Part 11 (2/2)
{207} FOR PALM SUNDAY.
c.u.m adpropinqua.s.set Jesus Hierosolymis, et venisset Bethf.a.ge ad montem Oliveti: et reliqua.
Christ's pa.s.sion has just been read before us, but we will first say to you how he came to the city of Jerusalem, and approached his own death, and would not by flight avoid his pa.s.sion.
”Jesus went to the city of Jerusalem, and when he approached the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, thus saying, Go to the town which is before you, and ye shall straightways find an a.s.s tied and its foal also: untie them, and lead them to me,” etc.
It was known to the people that Christ a little before had raised Lazarus from death, who had lain stinking four nights in the grave: then those, who were believing, came to meet Christ with the honours which we have already mentioned. Some also who believed not came, with no honours, but with great wrath, as John the Evangelist said, That ”the chief priests of the people consulted among themselves how they should slay Lazarus, whom Christ had raised from the dead; because many men of the people believed in Jesus, by reason of the dead man's rising.” We will now proceed to the exposition of this text.
The two disciples whom Christ sent after the a.s.s betokened the teachers whom G.o.d sends to instruct mankind. They were two, because of the character which a teacher should have. He should have learning, that he may with wisdom instruct G.o.d's people in true belief, and he should, by good works, give good example to the people, and so, with those two things, that is, with learning and good example, ever incline the lay folk to G.o.d's will.
The tied a.s.s and its foal betoken two people, that is, the Jewish and the heathen: I say, heathen, because all mankind was yet continuing in heathenism, save only the Jews, {209} who observed the old law at that time. They were tied; for all mankind was bound with sins, as the prophet said, ”Every man is bound with the ropes of his sins.” Then G.o.d sent his apostles and their successors to bound mankind, and bade untie, and lead them to him. How untied they the a.s.s and the foal? They preached to the people right belief and G.o.d's commandments, and also by many miracles confirmed their preaching. The people then inclined from the service of the devil to the wors.h.i.+p of Christ, and were freed from all sins, through holy baptism, and led to Christ.
An a.s.s is a foolish beast, and unclean, and stupid, compared with other beasts, and strong for burthens. So were men, before Christ's advent, foolish and unclean, while they ministered to idols, and divers sins, and bowed to the images, which they themselves had wrought, and said to them, ”Thou art my G.o.d.” And whatsoever burthen the devil set on them they bare.
But when Christ came to mankind, then turned he our foolishness to reason, and our uncleanness to pure morals. The tamed a.s.s betokened the Jewish people, who were tamed under the old law. The wild foal betokened all other people, who were heathen and untamed; but they became tamed and believing when Christ sent his disciples over the whole earth, thus saying, ”Go over all the earth, and teach all nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and command that they hold all the precepts which I have taught you.”
The master of the a.s.ses asked, why they untied his a.s.ses? In like manner the chief men of every people would perversely oppose the preaching of G.o.d.
But when they saw that the preachers, through G.o.d's might, healed the halt and the blind, and gave speech to the dumb, and also raised the dead to life, then could they not withstand those miracles, but all at last inclined to G.o.d. Christ's disciples said, ”The {211} Lord hath need of the a.s.ses, and sends for them.” They did not say Our Lord, nor Thy Lord, but simply, The Lord; for Christ is Lord of all lords, both of men and of all creatures. They said, ”He sends for them.” We are exhorted and invited to G.o.d's kingdom, but we are not forced. When we are invited, then are we untied; and when we are left to our own election, then is it as though we are sent for. It is G.o.d's mercy that we are untied; but if we live rightly, that will be both G.o.d's grace and our own zeal. We should constantly pray for the Lord's support; seeing that our own election has no success, unless it be promoted by the Almighty.
Christ did not command them to lead to him a proud steed adorned with golden trappings, but the mean a.s.s he chose to bear him; for he ever taught humility, and in himself gave the example, and thus said, ”Learn of me, who am meek and very humble, and ye shall find rest for your souls.” This was prophesied of Christ, and all the things which he did before he was born as man.
Sion is a hill, and it is interpreted, _A place of contemplation_; and Jerusalem, _Sight of peace_. The daughter of Sion is the congregation of believing men, who belong to the heavenly Jerusalem, in which is ever _a sight of peace_, without any strife, to which Jesus will bring us, if we follow him.
Christ's disciples laid their garments upon the a.s.s, because he would not ride on a naked a.s.s. Garments betoken works of righteousness, as the prophet said, ”Lord, thy priests are clothed with righteousness.” The naked a.s.s is saddled with garments, when the simple man is equipped to the hand of G.o.d with the exhortations and examples of wise instructors; and he then bears Christ, as the apostle said, ”Ye are bought with great price; glorify therefore, and bear G.o.d on your bodies.” We bear G.o.d on our bodies, because we are a temple and shrine of the Holy Ghost, if we {213} guard ourselves against foul sins: of which the same apostle said very awfully, ”He who defiles the temple of G.o.d, G.o.d will fordo him.” He who is not a temple of G.o.d is a temple of the devil, and bears a very heavy burthen on his back.
We will say to you a parable. No man may make himself a king, for the people have the option to choose him for king who is agreeable to them: but after that he has been hallowed as king, he has power over the people, and they may not shake his yoke from their necks. In like manner every man has his own choice, before he sins, whether he will follow the devil's will, or withstand it. Then if he bind himself with the works of the devil, he cannot by his own power unbind himself, unless the Almighty G.o.d unbind him with the strong hand of his mercy. Of his own will and his own heedlessness he is bound, but through G.o.d's mercy he will be unbound, if he afterwards merit his liberation of G.o.d.
The people who cast their garments under the feet of the a.s.s, are the martyrs, who for Christ's faith gave their own bodies to torments. Some were burnt in fire, some drowned in the sea, and slain with divers tortures; and gave us an example, that we should not, for any persecutions or hards.h.i.+ps, forsake our faith, and incline from Christ, any more than they did. Many a man is accounted a christian in peace, who would very quickly deny Christ, if he were sentenced to that to which the martyrs were sentenced: but his christianity is not praiseworthy. But that man's christianity is praiseworthy, who will not, for any persecution, incline from Christ, neither for sword, nor for fire, nor for water, nor for hunger, nor for bonds; but ever holds his faith with the praises of G.o.d to his life's end.
Those who hewed branches of trees, and with them prepared Christ's way, are the teachers in G.o.d's church, who cull the sayings of the apostles and their successors, and with {215} them direct G.o.d's people to the faith of Christ, that they may be prepared for his way.
The people who walked before Christ, and those who followed him, all sung ”Osanna Filio David,” that is, in our tongue, ”Hail, Son of David.” Those who walked before Christ, are the patriarchs and prophets, who were before Christ's incarnation; and those who went after him, are those who inclined to Christ after his birth, and daily incline to him: and all these sing one hymn; because we and they all hold one faith, as Peter the apostle said, when he spake of the patriarchs, ”We believe that we shall be saved by Christ's grace, as well as they.”
They said, ”Son of David,” because Christ is, according to his human nature, of the great race of David. Of that race was the blessed Mary his mother. They sung, ”Blessed is he who is come in the name of G.o.d.” Jesus came in the name of G.o.d, for the Heavenly Father sent him for our redemption; and in all the miracles which he wrought, he praised and glorified his Father's name. ”Hail, Son of David, in the highest.” The Saviour's advent and his pa.s.sion were salutary both to men and angels; because we increase their host which the fallen devil had diminished; concerning which the apostle Paul said, ”That all heavenly and earthly things should be re-established in Christ.”
Jesus was staying in the temple from this day till now on Thursday, and both with doctrine and with miracles stimulated the people to truth and to right faith. Then the chief men became envious of his doctrine, and machinated with great deliberation how they might bring him to death. Death could not have approached him, if he himself had not willed it, but he came to men because he would be obedient to his Father till death, and redeem mankind from eternal death by his temporary death. Yet did he not compel the Jewish {217} people to slay him, but the devil instigated them to the work, and G.o.d consented to it, for the redemption of all believing mankind.
We have often said, and yet say, that the justice of Christ is so great, that he would not forcibly have taken mankind from the devil, unless he had forfeited them. He forfeited them when he instigated the people to the slaying of Christ, the Almighty G.o.d; and then through his innocent death we were redeemed from eternal death, if we do not destroy ourselves. Then it befell the cruel devil as it does the greedy fish, which sees the bait, and sees not the hook which sticks in the bait; then is greedy after the bait and swallows up the hook with the bait. So it was with the devil: he saw the humanity in Christ, and not the divinity: he then instigated the Jewish people to slay him, and then felt the hook of Christ's divinity, by which he was choked to death, and deprived of all mankind who believe in G.o.d.
Christ's pa.s.sion did not take place on this day, but the four evangelists recorded his sufferings in four narratives: one we read now to-day, and the others in this week. The Jews took him on Friday evening, and held him that night, and on the morrow fixed him on a cross with four nails, and with a spear wounded him. And then about the ninth hour, when he departed, there came two believing men, Joseph and Nicodemus, and buried his corpse before evening in a new tomb, enwrapt in precious garments. And his corpse lay in the sepulchre the Sat.u.r.day night and Sunday night; and the Divinity was during that while in h.e.l.l, and bound the old devil, and took from him Adam, the first-created man, and his wife Eve, and all those of their race who had before given pleasure to G.o.d. Then was the devil sensible of the hook which he had before greedily swallowed. And Christ arose from death on the Easter-Sunday, which will now be in seven days, of which it is more fitting then to speak more fully than it is now: but let us now speak of the dignity of this day.
{219} The custom exists in G.o.d's church, by its doctors established, that everywhere in G.o.d's congregation the priest should bless palm-twigs on this day, and distribute them so blessed to the people; and G.o.d's servants should then sing the hymn which the Jewish people sang before Christ, when he was approaching to his pa.s.sion. We imitate the faithful of that people with this deed, for they bare palm-twigs with hymn before Jesus. Now we should hold our palm until the singer begins the offering-song, and then offer to G.o.d the palm for its betokening. Palm betokens victory. Victorious was Christ when he overcame the great devil and rescued us: and we should also be victorious through G.o.d's might, so that we overcome our evil practices, and all sins, and the devil, and adorn ourselves with good works, and at the end of our life deliver the palm to G.o.d, that is, our victory, and thank him fervently, that we, through his succour, have overcome the devil, so that he could not deceive us.
The death of sinful men is evil and miserable, because they pa.s.s from this short life to everlasting torments: and the death of righteous men is precious, for when they end this life of tribulation they will be brought to the life eternal, and then will their end be as a beginning; for they will not be dead, but will be turned from death to life. The body, which is the garment of the soul, will await the great doom, and though it be rotted to dust, G.o.d will raise it, and will bring together soul and body to eternal life; and then will Christ's promise be fulfilled, who thus said, ”Then shall the righteous s.h.i.+ne as the sun in their Father's kingdom,” who liveth and ruleth ever without end to eternity. Amen.
Church customs forbid any sermon to be said on the three still days.
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