death but the evil of death not the being but the sting of it as whilome he suffered Esau to meet his Jacob but first he drave all enmity out of the heart of that Esau Gen. 33.4 This is one degree of the change which Christ has wrought in the nature of death to his Servants that it hath no power over them to hurt them they shall not be hurt of this second death Revel 2.11 who overcome the first that of the soul by sin conquer that by Faith and thou subduest the fear of this He that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live John 11 25. he shall chaunt out S. Pauls triumph 1 Cor. 15. O Death where is thy sting O Grave where is thy victory This is one degree but this is not all 't is not enough to make us blessed that death hurts us not it must be forc'd against the own nature of it to help us it is a part as being a means of our happinesse that we die Thou fool that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die 1 Cor. 15.36 so that the very blow we receive from this hard hand is healing that which our sin made to be our last enemy the goodnesse of God hath made the first friend that we meet with in our passage to another world When a child sees a goodly cluster of ripe Grapes he thinks it pity to put them into the presse and to deface them but the skilfull man knows that this hard usage preserves the liquor of them from corruption we are sometimes these ignorant children we think it pity that such a holy devout religious good man should die alas he can be ill spared yet God in his wisdome makes this man thus ripe for heaven the more happy by death it selfe he fals into the ground that he may bring forth much fruit Jo. 12.24 This is the true ground beloved of all our spirituall rejoycing upon our Death-bed that we know we leave this for an infinitely better life that we can say with the Apostle Phil. 1.21 Mori mihi lucrum we gain by this change That we receive no hurt by death that it is at the worst but a sleep in which we rest from our labours this is much but that we should reap profit and honour that the Crown of Righteousnesse is layd up for us that the reward of our works doth follow us this is all this is the very blessednesse of the dead that die in the Lord. The former is sufficient to inforce the Apostles Exhortation 1 Thess 4.13 concerning them who are asleep that we sorrow not for them but this is able to make us so affected toward our Brethren when they go before us to our heavenly Father as our Saviour Christ would have his Disciples affected towards him upon the like occasion If ye loved me ye would rejoice because I said I go unto the Father John 14.28 Be not sorry not only so but rejoice rather because as Solomon taught long since the day of death is not so sad is better more joyous than the day of our birth Eccl. 7.1 If any man could have found a life worthy to be prefer'd unto death so wise great and glorious a King must needs have done it and yet he in his very Throne commends his Coffin above his Scepter and would rather choose to be a subject for worms to feed upon than a Prince of men This makes us no more to marvel at those Heathens who mourned at the birth and feasted at the death of their children and yet alas they had not halfe the cause that we have of rejoycing they knew some of the miseries that accompanied this life what troubles and cares and anxieties and wants men passed through what crosses and calamities they indure here which are the punishments of sin but sin it selfe the greatest burden of this life the sorest evil that waits upon and makes it most wearisome this malum culpae this evil of sin they were not as they ought aware of and yet they were so affected with the feeling of those other ills that they made merry at the death of their friends out of a miserable conceit they had that they then ceased to be miserable We know what they did and more we understand the wretchednesse of living in this vale of tears and we understand what causes it the snares of sin from which we are loosed when we are freed out of the prison of this body he that is dead Rom. 6.7 is free from sin We understand the Happinesse of dying that it not only unfetters us from these chains of sin an shame but conveyes us to an eternity of holinesse and glory How should we cheer our selves in this expectation yea assurance of being so happy How should we say out of choice and faith what the Prophet Jonah said out of bitter passion It is better for me to die Jon. 4.3 than to live to die in the Lord for such when they are dead are blessed It is time for us to have done with this first discourse Part. 2 which the Text ministers unto us concerning death and the bitternesse of it in it selfe to the natural man and the sweetnesse which Christ by his death hath infused into it to all that die in him Now turn your thoughts with patience 't is high time to beg that upon the other subject-matter of the Text Blessednesse A subject that we shall finde of as great importance and as nearly to concern every of us as the other If that were needfull to us for the weaning our affection from the vanities of this world this is as usefull for the inflaming those affections toward the glory of another World Forget not the former but afford this also some time of meditation by no means lose the memory of death Be as wise in this point as those wise men Philosophers of India who were called Brachmanae they would have open Sepulchres placed before the doors of their houses that as they went out and in they might think of that place whether they must go at last that was a bridle to them with which they held themselves in awe and let us still place our graves before the door of our minds and imagine we hear God speaking to us as to his Prophet Jeremy Descende in domum figuli Go down to the Potters house Jer. 18.2 and there I will cause thee to hear my words God could have spoken with his Prophet in any other place as well as that where men were busied about clay but he would thereby admonish us that the Tombs of dead men where all humane clay all the carkasses of men that were made of clay and of which clay is made are gathered together as in a Potters house that these are the fittest Schools of wisdome to us there God usually expounds unto his Auditors the most deep and hidden mysteries of wisdome there not with logical Sophisms but by
them and the esteem which the people had of them daily to decrease This drives them to a consultation what pity it is so holsome a word should be infected by their conspiracy for to make him away and to censure whosoever should acknowledge him to be the Messiah The Messiah in the mean while bestirs himselfe he knowes he has not much time through Judea and Galilee to bid a farewel to his Auditors whom he had lately foretold of his passion and death They poor souls hearing they were like to lose him and having had good trial of his miraculous power and what good they had received from him by the imposition of his hands and by his prayer now therefore as Joseph when he hears his old Father Jacob is sick makes haste to bring his yong sons unto him that he may lay his hands on them and they may partake of his blessing ere he leaves them Gen. 48.1 so these here come with their babes i' their arms that they also may receive some benediction from him before his last departure that he should lay his hands on them saies the Text and pray That was their part The next part was acted by the Disciples but not so well they were out i' their part nothing like the Disciples of such a Master we cannot here say of them as he of Theophrastus his Scholar Vt Christi Discipulos possis agnoscere They whom he had entertained for that service sake specially to be Fishers of men to get all into their nets to draw all to him they must be the forwardest to make them stand back to forbid their approach I to rebuke them that brought them who did in this perform the duty of Disciples better than they But now enters the best Actor i'th is Scene he spake Never man spake like this man John 7.46 he put life and spirit into his words the words that I spake unto you saies himselfe they are spirit and they are life 6.63 and his speech was not without action they go together in this story a comfortable speech a charitable action Suffer little children to come unto me and forbid them not c. there is his speech he laid his hands on them S. Mark tels what he did more he took them up in his arms put his hands on them and blessed them Mark 10.16 that 's his action Of all these we have only the last and best Actor to intend at this time and in him if we can make good use of his speech alone 't will be an hour well spent so much was the Text read at first Suffer little children to come c. It is Christs general command Division concerning the Children of believing Parents for such were these and of such he speakes that they be admitted to him An absolute command and a reasonable one and shewed to be so he gives a Reason of it as a righteous Lord who does not though his least word might bind us to strict obedience inforce any thing by his absolute and meer anthority but deals reasonably and justly with us he gives an account of whom no man wisely durst ask What doest thou why doest thou this So there is not only a command in the Text Suffer them to come but a reason of it also for of such is c. Two general parts And the command it selfe is not lightly given lest so they should slight it Sub-division but to shew the importance of it and the necessity of the duty he charges it upon them a second time he commands affirmatively and he commands negatively there is Sinite and there is Ne prohibite Suffer them that is once and again I say unto you Forbid them not So there be two points in the first part And in the Reason too there is an Observation that scarce any Expositor misses whom I have read upon the place that in the Original it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not illorum theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven but talium of such is c. So in all the three Evangelists and that saies Musculus and indeed who not is much more than if he had said theirs to give notice that not only those little ones did belong to Heaven but also that they did so belong to it that whosoever were not like them were not such a one as they he must have no entrance there And this observation will require also a two-fold discourse in the second part one for Illorum and another for Talium the first for these children their right to this Kingdome for they are included the second for those that are like them and that whosoever is not such is excluded We begin with the Command and first with the affirmative part of it Sinite parvulos Suffer little children to come unto me Christ therefore came to us Sinite that he might make us able to come to him And as his comming to us was generall not to some one man not to some one Family not to some one People but in Mundum into the whole World Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 As he came to all so he invites all to come to him Venite omnes Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all If the Jew may come the Greek may come also if the free may come the bond may come also if the Male may come the Female may come also and as S. Paul speaks there Gal. 3.27 concerning Nations and Sexes and Conditions of life that there is no difference they are all alike in this respect There is neither Jew nor Greek there is neither bond nor free there is neither Male nor Female ye are all one in Christ Jesus So may we go further upon the same ground to all estates all fortunes all ages there is neither noble nor ignoble there is neither rich nor poor there is neither old nor yong there is neither man nor child but as both of them are Homo so all of them are unum Omnes unum ye are all one in Christ Jesus But yet lest Generalities should not take enough deep impression in mens mindes and that these little children who are not able to plead their owne cause nor to urge the strength of this Grant which they have as largely from God as any others lest they should lie neglected as not contained in the Roll of them that are invited as if Christ had not room and entertainment for their children as well as themselvs when they come to his House therefore upon the sight of these Children he does from them as from thender flowers gather the sweet comfort of this more particular Doctrine to feed his Disciples with add after this general invitation Matth. 11. he claps down this as a Postscript that they be not left out Sinite parvulos bring them with you too he that provides for Pulli Corvorum Job 38.41 the young ones of the Ravens and is still a
not a different command yet the same because the second time uttered with a more intensive and forcible affection Many with me do observe here that the repetition of the Injunction does argue the earnestnesse of Christs Will and Law to have it take place for ever commonly an ingemination either of one and the same word again repeated or of sundry words bearing the same sence gives as 't were a double strength to the declaration of what is delivered Noct. Att. 13.23 as Phavorinus in A. Gellius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 War not any longer beloved yong men nor fight together where both the words signifie the same thing saith yet that the addition of the second word though adding nothing in signification to the former is not to make up the verse but as they continued in their strife so duplex eadem compellatio admonitionem facit instantiorem his second time urging the same manner of speech did give the more earnestnesse to his advice and though they were the same words in sence yet one might very well think them to be others quia aures animum saepius feriunt because they beat upon the ears and minde of a man more often therefore Suffer them to come I and beside that Forbid them not A repetition that one of us at first would think needlesse and that none would be so hard-hearted to repell such Innocents yet something sure there was that ministred occasion to this which seems so needlesse a behest and we need not look far for it the last words before the Text tell us that the Disciples rebuked them why they should do so would be enquired and it will be no hard matter to guesse at it for the best do no more than as probability of Reason leads them seeing it is not exprest in the Text of one thing they are all agreed they will not and we must not be too harsh in our censure upon the Disciples what was not the cause not envy in them or ill will toward the children or their friends that brought them And for what was the cause in the general there is no great difference a wrong-grounded zeal that they bare towards their Master such a one as S. Paul discovered to be in Israel Rom. 10.2 that they had a zeal but not according to knowledge S. Chrysostome saies 't was zeal of his Honour for they ran regardlesly to him and almost upon him and so Theophylact conjectures that the women came in disordered heaps thronging about him with their children for a blessing and this they thought some disparagement to the dignity and authority of his Doctrine that he should have any thing to do with Children S. Jerome is of opinion that they had regard to his ease in so doing that he should not be press'd too much and wearied with the throng and he there-hence argues the imperfection of their faith and with him agrees S. Ambrose in his Comment upon S. Luke that it was their observance toward their Master to avoid the trouble of the croud Again whereas the common causes of mens comming to him were either to receive the benefit of instruction from his Doctrine or the ease from some infirmity by the power of his Miracles these were not sick might the Disciples think and so not in need of the one they were Children and therefore not capable of the other But these were the thoughts of men who judged of Christ by their carnall sence and according to his outward appearance and yet not unlikely to be the Disciples errors especially the first of them which men are prone to run upon they are needlesly afraid to think too meanly of Christ and that has been the cause of too many superstitions in the Church this one amongst the rest that men become Suitors to the Saints in Heaven to mediate their Prayers to God because they think it dishonorable to Christ to be the common Advocate as also to fear to think too honorably of him and to deal too bountifully with him in his House and Houshold has been the cause of prophanations more than enow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 betwixt both the Mean would do well Whatever was the ground Vse let us make this use of it to consider how God still orders every evil action to some good end how all things work together for good Rom. 8.28 to them that love God how from this very slip of his Disciples which he suffered them to fall into he is pleased to take occasion the more to manifest his love to little Children and to leave this sweet and comfortable saying amongst the rest of his Monuments as a Testimony of it to all posterity Suffer little Children to come unto me so much the rather forbid them not But is there no more required on our part Baptism only to suffer them not to forbid them Yes That was specially directed to those whom it chiefly concerns to admit them to him his Disciples and their Successors the Ministers of his Word and Sacraments the rest must do more help them forward lend them feet to bring them when they cannot run with their own feet saies S. Serm. 10. De verbis Apostoli Austin they run by the help of others Accommodat illis Mater Ecclesia aliorum pedes ut veniant And 't is no more than that which was so long since foretold by the Prophet Isaiah in his Prophecy of the ample Restauration of the Church chap. 49.22 They shall bring thy Sons in their arms and thy Daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders But whither so fast with these Sons and these Daughters that are carried why to Christ no question thither the Text calls them True but the way to him No other left us by his direction for our first entrance but Baptism to that our Church Liturgy applies this Text nor is there any of our Ancient Writers but does so yea in a manner appropriate it thereto and wheresoever they treat of Baptism ever this verse comes in that has made some of them call Baptism Introitum ad Regnum Coelorum Heavens entry Some the Sacrament of Initiation Some the Door Some the Gate of Heaven For whereas no man can come to Christ except he be a New man and we are all born with the corruption of the Old man upon us Quod natum ex carne caro John 3.6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh Conceived in sin and born in iniquity Psal 51.5 and therefore Natura filii irae S. Paul assures us Sons of wrath by nature Eph. 2.3 Not filioli here grown Sons of great wrath Therefore of necessity we must be renewed regenerate born once again Nisi quis Renatus fuerit John 3.3 Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God born of the spirit if we will leave to be flesh Quod natum ex spiritu spiritus That which is born of the spirit is spirit he is the