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
also who was Crucified with him used the same Language If thou art the Christ save thy self and us but the other reproved him in these Terms Dost not thou fear God since thou art Condemned to the same Punishment and that justly for we suffer no more than our Crimes deserve But this Man hath done nothing amiss Then he addresses himself to Jesus and saith unto him Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom Jesus answered him Verily I say unto thee this Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise i. e. in a Place of Rest where the Souls of the Saints are which that Day was indeed a delicious Paradise by reason of Christ's Presence in it Among the great Number of People which stood about the Cross there were several Women who were come out of Galilee with Jesus and had ministred to him of their Substance All his Acquaintance also were there who beheld afar off what passed but the Holy Virgin Mary Magdalen and the other Mary stood by the Cross and John the Son of Zebedee stood by the Holy Virgin When Jesus therefore saw his Mother and the Disciple whom he loved standing by her he saith unto her Woman behold thy Son and look upon him with the Kindness of a Mother and then he said to his Disciple Behold thy Mother and reverence her and take Care of her as such From that Time this Virgin Mother say the Fathers dwelt with the Virgin Disciple to whose Care her Son had recommended her And we need not wonder saith S. Ambrose that this Apostle hath delivered such great Mysteries of Religion so divinely since he had with him the Sacred Temple wherein the Author of all these Mysteries was conceived It was about Noon when Jesus was fastned to the Cross and soon after the Sun was darkned and the Air was filled with Darkness for Three Hours About the Third Hour Jesus cryed with a loud Voice Eli Eli Lamma Sabacthani i. e. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Some of them that were present hearing him say Eli Eli and being ignorant of the Hebrew Tongue in which these Words signify My God my God thought he had called the Prophet Elias to help him XLI The Death of Jesus Jesus had done and suffered all that was foretold of him in Scripture and there was nothing to be fulfilled but the Words of the Psalmist They gave me Gall to Eat and when I was Thirsty They gave me Vinegar to drink That therefore nothing might be unperformed which his Father had Commanded Psalm 69.21 Matth. 27 50-54 Mark 15 37-39 Luke 23 46-49 John 19 28-37 he said I Thirst And immediately one of the Soldiers ran and took a Spunge and dipping it in a Vessel of Vinegar which stood by put it upon a Reed gave him it to drink saying stay let us see whether Elias will come and take him down from the Cross Jesus having received the Vinegar said All is accomplished And then crying out again a Second Time he said Father I commend my Soul into thy Hands and when he had said these words He bowed down his Head and gave up the Ghost At the same time the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the Top to the Bottom the Earth trembled the Rocks rent and the Graves were opened and as soon as Jesus rose from the Dead many Dead Bodies of Saints arose and appeared to many Persons in Jerusalem So many Prodigies affrighted the Captain and Soldiers which Guarded Jesus and in the Fright they cryed out Certainly this Man was the Son of God All the People which were present and beheld this Sight were not less affected than they so that all returned smiting their Breasts Nevertheless the Jews not being willing that the Body of Jesus and the Two Thieves which were Crucified with him should remain on the Cross on the Sabbath-day desired Pilate that their Leggs might be broke and that they might be taken down Then the Soldiers came and brake the Leggs of the Two Thieves but coming to Jesus they found him already Dead and therefore instead of breaking his Leggs one of them pierced his Side with a Spear and immediately there issued out Blood and Water so that two Prophesies were thereby fulfilled together Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have Pierced and another speaking of the Paschal Lamb which was a Type of Jesus Christ A Bone of him shall not be broken Exod. 12.46 XLII The Burial of Jesus Among the Disciples of Jesus there was a Man of great Wealth and Honour born in Arimathaea Matth. 27 57-66 Mark 15 42-47 Luke 23 50-56 John 19 38-42 a City of Judaea named Joseph It is true he was a Disciple only in secret because he feared the Jews but he was no way concerned in their Crime And tho' he was one of the Rulers of Jerusalem he had not consented at all to any thing that they had done against the Son of God The Death of his Master filling him with more Courage he went to Pilate and begged leave of him to take down the Body of Jesus and Bury it Pilate could hardly believe that he was Dead so soon but being assured of it by the Centurion he gave his Body to Joseph and Commanded it to be delivered unto him Joseph then went and bought Linnen-Cloaths to Bury Jesus in and taking his Body down from the Cross wrapped it in them Nicodemus the Ruler who came to Jesus by Night being desirous to share with Joseph in paying these last Offices to their Master brought a Mixture of Aloes and Myrrhe of about an Hundred Weight and they two together wrapped up the Body of Jesus in the Linnen with the Perfumes and Buryed it according to the ordinary Manner of the Jews There was in the place where Jesus was Crucified a Garden and in it a Sepulchre which Joseph had Hewn out of the Rock wherein no Man was ever lay'd Here they lay'd the Body of Jesus and went away having rould a great Sone to the Mouth of the Sepulchre Mary Magdalene and the other Women who were present at the Death of Jesus did also assist at his Burial and took notice where they laid him and having considered on it they went and prepared Spices to Embalm him as soon as the sabboth-Sabboth-day which was the next day was over Jesus being Dead and Buryed on Fryday the next day the Chief Priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and said unto him Sir we remember that that Deceiver for so they Term'd Jesus in his Life-time said that he would Rise again in Three days after his Death Command therefore that his Sepulchre be kept under a Guard till the Third Day for fear his Disciples should come by Night and stealing away his Body should perswade the People that he is risen from the Dead and so they will fall into a new Error worse than the first Pilate said unto them Ye have a Guard go and
which he left us in the Time of his Mortal Life He lived subject to our Calamities and suffered Death which is the Punishment of Sin but he was raised in a State of Glory and entred into the Possession of Eternal Felicity He was first of the same Nature with us that we might one Day be as he is If we imitate him in his Life and Death we shall be like him in his Resurrection and Glory but we must not pretend to that Happiness he now enjoys if we do not go in the same Path he did to attain it By disobeying his Laws and not imitating his Actions we not only renounce the Glory to which he invites us but bring upon our selves inexpressible as well as everlasting Torments for there are but Two Ways the one leads to Life and the other to Death and he that walks not in the first must necessarily go into the second Jesus Christ is himself the Way that leads to Heaven and we go by him when we practise those Truths which he hath taught and regulate our Lives by the Pattern of his To live otherwise than he lived is not to follow him but to wander and destroy our selves which we do not seriously enough consider of We do not examine our selves in which Way we are we go on every Day in Ignorance and when we come to the End of our Race we find our selves on a Precipice because we have followed the Multitude which securely went before us and guided us Christians therefore cannot do any thing more important and conducing to their Salvation than to meditate continually upon the Life of Jesus Christ and to look upon it as a Mirror to discover the Blemishes and Faults of their own they ought to account Jesus Christ conversing on Earth as our Guide and Light and comparing what they do with what he hath done and taught to acknowledge themselves in a lost Estate and in Darkness so long as our Conversation is not conformable to his Examples and Precepts In Heaven they ought to esteem Jesus Christ as the End to which they continually aspire and which they labour daily to attain that they may support themselves in all the Troubles and Difficulties which they met with in their Way thither by the Contemplation of the Glory which he hath promised them They should in the last Place think always upon his First and Second Coming They are instructed by his First what they must do to fit themselves for his Second and they shall be judged at his Second Coming by the Precepts which they have received at his Second They will have no Excuses to make for following the corrupt Customs and Examples and false Errors of the Ages they have lived in when they come before that Judge who hath told them that he will judge them by the Doctrin he hath taught them himself and by the Life he lived here upon Earth to be a Model of theirs That then we may appear before him with Boldness in that Great Day when he will judge all Men let us take the Advice which S. John the beloved Disciple gives us My little Children 1 John 2.28 abide in him that when he shall appear we may have Confidence before him and may not be ashamed at his Coming And that we may know what it is to abide in Jesus Christ let us meditate upon these Words of the same Apostle 1 Joh. 2.6 He that saith that he abideth in him ought himself to walk as Jesus Christ hath walked FINIS INDEX A ABraham saw Christs coming with Joy 109. the Jews boast themselves his Children 22. Abraham's Bosom what 131. Adultery forbidden by the Law 57. punished with Death 40. The Adulteress 105. he that Marrys another Woman while his Wife is alive is an Adulterer 132. Aegypt Christs flight into 18. Agony of Christ 188. Ambition Of the Disciples reproved by Christ 98. 145 179. Almsgiving The necessity of it 119. how it must be given 58 it purifies all things to us 155. Christ commends it in a poor Widow 165 St. Andrew was John's Disciple 26. Brother of Peter ibid. goes to Christ ibid. brings his Brother 36. leaves all at Christs Call 37. made an Apostle 54. Angels Watch over Men 99. foretel the Nativity of J. Baptist and Christ 2. move the Pool of Jerusalem 50. comfort Christ in his Agony 188. open the Sepulchre 201. declare his Resurrection 208. Anointing Diseases cured by it 78. Christs Feet and Head Anointed 152. Apostles What it signifies 58. Christ chose Twelve ibid. one proves a Devil 86. their Mission and Instructions given them 76. cure Diseases 77. continue with Christ in all his temptations 179 forsake him 190. believe not his Resurrection 208. receive the Holy Spirit and a power to bind and loose 212. sent into all the World to Preach 316. and for this end are enabled to work Miracles 218. Appearances of Christ 1. to Mary Magd. 208. 2d to the Women 209. 3d. to St. Peter 211. 4th to the Disciples going to Emmaus 210. 5th to all the Apostles 213. 6th to some of them going to the Lake of Gennesareth ibid. 7th to more than 500 Brethren ibid. 8th to St. James ibid. 9th his last appearance before his Ascension ibid. Augustus's Edict which he published about the Taxing 13. B BAptism of St. John with Water 21. his Baptism does not pardon Sins ibid. a figure of Christ 14. slighted by the Scribes and Pharisees 64. Jesus receives it 23. asks the Jews whether it was from Heaven 158. Baptism of Jesus Christ with Water 31. with the H. Ghost and with Fire 23. no Salvation without it 29. the Apostles sent to Baptize all Nations with it 216. Barrabbas The great Thief preferred before Jesus Christ 196. Beatitudes The Eight Beatitudes 55. Blessing Jesus Blesseth Infants 135. breaks Bread 81. the Sacrament 177. he is blessed and praised by the People of Jerusalem 151. Simeon blesseth the H. Virgin and Joseph 18. Bethany The place where Lazarus and his Sisters dwelt 140. Jesus Christ raised Lazarus there 142. Supped with Simon the Leper 149. went thither every Night in the Week of passion 156. he carryed his Apostles thither at his Ascen 218. Bethlehem The City of David 13. Jesus Chr. born there 15. Worshipped the Magi 16. the Children of Bethlehem slain 18. Bethsaida A City of Galilee of which Peter and other Apostles were 26. Cursed by Jesus 24. there he Cursed a Blind Man 18. Blasphemy Against the Holy Ghost 67. against Jesus Christ at the Crucifixion 202. he is called a Blasphemer 45. Blind-men Jesus Healed two at Capernaum 49. another at Bethsaida 91. a blind Man Possessed and Dumb 67. two at Jericho 148. several in the Temple of Jerusalem 157. spiritually blind 87. Blood Christs Blood drink indeed 85. the Blood of the Galilâ—eans mingled with their Sacrifices 121. the VVoman with a bloody-flux 48. Jesus sweat Blood 188. out of his Side came VVater and Blood 204. the Jews wish his
The History of the Life of JESUS CHRIST There were in the Field Shepherds Abiding by their Flocks And the Angel of the Lord came upon them And said Behold I Bring you good Tidings Unto you is Born a Saviour which is CHRIST the Lord. Luk. 2. The Evangelical HISTORY OR THE LIFE of our Blessed Saviour JESUS CHRIST Comprehensively and Plainly Related WITH Practical Inferences Discourses THEREUPON In Four BOOKS I. Of the Birth of John the Baptist Of the Conception and Birth of JESVS CHRIST with an Account of what passed to his Entrance upon the Ministerial Function II. The History of the Acts and Miracles of our Saviour in the first Two Years of his Ministry III. A Relation of his Acts and Miracles in the Third Year of his Preaching IV. An Account of his Acts and Preaching from the triumphant Entrance into Jerusalem Of his Crucifixion Resurrection Apparitions and glorious Ascension into Heaven With a Large Practical Introduction by way of Preface Written in French by the Learned L. E. du Pin and Englished by a Divine of the Church of England with Additions Adorn'd with Copper Cuts LONDON Printed for Abel Swall and T. Childe at the Vnicorn at the West-End of S. Paul 's Church-yard 1694. THE PREFACE I. The Design of this History SINCE the only End and Design of Jesus Christs coming down from Heaven and all the Circumstances of his Incarnation his Birth Life Preaching Death Resurrection and Ascension was to procure Salvation for Men It is highly reasonable that they should fully understand all those Mysteries which are contained in the great Work of their Redemption and be well versed in the History of that Life and Death from which they receive so great Advantage They were Enemies to God Jesus Christ hath made a compleat satisfaction to his Father by his Death Ro. 5.10 and by his Discourses and Example hath Taught them what they ought to do return unto him They can never sufficiently meditate upon the Sufferings which the Son of God endured to expiate their Guilts that they may make a grateful acknowledgment of them by an unfeigned Love of him nor upon those Truths which he hath Taught them and exemplified by his own practice since we must be saved by the observation of those Truths and Imitation of his Actions For this Reason it is that the Church of God in all Ages hath been so urgent with Christians to receive the Holy Sacrament frequently it being a lively representation of his Death and of the Sacrifice which he offered upon the Cross for a propitiation to God and our frequent use of it being an Authentick Testimony of our Thankfulness to God for his Goodness Upon which account it is called the Eucharist i. e. a Thanksgiving But because we cannot obtain that Life Eternal which Jesus Christ hath purchased for us by his Death but by the exact observation of those Laws he hath imposed upon us and by following the Example he hath left us he requires his Ministers before the receiving of the Holy Sacrament to Instruct Men well both in the Precepts of the Gospel and in the Actions of the Son of God And by this he shews that there is nothing that he recommends so much to his Children as to meditate upon and get a full knowledge of the Life and Death of Jesus Christ either that they may give him thanks continually for what he hath done and suffered for them or know by what he hath done what they ought to do themselves for all his whole Life as St. Austin saith Is but one continual Instruction Aug. de ver Rel. c. 14. how we should lead our Lives and we never commit any Sin but by departing from his Example It is true that the Gospels are the most exact History of the Life and Death of Christ for they contain in them all that God hath thought fit to make known to us concerning the Actions and Doctrins of his Son And Men can never be too much Importun'd to Read those Books diligently which contain in them those Truths by which they must be judged at the Last Day But since it is very conducible to the Right Understanding of the Scripture-Relation concerning Christ to have the History of his Life lay'd down in a continued draught according to the Order of Time and with all the Circumstances of it which none of the Evagelists have done I thought I might do some service to the Church of God in general and to more ignorant and weak Christians in particular in composing a short but perfect Harmony of the Gospels And in my performing this undertaking I have had special care to relate nothing but the Truth avoiding all Traditional Stories and confining my self strictly to the Relations of the Evangelical Writers and have adventured to put in nothing of my own but the Style and Expression that I might render the Sense and Phrase of Scripture more easie and intelligible to the most ordinary capacities And that nothing be difficult to them I have observed these two things 1. I have related the Actions of Jesus Christ with all their Circumstances But as to his Sermons and Discourses I have set down only so much of them as are most easie to be understood and necessary to know for the improvement of our Manners I am sensible that the Sermons of our Saviour make up a great part of his Life and that the Truths he Taught are as necessary to be known as the Actions he did but since several of his Sermons especially such as concern the proof of his Divinity are scarcely intelligible by any but the Learned I have touched but lightly upon them and chose to set down more largely those Truths which are essential and of Universal concern for all Mens Salvation which as I have expressed in short so also in such words as may render them more Intelligible to the People 2. Altho' I designed to speak of nothing but what is in the Gospel and that I might not be obliged to add any thing have chosen to relate nothing that is obscure or controversal yet sometimes I have been forced to transgress these bounds meeting with something which could not be omitted tho' difficult upon which account I have added some explications of them Jesus Christ hath Taught many Moral Truths in Metaphors and Parables which are very important for all Christians to know but useless and some times dangerous unless they be accompanyed with some Reflexions which may help the Reader in understanding and applying them For this reason we have intermixed some explications without breaking the Series of the History to clear that which is obscure sweeten that which is harsh and so prepare the Bread of Truth that it may nourish the weak as well as the strong tho' these observations and remarks are very rare short and easily distinguishable from the Relations of the Evangelists and I am perswaded will be thought necessary for the most part
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
not sufficient for us to cast our Eyes upon him who is the true Light of Men for he hath discovered the Way that leads to eternal Happiness not to those who only take some Pleasure in knowing his admirable Works but to those who follow him by a faithful Imitation of his Example Before we know what Jesus Christ hath done and taught upon Earth we are like Travellers who journey in the Night and wander they know not whither because they cannot tell their Way but by reading the Life of Christ We are like the same Travellers who as soon as Day breaks perceive their Errors and return again into the right Way He came from Heaven to shew us the way thither and to bring us out of the Paths that lead down to Hell He goes before us himself that we may not wander or lose our Way nor take any other Way but that in which he leads us He assures us that all other Ways but that in which he goes lead down to Death wherefore we must read his Life to make it a Rule and Exemplar of ours that all our Conversation being a lively Expression of his we may say with the Apostle It is not I that live Gal. 2.20 but Christ that liveth in me But it is not sufficient to read the Life of Christ if we desire to profit by it but we must meditate upon it and apply all that we read because this is the only way to make the right Use and Advantage of our Reading We need lose no part of the History of the Son of God for as he did nothing but for our Salvation so there is no circumstance of his Life which we cannot gather some Advantage to our selves from if we consider upon it with serious Attention It will then be worth our while to take every Part of it into Examination and see what Benefit we may reap from it and what Motions and Affections it may excite in us for the reading of the Life of Christ must needs sometimes instruct us sometimes shame us sometimes comfort us and sometimes encourage us and sometimes inspire us with Love Thankfulness Reverence Joy Grief Hope or Fear according to the different Objects which it presents to our Observation All the Life of Jesus Christ is made up of Miracles Discourses Actions and Sufferings He wrought so many Miracles to prove his Divinity and to relieve either the Miseries or Necessities of those who either wanted or desired his Help We may make an Advantage of these by supposing our selves to be in the Number of those who saw them and for whose sake they were done The Eye-Witnesses of them believed in him admired and adored him and became his Disciples Let us do the same when we read what they saw adore Christ acknowledge him for our God believe in his Godhead and devote our selves entirely to his Service since we can never honour him as our God but by obeying and loving him And in the same manner let us apply all the Miracles he did for the Relief of others needs He healed no bodily Diseases but what were a Figure of the Spiritual Distempers of our Souls Sin is our Leprosy our Deafness our Blindness our Palsy our Death let us do the same to obtain Health of our Souls that we read the diseased Persons did for their Bodies to obtain Cure let us present our selves before Jesus and say with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and with the blind Man Open mine Eyes that I may see and so of others Let us think that Jesus requires the same Faith for the cure of our Souls that he did of those he healed of their Bodily Distempers and let us look upon that Thankfulness Faith Love and other Passions of those who were miraculously cured as a Pattern of those Affections which we ought to have for the Graces we have received The Discourses of Jesus Christ ought to be read with great Reverence which consists in believing and practising what he teacheth He is the Truth and nothing but Truth can save us and we shall be judged by that which he hath taught We must hear him as his Disciples and be won by his Words We must discover our Ignorance to him that he may inform us and our Ways that he may amend them This must be done in applying every Word of Jesus Christ and examining our selves by it that we may condemn our selves if we find our selves out of the Way which he hath taught and we may reform our Practice by it And if there be any thing obscure in his Discourses let us make our Prayers to him to enlighten our Understandings in the Knowledge of it if it be necessary to Salvation practising those Truths in the mean Time that are plain and worthy of our Observation To profit by the Actions of Jesus Christ we must look upon them as the Rule and Pattern of our Conversations He would have us admire his Miracles but imitate his Actions for this Reason it is that he commands us to learn of him not to cure the Blind or raise the Dead Matth. 11.30 but to be meek and lowly in Heart When he commanded the Leper to tell no Man of the Cure he had wrought on him and fled from the People who would have made him a King we should learn to avoid Vain-glory and Ambition from him We should read the Actions of the Son of God with Design of conforming our selves to them when we see him washing his Apostles Feet putting on the same Humility which we see in him and when we see him eating with Sinners learn the same Charity In fine let us study the Affections of Jesus and conform our selves to them love nothing but what he loves and contemn the same Things he despised He hated Sin he despised Riches Honour and Pleasures he loved and sought the Glory of his Father and all his Care was to obey and please him for which end he refused not to undergo Poverty Affronts Disgrace Grief Sorrow yea Death itself These are the things he would have us learn from him and this is what we should think upon and imitate Nor is the Advantage less which we may gather from reading the Sufferings of Jesus Christ We must look upon them as we have already said as voluntary and it is good to consider them with relation to the Two Ends for which he suffered 1. For our Satisfaction 2. For our Instruction 1. He suffered to satisfy Justice for our Sins and endured the Punishment of our Offences to deliver us from eternal Torments The Consideration of this Action ought to excite in us â— Love to Jesus Christ who endured so much to give us a Proof of his Love to us 2. Hatred and Abhorrence of him which could not be expected but by the Sufferings and Death of God himself with relation to the Second End for which Christ suffered which was our Instruction We ought to make
out of the Temple cast the Changers Mony on the Ground and overthrew their Tables and said unto those that Sold Doves Ps 69.9 Take these things hence make not my Fathers house an house of Merchandize This Action of Jesus brought to the Disciples minds these words of Scripture The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up but it surpriz'd and incensed the Jews who required of him a Miracle to prove his Authority of acting in that manner To whom he said Destroy this Temple and in three days I will rebuild it They understood it of the Temple out of which he had driven the Traders but he meant it of his Body which should be destroyed by Death and raised again the third day He did many Miracles at the Passover in Jerusalem which continues seven days and many Persons believed in his Name but he would not trust himself with those who were won only by Miracles because he knew the bottom of their hearts and exactly discerned what was unsound and imperfect in their Faith XX. The Discourse between J. Christ and Nicodemus VVhile Jesus was at Jerusalem Jo. 3 1.-12 a Jewish Ruler of the Sect of the Pharisees came to him by night and said unto him Master We know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do those Miracles that thou dost except God be with him From hence Jesus takes an Occasion to teach this Pharisee the necessity of Baptism in order to Salvation saying unto him Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God To which he adds these important Truths That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit and that the Spirit inspires whom it pleaseth Nicodemus being surpriz'd asked him how can this be Jesus reproving his Ignorance that he was a Doctor and knew not these things saith unto him We testify what we have seen and ye receive not our Witness He then discovers these Mysteries of our Religion to him Jo. 3 13.-20 That no Man hath ascended up to Heaven but the Son of Man that came from Heaven That the Brazen Serpent which Moses put upon a Pole in the VVilderness that all those who were bitten by the fiery Serpents by looking upon it might be healed of their VVounds was but a Figure of him who was fixed unto the Cross for the deliverance of all those that believe in him from Eternal Death That he was sent into the World not to condemn the World but to save it That so great was the love of God towards Men that he gave them his only begotten Son to dy for them but this Love will be a just cause of Condemnation to all those that believe not in this Son and receive not this Light that is come to enlighten them loving rather to continue in darkness because they will not bring their VVorks to the Light of Truth lest they should be convinced thereby that the Actions which they so much delight in are criminal and sinful XXI St. Johns second Testimony concerning Jesus Jo. 3 23.-27 Jesus being come from Jerusalem after the Feast tarryed in Judea with his Disciples and there Baptized at the same time that John administred his Baptism in Jordan Here the Disciples of John had a dispute with the Jews about Baptism And they came to their Master and spake to him concerning Jesus Saying He to whom thou bearest Witness doth now Baptize and all men flock to him St. John who would not have gathered Disciples but that he might resign them to the Son of God answered them A man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven signifying by this answer that he acted in his Ministry only by the power and command of him who had called him to it Jo. 3 28.-36 He then puts them in mind of the Protestations which he had made before them That he was not the Christ He tells them that he is not the Bridegroom of the Church but the Bridegroom's Friend only And in that Quality 't was his only Joy and delight to hear the Bridegroom's Voice He goes on and says He must increase but I must decrease He adds that Jesus Christ came from above and therefore is above all that he speaks what he hath seen and heard and that he that receiveth his Testimony acknowledgeth that God is true because God hath sent him and hath not given his Spirit by measure to him but because he loveth him he hath given all things into his hands That Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he that believeth in him hath eternal Life and on the contrary he that believeth not shall not see Life but is an Object of the Wrath of God which shall not depart from him XXII John 's Imprisonment St. John did not think he had discharged his Office sufficiently Mat. 14 3.-5 Mar. 6 17.-20 Lu. 3.19 20. in discovering Jesus to be the Messiah at the River Jordan but he went to the Princes Court to Preach true Morality and Piety Herod Antipas the Son of Herod the Great in whose Reign Jesus Christ was Born and his Successor in one fourth part of his Kingdom from whence he is called Herod the Tetrarch had Marryed contrary to all Laws Herodias his Brother Philips Wife John went to reprove him for this Crime and for all the other evils which he had done and told him confidently that it was not Lawful for him to have her for his Wife who was his Brothers Wife Herod was not presently angry with this Holy Man but on the contrary believing him to be a Just Man and an Holy he had a great Respect and Veneration for him yea he feared him was a diligent Hearer of him and followed his advice in many things But Herodias was not so well affected to John for she hated him Mortally and sought all Occasions to destroy him By her instigation Herod became every day more averse to him and at length to please her apprehended him and put him into Prison He had at that time put him to Death but that he feared the People who accounted of and reverenced John as a Prophet VVhen Jesus knew that John was put into Prison and that the Pharisees had heard that he made and Baptized more Disciples than John tho' he Baptized no Man himself Jo. 4 1.-4 but by his Disciples he left Judea and returned into Galilee through Samaria XXIII The Samaritan Woman Jo. 4 5.-11 About noon Jesus came to a City of Samaria named Sychar and being wearied with his Journey he sat down on the brink of a Fountain called Jacob's VVell in a parcel of Ground which that Patriarch gave long since to his Son Joseph A certain VVoman of this Countrey came to fetch VVater at this VVell and Jesus saith unto her Give me to drink This VVoman who thought him to be a Jew wondred that he
better till he came to a perfect sight Then the Son of God sent him to his own House forbidding him to tell any Man what had happened unto him X. S. Peter confesseth That Jesus Christ is the Son of God Matth. 16 13-20 Mark 8 27-30 Luke 9 18-20 Jesus went from thence with his Disciples and ascending up towards the Head of Jordan he went into the Towns adjoyning to Caesarea Philippi a City situate upon the same River on the South-Side of Galilee By the Way he asked them What Men said of him They answered him That some took him for John the Baptist others for Elias others for Jeremiah and lastly others for one of the old Prophets risen from the Dead But saith he to them whom say ye that I am Peter answered and said Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God Whereupon Jesus saith unto him Blessed art thou Simon Son of Jonas for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed this that thou hast said unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I also say unto thee That thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven XI Jesus foretels his Death to his Disciples Matth. 16 20-28 Mark 8 30-38 Luke 9.21 22. Jesus after this Discourse forbids his Disciples to publish it that he was the Son of God and then begins to tell them what he must suffer as he was the Son of Man He declares unto them That he must go to Jerusalem and be there disowned by the Jewish Governours Chief Priests and Scribes suffer many Cruelties and Indignities from them be put to Death and raised again the Third Day Peter who by reason of the great Love he had for his Lord and Master could not endure to hear this Discourse took him aside and reproved him saying God forbid that such Things should befal thee Lord. But Jesus rebuking him for giving him such Council which though it testified much carnal Love and Affection to him did so plainly oppose the Sacred Purpose of God in redeeming Man said unto him before all his Disciples Depart from me Satan for thou art an Offence to me for thou savourest not the things of God All this was transacted privately between Jesus Christ and his Disciples but he called the People Luke 9 23-27 and began to preach before them all those Truths which Peter did not understand when he discouraged him from suffering Death for he asserted it publickly That if any Man will follow him he must bear his Cross all his Days That to lay down his Life for him and the Gospel is the only way to be saved and to seek salvation any other way is to destroy himself and that he gets nothing by the World that loses his own Soul That he shall hereafter come in his Glory and render to every Man according to his Works and then he will disown them before his Father who have been ashamed of him and his Word before Men And he adds That there are some among his present Hearers who shall not dye till they see him in his Kingdom and in the Greatness of his Glory XII Jesus Christ is transfigured on the Mountain The Promise Matt. 17 1-13 Mark 9 1-13 which Jesus made in the last Words he partly performed within Eight Days after for he took Peter and James and John privately and led them into a very high Mountain where he went to Prayers and while he was at Prayers his Face became as radiant and shining as the Sun Luke 9 28-36 and his Garments as bright as the Light appeared as white as Snow The Three Apostles in the mean while were asleep but when they awoke they saw their Master Transfigured i. e. clear another Man from what they had seen him before for they saw him in that Glory in which he had promised to discover himself to some of them and they beheld also with him Two Men full of Majesty who talked with him concerning that Death which he should suffer at Jerusalem They knew that these Two Men were Moses and Elias and when they were about going from Jesus Peter that he might detain them with them said unto his Master Lord it is good for us to be here and if thou pleasest let us make Three Tabernacles One for thee and One for Moses and One for Elias But as he was thus speaking scarce knowing what he said in his Transport as the Gospel observes a bright Cloud over-shadowed them and there came a Voice out of the Cloud which spake these Words This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him This Cloud and Voice filled the Three Disciples with so great Fear that they fell on their Faces to the Earth But Jesus came to them and comforted them and raised them up Then they lifted up their Eyes and looking round about they saw no Man save Jesus only As they were coming down from the Mountain he commanded them to tell no Man what they had seen till the Son of Man be risen from the Dead They obeyed this Command but did not understand the Last Words and they disputed among themselves about the Meaning of this Expression Vntil the Son of Man be risen from the Dead The Disciples having seen Elias with him in the Mount took an occasion to ask him Why the Scribes and the Pharisees did assert That that Prophet was to come before the Messias Jesus answered them That Elias shall indeed come and shall be rejected and evil-intreated as well as the Son of Man yea he adds That he is already come and that the Jews have done what they list to him and so will they make the Son of Man suffer as they have done his Fore-runner This Answer plainly discovered to the Apostles That the last Elias of whom he had spoken was John the Baptist who had gone before the first coming of Jesus Christ in the Spirit and Power of Elias as Elias himself in Person should go before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ XIII Jesus heals a young Man Lunatick and Dumb. The next Day Jesus being come to the Place Matth. 17 14-21 Mark 9 14-29 Luke 9.37 -42. where the rest of the Apostles were he met a great multitude of Men and the Scribes questioning with them As for the People as soon as they saw the Son of God they ran to him and saluted him being full of Admiration and Joy Jesus then asked the Scribes What was the occasion and Subject of your Dispute but at the same Time came a certain Man to him having broke through the Press and kneeling down at his Feet prayed him to have Pity on his only Son whom he had brought unto him because
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
his Table but could not obtain that Piece of Charity from this hard-hearted Miser whose Dogs were more merciful than he for they came and licked his Sores and so by their healing Tongues did what they could to cure his Disease At length they both dyed but their End was as different as their Lives had been for the Poor Man was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom i. e. into a Place of Happiness appointed for the Souls of the Saints the Rich Man also dyed and was buried in his Body but his Soul was carried into Hell From hence he beholding the Happiness of the Beggar whom he had contemned cryed out Father Abraham have Mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water and cool my Tongue for I suffer inexpressible Torments in this Flame But the Holy Patriarch told him that it was impossible by reason of the vast distance between them to grant his Request so it was just that he who had endured so much Grief and Sorrow in his Life-time should receive Comfort and Happiness after his Death but as for himself who had surfeited with the Delights and Pleasures of this Life that he should suffer Thirst and Torments in another World The Rich Man perceiving that there was no Mercy to be hoped for for himself thought of his Five Brethren which yet lived in the same Luxury and Riot and prayed Abraham to send them Word by Lazarus of the miserable Condition he was in that by his Example they might grow wiser and repent But he answered them That they have Moses and the Prophets and if they neglected to hear them they would not give Credit to a Dead Man though raised on purpose to warn them of their Duty XXXVIII Jesus Christ shews the inseparable Conjunction of Married Persons and highly commends Virginity Matth. 19 3-12 Mar. 10 2-12 Luke 16.18 These Truths silenced but could not convert the Pharisees they still hated him and sought all occasions to ensnare him in his Talk and for this Reason they put this Question to him Is it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife for every Cause as he pleaseth Jesus answered them by propounding first another Question What did Moses in the Law command They replyed That Moses in the Law allowed them to put away their Wives giving them a Writing to testify their Divorcement But Jesus refers them to the first Institution of Marriage by God himself saying That Man and Woman are so straitly united that they ought to be looked upon as one Flesh only And then goes on and says What God hath thus joyned together let no Man put asunder They still insist upon the Permission which Moses had given them but he answered them That Moses allowed it only for the hardness of their Hearts for from the Beginning it was not so and that whosoever puts away his Wife unless in the Case of Adultery and marries another hath committed Adultery and whosoever marrieth the Woman so divorced is also guilty of Adultery His Disciples when they came into the House consulted him about the same Thing and he gave them the same Answer from whence they made this Conclusion That it is not good to marry Whereupon he says to them True it is that Virginity is the best Estate for Men but it is above the Reach of Man unless it be of some few whom either Nature hath befriended or human Force hath rendred incapable of Marriage or their ardent Desire of Heaven hath obliged to live in voluntary and entire Chastity And since all Men are not capable of so great a Vertue he concludes with these Words He that is able to receive it let him receive it i. e. He that hath this Gift of Chastity bestowed on him let him live in it XXXIX Jesus speaks of his Kingdom and of his Coming and teaches them That they must pray always Another Time the Pharisees Luke 17 20-37 who waited for the coming of the Messiah and who had drawn up a Romantick Scheme to themselves That the Messiah should reign in their Country with great Pomp and Majesty and should raise himself above all the Kings of the World demanded of him When the Kingdom of God should come He answered them That it should not appear with outward Splendor and Pomp nor be confined to any particular Place but that it was already come and was within them i. e. that his Kingdom was Spiritual and was to be set up in their Hearts by Justice and Charity From hence he takes occasion to tell his Disciples That the Time will come when they shall desire to enjoy his Presence but one Day but shall not see him more That he shall come hereafter as a Flash of Lightning i. e. suddenly and gloriously but he must first suffer many things and be rejected of the Jews And that as it was in the Days of Noah Men eat and drank and married not thinking upon the Flood which came suddenly upon them and destroyed them and as the Fire from Heaven fell unexpectedly upon the Inhabitants of Sodom so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man All our Thoughts must then be employed in contriving to save our selves without looking behind us either to pity or save others remembring Lot's Wife who looking back contrary to the Command of the Angel was changed into a Pillar of Salt Luke 18 1-8 He teaches them also at the same Time That we must not be weary of Prayer and to shew of how great Advantage it is to pray always and with Perseverance he delivers this Parable of a certain Widow who having a wicked Man for her Judge who would not do her Justice constrained him by her Importunities to vindicate her Wrongs By which Example he demonstrates to us That God who is Just will certainly revenge his Elect which cry unto him Day and Night and will deliver them soon out of the Oppression they suffer But since such a Faith as is necessary to support us continually in so excellent a Duty is very rare and unusual he adds in a kind of an Astonishment Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith upon Earth There will will be few that will hold out to the End XL. He teaches Men to be humble Jesus Luke 18 9-14 that he might shew Humility in Prayer to be as necessary as Perseverance and so instruct his more attentive Disciples as well as beat down the Pride of the Pharisees who thought themselves Righteous and being full of vain Confidence in their own false Sanctity contemned all others propounds to them this Parable Two Men went up to the Temple to pray the One a Pharisee and the Other a Publican the former stood and prayed after this manner God I thank thee that I am not as other Men are Thieves Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the Week and give Tythes of all that I
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
departed from Bethany Matth. 21 1-9 Mark 11 1-10 Luke 19 29-38 John 12 12-18 and as soon as he came to a little Village called Bethphage which was situated at the Bottom of the Mount of Olives which is distant from Jerusalem but little more than half a Mile he said to Two of his Disciples Go unto the Village over-against you and ye shall there find a Shee-Ass and with her a Colt on which no Man ever sat loose it and bring it to me and if the Owners ask you why ye do so ye shall answer them That the Lord hath need of him and they will let you bring him The Disciples exactly obeyed this Order and finding every thing as Jesus had foretold they brought the Ass and Colt to him upon which when they had set him he rode to Jerusalem In the mean Time the People which were come to Jerusalem to the Feast having received Information of the Resurrection of Lazarus from those that were Eye-Witnesses of the Miracle and hearing that Jesus was coming to that great City took Branches of Palm-trees and went in great Throngs to meet him crying out Hosanna i. e. Salvation and Glory Blessed be the King of Israel who cometh in the Name of the Lord. Jesus riding upon the Colt which his Disciples had covered with their Garments came in Triumph thus accomplishing that Prophesy of Zachary Zach. 9.9 Fear not Daughter of Zion behold thy King cometh full of Meekness and siting upon an Ass's Colt A great multitude of People did also spread their Garments in the way and others cut down Branches from the Trees and strewed them where he was to pass When they were come to the Descent of the Mount of Olives his Disciples being transported with Joy to see their Master so highly honoured gave Praise to God with a loud Voice for all the mighty Works which they had seen saying Blessed be the King that cometh in the Name of the Lord Peace in Heaven and Glory in the Highest And all the People as well those that went before as those that followed after joyned with the Disciples in their Acclamations so that he was surrounded with Shouts saying Hosanna i. e. Honour to the Son of David blessed be he that cometh in the Name of the Lord blessed be the Kingdom of our Father David which we have seen to come Hosanna Peace and Honour in the Highest Heavens II. Jesus Christ bewails the Destruction of Jerusalem Matth. 21.10 11. Luke 19 39-44 The Pharisees could not see so great Honour bestowed upon a Man whom they had resolved to put to Death without great Indignation and therefore argued among themselves Do ye not perceive that we prevail nothing Behold all the World is gone after him But some of them could not conceal their Anger but said among the Multitude to Jesus Master command thy Disciples to hold their Peace But he silenced them themselves by saying to them That the Stones would immediately cry out if his Disciples should hold their Peace Then they came near to Jerusalem and Jesus casting his Eyes upon that miserable City whose Miseries and Sins he foresaw shed forth Tears as a Sign of the Compassion with which he was affected for her and seeing her cryed out O that thou hadst known at least in this thy Day the things that conduce to thy Peace and Safety but now they are all hid from thine Eyes For the Time shall come when thy Enemies shall cast Trenches about thee and invest thee and keep thee in on every Side and demolish thee and cast thy Children out and shall not leave one Stone upon another because thou hast not known the Time wherein God hath visited thee So that he shews himself much more affected for the Ruin of Jerusalem than at the Acclamations with which they received him Being entred into the City with so great a Number of People all the Citizens were moved and every one enquired Who is this Man To whom the Multitude answered It is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth in Galilee III. Jesus Christ again foretels his Death Besides the Jews who were come to Jerusalem John 12 20-36 to keep the Passover there were also Heathens who being Proselytes of the Gates were come to worship God at that Feast Some of these having a great Desire to see Jesus did for that Reason come to Philip one of the Twelve Apostles Philip tells Andrew of it and both of them told their Master Jesus who by his Death was about to obtain Salvation as well for the Gentiles as Jews answered these Two Apostles That his Hour was come that he should be glorified And as a Grain of Wheat brings forth no Fruit till it is dead in the Earth where it is sown so should his Death be the Seed which should produce a great Harvest that the Faithful which should be produced thereby should learn by his Example to hate their Lives in this World that they may preserve it to Life Eternal and that the Service which they should pay him in following him whithersoever he goeth should be rewarded with Eternal Glory He also for their Comfort brought upon himself the Horrors of his Death and therefore stirred up voluntarily a Passion in his Soul which discovered it self outwardly by these Words My Soul is troubled and what shall I say Father save me from this Hour But considering with himself how great Glory God would gain by his Death he added But for this Cause came I to this Hour Father glorify thy Name At the same Time there came a Voice from Heaven which said I have glorified it already and will glorify it again They that were present said That it was a Clap of Thunder and others said That an Angel spake unto him but he answered This Voice came not for me but for your sakes And to let them know what Influence his Death which he should suffer upon the Cross ought to have upon all Men he saith Now is this World judged and the Prince of this World i. e. the Devil is cast out and when I am lifted up from the Earth I will draw all Men unto me Upon this the Jews asked him How the Death of the Son of Man could be consonant with the Holy Scripture which saith That Christ must endure for ever and never dye And they added Who is this Son of Man He answers them That they should enjoy the Light a little Time and advises them That since it is no fit Time to walk or act when they are deprived of it they should believe in the Light that is in him so long as he is with them Jesus having spoke these Words John 12 36-50 hid himself from them since they made no deeper Impression upon their Hearts than his Miracles did which he had done before them in so great Numbers for they were stricken with that Blindness of Heart which according to Isaiah's Prophecy Isa 6.9 hindred them from seeing that
make of the Gifts of his Mercy and that we need fear but one thing which is to hide or not improve the Talent that God hath entrusted us withal XIX A Description of the Last Judgment After these Parables in which Jesus teacheth his Disciples the importance of watching always Matth. 25 31-46 that they may not be surprized by his Second Coming which must needs be very terrible as the Fathers say to those who have not laboured after Salvation in this Life and who suffer Death to overtake them without a due Preparation for eternal Life He then informs them What he will do upon the Earth when he shall come again in his Majesty accompanied with his Angels He tells them That he shall sit on the Throne of his Glory and all Nations of the World being assembled before him he will separate the Righteous from the Wicked as a Shepherd separateth the Sheep from the Goats That he will say to the Righteous on his Right Hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World for I was an hungry and ye gave me Meat thirsty and ye gave me drink naked and ye cloathed me sick and ye visited me imprisoned and ye came unto me to see me These good Men being amazed will then ask him When he suffered these Wants and they thus assisted him And then he will answer them I say unto you that forasmuch as ye did it to any of these least of my Brethren ye did it unto my self Afterward he will say to the Sinners on his Left-hand Depart from me ye cursed into Eternal Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And he will add That the Cause of their Condemnation is this that they did not afford him Relief in his need not giving to his Brethren Not that Sinners say the Fathers shall not be punished for their other Crimes of which they are found guilty and the Good shall not be rewarded for the other good Works which they have done but by assuring us That he will judge Men according to the Works of Mercy which they have done or omitted He endeavours to teach us That without this vertue all the Good we do will be unprofitable for our Salvation and that there is no Sin which Alms-giving done by the Spirit of God cannot blot out Sinners shall be damned because they have not given Alms as a Sick Man may be said to dye of his Disease because he would not use the Medicine which might cure him These Two Sentences shall be followed with different Executions the Sinners shall go into Eternal Torments prepared for them but the Just shall go up into Heaven to be enstated in Life and Eternal Glory XX. The Jews hold a Council against Jesus Matth. 26 1-5.14-16 Mar. 14.1 2 10 11 Luke 22 1-6 While Jesus was thus instructing his Apostles the Priests and Doctors of the Law were devising all ways to apprehend Jesus by Subtilty and put him to Death He did not hide himself from them because his Hour was come He appeared in the Temple in the Day-Time and the People came together early in the Morning to hear him and at Night he went into the Mount of Olives On Wednesday his Enemies met in the Hall of Caiphas the High Priest and held a Council against him But because they feared the People they sought to seize upon him by Craft and that not on he Feast-Day lest they should cause an Uproar among the People In the mean Time Satan entred the Heart of Judas Iscariot that covetous Apostle who being a Thief kept the Mony of Jesus Christ and inspired him with a detestable Resolution to betray and sell his Master This Traitor therefore goes to the Priests and Rulers and saith unto them What will ye give me and I will deliver him into your Hands This Proposition did please them wonderfully and they promised to give him Thirty Pieces of Silver which comes to about Three Pounds and Fifteen Shillings of our Mony Which Sum he accepted From that Time he sought Opportunity to betray him This Jesus warned his Disciples of Ye know that within Two Days is the Feast of the Passover and the Son of Man shall be delivered up to the Jews to be Crucified XXI What was the Jewish Passover The Passover was the greatest and most solemn of all the Jewish Festivals Exod. 12. and God himself appointed it as a notable Remembrance of the Favours he had done for his People and as a sensible Sign of those that he further intended to do for all Mankind by the Death of his Son The Word Pascha signifies a Passage and if we would understand why this Name was given to that Solemnity we must call to Mind the manner how the Israelites were delivered out of Aegypt and from the Slavery of Pharaoh God that he might oblige that Prince to free his People sent several Plagues upon him and his Kingdom and particularly slew all the First-Born in Aegypt both of Man and Beast But that the Jews might not be involved in this Massacre which was intended only to work their Deliverance they were ordered by Moses from God to do these Things On the Tenth Day of the Moon in March they took every one an He-Lamb according to their Families without Blemish or Spot which they Sacrific'd on the Full-Moon of the same Month at Even and struct the Blood of it upon the Lintel and Two Side-posts of their Houses The same Night they eat the Flesh roasted with Fire in haste with unleavened Bread and bitter Sauces having their Garments guirded and trussed up their Shoes on their Feet and a Staff in their Hands as being ready to depart In this Night which was from the Fourteenth to the Fifteenth Day of the Moon in March God laid this heavy Judgment upon all Aegypt in slaying all the First-born and because he passed over all the Houses of the Israelites which he saw dyed with the Blood of the Lamb which had been sacrificed the Night before he would have this Lamb called by the Name of Pascha or Passover The Aegyptians seeng this Slaughter urged the Jews to be gone themselves who being ready to depart as we have already seen went out of that Country carrying the Dough along with them which they had not Time to leaven In remembrance of this miraculous Deliverance God commanded them to celebrate a great Feast every Year called the Passover that they might have it as a Monument of this Passage of the Lord and he enjoyned them during this Solemnity which was to continue Seven Days That they should eat unleavened Bread and should begin on the Fourteenth Day of the Moon of March in the Evening to Sacrifice and Eat the Lamb in remembrance of their Deliverance out of Aegypt This Evening which began the Feast of Passover was called the First Day of Unleavened Bread and the Name of Passover was given equally to the
had in his Heart some Time before Jesus then said unto him That thou dost do quickly whereupon Judas went out But the rest of the Apostles knew not whither he went supposing that Jesus had sent him to buy something or bestow some Mony on the Poor because it was he that carried the Purse As soon as he was gone out Jesus considering the Glory which his Father would gain by his Death and which he himself should receive as the Reward of his humble Obedience faith unto his Disciples Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him and if God be glorified in him God will also glorify him in himself and will streightway glorify him Then they sung an Hymn and rose from the Table to go to the Mount of Olives where we have seen that Jesus went usually at Night XXV Jesus foretells S. Peter's Denial and the Apostles Flight Jesus having thus discoursed of his Glory Matth. 26 30-35 Mark 14 27-31 Luke 22.31 38. John 13 33-38 raised a fresh Contention among his Disciples Who of them shall be accounted greatest and have the greatest Share in it Jesus checks their Ambition by repeating what he had said to them long before That it shall not be so with you as it is with Kings who rule over their Subjects with Authority but that the greatest among them should be as the least just as he who was their Master had been among them little not as he that sits at Table but as he that serveth He then tells them That since they had held firm to him in all his Persecutions he would prepare for them a Kingdom as his Father had prepared one for himself But he adds That Satan had desired to sift them as Wheat is sifted i. e. to tempt them that he may make them fall And he said to Peter I have prayed for you that your Faith fail not and when thou art converted i. e. recovered from thy Fall strengthen thy Brethren Then turning to them all he tells unto them That he had but a little Time to be with them That he went whither they could not come but he commanded them to love one another as he had loved them because by this Love they should be known to be his Disciples Hereupon S. Peter asked him Whither he would go Jesus answered Whither I go thou canst not follow me now but thou shalt follow me afterwards He replyed Lord why cannot I follow thee now Jesus explains himself further saying to his Apostles All of you shall be offended because of me this Night for it is written I will smite the Shepherd and the Flock shall be scatter'd but after that I am risen again I will go before you into Galilee Peter answered him Although all Men should be offended yet will not I be offended for I am ready to go with thee into Prison and unto Death yea I will lay down my Life for thy Sake Jesus answered Wilt thou lay down thy Life for me Verily verily I say unto thee That this Night before the Cock crows twice thou shalt deny me thrice Peter asserted it more passionately That he would not deny him though he dyed for him And all the Disciples said the same consulting the present Sentiments of their Hearts more than their own Weakness which was throughly known to Christ Jesus then ask'd them Whether they wanted any thing when he sent them without Purse or Scrip or Shoes And when they answered him No he said to them But now he that hath a Purse or a Scrip let him take it and he that hath no Sword let him sell his Garment and buy one In which figurative Language he describes the Greatness of the Persecution which they must shortly undergo that it should be so violent that if they fly to such ordinary means as are usually made use of they must sell their very Garments to provide Arms for their Defence For I say unto you adds he that this must be accomplished Isai 53. â—2 which is written of me He was reckoned among the Transgressors They who took his Words in the literal Sense That they must sell their Garments and buy one said unto him We have here Two Swords but because he understood them in another Sense he answered 'T is enough XXVI Jesus comforts his Apostles It was almost impossible but that all these Predictions of his approaching Death would much trouble his Apostles which when he saw John 14 1-31 he comforted them saying That they should not be troubled but believe in him That they knew that if he went before them to prepare a Place for every one of them in his Fathers House he would come again and take them to himself Then he says Whither I go ye know and the way ye know Thomas saith unto him Lord we know not whither thou goest and how should we know the Way Jesus replyed That he himself is the Way the Truth and the Life that they must go to God by him and that if they knew him they would know his Father also Upon this Philip saith unto him Lord shew us the Father and it sufficeth us But Jesus answered him Have I been so long with thee and hast thou not known me And then adds That in seeing him we see the Father because he is in the Father and the Father in him which they might have discerned by the Miracles which they had seen him do assuring them at the same time That they that believe in him shall do the same Wonders and greater than they because whatsoever they ask of God his Father in his Name it shall be done to them Then he promises them that he will by his Prayers obtain another Comforter for them which should be the Spirit of Truth which the World cannot receive because it knoweth him not That he will not leave them Comfortless but will come unto them That they shall see him when the World seeth him not which happened after his Resurrection for he appeared to none but own Disciples That he will one Day shew them that he is in his Father because he will discover himself to those that love him and shew evident Signs of his Love by receiving and keeping his Commandments Judas ask'd him Why he would discover himself to them and not unto the World He answered him If any Man love me he will keep my Commandments and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our Abode with him He that loveth me not keepeth not my Commandments He enlarges no farther upon Judas's Question but leaves us to infer from his Answer That the Reason why he doth not discover himself to the World i. e. the Lovers of the World is because the World neither loves nor keeps his Commandments He adds That the Doctrin which he had taught them was his Fathers and that the Holy Spirit would make them understand and remember all the Truths which he had taught them Lastly
knowest not what hath happened there in these days What things replyed he They answered Concerning Jesus of Nazareth who was a Prophet mighty in Deeds and in Words how the Chief-Priests and Rulers delivered him to be Condemned to Death and have Crucified him But added they We trusted that it should be he that would have redeemed Israel And besides all this This is the third day since these things happened Yea and some VVomen of our Company made us astonished VVho having been very early at the Sepulchre and not finding his Body returned and told us that the Angels themselves appeared unto them and assured them that he was alive This Relation was confirmed by some of us who went also to the Sepulchre and found all things as the VVomen had reported to them but him they saw not From hence Jesus took an occasion to reprove their unbelief very severely saying to them O Fools whose Heart is dull and slow to believe that which the Prophets have foretold That Christ must suffer all these things and enter into his Glory And he explained to them all that was spoken in the Scripture concerning him beginning at Moses and going through all the Prophets VVhen they came near the Village he went on as if he were going further but the two Disciples importun'd him to stay saying Abide with Vs for it is already late and the day is almost spent Wherefore he went in with them and being sat at Meat he took Bread Blessed it and having broken it he gave it them And immediately their Eyes were opened to discern what they saw not before i. e. to acknowledge Jesus who immediately vanished out of their sight Then said they one to another Did not our Hearts burn within us while he talked with us in the Way and while he expounded the Scriptures The same instant they arose and returned to Jerusalem where they found the Apostles and the Disciples met together saying That Jesus is indeed risen from the Dead and hath appeared unto Peter They also told them what had happened in the Way and how the Lord was known to them by breaking of Bread Notwithstanding all which there were several Disciples that believed nothing of the Truth of it XLVII Jesus appeared to the Apostles The Apostles being assembled in a private place Mark 16.14 Luke 24 36-43 John 20 19-23 for fear of the Jews were discoursing about all these several Appearances of their Master and in the Evening being sat down to Meat and the Doors being shut Jesus came in and stood in the midst of them and said unto them Peace be unto you It is I be not afraid Having saluted them after this manner he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of Heart that they would not believe his Resurrection nor give credit to the Testimony of those that had seen him after he was risen The Apostles were terrified and affrighted and supposed that they had seen a Spirit or a Fantom But Jesus to confirm and pacifie them said unto them Why are ye troubled Look upon my Hands and my Feet It is I my self Handle me and consider that a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have Then he shewed them the Wounds in his Hands Feet and Side The Apostles could not yet believe what they saw being transported with so great Joy and Admiration till Jesus asked them Whether they had any thing to Eat Then they gave him a piece of Broyled Fish and of an Hony-comb and he eat before them Not to nourish his Body for that being Spiritualiz'd by his Resurrection had no need of such Nourishment as is necessary for it in this Mortat Life but to take away all the Doubts of his Disciples and to convince them by sensible Proofs That 't was he and that he was really risen from the Dead After he had done eating he gave them the Fragments and said to them a Second Time Peace be unto you And then added As my Father hath sent me so send I you and then breathing upon them said Receive ye the Holy Ghost Whosoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever sins ye retain they are retained Thomas was not with the other Disciples when Jesus appeared to them in the manner aforesaid John 20 24-29 Therefore when he returned to them they told him That they had seen the Lord. But he said Vnless I see in his Hands the print of the Nails and put my Finger into them and my Hand into his Side I will not believe The Son of God who made use of all this Infidelity to establish the belief of the Resurrection would not forsake this Apostle in his unbelief and therefore Eight days after when his Disciples were met in the same place and Thomas with them he came to them the Doors being shut and standing in the midst of them saluted them saying Peace be unto you Then speaking to Thomas he saith Reach hither thy finger and behold my Hands and reach hither thy hand and put it into my Side and be not faithless but believe Then Thomas being convinced cryed out My Lord and My God! Jesus said unto him Thou hast believed because thou hast seen Blessed are they who having not seen yet do believe XLVIII The Miraculous Fishing Jesus shewed himself yet another time to some of his Disciples on the Banks of the Sea of Tiberias John 21 1-13 Peter Thomas the two Sons of Zebedee Nathaniel and two others of his Disciples being met together Peter said that he would go a Fishing and the rest would go with him They all therefore took Ship and cast their Nets into the Waters but that Night they catched nothing In the Morning Jesus presented himself to them on the Shore but his Disciples knew not that it was he And he asked them Children have ye any thing to eat They answered No And he said unto them Cast the Net on the Right side of the Ship and ye shall find They cast immediately and catched so great a Number of Fishes that they could not pull it up Then John the Beloved Disciple of Jesus said unto Peter It is the Lord. Then Peter presently taking his Garment which he had put off to Fish cast himself into the Water to go quickly to his Master on the Shore The other Disciples who were not far from Land but as it were Two Hundred Cubits or an Hundred Yards came to him with the Ship dragging with them the Net full of Fishes Being come ashore they found Coals burning and Fish upon them and Bread Jesus said unto them Bring hither some of the Fish that ye have catch'd And Peter going presently into the Ship drew the Net to Land with a Hundred Fifty Three great Fish in it And the Gospel observes that tho' it was full of so many heavy Fish it was not broken Jesus said unto them Come and Dine Then they went to him not daring to ask him Who he was
lifted up his Hands to bless his Disciples and as he blessed them he was parted from them who saw him ascend up towards Heaven till a Cloud into which he entred took him out of their Sight They still looked after him with earnestness and as soon as they had lost the Sight of him Two Men cloathed in White presented themselves to them on a suddain and said unto them Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye looking up towards Heaven This Jesus who hath left you and is gone up into Heaven shall come again in the same manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Then the Apostles ador'd him who had left the Earth to be seated in Heaven at the Right Hand of God i. e. to receive in his Sacred Humanity the Rest and Glory which was the Reward of his Labour and Sufferings They departed full of Joy from the Mount of Olives and returned to Jerusalem where Ten Days after they received the Holy Ghost Then they went and preached every where according as their Master had commanded them and the Lord confirmed the Word which he had put in their Mouth by Miracles LIII The Glorious Life of Jesus Christ in Heaven John 20.30 31. This is a full account of all the Gospel teacheth us of the Life which Jesus Christ lived upon the Earth He did indeed many other Things and wrought a great number of Miracles which are not written these that are written being sufficient for our Salvation if by reading them we believe That Jesus is the Son of God that by Faith we may have Life in his Name This is the Life which he hath promised us and into which he is entred by his Ascension for he told his Apostles That he went to prepare a Place for them John 14.3 And S. Paul assures us That he is entred into Heaven for us as our Fore-runner Heb. 6.19 20. that we may follow him now in Hope which serveth us as an Anchor sure and stedfast in the various Disturbances and Troubles of this Mortal Life As to the Life which Jesus Christ now liveth in Heaven the Gospel tells us That he sits there Mark 16.19 at the Right Hand of God He siteth i. e. is at perfect Ease and Rest having no more Trouble or Sufferings in his Sacred Humanity to which he is united for our Salvation He sitteth at the Right Hand of God i. e. is made equal with the Father being God of like Nature with him and is raised up above all Creatures This Rest Acts 7.56 which Jesus Christ enjoys for himself hinders him not from acting for us and altho he sits at the Right Hand of God S. Stephen saw him there standing indeed since he came to the Earth not only to purchase the Glorification of that Body and Soul which he assumed in the Womb of the Virgin but also to obtain Salvation for all that believe on him If he hath nothing else to do with his Sacred Humanity yet it is his business to intercede for the Salvation of his Saints till they shall come to be Partakers of his Glory He there finishes the great Work of Man's Redemption which he began upon Earth in Heaven Eph. 1.22.4.15 'T is there as Head of the Church as the Apostle calls him he governs it by his Pastors which he hath appointed enlightens it by her Doctors sanctifies it by his Sacraments protects it by the Help of his Grace and quickens it by his Spirit 'T is there that he prays without ceasing for us and we use him as our Advocate to defend our Cause before his Father as our Mediator to offer our Prayers to him and obtain the Mercies and Graces we petition as High Priest and Sacrifice by offering always the same Blood which he poured out upon the Cross once for all for the Salvation of the whole World Hence it was that S. John saw him in Heaven in the Figure of a Lamb slain and laid upon the Altar which is before the Throne of God Rev. 5.6 7. Heb. 4.16 't is there that he sits upon a Throne of Grace and Mercy where we may go in a Time of Need to obtain Pardon of our Sins before he appears upon his Throne of Justice to judge the World 1 Joh. 2.1 Lastly 't is there that he calls us and invites us to consider upon him in his Glory which he hath merited both for himself and us by the Effusion of his Blood that by the Prospect of that Eternal Happiness which he hath prepared for us he may make us contemn all earthly Things and stir us up to follow him in the Way he is gone before us i. e. to imitate the Examples he hath given us in this Mortal Life of which we have related the History in this Book For this Reason it is that S. Paul exhorts us by these Words which include all the Benefit we ought to make of all that is said of the Life of Jesus Christ Heb. 10 19-31 We have freedom to enter with Boldness into the Heavenly Sanctuary by the Blood of Jesus Christ going after him in that new Way which he hath trodden out for us in his own Flesh And since he is in Heaven an High Priest set over the House of God let us draw near to him with a truly sincere Heart and full of Faith with a Soul purified from the Filth of an Evil Conscience and a Body preserving the Purity which it hath received from the pure Water of Baptism let us remain firm and stedfast in our Faith and in the Hope of that Glory which he hath promised to us for he is faithful who hath promised And to obtain it let us provoke one another to Love and to good Works and let us encourage our selves so much the more as we see the last Day draweth nigh for if we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of Truth we must expect nothing but the terrible Judgments and the Flame of that Revenging and Rageing Fire which shall consume the Enemies of God He that despised Moses 's Law was condemned to Death without Mercy how much greater Punishment doth he deserve think ye who hath trodden under Foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant by which we are sanctified an Vnholy and Prophane Thing i. e. who hath profaned by Sin the Blood of Jesus Christ by which he hath been purified in Baptism and who hath abused and affronted the Spirit of Grace for we know him that hath said Vengeance is reserved for me and I know how to repay it It is a terrible Thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God LIV. The Conclusion This Living God which S. Paul speaks of is the very same Person which we have seen in this History dying for the Salvation of Men upon the Cross He was judged but he shall judge us and that by the Rules which he hath given us and the Examples