The holy limbeck, or, A semicentury of spiritual extractions wherein the spirit is extracted from the letter of certain eminent places in the Holy Scripture : and a compendious way discovered for the spiritual improvement of the literal sense, in order to the better understanding of the minde and meaning of the spirit therein / by Jo. Godolphin.

Simon the Cross-bearer.

And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Si∣mon by name, him they com∣pelled to bear his cross,

Mart. 27.32.

VVE read of no less then four Simons in the

Gospel, Simon Peter firnamed Bar-jona, Matth. 16.17. the Fisherman-Apostle, Matth. 4.18. Simon Magus the Sama∣rian Sorcerer, Acts 8.9. Si∣mon Zelotes, Luke 6.15. the Canaanite, Matthew 10.4. and this Simon of Cyrene, Matth. 27.32. who bare that Cross, which bare that Christ who bare our Sins, Isa. 53.11. what a heavy weight was that? were there as many worlds as atomes in this, and each of them multiplyed by the high∣est of numbers, they were all too light to ballance the least chip of this Cross: To stile him the Gospel-Atlas, is too diminutive an Epithite: What,

did Simon bear Christs Cross? a load that would have made the very Pillars of Heaven and Earth to crack agen? No, Christ bare his own Cross; none but himself could bear that Cross, and our Curse; in∣deed Simon bare that wooden Cross the stony Jews prepared out of Jerusalem's Oaks; and Simons Apes, at this day, bear that Golden Cross the leaden Priests, or Demetrian Roma∣nists, prepare for the Worship of their Ave-Diana: If Simon had born Christs Cross, he should have been Simon the Martyr of Gyrene; Simon may be said to bear the Cross of Christ, but not Christs Cross.

Thus many are erroneously supposed Christs Cross-bear∣ers, when oft-times they are no better then Christs Cruci∣fiers: And thus if a covetous wretch, that is a Piety-pre∣tender, be summoned to dis∣burse for Christs State-service, he will suffer in person by im∣prisonment, rather then in his bounty by enlargement; and submit himself to be shut fast, rather then his Coffers to be opened; yet plead Conscience, as if it were that onely which is so straight-laced, whereas indeed his purss-strings are shrunk, yet then proclaim him∣self as one of Christs Cross-bearers, when mean while, like

Covetous Judas, he is but his own Budget-bearer: Mon∣sters in nature there are; if there could be Monsters in Grace, the Hypocrite must be one of the ugliest. All sufferers are not Christs Cross-bearers, nor all dyers for Religion, Martyrs; But if thou suffer, not in, but for a good cause, and for a good conscience, then art thou one of Christs happy Cross-bear∣ers: if thou patiently bear re∣proach, contempt, and the scorn of men for the Gospels sake, then mayest thou more properly be said to bear Christs Cross, then the Man of Cyrene, Simon by name, whom they compelled to bear his Cross, Mar. 27.32.