her, to esteem her great modesty and humility, to imitate SERM. her piety and grace, after her pattern confcientiously to XXIV. reverence and obey her Son; unto whom therefore let us with hearty thankfulness render all glory and praise. Amen.

Suffered under Pontius Pilate.

SERMON XXV.

Who was crucified. (τὸν ἐσαν

I COR. i. 23.

But we preach Chrift * crucified.

(rovisau- THE doctrine of the Gofpel is called + the word of the

ρωμένον.)

Aéyes cross; that is, a report concerning our Lord's crucifixion, σαυρό. 1 Cor. i. 18. together with a declaration of the ends, effects, and uses of it; this being a special and main point therein, whereto all the reft are closely allied, and whereon the whole method of our falvation dependeth; a point, which (as St. Paul in this and in feveral other places doth acquaint us) of all others did find the hardest entertainment among all forts of people, to whom it was addreffed; few auditors being disposed to swallow it, or able to digeft it. The Jews were much offended, that one who fuffered by their hands in fo vile and wretched a manner fhould be propounded to them as their Meffas and King; the same who, according to their opinions and hopes, (grounded on their ancient prophecies plausibly interpreted, and on their conftant traditions,) was destined to restore them from Orig. lib. ii. their afflicted condition, and to rear them into a high state p. 83, &c. lib. i. p. of profperity. The Pagans took it for an extravagantly 368. foolish conceit, that a person of so mean a quality and fo Porphyrius. Aug. de miferable a fortune, fhould be fuch as was told them, the Son of God, and Lord of all things, the author of happiJul. apud nefs, and the object of highest adoration to all men; very Cyrill. vi. p. abfurd and abominable this propofition did generally seem Tryphon. to the carnal and worldly prejudices of men, who little (p. 317.) could understand, and lefs would confider the fublime de

Celfus,

Civ. D. x. 28. Lucian.

194.

apud Juft.

fign thereof; but to those who (being endued with a meek SERM. heart, and enlightened by divine grace) did rightly appre- XXV. hend and duly weigh it, it did afford great fatisfaction and comfort; it had on them a moft effectual and beneficial influence; proving indeed unto them the power of 1 Cor. i. 18. God to falvation; as raifing in them ftrong hopes of fal- Rom. i. 16. vation, and engaging them in a practice conducible thereto. Upon this point therefore our Lord's ambassadors, the holy Apostles, in their preaching chiefly did infift, declaring the great ends and excellent fruits of our blessed Saviour's crucifixion; according to that of St. Paul, I de- 1 Cor. ii. 2. termine to know nothing among you fave Chrift, and him crucified.

the Jew, in

confefs,

to the pro

It is therefore questionless a moft profitable, and ever (especially now, when our Lord's paffion is by the Church folemnly commemorated) very feasonable fubject of our meditation; apt to excite good thoughts, good affections, and good resolutions in us; and as fuch, I mean now to Tryphon recommend and apply it; endeavouring to affift your me- Juftin Marditation by fuggefting fome remarkable particulars con- tyr, doth cerning it; and in my difcourfe I fhall not fo much gene- that Chrift, rally confider the death and paffion of our Lord, as the according particular manner and kind thereof, by crucifixion; the phecies of which we may contemplate, as qualified with divers notable adjuncts; namely, 1. As a fuffering in appearance cri- to fuffer; minal. 2. As most bitter and painful. 3. As moft igno- offend him minious and fhameful. 4. As agreeable and advantage- that he ous to the intents of his paffion. 5. As completory of fer in this ancient prefignifications and predictions. 6. As apt to excite devotion in us, and to enforce on us the practice of 317. our duty.

I. Let us confider it as a fuffering in appearance criminal; or a feeming execution of justice upon our Lord, as

holy Scrip

ture, was

but it did

.fhould fuf

kind. Juft. Mart. P.

a malefactor; He was, as the Prophet foretold, numbered Ifa. liii. 12. among the tranfgreffors; and, God, faith St. Paul, made 2 Cor. v. 21. him fin for us, who knew no fin; that is, God ordered him

to be dealt with as an exceedingly finful or criminous perfon, who in himself was perfectly innocent, and void of the least tendency to any fault: fo in effect it was, that he

John v. 18.

12.

2.

63.

SERM. was impeached of the highest crimes, not only as a vioXXV. lator of the divine law, in breaking the fabbath, in keeping bad company, and holding an over-free converfation; but x. 30. vii. as an impoftor, deluding and feducing the people; as a blafphemer, affuming to himself the properties and preroLuke xxiii. gatives of God; as a feditious and rebellious person, perMatt. xxvii. verting the nation, forbidding the payments of tribute to Cæfar, ufurping royal authority, and pretending to be Chrift a King; in general, as a xaxonoids, a malefactor, or one guilty of notable crimes; so his profecutors (in the John xviii. Gospel) did affirm; If, faid they to Pilate, he were not a malefactor, we should not have delivered him up unto thee: as fuch he was reprefented and arraigned; and that, although by a sentence wrested from the judge against his confcience, by the malicious importunity of his accusers, he was condemned, and in pretence fuffered as fuch, is clear, and admitted by all.

30.

Now whereas any death or paffion of our Lord (as being in itself infinitely valuable, and moft precious in the fight of God) might have been fufficient toward the accomplishing the general defigns of his paffion, the expiation of our guilt, the appeasement of God's wrath, the fatisfaction of divine juftice; it might be inquired, why God should fo expose him, and why he should choose to fuffer under this odious and ugly character: to fatisfy this demand, and that we may the more admire the wisdom and goodness of God in this great difpenfation, divers reafons may be affigned, which are intimated in holy Scripture, or bear a conformity to its doctrine, why it was fo ordered. For,

1. As our Saviour freely did undertake a life of greatest meanness and hardship, so upon the like accounts he might be pleased to undergo a death, of all most bitter and uncomfortable: there is nothing to man's nature (especially to honeft and ingenuous nature, wherein natural modefty is not extinct) more abominable than fuch a death: God for good purposes hath planted in our conftitution a lively sense of disgrace; and of all disgraces that which proceedeth from an imputation of heinous crimes

52.

is most disgustful and pungent; and being confcious of SERM. our innocence, doth increase the smart; and to reflect XXV. upon ourselves dying under it, or leaving the world with an indelible stain upon our name and memory, is yet more grievous; even to languish by degrees, enduring the torments of a long, however fharp difeafe, would, to any ingenuous perfon, be far more eligible, than in this manner (of being reputed and treated as a villain) to find a quick and easy dispatch; fome touch of which refentment we may conceive breaking forth in our Lord, and somewhat of man's nature difcovering itself in that queftion; Be ye Luke xxii. come out as against a thief, with fwords and flaves? He did, Matt. xxvi. it feems, as a man, loathe to be profecuted as a thief; yet 55. he willingly chose it; as he purposely did embrace other the worst of diftafteful things belonging to our nature, and incident to that lowly condition, into which he did put himself, (not only being made in the likeness of man, Phil. ii. 7. but taking the form of a fervant ;) to endure want, and to fare hardly; to be flighted, envied, hated, fcorned, and reproached through the whole course of his life. Had he died in any other way, he had not been fo complete a fufferer, nor had tasted the worst of what men can and do endure; there had been a comfort in feeming innocent, which had impaired the perfection of his undertaking. Often was he in danger of death, both from the close John v. 18. machinations, and from the open violences of thofe who 59. vii. 1, maligned him; but he industriously declined a death fo 19, 25. x. eafy, and fo honourable, if I may so speak; it not being fo difgraceful to fall by private malice, or by fudden rage, as by the folemn and deliberate proceeding of persons in public authority and great credit.

viii. 37, 40,

32, 39,

This kind of death he did foresee, and plainly with fatisfaction did aim at; he (as we have it related in the Gofpels) did fhew his disciples, that it was incumbent on him (by God's appointment, and his own choice) ori deï autòv Matt. xvi. Toλλ wadei, that he ought to fuffer many things; to be reprobated by the chief priests, elders, and fcribes; to be vili- Markix.12. fied by them; to be condemned, and delivered up to the variou

21.

Luke ix. 22.

Αποδοκιμα

δενοῦσθαι.