Contemplations and Devotions, Part 12
XII. Hee beares his Crosse.Ioh. 19.17.
HOw mischievously provident is malice? how carefull not to faile of some one or other engine of torture, for every limbe of innocence? thornes for his head, spittle for his face, blasphemies for his eares, blindfoldings for his eyes, nailes for his hands, a whip for his backe, and here a Crosse for his shoulders; and this as it shall more then one where, so it shall more then one way torment him; before it shall beare him, hee shall beare it, and so (Vriah-like) hee shall cary with him the instrument of his owne death; thus will they make good, that their doubled crucifige, crucifige, Luk. 23.21.it sha l first crucifie him as a burden, then as a Crosse. Thus wi…l they antidate his sentence on him, and crucifie him before he comes to his execution: and so his ex…cution shall bee a pressing, and a hanging too, before hee shall be hung on it, hee shall bee press'd vnderunder it; 'tis not enough, that it torment him as a malefactor, vnlesse it load him as a beast too, that the greene heavy Crosse might at once both crush in the thornes into his harrowed head, and crush out too the bruised blood out of his furrowed backe, for with their whips (as hee complaines) they had plowed vponupon his backe, Psa. 129.3.and made long furrowes. But (alas) how infinitly yet more heauy (beyond its owne weight) must this his Crosse be to him; when on it hung, all those swarmes of our heavier sinnes, a burden vnderunder which (if sensible) the Crosse it selfe could not but have groan'd, and split asunder: yet, even in this passage too, had that vaile over their hearts but given them leave to have look'd backe into their Prophet Esay, how easily,2. Cor. 3.15 how fully might they have seene their malicious fingers herein too pointed out by prophesie? and the kingdome (saies hee) shall be vponupon his shoulder; what is this kingdome, but his Crosse, the standart, and Scepter of this his militant kingdome of grace,Esa. 2….22. and the key too (as the same Prophet elswhere cals it) of that his triumphant kingdome of glory, the Crosse is now become a kingdome, so much hath this Kingly bearer enebled it, that of the wonted infamy and curse of theeues, 'tis now become the ensigne, and glory of Emperours; how different a kingdome from that of the Popes? there the kingdome caries the King vpo… their shoulders, h re the King vponupon his shoulder caries the kingdome: nor is it said vponupon his shoulders, but shoulder, (as some obserue the text) twas the left shoulder, his humanity that beares it, that other, his divinity, 'twas eternally begotten to beare rule, but never borne to beare burden. But, (alas) what with scourging, crowning, buffeting, watching, fasting, they hauehave scarce left him so much blood or strength as to cary himselfe, and must hee yet beare this his heavy Crosse too? yes, till hee faint, and sincke; and longer did they not feare so, to loose the hoped tortures of their nailes, gall &c. Which to prevent, they constraine (saies the text) on Simon, a Cyraenean to beare his Crosse after him, Mar. 15.21not any way (questionlesse) to ease, but by some intermission or assistance to enable him to yet further tortures; vnlesse we thinke, they vsed this helpe of Simons, to hasten him to his execution, lest Pilate might chance, either to revoke his sentence, or to change his death; but whether so, or otherwise to spinne out and wire-draw his tortures: how truely doe they here againe swallow the Cammell, and straine at the gnat: the Crosse was a heathen, a Romane death, and so one of their abominations; th…y may not (forsooth) touch therefore this tree of infamy, but to touch the Lords anointed, Psa. 105.15. Heb 6.6.to crucifie the Lord of glory, they make no scruple of at all; therefore is it that they here compell this Cyraenian, not out of any lazinesse of their owne, or pittie towards him, but only of a superstitious feare to profane, and vnhallow themselues with, but the touch of a gentilish Crosse; nor is it without great mysterie, that 'tis Simon, Mar. 15.21a Gentile, on whom this burden lights; here, wee have the last figure of the Iewes reiection, and the Gentiles intertainement, as to the burden, so to the blessing of the Crosse; here, Manasseh hath againe lost the birth-right, Gen 48.14.Gen. 27 27.Esau both birth-right and blessing, and younger Iacob, the Gentile Church hath gotten the birth-right to this kingdome, the blessing of this Crosse; and iustly doth hee here cast them off, that had first cast him out, hee imparts not his Crosse to this Gentile Simon, vntill the Iewes had first thrust him out of their Synagogue, Mar. 15.and now out of their Citie. This burden of the Crosse is caried part by Simon, part by our Saviour; for 'tis mostly and best vnderstood, that this word after in the text, implies not a succession of time,Luk. 23.26. but of place, that Simon did not at any time cary the whole Crosse, but the hinder part of it after our Saviour, and so Simon as hee beares his Crosse after him, so hee must needs follow his steps too; nor let vsus ever thinke to enioy the benefit of his passion, without that of his patterne too, to take vp his Crosse, Mar. 10.21.vn…esse wee follow him, never o make him a Mediator for …ur sinnes, except we make …im a Mirror to our lives, …s wee have, a come vntounto me …ll that are heavy laden; so yee have a learne of mee too, …or I am humble and meeke, 'tis not so much sinne, as …innes burden, or rather burdensomnesse, that makes the soule capable of Christs reliefe,Rom. 13.14. put yee on the Lord Iesus Christ (saies the Apostle) wee cannot doe it without both our hands, the hand of love, as well as that of faith, by imitation of his vertues, as well as application of his merits; the truth of Christianity consists in b…ing followers of him, of whom wee are worshippers; otherwise, if we thinke that a Lord, Lord, wee know thee who thou art, Mark. 5.7.will serue the turne (as the devils themselues can say) and worldlings …hinke enough to doe; how we…l may wee say on as they doe there: what have wee to doe with thee, what fellowship hath light with darken…sse, the light of a lively faith,2. Cor. 6.15. with the darkenesse of allowed sin, which is indeed the very power of darkenesse; what have wee to doe with him, if wee doe not after him? whether wee follow Simons practise, or our Saviours precept, we may not th…nke to take vp his Crosse, and not to follow him. Mat. 16.24.But O my blessed Saviour, however this thy accursed Crosse so much did tortu…e thee, both when thy burden, and when thy bearer; yet g…ve mee leave a little (Lord) to dry mine eyes with the warmefull benefit of this thy burden, the blessing of this thy Crosse, at least with this wood to take away the bitternesse of these waters of Marah, Exo. 15.25.the despairefulnes and horrour of my teares; what tree in Paradice ever beare such fruit? no, not that of life, Gen. 3.22.that was (at best) but a preseruative of life; but this restores it; though to the (Lord) i… beare nothing but the thornes of shame, torture, death, yet to mee how plentifully did it beare the grapes of gladnesse, the Olives of peace, the Laure… of triumph? to mee, what other hast thou made it, then the Arke of No…h, to save from the deluge of death;Gen 6. the rod of Moses, to deliver mee from the Egypt of sinnes worse bondage; Exo 4.and make way through the red Sea of all afflictions, to that Canaan above, that flowes with that better milke, and hony, innocence and happinesse; that rod that fetches the water of life out of thee, the true Rocke of my refuge, Psa. 18.1. Gen. 28.the Iacobs Ladder that ties earth and heaven together, and makes them transmeable, whereby the Angels become ministring spirits for such as shall be Heires of saluation? Heb 1.14.what other is it but that buckler of thine the true Ioshuah lifted vp against spirituall Na…jm? what but that Sword of Saul, 2. Sam. 1.22.and Bow of Ionathan, that never returne empty; wha… but that wood of Isaac, which hee caried on his shoulders for a selfe-sacrifice, both wood, and Altar to thee, that one and all-sufficient peace-offring to thy father? what but that key of the house of David to bee laid on his shoulder, Esa. 22.22.wherewith thou openest, and no man shuts, even the gates of Heaven it selfe? O let this Arke (Lord) preserue mee, this rod correct mee, this buckler protect mee, this wood inflame mee, this sword and bowe fight all my quarrells, this ladder convey mee to thee, this key open me the way. (O Lord) I am but a stranger here, and with Simon out of my Count…ey: Psa 39.14.Spare not here then (Lord) to loade mee with thy crosse, I will not care how much I hauehave of the burthen of it, so withall I hauehave of the benefit, let mee not thinke to bee thy Disciple, and not to take vp thy crosse, Mat. 16.24.or to take vp thy crosse and not to follow thee: let mee (with Simon) never leave treading in thy steppes, vntill I come to Golgotha, Mat 27.33.that place of skulls, the grave.