A divine herbal together with a forrest of thorns In five sermons. ... By…A divine herball together with a forrest of thornes In five sermons. ... By…

Our sins are thorns to others; some wounding with their direct blows, others with their wipes, all with their examples. Man only hath not felt their blows; our Saviour also so found them: when he was fain for our sakes to set his naked breast, his naked heart, his naked soul against them. They say, the Nightingale sleeps with her breast ⟨p. 140⟩against a thorn, to avoid the Serpent. Christ was content to be wounded, even to sleep to death with thorns, that he might deliver us from that devouring serpent, the great infernal Dragon. His head was not only raked and harrowed with material thorns: ¹Caput Angelicis spiritibus tremebundum coronatur spinis That head which the Angelical spirits adore and tremble at, was crowned with thorns. But these miscall thorns, our iniquities, with fiercer blows drew blood of his soul. They do in a sort still. Heb. 6. 6.² They crucify to themselves the Son of God a fresh, and put him to an open shame. Not in himself, for they cannot: but can them no thanks; they would, if they could: and to themselves they do it. Wretched men, will you not yet let Jesus Christ alone, and be at rest? will you still offer violence to your blessed Saviour; and labour to pull him down from his throne to his Cross; from his peaceful glory at the right hand of his Father, to more sufferings? You condemn the merciless Soldiers, that platted a crown of thorns, ³and put it on his innocent head. Sinful wretch, condemn thy self. Thy sins were those thorns, and far sharper. Thy oppressions, wrongings, and wringings, of his poor brethren, offer him the violence of new wounds: thy oaths, thy frauds, thy pride scratch him like briers. Hear him complaining from heaven, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? These Thorns grow on earth, yet they prick Jesus Christ ⟨p. 141⟩in heaven. Oh we little know the price of a sin, that thus play the executioners with the Lord of life. Think, think; Christ felt your sins as sharp thorns.