way into the Soul, and how to fill it with the moft fad and it be poffible, let this Cup pass from me; or as for which ormer Te ful came into the World: The ⚫ vereft and vileft Punishment next unto Death, Scour ging and Scorn; here he is, fee what a Spectacle it is, let this fatisfie your Envy. But all this will not ferve, there is nothing below the vileft of Deaths can fatisfie; all cry out, Crucifie him: And when yet the Judge profeffetli he finds nothing worthy of Death, they impofe a Law of their own; We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to die, because be made himself the Son of God, John 19. 7. But when this rather made the Judge the more cautious, they engage him upon his Fidelity to Cæfar his Mafter: He that maketh himself a King Speaketh against Cæfar: But all this was not enough, but at length the Importunity of the Priefts and People prevailed; and Pilate who had been before warned by the Monition of his Wife; and had three feveral times pronounced him innocent, yet against the Conviction of his own Confcience, to fatisfie and content the Jews, adds this farther Cruelty and Injuftice to what he had before done, gave Sentence that it fhould be as they required, Luke 23. 24. delivered him over to that curfed and fervile Death of Crucifixion: and yet his Perfecutors Malice and Envy not satisfied; but, after his Judgment, purfue the Execution of it with as great Malice, Scorn, and Cruelty, as they had before used in obtaining it: His Crown of Thorns upon his Head; a Purple Robe upon his Body; the Blood of his Scourging, and Thorns all covering his Vifage; a Reed in his Right Hand; the bafe and infolent Multitude with Spittings and Strokes, and Reproaches, abufing him, till his Crofs be ready; and then the Purple Robe is taken off, and he conducted to the place of his Execution; and to add Torment to his Shame, our bleffed Lord, wearied with an Agony, and long watching the Night before; and from the time of his Apprehending hurried from place to place; and his Blood and Spirits fpent with the Scourgings and Thorns, and Blows; and, which is more than all this, a Soul within laden with the weight of Sorrow, and the burden of the Wrath of God, which did drink up and confume his Spirits; yet, in this Condition, he is fain to bear his burthenfome Crofs towards the place of his Execu Inke 23.44. And being in an Agony, he prayed more , and his Sweat was as it were great Drops of Blood down to the Ground. This was his third Address to his er, Matth. 26. 44. And here was the higheft pitch our Saviour's Paffion in the Garden. His Soul was in Agony, in the greatest Concuffion, Confufion, and tremity of Sorrow, Fear, Anguish, and Aftonishment, at was poffible to be inflicted by the mighty Hand f God, on the Soul of Chrift, that could be confiftent ith the Purity of the Nature of our Saviour, and the ineparable Union that it had with the divine Nature: Infomuch, that the Confufion and Diftraction of his Soul under it, and the ftruggling and grappling of his Soul with it, did make fuch an Impreffion upon his Body, that the like was never before or fince., The Seafon of the Year was cold, for fo it appears, John 18. 18. The Servants and Officers had made a Fire of Coals, for it was cold; and the Seafon of the Time was cold, it was, as near as we may guefs, about mid-night, when the Sun was at his greateft diftance, and obftructed in his Influence by the Interpofition of the Earth; for it appears they came with Lanthorns and Torches when they apprehended him, John 18. 3. And he was brought to the High Priest's Hall, a little before Cockcrowing, after some time had been spent in his Examination, Matth. 26. 69. And yet for all this, fuch is the Agony and Perturbation of our Saviour's Soul, that in this cold Seafon it puts his Body in a Sweat, a Sweat of Blood, great Drops of Blood, Drops of Blood falling down to the Ground; and certainly it was no light Conflict within, that caufed fuch a ftrange and unheard of fymptom without. Certainly the Storm in the Soul of Chrift muft needs be very terrible, that his Blood, the Seat of his vital Spirits, could no longer abide the Senfe of it, but started out in a Sweat of Blood, and fuch a Sweat, that was more than confiftent with the ordinary Conftitution of human Nature. And during this time, even from the eating of the Paffoever until this third Addrefs to his Father was over, the fuffering of our Saviour lay principally, if not only in his Soul. Almighty on the Crofs, and nailing of his Limbs to it, and all the Anguish, that, for the space of fix Hours, from the third Hour, wherein he was Crucified, Mark 15.25. until the ninth Hour, wherein he gave up the Ghoft, Matth. 27. 46. not a Word of Complaint; but he refused those very Supplies which were ufually given to fupprefs the Violence of the Pain, Vinegar and Gall, Matth. 27. 34. But when we come to the Afflictions of his Soul, they were of a higher Dimension, in the Garden, when no other Storm was upon him, but what was within him, he falls down upon his Face and Prays; and again; and a third time; and is amazed, and forrowful unto Death; and sweats Drops of Blood: And doubtlefs whiles he was under the Reproaches, and Buffetings, and Whippings, and Thorns, he was not without a terrible and confufed Sadnefs and Heaviness within, which though they did not mitigate the Torments of his Body, yet they did infinitely exceed them: The Spirit and the Soul is most exquifitely fenfible, and it is that which feels the Pains inflicted upon the Body: Certainly therefore the Wound of the Spirit it felf, the Fountain of Senfe, muft needs be exceedingly grievous: And hence it was, that though all the Injuries and Torments of our Saviour could fcarce wring a Complaint from him, yet the weight of that Wrath that lay upon his Soul, now made an Offering for Sin, did wring from him thofe bitter and terrible Cries, that one would wonder fhould proceed from him, that was One with the Father, Mat. 27. 46. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? From the fixth Hour to the ninth, darkness was over all the Land, Matth. 27. 45. fuch a Darkness as bred an Aftonishment even in Strangers and other Countries. The Darknefs of the World, though a fuitable Dress for fuch a time, wherein the Son of God muft die, and the Son of Righteousness must be Eclipfed; yet it was nothing in comparifon of that difmal fhadow that covered our Saviour's Soul all this time. About the ninth hour, our Saviour cried that bitter Cry, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Manifefting the depth of his Sorrow, and the perfect Senfe he had of it, Why hast thou forsaken me? More could tears, Luke 23. 44. And being in an Agony, he prayed more Earnestly, and his Sweat was as it were great Drops of Blood falling down to the Ground. This was his third Addrefs to his Father, Matth. 26. 44. And here was the highest pitch of our Saviour's Paffion in the Garden. His Soul was in an Agony, in the greatest Concuffion, Confufion, and Extremity of Sorrow, Fear, Anguish, and Aftonishment, that was poffible to be inflicted by the mighty Hand of God, on the Soul of Chrift, that could be confiftent with the Purity of the Nature of our Saviour, and the infeparable Union that it had with the divine Nature: Infomuch, that the Confusion and Distraction of his Soul under it, and the struggling and grappling of his Soul with it, did make fuch an Impreffion upon his Body, that the like was never before or fince. The Seafon of the Year was cold, for fo it appears, John 18. 18. The Servants and Officers had made a Fire of Coals, for it was cold; and the Seafon of the Time was cold, it was, as near as we may guefs, about mid-night, when the Sun was at his greateft diftance, and obftructed in his Influence by the Interpofition of the Earth; for it appears they came with Lanthorns and Torches when they apprehended him, John 18. 3. And he was brought to the High Priest's Hall, a little before Cockcrowing, after fome time had been spent in his Examination, Matth. 26. 69. And yet for all this, fuch is the Agony and Perturbation of our Saviour's Soul, that in this cold Seafon it puts his Body in a Sweat, a Sweat of Blood, great Drops of Blood, Drops of Blood falling down to the Ground; and certainly it was no light Conflict within, that caufed fuch a ftrange and unheard of fymptom without. Certainly the Storm in the Soul of Chrift muft needs be very terrible, that his Blood, the Seat of his vital Spirits, could no longer abide the Sense of it, but started out in a Sweat of Blood, and fuch a Sweat, that was more than confiftent with the ordina ry Conftitution of human Nature. And during this time, even from the eating of the Paffoever until this third Addrefs to his Father was over, the fuffering of our Saviour lay principally, if not only in his Soul. Al |