I. Scripture-light the most sure light ... delivered in three sermons on 2 Pet.…

As it was Universal, so it was most extreme, the Schoolmen tell us, That his grief was greater than all other griefs; and indeed,¹ how could it be otherwise; for the more excellent, and worthy the Person is, that doth suffer vile things from those that are vile, the more afflictive is his Affliction to him. Now Christ suffered vile things from the vile, and he was the most excellent Person in the World, the Lord of Life, and of Glory, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God. And the more healthful that any man is, the more afflictive is his death to him: Sickness doth sometimes benumb a man, and takes away the sense of his sickness: but Christ suffered a painful, cruel death in his full strength, and health, being more free from Sicknesses, and Diseases, than any man: yea, the more sensitive the parts are, wherein a man suffers,² the more extreme is his pain: Now those that were crucified, were nailed to the Cross by their Hands and Feet; which parts and places, are the quickest, and fullest of sense, because there is a meeting of all the Ligaments and Sinews; and to be racked in those parts where our sense dwells, what extreme torment is it? Those that were crucified (though they had something to stay their Feet) did hang by their hands: now to have the whole weight of ones Body hanging thus on our pierced hands, and so to die by degrees, what extreme torment must it needs be?³ The less succour the inferior part of Man hath from the Superior part of his Will and Understanding, the more doleful is the pain in the Senses: Now when Christ suffered, he did willingly suspend those Comforts from his Sense, which by way of Sympathy might Naturally have flown in from his Understanding, or supernaturally from the Love of God, and therefore his Sense being left alone as it were, to conflict with those pains, they must be exceeding great, and very dreadful, exceeding doleful, and extremely painful.

As it was Universal, so it was most extream, the Schoolmen tel us, That his grief was greater than al other griefs; and indeed,¹ how could it be otherwise; for the more excellent, and worthy the Person is, that doth suffer vile things from those that are vile, the more afflictive is his Affliction to him. Now Christ suffered vile things from the vile, and he was the most excellent Person in the World, the Lord of Life, and of Glory, who thought it no robbery to be equal with God. And the more healthful that any man is, the more afflictive is his death to him: Sickness doth somtimes benumb a man, and takes away the sence of his sickness: but Christ suffered a painful, cruel death in his ful strength, and health, being more free from Sicknesses, and Diseases, than any man: yea, the more sensitive the parts are, wherein a man suffers,