Chapter VII
The tenth and eleventh verses explained, with suitable observations raised from them. The willingness which Christ expressed to come to die, and be made a sacrifice, and would have nothing to hinder it.
You shall find this (that I may give you a general preface to the opening of the words of this tenth verse, and those that follow) that the evangelists in setting down the story of Christ s sufferings, they do diligently insert the behaviour of his apostles, how they carried themselves. It was an ill time,
brethren, for disciples to sin, when their master was to be taken ; and yet I know not how many sins of theirs are mentioned. They were fast asleep at that time when he was in his greatest agony. One would think that at
that time above all other they should have watched with him, when he was
entering into his sufferings for their/ sins. And now when he was to be
taken, you see into what a miscarriage Peter runneth, what a furious rash
a^ct he performs. If Christ had pleased, he might have kept them from all
these sins, he had power enough to have done it, but he would not. What
is the observation from hence ?
Obs. 1. That Jesus Christ may be present with a man s spirit, and pray for him too (for he had prayed for these that they should be kept from the
evil of the world), and yet that man run into sin. If Christ, when he was here upon earth, did not keep his people from falling into manifold sins and
errors, do not think much if sometimes thou art left to sin against him. He made good use of it, he did bring glory out of it ; this same rash act of Peter s here, it was an occasion of two things
: first, of illustrating the power
216 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
of Christ the more in keeping of them, according to the command he gave,
Let these go ; for who would not have thought but that they should all have fallen upon Peter and the rest, and have killed them presently, a com pany of rude soldiers and officers armed ? Yet they meddled not with them. And it was an occasion of Christ s shewing his goodness in healing the man s ear, and of shewing a miracle. And this be assured of, that Christ
will work good out of all thy sins, as he did here glory to himself out of this
sin of Peter s.
Obs. 2. That God may leave his people to sinning even at that time when he is doing the greatest things for them. But I shall pass that now, because we shall have occasion to speak of it in the following discourse. To speak therefore a little more particularly of this act of Peter s.
Verse 10. Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it, and smote the high
priest s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant s name was Malchus. You read in Mark xiv. 31, that the disciples, they did all vow that they would live and die with him, as we say ; they all promise him that if he were taken that night, they would lose their lives in his defence, that they would ; and Peter above the rest he was the forwardest, Whoever leaves thee, saith he, I will not leave thee. Now these disciples, having thus engaged themselves, when they saw that their master would be taken, they asked him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword ? So Luke tells us, chapter xxiii. 39. And yet, poor men, they had but two swords amongst them all. And Simon Peter, as he had been the forwardest man in promising to assist
Christ, so he is the forwardest in striking, for before Christ gave them an answer whether they should smite or no, he out with his sword and strikes.
Peter, having a sword. There were two swords in the company, as Luke hath it. Christ indeed had said a few hours before, He that hath a sword, let him take it ; but he intended it in another sense, and therefore they mistook him. However probable it is that they, knowing Christ was to be
betrayed that night, they carried out their swords to fight, having promised to do so before ; which may be one occasion of Peter s having a sword ; but
Josephus and others say (and it is as likely too), that those that came up to the feast (as these did), they travelled through woods and wildernesses, and so were in danger of wild beasts, or thieves, or the like, and therefore
they carried swords with them ; and besides, it was the manner and custom of the Galileans especially to wear swords, as hath been observed by some. Some interpreters hence observe that it is lawful to wear defensive weapons, which the anabaptists of Germany did use to deny. There is the clearest evidence for it here, for they did not only wear swords, but Christ bids them,
if they had no swords, to sell their garments and buy swords ; so says Luke
chap. xxii. 36. And when Peter had done this mischievous act, in drawing his sword and striking the high priest s servant, Christ did not bid him fling it away, but only to put it up again into his place.
In this action of Peter s there was something good and something bad/ Something good. It is evident first that there was a great deal of zeal and love to his master. He was encouraged to it likewise, because he had seen his master to throw them all upon the ground afore him ; thought he, though we be but eleven, and have but two swords, we may venture, for our master will assist us. There was a confidence, a faith, in the power of Christ. And it would seem also that what he did was upon warrant, as he
thought ; for at the passover Christ had said, If any man have a sword let him take it. He spake it indeed to another purpose (as I said even now),
CHAP. VII. ] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 217
but Peter might take his ground from thence, misunderstanding his master s words.
There was something bad and sinful likewise in this action, viz.,
1. That Peter did rashly fall upon this act; for the disciples having asked
Christ whether they should draw, before ever Christ answered, he out with
his sword and falls upon the man. Peter had a bold and a rash and sudden
spirit, as appeared, as by a world of carriages of his toward Christ, so by
this, which was as rash an act as could be ; and it was a folly for him to do it ; for what was he and ten more, that had but two swords amongst thern, to encounter with all that band of men that came with weapons to take Christ ?
2. That he went about to hinder our Saviour Christ from dying. That
is clear to be a sin by Christ s reproof of him ; for saith he, Shall I not drink of the cup that my Father hath commanded me to drink of? Wilt thou hinder me? Wilt thou go contrary to God s will? Thou didst tempt me once before, Master, spare thyself ; and now thou wouldst keep me from dying for thee and all thy brethren.
3. That whereas a lawful power had seized upon Christ (a lawful power, I say, though they did it not lawfully), he would lift up his sword against the magistrate, who had sent these men to take him.
4. That he did endanger all the rest of the disciples to have been pre
sently hewn a-pieces, but that the force of those words, Let these go, hindered it.
5. The truth is, there was an injustice in it, Christ having as it were made a bargain with them :
* Here am I, says he,
* let these go ; it was
injustice in Peter to fall upon them.
Obs. 1. Comfort to those that have bold, and rash, and sudden spirits. Hast thou a rash, a sudden, spirit ? That rashness is sinful, for Christ re
proves it in Peter; yet comfort thyself: Peter, that great apostle, was a man
subject to the same infirmity. Yet take heed of walking rashly
: Lev.
xxvi. 40, If you walk contrary to me ; so we translate it ; but I remem
* If you walk rashly with me, I will walk rashly with you. If we walk rashly with God, though he love us and will pardon
ber Junius translated it,
us, yet he may walk rashly with us again, give us a blow afore we are
aware, come with some casual kind of cross or other upon us. God is
pleased to spare Peter, for he doth not animadvert for every fault ; yet in that place of Leviticus, he expresseth what he will do upon men s rash
walking.
Obs. 2. See here the spirit of Peter, how valiant and bold he is, runs
into the midst of a band of men, and strikes amongst them ; but, alas ! he
did it out of a human courage and valour, because he had said he would die with Christ. This poor man afterwards denies Christ upon the charge of a damsel ; he was afraid of a maid, and yet here he encounters a company of armed men ; he shewed his courage with his sword, when he would not do
it with his tongue, as Calvin saith. Let us have never so much greatness of spirit naturally, if we come to any spiritual suffering, and have not grace to assist us, our natural spirit will not help us in it. Certainly this act
of Peter s proceeded from his natural spirit and human valour that he
had, but when he comes to be put to it to suffer in a spiritual way, Peter shrinks back.
Obs. 3. Good men may carry on a good cause extreme indiscreetly. In
appearance this was as good cause to venture one s life in as possibly could
be, yet how indiscreetly doth Peter manage it ! He managed it worse than
218 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOE. [BOOK V.
they did that came to take Christ, for you see they did not fall upon the
disciples at all, which a thousand to one but they had ; whereas Peter, con
trary to Christ s agreement with them, falls upon them. As Abimelech
* I am more righteous than thou, in that act : so the
said unto Abraham,
truth is, these men were in this respect more righteous than Peter. In
managing a good cause, godly people commit such errors as this was, and then all the world takes notice of it. They might have blamed Christ and
his disciples, and said, they were a company of rebellious, froward fellows, and the rest of them are like these. This might have been laid to Christ s
charge, through Peter s indiscretion.
Obs. 4. Our Saviour Christ would not have Peter venture his life this
way. He knew he was better at preaching than at fighting, therefore he would have him reserve himself for that, and therefore he bids him put up his sword. It had been well for this kingdom if some had ventured them
selves in a way of counsel rather than fighting. Christ, I say, had other work for Peter. It is good for a man to lay out his life in that which he is
best in. Peter, who was designed for an apostle, that had so many precious notions committed to him, for him to venture his life in such a rude manner,
it was a great fault.
06s. 5. Although Christ was an eminent person, the Saviour of the
world, yet Christ would not have Peter fight for him against the magistrate, as in this Peter did, because it was against the authority of the magistrate. The sword is committed peculiarly to the magistrate
* He
: as Kom. xiii.,
bears not the sword in vain ; he bears the sword, not thee;* thou mayest defend thyself in a private quarrel if set upon, but here came out the
authority of the magistrate to attach Christ ; and in such a case thou
art not to lift up thy sword. Put up thy sword again into his place, saith
Christ.
And yet it was the best cause, one would think, that ever was to fight in.
If a man might fight merely for religion, I say merely for religion, here had been the greatest colour for it in the world. Why ? It was to save
the life of Christ, the Lord of the world ; and to fight for the life of Christ
* Put up thy sword again, trust me to manage my own cause. Religion may be
is more than to fight for the truth of Christ ; yet no, saith Christ,
fought for as it is become a civil right and liberty of a state, for so it becometh when it is enacted by the power of that state ; but merely and simply to fight for religion, there is no warrant in the word of God for it. To
fight for Christ s life was not warrantable for Peter.
* He that kills with the sword shall be killed with the sword ; he that will fight in a quarrel that is
Christ tells him withal (as in other evangelists),
not warrantable, he himself shall be found out one day. But I rather think
the meaning is, thou needest not trouble thyself to avenge my quarrel upon
these men, for the sword shall find out this nation for putting me to death ;
for so you know it did, the Romans came and took away their city and
nation.
Obs. 6. Lastly, When God hath made a promise, and given forth his
word, though there may many things fall out to overturn it, yet it shall
stand. Christ hath said, Let these go. Peter, you see, had like to have
spoiled all ; he goes and runs into a riot which might have endangered them,
yet notwithstanding the word of Christ doth stand. When God hath made
a promise of deliverance, there shall those things fall out that one would
think would hazard the performance, and that through men s own default,
* That is, not thou. ED.
CHAP. VII.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 219
yet God will bring about the deliverance. So much in the general for this
act of Peter s.
And he smote the high priest s servant, and cut off his right ear ; the
servant s name was Malclius. This servant of the high priest s, it seems, was the first man that stepped forth to lay hold upon Christ, and therefore Peter encounters him first, for as yet they had not taken Christ ; for the
text saith afterwards, Then the captains and the band took Jesus. It
seems, therefore, I say, that this man was the forwardest of the company, which he did either to please his master, or perhaps he was the officer to
serve the arrest upon him in a formal way, as we do. Peter now falls
upon him first, and cuts off his ear. Some think it was but the tip of
his ear, for so the word signifies sometimes, but there is no ground for that, for Luke he calls it the whole ear.
He saith the servant s name was Malchus, which some fetch from the Hebrew root, which signifies one bought. Because as he was a servant, so
perhaps his master had bought him with his money, or otherwise obtained him to be his servant. And as Caiaphas, his master, was (as appears by all the story) the greatest enemy of Christ, so this Malchus was the forwardest of all the rest to attach Christ. The obedience of the servant to the master
in Scripture, is expressed by lending the ear, and by boring the ear ; and
therefore for his doing this out of obedience and zeal to his master, this
punishment befalls him. But I pass over that. Peter cut off his ear. It is certain that Peter aimed at his head, to have
cleft that down, but God in his providence directs the blow so, that no more hurt was done but the cutting off the ear. It is strange it should not hit his
shoulder, yet you see God guided it so that it did not. Obs. The observation I have from this is only this, that God in his
providence guides and directs blows, and all such casual things as these are.
Such passages of providence there are, in guiding the motions of men s
hands, and the motions of the creatures, oftentimes for the preservation of us in dangers. And how manifold experiences have we had of them ! Who almost is there but in their lives have been either near being killed, and God hath come in by his providence, guiding and directing such accidents
arid occurrences, that they have been preserved
! Especially those that are
soldiers, they have found strange kind of shots that have been made, and how near they have come to kill them, and yet they have missed. Or else
they have been near killing others in a casual way, and God in his provi dence hath prevented it. I say it is every man s case almost ; we may see many examples of the providence of God in this kind. We see it here towards Peter, and it was a mighty providence ; for had Peter killed this man, had there been a murder committed upon him, there had been such
a ground of quarrel that they would have fallen upon all the disciples, and
certainly have cut them to pieces ; but Christ had prayed that they should
go away free, therefore God in his providence guides Peter s blow, so that he
strikes off nothing but the ear, though he aimed at his head ; and Christ heals that ear too, that so his disciples might be all saved and delivered. So much for the tenth verse.
Verse 11 . Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath :
the cup u hich my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ?
I have observed something before upon Christ s bidding him put up his
sword, therefore I shall say little of it now. Jesus said unto Peter. Why unto Peter ? For in Luke he speaks to them all not to draw their swords :
220 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
1 Suffer you thus far, saith he. But as he spake to them all, because they all asked him whether they should draw, so more particularly and person
ally to Peter, because he had sinned and did actually draw his sword ; for that is the manner of Christ, to reprove those, and to have those reproved in a peculiar manner, that sin more peculiarly. He bids him put it up ; he doth not bid him not to wear it, or not to use it, but to put it up only. But of that before.
The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? In Mat.
xxvi. 51-54, you shall find that Christ useth other arguments to his disciples to be quiet and to put up their swords. How shall the scriptures be ful
filled, saith he, that thus it must be ? that is one reason. What need I care for your help, cannot I pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels ? and, all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword. All these doth Christ give as reasons to them
to be quiet. But the apostle John, writing after all the other evangelists, inserts what they omitted ; and he mentioneth here another reason, and, indeed, the highest reason of all the rest, Shall I not drink, &c. From whence take this general observation, that there may be many motives and reasons in one action, many considerations that may keep a man from sinning in one action, though there be one more principal than
all the rest, as this was the principal in Christ.
But why doth he use this argument to Peter more than to all the rest ? Upon a double ground. 1. Because it had been Peter s sin to hinder him from suffering. And you shall see how his heart still rose against Peter for it. He had once before
< Master, spare thyself. Christ calls him Satan for it ; and he never called any of them Satan but Judas : Get thee behind me, Satan, says he to Peter (Mat. xvi. 23). He saw Satan in it. And now again, when he was to enter into his sufferings, Peter s zeal was so high that he would have rescued him out of their hands if he could, and have kept him from suffer
said,
ing ; therefore Christ in a special manner speaks to him. Obs. To hinder one in any good, to hinder one in suffering when God calls him to it (though out of a foolish pity), how great an evil is it ! With what a slight eye did Peter look upon this thing of Christ. He
thought it was only a carrying of him to prison, and that the life of a man should be taken away. He saw not into the bottom of it ; he was ignorant of the scope of all this, viz., that it was the saving of the world. Peter, though otherwise a good man, and a believer, he understood it not.
2. Christ speaks this to Peter, not only to lay open his sin in hindering him, but to lay open his own spirit. The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink ? He doth not say, A necessity is laid upon me to drink this cup. He doth not say simply, My Father hath commanded me
to drink it, but Shall I not drink it ? It is a speech that implies that his
spirit knew not how to do otherwise than obey his Father, as if there were such a natural principle in him, such an instinct that he could not choose but do it. Even just as Joseph said, Gen. xxxix. 9, How shall I do this
great wickedness, and sin against God ? So Christ here, The cup which my Father hath given me, how shall I but drink it ? It implies the highest willingness that can be. For still you shall find this to be John s design, to hold forth the willingness of Christ to suffer ; that is his project. There
fore he singles out a speech that the other evangelists omit, which most of
all holds it forth. He mentions not the necessity because of the law and because of his duty, or because the scriptures must be fulfilled. Others
CHAP. VII. J OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 221
had done that ; but shall my Father give me a cup, and shall I not drink
it ? He doth here shew that he doth fulfil the commandment more out of
love than any other principle, that he was led by the greatest spirit of
ingenuity that could be, for I know not a speech of greater ingenuity than
this is, The cup that my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? My brethren, to fulfil the law of God out of a principle of love and in
genuity, it is a higher way of fulfilling it than merely to aim at the letter.
Christ indeed had an eye to the command, yet that was not it that princi
pally moved him. It is true, saith he, there is a necessity laid upon me, and the Scriptures cannot else be fulfilled, yet above all this I have a prin
ciple in me that moves me. It is my Father, he hath commanded this cup to me, how shall I not but drink of it ? There is a further principle than
merely obedience, to the law that leads on a godly man, and led on Jesus Christ to obedience. For love, it is the fulfilling of the law; so it was in
Christ, and so in his apostles, and in all his saints.
You read in other evangelists, that when Christ was in the garden, but a matter of half an hour before, he had earnestly prayed to his Father that
this cup might pass. But when once God had set it on upon his spirit that
it was his will that he should drink it, and that it was impossible in respect of his decree that it should pass from him, when God, I say, had intimated
* Not my
this to him in prayer, and he had submitted to it, then he says,
will, but thy will be done. Now, you see how firm and strong his reso
lution was. He that had prayed against it before, when once he knew God s will, and submitted to it, now he longs to drink of it :
* Shall I not
* of the cup that my Father hath given me ? Will you have me go and overthrow the answer I have had of my prayers ? Shall I break that resolution I have taken up and expressed in my prayer ?
drink, saith he,
Shall I not drink of the cup, when I have yielded and submitted to my Father ?
When thou seest God s will determined, or when God hath cast thy heart
in prayer one way, and he calls thee to suffer, and hath brought thy heart
to yield, Oh ! learn then to keep thy heart in that frame, to continue thy resolution, have no more risings against it ! Christ, you see, had not but the highest ingenuity that ever was to it. Therefore now, you that seek to God at any time by prayer for anything, and you have an answer, you have a resolution drawn forth in prayer, you have a bent, a bias of spirit clapped upon you in seeking God in some par ticular business, keep to it, hold to it. It is a mighty engagement to have had a man s spirit so and so framed in prayer, when a man can say, I have been afore God in prayer, and my spirit hath submitted, and I have been
brought to such a resolution. Oh! take heed of breaking such resolu tions! You have the highest engagement in the world to continue in them. Therefore, when you pray, mind those engagements that are in
your hearts to God in prayer, and keep to them. Christ he came new from prayer now ; he had prayed that the cup might be removed, when God had once set it upon his spirit that it was his will he should drink of
it, and he had submitted to it, and resolved upon it, you hear of no more
complaints, yea, you hear complaints on the contrary, that he should be hindered in doing it. How often, my brethren, do we come before God, and express ourselves against such and such a sin, we submit ourselves to such and such a way of self-denial, but when we are come from before God, how do our minds alter ! You see Christ s did not in the greatest point that ever was ; when he once had submitted, saith he, I have sub-
222 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
mitted, and shall I not drink it ? He had not the least rising thought against it afterward. We come and engage ourselves against such a sin to God in prayer, and go away with our eyes scarce dry, and are tempted to
it again. Oh ! how should we think with ourselves, Shall I do that which I have prayed against ? which I have engaged myself against ? This was Christ s case here : shall I not drink it ? saith he. Nay, it is more em-
phatical, The cup that my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it ? He turns the words, the phrase is set in such a posture as hath the most
emphasis that can he.
The cup which my Father hath given me. His passion is called a cup ; so he himself calleth it, Mat. xx. 22 and Mark x. 38, Are ye able to drink
of the cup that I shall drink of ? speaking of his passion. And it is called a cup, not only because it was his demensttm, the portion that was allotted him by his Father ; for the manner of the ancients in feasts * was to set
every man his cup, or portion of drink that was allotted him, by his trencher, as it were ; as we now set bread, so they had every one his cup, every one his quantum or portion. And so indeed in Scripture, any portion of
affliction or suffering that God doth set out to men, it is called a cup ; as
* I took the cup, and I did give it from the Lord into the hands of all the nations, and made them all to drink of it. So in Ezek.
in Jer. xxv. 17,
xxi. 81-33, and in Hab. ii. 16. And in many other places you have the
cup put for the portion or measure of an affliction. But, I say, he calls it a cup, not only because it was his portion, but I rather think that which is
in this place aimed at is, that it was his meat and drink to do the will of
his Father. For, you see, Christ is hearty in submitting to his Father :
It is the cup, saith he, which my Father hath given me, which speech (as I said afore) expresseth the highest willingness. Now, in John iv. 34, he
saith, My meat and drink is to do the will of my Father, and to finish his work ; and he looks upon this cup, when once he had prayed over it, as
that which his Father had given him to drink ; and therefore as it was meat for him to do his will, so it was drink to him, it was pleasant to him
(in some respect sweetened by an angel) to take this cup and drink it off.
Obs. 1. First you see the sovereignty of God, to dispose of what cup he
is pleased you shall have in your lifetime ; which, you see, Jesus Christ here submitteth unto. For a cup it is not only taken for a portion of evil
things, but for a portion of good things ; and God disposeth unto several men several cups, and of several sizes, as he pleaseth. It is certain that the bitterest cup that ever was was disposed of unto Jesus Christ, therefore no man needs complain.
Obs. 2. Secondly, Christ did not look to what the Jews did, or the Roman band that was with them, that were now round about him, he eyes not them ; but still he looks to God, eyes him :
* It is the cup which my Father hath given me. Peter, you see, he looked only at the Jews as his
adversaries. No ; Peter (saith he), it is my Father s cup, there is a higher hand in it. So should we do in all our actions ; as Job did when he said
(Job i. 21), It is God that hath given, and God that hath taken away.
1 God hath bid him curse, saith David of Shimei, 2 Sam. xvi. 10 ; there
fore what have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah ? So here Christ
carries himself. This is from my Father (says he), I will not have to do with these Jews ; it is true I fall into these men s hands, but it is the
counsel of my Father ; as Acts ii. 23. This Christ looks to ; and so, I
say, should we do in all our sufferings.
* Stuckius Antiq. Convive!, lib. iii. c. 13.
CHAP. VIII.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 223
Obs. 3. Thirdly, It is the cup which my Father hath given me. Christ
in his sufferings doth not look upon God as a judge. Nor do not you, my brethren, in any of your afflictions. Suppose you see the affliction answer
ing your sin, yet look not upon God as a judge in it, but as a father. It
is the cup which my Father hath given me, saith he ; and we are to be conformable to him in afflictions. The greatest and bitterest sufferings be sweetened to us, looked upon as coming from a father. It was so with Christ ; when he looks upon this as a cup given him by his Father, he looks upon it as his drink, and it is a pleasure to him to drink it off.
Obs. 4. Fourthly, Every man hath a set portion of affliction, every man hath his cup. It is the cup my Father hath given me to drink. Christ himself had his cup, his set quantity ; he had a cup that was answerable and proportionable to the sins of those he suffered for; God put in a
quantity for every man s sin, and Christ drank it off to the bottom ; the
sins and the wrath due for them was all wrung into this cup which Christ drunk off, and drunk off heartily. If thou hadst drunk off that cup, there had been eternity in the bottom, and thou couldst never have wrung out the dregs of it ; but he drinks it off heartily, and he thinks much of Peter that went about to hinder him of it : Shall I not drink of the cup which my Father hath given me ?
How is his Father said to have given it him ? By decreeing it aforehand ; for he had not yet taken it : he had entered
into it indeed, he had tasted of it in the garden, but he was going on to
taste more of it ; and that cup which his Father by his decree allotted to
him, he willingly takes and submits to it. And let me add this, whatsoever cup it be that God in thy life affords
thee, take it, and go drink it off heartily ; for whether thou wilt or no, if
it be a cup he hath given thee, thou shalt drink it. In Jer. xxv. 15, Go, saith God, to all the nations, and say unto them all, Drink ye of this cup ; and if any of the nations shall refuse to drink it, tell them, that my people have drunk it, therefore they shall drink it. Do not therefore only make a necessity of it, and because of a necessity submit, but do it out of that
ingenuity that Christ did here ; he did not submit merely out of necessity, but with all the willingness in the world, The cup which my Father hath
given me, shall I not drink it ?