A Complete and Compendious Church History, Chapter 24
The Twenty-Fourth Plot in the New-Teſtament, againſt the Church, in Chriſt, Defeated by God.
CHAP. XXIV.
BUt that which made them mad moſt of all, was His Raiſing up Lazarus from the Dead, Joh. 11. 47. Thoſe Reprobate Wretches would not Believe, no, though one Roſe from the Dead to them, Luk. 16. 31. as Lazarus, and yet they liſten'd as little to Him, as they did to Chriſt: They Call a Council, not out of the unlearned Rabble, but moſt learned Clerks, (which ſhould have known better things) the Chief Prieſts and Phariſees Convene and Conſult, yea, and Unanimouſly Conclude, that not onelyonly Chriſt, but alſo Lazarus muſt be put to Death, Joh. 12. 10. and why muſt Lazarus Dye? 'twas onelyonly becauſe God had made him Alive; but they ſeem to have better Reaſon (even that of Neceſſity) for Killing Chriſt; If this be not done (ſay they) the Romans will come, &c. Joh. 11. 48. and becauſe it was done, the Romans came indeed and Plagu'd them in taking away their Place and Nation, principally for this Inexpiable Sin of Killing the Lord of Glory, as Chriſt had told them, Matth. 21. 38, 39, 40. and as they (themſelves) had unwittingly Read, (even) their own Deſtiny, v. 41, 43. Luk. 20. 15. Thus they pretending and pleading a Neceſſity to Sin, whereas they lay under no Neceſſity, ſave onelyonly one, to wit, Not to Sin, and becauſe they did ſo Sin, (which they thought their Duty) therefore the thing that they feared came upon them, King Jeſus (for Killing him) ſent forth his Armies, (the Roman-Spoilers) who Diſpoſſeſſed them of their Country, Burnt their Temple, (as the Caldeans had formerly done in the time of their Fore-fathers) Matth. 22. 7. and 24. 2, 16, 20, 21, 34. the Deſtruction of Ieruſalem (for Murdering of Chriſt) was a Matchleſs Deſtruction, as Joſephus Relates, a Million of Iews periſhed miſerably by the Siege, (the whole Body of the Land being then gather'd together at the Paſſeover,) and 97000 carry'd Captive, Mark Ch. 13. 19. calls thoſe Days Affliction, as if that time were nothing elſe but Affliction it ſelf. Well, therefore might the Chief-Prieſts and Phariſees (when foreign, Self-Condemned, Tit. 3. 11.) ſay, God forbid, Luk. 20. 16. when Chriſt had extorted from them an Evident foretelling of their own final Fate, Mat. 21.41. while they thought others were concern'd in the Parable, but perceiving that themſelves were the Wicked Men which the Parable did perſonate, they would have Retracted the Sentence they had Denounced againſt themſelves out of their own Mouths, and crys [foreign] God forbid, Mark 12. 9. and Luk. 20. 16. which the Syriack Reads, [This ſhall not be, we will not Kill the Son of God, the Lord of the Vineyard, &c. notwithſtanding this their [abſit] be it far from us ſo to do, yet they did it; the Devil Helping them with a Jeſuitical Aequivocation, That it was not their Right Meſſiah, but onelyonly a Mock-Meſſiah whom they ſought to Murder: Hereupon they fall to Work by the Devils Direction, and with his beſt Aſſiſtance; the Grand Remora was. They Feared the People, Matth. 21. 46. ☞ (They are Worſe than Chriſt-Killers, that fear them not, and while the Body of a People bear Favour to Chriſt and his Cauſe, neither of theſe Two can be Killed by the worſt of Perſecutors.) This Rubb and Remora is ſtill Unremoved, Matth. 26. 3, 4, 5. The General Council (not unlike to that of Trent) Convene again, hold the Concluſion, (Chriſt ſhall be Kill'd) but cannot Hit upon a Convenient time, crying, Not at the Feaſt, for Fear of a Reſcue: * Behold here the contrary Motions of Heaven and Hell: The Devil (in this Council, juſt contrary to that, Act. 15. 28. where the Holy Ghoſt ſat Praeſident) crys here, Not on the Feaſt Day, another time is more ſeaſonable: No, ſaith God, It ſhall not be when you will, Chriſt whom you Kill is my Paſchal-Lamb, (the Lamb that is to take away the Sins of the World, Joh. 1. 29.) you (and the Devil to Help you) do nothing but according to My Determinate Counſel, Act. 4. 28. and 2. 22. Though you be a Company of Bloody Dogs that are muſſled up with the fear of an Uproar from the Friends and Favourers of Chriſt; ſo that you ſay, Not on the Feaſt; but I ſay, It ſhall be on the Paſchal Feaſt-Day, and on no other. Here is a Marvellous Over-Ruling Providence of God; thoſe Wicked Prieſts had oft ſought a time (before this) wherein to Kill Chriſt, but never could find any, Ʋntil his Hour was now come, and not now muſt they Determine the time, the Paſſeover-Lamb muſt Dye on the Paſſeover-Day, to put an End to the Iewiſh-Paſſeover, (ſignifying their Deliverance from Aegypt and her King) but this Praefigur'd our Redemption from the Spiritual-Pharaoh, and from his Two Heavy-Handed Task-Maſters, to wit, Sin Mortal, and Death Eternal: Yea, and in all this, thoſe Miſcreants (in fulfilling their own Wicked Will) do but fulfill the Holy Will of God and his Divine Decree, and no more Thanks to them, than was to Haman in Mordecai's Advancement, whereunto Haman held the Stirrop onelyonly. However, this Curſed Council Conſults to take Jeſus by Subtilty, Mat. 26. 4. by Fraud, and not by Force, for fear of an Ʋproar: they feared the fury of Man more than the frowns of God, v. 5. The Devil (who ſet them on Work) ſteps in to Hand them over this Stumbling-Block, He Entred into Judas after the Sop was given him at Supper in the Houſe of Simon the Leper) Two Days before the Paſſeover, Joh 13. 27, 30. from Bethany (though it were Night, and though Unſolicited by thoſe Conſpirators) Satan makes Iudas trudge to Ieruſalem, he freely offers his Service, (not doubting of its Kind Acceptance) makes his Market with them at their own Rate, Referring the Price of that Peerleſs Pearl (his Holy Maſter) to thoſe Barbarous Buyers Pleaſure; they Bargain to give him Thirty pieces of Silver, (the price of a Slave, Exod. 21. 3….) a goodly Price for this Pearl of great Price, Zech. 11. 12. Mat. 13. 45, 46. The Devil of Diſcontent was Entred into thoſe Prodigiouſly proſligate Prieſts long before, becauſe Chriſts Gracious Words (he Spake,) and the Mighty Works (he Wrought,) Weaken'd both theirs and the Devils Kingdom, therefore they all along ſought to Kill Chriſt, as before, but Durſt not do it for fear of the People. Now the Devil of Diſcontent Entred into Judas, (miſſing his Fat Morſel, the price of the precious Oyntment, which he would have put into his Bagg, Joh. 12. 4, 6.) ſo here was the Devil in the Prieſts Conſpiring with the Devil in Iudas, therefore the Contract about this Horrid Treaſon was like enough to Comply: Hereupon Iudas Undertakes to take the Thorn out of the Prieſts Heel, (the fear of a Tumult) and to Deliver his Maſter up to them, (though at the Feaſt, yet Quietly enough) to wit, In the Abſence of the People; from that time he ſought Opportunity to Betray him, Matth. 26. 16. both for time and place he promis'd to do it [foreign] without any Tumult from the People, Luk. 22. 6. This Iudas (by the Devil, his Liege-Lords Direction) ſoon effected, to wit, in the Night when Chriſt was (with the Diſciples onelyonly) in the Garden at Gethſemane, without the City, Matth. 26. 36. Mark. 14. 32. Luk. 22. 39. ☞ Mark here (1) the Confidence, (2) the Contumacy, (3) the Craftineſs of this Devil in Iudas: (1.) his Confidence, Oh what a dareing Devil was this Frontleſs Traytor, that, after he had Contriv'd and Contracted that prodigious Villany of Shedding his Lords Blood, he ſhould Dare thus Boldly and Impudently to Intrude himſelf into the preſence of his Omniſcient (as well as Innocent) Maſter, at His Lords Paſſeover, Matth. 26. 20, 21, &c. (2.) his Contumacy, the Innocent Life of his Lord Chriſt could not but Dart moſt powerful Convictions upon the Conſcience of this Traiterous Villain, yet Conſpires he his Murder, not out of any ſudden pang of paſſion, or by any ſurprizing Incogitancy; but all he did was done in Cold Blood, and upon Mature Deliberation, (therefore 'tis ſaid, from the time of his makeing this Damnable Bargain with the Prieſts, he ſought Opportunity, &c.) and all, without any (ſave Satan in him) to Solicit him to it, for Two Days and Nights together. (3.) his Craftineſs, in Watching this Opportunity, not in the Day-time, leaſt his Deed of Darkneſs ſhould be Diſcern'd and Deteſted; nor in the City, leaſt ſome good Citizens ſhould make a Reſcue; but his monſtrous and matchleſs Villany muſt be done in the Night-time, leaſt it ſhould bluſh to behold the Light, and without the City in a Solitary place, (Iudas knew Chriſt's Haunts, as Saul did Davids, 1 Sam. 23. 22.) to vvit, in the Garden, (where he had his Agony, and where he began to Expiate that firſt Sin Adam had committed in a Garden) of Gethſemane, which ſignifies, the Valley of Fatneſs, there this unparallel'd Impiety muſt be perpetrated; this place was over the Brook Kidron, Joh. 18. 1, 2. and neer the Mount of Olives, Luk. 22. 39. Mark 14. 32. Here was Chriſt (1) Apprehended, hence was he Hurry'd to be (2) Arraigned in the Spiritual-Court before a full Council of Corrupt-Churchmen, Matth. 26. 57. with a great deal of Injuſtice and Subornation, ver. 59.60. being Reſolv'd to have his Blood right or wrong; then is he (3) Condemned in their Court for a Blaſphemer, v. 65, 66. then was he (4) Spitted on in token of Contempt, Numb. 12. 14. Deut. 25. 9. (5) He was Buffeted, v. 67. as if he had been their Slave. (6) Blindfolded, Luk. 22. 94. Inſulting over him with their mad Mockings, as if he had been but a Mock-Prophet. (7) they Binded his Hands behind him, (as is done to the Condemned,) and is ſent away by the Conſiſtory of Prieſts to be put to Death by the Secular or Civil Power, Matth. 27. 2. Joh. 18. 12. (8) the Roman-Magiſtrate dooms him to be Crucified after the Roman manner, at the Wicked Iews Inſtigation: Matth. 27.22, 23, 26. then (9) was he Striped, v. 26. that by his Stripes we might be Healed, Iſa. 53. 5. (10) he was Stripped, v. 28. that we might be Clothed, Ezek. 16. 10. ſo was led away to Dye the moſt Ignominious Death, as a Traitour to Coeſar, and as the Vileſt of Men, to expiate Adams Sin, who would have been as Wiſe as God; (Laſtly,) When Dead he was Buryed, and his Sepulchre made ſure and ſecure both with Seal and Watch, and a great Stone upon it, Matth. 27. 64, 65, 66. 'tis a common ſaying, Mortui non Mordent, Dead Men Bite not: but here Chriſt, though Dead and Buried, Bites and beats Hard upon thoſe evil Mens Conſciences, they could not Reſt all the Night before, ver. 62. for fear Chriſt ſhould get out of his Grave ſome way or other, and ſo Create them more and further Trouble: And they that had forgot all Chriſts other ſweet, ſavoury, and ſaving Sayings, (Writing them all in the Sand) could remember (but for a Wicked Purpoſe) that which his own Diſciples could not ſo Readi…y call to mind for their own good & Comfort; no, nor Underſtand it, when plainly told them, Mark 9. 31, 32. Thoſe mad Men remember what he had ſaid about his Reſurrection, onelyonly becauſe they would gladly have kept Chriſt in the Grave ſtill, where now they had him; that they might ſecurely Dance upon his Grave, and that they might think themſelves ſufficiently Cock-ſure of him. ☞ Oh that we could do all this to the Curſed Body of Sin, what thoſe Curſed Prieſts did to the Bleſſed Body of Chriſt, would we be of the Royal Prieſthood, 1 Pet. 2. 5. made ſo by Chriſt unto God, Revel. 1. 6. Exod. 19. 6. Then muſt we do to the Body of Sin all theſe things: (1) Apprehend it. (2) Arraign it. (3) Condemn it. (4) Spit in its Face. (5) Buffet it Black and Blew. (6) Blindfold it. (7) Bind it Hand and Foot. (8) Stripe it. (9) Stripp it. (10) Crucifie it. (Laſtly) Bury it in a ſure Grave, that [Peccata non Redeant] never Riſe or Return our Sin may any more, neither in this World to our Temporal or Spiritual Confuſion, or in the World to come, to our Utter and Eternal Condemnation: All theſe Actions are but manifeſt Duties in Scripture, as 1 Cor. 9. 27. Gal. 5. 24. Rom. 8. 13. and 6. 4, 11, &c. Now when Chriſt was Buryed thus ſurely, the Devil (no doubt) Danced (for Company) upon His Grave, having made all firm and faſt (as he thought) for ever and a Day: But He that ſat in Heaven (ſaying, Yet have I ſet my King upon my Holy Hill of Sion, Pſal. 2. 4, 6, &c.) Laughed at this, and all this to Nothing, Jehovah had them in Deriſion: Behold how God over-ſhoots Satan in his own Bow: Divine Providence makes uſe of thoſe very Means (the Devils Malice uſed to obſcure Chriſts Glory) to Render Chriſts Reſurrection more Glorious and much leſs Obnoxious to any Juſt Exception: That very Watch which was ſet to keep Chriſt Under-Ground and in his Grave, are made (Nolens Volens) the Trembling Witneſſes of his (to them frightful) Reſurrection, they were ſtruck half Dead for bearing and wearing Arms againſt God, and ſo Expoſing themſelves to his Wrath, Matth. 28. 4. and 'twas the Trembling of the Earth, (that now had Poſſeſſion of Chriſt, who proved too Hot a Mouthful for it to ſwallow, Act. 2. 24.) together with the Apparition of a Glorious Angel, (Rouling away the great Stone from the Mouth of the Sepulchre, and ſitting down upon it in Despight of the Guard, as a Conquerour) which made the Watch Tremble, the ſtouteſt of the Devils Champions ſhrink and ſhrivel away, when Chriſt begins to Diſplay his Glory: Neither the Weight of the great Stone, nor the Watch of the Stout Souldiers, nor yet the Bands of Death, (ſtronger than all, ſo ſtrong as to hold faſt many Millions of Men, from Adam to this Day, under the power of Death) could Hold the Dead Body of Chriſt from Riſing beyond his own time. To all thoſe Three Impeding Maladies, God found out and Applyed as many (even Three) moſt Effectual Remedies: for (1.) The great Stone that was laid upon the Tomb by Man, was Roul'd away by an Angel: (2.) The Earth-quake makes an Heart-quake in the Watch, inſomuch that they (though Sixty of them, according to Theophylact) are all Affrighted away. And (3) the Deity of Chriſt Loſed (or Broke) the Bands of Death, Act 2. 24. for Chiſt being Life Eſſential, it was not poſſible he ſhould be Holden of them, therefore he Swallowed up Death in Victory, 1 Cor. 15. 54. His Reſurrection was to be the Demonſtration of His Divine Nature, Rom. 1. 4. and the Foundation of our Faith and Perſeverance, 1 Cor. 15. 14. notwithſtanding their malicious Wreſting of Chriſts words, [Deſtroy this Temple of my Body,] yet I will Raiſe it again the Third Day, Joh 2. 19. (the meaning of which they Invert) and made it a matter of Accuſation againſt him, at his Arraignment, Matth. 26. 61. but after his Interrment, they take up his Right meaning, and made Advantage of it, for Secureing him faſt in his Sepulchre, calling the Faithful and True Witneſs, Revel. 1. 5. and 3. 7. this Cheat, or Deceiver, Matth. 27. 63. yet the Lord turns all their Wicked Counſel into Folly, 2 Sam. 15. 31. 1 Cor. 1. 19, 25. &c. and in the ſight and Deſpight of Sixty Weaponed Witneſſes, (After the Sun of Righteouſneſs had been ſett in the Grave Six and Thirty Hours, juſt ſo long as the Sun in the Firmament had his Courſe, ſtop'd on Joſhuahs long Day, Joſh. 10. 13.) Then did Chriſt Break the Bonds of Death as eaſily as Samſon did his Green Withs, Judg. 16.7. and Roſe up on the firſt Day to bring Life and Immortality to light by the Goſpel, 2 Tim. 1. 10. upon the ſame Day that God had drawn out of that Abhorred Eſtate of Nothing, and brought the firſt Light out of Original Darkneſs, by his Almighty Word, Gen. 1. 2, 5.