Contemplations and Devotions, Part 11
XI. Hee is condemned by Pilate.Luk. 23.22.
HItherto malice hath given the assault alone, but finding her sharpest firyest darts (as in that passage of his accusation) repell'd,Ephes. 6.16. though not abated by the better temper of his proofed innocence, here shee begins to backe her selfe with a colourable overture of iustice in his condemnation; Pilate is therefore threaten'd into a sentence, and must condemne either our Saviour, or himselfe of enmity gainst Caesar; he that makes himselfe a King (say they) as this man doth, is an enemie to Caesar, and if thou let him goe, thou art not Caesars friend. Pilate is afraid of either, and would faine spare both, & so condemns both, and of both, chusing rather to spare himselfe then our Sauiour, condemnes himself more then our Saviour; he knew they had deliuered him to his triall out of enuie ('twas his owne confession) and yet hee deliuers him back to his execution out of feare, and so,Mat. 27.18. the iust pronunciation of his innocence more condemnes Pilats sentence of guile, then the vniust pronunciation of that sentence doth our Saviour of guilt; innocence ever either absolues the prisoner, or condemnes the Iudge; take him and crucifie him, Ioh 19.6. Luk. 23.14.and yet I find no fault in the man, turnes the point of Pilates tongue into his owne bosome, and makes the bench the barre; thus as there needed no further confutation of his accusation, then the witnesses owne contrariety, so there needs no further condemnation of his condemnation, then the Iudges owne confession. Innocence as she is still her owne rule, so mostly is shee her enemies rack, and many times ouer-rules and winds them vp into a confession of the truth, though of their owne falshood; such an awfull hand of terrour, and command holds shee even over her enemies, that who is not her seruant, is her slaue, where shee enflames not the heart with affection, yet there shee enforces the tongue by a secret instigation, either to confesse her trueth, as here, or to confute it's owne falshood, as in his accusation. Not doth Pilat more condemne then anon execute himselfe, how is he shortly after crucified, and torne asunder (Actaeon-like by his owne Curres) feares, and doubts, and iealousies are no other to the guilty,Mat. 27.19. his wifes dreame, and our Sauiours confession on the one side, on the other side the peoples wilfull violence,As his story in Eusebius more fully relates. and Caesars threatned emnity, these after they hauehave first started him into distraction, how doe they at length (as the Psalmist speakes of sinne) hunt him into destruction. He feares to condemne him being so innocent, and yet dares not absolue him being so enuied, so full of feares, and snares, and straights, are the by-wayes of corruption, vponupon the wicked God shall rayne snares (sayes David) so sure is he that with Pilate is vniustly willing to content the people, Psa. 11.7.Mat. 15.15.to sell the blessing of an inward peace, but for a blast of outward favour, and certainely of the two, conscience is a worse enemie then Casar, it hath more racks and tortures then Dioclesian, how great a couple of hells doth guilt at once kindle in her owne little heart, shame and horrour, Mat. 27.24.and how inextinguishable are both their flames? 'tis not all Pilat's water, that can alay the least sparke of either, so true is that of Solomon, Wis. 17 10.it is a fearefull thing when sinne is condemned by her owne testimonie, and a conscience that is touch'd, ever fore-casts cruell things. And now (alas) what can a little water, what can Iordans flouds, what can riuers of wine and oyle doe towards the washing of those his stayned hands, that had power to release innocence and did not?Ioh. 19.10. or the cooling of that tongue, or heart …hat confessed, Ioh. 19.6.and yet condemn'd it? that pronounc'd at once both his innocence of life, and sentence of death? how trayterous to it selfe as well as timorous in it selfe is guilt? especially that of hypocrisie, how wretchlesly doth it most-what ouer-reach, deceiue it selfe? and that with what poore, empty overtures, and slight colours of piety? how doth Pilate here striue to shut his owne eyes, that they may not see his owne heart? and 'gainst his owne forc'd confession to thinke it cleane together with his washed hands, hee knew they had deliuered him of envie, hee confesses he sound no fault in the man, Mat. 21.18.hee tells him he had power to crucifie or release him, Luk. 23.14.and yet how fondly would he faine to wash away all the guilt of this so vniust a sentence, the satisfaction of their bloud-thirsty enuy, the suppression and abuse of his own both confessed knowledge of our Saviours innocence, and boasted power of his deseru'd deliverance, with a little water on his hands? Thus God makes foolish the devises of the wicked, Iob 5.13.and takes them in their owne craftinesse (sayes Iob) and therein vsually too, holds not onelyonly a proportion of degree, but of kinde too, betweene the sinne and punishment: the hypocrite in the end deceives not so much the world as himself, and at last to punish both, the world's and this his self deceit, God leaues him to thinke that hee can deceive him too; his last plea (wee see) is, hast thou not taught in our streets; and have wee not in thy name done miracles, Mat. 25.and cast out devils? open Lord, open, as if hee thought hee could by such kind of outward formalities of religion flatter himselfe into Heaven, and blind God and man alike; no, water on the hands of Pilate, or the feet of Iudas either, though by the hands of our Saviour himselfe, while their hearts are foule, doth not so much wash, as staine: the hand without the heart in devotion, 'tis but an Altar without a Sacrifice, or but a Sacrifice without fire:1. King. 18. like that of Baals Priests, it plucks not downe from Heaven the fire of acceptance; Lev. 10.but as that of Nadab and Abihu, the fire of vengeance. And what other are those popish Pilatish washings and sprincklings in the Church of Rome? if not hence, whence elsewhere can they take their warrant? how directly doe they (with Pilate here) when they have crucified to themselues the Lord of glory, He…. 6.and put him to an open shame: nay, not onelyonly (with Pilate) condemned him, but condemned his suffrings too, as insufficient without the mixture of their owne merit; but (with him) wash, and absolue themselues, I am free &c. Alas no,Mat. 27.24. every sinne is guilty of this his innocent blood, and cannot (with Pilate) spare it selfe, but by condemning him; nor is this blood of his, though in it selfe, the most innocent that ever was, yet where it staines the most guilty too,Heb. 10.29. though where 'tis spred by the hand of faith, it speake better things then that of Abell; yet where 'tis spilt by the hand of contumely,He… 12.24 it both cryes lowder, and staines deeper? 'tis not the waters of Damascus, or Iordan, either that can wash away this leprosie; 2. King. 5.no, both in punishment and pardon;Hos. 4 2. blood cr… for blood, without blood th… is no remission, nothing can wash away the guilt of this blood, but the merit of the same, without which,Heb 9.22. notwithstanding, all his washing, it stucke still on Pilates imbrued hands, nor stai'd it there neither; but how fearefully did it eat yet deeper into his iron bowels? out of which, shortly after falling into a strangely tormenting sicknesse, hee never gave over vomiting blood, vntill hee therewith vomited vp life and soule and all, and that by selfe done violence, as Eusebius reports his death, blood touches blood, 4.2.saies Hosea, which if it be not in remission, 'tis sure to be in revenge; and indeed how iustly, how proportionably doth he loose, what he had so vniustly spilt? blood, how worthily did hee feele what hee did so cowardly feare? death, and that more from his tyrant master, then his almighty Maker; nay, that willing to content his owne slaves,Mar. 15.15. was content to condemne his owne God: how well did those bowels of his deserue torments of their owne; that were not mov'd with al those of our Saviours? how iustly did they vomit forth blood, that had vomited forth so vniust, so bloody a sentence? how deseruedly doe those hands spill their owne blood, that had not spar'd their Makers? It is the iustice of divine iustice, that her iudgements shall not onelyonly punish, but vpbraid the sinne: if Iudas and Pilate loose their compassion, they shall loose their bowels too. Act. 1.1….And yet how boldly dares hee say,Mat. 27.24. I am free from the blood of this iust m…n, see you to it; God made man vpright (saith Solomon) but hee hath sought out many inuentions, how many to hide the staines, to shift the guilt of his sins? sinne hath many friends, but few owners, many followers, but 'tis in a gentleman-like fashion, they'r loath to weare her livery, as that Emperour was wont to say, hee loved the treason, but hated the Traitor; so many love the sinne; but all hate to be, or at least to bee thought the Sinner; is Adam call'd to account, hast thou eaten? the sinne is shuff'ld from his hand to the womans, to Gods, the woman that thou gavest mee, Gen. 3.12.gave mee of the tree and I did eat. Is Saul challengd for sparing, where God would slay; the fault is become piety, and laid as a Sacrifice on the Altar? I saved the satiest for a Sacrifice, or if it will not stay there, on the people.1. Sam. 15.15. I obey'd the people, and heard their voice. Thus David hath slaine Vriah, ver. 20.and the sword of Ammon, and fortune of the warre must beare the blame;1. Sam. 11. thus Solomons harlot hath wip'd her mouth, Prov. 10.20.and 'tis not shee; Pilate hath wash'd his hands, and hee is free, Mat. 27.24and blind too, and let them see to it: desire it is the itch of the heart, and if not stopt, tis carching, and at length infects the braine too, what men eagerly desire, they easily beleeue: how easily doe indulgence and selfe-love claw d…sire into opinion; the foole would faine have it, that there were no God, and at length he dares say it in his heart: Psa. 14.1.Pilate would faine bee free from blood, and now the desires of his heart hath wash'd his hands, and his tongue hath wip'd them, I am free. But is this all, no, that which brands this his sentence on our Saviour with as much cruelty, as iniustice, is that (as Saint Luke relates it) his condemnation 'tis a delive y, but how? 'tis not to his owne, but to his enemies liberty, to the boundlesse bonds, and all the possible tortures of their owne wils, and wishes; hee delivered Iesus to their will. A condemnation but to a limitted death;Luk. 23.…5 how much pitie had it beene to such a delivery? what so vniust, so vnreasonable a sentence, so insufferable, so insatiable a torture, as to throw innocence it selfe on so relentlesse a Racke, so endlesse a wheele, as the will of malice? to such a wilfull abandoning him to all the misery that malice could inuent, or cruelty inflict; what torment had not beene a lenatiue and recreation? Daniels Lions den, the childrens seven-foldly heated furnace, Esay's wooden saw, Israels fiery Serpents, Egypts ten plagues, the Spanish in quisition, the Romish purgatory, are all as farre short in torture, as the last of them in truth, to this rabid hell of their malicious will; give mee not over to the will of my aduersaries, Psa. 27.14.'tis the prayer of David: had hee had as many lives, as limbs, and as many limbs as hairs, such was the rancor of their wils against him, as questionlesse, they would not have spar'd one of those liues from death, not one of those limbs from torture, their malice (wee see) suruiv'd both his torture, and his life too; after all sense of torture, they pierc'd him with the Speare, Ioh. 19 34.and againe after his death and buriall too, how malic…ously doe they suborne false witnesses, Mat. 28 12.to sweare the falshood of his esurrection? so enuious were they even against tha… his second life too, that if possible, they will put to death, to the death of suppression, and vnbeleefe, his power, as wel as person, and according to that their doubled crucifige; Luk. 13 21.crucifie, as his humanity by tortures, so his divinity by slanders; 'twas out of enuy and ill will,Mat. 27.18 that they had first deliver'd him: so much Pilate himselfe confesses; and shall that ill will of theirs, that was then his Pursivant, bee now his iudge? Accuser and Executioner too? how peruersly doth th…s sentence on him inuert that his owne petition? insteed of his will bee done by them; here 'tis,Luk. 23.25. their wils be done on him; which in how vnanimous a conspiracy, as well as emulous contention, they were bent against him; the Evangelist insinuates in calling it their will, not wils. But O my blessed Lord and Saviour, thou that art the Iudge, Act. 10.42 Ioh. 5 27. Ro. 14.9. P…a. 82.1.6.both of quicke and dead, and that not onelyonly of men, but of gods too, and that not onelyonly of such, as thou call…st gods, Kings, but of such as men call gods, idols, that even on those gods of the nations didst execute iudgement; thou King of Kings, God of gods, and Iudge of Iudges, all whose wayes are iudgement and truth; Deut 32.4.and all whose iudgements, as they are impartiall as the truth, so they are as vnsearchable as the deepe, Ro. 11.33. Psa. 36.6.as irrevocable as time, and as irresistible as death: was it not enough for thee (Lord) to come downe from thy throne of maiesty, Heaven, to thy foot stoole of misery,Esa. 66.1. earth? But wilt thus come downe from thy seat of iudgement too, to the barre of condemnation? true (Lord) thou thy selfe had'st said it, that thou cam'st not now into the world to iudge, Io. 12 47.but to saue it. But, was it not abasement, not losse enough to have saved the world by, for thee, who art not contain'd by the Heaven of Heavens, to have beene contain'd in so narrow a corner of earth, the wombe; so despicuous a corner, the manger? wilt thou not onelyonly be so contain'd, but contemn'd too, and that by wormes of earth, men, but that thou wilt bee thus condemn'd too, and that by the corrupt powers of hell and darkenesse? Be it so (Lord) for so it becometh thee to fulfill all righteousnesse, Io 13.thus it becometh the Sonne of man to suffer. The same streight, that Pilates power, and the peoples fury had brought him in, into the same (Lord) had thy decree, and my desert brought thee, to bee condemn'd, or to condemne; Ionah, or the whole ship must sinke,Ioh. 11.50. one man must die for the people, or all must perish. Thou (Lord) must either bee condemned by tman, or all mankind by thee, in which so farre art …hou from sparing thy selfe according either to this Presidents president, or Peters prayer) that, to spare mee thou didst afford not onelyonly the patience, but the power too, to thine owne condemnation: Pilate could have had no power, if not from above; Ioh. 19.11.let their malice then, and my sinnes have the shame of the fact; 'tis onelyonly thy power and mercy that shall ever have the glory of the fruit of this thy condemnation; 'twas thy power onelyonly that could give thee vp into the power of Pilate, thy will that could deliver thee vp vntounto the will of the people: Esay. 53.10.how well then mightest thou say, that thou gavest thy selfe a ransome for our sinnes, Gal 1 4.thine onelyonly was the gift, theirs (if not more mine) the guilt; 'twas thou that gavest thy selfe, Pilate gave but the sentence: when I was first (Lord) in Adam, left to mine owne power, and will; how soone did that will betray mee, that power deliver mee vp into the power, and will …f mine enemies? how proportionately therefore to expiate that my traiterous selfe-delivery, doth thine owne power and will, thus deliver thee vp into the power, and will of these enemies of thine? and so thy power bee showne, thy will bee done in my redemption; how well art thou content to have their power and will shewen, and done in thy condemnation? however (Lord) though I have often condemn'd thee with Pilate; every, the least of my sinnes gives the same sentence on thee, take him and crucify him: yet let me not either by trusting to mine owne, or despairing of thine, condemne both thee, and thy merits too, the one, as worthy of death, th'other, as vnworthy of life, though for the vnworthiest Sinner; so, I shall condemne (Lord) both thee and my selfe too, and the last error will be worse then the first: Mat. 27.64.yet neither let mee (with Pilate here) too indulgently absolue mee, or on any outward formalities of hand-washing devotion say, I am free. Act 24.26. 1. King. 21.27. Heb 12.17. Numb. 23.10.Faelix (I see Lord) may tremble, Ahab may humble himselfe, Esau may weepe, and that for a blessing, Balaam may wish well,Mar. 6 20. to die the death of the righteous, Herod may heare Iohn gladly, Mat. 27 32.and doe many things conformably, Iudas may sorrow, and restore, Magus may beleeue, Act. 8.13.and heare, Pilate may wash and confesse thine innocence, and yet all still in the gall of bitternesse, and blood of iniquitie, Mat 27.24all may notwithstanding say with those devils, that doe beleeue and tremble, Iam. 2 19.and know thee who thou art; Mat 5.7.what have wee to doe with thee: I see, Lord,Luk. 8 13. the stony ground may heare the word with ioy, and forewardnesse; I see there may bee an enlightning, a kind of partaking of the holy Ghost, Heb. 6 4.5.6.a tasting of the heavenly gift, of the good word of God, and of the powers of the world to come; and yet all short of true repentance. O let me not set that high price of my calling in thee, on those deceitfull termes, that most men doe, a bare profession; an empty title of Christianity, on those slight overtures, those halting halues, those easie coole mediocrities, and indifferences in religion; let mee not thinke any degree of zeale too much to attempt, any enough to have attain'd, let mee not say with that rich foole; soule, Luk 12 19here take thine ease, thou hast enough: Let mee not say with Iudas, of any cost or paines in thy seruice, whitherto tends this wast; Mar. 14.4.but with those hearty conuerts let mee ever say, what yet shall I doe to bee saved, Act 2.37. Act. 16.30.herein let mee ever thinke mediocrity the worst pollicy, content the worst penury, ever accounting that there is no health to that spirituall dropsie, continually to thirst after righteousnesse, alwayes to pant after thee, Mat. 5.6. Psa. 42.1.as the Hart after the rivers of water, no wealth, to that spirituall poverty of being still poore in spirit: Mat. 5.3.let mee never (with Pilate) thinke that I am free from sinne, vnlesse I vse that power I have, Mat. 27.24. Ioh. 19.10.all that I either am, or have, or can, against it.