Contemplations and Devotions, Part 16
XVI. Some vpbraid him on the Crosse,Mat. 27. Mar. 15. and dare him to come downe, others that passe by, wagge their heads at him, and revile him
THere is nothing more naturall to man, then if not to helpe, yet at least to p tie misery though ne're so guilty, and if misery bee …oth obiect, and motive enough of pitie, what mise…y so moving, so melting, is this, as all this of our Saviours? nor is misery (here) the onelyonly motive neither, here is innocence it selfe in all this misery, and if misery may move pitie, innocence may challenge it. How well might our Saviour complaine, that there was no mans sorrow like vntounto his; Lam. 1.12.others sorrowes are at least somewhat blunted with pitie, but his edgd and pointed yet sharper by scorne, and insultation. Nor is it barely so neither, but a kind of strange a…d vnusuall mixture of scorne, and enuy in one vpbraiding, 'tis a medly of them both; but what can they vpbraid him with, hee saved others; Luk. 23.35.what better testimony, as of his power and mercy, so of his innocence too, then, that enuy it selfe (that same broad eyed Linceus) can not find a greater beame in his eye then his, saving others? what better confession could they have made of that which …ere while Pilate confess'd, that they had delivered him of enuy, Mar 15.…0.the enuy which they beare his power, and goodnesse, in saving others; spight it selfe (spight of i…s owne teeth) cannot, but stile him a Saviour; so then when they would have had Pilate to have altred the inscription of his accusation, Ioh. 19 21.if they would have had it done aright, hee should have made it, Iesus of Nazareth, that saved others; for that now appeares to bee the true cause of their malice, and his death, and so (indeed) it was, as well in his owne end, as their enuy; therefore did hee die, that hee might save others, but now (say they) hee can not doe as much for himselfe, himselfe hee can not save, Luk. 23.35.while they thinke to vpbraid his power, how plainely doe they speake his mercy, in doing more for others then himselfe, that hee could have done as much for himselfe, nothing but a Iewish vailed heart could bee infidell in, specially having seene him to have freed so many from those stronger bonds of death, 2. Co. 3 15the grave, and the devill too: Mat 1. Mar. 5.So reachlesse is their malice, that they have nothing, to vpbraid his power with, but his owne mercy; therefore is it that hee will not save himselfe, that hee may thereby save others. From vpbraiding, they next fall to daring (the vsuall Methode of malice) and what is it they dare him to, to come downe from the Cross…, If thou b…e the Sonne of God come downe; alas,Mat 27.40. could they thinke it ha…d for him to come downe from a chip of wood, that they themselues could put vp, who came downe from the throne of Heaven, to which they, and it were but of the dust of the foot-stoole? could not the Heaven of Heavens containe him, and can a few nailes, thinke they, detaine him? no, hee could as easily have come downe from their Crosse,Mat. 4 as from the devils Pinnacle, but that hee came to set vsus free who were in bondage, by this his willing thraldome, and by this captivity of his, to lead captivity it selfe captive: 'twas our sinnes, and his love that stucke him faster to his Crosse, then all their cords and nailes; if his flesh hee tooke from vsus bee fastned to it with three nailes, his love hee beares to vsus, is nailed to it with many times three thousand sinnes; no, had hee liv'd but th…se three houres on earth, and all the rest of his three and thirtie yeares on his Grosse, and in all that torture hee now is in, 'tis not all the teares of men, nor prayers of Angels, much lesse the darings of enemies, that can fetch him downe, so much hath his love to vsus enamourd him of this his now espoused Crosse, and turn'd all those his rackings on it into imbraces, that nothing shall now divorce him from it, but death.
If thou bee the Sonne of God (say they) come downe, how weake, as well as wicked are their provocations? If thou bee the Sonne of God? Whereas, because hee is the Sonne of God, therefore is it, that he will not come downe; had hee beene but the Sonne of man alone, and able, hee would have beene glad to his owne ease, if not glory to have taken them to their word, but being the Sonne of God, thus brauely is he able to slight their tortures, and temptations both; But how plainely doe they herein the while make good that his owne herauldry on them; and rightly father themselues, yee are of your Father the devill, for yee doe, as he hath done before yee, Ioh. 8.44not long before hee had tempted him much what in the same stile; If thou be the Sonne of God, Mat. 4.3.saies hee, cast thy selfe downe, and 'twas from the Pinnacle, where hee himselfe had brought him, how neere tread they in this their Fathers steps? If thou be the Sonne of God say they) come downe, and 'tis from the Crosse, where they themselues have put him; nor, doe they follow that their Father of lies, more in the provocation it selfe, then the annexed promise, I will give thee all the kingdomes of the earth (saies hee) wee will beleeue (say they) nor was that further from his power,Mat 27.40. then this from their purpose; they beleev'd him not (wee see) when hee rose vp from the stronger grave; how much lesse had hee come downe from this easie blocke? this, how fearefull a flight had it beene from death? that, how powerfull a conquest was it of it? how truly did hee therein prove himselfe,Mar. 3.27. that stronger man in his owne Parable, in binding so that strong man death, and that in his owne house, the grave. No, 'tis to bee thought rather, that they would have had him downe, but to have doubl'd and renew'd his tortures, to have crucified him againe indeed, as the… had before in word, crucifie him, crucifie him. Luk 23.21.And (alas) how vnhappy a miracle had it beene to vsus, that they here tempt him to? how well was it for vsus, that they sped not?Mat. 27.25. his blood bee vponupon vsus, and on our children; 'tis a peece of holy oratory, a iust prayer to this so vncharitable an imprecation, so fearefull a curse, for (alas) had hee not more supported his staggering Crosse, then it him, how could it possibly have stood vnderunder such Mountaines of sins? it must so, have left fall all our severall burdens vponupon our owne backes, and then, O wretched men, Rom. 7.24.that wee had beene, who should have delivered vsus from those burthens of our death! (questionlesse) it was no other then a suggested stratagem of the devils, now beginning to feele what a conquest the crosse thus enabled with this its burthen, would shortly win over him with all his powers of darknesse; if they then dare him to come downe, let vsus rather desire him to goe further vp on this Iacobs ladder of his crosse,Gen. 28.12. that when (as hee speakes himselfe) he is lifted vp, hee may draw vsus vntounto him, if they dare him to come downe from his crosse to them, let vsus pray him rather to take vsus vp thither to him, that where he is there might we be also. Ioh. 17.24.But is it not enough that the spectators thus vpbrayd, and dare him, vnlesse the passers by too wagging their heads revile him, Mar. 15.29is't not enough that his fearefull Apostles flye him, the mournfull women grieve him, the busie Actors at once torment, deride, blaspheme him, the envious lookers on vpbrayd him, but that the carelesse passers by too reproach and flowt him?Lam. 1 12. O all yee that passe by (sayes he) behold and see my sorrowe, and yet behold those that here passe by doe behold, but to revile and scorne it; even such as are not so farre ingag'd (they thinke) in the cause, as to bee permanent spectators, yet can bee as malicious to the person, as to bee impudent revilers, though they have not as much leasure as to stay, yet will they hauehave as little modesty as to rayle, they will not faile in that, though they take it out in their way, as Shimey did by David, rayling as he went. 2 Sam. 16.13. Mar. 15.29.And what is their invective? Ah thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it againe in three dayes, save thy selfe. What speech can possibly be more perplext and woven with falshoods, impossibilities, and contradictions, hee never said hee would destroy, but destroy yee this Temple, Ioh. 2.19.and yet therein neither did their false witnesses agree. Mar. 14.59How full of impossibility is it too and contradiction? thou that destroyest the Temple, Ioh. 2.21.save thy selfe: whereas that selfe of his was the Temple that hee spake of, hee spake (sayes the Text) of the temple of his body, which if hee should now have saved, and not suffered it first to be destroyed, how could he have made good his word of building it againe in three dayes? Therefore will he, must he, not now save himselfe, because hee had promis'd to build himselfe againe, which had beene impossible had he not first bin destroyed; to restore, necessarily implyes a destruction; to restore then, and not to bee first destroyed, must needes imply a contradiction; but no mervaile falshoods, impossibilities, and contradictions, are but the vsuall figures of this kinde of rayling rethorike; and for their literall temple too, seeing they will needs wrest his speech to it, they have (or may) by this time find what ominous Ravens they have herein beene to themselves in the destruction of that temple too, and that not in word onelyonly, but in type and figure, what better figure could they give then these their shaking heads of the shaking, and then a staggering head of their Iudeah, Ierusalem, and of the head of that, their temple, and of the head of that, their law, and of their being shortly after shaken over the whole earth, without Head, or Governour; how emulous is every member of malice in an industrious contention for the mastery in mischiefe? their hearts in malice, their hands in torture, their tongues in taunts and blasphemies, their heads will not be behind, neither in the sweat of invention to put the rest a worke, and those who have no braines to straine in invention, yet will not faile to shake their empty heads in derision: how well might the Prophet say, Hee shall beare the reproach of all the people. But O my blessed Lord and Saviour, what difference is this betweene thine and others sufferings? those of others draw at lest pitty and condolement, and must thine onelyonly provoke insultation, and contempt? Dost thou except nothing but sin in making thee like men, Heb. 2.17.4.15.and doe men adde an other exception, of suffering to that of sinne, not vouchsafing to make thee like other men in that common, poore, cheape reliefe of pitty, if not thy misery, yet might thy confessed mercy finde some pitty, he saved …ers, no, but himselfe (say they) hee cannot save. Luk. 23.35Thy actions (Lord) alas, they are bounds, how much too narrowe for thy attributes, whether of will or power? from what thou do'st, to what thou canst do, to argue negatively, argues little Sophistry, but much blasphemy; that thou wilt do no more then what thou do'st, 'tis folly to presume; but that thou canst doe no more then what thou do'st, 'tis Atheisme but to imagine; alas, how easily couldst thou (here) have come down from the cross, how much easier (for matter of paine if not power) then thou went'st vp? how easily could'st thou (here) have done by them, what they had bragg'd they would do by thee, have broken their bondes asunder, Psa. 2.3.and cast away their cords from thee, 'tis thou (Lord) that bindest Kings with chaines and Princes with linkes of iron; who though now thou bee thy selfe fast bound in misery and iron, Psa. 107.10yet art thou s…ill as free from being any way powerbound here on the Crosse, as on the Seas before, where windes, and waves, Mat. 8.17.and all obey thee? how very threds of sand, are mans strongest bonds, when in those Sampsons hands of thine, that measure out the Heavens with a Esay 40.12.span, and weigh the mountaines in scales, and hold the waters in their hallowe. I will make thy will then (Lord) the rule of thy iustice, but not thine actions the limits of thy power,Deut 8 18. Psa. 36.5. as thy mercy is in and above all thy work…s, so thy power is still both in, and beyond them, in which though many times thy purpose may reserve, or suspend, or proportion the outward act to the capacity, or occasion of the subiect, yet nothing can confine thy power,2 Tim. 2 9. thy word 'tis not bound (sayes thy Apostle) how much lesse thy power? thou art the Sonne of God, and therefore how easily could'st thou have come downe? and yet how much more powerfully didst not? how much more strongly did'st thou prove thy selfe the Sonne of God, against all their torturings, temptings, darings, by staying on the Chariot of thy crosse, & therin leading captivity it selfe captive, then by comming downe, & so, enthralling vsus by thy yeelding freedom? how meteor-like a blaze had'st thou so appear'd, in loosing the height, the region of this thy suffering, and yet conquering triumph? whereas, thus staying, how fixt a starre do'st thou appeare, nay,Mal. 4.2. how true a Sunne of righteousnesse (like the Sunne by Ioshuah,) thou hast beene pray'd to stand still, Mar. 10.49.by blind Bartimeus (like the Sun by Hezekiah) to turne backe too, Luk. 24.29.by the Disciples iourneying to Emaus; but to bee drawne from this thy spheare, thy crosse, couldst never, but how truly (like the Sunne going forth in his might, Psa. 19 5.didst thou still reioyce as a Gyant to runne thy course, though in bloud, and torture. Sometimes I see (Lord) thou canst give in anger, so thou gavest this people a King in thy wrath; 1 Sam. 10.and sometimes againe thou canst deny in mercy, how mercifull a deniall was this in not comming downe from thy crosse? with how much more mercy didst thou denie this suite, then thou could'st graunt it? how miserably would wee many times entangle our selves, should wee sit downe and obtaine our owne wishes? O thou Altar, thou anker of my soule, give me but to serve and trust thee, and I aske no more, for my other desires I will assure me that thou wilt heare them either to my wish, or to my better welfare, thou hast promised to cast in all things vsefull to the seeking of thy kingdome, Mat. 6.33.Rom. 8.28.and to make all things worke together for the best of those that love thee, what better way then that of thine to enioy all things? hath not he all things to whom all things worke together for his best? should I have them mine owne way, in my power, my possession, my table (happily) would become my sn…re, Psal. 69.23.a…d those things which might be for my wealth, would be to mee an occasion of falling; how much (Lord) of anxious impertinent discontent, and melancholly would be saved, if men would be thus perswaded, that thou who hast thus promised, who lov'st them bet er then they can themselves, who knowest better then themselves their true wants, and carest more then themselves for their fit supplies, could not faile? how ever, though I aske what is above my merrit, yet let mee not aske (as these doe here) what is against thy mercy; though my sinnes be dishonourable to thee, disadvantageable to my selfe, yet let not my suites be so too; my sins will pluck downe vengeance enough vponupon mee without my prayers; had their desires, their darings pluck'd thee downe from the crosse, how irrecoverably had we all falne from blisse? What they then entertain'd with …haking heads of derision,Mar. 15.29 thy constancie, and patience, that, let vsus entertaine with shaking, trembling hearts of devotion, ever magnifying thy constant victorious love herein towards vsus, that could so sufferingly outdoe, the vtmost, not onelyonly of their doings, but darings too.