was in Christ indeede because no man euer had it that was not in him many haue had haue it in abundance by depending wholy vpoÌ„ him The principal point is yet behind coÌ„cerning the life of glory Which though it properly belong to the world to come yet there is one chiefe thing apperteining therunto which is to be had in this world as an entrance to the other The death that insued vpon the breach of that charge * Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good euill was the estate of mortalitie to the body and of condemnation both to body and soule Therefore the life that was in Christ must needs affoord vs remedy against both these Let vs take them in their order And first that by death the separation of the soule and body was signified it may euidently appeare as by the words themselues in their proper sense so also by the sentence of the Lord pronounced after the sinne according to the penalty before threatned In a Gen 3. 19. the sweat of thy face shalt thou eate bread till thou returne to the earth for out of it wast thou taken because thou art dust and to dust thou shalt returne Adam indeede liued many hundred yeeres after this sentence but at last the execution of it came b Gen. 5. 5. All the daies that Adam liued were 930. yeeres and he died But this is so well knowne and generally confest that it needs no furder proofe Let vs shew that there is life in Christ to destroy this death Ne ther neede wee goe farre to seeke for that matter Remember c Gâ—n 3. 15. what was threatned the diuell that the seed of the woman should bruse his head d Heb. 2. 14. If the diuell bee subdued who hath the power of death as the Apostle tells vs what shall become of death that is vnder his power The Lord himselfe tells thee by e Heb. 2. 14. his Prophet e Ose 13. 14. where he triumpheth ouer death trampling him vnder his feete O death I will be thy death Oh graue I will bee thy destruction But this was rather a discouragement of death then a destruction Heare f 1 Cor. 15. 54. the Apostle proclaiming the victory after the fight was ended Death is swalowed Verse 55. vp in victory He proceeds to insult ouer him O death where is thy sting O graue where is thy victory The Verse 56. 27. sting of death is sin and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be vnto God who hath giue vs victory through I. Chr. Verse 21. 22. our Lord. GiueÌ„ vs victory How doth that appear For since by man came death by man also came the resurrection of the dead For as in AdaÌ„al meÌ„dy so in Christ shal albe made aliue 2. Tim 1. 10. through Christ I say gwho hath abolished death hath brought life immortalitie to light through the Gospell I wish it were so may some men say that death were indeede destoried that we need no longer stand in feare of him But what credit may be giuen to that which is refuted by sense in daily and hoverly experience Did not Aâ—aÌ„ die Are not Abraham Isaak Iacob al the prophets and Patriarchs dead Is not there proofe enough in the scripture that euery man must die h Psal 89. 48. What man liueth and shall not see death The Apostle seconds the Prophet i Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed to men that they shal once die What say you to that great conquerour of death himselfe The two tneeues that were executed with him withstood death longer theÌ„ he did The Souldiers came k Ioh. 19. 32. Ver 33. saith the Euangelist and brake the legges of the first and of the other which was crucified with Iesus But when they came to Iesus and saw that he was dead already they brake not his legges See I pray you the champion that should ouercome death is sooner subdued by death then either of these two ordinarie fellowes It was no wonder though the Iewes vpbraided him when he hung vpon the Crosse He saued others quoth they but he cannot saue himselfe Is it possible l Mat. 27. 42. to beleeue that there was life in him whose death his best friends coÌ„fesse Doth this seeme vnpossible to thee What wilt thou say then if I tell thee of a greater matter Hee ouercame death by dying The same stroke that tooke life from him through him m Heb. 2. 14. slew death himselfe him that had power over death euen the diuell Would you know more particularly how that could bee I may not enter into any large discourse of the point In one word it was thus The sting of death as the Apostle taught vs is sinne By which the diuell preuailed to the destruction of them that had sinned This sting was not onely blunted and rebated but pluckt out and cast away by our Sauiour For his death being a sacrifice for sin tooke sinne quite away n Iob. 1. 29. Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world So that now the name of death is more terrible then the thing there is more feare then hurt in it Tell me what it could indanger or indamage thee to haue a snake creepe vpon thee yea if it were into thy bosom so the sting teeth and whatsoeuer els it hath power to hurt withall were first pulled out It might perhaps scarre thee or make thee start as a litle cold water will doe if it be cast vpon a sodaine in thy face but that is all the harme thou couldest haue by it Death then is thus disarmd by our Sauiour Christ but the destructioÌ„ of him is by his resurrection If thou wouldest see death dead indeed look into the graue where Iesus thy sauiour was laid There shewd death the vttermost of his power He thought himselfe sure enough of the victory when he had shut him vp without life in the sepulchre rolled a great stone to the mouth of it and saw a guard of souldiers set to watch him well there hee keeps him in that estate the same day he was crucified all the next and the beginning of the third What ensued Surely if hee had bin put in aliue hee would haue bin dead by that time There is no question then but that wee shall finde him dead in the graue So though his disciples Who the next day after the Iewes Sabboath o Luke 24. 1. Early in the morning came vnto the Sepulchre and brought the odors which they had prepared to embalme his body withall They made no doubt but they should finde him p Mark 16. 1. Mark 15. 47. where they had seene him laid For dead men are no starters Onely their feare was that they should not be able to roule away the stone from the doore of the Sepulchre
hope will make a man try any course that shall be directed him It is a rare thing to find any man so void of hope to liue that he will not take whatsoeuer is offered him to continue life Is the remedy more greeuous then the disease what is easier in the opinion of ordinary men then to belieue Shall I tell you what I conceiue of the matter There are 2 lets that stay vs commonly from the seeking and embracing of this life Either we are too wel coÌ„ceited of our selues or not well enough perswaded of him in whom this life is Would you haue me seeke for life Let them looke after it that lack it I haue life already in my selfe and need not depend vpon any other for it I am rich and increased with goods and haue neede of nothing o Reu. 3. 17. saith the Church of Laodicea and yet indeed as our Sauiour there tells her She was wretched and miserable and poore and blinde and naked This conceipt naturally possesseth all men and where this is rooted and flourisheth there is neither roome for spiritual life to grow nor will to plant it But this because it is so agreeable to the pride of our corrupt nature is the lesse to bee wondred at The other hinderance whereby wee are helde backe from this life is more strange and lesse excuseable There are many that make open profession to all the world that they knowe themselues to be naturally dead and to stand in neede of life to quicken them yea they goe farder and in wordes acknowledge that the life they want is in Christ and yet like those Iewes I spake of ere-while they care not to ioyne themselues to Christ that they may be made partakers thereof This I take to be generally the estate of most of vs that are called Christians Do we not all professe beleefe in Iesus Christ Do we not thereby acknowledge that we are dead in our selues and looke to receiue life from him And yet how few of vs are there that indeed are so perswaded Thinke not much that I make this greeuous coÌ„plaint If we did truely beleue that in heart which we confesse from the teeth outward were it posssible we should be so carelesse where can you find me one amoÌ„gst a greate many that either knowes or cares to knowe how this life is to be come by Doth thy hart leap within thee for ioy as oft as thou hear'st that there is life to be had in Iesus Christ p Gen. 42. 2. When Iacob in a time of famin heard that there was food in Aegypt hee sent his Sâ—nns thither with all speed to buy some How far would they haue gon for life that trauailed into Aegypt for meate Thou hast heard there is life in Christ for â—ll that sitst stil thy house I should say ly'st stil in thy graue and thinkest it enough for thee to haue heard of it Thou doost but deceiue thy owne wretched poore soule What could it haue auailed Iacob that hee heard where there was corne to be bought if hee had not sent his Sonnes to fetch it But perhaps thou mak'st accouÌ„t â—hat thou hast it sure If I should aske thee when or how thou camst by it I doubt me thy answere woulde bee to seeke Go to I will not presse thee so far though well I might For this life we speake of doth not steâ—le into a man while he lies a-sleeping but is followed and sought for before it be obtained But I will only demaÌ„d this one questioÌ„ of thee Hast thou indeed found life in Iesus Christ Oh that it were as â—ruly as it is commonly spoken I will not examin thee vpon any Interrogatories Let thine owne soule tell thee in secret betwixt it and thee whether thy affection to this autor of life bee such as the feeling of so greate a blessing can not possibly chuse but make it He that saith he beleeues there is life in Christ and vseth no meanes to become partaker of it either thinkes he hath no neede thereof or accouÌ„ts it not worth the hauing or saith he knoweth not what deceiuing himself with an empty shadow the substance whereof he neither hath nor careth for What shall I say of him who brags he is possest of life in Christ yet neither honors Christ nor reioyceth in his own happines What else But that his heart beleeues not what his toong auoucheth But I dwel too long in the general Let vs come now to the particulars and first to the life of holynes which is so absolutely from Christ that the Apostle saith it is not himselfe that liueth but Christ that liueth in him Will you heare him speake I through the lawe q Gal. 2. 19. 20. saith S. Paul am dead to the law and that I might liue vnto God I am crucified with Christ Thus I liue yet not I now but Christ liueth in me For the spirit by which wee liue is r Eph. 4. 15. 16. the spirit of Christ resting in him as in the head and spreading himselfe abroad into euery one of the members to giue them their proportion of life and growth This is that which Å¿ Rom. 8. 2. in another place is call'd the spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus and which is there said to haue freed vs from the law of sinne The Iewes bragd they were free by nature because they were Abrahams children t Ioh. 8. 33. 34. But our Sauiour aunsweres them that they were the seruants of sinne because they committed sin and could not be made free indeede but by the sonne Ver. 36. onely This our Baptisme teacheth vs as u Rom 6. 2. 3. 4. the Apostle sheweth at large The summe is that we are buried by Baptisme into the death of Christ that sinne may be slaine Ver. 11. in vs and raised againe by the power of his resurrection that righteousnes may liue and grow in vs. The conclusion is this Make account saith the holy Apostle that yee are dead to sinne but are aliue to God in Iesus Christ our Lord. x Eph. 2. 5. In whom wee were quickened when wee were dead in sinnes For y 1 Cor. 1. 30. Christ Iesus is made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Where are they now who finde themselues so perplexed with the sight and sense of that their naturall corruption Me thinkes I heare the sighes and grones of a poore soule lamentably complaining that shee can finde no ende of her wretchednesse no bottome of her running sore If she heale vp one two breake out for it If she make head against pride couetousnesse setts vpon her behinde her backe While she is busie with all the force she can make to withstand the lusts of the flesh that outwardly assault her her owne thoughts inwardly commit fornication Though shee keepe her hands from murder yet her tongue wounds deepely and deadly with euill speeches To conclude when shee
But these mē will not beleeue that there is any such life in Christ I would to God I were able to perswade thē but to make som litle trial O! if they would be cōtented but to rest vpō him for life how quickly should they find his promise true certain Be perswaded be intreated I beseech you by the loue of life which you so desire what shall you lose by it If that we preach be false yet shal the rest of your yeers be spent in more hope cōfort If you know any better waie to prouide for your selues in kindnes humanity impart that at knowledge to vs. If you do not in quilitie good manners cōdemne vs not till vpon triall you can disproue vs. Life you earnestly desire euen bodily life refuse it not when it is oftred you without any danger of losse if you should be deceiued I am come now at the last to the chiefe point of all which is life euerlasting begun as I said ere-while in this world by the forgiuing of sin perfited in the next by the giuing of glory Of which notwithstāding I intēd not to say much because being the maine matter of the Gospell euery chapter almost will afford me necessary occasion to intreat therof Shortly for the proofe of the point that eternall death and condemnation are compriz'd in that threating a Gen. 2. 17. Thou shalt die the death I appeale to the whole course of the scripture and the ioint consent of all that euer profest true religion Iewes Christians But it is manifest enough by the deliuerance wee haue through Christ that I may make one labour of two b Iob. 3. 17. God sent not his Sonne into the world that he should condemne the world but that the world through him might be saved He Ver. 18. that beleeueth in him shall not be condemned but he that beleeueth not is condemned already Yea such is the redemption which we haue by Iesus Christ c Iob. 5. 24. that he which beleeueth hath passed from death to life What is this passing from death to life but obteining forgiuenes of sinnes being reconciled to God whose wrath otherwise abideth in vs to condemnation God hath set forth Iesus Christ d Rom. 3. 25. saith the Apostle to bee apropitiation through faith in his bloud to declare his righteousnesse by the forgiuenes of sinnes that are past e Rom. 5. 10. If when wee were enemies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his sonne much more beeing reeonciled we shall be saued by his life But I forget my selfe in staying too long in this discourse wherein the new Testament is so plentifull and easie to bee vnderstood Neither is the point of euerlasting life either harder or rarer This one Gospell of S. Iohn hath not so few as twenty seuerall places to that purpose f 10. 3. 16. God so loued the world that hee gaue his onely begotten sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting This is the will of him that sent me that euery man which seeth the son beleeueth in him should haue euerlasting life g Ioh. 6. 40. I will raise him vp at the last day Look not that I should go forward in this course or spēd time in amplifying the vnspeakable glory of that life For the one I refer al men to the reading of this gospel especially the chapters I named before and concerning the other all I can possibly say of it is lesse then nothing in comparison of the thing it selfe Therefore also I hold it in a manner needlesse to enter into any course of exhortation For who can hear of these kindes of life in our Sauiour and not be carried to him for the enioying of them with all speed and means he can possibly make Let it be a small thing for a man to bee dead in sinne because perhaps he feeles it not Let the life of righteousnesse be little accounted of ov reason of the pleasure we take in sinning Let vs despie bodily death as a common matter Let vs not reguard the resurrection of the flesh as long as the soul is immortall Shall not feare of damnation for euer in hel fire affright vs Shall not hope of eternall ioy in heauen delight vs Is it nothing to indure most horrible torments without ease or ende Is it nothing to be partaker of such pleasure as cannot be conceiu'd without danger or feare of change What is the immortality of the soule of which thou bragst but an immortall miserie The more thou art perswaded of the euerlasting continuance thereof the greater knowledge thou hast of thine owne endlesse calamitie Whereas if once thou come to bee ioined to Christ the farderthou seest into the continuance of thy life the more thou art inflamed with a delight to liue But now I haue brought thee where this life is to bee had I will shew thee how it is to bee attained In him was life Where though it may seeme that the Euangelist sayes no more but he is life or life is by him yet indeed the speech is more significant First in respect of life the manner of speaking makes difference in the thing For when the scripture saith that Christ is life the word is to be taken for the cause of life h Iohn 11. 25. I am the resurrection and the life saith our Sauiour and again I i Ioh. 14. 6. am the way the truth the life So speakes k Col. 3. 4. the Apostle of him When Christ your life shal appear Who see not that by life in these places the author of life or life as it is in the cause thereof is vnderstood But in the other phrase the same thing is noted as it is imparted by him to vs. l 1 Ioh. 5 11. God hath giuen vs euerlasting life and that life is in his sonne Wee haue example of both these in one place yee are dead saith m Col. 3. 3. 4. the Apostle and your life is hidwith God in Christ What life That same life which Christ hath communicated to you and by which you liue What followes When Christ your life shall appeare How is Christ their life By giuing them life And as in this kind of speech wee may easily discerne some reason of the difference that the scripture obserueth so may wee also in the other Sometimes n Cor. 1. 30. the holy Ghost saith that Christ is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnesse c. What is this els but that wee receiue these things from Christ as the autor and cause therof Somtimes life is said to be in him so we are said to bee in Christ Iesus o 1 Ioh 5. 11. yee are of him in Christ as in the place I named before p Rom. 8 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Now in these speeches and the like not onely
Naaman the Syrian desiring to be cured 2. King 5. 10. of his Leprosie when he was willd by the Prophet Elisha to goe wash seuen times in Iordan went away in an anger as if some hard matter had bin inioyned him But his seruants wiser in that point then their maister came and spake vnto him and said Father if the Prophet had Verse 11. commanded thee a great thing wouldest thou not haue done it How much rather then when hee saith to thee Verse 13. wash and bee cleane The Noble man considering that his seruants spake reason followed the Prophets direction and was healed Healed of what Of a Leprosie By what meanes By washing seuen times in Iordan What is it that wee desire To bee made the Sonnes of God A farre greater matter then to bee cured of a Leprosie How may wee attaine to this honour Beleeue and thou shalt become the Sonne of God Shall I need to compare these things together Beleeue Wash Which is sooner done Wash seuen times If thou beleeue once it sufficeth Not as if wee might bee the Sonnes of God though wee cease to beleeue but because he that once truely rests on CHRIST can neuer wholly depart from him I see not how wee could deuise to haue so great honour with so little paines vnless perhaps we would attaine to it by dreaming of it Can wee imagine a readier course of preferment or an easier labour in getting it then to be made the sonnes of God by trusting in Christ Doe but cast thy care vpon him thou shalt be sure of that he promiseth thou desirest But it will not be amisse perhaps considering the importance of the matter to examine these things more particularly especially in these two points That beleeving is necessarily required to adoption so that without the one the other is not to be had that the meanes of enioying heauen which all men naturally propound to themselues are of greater paines and lesse yea no certainty what if I say of meere impossibility Suspend your iudgement till you haue heard and vnderstood the case then giue sentence freely and spare not Now for the better conceiuing of the matter I will make bold to shewe the mystery of our redemption so much as is needfull for the knowledge of that wee haue in hande but as shortly as I can with plainness It is not vnknown to any man vnles he be vtterly ignorant of christian Religion that all mankind and euery particular man woman child lost the fauour of God and with it all hope and possibility of happinesse by the transgression of our first parents in whome wee all sinned If any man bee desirous to informe himselfe better of this point the Scripture is open for him I will content my selfe with that one testimony of the Apostle By one man sinne Rom. 5. 12. came into the world and death by sinne and so death went ouer all men by him in whome all men haue sinned For the recouery of this losse it pleased God to appoint a meanes of reconciliation that his anger iustly conceiued against vs might bee appeased and wee receiu'd againe into his former fauour This meanes was his owne Sonne in our nature offered vp by himselfe in sacrifice to God his Father God was in Christ saith the 2. Cor 5 19. Rom 5. 10. Apostle reconciling the world to himselfe And in an other place when wee were enimies wee were reconciled to God by the death of his Sonne But the manner of our reconciliation on Christs part doth not so much concerne the matter we are now to handle Let vs see what is required of vs. There are two things necessary to a sound and full reconciliation that the offence which caused the breach bee pardoned that the party offending bee admitted againe into as greate fauour as hee was in before he committed that fault If either of these be wanting the Reconciliation is vnperfect Our Sauiour Christ hath fully performed whatsoeuer was needfull on his part to procure absolute Reconciliation The Lord God is willing and ready to bee reconciled vnto vs. Only the stay is in vs. For the pardon of sinne iustification is offered not imputing of sinne And wheras 2. Cor. 5. 19. wee were before the breach no otherwise in the fauour of God then seruants are that please their master now the Lorde is determined to receiue vs not as seruants but as Sonnes by his free Adoption God sent his Sonne c that we might receiue the Adoption of Gal 4. 4. 5. Sonnes Heere is full and perfite reconciliation prouided Iustification and Adoption But how shall wee bee made partakers of it I will leaue the former point till I haue some fitter opportunity Of the later our Euangelist speakes in this place teaching vs that if wee beleeue in Christ wee haue the prerogatiue to be Sonnes This the Apostle Paul confirmes yee are al Chap. 3 26. the Sons of God by faith in Christ Iesus There is no exception against 2 such witnesses No saith one if they agreed in their depositions No saith one if they agreed in their depositions But there is no small difference betwixt them The one saith wee haue that honor by beleeuing the other affirms that fayth makes vs the Sons of God The Euangelist requires the act the Apostle contents himself with the vertue grace or qualitie S. Paul seemes to looke for no more but that wee haue faith S. Iohn calls precisely for the vse of it Receiuing Beleeuing Is this all the difference that can bee found in their testimonies Then all is nothing First it is apparant to begin withour Euangelist whom we presently expoūd that S. Iohn by enioyning vs To beleeue necessarily requires faith by which we must beleeue so his deposition includes implyes that which S. Paul affirmeth Secondly the Apostle vnder the name of faith cōprehends the act of beleeuing which is neuer any more seuered from it then burning is from fire A greater fire burnes more then a little one doth but the least that can be doth burne as wel as the greatest So the strongest faith trusteth more firmely in Christ but the weakest more or lesse relies truely vpon him But that wee may see the ful agreement of these two witnesses let vs consider how the Apostle declares his owne meaning oftentimes in the like matter The righteousnesse of God vnto Rom. 3. 22. Chap. 4. 3. all and vpon all that beleeue Abraham beleeued God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse That Chapter is full of the like speeches So are his other Epistles where he hath any occasion to speake of Iustification And if that which is former in nature cannot bee had but by beleeuing surely this later is not to be attain'd to by the only hauing of faith Therefore as often as we find in Scripture that Iustification Adoption Sanctification Saluation or any other such fauour blessing is ascribed to
other beleeuers that a title common to euery Christian should be made proper to som few though principall members of the Church You will obiect it may be that these writers stile themselues Apostles as if they desired to haue their dignity and office knowen to all men True it is that they do so indeed in their Epist But neither did that name belong to al the faithfull or to any but some certaine men and it was necessary for the authorizing of their writings How then Doe I condemne the title or the first Authours or the continuers vsers of it Nothing lesse For I gladly acknowledge both that the Apostles and Euangelists had especiall interest in that name and that there could be no danger of scandall seeing it was not taken by themselues but giuen to them as an honour by the consent as it were and with the liking of all true Christians whose purpose it was not to make them Mediatours of intercession betwixt God and men vpon earth but to shew the reuerend opinion they had conceiv'd and did hold of such worthy and holy men And to say the truth what doth the word signifie but d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy How often is it giuen in the Scriptures to all that are members of the true Church in their seueral Congregations It shall suffice therfore to shut vp all in one word that wee meane not by this title Saint to note any office of mediation but onely to testifie our respect reuerence of those whom it pleased our blessed Sauiour to choose and employ in so excellent and glorious a seruice In this sense I desire to be vnderstood whensoeuer I vse that title and to be excused in your charitable construction if according to that liberty which auncient and later Diuines haue lawfully vsed I sometimes omit it in naming this Euangelist or any other of his fellow Apostles or Euangelists I may not forget to adioyne to that which hath been spoken a fewe things more which the Scripture hath recorded of him namely that hee was e Matth. 4. 21 the sonne of Zebede and brother of Iames called with him to be a Disciple of our Sauiour afterward f Luke 6. 14 specially chosen with the same his brother to be one of the twelue Apostles All these things are so plainely deliuered in the Scripure that it is enough to name the places without any more adoe But of his mother it is needful to speak more particularly because it is not so cleer who she was though it be as certaine we are then to vnderstand that his mothers name was Salome which is thus to be proued g Matth. 27. 56 Saint Mathew reporting the history of the women that stood afar off looking vpon our Sauior when he was crucified writeth thus of them Among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the Mother of Iames and Ioses and the Mother of Zebedeus children Now Zebedeus children were Iames the elder as he was called for difference sake and Iohn But how shall we knowe that this womans name was Salome h Marke 15. 40 Saint Marke tells vs so in these words There were also women which beheld afarre off among whom was Mary Magdalen the Mother of Iames the Iesse and of Ioses and Salome Who seeth not that she whom the former Euangelist called the Mother of Zebedeus children the later nameth Salome So that our Euangelist was the son of Zebedeus and Salome vpon him as vpon the rest i Acts 2. 3. the holy Ghost descended like fiery clouen tongues induing them with the admirable gift of vnderstanding and speaking all strange languages Neither was he only thus qualified with the rest but as it should seeme of greater account in the Church then most of the rest Therefore k Gal. 2. 9 the Apostle Paul reckons him with Iames and Peter as one of the Pillars of the Christian Church Yea our Sauiour himselfe in his life time was wont to admit him as it were into his priuate counsell l Marke 5. 37 when he went to raise vp Iairus daughter from death was not Iohn one of the three whome he made choise of to take with him m Matth. 17. 1 was not he one of the 3. witnesses of his glorious transfiguration in the mount To conclude in n Mark 14. 33 that his greeuous agony in the garden our Euangelist was one with whom our Sauiour would bee accompanied And for the person of Iohn this may suffise vnless perhaps some man look that I should adde hereunto as a farder proof of our Sauiours loue to him the mention of those wonderfull reuelations wherin the estate of Christs Church vpon earth to the very end of the world is liuely and certainely discyphered As for other things which are recorded touching him in the Ecclesiasticall histories I will craue leaue to omit them because they little or nothing concerne the matter we haue in hand I know there are but fewe present that are able to search the authors as o Acts 17. 11. the men of Beroea did the Scriptures to see whether those things be so or no. I come now from the person to the writing where first for the occasion time of penning this Gospel I wil onely say thus much p Euseb hist eccles lib. 3. cap. 21 that it is commonly thought to haue beene written after the returne of the Euangelist out of banishmēt from Pathmos both to supply that which was wanting in the other three concerning our Sauiours dooings and sayings before Iohn Baptist was imprisoned and also to satisfie the request of the Christians in Asia especially the Ephesians that it might be a counterpoison against those heresies which Cerinthus and Ebion had hatched and whereby the Godhead of our Lord and Sauiour was called in question Wherein if any man shall persume to thinke that our Euangelist hath not taken such a course as was fit for the refuting and suppressing of those heresies let him learne first that the holy Spirit of whose enditing this Gospell was is not to bee taught by the blind conceits of proude ignorant men Then let him farder vnderstand that it was not the Euangelists purpose nor indeed a matter beseeming the authority of him whom the Lord vsed for his Secretary to dispute by writing with prophane and blasphemous Apostates but to instruct the Church of Christ in the truth formerly deliuered And this he hath performed with such maiestie and authoritie that we may see in him the grace answerable to that name q Marke 3. 17 which his Lord and Master gaue him euen power to thunder For who is not astonied with admiration of those wonderfull mysteries concerning our Sauior Christs eternal diuinitie which this sonne of thunder as it were ratleth out Therefore did r August Prolog in Ioa. Theodor prodromus in distich the antient writers cōpare him to an Eagle as one that mounted vp aboue the pitch of
the other three Euangelists euen to the height of the Godhead and that vnsearchable mystery of the most glorious and blessed Trinitie There is indeede some diuersitie of opinions amongst the Latin Fathers to which of the Euangelists the other 3. beasts Å¿ Ezech. 2. 5 Reuelat. 4. 6. Ezech. 2. 5. Reuel 4. 6. should be seuerally referred but it t Although Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 11. makes Iohn the Lion and Marke the Eagle is generally agreed vpon that the Eagle belongs to Iohn for the reason aboue named Art thou then desirous ro vnderstand the great high points of diuinitie Cast thy selfe vpon the wings of this Eagle who wil cary thee vp as it were into the bosome of God and acquaint thee with such matters as but by reuelation from God himselfe could neuer possibly haue bin discouered or imagined And that we may the more be rauisht with the loue of this holy Gospell let me put you in minde of that variety the mother of delight which is easie to bee seene therein How sweetly hath our Euangelist tempered and as it were allayed the hard points of profound knowledge with enterlacing of delightfull Histories If at any time he soare aloft that he may seem to be almost out of sight for the height of those admirable mysteries of our Sauiours diuinity he comes down againe ere long and feedes our eyes with making vs see the vse and comfort of those glorious instructions And besides this varietie of matter which shineth in comparing one part of this Gospel with another there is yet a farther consideration to the singular commendation thereof Who is there if hee haue anie sense of Gods mercy in Christ but takes great pleasure to reade one and the same thing diuersly recorded by the other three Euangelists And what meruaile Seeing it is euen in prophane histories a matter of no small vse and delight to haue the memorie renewed and the affection quickned by the varietie of discourse as it vvere by the diuerse cooking of some one daintie kinde of meat But our Euangelist to the diuersitie of handling hath added also great store of newe matter not once touched by any one of the other the LORD hauing reserued for him the perfecting of that knowledge which the rest did beginne and further Manie excellent things are recorded by Saint Mathew Saint Marke S. Luke concerning the Sermons and miracles of our Sauiour yet are there but fewe of these proper to any one of them Only S. Iohn affords vs as in so short a Treatise great plenty of new and vnknowen variety u Piscator in prooem ad Ioan. 10. Sermons fowre miracles and that zealous prayer full of loue and comfort The sermons that I may speake a word or two of euery one of them in particular are these First x Iob. 3. 1. 2. c that kinde dialogue with Nicodemus and those worthy instructions concerning regeneration whereby wee are taught that our naturall estate is fleshly and vncapable of grace and glorie till the spirit of God by the waters of the Scriptures haue bredde in vs a newe and heauenly conception In the second place followeth y Ioh. 4. 7. 8. c. that sweete and comfortable discourse with the Woman of Samaria concerning the water of life which beeing once receiued into the soule turnes into a spring that can neuer bee dryed vp but sends forth continually aboundance of fresh liquor to coole and moysten the heart in all heate of tentations * Ioh. 5. 19. 20 c. The next Chap presents vs with the third Sermon wherein vpon occasion of the stiffe-necked Iewes murmuring against our Sauiour for willing the man whom hee had cured hauing beene thirtie-eight yeares bed-rid to take vp his bedde and walke though it were the Sabbath daie wee haue a glorious assurance of our Lords eternall God-head and equalitie with God his Father But that which exceedes in all heauenly comfort is a Ioh. 6. 26. 27. the fourth Sermon in which our blessed Sauiour as it were thrusts himselfe into our mouthes to bee eaten and drunke giuing vs full assurance that the eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud that is belieuing in him shall feede vs without hungring or thirsting any more to euerlasting life which he according to his Fathers will and charge shal most certainely bestowe vpon all them that by true faith become one with him The b Ioh. 8. 3. 4. c. fift Sermon affordes vs a worthie example of our Lord and masters wisedom and authoritie to discerne and confound the subtill malice of his wilfull enemies With what diuine iudgement dooth hee looke into the depth of the Pharisies deceite who sought to entrappe him about the woman taken in adulterie With what admirable discretion dooth hee driue them away to their perpetuall shame and dishonour With what a maiestie doth he a little after conuince and reprooue them for their wilfull blindnesse and proude conceit of the knowledge they bragged of but had not Let vs come c Ioh. 10. 1. 2. c. to the sixt of those Sermons which our Euangelist only hath recorded In no place doth our Sauiour more plainly avow himselfe to bee the Messiah where haue wee the like certainty of his care and loue deliuered Hee giues his life for his sheep and casts himselfe into the very iawes of the Wolfe that his mouth might be stopped And to the singular comfort of vs that are not by nature Iews hee tells vs that wee also belong to his sheepfold Into which when wee once are receiued and acknowledged for sheepe no power of sinne Satan or death shall bee able to wring vs out of his hands because the Father with whom he is in nature all one is stronger then all The former sixe Sermons containe especially those benefites whereof wee are made partakers by our Sauiour Christ in this life but d Ioh. 11. 25. 26 c the seauenth expresseth our finall triumph ouer our last and greatest enemie Death himselfe Those helpe both to arme vs to the fight and to encourage and further vs in fighting but this crownes vs after victory If the body shall rise againe to glorie we may truely and safelie challenge Death and saâ—e e 1. Cor. 15. 55 Oh Death where is thy sting oh Graue where is thy victorie For if our bodies bee made immortall where is the power of Death become Who then can faint in a battaile the issue whereof will bee so certaine and happy especially if hee remember what gracious promises he hath from God in f Ioh. 14. 15. 16. the eight Sermon of the continuall assistance of the holy Ghost For howsoeuer those glorious matters principally concerne the Apostles yet hath euery Christian his interest in them according to a certaine proportion The Apostles coulde not erre in anie matter of Doctrine No true Christian shall so erre in matters necessarie to his saluation that hee shall
either were not vnderstood or be not remembred in effect it was this that our Euangelist vndertook the penning of this Gospell partly that hee might finish and perfect the History of our Sauiour Christs dooings sayings and sufferings all the time of his abode heere vpon the earth partlie that hee might confirme the Faithfull in the true Doctrine of his God-head and leaue his Gospell as a preseruatiue against the poyson of blasphemous hereticks So was it intended by him so it is to be vsed by vs that as hee comfortably speaketh x Ioh. 20. 31 1 We may beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God and beleeuing haue life through his Name Novv let vs returne to the diuiding of this Gospell Whereof wee may reasonablie and fitly make these two parts the former Saint Iohns description of â— Ioh. 1. 29 to he end of the Gospell our blessed Sauiour IESVS CHRIST whose Historie hee vndertakes to penne y Ioh. 1. to verse 29 from the beginning of the fift Chapter to the 29. ver of the same the later * The History it selfe in the rest of that Chapter and all the other to the end of the Gospell In the description our Sauiour is set out partly by a Our Sauiour described 1. by â—hings propre to in 2. by the tetimony of Iohn certaine things that properly belong vnto him partly by an outward testimony of Iohn the Baptist The former are b His natures Diuine ver 1. 2 Humane verse 14 either his natures diuine ver 1. 2. humane ver 14. or c His actions of his Godhead His mediatorship 2 his actions His actions proper to his Diuine nature as those of creation ver 3. or common to both as those of mediation verse 4. 5. d Iohns testimony signified ve 6 Exprest ver 15 16. c. Iohn the Baptists testimony is first signified v. 6. Afterwarde exprest verse 15. 16. 19. As for the other verses from the 6. to the 14. and from the 16. to the 29. they containe certaine explications which the Euangelist ads vpon occasions and belong to som one part or other of the former diuisions as in due place shall appeare The History it selfe is partly e The former part of the History from chap 1. 29. to chap. 19. 31. a discourse of such things as IESVS did spake or suffered before his death and to the time of his death from the first Chapter Verse 29. to Chapter 19. Verse thirtie one f The later part from thence to the end and partlie a report of those matters that are to be knowen and beleeued to haue bene done or sayd after his death from Chapter 19. verse 31. to the ende of the Gospell g Irenaeus lib. 2. cap. 39. sed praecipue 1. Chemnitius prolegom in harmon cap. 3. Now the historie it selfe cannot bee better diuided then h Diuision of the history according to the yeres of our Sauiours preaching after his baptisme according to the yeeres of our Sauiour after his baptisme and the beginning of his ministerie Whereunto it may well bee thought the Euangelist himselfe as it were leades vs by the hand because hee dooeth so particularly mention the feast of Passe-ouer from yere to yere The first Passe-ouer after our Sauiors Baptisme is named in i Iohn 2. 13. the second Chapter k Chap. 5. 1. the second in the fift For it shall appeare when I come to expound the place that there is great reason why we should take that feast to bee the Passeouer l Chap. 6. 4. The third we haue in the beginning of the 6. Chap. and that in expresse words m Chap. 13. 1. 2 The fourth and last was as euery man knoweth at the time of his death Chapter 13. So that I thinke it best thus to diuide the whole historie Our Sauiour at his baptisme as we learne out of n Luke 3. 23 Saint Luke was newly entred into the thirtieth yeere of his age and beganne his ministerie with the beginning of that 30. yeere more or lesse o The 30. yere of Christs age the first of his preaâ—hing froÌ„ cha 1. 29. to chap. 4. 1. The first part therfore of this Gospell for the history it selfe begins at the 19. verse of the first Chapter and continues to the beginning of the fourth conteining the 30. yeere of our Sauiours life p The 31 and 2. from thence to chap. 6. 1. There begins the 31. yere and second part of this Gospell which endeth at Chap. 6. q The 32. and 3. to chap. 10. 22 From whence we reckon the third part and 32. yeere to Chap. 10. verse 22. r The 33. and 4. to chap. 19. 31 where the fourth part 33. yere take beginning and end with the life of our Sauiour Chap. 19. 30. But this 33 yere was cut off in the midst according to Å¿ Dan. 9. 27. Daniels prophecie reueald vnto him by the Angel Gabriell that the Messiah in the midst of the 62. week shuld cause the sacrifice the oblation to cease Namely by offring vp the true sacrifice his own body wherof the sacrifices of the law were but shadows could haue no loÌ„ger vse nor place when the body it selfe was sacrificed as the Apostle proueth at large in t Heb. 10. 12. the Epistle to the Hebrewes The things that hapned after our Sauiours death and are to be knowen and beleeued by vs are either his buriall Chap. 19. vers 31. to the end or his Resurrection manifested and prooued diuers wayes Chap. 20. and 21. The particular distributions I reserue to their seuerall places now to the text 1. In the beginning was the word and the word was with Vers 1. 2. God and the word was God The same was in the beginning with God u Cyrill prolog in Ioan. All that come vp out of diuers Shires and Countries to London enter here into one and the same Citie and haue the generall view of it and the places of account therein yet are some more easily and daintily lodg'd and dieted then other admitted to a more particular sight of the principall buildings and goodly ornaments of it yea perhaps made acquainted some what more specially with the estate and gouernement thereof In like manner whosoeuer readeth or hearetlâ— any one of the foure Gospels is vouchsafed the knowledge of the same historie of our Sauiors life death the same doctrine of saluation by him But he that bestowes his time and paines in this Gospell of our Euangelist Saint Iohn is as it were entertained in a more stately and beautifull lodging and admitted to the hearing and vnderstanding of the very secrets both of his nature and office touching his owne Being and our redemption This appeares plainely in the very beginning of the Gospell where the great mysteries of Christian religion are deliuered These two first verses conteine a description of our Sauiours diuine nature
But that feare lasted not long q Luke 24. 2. 3 When they looked they saw that the stone was rolled away And they went in but found not the body of the Lord IESVS What should they now thinke Or how should they come to learne what was become of him Sure they were that there hee was laid and being dead had no power to conuay himselfe away from thence The likeliest was that some body had taken him vp and caried him away to some other place Sir r Ioh. 20. 15. saith Mary Magdalen to one who shee thought had bin the Gardiner If thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast laide him and I will take him away Thou shalt not neede to bee in feare of hauing thy garden annoyed or troubled with him any further ſ Ioh. 20. 2. His Apostles were informed of this doubtfull matter To Ver. 6. assure themselues the better they runne to the sepulchre they find the linnen clothes in which hee was wrapped the Ver. 7. kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in aplace by it selfe Hauing Ver. 17. seen this they return back whēce they came Mary staies to her Iesus discouers himselfe What should I make many words The proofe of this point belōgs to an other place Death had done his worst in despite of him the Lord Iesus is risen again leauing him ashamed cōquequered To e Luk 24. 5. 6. this the Angels beare witnes Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead He is not here n but is risen I speake of knowne things it is enough to name them Wee see for all this goodly discourse that death still seizeth vpon all men let them be neuer so well setled in Iesus Christ he plucks them vp carries them away with him into the graue What is become of the holy Apostles where is his blessed mother the virgin Is there life in the head when the members of the body die so fast euery day And not one or two a ioint or a finger or a limme but the very principall parts yea all one other Doost thou doubt whether there bee life in him or no who hath wrastled with death and ouerthrowne him Can death preuaile against him now he liueth whom he could not keepe in subiection when he had him dead buried u Rom. 5. 9. 10. Christ being raised from the dead dyeth no more death hath no more dominion ouer him For in that hee died he died once to sinne but in that be liueth hee liueth to God Sinne had his due a sacrifice of infinit worth to pay the price of mans redemption now must God also haue his due that hee that liueth to him may liue for euer But I would not haue any man so much deceiue himselfe as to imagin that the dying of them which are in Christ is an argument of the continuance of the authoritie or power of death No no beloued there is an other reason of this dissolution Alas alas death doth not aduance his owne estate and kingdome by this meanes but serues the Lords turne to bring his purpose to effect It fares with him in this case as it did in the death of our Sauiour That which hee thought to establish his power by by that he destroied it So is it in the death of those that are Christs The body as now it is is neither capable of immortalitie and fit for the seruice of sinne How shall it be prepared to receiue the one how purged and clensed from the other but by death Flesh bloud x 1. Cor. 15. 50. saith the Apostle can not inherit the kingdome of God neither doth corruption inherit incorruption Wouldest thou haue part in our Sauiour Christs immortalitie that thou mightest bee free from death Die then that thou maiest be ridde of mortalitie Art thou affraid Of what Least death should be too strong for thee if he once ger thee into his clouches Hast thou not an example in Christ I am aliue y Reuel 1. 18. saith he but I was dead and beholde I am aliue for euermore But thou fearest because thy body shall be turned into dust O foole * 1 Cor. 15. 36 saith the Apostle that which thou sowest is not quickened except it die Keepe thy corne aboue ground because if thou put it into the earth it will consume that thou shalt neuer finde it againe Where then shall the fresh greene blade appeare When shall the stalke grow vp When shall it eare When shall it flower Shall not all this glorie bee lost if the graine bee not sowed in the furrowes of the earth And art thou so I will not say fearefull but foolish and childish that thou darest not die once that thou maist liue for euer Plucke vp thy spirits and bee no longer a childe but a man were it not better for thee to die a thousand deaths then to bee continually disquieted with the motions of thy corruption Thou hast now some life of Christ in thee by the power of his spirit which inables thee to fight against sinne and to preuaile But there is no finall subduing of it till the body be destroied which doth so incline draw thee to the seruice thereof Neither hath the spirit of God quiet or full possession of thy soule as long as that corruption abides therein And that as it was bred with thee must die with thee there is no other course appointed by God to rid thee of it I doubt not but thou art now resolu'd to desire death whē it shall please God seeing there is no way to life but by it with this resolution I leaue thee that I may speak a word or two to thē that are yet out of Christ And how shall I addresse my speech vnto them It is needlesse to inflame them with a desire of life For they are wholly possest with that already It is in vaine to perswade them they shall neuer die if they be in Christ For all experience teacheth the contrary Shall I exhort them not to feare that which they cannot auoide They may learne that in the schoole of reason what remaines then At the least giue mee leaue to aduise you how you may make the best of that which can by no meanes bee escaped You are resolued there is no way with you but one Die you must and it is vncertaine how soone Yet if you may die so that you may be sure to liue againe that for euer what hurt can there be in death what feare should there be of it A crab stock that hauing his head boughts armes cut off is graffed with a pippin or some other dainty fruit can not reasonably complaine of hurt but rather hath great cause to reioice and glory Hath hee any wrong done him that hauing his cottage of clay pulled downe hath a goodly palace of stone built for his dwelling
hee might haue said The true light then which what can bee said more All this contented not the holy Ghost but that he might rauish vs with the loue and admiration of this light hee calls it The light the true light Some apply it more particularly and pâ—ecisely to our Sauiour in these two considerations The light say they with an Article to note the excellencie of the Person The true light with the same Article repeated to signifie the glorie and brightness of that knowledge which flowes to men from that light I deny not but the Euangelist comprizeth both vnder these wordes I doubt whether hee intended to giue vs notice of them so distinctly by the repetition of the Article or no. It remaines that I deliuer the plaine meaning of the Euangelist and declare the Doctrine conteyned in it Wherein I may and will bee the shorter because somwhat hath bin said already of each in examining the former points What then meanes Saint Iohn by these wordes That was the light c. Hee had told vs in the last verse that Iohn the Baptist was not the light but was sent before as a seruant to giue notice and to beare witness of the light Now hee proceedes to shew vs the excellencie of that light in respect of whom Iohn though hee were of so rare giftes and highe account was no body Looke vpon the Moone in the night time when shee is at the full and you would thinke you had light enough Surely hee that had neuer seene the Sunne would easily bee perswaded to take the Moone for the Well or spring of light But if hee should once come to see the beauty and brightness of the sunne hee would be ashamed of his former childishness and ignorance that thought that to bee all which in a manner was nothing at all The Doctrine is as plaine and was handled more largely at the 4. and 5. verses CHRIST is the true light There are candles and torches here on earth men that haue discouered some truth concerning God There are Starres and Moones shining from heauen Such as by supernaturall illumination haue reuealed many and great mysteries concerning our redemption and saluation by IESVS CHRIST But all these are nothing to him If it were possible to ioine all the lights I spake of together would they match the brightnes of the sunne How much lesse can these torches and starres which haue all their light from the Sonne of God equall the autor and giuer of that light Let the light they giue bee as great as it can reasonably bee imagined to bee yet are they not the true light what doe wee then gazing and gaping vpon Men as if there were no light but in them If any man haue a little more knowledge then others that hee can teach vs somewhat which euerie one is not acquainted withall wee wonder at him as the onely light Yea wee are oftentimes so carried away with a conceite of his brightness that the light it selfe is either despised or forgotten in comparison of him It was somwhat more excusable in the Iewes though it were intollerable to preferre Iohn before CHRIST because they had settled a reuerend opinion of him in their hearts when they had no thought of any other Messiah But how shall wee bee excused that know who is the light and yet dote vpon other so much that wee hardly thinke on him Hee that fits our humour either with some point of Diuinitie which wee knew not or with some worde of exhortation that wee desired is so admired and followed that wee are ready to receiue any thing hee will deliuer vnto vs for truth without viewing it by the true light I speake not this to disgrace Iohn but to magnifie Christ Iohn was a light but not the light To speake truely and plainely Iohn was no light at all as our Euangelist affirmed in the former verse Hee was a candlestick or a torch-bearer to holde out and shew the light but the light hee was not Hee glistered in the eyes of men as a peece of glasse or any burnisht metall doth vpon which the sunne or some other light beates which is not seene of vs but by reflexion at the second hand To conclude that which the Euangelist saith here of our Sauiour is the very same that the Baptist woulde teach his disciples whome hee sent to Iesus saying Art thou he that should come or shall we looke for an other Iohn knew well enough that Iesus was the Sauiour as hee testified at the time of his baptisme and Mat. 11. 2. 3. afterward but his Schollers were not so perswaded Therefore hee sends them on such a message that they might themselues discerne him to bee the light This is that which the Apostles auouched after his death that There is no other name vnder heauen by which we Act. 4. 12. can be saued Miserable then and damnable is the case of those men who for any benefit and commoditie in this world or for any paine and torment that can be here indured for a time renounce the Sauiour of their soules and light of eternall life Iesus Christ Doe you maruell brethren what should make me breake out into such a speech in this Auditorie All of vs professe beleefe in Christ we haue all bin baptized wee haue all bin taught Put case wee did all beleeue indeede for the perswasion of the truth wee now maintaine as wee haue bin taught were it therefore needeless to vse any word of exhortation to confirme vs in the truth Is not our Faith nourisht and strengthened in vs by the same meanes by which it is begotten I say nothing of our naturall ignorance which had neede of much teaching I let passe our shuttle memories which easily forget that wee haue learned Let mee omitt our vnruly affections which draw vs away from the meditation of those things that concerne saluation Shall I tell you in one worde why I haue entred into this course vpon a point so well knowne and generally resolued of Did none of you euer heare of any Christians of any Euglishmen that haue denied the faith of CHRIST and become Renegados I must needes confesse I speake vpon report not vpon sight or experience but yet vpon such report as I haue good cause to credit both for the honestie and the number of the reporters It hath come to passe my heart bleeds within mee to thinke and vtter it yea it doth fall out daily a great deale too often that men trained vp here amongst vs in the religion of IESVS CHRIST for some worldly respects without conscience of their profession without care of their soules without regard of their credits without feare of damnation haue blasphemed the Lord IESVS CHRIST that died for them and turned Turkes O the weakness of our faith O the strength of our corruption O the hypocrisie of our hearts That which happeneth to one man may happen to any man Doest thou beleeue So they
I may make good this point I must craue a little leaue of you to examine some especiall texts of the new Testament which seeme to require or admit that signification It will not bee lost labour to bestowe some time and paines in a matter of so great importance The first and I thinke the principall place that hath most shew of free will is that which I brought out of this Gospell where our Lord tells the Iewes that hee had power to lay downe his life and power to take it againe Ioh. 10. 18. I said before that this power was lawfull Autoritie But I said it onely which for the present occasion was sufficient now it stands mee vpon to proue it Which how can I better or certainlyer doe then from the Text it selfe Our Sauiour speakes in the later part of that verse of a commandement that hee had receiued from his Father for the doing of that which hee saith there hee had power to doe Now that which a man doth by Commission hee doth by lawfull Autoritie that which hee doth by commandement is not left to his choise to bee done or vndone at his pleasure If our Lord had meant to shew his free will in this case either hee woulde haue made no mention at all of any Commandement or at least hee would haue said that his Father had giuen him Commandement to doe what hee list in the matter eyther to die or not to die either to liue againe or not to liue againe And yet to say the truth I doe not see what reason there is in such a speech I haue commandement to doe what I list Nay rather I haue libertie or at the most commission Let vs examine the matter somwhat more particularly Is it true that our Sauiour CHRIST had such libertie as vpon this grant of free will must needes insue I will not aske how it can stand with the commandement hee names that was toucht before Was it in his choise whether he would die or no And when he was dead whether he would liue againe or no I suppose no man will bee hastie to affirme the later whatsoeuer hee may imagine of the former For the Apostle Peter aâ—oucheth in plaine Act. 2. 24. tearmes that it was vnpossible hee should bee held by Death Nether was there lesse necessitie of his death then of his Resurrection I speake of both in respect of the euent And therefore himselfe tells the two Luke 24. 26. Disciples that it could not bee but that he must haue suffred such things which hee confirmes afterward to all the Disciples somwhat more generally These are the wordes saith hee which I spake vnto you while I was yet with you that all must bee fulfilled which is written of mee in the Lawe of Moses in the Prophets and in the Psalmes But the handling of this point belongs to an other place thus much by the way It will bee obiected perhaps that the former part of our Lords speech seemes to prooue that hee speakes of the freedome of his will because hee saith that No man takes his life from him but hee layes it downe of himselfe whereas if he had not his choise whether hee would die or no his life were taken from him and not not laide downe by himselfe But who sees not that our Sauiour speakes of the malice and craft of men which hee could easily haue withstood or preuented by many meanes but that hee had vndertaken to yeelde himselfe into their hands That power remained still in him by which hee could haue defeated them of their purpose and preserued his owne life had hee not willingly made himselfe subiect vnto death Yet I deny not but it was free for him in regard of the nature of his will which was not altered or forced nor can bee to die or not to die But in the euent it could not possibly fall out that hee should escape But of this place enough There is an other in this same Gospell of the like nature where Pilat at the arraignement of our Lord saith thus to him Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and power to loose thee Doth Pilat meane Ioh. 19. 10. hee had freewill No such matter But that he had autoritie and that it lay in his hands to acquite or condemne him This our Sauiours answere shewes Thou couldest haue no power ouer mee saith hee except it were giuen thee from aboue Our Lord doth not meane that hee could not haue freewill in this case vnlesse hee had it from God but that himselfe had neuer bin at Pilats disposition except God had before hand so appointed to deliuer him into his hands This is that which the Apostles professe in their Sermon to the Iewes that hee was deliuered by the determinate Act. 2. 23. counsaile and foreknowledge of GOD. Which afterward is repeated in their praier speciall mention made of Pilat Herod the Gentiles and the Iewes who are said Chap. 4. 27. 28. to haue gathered themselues together against Iesus To doe whatsoeuer the hand and the Counsell of GOD had determined before to bee done What reason is there then to vnderstand the worde in this place of free-will In the booke of the Acts there are two texts that seeme to leane this way toward freewill signified by the worde heere vsed It is not for you saith Christ to know the times or the seasons which the father hath Act. 1. 7. put in his owne power How hath the father put the times or seasons in his power but by reseruing all Autoritie to himselfe to appoint them according to his owne will and to giue men such notice of them as hee thinkes good But the other place is somwhat harder Ananias you know the story hauing sold a possession kept away part of the money for which he had sold it and brought a certaine part to the Apostles making shew as if that had bin all that hee receiued for it Peter reprouing him for this grieuous hypocrisie reasons thus with him whiles it remained appertained it not to thee And after it was solde was it not in thine Chap. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4 owne power Heere by Power the Apostle may seeme to note that it was in his owne choise to dispose of it as pleased him And surely this followes vpon the Apostles speech But the worde rather signifies that hee had full autoritie ouer it as were after the sale as before to doe what he would withall Was it not in thy hand Mightest thou not lawfully haue retayned the whole summe For if we vnderstand the speech of his free will so hee may bee said to haue it in his power though it had bin due to the maintenance of the poore But the Apostle would shewe him that there was no reasonable excuse for his sinne because it was not a matter that lay vppon him by any Commandement or lawe but a thing that proceeded from his owne choise