A SERAPHICK RHAPSODIE On the Passion of Christ.
CHrist comming to write our acquittance with his bloud, knew well that humility would suit best with the head, when the body was sick with pride, He bowed the Heavens and came down, i, e, the honour of his Godhead was not put off by cloathing it with rags of flesh; from his birth to his burial reacheth the humiliation of his manhood, never ceasing till his head was thrown under earth his footstool. Thus his passion [Page 46] began in the stable, where he was no sooner born, but the Creed immediately tels us he suffered; the bloud of his circumcision was but so many warning drops of this great shower in his passion; and whereas others were born to live, his onely errand was to die: to this end he villified himself, being brought up in poverty, ranked with the meanest, no companion but for Publicans and Sinners, never taken notice of by the chiefer sort. The Jews grossly expected the Messiah in worldly pomp, as if God would be known by his cloaths, such is the Sorcery of bewitching Mammon, that a gawdy traine would have gone further with them then a miracle: but doth any come to Petition in State, or to beg in robes? humility was the right garb of Christs intendment; for none can vault or mount himself without shrinking his joints, none can raise another unlesse he stoop to do him courtesie; the surest building hath the lowest foundation, and Christ our Cornerstone, our strong Tower whereby we ascend into heaven, must be first deep layed in the bowels of the earth.
In the eye of man Christ humbled himself, but the object of his obedience was God, whether active in fulfilling the law, or passive in bearing the punishment for the law: this latter obedience neither contradicts his equality with the father, [Page 47] nor his willingnesse in suffering for his brethren, because an equal may be sent by his equal, performing the task undertaken by his own consent: the Heathen superstitiously thought it ominous when the Oxe was not half a Priest, not religiously bowing his neck to the stroke; Christ then could be no gratious sacrifice unlesse his bloud was sent out as willingly as it was cruelly drawn, Obedience is better then sacrifice, but sacrifice with obedience is far better; both which were gently united by our Saviour, who voted his death, presented his person, and quietly admitted violence, as much without the assailers compulsion as his own command, witnesse his injoyning the peace to his followers, the Host of Angels shall have no watch-word (for they were the taller souldiers) because he will not be rescued from surprizing miseries; Peter shall not perswade, nor the Jews work him out of his peremptory resolution: De cruce non vult descendere, qui potuit de morte resurgere (saith St. Augustine,) he will not keep himself alive that can rise being dead: others as they are not born when they will, so neither can they die when they will; Voluntary expence of life is but a glorious murther, and so the example of Christs death might bring us thither from whence the benefit redeems us: but our Saviour having life in his own dominion, had power [Page 48] to lay it down, & power to take it up again, no man took it from him, he layed it down of himself John, 10 18. so that Pilate's arrogance herein was much out, who had no authority to condemn, but from the person condemned: wherefore that perplexed and passionate Pilate reluctancy but an ambush to the Divel. reluctancy of his appetite, was but an bush to the Divel, and to Christs obedience a Trophey; for as the one would not scarce have ventured without imitation, so the other could not have conquered without opposition. The fire of virtue having not matter to scedon, will die of idleness; passion augments the liberty of the wil, whose active courage runs best w th fetters, & most declares her magnanimity in a stiff contradiction. Christ therefore whose Ely took our infirmities, was freely troubled, both for the greater proof of his manhood, and greater victory, nay valour was here the cause of fear, and all these unwilling motions proceed of very willingness, neither can affections being naturall powers be made unlawful by workings but over-masterings, and these inferior orbs of the soul may enjoy their proper course, so they turn with the swinge of ther prime mover, not spurning at the wills, decrees: Isaack may ask his father where is the Lamb (for innocency cannot die without a word,) and our Saviour [Page 49] may well begin his prayer with an If, but the conclusion is absolute, the cup shall not passe from him, and I likewise will pass to it.
The soul her self (though impenetrable) must not scape, which being the original womb of Disobedience in us, first returns his paenal Obedience in Christ the very Qualm & seisure of his Agony was heavier then unto Death, whose pangs were known before they were felt, known & augmented by that accurate apprehension, which in the heat of his fit made the soul work more upon the body, then the body wrought afterwards upon the soul. For how sharp was the conflict! O how was the soul preserved when the body was forced to rain blood! when every Pore gasped as if the soul meant to follow, and he to die as often as it had places to expire at! Indeed well it might; for this single Death was conceived as a multitude of Deaths, a Death for those that died before and after. Behold a ghastly sight; for he that never committed one sin, to be charged with so many heaps of sin, whose load could not chuse but be the heavier, because Innoccency lay under and came so near to Guilt as to be punished; the Cup of sower Grapes mixed with those thoughts, burst out into billows of Sweat, so that Floods ran over him, Psal. 69. Oh what bleeding was within, when it streamed so without▪ never was [Page 50] such a Sweat because never such a Cause; no such heat but that of Hell. Sin being the Fewel of both: by whose vehemency each Pore became an Eye, and each Member wept, that by the tears of his whole body, the whole body of his Church might be cleansed; and yet his sufferance swells to the largest extent of Obedience, exercised in sundry torments by all persons upon his parts; Friend and Foe, Jew and Gentile, King, Priest and People, all joyn against him, in the Front of which conspiracy comes Judas, a Wolf trained up in the school of a Lamb, with a Kisse; Was ever such a salutation between God & the Devil? with a kisse doth this courteous blood-sucker kil his Masters Traytor, Dost thou so kisse the Son lest he be angry? Well; take thy leave Judas, never shalt thou come so near again; this hanging about Christs neck, shall cost thine own a worser hanging, whilest Heaven and Earth, for betraying him that came from both, shall with vengeance thrust thee from them, and leave thy Carcasse to thy new Master the Prince of the Aire.
It could not chuse but make his Enemies bold to see his Disciple so cruel, who now prepare to kill the true Passeover, though not for their own, but our eating; the seed of Abraham came out with Bills and Staves to take him, who came [Page 51] down from Heaven to take the seed of Abraham; and violently attach him with their hands, whom they could not apphehend with their hearts: They take him, but as Sampson was taken by the Philistines, to the losse and ruine of themselves; both felt the God of Israel when they held him in bondage; both smarted under their prisoner: By tying his hands which might have loosed theirs, they tied themselves in a double knot; but that hindred not his proceeding, who through Adams captivity through a rash freedome, regained us liberty with a deliberate captivity: Thus with bonds of liberty he travelled to Caiphas, a man that went for a High Priest, but first, Murther must call in Annas, his reverend Father-in-Law, that so the generation of Vipers might be more allied in bloud. After Annas, Caiphas with good manners may be avillain; a zealous counterfeit, who having with deep conjuration wrung out the truth, accuseth God himself of Blasphemie: The watch word being given, the servants are diligent in reviling him that never spake amiss, they blind his eys, & challenge a Prophesie, that so they might prove him a Seer, by making him not to see; they pluck off his hair, Esay 5. 6. that no hair of us might perish, threshing his cheeks with buffets, wherein our offences have a hand: Yet to all these reproaches he sets his [Page 52] face at a flint, Esa. 5. 6. as flint indeed, from whence those smiters smore fire for their own Damnation. The night being spent with those hellish Pastimes, they benight the Day with Actions of Darknesse; their fury hurries him to Pilate, where the Scribes ommitting Blasphemie as an idle brangling before a secular Judge object him a Traytor against the God Caesar; this killing Plea they keep till last, and make it the first Argument of his guilt, that They brought him, as if their infallible Chair could neither erre nor slander, whereas affectors of credit are most commonly Liars; these holy Murtherers though by no meanes they will enter the Judgement Hall, because of the Passeover, nor be defiled with a place of bloud; yet with a clear Conscience they prosecute that deed which defiles the place. Pilate espying their malice, makes a friend of a bad office, shifts him over to Herod. This King was more like a Courtier then himself, a most Herod his Character. curious piece of Vanity, who after some discourse of stately impertinency, would fain have God recreate his Highnesse with a Miracle: Behold a Miracle of Patience, Our Saviour returns him and his scoffs not so much as a word; Silence is the best reply to a A speaking silence. Babler, which both secretly darts at the Conscience of the Adversary, and retains [Page 53] the station of Meeknesse. Our Saviour was often dumb as a Lamb, his dumbnesse now hath made him white as a Lamb: for Herod mocking him with a white Robe, as a Candidate or suitor onely for a Kingdome, unwillingly deciphers his integrity in its true colours; thus attired, he is tosled back again like a Tennis-ball to Pilate, where death is little, unlesse an odious comparison with Barrabas kill him double; this of the two is the Goat, which to the utter pollution of the Dismissers is set at liberty, Gen. 16. and the destroyer of the living is thought more worthy of life then he that raised their dead. Pilate being weary of being just against the stream, delivers him to the place of crucifying to be scourged by souldiers, a punishment ordained by the Romanes for small offences, as the Axe for capital: But Christ, who suffered for our slips as well as for our crimes, endured not onely the Crosse, but scourging, a punishment most suitable to the nature of sin, whereof any Act, though never so little, makes as many breaches in the Law is the lash imprints in the body. When the whip had launced our Saviours flesh, their own humour (bad Commands are still over-done) proceeds to scorn him in state, and inviting the multitude to their pettulant fury; they repeat what was done last night with advantage, with [Page 54] thorns they crown his head, not remembring the Parable of Jotham, that fire might come out of the Bramble. All Crowns are thornie, and the Heathenish Sacrifices used to be crowned; but when this Sacifice of Jew and Gentile is crowned with thorns, when his head is tyed in the thickets, is not this the Oblation that was slain for Isaac and all the flock of the Faithfull? Next in ridiculous honour they invest him in a Purple garment: Why should their spight be at such charges? the white Robe now clapt on his bleeding Members, would soon take the dye of a better Purple. But to make him a compleat mock-Emperour, with bended knees they gave him a Reed for a Scepter. Innocent King, herein thy obedience is most remarkable; for whereas other members were meerly passive, here the hand was made an instrument of its own shame; the Ree [...] dashed against thy head, shews thy sufferings to be the doings of thy own Scepter. In this variety of torments, I find no women save onely one, whom the Devil to preserve his old slight of tempting had set on Peter: Eve, the cause of all, had done enough already, and such hands were to weak for the Jews hate, which required the utmost vigour of bloody souldiers: but out Saviour having tyred them also, Pilate, who thought it mercy to use him thus cruelly, presents [Page 55] him in his wofull formalities to move compassion, Behold the man; alas, alas the King, is this a Competitioner for a Caesar? they like hounds having fastened upon the prey, and comming again to full gaze, yell out with full cries, Crucifie him, Crucifie him: Since then Iustice is turned to a cry, Esay 3. I appeal to you, behold the man, a man so torn in all his parts, that no part can be known by it self, but by the property of its torture; Behold his head tented with thorns, his cheeks macerated with buffets, his face chequered with blood and spittle, his hand behold with a Reed, his back plowed over with stripes: O that ye would behold what words hath stounded his ears, what swords have passed through his soul; shall yet the spear rip up his side? shall yet the nail pierce his feet? shall this man be crucified? Behold him again, and then behold your selves, how many Jews are in each of you, since each of you have procured al these outrages; hear the cry of your selves, Crucifie him, Crucifie him; well, if he must die, if the same Judge having thrice pronounced him innocent, must in the same breath condemn Christ and himself, his willingnesse is as ready as the necessity is urgent; let him become obedient unto Death, Phillip. 2. 8.
But could the Creatot die, and be brought [Page 56] himself so near that nothing out of which he breathed all things? No Death being onely a Divorce of the natural parts could not separate the Godhead, the man onely died, the person was but in a sound, the commerce and influence of the whole Divinity, like the Spirits in a falling Disease, did not vanish, but retire; that astonishing voice, My God, my God, why hast thou for saken me? infers no more: For how should God and Man be accorded by him who suffered a dis-union of God and Man in himself? all this was but a sharp pull of his former Agony, where an Augel did then chear him, but now he is forsaken of all induring the height of Anguish in the end of Life, that we might receive the greater comfort in the point of Death: And hereby he gives his enemy the fiercest blow at last, while he stretcheth himself, and roars over the prey, as it became the Lion of the Tribe of Juda. But what had Death to do to punish, when Baptism had nothing to wash [...] his seeming ☞ contradiction is the main thing of our Salvation. For if Death be the wages of sin, and sin be not in Christ, it remains that our sins put him to death, which he discharges as a Surety, not as a Debter. Adams Disobedience in the easiest Command, is recompenced by Christs Obedience in the hardest Injunction; for Obedience [Page 57] consisting in the renowning our selves, is most eminent in Death.
There is a Death in Death which makes it more then Death, the Jews malice and our Saviours obedience are well met to entertain it, both which emulate each other; So habituate and obdurate themselves, that they forgetting their Splcen, may now beleeve they do justice; and Christ, were he any besides himself, might think he died deservedly: Could any Tyranny have startled his Obedience, the Crosse had done it, whose gripes are implyed to be infinite, while their Eury is here matched as an even measure with the Patience of God. Behold yee that passe by; Was ever sorrow like this sarrow? Jer. 1. 21. A sorrow that might be felt by looking on, felt by that which had no feeling: The Earth was moved at his constancy, it fell a shaking when his hands were Why the Earth shook at our Saviours Passion. fastened, it reeled and staggered when it missed his feet whose touch supported it: One timely wound at the heart had been a friendly murther: But when all the extream parts are beset with distinct killings, yet none so kind as to dispatch him, when the nail onely tortures, not destroying the part, but deading the sense making Death live, the Crosse it self must needs be the onely [Page 58] Pulpit to expresse Anguish. But why all these stations? Tardiora sunt remedia quem mala; It is easier to spill then to gather, to marre then to mend.
In mans creation and fall, God and Divels were quick at work: but when it comes to redemption, how many premises? how many ages of expectance? what growth? what preparation? what lingring execution must joyn to finish the Sacrifice? for should our Saviour have made hast in his task, it would have filled us with wonder rather then thanks, and would have relished more of power then love: but great must his love be when he dwels on his pain, when he delights in sorrow, and huggs it instead of them he loves.
Whilest his body was thus afflicted, the Jews took care that his soul should not be idle, who provided a punishment mixed with as much shame as smart; for although the Crosse had never been made infamous by the communion of Slaves yet how shamefull it was, might be read in his own countenance, the seat of shame: he enjoyed not here the priviledg of others, Death the face was covered with nothing but shame, and to its greater confusion, it beheld the bodies nakedness; the first object of shame, not in secret as our first Parents did, but before a cloud of insulting scorners, [Page 59] such as durst mock him when he was clad in purple: it is true our Saviour had no cause of shame in himself yet ‘ Innocency may be dipt in a blush as well as guilt, not for any conscions ground in its own bosome, but a timerous suspition of sinister thoughts in others;’ which made the Sun remember its duty in cloaking him from shame, who cloathed it with light, & seasonably denying his beams in a time unseasonable, The Statists of the Synagogue well knew what they ask'd when they they ask'd for a crucifying; in death they stroke at his life, in the death of the Crosse they aimed at his name, they that hated his Doctrine more then his person, slew him but to come at his memory, in murthering which they might ever raise a continuall slaughter, not onely on him, but on all those that should follow so vile a master: this wooden engine was a stumbling block to the Jew and Gentile, to whom it seemed incredible, that the author of life should die so base a death again that such a death should be the spring of life, it appeared a greater riddle then that the honey should be hived in a carkass: but we know how the disgrace of this Altar made our sacrifice the more acceptable, Iudg. 14. and know the stench of the place gave it a sweeter savour, and how all our glory is founded on this dishonour; why then should it be strange that [Page 60] Christ died the death of a slave, since he died for the slaves of sin. Had not a thief therefore the first handsel of Redemption? happy life, who quitted his reckoning for death to come, while here at once he was twice crucified in himself & Christ. It was necessary that Christ should hang naked on the Tree, to free us from the Trees malediction which first shewed us to be naked; nor ought his death to be private as his birth, but exposed to publick view that so paying ransom for the world he might take a whole nation to witness. But is their fury yet sated, and their rancour glutted? no, Christs bones should be broken did not a Prophesie keep them whole; but lo the flints and the bones of the earth are broken for them, his garments should be tortured, did not mystery dispose of the souldiers Avarice; but lo the vail of the Temple is rent for't, and the Holy of Holies is taught to suffer with the more Holy.
The death of the Crosse was attended not onely with the worst of shames but the greatest of pains; our Saviours life went from him like water out of a little mouth'd vessel, where a speedy mortal wound had been a meritorious courtesie: to be betrayed by his own servant, to have that face defiled with spittle which Angels could not look on, and yet cannot look off from, to be [Page 61] tossed about like a Tennis ball, from Annas to Caiphas, from Caiphas to Pilate, from Pilate to Herod, and from Herod back to Pilate; to be accused of blasphemy against God whose will he came to fulfill; of treason against Caesar whom he was so carefull that he should have his due, that rather then not pay tribute a fish should bring it in his mouth; then for the Prince of Peace to have Barabas, a mover of sedition, preferred before him, nay a murtherer, the destroyer of life thought to be more worthy of life then he that so often raised their dead; to be mocked with innocency clad in a white garment the mystical robe of purity; to have the knee bowed to him in scorn to whose name every knee should bow in devotion; to be delivered over to the souldiers to buffet and play with, who being men of bloud their very sport is cruelty; and then to have those hands barbarously nailed through that had made the whole world, and had been instruments in so many pious and charitable deeds; those feet that trode the way of Gods commands to a thread to suffer as if they had been swift to shed bloud, &c.
What now remains, but having surveyed this bitter Passion, I turn it to a definition of our Salvation? the Prophet hath done it for me, Esay 53. 5. Hee was wounded for our Transgressions; [Page 62] He was bruised for our Iniquities; The chastisement of Peace was upon him and by his stripes are we healed. The Lord is my Shield, saith the Psalmist, Psal. 28. 8. For like a Shield hee hath warded off the blow from us.
What sin is there for which the Lord Jesus hath not suffered? He sweat Bloud for the Idlers, was Mocked for the Scorners, Blasphemed for the Swearer, Spit on for the Malicious, Falsely accused for the Liar, Buffetted for the Violent man, Tosled up and down for the Troublesome, did Pennance in white for the Adulterer, he was Scourged for the Stealer, Crowned with Thorns for the Ambitious, Burned in the Feet for the Stragler, in the Hand for the corrupt Receiver, Gall and Vinegar to drink for the Riotous: for all he died; for the Secresie of all he died Openly with shame on the Crosse.
LEt the Blood therefore from which Pilate washed his hands, wash us all over, and grant (good Lord) that wee may safely passe through this Red Sea of thy Passion, wherein though the spiritual Pharaoh and his Hoste, though the Israelites themselves bee drowned; yet let it open a way for us Gentiles, [Page 63] into that Kingdome which thou hast promised.
Quod faxit Deus.
AMEN.