The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 6
THE SIXT LECTVRE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
IHON CHAP. XVIII.
verse 33 So Pilate entered into the common Hall againe, and called IESVS, and ſaide vntounto him, Art thou the King of the Iewes? verse 34 IESVS anſwered him, Sayeſt thou that of thy ſelfe, or did other tell it thee of mee? verse 35 Pilate anſwered, Am I a Iew? Thine owne nation, and the high Prieſts, hauehave deliuered thee vntounto mee. What haſt thou done? verse 36 IESVS anſwered, My Kingdome is not of this world: if my Kingdome were of this world, my ſeruants would ſurely fight, that I ſhould not bee deliuered to the Iewes: but nowe is my Kingdome not from hence. verse 37 Pilate then ſaide vntounto him, Art thou a King then? IESVS anſwered, Thou ſayeſt that I am a King: for this cauſe am I borne, and for this cauſe came I into the world, that I ſhould beare witneſſe vntounto the trueth: euerie one that is of the trueth, heareth my voyce.
THE laſt day (Brethren) we entered into the ſuffering of Chriſt vnderunder Pontius Pilate, the Romane Gouernour, & Ciuill Iudge in Iudeae for the time. Ieſus is led into the Common Hall to the Houſe of Iuſtice, as ye heard, where Pilate ſate. Now Pilate is not raſh in judging: but before he ſit downe to judge, hee will hauehave an inditement, and will ſee what things the Iewes hauehave to lay to the charge of the Lord: He ſaw the accuſers of Him, the Iewes in multitudes: he ſaw no accuſation: therefore he goes out vntounto them (becauſe they would not come to him) and asketh, what accuſation hauehave they againſt Him: hee receiueth little anſwere, or at leaſt, little to the purpoſe: for they anſwere preſumptuouſly, If he had not bene an euill doer, we had not brought him vntounto thee. The thing they delate is very generall: it is a ſober inditement to ſay, He is an euill man, that muſt be qualified, and Pilate thinkes this of no valour, and caſtes it off: at the laſt, after many words, he throwes another accuſatiō out of the Iewes: the accuſation is this, as may be gathered of the Text: he calles Him a king, and king of the Iewes, and an enemie to Caeſar, who would reaue the kingdome from him, and a traitor, and guiltie againſt the Majeſty of Caeſar. The reſt of the Euangeliſts hauehave this accuſation more plainelie, and at greater length. The Iewes ſay (Luke 23.2,) Wee hauehave founde this man peruerting the people, and forbidding the people to paye tribute to Caeſar, ſaying, he is Chriſt and king. So howbeit in this Goſpell of Iohn is not mentioned, that the Jewes gaue vp this poinct of accuſatiō, but that Pilate inquires, whether Hee was a king or no? It is manifeſt, that they were delators of Chriſt to Pilate: and Pilate knewe not this of his own head, as the Text following declares. Let vsus examine this more deepely: The Iewes that perſecuted Him, they delate Him not before Pilate, for blaſphemie, they had adjudged Him alreadie worthy of death in their owne councell for blaſphemie: but when it cōmeth to the Romane judge, Hee is deleated of treaſon againſt the Emperour. This is a piece of craft, and of the wiſedome of the childrē of this world: they knew the judge to be a profane man, who coūted of religion, but as of a triſle, and knew that hee was deputie to Caeſar, and that hee woulde bee loath to ſee Caeſars hurt: therfore, they applie well their accuſation to the honour of the man, and delates Ieſus, as one who had committed treaſon againſt Caeſar. Yee ſhall then note heere a piece of craft in this their doing. Yet conſider it more deepely: The thing that they deleate to Pilate of Ieſus, was a lie: for Ieſus was ſo farre from that, to accept a kingdome in this world, that when the people aſſembled to make Him a King, Hee conuayed Himſelfe ſecretlie awaye to the Wilderneſſe: (IOHN CHAP. VI.) and vvhereas they ſaye, that Hee forbade to paye tribute vntounto Caeſar, that was falſe alſo: for Hee payed tribute vntounto Caeſar for Him and Peter, and gaue commaundement, to giuegive vntounto Caeſar, that which was Caeſars. So this poinct of accuſation is nothing elſe, but a calumnie, and a falſe accuſation.
Yet let vsus looke ſomething further heere. The IEWES woulde ſeeme to bee carefull for CAESARS kingdome, and take delite to hauehave CAESAR to reigne ouer them: but indeed CAESAR was the only man in the world that they loued worſt, and hated moſt: and the thing that mooued them to giuegive vp this accuſation, vvas an hatred they had againſt Chriſt. They flatter the Iudge: and as they are craftie in their accuſation, ſo they are flatterers, and all to get the innocent blood ſhed: they hauehave an euill action in hand, yea, the worſt that euer man had: and ſo they care not by what euill meanes, craft, calumnie, or flatterie they bring their purpoſe to paſſe. If thou once takeſt purpoſe to doe an euill turne, thou wilt not care by what vnlawfull doing thou bringeſt it to paſſe: & to ſpeake the truth, if once a man take an euill action in hand, then he will of neceſſity be compelled to follow out euil meanes: for an euill turne cannot be done but by euill meanes. If a man once ſet his minde to purſue innocent blood, of force he muſt vſe flattery, calumnies, and euill meanes. Therefore, as ye would eſchewe euill doing, eſchewe euill purpoſes: for thou wilt not care to get thy purpoſe, by all vnlawfull things. Now to come to Pilates part: when hee hath gotten this inditemēt, he enters into the Cōmon Hall, & calles on Ieſus, & ſaies, Art thou the king of the Iewes? no doubt, they thought, that they hauing accuſed Him ſo, that Pilate ſhould not hauehave looked on Him, but incontinent ſhould hauehave giuen out the doome: for treaſon againſt great Caeſar was no ſmall matter, yet Pilate was ſo farre from that, that he ſpeakes not a rough word to Him, hee ſaies not, What traitor, art thou ſeeking the empire of Caeſar? but modeſtly, Art thou the king of the Iewes? A faire example of modeſty and equity, to be in ſuch a man, a profane Ethnick. Chriſtian Iudges may learne at Pilate, vvhat modeſtie and equitie they ſhould vſe in judgement. This telles vsus plainly, that the mind of Pilate vvas voyde of ſuch affectiōs as makes Iudges to peruert judgement: hee ſhewes hee vvas voyde of hatred, hee carried no hatred againſt Chriſt, neither ſought hee His blood: the man is euill abuſed by the High Prieſtes and the Iewes: he doeth all his endeauour to get Ieſus abſolued. Looke this vvhole diſcourſe. So Pilates minde is voyde of theſe affections, of hatred, deſire of reuenge, and ſeeking of innocent blood: for Brethren, vve know it is theſe affections that peruerts judgement. The judge vvho hates and enuies the perſon accuſed, he vvill hauehave him ſlaine, though he vvere as innocent as Ieſus Chriſt Himſelfe. Therefore, let Iudges learne this leſſon▪ To bee voyde of hatred in judgement: I ſuppoſe the man be the vvickedeſt in the vvorld, yet ſeeke not the deſtruction of the creature, but hate his crime, & looke that thine affections ſlaye not the man, but looke that juſtice ſlaye him: for if thou ſeekeſt the blood of the man, thou ſhalt bee guiltie of his blood in the latter day. The Lord anſwereth, and He anſwereth not at the firſt time to the point: but firſt, He ſayes to Pilate Aſkeſt thou that of thy ſelfe, Is that crime that thou layeſt to my charge, of thine owne head: Or hath any other tolde it thee: There is the meaning: So ye ſee, before the Lord will anſwere, Hee will vnderſtand who is the inuenter of this accuſation. Well, Brethren, I ſee this through all this Hiſtorie, that the Lord will hauehave eueryevery mans part knowne in the action: He will know, who is the delator, and who giues out the verdict: He wil hauehave Herodes part, Pilates part, the Iewes part, Caiaphas part, all their parts diſtinctly knowne, what each man doeth: the Lord hath a great eye to this action, as it were the greateſt in the world: and when all is tried, ye ſhall ſee that the burthen is laide vponupon the Iewes, and eſpecially vponupon the Clergie, to ſpeake it ſo: Pilate had his part, Herode had his part, and both were guilty of the blood of Ieſus Chriſt, but the ſinne of Pilate is laid vponupon the Jewes, & of his blood they are guiltie. So Pilate this day may curſe the Iewes, that euer hee was gouernour of Iudea. Let the Papiſtes ſay what they will, and extenuate their martyring of the Saintes, and ſay, that it was the ciuile ſworde that ſlew them: I affirme in the preſence of God, that the whole blood of the Saints ſhall be required at their hands, & the ſinnes of the Princes, whome they hauehave abuſed, ſhall be laide to their charge, and the blood of thoſe who periſh, ſhall bee required at their handes, and we ſhall ſee, that the blood of all that hauehave bene ſlaine from Abel the juſt, ſhall be laide vponupon the backe of the Pope, and his Clergie. The Lord ſaue the Princes of the world from them. Another thing I would marke here: Ieſus would hauehave Pilate to take heede, not to the delation only, but to theſe alſo, who giues it vp: He would hauehave him to looke to the Iewes, and to their diſpoſition and affection. It is not enough to a Iudge, to looke to the crime, but he muſt looke to the accuſers, and trie their diſpoſition: for if the accuſer ſeeke the mans blood, he will be a calumniator. There is not a Iudge who is ſet on life and death, but he is bound to ſet his eye on the delators. Take heede to Pilates anſwere: when Ieſus hath demanded him thus, then Pilate growes ſomewhat angrie, that Chriſt ſhould hauehave meaned that that ſentence ſhould hauehave proceeded from him: So this is a ſure argument, that Pilate very gladly would hauehave kept his hands free of that blood of Ieſus: for hee ſawe that He was an innocent man, & that it was a falſe accuſation which was laid againſt Him. Am I a Iew, ſayes he, Thine owne nation, and the High Prieſtes hauehave deliuered thee vntounto me. What haſt thou done? Firſt, he cleanſes himſelfe, that he was not the author thereof, becauſe he was not a Iew: and therefore knewe not perfectly His doings: Next, he ſheweth who was ye author, to wit, His countrey men, & namely the High Prieſts: for in conſcience hee was perſwaded, both of Chriſts innocencie, and of their calumnie: and therefore cleanſes himſelfe▪ but he was farre intangled in this judgement, that hee could not get himſelfe free: he had done well, if hee had ſaide, I will hauehave nothing to doe with thee, or if he had deliuered Him from theſe Iewes, by his power, but putting his hands once to judgement, he could not get himſelfe free. Looke what it is, once to beginne to judge the innocent: when the Iudge beginnes to ſatisfie the appetite of wicked men, he can not well quite himſelfe, till he defile himſelfe with the blood of the innocent, albeit hee would abſolue the man, yet his mouth ſhal condemne him. So, for no mans appetite let not a Iudge enter in judgement againſt an innocent man, whome he knowes in his conſcience to bee innocent: And if thou enter in judgement with him, abſolue him, vnderunder the paine of thy life, or els thou ſhalt be guilty of his blood. This is a corruptiō ſometime of the judgment of SCOTLAND, how the Iudge will ſay, I behooued to doe it, I did it againſt my will, I was compelled to doe it. Well, that ſhall be none excuſe to th…e, for if thou doe it, thou ſhalt bee condemned for it: it is no ſmall thing be a Iudge. We hauehave heard Pilates cleanſing of Chriſt, he is ſo touched in his conſcience, with the innocencie of Ieſus Chriſt, that hee is compelled to cleanſe himſelfe firſt to Ieſus Chriſt, before that Ieſus cleanſes Himſelfe to him. Now followes the anſwere of Chriſt to this calumnie: My Kingdome is not in this world: Thou askeſt at me, if I be a King: I anſwere, My Kingdome is not in this world▪ he denies not abſolutely that Hee was a King: for the Lord Ieſus is the moſt glorious King that euer was, or ſhall be, but He denies yt He was an earthly king. As the Iewes accuſed Him, He giues a reaſon, If my Kingdome were of this world, my ſeruants would fight for me: he who aſpires to a kingdome▪ he wil fight & all yt may doe for him to the very death: if he had bene ſeeking a kingdome, He would not hauehave ſtayed Peter frō fighting as He did. Now to examine Chriſts anſwere, Firſt, He denies not yt He is a king, Next, not denying yt He is a King▪ commeth to a diſtinction, I am a King, But what a King? Not an earthly, but a ſpirituall King, that is true, the Iewes lay to my charge, yt I affect an earthly Kingdome yt is not true. Now, Brethren, this is to be marked, He telleth him indeede, that his Kingdome is not of this world, but He telleth him not where His Kingdome was: Hee ſayes not▪ My Kingdome is in Heauen, Hee ſayes not this, My Kingdome is in the conſcience of men and women in the world: He teaches not Pilate: this. Some would thinke, that He ſhould ſpeake more clearly of this matter to Pilate, but Chriſt entred not into the common Hall to play the Doctour, and to teach: but the Lord Ieſus ſet Himſelfe to play the Prieſt, & to ſuffer patiently, yt part of teaching was ended but knowing that the houre of His ſuffering was come, & that Pontius Pilate ſhould be his judge, He would not ſtay him: And therefore Hee would not enter in doctrine, becauſe the time of teaching was paſt: if Pilate would hauehave bene taught, he might hauehave heard Ieſus teach before, but he would not heare Him: He teaches Pilate as much as might make him inexcuſable. Then, Brethren, I ſee, as Chriſt hath a time of teaching, wherein He will teach men, yea, his verie enemies, as He vttereth, when they would hauehave taken Him▪ & ſought his life: ſo He hath a time of ſilence, when He will not open his mouth, Hee ſpeaketh ſome thing, albeit litle to Pilate, but Hee ſpeakes not ſo much as one word to the High Prieſts, becauſe Hee would hauehave rather had him ſafe than them, becauſe they were malitious. Chriſt hath not as yet ſhut his mouth in this land, but Hee teaches, not ſparingly nor ſcantly, for to ſpeake it ſo: The raine of the word of God, is powred aboundantly out of Heauen, to water the thirſtie ſoules of men: & if thou ſpendeſt thy time, & wilt not vſe it well, I warne thee, that the day will come, when thou ſhalt not get one word to thy comfort: wilt thou alwayes hauehave the bleſſed Euangell, and the miniſtrie thereof? No, as Chriſt had but one time, & when that time was paſt, He would teach no more: ſo hath his miniſters: all their teaching ſhall end as His did: I ſay, GOD ſheweth grace on the perſecuters of this Land, when as yet He offereth grace to them: but I denounce, as the Lord liues, if they repent not in time, they ſhall not get ſo much as one good worde to comfort them. Wherefore, let not the opportunitie ſlip, & whilſt it called the day, let vsus not harden our hearts. Thus far ye Lord hath purged himſelf, & hath teached Pilate, what a King He was, not an earthly but a ſpirituall King. I will not digreſſe here, to ſpeake of the kingdome of Chriſt, & therefore I come to Pilates anſwere, Art thou a King? well then, would Pilate ſay, thou denieſt not that thou art a King: he ſhould hauehave asked what a King He was, & where his kingdome was, that He might hauehave gotten a part of it: there is ye cōfeſſiō that Ieſus gaue vnderunder Pontius Pilate, as is ſaide 1. Tim. 6.13. Pilate ſhould hauehave bin inquiſitiue of theſe things, and followed out that purpoſe about his kingdome: but he breakes off the conference, by an accuſation of Ieſus. An earthly hearted man knowes not things heauenly, & ſo he cannot ſpeake of them, but rather he will ſtay an heauenly purpoſe: Ye ſee earthly hearted men, when one will begin to ſpeake of heauenly things, hath no more pleaſure in them, than Pilate had: begin once to ſpeake of heauenly things to a prophane man, then he cannot keepe purpoſe with thee, but hee will breake off purpoſe, & ſpeake of earthly things, Paul 1. Cor, 2. ſets down the groūd here: The naturall man, ſayes he, knowes, not the things of the Spirit of God: yea, he will wonder what that means, when thou ſpeakeſt of Heauen, yea, he hath no power nor ſpirituall ſenſe: for they are but fooliſhnes to him: the moſt wiſe things of God, are but fooliſhnes to the naturall man, he delites not in them, becauſe he hath not taſted how ſweet the Lord is: So Pilate interrupteth Chriſt, Chriſt anſweres, & He ſayes, Thou ſayeſt that I am a King. In the which anſwere, the Lord denies not that He is a King, but He takes the mouth of Pilate to be witnes that He was a King. Then he lets vsus ſee for what cauſe He came into the world: not to be an earthly King, Came I into the world: but that I might beare witneſſe of the trueth: I came not to be an earthly King, as other Kings are, but I came from the throne of a King, & a glorious Kingdome, that I may play the part of a ſeruāt in bearing witnes to the trueth. Ieſus Chriſt, was God, equall with the Father, & thought it no robberie, but He made Himſelfe of no reputation, by taking on the forme of a ſervant, Phil. 2.6. As though he would ſay, I came into the world, & tooke on the fleſh of man to be a ſeruant to my Father, & to be a witnes to the trueth: then He ſubjoynes, leſt that Pilate ſhould thinke that office of litle effect, & that He laboured in vaine, & ſayes, They who are of veritie, to wit, begotten of the word, the immortal ſeed of the word of God: (for by veritie here is meant the word of veritie, as Chap, 17. verſ. 17. preceeding, They heare my word. He draweth ne…re vntounto Pilate: if thou be ſuch an one as is begotten of the trueth, thou wilt heare my word: albeit Chriſt be ſtayed from ſpeaking▪ & Pilate would hauehave put Him off. Hee leaues not, but ſpeakes againe to Pilate: He would hauehave winne Pilate it had bene poſſible. Albeit we be interrupted when we ſpeake of heauenlie things to profane men and women, wee ought not to leaue off, by the example of Chriſt: but howbeit wee bee interrupted, wee ſhould returne againe, and follow out the thing we hauehave begun, to ſee if ſome wordes will ſinke in their hearts: or if they will not returne, that they may be vnexcuſable. Speake of Chriſt, and of Heauen, it ſhall neuer be in vaine, but as Paul ſaies, 2. Corin. 2. it ſhall bee a ſweet odour to God, either to their ſaluation or damnation that God may be glorified, either in mercy in winning of them, or in juſtice in their perdition. And therfore, it is good to ſpeake of things Heauē lie, the ſoule is nouriſhed therby. A man that redreſſes himſelfe to a kingdome, would euer take delite to ſpeake of it: if thou haſt no pleaſure at no time to ſpeake of Heauenly things, it is a ſure token that thou haſt no part of that kingdom, thou haſt neuer taſted the ſweetnes of it: for they who hauehave taſted thereof, will hauehave ſomtimes a delite to ſpeake of thinges Heauenly, and will deſire that ſincere milke of the word, as Peter ſpeakes. So if thou findeſt the worde of life ſweet, why ſhouldſt thou not deſire it continually? for it is that only food by the which ye life of God is nouriſhed within thee here: and one day it ſhall preſent vntounto thee ſuch ſatiety of all pleaſure and joy in the face of God, as the heart cannot thinke of now, howbeit thou getteſt but ſcant in this world. Alas, that we ſhould let ſuch a joy paſſe away, for fault of feeling & taſting! What is the veritie, ſaies Pilate? he askes this not with pleaſure, but loathing & diſdaining, & taries no anſwere, but goes his way: His ſtomack loathes Chriſt. Then in Pilate we hauehave an example of naturall men: if any will ſpeake of things Heauenly vntounto them, of Chriſt, and of His benefits, they will ſtay the ſpeach ſo farre as they can: and if thereafter any will inſiſt, and yet ſpeake on, then at the laſt, if thou wilt vrge them, they muſt ſpeake ſomething, but they will ſpeake as Pilate did, lightly and diſdainfully: and when they hauehave asked, they will leaue off, and will not care for an anſwere but askes for the faſhions cauſe, when they are conſtrained thereunto. We are by nature like to Pilate, either we will not ſpeake one word of things Heauenly, or elſe if wee bee compelled to ſpeake, and wordes bee throwne out of vsus, wee will ſpeake with a loathing, and diſdaining of the heart. There vvas neuer any thing in the world that could moue the naturall man more to loathing, than ye word of God, he will heare it with ſuch diſdain, that when one thing is ſaide in word, hee will ſay another in heart, and he vvill thinke him vvho teaches him the moſt fooliſh man in the vvorld. And he vvho is vviſeſt, if he be not regenerated and renewed, hee ſhall count Chriſt, and things Heauenly, moſt fooliſh. A ſimple bodie is ſooner vvonne, than hee vvho is vviſe in his owne conceit in the vvorld. If thou vvouldeſt be an hearer or ſpeaker of Heauenly things, ſtriue alwayes to get a reformation of thine own corrupt nature, and let thy meditation and prayer be thus, Lord, reforme mine heart, that thy vvord maye bee fruitfull in mee, ſo that both I may heare vvith pleaſure, and alſo that the vvords come not from the teeth forward, but from the deepnes of mine heart, when I ſpeake of Thee, and things Heauenly, that ſo thy vvord may edifie both mee and others. It is a more dangerous thing, to come to heare, if vve be not duely prepared, than to tarrie away: and better not to ſpeake at all, than to ſpeake of thinges Heauenly vvithout the inward ſenſe of the heart. Now the Lord grant vsus grace, that in hearing & ſpeaking of things Heauenly, vve may hauehave this Heauenly diſpoſition in ſome meaſure, for Chriſtes ſake: To vvhom vvith the Father and Holy Spirit, be all Praiſe, Honour and Glory, both now and euermore: Amen.