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thy will, O God. Above, when he faid, Sacrifice and offering, and burnt-offerings, and offering for fin thou wouldest not, neither hadft pleasure therein, which are offered by the law: Then faid he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He.taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are fanctified, through the offering of the body of Jefus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily miniftering, and offering oftentimes the fame facrifices, which can never take away fins. But this man, after he had offered one facrifice for fins, for ever fat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his foot- ftool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are fanctified: whereof the Holy Ghost, alfo is a witnefs to us: For after that he had faid before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, faith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their fins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remiffion of thefe is, there is no more offering for fin. Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holieft by the blood of Jefus, by a new and living way, which he hath confecrated for us, through the vail, that is to fay, his flesh: and having an high prieft over the houfe of God; let us draw near with a true heart, in full affurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil confcience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold faft the profeffion of our faith without wavering: (for he is faithful that promised) and let us confider one another to provoke unto love and to good works; not

Offering for Sin thou wouldeft not. c. By this paffage of Scripture, which is quoted from Pfalm xl. it is plain that facrifices were, in themselves, not acceptable to God: but that they were inftituted for a time, and fuited to the genius of the Jews, a carnal people, who, without fuch outward rites and ceremonies in their religious worship, would have been too apt to fall into the idolatrous practices of the Gentiles. They were defigned likewife to reprefent that great Offering of Jefus Chrift the Lamb of God, which (in God's intention) was flain from the foundation of the

world; but was revealed in thefe laft times.

For by one Offering he hath perfected, &c. Obferve here that it is thofe who are janctified, those who are truly obedient Chriftians, that are perfected, and made partakers in the benefi.s of Chrift's redemption.

Not forfaking the affembling e. If St. Paul fo earneftly exhorted Chriftians, even in times of Perfecution, not to neglect the affembling themselves together for public worship; then how much more is this duty incumbent upon us, who are protected and supported in our religious worship by the civil Government

forfaking the affembling of ourselves together, as the manner of fome is; but exhorting one another: and fo much the more as ye fee the day approaching.

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The Gofpel. S. John 19. 1.`

Ilate therefore took Jefus, and scourged him. And the Soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, and said, Hail, King of the Jews: And they fmote him with their Hands. Pilate therefore went forth azain, and faith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate faith unto them, * Behold the man. When the chief priests therefore, and Officers faw him, they cried out, faying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate faith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. The Jews anfwered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, becaufe he made himself the Son of God. When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; and went again into the judgment-hall, and faith unto Jefus, § Whence art thou? But Jefus gave him no answer. Then faith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not, that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to releafe thee? Jefus anfwered, Thou couldeft have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee, hath the greater fin. And from

Behold the Man. Thus Pilate endeavoured to raise the compaffion of the people. He had caufed Jefus to be fcourged, and in derifion to be adorned with a Crown of Thorns, and an old purple robe, in hopes that the people would be pacified with this punifh ment; and that Jefus' life might be fpared. In this woeful condition he brought him forth to them, faying Behold the Man But their hearts were too much hardened, and too much bent upon his deftruction, to be fatisfied with any thing less than his death. Thus were the divine counsel fulfilled..

Whence art thou? Pilate as he was a Heathen, and the.efore not a Believer in the true God, hearing that

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the charge laid against Jefus by the Jews was that he had called himself the Son of God, feems to have fuppofed that Jefus had pretended he had derived his defcent from fome Deity; as fome of the Heres of old had done; fuch as Alexander, who represented hi nfelf as the fon of Jupiter; and Romulus who was reported to have been the fon of Mars, &c. Therefore he faid Whence art thou? That is, " Which of the Deities art. thou fprung from?" Therefore it was perhaps that Jefus did not choose to explain to him his divine original, because in his prefent ftate of Gentilifm he was not capable of comprehending it.

thenceforth Pilate fought to releafe him: but the Jews cried outs faying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Cefars friend: Whofoever maketh himself a king, speaketh against Cefar. When Pilate therefore heard that faying, he brought Jefus forth, and fat down in the judgment-feat, in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the fixth hour: and he faith unto the Jews, Behold your King. But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate faith unto them, Shall I crucify your king? The chief priests anfwered, We have no King but Cefar. Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified: and they took Jefus, and led him away. And he bearing his crofs, went forth into a place called the place of a fcull, which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha: where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either fide one, and Jefus in the midft. And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the crofs: And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jefus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. Then faid the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, the King of the Jews; but that he said, I am the King of the Jews. Pilate anfwered, § What I have written, I have written. Then the foldiers, when they had crucified Jefus, took his garments, (and made four parts, to every foldier a part) and

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And about the fixth Hour. In order to reconcile this paffage with St. Mark who fays that they Crucified, or fixed him to the Cross at the third Jewish Hour, which is about our nine o'Clock: we must obferve that St. John, who lived in the later Times of Christianity, and wrote his Gospel principally for the benefit of the Gentile Converts, adapts his account of Things to the Roman computation of Time; which agreed pretty much with ours. Therefore the fixth Hour here, is much the fame with our fix in the Morning.

And he bearing his Crofs. "Tis faid indeed in the other Gospels that they obliged one Simon a Cyrenian to bear it for him: but this it may be fuppofed was done after Jefus had carried it fo long as till they

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were afraid he fhould die under the fatigue; and they be thereby disappointed of putting him to the intended Torture.

§ What I have written, I have written. That is, "I am determined the Enfcription fhall not be altered." As it was ufual for Malefactors amongst the Romans to have the Crime for which they fuffered, infcribed upon a Tablet, and carried before them to their execution: fo Pilate, according to cuftom, made a fuperfcription for Jefus: but wrote it in fo ambiguous a manner, as that it might feem either that Jefus had fally affumed to himself the title of King of the Jews; or that is was indeed the King of the Jews.

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also his coat: now the coat was without feam, woven from the top throughout. They faid therefore among themselves, Let us no rend it, but caft lots for it, whofe it fhall be that the scripture might be fulfilled, which faith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vefture they did caft lots. These things therefore the foldiers did. Now there ftood by the crofs of Jefus, his mother, and his mothers fifter, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jefus therefore faw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he faith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy fon. Then faith he to the disciple, *Behold thy mother. And from that hour that difciple took her unto his own home. After this, Jefus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the fcripture might be fulfilled, faith, I thirst. Now there was fet a veffel full of vinegar; and they filled a fpunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyffop, and put it to his mouth. When Jefus therefore had received the vinegar, he faid, †It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies fhould not remain upon the crofs on the fabbath-day (for that fabbathday was an high day) befought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. Then came the foldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. But when they came to Jefus, and faw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs. But one of the foldiers with a fpear pierced his fide, and forthwith came there out blood and

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Beheld thy Mother. Whatever fome in these Days night think of fuch an action, our Saviour, herein, gave a proof of his regard for St. John, as well as for his Mother: and entrusted her to his care as an Honour not indulged to his other Difciples, Hereby acknowledging him, in his last moments, as the Difciple whom he particularly loved-as one whom he knew to be his Friend indeed. If Jefus took fuch Thought) for his worlily Parent amidst all the agonies of his Crucifixion: none furely can juftly be accounted his Followers who neglect a proper difcharge of this duty."

It is finished. Which was as if he had faid, "all Types and Prophecies concerning me are now fulfilled,

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God's Juftice is fatisfied, and the great work of Man's Redemption is accomplished."

Forthwith came thereout Blood and Water. The Apoftle feems to have taken particular notice of this incident both here and in his firft Epiftle chap. v. 6. because it was an evident proof of the certainty of his Death; (in oppofition to the opinion of fome Heretics who affirmed that he only died in appearance.) For Anatomifts tell us that there is a Capfula near the Heart, called the Pericardium, which hath Water in a it; and therefore that the coming out of Water, with the Blood was a fure evidence that the Heart was wounded.

water. And he that faw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he faith true, that ye might believe. For these things were done that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him fhall not be broken. And again, another fcripture faith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.

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Eafter-Even.
The Collect.

Rant, O Lord, that as we are baptized into the death of thy bleffed Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift; fo by continual mortifying our corrupt affections, we may be buried with him, and that through the grave and gate of death, we may pafs to our joyful refurrection, for his merits, who died, and was buried, and iofe again for us, thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

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The Epiftle. 1 S. Pet. 3. 17.

T is better if the will of God be fo, that ye fuffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing. For Chrift alfo hath once fuffered for fins, the juft for the unjuft; (that he might bring us to God) being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which alfo he went and preached unto the spirits in prifon; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing; wherein few, that is, teight fouls were faved by water. The like figure whereunto, even baptifm doth alfo now fave us (not the putting away the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good confcience towards God) by

Paraphrafe on the Collect for Eafter Even. Grant, O Lord, that as, by Baptifm, we are planted into the likeness of thy Son fefus Chrift's Death, fo we may imitate his Burial alfo by continually killing and fubduing in ourselves all finful paffions and de

The Spirits in Prifon, Signify the Souls of thofe wicked Men who, in the time of Noah were disobe dient, and fhut up in the Prison of Sin and Senfuality. To thefe Chrift preached by his Spirit, through the Miniftry of Noah, when God of his Mercy, bore with their wickedness for the space of 120-Year, before he brought a Flood upon the Earth.

+ Eight Souls were faved by Water. The fame Water which defrayed the Ungodly, was a means of preferva

fires; that, Death and the Grave may become to usa pallage to a blefied Refurrection, through the Merits of that Saviour, who died, and was buried for our Sins, and rofe again for our Juftification.

tion to Noah and his Family, by lifting up the Ark on high. In like manner Baptifm is a means of our Spiritual Salvation through Chrift, as the Water of the Flood, through the Ark, was of their corporal fafety. Only we must take heed that we reft not in the outward" fign; or fuppofe that we fhall be faved merely by the being washed, or sprinkled with Water: but muft add there to an earneft defire to know the Will of God, and a diligent endeavour to perform it..

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