all the Nation should perish Thus did this wretched Man express the cruel Motions of Hatred which he had against Jesus but God delivered by him who thought nothing less the Designs of his Wisdom for the Salvation of Men and honoured his Priesthood in the Person of his High-Priest Prophesying by his Mouth of the Death which the Saviour of the World should suffer to save not only the Jews but also to gather together into one Church the Children of God which are dispersed in all other Nations This advice so took with them that from that time the Priests and Pharisees sought all the ways they could think of to put him to Death and to this end gave order that if any Man knew where he was he should discover him that they might apprehend him But because his hour was not yet come altho ' it drew very near he escaped their Fury for a little time by not appearing in publick but going into a desert place near a City called Ephraim where he abode some time with his Disciples XLVI Jesus is rejected by the Samaritans The Feast of the Passover being the time wherein Jesus Christ was to consummate the great Work of our Redemption by the Sacrifice of his Blood when that Passover drew near Luke 9 51-56 wherein he was to suffer he prepared himself for Death and set forward in his Journey to Jerusalem with a stedfast Countenance signifying the firm Resolution he had taken up to lay down his Life for Men. It seemed good to him to go thro' Samaria but when he came into a City of the Province they would not entertain him because they knew he was going to Jerusalem for there was a great Contest between the Samaritans and Jews about the place where God ought to be Worshipped the first alledging that it was Mount Gerizim and the other the Temple of Jerusalem The reason then why the Inhabitants of this place thro' which Jesus passed rejected him was because he went to Solemnize the Feast and by consequent to Worship in a different place from them The two Sons of Zebedee James and John being incensed at the Injury which they had done to their Master said unto him Lord wilt thou that we command Fire to fall down from Heaven upon them and devour them But the Son of God willing to Teach them that the Spirit of his true Disciples is a Spirit of Love and Charity and not Revenge turned himself to the two Brethren and gave them this sharp reproof Ye know not by what Spirit ye are acted for the Son of Man is not come to destroy mens Lives but to save them And they went to lodge in another Village XLVII Jesus foretells his Death a Third time Matth. 20 17-19 Mark 10 32-34 Luke 18 31-34 This assurance and resolution of the Son of God which appeared even in his Face was not in the Heart of the Apostles who accompanyed him but on the contrary they were seized with terror and amazement and followed him with fear He takes them therefore apart and saith unto them Behold we go up to Jerusalem where all things that are Written concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished For he shall be delivered to to the Chief Priests and Scribes who shall condemn him to Death and deliver him to the Gentiles who shall mock and spitefully entreat him Scourge and crucify him and he shall rise again the Third Day but they understood not this Third Prediction of his Death no more than the Two former and the Gospel assures us That this Discourse was concealed from them so that they knew not the Things that were spoken XLVIII Jesus reproves the Ambition of his Apostles At the same Time Salome the Wife of Zebedee Matth. 20 20-28 Mark 10 35-45 and the Mother of John and James came to him with her Two Sons and worshipped him as if she were about to pray unto him Jesus asked her what she would have and she answered him Command that these my Two Sons may sit the one on thy Right-Hand and the other on thy Left in thy Kingdom He returned her no answer but turning himself to her Children for whom she petitioned he said unto them Ye know not what ye ask Are ye able to drink of the Cup that I must drink of and to be baptized with the Baptism that I must be baptized with By this Cup and Baptism he understood his Death and he asked these Two Brethren Whether they were able to follow him and imitate his Sufferings They answered That they were able Then he tells them That they should indeed drink a part of his Cup but as for the chief Places in his Kingdom they are wholly at the Disposal of his Father to give them to whom he pleaseth As if he had said according to the Explication of the Fathers Do not think that my Kingdom shall be given for Human Motives and Respects it belongs to those for whom my Father hath appointed it and they are such as are qualified for it by their Lives and Sufferings Put your selves therefore into a Posture of Fighting and Conquering and you shall have the Reward which is promised to Conquerors bestowed on you The Ambition of these Two Disciples displeased the other Ten who were very angry with the Two Brethren Jesus who knew their Thoughts being desirous to cure that Pride which made the one ambitious and the other jealous calls them unto him and teaches them That they must not be like the Princes and Grandees of the World who rule with Tyranny over their Subjects but on the contrary he that will be great among them must be Servant of all according to the Example of the Son of Man himself who came not to be waited upon and served but to serve others for their Spiritual Good and redeem Souls by his Death XLIX Jesus lodges at Zaccheus's House Luke 19 1-10 They went on their Journey and came to Jericho In this City there was a certain Man named Zaccheus one of the chief Publicans and very rich who had a very great Desire to see Jesus But because the Multitude hindred him from it being a Man of a small Stature he went before and climbed up into a Sycamore Tree in a Place where he knew he was to pass Jesus accordingly came that way indeed and lifting up his Eyes he saw Zaccheus and said unto him Zaccheus make haste and come down for I must lodge at thy House to Day At this Zaccheus came down immediately and entertained him joyfully while others murmuring against him said He is gone to be a Guest with a Man of a wicked Life But Jesus made it appear by the miraculous Change which he wrought in the Heart of this Publican that he went as a Physician into a diseased Family to cure it for Zaccheus presenting himself before him said to him Lord the half of my Estate I will give unto the Poor and if I have done any
to satisfie Justice for the Sin of Men and to pacifie God for the offence committed against him by suffering himself for it He condescended to be conceived by a Virgin Born in a Stable become an Infant converse with Men and live among them such a Life as we shall hereafter relate He preached did Miracles suffered Affronts and Injuries endured an Infamous and painful Death was Buryed in a Tomb rose again and Lastly ascended into Heaven After he commanded his Disciples to go and Preach in his Name thro' all the World and all this to perform and Compleat the Great Work of our Salvation Behold how great Love God hath shewed to Rebellious Man The Father hath given his only Son and this Son gave himself for them Let no Man ask the reason why God did not make choice of some easier way to save us which might cost him less It is certain that the Almighty could have found out some other means but it is also certain that we ought to look upon this which God hath made use of as the most advantageous for us and most agreeable to our needs since that God hath preferred it before all others who is not only the most Powerful but Wise Being who cannot be mistaken in the fittest means for attaining the End he aims at Let us not then examine what other ways God might have taken to effect this Great Work but let us devoutly consider how Glorious to himself and how profitable to us that way is which he hath taken And 1st God in the Incarnation of his Son hath magnified his Power and Goodness for he hath demonstrated to Man that tho' he is pleased to permit the Evils which he could hinder he can produce great good out of them and make those very Sins which dishonour him to be serviceable for his glory in it He hath shewed his Mercy and his Justice for he pardons the Guilty and at the same time he received a satisfaction equivalent to the Offence committed By it he hath discovered to us the admirable and unsearchable strength of his Wisdom which hath found out a way to satisfy at once both his Justice and his Love and hath so ordered it that the Criminal may be saved and yet God who hath been offended not be dishonoured for by the Death of Jesus Christ God is revenged and Mans Sin punished He bore our grief in his own Body and offered such a Sacrifice to his Father as could not but be accepted because it was Pure and Innocent and which payd him as great honour as he had received affront by Man's Sin for it was of infinite value being united to the God-head The perfect submission of the Son of God even to the Death of the Cross hath made sufficient amends for the Disobedience of a mere Man Men are saved because another hath undergone the punishment due to them and God hath lost nothing of his Honour since he was offended by a mere Creature but hath been infinitely Honoured by a God And as it is glorious to God so also is 2. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ as advantageous to Man by the wonderful fitness which it hath to all the defects and evils from which the Divine Wisdom hath thought fit to deliver him for Gods anger was not only to be appeased but Man who was diseased was to be cured Now as the perfection of Man consisted in knowing and loving God so the disease of Man was to be stripped of these so that he neither knew God nor loved him but laboured under blindness of Mind and corruption of Heart which Christ by his Incarnation hath removed and cured For 1. He hath restored Man to the knowledge of God He hath opened the Eyes of Man to make him know the true God for the Word who is the Light of the Soul John 1.14 was made flesh and dwelt among us The Light which we shut our Eyes against came down from Heaven to present it self to us accommodating it self to the weakness of our sight and because we were able to discern nothing but Corporeal things he cloathed himself with a Body that so by our Senses he might insinuate himself into our Souls and disperse our darkness and blindness Jesus Christ being thus become visible he conversed sometime with Men did Miracles to make them believe on him and by sensible benefits healing the Sick freeing the Possessed drawed them to him and so having insensibly link'd them to his Human Nature which he assumed to work out Salvation for them he Preached the Truth to them They heard his Word with pleasure and this Word purifying their Hearts by Faith which they had in this Man who Preached to them prepared them by little and little and at last led them insensibly to the knowledge of the-God-head which was hidden under the Vail of the Humanity 2. But since it is not enough for Man to know God unless he Love him Jesus Christ by his Incarnation hath healed our corruption of Heart and hath drawn our Affections off from the Love of the Creature to that of the Creator for being Cloathed with a Body he placed his God-head among those Objects which the Soul in the State of Corruption doth naturally fix its Love upon and by sensible benefits and kindnesses endeavoured to bring it to the Consideration and Love of Invisible and Eternal good things He shewed it what it ought to love as its true Happiness and not only raised its hopes to attain it but Taught it the proper means of arriving at it Lastly He convinced it of the great Love God had for it and consequently how much it ought to love him for what greater sign of love could he have given us than in sending his only begotten Son to Dye for us who were his Enemies And what more effectual Attracture to oblige us to love him again who hath thus loved us first What Heart is so hard as not to be melted with such immense kindness A slight reflection upon it will make us resolve with the beloved Disciple and say Let us Love God for he hath first Loved us 1 Jo. 4 19. And as the Incarnation of Christ gives us an ample proof of Gods love to us so also it shews us the greatness of the Crime with which we have offended him The greatness of the Satisfaction discovers the greatness of our Guilt Man could never have conceived the heinousness of his Sin if God had not required so great a satisfaction We usually look upon Adam's sin as a small sin and are apt to accuse God of injustice for punishing a momentary Action with eternal Torments not considering that the Person who was threatned with eternal Torments for his Rebellion might have enjoyed an eternal Happiness for his Obedience But the Incarnation of the Son of God hath justified the Justice of God for his Blood which was shed for the expiation of our Sin is a faithful Mirrour to represent the greatness of
reference to that ultimate End For as St. Austin saith Aug. de cat rud c. 22. Jesus Christ our Lord who is the Son of God and was made Man hath contemned the good things of this World to Teach us to contemn them suffered many Sorrows to give us Courage to endure them was Poor that we might not glory in Riches would not be made a King to teach us to be Humble suffered Hunger and Thirst to teach us Contentment In fine Dyed and Rose again that we might learn to contemn Death in hopes of a Glorious Resurrection Thus hath the Son of God given us an Example of managing our Words Actions and Sufferings and in so doing we shall be saved V. Some directions how we may read the Life of Jesus Christ with advantage The Life of Christ being intended as we have already shewed as the Universal Remedy of all the Distempers of Mans Soul deserves our daily reading and serious Meditation upon it All Arguments to perswade Men to it come far short of this very consideration That 't is the Life not of a Man but of a God so that it is in vain to propound any other All that I shall add shall be only some directions to the Reader in perusing it which may help him to make it as Beneficial as it is design'd and ought to be to us 1. One of the most Important is that we should always keep it in our minds whose Life it is we are Reading of that we may not be offended at his Infirmities and Sufferings by looking upon them as Involuntary Jesus Christ is God and by consequent Almighty and therefore nothing could befal him against his Will nor could he suffer any thing but what he would and so long as he pleased When we see him dying upon the Cross let us remember what he hath said That he lay'd down his Life of himself John 10.18 Luke 4.30 John 18.6 and no Man was able to take it from him When he falls into the hands of his Enemies let us consider that before this he had often withdrew himself Miraculously from the Fury of his Enemies and before he suffered himself to be taken he threw them down on the Earth at his Word alone If at any time the Evangelists who have undertaken to describe exactly what Jesus did as a Man here upon Earth do sometimes represent him to us under such Troubles and Passions as happen to Men involuntarily let them know that the Evangelist who hath written on purpose to prove his Divinity teaches us That all these Motions were voluntary in him and that he troubled himself But let no Man say That these Troubles and Infirmities though voluntary were unbecoming God but on the contrary let us honour him the more for them since he made choice of them who is the Wisdom and Power of the Father Let us consider the Design why he underwent our Weaknesses and Miseries and be so far from being ashamed of his Humiliation that we should admire the wonderful propriety and fitness to bring about the End Proposed which is the Salvation of Man The Mockings which the Gentiles treated him withal were a necessary Remedy to cure our Pride and our Physician was willing to take this Medicine himself that he might make it more pleasant and tolerable to the Sick whom he intended to save He sometimes acted as God and sometimes as Man but managed all his Actions both Human and Divine for our Benefit If he manifests his Glory by Miracles it is to make us believe on him and to perswade us that when he suffers 't is not out of Necessity but Love to us And if he conceal the Glory of his Divinity under the Vail of our Infirmities 't is that he may gain our Love and Service as a Guide to us teaching us by his Example what we should do and suffer If he opposes his Enemies till they are ready to stone him but yet cannot 't is that when they shall put him to Death we may be thankful for the Death which he suffered to redeem us He submitted to Death in Obedience to the Command of his Father to teach us a patient Submission to all Afflictions God shall please to lay upon us He was seized with Fear and Sorrow at the Approaches of Death which yet he endured voluntarily and had long desired and which he knew was the Cup given him to drink by his Father not that we should think that he drank it unwillingly but to comfort and instruct those that are obliged to dye either through Force or by Necessity of Nature Thus like a good Physician he subjected himself to all our Weaknesses that he might make us couragious and strong to take the wholsome but bitter Potion which he offered to us Who could have been perswaded of the necessity of suffering and bearing the Cross if Jesus Christ had not suffered and been crucified for us Who would think himself able to endure Crosses when Nature makes so strong an Opposition if Jesus Christ had not Suffered it himself Who of us would not tremble at the Efforts which we must sustain in encountring the horrible Terrors of Death had not our Spiritual Physician swet Blood and Water in the same Combat These voluntary Sufferings of Jesus Christ are our Consolation under our involuntary Afflictions teaching us that they are no sins since the Son of God was contented to endure them and shewing us the Way how to engage God's Love to us by them saying to God as his Son did Not mine Luke 22.42 but thy Will be done Thus the Infirmities of our Saviour though they seem unbecoming a God yet are evident Demonstrations of the Infinite Mercy by which he desired to save us His Humiliations are all our Honour since he was humbled for us only Let us adore his Condescension and judge with ourselves that all our Love is due to that God who abased himself suffered and dyed for our Salvation 2. Another Direction how we should read the Life of our Saviour with Advantage is to read it with a Design of conforming our selves to it All the Holiness of Men consisteth in the Imitation of Jesus Christ Rom. 8.2 for according to S. Paul's Words God hath predestinated us to be conformed to the Image of his Son 1 Cor. 15.49 And the same Apostle teaches us elswhere as we have born the Image of the Old Man by following the irregular Desires of our Flesh we must bear the Image of the New Man which is Christ Jesus by regulating our Lives by his Wherefore we ought not to be lead by mere Curiosity to the Reading of this History nor to know his Actions only but to learn by what he hath done what we ought to do He said to the Jews long since Joh. 5.35 who had heard John's Sermons with Pleasure John was a Burning and Shining Light and ye were willing for a Season to rejoyce in his Light But it is
they are indeed but a small number but notwithstanding that they should not be afraid since it is their Fathers good will to give them the Kingdom He tells them further that they should always be in a readiness to appear before God who will come at an Hour when they least expect him as Servants who watch all Night waiting for the return of their Master from the Wedding That being made Stewards of Gods House to distribute to his People the Food of his Word they should discharge their Duty faithfully not doing as the Foolish Steward who seeing his Lord to delay his coming consumed the Goods he had been Trusted withal in Debaucheries made use of his Authority to abuse his fellow Servants and deserved for his irregular Management to be cast with Hypocrites and Unbelievers into that place of Torment where there is nothing but wailing and gnashing of Teeth That since the Son of Man will come in a Day and Hour which they know not of to require an Account of their Management they should always watch as a Master of an House would do if he knew what Night the Thief would come to Rob and Plunder his House That knowing the Will of their Master they are so much the more to blame if they do not obey it and the more they are trusted withall the greater their account will be And we see that elsewhere he gives them this important Instruction Luke 17.10 That after that they had done all that they are commanded they should be so far from being proud of it that they ought to look upon themselves as unprofitable Servants and acknowledge that they have done no more than what they are obliged to do He advises them to be very careful in discharging their Ministry faithfully because in so doing they shall be dealt well withall by all the World whereas on the contrary he came to bring division upon Earth so that the Persons of the same Family shall be at enmity with one another some desiring to follow Jesus Christ others Persecuting those that adhere to him Lastly he tells them that he came to kindle a Fire upon Earth and that he had a Baptism to be Baptized with This Baptism is no other according to the Fathers than his Death and many understand by the Fire he came to kindle in the World that Love which the Holy Spirit would infuse into Mens Souls to inflame them devoutly with the Love of God XXIX Jesus shews the necessity of Repentance At the same time came certain Persons to tell Jesus Luke 13 1-10 that Pilate the Governour of Judea had slain certain Galileans as they were sacrificing so that their Blood was mingled with their Sacrifices Whereupon Jesus asks them whether they thought that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because God had left them to suffer such cruel usage from Men He tells that it was not reasonable to think so but that the conclusion that they ought to make from that accident is this That unless they repented they should all come to as sad and untimely ends as those miserable Men. The same application he tells them they ought to make of the Death of those Eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell and crushed them to Death And that he might engage them to make a good use of the time that God gives them to compleat their Repentance in for their Crimes He compares them to a barren Fig-tree which the owner of the Vineyard would have had cut down but deferred it because the Gardiner desired to try by dunging and digging of it to make it Fruitful and if it still remained barren then to cut it down XXX Jesus cureth a Woman bowed together Jesus using always to Teach in the Synagogues on the Sabboth days Luke 13 11-17 there came thither a Woman possessed with a Devil who had been afflicted so Eighteen Years and so much bowed together that she could not look up He called her and laying his Hand upon her said unto her Woman thou art freed from thy infirmity and at the same instant she was restored and glorified God for her Cure The Ruler of the Synagogue being angry that Jesus had done this Miracle on the Sabboth Day said unto the People That there are Six Days in every Week allowed by God for labour in them let them come and be healed and not on the Sabboth Day which is a Day of Rest But Jesus answering him demanded of these Hypocrites Whether it were not as lawful to deliver from the Bonds of the Devil on the Sabboth Day a Daughter of Abraham whom he had kept a Captive Eighteen Years as it was for them to unloose his Ox or his Ass upon the same Day and lead them from their Stable to Watering This silenced his Adversaries while the People were astonished at his Actions which were so wonderful and made him so glorious XXXI The Jews go about again to Stone him John 10.22.42 A little after this happened the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple which was kept in Winter Two Months after the Feast of Tabernacles and by consequent towards the Beginning of December Jesus came to Jerusalem at this Feast and walked in a Porch of the Temple called Solomon's Porch till the Jews came about him and said unto him How long wilt thou hold our Soul in Suspence by thy obscure Expressions concerning thy self If thou art the Christ tell us plainly He answered them I have already told you and ye believe not the Works which I do in my Father's Name they bear Witness of me but ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep And to shew them how great losers they are by not being of his Sheep he adds That his Sheep hear his Voice and follow him that he will give them Eternal Life and they shall never perish because no Man can pull them out of his Father's Hands nor his because he and his Father are one Upon this the Jews went about again to stone him but Jesus aked them For which of those many good Works which they had seen him do would they use him so cruelly They answered him That they did it not for a good Work but because he being a Man made himself a God He then proves to them by their own Scriptures That Men are sometimes called Gods so that he was not guilty of Blasphemy in giving himself that Name who was the only Son of God sent by his Father which he proved by so great a Number of Miracles as God had enabled him to do among them All this did not appease their Fury and Rage against him but they sought how they might take him but he escaped out of their Hands because his Hour was not yet come and having passed over Jordan he went along the Bank of the River to Bethabara the Place where John at first baptized and there he abode Hither he was followed by a great number of People
whom he taught according to his Custom healing at the same time all the Sick that were brought unto him Many believed on him and said John did no Miracles but all things that John spake of this Man we have found to be true XXXII Jesus advises Men to enter in at the strait Gate and foretels the Destructon of Jerusalem Jesus having remained some Time in that Place Luke 13 22-35 went on his Way to Jerusalem and all-a-long his Journey gave Instructions to the People where he passed Among others that came to him there was one that offered this Question Lord are there few that shall be saved Jesus from hence takes occasion to advise his Hearers To strive to enter in at the strait Gate for many I say unto you shall seek the way to enter in and shall not be able And to shew that it will be in vain for them to desire to enter into Heaven through the strait Gate who have walked all their Lives in the Broad Way He adds That when the Door shall be shut it will be in vain to say Lord open to us for the Master of the Family will say I know you not but if they shall answer We have eat and drank with thee and thou hast taught in our Streets he will answer them I know not who you are depart from me ye Workers of Iniquity Then shall the Jews weep and lament to see so many Heathens come from all Parts of the World to be possessed of the Glories of Heaven and themselves who are the Heirs of the Kingdom to be cast out and so to be the last who were once the first The same Day came some of the Pharisees unto him and said Depart from this Place for Herod hath a Grudge against thee and threatens to kill thee if thou stayest long in his Jurisdiction Jesus knowing the Time of his Death and that he should not dye till he pleased sends them to that Fox for so he calls Herod to shew that tho' he was a very cunning Prince yet all his Arts and Devices could not do him any harm and bids them tell him That he had some Time yet remaining to cast out Devils and heal Diseases and then he should consummate his Sacrifice by suffering Death at Jerusalem which was the place appointed as it were for the Slaughter of the Prophets Matth. 23 37-39 Whereupon he upbraids that unhappy City O Jerusalem Jerusalem which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy Children together as an Hen gathers her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not wherefore he threatens her with Destruction and assures her That they shall not see him more till her Inhabitants shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. XXXIII Jesus heals a Man sick of a Dropsy and beats down the Pride of the Pharisees Jesus then entred on the Sabboth Day Luke 14 1-14 into the House of one of the chief Pharisees to dine with him While he was here there came a Man sick of the Dropsy and stood before him and he asked the Scribes and Pharisees Whether it were lawful to heal a Man on the Sabboth Day But they not giving him an Answer he took the Man by the Hand and healed him and having sent him away made the same Apology for himself as he had done upon the like occasion Who is there of you who if his Ox or his Ass fall into a Pit will not immediately pull them out on the Sabboth Day and they could answer him no more to this Question than the former After this Jesus taking notice how they who were invited to this Feast chose the chief Places he endeavouring to beat down their proud Humor said unto them When any Man is invited to a Wedding he ought not to sit down in the uppermost Place lest he be forced with Disgrace to come lower to make room for some more honourable Person But on the contrary if he sits down in the lowest Place he that invited him will make him go higher which will gain him more honour among all the Guests for whosoever exalts himself shall be abased but he that humbleth himself shall be exalted To this Advice which he gave the Guests he adds another to the Persons inviting them and teaches them Not to invite to their Tables the Rich who will return their Treats again but the Poor and the Lame for God shall recompence them himself at the Resurrection of the Just because they have done it without any Design of Interest but merely being mov'd with Charity XXXIV He teaches the Guests That he came to invite them into his Kingdom Luke 14 15-24 One of the Guests who sat at Table with him hearing his last Words said unto him Blessed is he that eateth Bread in the Kingdom of God Then Jesus shews them by a Parable That he came to invite Men to this great Feast of Heaven and that notwithstanding the great Happiness there was in being at that Feast they that were invited would not come because they loved the temporal and perishing Riches of this World before the heavenly Riches which remain for ever This Parable is of a Man who having invited many to a great Supper sent his Servants to call them to it when all was ready But they all made Excuses One because he was to go see a Farm which he had lately purchased Another because he was to prove some Oxen which he had bought a Third because he was newly married and others for other Pretences So that the Servant having related these Things to his Lord he swore That none of those which were bidden shall taste of his Supper wherefore he invited in their stead the Poor and the Infirm which they met in the Streets and Lanes of the City When all these were come in there was still Room for more wherefore the King sent his Servant into the High-ways and Hedges ordering him to compel all that he met with to come in and fill his House So the Gentiles came to be called and invited to Heaven instead of the Jews some of which Gentiles God did as it were force to come in such are those Persons who would never think of their Salvation if God did not oblige them to it not by sanctifying them against their Will but by taking from them all their worldly Enjoyments which they loved most putting them under an happy Necessity of flying to him and thinking of nothing but Heaven XXXV Jesus teaches what we must do to be saved Jesus went on still in visiting the Places on this Side Jordan in respect of Judea Luke 14 25-33 where he had formerly preached and was always accompanied with a great multitude of People One Day as he went along he turned himself to those that followed him and said unto them Whosoever cometh after me and hateth not his Father and his Mother his Wife and Children
others in the middle-age of it and others shall enter at the end of the World There are some that begin to live well in their Infancy others in their Youth others in their Riper-age and some are not converted till just before their Death But so great is the Mercy and Goodness of God that they shall all go to Heaven and shall be rewarded for their Good Works which they have done since their Conversion with the Beatifick Vision of God himself But we ought well to consider upon these Words Many are called but few are chosen that we may not content our selves to be in the Church into which God hath called us but may be diligent 1 Pet. 2-10 as St. Peter teaches us To make our calling and election sure by Good Works and to fit our selves for the Kingdom promised to the Elect. XLIV Jesus raiseth Lazarus from the Dead As Jesus was thus instructing his Disciples on this side Jordan the two Sisters abovementioned John 11 1-45 Martha and Mary sent him word of the sickness of their Brother Lazarus by certain Messengers who spake to him in these words Lord He whom thou Lovest is sick for indeed he loved these Persons and therefore having heard this News he said This sickness is not unto Death but is only inflicted on him to gain Glory to God and that the Son of God may be Glorified thereby Nevertheless he tarryed two days still in the same place and then said to his Apostles Let us go into Judea for Bethany where the House of Lazarus and his two Sisters was was in Judea about two Miles distant from Jerusalem to which he must go by crossing the River Jordan The Apostles said unto him Master The Jews there were lately about to Stone thee and dost thou think of venturing among them again He answers them That he must discharge his Ministry while God gives him Time and Opportunity let what dangers will stand in the way And then he adds Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth but I will go to awake him His Disciples understanding his words literally said unto him Lord if he sleep he will grow well Then he told them plainly That Lazarus was Dead and that for the kindness he had for them he was glad that he was not present with him to prevent his Death because that which he intended to do for him would be of great use to increase and confirm their Faith Thomas one of the Twelve seeing his Master resolv'd to go into Judea said to his fellow Disciples Let us also go with him It is indeed dangerous but we ought rather to dy with him than forsake him or leave him so they accompanyed him They got not to Bethany till Lazarus had been Buryed Four Days and when they came to the House of Martha and Mary they found many Jews there which were come to comfort the two Sisters for the Death of their Brother Martha hearing that Jesus was coming went a little way out of the Town to meet him and said unto him Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not dyed But I know that even now God will grant thee whatsoever thou askest of him Jesus answered her Thy Brother shall rise again She replyed I know that he shall rise again at the last Day Jesus says again I am the Resurrection and the Life i. e. I am able to raise the Dead to Life at any time as well now as hereafter he that believeth in me as thy Brother did altho' he be dead shall if I please live again and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye if I please to preserve him Believest thou this She answered him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God which should come into the World After this Discourse she went and called her Sister to tell her privately that the Master was come and asked after her Mary arose immediately and went to Jesus out of the Town to the place where Martha met him The Jews who were with her when she arose to go to the Son of God seeing her go out so hastily followed her thinking that she went to the Grave of her Brother to Weep there As soon as she came to Jesus she fell down at his Feet and said unto him Weeping Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not Dyed Her Tears and Sorrow accompanyed with the Lamentations of the Jews that came with her affected the Son of God so that he groaned in himself and was troubled i. e. he stirred up in his own heart a Voluntary Motion of Compassion and Tenderness which appeared outwardly by the same signs which discover the involuntary passions and affections of Men. Hereupon he demanded where they had Buryed him they said unto him Lord come and see He went along with them Weeping which made some of the Jews to say See how he loved him while others said Could not this Man who openeth the Eyes of the Blind have prevented Lazarus 's Death Jesus still shewing the same disturbance of mind came to the Grave which was a Pit with a Stone lay'd at the Mouth of it He commanded them to take away the Stone but Martha told him that the Dead Man by this time stank because he had been Buryed Four Days But he answered Did not I tell you that if ye would believe ye should see the Glory of God magnified in raising him from the Dead They then removed the Stone and Jesus lifting up his Eyes to Heaven said these words Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me always As for me I know that thou always hearest me and thy Power is present with me but this I say because of the People which is about me that they may believe when they see thy Power granted to me by my Prayer that thou hast sent me Having spoken these words he cryed with a loud Voice Lazarus come forth And immediately the Dead Man came forth having his Hands and his Feet bound with grave Cloaths and his Head wrapped about with a Napkin Jesus then bid them loose him and several of the Jews who came to see the two Sisters believed on him having been Eye-witnesses of this Miracle XLV The Jews hold a Council against Jesus John 11 46-54 As soon as Jesus had wrought this Miracle some who saw it went to tell the Pharisees of it who were his Mortal Enemies Whereupon they immediately called a Council with the High-Priests and said Why do we lose time and do nothing This Man doth many Miracles and if we let him thus alone all Men will believe him to be the Messias and the Romans fearing lest he should set up for a King and withdraw the People from Obedience to them will come and destroy our City and Nation Caiphas who was High Priest that Year said unto them Ye understand nothing nor consider that it is better to put one Man to Death to secure all the People than that
thought upon all ways Matth. 27 1-10 how they might put their Sentence in Execution resolv'd to deliver him to Pontius Pilate the Governour of Judaea so Constituted by the Romans When Judas who had betray'd him saw that he was Condemned he repenting of what he had done brought the Thirty Pieces of Silver which he had received to the Priests and Rulers again and said unto them I have sinned in betraying the Innocent Blood They answered What is that to us See thou to That But he casting the Money down in the Temple went away and Hang'd himself The Priests thought it not Lawful to put the Money into the Treasury because it was the Price of Blood and of a Mans Life Wherefore they Bought the Potters Field to Bury Strangers in with it which is therefore called The Field of Blood and in the Syriack Tongue Aceldama Acts 1.19 Thus was the Prophecy of Zechariah â—exactly fulfilled Zech. 11.13 That Jesus should be Sold for the Price of Thirty Pieces of Silver and with it the Potters Field should be Bought XXXIV Jesus is accused before Pilate John 18 28-38 The Priests and Rulers of the Jews carryed Jesus bound from the Palace of Caiphas to the Praetorium i. e. the Palace of the Roman Governour But because they were afraid to go into an Heathens House lest they should be defiled and so be made unfit to eat the Passover they would not go in Insomuch that Pilate was forced to go out to them and ask them What they accused him of that they had brought him to him They answered him in general If he were not a Malefactor they would not have delivered him up unto him The Governour said unto them Take ye him and judge him according to the Rules of your Law But they reply'd That it was not Lawful for them to put any Man to Death They pretended that the Romans had lately depriv'd them of the Power of Condemning Men to Death by which the Word of Jesus was accomplish'd which he spake to his Apostles that he should be delivered to the Gentiles to be Crucified Matth. 20.19 The Governour not being contented with these rambling Accusations Matth. 27 11-14 Mark 15 2-5 Luke 23 1-5 John 18 33-38 which laid nothing special against him whom they required to be put to Death the Jews said unto him That Jesus not only perverted the whole Nation but forbid Paying Tribute to Caesar and assumed the Title of a King and of the Messias Pilate then returning into his Palace and calling for Jesus he ask'd him if he were the King of the Jews Jesus answered him Sayest thou this thy self or did others tell it thee of me Pilate replyed Am I a Jew The People of thy own Nation and the Chief Priests have delivered thee to me What hast thou done Jesus answered him My Kingdom is not of this World if it were my Disciples would fight to keep me out of the Hands of the Jews but my Kingdom is not from hence Art thou then a King said the Governour Thou sayest it replyed Jesus that I am For this End was I born and for this End came I into the World to give Testimony to the Truth Every one that loves the Truth heareth my Voice Pilate ask'd him What is Truth And having said these Words he went to the Jews that attended about his Palace to tell them That he found no Fault with Jesus Then the Priests and the Elders accused him of several Crimes but he answered nothing although Pilate said Hearest thou not how many accusations they bring against thee yet still he held his Peace which greatly astonished this Governour XXXV Jesus is contemned and scorned by Herod The Enemies of Jesus pressing him more fiercelyâ— accused him of having stirred up the People by his Doctrin Luke 23 5-12 which he hath taught throughout all Judea beginning at Galilee Pilate hearing them speak of Galilee asked whether he belonged to that Province and being informed that he was of it and consequently of Herod's Jurisdiction he sent him to that Prince who was then at Jerusalem Herod was very glad to see him for he had a long Time desired it having heard such great things spoken of him and he hoped to see some Miracle done by him wherefore he put many Questions to him but Jesus answered nothing neither to them nor the Accusations which the Priests and Scribes brought against him and urged with great Vehemency Herod being thus deceived in his Expectations contemned Jesus and derided him and cloathing him in a white Raiment sent him again to Pilate This was the Cause that Herod and Pilate from that Time became Friends who had been Enemies before XXXVI A Thief is preferred before Jesus Matth. 27 15-23 Luke 23 13-23 John 18.39 40. Pilate could not be brought to put a Man to Death in whom he found nothing worthy of Death wherefore he called the Priests Rulers and People and told them That having examined Jesus before them he did not find him guilty of any of those Crimes of which they accused him and that Herod to whom he had sent them had passed the same Judgment But to give place a little to their Fury because he knew that for Envy and Hatred only they had delivered him to him he propounded it to them to Scourge him and then let him go again This not being liked he contrived another way to save him He was obliged by Custom upon the account of the Feast to free a Criminal whom the Jews would chuse and all the People who desired Jesus Death were also very earnest with him to shew them the same Favour he had always used to grant them There was then in Prison a notable Thief named Barabbas who had been seized with other Seditious Persons because he had committed Murther in the Sedition Pilate therefore thinking that if he propounded only Two viz. Jesus and Barabbas to chuse one of the Two for whom he should do this Favour they would prefer an Innocent Person before a Thief and a Murderer saith unto them I find no Fault in him whom ye accuse But since it is a Custom to release a Criminal at the Passover whom will ye that I release unto you Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ There happened also another Thing about the same Time which is no small Proof that the Governour had a Design to save Jesus's Life for as he was sirting upon the Judgment-Seat his Wife sent one to bid him Not to concern himself with this Just Man because she had suffered Many Troubles in a Dream because of him Then did Pilate do all that he was able to deliver him from the Hands of his Enemies and this was the Reason that he propounded him with Barabbas to the People But the Priests and Elders moved the People and perswaded them to require his Favour for Barabbas and that Jesus might be put to Death so that when Pilate ask'd them a
because they knew it was their Master And Jesus having taken the Bread gave it them and likewise the Fish XLIX Jesus commits the care of his Sheep to St. Peter When they had eaten Jesus said to Peter Simon John 21 15-23 Son of Jonas Lovest thou me more than these do He answered him Yea Lord thou knowest I love thee Jesus saith unto him Feed my Lambs He asked him again a Second time Simon Son of Jonas Lovest thou me Yea Lord answered Peter thou knowest that I Love thee Jesus says again Feed my Lambs Jesus again the Third time put the same Question to him Peter was troubled that his Master seem'd to doubt of his Love and answered him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I Love thee Our Saviour having made him thus make some amends for his Sin in denying him Thrice by giving a Triple Testimony of his Love committed the Care of his Sheep to him i. e. the Souls of his People saying to him again Feed my Sheep He adds Verily Verily I say unto thee when thou wast Young thou girdedst thy self and went whither thou pleasest but when thou shalt be Old thou shalt stretch forth thy Hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not The Gospel saith that Jesus signified by these Words by what Death Peter should glorify God and they did indeed concur in the Martyrdom of this Apostle whom Tradition teacheth us to have been Crucified as his Master was Euseb Eccles Hist. lib. 2. c. 25. After this Jesus commanded Peter to follow him and Peter turning him seeth John the Beloved Disciple of Jesus following him and seeing him he saith unto Jesus Lord what shall become of this Man But Jesus checks his Curiosity by tclling him that he ought not to trouble himself with what shall befall others and orders him to mind nothing but to follow him And speaking of John he sayeth to him I will that he tarry till I come Or according to other Editions If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee These words seemed to intimate to the Apostles that John should not dye But this Evangelist who wrote these things himself observes that Jesus did not say that he should not dye and History indeed tells us That he is Dead But the sense of these Words of the Son of God perhaps signifies that that Disciple should continue as he was to his Death i. e. he should not dye a Violent Death as Peter should or that he should Live till the Destruction of Jerusalem for these words Vntil I come may signify according to the usual Language of Scripture Vntil I come to take him out of the World by Death Or till I come to punish and Chastize this People St. John did really live till after the Destruction of Jerusalem and dyed at last of his Natural Death L. Jesus Instructed the Apostles The Son of God shewed himself several times more to his Apostles during the Forty days Matth. 28 16-20 Mark 16 15-18 Luke 24 44-49 Acts 1.3 that he abode upon Earth after his Resurrection and he appeared so often saith St. Luke to give them ample Proofs that he was alive and to talk with them of the Kingdom of God And since he had determined to call Men by Preaching to the possession of that Kingdom he gave them necessary instructions to discharge their Functions well He explained to them all that was spoken of himself in the Law of Moses and in the Books of the Prophets and in the Psalms and opened their Understandings to understand the sense of Scripture He shews them that according as it is Written Christ must suffer Death and be raised the Third day and that Repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in all Nations beginning at Jerusalem He Communicates to them the Authority which he had received of his Father and saith to them All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Go ye therefore into all the World and Preach the Gospel and Instruct all People Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you He adds That they that believe not shall be Damned and on the contrary They that believe their Word by a lively Faith and are Baptized shall be saved and likewise shall do Miracles Casting out Devils Speaking with Tongues Drinking Poison without getting harm and Healing the Sick by laying their Hands on them Lastly since the Apostles had need of Power and Strength to exercise the Ministry which was entrusted to them he assured them of his protection telling them that he would be with them always to the End of the World and he promised them to endue them with power from above by the Holy Spirit which he would send from Heaven LI. The last Appearance of Jesus Christ Matth. 28 16-18 It is probable that Jesus gave them the greatest part of these Instructions at the Famous Apearance p. 217. The Ascension of Jesus Christ which he made to them upon the Mountain of Galilee where he appointed to meet them Here he promised them before he dyed to shew himself to them And on the day of his Resurrection the Angels and He himself commanded the Holy Women to tell his Disciples that he would meet in Galilee They went thither they saw him as he had promised and they Worshipped him 1 Cor. 15.6 It is credible that all his Disciples met him there as the Apostles and that it is of the Appearance that St. Paul speaks who saith That Jesus appeared to more than Five Hundred Brethren at once The same Apostle tells us that he also appeared to James but doth not relate in what manner Luke 24.49 Acts â—1 4-8 Lastly He shewed himself the Last time to his Apostles at Jerusalem where he commanded them to abide till they should receive the Holy Spirit which he promised them in these words John Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized i. e. Washed and Sanctified by the Holy Ghost not many days hence They asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom of Israel He answered them That it is not for them to know the Times and Seasons which God hath put in his own absolute Power But ye shall receive saith he to them the power of the Holy Spirit which shall come down upon you and ye shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth LII The Ascension of Jesus Christ These were the last Words according to S. Luke Mark 16.19 20. Luke 24 50-53 Acts 1 9-12 which Jesus spake upon the Earth if they were spoken immediately before he left his Apostles it was at Bethany whither he led them upon the Day of his Ascension or upon the Mount of Olives From which it appears he ascended as S. Luke relates He