of thorns, and a reed into his hand, and again spit upon him and mocked him. And this contempt in our apprehensions must we cast upon the arrogant world; we must strip it of its vain shew, and give it the honour of a reed for levity, and of thorns for unprofitableness and vexation; for as thorns it vexeth when it promiseth felicity, and as thorns it choaketh that word of truth, and as a reed it is shaken with every wind.
No backwardness of the Judge, and no intercession of his wife, could rescue Christ from the malice of the Jews, but the more is said for him, the more they cry, Crucifie him. And as resolvedly-must we persecute the world. No intercession of our flesh, or backwardness of carnal Reason, must take us off; but we must be content with nothing but its Crucifying.
When Pilate drew back, they knockt all dead with this malici∣ous voice, Iohn 19. 12. [If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesars friend: whosoever maketh himself a King speaketh against Caesar:] So must we quicken and provoke our Reason by argu∣ments drawn from our fidelity to Christ, and say, If we favour this world, we are not ••lse friend of Christ; for whatsoever would make it self our King, and our felicity, and would steal away our hearts, is not Christs friend.
When Pilate saith, [Shall I crucifie your King?] they cry out, [we have no King but Caesar.] And when the flesh or car∣nal Reason saith, [Will you cast away your comforts, your peace, your happiness, your lives? We must say, [We have no comfort but Christ, no peace but Christ, no happiness, no life but what's in Christ.]
The world crucified Christ between two thieves. And we must crucifie the world between two thieves; viz. the flesh on the one hand, and the Devil on the other; which would both have robbed God and us; Though through the power of a Crucified Christ, the one of these▪ even the flesh, may be so refined as to be ad∣mitted into Paradise.
The world vvritt over the head of Christ as the cause of his death [King of the Iews.] And vve must write this over the Crucified vvorld, [This is it that would have been our King, and God, and Happiness▪ so let all thine enmies perish O Lord.] We must pierce the very sides of it, and let out its heart-blood. We must nail its hands and feet, the very instruments or means