Exposition of the Apostles Creed — William Perkins

Exposition of the Apostles Creed · William Perkins

Now follows the second part of his confession, namely that his kingdome was not of this worlde. Where hee sets downe what kinde of king he is; he is no earthly king, his kingdome standes not in the power of men, nor in earthly and outwarde gouernement; but his kingdome is spirituall, and his gouernement is in the very heartes and consciences of men. His kingdome is not outward to be seene of men, but inwarde in the heart and soule▪ and therfore it is onelyonly begunne in this life, and is continued and accomplished in the worlde to come in the kingdome of glorie: where Christ shall be all in all in the hearts and consciences of all the elect. Nowe then, if this be so, howsoeuer Sathan hauehave heretofore raigned in vsus, and made our heartes as it were his pallaces: yet nowe let vsus prepare a roome for Christ that hee may come and dwell in vsus: let him rule our hearts, wills, and affections that they may become conformable to his will: let vsus resigne our selues wholly to be ruled by him, that his spiritual kingdom may be in vsus. This kingdom in the heart & conscience is the pearle and hid treasure,Math. 13.46. which when a man findeth, he sels all that he hath & buyeth it. Let vsus therfore in the feare of God, esteem it as the most pretious thing that may be, and so liue in this worlde, as that Christ may rule inwardly in vsus, by his word & spirit. And againe seeing this regiment of Christ is heauenly, & the full manifestation of it is in the life to come: we must therfore vse this world & all things in it, as honour, wealth, ease, & libertie,1. Cor. 7.31. as though we vsed them not. As a trauailer vseth his staffe in his iourney; as long as it doth further him, so long he will carrie it with him: but when it hindereth him, then he casts it away: so must vve vse the things of this life, namely as long as they are helps to further and make vsus fitte for the kingdome of heauen, but if they be any hinderance to this spirituall regiment of Christ, wee must renounce them and cast them away, be they neuer so pretious to vsus.

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

The last point is, concerning the subiects of Christs kingdome, expressed in these words, They which are of the truth, heare my voice. In which he sets downe the true marke of his seruants and subiects, that they are hearers of that heauenly and sauing word which he reuealed from the bosome of his father. It may be alleadged the most wicked men vponupon earth, yea the deuils themselues may be hearers of the truth of Christ. Answer. There be two kind of hearers: one which heares onelyonly the outward sound of the word with his bodily eares,Matt. 13.9. and he hauing eares to heare doth not heare: the second, is he that doth not only receiue the doctrine that is taught with his eares, but also hath his heart opened to feel the power of it, & to obey the same in the course of his life. This distinction is notably set foorth by Dauid, saying, Sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldest not hauehave: Psal. 40.6.but my eares hast thou pierced: whereby hee insinuates as it were two kinds of eares: one that is deafe and cannot heare: and thus are the eares of al men by nature in hearing the doctrine of saluation: the other is a newe eare pearced and bored by the hand of God, which causeth a mans heart to heare the sound and operation of the word, and the life to expresse the truth of it. Nowe the subiects of Christs kingdome are such, as with the outward hearing of the word, hauehave an inward hearing of the soule, & grace also to obey: & therfore al those that make no cōsciēce of obediēce to the word of god preached vntounto them, are no lesse then rebels to Christ. We may perswade our selues that we are good subiects, because we heare the word and receiue the sacraments, but if our liues abound with sinne, and if our heartes be not pierced through by the sword of Gods spirit, whether we be high or low, rich or poore, let vsus be what wee will be, wee are no right subiects indeede, but rebels and traytours vntounto the euerliuing God. It may be hereafter God will giuegive further grace; but as yet all impenitent persons, though liuing in the midst of Gods Church, are not obedient & faithfull subiects: and therfore while we hauehave time, let vsus labour to performe in deede that which we doe in word professe.

Thus much of the examination and confession of Christ. Nowe followeth the third point concerning the pollicies which Pilate vsed to saue Christ: and they are three. First, when he heard that Christ vvas of Galilee, he tooke occasion to sende him to Herod,Luk. 25.7. thinking thereby to shift his hand of him, and not to shed his bloode. In vvhichwhich pollicie, though he seeme vnvvilling to put Christ to death, yet herein he is a most vniust iudge: for hauing giuen testimonie of Christ, that he is innocent, he ought to hauehave acquitted him, and not hauehave sent him to Herod for further iudgement. In Herods dealing vvith Christ, vve may obserue these points. The first, that hee is vvonderfully glad of his comming. Why so? the text saith,Luk. 23.8. because he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of him, and trusted to hauehave seene some signe done by him. Here marke hovve he reioyced, not in Christ because he vvas Christ, that is, his Messias and redeemer, but because he vvrought myracles, signes, and vvonders. And so it is among vsus at this day: it is a rare thing to finde a man that loueth Christ, because he is Christ: some louelove Christ for honour, some for vvealth, and others for praise: in that they get honour, vvealth, and praise by confessing his name. Againe, many professe Christ, onelyonly because it is the lavv and custome of their nation. But vvee must learne to be of this minde, to louelove Christ, because he is Christ, euen for himselfe, and not for any other sinister respect: and vvee must reioyce in Christ for himselfe, though wee neuer hauehave profite nor pleasure, neither honour or wealth by him. And if we louelove him for wealth or pleasure, or for any other ende but for himselfe alone, when these things are taken away, then we shall vtterly forsake Christ in like manner. The second point is, that Herod desires Christ to worke a miracle. He can be content to see the works of Christ, but he can not abide to heare his word, & to beare his yoke. Like to him are many in these daies, which gladly desire to heare the Gospell of Christ preached, onelyonly because they would heare speach of some strange things, laying aside all care and conscience to obey that which they heare. Yea many in England delite to read the strange histories of the bible; and therefore can rehearse the most part of it, (and it were to be wished that all could doe it:) yet come to the practise of it, the same persons are commonly found as bad in life and conuersation, yea rather worse then others. Let vsus therefore labour that with our knowledge we may ioyne obedience, & practise with our learning; and as well to be affected with the word of Christ, as with his works. The third point is, that Herod derides Christ, and sends him away, cloathed in a white garment.Luk. 13.32. This is that Herod whome Christ called a foxe; who also when hee heard Iohn Baptist preach, did many things, & heard him gladly. How then comes Herod to this outrage of wickednes, thus to abuse Christ? Answer. We must knowe, that although Herod at the first heard Iohn preach, yet withall hee followed his owne affections, and sought how to fulfill the lustes of his flesh. For when Iohn told him that it was not lawfull for him to hauehave his brother Philips wife, he cast him in prison, and after cut off his head for it: after which offence, he is grown to this height of impietie, that he now despiseth Christ, & cānot abide to heare him. Where we learne, that as we are willing to heare Gods word preached, so withall we must take heede that we practise no maner of sinne; but make conscience of eueryevery thing that may displease God. Thou maist, I graunt, be one that feares and fauours Iohn Baptist for a time, wallowing in thy old sinnes▪ but after a while, yeilding to the swinge of thy corrupt heart, thou wilt neuer heare Iohn, nor Christ himselfe, but hate and despise them both. This is the cause why some which hauehave beene professours of religion heretofore, and hauehave had great measure of knowledge, are now become very loose persons, and can not abide to heare the worde preached vntounto them; the reason is, because they could not abide to leaue their sinnes. Therefore that wee may begin in the spirit and not end in the flesh, let eueryevery one that calls on the name of the Lord depart from iniquitie.

Now follows the second pollicie of Pilate. For when he saw the first would not preuaile, then hee tooke a newe course: for he tooke Iesus into the common hall and scourged him, and the souldiers platted a crowne of thornes and pur it on his head, and they put on him a purple garment,Ioh. 19.1. and saide, Haile King of the Iewes, and smote him with their roddes. And thus he brought him foorth before the Iewes, perswading himselfe, that when they sawe him so abased, and so ignominiously abused, they vvould be content therevvith, and exact no greater punishment at his handes: thinking thus to hauehave pacified the rage of the Ievves, and so to hauehave deliuered Christ from death, by inflicting vponupon him some lesser punishment. This pollicie is as it vvere a looking glasse, in vvhichwhich vve may behold of vvhat nature & cōdition all plotts & pollicies of mē are, which are deuised & practised vvithout the directiō of Gods vvord. In it we may obserue 2. things: the first is, the ground thereof; vvhichwhich is a most silly, simple, or rather sensles argument. For he reasoneth thus: I finde no fault in this man, Luk. 23.14, 15, 16.therefore I will chastise him and let him goe. A man vvould hardly hauehave thought, that one hauing but his common sense, vvould not hauehave made such a reason, much lesse a great iudge sitting in the roome of God. But in him vve may behold & see the ground of all humane pollicie vvhichwhich is beside the vvord of God, namely the foolish and blind reason of men. The 2. thing to be considered is, the proceeding and issue of this pollicie. Pilat must either vvhip Christ beeing innocent; or put him to death: vvhichwhich are both sinnes and great offences. Novve hee maketh choice of the lesser, vvhichwhich is to whippe him, and is perswaded that he ought to doe so: whereas of two sinnes or euils, a man ought to doe neither. And in doing this, Pilate begins to make a breach in his conscience; and that is the fruit that all politicks reape of their deuises, which proceede by the light of their owne reason, without the word of God. By this example, we are admonished of two things: first, that before we enterprize any businesse, wee must rectifie our iudgements by Gods worde. Dauid was a most wise King, and no doubt, had withall a graue and wise councell, but yet he preferred the word of God before all, saying, Thy testimonies are my counsellers. Psal. 119.24.Secondly, in our proceedings we must keepe an vpright, pure, and vnblameable conscience, as Paul exhorteth Timothie to hauehave the mysterie of faith in a pure conscience; giuing vsus thereby to vnderstand,…. Tim. 3.9. that a good conscience is as it were a chest or cupboard, in which we are to keepe and locke vp our religion, and all other graces of God, as the most pretious iewels that can be: and that if we suffer this chest to be broken vp, all our riches and iewels are gone.

But let vsus yet view the dealing of Pilate more particularly: he whippes Christ, puts on him a purple garment, puts a reede in his hand, sets a crowne of thornes vponupon his head, and causes the souldiers to mocke him, and spit in his face. Now in this that Christ standing in our roome, was thus shamefully abused, we must consider what was due vntounto eueryevery one of vsus for our sinnes, namely shame and reproch in this life, and in the life to come endles confusion. And we see the confession of Christ to be true which he made to Pilate, that his kingdome was not of this world; for if it had beene so, they would hauehave put a crowne of gold vponupon his head, and not a crowne of thornes, nothing at all beseeming an earthly king: and in stead of a reede they would hauehave put a scepter into his hand: and in stead of buffetting and spitting on him, they would hauehave adored him, & falne downe before him. Againe, whereas Christ our heade in this world, ware no other crowne but one made of thornes, it serueth to teach all those that are the members of Christ, that they must not look for a crown of glory in this life; because that is reserued for the life to come. And if we would then weare the crown of glorie with Christ▪ we must here in this life weare a crown of thorns, as he did: for as Paul saith, If we suffer with Christ, we shall also raigne with him:1. Tim. 2.12. and that which was fully verified in Christ the head, must in some part be verified in eueryevery true member of Christ.

Pilats third pollicie was this: when he saw that neither of the two former would preuaile, he comes forth vntounto the Iewes, and makes an oration to this effect; that now vvas the feast of the Passeouer, and that they had a custome that the Gouernour should then deliuer vntounto the people a prisoner whome they would: therefore he asked them whether he should let loose to them Barrabas, or Iesus which is called Christ: this Barrabas was a notable malefactour, that with insurrection had committed murther. And thus Pilate cunningly matcheth Christ vvith Barrabas, thinking that the Iewes would rather chuse him then Barrabas, beeing a notorious malefactour, not worthie to liue on the face of the earth: and by this meanes he thought to hauehave deliuered Christ frō death, though otherwise he accounted him also as a malefactour. The ground of this pollicie (as we see) is an old custome of the Iewes, that a prisoner should be let loose at Easter. And it may be the ende of this custome was, to increase the solemnitie of the feast. But whatsoeuer in truth the end was, the fact it selfe was but a prophanation of the time, and an abomination before the Lord: for Salomon saith, He that iustifieth the wicked, Prov. 17.15.and condemneth the iust, euen they both are abhomination before the Lord. The like practise takes place with many in these daies, who thinke the Lo…ds day neuer well spent, vnlesse they may adde solemnitie thereunto, by reuel and riot, by frequenting of taverns and alehouses. And furthermore, where Pilate matcheth Christ beeing innocent with Barrabas, and the people preferre him before Christ, hauing libertie to chuse eyther; it shewes that God in his prouidence had appointed that Christ should not stand in his owne roome before Pilate, but in our roome and stead, as a Mediatour betweene God and us. And in this fact of the people we see how sinne by degrees takes hold of men & that speedily. Who would hauehave thought that these Iewes, which a little before cryed Hosanna, and spread their garmentes before Christ in the way, woulde euer hauehave preferred a murtherer before him? But it was the doing of the high priests, the Scribes, & Phases, who did animate and stirre them up to this wickednes: and hereupon when they had yeelded, first to attach him, and then to accuse him, they are caried to an higher degree of impietie, namely to seeke his blood: and least he should escape their handes, they plunge themselues deeper yet preferring a wretched murtherer, euen seditious Barabbas before him. This must teach eueryevery one of vsus to take heede of the beginnings euen of the least sinnes; for the deuill is cunning, he will not plunge a man into the greatest sinnes at the first: but his manner is, by little and little to creepe into the heart: and hauing once possession thereof, by steppes to bring men to the height of sinne, and that with speed. We must therefore in the feare of God preuent sinne betimes, and at the first motion cut off all occasions hereof: that which Paul saith of heresie, comparing it to a canker or gangreene,2. Tim. 2.17. may be saide of all sinne. The nature of the gangren is to runne from one ioynt to another, from rhe toe to the foote, from the foote to the legge, from the legge to the thigh, till it hauehave wasted and destroyed the life of rhe bodie. So giuegive any sinne but an entrance, and it will soone ouerspread the whole man: and if the deuill may be suffered but to put one talent into thy heart, he will presently wind himselfe into thee, his head, his bodie and all. The Psalmist saith that he is blessed that taketh the children of the Babylonians and dasheth them against the stones,Psal. 137.9. and as truly may it be saide, blessed is the man that dasheth the head of his sinnes against the ground while they are yong, before they get strength to ouer master him.

Mat. 27.23, 24. Luk. 23.14, 22. Mar. 15.14.Thus hauehave wee seene the pollicies of Pilate: Now followeth the absolution of Christ: for when Pilate had used many meanes to deliuer him, & none would prevaile, then hee absolues him, by giuing diuers testimonies of his innocencie: for he came foorth three times, and bare witnesse thereof:Ioh. 18.38. & 19.4. and last of all hee testified the same by washing of his hands, which rite signifieth properly the defiling of the handes before, but as yet Pilate had not defiled his handes, and therefore he used it as a token, to shewe, that Christ vvas innocent, and that hee would not defile his owne hands with innocent blood. There vvere three causes that mooued Pilate to absolue Christ.Mat. 27.24. First hee sawe that hee vvas a iust man, as Saint Matthew noteth, and that the high priests and people had deliuered him vp of envie, as S. Marke saith. By this it is plaine,Mar. 15.10. that a very Pagan or infidell may in some things goe beyond such as be in Gods Church, hauing better conscience, and dealing more iustly then they. Pontius Pilate was a heathen man and a Gentile, the Iewes vvere the Church and people of the liuing God: yet he sees plainely that Christ was a iust man, and thereupon absolues him: whereas the Iewes which should be men of conscience and religion, seeke his death. And thus a verie Pagan may otherwhiles see more into a matter thē those that be reputed of the church. And this must admonish all such as professe the gospell to looke unto their proceedings, that they doe all things with upright conscience: for if wee deale uniustly in our proceedings, wee may hauehave neighbours, men of no religion, that will looke through us, and see the grosse hypocrisie of our profession, that would be loth to doe those things which wee doe. The second cause that mooued Pilate to absolue Christ, was his wiues dreame: for when he was set dovvne upon the iudgement seate, shee sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to doe vvith that iust man: Mat. 27.16.for I have suffered many things in a dreame by reason of him. Dreames are of three sortes: naturall, rising from the constitution of the bodie: diabolicall, such as come by the suggestion of the deuill: divine, which are from God. Some hauehave thought that this dreame was of the deuill▪ as though hee had laboured thereby to hinder the death of Christ, and consequently our saluation: but I rather thinke that it vvas occasioned by the thinges vvhichwhich shee had heard before of Christ, or that it was immediatly from God, as the dreames of Pharao & Nabuchodonoser, and serued for a further manifestation of Christs innocencie. Here it may be asked, whether we may regard our dreams now, as Pilates wife did or no? Answer, Wee hauehave the bookes of the olde and new Testament to be our direction,Isai. 8.20. as Esai saith: to the law, and to the testimonie, they must be our rule and guide. In these daies we must not looke to be taught by visions and dreames: yet shall it not be amisse to obserue this caveat concerning dreames, that by them we may gesse at the constitution of our bodies, and often times at the sinnes whereunto we are inclined. The last motiue which caused Pilate to absolue Christ was a speech of the Iewes: for they said, that Christ ought to die by their law, because he saide he was the sonne of God. And the text saith,Ioh. 19.7, 8. when Pilate hearde that, hee was afraide. Marke how a poore Painym that knew not Gods word, at the hearing of the name of the sonne of God is striken with feare. No doubt he shall rise in iudgement against many among us that without all feare rend the name of God in peeces by swearing, blaspheming, cursed speaking. But let all those that feare the Lorde learne to tremble and be afraide at his blessed name.

Thus much for the causes that moued Pilate to absolue Christ: as also for the second part of Christs arraignement, namely, his accusation. Now followes the third part, which is his condemnation: and that is twofolde. The first by the Ecclesiasticall assembly and councell of the Iewes at Ierusalem, in the high priests hall before Caiphas. The tenour of his condemnation was this.Mat. 26.66. He hath blasphemed, vvhat have we any more neede of witnesses, he is worthy to die? The cause why they say not he shall die, but, he is worthy to die, is this. The Iewes had two iurisdictions, the one Ecclesiasticall,Deut. 17.7, 8, 9. the other civill, both prescribed and distinctly executed by the commaundement of God, till the time of the Machabees, in which both ioyntly togither came into the hāds of the priests: but afterward about the daies of Herod the great, the Romane Emperour tooke away both iurisdictions from the Iewes and made their kingdome a province, so as they could doe no more but apprehend, accuse, and imprison: as doth appeare by the example of Saul, who gate letters from the high priest to Damascus,Act. 9.2. that if hee found any either man or woman that beleeued in Christ, hee might bring them bound to Ierusalem, and imprison them: but kill or condemne they could not.

By the fact of this counsell we learne sundry points: first, that generall counsels and the Pope himselfe sitting iudicially in his consistorie may erre. If there were any visible Church of God at that day upon the face of the whol world, it was no doubt the Church of the Iewes. For Caiphas the high priest was a figure of Christ, the Scribes and Pharises sate in Moses chaire, and Ierusalem is called by Christ the holy citie, Mat. 4.5. & 27.53. Yet for all this that which was foretold is now verified, namely, that the chiefe corner stone should be reiected of master builders. For by the generall consent of the councell at Ierusalem, Christ the head of the Catholike Church and the redeemer of mankind is accused of blasphemy, and condemned as worthy of death. Wherefore it is a meere dotage of mans braine to avouch that the Pope cannot possibly erre in giuing a definitive sentence in matters either of faith or manners. Neither can the Church of Rome pleade priviledge, for Ierusalem had as many prerogatiues as any people in the worlde coulde hauehave.Rom. 9.3.

Againe, by this wee see there is no reason why wee should ascribe to any man or to oecumenicall counsels themselves absolute and soveraigne power to determine & giuegive iudgement in matters of religion, considering they are in danger to be ouertaken with notable slippes and errours. And therefore the soueraigntie of iudgement is peculiar to the sonne of God who is the only doctour and law-giuer of the Church:Mat. 23.10. and he puts the same in execution in and by the written word. As for the speech of the Papistes calling the scriptures a dumb Iudge, it is little to be regarded: For they are, as it were, the letter of the living sent from heauen to his Church upon earth: and therefore the scriptures speake as plainly and as sufficiently unto vsus of all matters of faith, as a man can speake unto his friend by letter, so be it, we hauehave the gift of discerning. Yet doe we… not barre the Church of God from all iudgement. For the ministeriall power of giuing iudgement both publiquely and priuately is graunted … of God: and that is to determine and giuegive sentence of matters in question according to the worde as the lawyer giues iudgement, not according as he wil, but according to the tenour of the law.

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

And thus much for Christs first condemnation. The second was by Pontius Pilate, who sate in an other court as a civill iudge, and the t…no… of his sentence was, that the Iewes should take him and crucifie him.Luk. 23.24. Here we must consider the reasons that mooved Pilate to determine thus: the first was, the impatience of the Iewes: he for his parte was loth to defile his hands with innocent blood, but the Iewes cryed, Mat. 27.25.his blood be upon us, and on our children: which according to their wish came upon them within fewe yeres after, and so remaineth still unto this day. By which we are taught to take heede of imprecations against our selues, our children, or seruants, or any other creatures: for God heareth mens prayers two waies: either in his mercy, or in his wrath and anger. If thou curse thy selfe, or any other, except thou turne unto the Lorde by speedie repentance, hee may heare thy prayer in his wrath, and verifie thy curse upon thee to thy utter confusion. The second reason that mooued Pilate to condemne Christ was, because he feared men more then God: for being deputie vnderunder Tyberius Caesar ouer the province of Iudea,Ioh. 19.12, 13. for feare of loosing his office, and of displeasing the Iewes, hee condemned Christ after he had absolued him: whereby wee see, that it is a grieuous sinne to feare dust and ashes more then the living God. And therefore S. Iohn saith, that the fearefull shall have their portion in the burning lake: that is,Revel. 21.8. such as are more afraid of man then of God. And this sinne in Pilate wanted not his iust towarde for not long after hee lost his deputy-ship, and Cesars favour,Euseb. hist. l. 2. c. 7. and fledde to Vienna; where liuing in banishment, hee killed himselfe. And thus God meetes with them that feare the creature more then the Creatour. That we may therefore avoid the heauie hand of God, let us learne to feare God aboue all: els we shall dishonour God, and shame the religion which we professe.

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

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

Christes execution is that part of his passion, which hee bare upon the crosse, expressed in the words of the Creede, he was crucified, and died. In handling of it we must obserue fiue things. I. the person that suffered. II. the place where he suffered. III. the time when he suffered. IIII. the manner how he suffered. V. the excellencie of his passion. For the first, the person that suffered was Christ the iust, as Peter saieth, Christ also hath once suffered for sinnes, the iust for the vniust: and againe, Christ Iesus the iust (saith S. Iohn) is the reconciliation for our sinnes. 1. Pet. 3.18. 1. Ioh. 2.1.And in his execution, wee shall hauehave manifest declarations of his righteousnesse and iustice, consisting in two most worthie points. First, when he was upon the crosse, and the souldiers were nailing his handes and feete thereunto, and racking his bodie most cruelly, he prayed, Father forgive them they know not what they doe. Luk. 23.34.These souldiers were by all likelihood the verie same that apprehended him, and brought him before Caiphas, and from thence to Pontius Pilate, and there platted a crowne of thornes and set it on his heade, and buffetted him, and spitefully intreated him as we hauehave heard: and yet Christ speaks no word of reuenge unto them, but with all patience in the extremitie of their malice and iniurie, he prayeth his father to forgive them. Hence we are taught that when iniuries are done unto us, we ought to abstaine from all affection of reuenge, and not so much as manifest the same either in word or deede. It is indeed a hard lesson to learne and practise: but we must indeauour to doe it: & not onelyonly so, but to be readie for evill to doe good: yea, even at that instant when other men are doing us wrong: euen then (I say) we must be readie, if it be possible to doe them good. When as Christes enemies were doing unto him al the trecherie they would, euen then he performeth the worke of a Mediatour, and prayeth for them unto his father, and seeketh their saluation. Againe, whereas Christ prayeth thus, Father forgive them, we gather, that the most principall thing of all that man ought to seeke after in this life, is the forgiuenesse of sinnes. Some thinke that happinesse consisteth in honour, some in wealth, some in pleasure, some in this, some in that: but indeed the thing which we should most labour for, is reconciliation with God in Christ, that we may hauehave the free remission of all our sinnes. Yea this is blessednesse it selfe as David saith, Blessed is hee whose iniquitie is forgiven, and whose sinne is covered. Psal. 32.1.Here then behold the madnesse of most men in this world, that either seeke for this blessing in the last place or not at all.

The seconde testimony of Christs righteousnesse given in the middest of his passion was, that he behelde his mother standing by,Iohn. 19. and commended her to the custodie of Iohn his disciple: whereby he gaue an example of most holy obedience unto the fift commaundement, which prescribeth honour to father and mother. And this his fact sheweth, that the obseruing of this commandement standeth not in outwarde shewe and reuerence onelyonly; but in a godly recompence, in procuring unto parents all the good we can, both concerning this and a better life. It often falls out that children be as it were Cains to father and mother: some raile on them, some fight with them; others see them pine away and sterue, and not relieue them. But all dutifull children must here learne, that as their parents hauehave done many duties unto them; & hauehave brought them up: so they againe must in al reuerence performe obedience vntounto them both in worde and deede: and when occasion is offered relieve them, yea in all that they can, do good unto them. Againe in this wee may see what a wretched state is that which the Church of Rome calleth the state of perfection; namely to liue a part from the companie of men, in fasting and praying all the daies of a mans life: for hereby the bond of nature is broken, and a man can not doe the duty vntounto his parents which Gods law requireth, and Christ here himselfe practiseth, nor the duties of a mēber of Christ which are to be done to the whole Church, and to the rest of the members thereof.

The place where Christ suffered is called Calvary or Golgotha, that is, the place of dead mēs skulls, without the walls of Ierusalem. Concerning the reason of this name, men be of divers opinions. Some say it was so called, because Adam was buried there, & that his skull beeing there found, gaue the name to the place.Iewish Rabbines. Cypr. lib. de resurrect. Aug. Serm. 71. de temp. Hieron. epist. Paulae ad Marcellam. And this is the very opinion of some ancient divines, that Christ was there crucified where Adā was buried: but because it hath no certen ground, I leaue it as uncerten. Others thinke it was called Calvary, because the Iewes were wont to cary out the bones of dead men, & there to heape them togither, as in times past the manner was in the vauts of sundry Churches in this land. And some others thinke it was called Golgotha or Calvary, because theeues and murtherers, and malefactours were there executed, stoned, burned: whereby it came to passe that many skulles and bones of dead men were found there.

The time vvhen Christ was executed, was at the Iewes passeover, when not onelyonly the Iewes, but also many Proselytes of many countries and nations were assembled: and therefore this execution was not in a private corner, but openly in the viewe of the worlde. For as he was a Sauiour not to the Iewes onelyonly but also to the Gentiles: so it was verie requisite that his death shoulde be publicke before all men both Iewes and Gentiles. As for the houre of the day in which he suffered, there is some difficultie in the Euangelists: for S. Iohn saith, that hee was condemned about the sixt houre of the day: and S. Marke saieth,Ioh. 19.14. Mar. 15.23. he was crucified the third houre. Hence it may be demaunded, how both these can stand togither. Answer. Howsoeuer the Iewes naturall day began at evening, yet the artificiall day began at sunne-rising and ended at sunne-setting: and it was divided two waies. First, into twelue partes called twelue houres, whether the daies were longer or shorter. Secondly into foure partes or quarters, and eueryevery part contained three houres: as from the first houre to the third was one part called morning; from the third houre to the sixt, an other part called the sixt houre; from the sixt houre to the ninth, the third part called the ninth houre; and from the ninth houre to the twelfth, the fourth part called euening. Nowe when S. Iohn saieth, Christ was condemned about the sixt houre, it must be understood of the second quarter of the day, called the sixt houre: and whereas S. Marke saith he was crucified the thirde houre of the day, he speakes of the lesser houres, twelue whereof made the vvhole day: and thus they both agree, for the third houre of the day and the beginning of the 2. quarter followe ech other immediatly. Againe it may be answered, that Christ was condēned at six of the clock after the Roman account,A. Gell. noct. alt. lib. 3. c. 2. which begins the day at midnight; & crucified at 3. (which is 9. of the clock in the morning with us) aftet the Iewes accoūt who begin their artificiall day, as I said, at the sunne-rising.

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

The first that he is brought out of Hierusalem as a malefactour. For the olde and ancient custome of the Ievves was to put those whome they iudged to be notorious offenders to death without …heir tentes when they wandred in the wildernesse,Iosu. 7.24. Levi. 24.12. Acts. 7.58. and without the walles of Hierusalem, lest they should any way be defiled with their blood. And this fell out by the speciall providence of God, that that might be fulfilled in Christ which was prefigured in the sacrifices of the old testament, when the bodies of beasts were not eaten of the priests,Lev. 6.36. but burnt without the campe: therfore (saith the H. ghost) even Iesus that he might sanctifie the people with his owne blood,Heb. 13.12. suffered without the gates.

Hence may all Christians learne to know their owne estate and condition: first, in this world they must looke to be accounted the offscouring of the earth, and the filth of the worlde, 1. Cor. 4.13.as the Apostle saith, and vvee must all prepare our selues to beare this estate. They that vvill be Gods children must not looke to be better accepted of in the vvorld then Christ vvas. Secondly by this every one of us must learne to be content to use this vvorld, as straungers & pilgrimes; being every day and houre readie to leave the same: for if Christ the sonne of God himselfe vvas brought out of Ierusalem, as not beeing vvorthy to hauehave his abode there, then must eueryevery Christian man looke much more for the like extremitie. And therefore it is not good for us to hauehave our hearts tyed to the vvorlde, & to seeke alvvaies to be approoued of the same, for that argueth that vve are not like to Christ, but vve must rather do as poore pilgrimes in strange cuntries, & that is only to look for safe conduct through the miseries in this vvorlde, hauing in the meane season our hearts, vvills, & affections set on the kingdome vvhichwhich is in heauen. The second thing is, that Christ vvas made to beare his ovvne crosse: for so it seemes the maner of the Romanes was to deale vvith malefactours. And this must put vsus in mind of that notable lesson vvhichwhich Chtist himselfe taught his disciples: namely, that if any man vvill be his disciple, he must denie himselfe, take up his ovvne crosse daily and follow him: where, by the crosse we must vnderstand, that portion of affliction,Luk. 9.23. which God hath alotted to eueryevery one of his children: for there is no child of God to whome hee hath not measured out as it were some bitter cup of misery in this life. And therfore Paul saith, Now reioyce I in my suffering for you, Colos. 1.24.& fulfill the rest of the sufferings of Christ in my flesh. By Christes sufferings he meaneth not the passion of Christ, but the sufferings of the bodie of Christ, that is, the Church whereof Christ is the head. Moreouer wee must suffer as he did, & that daily: because as one day followeth another, so one crosse comes in the necke of another. And whereas Christ beares the crosse that was laide on him by the hands of the soldiers, it must teach us not to pull crosses upon ou… selues, but waite till God lay them on vsus, and then we must willingly bend our shoulders, stoope downe, and take them up; whether they be in body or in soule, and that every day if it be Gods will so long as we live: and by this shall we most notably resemble our Saviour Christ.

Thirdly, when Christ had carried his crosse so long till he coulde carrie it no longer, by reason of the faintnesse of his bodie, which came by buffets, whippings, and manifold other iniuries, then the souldiers meeting with one Simon of Cyrene a stranger, made him to beare the crosse:Luk. 23.26. where we are put in mind, that if we faint in the way and be wearied with the burthen of our afflictions, God will give good issue, and send as it were some Simon of Cyrene to help us, and to be our comforter.Mat. 11.28.

The fourth points is, that when Christ was carrying his owne crosse, and was now passing on tovvards Golgotha, certaine women mette him, and pitying his case wept for him: but Christ answered them and said, Daughters of Ierusalem, weep not for me, but for your selves, & your childrē, &c. Luk. 23.27.By this wee are first of all taught to pitie the state of those that be in affliction and miserie, especially those that be the children of God: as the Apostle exhorteth vsus, saying, Remember them that are in bonds, Hebr. 13.3.as though you vvere bound with them: and them that are in affliction, as though you were afflicted with them. In this land by Gods especiall blessing wee hauehave enioyed the gospell of Christ with peace a long time, whereas other cuntries & Churches are in great distresse: some wallow in palpable ignorance & superstition: others hauehave libertie to enioy the gospell and want teachers: and some hauehave both the word & teachers and yet want peace, and are in continuall persecution. Now when we that hauehave the Gospell with peace do heare of these miseries in our neighbour Churches, we ought to be mooued with compassion towardes them, as though we our selues were in the same afflictions. Secondly, whereas Christ saith, Weepe not for me, but for your selves, he doth teach vsus to take occasion by other mens miseries to bewaile our owne estate: to turne our worldly griefes into godly sorow for our sinnes: whereby wee doe rather weepe for our offences, then for our friends, although euen that may also be done in a godly manner. When a man by bleeding at the nose is brought into daunger of his life, the Phisition lets him blood in an other place, as in the arme, and turnes the course of the blood an other way to saue his life: and so must we turne our worldly sorows, for losse of goods or friends, to a godly sorrow for our offences against God: for as S. Paul saith, Godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvatiō, 2. Cor. 7.10.not to be repented of: but worldly sorow causeth death.

The fift point is, that when Christ was brought to the place of execution, they gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with mirrhe and gall:Mar. 15.23. some say it was to intoxicate his braine, and to take away his senses and memorie: which if it were true, we may here behold in these Iewes a most wicked part, that at the point of death when they were to take away his life, they had no care of his soule. For this is a dutie to be observed of all magistrates, that whē they are to execute malefactours, they must hauehave an especiall care of the salvation of their soules. But some thinke rather that it was to shorten and end his torments quickely. Some of vsus may peradventure thinke hardly of the Iewes, for giving this bitter potiō to Christ at the time of his death: but the same thing doth every sinner that repēteth not. For whensoever we sin, we do as much as tēper a cup of gal, or the poisō of aspes, & as it vvere giuegive it to god to drink: for so God him selfe cōpareth the sin of the vvicked Iewes to poison, saying, Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, & of the vines of Gomorra, their grapes are grapes of gal, their clusters be bitter, Deu. 32.22, 23.their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruell gall of aspes. And for this cause wee ought to thinke as hardly of our selues as of the Iewes, because so oft as we cōmit any offence against God we do as much as mingle ranke poison, & bring it to Christ to drinke. Now whē this cup was given him he tasted of it, but drank not, because hee was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the crosse, without any shortening or lessening of his paine.

Thus vve see in vvhat maner Christ vvas brought forth to the place of execution: Now followeth his crucifying. Christ in the providence of god was to be crucified for two causes: one, that the figures of the olde testament might be accomplished and verified. For the heave offering lifted up and shaked from the right hand to the left, and the brasen serpent erected vponupon a pole in the wildernes, prefigured the exalting of Christ upon the crosse. The seconde, that wee might in conscience be resolved,Gal. 3.13 that Christ became under the lawe & suffered the curse therof for us, & bare in his ovvne bodie and soule the extremitie of the vvrath of God for our offences. And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God, as stoning and such like; yet vvas the death of the crosse in speciall maner aboue the rest accursed, not by the nature of the punishment, not by the opinions of men, not by the civill lavves of cuntries and kingdoms,Deu. 21.23. but by the vertue of a particular commandement of God, foreseeing what manner of death Christ our redeemer should die. And hereupon among the Ievves in all ages this kind of punishment hath bene branded with speciall ignominie, as Paul signifieth vvhen hee saieth, Hee abased him selfe to the death, Philip. 2.8.even to the death of the crosse: & it hath beene allotted as a most grievous punishment to most notorious malefactours.Num. 25 4. 2. Sam. 2….6. If it be said that the repentant theefe upon the crosse died the same death vvith Christ and yet vvas not accursed, the answere is, that in regard of his offences he deserued the curse and was actually accursed, and the signe of this was the death which he suffered, and that in his owne confession: but because hee repented, his sinnes were pardoned, and the curse removed. It may further be said, that crucifying was not knowen in Moses daies, and therefore not accursed by any speciall commandement of God in Deuteronomy. Ans. Moses indeed speakes nothing in particular of crucifying▪ yet neverthelesse he doth include the same under the generall. For if eueryevery one which hangs upon a tree be accursed, then hee also which is crucified; for crucifying is a particular kinde of hanging on the tree. Lastly it may be alleadged, that Christ in his death coulde not be accursed by the lawe of Moses, because he was no malefactour. Ans. Though in regard of himselfe he was no sinner, yet as he was our suretie he became sinne for vsus, and consequently the curse of the law for vsus, in that the curse every way due unto us by imputation and application was made his.

Furthermore Christ was crucified not after the maner of the Iewes, who used to hang malefactors upon a tree binding them thereto with cords, & that whē they were dead; but after the usuall maner of the Romans: his bodie being partly nailed to the crosse,Psal. 22.17. & partly in the nailing extremely racked; otherwise I see not but that a man might remaine many daies togither alive upō the crosse. And here we hauehave occasion to remēber that the Papists who are so deuout & zelous towards crucifixes are far deceived in the making of thē.Iren. lib. 2. cap. 42. Aug. lib. 50. Hom. 3. For first of all the crosse was made of 3. pieces of wood, one fastned upright in the ground to which the bodie and back leaned, the second fastened towardes the toppe of the first, overthwart to which the hands were nailed: the thirde fastned towards the bottome of the first, on which the feete vvere set and nailed: vvhereas contrarivvise popish caruers & painters fasten both the feet of Christ to the first: secōdly the feete of Christ vvere nailed asunder vvith tvvo distinct nailes,Author libri de passione inter opera Cypriani. & not nailed one upon another with one naile alone as Papists imagine, and that to the verie body of the crosse, for then the soldiers could not hauehave broken both the leggs of the thieves, but only the outmost.

Let vsus now come to the vse which may be made of the crucifying of Christ. First of all here we learne with bitternes to bewaile our sinnes: for Christ was thus cruelly nayled on the crosse, and there suffered the whole wrath of God, not for any offence that euer he committed, but beeing our pledge and suretie vntounto God, he suffered all for vsus: and therefore iust cause hauehave we to mourne for all our offences, which brought our Sauiour Christ to this low estate. If a man should be so farre in debt that he could not be freed, vnlesse the suretie should be cast into prison for his sake; nay, which is more, be cruelly put to death for his debt, it would make him at his wits ende, and his very heart to bleede. And so is the case with vsus by reason of our sins; we are Gods debters, ye bankrupts before him, yet hauehave we gotten a good suretie, euen the sonne of God himselfe,Math. ….12. who to recouer vsus to our former libertie was crucifyed for the discharge of our debt. And therefore good cause hauehave we to bewaile our estate eueryevery day, as by the Prophet it is said, They shall looke on him whome they hauehave pierced, they shall lament for him as one mourneth for his owne sonne: Zach. 12.10.they shall be sorrie for him as one is sorrie for his first borne. Looke as the blood followed the nailes that were striken through the blessed hands and feete of Christ, so should the meditation of the crosse and passion of our Redeemer be as it were nayles and speares to pierce vsus, that our hearts might bleed for our sinnes: and we are not to thinke more hardly of the Iewes for crucifying him then of our selues, because our sinnes they also crucifyed him. These are the very nayles which pierce his hands and feete, and these are the speares which pierce through his side. For the losse of a litle worldly pelfe, oh how are we grieued! but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the sonne of God was crucifyed, let vsus (I say it againe and againe) learne to be grieued for them aboue al things, & with bleeding and melting hearts bowe and buckle vnderunder them, as vnderunder the crosse.

Secondly, Christ saith of himselfe, as Moses lift vp the serpent in the wildernes, so must the sonne of man be lifted vp: Ioh. 3.14.the comparison is excellent, and worthie the marking. In the wildernes of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God, and thereupon he sent fierie serpents among them, which stong many of them to death: now when they repented, Moses was commanded to make a brasen serpent, and to set it vponupon a pole, that as many as were stong might looke vntounto it and recouer: and if they could but cast a glaunce of the eye on the brasen serpent, when they were stong euē to death, they were restored to health & life. Now eueryevery man that liueth is in the same case with the Israelits; Satan hath stong vsus at the heart, & giuen vsus many a deadly wound, if we could feele it, and Christ who was figured by the brasen serpent was likewise exalted on the crosse, to cō ferre righteousnes & life eternal to eueryevery one of vsus: therfore if we will escape eternal death, we must renoūce our selues, & lift vp the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified, & pray for the pardon of our sinnes: & then shall our hearts & consciences be healed of the wounds & gripes of the deuil: & vntill such time as we hauehave grace to do this, we shall neuer be cured, but stil lie wounded with the stings of satan, & bleeding to death euen at the very heart, although we feele no paine or griefe at all. But some may aske how any man can see him crucifyed now after his death? Answer. Wheresoeuer the word of God is preached, there Christ is crucifyed, as Paul saith, Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, Gal. 3.1.to whome before Iesus Christ was described in your sight, and among you crucifyed? meaning that he was liuely preached among them. We neede not to goe to wooden crosses, or to golden crucifixes to seek for him; but where the Gospell is preached, thither must wee go, & there lift vp our eyes of faith to Christ, as he is reuealed vntounto vsus in the word; resting on him and his merits with all our hearts, and with a godly sorow confesse and bewaile our sinnes, crauing at his hands merciemercy and pardon for the same. For till such time as we doe this, we are grieuously stong by Satan, and are eueryevery moment euen at deaths dore. And if we can thus behold Christ by faith, the benefites which comes hereby shall be great: for as Paul saith, the old man, that is, the corruption of our nature, and the bodie of sinne that raigneth in vsus, shall be crucified with him: for when Christ was nayled on the crosse, all our sinnes were laide vponupon him; therefore if thou doest vnfainedly beleeue, all thy sinnes are crucified with him, and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died vponupon the crosse.

Thirdly, we must learne to imitate Christ: as he suffered himselfe to be nailed to the crosse for our sinnes, so answearably must eueryevery one of vsus learne to crucifie our flesh, and the corruption of our nature, and the wickednesse of our owne heart, as Paul saith, They that are Christs, hauehave crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof. Gal. 3.24.And this we shall doe, if for our sinnes past we doe waile and mourne with bitternes, and preuent the sinnes to come into whi…h we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures, by vsing all good meanes, as praier and fasting, and the word of God preached, and by flying all occasions of offence. We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selues, but to kill and crucifie sinne that liueth in vsus, and to mortifie the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit. Christianitie stands not in this, to heare the word of God, & outwardly to professe the same, & in the meane season stil to liue in our sinnes, & to pamper our owne rebellious flesh; but it teacheth vsus alwaies to hauehave in readinesse some speare or other to wound sinne, & the sword of the spirit to cut down corruption in vsus, that thereby we may shew our selues to be liuely followers of Christ indeede.

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

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

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

In the crucifying of Christ, two things specially must be considered. The manner of the doing of it, and his continuance aliue vponupon the crosse. Touching the manner, the spirite of God hath noted two things. The first, that Christ was crucifyed betweene two theeues, the one vponupon his left hand, the other vponupon his right; in which action is verified the saying of the Prophet Esay, He was numbred among the wicked:Esa. 53.6. and the Iewes for their parts doe hereby testifie that they esteemed him to be not some common wicked man, but euen the captaine and ringleader of all theeues & malefactours whatsoeuer. Nowe whereas Christ standing vponupon the crosse in our roome and stead, is reputed the head and prince of all sinners, it serueth to teach eueryevery one of vsus that beleeue in him, to iudge our selues most vile and miserable sinners,2. Tim. 1.1…. and to say of our selues with Paul, that we are the chiefe of all sinners. The second thing is, that Christ was crucified naked: because he was stripped of his garments by the souldiers when he was to be crucified. The causes why he suffered naked, are these. First Adam by his fall brought vponupon all mankinde death both of bodie and soule, and also the curses of God which befall man in this life: among which this was one, that the nakednes of the bodie should be ignominious; and hereupon when Adam had sinned, & saw himselfe naked, he fled frō the presence of God, & hid himselfe euē for very shame.Gen. 3.7, 8. Christ therfore was stripped of his garments, and suffered naked, that he might beare all the punishment and ignominie that was due vntounto man for sinne. Secondly, this came to passe by the goodnes of God, that we might hauehave a remedie for our spirituall nakednes, which is, when a man hath his sinnes lying open before Gods eyes; and by reason thereof hee himselfe lieth open to all Gods iudgements. Hereof the Angel speaketh to the Church of Laodicea, saying, Thou saiest J am rich, and encreased with goods, Rev. 3.17.and hauehave neede of nothing, and knowest not how thou art wretched, miserable, blinde, and naked. So when the Israelites had committed idolatrie by the golden calfe, Moses telleth them that they were naked, Exod. 32.25.not onelyonly because they had spoiled themselues of their earings, but especially because they were destitute of Gods fauour, and lay open and naked vntounto all his iudgements for that sinne. And Salomon saith, Where there is no vision, there the people are made naked, that is,Prov. 29.18. their sinnes lie open before God; and by reason thereof they themselues are subiect to his wrath and indignation. Now Christ was crucified naked, that he might take away from vsus this spirituall nakednesse; and also giuegive vntounto vsus meete garments to cloath vsus withall in the presence of God, called white rayment, Rev. 3.18.as Christ saith, I counsell thee to buie of me white rayment, that thou maist be cloathed, and that thy filthie nakednes doe not appeare: and, Long white robes dipped in the blood of the lambe, which serue to hide the nakednes of our soules.Rev. 7.14. VVhat these garments are, the Apostle sheweth when he saith, All that are baptized into Christ, hauehave put on Christ. And,Gal. 3.27. Eph. 4.24. Put on the new man which after God is created in righteoosnes and true holines. Our nakednes maketh vsus more vile in the sight of God, then the most loathsome creature that is can be vntounto vsus, vntill we hauehave put on the righteousnes of Christ to couer the deformitie of our soules, that we may appeare holy, and without spot before God. Thirdly, Paul saith, We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed, we hauehave a building giuen of God, 2. Cor. 5.1, 2, 3.&c. For therefore we sigh, desiring to be cloathed with our house which is from heauen, because if we be cloathed we shall not be found naked. Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakednes of Adam after his fall; and therefore giueth vsus another reason why Christ was crucified naked, namely that after this life he might cloath all his members with eternall glorie.

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

The abode of Christ vponupon the crosse, was about the space of sixe houres.August. ser. 119. de tempore. For the death of the crosse was no suddaine but a aProducta mors. Mar. 15.25.lingring death. And in this space of time there fell out five notable euents. The first, that the souldiers hauing stripped Christ of his garments, deuided them into foure parts, and cast lotts for his coat, because it was woven without seame. And by this appeares the great louelove of Christ to man, who was not onelyonly content to suffer, but also to loose all that euer he had, euen to the garments on his backe to redeeme vsus; teaching vsus answeerably that if it please God to call vsus to any triall hereafter, we must be content to part with all for his sake, that we may winne him. Againe, in these souldiers we may behold a picture of this world: when they had nayled Christ to the crosse, they will not loose so much as his garments; but they come and deuide them and cast lotts for them: as for Christ himselfe, the Sauiour and redeemer of mankinde, they regard him not. And thus fareth the world; it is a hard thing to finde a man to accept of Christ, because he is Christ his redeemer: but, when gaines comes by Christ, then he is welcome. Esau that esteemed nothing of his fathers blessing, made great account of his brothers pottage. The Gaderenes made more account of their swine, then of Christ: for when they heard that they were drowned, they beseech him to depart out of their coasts. Nay so bad is this age, that such as will be taken to be the speciall members of Christ, doe not onelyonly with the souldiers strippe Christ of his garments, but more then this, they bereaue him of his natures and offices. The Church of Rome by their transsubstantiation strippe him of his manhoode: and by making other priests after the same order with him, which doe properly forgiue sinnes, strippe him of his priesthoode: and of his kingly office, by ioyning with him a Vicar on earth, and head of the Catholicke Church, and that in his presence, whereas all debitishippes and commissions cease in the presence of the principall. And when they hauehave done all this, then they further loade him with a nomber of a beggarly ceremonies; and so doe nothing else but make a *Fictitium Christum.feighned Christ, in steade of the true and alone Messias.

The second euent was, that Christ was mocked of all sorts of men. First, they set vp the cause written why he was crucified, namely, This is the King of the Ievves: then the people that passed by reuiled him,Math. 27.37, 38, 39. wagging their heads at him, and said, Thou that destroiest the temple and buildest it in three daies, saue thy selfe, &c. Likewise the high priests mocking him, with the Scribes and Pharisies and the Elders, said, He saued others, let him safe himselfe. The same also did one of the theeues that was crucified with him, cast in his teeth. Behold here the wonderfull strange dealing of the Iewes: they see an innocent man thus pitifully and grieuously racked, and nayled on the crosse, and his bloode distilling downe from handes and feete; and yet are they without all pitie and compassion, and doe make but a mocke and a skoffe at him. And in this we may plainly see howe daungerous and fearefull their case is, who are wholly giuen vp to the hardnes of their owne hearts: and we are further admonished to take heede how we giuegive our selues to iesting or mocking of others. And if any thinke it to be a light sinne, let them consider what befell the Iewes for mocking Christ. The hand of God was vponupon them within a while after, and so remaineth to this day. Little children wickedly brought vp, when they sawe Elisha the man of God comming, they mocked him, and said, Come vp thou bald pate, come vp thou bald pate: 2. King. 2.23, 24.but Elisha looked backe on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord, and two wilde beares came out of the forrest and tare in pieces two and fourtie of thē. Iulian once a Christian Emperour, but after an Apostata, did nothing els but mocke Christ and his Gospell, & made iests of sundrie places of Scripture: but beeing in fight against the Persians, was woūded with a dart no man knows how, and died scoffing and blaspheming, And such like are the iudgements of God, which befall mockers and skorners. Let vsus therefore in the feare of God learne to eschew and auoide this sinne.

Furthermore, if we shall indifferently consider all the mockes and skornings of the Iewes, we shal finde that they cannot truly conuince him of the least sinne; which serueth to cleare Christ, and to prooue that he was a most innocent man, in whose waies was no wickednes, and in whose mouth was found no guile: and therefore he was most fitte to stand in our roome, and suffer for vsus which were most vile and sinnefull. And here by the way a question offereth it selfe to be skanned. Saint Matthew saith, The theeues which were crucified with him, Mat. 27.44.cast the same in his teeth which the Scribes and Pharisies did: Saint Luke saith, that one of the theeues mocked him. Luk. 23.39.Nowe it may be demaunded, how both these can be true? Answer. Some reconcile the places thus; that the Scripture speaking generally of any thing,Synechdoche. by a figure doth attribute that to the whole, which is proper to some part onelyonly: and so here doth ascribe that to both the theeues which agreeth but to one. Others answer it thus: that at the first both of the euill doers did mocke Christ, and of that time speaketh Matthew: but afterward one of them was miraculously conuerted, then the other alone mocked him, & of that time spake S. Luke. And this I rather take to be the truth. But what was the behauiour of Christ, when he is thus laden with reproch? In wonderfull patience he replies not, but puts vp all in silence. Where we may note, that when a man shall …aile on vsus wrongfully, we must not returne rebuke for rebuke, nor taunt for taunt: but we must either be silent, or else speake no more then shall serue for our iust defence. This was the practise of the Israelites, by the appointment of Hezekias, when Rab…akah reuiled the Iewes, and blasphemed the name of God; the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the kings commandement was, answer him not. So Hannah beeing troulbed in minde, praied vntounto the Lord,2. King. 18.36. and Hely marked her mouth, for shee spake in her heart, and her lippes did mooue onelyonly, but her voice was not heard, therefore Hely thought shee had beene drunken, and saide, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy drūkennesse from thee. 1. Sam. 1.14.Such a speach would hauehave mooued many one to very hard words: but she said, Nay, my lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit, I hauehave drunke neither wine nor strong drinke: but hauehave powred out my soule before the Lord. This is a hard lesson for men to learne; but we must endeauour our selues to practise it, if we will be followers of Christ, and ouercome euill with good.

The third thing that fell out in the time of Christs crucifying, was the pitifull complaint, in which he cried with a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lamasabact hani, that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?Mat. 27.46. In the opening of this complaint many points must be skanned. The first is, what was the cause that mooued Christ to complaine? Answer. It was not any impatience or discontentation of minde, or any dispaire, or any dissembling, as some would hauehave it: but it was an apprehension and a feeling of the whole wrath of God, which seazed vponupon him both in bodie and soule. The second, what was the thing wherof he doth complain. Answer. That he is forsaken of God the father. And from this point ariseth an other question. Howe Christ beeing God can be forsaken of God? for the father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost are all three but one and the same God. Answer. By God we must vnderstand God the Father the first person. According to the common rule, when God is compared with the Sonne or holy Ghost, then the father is ment by the this title God, as in this place: not that the father is more God then the Sonne, for in dignitie all the three persōs are equal: but they are distinguished in order only, & the father is first. And againe whereas Christ complaineth that he was forsaken, it must be vnderstood in regard of his humane nature, not of his Godhead. And Christs manhoode was forsaken, not that his Godhead and manhoode were seuered, for they were euer ioyned togither frō the first moment of the incarnation: but the Godhead of Christ, and so the Godhead of the father did not shew forth his power in the manhoode, but did as it were lie asleepe for a time, that the manhood might suffer: when a man sleepeth the soule is not seuered from the bodie, but lieth as it were dead, and exerciseth not it selfe: euen so the Godhead lay still, and did not manifest his power in the manhoode, and thus the manhood seemed to be forsaken. The third point is, the manner of this complaint; My God, my God, saith he: these words are words of faith, I say not of iustifying faith, wherof Christ stood not in need: but he had such a faith or hope, wherby he did put his cōfidēce in God. The last words, why hast thou forsakē me? seem at the first to be words of distrust. How then (will some say) can these words stand with the former: for faith & distrust are flat contraries? Answ. Christ did not vtter any speach of distrust, but only make his mone & cōplaint, by reason of the greatnes of his punishment: & yet still relied himselfe on the assistance of his father. Hence we learne, first that religion doth not stand in feeling, but in faith: which faith we must hauehave in Christ, though we hauehave no feeling at all: for God oftentimes doth withdraw his grace & fauour frō his children, that he may teach thē to beleeue in his merciemercy in Christ then, when they feele nothing lesse then his merciemercy. And faith & feeling can not alwaies stand togither; because faith is a subsisting of things which are not seene, and the ground of things hoped for: and we must liue by faith, and not by feeling. Though feeling of Gods merciemercy be a good thing, yet God doth not alwaies vouchsafe to giuegive it vntounto his children: and therefore in the extremitie of afflictions and temptations, we must alwaies trust and relie on God by faith in Christ; as Christ himselfe doth when he is as it were plunged into the sea of the wrath of God. Secondly, here we may see howe God dealeth with his children: for Christ in the sense and feeling of his humane nature was forsaken, yet had he sure trust and confidence in God, that caused him to say, My God, my God. God will oftentimes cast his deare children into huge gulfs of woe and miserie, where they shall see neither banke nor bottome, nor any way to get out: yet men in this case must not despaire, but remember still that that which befell Christ the head, doth also befall his members. Christ himselfe at his death did beare the wrath of God in such measure, as that in the sense and feeling of his humane nature he was forsaken: yet in all this he was the Sonne of God, and had the spirit of his father, crying, My God, my God. And therefore though we be wonderfully afflicted either in bodie or in mind, so as we hauehave no sense or feeling of Gods merciemercy at all, yet we must not despaire and thinke that we are cast-awaies, but still labour to trust and relie on God in Christ, & build vponupon this that we are his children, though we feele nothing but his wrath vponupon vsus, against merciemercy cleauing to his merciemercy. This was Dauids practise: In the day of trouble (saith he) I sought the Lord: my sore ranne and ceased not in the night: my soule refused comfort. Psal. 77.2, 3.I did thinke vponupon God and was troubled: my soule was full of anguish: and so continueth, saying, Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer? and will he shew no more fauour? hath God forgotten to be mercifull?vers. 10, 11, 12, &c. but in the ende he recouereth himselfe out of this gulfe of temptation, saying, Yet I remember the yeares of the right hand of the most high: I remember the works of the Lord, certenly I remember the wonders of old. Wherefore this practise of Christ in his passion, must then be remembred of vsus all, when God shall humble vsus either in bodie or soule or both.

The fourth thing which fell out when Christ was on the crosse was this: after Christ knew that all things were performed, & that the Scriptures were fulfilled, he said, I thirst; and then there standing a vessell full of vineger,Ioh. 19.28. one ranne and filled a sponge therewith, and put it about an hyssope stalke, and put it to his mouth: which when he had receiued, he said, It is finished. The points here to be considered, are foure. The first, that Christ thirsteth. And we must know that this thirst was a part of his passion; and indeede it was no small paine, as we may see by this: when Sisera was ouercome by Israel,Iud. 4.19. and had fled from his enemies to Iaels tent, he called for a little water to drinke, being more troubled with thirst, then with the feare of death at the hand of his enemies. And indeede thirst was as grieuous to men in the East countrey, as any torment else. And hereupon Sampson was more grieued with thirst, then with feare of many thousand Philistims.Iud. 15.18.

Againe, whereas Christ complaines that he thirsteth ▪ it was not for his owne sake, but for our of…ences: and therefore answearably we must thirst after Christ and his benefits, as the dry and thirstie land where no water is, doth after raine:Psal. 143.6. & 42.1. and as the hart brayeth after the riuers of water, so must we say with Dauid, My soule panteth after thee, O Lord, and the benefits of thy death.

The second, that a sponge full of vineger tied vponupon an hyssope stalke, was reached to Christ vponupon the crosse. Now it may be demaunded, how this could be, considering the stalke of the hyssope is not past a foote long. Answer. As the tree of mustard seede with the Iewes is farre greater and taller then with vsus, in so much that the birds of heauen build their nests in it: so it may be that hyssope groweth much longer in those countries then with vsus. Or, as I take it rather,Mat. 15.36. the hyssope stalke was put vponupon a reede, and by that meanes the sponge was put vp to the mouth of Christ.

The third point is, that Christ drinketh the vineger offered: but when? Not before all things were finished that were to be done on the crosse. And by this he shewes his exceeding care for our saluation. He laide aside all thinges that would turne to his owne ease, that he might fully worke our redemption, and fulfill the will of his father who sent him into the world for that ende. The like care must eueryevery one of vsus hauehave to walke dutifully, and as it were, to goe with thorough-stitch in our particular callings▪ that God may be glorified by vsus. When Abrahams seruant came to Bethuel to get a wife for Isaac, me…t was set before him, but he said, I will not eate before I hauehave said my message: so likewise we must first see Gods glorie procured in our affaires, and then in the second place,Gen. 24.3… ▪ if commoditie or praise redound to vsus, we must afterward take it.

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

The fifth euent that fell out when Christ was vponupon the crosse was, that he cryed with a loud voice, and said, Father, into thy handes I lay downe my spirite, that is, I commende my soule as being the most pretious thing which I hauehave in this worlde into thy custodie, who art a most faithfull keeper therof. These words are taken by Christ out of the Psalmes: for when Dauid was in daunger of his life by reason of Saul, and had no friend to trust, he makes choice of God to be his keeper, and said, Into thy hands, O Lord, doe J commend my spirite. Psal. 31.5.Nowe our Sauiour Christ beeing in the like distresse, both by reason of the Iewes, who eueryevery way sought his finall destruction and confusion, and especially because he felt the full wrath of God seazing vponupon him, doth make choice of Davids words, and applie them to himselfe in his distresse. And by his example we are taught not onelyonly to read the generall historie of the Bible, but also to obserue the things commaunded and forbidden, and to applie the same vntounto our selues, and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoeuer: thus the Prophet Dauid saith, In the rolle of the booke it is written of me, that I should doe thy will, Psal. 40.7.O my God! Howe can this be? for no part of Scripture penned before the daies of Dauid saith thus of him. True indeede: but as I take it, Dauids meaning is, that he read the booke of the Lawe, and found generall precepts and commaundements giuen to Kings and Princes, that they should keepe all the ordinances and commaundements of God, which he beeing a King applies particularly to his owne person, and thereupon saith, In the volume of the booke it is written of me, &c. And this dutie is well practised by the people of God at this day: for the Psalmes of Dauid were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time: and in these daies the Church of God doth sing the same with the same spirite that Dauid did, and doth applie them to their seuerall estates and conditions.

Now in that Christ commends his soule into the hands of his father, he doth it to testifie that he died not by constraint, but willingly: and by his owne practise he doeth teach vsus to doe the like, namely to giuegive vp our owne soules into the hands of God. And because this dutie is of some difficultie, we must obserue three motiues or preparatiues which may induce vsus to the better doing of it. The first is, to consider that God the Father of Christ, is the creator of our soules, and therefore he is called the father of spirits. And if he be a creator of them, then is he also a faithfull preseruer of them. For sure it is, that God will preserue his own workmanship. Who is or cā be so careful for the ornament and preseruation of any worke, as the crafts-master? and shall not God be more carefull then man? wherefore Saint Peter exhorteth vsus to commit our soules vntounto God, as vntounto a faithfull creator. The second motiue is this, we must looke to be resolued in our consciences, that God the Father of Christ is our Father: eueryevery man for himselfe must labour to hauehave the assurance of the pardon of his owne sinnes, and that the corruption of his soule be washed away in the blood of Christ, that he may say, I am iustified, sanctified, and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus, he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soule into the hands of God. This was the reason which mooued Christ to lay downe his soule into the handes of God, because he is his Father. The third motiue or preparatiue is, a continuall experience and obseruation of Gods louelove and fauour towardes vsus, in keeping and preseruing him; as appeares by Dauids example, Into thy handes (saith he) I commit my soule: Psal. 31.5.for thou hast redeemed me, O thou God of truth.

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

And great are the comforts which arise by the practise of this dutie. When Dauid was in great daunger of his life, and his owne people would hauehave stoned him, because their hearts were vexed for their sonnes and daughters which the Amalekites had taken; it is said he comforted himselfe in the Lord his God. 1. Sam. 30.6.And the practise of Paul in this case is most excellent: For the which cause (saith he) J suffer those things, …. Tim. 1.12.but I am not ashamed: for I know whome I hauehave beleeued, and I am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I hauehave committed vntounto him against that day. This worthie seruant of God had committed his life and soule into Gods hand: and therefore he saith, In all my sufferings I am not ashamed: where we may see, that if a man hauehave grace in his life-time to commit his soule into Gods hand, it will make him bold euen at the point of death. And this must be a motiue to cause eueryevery man eueryevery day and houre to lay downe his soule into the hands of God, although by the course of nature he may liue twentie yeares longer. But howsoeuer this dutie be both necessarie and comfortable, yet few there be that practise the same. Men that hauehave children are very carefull and diligent to bring them vp vnderunder some mans tuition; and if they hauehave cattell, sheepe, or oxen, they prouide keepers to tend them: but in the meane season for their owne soules they hauehave no care, they may sinke or swimme or doe what they will. This sheweth the wonderfull blindnes or rather madnesse of men in the world, that hauehave more care for their cattell, then for their owne soules: but as Christ hath taught vsus by his example, so let eueryevery one of vsus in the feare of God learne to commit our soules into the hande of God.

Againe, in that Christ laies downe his owne soule, and withall the soules of all the faithfull into the handes of the father, we further learne three things. The first, that the soule of man doth not vanish avvay as the soules of beastes and other creatures: there is great difference betvveene them: for vvhen the beast dieth, his soule dieth also: but the soule of man is immortall. The consideration wherof must mooue eueryevery man aboue al things in this vvorld to be carefull for his soule: if it vvere to vanish avvay at the day of death, as the soule of beastes doe, the neglect thereof vvere no great matter: but seeing it must liue for ever, either in eternall ioy, or els in endlesse paines and torments, it standes vsus upon, eueryevery man for himselfe, so to provide for his soule in this life, that at the day of death when it shall depart from his bodie, it may live in eternall ioy and happinesse. The second, that there is an especiall and particular prouidence of God, because the particular soule of Christ is committed into the hands of his father, and so answerably the soules of eueryevery one of the faithfull are. The thirde, that euerie one which beleeues him selfe to be a member of Christ, must be willing to die vvhen God shall call him thereunto. For vvhen vvee die in Christ, the bodie is but laide asleepe, and the soule is receiued into the handes of a most loving God and mercifull Father, as the soule of Christ was. Lastly, vvhereas Christ surrendring his soule into his fathers hands, calles it a spirite, we note, that the soule of man is a spirit, that is, a spirituall, invisible, simple essence without cōposition created, as the angels of God are. The question vvhether the soule of a child come from the soule of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies, may easily bee resolued. For the soule of man beeing a spirite, can not beget another spirit, as the Angels being spirituall doe not beget Angels: for one spirit begetteth not another. Nay vvhichwhich is more▪ one simple element begetteth not another, as the vvater begetteth not water, nor aire begetteth aire: and therefore much lesse can one soule beget an other. Againe, if the soule of the child come from the soule of the parentes, then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof. If it be said, that the whole soule of the parents be propagated, then the parents should want their owne soules and could not liue. If it be said that a part of the parents soule is propagated: I answer, that the soule being a spirit or a simple substance can not be parted: and therfore it is the safest to conclude, that the bodie indeed is of the bodie of the parents, & that the soule of man while the bodie is in making, is created of nothing:Heb. 12.9. and for this verie cause God is called the Father of spirites.

Thus much of the crucifying of Christ: Now followeth his death. For hauing laid downe his soule into the handes of his Father,Luk. 23.46. the holy Ghost saith, he gave vp the ghost: to giuegive us to understand, that his death was no fantasticall but a reall death, in that his bodie and soule were severed as truly as when any of vsus die. In treating of Christes death we must consider many pointes. The first, that it was needfull that hee should die, and that for tvvo causes. First, to satisfie Gods iustice: for sinne is so odious a thing in Gods …ight, that he will punish it with an extreame punishment: therefore Christ standing in our roome must not only suffer the miseries of this life, but also die on the crosse, that the verie extremitie of punishment which wee shoulde hauehave borne, might be laide on him: and so we in Christ, might fully satisfie Gods iustice: for the wages of sinne is death. Secondly Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of Gods worde which had saide, that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die the death. The properties of Christs death are two:Gen. 2.17. The first, that it was a voluntarie and willing death: The second, that it was a cursed death. For the first, whereas I say Christes death was voluntarie, I meane that Christ died willingly, and of his owne free accord gaue up him selfe to suffer upon the crosse. Howsoeuer the Iewes did arraigne, and condemne, and crucifie him, yet if he had not willed his owne death, and of his free accord giuen him selfe to die▪ not the Iewes nor all the whole world coulde euer hauehave taken away his life from him. Hee dyed not by constraint or compulsion, but most willingly: and therfore he saith, No man taketh my life from me, but I (saith hee) lay it downe of my selfe: I have power to lay it downe▪ and have power to take it againe. Ioh. 10.18. Mat. 27.46. Luk. 23.46.And our Saviour Christ gaue evident tokens hereof in his death, for then Iesus cryed with a loude voice, and gave vp the ghost. Ordinarily men that die on the crosse, languish away by little and little, and before they come to yeelde up their lives they loose their speech, and onelyonly ratle or make a noise in the throate:Isai. 38.14. but Christ at that verie instant when he vvas to giuegive up the ghost, cryed with a loud voice: which sheweth plainely, that he in his death was more then a conquerour ouer death. And therefore to give all men a token of his power, and to shew that he died voluntarily, it pleased him to crie with a loud voice. And this made the Centurion to say that he was the sonne of God. Againe, Christ dyed not as other men doe;Mar. 15.39. because they first give up the ghost, and then lay their heads aside: but he in token that his death was voluntarie, first layes his head aside after the manner of a dead man,Ioh. 19.30. and then afterward gives up the ghost. Lastly, Christ died sooner then men are wont to doe upon the crosse, and this was the cause that made Pilate wonder thar he was so soone dead.Mar. 15.44. Now this came to passe not because he was loth to suffer the extremitie of death: but hecause he woulde make it manifest to all men that hee had power to die or not to die. And indeed this is our comfort that Christ died not for vsus by constraint, but willingly of his owne accorde.

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

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

Exposition of the Apostles Creed, Text (6 of 13)