The humiliation of the Sonne of God by his becomming the Son of man, by taking the forme of a servant, and by his sufferings under Pontius Pilat, &c. Or The eighth book of commentaries vpon the Apostles Creed: continued by Thomas Jackson Dr. in Divinitie, chaplaine to his Majestie in ordinarie, and president of Corpus Christi Colledge in Oxford. Divided into foure sections.

CHAP. XV. Christs suffering of the unknowen paines, or of paines greater than ever any of his Martyrs or others in this life have suffered, requisite for his qualifi∣cation, as hee was to become the high Priest of our soules.

1 THe Sonne of God was to suffer all the afflictions, which wee in this world can suffer, in a farre higher degree than we can suffer them: to bee more strongly tempted by all the meanes by which wee are tempted unto sinne, whether by feare of evill, or by hope of things good and pleasant unto nature; that hee might (even to our apprehension) bee a more

faithfull and mercifull high Priest in things con∣cerning God, than ever any before him had been, or can be. But Satan, we know, tempteth no man in this life unto sinne either with the feare or sufferings of any evill or vexations, whereof our mortality can have no experience. Hee labours to withdraw no man from Gods ser∣vice by giving them any taste or touch of the paines prepared for the damned in the life to come. Such as are in the deepest bonds of thral∣dome to him, would quickly abandon his service, if hee should tender them such a true symbole or earnest of their everlasting wages, or such a mo∣mentany taste of Hell paines, as the Spirit of God in this life exhibiteth to some of his chil∣dren of their everlasting joyes. And it is questi∣onable whether our nature whilest mortall bee capable of such paines, or whether the first touch or reall impression of them would not dissolve the link or bond betweene mans mortall body, and his immortall soule in a moment. For as flesh and blood cannot inherite the Kingdome of God, but this mortall must put on immortalitie, ere we can bee partakers of celestiall joyes: so it is pro∣bable that our corruptible bodies must bee made in another kinde incorruptible, before they can bee the proper Subjects or receptacles of Hell paines. But though no man in this life be temp∣ted to ill, or withdrawen from the service of God, by sufferance of such paines; yet in as much as many are oft times tempted to despaire of Gods mercies by the unknowne terrors of Hell, or

representations of infernall forces: there is no question but the Sonne of God, not in his Divine wisdome onely, by which he knoweth all things, but even as man, had a more distinct view of all the forces, and terrors of Hell, more full expe∣rience of their active force and attempts, than any man in this life can have; to the end that he might bee a faithfull Comforter of all such unto the worlds end, as shall bee affrighted or attemp∣ted with them. If wee consider then onely the attempt, assault, or active force by which Satan seeketh to withdraw us from God unto his ser∣vice, not the issue or impression which his at∣tempts makes upon us sinfull men: there was no kinde of temptation whereto the Sonne of God was not subject, whereto he did not submit him∣selfe for our sakes, that hee might have full expe∣rience or perfect notice as man, of all the dangers whereunto wee are obnoxious. By that which was done against the greene tree hee knoweth what will become of the drie, if it bee exposed to the like fiery triall. It was requisite that this great Captaine of Gods warfare with Satan, and of our salvation, should have a perfect view of all the forces which fight against us; that hee might bee a faithfull Solicitor to his Almighty Father for aid, and succour unto all that are beset with them, unto all that offer up strong cries un∣to him, as hee in the dayes of his flesh did unto his Father, and was saved from that which hee feared.

2. The greatest comfort which any poore di∣stressed

mortall man can expect, or which our na∣ture is capable of in oppression and distresse, must issue from this maine fountaine of our Saviours Agony and bloody sweat, of his Crosse and Pas∣sion. For whatsoever hee suffered in those two bitter dayes, he suffered, if not for this end alone, yet for this especially, that hee might bee an All-sufficient Comforter unto all such as mourne; as having sometimes had more than a fellow fee∣ling of all our infirmities and vexations, as one who had tasted deeper of the cup of sorow and death it selfe, then any man before him had done, or to the worlds end shall doe. It would bee a great comfort to such as have suffered shipwrack, to have an Admirall, a Dispenser of Almes un∣to Seafaring men, who had sometimes suffered shipwrack, or after shipwrack had been wronged by his neighbours or natives. And so, it would bee to a man eaten out of his estate by usury or vexations in Law, to have a Judge or Chancel∣lor who had been both wayes more grievously wronged; a just, or upright man, whose heart would melt with the fellow-feeling of his cala∣mities. Experience of bodily paines or grievous diseases inclineth the Chirurgion or Physician to bee more compassionate to their Patients, and more tender of their well-fare than otherwise they would be. And for these reasons, ever since I tooke them into consideration, and as often as I resume the meditations of our Saviours death, I have ever wondred and still doe wonder at the peevishnesse, or rather patheticall prophanesse

of some men, who scoffe at those sacred passages in our Liturgie, By thy Agony and bloody sweat, by thy Crosse and Passion, &c. Good Lord deliver us; as if they had more alliance with spells, or formes of conjuring, than with the spirit of prayer or true devotion. Certainely they could never have fallen into such irreverent and uncharitable qua∣rells with the Church our Mother, unlesse they had first fallen out, and that fouly with Pater noster, with the Lords prayer, the Creed, and the ten Commandements. For I dare undertake to make good that there is not either branch or fruit, blossome or leafe in that sacred garden of devotions which doth not naturally spring and draw its life and nourishment from one or other of the three former roots, to wit, from the Lords prayer, or from the Creed set prayer wise, or from the ten Commandements. And hee that is disposed to reade that most Divine part of our Liturgie with a sober minde and dutifull respect, shall finde not onely more pure devotion, but more profound Orthodoxall Divinity both for matter and forme, then can bee found in all the English Writers which have either carped or nib∣led at it. Not one ejaculation is there in it, which hath the least relish of that leven, where∣with their prolix extemporary devotions who distaste it, are for the most part deepely sowred. But here I had ended my Treatise of the qualifi∣cation and undertakings of the Sonne of God for dissolving the works of Satan, had not a new Quaere presented it selfe to my meditations in

the latter end of these disquisitions; and the Quaere, is this:

3. Why our Saviour in his Agony, or his other sufferings upon the Crosse should not ten∣der his petitions unto God in the same forme or tenor wherein the Psalmists or other holy men which were types or figures of him in his suffe∣rings, had done theirs in their anguish or distresse; or in the same forme which he once, and no oft∣ner than once did use upon the Crosse, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? The ancient stile of prayer used by Gods servants or Ambas∣sadors, as well in their humble supplications, as in their gratulatory hymnes, but especially in their fervent and patheticall ejaculations for de∣liverance from present dread or danger, was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 my God, and my Lord; or my Lord, and my God. Besides the observations before made to this purpose out of c 1.1 Masius, or rather out of the Liturgie of the Ancient Jews avouched by him, and of the Primitive Church (well observed by Faber) many passages in the Psalmes which did respectively both forepicture and foretell his Agony and sufferings upon the Crosse, are most pregnant. Of the ingratitude of his people toward him, of the indignities and cruelties done unto him by the Jews; no Psal∣mist (the Author of 22. onely excepted) hath a more lively punctuall representation, than that which is Psal. 35. and 38.40. David in the very 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or paroxysme of the grievances which he suf∣fered from such of Sauls followers as he had well

deserved of, delivereth his petitions in this forme: Avenge thou my cause, my God and my Lord,* 1.2 Psal. 35.23. Iudge me according to thy righteousnesse, O JEHOVAH, my Lord, Psal. 35.24. and 38.16. (whether David or some other were the Author of it) Quia ad te expecto, tu respondebis Domine, Deus mi. And againe, Psal. 40.6. Multa fecisti tu JEHOVAH, Deus meus, &c.

4.* 1.3 But when the houre was come wherein all these Propheticall ejaculations of the Psalmists were to be exactly fulfilled in our Saviour Christ: and by him, hee preferres his supplications stilo novo in a forme or stile unusuall before, but fami∣liar and usuall to him when his passion and death drew nigh, as Ioh. 12. Father, (not Lord God) what shall I say? save mee from this houre, &c. And Ioh. 17. Father glorifie me, &c. Hee used the same forme in his Agony thrice, Father, if it be possible, let this cup passe from me. And in the last words, which hee uttered in the forme of a servant, hee said not, My God, my God, or my Lord God; But Father into thy hands I com∣mend my spirit. This variation betweene this most faithfull Servant of God and other holy men, Gods faithfull servants, in the forme of their supplications or gratulatory ejaculations conceived and uttered upon the like occasions, suggests thus much unto us (if I mistake not) that of all Gods servants or holy men, the man CHRIST JESUS onely was his true Sonne not by adoption as others were, and wee now are, but his Sonne by right of inheritance; and

yet being such a Sonne, was for a time as truely his Servant, as his Sonne. He who alwayes had been 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or God the Lord: Hee whose ti∣tle it was to heare his peoples prayers, and unto whom all flesh shall come, Psal 65.2. doth now tender his prayer, not to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 not unto 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for that had been to preferre a peti∣tion unto himselfe, whereas hee was now to pre∣ferre his petition unto his Father whose Servant he now was as man, but did not thereby cease to be as truely his Sonne. Had hee been his Sonne by creation onely, or in respect of the admirable integrity and superexcellencie of his performan∣ces as man; hee had doubtlesse tendred his peti∣tions in the same stile or forme, which other godly men, and Gods faithfull servants before had used, though much better than they did. But however hee was the Servant of God after a more peculiar maner than any other had been; yet he presents his supplications in such a stile as hath relation to himselfe, rather as he was a Son than as a Servant. The eternall Sonne of God was the party supplicant unto the eternall Father for his mortall servant. For hee was a servant onely according to his humane nature, and ac∣cording to that onely as it was mortall, whereas he still remaineth Mediator betwixt God and man, not as man onely, much lesse as a mortall man, but according to his eternall person, and his immortall manhood. This his manhood is now dignified with the reall and actuall title of

Lord. He was our Lord and Mediator before he assumed our flesh into the unity of his Person: but then Mediator according to his Divine Per∣son, or as God onely. When he is instiled by the Prophets 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or God the Lord, this later title was more Propheticall than historicall, and did import as much as that he who was then Iehovah our God, at the time appointed should come to be our Lord by peculiar right of dominion pur∣chased by his sufferings for our redemption. And for this reason I take it, his Apostle Thomas be∣ing convinced of incredulity unto the report of his resurrection, supplicates to him for pardon in the same stile or forme, as the Psalmist and o∣ther godly men had done in their distresse; My Lord, and my God, * 1.4 which is the full and punctu∣all expression of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 For now hee was not onely spe, but re, become both Lord and Christ.

Notes

• c 1.1

  The 7. book of these Com¦mentaries upon the Creed, chap. 36. par. 3, 4, &c.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉
• * 1.4

  Ioh. 20.28.