Contemplations and Devotions, Part 14
XIIII. The Souldiers divide,Mat. 27.35. and cast lots for his garments.
IObs miseries were great, and many,Iob 2. and, yet all how far short of these our Saviours? Iobs shirt (as he complaines) was become as stiffe as the coller of his Coat, it appeares then (however, his case were like that his case, his shirt, hard) yet that hee had both a shirt and Coat, to cloth him: our Saviour hath neither left him, vnlesse it bee that of shame, Psa. 35.26.wherewith (as David speakes) they clothed him as with a garment. Iob sate on the dunghill, scraping his sores with a potsheard; Iob 2.8.it appeares then however, his seat were none of the sauouriest, his salue none of the soveraign'st, yet that hee had a hand at liberty, and a potsheard at hand, somewhat to ease him; our Saviour in this his case-lesse case, hath neither hand, nor so much as pot-sheard; nay his strength (as David speaks) 'tis it selfe,Psa. 22.15. dried vp like a pot-sheard, and brought into the very dust of death. Herod and Pilate, Luk. 13.they cloath him (indeed) but 'tis in iest; these strip him, but 'tis in earnest, all have one end, whether they cloth, or strip him, 'tis still to shame him; nor is it any abatement, that the garments value might lighten the losse, how much it afflicted him to have his naked body so immodestly expos'd, to the rude contemptuous eyes of all beholders? let his owne complaint witnesse;Psa. 44.16. all the day lo…g i… my shame against mee, and the confusion of my face covers mee: Mat. 25.35.42.If hee complaine, I was naked, and yee clothed mee not: how much more may hee here complaine, I was clothed, and yee strip'd me naked; and yet to let vsus see, how much more obduracy towards his poorer members here, afflicts, dispoils, robs him: then the worst cruelty towards his person, that finds him a severe Iudge, I was naked &c. and therefore depart yee cursed; Luk. 23.34.when as this finds him an earnest Aduocate, Father forgiue them: God gaue Man clothes in Paradise, Gen. 3.and them how hath hee since abus'd, and alienated from their first institution, from Covering of shame, to the discovery of Pride, Shame, and Luxury: Man shall (here) …herefore take away Gods …wne cloth's, that by the losse of his, hee may expi…te the vanity of ours: Nor, will this our David, 1. Sam. 17.our Champion, have any of Sauls armour, no, not so much of carnall furniture, as clothes to encounter with that spirituall Goliah, with all his host, onelyonly his sling, and three stones, his Crosse and nailes shall serue the turne. Of all the other passages of his passion, wee find not any so punctually pointed out by prophesie, as this;Psa. 22.18. They parted my garments, and on my vesture did they cast lots: It seeme rather a Hystorie, then Prophesie, an Impletion, then Prediction, the mysterie is here no lesse full, and prognant neither: our Sav…ou… had (as their custome was) two garments, the one, a larger vpper garmen…, the other,Ioh. 19.23. a seame-lesse inner Coat, this was knit throughout, made him by his mother (as antiquity hath possess'd the Church) when hee was a child, and both lasted, and grew with him by miracle: These two garments represent those his two bodies, naturall and mysticall; the outer garment, the embleme of hi… naturall body, that is by he Souldiers (here) rent, and torne into fower parts, so was his naturall body in the merit of its sufferi…g, into the fower parts of the world; the other inner seamelesse one, that signifies his body mysticall, his Church, this hee weares more inwardly; more neere him, this is kept entire and whole, so much more tender is hee of his Church, this body mysticall, then of that his body naturall, that he cares not how much that bee divided, torne asunder, to keepe the other whole, so carefull is hee to have this preseru'd (with that his inner garment) from the rents of schismes, and factions; that if Paul breath out threatnings against it, Act. 9 1.hee is strucken blind for't to the ground; ver. 4.where as these Murderers of his, how savadgly doe they wound, & teare that other garment of his body naturall without grudge, or checke? These inhumane Souldiers then are not so iniurious to him, as those light heeld, but lighter headed Schismatickes, that running first out of their wits, and then out of the Church, because it runs not on the giddy wheeles of their owne vertiginous fancies, sticke not to rend with schisme, that very garment in the mysterie, which the Souldiers themselues spar'd; they are not asham'd to tell vsus, …hat they daily mourne for ou… so bespotted, bestrumpeted Church, and dare pretend the Virgin Primitive on for their (alas) how vnstudied patterne for their misspent pitie, how well may our Church answere them, as her Bride-groome did but now the women? Weepe not for mee, but for your selues: But for their mispretended imitation of the Primitive Church, how rather (like Antipodes to it) doe they tread quite opposite; if wee looke backe vponupon those primitive times, wee shall find the Churches purity, thus by her selfe describ'd: They continued daily with one accord in the Temple, A…. 2.46.and breaking of bread, did eat their meat at home with gladnesse, and singlenesse of heart; whereas these Church-Rebels, insteed of con…inuing daily with one accord in the Temple, how doe they daily run in discord out of the Temple? insteed of breaking of bread at home, how doe they breake the b…ead of the Church, the staffe of its life, peace and vnity abroad? and lastly, how frowardly doe they turne their gladsome singlenesse of heart, into a glorious singularity of head? I dare not say (with Paul) I would they were cut off, which trouble you; I will say onelyonly (with David) Let them bee turned backe, that have evill will to Syon, let peace bee within her borders, let her be like Ierusalem, a Citie, Ioh. 15.12.that is at vnity with it selfe, Ioh. 14.27.this was the command, Legacy, and prayer, of our Saviour himselfe, that shee might bee one, Ioh. 17.11.as hee and his Father are one.
But O Lord, thou that guidest both,Prov. 21.1. the inscrutable hearts of Kings, and (as here) the most savadge hands of Souldiers to spoile, and spare, as thou shal please; ever guid (Lord) my hands to eschew evill, and doe good, Psal. 34.13.my heart, to seeke peace, and ensue it: Let mee neither rend thy garments by schisme, nor rob thee of them by oppression, let me beg them of thee by faith, and prayer; it is thou (Lord) that clothest the Lillies so gloriously above Solomon: Luk. 12.27. Mat. 22.11. Deut. 10. Psa. 39.14O cloth mee as graciously, with that richer Roab, that wedding, welcomming garment of thy righteousnesse, thou givest rayment to the stranger (O Lord) I am a stranger vponupon earth, as all my Fathers were, give mee of this thy rayment, this only is able to cover my shame, to keepe my skirts from being discovered; Ier. 13.22.2. King 2.13.thou (Lord) art (with Eliah) gone to Heaven, bestow (as hee) this thy garment on thy Seruant, this will (as that) smite and divide the overflowing Iordan of temptations, into a passage; this onelyonly (like those of the Israelites) will not wax old in my Iourney through this worlds wildernesse, Deut. 8 4.29.5.but will bring mee to that better Canaan above: at least to stop the issue of my customary sinning, let me by the hand of saith (with that woman) touch but the hemme of thy garment, Mat 5.and I shall bee whole: thy chiefe tormentors (Lord) had thy garments, and can I then misse them? I have c…ucified the… oftner then …hey, and so need them more then they to hide my shame, my sinne; this garment of thy merits Lord, it is (I see) a true golden fleece, and fals (as these thy garments here) vntounto the Souldiers share, it must bee wonne, or not worne, though it fall to vsus (as these) by lot (wee are elected (saies the Apostle) by lot, yet to none but to the Souldiers lot) if I live not in a continuall warfar against the world,Iob. 7.1. the flesh, and devill, let mee not thinke to weare this scarlet, Rev. 7.if I fight not in that field, let mee not thinke to share in these spoiles. (O Lord) whom have I in Heaven, but thee, and what is there on earth, Psa. 73 24.that I desire in comparison of thee? what should I desire besides thee? thou art food, and clothing, thy flesh (thou saiest) 'tis meat indeed, Ioh 6.55. Ro. 13.14.and thy blood drinke indeed, and (thy Apostle saies) thou art clothing, and bids mee put thee on, and food and rayment, Gen. 28.20.is all both Iacobs wish, 1. Tim. 6.8.and Pauls contentment; feed me with this food conuenient for mee, cloth me with this fragrant rayment, Gen. 27.27.that can onelyonly win the blessing; so, I shall be better fed then those Israelites, though fed with the food of Angels; Psa. 78.26.so shall I bee better cloth'd, then that woman in Iohns vision, though clothed with the Sun, when, so,Rev 12.1. Ioh 6 48. Mal. 4.2. my food shall bee the bread of life, my clothing, the Sun of righteousnesse.