6oz Book IV. Part,3. Le~kJng untD 1efus. Cbap.z.Sed.4 terto be King ofJews, than the bramble wasco be King of all the trees in the forrell:. Vfe How many lelfons might we draw from hence l they put upon his head a crown of fhame, ofdeath, of torture; who came co giveusacrownofvitl:ory, oflife,ofglory. 2. Ourfins caufed the earth co bring forth thornes, and briers, and our Saviour mufl: weare th~:m, both to take away our fim, and in the ilfue ~o take a\Vay fins curfe, thornes, or bryer£, or whatfoever. 3. ¥rom the crown of the head co the fole of the foot , we were full of fin, and Chriil: accordingly mull Oll;~d his blo.od from head to foot; cheit• whips did J;JOt reach his head, their nayles could not pierce it without an end of torture; but now they draw blood lfa. q. from it, with thornes; the whole head u jick_, faith the Prophet of us; and the whole head ofChrift is bruifcd with thornes to cure our fickJ;Jelfe. 4· Chrift is not crowned with thornes without a prophefie, or a type ; here he is a true lilly t~mong C2m.:. t; thonm; here he is as lf<tac' s R.ame tyedfaft b)-the head in thornes; Gen. 33•'3• he was ever intended to be a facrifice,and a r~nfome for our fins and to that pllrpofe he was Jcflught in a thicket, he was crowned with thornes. 5. 0 what a fhame is it for any ofus to crown Qllr heads with rofe buds, (as the wanton worldlings could fay) afore they are withered, to fpend our time in vanity, folly, finne, when Chrift our Lord had fuch a grove of thornes, growing on his Mat.JO, ~4, 15 facred head .? thedifciple is not above 'his V'vl.tfttr, nor the fervant a!;ove his Lord, it is enough for the di(ciple to be M his Majfer, and theferv<mt a.; hu Lord; if our Lord and Mafter was crowned with thornes furelv the members of Chrift fhould not be foft delicate, and ~ffemin~te, wholly fenfual, or ·given up to pleafures: 6. ~severy bird jitteth upon the thonies in the orchard, fo let us Baruch 6.1. 11 • h r bl rr db draw neare, a'nd make our neus 10 t ~~e eue ufhes; let us abandon all the colours of otherCapt~mes, as the world, fldh, and devil . 1111d let us keep clofe to the royal ftandard ofour King ; ~nder chefe t.hornes we may finde fhelter againft ~~~ our enemies ; from thefe thornes we may undoubtedly gather grapes , even a vintage of fpiritual joy and gladnelfe. Now the houre founds ag~ine, and calls. us to go forth, and to behold King}ef\ls with the crown wherewith he was crown- . . ~
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