the graves shall open, the sea and earth shall yield up their dead. You shall see him ascending the awful throne of judgment, and all flesh gathered before his face ; even multitudes, multitudes that no man can number. And then to be brought forth by Christ be- fore that great assembly of angels and saints : and there to have an honourable mention and remembrance made of your labours, and sufferings, your pains, patience and self-denial, of all your suffer- ings, and losses for Christ ; and to hear from his mouth, Well dune, good and faithful servant : O what honour is this ! Yet this shall be done to the man that now chuses sufferings for Christ, rather than sin ; That esteems his reproaches greater riches than the treasures of' Egypt.
I tell you, It is an honour the angels have not. I make no doubt, but they would be glad, (had they bodies of flesh as we have), to lay their necks on the block for Christ. But this is the saints peculiar privilege. The apostles went away from the council rejoicing, that they were honoured to be dishonoured for Christ : Or, as we translate it *, " counted worthy to suffer shame for him," Acts v. 41. Surely, if there be any stigmata laudis, " marks of ho- nour," they are such as we receive for Christ's sake. If there be any shame that hath glory in it, it is the reproach of Christ, and the shame you suffer for his name.
Inf. 5. Did Pilate so stiffly assert and defend the honour of Christ ? What doubt can then be made of the success of Chrisfs in- terest, and the prosperity of his cause : when the very enemies thereof are made to serve it ?
Rather than Christ shall want honour, Pilate, the man that condemned him, shall do him honour. And as it fared with his person, just so with his interest also. How often have the people of God received mercies from the hands of their enemies ? Rev. xii. 16. " The earth helped the woman,11 i. e. wicked men did the church service. So that this may singularly relieve us against all our despondencies and fears of the miscarriage of the interest of Christ.
That people can never be ruined, who thrive by their losses ; conquer by being conquered ; multiply by being diminished : Whose worst enemies are made to do that for them, which friends cannot or dare not do. See you a Heathen Pilate proclaiming the honour and innocency of Christ ; God will not want instruments to honour Christ by. If others cannot, his very enemies shall.
Inf. 6. Did Pilate vindicate Christ in drawing up such a title to be affixed to his cross ? then hence it follows, That God will, sooner or later, clear up the innocency and integrity of his people, who
* On vtso ra oxoacrfee aula y.arr^ioj^ffuv arz/xacr^ca/. Y2
312 THE FOrXTAIX OF LIFE. SEEM. XXVII.
commit their cause to him. Christ's name was clouded with many reproaches ; wounded through and through, by the blasphemous tongues of his malicious enemies. He committed himself to him that judgeth righteously, 1 Pet. ii. 2& and see how soon God vin- dicates him. That is sweet and seasonable counsel for us, when our names are clouded with unjust censures, Psal. xxxvii. 5, 6. " Commit thy way unto the Lord ; trust also in him, and he shall <f bring it to pass. He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the 14 light, and thy judgment as the noon day." Joseph Mas ac- cused of incontinency ; David of treason ; Daniel of disobedience ; Elijah of troubling Israel ; Jeremiah of revolting ; Amos of . preaching against the king; the Apostles of sedition, rebellion, and alteration of laws ; Christ himself of gluttonv, sorcery, blasphemy, sedition ; but how did all these honourable names wade out of their reproaches, as the sun out of a cloud ! God cleared up their ho- nour for them even in this world. " Slanders (saith one) are but " as soap, Which though it soils and daubs for the present, yet it " helps to make the garment more clean and shining.91 " When ii hair is shaven, it comes the thicker, and with a new increase ; " so when the razor of censure hath (saith * one) made your heads " bare, and brought on the baldness of reproach, be not discou- " raged, God hath a time to bring forth your righteousness as the " light, by an apparent conviction, to dazzle and discourage your " adversaries."
The world was well changed, when Constantine kissed the hol- low of Paphnutius* eye, which was ere while put out for Christ. Scorn and reproach is but a little cloud, that is soon blown over. But suppose ye should not be vindicated in this world, but die under a cloud upon your names ; be sure God will clear it up, and that to purpose in that great day. Then shall the righteous, (even in this respect) shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Then every detracting mouth shall be stopped, and no more cruel arrows of reproach shot at the white of your repu- tation.
Be patient therefore, my brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. " The Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute " judgment upon all; and to convince all that are ungodly, of all " their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed. And " of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken " against him," Jude 14, 15. Then shall they retract their cen- sures, and alter their opinions of the saints. If Christ will be our compurgator, we need not fear who are our accusers. If your names, for his sake, be cast out as evil, and spurned in the dirt ;
* Manton on James, p. 2i
I I.M. xxviit. the fountain of life. 343
Christ will deliver it you again in that day whiter than the snow hi Salmon.
Inf. 7. Did Pilate give this title to cart the reproach of his death upon the Jews, and clear himself of it ? How natural is it to men to transfer the fault of their own actions from themselves to others ? For when he writes, This is the King- of the Jews, he wholly charges them with the crime of crucifying their king*: and it is as if he had said, Hereafter let the blame and fault of this action lie wholly upon your heads, who have brought the guilt of his blood upon yourselves and children.
I am clear, you have extorted it from me. () where shall we find a spirit so ingenuous, to take home to itself the shame of its own actions, and charge itself freely with its own guilt* ? Indeed it is the property of renewed, gracious hearts to remember, confess, and freely bewail tlipir own evils, to the glory of God : and that is a gracious heart indeed, which in this case judge th, that the glory, which by confession, goeth to the name of his God, is not so much glory lost to his own name, but it is the power of grace moulding our proud natures into another thing, that must bring them to his.
Of the manner of Christ's Death, in respect to the Solita- riness thereof.
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts ; smite the slicpherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will thru mine hand upon the little ones.