The Arraignment of Pride, Chapter 33
CHAP. 33. Chriſt a notable example of humility in his ſufferings and death.
THe ſufferings of Chriſt, were either ſuch as he endured in the courſe of his life, or thoſe that he ſuſtained at or near the time of his death; in all which you may ſee his great humility.
For the firſt, his whole life from his birth to his death, from his cradle to his coffin was nothing elſe but a Tragedy, yea as it were one long continued act of ſuffering.
To begin with his infancy, he's no ſooner born into the world, but cruel King Herod goes about to bereave him of his life, which that he might the better effect, he cunningly enquired the place of his birth, and having learnt for the general that it was at Bethlehem, he laboured to learn in what houſe there, pretending Religion that he would worſhip him, when he intended nothing but treachery and his deſtruction: and being defeated of this his cruel purpoſe by God himſelf, he makes a moſt mercileſs maſſacre of all the infants males of Bethlehem under two years old, Praeſlat Herodis eſſe ſuem quam filiū.yea and (as ſome ſay) of one of his own ſons that was nurſed there, where-upon it grew into a Proverb, That it was better be Herods ſwine then his ſon: thus the Lord of life is fain to fly before he can go, to eſcape death. Afterwards, he that was the Lord of Glory lived in an eſtate of contempt, reproach, and ignominy. Nay more then this, he cannot be let alone, or ſuffered to be quiet and ſleep in a whole skin as we ſay, even in this poor and mean eſtate of his: but he's aſſaulted at all ſides. Firſt, by the devil himſelf, Matth. 4. who moſt ſtrongly ſets upon him with three hot encounters as hoping to prevail upon him, becauſe he was weak with his long faſting; but his skill failed him. Then the Maſter of Fenſe himſelf being foiled, he ſets his Imps and inſtruments to work upon him, and that in divers ſorts and kinds.
Firſt, they perſecute him with their tongues, reviling him, and railing upon him, giving him moſt taunting terms, calling him a drunkard, and a glutton, a friend of Publicans and ſinners; that he was an Impoſtor, Cheater, and Deceiver of the people, yea that he was mad, and had a Devil, and caſt out Devils by Belzebub: nor are they content with prating againſt him, but they will alſo practiſe againſt him.
Firſt, without any open violence they convent him before their Conſiſtory, and bring him coram in their Eccleſiaſtical Court, excommunicating and accurſing both himſelf and all his followers, or that did but confeſs him, or profeſs themſelves to believe on him: likewiſe they call a Council againſt him, John 7 49. John 9.22. Joh. 11.47.as if he had been an arch-heretick. Nay further, they even proceed to uſe violence towards him, Luke 4.29. where his unkind Country-men go about to tumble him down headlong from a ſteep hill. Item, John 7.45. the High-Prieſts and Phariſees ſend their officers for him: nay more, they even go about to ſtone him, John 10.31. Moreover treacherous Judas becomes of his ſervant to attend him, a Serjeant to apprehend and attach him, of his purſebearer a purſevant, and he is hired thereto with a very baſe bribe, and that not offered, but asked; not paid, but only promiſed as is conceived, Matth. 26.15. They carry and recarry him from Annas to Caiaphas, from Herod to Pilate, from place to place; and when Herod would have acquitted him, they ſtill cry out againſt him, and continue accuſing him, yea even prefer a murtherer before him: and having prevailed with Pilate, they ſhew him no pitty, but execute him with all mercyleſs cruelty and rigorous extremity, making him to carry his own Croſs as long as he is able to ſtand under it, John 19.17. Being come to the place of his execution, they hang him between two Thieves and notorious malefactours, as if he had been a Maſter of miſ-rule, and ring-leader in routs and riots, Matth. 27.38. Luke 23.33. Thus our Lord Jeſus humbled himſelf and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Croſs, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Phil. 2.8, 9. Such was his humility, that though he were the God of Angels, yet by his ſufferings he was made lower then the Angels, Heb. 2.9. Nor do his enemies content themſelves to put him to a moſt painful and ſhameful death, but alſo they add affliction to him in the manner of it.
1. By mocking him at his arraignment, and mocking him on the Croſs, contrary to all humanity and civility, to mock a man in miſery.
2. Being in the midſt of his agony and extremity of pain, and crying out of thirſt, John. 19.28. they mingle him ſuch a potion as would rather encreaſe then aſſwage his thirſt, Matth. 27.34. which ſome think would entoxicate a man, and make him loſe the uſe of his reaſon. But great was his humility and patience to endure ſuch contradiction of ſinners againſt himſelf.Heb. 12.3.
3. They put a Crown of thornes upon his head, drove nails into his hands and feet, and thruſt a ſpear into his ſide.
But as one ſaith, The pain of his body, was but the body of his pain; D. Plaiſer.the ſorrow of his ſoul was the ſoul of his ſorrow, when he cryed out, My God, My God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Hae non voces deſperantis, aut diffidentis (Deum enim vocat ſuum) ſed cum triſtiſſima tentatione luctantis. Bucan Com. loc.But all this while we muſt know he deſpaired not; for theſe were not the words of a man, deſpairing or diſtruſting, for he calleth God his God. We muſt not think that the Godhead had wholly ſeparated and withdrawn it ſelf from the manhood, but it was quaedam derelictio, ubi nulla fuit in tanta neceſſitate virtutis exhibitio, nulla Majeſtatis oſtentio. Bernard. A certain deſertion, where there was no exhibition of ſtrength, no ſhew of Majeſty in ſo great a neceſſity.
Now as this ſhews his great humility, ſo alſo his abundant love towards us; for all this was for us; he had no ſin, and therefore could not have been toucht with the puniſhments of ſin, as were all thoſe miſeries that he underwent. This Paul ſaith for the general, that he that knew no ſin, was made ſin for us, 2 Cor. 5.21. and in particular, he being rich, became poor for our ſakes, that we through his poverty might be made rich, 2 Cor. 8.9. His humility was to procure our glory; he became weak, Iſa. 53.4, 5. Humility is ſo hard a leſſon to get into the heart, that Chriſt was fain to come down, from heaven in his own perſon to teach it. Adams.that we might become ſtrong; he was bound in ſwadling bands to looſe the bands of our ſins; he is clad in clouts and mean rags, to deck us with the rich robes of his righteouſneſs; he was born among beaſts, to advance us to the ſociety of Angels; he was born under the tyranny of Auguſtus, to deliver us from the tyranny of Satan; he came down from heaven to earth, to lift us up from earth to heaven; he would be taxed and have his name taken on earth, that we might be free Citizens, Quel medeſimo affetto ſia in vol, che fu ancora in Chriſto Jeſu. Ital.and have our names written in heaven: In a word! he became the ſon of man, that we might become the ſons of God, Gal. 4.4, 5. He ſuffered death to redeem us to life, Rom. 4.25. Therefore let us learn of him to be meek and humble. Let the ſame mind be in us that was in Chriſt Jeſus; let the conſideration of the great humility of Jeſus diſmount us from all high thoughts of our ſelves. Phil. 2.5.The heart of man is a proud piece of fleſh; men ſtand upon their terms, and think ſcorn to abaſe themſelves to do good to others: But did we think ſeriouſly of the great abaſement of Chriſt, our pride would down. Shall Chriſt our Prince and Maſter humble himſelf, and ſhall we exalt our ſelves? what intolerable impudence is it, that where the King of glory made himſelf of no reputation, there a ſilly worm ſhould ſwell with pride? Shall God be abaſed, and ſhall man be proud? certainly that mans heart is harder then a rock, whom this high example cannot move to humility.