A day-starre for darke-wandring soules shewing the light, by a Christian controuersie: or briefely and plainely setting forth the mysterie of our saluation. Diuided into principles, obiections, and answeres. By Richard Niccolls, th'elder, of the Inner Temple London, Gent. deceased. Published for the generall benefit of all those who heartily, and with a true path desire their owne saluation: by I.C.

Notes vpon the third Principle.

FIrst let vs behold Christ cruci∣fied, as the Scriptures doe de∣scribe him: according to which, he had no part from top to toe free from paine and griefe, but hung on the Tree, hauing his flesh torne with whips, his checkes swolne with buffets, his face defiled with spittle, his head stucke full with Thornes, his eyes deiected for shame, his eares burning with taunts, his mouth sowred with Vinegar, his hands and his feete wounded with Iron Spikes, his bones vnioynted, his sinewes pricked and strayned, his whole body hanging by the sorenesse of his hands and feete; and lastly, (though he were dead) his heart pierced vvith a Speare, whence issued bloud and vvater. And here further let vs aduisedly obscrue in his Stripes, that Pilate hauing a purpose to saue the life of Christ, and not neglecting to

satisfie the people, (who were in∣censed against him) caused him extreamely to be whipped, and to be shewed to the people in that plight, with these words; Behold the man, to let them see that Christ had receiued very sufficient cor∣rection (no crime being proued against him) and so to with-draw them from secking his death.

In crowning him with Thornes, let vs aduisedly note, that the Souldiers did not onely wreath him a thicke Crowne of Thornes, to sticke his head full of them, but after the put∣ting it on, to fasten it, they did strike him on the head with their Caues.

In his nayling to the Crosse or crucifying, let vs aduisedly ob∣serue, that besides the greatnesse and sorenesse of his wounds, which were worthy to be marked, they so strayned his body (least hee should stirre hand or foote) that all his bones might be numbred. The

greatnesse of his Wounds Dauid fore-sheweth in these words, They digged my hands and feete: noting how wide wounds they made, which were rather digged then pierced. How tender and sensible the hands and feete are aboue other parts of the body, and what paine and an∣guish the pricking, strayning, and tearing of the Sinewes, Ligaments, and •…•…oynts (which are very thicke and full of sense in those places) did breede and kindle in the whole body, Nature can teach vs with∣out any further proofe. Of the rac∣king of his Ioynts Bernard maketh this collection out of Dauid, I am so strained (saith Dauid, in the per∣son of Christ) that my body, naked, being stret•…•…hed like the head of a Timbrell or Drum, all my bones may be numbred, all my bones are out of ioynt; or pulled one from th•…•…ther.

In this horrible torment of Stripes, Thornes, Wounds, Sinewes, and Ioynts, our Sauiour hung on

the Crosse aboue three houres in most perfect sense, with extreame paine, vntill the very instant that hee miraculously breathed out his Soule. Hee who shortneth and lightneth the force of torments in his Saints, when they be grieuous, in his owne would doe neyther: hee spared not himselfe who knew how to spare his: hee dyed not by degrees as his Saints doe; his Senses did not decay, no pangs of death tooke holde vpon him, but in perfect sense, Patience and Obedience both of body and soule, hee did voluntarily by his infinite power resigne his Spirit (as he was praying) into the hands of his Fa∣ther, without trembling or strug∣ling, or any shew of sense of his paines: who can sleepe when he will, as Christ dyed when hee would? who can lay aside his Garment, as Christ laid aside his Flesh? who can so leaue his place as Christ left his life? The laying downe of his life

was no imposed punishment, nor forcible inuasion of death vp∣on him, but a voluntary Sacrifice rendred vnto God for our sinnes: and his bloud thus shed vpon the Crosse, is a full and perfect satis∣faction for our sinnes. We must not be so childish, as to thinke that the bloud of Christ, in sensible flesh, is a perfect Sacrifice rendred to God for our sinnes, to satisfie Gods wrath, excluding the vnion, operations, and passions of his soule whilest his body suffered, and in the end dyed: but in the shedding of his bloud wee must include all his suffering both of body and soule, which testifie his patience and perfect obedience, euen to the shedding of his bloud vpon the Crosse.

Secondly, let vs see how the precious Bloud and Death of CHRIST crucified, is of infinite vvorthinesse and merit; for that in regard it must vvorke infinite

things for vs, to wit, it must deli∣uer vs from eternall death in Hell, and bring vs to life euerlasting in Heauen: in respect of eyther of which it must needes be of infinite value, or else it profiteth not: For an infinite purchase cannot be made without an infinite price, this infinite price cannot be found in our owne merits, whose thoughts, words, and deedes are continually euill.

Shall vvee then seeke for it in the euerlasting paines of Hell? they are neyther meritorious nor infinite: meritorious they be not; for to be eternally separated from God can deserue no thankes with God: if any man fall away from God, God hath no pleasure in him, saith the Apostle. And hee vvho suffereth Hels paines is hated, and no wayes beloued: for Christs sen∣tence shall be, Depart from me you cursed into euerlasting fire. And as Hels paines be not meritorious,

no more are they infinite in waight, but in time onely: for they must be euerlastingly suffe∣red, before they can be infinite, and the Diuels and men which shall suffer them, cannot endure any in∣finite sense of paine, because they be finite Creatures: God onely is infinite: but the vengeance of sinne continueth for euer, because no creat•…•…re is able to beare an infinite waight of punishment.

Since then neyther our owne merits, nor the paines of Hell, haue neyther worth nor waight sufficient in themselues to satisfie the anger, and procure the fauour of GOD, wee must seeke to Heauen, euen to God himselfe, for the true ran∣some of our sinnes, and redempti∣on of our Soules, which wee can finde no where, but in the person of Christ Iesus, who being true God, tooke our nature vnto him∣selfe, to become one with vs, and communicateth his spirit vnto vs,

to make vs one with him, and by the infinite price of his bloud bought vs from the power of hell, and brought vs vnto God: for, neyther the Vertues of Christs hu∣mane soule, though they were ma∣ny; nor the sufferings of his flesh, though they were painefull, are simply infinite, vntill wee looke vnto his person being the eternall Sonne of God. Then shall wee finde that God vouchsafed, with his owne bloud to purchase his Church: and that wee were reconciled vnto God, when we were his enemies, by the death of his Sonne. Moreouer, concerning the infinite merit of Christs death and passion; if be∣tweene the Creator and the best of his Creatures there be an infinite distance; then betweene the most glorious and blessed Throne of God in Heauen, and the most base and cursed Crosse of Christ vpon Earth, must needes be so infinite a distance that neyther men nor

Angels can comprehend it: and by consequence the Obedience of Christ (who being in the forme of God, humbled himselfe, and became obedient to the death, euen to the death of the Crosse) was infinite, and did in farre higher degree please God the Father, then the Rebellion of Adam did displease him: for Adams dis∣obedience was the Sinne of man, but Christs Obedience was the vir∣tue of God; which Obedience be∣ing infinite, doth more then coun∣teruayle Adams Disobedience, and for that cause the Iustice of God is better satisfied with the Obedience of Christ, then with the vengeance it might haue executed on the sinnes of men: for God hath no pleasure in the death of the vvic∣ked, neyther doth hee delight in mans destruction, but with the O∣bedience of his Sonne hee is well pleased, and therein his Soule de∣lighteth: This is my wel-beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased:

Loe my Chosen, my Soule taketh pleasure in him: in which vvords God doth not onely note the na∣turall loue betweene himselfe and his Sonne, but hee giueth full ap∣probation of his Obedience, as be∣ing thereby, as with a condigne compensation, fully satisfied for the sinnes of man.

But here is to be noted that al∣though the bloud of Christ cruci∣fied be a sufficient price to satisfie Gods iustice for the sinnes of all the world, if men could and would apply the same to themselues by Faith, yet it is estectuall onely to them who are vnited vnto Christ, so that Christ is theirs, and they are Christs: for they onely haue po∣wer to apply his bloud vnto them∣selues by Faith. For euen as a so∣ueraigne Salue, so Christs bloud, hath sufficient virtue to heale all, and it is effectuall for the healing of those onely, vnto whom it is ap∣plyed.

Seeing then there is no meanes to purchase our Redemption but by the infinite price of Christs precious bloud: let vs highly esteeme of so precious a thing, and with all di∣ligence seeke to make it ours, and to vse it to the glory of God, and not to our owne licentiousnesse: for being bought with a price wee are not our owne but his who hath bought vs, and therefore wee are not to serue our owne lusts, but to glorifie him both in our Soules and Bodyes, which are not ours, but his who bought vs. This is the very good and end of our Redemp∣tion, and it is the true libertie and happinesse of the Saints and bles∣sed Angels in Heauen, willingly and chearefully to serue the Lord by whom they were brought to that happinesse.

Notes

• Psal. 22.
• De Pass•…•… Dom. cap. 7.
• Bern. de Pass•…•… Dom. cap. 41.
• Aug. Tract 119 in Ioan.
• Iohn 10. 18.
• 1 Pet. 1. 18. 19.
• A blessed and most necessary note.
• Heb. 10. 38.
• Mat. •…•…5. 41.
• Acts 20. •…•…8.
• Rom. 5. 10.
• Phil. 2.
• Mat. 3. 17.
• Esay 42. 1.