faith of these two now breaks our though it had long lain hid as the Sun under a cloud as seed under a clod now they manifest their love to Christ so curelly handled as the true mother did hers to her childe when it was to be cut in two Verse 40. With the spices as the manner of the Jews To testifie their hope of a resurrection In an Apish imitation of whom the Gentiles also though they had no such hope kept a great stir and made much ado about the decent buriall of their dead Habent vespaefavos simiae imitantur homines saith Cyprian Verse 41. A new sepulchre Fit for him that was the first-born from the dead the first-fruits of them that sleep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoâ—â—â— Besides else it might have been said that some other had risen and not he saith Theodoret as Mathomet saith that Christ was not crucified but another for him Verse 42. Because of the Jews That they might not doe servile work on the Sabbath though it were to inter Christs body See Luk. 23.56 CHAPT XX. Verse 1. The first day of the week NOw the Christian Sabbath in honour of Christs resurrection and therefore called The Lords day Revel 1.10 as the holy Supper is called The Lords Supper 1 Cor. 10. as the Saints are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kirk Church The title of the 24th Psalm is A Psalm of David To this the Greek addeth Of the first day of the week meaning that this Psalm was wont to be sung in the Temple every first day of the week which now is the Christians Sabbath and of Christ his Church and Kingdome and the entertaining of his Gospel doth this Psalm intreat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c Ignaâ— ep 3 ad Magnes Let every one of us keep Sabbath saith Ignatius in a spirituallmanner rejoycing in the meditation of the law not in the rest of the body And in those Primitive times when the Question was asked ervasti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Lords-day the answer was returned Christianus sum intermittere non possum I am a Christian and may not do otherwise See veâ—stegan Alâ—â— numerant Feria prima secunda tertia c. The Jews gave that honour to their Sabbath that they named from it all the other daies of the week as the first second third day c. of the Sabbath which we from the Heathens a worse patern name Munday Tuesday Wednesday c. Ex instituto Mercurij Tresmegisti Verse 2. Then she runneth Amor addidit alas Love is impationt of delaies Cant. 2.17 Christ commeth leaping over the Mountains of Bether all manner leâ—s and impediments And the Church as impatient as he bids him Make haste my beloved and be like to a Roe or to a sawn of the Hearts which when it sleeth looketh behinde it saith the Chaldee Paraphrast there She affects not only an union but an unity with him Verse 3. Peter therefore went forth He despaired not though he had grievously fallen The Saints cannot fall so far but that Gods supporting hand is ever under them They may be dowzed over head and ears in the waters of iniquity yea sink twice to the bottom yet shall rise again and recover for the Lord puts under his hand yea as he that stumbleth and yet falleth not gets ground by his stumbling So it is here Verse 4. So they ran both together But the swifter of foot they were the slower in faith for he that believeth maketh not haste Isa 28.16 They believed not fully the refurrection when they heard the news of it and from the Angels too they stirred not but rejected it as a fable Now that they hear though but by a woman only that the Lords body was removed to another sepulchre though that were but a rash report and nothing so they run amain Oh the dulnes that is found in the best Verse 5. Yet went he not in He durst not so some fearfull are afraid of every step saying as Caesar at Rubicon yet we may goe back Pelago se non ita commissuâ— us esser quin quan do liberet pedem reserre posset and as the King of Navar told Beza That he would launch no further into the sea then he might be sure to return safe to the haven Verse 6. Following him and went in John came first Peter entred first Soft and fair goes far Soft fire makes sweet malt Leap Christians are not much to be liked such as quickly step out of profanenesse into profession Hot at hand seldom holds out The stony ground immediately received the seed with joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 13. Prov 4 2â— Prov. 4.18 and started up suddenly but the good ground brings forth fruit with patience or tarriance Walk deliberately and ponder the paths of thy feet as Solomon bids A Christians progresse is as the sun which shines more and more to the perfect day and as the Trumper in Mount Sion Exod. 20. which sounded louder and louder till it was heard all the countrey over Verse 7. And the napkin that was about his head These grave-cloaths were evidences of our Saviours resurrection and are therefore mentioned by the Evangelist But what shift made Paleottus Archbishop of Bonony for matter who wrote a great book of the shadow of Christs dead body in the sindon or linen-cloth wherein it was wrapped This book was also commented upon by the Professour of Divinity there Had not these men little to doe Did they not as one saith Magno conatu magnas nugas agere Tenet insanabile multos scribendi cacoethes Verse 8. And he saw and believed i.e. He believed his own eyes that the Lords body was not in the sepulchre but as Mary Magdalen had told them so they mis-believed that it was taken away to some other place further from Calvary for honours sake that he might not lie buried with the wicked Hence it is that in the next verse it is added that as yet they knew not the Scripture Verse 9. For as yet they knew not the Scripture Which yet was clear enough in this point Ps 16.10 110.1 Isa 53.10 11. The resurrection of our Saviour was not obscurely shadowed out in Adam waking out of sleep Isaac received after a sort from the dead Joseph drawn out of prison to be Lord of Egypt Samson bearing away the gates of Gaza David advanced to the Kingdome when there was but a step betwixt him and death Jonah preferved in the Whales belly c. Verse 10. Went again to their own home Waiting till God should further enlighten both organ and object as Mary also did Luk. 2. Verse 11. Mary stood at the sepulchre weeping Some thinke it was because she conceived that the Jews had gotten away our Saviours dead body to dishonour it as the Popish persecutours digd up Bucers and many other good mens bones to burn them She wept where she had no such cause so doe
lye hath been alwayes held hatefull but equivocation is now set forth of a later impression The Jesuites have called back this pest from hell alate for the comfort of afflicted Catholicks as Arch-Priest Blackwell and Provinciall Garnet shamed not to professe Est autem satanae pectus semper faecundissimum mendacijs saith Luther He began his kingdom by a lye and by lyes he upholds it as were easie to instance See my Notes on Genesis chap. 3. ver 5. Verse 48. That thou art a Samaritan And why a Samaritun trow but that they thought the worst word in their bellies good enough for him Malice cares not what it faith so it may kill or gall and these dead dogs as he calleth Shimci will be barking 2 Sam. 16.9 The Primitive Persecutours used to put Christians into bears and doggs skins or other ugly creatures and then bait them so doth the wicked put the Saints into ugly conceits then speak against them Verse 54. It is my father that honoureth me 1 Sam. 2.30 According to that Them that honour me I will honour this is a bargain of Gods own making Fame follows vertue as the shadow the body or if not yet she is proprio contenta theatro content with her own applause Verse 55. Yet ye have not known him There is a two fold knowledge of God 1. Apprehensive 2. Affective or cognoscitiva standing in speculation and directiva vitae Verse 59. Then took they up stones This is merces mundi the worlds wages Let 's look up with Stephen and see Heaven as he did thorow a showre of stones c. CHAP. IX Verse 1. He saw a man which was blinde THis was enough to move Christ to mercy the sight of a fit object When God sets us up an Altar be we ready with our sacrifice Verse 2. Who did sinne this man Imbuti era â—r Iuâ—ai dogmate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza How could he sinne before he was borne But the Disciples dream't of a Pythagoricall transanimation hence this foolish question Verse 3. But that the works of God c. Hinc Alexander Ales Paena inquit duplicem habet ordinationem Vnam ad culpam quae praecedit alteram ad gloriam quam praecedit God sometimes afflicts for his own glory but sinne is never at the bottome And though God doth not alwayes afflict his for sinne as Job Job 11.6 yet Job shall do well to consider that God exacteth of him lesse then his iniquity deserveth as Zophar telleth him Verse 4. Whiles it is day As other men do Psal 104.22 None can say he shall have twelve houres to his day And night death is a time of receiving wages not of doing worke On this moment depends eternity on the weakest wier hangs the greatest waight Verse 6. Made clay As he did at first in making Man the Poets tell us some such thing of their Prometheus to shew that this cure was done by that Almighty power that he put forth in the Creation Verse 7. He went his way and washed He obeyed Christ blindling He looked not upon Siloam with Syrian eyes as Naaman did upon Jordan but passing by the unlikelihood of a cure by such a means he beleeveth and doeth as he was bidden without sciscitation Verse 16. This man is not of God True if he had indeed made no conscience of keeping the sabbath Sanctifying the Lords day in the primitive times was a badge of Christianity When the question was propounded Christianuâ— suâ—â—intermittere non possum Servasti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Sabbath the answer was returned I am a Christian and may not do otherwise The enemies and hinderers of sanctifying the Sabbath are called unbeleevers vagabonds and wicked fellows Acts 17.2 5. B. White Act and Mon. Sometipsum detestatus est quòd Regi poitùs quam Deo studuisset placere Sâ—uitet Sueton Dio in Veâ—pas That late great Antisabbatarian Prelate so much cast off by the rest after he had served their turns might well have cryed out with Cardinal Wolsey Surely if I had been as carefull to serve God as I was to please men I had not been at this passe How can a man that is a sinner Yes that he may by divine permission or at least he may do something like a miracle as the false prophets and Antichrist Suetonius tells us that Vespasian cured a blinde man by spetting upon his eyes And Dio testifieth that he healed another that had a weak and withered hand by treading upon it And yet Vospasian lived and died a Pagan This therefore was no convincing argument that the Jews here used Verse 17. He is a Prophet The more the Pharisees opposed the truth the more it appeared Veritas abscondi erubescit saith Tertullian The Reformation was much furthered in Germany by the Papists opposition Among many others two Kings wrote against Luther viz. Henry 8th of England and Ludovicus of Hungary This Kingly title being entred into the controversie made men more curious And as it happeneth in combats that the lookers on are ready to favour the weaker and to extoll his actions though they be but mean so here it stirred up a generall inclination toward Luther saith the Authour of the hist of the Councell of Trent Luther also in an epistle to the Electour of Saxony Hist of Count. of Trent fol. 16. triumpheth and derideth the foolish wisedome of the Papists in causing him and the other Protestant Princes Scultet Annal. 274. to rehearse the confession of their faith in a publike Assembly of the states of Germany and in sending copies thereof to all the Courts of Christendome for advice whereby the Gospel was more propagated and the cause of Christ more advanced then if many preachers had been sent out and licensed Verse 21. He is of age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Felix ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Etymologists ut felix sit homo floridae vegetae aetatis Becman corpore animo valens Verse 22. Put out of the Synagogue This was that kinde of excommunication they called Niddui or separation and such were by the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were two other more heavy kinde of excommunications in use among the Jews Cherem and Samatha or Maranatha which they derive as low as from Henoch Jude 14. The Heathens also had their publike execrations not rashly to be used against any Est enim execratio res tristis mali ominis saith Plutarch who therefore highly commends that Athenian Priest that being commanded by the people to curse Alcibiades refused to do it That Archflamen of Rome the Pope is like a wasp Cum pontisex Rom. diras in â—u livic 12. Gall. Regem evomeret Atqui aâ—t rex Precandi ille non imprecandi causa pontisex constitutus est Firron lib. 2. de gest is Gallor no sooner angry but out comes a sting an excommunication which being once out
times Verse 5. Thirty and eight years A long while to be in misery but what is this to eternity of extremity Wee need have some thing to minde us of God to bring us to Christ King Alvered pray'd God to send him alwaies some sicknesse whereby his body might be tamed and he the better disposed and affectioned to God-ward Verse 6. Lam. 3. And knew that he had been c. Christs eye affected his heart he could not but sympathize and succour this poor creeple out of his meer Philanthropy which moveth him still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew mercy according to the measure of our misery whereof he bears a part Heb. 5.2 Verse 7. I have no man c. He looked that Christ should have done him that good office and could not think of any other way of cure How easie is it with us to measure God by our â—â—odell to cast him into our mould to think that he must needâ— go our way to work Verse 8. Rise take up thy bed c. A servile work upon the Sabbath-day This our Saviour here commands not as a servile work but for confirmation of the truth of a miracle greatly tending to Gods glory like as another time he bad them give meat to the Damosell he had raised not for any necessity but to ensure the cure Verse 9. Dei dicere est efficere Andimmediately the man Christs words are operative together with his commands there goes forth a power as Luk. 5.17 So they were in the Creation Gen. 1. So they are still in regeneration Isa 59.21 Verse 10. It is the Sabbath it is not lawfull c. Verè sed non sincerè It more troubled them that Christ had healed him then that the Sabbath had been broken by him The poorer Swedes alwaies break the Sabbath saying that its only for Gentlemen to keep that day Verse 11. He that made me whole c. So it seems Christ had healed him in part on the inside also and given him a ready heart to obey though it were contra gentes as they say Verse 12. What man is he Not that made thee whole but that bad thee take up thy bed c. They dissembled the former and insisted only upon the later which shews the naughtinesse of their hearts Verse 13. Had convey'd himself away Lest by his present that work should be hinder'd True goodnesse is publike spirited though to private disadvantage and works for most part unobserved as the engine that doth all in great businesses is oft inward hidden not taken notice of Verse 14. Findeth him in the Temple Praising God likely for his unexpected recovery So Hezekiah the first work he did when off his sick-bed Isa 38.22 Behold thou art made whole c. Hence is 1. Magdeburgens praef ad cent 5. Commemoratio beneficij 2. Commonitio offâ—eij 3. Comminatio supplicij Ingentia beneficia ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia Verse 15. Told the Jews Of a good intent surely to honour Christ however it were taken by the spitefull Jews Probi ex suà naturâ caeteros fingunt The Disciples could not imagine so ill of Judas as it proved Mary Magdalen thought the Gardener who ever he were should have known as much and loved Jesus as well as she did Verse 16. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus This he foreknew would follow and yet he forbare not In the discharge of our consciences rightly informed and regulated we must not stand to cast perils but doe our duties zealously what ever come of it This courage in Christians Heathens counted obstinacy but they knew not the power of â—he Spirit 〈◊〉 the privie armour of prooff that Saints have about their 〈◊〉 Verse 17. My Father worketh Yet 〈◊〉 labour or lassitude in conserving the whole creature This he doth every day and yet breaketh not the Sabbath Erge nec ego Verse 18. The Jews sought the more Persecution is as Calvin wrote to the French King Evangelij genius the bad genius the devil that dogs the Gospel Ecclesia harts crucis saith Luther Veritas odiurn parit Ter. Truth breeds hatred saith the Heathen as the fair Nymphes did the ill-favoured Fauns and Satyrs Verse 19. The Sonne can doe nothing c. He denies not himself to be the Son though they quarrell'd him but sweetly sets forth the doctrine of his Deity which they so much stomacked and stumbled at Verse 20. For the Father loveth the Son This noteth that eternall power of doing miracles that is in Christ As that which follows He will shew him greater works c. is to be referred to the declaration of that his power That ye may wonder Though ye beleeve not for such was the hardnesse of their hearts grown as neither ministery misery miracle nor mercy could possibly mollifie Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish Acts 13.41 Verse 21. Raiseth up the dead Bringing them from the jawes of death to the joyes of eternall life which none can do but God alone Verse 22. The Father judgeth no man viz. The Father alone but by the Son to whom all judicatory power is committed Verse 23. He that honoureth not the Son As Jews and Turks do not Nor Papists that upon the matter despoile him of his threefold office and so deny the Lord that bought them Verse 24. He that heareth my Word As death came into the world by the door of the ear so doth life eternall Isa 55.3 God was in the still voice and the Oracle bad Hear ye 〈◊〉 Mat. 17. Verse 25. The dead shall hear the voice The 〈…〉 shall beleeve the promises and shall live the life of 〈…〉 and of glory in Heaven Verse 26. So hath he given to the Son What wonder then if faith apprehending the infinite fountain of life derive thence some rivelet of 〈◊〉 and apply the same to us for spirituall quickning Verse 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Because he is the Son of man Or as he is the Son of man By vertue of the hypâ—st arâ—â—â—ll union his manhood came as neer to God as could be He had the best naturall parts both of minde Isa 11.2 3. and body Psal 45.2 and the best supernaturall whereby he found favour also with God Luk. 2.52 for he had more neer familiarity with the Godhead then ever had any creature together with a partner-agency with his Godhead in the works of mediation 1 Tim. 2.5 In the state of exaltation the Manhood hath 1. excesse of glory 2 the grace of adoration together with the Godhead 3. Judiciary power as here and Act. 17.30 Verse 28. Marvell not at this And yet who can but marvell at this great mystery of godlinesse whereat Angels stand amazed yea whereat he himselfe wonders and therefore calls his own Name Wonderfull Isa 9.6 It is truly affirmed of Christ Mirari decet non rimari that he is created and uncreated without beginning and yet