Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

1. In the way^† he hath a serious conference with his disciples: so the Evangelist; and when they had sung an hymn, they went out towards the mount of Olives, and then saith Jesus unto them, all ye shall be offended because of me this night; for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. Christ now begins the story of his Passion; the shepherd shall be smitten; and he proves it from Gods Decree, and from the Prophecy of the Prophet, Zech. 13.7.² Awake, O Sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow.—Smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered abroad. God the Father is here brought in, as drawing and whetting his Sword, and calling upon it, to do execution against Jesus Christ; God the ⟨p. 342⟩Father had an hand in the sufferings; It pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief. ³—I will smite the shepherd, saith God; it was not a naked permission, but a positive decree, and actual providence of God that Christ should suffer; the plot was long since drawn, and lay hid in Gods bosom, till he was pleased by the actions of men to copy it out, and to give the world a draught of it. This was not a thing of yesterday; no, no; God spent his eternal thoughts about it; the Story was long since written in Zechariah's Book,⁴ and in the Volume of Gods Book; Christ was ordained to be a Lamb slain from the beginning of the world; him being delivered by the determinate council and fore-knowledge of God, ye have taken (saith Peter) and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: the enemies of Christ, though they broke Commands, yet they fulfilled Decrees.⁵ Against thy holy Child Jesus whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and people of Israel were gathered together, for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. The Story of Christ's sufferings was long since taken up, and resolved on in the Councils of Heaven; and now in the way the only begotten Son which lay in the bosom of his Father, reveals this story; he tells his Disciples, It is written, it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered.