verned and preferved evermore, both in body and foul, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. CH The Epistle. Hebr. 9. 11. Hrist being come an high Priest of good things to come, greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands; that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats, and calves; but * by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, fanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Chrift, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your confcience from dead works to serve the living God? + And for this cause he is the Mediator of the new Teftament, that by means of death for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. J The Gospel. S. John 8. 46. Efus faid, Which of you convinceth me of fin? And if if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God, heareth Gods words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then anfwered the Jews, and faid unto him, Say we not well, that + thou art a Samaritan, and haft a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. And I feek not mine own glory; there is one that feeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily I fay unto you, * If a man keep my faying, he shall never fee death. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my faying, he shall never taste of death. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Jesus anfwered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing; it is my Father that honoureth me, of whom ye say, that he is your God; yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should fay, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and haft thou seen Abraham? Jefus faid unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then took they up ftones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple. Paraphrafe on the Collect for the fifth Sunday in Lent. All powerful God, we intreat thee to deal with us ac- kindness, our Souls and Bodies may be continu cording to thy Mercy; that, through thy unspeakable By his own Blood he entered, &c. This portion of Scripture points out to us the pre-eminence of the Gofpel above the Law of Moses.-For, whereas the High Priest under the Law, by the Sacrifice of slain Beafts, procured only a temporary Purification of the unclean, which was performed every Year.- Jesus Chrift hath obtained eternal Redemption for us, through the Offering ofhis precious Blood once for all. ↑ And for this cause he is the Mediator, &c. That is ally ruled and protected, through our Lord Jesus Chrift. Christ, by his Blood, hath sealed a new Covenant between God and us; that, in confideration of his Death for the expiation of Sins, which the Law of Mofes could not expiate, all who are admitted to, and perform th ir part of it, may receive the Promise of Immortality and Happiness in Heaven. † Thou art a Samaritan, &c. The Jews and Sa. maritans bare a mortal hatred to each other on account of Religion, infomuch that the Word Samaritan was Paraphrafe on the Collect for the Sunday next before Easter. The Sunday next before Easter. A Lmighty and everlasting God, who of everlasting God, who of thy tender love towards mankind, hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take upon him our flesh, and to fuffer death upon the cross, that all mankind should follow the example of his great humility; Mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience, and also be made partakers of his refurrection, through the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. Most mighty and eternal God, who so loveit the world that thou gavest thine only begotten Son to be made in the likeness of men, and to be obedient unto the death of the Cross, leaving us an Example, that we hould follow his steps; mercifully grant that we may made use of by the Jews to fignify, not merely one of that People, but also one that bore an enmity to Their Nation and Religion, and a Man of bad Morals. Thus in our own Language a Turk fignifies one of a barbarous difpofition, and a Jew, one who is covetous Ad rich. * If a Man keep my saying, &c. That is, whosoever both faithfully imitate the pattern of his Humility and Resignation, and be so planted together in the likeness of his death; that we may be alfo in the likeness of his Refurrection, through the fame Jesus Christ our Lord. obeys the precepts of Christ, shall not be fubject to eternal Damnation, which is elfewhere called the fecond Death. Before Abrabam was I am. That is, before Abraham was born, I had an Existence. This Passage appears to be an evident proof of our Lord's Divinity. * L The Epistle. Phil. 2. 5. : ET this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jefus: who ✓ being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name; that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confefs that Jefus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. The Gospel. S. Matth. 27. 1. WHEN HEN the morning was come; all the chief priests and el ders of the people took councel againft Jesus, to put him to death. And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor. Then Judas who had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of filver to the chief priests and elders, faying, I have finned, in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they faid, What is that to us? fee thou to that. And he cast down the pieces of filver in the temple, and departed, and went || and hanged himself. And the chief prieft took the filver pieces, and faid, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood. And they took counfel, and bought with them the potters field to bury strangers in. Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood unto this day. (Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Ifrael did value, and gave them for the potters field, as the Lord appointed me.) And Jesus stood before the governor; and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the king of the Jews ? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayeft. And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, § he answered nothing. Then faith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? And he answered him to never a word, infomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. * Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prifoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prifoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate faid unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus, which is called Christ? For he knew that for envy they had delivered him. When he was set down on the judgment-feat, his wife fent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: + for I have fuffered many things this day in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders perfuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas. Pilate faith unto them, What shall I do then * Let this Mind be in you, &c. Since Christ Jesus, who was the Brightness of his Father's Glory, and the exprefs Image of bis Person, designed to make himself of no Reputation, and to fuffer death upon the Cross for our falvation: We ought to think no condescension to low, no Office too mean that may ferve to advance the good of our Fellow Creatures, and promote the fame glorious end. † Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, &c.God hath rewarded this unparallelled act of Obedience in Christ, by advancing his human Nature to univer, sal Dominion. That all Nations should acknowledge him as their King, and by fubmitting to his Laws and Government, promote the Glory of God the Father; who delights to be honoured in the Belief and Ob.dience, paid to his blessed Son and his Gospel. And hanged himself. A miferable example of the fatal effects of Covetousness, and a standing monument of God's vengeance; which should deter mankind from facrificing confcience to worldly gain; for which this Wretch betrayed his Master, Friend, and Saviour, and caft away his own Soul. He answered nothing. Jesus might perhaps decline making a public Defence for himself, left the common people, moved by his arguments, should ask his ⚫release, and prevent his death. Besides, the gross falf-viour of the world, who was without spot or blemish hood of the accusation, known to all the inhabitants of Galilee, rendered any reply needless. * Now at that Feast the Governor was wont, &c. The Pafsover is the Feast meant here. And as it was kept in memory of the Jews' release from Egyptian Bondage; so the custom of fetting a prisoner at liberty on that occasion, was a very proper Emblem of their Deliverance. But the circumstance, at this time, of Barabbas, a vile rebel, being preferr'd to Jesus an innocent person, is a lively representation of the deliverance of mankind, who were rebels against their Creator, from the bondage of Sin and Satan: and the Sabeing given up to death in their stead. For I have suffered many things this Day in a Dream. Perhaps it presaged the vengeance of God pursuing her Husband and Family, on account of the injustice he was going to commit. But whatever it was, Pilate, (as Josephus relates) was afterwards banished by the Roman Emperor Vitellius, to Vienne in Gaul, where he laid violent hands upon himself. dr.. 7 J had platted a with Jesus, which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. And the governor faid, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: fee ye to it. Then anfwered all the people, and faid, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified. Then the foldiers of the governor took Jefus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of foldiers. And they stripped him, and put on him a fcarlet robe. And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, faying, Hail, king of the Jews. And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and fmote him on the head. And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: * him they compelled to bear his cross. And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, A place of a scull, they gave him vinegar to drink, mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, cafting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And fitting down, they watched ‡ His blood be on us and on our Children. The weight of this Imprecation lies heavy on that nation to this day, by the destruction of their city, and their miferable dispersion into all parts of the world. § Then the Soldiers of the Governor, &c. &c. Who can read the following scence without horror? Who can reffect that the Son of God was thus scourged, arrayed like a Fool and an Impostor, his head wounded with prickly Thorns whose injuries were increased by the blows of an heavy Eastern Reed-that he was mock ed, fpit upon, and struck by an impious rabble-I fay, Who can reflect that the Son of God endured fuch things for his fake, and will nothate and abhor his Sins which were the occasion of it? And, on the contrary, who must not fervently love him, who thus loved us, and gave himself for us ? * Him they compelled to bear, &c. They did this, however, not out of compaffion to Jesus, but for fear he should die under the fatigue, and thereby elude his in tended punishment. |