370 Book lV. 1.L..rolung unto 'j}£fu.5'.- Chap.2" :; ~_:___---------.,.--:--;-- ·--~ ----------~ . -- 2. Nor was it only pain, but lhame; when Jotbam put out his parable to the " of Judg.9.8,9, Shechem; The trees ( far? he) rvcm out on at~me to ~noint a_ King overthem, a• ··Y 1 1 0• 1 1 1 ,, 2 ,13, fazd untothe o!I .. 1..'C-t~ee, rcr.gn thou over Its, but me o!z,ve-tree {azd unro them, fl1o!~ld 1 f,:.,i.:e 4, 5 my fatnefs, wherewuh b_yme theyhonot<rtd God and man, and go to be promoted over toe v[r. Ha. 1 5· trees? And the trees fmdunto the ftg·fYCC, corr.cthou and reign o"vertu, but the jig-tree Jaid unto them, jhould I for(ok§ my Jivcetncfs,. and my good fmit, andgo to be pro»:otd over the trees ? Then fazd the trees unto the Vuu:~ come tho~t and rci"g-.n over us and h vinefaid umothem, jiJOuldfleavemywinc, whichchearcthGodandman, andg;tobepro~ mated over thetrees_.~ 'fJgen fmd allthe.tr~es unto the brt~.rtib!c, cor:_;e thoJ-t and reignover us 1 mrd thebramble Jatdunto the trees, zf tn truth ytauomt me Rmg over )'Ore, .then come, tmd put JOUr trujf ;, my Jhadow, and if not, let fire come o.ut of the bramble, and devoH? the Ced,rrs of Lebanon. As Jothamput out thrs parable m fcorn of .Abimilcch fo tl'e fogldiers in fcorn pm on Chrift's head this bramble crown, '1· d. Come, tho~ [ayeft thm art Kin.g of Jews, and therefore IV.e wiO mak! thee ~ crown of bramble, Kin~ 0 j trees; by whrch means they prorefl agamft Chnfl as a fetgned fabulous King, as it he were no fitter to be Kmg of Jews, than the bramble was to be King of all the trees in the forreft. How maAy lelfons might we draw from hence ? they put 11pon his head a crown of {],~me, of death, of torrure ; who came to give us a crown of victory, of life, of glo– ry. :z.. Our fins caufed the earth to bnn~ forth thorns, and bners, and our Saviour muft wear them, both to take away our frns, and m the rffue to take aw~y fins curfe, thorns, or bryers, or whatfoever. 3· From the crown of the head to the foie of the foot, we were full of fin, and Chrifl accordingly muft /h~d his blood from head tO foot. their whips did not reach his head, their nails could not pierce it wirhour an end of t~nure; but now they draw blood from it, \vi.'hthorns; the whole head,:, fick_, fJirh the Prophet of us ; and the wkole head of Chnft rs brurfed wnh thorns to cu,·e our fickncfs. 4· Chrifl is not crowned with thorns without a prophefie, or a rype- here c,nt. ,, ,. he is atrue Lilly among thorns;_ here he is as Ifaac's Ramtyed fafl by the hud ;, ?burns; Gen. 33· 1 ; . he was ever intended to be afacnfice, and _a ranfome for our fins, a"d to thar purrofe he was careght in a thick!t, he was crowned wuh rhorns. 5. 0 what a 01ame is ir f01 any of us to crown 011r heads 1vi!h ro[e-bu~s, (as the wanton worlqings cou d fay) rfo" ;hey are withered, to fpend our umemvamty, folly, fin, when Chnftour Lord had fuch agrove M•t. 10,, 4 ,,s. of thorns, growing on his facred head i' The diftiple u not above hu Majler, nor the [crvant above hu Lord, it u enough for the difciple tobe M his Mafler, and the frrvant a.· hu Lord· if our Lord and Mafter was crowned wnh thorns, furely the members of Chrift o 10 'uld not be foft, delicate, and effeminate, whoJJy fenfual , or gi, en up ro pleaBaruch 6. i· fures . 6 . .Asevery bird jitwh upon the thorns in the Orchard, fo let us draw near, and make onr neflsin thefe blelfed bu/hes; let us abandon all the .colours of orher Captains, as the world, /leOJ, and devil; and let us keep clofe to the royal Standard of our King; under thefe thorns we may find lhelter againft all our enemies; from rhefe thorns we may undoubtedly gather grapes, even a vintage of fpirirual joy and gladnefs. John 19. >. Now the hour founds again, ·and calls us to go forrh, and _to behold King Jefus with the crown wherewith he was crowned m the day ot hts efpoufals. And this we /hall do the next hour. SECT. V. Of Chrift brought forth, and frntenced. ·ABout ten Chrift w~s brought ~orth and femenced. I. For hisbringing forth, r 01all therein obferve thefe paruculars. As--- . . r. We find Pil~tc bringing forth Jefus out of the common ball, and lhewrngthrsfad fpectacle to all the people. 7'hen came ref"' forth, wearing the crown of tboms, and the purple robe, and Pi/ate fai;h ltntO them, behold the man: he t}lou~ht the very fight of Chrifl would have moved them to compaffion; they had laflr d hun almofl unto death, they had moft cruelly divided thofe azure channels of his guilrlefs blood, rhey had cloaf him wirh purple crowned him with thorns · and now they bring him out by the harr 0 the head. ( fay 'fame ) and expofe him to' the publick view of the fcornful company, • 1 Pdate
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