taken up about our selves even then did Christ find Leisure to think upon Peter remember to turn about and give him a pittiful but piercing Look a Look that melted his Heart and dissolved it into Tears We never begin to lament for Sin till we are first lamented by our Saviour Jesus looked upon Peter That is the first more principal Means of Peter's Repentance the second is Peter 's remembring the Words of Christ before the Cock crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice This Remembrance of Christ's Words was an applicative and feeling Remembrance of them He remembred the Prediction of Christ and applies it sensibly to himself Teaching us That the Efficacy of Christs Word in order to the bringing of a Soul unto Repentance depends not upon the Historical Remembrance of it but upon the close Application of it to every Man's Conscience A sanctified Remembrance of Christ's Words and our own Sins is an excellent Preparative to Repentance Observe Lastly The Manner of St. Peter's Repentance It was secret he went out it was sincere he wept bitterly it was lasting and abiding all the Days of his Life and attended with an extraordinary Zeal and Forwardness for the Service of Christ to the end of his Life 1. It was secret he went out Vere dolet qui sine Teste dolet He sought a Place of Retirement where he might mourn in secret he cannot well be thought to dissemble his Grief who chuses no other Witness but the Omnipresent God Solitariness is most agreeable to an afflicted Spirit and as St. Peter's Sorrow caused him to go forth so might also Shame Christ looked upon Peter but how ashamed must Peter be to look upon Christ considering that he so lately denied to have ever seen him 2. His Repentance was sincere he wept bitterly his Grief was extraordinary and his Tears abundant There is ever a weeping that follows Sin Sin must cost the Soul Sorrow either here or in Hell we must mourn awhile or lament for ever Doubtless with Peter's Tears there was join'd hearty Confession of Sin to God and smart Reflexions upon himself after this manner Lord what have I done I that did once acknowledge my Master to be Christ the Son of the living God have since denied him with Oaths Curses and Imprecations I that promised to lay down my Life for his sake have yet disown'd and denied him at the Voice of a Damsel Oh what Unfaithfulness what Weakness what Wickedness Oh that my Head were Waters and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears that I might weep all my Days for the Fault of this one Night Blessed indeed are the Tears of a converted Revolter and happy is the very Misery of a mourning Offender 3. This holy Man's Repentance was lasting and abiding he had a lively Sense and Remembrance of this Sin upon his Soul all his Life Ecclesiastical History reports that ever after when St. Peter heard the crowing of a Cock he fell upon his Knees and mourn'd others say that he was wont to rise at Midnight and spend the time in penitent Devotion between Cock-crowing and Day-light and the Papists who love to turn every thing into Superstition began that Practice of setting a Cock upon the top of Towers and Steeples and Chimneys to put People in mind of this Sin of Peter and hâ—s Repentance by that Signal Lastly St. Peter's Repentance was attended with an extraordinary Zeal and Forwardness for the Service of Christ to the end of his Life He had a burning Love towards Christ Thou that knowest all things knowest that I love thee And as an Evidence of it he fed Christ's Sheep for in the Acts of the Apostles we read of his extraordinary Diligence to spread the Gospel and his Travels in order thereunto are computed to be Nine Hundred and Fifty Miles And the Wisdom of God thought fit that this Apostle should preach the Gospel to the Jews as St. Paul did to the Gentiles that as he had joined with the Jews in denying and disowning Christ so he should endeavour to perswade them to join with him in Repentance as he had joined with them in their Sin His Sin was in some Respect like theirs therefore is he sent to preach the Gospel to them and his Diligence therein is an undoubted Proof and Evidence of his Repentance Have any of us fallen with Peter tho' not with a formal abjuring yet by a practical denying of him let us go forth and weep with him let us be more vigilant and watchful over our selves for time to come let us express more extraordinary Love unto and Zeal for Christ more Diligence in his Service and more Concernedness for his Honour and Glory This would be an happy Improvement of this Example The Lord grant it may have that blessed Effect Amen CHAP. XXVII 1 WHen the morning was come all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death 2 And when they had bound him they led him away and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governour The foregoing Chapter gave us an Account of Judas his Treason in delivering our Saviour into the Hands of the chief Priests In this Chapter we find our holy Lord brought by the chief Priests unto Pontius Pilate the Roman Governour in order to his Arraignment and Condemnation Whence Observe that it has been the old Policy of corrupt Church-Governors to abuse the Power of the civil Magistrate in executing their cruel and unjust Censures upon holy and innocent Persons The chief Priests and Elders do not kill our Saviour themselves but they deliver him over to the secular Power and desire Pilate the civil Magistrate to sentence and condemn him which soon after we shall find he did 3 Then Judas which had betrayed him when he saw that he was condemned repented himself and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders 4 Saying I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood And they said What is that to us see thou to that 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself Here we have a sad Relation of Judas his desperate Death after an Hypocritial Liâ—e as also of the Horror of his Mind and Conscience before his Death Observe here 1. The time when Judas repented after it was too late When he saw that he was condemned he repented Learn thence That they that will not see their Sins timely to their Conversion shall see them sooner or later to their Confusion Obs 2. The Repentance it self in the several Parts and Branches of it He was sorrowful for the Fact he made Confession of his Sin and made Restitution for the Wrong done He repented saying I have sinned and cast down the Thirty Pieces of Silver Learn thence That a wicked Man when Conscience is thoroughly awaked may make Confession of his Sin express some Sorrow for it and endeavour also the making
but never think or speak of them with the least Delight or Satisfaction for this in God's Account is a new Commission of them and lays under an Additional Guilt 62 Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation the chief Priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate 63 Saying Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive After three days I will rise again 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day lest his disciples come by night and steal him away and say unto the people he is risen from the dead so the last errour shall be worse than the first 65 Pilate said unto them Ye have a watch go your way make it as sure as you can 66 So they went and made the sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch This last Paragraph of the Chapter acquaints us with the Endeavours that the Murtherers of Christ used to prevent his foretold Resurrection They ask and obtain of Pilate that his Sepulchre may be strongly guarded till the Third Day was past and over when probably they intended to have exposed his dead Body to the view of the People and accordingly a threefold Guard is set about the Grave the Stone the Seal and the Watch concluding that Christ was safe enough either for rising or stealing The Stone making the Grave sure the Seal making the Stone sure and the Watch or Band of Soldiers making all sure The Stone being sealed with the publick Seal no Person might meddle with it upon pain of Death Where Note 1. The wonderful Wisdom the over-ruling Power and Providence of God by this excessive Care and extraordinary Diligence the High Priests hoped to prevent our Saviour's Resurrection but the Truth and Belief of it was hereby confirmed to all the World How much Evidence had Christ's Resurrection wanted if the High Priests and Elders had not been thus maliciously industrious to prevent his rising Learn 2. That the Endeavours used to obstruct our Lord's Resurrection have render'd it more certain and undoubted had not all this Care and Caution been used by his Enemies the Grounds of our Faith had not been so strong so evident and so clear It was very happy that the Jews were thus jealous and suspicious thus careful and distrustful for otherwise the World had never received so full and perfect an Evidence of Christ's Resurrection as now whereon all our Comfort and Salvation doth depend Verily their solicitous Care to suppress our Redeemer's Resurrection has render'd it more conspicuous and freed it from all Suspicion of Forgery CHAP. XXVIII This last Chapter of St. Matthew contains the History of our Saviour's Resurrection and gives us an Account of what he did on Earth between the time of his Triumphant Resurrection and his Glorious Ascension 1 IN the end of the sabbath as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre The Lord of Life was buried upon the Friday in the Evening of that Day on which he was crucified and his holy Body rested in the silent Grave the next Day and a part of the Morning the Day following Thus he arose again the Third Day neither sooner nor later not sooner lest the Truth of his Death should have been question'd that he did not die at all and not later lest the Faith of his Disciples should have fail'd And accordingly when the Sabbath was past and it dawned towards the first Day of the Week in the Morning very early before Day Mary Magdalen and other devout Women go to visit the holy Sepulchre intending with their Spices and Odours farther to imbalm our Lord's Body But Observe Altho' the Hearts of these good Women did burn with an Ardent Love and Zeal to their Crucified Lord yet the commanded Duties of the Sabbath are not omitted by them they stay till the Sabbath is ended and then early in the Morning they go with Odours in their Hands to perfume his Sacred Corps fearing neither the Darkness of the Night nor the Presence of the Watchmen How great a Tribute of Respect and Honour is due and payable to these Women for their Magnanimity and Courage They follow'd Christ when his Disciples left him they accompanied him to his Cross and follow'd his Hearse to the Grave when none of his Disciples durst appear Learn hence That Courage is the special and peculiar Gift of God and where God gives Courage it is not in Man to make afraid 2 And behold there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it 3 His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men Observe here 1. With what Pomp and Triumph doth our Lord arise The Earth that quaked before at his Crucifixion quakes now again at his Resurrection it quak'd then at the Dissolution now at the Reunion of his Humane Nature to tell the World that the God of Nature then suffer'd and now conquer'd Observe 2. How an Angel is imploy'd in Christ's Resurrection He rolls away the Stone But could not Christ have risen then without the Angel's Help Yes sure he that raised himself surely could have removed the Stone But God thinks fit to send an Officer from Heaven to open the Prison Door of the Grave and by setting our Surety at Liberty proclaims our Debt to the Divine Justice fully satisfied Besides it was fit that the Angels who had been Witnesses of our Saviour's Passion should also be Witnesses of his Resurrection Observe 3. How unable the Keepers of the Grave were to bear the Sight and Presence of the Angel they shake for Fear and became as dead Men. Angels being pure and perfect Spirits Man is not able to bear the Sight of an Angel no not in Humane Shape without Terror and Affrightment and if the Sight of an Angel be so dreadful what is the Sight of God himself 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified 6 He is not here for he is risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay 7 And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him lo I have told you Observe here 1. Our Lord's Resurrection asserted and declar'd He is risen God never intended that the darling of his Soul should be lost in an obscure Sepulchre he is not here says the Angel that is in the Grave where you laid him where you left him Death has lost its Prey and the Grave has lost her Guest Observe 2. It is not said He is not here for he is raised but he is risen The Word imports the active Power of
give Entertainment to them and their Doctrine They were to denounce the Judgments of God against such Contemners by shaking off the Dust of their Feet for a Testimony against them Thence Learn That the Contempt of God's Ministers and especially of their Ministry and Doctrine is an odious and execrable Sin detested by God and which ought to be abhorred by Man Shake off the Dust of your Feet This Action was Emblematical signifying that Almighty God would in like manner shake them off as the vilest Dust Learn 2dly That where-ever the Word is preached it is for a Testimony either a Testimony for or against a People For if the Dust of a Minister's Feet bear Witness against the Despisers of the Gospel their Sermons much more Observe Lastly The dreadful Judgment denounced by our Saviour against the Contemners of the Apostle's Doctrine Verily it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that City Where Note 1. That there shall be a Day of Judgment 2. That in the Day of Judgment some Sinners shall fare worse than others 3. That of all Sinners the Condition of such will be saddest at the Day of Judgment who having lived under the Gospel have died after all in Impenitency and Infidelity Verily I say unto you it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than c. 14 And king Herod heard of him for his name was spread abroad and he said That John the Baptist was risen from the dead and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him 15 Others said That it is Elias And others said That it is a prophet or as one of the prophets 16 But when Herod heard thereof he said It is John whom I beheaded he is risen from the dead 17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him in prison for Herodias sake his brother Philip's wife for he had married her 18 For John had said unto Herod It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife 19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him but she could not 20 For Herod feared John knowing that he was a just man and an holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly 21 And when a convenient day was come that Herod on his birth day made a supper to his lords high captains and chief estates of Galilee 22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced and pleased Herod and them that sat with him the king said unto the damsel Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt and I will give it thee 23 And he sware unto her Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me I will give it thee unto the half of my kingdom 24 And she went forth and said unto her mother What shall I ask And she said The head of John the Baptist 25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king and asked saying I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist 26 And the king was exceeding sorry yet for his oaths sake and for their sakes which sat with him he would not reject her 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in the prison 28 And brought his head in a charger and gave it to the damsel and the damsel gave it to her mother 29 And when his disciples heard of it they came and took up his corps and laid it in a tomb The History of John the Baptist's Death is here recorded by this Evangelist as St. Matthew had done before Ch. 14.1 2. here we have these Particulars farther observable 1. The Character and Description of a zealous and faithful Minister He is one that deals plainly and durst tell the greatest Persons of their Faults Herod tho' a King is reproved by the Baptist for his Incest in taking his Brother's Wife The Crown and Scepter of Herod could not daunt the faithful Messenger of God There ought to meet in the Ministers of God both Courage and Impartiality Courage in fearing no Faces Impartiality in sparing no Sins Obs 2. Who it was that commanded the Baptist to be beheaded It was Herod the King whom he had reproved How sad is it when Kings who should be Nursing-fathers to the Church do prove the bloody Butchers of the Prophets of God The severest Persecutions which the Prophets of God have fallen under are usually occasioned by their telling great Men of their Crimes Men in Power are impatient of Reproof and imagine that their Authority gives them a License to transgress Obs 3. The time of the Baptist's Death It was upon Herod 's Birth-Day It was an ancient Custom among the Eastern Kings to celebrate their Birth Days Pharaoh did so Gen. 40. and Herod here but both with Blood yet these personal Stains do not make the Practice unlawful when we solemnize our Birth-Days with Thankfulness to our Creator and Preserver and recommend our selves by Prayer to his Gracious Providence and Protection for the Remainder of our Days This is an Act of Piety and Religion But Herod's Birth-Day was kept with Revelling with Feasting with Musick and Dancing All which were made sinful to him by the Circumstances which did attend it Great Men's Feasts and Frolicks are too often the Season and Occasion of much Sin Obs 4. The Instigators and Promoters of the Holy Baptist's Death Herodias and her Daughter Lord How deadly is the Malice of Soulâ— debauched with Lust Imprisonment would not satisfie them they must have his Blood Resolute Sinners who are mad upon their Lusts run furiously upon their Opposers and resolve to bear down all Opposition they meet with in the Gratification of their unlawful Desires Obs 5. With what great Reluctancy Herod consented to this Villany The King was exceeding sorry Wicked Men oft-times sin with a troubled and disturbeâ— Conscience there is a mighty Struggle betwixt their Reason and their Lusts but at last they master their Consciences and choose rather to gratifie their Lusts than to obey their Reason So did Herod here for notwithstanding his Sorrow he commands the Fact he sent and beheaded John in the Prison Obs 6. The Motives and Inducements which prevail'd with Herod to behead this Holy Man 1. The Conscience of his Oath Nevertheless for his Oath sake See his Hypocrisie he made Scruple of a rash Oath who made no Scruple of real Murther See here not only the Folly but great Impiety of rash Vows especially in ignorant Persons who think themselves obliged by them Whereas it is their Duty first to repent of them and then to break them as fast as they can St. Chrysostom says Herod might have spared the Baptist's Head and yet have kept his Oath to Herodias for he sware to give her only half of his Kingdom and his Head was worth more than his
as they were afraid and bowed down their Faces to the Earth they said unto them Why seek ye the Living among the Dead 6 He is not here but is Risen Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee 7 Saying The Son of Man must be delivered into the Hands of Sinful Men and be Crucified and the Third day Rise Again 8 And they Remembred his Words 9 And Returned from the Sepulchre and told all these things unto the Apostles and to all the Rest 10 It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the Mother of James and other Women that were with them which told these things unto the Apostles 11 And their words seemed to them as Idle Tales and they believed them not 12 Then arose Peter and ran unto the Sepulchre and stooping down he beheld the Linnen Cloaths laid by themselves and departed wondering in himself at that which was come to pass The Lord of Life who was put to Death upon the Fryday was Buryed in the Evening of the same Day and his Holy Body Rested in the silent Grave all the next Day being the Jewish Sabbath and some part of the Morning Following Thus Rose he again the Third Day according to the Scriptures neither sooner nor later Not sooner lest the Truth of his Death should have been questioned that he did not Dye at all not later lest the Faith of his Disciples should have failed Accordingly when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene getting the other Women together she and they set out very early in the Morning to Visit the Holy Sepulchre and about Sun-rising they get to it intending with their Spices and Odours farther to Embalm their Lord's Body Observe here 1. That although the Hearts of these Holy Women did burn with an Ardent Zeal and Affection to their Crucified Lord Yet the Commanded Duties of the Sabbath are not omitted by them they keep close and silently spend that Holy Day in a Mixture of Grief and Hope A good Pattern of Sabbath-Sanctification and worthy of our Christian Imitation Observe 2. These Holy Women go but not empty-handed She that had bestowed a costly Alablaster upon Christ whilst alive prepares no less Precious Odours for him now Dead thereby paying their last Homage to our Saviour's Corpse But what need of Odours to perfume a precious Body which could not see Corruption True his Holy Body did not want them but the Love and Affection of his Friends could not withhold them Observe 3. How great a Tribute of Respect and Honour is due and payable to the Memory of these Holy Women for their great Magnanimity and Courage They followed Christ when his Cowardly Disciples left him they accompanied him to his Cross they attended his Herse to the Grave when his Disciples did not durst not appear And now very early in the Morning they Visit his Sepulchre Fearing neither the Darkness of the Night nor the Presence of the Watchmen though a Band of rude Soldiers Learn hence That Courage and Resolution is the special Gift of God if he gives it to the feebler Sex even to timerous and fearful Women it shall not be in the power of Armed Men to make them afraid But to come to a close Consideration of the several Circumstances relating to the Resurrection of our Holy Lord. Note 1. With what Pomp and Triumph our Holy Lord Arises Two Men that is Two Angels in the Shape of Men V. 4. are sent from Heaven to roll away the Stone But could not Christ have Risen then without the Angels help Yes doubtless he that Raised himself could easily have Rolled away the Stone himself But God thinks fit to send an Officer from Heaven to open the Prison-door of the Grave and by setting our Surety at Liberty proclaims our Debt to the Divine Justice â—â—â—y Satisfied Besides it was fit that the Angels who had been Witnesses of our Saviour's Passion should also be Witnesses of his Resurrection Note 2. our Lord's Resurrection declared He is Risen he is not here Almighty God never intended that the Darling of his Soul should be left in an obscure Sepulchre He is not here said the Angels where you laid him where you left him Death has lost its Prey and the Grave has lost its Prisoner Note 3. It is is not said He is not here for he is Raised but he is Risen V. 6. The Original Word imports the Active Power of Christ or the Self-quickning Principle by which Christ Raised himself from the Dead Acts 1.3 He shewed himself alive after his Passion Hence Learn That it was the Divine Nature or God-head of Christ which Raised the Human Nature from Death to Life others were Raised from the Grave by Christ's Power but he Raised himself by his own Power Note 4. The Persons to whom our Lord's Resurrection was first declared and made known to Women to the two Mary's But why to Women and why to these Women To Women first because God sometimes makes choice of weak Means for producing great Effects knowing that the weakness of the Instrument Redounds to the greater Honour of the Agent In the whole Dispensation of the Gospel God intermixes Divine Power with Humane Weakness Thus the Conception of Christ was by the Power of the Holy Ghost but his Mother a poor Woman a Carpenter's Spouse So the Crucifixion of Christ was in much Meanness and outward Baseness being Crucified between two Thieves But the Powers of Heaven and Earth Trembling the Rocks Rending the Graves opening shewed a mixture of Divine Power Thus here God Selects Women to declare that he will Honour what Instruments he pleases for the Accomplishment of his own Purposes But why to these Women the two Mary's is the first Discovery made of our Lord's Resurrection Possibly it was a Reward for their Magnanimity and Masculine Courage These Women cleave to Christ when the Apostles forsook him They Assisted at his Cross they Attended at his Funeral they Waited at his Sepulchre These Women had more Courage than the Apostles therefore God makes them Apostles to the Apostles This was a Tacit Rebuke a Secret Check given to the Apostles that they should be thus out-done by Women These Holy Women went before the Apostles in the last Services that were done for Christ and therefore the Apostles here come after them in their Rewards and Comforts Note 5. The quick Message which these Holy Women carry to the Disconsolate Disciples of the Joyful news of our Saviour's Resurrection They Returned from the Sepulchre and told all these things to the Eleven Verse 9. And the other Evangelists say That they were sent and bidden to go to the Apostles with the Notices of the Resurrection Go tell the Disciples says the Angel Matthew 28.7 Go tell my Brethren says Christ Verse 10. A most endearing Expression Christ might have said Go tell my Apostate Apostles my Cowardly Disciples that left me in my Danger that durst not own me in the High Priest's Hall