392 The Paj]ion Sermon. I andheforetl!is s,nwe, faith God ro Da·VId, when he\\ culd r h:co~hl) fhmehim:I;;--A Jerub cm," hKh t.ehad honoured wirh his prefence, "ught with lisprc•chir gs, a1 tlor.tfbt w11h hJS miracles, bcwayi<d with h!S tears; 0 Je~~Jalrm, Jt ••Jaitm, "'"'oft :>wildI, andtlou rro•ldjl not: oy<t,ifin tl-is tbyd;y. Cmehyand unkirCntfie, a her go~d dde11, , Hi.ll fo rwchmore, as cur no<rit horh been great<r. Whereabouts? wilhom rhegatts: in Calvarie, among the !linking bones of< xecr2blc Malefattof!, Befme,rheglory ofrhe place bred fhame; new rhe vii<ndle of ir. \\ h<n? bm in the Paffeovcr· a rime ofgreateft frequence,and concourfe of ~11 J<wsand Profelyres: An holy rime': "h<n rhey !ltould rtcc ive the figure, rhey rejrllrhe fubft ance:when they fhould kill and eat rhe Socramentall L•mbe,in fairh, in rhankfulneffe, they kill the L•mbeofGod,our true Pafi'eover,in crueltie and conr<mpt. With whcm( The qualityofourcompany eitheriocreafes or lelfens fhame. ln rhe midft ofrheeves (faith one)as the Prir:ce oftheeves:there was no guile in hismcurh,much lefie in his hands: 8 ""'''i,, ,,,_ yet behold he that thoughtir no robbery to be <quail with Gcd,ilm•d«quall torobeers and murdcrers;yea fuperiour in evill. What fuffcred he (As alllifes are not alike plcafant,fo all deaths are not equally fearefull. There isnot more difference betwixt fome life and death,rhan betwixt onedeath and another.See the Apoftles gl'2dation: Jtl!mttHI!]IIIIff' [utYtJniJIMPUll~ niff,mUJ. Lutbtr. Citpul AngdicU Jlriri&iluot ltmt• !J1tndumJPmu '"~natllT, &,. He rvas ,.,adeobedient to the dealh,even the dralhoftheCroife. The Crolfe,a lingriny.,tormenting, ignominious death. The )ewes had foure kindes ofdeath for malefafrors; the rowel!, thef\vord,6re,ftones; eachofthefe ' bove other in extremity. Strangling with the rowell,they accounted eafieft : the fword worfe than the towell; rhe fire \\lotfe than the 1\vord: ftoning worfe than the fire: but this Roman deathwas worfi ofall. c..fed iseV<TJ o•e that hangtth IHUTne. Yet (as Jer•me well) he is nottherefore accurled,becaufe he hangeth;but therefore hehangerh,becailfe he is accurfed. He "'"' "'ad' (•.. 1•o') a Corfefor 1/!. The Curfewasmore than rhr fhame: yet the fhame is C unfpeakeable; a.1d yet not more than the pain<. Yet all that dye thefame death,are not equallymiferable: the very theevesfared better in their death than be.] heare of no irrifion,noinfcriprion,no taunts, noinfulration on them: they had nothing bur paine to encounter,he paine and fcorne. An ingenious and noble Nature canworfe brooke this than theother; any thing rather than difdainfulndTeand deriiion:efpecially, from a bafe enemie. l remember thatlearned father beginsi{ratls •fRillion,wirh Ijinae/1 perfecming laughter.The J ewes,the Souldiers,y.a,the veryTheeves flouted him,and triumpbrover his mifery;his blood cannot fatisfie rhem,withour his reprocb. Which ofhis fenfes now was not a wir.dowro let in farrow ( his ey~s faw the teares ;ofhisMother& friends, theumbankfull demeanore ofMankind,thecruelldefpight ofhis enemies: hiscares heard the revilings and blafphemies ofthemultitude; and (whether the place were noifom ro his fent)bistouch felt the nailes,his rafte thegall. D Look up, 0 all yee beholders, look upon rhis precious body,and fee what partyee c,m find free. That head which is adored and trembled at by the A ngelicall fpirits,is all raked andharrowed with thornes :that face, ofwhomlt is faid; Tho11 artfalnr th•n the childrenof tilts, is all befmearedwith the filthy fpittle ofthe]ewes, andfinrowed withhis tears; thofeeyes,cleerer than theSun, are darkned with the fhadow ofdeath; thofe ears that heare theheavenly confonsofAngels , noware filled with thecurfed fpeakingsand fcolfs ofwretchedmen: tbofe lips that fpake as never man fpake , that command the fpirits bothoflight and darknelfe, are fcornfully wet with vineger&gall:thofe feet rhat trample on all the powers ofhell ( hk enemiu art "'ade bkfootjloo/e ) are nownailed to the foorftoole of the Crotre: rhofe handsthar freely fw, y the fcepterof the heavens, now carry the reed ofreproach, and arc nailed to the tree ofreproach : that whole body, which was conceived bv theHoly-Ghofi, was E all fcourged,wounded,maogled: thisistheour·iidc ofhisli1tfcring. Washisheart \ free ? Oh no: rheinn<r part or foule ofthispaine, whichwas unfeen, is as far beyond thefeoutward and fenfil>l~,as the foule isbeyond the body;Godi wrath beyondthe malice ofmen: thefe were but love-tricks to whathis f0ule endured, 0 allye th•t p-Jfe by the way,h<holdandfte,iftbere he aN) forrorr>lifl!to 111) fo"o"" Alas,Lord,what canwe fee ofthyfarrows ?we cannot conceivefo much as thehainoufneffe and defertofone ofrhofe finnes which thoubareft: we can no morefee thy paine, than we could undergoe -~·
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=