The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 3
THE THIRD LECTVRE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
IHON CHAP. XVIII.
verse 13 And led him away to Annas firſt (for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was the high Prieſt that ſame yeere.) verse 14 And Caiaphas was he, that gaue counſell to the Iewes, that it was expedient, that one man ſhould die for the people. verse 15 Nowe Simon Peter followed IESVS, and another Diſciple, and that Diſciple was knowne of the high Prieſt: therefore he went in with IESVS into the Hall of the high Prieſt: verse 16 But Peter ſtood at the doore without. Then went out the other Diſciple, which was knowne vntounto the high Prieſt, and ſpake to her that kept the doore, & brought in Peter. verse 17 Then ſaid the maid that kept the doore vntounto Peter, Art not thou alſo one of this mans Diſciples? Hee ſaide, I am not. verse 18 And the ſeruants and officers ſtood there, who had made a fire of coles: for it was colde, and they warmed themſelues: And Peter alſo ſtood among them, and warmed himſelfe.
WEE hauehave heard (Brethren) the firſt part of the ſuffering of Chriſt, vvhichwhich vvas in the Garden, by the Brooke Cedron, into the vvhichwhich the Lord, as he vvas accuſtomed, entered, vvith His Diſciples. In this Garden, after that a cōmuning paſſed betwixt Him and them that came to take Him, the Lord Ieſus is taken, and bound. This is that outward ſuffering in the Garden, beſides the inward agonie in the ſoule vvith the vvrath of the Father, for our ſinnes, vvhichwhich Hee did beare.
Nowe, Brethren, to paſſe by all thinges vvhichwhich vvee hauehave alreadie ſpoken, vvee enter into the ſecond part of His ſuffering, vvhichwhich vvas in the Hall of the High Prieſt Caiaphas. It is ſaide, vvhen Hee is taken and bound, they leade Him away, firſt to the houſe of Annas, who was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was high Prieſt for that yeere. The reſt of the Euangeliſtes, before they come to his part, they report ſome thinges done before: and namely, they make mention of a gentle reproofe which the Lord gaue to theſe that tooke Him, & handled Him ſo roughly, being the juſteſt man in the world, He ſaies, What needeth all this, that ye ſhould come out againſt me, as a thiefe and an enemie? Might yee not hauehave had me daylie whileſt I was teaching in your Temple in Hieruſalem? for I auowed my doctrine before the world. Then He aduiſeth Himſelfe, and ſaies, Whereto ſhoulde I ſpeake this? this is your houre, and this is the time that the Father hath granted to you to worke the worke of darkneſſe for a time, and as the Lord hath ordained, ſo it muſt be. But ſay what He would ſay, the miſerable creatures are ſo blinded, that they goe on furiouſly againſt the Lord. Another thing likewiſe they report: In the meane time that they were binding the Lord, the diſciples are ſcattered and fled. Another thing alſo, (Marke 14.51.52.) whileſt they were leading Him to Hieruſalem, there followed a young man, clothed with linnen vponupon his bare bodie: and certaine of the young men followed him, and ſought to hauehave caught him, but hee left his linnen cloth, and fledde from them naked. This ſeemeth to hauehave bene one, who in the night being in his b…d, and hearing a noyſe and a dinne, commeth haſtily to ſee what it was. Ye ſee here the inſolencie of theſe men who will run vponupon the Lord, they will take all the worlde if they might: they ſpare none. Now to come to our matter: They leade the Lord Ieſus to Hieruſalem, & they bring Him firſt to the houſe of Annas, becauſe perchance it was the firſt houſe in the way that they came to, that was an houſe of eſtimation: and again, becauſe Annas was father-in-law to Caiaphas, who was High Prieſt that yeere, & they woulde gratifie him to ſee this miſerable ſpectacle, for he was a wicked man: Woe is them that delite to ſee the bands of Ieſus Chriſt. They led Him before ye world to an open ſpectacle, after they had once caught Him. In theſe words (to ſpeake this by the way) ye may marke & perceiue a great corruption at this time in the Church of ye Iewes: for before the comming of Chriſt, immediatly all the eſtates of Churches and commō weales were confuſed & troubled: and the eſtate of ye High Prieſt being a moſt notable eſtate among them, was corrupted. By ye law of God it was appointed, that only one High Prieſt ſhould bee at once, & he all his dayes ſhould brooke it: yet ſuch was ye corruptiō then, that they choſe moe high prieſts together: & eueryevery one of theſe ſerued their courſe about in the office: & this was yt yere that Caiaphas ſerued: but it had bene better for him he had neuer ſerued: for in his time ye moſte miſchieuous fact was done that euer was in the world, to wit, ye crucifying of Ieſus Chriſt, ye God of glory. So it was not for his good ye he ſerued. I might tell you moe corruptions in the hie prieſthood amōg thē: the high prieſt was wont to be choſē by the people, & by the mouth of God: this power was takē frō them, & giuē to Ethnick princes, & preſidents that ruled the people, they choſe thē. And thē the high prieſts were wont to be choſē of the tribe of Leui, & poſterity of Aaron only: but then any man was takē in by bribery, it was bought & ſold: & whē they would ſhoot in one, they would ſhoot out another: this was the cōfuſiō of the hie prieſts eſtate immediatly before Chriſt came. There is nothing mentioned what vvas done vvith Ieſus in the houſe of Annas: they tooke Him in here to driue ouer a piece of time, till Caiaphas ſhould gather his coūſell, before vvhō Ieſus vvas to be accuſed: & it appeares here, that there He vvas bound more ſtraitly than before: Annas ſends Him to Caiaphas his ſon-in-law, ſtraiter bound than He vvas in the garden. It is marked vvhat Caiaphas was, not to his praiſe, but to his ſhame, This Caiaphas was he that gaue counſell, that one ſhould die for the people: ye heard of this in the 11. Chap. and 49. verſ. This vvas both a propheſie and a counſell. When the Scribes & Phariſes vvere in doubt vvhat to doe vvith Chriſt, hee ſaies, It is expedient that one ſhould die for the people. In giuing counſell, the Lord guides the foule tongue of him, as He did Balaams tongue: for vvhen Balaam vvas purpoſed to curſe Gods people, the Lord made him to bleſſe them: Euen ſo the Lord vſed the tongue of Caiaphas: hee ſhall neuer hauehave commendation of that propheſie: hee was ſeeking the blood of Ieſus Chriſt: yet the Lord ruled the tongue of him to propheſie of that which came to paſſe. But whereto is this repeated here, that Caiaphas gaue them counſell? Theſe words are not in vaine: Iohn would let vsus ſee by this deſcription, that they who tooke the Lord, they brought Him to the greateſt enemy He had, to him that gaue coūſell that He ſhuld die: all mē would hauehave their counſels put in execution: & namely, a wicked mā, if he giuegive coūſell, he wold gladly hauehave it put in executiō, albeit it were neuer ſo wicked, if he ſhuld do it himſelf, he had rather hang himſelfe than it went backe, as ye may ſee in Achitophell. Iohn, the writer of this hiſtorie, leaues Chriſt, and hee returnes to Peter, and makes rehearſall of a thing that befell to Peter in the meane time, of that foule fall of Peter, vvho boaſted ſo faſt of his ſtrength, to bee an example to the vvhole poſteritie neuer to truſt in the power of man: he got a vvorſe fall thā any of the reſt of the diſciples: for he denied the Lord vvith an execration, the reſt fled only. In this fact of Peters, vve hauehave firſt, how he tempts God: then next, becauſe he tempted the Lord, the Lord tempts him againe: he who tempts God, God will tempt him: thirdly, we hauehave the foule deniall of Peter by a light temptation. Then Peter firſt tempts the Lord: for when as they led away the Lord to the Hall of the High Prieſt, there followed him Peter (albeit the Lord had fore-warned him of his weakeneſſe) but afarre off, as Matt. 26.58. Marke 14.54. and Luke 22.54. doe note, and another diſciple. What this diſciple was, his name is not mentioned: ſome thinke it was Iohn, for Iohn, when hee ſpeakes of himſelfe, he vſes cōmonly to ſuppreſſe his name, as ye ſee often in this book. Others think it was not Iohn, nor any of the twelue: but ſome other godly man, who loued the Lord Ieſus well, to ſee what iſſue ſhould follow vponupon that taking; and this is more prooueable: for I thinke Iohn had not ſuch an acquaintance and court with the High Prieſt▪ being but a ſimple mā, a poore fiſher, namely, a diſciple of Ieſus Chriſt: but whoſoeuer it was▪ it is not much to the purpoſe. When they come to Caiaphas Hall, the Lord is taken in: amongſt the reſt, this other diſciple getteth in, becauſe (ſaies Iohn) he was knowne to the High Priest. As for Peter, becauſe he was not knowne, hee ſtandes at the doore, which was ſtraitly kept at this time. The other diſciple pitties Peters caſe and eſtate, (but it was a prepoſterous pittie) And hee entreateth the doore-keeper to let in Peter. Take heede to friendſhip: and looke that in pleaſuring thy friende, thou bee not an inſtrument of his deſtruction. Nowe Peter commeth in, and warmeth himſelfe amongſt the reſt. This for Peters tempting of GOD: Nowe let vsus examine heere what is commendable, and what is not. Indeede, there is no man that will not like of this louelove which Peter did beare towardes his Maſter CHRIST IESVS, and of this zeale, and of this his vnwillingneſſe to depart from his Maſter: for hee loued Him ſo well, that hee would followe Him to the death: and would to God in this cold age, there were but a piece of this zeale in vsus, that Peter had: wee hauehave no zeale: and if it were but this incōſideratiue zeale, yet it is better to hauehave it, than no zeale. So this louelove is cōmendable: for albeit he did wel to louelove his maſter, yet he faileth in this, that in receiuing aduertiſement out of the mouth of the Lord, that he was not able to ſuffer for Him, yet he would go forward: & when Ieſus ſaid to His takers, If ye ſeeke me, let theſe goe their way, Peter might hauehave perceiued by this, that he was not able to ſuffer, hee might hauehave retired to ſome priuate place with prayer & mourning, but he would ſtep forward, & would not accept of that, that the Lord ſaid to him, thou art not able: ſo he falleth here very farre. We all hauehave our leſſon here, the day of our trial may come: let vsus therefore euer hauehave our eye on the will of God, & that which He will hauehave thee to doe, that doe thou, & what the Lord requireth not of vsus, that doe not. Thou canſt doe nothing better than this, to take vp thy Croſſe, and to followe Chriſt: but if the Lord bid thee not doe it, doe it not, if hee require not at thine hand that thou ſuffer, enter not to ſuffer, if he forewarne thee that thou art not able to ſuffer the fire, go thy way, ſtep aſide, and let it bee. But one will ſay, How can I get aduertiſement? Peter had the mouth of the Lord: how ſhall wee be aduertiſed by God, whether we ſhall offer our ſelues to the fire or not? Ieſus Chriſt is not amongſt vsus now face to face. I anſwere, The only way to know this▪ is this: Ere any man offer to put his hand to the Croſſe of Chriſt, look what he is able to beare: looke what ſtrength of God he hath: if thou wereſt like a Giant, thou wilt not beare the Croſſe of Chriſt, with mans ſtrength: if thou findeſt in triall yt thou haſt not ſtrength enough, take it for a warning from heauen, & draw thy ſelfe away to prayer & meditatiō, & then being furniſhed with ſtrength, come out and ſuffer, & then if thou haſt ſtrength, ſtep forward & ſuffer. Another fault in Peter, when he commeth to the doore of the high Prieſt, & finding it ſhut, yet hee ſtandeth, whereas by the ſhutting of the doore he was commanded to leaue off, at leaſt, to try whether the deede in hand was lawfull or no. It was by the prouidence of God, that the doore was ſhut: he got a warning there to leaue off, yet hee would not. Theſe impediments that are caſten in, when we are of purpoſe to effectuat or do any thing ſhould not be idlely looked on, but they ſhould make vsus to enter into a carefull and earneſt triall of that deede, to ſee whether it be lawfull or not: for nothing is without the prouidence of God: & when thou haſt conſidered the worke, & findeſt it a good worke conformable to Gods will, & that thou art able to doe it, then goe forward in deſpite of the Deuill, and the world; but if thou findeſt after triall otherwiſe, either that it is an euill vvorke, or elſe a good vvorke, and yet that thou art not able to doe it: then ſtaye, and leaue off: for if thou doeſt not, thou ſhalt thinke ſhame in the ende, as Peter did: Therefore, let no man looke lightlie to ſuch impediments as they ſhall finde to bee caſten in, in doing anie thing. Well, yee ſee Peters fall in theſe two poincts: Firſt, he will not receiue aduertiſment: Secondlie, hee will not goe from the doore, till he get in. Search the grounde of his doing, and ye ſhall ſee, that albeit Peter was a verie weake man, yet he ſaw not his owne infirmitie: and when he thought himſelfe ſtrong enough in his vaine conciet, he was blinded: hee ſaw not his owne infirmitie, & this is the ground of his fall. It was the ſtrength of fleſhe and blood that was in Peter, and an humane ſpirite, ſuch a courage as the Romane vvarriours had. This courage of fleſhe and blood will carry men a good piece forwarde in the cauſe of Chriſt, and will make them take vp and lift the croſſe on their ſhoulders, and to goe to the Hall of the High Prieſt, and to come to the fire: but there it leaueth them, for they will not put their hande to the fire: and in ende, this humane courage will leaue thee in the mire: for thou wilt neither die, nor put thine head vnderunder ye axe: therfore, if thou find boldnes in thee, look whether it be throw ye ſpirit of Ieſus Chriſt, or of manly courage: whether it be ſpiritual or humane: and if it be of man, thou ſhalt fal, and if it be of God, thou ſhalt know it. He who is ſtrong in Ieſus Chriſt▪ he is ſtrong in infirmitie: & he who hath greateſt faith in Ieſus Chriſt, he hath greateſt ſenſe & ſight of his own weaknes: & when he finds Chriſt liuing in him, he will find himſelfe dying in himſelfe: if thou find thy ſelfe nothing, thou haſt ſtrength in God: if thou take a conceite of thy ſelfe, & boaſt of thy power, thou haſt no power in Ieſus Chriſt. Our Lord ſaid to Paul, My grace may ſuffice thee only, for my power is made perfect thorow weakeneſſe. The Martyrs hauehave confeſſed in ye houre of death, that they had no ſtrength in themſelues, but that they were ſtrong in Chriſt: if thou hauehave ſtrength of thy ſelfe, & not of Chriſt, it ſhall leaue thee in the end. Now when Peter hath tempted God, God meeteth him, & tempts him againe: he commeth in, & who is ye inſtrument that the Lord vſeth to tempt him with? euen ſhe that would gratifie him to let him in: he bought his comming in too deare, with the deniall of his Maſter: And ſhe ſaith, Art not thou alſo one of this mans diſciples? Firſt marke this well, ye wil thinke this to be a light temptation. Who is the inſtrument that temptes him? who, but a ſillie damſell? if it had bene a man of war, or a man, it had bin thought he had had ſome occaſion to fall back. And what ſ…ies ſhe to him? not boaſtingly, Art thou one of this ſeducers ſeruants? but in ſimplicitie & gentlenes, Art thou one of this mans diſciples? So, whether we looke to the tempter, or to the temptation, it is very light: & therfore, the greater is his fall and ſhame: thou getteſt a foule ſhame, who for a light temptation falleſt abacke. Beholde howe the Lord will humble the vaine and proude confidence of man: Peter was too proude: & the Lord will raiſe vp the ſillieſt of all His creatures, to tempt that man that is proude. All this naturall boldnes is nothing but weaknes, & Hee will not encounter it with a great ſtrength, but with a ſillie inſtrument: that man may ſee, that his own ſtrēgth is nothing. Beſide the fall of the proude man, there is ſhame with it, that ſhall pearce the heart more, than the hurt, that it ſhould be ſmitten to the dirt with ſuch an inſtrument. He will not raiſe vp a champiō againſt thē, nor He will not enter Himſelf with thē, but He will ſtir vp a thing of nothing to beat downe carnall courage. She ſaies, Art thou a diſciple of this mans? He ſaies, I am not. Is this he, that bragges and ſaies, I will not leaue thee Lord, though al ſhould leaue thee? is this he that denies his maſter? By this example we hauehave a liuely image of the vaine pride and ſtrength of man. The Lord will cauſe a girle to caſt thee downe & it both: yea, the very ſhaking of a leafe, ſhall make thee tremble: and vaine fantaſies and imaginations ſhall terrifie thee, although there were nothing out with thee: for whoſoeuer hath a confidence in himſelfe, the Lord ſhall caſt ſuch terrours into his heart, as ſhall ouer-throw him. The terroures of his minde, though all the worlde ſhould let him be, ſhall trouble him, and caſt him downe, ſo that he ſhall get no reſt. Therefore, be neuer ſtrong in the power of man: for if thou hadſt all the worlde, yet the baſeſt thing in the worlde ſhall caſt thee downe. But he or ſhe, that would take vp the croſſe of Ieſus Chriſt, ſhould ſtriue to bee ſtrong in God, and care not howe weake thou art in thy ſelfe, for that ſtrength of God will hold thee vp. Paul ſaies to Timothie, Bee partaker of my affliction by the power of God: and ground thine afflictions vpō this power, for it is ye ſtrength which will holde thee vp: & this is the thing that will beare vp the croſſe thorow all temptations manfully to the end. In the next verſ. the Euangeliſt telleth where Peter is ſtanding, and ſetteth down the place, & a certaine occaſion of his temptation, He is ſtanding with a companie of the ſeruantes and officers of the Prieſtes and Phariſes, who had made a fire of Coles, for it was colde, & they warmed themſelues. And then the Maiden commeth vntounto him: hee was gone in too farre: for it is not good to enter ouer farre into the houſes of wicked men: neither is it good for thee to warme thy ſelfe in the companie of wicked men, nor yet to bee at their table: it were farre better for thee to abide the cold: for if thou accompanie thy ſelfe with them, & take pleaſure at their fire ſide, then a tempter ſhall come vntounto thee, either a Damſell, or a Boy: And therefore, let eueryevery man & woman beware, and as they woulde bee free from temptation, ſo let them eſchewe euill companie. Hee is well worthie to bee tempted, who knoweth his owne weaknes, & yet will not tarrie out of the companie of the wicked: And it is Gods juſt judgement, that our men make Apoſtaſie, and come home foule Apoſtates, and Atheiſtes, who will not tarrie out of FRANCE, and SPAINE, vvhere all is full of temptation: It were better to ſit at home, and ſerue the LORD: for it is harde to knowe, if euer thou ſhalt get grace to take vp thy ſelfe, as PETER did. The reſt of the Euangeliſtes ſay, that PETER had ſcarce ſaid that, (when as the Cocke crew, euen as the Lord had fore-tolde him) but hee getteth the vvarning, that hee had made defection. Nowe after ſinne, there commeth commonly an induration and blindneſſe; and in ſinning the conſcience ſleepeth, yea, it ſleepeth ſo ſound, that vvhen it getteth aduertiſement, it cannot bee vvakened: but the third time it vvas vvakned: for PETER denied his Maſter once, twiſe, yea thriſe, but at length hee vvakeneth; and yet not ſo much for the crowing of the Cocke, as for the looke of his Maſter; vvhereof LVKE maketh mention, CHAP. XXII. VERS. 61. And PAVL ſaieth, When the heart ſhall bee turned vntounto the LORD, the vaile is taken away, 2. COR. CHAP. III. VERS. 16. This is my leſſon: When a man committeth ſinne, the conſcience vvill bee aſleepe, and vvill not bee vvakened: and this falleth not out in the vvicked onelie, but alſo in the godlie: Yee reade of DAVID, after he had committed adulterie, his conſcience ſleepeth ſtill; and after the adulterie, hee falleth out in murther, and yet hee is not vvakened, till the Prophet of the LORD came vntounto him. The longer that thy conſcience lieth ſtill in ſinne, the bitterer the vvakening vvill bee. A reprobate vvill get an harde vvakening, Iudas got a ſore vvakening, he vvas aſleepe vvhileſt hee kiſſed his Maſter, but vvhen hee vvakened, he hanged himſelfe. But the Lord dealeth otherwiſe vvith His owne, Hee vvill vvaken them in merciemercy: and in the heauieſt diſpleaſure, they ſhall hauehave the ſweeteſt joye: and in the greateſt aboundance of teares, the greateſt comfort.
Of all the thinges in the vvorlde, take beſt heede to the conſcience: for it is alwayes verie readie to fall aſleepe, and of all judgementes, a ſleeping conſcience is the greateſt: and therefore let vsus ſtriue night and daye to hauehave a waking conſcience, which may rounde in our eares, when vvee lay vsus downe at Euen, vvhat vvee hauehave done all the daye: if thou haſt done good, then thou mayeſt ſleepe vvith a ſound conſcience: but if thou haſt done euill, it is better a thouſand times, to vveepe vvith teares, and vvake in mourning, till thou findeſt thy ſelfe to be recōciled to God againe, than to ſleepe. We ſhould neuer let the conſcience ſleepe, but euer hold it vvaking, to tell vsus vvhen vve doe euill, that vve may hauehave dolour: & vvhē vve hauehave done vvell, vve may hauehave joy, through Ieſus Chriſt: To vvhome, vvith the Father, and the Holy Spirite, bee all Praiſe, Honour, and Glorie, for euermore: AMEN.