rather had good assurance of this which is present and in stead of wishing and wayting tremble at the mention of Christ his comming againe Yet most of these men professors of Christ all of them baptized into his name and all of them will be reputed as good Christians as the best But all this forenamed course hath no sauour or rellish of heauen all that take it vp minde nothing but earthly things and the end of it without timely repentance will be damnation The fourth generall point is the time of Chists resurrection set downe in the text to be the third day To vnderstand which we must knowe that Christ lay not in the graue three whole naturall dayes each of them standing of 24. houres for then he should haue laine 72. houres and haue risen also on the fourth day whereas he lay not in the graue aboue 39. houres and rise on the third But the Scripture vseth a grace or forme of speach whereby two parts of dayes are called by the whole and three dayes put for the time which passed in three seuerall dayes euery day hauing his night belonging vnto him The first day of the three saith Augustine is to be reckoned by his latter part in which Christ was dead and buried not passing three houres of the foure and twentie yet so as both the night before when the Iewes day begunne and the most of that day was spent in taking examining whipping misusing condemning and executing him The second day is to be accounted wholly and perfect from the euening of the day before the passeouer to the euening of the Saboath following standing of full 24. houres The third day is to be accounted from the former part of it beginning at the euening of the Iewish Saboath for Christ lay all night neere twelue houres in the graue and rose in the morning betime about the midst of that naturall day standing of 24. houres And thus is Christ truly said to haue risen the third day Now that Christ should rise the third day and no sooner nor later these reasons shew 1. Hee must rise the third day according to the Scriptures For they had foretold this to be the particular time Hos. 6.2 After two daies hee will reuiue vs and in the third day hee will raise vs vp namely in his owne person for we also were raised with him as we haue seene The Scriptures had also further figured this distinct time in the type of Ionas who hauing laid three daies and three nights in the bellie of the whale was the third day cast on the drie land as our Sauiour himselfe while hee was yet aliue expounded of himselfe Math. 12.40 As Ionas was in the bellie of the whale three daies and three nights so shall the Sonne of man be three daies and three nights in the heart of the earth 2. It pleased him not to rise sooner hee would not presently come downe from the crosse nor reuiue himselfe before hee was buried nor rise presently after hee was laid downe as hee easily could because he would manifest that hee was truly dead as also because hee would lead his Church into some suspense therefore he rose not till the case seemed desperate Luk. 24.21 We trusted that it had beene hee that should haue deliuered Israel and as touching all these things this is the third day that they were done Again hee would no longer deferre his rising 1. least he should vtterly haue endangered the faith of the Disciples which in that short time was sore shaken as not only the former example but the heauinesse of the Disciples themselues to beleeue the newes of it and the wilfulnesse of Thomas plainely bewrayeth 2. Because vpon this euent and keeping touch in this very circumstance of time he had laid all the credit of his person ministerie doctrine miracles life and death For when they come to aske him a signe to prooue himselfe the Messiah he referreth them to this euent after his death that when they had destroied the Temple of his bodie if hee did raise it either after or before the third day or did not on that day raise it they should neuer take him for the Messiah And of this verie circumstance Angels and men had taken notice from his owne mouth Luk. 24.7 when the women came to the sepulchre to seeke Christ after he was newly risen the Angels told them hee was risen he was not there and further wisheth them to remember what he had said to them while he was with them that the third day hee must rise againe nay not only his freinds but his verie enemies had got this by the end and therefore came to Pilat saying sir we remember that this deceiuer said that hee would rise the third day let vs take such order that the last error become not worse then the first 3. The blessed bodie of Christ was not to enter into the least or lowest degree of corruption and therefore hee would lie no longer in the house of corruption Quest. But how could his bodie be preserued so long seeing Lazarus his bodie and our bodies in that time enter into many degrees of it Answ. Christ was indeed balmed and sweetned with odours but all this could not haue preserued him if his soule and bodie had not now beene freed from sinne the mother of corruption Obiect But hee had sinne imputed vnto him Answ. Yea but hee had ouercome all that and slaine it on the crosse for had he not destroied it himselfe had beene destroied by it and subdued for euer vnder the corruption of it In all which regards that is verefied which himselfe beeing risen affirmed Luk. 24.46 Thus it is written and thus it behooueth Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the third day Other things the Euangelists obserue in this circumstance as that it was the first day of the week that is the first day wherein he had created the heauens and the earth and wherein he would create now a new heauen and a new earth and as before he had set vp a meruailous frame of the world but since exceedingly shaken and defaced by sinne he would now restore the world againe and repaire the ruins of it by abolishing sinne as formerly he had filled heauen and earth with the glorie of his power in creation so would he now fill them with the glorie of his power in redemption which is a second creation Hence is it that that day is now conuerted into the Christian Sabbath and called the Lords day or if you wil Sunday but not as the heathen in honour of the sun but as Christians in honour of the the Sunne of righteousnesse Againe the Gospel noteth that this our glorious Sunne rose about sunne rising earely in the morning or a little before it Matth. 28.1 To shewe vnto vs 1. the power of his Godhead who could while his bodie was dead performe the promise which he had
is hee that commeth in the name of the Lord. As if hee had said from henceforth namely after you haue crucified mee yee shall not see mee till the end of the world when I shall come againe which comming some few of you namely that are elect shall gratulate vnto mee and say blessed is hee which commeth in the name of the Lord. And perhappes as some interpret it all you who now reiect mee as a vile person wil then but too late and to no profit of your owne either by force or in imitation of the godly acknowledge mee the blessed that commeth in the name of the Lord and to this also maketh that Math. 26.64 where giuing a reason of his confession to Pilat that he was the Christ the Sonne of God hee telleth them that they shall hereafter see the Sonne of man but not before hee be sitting at the right hand of the power of God and comming in the cloudes of heauen 6. It appeareth that many more of the Iewes were more convinced in their consciences and pricked in their hearts for crucifying the Lord of glorie by the preaching and ministerie of the Apostles then they would haue beene by the sight of Christ himselfe In the second fourth fifth and seauenth Chapters of the Acts it euidently appeareth how by the Apostles direct dealing against their sinnes many thousands were conuerted at some one sermons and how many were daitly added vnto the Church whose faith was farre more sound in that they attained the blessing which Christ pronounced vpon those that beleeued and yet had not seene All which teacheth vs that in matter of diuinitie we must alwaies subscribe to Gods wisedome shutting vp our owne eyes If wee haue a word to beleeue any thing or to doe any thing although our reason bee vtterly against it though custome though example yet must we followe our direction esteeming the word as our pillar of the cloud by day and our pillar of fire by night to guide all our motions while we are wandring in the wildernesse of this world and euen till we attaine the rest which is prepared for the people of God But vnto the witnesses chosen before of God We reade of many and sundrie sorts of witnesses of Christ his resurrection and therefore it is worth inquirie which of them are here to be vnderstood 1. There was a diuine witnes of the Angels Luk. 24.6 Why seeke yee the liuing among the dead he is not here but is risen Secondly there was a reall witnesse of the Saints that rose againe with him and appeared to many to the ende that they might testifie of his resurrection which wee doubt not but they did both by their appearing and by word of mouth also Thirdly there was a forced testimonie of the souldiers Matth. 28.11 They came into the citie and told all things that were done whos 's first report was a maine proofe of the truth of the thing howsoeuer after they were hired to turne their tongues Fourthly there was the witnesse of the disciples and followers of Christ and this was either priuate or publike The priuate witnesse was of many priuate Christians not onely men but women also who followed Christ who also were by Christ vouchsafed to be the first preachers of it euen vnto the Apostles themselues as we read of Marie Magdalen Marie the mother of Ioses Salome Ioanna and diuerse others Such was the tesâ—â—monie of the two disciples who went betweene Ierusalem and Emaus to whom Christ made himselfe knowne the verie day of his resurrection and yet were no Apostles Thus were many other priuate Christians vndoubted witnesses of the resurrection who no doubt sawe and heard him in many of his apparitions as well as the Apostles themselues in so much as Paul saith that hee was seene of more then fiue hundreth brethren at once But the text is not meant of any of these sorts but restraineth it selfe to the publicke witnesses euen the twelue Apostles who were to carrie the tydings of this with the other Articles of Christian faith throughout the whole world For 1. these witnesses are said to be chosen of God which word is borrowed from the elections of men who were set apart to their seuerall offices by laâ—ing on of mens hands vpon them euen so God laid his hands on these that is Christ immediately by his owne voice called these to be witnesses vnto him which was one of the priuiledges of the Apostles 2. The Apostle in the words expresseth himselfe by limiting them to themselues to vs namely Apostles who eate and drunke with him not only who before his death liued as it were at bed and board with him but after he rose from the dead that wee might not be deceiued in our witnesse of him 3. To vs whom he commanded to preach and testifie namely to the whole world these things together with his comming againe to iudgement Now for the further clearing of this publike witnesse of the Apostles wee will consider three things 1. That these twelue were appointed by Christ himselfe to this witnesse which the Apostle Peter plainly concludeth Act. 1.22 where speaking of one to be elected into Iudas his roome he saith he must be chosen of one of them which haue companied with vs all the time that the Lord Iesus was conversant among vs beginning at the baptisme of Iohn vnto the day that he was taken vp implying that whosoeuer was not thus qualified he was not fit to be made such a publike witnesse with them of his resurrection because to the making of an Apostle was necessarie either an ordinarie conuerse with Christ vpon earth or els an extraordinarie sight of him in heauen by which latter Paul who made an honourable accesse to that number proued himselfe an Apostle The second thing is how they were furnished to this witnesses and this was sundrie wayes 1. by their senses they ate and drunke with him that is were in a familiar sort conuersant with him after he rose againe 2. by word of mouth he gaue them charge and commandement to doe it of both which we are to speake in the text 3. by a Sacrament or signe of breathing vpon them he confirmed them to their vocation saying as my father sent me so I send you 4. by adding thereunto the thing signified for he opened their vnderstandings and made them able to conceiue the Scriptures and vnfold all the mysteries therein so farre as was behoouefull for the Church 5. by bestowing sundrie other great gifts vpon them sending the holy Ghost vpon them in the likenesse of fiery tongues whereby they receiued the gift of toÌ„gues the gift of miracles of casting out Deuills of healing the sicke by imposition of hands of preseruing from poyson and deadly things of the apostolicall rodde whereby death it selfe was at the command of their word either to take place as in Ananias and Saphira both strucke dead with the word of
action hath passed from thee for which thou cansts not bring thy ground thence the same will cast thee in iudgement This is that our Sauiour telleth the Iewes the word that I speake shall iudge you at the last day Thirdly this iudgement of Christ shall be most strict and accurate 1. In regard of the persons that shall be iudged who shall bee enquired into and brought to giue accounts of themselues not only generally as men or Christians but in special according to the particular places and courses of life wherein they were set in this world For exampleâ— publike persons must giue account for theÌ„selues and others that haue been committed vnto them magistrates for their people ministers for their flockes both of them how they entred how they ruled how they walked in out before their people what faithfulnes they vsed in discouering and discountenancing sinne and vngodlynes how diligent they haue beene to drawe and force men to the keeping of the two tables how they haue acquitted themselues from communicating in other mens sinnes and whether they haue faithfully in their places denounced and executed the iudgements of God whilest both of them haue stood in the roome of God In like manner priuate men must be counteable noâ— onely for themselues but for all those that are vnder their charge as Fathers for the education of their children masters for the instructing and gouerning of their seruants and family tutors for their care or negligence towards such as are committed vnto them for the rule of the Law is generall and will take fast hold vpon many a soule that thinke it enough to looke to themselues that whosoeuer hindreth not that sinne which he can hinder by good meanes committeth it Be now thine owne iudge whether thou hast well looked to one when thou hast neglected to reforme the disorders of such as God hath put vnder thy power Thou hast not a person in thy house but if it any way perish vnder thy hands thou must giue account of the life of it to the parents of it or to the Magistrate the parent of the country in like manner there is not the meanest soule in thy family but if it perish by thy default for want of instruction correction or wise gouernment of it thou shalt be called before the God of the spirits of all flesh and shalt be arraigned and condemned for the blood of that soule And this is not to beare the burden of that soule which beareth the waight of it owne sinne but to beare thine owne sinne in not preuenting that euil from him which by thy negligence came vpon him Secondly it shall bee strict in regard of the things either receiued of vs or done by vs. Account must be made what goods of our Masters we haue receiued both for the kinds and measure What number of talents were committed to our trust If one or moe how we haue laid them out what we haue gained whether we haue faithfully returned this gaine to our master as hauing sought his aduantage and not our owne how we haue husbanded our opportunities and redeemed our times how we haue employed the gifts of our minds vnderstanding iudgement wisedome learning memorie how we haue vsed or abused to sinne the strength health and beautie of our bodies how we haue iustly and charitably receiued in and retailed out the matter of our maintenance and reuennew And in all these lesser things if our vnfaithfulnesse be found out let vs neuer looke to haue greater matters committed vnto vs for the things that are done by vs they shall all be straitly iudged whether they are conformable to the law the rule of righteousnesse or acceptable by the Gospel the restorer of our righteousnes Eccl. 12.14 God will bring euery worke into iudgement good or euill open or secret for all things are naked before him with whome we are to deale he planted the eare and must needs heare and formed the eie and therefore must needs see things secret and couered with darkenesse Hence is he said to haue bookes and to open them because all things are as certainely recorded and registred by him as if he had registers in heauen to keepe roles and records of all that euer were or shall be to the end Yea he hath not onely his owne bookes of iudgement in heauen but for more surenesse that nothing escape him he hath millions of bookes of record in earth that shall all helpe forward his iudgement and giue testimonie to the righteousnesse of it so as euerie mouth shall bee stopped at that day and these are the bookes of euery mans particular conscience which howsoeuer they bee now shut or as roles folded vp yet shall they also then be opened and vnfolded to giue witnesse of whatsoeuer any man hath spoken or done in the flesh be it good or euill 3. This iudgement shall be strict in regard of euery mans words Iude 15. In this iudgement hee shall rebuke all the vngodly of all the cruell speaâ—kings which wicked sinners haue spoken against him For if of euery idle word we must giue account to God much more of euery wicked word Euery man thinketh words are but winde and hee may speake his minde and hee hath done but in this iudgement by thy words thou shalt be iustified or by thy words thou shalt be condemned and though thou when thou hast spoken thy minde against thy brother hast done the Iudge hath not done with thee 4. It shall be strict in regard of euery mans thoughts for euen these are not so free as men say they are nor shall goe scot free for euen they are bound to the conformitie of the law as well as our words and actions The commandement is very expresse Thou shalt worship the Lord with all thy heart and all thy thought and all thy strength and when the Apostle Paul would note the damnable estate of the Ephesians before they were called to the faith he setteth it forth in this that they then followed the will and counsell of their own thoughts Adde hereunto that the Lord Iesus is the seer the searcher and iudge of the heart and therefore hereby shall the throne of his iudgement be advanced aboue all the tribunals in the world in that the most secret thoughts and reasonings of mens hearts cannot escape him which the highest seats of iustice amongst men can take no notice of at all Vse 1. Let this doctrine abate somewhat the pleasure of sinne which most men swallow vp so delightfully yea and glorie in their iniquitie when they can carrie it so close and cleare away that men see it not and can stoppe the cry of their â—eared conscience for the present but remember that God hath written it vp and the time hasteneth when that conscience of thine now in a dead sleepe and seared vp shall be awakened and become as a thousand witnesses against thee that if all other
examining of our selues and this is when we search and fanne our selues when we sift the secret corners of our hearts and enquire narrowly and without partiallitie What haue I done that looke as the Kings Attornie sifteth out and exaggerateth euery circumstance of the crime against a Traytor at the barre to make his offence as foule as can be so should we become the King of heauen his attournie against our selues not lessning or mincing and much lesse excusing hiding or defending any sinne but labour to see our sinne in euery circumstance and make it as vile as we can that our hearts may be convinced and beaten downe in the sence of our miserie For this purpose lay thy life and euery particular action of it to the law of God that as a straight line will shew thee all thy crookednesse and fetch thee in by such circumstances as whereby thou shalt not content thy selfe with a confession in grosse that thou art a sinner but shalt confesse thy sinne to be out of measure sinnefull But many a Christian is like a desperate bankcrupt who beeing afraid to looke into his reckonings goeth on till hee be clapt vp in prison and at length they see there was no heauenly husbandrie in all this Thirdly In confessing our sinne and pleading guiltie this is the couenant that whereas hee that hideth his sinne shall not prosper hee that confesseth shall find mercie Psal. 32.4 I said I will confesse my iniquitie and thou forgauest mee the punishment of my sinne It is too neere ioyned to our natures to hide our sinne with Adam and concâ—ile it in our bosome or else to summe vp all in a word without speciall greefe for any speciall sinne and herein they thinke they haue peace which is but vnfeelingnesse But those that belong to God he bringeth them to sound humiliation hee maketh them sicke in smiting them and setteth their sinnes in order before them like a bill of parcells to the breaking of their hearts and the vtter acknowledgement of themselues to be miserable bankâ—rupts For this purpose he maketh their owne consciences also to be iudges of their actions pronouncing sentence of guiltinesse and death against themselues As Dauid Against thee against thee haue I sinned and againe I am the man and againe I haue done very foolishly but these sheepe what haue they done The penitent theefe thus iudgeth himselfe we are righteously here To conclude this point hee was neuer truly humbled nor euer aright iudged himselfe that is more ashamed to confesse then to commit sinne Fourthly After pleading guiltie in pleading for pardon as for life and death and as the poore malefactor condemned to die cries for mercie and all his hope and longing is for a pardon euen so this is noted to be the practise of the Church Hos. 14.2.3 Oh Israel returne vnto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquitie Take vnto you words and turne to the Lord and say vnto him Take away all iniquitie and receiue vs gratiously And which of the Saints haue not placed all their happinesse in the pardon of sinne or haue not preferred the shining of Gods countenance vpon them aboue all the outward happines that the earth affoardeth Now in the seeking and suing for pardon because God will not heare him that regardeth wickednesse in his heart for wicked Esau shall find no repentance nor fauour with teares therefore thou must forthwith cease to doe euill as beeing ashamed of it and learne to doe well laie lawes vpon thy selfe be most seuere against thy selfe in the things wherein thou hast displeased thy God watch diligently ouer those corruptions which haue most foyled thee this is the way both to make and preserue thy peace Bring thy selfe then with feare and trembling before Gods righteous iudgement accuse thy selfe and bewaile thy sinnes be not ashamed to confesse but to commit them againe be so farre from purposing any wickednesse in thy heart as rather thou be strongly armed with full purpose against it And thus remembring thy sinnes God will forget them thus writing them deepe in thine owne bookes God will blot them out of his Thus if thou hide them not but cast them out of thy heart and life hee will hide them for euer and cast them vtterly out of his sight so that if thou canst thus iudge thy selfe aforehand thou shalt neuer be iudged of the Lord. Vers. 43. To him giue all the Prophets witnesse that through his name all that beleeue in him shall receiue remission of sinnes The Apostle Peter although he hath sufficiently prooued whatsoeuer he hath formerly deliuered concerning the doctrine and miracles life and death resurrection and ascention and the comming of Christ againe vnto iudgement yet as though no proofe could be too much or as if he could not satisfie himselfe in enforcing this holy doctrine and binding it vpon the consciences of his hearers he shutteth vp his sermon in this verse with an other assured testimonie aboue all exception drawn from all the Prophets who all consent and conspire with the Apostles in all their doctrine concerning him the summe and maine end of all which is that through beleeuing in his name the elect should receiue remission of sinnes which is the summe and effect of this verse Where first may be asked why doth the Apostle induce so many testimonies one in the necke of another In the answer where of we shall see that none of them are needelesse or superfluous For 1. all the points of Christian religion are aboue and against corrupt nature as appeareth in the heathen who still esteemed the preaching of Christ foolishnesse and in the Athenians who when they heard Paul preaching of the iudgment day and Christs resurrection from the dead they mocked him The hardened Iewes at this day on whom the wrath of God is come to the vttermost doe the like and well it were for many if professed Christians in the midst of such a light made more reckoning of our painfull preaching of Christ who teach the same points then some of the former which were they so slight matters as most account them what neede they be so enforced We are therefore hence fitly enformed both to make more high account of such great mysteries which the spirit of God is so carefull to commend vnto vs as also to bewayle the infidelitie of our hearts that neede so much working vpon them to entertaine such necessarie truthes as these bee 2. Because although he was an Apostle yet would he shewe his care that in all his sermon he taught nothing of his owne which the Prophets had not formerly taught Which teacheth all ministers much more to beware least in any of their sermons they broach such doctrine or bring in such stuffe of which they cannot prooue the Prophets and Apostles to be patrons and publishers For this was the commandement of the Apostles that we teach no other doctrine neither contrary