the Mounte Oliuet to make his prayer: where howe bitter were his temptations? In what an agonie was hée?Luke. 22. when thoſe bloudye droppes of ſweate trickled downe along that ſwéete glorious face? what deepe ſighes did hée fetche? out of howe heauie an heart did theſe ſayings procéede: firſt to his Diſciples, ſaying, my ſoule is verie heauie vntounto death: then in his lamentable prayer: O my father, if it bée poſſible, let this cuppe paſſe from mée? and yet in this diſtreſſe hée humbled him ſelfe, ſubmitting his will to the will of his father. Nowe after this fitte was paſte, and hée had ouercommed that temptation, beholde thoſe Wolues, that bloudie band appoynted by the high Prieſtes and Pharyſies commeth oute with theyr Lanternes and lightes, as to make ſearch for a théefe, with ſtaues and ſwordes, as agaynſt a rebellious traytour, laying handes on hym as on a miſchieuous murtherer. And who was theyr Capitayne? euen that loſt childe Iudas, he became theyr guyde:Act. 2 hée tracked oure Sauiour in hys waye, hée led thoſe murtherers ouer the brooke Cedron, he brought them into the Garden,Iohn. 18. where they founde that ſillie ſhéepehearde with his ſmall flocke, that méeke henne hauing no where to hide his heade, with his little broode of Chickens tremblyng and ſhaking about him for feare, loking for ſuccour vnderunder the ſhadowe of his wings, who himſelfe was nowe deſtitute of all earthly ayde: this alſo might not but augment his ſorowes, that in the ſame place in that garden, where they had ſo often gathered togyther to theyr comfort, and where Iudas himſelfe had bene diuerſe tymes fed at our Sauiors hand with the ſwéet bread of life, there he ſhould be gyuen vp to the hands of ſinners: & how was he betraied? Euen as that lamentable queſtion importeth,Luke. 22. Iudas betrayeſt thou the ſonne of man vvith a kiſſe? Whiche was to ſaye, thou whom I hauehave choſē of many a thouſand, one of my twelue familiaes, thou vppon whome I hauehave beſtowed ſo many good turnes, to whome I hauehave gyuen fréely ſo many good leſſons, vppon whome I hauehave waſted ſo many wordes, thou that eateſt bread with me, thou that dippedſt in one diſh with me, doſt thou lift vp thy héele againſt me, and tread me vnderunder thy foote? thou that prouidedſt for the ſuſtenance of my body, art thou become the betrayer of my ſoule? whoſe ſaluation I hauehave ſought by ſo many meanes, doeſt thou thirſt my bloud? for whome I am contente to laye downe my life, art thou become my hangman? Commeſt thou vntounto me with the face of a friend, and giueſt me vp to mine enimies? Calleſt thou me maiſter, and wiſheſt me the curſe of the croſſe? Gyueſt thou me a kiſſe, and woundeſt my harte? Theſe ſighes no doubte came vp with that queſtion. Nowe by this time had Iudas done hys parte, he myght go hang hymſelfe: In thys caſe then we ſée our Sauioure, howe he ſtandeth as a poore priſoner deliuered into the hands of hys mortall enimies, being hymſelfe an immortall God. He that might hauehave had at hys call a legion of Aungels to deliuer him, is yet contented to become a priſoner, a captiue and as a caytiue, rather than he woulde breake off thys worke of our redemption whiche he had brought ſo neare to perfection. What then followed? the ſhepeherde was ſtricken, and the ſheepe were ſcattered: and alas poore Peter what reſiſtance maiſt thou make? Put vp thy ſword, and harken what thy Sauiour ſaithe: yea let vsus all harken to that voice of humilitie: ſhall I not drink of the cup whiche my father hath gyuen me?Iohn. 18. So Chriſt ſtill fighteth with pacience euen till he maketh his enimies his footeſtoole: for beholde he is bounde wyth pacience, by the hande, the captaine and the officers of the Iewes: ſo as it was appointed of hym, he was led as a ſhéepe brought before the ſheerer, to Annas that ſharpe ſhéerer: then was he turned and toſſed from one to another, from poſt to piller, from the Foxe to the Wolfe, from Annas to Cayphas, from Cayphas to Annas againe, and ſtill faſt bound for feare of ſcaping. O what an heauie ſighte, what a payne was that for Peter, when he ſawe his Maſter ſtanding lyke a forſaken ſoule, and a pitifull priſoner in the hall of the high Prieſt? Now where was that ſtout, courage when he ſaide, though all men bée offended for thee,Math. 26. yet I wyll not? He followed hys maiſter indeede: but a farre off for feare. And when hée came to the dore of the high Prieſte, in what a traunce, in what a terroure was he? where was his ſword? now wher was his heart, when the maid moued him this queſtiō: art not thou one of this mans diſciples? what had he then to anſwer? he made then a flat deniall of hys maiſter, he was none of his diſciples, he knewe no ſuche man as Chriſte was: and nowe was it tyme for the cocke to crowe, for Peter to fall a weeping and a howling: there was Chriſte left alone and giuen ouer on eueryevery ſide, for the ſhéepe they were all diſperſed. Now that guiltleſſe Lambe with what a ſorte of wicked wolues was he beſet? There was Annas the fyrſte, Caiphas the high Prieſte, Pilate the preſident, there was the aſſembly of Scribes, the …ocke of Phariſies: but thankes be to God the heauenly father, his Chriſte had pacience ynough for them all. There was in that Lambe bloude ynough for thoſe greedy wolues the rulers and gouernors, there were bones ynough for thoſe hungrie dogges the Scribes, and fleſhe to ſatiſfie that ſwarme of adders the Phariſies: for all thoſe there was pacience ynough with our ſuffring ſauiour, being ready to beare what ſoeuer burthen they might deuiſe to oppreſſe him wythall: for they bounde him, they made a ſcorne and a mock of him, turning him into a ſtrange diſguiſed apparell, platting a crowne of thornes vponupon his heade, adding thereto thorny and gauling wordes, beyng haled and toſſed to and fro betwixt Pilate, the Prieſtes and the people:Iohn. 19. one crying on this ſide, beholde the man, in diſpite of his omnipotent godheade: on the other ſyde another company crying, hayle Kyng of the Iewes, in contempt of this eternall kingdome: and yet for further tryall of his pacience ſome blindfelded hym, ſome buffetted him, ſome moſte ſhamefullye ſpued theyr ſpettle on his face: then was hée tormented alſo wyth Pylates bitter ſcourge, & yet no reſiſtance made Chriſt: remedie was pacience: but that was not thought ynoughe, neyther ſcourging woulde not ſerue: therefore he muſte bée committed againe to the handes of Pylate, hée muſte be examined, witneſſe is ſought, and falſe witneſſe is brought in agaynſt the truth it ſelfe, yea although Pylate himſelfe, coulde not but thus depoſe for his innocencie, ſaying and repeating it often:Iohn. 19. I finde no fault in hym: wherefore yet thys friendſhip was ſhewed of Pylate, that the people contented, he ſhoulde bée let looſe according to the cuſtome of the Iewes: This was the greateſt curteſie that Chriſte founde: he was ſet agaynſte Barrabas: an holy God compared wyth a wicked murtherer: for ſo did Pylate put it to the peoples choyſe,Math. 27. ſaying: Wil ye that I let looſe vntounto you Barrabas, or Ieſus whiche is called Chriſt? naye, if Chriſt ſhould hauehave nowe bene let at libertie, then had the Prieſtes his enimies frō the beginning loſt al their labor: wherfore Mathewe reporteth that they counſelled the people to quite Barrabas, and to aſke Chriſt to be crucified, wherefore the ſauing and condemnation being referred vntounto them, when they cried for Barrabas that he might be ſaued, then Pylate ſpeaking ſomwhat fauourably as he durſt, on Chriſtes part, ſayd: what ſhall I do then with Ieſus? the anſwere was: let him be crucified. And Pylate demaunding again, what euill hath he done? That queſtion might not be heard, bycauſe it coulde not be aunſwered, but the more they cryed, away with him, crucifie him. This was that rufull crie that Chriſte was content to heare, for all the louelove of God that was and ſhoulde be declared by him towardes the worlde, he had this rewarde, crucifie him & nothing but crucifie him. After this hard ſentence, as a lamb to the ſlaughter, ſo was our Sauioure led out of the Citie to the place of his executiō,Iohn. 19. hauing the cō panie of his Croſſe, and bearing it part of the way himſelfe:Num. 21. Now muſt our Sauiour be ſerued as the Serpent in the wylderneſſe, he muſt be lifte vp to the croſſe: beholde he drinketh the cup of that curſe: (Curſed is he that hangeth on the trée:Iohn. 3. Gene. 22.) This is the true repreſented Iſaacke, that humbleth himſelfe to the aultar a ſacrifice for ſinne, and the Lorde ſuffereth that bloudy knife withdrawn frō Iſaack, to fall vponupon his onelyonly begotten ſonne and to pierce his precious bowelles that the water mought runne out whiche ſhoulde waſhe away the ſinnes of his people. O Chriſtians, O men and brethrē, this was ours by right, but Chriſte is contented to beare our burthen, he is contented to dye, to dye the death, the ſhamefull deathe, the curſed death of the bitter croſſe. Nowe beholde the Lamb of God, that taketh away the ſinnes of the worlde: O thou ſonne of man ſée what the ſonne of God ſuffereth for thy ſake, ſée how he is tormented. let his panges enter a little into thy hart, that thou mayſte conſider the louelove of God towardes thee, lette that pitifull ſcricke of our Sauiour alwayes ring in thyne eare, as when he cryed, my God my God why haſt thou forſaken me: for ſo did the ſorrowes of death gripe him as thoughe he had indéede bene forſaken of his father: wherefore he ſuffered him to be layde in the graue alſo, that he might taſt of al our infirmities as well vnderunder the earth as aboue: howbeit nowe was it time for the Lord God to gloryfie his ſonne in the heauens, which had glorified him on ye earth,Pſal. 15. wherefore he might not leaue the ſoule of his dearely beloued in the graue, nor ſuffer his holye one to ſée corruption: but hath rayſed him vp to his ryght hande, there to reigne with glorie vntil he make his enimies and our enimies, (if we be true Chriſtians) his footeſtoole: and thus with the glorie of Chriſte doth the louelove of God fully appeare, towardes vsus: for in all this hath God and his Chryſte ſought our ſaluation:Math. 18. for the ſonne of man came for no other purpoſe, but to ſaue that which was loſte, and by theſe meanes in ſumme hathe he atchieued the ende of his meſſage:Rom. 4. he was deliuered to deathe for our ſinnes, and roſe againe for our iuſtification.