Contemplations and Devotions, Part 7
VII. Pilate arraies him in Scarlet, Herod in White, both in way of abuse
NOw fals hee into the hands of Pilate, and his souldiers, 'mongst whom hee finds some change, but (alas) no ease; nor is the change much neither, here in Pilates Pallace hee meets with but a second part of that tragike enterlude begunne on him, in the high Priests hall; here, hee is againe buffeted, Mat 27.29.30.reviled, derided, and againe spit on, so farre is this Pallace from that his ivory one, in the Psalme, wherein they made him glad, Psa. 45.9.wherein his garments smelt so of mirth, Esa. 53 3.alloes, and Cassia. Here, how truly rather, as the Prophet speakes,Psa. 3….26. is hee made a man of sorowes and reproaches, wherein his garments are besmeard with blood, his face with spittle? If, when I was naked, and yee cloth'd mee not, deserue a depart yee cursed; how much more, as here, when I was cloth'd, yee stript mee naked, and that to cloth mee with reproach and shame, as with a garment. Pilates garment was of scarlet, Herod's a gorgeous one of white, both happily glorious, rich, and (as will anon appeare suitable, and full of mysterie) they mistooke not then so much the ward-roab, as the wearer, putting it on the wrong way in abuse, and scorne, and so, corruptio optimi pessima, what is best in the vse, is ever worst in the abuse: But, could they thinke him vnworthy of the richest garment; who cloth's the Lilies of the field beyond the richest Luster of Solomons greatest glory? Luk. 12.27could they thinke him vnworthy of any garment, the hemme of whose garment was so miraculously medicinable against the bloody issue? Matth. 9.could they thinke any garment worthy of him, whether of white, or scarlet, who only can make the most scarlet sinnes as white as wooll? can they thinke themselues worthy to put on his garment, whose shooe the Baptist (then whō ther was not a greater among men) thinks himselfe not worthy to loose? Ioh. 1 27.the Scythians, that their blood spilt in battle, might the lesse affright them, had their sheilds still painted red, it may bee some such end in this colour of the garment, might these scarlet minded murderers have, that his blood fetch't with their fists, and whips, might the lesse either affright them with horror, or affect them with pitie, some out of Zachary; where hee is said to bee clothed with filthy garments, conclude the ragged, thred-bare filthinesse of these his garments, and so, every thing shall have its severall share, and office in his abuse; the colour that flouts his kingdome, and ambition; the barenesse, his outworne estimation with the people; the raggednesse, his late scattred retinnew; the sulliednesse, his stayned, spotted life; as they pretend, a friend to Publicans and Sinners: thus, 'tis not enough, vnlesse both more then one garment abuse him; and one garment more then one way; but Pilate at length finds him a Galilean, and so sends him to Herod; how restlesse is the condition of innocence vnderunder the conduct of malice? the Arke was not more toss'd by the Philistines from Aphek to Ashdod, 1. Sam. 5.from Ashdod to Gath, from thence to Ekron, and from thence backe againe to Israel, then is this God of the Arke, this Arke of the Covenant; by these insultant Philistins, enemies to the Common wealth and God of Israel; from the Garden to Caiphas, thence to Annas, then to P…late, from him to Herod, and from Herod backe againe to Pilate; nor is their policy lesse then their malice in these his restlesse transmissions; hereby, they doe not onelyonly the more publish his shame, but by intermission ease each others hands, and spleenes, to fresher on sets, and supplies of torture, and abuse; so that, not onelyonly his torture, but his travaile is their recreation: Herods vsage of him, affords not much variety from Pilates, but as much iniury, hee with his men of warre mocks (saies the text) and sets at nought, Luk 23.11.this God of peace, the Philosophers, saies Tertullian, drew him in their pictures, attired by Herod like a foole, with long Asses cares, his nailes pluck'd off, and a booke in his hand &c. However, (no question) Herods itching expectation of seeing wonders, Luk 23.8.from him, thus, altogether frustrate by this his strange, and sullen silence, turn'd in the end to vtter rage, and indignation; and so, hee was sure to suffer what wrong, or shame, a King was able to inflict; a Tyrant to inuent, the desires of tyranny, if frustrate, turne to fury, 'tis one of the follies of greatnesse, that vsually its flattred power wantons it into; to wit, a vsurpation of command over the wils, as well as powers of their inferiors, both which if not applyed to feed this wolfe that ravins thus in the breast of greatnes, such as cannot resist, are sure to suffer, if they will not doe; yet, is hee not without his mysteries in all these miseries, this malice, the second garments they here abuse him in, are a red, and white one, how suitable to that his description by his Spouse; my beloved is white, and ruddy, both the Lilly of the valley, Can. 5.10.and the Rose of Sharon; Can. 2.1.the white garment is an embleme of his spotlesse innocence, the red, of his bloody passion; that of his life, this of his death; thus can God bring light out of darkenesse, and have his mysteries wrapt vp in the malice of his enemies; for both on his garment (saies the Apostle) and on his thigh was written a mysterie? Reu. 19.16what other is his garment but his humanity? the garment of the Godhead, wherewith in the Apostles phrase, hee was clothed vponupon; and what his scarlet garment, but as the case, so the embleme of his wounded body? for being asked,Esa. 63.2.3. how his garment became so red? his answere is, because hee had trod the winepresse alone, and there was none to helpe him, the winepresse of his fathers wrath, his enemies malice, and so no maruell, if that made his garment so red; for blood came out of the winepresse, Reu. 14.20.even to the Horses bridles: So that, as hee himselfe speaks of the woman,Io. 12.7. that shee anoynted h…m aforehand vntounto his buriall, so Pilate (in the mysterie) thus cloth's him afore-hand vntounto his bloody death, and not to that only, but to those future scarlet bloody victories, of his blessed martyrs, figured before, by those his Spouses, scarlet locks, Can 7.5.and here, by this his owne scarlet garment: Thus, Iosephs brethren have no further aime in the bloodinesse of their brothers Coat, Gen. 37.then to abuse their father, nor, happly, have these (here) any other end in this bloody coloured garment, then to deride their Maker: But God the while hath a further reach in both; Iosephs bloody garment shall be a type of this, and this a figure at once, both of the wearers bloody passion, and the Sharers bloody purple persecutions; so that the Apostle might well say, that we are in him more then Conquerors, Ro. 8.37.for in him wee here triumph'd in this scarlet roab, even before the battle of his death. So in Pilates Pallace too, have wee a right mappe or modell of this wo…ld: after they grow weary of thus abusing him; they take off their scarlet Robe againe, Mat. 27.31.hee shall cary nothing thence, that hee brought not thither, but shoulders torne with whips, temples pierc'd with thorns, beaten, bruised limbs all over; the world is no other, but a place of iniury & abuse, specially to such as belong to him; hee himselfe hath said it,Io 16.33. in the world yee shall have persecution; like Pilates Pallace, wee can cary nothing out, that we brought not in; but the wounds, and lashes of cares, feares, and sorrowes, the pricking thornes of guilt, remorse, and horror, when wee goe hence wee are stript of all our bravery, and must with our Saviour to Golgotha, the place of skuls, the house of death, and of corruption: nor shall Herods, and Pilates attonement, by our Saviours condemnation; (for that very day they were made friends) be without its mysterie and import neither:Luk. 23.12. Herod a Iew; Pilate a Gentile, and 'tis hee onelyonly that here reconciles this Iew and Gentile, that perswades Iaphet to dwell in the tents of Sem, Gen. 9.27.hee onelyonly is, that corner stone, that vnites both Iewes and Gentiles, Psa. 108.22.in that one spirituall building of his Church,1. Cor. 3.9. But O my blessed Lord and Saviour, thou who art the God of glory, and yet becam'st for mee a man of reproaches, Esa. 53.how well mightst thou say, the proud have had mee exceedingly in derision, Psa. 119.51.yet have I not shrinked, not shrinked from death, or torture, or which are worse abuse, and scorne. How frowardly doe men (Lord) strive to abuse thy mercies, to crosse thy blessings? man had at first no sooner put off innocence, but hee put on shame, which thou yet in mercy gavest him cloths to hide: thou gavest him clothes to cover his shame, and hee gives thee cloth's to blazon thine; nay to vpbraid thee with what is not thine, for shame is the fruit of sinne: twas sinne first read Adam, the lecture of his owne shame, and nakednesse,Gen. 3. who told thee that thou wert naked, hast thou eaten? shame and glory, as very enemies as they are (like Herod and Pilate towards thee) have ioynd in clothing mankind, shame first invented cloth's, but glory fashions; shame was the botcher, glory the Taylor, and hath trimm'd and multiplied shames few plaine leafes and skins in Paradice, into what ward-robes of various and costly folly? But (O Lord) thou art that Lilly of the valleys, Can. 2.1.and so not onelyonly white in innocence, but glorious too in thine owne vnborrowed luster, above Solomon himselfe in the day of his espousals, so that thou neededst not their cloths either to hide shame, or adde glory; and yet didst not refuse them neither; was it to bestow them on me (Lord) that am with Laodicea, poore, Reu 3.17.and miserable, and blind, and naked? at least bestow one of them (Lord) on mee, that scarlet Roab of thy death,Reu. 7.14. …nd passion, that I may find welcome at that thy mariage feast of glory: Luk. 3.11.It is thine owne precept, that hee that hath two Coats, should impart to him that hath none; Iob. 7.1…my life is a warfare (saies Iob) and every battle of the Warriour, Esa. 9.5.(saies Esay) is with garments rolled in blood. This garment of thine Lord, it is vsually called a Roab, Reu. 6.11.7.9 13. Ier. 13.22. Luk. 5.36.and that a long one, long enough to keepe my skirts from being discovered, and my beeles from being bare: Let mee not then (with the selfe-saving Papist) against that thine owne Parable, goe about to put a new peece into the old garment, Gen. 27.27.the new peece of humane merit, into that old sufficient garment of thy righteousnesse, so I shall but take away, derrogate from the garment, and those rents of my sinnes, wil… become worse, 'tis onelyonly that …ragrant rayment, of thine (Lord) my elder brothers, in which I can (with Iacob) get the blessing; strip mee then (I beseech thee of mine owne figleaves, of that gorgeous apparell of pride,Luk. 7.25. of that soft rayment of luxury, of that linsie-woolsy garment of vnhearty,Deut. 22.11. halting indifferency, of that faced cloke of hypocrisie, of that popish patched garment of mine owne, or others merrits; and cloth mee (like that woman) with the Sun, Reu. 12.1.thy selfe who art the Sun of righteousnesse, Mal. 4.2.this is the only garment; that like those garments of the Israelites, in all the wildernesse of this world, will not wax old, Deut. 8.4.but will be sure to bring mee to that better Canaan above; …his is that mantle wherewith (Eliah like) I shall bee able to smite and diuide those ouerflowing flouds of Iordan, 2. King. 2.8.sinnes and temptations of what kind soever,ver. 11. and so, passe over dry (with him) to ride to Heaven in that triumphant, fierie Chariot of thy Crosse.