And if any man hunger, let him eat at home; that ye come not together unto condemnation. And the rest will I fet in order when I come. T J The Gospel. S. Luke 23 1. HE whole multitude of them arofe, and led him unto Pilate And they began to accufe him, faying, || We found this fel low perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Cefar, faying, That he himself is Chrift a king. And Pilate asked him, faying, Art thou the king of the Jews? And he answered him, and faid, Thou fayeft it. 1 hen faid Pilate to the chief priests, and to the people, I find no fault in this man. And they were the more fierce, faying, He ftirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Jewry, beginning from Galilee to this place. When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the man were a Galilean. And as foon as he knew that he belonged unto Herods jurifdiction, he fent him to Herod, who himself was alfo at Jerufalem at that time. And when Herod faw Jefus, he was exceeding glad, for he was defirous to fee him of a long feafon, because he had heard many things of him, and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he queftioned with him in many words; but he anfwered him nothing. And the chief priests and feribes ftood and vehemently accufed him. And Herod with his men of war fet him at nought, and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous robe, and fent him again to Pilate. §And the fame day Pilate and Herod were made friends together; for before they were at enmity between themfelves. And Pilate when he had called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people, faid unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people, and We found this fellow perverting c. Who fees not the notorious falfhood of this accufation? But what will not malice invent to effect its wicked purpofes? So far was Jefus from refuting to pay tribute, or from affecting temporal Royalty, that he payed the one though it could not be rightfully demanded of. him, and refufed the other when it was offered him. and the fame day Pilate and Herod were made friends. The Friend hip which they now contracted seems only to have been in order to ferve their own felfish purpofes. And the obfervation is too generally true that jarring vices will eafily unite for the deftruction of vintuc. behold, I having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching thofe things whereof ye accufe him: No, nor yet Herod: for I fent you to him, and lò, *nothing worthy of death is done unto him. I will therefore chaftife him, and reteafe him. For of neceffity he must release one unto them at the feaft. And they cried out all at once, faying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: (who for a certain fedition made in the city, and for murder was caft in prifon) Pilate therefore willing to release Jesus, fpake again to them. But they cried, faying, Crucify him, crucify him. And he faid unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done?. I have found no caufe of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go. And they were inftant with loud voices, requiring that he might be crucified: and the voices of them, and of the chief priests prevailed. And Pilate gave fentence, that it should be as they required. † And he releafed unto them, him that for fedition and murder was caft into prifon, whom they had defired; but he delivered Jefus to their will. And as they led him' away, they laid hold upon one Simon a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jetus. And there fol lowed him a great company of people, and of women, who alfo bewailed and lamented him. But Jefus turning unto them, faid, Daughters of Jerufalem, ‡ weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children. For behold, the days are coming, in which they fhall fay, Bleffed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave fuck. Then fhall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us. Nothing worthy of Death is done unto him. Or as it might be otherwife tranflated, It does not appear that any thing worthy of Death has been done by him. And he releafed unto them him, &c. As a feditious Murderer was thus fet at liberty, and an innocent perfon given up to Death. Thus were the rebellious race of Adam delivered from the bondage of Sin and Corruption, and the Lamb of God, who was without spot or blemish, given up as a Sacrifice in their ftead. We p not for me but weep for yourselves, &c. This relates to the deftruction of Jerufalem, which our Lord, thus prophecied was approaching: when it, might juftly be faid concerning the people at that time that better had it been that they had never been born For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry? And there were alfo two other malefactors led with him to be put to death. And when they were come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified him; and the malefactors one on the right hand, and the other on the left. Then faid Jefus, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and caft lots. And the people ftood beholding; and the rulers alfo with them derided him, faying, He faved others, let him fave himself, if he be Chrift the chofen of God. And the foldiers alfo mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar, and faying, If thou be the King of the Jews, fave thyfelf. And a fuperfcription alfo was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew,, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And one of the malefactors which were hanged, railed on him, faying, If thou be Chrift, fave thyself and us. But the other anfwering, rebuked him, faying, Doft not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the fame condemnation? And we indeed juftly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds, but this man hath done nothing amifs. And he faid unto Jefus, Lord, remember me when thou comeft into thy kingdom. And Jefus faid unto him, Verily I lay unto thee, *To day fhalt thou be with me in paradife. And it was about the fixth hour; and there was a dark § For if they do these things in a green Tree, &c. That is, if they fo cruelly treat a righteous perfon: Ezek. 47. what fhall become of those wicked perfons, who like a dry tree are realy to be burned.. Father forgive them,, &c. Behold here an inftance of the most perfect charity, which calls equally for our admiration and imitation. Jefus not only forgives his perfecutors himself, when, by their means he was expiring under the most unconceivable torture; but even implores his heavenly Father to forgive them. Nay more-He even endeavours to extenuate their guilt, and excufe his Murderers: by reprefenting their cruelty as the effect of ignorance; they know not what they do. "Surely did we duly and frequently contemplate this glorious example, we fhould be afhamed of indulging violent wrath, and implacable refentment against our brethren for fuch petty injuries as too many do. Nay we should be strongly induced to fhew all meeknefs to all men, to make all fair allow ances for human infirmity, and as God for Christ's Sake hath forgiven us, chearfully to forgive our Fellow Creatures, who have injured us alfo. To day fhalt thou be with me in Paradife. Let no one who profeffes himfelf a Chriftian cite, the example of this penitent Thief as a Plea for a late repentance. He fhewed fuch an Act of Faith on this occafion as no one ever did either before or fince. He acknowledged our Lord when mocked by men, hanged upon a Crofs, and treated as the wort of Malefactors. But for those who have enjoyed the light of the Gospel from their infancy, and have daily enjoyed the means of religious inftruction: yet have hardened themfelves againft conviction, and rejected all helps for their fpiritual improvement. For fuch to hope that by a few prayers and fighs and tears upon a death-bed they shall be able to make atonement for a whole life of nefs over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the fun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the midft. And when Jefus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into th hands I commend my fpirit: and having faid thus, he gave up the Ghost. Now when the centurion faw what was done, he glorified God, faying, Certainly this was a righteous man. And all the people that came together to that fight, beholding the things that were done, fmote their breafts, and returned. And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, food afar off, beholding these things. A Good Friday. The Collects: Lmighty God, we beseech thee gracioufly to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jefus Chrift was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to fuffer death upon the crofs, who now the crofs, who now liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end. Amen. AL Lmighty and everlafting God, by whofe Spirit the whole body of the Church is governed and fanctified; Receive our fupplications and prayers which we offer before thee for all estates of men in thy holy Church, that every member of the fame, in his vocation and ministry, may truly and godly ferve thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen. Paraphrafe on the firft Colled for Good Friday. All powerful God, we humbly intreat thee to fhew mercy, favour, and protection, to thefe thy people here affembled; for whofe falvation thy bleffed Son patiently fubmitted himfef to the painful Death of Crucifixen; who now reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, through all Eternity. Paraphrafe on the Jecond Collect for Good Friday. -Iniquity, and obtain an equal fhare of future happinefs with thof who by patient continuance in well doing have fought for glory and immortality-Is an abfurdity Merciful God, who haft made all men, and hateft nothing that thou haft made, nor wouldeft the death of a finner, but rather that he fhould be converted, and live; Have mercy upon all Jews, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks, and take from them all ignorance, hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word; and fo fetch them home, bleffed Lord to thy flock, that they may be faved among the remnant of the true Ifraelites, and be made one fold under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. T The Epiftle. Hebr. 10. 1. HE law having a fhadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with thofe facrifices which they offered year by year continually, make the comers thereunto perfect; for then would they not have ceased to be offered; because that the worshippers once purged, fhould have had no more confcience of fins. But in thofe facrifices there is a remem brance again made of fins every year. For it is not poffible that the blood of bulls and of goats fhould take away fins: Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he faith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldeft not, but a body haft thou prepared me: In burntofferings and facrifices for fin thou haft had no pleafure: Then faid I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me) to do Paraphrafe on the third O God of infinite Mercy, the Maker of all Men, who lovett thy Creatures, and defireft not that any one of them fhould perifh in his Sins, but that he fhould turn from his Iniquities, and be faved; have Mercy apon all Jews, Mahometans, Pagans, and Unbelievers of every perfuafion, and in every part of the World: enlighten their Underftandings, and reform their The Law having a shadow, The Apoftle proves in this paffage of Scripture that the Sacrifices which were made use of under the Law of Mofes were only types, and figurative Reprefentations of that perfect Sacrifice, which Jefus Chrift, by his Death, offered up once for all; and therefore that as that was come in U Colled for Good Friday. ever and ever. reality which they only eprefented, they ought to be done away. Behold therefore O Sinner, what forrow's thy Saviour endured for thy Iniquities! Behold and Repent. Bebol ye truly penitent Believers how the Prince of Peace procured for you Reconciliation with the Father! Behold and rejoice with Thanksgiving. |