Chapter VI
What were the sufferings of Christmas bearing the curse of our sins, more
immediately foregoing his crucifixion, described in an exposition of the first 21 verses of the ~L8th chapter of John s gospel. A garden was the place where he had his first agonies, and was apprehended. The reasons why such a place was appointed and chosen by him. The first 9 verses ex
plained, and observations raised from them.
The eighteenth chapter of John s gospel, and that which follows, do con
tinue the story of the sufferings of our Lord and Saviour Christ, as they are recorded by that apostle, who, writing after all the other evangelists were dead, or at least the last of them all, he inserteth divers things which
they had omitted, as by comparing the one with the other will easily
appear.
Christ, you know, had three offices : he is the prophet, he is the priest, he
is the king of his church. His prophetical office he exercised in his doc
trine while he was here below, in those sermons and prayers which John and the other evangelists record. Which, when he had finished, he goes forth to his sufferings, to exercise his priestly office also, to offer himself up a sacrifice for his people. And now being ascended into heaven, he there
exerciseth his kingly office, in ruling his church, and in ruling the nations
in order to his church, and so he will do to the end of the world.
John xviii. ver. 1, When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with
his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he
entered, and his disciples.
When Jesus had spoken these words. Which hath a more special relation
to that last prayer of his, and that last sermon which he made, recorded
by John. When he had fortified his own heart by prayer, and prepared himself to die ; when he had instructed his disciples, and spoken all those
truths that he came into the world to speak, and laid a foundation of comfort for them, and had put up prayers for them, and confirmed and
strengthened their hearts ; when he had fully done his duty ; when he had
spoken these words, he cheerfully goes forth to the place his .Father had
appointed him to be taken in, and giveth himself up to be sacrificed, and
to lay down his life for them.
He went forth. And he went forth with his disciples. What was the
reason that Christ went forth, to be taken abroad ? Why would he not be taken in the city, in Jerusalem, in the chamber where he ate the passover, where he might have stayed if he would ?
He went forth, Jirst, that he might give his enemies the more free scope to take him, for they feared the people, which was always the great objec tion against their laying hold on him ; therefore, that that impediment might be removed, he chose to go out of the city, to a place in the fields, in a garden, where they might have full opportunity to apprehend him and
to carry him away in the night, without the knowledge of any. And, secondly, he did it that his disciples might the better escape ; for had he been in the
city, there might have been a hurly-burly, and so his disciples might have been in danger.
And he went forth also with his disciples. First, to teach them this les
son, that they are likewise to leave this world and to give themselves up as
CHAP. VI.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 197
men that are to suffer with him and for him ; that as he himself suffered without the gate (for the beginning of his sufferings, those sufferings that were the sufferings of his soul, his inward sufferings, when he first encoun
tered with his Father s wrath, they were in the garden, which was without the gate, as well as those upon mount Calvary, which were eminently the
sufferings of his body), so they also were to go forth with him : Heb. xiii.
12, 13, Jesus, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the
camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, &c. And
likewise he carried his disciples with him, that they might be witnesses of
his passion and sufferings more or less, as well as of his resurrection. And he would have his disciples with him too, that he might shew his power the
more in preserving them ; for as it follows afterwards, he doth but speak the word, Let these go, saith he, (which was a word of commandfrom Christ, as he was a king), and there was none that so much as offered to lay hands on them. He carried them out with him also that they might see their own weakness and inability to suffer (for they all forsook him and fled), that so they might depend the more upon his strength ; for so oftentimes God doth, he brings us into danger on purpose, as to shew his power in
delivering us, so to teach us to depend upon him for ability to suffer. And
lastly, he went forth with his disciples, that he might shew them an example that one day they must suffer with him and for him, as they did all after wards more or less ; only John indeed escaped martyrdom, yet he suffered much, for you know he was banished into the isle Patmos.
Over the brook Cedron. This brook divided Jerusalem and mount Olivet, as Josephus saith. It was on the east part of the city, as mount Calvary was on the west, the two places of sufferings
: his taking was in the one, and
his crucifying was in the other. He suffered in the east and in the west ; and so indeed the gospel hath reigned, as the sun doth, from east to west.
It is called the field of Cedron, 2 Kings xxiii. 4, and the valley of Cedron, because it was an obscure, darksome, shady place, and not because that cedars did grow there, as olives did upon mount Olivet (which is a mistake of some), but it had its name from the darksomeness of the place.
Why did God in his providence order it that Christ should go over this brook Cedron ? It is a circumstance which only John records, for all the other evangelists omit it ; and as interpreters observe, John doth seldom mention any particular circumstance, upon which any emphasis is put, but there is a mystery in it.
We read in 2 Sam. xv. 23, that David and his men went over this brook
Cedron, mourning and lamenting, when Ahithophel, his familiar friend, had
betrayed him, and Absalom his son sought his life.
Now our Lord and Saviour Christ, whose type David was, this very thing is fulfilled in him ; for Ahithophel typified out Judas : that you have in Ps. xli., The man, saith he, that did eat with me, that was mine equal, we took sweet counsel together, &c. David spake this of Ahithophel in
this very journey of his, and it is applied unto Judas in John xiii. 18. Now as David s life was then sought after, so was Christ s now ; and as David went over with his companions, so did Christ with his disciples. As
Ahithophel betrayed him, so did Judas betray Christ ; and as David went over with a sad heart, so Christ tells his disciples, that his soul was heavy unto the death.
And that you may see the allusion to be yet more full, in Ps. ex. 7, (which is plainly and clearly a psalm of Christ), it is said, He shall drink
198 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
of the brook in the way, therefore shall his head be lifted up. He was to
sit at God s right hand till his enemies were made his footstool, as you have
it ver. 1 ; but before he cometh to be thus exalted, he must drink of the brook in the way, he must go over this Cedron with a sad soul : for the truth is, all the while he was a-going his heart was heavy, and it increased
in his going much more. He shall drink of the brook in the way ; not that he drank of the water of this brook Cedron, but it typified out those suffer
ings which lay in his way to heaven.
Where was a garden. This was the place where he had that sad encounter with his Father s wrath, which made him sweat drops of blood. The soul-
sufferings of Christ we eminently read of to have been in this place. Now the fields that adjoined to this Cedron, and that which did border upon this
place of the garden (which Matthew calls Gethsemane), was that place which
the Jews called Gehenna, or Gehinnom, or hell, because that Josiah had cursed that place, 2 Kings xxiii. 4, and because that there the great slaughter was done upon the Babylonians, and afterwards upon the Jews. And it was the place which they afterwards called Tophet, and it is the only word they had for hell after the Babylonian captivity. It was an execrable place ; and
into this place did Christ come ; for indeed our Lord and Saviour Christ, he
did, in his soul, in respect of the sufferings of it, descend into hell. Now there was a mystery also in this. Adam he was the most eminent type of
Christ, so he is called, Rom. v. 13, and in 1 Cor. xv. And the type holds
in this, for when we have a ground that such a thing is a type, we may apply it to such particulars as we find suitable. Adam s fall, you know, was
in a garden ; Satan there encountered him, and overcame him, led him and
all mankind into captivity to sin and death. God now singleth out the
place where the great redeemer of the world, the second Adam, should first encounter with his Father s wrath, to be in a garden, and that there he should be bound and led away captive as Adam was. He fighteth with Satan upon his own ground (it became him so to do) ; and here he gives the first great overthrow to his kingdom, and to the kingdom of sin and death. God did suit it so, as indeed he did suit many things in that par ticular of the first and second Adam. Because (says he, 1 Cor. xv. 21) by man came death, by man came also the resurrection. Because by a
temptation let in at the ear man was condemned, therefore by hearing of the word men shall be saved. Thou shalt eat thy bread in the sweat of
thy brows, that was part of Adam s curse ; Christ he sweat drops of blood
for this, it was the force of that curse that caused it. The ground shall
bring forth thorns to thee ; Christ he was crucified with a crown of thorns. Adam his disobedience was acted in a garden, and Christ both his active and passive obedience also, much of it was in a garden ; and at the last, as the first beginning of his humiliation was in a garden, so the last step was
too ; he was buried, though not in this, yet in another garden. Thus the
type and the thing typified answer one another.
Into the which he entered, and his disciples. Still there is an emphasis put upon this, that his disciples were with him. It is not only said, that he went forth with his disciples, but that he entered into the garden with
his disciples, who were to be witnesses of what he suffered, and for the
reasons mentioned afore, as also to shew that he had no other guard but them. So much for the first verse.
Verse 2. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place ; for Jesus
ojttimes resorted thither with his disciples.
CHAP. VI.] OF CHKIST THE MEDIATOB. 199
Our Lord and Saviour Christ, he knew he should be taken, and taken
by Judas, a disciple, and that that was the place appointed by his Father wherein he should be taken ; for the 4th verse tells us, , Jesus knew all
things that should befall him. He knew that Judas would be there that
night, and therefore, like a valiant champion, he cometh into the field first,
afore his enemy. He goes thither to choose, and singles out this place on
purpose.
In this place Christ used to pray most, especially a little before his suf
ferings ; for in Luke xxi. 37 it is said, that in the day time he was
teaching in the temple ; and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him. This was but a matter of seven days before he was crucified ; for Christ, when he saw that he must die, and that now his time was come, he wore his body out ; he
cared not, as it were, what became of him, he wholly spent himself in pray*
ing and preaching. He was preaching in the day time, and that early in
the morning in the temple, and at night he abode in the mount of Olives ; and there sometimes he spent the whole night in prayer privately, and sometimes he took his disciples with him, as now he did.
In this place, which had been a place where Christ received a great deal
of heavenly refreshment from his Father in prayer, where he had immediate
converse with him, in that place of all others must Christ be first attached, and there must be the beginning of his sufferings. For so indeed God did
deal with Christ ; he would have all things that were most comfortable to him embittered to him. This was the place of his repose, where he had
sweet refreshings from God ; and this must be the place where he must encounter with his Father s wrath. He sweat his bloody sweat in this
place where he had so often prayed.
And he likewise knowing that this was the place in which he should be
taken, made it the place where he prayed most, that every thing might put him in mind, and strengthen him when he came to suffer, to comfort him and to help him, as indeed circumstances of time and place do. If
a Christian would choose where he would be taken and hauled to punish ment for Christ, it should certainly be in his closet, or in a place where he had prayed most.
Christ had oftentimes afore evaded suffering ; he would shift places on
* When the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John, he left
purpose ; as in John iv. 1,
Judea, and departed again, into Galilee , he flew from them ; and so in Luke iv. 29, when they led him unto the brow of the hill whereon the city was built, that they might cast him down headlong, he passed through the midst of them, and escaped away. But now when his last hour is come, and he knew it was the hour appointed him by his Father, now he goes to
the very place where he knew Judas, that should betray him, would come.
You shall find this eminent observation in the story as John relates it,
differing from all the other evangelists
: he endeavours to hold forth in a
special manner the willingness of Christ to suffer. Other evangelists hold
forth other circumstances of his sufferings ; but you shall find all along that John is especially diligent in holding forth the willingness of Christ to
offer up himself, which he doth by all sorts of circumstances, as in the sequel will appear. Here it appears by this that (as I said before) he goes first
into the field ; he goes to the place which he used to go to, and which Judas knew to be the place, and he knew too that Judas would be there.
200 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
It was a matter of the greatest moment to hold forth this willingness of Christ to offer up himself, of any other. For there are two necessary
things that were to be concurrent in the sufferings of Christ to make it
satisfactory for us : the one is the eminency and worth of his person. Had he not been God as well as man, his obedience would never have satisfied God. But the second is a free-willingness to undergo what he did ; for we sinned willingly, therefore Christ, when he comes to suffer, he must suffer as willingly. It is as great and as essential an ingredient to give force and
efficacy to his sufferings, as the worth of his person. Therefore, in Heb.
x. 7, 8, you will find a great deal of emphasis put upon this : Lo, I come
to do thy will, God ; by which will (saith he) we are sanctified. Both the will of God the Father, and the willingness of Jesus Christ thus
to sacrifice himself, was that great circumstance, or more than a circum
stance, upon which our salvation depends, and the acceptation of that
offering of his. Christ, therefore, to shew his willingness, he goes to the
place where he knew Judas would come ; he went thither on purpose ; put himself on this temptation, on purpose that he might put himself into
their hands. It was indeed by the commandment of his Father ; for so you shall find, John xiv. 81, As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, saith he,
* let us go hence ; let us go to the place where I must be taken.
That which we find of circumstances in the sufferings of Christ, may oftentimes help us in circumstances of our sinning. Dost thou tempt thyself to sin? put thyself upon occasions of sinning? and is that an
aggravation of thy sinning ? Thou hast this to help and relieve thee in the
sufferings of Christ, that he put himself upon the occasion of being taken, put himself upon that temptation.
And it may move thee to shun and avoid the occasions of sin, for Jesus
Christ, that he might suffer for thee, avoided not the occasion of suffering ; he goes to the very place in which he knew he should be taken.
Also those things which had been comforts unto Christ are (through the merit of our sins, which do turn blessings into curse) turned unto Christ into a bitterness. The place where he had prayed, and been refreshed, there is his agony and encounter ; a garden turned into hell. His sweet communion with God there is now turned into wrestling with God s anger
falling on him here ; and now through it, on the contrary, we may expect curses turned into blessings ; and the worst of dealings from God to us to be sanctified to our greatest spiritual advantage and comfort.
It is said that Judas also knew the place. Take notice here of the hard-heartedness of the heart of Judas. He had all that time since he received the sop, yea, all the way he went (which was a pretty way from the city), to think upon what he was about to do, that he was going to
betray his master, the Saviour of the world, in whom he had for a time believed. Yea, he had that place to strike his conscience ; it being the place where he himself had been often with Christ, and present at many a good prayer, and many an excellent sermon, which he had heard from no less than the Messiah. Whose conscience almost but would have smote him ? Yet so hard, so obdurate is the heart of Judas, that he dares out-face all those prayers and sermons, and to come to that very place to lay hold of his master, and to betray him with a kiss.
An obdurate heart will break through all sort of circumstances and con
siderations that may keep him from sinning ; so Judas doth here. And we may learn to aggravate our sins by such circumstances, whereof
CHAP. VI.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 201
we shall find many in our lives, if we study our own sinful ways, that God
doth suffer to fall out to keep us from sinning, that notwithstanding such
circumstances and considerations, yet we should break through all such
difficulties and sin against God ; this should make our sin out of measure
sinful to us. It was a circumstance that much increased the sin of Judas, that he knew the place where Christ used to resort with his disciples (going thither often for freedom s sake of prayer), that yet he would go thither and there betray him.
Verse 3. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the
chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and
weapons.
Judas then, having received a band of men, &c. Judas did not desire this band of men ; he did but offer to betray him. It was the chief priests and
Pharisees that desired them ; they went to Pilate (who was the Koman
governor), and told him they had a seditious person to take, and implored his help and assistance ; and so he let them have a band of men. And yet
it is said that Judas received them ; it is all laid upon him, because in
Acts i. 16 he is called their guide ; he was the leader of this cursed band
that took our Lord and Saviour Christ ; he was the foreman in it : there
fore all is laid on him more than upon them ; he is still branded in a pecu
liar manner, Judas the traitor, Judas which betrayed him. All, I say,
is chiefly laid upon him ; for the truth is, Christ took this act of his more
heinously at his hands, that had been his disciple and a professor of him, than he did either of the Pharisees or of the Koman soldiers, and his end was accordingly. And therefore Paul, in 2 Cor. xi. 26, when he makes a
catalogue of his sufferings, he mentioneth those which he had from false
brethren as the worst and chiefest.
The eminent observation that I make out of these words is this, that
here is both a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees. The band of men was the Roman band ; for the Romans having conquered that city, the civil power was in their hands, and Pilate the governor under them kept a band of men about him, which he lends at their request unto
the Pharisees and chief priests, to go with their own officers to help to take
Christ. All along this story you shall find that there were two sorts of men
that God would have, in his providence, to have their hands imbrued in the blood of Christ from first to last. Here is a Roman band, and the officers
of the chief priests and Pharisees : here is the civil magistracy, and here is
the ecclesiastical state ; for as the civil power was in the Romans, so the
ecclesiastical power was in the hands of the chief priests ; the Romans, not
withstanding their conquest, leaving them to the rites of their religion still.
They would not trust the Roman band alone to do it, for they knew
they were not such enemies to Christ ; but they sent their own ministers and servants (and some evangelists tell us that some of the Pharisees them
selves were there) to attend them, and see the thing done. The soldiers,
poor men ! they went about they knew not what ; they went to take him
as a seditious person, and an enemy to Caesar ; little thought they that
the Messiah of the world was there. This, I say, you shall find in the story
all along, that two sort of powers were stirred up against Christ. Here was both Jews and Gentiles : Why doth the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing ? Ps. ii. 1. Both concur here. Here is a band of Romans, and officers of the chief priests; the heathen and the people of
the Jews. Christ, as he did die both for Jews and Gentiles, so likewise he
202 OF CHKIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
would have both Jews and Gentiles to have a hand in his death. And
therefore let us not say only that the Jews shall look upon him whom they have pierced, but the Gentiles also shall look upon him whom they have
pierced. God would have the Gentiles have a hand in it as well as the Jews. And not only so, but he would have both the civil and ecclesiastical state
to join in the sufferings of Christ ; for the Pharisees and chief priests they were the ecclesiastical state, they make use of the magistrate, for his assist
ance, to lay hold of our Lord and Saviour Christ.
They come thither with lanterns, and torches, and with weapons. Although
it was full moon then, and therefore the moon did certainly shine, yet, to make sure work, they come not only with torches, that use to give great
lights, but with lanterns, that their lights might not be blown out with the wind, and all to seek him, that they might be sure, if he did not hide
himself, to find him, or if he did hide himself, to seek him out with their
lights. And they came with weapons, too, though they knew he was but a
poor man to see to ; but they came with weapons, because they were afraid of the people, and because that Judas had told them how his master had often escaped from them before, as when he was brought to the brow of the
hill, &c. ; therefore now to make sure work, both to find him and to carry him away, they come forth with these.
Our Lord and Saviour Christ, he had dealt with them at other weapons ; he had often disputed with the scribes and Pharisees ; and the truth is, he had always been too hard for them. But now they come and deal with him
at a weapon they thought he should not be too hard for them at ; they come upon him with torches and with weapons, and by force they set upon him. And that indeed is the manner of those that oppose the church in all ages. As they dealt with Christ, so they do with his people, and will do to the end of the world.
Yerse 4. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye V
Still you see the evangelist John holds forth, in an eminent manner, the
willingness of Christ to suffer ; for that is the thread he spins throughout this whole story, because indeed so much depends upon it. He tells us that Christ knew all things that should come upon him. He did not come
to this place unawares ; no, he knew that Judas knew that he usually re sorted thither, and he knew that Judas would come thither, as well as he knew that he should betray him, and therefore he comes thither on pur pose. And he comes thither first ; and being there, as soon as the band and the officers came, he went forth of his own accord, and said unto them,
* Whom seek ye ? He knew all things
: he might have hid himself, and evaded his being taken, as he had often done before. No. There is a case which interpreters here put, whether this example of Christ s be for our imitation, whether we should thus expose ourselves to
suffering, choose thus to suffer, or rather decline and avoid suffering in a lawful way, by lawful means ?
The answer is clear. We have divers examples of Christ s avoiding suf
fering ; as that in John iv. 1, when he did but hear that they knew of him, and knowing their malice, he went and removed to another place. So like wise when he was young, and Herod sought his life, he was carried into
Egypt. And then again, when they brought him to the brow of the hill, he escaped. All which examples strongly hold forth, that we may use all lawful means of escaping suffering. But when he knew that his hour was
CHAP. VI.J OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 203
come in which he must be taken aside, and it being by compact between
his Father and him, for so it was he covenanted with God to suffer, it be came him to shew the fullest and most ready obedience to his Father that
could be, to go to the place where he must be attached, to offer himself to them as a prey, to provoke them: Whom seek ye ? Now herein Christ s
case and ours in suffering doth certainly differ ; we do not know what shall
befall us, as Christ did ; for if we did, we ought not to evade our suffer
ings, as Christ did not ; but because we are ignorant of what shall come
upon us, we are to serve the ways of a providence, ways of escaping that
are lawful.
Observe from hence, first, this. Christ, you see, did not only suffer will
ingly, but knowingly ; and as his putting himself willingly upon suffering, and into the opportunity of being taken, may help us against our having tempted ourselves (which is a great aggravation of our sinning), so likewise our Saviour Christ s suffering thus with knowledge, deliberately, knowing
all circumstances, is a consideration may help us against our sinning know
ingly. Hast thou sinned presumptuously against knowledge ? Our Lord and Saviour Christ he suffered as deliberately, he suffered with the greatest knowledge that could be. There was not only the greatest will in his suf
ferings, but to make up that will more eminent and conspicuous, there was
also the greatest knowledge ; he knew all that should befall him, yet he went forth and offered himself.
Secondly, Did Christ know all that he was to suffer ? Certainly then he knows all that we are to suffer. Did he know his own sufferings on
earth ? Certainly he knows ours, now he is in heaven. The things we
are to suffer, they are called in Col. i. 24, the aftersufferings of Christ ;
certainly, then, he knows them. Therefore though thou knowest not what
shall befall thee in such or such a course as thou takest in professing his
name, yet comfort thyself in this, that Christ knows it. And as he, know
ing all things, ventured himself, so do thou, upon the confidence that he knows all things that shall befall thee. Venture thyself too, and trust him and his knowledge for the ordering of all things for thy good, as well as he
trusted his Father to do with him what he would. It is our comfort, I say, that Jesus Christ knew all his own sufferings ; he certainly, therefore, knows
* I know thy labour and thy patience, saith he, Rev. ii. 2. He
all ours.
takes notice of it, therefore fear not the things you shall suffer ; give your selves up unto his providence, trust his knowledge, for he knows what
shall befall you.
It would be miserable for us to know what we shall undergo in this world, for the thoughts of it aforehand would hurt us ; the anxiety of it would
trouble us ; it is better for us to be ignorant of it. But Christ he had
strength in him, he could know what he should suffer and foresee it, and
yet keep his mind quiet and composed ; as you see he did till it came to the
very instant. And it was necessary too that he should know all he was to
suffer, because he suffered by compact with his Father, which makes a great difference between the sufferings of Christ and ours. Now he, knowing all that he should suffer, he went forth, and said to
< Whom seek ye ? Once they would have made him a king, and then he hid himself; but when he comes to be a king crowned with thorns, and knew he should be
them,
so to save us, then he hides not himself, but he goes forth to them. Adam, as I said, was his type in his sinning in the garden ; but in this they are
unlike, Adam hides himself, and God was fain to seek him out. But here
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our Lord and Saviour Christ, to shew his willingness to be found, stepped
forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye ? He provokes them rather
to lay hands upon him than otherwise. And so much for the fourth
verse.
Verse 5. They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them.
From hence interpreters do observe and I think rightly that both these Roman soldiers, and also these officers of the high priest, at their first
approach to him, did not know him by sight ; no, nor Judas neither ; for
* Whom seek ye ?
it is said Judas stood with them when he asked them,
Afterwards, indeed, he was the first that went to him, and kissed him, and
said, This is he. He asked them twice the same question, and they answer both times, Jesus of Nazareth, which clearly argues, that they did not know him to be the man. Therefore some think there was a piece of a miracle
in this, that he struck them with blindness, as the Sodomites were that beset Lot s house, or as the servants of the king of Syria were that came
to take Elisha. Others think that their eyes were with-led by a miracle, as the eyes of those two disciples that went to Emmaus were, so that though they had often seen him before, and heard him preach, yet now they could not know him. But, however, it is exceedingly likely that these soldiers did not know him, for the Romans regarded not the gospel, nor did they regard the Jewish religion. So far were they from knowing of him, and the
officers it is likely they were such as had not heard him. Therefore you may observe this by the way, that the rage of men against the people of God, it is of those that are ignorant of them ; as these here were ignorant of Christ, and these the chief priests and Pharisees set to take him.
They answered, Jesus of Nazareth. They do not say they sought Christ, for they did not own him as such, but they call him by the name of the
place of his birth, and by the name of his country. And Christ owns it :
I am he, saith he. And he owned that name from heaven when he spake to Paul : Acts ix. 5, I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest. Why did he not say, I am Christ? He speaks to Paul s apprehension, I am he whom thou knowest and hast heard of by the name of Jesus of Naza
reth. He shewed himself to be Christ indeed in his appearing ; but to shew who he was that Paul persecuted, he said, I am Jesus of Nazareth ; for had Paul persecuted him as Christ, he had sinned against the Holy Ghost ; but he persecuted him only as Jesus of Nazareth. So did these
poor men, they did not know him to be Christ, only they came to take one Jesus of Nazareth.
Jesus saith unto them, I am he. We should boldly hold forth our profes sion. When we are asked, Are you a Christian ? Yes. Eusebius reports of one that, being asked divers questions, as what country he was of, and the like, he always answered, I am a Christian, to shew his boldness in
his profession ; so Christ here, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them,. This is noted, first, to shew that Judas was struck backward as well as the rest, for all that
company that was together fell to the ground, as you shall see in the next
verse. Christ had struck an arrow through his conscience, dashed him, and
certainly aimed at him in the confounding of these more than all the rest. Therefore it is added, and Judas also stood with them ; for special con
fusion shall befall them that profess Christ, and afterwards fall away.
This miserable man (secondly) was wont to stand amongst the disciples,
CHAP. VI.J OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 205
but now he stands where he shall stand at the latter day, amongst those
that are reprobates, and the crucifiers of the Lord of life ; that as it is said
in Ps. cxxv. 1, The righteous shall be like mount Zion, but those that work iniquity, God shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity. In
the end the Lord doth discover them ; he will bring them into that drove ;
they shall fall to that side their hearts are with ; they shall stand amongst them in the issue and end (for God in his providence orders it), with whom
they shall stand for ever. And this God doth usually fulfil upon wicked men, though they have a temporary work upon them ; and though for the
present they profess the name of Christ never so much, yet at last they stand and it is a fatal standing to sever themselves from the people of
God, and betake themselves to that side that are persecutors, or otherwise
corrupt. So Judas doth here : he stands among Gentiles and officers of the Pharisees and chief priests, an epitome of reprobates, and so he shall stand
at the latter day. God will lead forth all men that do work iniquity with the workers of iniquity. To go on.
Verse 6. As soon as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
Here you see the confusion that did befall them, from the power of
Christ, afore such time as they did lay hands upon him. It is prophesied by David in Ps. xxxv. 4, as a curse upon his enemies, and the Septua-
* Let them, saith he, be turned backward. It is a phrase that noteth out confusion, and Christ fulfilleth
gint there use the same word that is here :
* They went backward, and fell
it here upon these Jews in the very letter.
to the ground.
And he doth not simply say they fell backward, but it is evident he puts
it upon the power of Christ, that did cause them to fall backward ; for it is
* He therefore
said, As soon as he said, I am he, (or, as others read it,
said, I am he, ) they fell backward. My brethren, there was never such a thing done in the world. Tell me in any story that ever any king, Alexander the Great, or the greatest mon arch that ever was in the world, with a word of his mouth, did, against men s
wills, make them fall backward to the ground. Had they fallen forward, it
might have been thought other force behind them had thrown them down ; or it might have been thought they had worshipped him in a counterfeit
way, as afterward they did at his arraignment. But to fall backward at the speaking of a word ! In the word of this king, what power was there ! And therefore some of the ancient fathers that are interpreters, they say that of all the miracles that ever Christ did, this was one of the greatest. Some indeed have pitched upon that miracle of his when he whipped the
buyers and sellers out of the temple, and said, You make my Father s house a den of thieves. But assuredly this was a greater than that, for there Christ had some kind of weapon, here he had none. He was then, when he did that, surrounded with people that applauded him, for they had newly brought him into the city with triumph, the children crying Hosannah to him ; but here he had none to take his part when these bands came out against him, but eleven poor disciples. There he had to do but with poor men that sold turtles and doves, here with soldiers armed, that came out on purpose to take him ; yet at one word he throws them down. He doth but say,
* I am the man, wherein he offers himself to them, which makes the miracle the stranger, that that voice which did invite them to take him, that very voice should throw them backward to the ground.
206 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
Now, the reasons why our Lord and Saviour Christ deals thus with them
before he would be taken are these :
First, Because he would shew them that he was God, gives them this
sign of his divinity. And the truth is, if you observe it, he did all along in the course of his life, with his weakness, mingle some specimens of his
power and Godhead. Thus when he was a child in the cradle, as an evi dence of his Godhead, there came kings, three wise men out of the East, to worship him ; when he was tempted in the wilderness by Satan, he is succoured by angels ; and here, when he comes to be bound, and to be
carried away to be crucified, he first strikes them that were to do it back ward with a word of his mouth. It is made the property of God alone to consume men with his breath, Job iv. 9 and Dan. x. 17. Now, Christ shews himself to be God by this, he doth but say, I am he, and they are confounded.
Oh, my brethren, if there was this power in the words of Christ in an
swering but a question when he was in the form of a servant, what power will there be in his words when he shall come to judgment
! What power is
there in that word by which the whole world is upheld, as the apostle saith, Heb. i. 2. He did do it, secondly, that they might have some space to repent, that
they might have something to strike them, to occasion their repentance. And you see no outward means, no, not miracles, will work upon the hearts
of men, if God do not strike them with his Spirit. And you see likewise
that men, though their consciences strike them in the very act of sin, and
strike them deeply (as this must needs do their consciences here, especially Judas his), yet they will go on. As Balaam, he went on even against the
hair as we say, and so did these.
But the chief reason why Christ thus confounded them, and struck them backward first before he would be taken, is that which John (as I said afore) eminently and visibly holds forth, namely, to shew that he was willing to
suffer ; no man had power to take his life away, they had not power so much as to lay hands on him, they fall down first. All the world might think, and so might they think too, that if with his breath he thus struck them to the ground, with the same breath he might have struck them into
the ground, nay, struck them to hell, never have suffered them to rise more ; he needed never to have been taken by them. But when once he had shewed that it was in his power not to be taken, when he had struck
their consciences, then he doth willingly give himself up into their hands ; but he would do this first.
And what words are they by which he doth confound them thus ? They were mild words ; no more than this,
* I am he. Yea, you shall find else where that by these very words he comforted his disciples at other times ; as when he walked upon the sea,
* Be not afraid, saith he,
* it is I, or I am he. And after his resurrection, when he comes into the room where
* I am he ; and here now he useth the very same words to his enemies, to the greatest terror in the world. The very same words which Christ speaks, and which we his ministers speak, being his words, that are unto some a savour of life, they are unto others a savour
his disciples were, he saith,
of death. He strikes them dead here, as it were, with the very same words
that he put life and comfort into his disciples by. At the latter day, when
Christ shall appear, the very same look, the very same presence of his, that
will be nothing but grace and sweetness to his children, and fill all their
hearts with joy, will be horror, and amazement, and confusion to his ene
mies, and fill all their hearts with terror.
CHAP. VI.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 207
And then another observation I may make from hence is this, that as in
this apprehension of Christ, before they prevailed over him, he strikes them
with terror, so wicked men do seldom meddle with the people of God, to
persecute them, or apprehend them, to condemn them or the like, but
Christ strikes terror in their consciences for so doing. As it is in Ps.
xiv. 4, They eat up my people like bread ; they eat them up so heartily, and seem to be so greedy and so mightily hungry after their blood, and
after their hurt, that one would think they have no knowledge
: Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, saith he, that eat up my people as they eat bread ? that they fall so fast to them as they do ? But what saith
* Then were they in great fear, for God is in the genera tion of the righteous. And in Philip, i. 28 the apostle bids them, when
the next verse ?
they suffer, to carry it with a confidence, and to be nothing terrified by their adversaries ; which., saith he, is an evident token unto them of per
dition, but to you of salvation, and that of God. His meaning is, that when men do carry things confidently, being in a right way, usually God s
Spirit doth bless that confidence to a double end. First, He seals up sal
vation to them that suffer for him ; even while they suffer he breaks in
upon their spirits, and fills their hearts with assurance. And, secondly, he breaks in also upon the hearts of the persecutors, and strikes them with
terror. It is a sign, saith he, that is, a present sign, there is from God, as to you that suffer, inward joy and comfort ; so there is oftentimes terror
in the hearts of wicked men that persecute you, which is as it were the
first-fruits of hell and of perdition. And so here Christ, to shew that he
will one day throw them to hell, he flings them to the ground now. Eccle
siastical stories tell us that the very heathens themselves, though they knew not what they did when they persecuted the Christians, they had oftentimes
terrors in themselves while they were executing their cruelty upon the people of God.
And then again, out of this verse, observe this, that the church may pre vail against the enemies thereof, and make them fall, and yet those enemies may recover and fall upon the church again. Men that shall fall upon the
church, and prevail against it, they may for a time fall before it. These
very men that God had designed to take Christ, they fall backward first, and they fall backward terrified and amazed ; yet they rise up again, and take him. So is it oftentimes with the body of Christ here on earth, the enemies sometimes are greatly prevailed against, confounded, that one would think they should never rise more ; yet, as Jeremiah saith, These wounded men shall rise up every man in his tent, and take the city. These men, you see, that thus fell backward and were confounded, they were the men that took Christ ; for when Christ had done, and shewed them that he was the Messiah, he gave himself up to them. So it is, and
will be, to the end of the world.
Yet you may take it as a certain sign that they shall fall one day ; as this was here, it was a sign that they should fall into ruin and destruction, but
they must do their work first. If God come down and help his church, and
appear in his power, as here Christ doth, I am sure his enemies will fall backward ; though his enemies, I say, may rise again and take the city. Yet it is a help to our faith that that God that came down as a lion thus, and they were scattered, shall ruin them in the end, that is certain. It
is the prophet s expression, when they are all preying like a company of wolves upon the sheep, He shall come down like a lion, and they will
all run away presently. Thus, you see, at this day Christ came but down
208 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
amongst them, and said, I am he, and you know how they all crouched
presently. We see likewise the way that Jesus Christ useth to confound his enemies ;
it is with his breath, it is with his word. As soon as he had said, I am
he, or therefore when he had said, I am he, they fell backward. Still
Christ is said to do all his great businesses with a word of his mouth. There is a sword in his mouth that kills them. And in Isa. xi. 4, he
strikes them with the rod of his mouth ; and antichrist is to be destroyed with the spirit of his mouth, and the brightness of his coming. As it was
the word of Christ that confounded his enemies here, so it is that word
shall confound them to the end of the world. And if they have any other enemies about their ears besides the word, it is because the word stirs them
up. It is the word that works in the hearts of men, and makes them enemies to the enemies of God, and brings them upon them. It is the
vengeance of the word which the people of God execute upon wicked men.
You see likewise, when Christ will appear, what a little thing daunts his
* I am he, and they fall backward to the
enemies. It is but a mere word,
ground. But to go on.
Verse 7. Then asked lie them again, Whom seek ye ? And they said, Jesus of Nazareth.
When they were thus fallen down and risen again, perhaps they went up and down like amazed and confounded men to seek him ; therefore he comes
to them, and asketh them, Whom seek ye ? This second question carries a mighty conviction, a mighty triumph with
it over their consciences ; as if he had said, I have told you who I am ; and
I have told it you to purpose, have I not ? Have you not learned by this time who I am, when your hearts are so terrified, that you all fell down
before me, a poor man ? They had been taught by woful experience who he was, when he blew them over, flung them down with his breath ; and it
might have turned to a blessed experience had God struck their hearts, as he did their outward man. But still they will not call him Christ for all
this, they call him but Jesus of Nazareth. You see the desperate hardness of the hearts of wicked men, and it is in
experience true, no means, no convictions, no miracles, will work upon them. One would have thought that this should have struck the spirits of any men in the world, that a poor man with his breath should cause them to
fall down backward, they should be afraid, and not have dared to have laid hold on him. They were afraid indeed afore, that s the truth on t, they had a suspicion that there was more than a man in him ; why else had
they the Roman soldiers and all their officers armed with weapons ? And
you see how he falls upon them but with his word, yet still they are hardened. A man would wonder, when there are such evidences of God s
taking part with his truth, such providences of God, punishing those that
go against his people, yet that men should go on still. Nothing will soften
the hearts of those that are resolved in wickedness. There is one instance, and it is to me a mighty one, of the desperate hardness of men s hearts, and that is, of the men that did watch at the grave of Christ. Christ had
foretold that he would rise again the third day, and the Pharisees, after he was buried, they come to Pilate, the governor, and say they, This impostor said he would rise again the third day, therefore let us make sure work with him, and let us
fhave a stone rolled upon his grave, and set men to
guard it ; and so a watch was set. Now while they were sitting to watch,
CHAP. VI.J OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 209
him, there comes a great earthquake, and an angel descends from heaven and rolls away the grave-stone, and was so dreadful to these keepers that
they fell down, and became as dead men, whereby it is evident that from heaven there was a testimony of his resurrection. They go and tell their
masters, the chief priests, all these things that were done; they bid them
hold their tongues. Say you (say they to them) that his disciples came
by night, and stole him away while we slept, and we will satisfy the
governor, and secure you. Though Christ, even by the testimony of their own men, had fulfilled what he himself prophesied, and it was plainly evident to them, yet they hired the soldiers to tell this lie, though the lie
contradicted itself (as some have observed) ; for how could they tell his
disciples had stolen him away, when they were asleep ? To this desperate hardness do the hearts of men come ; therefore never think that truth, or
reason, or anything, will prevail upon wicked men ; all the means and
miracles in the world will not do it, unless God persuade Japhet to dwell
in the tents of Shem. In Rev. xvi., when the fourth vial was poured out
upon the sun (which is thought to be that execution that is now in the world upon the house of Austria, or whatever it is), it is said, that though men were scorched with great heat, yet they blasphemed the name of God, and repented not to give him glory. And when the fifth vial comes to be
poured out (which is the vial upon the city of Rome, the seat of the beast, and it may be some of it is begun to be fulfilled, the little seats of the beast
* The kingdom was full of darkness,
are begun to be removed), it is said,
yet they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed God, and repented not of their deeds. Men that are resolved in their wickedness come to such desperate hardness, that they never repent, let what will fall out. Those that harden themselves against Christ shall be hardened. So much
for the seventh verse.
Verse 8. Jesus answered, I have told you that I am he ; if therefore ye seek
me, let these go their way. Jesus answered, 1 have told you that I am he. There is a great deal of
majesty in this speech, a great deal of exprobration ; I have told you, saith he, and I think that I have told you with a witness,
* that I am he. As was said of the river Jordan, What ailest thou that thou fleddest back ? So it might be said of these men, What do you ail that you fall backward
* I am he ? a mean man in appearance. It is as if Christ had said, you say you seek for Jesus of Nazareth ; I have
at a mean man s only saying,
told you that I am he ; why did you not then lay hold upon me ? Was it a divine power that struck you dead first ? Then be warned by it ; I am
the same man ; upon your peril be it if you lay hold upon me. Yea, Christ
did intimate thereby that they could not know him, unless he himself had
helped them to himself. He said again, I am he ; they knew not who was he.
Which still also argues his willingness to suffer, that he should twice put himself upon them, twice say that he was the man. They being as blinded men (for so indeed they were), he might have escaped if he would ; but he
is so far from that, that he provokes them by a double question to know him. He would not be taken by Judas his sign at first, but by his own
voluntary resigning of himself up, for that is the thing (Christ s willingness to suffer) which John doth eminently endeavour to hold forth in this story.
My brethren, these men took pains to seek Jesus Christ to damn them
selves ; had they bestowed the same diligence to seek him as a saviour, VOL. V.
210 OF CHEIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V
they might have been saved ; had they took the same pains to seek his favour that here they took to seek him to crucify him, he would have mani
fested himself unto them. There is no man that seeks Christ, but in the end he saith unto him,
* I am he. And if they have lost their knowledge of him (as many oftentimes do), he saith it the second time, I am he, and
provokes their hearts to know him. To all seekers of him he doth so, whether they be those of the left hand, such as these that sought him
to crucify him, or those of the right hand, that seek him to be saved by him.
There is one general observation that I shall give you here, upon the occasion both of this miracle and that of healing Malchus his ear ; for he did both these miracles afore they apprehended him, as the context evi
dently argues ; and although Matthew and Mark relate the story of Peter s
cutting off Malchus his ear after his being apprehended, which indeed they do by way of narration, yet it is clear by Luke and John that it was before ; for when his hands were bound it was not a time for him to put forth his hand to heal him. Our Saviour Christ did not put forth any more miracles, or gave any more signs of his divinity now ; but after they had taken him, he is as calm as a lamb. Before, indeed, he doth two things
: he terrifies
their consciences by casting them backward ; and he healeth him who, like an enemy and a wretch, came to attach him, and it seems was the first that
laid hands on him.
Obs. The observation I make from hence is this : You shall find this to be true in experience, that when you are entering into a sin, then will God use that means that he meaneth to apply to keep you from it ; he doth
usually do it then ; but after you are entered into it, then your hearts are
let go on. So indeed it was here with these men ; Christ useth two means, and notable ones too, two great miracles, before they took him, to strike
their consciences, in a way of judgment the one, in a way of mercy the
other. But when once they had laid hold of him and got their prey, he
leaves them to their own hearts lusts. So he deals with wicked men, and
in experience you will find it true. Therefore, let this be the use of it :
observe what God saith to your hearts, what means he useth to your spirits, when you are entering into any great sin. If you neglect cleaving to God
then, and making use of those means, you are in danger never to be re
covered, but to be left to that sin. And so much for that general observa
tion upon these miracles of Christ.
// therefore ye seek me, let these go their way. Whilst Jesus Christ was
ready to be taken, he takes upon him like a king. If you will have me, saith he, here I am ; but I charge you do not meddle with one of these, touch not mine anointed, let them go.
The words are to be considered, first, as they are a command from
Christ ; they are not a matter of compact or agreement only with them, or
of humble suit, Let these go their way ; but he speaks as a king, as one
that had conquered them before ; he had thrown them backward before,
they had felt of his power, Let these go their way, saith he. And that
it was a command doth seem to be manifest by this, by the words that fol
low, That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake (in his prayer), Of them that thou hast given me I have lost none. As he had prayed and had assurance from God of it, so now he gives forth a command about it. For assuredly, otherwise, those which did command those officers to take
Christ, did command them to take his disciples also; their hatred was
extreme great against the disciples as well as against the master. And
CHA.P. VI. 1 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 211
therefore, when all the disciples forsook him and fled, although there was tim3 enough, to shew that Christ s power kept them from taking them, yet when there was a certain young man that rose up, and came out in his
shirt in the night, and did but follow him when he was taken and led away, they laid hold upon him, thinking him to be a disciple ; and he was fain to
leave his linen cloth that was about him, and to fly from them naked. Therefore certainly they had as full a purpose to have taken any that countenanced him, any disciple, as Christ himself, but only here he speaks to them as you see,
* Let these go their way. And by virtue of this command it was, that though Peter did provoke them after these words the most that could be, by drawing his sword, and
falling upon a servant of the high priest s, and strikes off his ear, which could not but mightily enrage them, yet the command of Christ must stand ; he had hold of their hearts, he charged them that they should not meddle with them, and they durst not lay hands on them. Peter endangered him
self and all his brethren, that after Christ had said this, he should fall
upon them, and strike them with his sword ; so that though they had no
malice against the disciples before, yet this drawing of swords and striking off an ear, could not but extremely provoke them; yet, I say, Christ s com mand must stand. And Peter, after this, he comes into the high priest s
hall, and there was challenged again and again, yet this word of Christ,
* Let these go, stood. And John afterward, he comes and stands about
the cross, sees him crucified; they had no power to meddle with him, Christ s word stood still, Let these go. It is as if Christ should have
said, Well, I will suffer you to take me ; but as I have shewn you, by throwing you to the ground, that you cannot take me unless I please, so
still, here I am, if you seek me, let these go. Obs. 1. Observe from hence first, it is a command from heaven, from
Christ, that doth deliver his people in all dangers whatsoever. Men could not be in a greater danger than these disciples were in, nor were there ever
any men more malicious than these were, yet we see they are preserved by virtue of this word of Christ s, Let these go. In Ps. cv. 14, 15. Though they were strangers, saith he, and though the other were kings, and had
power enough to hurt them, yet he suffered no man to do them wrong. God from heaven spake to their hearts,
* Touch not mine anointed, do my prophets no harm ; so doth Christ here speak with the same authority, Let these go.
Obs. 2. Observe from hence, as the power of Christ to deliver us in all
dangers, so his willingness to preserve us. He voluntarily resigns himself
* Let these go, saith he. Was he thus willing to put himself in our stead, when he was here on earth ? Do you think that now he hath suffered and is gone to heaven, where he is to
up to be taken ; but as for his disciples,
intercede, to reap the fruit of his sufferings, that he doth not say to his Father upon all occasions,
* Let these poor souls go, I have suffered for them ? If, when he was crucified in weakness, he put forth such a power to deliver his people in so great a danger as these were in, certainly you may trust him upon all occasions to deliver you, now he is glorified much more; unless there be some peculiar reason, some peculiar decree of God s
(as there was for Christ himself), that the Father hath appointed us a cup for to drink, and that neither shall not be till the time come. These
apostles they were afterwards to suffer ; yet Christ, because their time was not yet come, gives this charge to those that took him, Let these go.
, This being said concerning the command itself, we will consider the rea-
212 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK Y.
sons why Christ did preserve his disciples at this time. The reasons are
clearly these.
1. To shew that he could have saved himself if he pleased
: for he that
saved others could have saved himself; he that so with authority did command them to let these go, could have commanded them to have let himself go.
2. He would shew that he alone was to suffer. In this work (saith he) I will have none to be my companions. I stand now in their stead, and
their sins are laid upon me, therefore meddle not with these, Let these
go. As David said, Let thy hand be upon me and my father s house, so
doth Christ say, Let your hands be upon me, let the sword of God awake
against the shepherd, but not against the sheep. You know it was the
prophecy of Caiaphas, It is meet that one man should die for the people ;
therefore, if you seek me, saith Christ, I am that one man, let these go.
3. Christ meant to employ them in other services : they were to preach the gospel to all the world, and when they had done they were to suffer. He had other work for them to do, and until that were done, Let these go.
4. They were not yet fit to suffer. Christ he knew the weakness of their
spirits ; it is true he could have given them power, but according to an
ordinary course, had they been called to suffer now, in that state they were
in, they would have all done as Peter did, denied him ; for you see they all
fled away from him presently, as soon as he was taken, they would never
have held out, the business was too strong for them to undergo at the pre
sent. And that this is the reason is clear by the next words, That the
saying might be fulfilled which he spake, Of them which thou hast given me I have lost none, implying that if they had been put upon suffering now, they had been lost, their souls would have been undone, they would
have denied him. This Christ foresaw, and therefore prevents their suffer
ings, and so the occasion of their falling so grossly. Therefore, to preserve them every way, both their bodies and their souls, saith he, Let these go. The observations from hence are these :
Obs. 1. You may see the great care of Christ ; when he was to suffer, one would think his thoughts should have been wholly taken up about him
self. No ; you see he doth not mind himself, his care was to preserve his
* Here am I, saith he, let these go. Was Christ so careful of
disciples
his disciples when he was to undergo so great an encounter ? How much more doth he take care of his saints now he is in heaven.
Obs. 2. Christ is careful to bring us but then to suffer, when he means to
fit us for suffering, and when we shall be able to suffer, and if need be, and
so much only as shall need be. That place in 1 Pet. i. 6 contains a pro mise in it, speaking of sufferings
: Wherein, saith he, you greatly rejoice,
though now for a season, if need be, you are in heaviness, &c. He will
not, unless there be need, bring temptations upon you. If Christ had laid
sufferings upon them now, they had not been able to have suffered : you see Peter foreswore him upon the assault of a maid, how much more would he have done so, if attached and brought before the high priest. It is
Christ s manner not to call us to suffering till we can suffer, nor to
lay more upon us than we are able to bear. You know the promise in
1 Cor. x. 13.
Obs. 3. They that are of public use, for whom God hath work to do, till
the time appointed in which God will have them suffer, they shall escape abundance of dangers of sufferings. The truth is, had these Jews seized
upon Christ and all his disciples at once, they had made sure for* the gospel
* That is, they would have prevented. ED.
CHAP. VI.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 213
ever to have been propagated, according to what God had appointed, for he had chosen these men to be witnesses and preachers of it, there had been none left but Paul to preach. They might have crushed the gospel in
the very shell, had they taken Christ and all the apostles at once. No ; saith he, Let these go. So long as God hath work for men to do, he will
preserve them from being taken and seized upon, and ruined by their ene
mies. Let no man, therefore, that is in any work and service for God,
fear; he shall never be cut off till such time as his work be done, and then
to be cut off it is no matter ; he shall not be sent for out of the harvest till he hath reaped that God hath appointed to reap by him. Go tell that
fox, Herod (saith Christ, Luke xiii. 31), Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to-morrow ; and I will do it in spite of him ; he shall
not be able, for all he is a crafty, wily fox, with all his cunning, to take me.
* I will work to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. Till I have accomplished all my work, till the time come that my Father hath appointed me to suffer in, I will go up and down freely, let him do
his worst ; and when I have done I will suffer, for I have vowed to do
* Let these go, saith he, I have work for them to do, I must send them abroad into all the world, do not touch a hair of them ; no more
it. So here,
they did. So much for the 8th verse. The reason of this is given in the
next words.
Verse 9. That the saying might be fulfilled which he spake, Of them which
thou f/ai-est me have I lost none. You must not take these words as spoken by Christ, but it is the com ment that John, who wrote this gospel, putteth upon Christ s speech imme
diately foregoing ; and he openeth, through the revelation of the Spirit of
God, the true reason why that command of Christ did take place, that
the disciples were let go, because, saith he, that Christ had prayed even
just before, in the 17th chapter; for, if you read that chapter, you shall
find that Christ, in that solemn prayer which he puts up to his Father,
saith, Those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition. This prayer he had put up just afore, and you see what present need there was of having it answered.
I shall give you two general observations from this.
Obs. 1. We had need to lay up prayers every day before we go abroad and do our business ; for indeed we do not know what dangers may befall
us afore we come in again. Christ here, if he had not prayed just afore
that all his apostles might be kept, they might have been in danger ; for a
great danger they came into, but the efficacy of that prayer kept them.
Obs. 2. How soon are prayers answered ! Christ had put up this
prayer but even just before ; and as some think, he did pray as he came
along out of the chamber where they did eat the passover, and that he
uttered this prayer to his Father walking from thence. For in the last
verse of the 14th chapter, saith he, Arise, let us go hence ; therefore
they conceive that his sermon mentioned in the 15th and 16th chapters, and his prayer mentioned in the 17th, were all uttered as he went along from the chamber to the brook Cedron. However, certainly it was not long
before, perhaps not above half an hour ; and here you see it answered, the
* Let these go, saith he, and it was done
thing he prayed for is fulfilled ;
accordingly, they did not touch one of them, That the saying might be
fulfilled which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. In Dan. ix. 3, 21, you shall find that Daniel set himself to pray whenas
214 OF CHKIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK Y.
the evening sacrifice began, and there was a commission presently given to
the angel to come and give him an answer. Prayers, my brethren, are
presently heard ; so was Christ s here, he had an answer presently. So much for the general observations out of these words.
Now the only question for the opening the words lies in this. Those
words of Christ s in the 17th chapter Those that thou gavest me I
.have kept, and none of them is lost seem to have been put up for the
keeping them, in respect of the salvation of their souls, whereas this here
(which it is applied unto) is spoken only in respect of the preservation of
* Let these go, saith he, let them escape for
their bodies, in appearance ;
this time. It is most certain that what our Saviour Christ spake in that
place, referreth principally to the salvation of their souls ; what is the rea
son, then, that here it should be applied to this deliverance of their bodies,
to a temporal deliverance ?
My brethren, all the promises in the Scripture are to be taken in the
largest sense that may be. As we say of privileges and favours, they are
to be interpreted in the largest sense, so are all the promises. That pro mise made to Joshua, I will not leave thee, nor forsake thee, is referred
only to the carrying of him on in that war ; yet all the elect may apply it
to all sorts of distresses, not only that God will never leave them nor for
sake them, in respect of bodily deliverances, but in respect of their souls
also. So here, on the other side, that which Christ speaks of their souls
is extended to their bodies too, and they reap the fruit of it in that respect.
And it argues this too, that that God that saves thy soul, out of the same love saves thy body too ; therefore interpret it so, for so John doth
here ; what was spoken in the 17th chapter of their souls, he applies it
here to their bodies. Will God save thy soul ? Certainly he will deliver
thy body. When we seek spiritual things much, in the height of our
spirits, then doth God answer us also in temporal things. And as by the
virtue of Christ s resurrection we shall be raised up at the latter day and
saved, so by virtue of the same resurrection we shall be preserved here in
the world ; the same power that shall raise us up then, works for us lesser
deliverances now. Paul, in 2 Cor. iv. 10, speaking of the many deliver
ances he had from temporal dangers, he attributes it all to the resurrection
of Christ : We are (saith he) troubled on every side, yet not distressed ; cast down, but not destroyed, &c., that the life of Jesus might be made
manifest in our body. So here, though Christ did not in his prayer intend
so much the preservation of their bodies as their eternal salvation, yet their
deliverance from this so great a danger was a fruit of that prayer. The same prayer that saved their souls saved their bodies too ; and it was a
pawn and pledge to them that their souls should be saved, because the vir
tue of that prayer wrought a deliverance for their bodies out of so eminent
a danger ; for who would not have thought but that they should all have been taken, seeing they laid about them so as they vdid ? And it was in answer to Christ s prayer ; one would have thought it had been but an ordinary providence, that they were so greedy of Christ that they let
the disciples slip away. No ; it was an answer to prayer made but a while
afore.
Obs. 1. Observe from hence, that of all things else in the world, the
greatest care that Jesus Christ hath, it is to preserve all his saints, not to
lose one. For he comforts himself in the seventeenth chapter, that of those God had given him, he had lost none, but he that was designed to perdi tion by God himself; and here it is repeated again, and you see what care
CHAP. VII.] OF CHEIST THE MEDIATOR. 215
he takes for their preservation. My brethren, it would trouble Jesus Christ
to eternity (I may say it with boldness) if he should lose one soul that he died for. Are the hairs of your head numbered ? Certainly your persons are numbered, and Christ will not lose one of his tale, nor a finger of his
body ; nay, though thou beest but as a little tip of his finger, or as his little
toe, he will have a care to save thee. When he makes up his jewels, he will not lose any, not the least of them. Lo, here am I, saith he,
* and the
* And this is my Father s will, that of all those he hath given me I should lose none, but raise them up at the latter day, John vi. 39.
children thou hast given me, Heb. ii. 13.
Obs. 2. And observe this too from hence, that Jesus Christ he can keep us in the very midst of his enemies. He gives his disciples here a pass
(as I may call it) ; when there was a band of Roman soldiers, divers of the
chief priests, and elders, and officers from them, all about him and his dis
* Of those thou hast
ciples, Let these go, saith he. And all to fulfil this,
given me have I lost none. It is because he rules in the midst of his enemies. Jesus Christ shewed his power before, in confounding these Jews and the rest, by throwing them backward ; and now he shews his
power as much in preserving his disciples in the midst of them, and so he
* He knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation, 2 Peter ii. 9. He hath the art and skill of it, and the power of it too, for he awed their hearts here when he said, Let these go. Obs. 3. Lastly, ministers likewise should have the like care, that none of those that are committed to them perish, for so Christ as a good shepherd had. And so much for the ninth verse.
will do to the end of the world.