condition of his creation for he was created to live and not to dye being made in the Image of God whereof immortality is a part and therefore it was directly concluded by one of the Councils that whosoever should say that Adam the first man was made mortal so that he should have dyed corporally whether he had sinned or not sinned that is that he should have gone out of the body not by the desert of sin but by the necessity of nature let him be accursed and God doth not make it the cause that Adam should dye because his body was made of the dust of the earth as the Pelagians falsely collect from Gen. 3.19 but becauss he had disobeyed the voice of God hearkning to the voice of his seducing wife Vid. Polan Syntagm Satan's Instrument to tempt him and so took and eat the forbidden fruit as appeareth vers 17. therefore he should dye and that which cometh afterward doth not declare the cause why he should dye but onely let him understand Lumb Sent. lib. 2. Distinct 9. that there was no impediment but that he might dye and that his body which was before onely mortale of that nature that it might dye he now by sin had made morti obnoxium subject and liable to death thus Paul tells us plainly that sin brought in death as the wages thereof Object It may be demanded seeing Jesus Christ hath abolished death and that by him we are reconciled to God to obtain eternal life how is it then that we are subject to death Resp. St. Austin answereth that heretofore death came and was by sin brought into the world but now death takes away our temporal life to the end we should cease from sin and that the meditation of our death doth keep us in our duty and so by Gods mercy the punishment of sin is become a shield against our sins Chrysostome censureth those wretches who fear death and fear not sin wherein they are insnared nor the unquenchable fire which gapeth for them to fear death is an evill more dreadfull than death it self Stella de contempt mundi A wise mans life is the meditation of death saith Stella Good reason it is that we should betimes meditate on death and think upon the freedome liberty life and immortality which ensue he giveth death a joyfull welcome who is before hand prepared for it Shall any man think that death doth not approach because he thinketh not of it or shall he think it draws nearer because he meditateth upon it Gerrard Meditat 43. Whether thou thinkest upon it or no saith one it hangeth alwayes over thy head life was lent unto thee not given thee as a freehold Verily the meditation of death is not irksome nor ought we to defer it from one year to another but on the contrary to think that nothing doth so much safeguard us in the midst of adversities and dangers as the meditation of death it is that which makes us sober in prosperity and ready prepared for all events death would be vanquished as soon as it should come if it were well thought on before it cometh and indeed he is unworthy of comfort in his death who in his whole life is forgetfull of death Guericus hearing those words out of Gen. 5. read in the Church And all the dayes that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years Drexel considerat de aeternit and he dyed and all the dayes of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years and he dyed and all the dayes of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years and he dyed c. Hearing I say these words read the very thoughts of death wrought so strongly upon him that he gave up himself wholly to a devout life that he might dye the death of the righteous and attain to eternal life I have read a story of one that gave a costly Ring to a young gallant with a death's head in it upon this condition that for some weeks he should spend one hour every day in looking and meditating upon it he took the Ring in wantonness but performed the condition with diligence but it pleased God after a frequent view and meditation thereof it wrought a notable change upon him so that he became an excellent Christian well were it if men of all ranks would frequently meditate on death and then by the grace of God they would finde a great change upon their lives Nil sic revocat a peccato quam frequens mortis meditatio August Nebrissens Dec. 2. lib. 3. cap. 1. there is nothing doth so effectually call a man back from sin as the frequent meditation of death Lewes the eleventh King of France did on his death-bed restore two Counties to the heirs of John King of Arragon to which before in his life time he would never condescend Cùm igitùr mortem nòn meditamur molestior vitae finis expectandus nobis est Diogenes in Epist ad Monemum Death is the clock by which we set our life in an order and the memory thereof doth restrain our immoderate love to worldly things did we frequently meditate on death we should finde a bitterness in those things which now seem sweet unto us the meditation hereof cleanseth the heart as a strainer cleanseth all the liquor that is poured into it A man is never more heavenly minded then when he meditateth on his own frailty Sicut cibis omnibus panis utilior est magis necessarius ita praestat omnibus operibus mortis cogitatio Climacus Grad 6. de discret and thinketh that he must shortly dye Let us herein take heed of the arrogance of the Stoicks and the vain confidence of the Epicures who never think on death but think they are in league with it perswading themselves it shall be easie for them to put by the blows of death and let us have no part in their effeminency Mons Goulart Viel who are affrighted at the very name of death not thinking that in death it self there is so much evil as in the solicitudes and fears with which many times in a day they kill themselves without any ease to their unbeleeving hearts Such meditations of death are foolish and unprofitable seeing as the Prophet tells us There is no man living that shall not see death and be able to save his life out of the hand of the grave Psal 89.90 Sect. 9. Of the fewness of them that shall be saved The ninth subject of meditation The small number of them that shall be saved In this Section the subject of our meditation shall be the small number of them that shall be saved Christ's flock in Scripture is called a little flock Luke 12.32 the number of the Elect is but small and by consequent there are but few that shall be saved Thus much one of the Fathers collecteth out of the destructions mentioned in the Old TeTestament August de verb.
I did it at such a time after confession of sin and sorrow for sin after I had renewed my Covenant against sin after some grace and strength received to resist sin these and such like aggravations will make a small sin to become exceeding sinfull Now the serious meditation of our sins is very profitable 1. It brings us to a true sight of our sins and makes us to hate sin so much the more and to groan under the burden of sin bringing us to Christ with a desire to be eased of its burden 2. Like Peters Cock it will be our awakener and bring us to weep bitterly it will wound our conscience and lead us to bitterness in spirit who by our sins have wounded so sweet a Saviour 3. It is a great advantage to humility that man cannot be proud that daily meditateth upon the nature and number of his sins 4. It makes us ply the Throne of Grace more earnestly wherein we shall finde matter enough to beg daily for the pardon of sin and matter of praise to God upon the meditation of many by-past sins remitted to us 5. It is the best salve against all our sores knowing we have no reason to complain of our sufferings when we meditate on the number and greatness of our sins and that we suffer justly because we suffer for our sins and so ought to kiss the rod and quietly to bear the indignation of the Lord because we have sinned against him Sect 6. Of the Sufferings and Death of Christ The next subject of meditation I shall treat of is The sixth sub of meditation the sufferings and death of Christ the Sufferings and Death of Christ who was wounded for our transgressions whose soul was made an offering for our sins The sufferings of Jesus began with his life he had enemies as soon as he had subjects when the wâ—se men were doing him homage at his Cradle Herod at the same time was conspiring his death he commits his safety to his flight and seeks a Sanctuary in Egypt passing his minority in a Country where his people had long before for four hundred and thirty years been in bondage his whole life varied little from his beginning he was not in security but while he was unknown he never was at rest but while he got his living by daily labour No sooner did this glorious Sun appear to the world but he was persecuted the Pharisees hate him for his Doctrine and envy him for his Miracles they plot his death when he had raised Lazarus from death to life and never cease till they bring him to his Cross and his Grave The matter of his sufferings were all the miseries whereunto the life of man was subject whether we mean pains of body or grief of heart and sorrows of minde he suffered them all in an extraordinary measure and manner as I have elsewhere more largely declared The ends of his sufferings wherein also I may include the form thereof sc his meritorious satisfaction for the sin of man may be discussed for had not the first Adam sinned the second Adam had not suffered and whatsoever he did by his active obedience or suffered by his passive obedience was to make up that rent and breach which was made by Adams transgression as Auâ—in tells us Nos in Adamo immortalitate malè usi ut moreremur Christus mortalitate benè usus est ut viveremus Aug. We all in the first Adam behaving our selves ill in a state of immortality forfeited it and became liable to eternal death therefore Christ the second Adam behaving himself well in a state of mortality recovered again for us and restored again to us thâ— right of eternal life Joh. 1.29 John Baptist calls him the Lamb of God that takes away the sinâ— of the world and Paul tells us how he was delivered to death for our sins Rom. 4.25 He was apprehended arraigned condemned and crucified that we might be acquitted pardoned and discharged the Death of Jesus Christ is the last testimony of his love his wounds are so many bleeding mouthes breathing forth his love unto us And this is very admirable his power was encreased by his death he was never more absolute than upon the Cross spoyling Principalities and Powers this Sun never darted forth more rayes than when he was in an eclipse nor did the Lord Jesus ever more triumph over his enemies than when they upbraided him with his infirmities and made a mock of his sufferings then was it that he conceived the Church in his wounds giving his children life by his death and founding his Church with his blood His Church cost him much more pain and trouble than Eve did the first Adam his Spouse never broke his sleep Sicut dormientis Adae costa detrahitur ut conjux efficiatur ita Christo morienti de latere sanguis effunditur ut ecclesia construatur communicantes namque corpori sanguinis efficimur ecclesia Christi conjux August rising from his side without any pang or violence he awoke from his sleep into a Marriage with her that was a piece of himself but Jesus Christ laid down his life to give it to his Church his body was pained and his heart pierced to form his Bride this Spouse was to be sought for in the bowels of her Father yet even then did our Lord Jesus in his lowest abasement act like a Soveraign he pardoned Delinquents when himself was numbred among transgressours he gives eternal life when they bereft him of a temporal life he disposeth of an heavenly Kingdome when they disputed his Kingdome on earth he made his power appear in his weakness his glory in his shame his innocency in his execution his grandeur in his reproaches and now was the Son of man glorified upon the Cross making his innocency manifest at his death that to the confusion of the Jews the Judge that condemned him should plead his excuse that the Theeves that dyed with him should publish his Soveraignty that the Souldiers that nailed him to his Crosse should become his adorers yea that the Sunne the great eye of the world should hide his head and whole nature be in mourning for him lamenting his death who was the Prince and Lord of life and however Christ was accounted of yet the Robes of Kings are not to be compared with the rags of Christ nor the Thrones of Princes with the cross and thorns of our Saviour Joh. Wall Serm. in Heb. 9.12 upon which consideration one breaks forth into this meditation O Lord if thy shame be glorious what is thy glory how shall we be advanced by the strength of thy power that are so dignified by the weakness of thy sufferings 1. This may teach us in our meditations to distinguish between Christs sufferings and the sufferings of all Saints and Martyrs whatsoever for theirs were private and profited onely themselves but his were publick and the vertue thereof extended and redounded
to all the faithfull his members he being the head of the Church for 1. Their sufferings were chastisements and loving corrections to bring them to the sight of their sins to be sorry for them and forsake them or 2. For trials of their faith patience and constancy to suffer for his sake they were no way meritorious and satisfactory either for themselves or others as Leo sometime Bishop of Rome affirmed contrary to the Doctrine of the present Papacy The just by their sufferings received Crowns themselves but procured none for others Acceperunt justi nòn dedere coronas de fortitudine fidelium nata sunt exempla patientiae nòn data dona justitiae Leo. and that from their constancy in suffering others might receive examples of patience but no rewards for other mens righteousness But Christ being a publick person and our Surety and having no sin of his own to suffer for his sufferings were in regard of himself works of supererrogation and therefore not needing them himself he might bestow them upon us as the Apostle tells us he did Gal. 3.13 3. Hence we may meditate on that infinite hatred that God hath against sin seeing he will lay the punishment of it upon his onely Son rather than suffer it to escape and go unpunished Christs wounds are blew with grief and shining with love therefore by the opening of his wounds we ought to enter into the secrets of his heart Gerrard Meditat. 7. Lev. 44.29 The Papists use the meditation of Christ's passion to move them to hate the Jews let us use it rather as a motive to make us loath and leave our sins for had it not been for them one hair of his head had not fallen to the ground nay all the Jews in the world and all the Devils in hell could have done nothing against him every sin of ours was as ◠thorn to his head a nail to his hands and feet a spear to pierce his tender side Let us therefore look upon him whom we have pierced and mourn heartily for our sins the causes of his sufferings But alas Christ's death is often the occasion of the fall of many who perswade themselves that he that bought them is too much concerned in their salvation to destroy them upon this vain hope they give up themselves to all wickedness and turn this precious antidote into poyson 4. Let the meditation of Christ's sufferings make us patient in all our sufferings if the meditation of the sufferings of the Fathers Confessors and Martyrs of the Church will cause us to endure afflictions patiently shall not much more the meditation on the sufferings of Jesus Christ who is as well tam speculum patiendi Bernard in Cantic quam proemium patientis a perfect glass to shew us how to suffer as a sure reward for those which do suffer for what will not the servant suffer willingly for his Master when his Master hath patiently endured Nil adeò grave est quod nòn aequanimitèr toleretur si Christi passio ad memoriam reducatur Gregor things not onely wonderfull and grievous but considering Christs person things unworthy to be suffered Gessit mira pertulet dura nec tantùm dura sed etiam indigna saith Austin hath Christ willingly endured all this for us and shall not we patiently endure a little for him therefore if the water of afflictions seem bitter to thee cast in that sweet Tree the Cross of Christ and it wil soon be very pleasant he that came into the world without sin went not out of the world without suffering and yet he patiently endured the same shewing that we that came into the world full of sin and have ever since lived in sin should deservedly look for correction and when it cometh endure it patiently Martial's Flye plaid so long under a tree till it was wrapt in amber Sic modo quae fuerat vita contempta manente Funeribus facta est nunc pritiosa suis Martial congealed in the drops that came from the boughes the best of us are but as worms let us not despise to to be as this Flye still hovering about the Tree of the cross and the ointment of his blood till we be entombed and enclosed in the precious amber of his bleeding wounds and the sacred gum that grows in the Tree of Life For if we suffer with him we shall also reign with him and if we be conformed to the image of his death we shall be transformed to the image of his glory Sect. 7. Of the Resurrection of Christ Now it is requisite that we should meditate on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead The seventh subject of meditation is the Resurrection of Christ The Disciples of Christ before his Resurrection had not learnt their own Creed which they were taught not so much by our Saviour as by his Sepulchre whose opening mouth when it sent forth Christ the word of God pronounced his Resurrection which is the Epitaph of God Joseph's devotion bestows a Tomb upon our Saviour but our Saviour at his Resurrection bestows it upon death which ever since hath been buried his Tomb If the eye of our faith will adventure to see the active horrour of the grave behold Jonas herein a type of Christ and his quick Tomb made a Tomb of salvation to him three or four days he lay in his new night of amazement as if he had found an Egypt in the Whale at last the grave by unacquainted instruction cast up the living the Whale was no longer a Sepulchre but a Fish and Jonas no longer a Corse but a Prophet he had surely dyed had he not been buried and here was a resurrection though not a reviving a resurrection from disobedience and the Whale Thus this rare Anchorer and his Tomb were both alive but the Tomb of our Saviour was as desperate as his death what could be expcted from a grave and a carkass yet behold this carkass reviveth into a man nay into a God he arose when night ariseth into morning and at that season when Winter is quickned into a Spring it was on the first day of the Jews week a week well begun and it was the first day of the Christian creation The Angel made a little Earthquake in the grave when he removed the mighty stone with which the vain Jew tried to oppress our Saviour after his death as if he would have sealed him up to an impossibility of a resurrection but since the Angel hath opened the Tomb for us shall we go and see the place whence Christ is risen yet shall not we make such haste but that the speedy devotion of the two Maries will be there before us whose feet were as swift as their love and their love as swift as time nay more than time which hindred them by the delay and command of their Sabbath a Sabbath indeed only to their bodies which while our Saviour lay in his
grave were but the Sepulchres of their souls which found no Sabbath till they found the Lord they came with prepared spices and oyntments for him whose Divinity pâ—â—vented balm who esteemed their piety of more value than their oyntments but alas they are no sooner at the Sepulchre but they finde it as empty of our Saviour as full of wonder and instead of the body of the Lord they behold the Angel of the Lord sitting upon the stone which be had conquered to obedience his rayment white as snow his countenance like lightning but that which was more wonderfull I the fearfull women were encouraged by the Angel and their innocence while the guilty Souldiers beholding the same sight with them were full of faintness being at once almost disarmed of their weapons and souls they became as dead men and were rather the prisoners than the keepers of the grave but in the mean time the Angel comforteth and instructâ—th the women who are now his Disâ—iples and receiving a Commission â—o preach the Resurrection of our â—aviour they hasten out of the â—omb with the confused expedition â— fear and joy was not this a strange â—grimage to run from the Sepulchre of the Lord whenas multitudes of Popish Votaries travell to his pretended Sepulchre but yet it was more strange they seek the Disciples and find Christ here was a comfortable mistake and indeed he comforted them with his presence and speech when immediately they fall upon their knees at his knee whose resurrection these female Evangelists are again sent to teach and the first Scholars they must teach must be Christ's own Disciples who shew their obedience as ready as their love and speedily find Peter and Iohn for their hearers here was zeal and tendernesse the fierceest and mildest of the Apostles and these no sooner hear their words but they ran as fast to the Tomb as the other ran from it Iohn came first unto it but Peter went first into it love was swiftest but zeal was boldest where they were no sooner entered but they find Christ's victory and his spoils of death And here let us meditate on the accidents that hapned at his resurrection before his ascension into Heaven the Evangelist tells us he came into the house where the Disciples were met when the doors were shut Joh. 20.19 We are not bound to believe it was at the beginning or first shutting in of the evening but the night might be well spent before he appeared to them nor are we sure it was very late for they might go to supper betimes and the two Disciples going before to Emmaus making hast might come to Jerusalem before the dead time of the nighâ— and whereas it is said Luk. 24 33. that they found the eleven whenas it is evident Thomas was not among them it 's a Synecdoche setting down all for the greater number as Ioh. 20.12 Thomas one of the twelve whereas they were then but eleven in all for Judas had lest them and hanged himself and Matthias was not yet chosen and added to the number Act. 1. The main Question is about the manner of Christ's coming in for St Iohn Joh. 20.19 tells us he came in the doors being shut Divers are the opinions of the learned about this point 1. Some think it probable enough that some body within might unbolt or unbar the door though the rest of the company took no notice thereof nor the Evangelists mention it so Marlorat Marlorat ad loc Aretius Boetius So he came in when the doors were shut that is very late when it was time the doors should be shut say others 2. The Papists say he came through the doors as they also say he came out of his mother's womb clauso utero that his body is really present at â—he Sacrament in an invisible manner but they only say it but prove it not Dr Fulk A learned man saith Some incredulous Iew perhaps will not be perswaded that St. Peter 's sword went between Malchus his ear and head it waâ— so soon healed again so some perhaps will not believe that the doors were at all opened they were so soon shut again but it 's clear though theâ— were shut presently before and afteâ— his passage yet they were open 〈◊〉 the instant of his passage else shaâ— we grant a penetration or thâ— there were two solid bodies at 〈◊〉 same time in one place which 〈◊〉 not be for so Austin saith even 〈◊〉 glorified bodies Tolle spacia corporibus corpora nòn erunt 3. The soundest opinion is to acknowledge that he came in Creatura cessit Creatori Beza Calvin Cyril Polan Synt. p. 419. Calv. Instit l. 4. c. 17. Sect. 19. in a most miraculous manner clausis januis but not per clausas januas so that there was not penetratio sed cessio corporum solidorum he came not through the wood iron and steel of the door but the door opened to him of its own accord or by his divine power as Act. 5.19 Act. 12.10 the â—reature gave place to the Creatour And that they might not doubt of his resurrection he proveth it by an â—vident demonstration bidding â—hem behold his hands and his feet and â—ells them it was he Luk. 24.29 30. 〈◊〉 if he had said a spirit hath not parts â—ad members and dimensions as I have â—erefore you may assure yourselves â—â—at it 's my very body which you â— that was buried that is now risen â— in We may observe further â—t Christ bids them make use not â—y of their eyes to see but also of â—r hands to feel him and unlesse 〈◊〉 had done so it had not given satisfaction to incredulous Thomas whose faith lay in his fingers and will believe no more than he seeth and feeleth to whose infirmity our Saviour condescendeth Quest Here then a Question may arise whether the scars remained in Christ's body after his resurrection or not Resp I answer It seemed they did how else could Thomas see and feel them as he is bid for his full satisfaction to do Joh. 20.27 If it be demanded whether they be blemishes or not I answer they were no signs of defect Vulnerum signa virtutum insignia Aquin. Euseb Emiss Perkins in Symbol but ensigns of victory but that it 's not likely they now remain in Heaven or shall be seen at the last day Mr Perkins sheweth saying that we may as well think that the veins of his body shall be empty and without bloud because they were so upon the Cross as that the scars in his body shall then appear because he had them when he appeared to Thomas Object But how cometh it about that he â—loweth that to Thomas and the 〈◊〉 which he will not afford to Mary Mâ—dalen sc to touch him notwithstanding he loved her very well Joh. 20.27 He said unto her Touch me not â—e biâ— Thomas not only touch him but also to put his finger into his side which