BOOK 6. THE DEATH.
CHAPTER 1.
6.1.7. Of Christ's examination and condemnation, with their appendices.
Of Christ's examination and condemnation, with their appendices.
Now it was, that they led him from Annas to Caiaphas; and presently a council of high priests, scribes and elders; these were the greatest, gravest, learnedest, wisest men amongst them, and they all conspire to judge him, who is the greatest judge both of quick and dead.
In their proceedings we may observe, 1. The captious examination of the high priest. 2. The sacrilegious smiting of one of the servants. 3. The impious accusations of the witnesses. 4. The sentence of the judges. 5. The perfidious denial of perjured Peter. 6. The shameful delusion and abuse of the base attendants.
1. For the captious examination of the high priest, "The high priest then asked Jesus of his disciples, and of his doctrine," John xviii. 19.
(a). Of his disciples; what the questions were, it is not expressed, but probably they might be such as these, "How many disciples he had? And where they were? And what was become of them? Why he should take upon him to be better guarded than others of greater place and calling? Whether it did not savour of sedition and disturbance of the state, to lead about such a crew of disciples and followers after him? And what was the reason of their flight, whether it were not a token of their guiltiness of some disorder, or of riotous practices?" It is not for me to speak how many queries the high priest might make to tempt Jesus, but certainly he was sifted to the bran, examined to the full, of all such circumstances as either might trap Christ, or in the least degree, advance and help forward his condemnation: to this question concerning his disciples, our Saviour answered nothing; alas, he knew the frailty of: his followers! he might have said, "For my disciples, you see one hath betrayed me, and another will anon forswear me, he stays but for the crowing of the cock, and then you shall hear him curse and swear that he never knew me: and for all the rest, a panic fear hath seized upon their hearts, and they are fled, and have left me alone to tread the wine press." Ah, no, he will not speak evil of the teachers of his people; it was grief to him, and added to his sufferings, that all had forsaken him: once before this, "many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him," which occasioned Jesus to say to the twelve, "Will ye also go away?" Why, no, said Peter then, "Lord, whither shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life: and we believe, and are sure, that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God," John vi. 67, 68, 69. Oh, Peter! What a strong faith was that? "We believe, and we are sure;" but how is it now that ye have no faith? Or why are ye so fearful, O ye of little faith? I believe this sat upon the heart of Christ, and yet he would not accuse them who now stood in their places, and was accused for them, and for us all; and therefore to that question of his disciples, he answered nothing.
(b). He asked him of his doctrine; what his questions were of that, are not set down neither, but probably they may be such as these, "Who was his master or instructor in that new doctrine, he had lately broached? Why he did seek to innovate and alter their long practised and accustomed rites? And what ground had he to bring in his own devices in their steads? As baptism for circumcision, the Lord's supper for the passover, himself and his apostles for the high priests and Levites, when neither he, nor most of them were of that tribe? Why he was so bold and saucy, (being but three and thirty years of age) to declaim so bitterly and satirically against the Pharisees and Sadducees, and Scribes, and priests, and elders of the people?" Much of this stuff he might bring out in his interrogatories, that so, by his questioning him in many things, he might trap him in something to his confusion and destruction. -- And to this question our Saviour answers, but. Oh, how wisely! "I spake openly to the world, (said he) I ever taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whether the Jews always resorted; and in secret have I said nothing, Why askest thou me? ask them which heard me, what I said unto them, behold they know what I said unto them," John xviii. 20, 21. q.d. I appeal to the testimony of the very enemies themselves: thou suspectest me to be a seditious person, and one that plots mischief against the state in secret: I tell the truth, "I speak nothing in secret," i.e. nothing in the least manner tending to sedition; my doctrine I brought with me from the bosom of my Father, it is the everlasting gospel, and not of yesterday; and it contains nothing in it of sedition, faction, rebellion, treason; ask these mine enemies, these who have apprehended and bound me, and brought me hither: They know what 1 said, let them speak, if they can, wherein I have transgressed the law.
2. For the stroke given Christ by that base servant: "One of the officers who stood by, struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, Answerest thou the high priest so?" John xviii. 22. That holy face which was designed to be the object of heaven, in the beholding of which, much of the celestial glory doth consist; that face which the angels stare upon with wonder, like infants at a bright sun beam, was now smitten by a base varlet, in the presence of a judge; and howsoever the assembly was full, yet not one amongst them all reproved the fact, or spake a word for Christ; nay, in this the injury was heightened, because the blow was said to be given by Malchus, (Chris. Horn. 82. in Joh.) an Idumean slave; it was he whose ear was cut off by Peter, and cured by Christ; and thus he requites him for his miracle. Amongst all the sufferings of Christ, one would think this were but little, and yet when I look into the scriptures, I find it much; thus Jeremy, "He giveth his cheeks to him that smiteth him, he is filled full with reproach," Lam. iii. 30. Thus Micah speaking of Christ, "They shall smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek," Micah v. 1. There was in it a world of shame; the apostle lays it down as a sign of suffering and reproach, 2 Cor. xi. 20. "If a man smite you on the face," nothing more disgraceful, (saith Chrysostom, Chris. Horn. 82. in Joh.) than to be smitten on the cheek; the diverse reading of the word speaks it out farther, "He struck him with a rod, or, he struck him with the palm of his hand, (edoke rapisma ((Rapis) and virgam and crepidam significat. Lei. crit. Sacr.)) the word (rapisma) say some, refers to his striking with a rod, or club, or shoe, or pantoffle, or, as others, it refers to his striking with the palm of his hands: of the two, the palm of the hand is judged more disgraceful than either rod or shoe; and therefore in the text we translate it, "With the palm of the hand he struck at Jesus," (i.e. with open hand, with his hand stretched out.
The ancients ((Kolaphos) pugno, (rapis) pami. Idem Chrys. Hom. 18. in Joh. C. 18.) commenting on this cuff; "Let the heavens be afraid, (saith one) and let the earth tremble at Christ's patience, and this servant's impudence, O ye angels, how were ye silent? (Aug. in Tract. 113) How could you contain your hands, when you saw his hand striking at God? If we consider him, (saith another) who took the blow, was not he that struck him worthy to be consumed of fire, or to be swallowed up of earth, or to be given up to Satan, and thrown down to hell?" If a subject should but lift up his hand against the son of an earthly sovereign, would he not be accounted worthy of punishment; How much more in this case, when the hand is lifted up against the King of kings, and Lord of lords, whom not only men, but the cherubims and seraphims, and all the celestial powers above, adore and worship? Bernard (Bern. Serm, de pass.) tells us, "That his hand that struck Christ was armed with an iron glove; and Vincentius (Vinc. Serm. de pass.) affirms, That by the blow Christ was felled to the earth; and Lodovicus (Lodo. de vita. Christi.) adds, "that blood gushed out of his mouth; and that the impression of the varlet's fingers remained on Christ's cheek, with a tumour and wan colour." I need say no more of this, only one word in reference to ourselves.
Use. Come, look upon this lively and lovely picture of patience; he was struck on the face, but he was never moved in his heart; notwithstanding the abuse, he showed all mildness and gentleness towards his enemies; O what art thou that canst not brook a word, that canst not bear a distasteful speech, that canst not put up the least and smallest offence, without thy wrath and fury? O proud man! O impudent wretch! How art thou so suddenly moved at the least indignity, when thou seest thy Saviour quietly suffer great affronts? Come learn of Christ, if ever we mean to have a share and interest in his sufferings, let us conform to him in meekness and patience, in gentleness and lowliness of mind; and so we shall find rest unto our souls.
3. For the accusation of the witnesses; he is falsely accused, and charged with the things that he never knew; in his accusation, I observe these things.
(a). That they sought false witnesses, for true witnesses they could have none; "Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council sought false witnesses against Jesus, to put him to death," Matth. xxvi. 59. They were resolved in a former council, that he should not live but die: and now palliating their design with a scheme of a tribunal, they seek out for witnesses; O wonder! who ever heard that judges went about to enquire for false witnesses, and suborned them to come in against the prisoner at the bar?
(b). "Though many false witnesses came in to testify against him, yet they found none," verse 60. Because "their witnesses did not agree together," Mark xiv. 56. O the injustice of men in bringing about the decrees of God! The judges seek out for witnesses, the witnesses are to seek out for proof, those proofs were to seek for unity and consent; and nothing was ready for their purpose.
(c). At last after many attempts, came two false witnesses, and said, "This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days," verse 6l, They accuse him for a figurative speech, a trope which they could not understand, which if he had affected according to the letter, it had been so far from a fault, that it would have been an argument of his power; but observe their false report of the words he had spoken, for he said not, "I am able to destroy thus temple of God, and to build it up in three days:" but, "destroy ye this temple, and in three days will I raise it up," John ii. 19. The allegation differs from the truth in these particulars,
(i). "I am able to. destroy," say they: ay, but, "destroy ye," saith Christ.
(ii). "I am able to destroy this temple of God," say they: ay, but "destroy ye this temple," saith Christ, simply this temple, without addition.
(iii). "I am able to destroy this temple of God, and to build it in three days," say they; ay, but, "destroy ye this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," said Christ: he spoke not of building an external temple, but of raising up his own body, which he knew they would destroy. These were the accusations of the false witnesses, to all which Jesus answered nothing; he despised their accusations, as not worth an answer; and this vexed more. -- But,
(iv). Another accusation is brought in; Caiaphas had a reserve, which he knew should do the business in that assembly, he adjured him by God, to tell him if he were the Christ, "I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God;" Matt, xxvi. 63. The holy Jesus being adjured by so sacred a name, would not now refuse an answer, but he confessed himself to be "the Christ the Son of the living God:" and this the high priest was pleased (as the design was laid) to call blasphemy; and in token thereof, he rends his clothes, prophetically signifying, that the priesthood should be rent from himself.
Use. We are taught in all this quietly to suffer wrong. "If my adversary should write a book against me, surely I would take it upon my shoulder (saith Job) and bind it as a crown to me," Job xxxi. 35, 36. It is impossible, if we arc Christ's servants, to live in this world without false accusations; come let us take heart, and in some cases say not a word; since he that was most innocent, was most silent, why should we be too forward in our excuses? I know there is a time to speak, as a time for silence; if it may tend to God's honour, and to the spreading of God's truth, and that right circumstances do concur, it is then time to open our mouths, though we let in death. So did our blessed Saviour; O let us learn of him, and follow his steps.
4. For the doom or sentence of these judges, Caiaphas pre-judging all the Sanhedrim, in declaring Jesus to have spoken blasphemy, and the fact to be notorious, he then asked their votes; "What think ye?" And they answered and said, "He is guilty of death," Matt, xxvi. 66. They durst not deny what Caiaphas had said, they knew his faction was very potent, and his malice great, and his heart was set upon the business; and therefore they all conspire, and say, as he would have them, "He is guilty of death," Oh! Here is Jesus' sentence, which should have been mine, "He is guilty of death." But this sentence was but like strong dispositions to an enraged fever; they had no power at that time, to inflict death, or such a death as that of the cross, they only declared him apt, and worthy and guilty of death.
"In the multitude of counsellors there is safety," said Solomon, Prov. xi. 14. But we must take this in, "if it be of good men, and to good purpose;" for otherwise the meetings and assemblies and councils of the wicked are dangerous and deadly: "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed," Psalm ii. 2. Such councils we had many in our times; I know not whether we may call them councils, or struma tantum civitatis, an ulcerous bunch, raised by the disorder and distemper of the city.
5. For Peter's denial and abjuration; whilst these things were thus acting concerning Christ, a sad accident happened to his servant Peter; at first a damsel comes to him, and tells him, "Thou wast with Jesus of Galilee" Matt. xxvi. 69. And then another maid tells the by-standers, "This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth," verse 71. And after a while, they that stood by spake themselves, "Surely thou art one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee," verse 73. q.d. Thy very idiom declares thee to be a Galilean; thou art as Christ is, of the same country and sect; and therefore thou art one of his disciples: Peter thus surprised, without any time to deliberate, he shamefully denies his Lord. And,
(a). He doth it with a kind of subterfuge, "I know not what thou sayest," verse 70. He seems to elude the accusation with this evasion, I know not thy meaning, I understand not thy words, I skill not what thou sayest, verse 72.
(b). At the next turn, he goes on to a licentious boldness, denying Christ with an oath, "I do not know the man."
(c). And, lastly, he aggravates his sin so far, that he grows to impudence, and so denies his Lord with "cursing and swearing, I know not the man," verse 74.
Here is a lie, an oath, and a curse: the sin is begun at the voice of a woman, a silly damsel, not any of the greatest ladies, she was only a poor serving maid that kept the doors; but it grew to ripeness, when the men-servants fell upon him; now he swears, and vows, and curses himself if he knew the man. O Peter, is the man so vile that thou wilt not own him! hadst thou not before confessed him to be Christ, the Son of the living God? And dost thou not know him to be man, as well as God? Say, is not this the Man-God, God-man that called thee and thy brother Andrew at the sea of Galilee, saying, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Is not this he whom thou sawest in mount Tabor, shining more gloriously than the Sun? Is not this he whom thou sawest walking on the waters, and to whom thou saidst, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the waters?" Matt. xiv. 28. How is it then that thou sayest, "I know not the man?" Surely here is a sad example of human infirmity: if Peter fell so foully, how much more may lesser stars? And yet, withal, here is a blessed example of serious, thorough, repentance; no sooner the cock crew, and Christ gave a look on Peter, but he goes out and weeps bitterly, verse 75. The cock was the preacher, and the look of Jesus was the grace that made the sermon effectual: O the mercy of Christ! he looked back on him that had forgot himself: he revives his servant's memory to think on his Master's words; he sends him out to weep bitterly, that so he might restore him mercifully to his favour again.
Use. Let us learn hence, to think modestly and soberly of ourselves; yea, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed least he fall," 1 Cor. x. 12. If Peter could first dissemble, and then lie, and then forswear, and then blaspheme and curse, O let "not us be high-minded but fear," Rom. xi. 20. And in case we fall indeed, as Peter did, yet let us not despair as Judas did, but still, upon our repentance, let us trust in God. When Christ looked on Peter, he wept bitterly; notwithstanding our sins are great, yet one look of Christ is full of virtue, and enough to melt us into tears: O let us not sink in despair, but look up to him, that he may look down on us. Pliny (Plin. Hist.) tells us of some rocks in Phrygia, that when the sun doth but shine upon them, they send out drops of water, as if they wept tears; Peter signifies a rock, and whiles Peter persisted in his sin of denying Christ, his heart was hard as the rock; but when Christ the Sun of righteousness looked upon him, his heart was softened, and he dropped tears continually. Such is the virtue of Christ's look, "It turns the rock into a standing water, and the flint into a fountain of waters," Psal. cxiv. 8. Lastly, Let us not decry repentance, but rather be in the use, and practice, and exercise of it; is not here a gospel precedent? Clement, (Flevit quidem tanta lachrimarum inundatione ut in maxillis profundos fulccs haberet, per quos quasi per quosdam canales aut aquaeductos lachrimae ejus defluebant. Clem. Quoties galii cantum audiebat, in lachrimas prorumpebat, per totum vitae tempus negationis culpam frequenter adeo planxit. Idem.) an ancient writer, of whom Paul makes mention, Phil. iv. 3. expresseth Peter's repentance to have been so great that "in his cheeks he made (as it were) furrows, in which, as in certain channels, his tears run down. The text tells us he wept bitterly, and Clement adds, "That while he lived, "As often as he heard a cock crow, he could not but weep, and bewail his denial." David is another like example, "All the night, said he, I make my bed to swim, I water my couch with tears," Psal. vi. 6. David makes mention of his bed and couch, because there most especially he had offended God: it was on his bed that he committed adultery; and it was on his couch, that he designed and subscribed with his own hand, that Uriah must die; and hence it is, that he waters his bed and couch with his tears; the very sight of his bed and couch brings his sin into his remembrance, as the very hearing of the crowing of a cock ever after awakened Peter to his task of tears: that repentance is a gospel duty, we have spoke elsewhere, O take heed of decrying it! as we are often sinning, so let us often repent, it concerns us near to be frequent in this duty of bewailing sin, and turning to God.
6. For the abuses and derisions of the base attendants offered to Christ, the evangelist tells us, "Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him, and others smote him with the palms of their hands, saying. Prophecy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee?" Matt, xxvi. 67, 68. And as Luke adds, "Many other things blasphemously spake they against him," Luke xxii. 65. What those many other things were, it is not discovered, only some ancient writers say, That Christ in that night suffered so many, and such hideous things, (Hier. ut citat Guliel. statione tertia Christi patientis. Mallou. de flagellatione Christi, c. 6. Lundui. de pass. and alii.) "that the whole knowledge of them is reserved only for the last day of judgment." Mallonius writes thus, "After Caiaphas and the priests had sentenced Christ worthy of death, they committed him to their ministers, warily to he kept till day; and they immediately threw him into the dungeon in Caiaphas' house, there they bound him to a stony pillar, with his hands bound on his back, and then they fell upon him with their palms and fists." Others add, "That the soldiers not yet content, they threw him into a filthy dirty puddle, where he abode for the remainder of that night;" of which the psalmist, "Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness and in the deeps," Psal. lxxxviii. 6. u And I sink in the deep mire, where there is no standing," Psal. lxix. 2. "Behold the bed which is Solomon's," Cant. iii. 7, or rather which is Christ's, for a greater than Solomon is here: behold the flourishing bed, wherein the King of saints doth lie, surely a place most sordid, full of stench; his other senses had their pain, and his smell felt a loathsome savour, in this noisome puddle.
But we need not borrow light from candles, or lesser stars: the scripture itself is plain; observe we these particulars:
(a). They spit in his face: this was accounted among the Jews a matter of great infamy and reproach; "And the Lord said to Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days"?" Numb. xii. 14. We ourselves account this a great affront, and so did Job, xxx. 9, 10. "I am their song, yea, and their by-word; they abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face," Oh that the sweet face of Christ, so much honoured and adored in heaven, should be defiled and deformed by their spitting! Oh that no place should be thought so fit for them to avoid their excrements and drivel in, as the blessed face of Jesus Christ. "I hid not my face (saith Christ) from shame and spitting," Isa. l. 6. I used no mask to keep me fair, though i was fairer than the sons of men, I preserved not my beauty from their nasty phlegm, but I opened my face, and I set it as a butt for them to dart their frothy spittle at.
(b). They buffet him; we heard before, that one of the officers struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, but now they buffet him; some observe this difference betwixt rapisma and kolaphas: the one is given with the open hand, but the other with the fist shut up; and thus they used him at this time, they struck him with their fists, and so the stroke was greater, and more offensive; "By this means they made his face to swell, and to become full of bunches all over." One gives it thus, "By these blows of their fists, his whole head was swollen, his face became black and blue, and his teeth ready to fall out of his jaws."(Colaphis illi tuber totum caput facies livida fecit and excussit deutes.) Very probable it is, that with the violence of their strokes, they made him reel and stagger, they made his mouth and nose, and face to bleed, and his eyes to startle in his head.
(c). They covered his face, Mark xiv. 65. Several reasons are rendered for it. As,
(i). That they might smite him more boldly, and without shame.
(ii). That they might not have that object of pity in their view, it is supposed, that the very sight of his admirable form, so lamentably abused, would have mollified the hardest heart under heaven; and therefore they veiled and hoodwinked that alluring drawing countenance.
(iii). That they might not see their own filth in his face; however, his beauty was winning, yet they had so bedaubed it with their beastly spitting that they began to loth to look upon him, "It was a nauseous sight, (saith one) and enough to make one spew to look upon it." (Nauseum ipsis spectatoribus faeditas illa provocabat.) But, whether his splendor or his horror occasioned this veil over his face, this is most certain, that it veiled not their cruelty, but rather revealed it, and made it manifest to all the world.
(d). They smote him with the palms of their hands, saying, "Prophecy unto us, thou Christ, who is he that smote thee?" To pass away that doleful tedious night, they interchangeably sport at him, first one, and then another gives him a stroke, (we usually call it a box on the ear) and being hoodwinked, they bid him "guess who it is that smote him." Some reckon these taunts amongst the bitterest passages of his passion; nothing is more miserable, even to the greatest misery, than to see itself scorned of enemies. It was our Saviour's case, they used this despite for their disport: with a wanton and merry malice, they aggravate their injury with scorn, q.d. "Come on, thou sayest thou art Christ, the Son of the living God, and therefore it is likely thou art omniscient, thou knowest all things; tell now, who is it that strikes thee; we have blindfolded thee, that thou canst not see us with thy bodily eyes, let thy divinity, guess, tell, prophecy, who is it now that smote thee last? Who gave thee that blow?" O impiety without example! Surely if his patience had been less than infinite, these very injuries would have been greater than his patience. In way of application.
Use.
1. Consider Christians whether we had not a hand in these abuses: For,
(a). They spit in the face of Christ, who defile his image in their souls; who reject his holy and heavenly motions in their hearts.
(b). They buffet him with their fists who persecute Christ in his members, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks."
(c). They cover his face that do not readily and willingly confess their sins, that extenuate their frailties and imperfections with counterfeit pretexts.
(d). They mock and scoff at Christ, that scorn and contemn his messengers and ministers, Luke x. 16. "He that despiseth you, despiseth me," saith Christ.
O that we would lay these things to our hearts, and see and observe wherein we stand guilty of these sins, that we may repent.
2. Consider, Christians, and read Christ's love in all these sufferings; O unheard of kindness, and truly paternal bowels of pity and compassion! who ever heard before, of any that would be content to be spit upon, to wipe their filths who spit upon him? That would be content to be beat and buffeted, to save them from buffets who were the buffeters? That would be content to be blindfolded, that he might neither take notice of, nor see the offences of them that blindfolded him? That would be content to be made a scorn, to save them from scorn that shall scorn him? Christians! you that take your name from Christ! How should you admire at the infiniteness and immensity of this love of Christ! Was it a small thing, that the wisdom of God should become the foolishness of men, and the scorn of men, and ignominy of men, and contempt of the world for your sins sake. O think of this!
And now the dismal night is done, what remains, but that we follow Christ, and observe him in his sufferings the next day. The Psalmist tells us, "Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning," Psal xxx. 5. Only Christ can find none of this joy neither morning nor evening, for after a dismal night, he meets with as dark a day; what the passages of the day were, we shall observe in their several hours.