Looking Unto Jesus, Book 6 · Chapter 3 · Section 2
SECT. II. Of conſidering Jeſus in that reſpect.
2. LEt us conſider Jeſus, carrying on this great work of our ſalvation during his ſufferings and death.Zach. 12.10. Heb. 12.2. They ſhall look upon me whom they have pierced, ſaith the Prophet; (i.e.) they ſhall conſider me: and accordingly is the Apoſtle, looking unto Jeſus, or conſidering of Jeſus the Author and finiſher of our faith, who for the joy of our ſalvation ſet before him, endured the croſs, and deſpiſed the ſhame. Then indeed, and in that act is the duty brought in, it is good in all reſpects, and under all conſiderations to look unto Jeſus from firſt to laſt, but above all, this Text relates firſtly to the time of his ſufferings; and hence it is that Luke calls Chriſt's paſſion foreign, a theory or ſight; And all the people that came together to that ſight, Luke 23.48.—ſmote their breaſts and returned. Not but that every paſſage of Chriſt is a theory or ſight, worthy our looking on, or conſidering of; Chriſt in his Fathers purpoſe, and Chriſt in the promiſe, and Chriſt in performance, Chriſt in his birth, and Chriſt in his life, O how ſweet? what bleſſed objects are theſe to look upon? but above all conſider him (ſaith the Apoſtle) that endured ſuch contradiction of ſinners againſt himſelf. Heb. 12.3. Ver. 2.—Conſider him who for the joy that was ſet before him endured the croſs, and deſpiſed the ſhame; of all other parts, acts, or paſſages of Chriſt, the holy Ghoſt hath only honoured Chriſt's paſſion (his ſufferings and his death) with this name of theory, and ſight. Why ſurely this is the theory ever moſt commended to our view, and conſideration; O then let us look on this, conſider of this. As in this manner.—
1. Conſider him paſſing over the Brook Cedron; it ſignifies the wrath of God, and rage of men; the firſt ſtep of his paſſion is ſharp and ſore; he cannot enter the door, but firſt he muſt wade through cold waters on bare feet, nor muſt he only wade through them, but drink of them; through many tribulations muſt he go that will purchaſe ſouls, and through many tribulations muſt they go that will follow after him to the Kingdom of Glory.—Conſider him entring into the Garden of Gethſemane; in a garden Adam ſinned, and in this garden Chriſt muſt ſuffer, that the ſame place which was the neſt where ſin was hatched, might now be the child-bed of grace and mercy; into this garden no ſooner was he entred, but he began to be agonized; all his powers and paſſions within him were in conflict. Conſider O my ſoul how ſuddenly he is ſtruck into a ſtrange fear; never was man ſo afraid of the torments of hell, as Chriſt (ſtanding in our room) is of his Fathers wrath; fear is ſtill ſuitable to apprehenſion, and never man could ſo perfectly apprehend the cauſe of fear as Jeſus Chriſt; nor was he only afraid, but very heavy; My ſoul is exceeding ſorrowful, even unto death. His ſorrow was lethal and deadly, it melted his ſoul gradually as wax is melted with heat; it continued with him till his laſt gaſp, his heart was like wax burning all the time of his paſſion, and at laſt it melted in the midſt of his bowels. Pſal. 22.19. Mark 14.33.Nor was he only afraid and heavy, but he began to be ſore amazed; this ſignifies an univerſal ceſſation of all the faculties of the ſoul from their ſeveral functions, we uſually call it a conſternation, it is like a Clock ſtopped for the while from going, by ſome hand or other laid upon it; or if it was not wholly a ceſſation, yet was it at leaſt an expavefaction, ſuch a motion of the mind as whereby for the preſent he was diſinabled to mind any thing elſe, but the dreadful ſenſe of the wrath of God. O what an agony was this? O what a ſtrugling paſſion of mixed grief was this? what afflicting and conflicting affections under the ſight and ſenſe of eminent peril was in this agony? Luke 22.44.And being in an agony he prayed more earneſtly; thrice had he prayed, but now in his agony he prayed more earneſtly; O my Father if it be poſſible, let this cup paſs from me, nevertheleſs not as I will, but as thou wilt. Though I feel the ſoul of pain in the pain of my ſoul, yet there is divinity in me, which tells me there is a wage for ſin, and I will pay it all? O my Father ſith thou haſt bent thy bow, lo here an open breaſt, fix herein all thy ſhafts of fury, better I ſuffer for a while than that all believers ſhould be damned for ever; thy will is mine, lo I will bear the burthen of ſin, come and ſhoot here thy arrows of revenge. And thus as he prayed he ſweat,Luke 22.44. And is ſweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Oh what man or Angel can conceive the agony, the fear, the ſorrow, the amazement of that heart, that without all outward violence, meerly out of the extremity of his own paſſion, bled through the fleſh and skin, not ſome faint dew, but ſolid drops of blood? now is he crucified without a croſs, fear and ſorrow are the nails, our ſ…ns the thorns, his Fathers wrath the ſpear, and all theſe together cauſe a bleeding ſhower to rain throughout all his pores; O my ſoul, conſider of this, and if thou wilt bring this conſideration home, ſay, thy ſins were the cauſe of this bloody ſweat; Jeſus Chriſt is that true Adam, that is come out of Paradiſe for thy ſins, and thus laboured on earth with his bloody ſweat to get the bread that thou muſt feed on.
2. Conſider his apprehenſion; Judas is now at hand, with a troop following him to apprehend his Maſter, ſee how without all ſhame he ſet himſelf in the van, and coming to his Lord and Maſter, gives him a moſt Traiterous and deceitful kiſs, What Judas, betrayeſt thou the Son of man with a kiſs? haſt thou ſold the Lord of life to ſuch cruel merchants as covet greedily his blood and life? O alas! at what price haſt thou ſet the Lord of all the creatures? at thirty pence? what a vile and ſlender price is this for a Lord of ſuch Glory and Majeſty? God was ſold for thirty pieces of ſilver, but man could not be bought without the deareſt heart-blood of the Son of God.Luke 22.53. At that time ſaid Chriſt, Ye be come as it were againſt a thief with ſwords and ſtaves, I ſate daily among you teaching in the Temple, and ye never laid hands on me, but this is your hour, and the power of darkneſs. Now the Prince of darkneſs exerciſed his power, now the helliſh rout, and malicious rabble of ravenous wolves, aſſaulted the moſt innocent Lamb in the world; now they moſt furiouſly haled him this way and that way; O how ungently did they handle him? how uncourteouſly ſpake they unto him? how many blows and buffets did they give him? what cries, and ſhouts, and clamours made they over him: now they lay hold on his holy hands, and bind them hard with rough and knotty cords, ſo that they gall the skin off his arms, and make the very blood ſpring out; now they bring him back again over Cedron, and they make him once again to drink of the brook in the way; now they lead him openly through the high ſtreets of Jeruſalem and carry him to the houſe of Annas in great triumph. O my ſoul conſider theſe ſeveral paſſages, conſider them leiſurely, and with good attention, conſider them till thou feeleſt ſome motions or alterations in thy affection; is not this he that is the infinite vertue, the pattern of innocency, the everlaſting wiſdom; the honour of earth, the glory of heaven, the very fountain of all beauty) whether of men or Angels! how is it then that this vertue or power is tyed with bands, that innocency is apprehended, that wiſdom is flouted and laughed to ſcorn, that honour is contemned, that glory is tormented, that he that is fairer than all the children of men, is beſmeared with weeping, and troubled with ſorrow of heart? ſurely there is ſome thing O my ſoul in thee, that cauſed all this: hadſt not thou ſinned, the Sun of Righteouſneſs had never been ecliſped.
3. Conſider the hurryings of Jeſus from Annas to Caiphas; there a Councel is called,Mat. 26.63. Ver. 66. and Caiphas the high Prieſt adjures our Lord to tell him if he was Chriſt the Son of God: no ſooner he affirms it, but he is doomed guilty of blaſphemy, and ſo guilty of death. Now again they aſſault him like mad dogs, and diſgorge upon him all their malice, fury, and revenge; each one to the utmoſt of his power gives him buffets, and ſtrokes; there they ſpit upon that Divine face with their deviliſh mouths, there they hudwink his eyes, and ſtrike him on the cheek, ſcoffing, and jeſting, and ſaying, Read, who is it that ſmote thee? O beauty of Angels! was that a face to be ſpet upon? men uſually when they are provoked to ſpit, turn away their faces towards the fouleſt corner of the houſe, and is there not in all that Palace a ſouler place to ſpit in than the face of Jeſus? O my ſoul, why doſt thou not humble thy ſelf, at this ſo wonderful example? how is it that there ſhould remain in the world any token of pride after this ſo great and marvellous an example of humility? ſurely I am at my wits end, and very much aſtoniſhed to conſider, how this ſo great patience overcomes not my anger, how this ſo great abaſing aſſwageth not my pride, how theſe ſo violent buffets beat not down my preſumption: Is it not marvellous that Jeſus Chriſt by theſe means ſhould overthrow the Kingdom of pride, and yet that there ſhould remain in me the relicks of pride? conſider all thoſe night-ſufferings of Chriſt; O cruel night! O unquiet night! now was the ſeaſon that all creatures ſhould take their reſt, that the ſenſes, and members wearied with toils and labours, ſhould be refreſhed; but on the contrary Chriſt's members and ſenſes were then tormented, they ſtruck his body, they afflicted his ſoul, they bound his hands, they buffetted his cheeks, they ſpit in his face; O my ſoul thou ſinneſt in the dark, in covert, in ſecret, when no eye is upon thee, when the Sun, that eye of the world is ſet, or hid; and therefore all the night long is Chriſt thus tormented by thy ſins; not one jot of reſt hath Chriſt, not a wink of ſleep muſt ſeize on him, whom thou by the alarm of thy ſins diſquieted, both at evening, at mid-night, and at the Cock-Crow, and at the dawning.
4. Conſider the hurryings of Jeſus from Caiphas to Pilate; now he ſtands before Pilate, where he was accuſed of ſedition, ſeduction, and uſurpation. Not only Jews, but Gentiles have their hands imbrewed in the blood of Chriſt; Pilate was delegated from Ceſar, Luke 18.31.both of them Gentiles, yet not without a propheſie, Behold we go up to Jeruſalem, and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of man ſhall be accompliſhed; for he ſhall be delivered unto the Gentiles: at the Gentile-tribunal being queſtioned of his Kingdom, and he anſwers both the Jews and Gentiles that they need not fear his uſurpation,John 18.36. My Kingdom is not of this world. He gives Kingdoms that are eternal, but he will take away none that are temporal; Chriſt came not into the world to be Ceſar's, or Pilate's, or Herod's ſucceſſor, but if they had believed, to have been their Saviour. Look through the Chronicles of his life, and we find him ſo far from a King, that he was the meaneſt ſervant of all men; where was he born but at Bethlehem a little City? where did the Shepherds find him but in a poor cottage? who were his Diſciples but a deal of Fiſhermen? who his Companions but Publicans and ſinners? is he hungry? where ſtands his table but on plain ground? what are his dainties but bread and a few Fiſhes? where is his lodging but at the ſtern of a Ship? Here's a King without either preſence-chamber, or bed-chamber, The Foxes have holes, and the Birds of the air have neſts, but the Son of man hath not whereon to lay his head. Come, fear not Pilate the loſs of thy diadem; it may be the people would ſometimes have made him a King, but ſee how he flies from it, My Kingdom is not of this World, ſaith Jeſus. Oh that I could but contemn the World as Chriſt did! O that firſt and above all I could ſeek the Kingdom of God and his righteouſneſs! Oh my ſoul, I feel it, I feel it, unleſs I can be free from the affection of all creatures, I cannot with freedom of mind aſpire unto divine things; unleſs I be willing with Chriſt to tread on Crowns and Scepters, to be deſpiſed and forſaken of all, and to be eſteemed nothing at all, I can have no inward peace, nor be ſpiritually enlightned, nor be wholly united to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
5. Conſider the hurryings of Jeſus from Pilate to Herod; there is he queſtioned of many things, but juſtly is the Lamb of God dumb, and opened not his mouth to him that not long before had taken away his voice; upon this he is mocked, Luke 23.11.and arrayed in a gorgeous robe; Wiſdom is taken for Folly, Vertue for Vice, Truth for Blaſphemy, Temperance for Gluttony, the Peace-maker of all the World for a ſeditious diſturber of the World, the reformer of the Law for a breaker of the Law, and the juſtifier of ſinners for a ſinner, and the follower of ſinners. See how he emptied himſelf, and made himſelf of no reputation that he might fill thee with goodneſs, and make thee ſpiritually wiſe unto ſalvation.
6. Conſider the hurryings of Jeſus from Herod back again to Pilate; O my Saviour how art thou now abuſed! new accuſations are forged; and when Pilate ſees that nothing will do, but Chriſt muſt dye, he delivers him to be ſtripped, whipped, cloathed in Purple, crowned with Thorns, and Sceptred with a Reed. He that with ſpittle cured the eyes of the blind, is now blinded with their ſpittle; who can number thoſe ſtripes wherewith they flea and tare his body, one wound eating into another, that there is no health in his bones by reaſon of my ſins? O Jeſus! was that frothy ſpittle the Ointment, thoſe Thorns thy Crown, that Reed thy Scepter, that Purple-dyed and imbroidered with blood, thy Royal Robes? or becauſe Adam's ſin brought forth Thorns, muſt it therefore be thy pennance to wear them? unthankful people thus watered with his blood, that bring forth nothing but Thorns to crown him. But Oh that the Lord of Heaven, the Creator of the World, the Glory of the Angels, the Wiſdom of God, ſhould, for my ſake, be puniſhed with whips and ſcourges? O my heart, how can I think on this without tears of blood? O joy of the Angels, and Glory of Saints, who hath thus disfigured thee? who hath thus defiled thee with ſo many bloody blows? certainly they were not thy ſins, but mine; it was love and mercy that compaſt thee about, and cauſed thee to take upon thee this ſo heavy a burthen; love was the cauſe why thou didſt beſtow upon me all thy benefits, and mercy moved thee to take upon thee all my miſeries.
7. Conſider that ſad ſpectacle of Jeſus, when he came forth wearing the Crown of Thorns, and the Purple Robe, and Pilate ſaying unto them, behold the Man. John 19.5.O my ſoul fix thy eyes on the ſad object! ſuppoſe thy ſelf in the caſe of Jeſus; what if in ſo ſenſible and tender a part as thy head is, men ſhould faſten a number of Thorns, yea and thoſe ſo ſharp that they ſhould pierce into thy ſcull? why alas, thou canſt hardly abide the prick of a pin, much leſs the piercing in of ſo many Thorns; O but thy Jeſus was crowned with Thorns, and Sceptred with a Reed, and that Reed was taken out of his hands, to beat the Crown of Thorns into his head; and beſides, thy Jeſus was whipped with cords, and rods, and little chains of iron, that from his ſhoulders to the ſoles of his feet there was no part free; and being now in this plight, thou art called on to behold the Man: doſt thou ſee him? is thy imagination ſtrong: canſt thou conſider him at preſent, as if thou hadſt a view of this very man? methinks it ſhould make thee break out, and ſay, O brightneſs of thy Fathers glory, who hath thus cruelly dealt with thee? O unſpotted glaſs of the Majeſty of God, who hath thus wholly disfigured thee? O river that flows out of the paradiſe of delights, who hath thus troubled thee? it is my ſins O Lord that have ſo troubled thee; my ſins were the Thorns that pricked thee, the laſhes that whipped thee, the purple that cloathed thee, it is I Lord that am thy tormentor, and the very cauſe of theſe thy pains.
8. Conſider Pilate's ſentence, that Jeſus ſhould be Crucified as the Jews required. Now they had him in their will, and they did to him what ſeemed them good. Follow him from Gabbatha to Golgotha, ſee how they lay the heavy Croſs upon his tender ſhoulders, that were ſo pitifully rent and torn with whips; accompany him all the way to the Execution, and help to carry his Croſs to Mount Calvary; And there, as if thou hadſt been frozen hitherto, thaw into tears; ſee him lifted up on that engine of torture, the bloody Croſs; he hangs on nails, and as he hangs, his own weight becomes his own affliction; O ſee how his arms and legs were racked with voilent pulls, his hands and feet boared with nails, his whole body torn with ſtripes, and gored with blood; And now, O my ſoul, run with all thy might into his arms held out at their full length to receive thee; Oh weigh the matter! becauſe ſin entred by the ſenſes, therefore the head, in which the ſenſes flouriſh, is crowned with ſearching thorns; becauſe the hands and feet are more eſpecially the inſtruments of ſin, therefore his hands and feet are nailed to the Croſs for ſatisfaction. O marvellous! what King is he, or of what Countrey, that wears a Crown of Thorns? what man is he, or where lives he, whoſe hands and feet are not only bored, but digged into, as if they had been digging with Spades in a ditch? ſurely here's matter for a ſerious meditation, be enlarged O my thoughts, and dwell upon it! conſider it, and conſider it again!
9. Conſider the darkneſs that ſpread over all the Earth; now was the Sun aſhamed to ſhew his brightneſs; conſidering that the Father of lights was darkned with ſuch diſgrace; the Heavens diſcoloured their beauty, and are in mourning robes; the Lamp of Heaven is immantled with a miraculous Eclipſe; the Sun in the firmament, will ſimpathize with the Sun of Righteouſneſs; it will not appear in glory, though it be midday, becauſe the Lord of Glory is thus diſgraced. And now hear the voice that comes from the Son of God, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Chriſt in the Garden taſted the bitter cup of God's fierce wrath, but now he drunk the dregs of it; he then ſipped off the top, but now he drunk all off, top, and bottom, and all. O but what's the meaning of this; My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Surely, 1. This was not a total, but a partial dereliction, this was not a perpetual, but a temporary forſaking of him; the Godhead was not took away from the manhood, but the union remained ſtill, even now when the Manhood was forſaken. 2. This was not a forſaking on Chriſt's part, but only on the Father's part; the Father forſook Chriſt, but Chriſt went after him; God took away the ſenſe of his love, but the Son of God laid hold upon him, crying, and ſaying, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? 3. This forſaking was not in reſpect of his being, but in reſpect of the feeling of God's favour, love, and mercy; certainly God loved him ſtill, Oh but his ſenſe of comfort was now quite gone, ſo as it never was before: In his agony there was ſome inklings of God's mercy, now and then at leaſt there was ſome ſtar-light, ſome little flaſh of lightning to cheer him up, but now all the ſenſe and feeling of God's love was gone, and not ſo much as any little ſtar-light of the ſame appeared. Chriſt now took the place of ſinners, and God the Father ſhut him out (as it were) amongſt the ſinners; he drew his mercy out of ſight, and out of hearing, and therefore he cryed out in a kind of wonderment, My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? After this he ſpeaks but a few words more, and he gives up the Ghoſt. He dyes that we might live, he is diſſolved in himſelf, that we might be united to his Father; O my ſoul, ſee him now if thou canſt for weeping, his eyes are dim, his cheeks are wan, his face is pale, his head is bowing, his heart is panting, himſelf is dying; come, come, and dye with him by a moſt exact mortification; look pale like him with grief, and ſorrow, and trouble for thy ſins.
10. Conſider the piercing of his ſide with a ſpear, whence came out a ſtream of blood and water; O Fountain of everlaſting waters! methinks I ſee the blood running out of his ſide more freſhly than thoſe golden ſtreams which ran out of the Garden of Eden, and watered the whole World. Conſider the taking of his body down by Joſeph; the burying of it by Joſeph and Nicodemus; O here's excellent matter for our meditation! O my ſpirit, go with me a little! Chriſt being dead, it is pitty but he ſhould have a funeral; according to the letter let Joſeph and Nicodemus bear his corps; let the bleſſed Virgin go after it ſighing and weeping, and at every other place looking up to Heaven; let Mary Magdalen follow after with a box of precious Ointment in her hand, and with her hair hanging, ready (if need were) to wipe his feet again; or that in this meditation I may be more ſpiritual, let the Uſurer come firſt with Judas's bag, and diſtribute to the poor as he goes along; let the Drunkard follow after with the ſpunge that was filled with gall, and vinegar, and check his wanton thirſt; let the young Gallant or voluptuous man come like his Maſter with bare foot, and with the cown of thorns ſet alſo upon his head; let the wanton perſon bear the rods, and whips, and wiers wherewith Chriſt was ſcourged, and fright his own fleſh; let the ambitious man be cladin the purple robe, the angry Perſon in the ſeamleſs coat; my meaning is, let every ſinner according to the nature of his ſin, draw ſomething or other from the paſſion of Chriſt to the mortifying of his ſin, yea let all turn mourners, let all bow their heads, and be ready to give up the Ghoſt for the Name of Chriſt, and let not Chriſt be buried without a Sermon neither, and let the Text be this,John 10.11. The good ſhepherd giveth his life for the ſheep, and in the end of the Sermon (whether it be in uſe or no) let the Preacher take occaſion to ſpeak a word or two in the praiſe of Chriſt, let him ſay with the Spouſe, that he was the chiefeſt among ten thouſands, that he was altogether lovely; Cant. 5.10, 16.that being God above all Gods, he became man beneath all men; that when he ſpake he began ordinarily with verily, verily, I ſay unto you: that he was an holy man, that he never ſinned in all his life neither in thought, word, or deed; that being endowed with the Power of Miracles, he lovingly employed it in curing the lame, and blind, and deaf, and dumb, in caſting out devils, in healing the ſick, in reſtoring the dead to life; that as he lived, ſo he dyed, for being unjuſtly condemned, mocked, ſtripped, whipped, crucified, he took all patiently, praying for his perſecutors, and leaving to them, when he had no temporal thing to give them, a legacy of love, of life, of mercy, of pardon, of Salvation: When the Sermon is done, and the Burial is finiſhed, let every Mourner go home, and begin a new life in imitation of Jeſus Chriſt. O my ſoul that thou wouldſt thus meditate, and thus imitate, that ſo thy meditation might be fruitful, and thy imitation real; I mean that thy life and death might be conformable to the life and death of Jeſus Chriſt. But of that hereafter.