Contemplations and Devotions, Part 27
XXVII. Ioseph beggs,Ioh. 19.38. and huries his body, when Nichodemus had embalmed it.
WEe reade of three Iosephs in Scripture, all three eminent & choice instruments of Gods glory, and mans good; The first Ioseph made way for Israels reliefe in Egypt, from the famine; the second for Israels Saviours escape into Egypt from the sword, both went into Egypt, the one to get the staffe of life, bread; the other, to preserue the life of life, Iohn. 14.our Saviours. So doth this the third Ioseph, make way for him too, & though neither from famine, nor sword, yet from his thirsty bloody Crosse, to his quiet grave; the first Ioseph brought Israel from Caanan into Egypt, but this Ioseph brings the Saviour of Israel from the tyranous Egypt of his Crosse, into the Conquered Caanan of his Sep…lchre, where hee vanquish'd that same Anak-gyant broode of sinne, death, the deuill and hell, and that in their owne territories the grave: The f…r…t Ioseph brought Israel to Pharaoh, the second carries this Saviour of Israel from Herod, and this third, beggs him of Pilate; the Iewes buy him of Iudas and kill him, Ioseph begges him of Pilate and buries him, and still how much better is he begd by faith and prayer, then bought in Crucifixes and Pardons; but alas, how much more doth Ioseph cost him, then he Ioseph? he spils his blood for Ioseph, Ioseph spends but a word for him and speeds, but 'twas a bo…d one,Mar. 15.43. he went in boldly to Pilate, and asked the body of Iesus, nor may we thinke to speed with, or for our Saviour, without a discreetly resolved boldnesse, he that feares when hee hath to deale with man for God, betrayes the cause to suspicion, himselfe to deniall, and vponupon the matter God himselfe to the dishonour of vnfaithfulnesse, vnworthines, as if he could shrinke from the assistance of his owne ordinance: feare both with God and man ever antidates deniall. But what doeth Iosephs faith, and louelove Phoenix-l ke take life, but from the ashes of our Saviours death? wee reade of no discouery of either vntill now, it cannot be dissembled, but that Iosephs faith was hitherto but smoaking flaxe, or if fier'd, but rak'd vp in the paler ashes of a tongue-tyed feare, yet herein appeares it's trueth, that at length (with Davids) it growes hot within him, and breakes forth,Psal. 39.4. and casteth ovt feare; a friend loveth at all times (saith Solomon) but if that louelove at any time more appeare, be it rather (with Iosephs) in the storme; in Sunne-shine friends, swarme like Bees, and dance like attomes, Ioseph doth not so, him whom he dares scarce ackowledge amidst all the glory of his myracles, him hee dares boldly begge, after all the misery of his sufferings, he is no Capernait, following him when hee gives bread, forsaking him when hee wants and cryes for drinke; No, he thirstes most after this water of life, Iohn 4.when that it selfe complaines of thirst, and beggs him now, when hee himselfe is become a beggar, LoueLove is stronger then death (saith Solomon) such is Iosephs, death is so far from killing it, as it gives it birth rather, and a kind of post-humall succession. I sayd I will goe vp into the palme tree, G…n 7.8.and take hold of the fruit thereof; What is the palme tree, but the Crosse? the palme of our victory and tryumph? What is the fruit it beares, but our blessed Saviour? the first fruits of the resurrection, who ascends but Ioseph? gathering this blessed fruit from this accursed tree, here grapes were gathered from thornes, the true vine it selfe, Iohn 14.1.from this accursed thorne the Crosse, Iosephs ladder here, and that of Iacob are not much vnlike, both reach'd from heauen to earth, yet on Iacobs but the heavenly messengers, on Iosephs, the heavenly Messiah here descends, nor can it bee conceived that this so passionate an office, could be done by so affectionate a servant, without strong extasies and ruptures of soule, in the preasse and puzle of so many iarring affections, joy, sorrow, horrour, feare, louelove, such aemulously striving, wholly to invade and possesse him in it, ioy tryūphed in the valew of his enriching burthen, hauing now his and the worlds Saviour in his trembling armes, for whom he had so prosperously prevail'd with Pilate, and of whom now he was so happily authorized to dispoyle the suffering Crosse (and David-like) to plucke this innocent Lambe out of the rending pawes of this ravening care, nor can it bee, but sorrow and horrour should next hauehave their scaene in his thronged brest, to see him so bor'd, so carv'd, so mangled, so nayled, that he cannot loosen his body, but he must widen his woundes, not able so at once to draw ou… all the nayles, but that at last, one must beare his whole waight, and that waight stretch at once still wider, both wound and sorrow: and how could horror then but harrow vp his bleeding soule? to see that the spightfull nayles could not be as driuen, so nor drawne, without drawing yet more blood with them, and when the nayles were drawne, to see him still glew'd fast to his iealous Crosse, by his owne blood and goare; but that here sorrow againe seasonably assists, melting with it's warmer teares the glewe of his congealed blood, then steps in feare, vpbraiding the traiterous delay & sloth of sorrow, the disadvantageable curiosity and tendernesse of horror, casting doubts of Pilates pervertible facilitie to a possible reuocatiō of his grant, or of the Priests malice, or the peoples fury, either probably enough bent, if possibly to disposesse him of the body before buriall, to hauehave expos'd it to some further shame, if not torture, but (at length) the last, louelove, that conquers all difficulties, casteth out feare, 1. Iohn 4.dryes the checke of sorrow, immasculates the heart of horror, strokes the spleene of joy, becalmes all these gusts of passion, & gently brings him from the racke of his Crosse, (whither malice had beene still a pursuing him, from the cratch of his cradle) at length to the bed of his grave. Then comes Nichodemus with his oyntments, Nichodemus who vntill now durst not owne the Gospell for feare of the Law, comming to our Sauiour in faith, as our Sauiour to the world in judgement,Luke 12.39. as a thiefe in the night, weakely hoping better to find the light by the helpe of darkenesse, but now no longer sitting in darkenesse, Luk. 1.or that sha… of death: feare he dares in despight of all the Synagogues envy, the peoples fury, Caesars enmity, become his Advocates Aduocate,Ioh. 7.51. doth our Law iudge any man before it heare him, the Annoynter of the Lords annoynted, and well may hee imbalme his body with his oyntment, who had imbalmed his soule with his blood; nor is he now lesse free, then fearelesse, a hundred pound waight of Spikenard, very costly; and now after they hauehave all a wh…le wept a vye, and therewith together with their sighes washed and dryed him, (nor neede they any thing but those their teares and sighes to thaw the oyntment, and if need had bin to hauehave supplied it) they begin to anoynt him, his mother at the head, where, as often as she lookes vponupon those eyes of his, now darke and shut, wherewith hee sometime shewed regard to the lowlinesse of his handmayd, Luke 1.or on those lips now pale and breathlesse, which wontedly did but speake the word and it was done, whence sometimes flowed those sayings, which shee so carefully treasured vp in her heart, Luke 2.51.or on rhose temples now scratch'd, harrowed with thornes, which were sometimes the treasures of wisedome, Col. 2.3.and confuted all the Dostors at twelue yeares old, or on those his armes now stiffe and colde, wherewith hee shewed strength, and scattered the proud in the imaginations of their hearts: how could shee either chuse but grieve to him, or choose (the eye being the mindes pledge) but to see him that shee might grieve? how could she looke on him for sorrow? how could she look off him for love? how did she strive to breath life into him again with her sighes? how glad would shee have been (Pellican-like) to have fill'd his empty veynes once more with her bloud? then Magdalen shee knowes her place of old, 'twas at his feete, shee was already practised in the washing them with her teares, and drying them with her hayre and kisses, and now goes but over her old lesso… more perfectly, more passionately, her sorrow taking more waight and depth from the occasion, how did she chid the cruell nayles, and their harder drivers, that could so bore, so digge through those feete that never stood in the way of sinners, Psal. 22.17.or trod the path of guile, how did she at sight of them thus pierced, pierce the ayre with her complaints, these or the like, (Alas Lord) didst thou complaine, thou trod'st the wine-presse alone, it seemes so by thy bloody feete,Esay 63.3. for blood came out of that Wine-presse, Reu. 14.20.even to the horses mouthes; hadst thou th…se woundes (sayst thou) in the house of thy friends? The ancient hospitallity of friends was shewn in washing, not wounding the feete of their guests, these sure were some such friends as Ioab to Amasa, vnderunder pretence of friendship, how trayterously hauehave they saluted thee too,2. Sam. 20. vnderunder the fift rib; some such friendlike fiends rather, as thou sometimes dispossessedst me of, which because thou therein brakest their head, they hauehave thus bruised thy heele: alas Lord, where didst thou tread vponupon such aspes and scorpions; Psal. 9.1.hast thou past through some worse wildernesse then thy people Israel met with betweene Egypt and Caanan? In all that their journey, thou sufferedst not their feet to swel, alas yes, my sinnes were more fiery Serpents, then those of their wildernesse, and have wounded thee yet deeper too then these, these nayles, and was it I (gainst whom thou didst defeate the foote of pride, Psal. 36.and wert thy selfe feete to the lame, my cripled soule) that did thus pierce thy tender feete, thus wound, thus mangle them, and doe I live to see it? why did ye so erre, ye accursed nayles? twas my heart deserv'd, needed your vtmost sharpenesse to pierce it with compunction; which of you (yee inhumane murderers) is not yet so weary as can, or so kind as will drive them yet there, while they are warme with his blood? what better cordial? but the night drawes on, which together with the peoples probable incursion, and Pilates flexible fluctuation, to preuēt, they at length enshrowd him, Matthew cals it cleane, Mark fine linnen, nor may we thinke it onelyonly to expresse their devotiō in this office, that their descriptions are thus expresse, tis not certainly without some mystery, his natural body herein resembles his mysticall his Church, this hath as it's oyntment, so it's cleane fine linnen too, so hath his Church as the oyntment of doctrine, 1. Iohn 2.20.27.(as Iohn cals it) truth, so the cleane and fine linnen too of discipline, and decent ornaments, David cals it the becomming beauty of holinesse; Psal. 93.6.the oyntment to preserve it from the putrifaction of heresie,Psal. 96.9. the linnen from the rents of schisme. And novv follow we him as mourners to the grave, but (here) where are those Egyptian Pyramids, those Mausolaan monuments, the pompe and cost sutable to such a coarse? heres not so much as a grave or shrowd of his owne, both are Iosephs & yet in some respects well suits such a buriall, to such a death, well was he buried in another mans grave, when as he dyed but for other mens sinnes, nor will he now be buried, but in the tombe of an eminent & honorable Counsellour, before he had finished the worke of our redemption, he was still in the season of his humiliation, he will therefore in all birth, life, death, chuse our desert a despicable pouerty; here hee begins his exaltation, now therefore hee will reasume some glory, and that not without special prophesie,Isay. 53.9. he shall make his grave with the rich, no nor mystery neither, but to shew that what endes the wickeds, begins the good mans glory, death; so is it of speciall purpose and import, that his tombe is of rocke; and that a new one of rocke, to prevent all colour of pretensible burglary in his Disciples of breaking it, and stealing him thence; a new one wherein never man before was layd to over-reach the wit of malice, which might else have pretended some other to have risen thence, or to have beene the rayser as in that grave of Elisha; 2 Reg. 13.21.nor are these circumstances of more politick, then morall vse; here's none of that hypocrisie of those Pharisaicall Sepulchers guilded without, rotten within, nor like the Arke within and without, 'tis both alike, both rocks, and sure ones, though hee was made a curse for vsus, Mat 27.66.yet in a kinde of repudiation of Ierusalem, he will not have her curse though, here's a stone vponupon a stone; Gal. 3.nor is the significance lesse of its newnesse then rockinesse, in his birth he lay in a wombe wherein never man lay, in his life hee rode on an Asse whereon never man sate, in his death he lay in a tombe wherein never man was layd, that it might appeare hee was in all three, more then man; or more morally to teach vsus that in that heart where hee will dwell, hee will have no in-mates, hee brookes no competition, hee is the true owner, and with that right mother will by no meanes yeeld to a division. 1 Reg. 3.But,
O my blessed Saviour, thou to whom the grave is naked, Iob 26.6.and there is no cover for destruction, how fondly, how deceitfully doe I somtimes sooth my selfe in thinking what wonders I would have done, had Iosephs case been mine, (alas) how much more neerer, how much more thy selfe are thy now living members, then thy dead, nay, then thy living body vponupon earth was (at …east) for ma…ter of thy care and compassion? in them …hou art still a suffering,Act. 9. why persecutest thou mee? in the other, whilst thou wer… a suffering,Esa. 50.7. thou mad'st thy face as a flint, and now long since it is finish'd. I need not say (Lord) with Mary, they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where th…y have layd him. Thou still lay'st thy selfe at my dores, at my dores both of house and of heart, in thy needy members, in thy blessed spirit; 'tis thou that art still hungry, Mat. 25.42.naked, sicke in the one; and behold, 'tis thou still stand'st at the dore and knock'st, by the other;Rev. 3.20. the Samaritan's carrying the wounded man to the Inne, was a worke as acceptable to thee, as this of Iosephs carrying thy wounded body to the grave. But have I not beene rather too in officiously forward in burying thee too often (after the Hebrew phrase) out of my sight? 1 Regout of my mind? how often have I begg'd thee with Ioseph, Iob 26and refus'd thee offer'd in thy Word, thy Spirit, thy Sacraments? and if receiv'd thee; how soone hauehave I choak'd the seed of that thy word, Luk. 8.quench'd the motions of that thy spirit, 1 Thes. 5.buried the talent of that thy Sacrament? how seldome have I (with Ioseph) begg'd, and receiv'd, Math 25.and layd thee vp in the cleane linnen, and new tombe of a heart washed with teares, a spirit renewed by grace? but what? (Lord) didst thou in thy last will so graciously bequeath thy Legacies, thy mother to thy Disciple, and him to her, thy spirit to thy Father, thy Kingdome to the Thiese, thy prayers to thy murtherers, and not a word of thy poore mangled body, or its buriall? was it not enough that thou would'st be borne without a chamber, live without a house, dye without a bed, vnlesse thou be buried too without a shrowd, or grave either, of thine owne? what doe I then a caring thus to live softly, and dye richly? be my life here never so despicably poore,Io. 18.11. shall I not be content to drinke of my Masters Cup, who is the portion of mine inheritance & of my cup, Psa. 16.6.without whom,Psa. 11.7. fire and brimstone, storme, and tempest, this had beene my portion to drinke, and my cup had beene full? Let me not then with the Epicure, first digge my grave with mine own teeth, and then bury it in mine owne security, but (with Ioseph here) let mee make my grave in the rocke, in thee the rocke of my defence, Psa 18.1.and then (as hee) place it in the Garden of my delight: but what doe I a seeking thee (Lord) in the empty grave with Mary? Thou art risen, thou art not there, risen and gone to heauen, thither let me follow thee,Iob 19.25. I know that there yet my Redeemer still lives, and that I shall see him with these mine eyes, thither being l…fted vp, draw me Lord vntounto thee, though with Ioseph thou wert th…s hated of thy brethren, solde, and throwen (as he) into the pit, and dungeon both, the grave, and hell; yet (with Iacob) be it my comfort,Gen. 45.28 Iesus my Savi…ur is yet alive, I shall goe and see him when I dye.
FINIS.