And this

to all nations, kingdoms, and languages; for immediately after that he passed out of the world Jesus was proclaimed to all nations the King of glory, and continues to this day, and shall be for ever. Pilate is a preacher hereof, albeit he have little mind of it; but he was like Caiaphas, who prophesied that it was expedient that one should die for the sins of the whole people, chap. xi. 50. is done by the special providence of God, no doubt. The constancy of Pilate in his sentence and writing, notwithstanding the strong opposition of the scribes and the high priests, who desired him to alter and change the title, and for that which was written by Pilate, to wit, "This is the King of the Jews," to write, "That he said he was the King of the Jews"-this declares that it was of the immutable decree of God. Pilate had no power to alter one letter of it for his life. God led the pen of him so, that he had no power to do otherwise, to testify that it was of that eternal decree. And this is that decree whereof we read, Psalm ii. 7, "I will declare the decree, that is, The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son," &c. This decree is unchangeable; it must be executed, and it shall last to the end of the world; and I say, the Lord Jesus shall be King in despite of the Jews and the high priests, and all his enemies, and that one day we shall see to the full joy of our hearts. To that glorious King, with his Father, and the Holy Spirit, be honour and glory for evermore. Amen.

THE SIXTEENTH LECTURE.

OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.

MATTH. CHAP. XXVII.

39. And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, 40. And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself: if thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.

41. Likewise also the high priests, mocking him, with the scribes, and elders, and Pharisees, said,

42. He saved others, but he cannot save himself; if he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in him.

43. He trusted in God, let him deliver him now, if he will have him; for he said, I am the Son of God.

44. The self-same thing also the thieves which were crucified with him cast in his teeth.

MARK, CHAP. XV.

29. And they that went by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ha, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,

30. Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

31. Likewise also, even the high priests, mocking, said among themselves, with the scribes, He saved other men, himself he cannot save.

32. Let Christ, the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, that we may see and believe. They also that were crucified with him reviled him.

LUKE, CHAP. XXIII,

35. And the people stood and beheld and the rulers mocked him with them, saying, He saved others: let him save himself, if he be that Christ, the chosen of God.

36. The soldiers also mocked him, and came and offered him vinegar, 37. And said, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself.

38. And a superscription was also written over him, in Greek letters, and in Latin, and in Hebrew, THIS IS THAT KING OF THE JEWS.

JOHN, CHAP. XIX.

23. Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, (and made four parts, to every soldier a part,) and his coat; and the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24. Therefore they said one to another, Let us not divide it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be. This was, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my garments among them, and on my coat did they cast lots. So the soldiers did these things indeed.

THE time that Jesus Christ is hanging on the cross, brethren, and whilst he is in extreme pain and torment, those that stand by they set themselves to do him all the shame they can, to the end that in that agony he might have the more annoyance and grief. I cannot divide better that shame that they did him, than from the persons who went about to shame him; the whole, both Jews and Gentiles, are set to shame him. And, therefore, after he is condemned, they take two thieves, and they crucify them with him, the one at the one hand, and the other at the other, and Jesus the innocent in the middest, as if he had been the greatest of all. Then there is not a rank of persons amongst them, but every one begins to rail upon him, and shame him. And, first, to begin at Pilate, he begins and shames him; for he writes an inscription concerning treason against the majesty of Cæsar, and affixes it on the cross where he hung, "This is the King of the Jews." Howbeit,

It appears, by the garments into four

to speak the truth, Pilate sought more the shame of the Jews, who, by their obstinacy, compelled him to give out the sentence of death against the innocent, than the shame of Jesus Christ; and by the inscription the Lord will have the Jews shamed, because they hanged their King. But we have spoken of Pilate's part the last day; therefore, now let us go forward to the parts of all the rest. Then after Pilate come in the executioners, who, with their hands, had nailed him on the cross. words of John, speaking of the dividing of his parts, that there were four executioners, (or hangmen,) so that every one of them got a part thereof. These in contempt, and in despite of him, in his face, whilst as he hangs on the cross, they take his garments, and "divide them in four parts, and on his coat they cast lots." Then after the hangmen come the people, "and they wag their heads on him," and in despite and bitterness of heart "they rail on him, and say, Is this the man that said he would destroy the temple, and build it up again?" Is it likely that he can do this, who cannot save himself from the cross? Then come there the princes of the Jews, the scribes, the high priests, and Pharisees, and they taunt him also, saying, “Thou who savest others, save thyself." And after them come in the men of war, the Roman soldiers, and they begin to rail out also, and "they offered him vinegar to drink, and said, If thou be the King of the Jews, save thyself, and come down from the cross." And last, one of the thieves who was hanged with him falls out in railing, "If thou be that Christ, save thyself and us.”

But now we shall speak of every one of these in particular as the Lord shall give us grace; and first, we begin at the part of the hangmen. Then in his sight, whilst he hangs, "they take his garments, and made four parts of them, that every one of the men might have a part thereof;" and as for "his coat, because it had no seam," and was not sewed, but was a woven coat, from the top throughout, therefore, they would not divide it, but would cast lots for it, whose it should be. And all this was done, that that which was prophesied by David, who was the figure of Christ,

(Psalm xxii. 19,1) might be fulfilled, which saith, "They divided my garments among them, and on my coat did cast lots."

Now, to let you see that these hangmen did nothing in all this action but that which from all eternity was appointed to be done in the counsel of God. To examine this fact better; first, they do him wrong in spoiling the Lord Jesus of his own goods; (howsoever they esteemed of him, yet he was innocent;) next, they do him shame, in stripping him, and setting him naked upon the cross, in the sight of all the world; and, last of all, they despite him, and contemn him, in taking his garments, and parting them in his own presence where he himself might behold it. So they did him wrong, shame, and despite. But, brethren, as in all other circumstances conjoined with the passion, I look not so much to men as to the Lord, for here I look not so much to these executioners in parting of these garments, as to that heavenly Judge his Father, and to his justice in this matter; for whatsoever be their part, and how unjust soever they be, that heavenly Father is just, and that burden of our sin which Jesus Christ took upon him deserved all this; as surety for us, he demerited all this.

Now, to examine more narrowly every one of these, to wit, the wrong, shame, and despite, we shall see how justly all is done. If ye will look to his Father, and first consider the wrong done unto him, in taking his clothes, he was wearied of his garments, because he was clad with our sin. Now, would to God that we could feel in mercy this weight of sin which our Mediator did bear upon his back for us; for then we would not run on so wantonly as we do. And it tells us this, that a sinner that is not in Jesus Christ, who hath not put off sin, but yet bears the burden of sin, hath no right to wear so much as a most vile garment, yea, though it were but a brat of a sack to hide his shame from the sight of the world, let be gold, silver, or precious raiment; and if it shall fall out at any time that he be reaved and spoiled of his clothes, let him take it to be of the just judgment of God, whatsoever be man's part 2 i. e. Coarse clothing.

1 18th of our Version.