Contemplations and Devotions, Part 15
XV. They Crucifie him.Mat. 27. Luk 23.
DEaths have their difference as well as lives, lives differ not more in the degrees of glory, and delight, then deaths doe in the degrees of shame, and torture; nay, some kindes of lives and deaths differ not more each from other, then severall kindes of deaths doe among themselues: wee read of foure severall kindes of deaths, then in vse among the Iewes, strangling, stoning, fire, and the sword, none of these deaths are t…ought bad enough for this Lord of life, but they will borrowe a gentilish death, though from their enemies for such a friend; the Crosse was a death, whether for the paine, the shame, the curse, farre above all other, wee may see it in that the Apostles gradation,Phil. 2.8. hee became obedient to death, even the death of the Crosse: how great must needes the shame be of this death? wherein the Crucified were lifted vp as a spectacle to all eyes, and how much yet greater is our Saviours above the others? wee read of no insultations, or irrisions, no inscriptions or vpbraydings spent on his companions in this death, herein like another Beniamin his messe is five times greater then the rest; the curse of this death 'twas worse then the shame, this seemes to be the more inward shame, and consternation which the guiltinesse of the death strikes into the soule of the sufferer, hereby, hee was made a curse for vsus (sayes the Apostle) for it is written, Gal. 3 13.Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree, yet (as Ierome well distinguishes) the curse is rather the curse then the effect, hee is not therefore accursed, because he hangs, but he therefore hangs because hee is accurs'd, otherwise punishment should not expiate, but beget guilt, and so still deserve further punishment; therefore did our Saviour thus hang on the accursed tree, because hee had before taken the curse of our sinnes on him, nor is the paine in its kinde lesse then either; now come the barbarous inhumane hangmen and begin to loose his hands, but how? alas, 'tis not to any liberty, but to worse bonds, of nayles; then strip they off his gore-glew'd clothes, and with them (questionlesse) not a little of his mangled skin and flesh too in parting, as if 'twere not enough to crucifie him as a thiefe, vnlesse they flea him too as a beast; nay, how much worse then either do they vse him, when as they flea him while alive, and after with the speare wound him too when dead? then stretch they him out like another Isaack on his owne burthen, the crosse, to take measure for the holes; and though the print of his bloud on it gave them (questionlesse) his true length, yet how spightfully doe they take it yet longer then the truth? thereby at once both to crucifie, and rack him; that hee was thus stretch'd and rack'd vponupon his crosse, David gives more then probable intimation, I may tell all my bones, Psal 22.17.and else-where, all my bones were out of ioynt, which how could it otherwise so well be, as by such a violent distortion? whereby it seemes they had made him a living anatomie: nor is it in the lesse sensible fleshy parts of the body, that they drive these their larger tenters, whereon his whole waight must hang, but the hands and feete, the most sinnewy, and consequently the most sensible parts of all other, wherein how rudely, and painefully they handle him, appeares too by that of David, Psal. 12.17.foderūt manus, he doth not say, they pierced; but they digged my hands, and feete, the boysterous and vnusuall greatnesse of which their nayles, wee have from venerable antiquity, Constantine the great is said to have made of them both a helmet and a bridle, some say more, how ever, how much it was for his whole body to hang so long, on nayles so rudely driven thorow parts so feeling, how his bodies weight must needes continually stretch the wounds still wider, and so continue on with fresh addition of new torture, their gnawing paines, 'tis a subiect fitter for meditation then speech: such as fully to expresse, would require both the eloquence and experience of him that felt it: how should I write on, but that my teares should blot out what I write, when 'tis no other then, he that is thus vs'd,Col. 1.14. who hath blotted out that hand writing of ordinances against me: but
O Lord, thou that on that other mount wert so gloriously transfigured, Mat 17.how much againe on this mount have my sinnes disfigured thee, how truly might thy Prophet (here) say of thee, that there was no forme left in thee, Esay 53.2.nor beauty for which thou shouldst be desired; what else appeares but bleeding vaines, bruised shoulders, rawe scourged sides,Psa. 129 3. furrowed backe, harrowed temples, digged hands and feete, Psa. 22.17distorted, disfigured limbes all over? shame, griefe, and paine, emulously, striving, which shall have the greatest share in thee their prostrate prey, their facile trampled spoyle, and captive. O Lord, in thee it is I live, and for mee it is thou diedst, and wilt thou dye none but the worst of deaths, that of the crosse, because 'twas due to mee, and can I (here) live any but the best of lives, that of grace, it being so due to thee? how free, how happy an exchange hath the merits of thy sufferings made with those of my sinnes? in steed of death, life, and in that death of thine, and life of mine, for shame, glory, a Kingdome of glory; for paine, pleasure, the pleasures of thy right hand for evermore; Psal. 26.12.for the curse, the blessing, blessednesse it selfe; Exo. 21.24.how farre is this from that old equality,Lev. 14.20. an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; how much better like Sampsons riddle, Iud. 14.14.out of the Eater (here) comes meate, out of strength, sweetnesse, out of devouring death the bread of life, out of the strength of malice, the sweetnesse of mercy, light out of darknesse. When my sins (Lord) here layd thee on the Altar of thy Crosse, (it seemes) they did not onelyonly nayle, but racke thee vp above thine owne naturall dimensions: but when thou shalt enter into iudgement with thy servant; alas (Lord) thou wilt not neede any tenter-hookes of rigour to reach those sinnes of mine, the least of them being done against so great a God, cannot but deserve the greatest of thy iudgements; for length, eternity will but serve, for depth hell it selfe, for breadth if mountaines could be perswaded to fall on to cover them, Rev. 6.they could not. Rather (O Lord) as that Steward take the bill and write but fourescore for the hundred; Luk. 16.7.and yet (alas) nor will that serve turne neither, no, rather with that Lord of that other Steward, dash quite out the score, Mat. 18.28.forgive the whole debt, shouldst thou leave (Lord) but any, alas, I am not able to answere thee for one of a thousand. Was it because they were so many, that I cannot count all my sinnes, that thou sufferedst thus to bee rack'd,Psal. 22.17. that thou could'st count all thy bones? my sinnes indeede are many, so many, that they exceede not onelyonly my acquittance, but account, how ever, yet, my dayes are but fewe, though I cannot count my sins then, yet teach mee to number my dayes (with David) that I may apply my heart to wisedome. Psal. 90.12.Thy wounds (Lord) are both the treasure, Mat. 13.44.and foundation of thy Church, how well then for their vse, as well as widenesse, is it said,Mat. 16.18. that they digged thy hands and feete. O let mee not sticke with the wise Merchant, to sell all, rather then not purchase this field where this treasure lyes. Psal. 22.17.There in those rich mynes of thy wounds, let me by a lively faith digge for this invaluable everlasting treasure of thy merits, though they digged through (Lord) they have not stolne away this treasure, Mat 6.20.Zech. 13.1.'tis a fountaine opened to the house of Iudah, how truly may I say (with David) but in a happier sense, the proud have digged pittes for me; Psa. 119.85on this digg'd foundation, let me build my house, it is the rocke, 'gainst which, let the flouds beate never so much,Mat. 16.19. they shall not prevaile.