The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 2
THE SECOND LECTVRE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
IHON. CHAP. XVIII.
verse 7 Then he asked them againe, Whom ſeeke yee? And they ſaid, IESVS of Nazareth. verse 8 IESVS anſwered, I ſaide vntounto you, that I am hee: therefore, if ye ſeeke me, let theſe goe their way. verse 9 This was that the word might bee fulfilled which hee ſpake, Of them which thou gauest mee, hauehave I lost none. verse 10 Then Simon Peter, hauing a ſword, drew it, and ſmote the high Prieſtes ſeruant, and cut off his right eare. Now the ſeruants name was Malchus. verse 11 Then ſaide IESVS vntounto Peter, Put vp thy ſworde into the ſheath: ſhall I not drinke of the cuppe which my Father hath giuen mee? verse 12 Then the band, and the captaine, and the officers of the Iewes, tooke IESVS, and bound him.
THE laſt day (beloued in the LORD IESVS) wee diuided the whole Hiſtorie of the Paſſion and ſuffering of Ieſus Chriſt, which is contained in theſe two CHAPTERS, to wit, the XVIII. and XIX. of this Goſpell, in theſe parts: Firſt, wee hauehave his ſuffering in the Garden: Then wee hauehave his ſuffering in the Hall of the high Prieſt: Thirdly, we hauehave his ſuffering before the Iudge Pontius Pilate: Fourthly, wee hauehave his ſuffering in the place of Execution, in Caluaria, otherwiſe GOLGOTHA: And laſt, we hauehave the laſt part of his ſuffering, which is his Buriall. The laſt day wee entered into the firſt part of his ſuffering, which IOHN in this Chapter ſetteth downe to bee this: The Lord Ieſus beeing in the Garden, is taken captiue, and bounde: John paſſeth by all that agonie and conflict that the Lord had before his taking in the Garden, with the heauie wrath of his Father, for our ſinne, which hee did beare. As concerning his taking▪ we hauehave firſt the part of Ieſus, who of purpoſe, wittingly, and willingly, came to this Garden to be taken: which Garden was knowne to Judas the Traitor. Then wee hauehave the part of Iudas, he knowing the Garden, commeth forward, (becauſe the Lord vſed, with his Diſciples, to reſort thither) accompanied with a band of men of warre, with the officers, and ſeruants of the high Prieſt, to take▪ and apprehende, the Lord. In the third place, wee hauehave the communing that fell out betwixt Chriſt, and them that came to take him; he knowing all things that ſhould come vntounto him; hee taketh not the flight, nor ſeeketh not to goe his way, as he might hauehave done, becauſe it was night: but hee commeth out vnſought, and beginneth the ſpeach, and ſaieth, Whome ſeeke yee? They not knowing him by face, anſwered, IESVS of Nazareth. He anſwered againe, not denying himſelfe, I am he: as he would ſay in plaine wordes, I am the man whom yee ſeeke, why ſeeke yee anie further? to let vsus ſee how wittingly, and willingly, how joyfullie, and gladly, and howe patiently hee offereth himſelfe vntounto death for our ſinnes. Now he hath no ſooner ſpoken this one worde, I am he, which is a gentle worde, but aſſoone they ſtart backwardes, and fall to the grounde: whereby the Lord woulde teſtifie vntounto them, that they had no power to take his life from him, as hee ſaid before himſelfe, he had both his life, and his death in his owne handes, all the power in heauen and in earth was not able to cauſe him to die, if he had pleaſed to hauehave liued.
But to come to this Text: When hee hath ſtrucken them to the ground, they leaue not off: but when they are riſen, they are as bent as they were before. It is a marueilous thing, for if it had beene his will, hee might not onelyonly hauehave ſtrucken them to the grounde, but hee might hauehave ſtrucken them thorow the earth, into hell: yet he letteth them riſe againe: but they are all ſenſeleſſe of that diuine power, wherewith they are ſtrucken. The Lord beginneth the ſpeach, and he ſaith, Whom ſeeke ye? They anſwere, not knowing him, IESVS of Nazareth. He replieth againe, I ſaid vntounto you, that I am hee: hee denieth not himſelfe, but in a manner prouoketh them to diſpatch that buſineſſe which they were about: yet he entereth into a condition with them, Take not theſe that are with mee, ſtirre not my Diſciples: he giueth them a charge that they ſtirre them not: and indeed none of that whole companie had anie power to lift vp their hand againſt them. The words are plaine: ye may eaſily perceiue the note that riſeth of this: It is a marueilous thing, that a naked and a ſimple man, (who was baſer than the King of Glorie was in the earth?) a man naked without armour: hee is ſtanding before them, who are like as many Tyrants, or tygers, and yet none of them had power to lay handes vponupon him, till hee giuegive them power: and more, hee will not let them ſtirre him, till hee make a condition with them, That they handle not his diſciples: He imponeth lawes vntounto them, and without this law, that they meddle not with his Diſciples, he will not yeelde himſelfe vntounto them. So, Brethren, this is to let you ſee firſt that diuine power which was in the Lord Ieſus: Beholde it, for it is a comfortable thing for Chriſtians, to knowe that diuine power that is in Ieſus Chriſt: for although hee neuer touched one of them, yet that diuine power did ſo binde faſt their hands, and ſo reſtrained that pride of their heartes, that they had no power once to moue againſt him. Next, behold a miſerable ſenſeleſſeneſſe in them; for it is a wonderfull thing, that they cannot perceiue nor feele this power that was in him. If they had had anie ſight of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily, would they not hauehave ceaſſed from ſuch a wicked enterpriſe? Brethren, it is an hard matter for any man or woman once to bee giuen ouer vntounto a reprobate ſenſe, and to be ſtrucken with blindneſſe and hardneſſe of heart: And if God in his juſt judgement giuegive thee to blindneſſe and hardneſſe of ſoule, albeit hee woulde make judgement after judgement to ceaſſe vponupon thee, and albeit he would ſtrike thee and beate thee vponupon thy backe, thou wilt not bee the better: but thou wilt get vp againe, like a drunken man: and if thou bee once giuen ouer to thine owne ſelfe, it is as ſure a thing as is in the worlde, that except the Lord let thee ſee with his power a ſight of mercy, thou ſhalt euer become worſe and worſe: and except the face of Ieſus ſhine into thy ſoule, all afflictions ſhall harden thee like yron, that is often ſtrucken vponupon: and the greater the afflictions bee, except that mercy ſhine into thine heart, thou wilt bee the more indured. Paul ſaieth, When the heart is conuerted to the Lord, the vaile is taken away, 2. Corinth. 3.16. Without conuerſion of the heart to the face of IESVS, that that mercifull face may ſhine into the heart, all the thinges in the world will not be able to mollifie thine heart: Therefore, whenſoeuer the Lord afflicteth thee, pray for mercy, that as the power ſtriketh thee, ſo the merciemercy may be powerfull to conuert thee: Yea, crie aye for the mercy, or elſe the power ſhall worke a further induration in thee, and make thee worſe.
To goe forward: Yee ſee how carefull He is of his diſciples: men would thinke, that He being ſo hard ſtraited, & ſo neare the death, ſhould hauehave forgotten his Diſciples: for this is our faſhion, but the Lord doeth not ſo. And Brethren, this is a true note and token of a true Shepheard: hee will forget himſelfe, and his life, and hee will remember his flocke: and when he is adying, hee will be carefull of his flocke: and when the Wolfe is worrying him, yet hee will doe what lyeth in him, that his flocke, and eueryevery ſheepe thereof, may eſcape: and he will giuegive his life for the ſafetie of his flocke. This is a good paſtor. So wee ſee the viue image of a faithfull Paſtor, in the Lord Ieſus: he will giuegive his life for his ſheepe, as hee ſaith himſelfe, Hee is but an hyreling, that will not for the louelove of his ſheepe laye downe his life. And this is the thing that I note chiefely here: When the Lord becommeth weake in himſelfe, thorow infirmitie, yea, voluntarie infirmitie (hee needed not to bee infirme: what need had the God of glorie to bee infirme?) hee ſuffereth himſelfe to bee bound till he become infirme. In the meane time he is ſtrong and powerfull in his Diſciples to their ſafetie: for although theſe that were in the Garden would neuer ſo faine, yet they could not gette their hands laide vponupon his Diſciples. The Lord Ieſus, when he was hanging vponupon the Croſſe, the Iewes ſcorned him, and tauntinglie ſaide vntounto him, Thou who ſauedst others, come downe and ſaue thy ſelfe: meaning he could not ſaue himſelf, becauſe he was crucified, as if he had no power: but they are deceiued, for that ſame houre that the Lord was vponupon the Croſſe, and that ſame verie time that thorowe infirmitie he died, and when he was hanging dead vponupon the Croſſe, that power went out from him that kept his D…ſciples, and all the faithfull in the worlde: For except that the Lord had kept them then when he was hanging dead, they had beene a preye to the Deuill. For this is our nature and infirmitie, wee cannot ſtand a moment in this world, except it be by the power of Ieſus Chriſt.
Well then, Brethren, if Chriſt Ieſus crucified, and crucified (as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, 2. Cor. 13.4.) thorow infirmitie, and ſo weake in himſelfe in his humane nature, had ſo great a power to ſaue his Church, what ſhall wee ſay then? What a power is that which proceedeth from Ieſus Chriſt glorified? and commeth downe nowe from the Heauen, and who liueth nowe (as the Apoſtle ſayeth there) by the power of GOD, and liueth nowe in glorie at the right hande of the Father. How great a power muſt this bee, that proceedeth out from Chriſt glorified! Alas, if the worlde ſaw this, if the blinde men ſaw the thouſand part of that terrible power that commeth from Ieſus Chriſt glorified, thinke ye, that for all the world, they durſt confederate with the King of Spaine, the Pope, and his power, and enterpriſe anie thing againſt Chriſt and his Church: but, alas, this blindneſſe and induration letteth them not ſee nor feele, but in the ende they ſhall feele it (if the Lord in merciemercy conuert them not) to their euerlaſting ſhame & confuſion.
Well, to goe forward, IOHN to this purpoſe alleadgeth an olde prophecie which was prophecied before of Ieſus Chriſt long before hee came into the world; and this is the prophecie: Of them which thou gaueſt me, hauehave I loſt none. Nowe Iohn draweth this prophecie to the preſeruation of Chriſtes diſciples at this time, becauſe the diſciples that were concredite vntounto him, eſcaped at this time. Marke, Brethren, It is true indeed, that the prophecie properly is to be vnderſtood, not ſo much of a ſafetie in this life preſently, as of a ſpirituall ſafetie to life euerlaſting: this is the meaning: Yet it hath pleaſed the Spirit of God, to apply this prophecie to this bodily preſeruation: the cauſe is this, At this time the bodily ſafetie of his diſciples, importeth that ſpirituall ſafetie & the life to come: as by the contrarie, the indangering of the preſent life, indangered the life to come. If the diſciples had bene taken at this time, to hauehave ſuffered with their Maſter, they had all reuolted and denied their Maſter: Wee may ſee the proofe of this in Peter, and ſo they had hazarded not onelyonly this life, but alſo the life to come, becauſe that the diſciples were as yet but children in Ieſus Chriſt, and were not ſtrengthened enough with the power of Chriſt: and woe is to that ſoule that will denie Ieſus Chriſt, and chiefly in death. There is not one who will ſuffer their litle finger only to be burnt for the cauſe of Chriſt, except he be ſtrengthened with the power of Ieſus Chriſt, and there is not one that will now ſuffer affliction but they who are guarded with the power of God, and therefore yee ſee heere Gods merciemercy towardes his diſciples. This is the mercifull dealing of God with his owne, hee will neuer let one of his owne bee tempted, but hee will giuegive them power to beare out the temptation, and Hee will neuer ſuffer them to be tempted, till He giuegive them abilitie: and when Hee hath giuen them ſtrength, then the LORD will lay on the burthen. It is a wonderfull thing, the heauier the burthen be, that the Lord layes on his owne, the greater ſtrength Hee giues them to ſuſtaine it. The world hath wondered at the Martyres of God, who had ſo great comfort in the time of their burning in the fire, and how in ſuffering they would ſing Pſalmes vntounto their latter breath. The world wondereth at this: The heauier that the death hath bene, the greater hath the power of God bene, and the greater hath the life of Ieſus beene in the Martyres. And theſe diſciples whom he ſpared now, when He ſaw that they were ripe, Spared He them then? No, no, what was the whole lifetime of the diſciples, after that Chriſt departed out of this world, but a perpetuall ſuffering, till the life was taken from them, they died all by perſecution, and then by the loſſing of this life, they got life euerlaſting, in dying they died not, but in dying they entered into a more glorious life: So this is that mercifull power of God. It appeares that in this countrey there is litle ripeneſſe, becauſe of this litle ſuffering: and therefore the Lord hath dealt mercifully with vsus, and in great merciemercy hath holden mens handes off vsus: therefore wee ſhould pray, if it ſhall pleaſe him to bring any to the triall, to ſuffer for his glorious Names ſake, Lord, I am not able to behold the ſight of the fire, much leſſe to ſuffer the crueltie of the fire: therefore if thou wilt hauehave mee to ſuffer, giuegive me ſtrength whereby I may bee able to ſuffer. Now I goe to Peters part: he ſetteth downe his action, & certainly, it is worth nothing, albeit it ſeemeth to bee verie zealous. What doeth hee? hee hath a ſword about him, & he ſeeing them ruſh on his Maſter, ſhevveth his manhood. And he ſtriketh the ſeruant of the high Priest, whoſe name was Malchus, and he cut off his right eare. The reſt of the Euangeliſts, Mat, 26. Marke 14. Luke 22) ſpeake of ſome thing that was done before this: When the Lord was communing vvith them that tooke Him, then comes the traitour Iudas to the Lord, and cryes, Rabbi, Rabbi, Maſter, Maſter, & with that he kiſſeth Him: now this was a ſigne that hee had giuen vntounto his companie, that that man whome hee ſhould kiſſe, was the man that they ſhould take. Now what doth the Lord, He makes no ſigne of anger, and there is none of vsus, but wee thinke that He ſhould hauehave vttered great anger to the traitour (fie on thee, traitour, for of all men he is moſt deteſtable) but the Lord in mildnes & meeknes of Spirit (for all this whole time He takes purpoſe to ſuffer patiently: as Eſay ſayeth: Hee was as a Lambe before the ſhearer, & as a ſheepe led to the ſlaughter, & openeth not his mouth) He ſayes, friend, betrayeſt thou the Sonne of man with a kiſſe, He aſſayeth if the conſcience will bee brought to remorſe: There is a wonderfull patience of God to the moſt vile ſinner, & whē he hath giuen them a ſigne, the whole companie rusſhed vponupon Him. Then the diſciples ſaid, Maſter, ſhal we defend thee by the ſword, but Peter not ſtaying vpō an anſwere, he was hardie, & ſtriketh off the eare of Malchus the high Prieſts ſeruant. Nowe, Brethren, albeit that this Malchus the high Prieſts ſeruant, deſerued, that not only his eare ſhould be cut off, but alſo that the head & the life ſhould be taken from him (for he was in a very euill action: indeed he was cled with authority, but with an euill authoritie: if thou hadſt the authoritie of all the kings in the world, it wil neuer excuſe thee before God, if thou ſhouldeſt get a ſubſcriptiō to do euil againſt an innocent man, the Lord ſhall not alow thee, but His judgmēt ſhal ouertake thee) & whether Peter did this of zeale, for no doubt he loued his Maſter exceeding well, & he would hauehave had his Maſter out of his hands: yet for all this, the Lordes owne wordes teſtifie, that this fact of Peter is to be condemned. If ye will examine the zeale, it is a very prepoſterous and vnskilfull zeale: the zeale is nothing worth if a man go beyond the boundes of his calling. What was Peter but a priuate man, & this cōpany being ſent by the Magiſtrats & ſuperior power, Peter ought not to hauehave reſiſted them, & to recompenſe this injurie by reaſon of his calling, albeit it was the greateſt injurie that euer was done in the world. Then the words of Chriſt doe declare, that he did it of blindneſſe: for hee did that lay in him, to ſtay the worke of the redemption of the world, hee tooke no heede to his hand. Now to marke ſomething: There is nothing more common to men, than this, to cloake their actions with the pretence of zeale, & he or ſhe will ſay, I did it of zeale, but the Spirit of God in this place, (and marke it) letteth thee ſee, if thy zeale be a naked zeale, & if it go beyond the bounds of thy calling, albeit it be in a good cauſe, yet thy zeale is worth nothing: if thy zeale be with ignorance, & if thou haſt not the warrand of this worde, thy zeale is of no value, it will not warrand thine action: if yee would hauehave ſurer rules of actions nor zeale is, take heede to th…ſe two thinges: Firſt, to thy calling: Looke that thou go not beyond the bounds of thy calling. Shalt thou that art a priuate man, ſtrike with a ſworde? Is that thy calling? Then next, to Gods word: What auaileth it vntounto a man to goe forward in blindneſſe? if he be not illuminate with the light of God, it is but a blinde zeale: and if thou wouldeſt hauehave thine actions well ruled, then take that lanterne of the word going before thee, to warrand thy conſcience in all thy proceedings: for of all graces this is one of the greateſt, to hauehave the worde of God thy warrand in all thine actions. As for zeale, I caſt it not awaye, (it is ouer rare to be caſten away) for it is a ſpeciall grace of God: but take heede, if thou wouldeſt hauehave zeale, looke that it be moderate, and paſſe not the boundes of thy calling: and then looke that thou hauehave a warrande of the word of God: looke that the eye of thy ſoule bee illuminate: Ioyne theſe two together, and then goe forwards to the worke of the Lord. Certainly▪ experience hath taught vsus▪ that this zeale hath had an euill ſucceſſe: no man by this zeale did euer get commendation of God. It may be, that men will runne forwards raſhly in zeale, and will hauehave a good entrie: but the ende will tell thee, that it was but fooliſh hardineſſe, & it will forthinke them. And no doubt, Peter, when hee got this anſwere of his Maſter, he repented. No man hath neede to finde fault with men of this age: for there are few Peters nowe adayes: where yee ſhall finde one like Peter, who hath zeale, ye ſhall find ten, who hauehave none. The zeale of God is awaye, that did eate vp the heartes of the men of God of old. Then againe, ye ſhall ſee in this fact of Peters, Peter was a good man, and one who loued Ieſus Chriſt very well, and hee was loath to leaue Him: and when as the Lord ſaid to His diſciples, Will yee depart alſo from mee? Peter anſwered, and ſaieth: LORD, Whither ſhall wee goe? thou hast the wordes of life: hee was verie loath to depart from Him: And this action alſo which hee hath in hand, is a good action & in the defence of Chriſt. Yet for all this, in this good action, and in the cauſe of God, ſee how hee is miſcarried, & the Lord findeth fault with him. Well, this is our nature, that when we would doe the worke of the Lord, our corruption defileth it, and oftentimes in doing it we will ſinne, and we will blot it with ſome foule blotte. And Peter doing this, with ſome prepoſterous zeale, he is not allowed: for an vncleane man, as hee is vncleane, ſo hee ſhall make the worke of the Lord vncleane. So the chiefe thing that a man ſhould be exerciſed withall, is prayer, that ye Lord would ſanctifie the perſon, that the worke that ye Lord hath employed him in may be holily done: and marke againe, the greateſt default that was in Peter, was his too great zeale. We need not to be afraide for this in this lande: Nay, we may be afraide for default of it that the worke of the Lord ſhould periſh, and wee are to pray, that the King, and thoſe whom he hath employed in this worke may hauehave an vpright heart, and ſuch an heart, as Dauid and good Ezechias had, an heart louing God, and hating Gods enemies, I would not doubt then, but the worke in his hande ſhould take a good end, and hee ſhould report honour and glorie. Now the Lord ſeeing what Peter did, Hee forbiddeth him, and ſheweth a greater anger againſt him, than againſt Iudas: Hee ſpake not ſo angrylie againſt Iudas, or any of them that purſued Him, as Hee did to Peter, and He ſayeth: Put vp thy ſword into the ſheath: and then he ſubjoyneth the reaſon: Shall I not drinke of the cuppe that my Father hath giuen me, Thou doeſt what lieth in thee, to holde off the cuppe, I will drinke of the cuppe that my Father hath giuen me, of neceſſitie I muſt drinke it: for it was preordinate before all times, that I ſhould drinke it: and ſeeing it is ſo, I will drinke it. Shall any thing be injoyned to vsus to doe of neceſſitie, and ſhall we not doe it willingly: The Father hath propined vntounto mee a bitter cuppe of affliction, and I ſhall drinke it out, dregges and all. Matthew in his 26. Chapter, giueth mo reaſons, wherefore the Lord diſallowed Peter, and this is one: Hee who ſtrikes with the ſword at his owne hande, whom the Lord hath not armed to ſtrike, he ſhall be ſtrucken with the ſword. It is a dangerous matter to ſlay, if the Lord put not the ſword into thine hand: then he giues another reaſon, will I be defended with the arme of man: No, if I would pray to my Father, Hee would ſend me twelue legions of Angels: and laſtly, ſayeth He, Shall not the Scripture bee accompliſhed of mee, Shall I make the worde of the Lord falſe, which hath foretolde of my ſuffering: and therefore ſtay thy raſhnes. And note what Luke ſayeth in his 22. Chapter, verſe 51, He takes vp the eare, and puts it on againe: Ye may ſee here, that the Lord will hauehave no man hurt in his taking, the Lord will hauehave no vnjuſt defence, Ieſus Chriſt will not bee defended with vnlawfull meanes, He will not bee defended with Peters ſword: for he had no power giuen him of the Lord, for to ſtrike, He will not hauehave injurie repreſſed with injurie: Nay, He will not hauehave the man that hath the juſt cauſe to repreſſe an authoritie. This guarde came from the authoritie, from the Romane empire, and Chriſt will not hauehave Peter a priuate man, to meddle with the ſuperiour power▪ He will not hauehave him to defend Him againſt the authoritie. It is a dangerous thing to reſiſt authoritie, albeit it be vnlawfully vſed, & chiefly, a priuate man: and albeit that the authoritie had done wrong, yet a man who hath not authoritie, ſhould not repreſſe the injurie done by the authoritie, the Lord will not allow it, the Lord will not hauehave injurie repayed by an injurie. Well then, if the Lord will not hauehave a wrong defence againſt injuries, Hee will not hauehave a wrong to meete a wrong. What damnation lyes on theſe men, who do an injurie, & doe delight to oppreſſe the innocent. If Peter got ſuch a reproofe for the defence of Chriſt, againſt his enemies: What damnation ſhall theſe murtherers get, who oppreſſe the innocent man, the damnation of theſe men ſhall bee great: I denounce an heauie damnation againſt thee: Let the King, the Magiſtrates, and all the world winke at thee, the hand of the Lord ſhall light on thee, this ſhall be thy recompenſe. Thou who takeſt pleaſure in oppreſſion, ſhalt be oppreſſed▪ the Lord ſhall thruſt downe thine head, and bloodie hand, & ſhall preſſe thee downe for euer: the Lord ſaue vsus from this judgement: woe to them that oppreſſe their neighbour either in word or deede. Now to goe forward: Shall I not drinke of the cuppe that my Father hath giuen me: By the cuppe is vnderſtood a meaſure of affliction, that the Lord will lay on any man: as a cuppe is a meaſure, ſo the Lord hath a meaſure of affliction to lay on his owne: as the Maſter of a familie hath a cuppe & drinketh to his familie, & ſayes, Drinke thou this, & drinke thou that: euen ſo, the Lord is the Maſter of this world, & He will fill the cuppe of affliction, & He will ſay, Drinke thou this, & drinke thou that: & if He propine thee a cup, He will cauſe thee drinke it: all the world cannot ſaue thee, but if the Lord bid thee doe it, thou muſt drinke it, He hath commandement ouer his creatures, & good reaſon that we doe His will, either to liue or die as He pleaſeth: if the Lord propine thee with a cup of affliction, if thou drinke it not willingly (heere is the danger) thou ſhalt bee compelled to drinke the dregs thereof, to thy deſtruction. Woe is to the ſoule that will in no meaſure lay down his necke to that burthen: but againe if thou take that cuppe gladly, as the Lord Ieſus did (He dranke the dregs of the bitter cuppe of the wrath of the Father: yea, Hee receiued it gladly, and thanked Him for it) albeit thou hadſt bitterneſſe in the beginning, yet in the end thou ſhalt finde joy and ſweetneſſe. What followed on that cuppe? Glorie: the more that thou ſuffereſt, if it be patiently, the greater glorie ſhall be to thee. Then ſeeing that we muſt alſo ſuffer in this world: for it is nothing but a ſuffering life (& woe is to thee, that wilt make thy heauen into this world, thou needeſt not to looke for an heauen in the world to come,) What euer wee ſuffer, let vsus ſtriue againſt our rebellious nature (for it is full of rebellion) and ſtriue to get patience, and ſay, Lord, I hauehave no patience in mine hand, Lord giuegive me patience & contentment, let this be our prayer in diſtreſſe, and they who will ſeeke this, I will promiſe them, the moſt glorious iſſue that euer was, the bitterneſſe of the affliction ſhall not ſtay that glorie. In this world we are all as it were on a Skaffold to trie our faith, & to trie our patience, that afterward all our afflictions may be turned in joy & glorie, & all the teares that will guſh out of thine eyes, the Lord with his hand ſhal wipe them away (wilt thou awaite to ſee this end) & thou ſhalt neuer againe ſee dolour nor diſpleaſure. Now remaineth one thing of the taking of the Lord, then ſayeth he, Then the band and the captaine, and the officers of the Iewes tooke Jeſus and bound him, He gaue them good leaue, or els they could neuer hauehave bound Him: but will yee marke how particularly they are named that tooke Him: there is the band of the men of warre, and the captaine, and the ſeruants, to let you ſee, that there was no man that was there, and was partaker of that doing, but the eye of God was on him & the holy Spirit recounteth them. Beware euer to be in euill companie, if there were neuer ſo many in that companie: yea, if there were ten thouſand with thee, the Lord ſhall ſee thee, and judge thee, whether thou be a Captaine, or a ſingle ſouldier, or a gudget, beware to bee in euill companie, Say not, I am not a principall man, but a ſeruant, I muſt obey the authoritie, and I muſt followe my Captaine: No, that ſhall bee no warrand to thee, for if thou ſhalt be in euill companie, the eye of the LORD ſhall bee vponupon thee, to judge thee, let none of theſe worldly excuſes moue thee, but ſay, Lord, thou ſeeſt whither I go, & with whom I come, & what I come to do, or els thy cōſcience ſhal terrifie thee, whether thou be higheſt or loweſt in doing an ill fact, the iudgement of the Lord ſhall fall on thee. Now to come to his taking, the Lord is taken willingly, & reſiſtes not, & whē they boūd him, he put out his hands to be boūd: looke how he pointes out the ſuffering of Chriſt, Firſt, he ſayes he was taken, & then he was bound: thinke ye this is for no purpoſe There is not a worde or a ſillabe loſt here: the taking of the Lord, and the laying handes on him, was for our cauſe, who lying vnderunder ſinne, the deuill, and death, and this taking recounters, and meetes our taking by the deuill, and death: EueryEvery thing in Him and His ſuffering behoued to meete vsus, and our ſuffering, Hee that ſhould redeeme vsus, as wee were taken: ſo it behooued Him to be taken, and as wee were bound, ſo it behooued Him to be bound, and if His taking and binding had not anſwered to our taking and binding, Hee had not beene a meete redeemer for vsus, and if he had not beene bound as we were, we had not beene deliuered from the bands of ſinne, albeit it is hard to Him, yet to the ſinner it is joyfull, and if thou findeſt thine handes bound hard: thus the Lord Ieſus was a captiue bound for thee, it would bee the joyfulleſt tithings to thee that euer was. Who is he, or ſhee that feele the bandes of death and damnation, but this will bee joyfull tithings to them, & becauſe we feele not this, when we heare word of His taking, we take litle thought of it, and are ſo litle mooued therewith. Therefore, Brethren, I recommend this leſſon to you, and my ſelfe, ſeeing we are all ſinners, lying vnderunder ſinne, and death, that we ſtriue to bee found in Ieſus, that by faith in Him, wee may finde his pasſion, and all the partes thereof to be forcible and effectuall to freee and deliuer vsus from the bandes of ſinne and death, and ſo may be made partakers of life and glorie, through Him. To whom with the Father, and the holy Spirit, be all honour, praiſe and glorie. AMEN.