Think Well On't/Day 29
THE TWENTY-NINTH DAY.
Our Saviour carries his Cross, and is nailed to it.
CONSIDER how the malice of the Jews, no ways relenting at the sight of the Lamb of God bleeding for the sins of the world, but continuing still in a tumultuous manner to demand that he might be crucified, Pilate at last yields to their importunity, and against his own conscience, sentences our Saviour to the death of the cross. Ah I Christians, has it never been your misfortune, by the like cowardice, to condemn your Saviour and his doctrine, and basely to renounce in the practice of your lives the maxims of his gospel, for fear of what the world would say? Has not too often a much weaker temptation than the fear of losing Caesar's friendship, induced you to crucify again the Son of God? Be confounded and repent.
2. Consider how this sentence of death, how unjust soever from Pilate, yet as being most just from his eternal Father, and necessary for our salvation, was received with perfect submission, charity and silence by our Redeemer; who thereupon was immediately stripped again of his purple garment, and clad with his own clothes; and a heavy cross, of length and bigness proportionable to the bearing of a man, was laid on his wounded shoulders; and two thieves or highway robbers were appointed to bear him company, and to be executed with him; to verify that prophecy: With the wicked he was reputed. Isai. liii. Come now, devout souls, and take a view of our Lord in this his last progress or procession. A crier leads the way, publishing aloud the pretended crimes and blasphemies of this never heard of malefactor: then follow the soldiers and executioners with ropes, hammers, nails, &c. After these goeth, or rather creepeth along", our high-priest and victim, all bruised and bloody, with a thief on each hand, and the cross on his shoulders, dragging it forward step by step, followed and surrounded on all sides by the priests, the scribes, and the whole mob of the people, cursing, reviling and scoffing at him: whilst the cruel hangmen are hastening him forward with their kicks and blows. Ah! Christians, now at least take pity on your Saviour's sufferings, and add not to his load by sin.
3. Consider how our blessed Lord, having for some time, with unspeakable labour and torment, carried his cross through the streets, at last falleth down under the weight, unable to carry it any further. Wonder not, my soul, at this; since, besides the load of the cross oppressing his wearied body, wounded on every part, and exhausted by the loss of so much blood, his heavenly Father has laid upon his shoulders another more insupportable weight, viz. that of the sins of the whole world. Ah! Christians, it is under this intolerable burthen that your Saviour faints and falls down. Nor is he any way eased of this merciless load by Symon of Cyrene, who was compelled to take up the cross, but bore no part of the weight of our iniquities; all which the heavenly Father laid upon his beloved Son, to be cancelled with his blood and death. O infinite goodness of the Father! O infinite charity of the Son! to do and suffer so much for wretched man. O my soul, see thou never more be ungrateful to so loving a God.
4. Consider how our Saviour being now arrived at Mount Calvary, quite wearied and spent, the ministers of hell still persecute him with unwearied cruelty; and whereas it was the custom to give to the criminals that were to die a strengthening draught of wine seasoned with myrrh, they contrived to mingle gall with the potion designed for him. After this they violently stripped him of his clothes, now cleaving fast to his sores, and thus opened again his wounds, and exposed him naked to shame and cold in the sight of an immense multitude. Draw nigh now, my soul, and see him bleeding afresh for the love of thee. Oh! see how, while the cross is preparing, he falls upon his knees, and offers himself to his eternal Father a bleeding victim to appease his wrath enkindled by thy sins.
5. Consider how the cross lying flat on the ground, they lay our dear Redeemer stretched out upon it, who like a meek lamb makes no resistance. And first drawing his right hand to the place designed to fix it on, they drive with their hammers a sharp gross nail through the palm of his hand, forcing its way with incredible torment through the sinews, veins, muscles and bones, of which the hand is composed, into the hard wood of the cross: in the meantime the whole body, to favour that wound and the pierced sinews, was naturally drawn towards the right side, but not long permitted to remain so; for immediately these cruel butchers laying hold of his other arm and hand, violently drag him towards the left side, in order to nail that hand also to the place designed for it. Then pulling down his legs, they fastened bis sacred feet in like manner with nails to the wood: and all this with such violent cruelty, that, it is thought, with stretching and pulling they very much strained his whole body, and disjointed it in many parts, according to that of the royal prophet: They have dug my hands and feet; they have numbered all my bones. Ps. xxi. Ah! Christians, if the contracting or piercing of any one nerve or sinew, if the disjointing or displacing of any one bone, ever so small, is so cruel a torture, what must we think of the torments which our Saviour endured in his disjointed body? What must we think of what he suffered, when his hands and feet, where so many sinews, muscles, veins and bones all meet, were violently bored through with gross nails! Oh! let us never cease to admire, adore, and love his mercy.