flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee S. Mat. 16.17 but my Father which is in heaven And I say also unto thee that thou art Peter And upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it 18 And I will give unto thee the keyes of the kingdome of heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven whatsoever thou shall loose on earth 19. shall be loosed in heaven No doubt but the Apostles did highly rejoyce and were exceedingly glad to receive such a promise frâ—m Christ and began also to think of the performance of it The keyes to be transfer'd from the legall to the Evangelical priesthood and when and when it should be that such keyes with such power should be confer'd upon them But they must not expect the accomplishment till after his resurrection for till then he might not by divine dispensation transfer the keys of the kingdom of heaven with that power of binding and loosing from the legall to the Evangelicall priesthood Therefore saith St. Matthew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From that time forth when he had first straightly charged them that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ least his passion should be hindred for had they known him to have been Jesus Christ indeed they would not have crucified him he began to shew unto his Disciples how that he must go to Hierusalem and suffer many things of the Elders 1 Cor. 2.8 and chiefe priests and Scribes and be killed and be raised again the third day As if he should say He foretelleth his passion death and resurrection when I I have been at Hierusalem and when I have suffered and when I shall be risen again from the dead upon the third day then will I make good my promise by giving unto you the keys of the kâ—ngdom of heaven At this all the Apostles being over-charged with sorrow and because he spoke it openly so that the people also too notice of his words Saint Peter the mouth of the Apostles the second time came unto him privately and began to rebuke him saying Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee At this he is offended reproves him sharply calleth him Satan commands him to get behinde him for that by giving him such counsell he savoured not the things that be of God but those that be of men For what if the counsell that Saint Peter gave proceeded from that love and affection that he did bear unto his Lord who knew also that he did love him yet by giving him such counsell which was against the determinate counsell and fore-knowledge of God for the redemption of all mankinde by his death upon the crosse he was Satan and an adversary who must get behinde him viz. cease to withstand the will of God by carnall counsell From thence therefore he taketh occasion to admonish his disciples and the people how to follow him in persecutions and to bear his cross S. Mat. 16 24 25 26 27 28. S. Mar. 8.34 35 36 37 38. S. Luc. 9.23 24 25 26 27. valuing their precious souls above their temporall lives or the whole world telling them also that there were some standing amongst them who should not taste of death till they should see the son of man comming in his kingdomâ— intimating thereby that glimpse of his glory vvhich he would shew unto some of them by his transfiguration if not rather the destruction of Hierusalem which Saint John lived to see And after six daies saith Saint Matthew and with him Saint Mark but Saint Luke About an eight daies after these sayings S. Mat. 17.1 S. Mar. 9.1 S. Luc. 9.28 That is to say six compleat daies after he had so said not accounting the day that he spake nor the day that he ascended into the mount The transfiguration of Christ but only the six intervening daies Jesus taketh Peter James and John his brother and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart supposed to be the mount Thabor a mountain in Galilee of which something hath been said before where also it is thought as hath been before observed that he preached that famous Sermon unto his Apostles before the multitude repeated by the Evangelist Saint Matthew cap. 5.6.7 And was transfigured before them But why these three and none but these I can give no reason but the speciall favour and familiarity which they had with their Lord above the rest and why that he only knoweth But his speciall favourites he had in every degree He had many disciples multitudes of disciples but out of the whole number he made a more speciall choice of seventy that they might be more conversant with him than the rest S. Luc. 10.1 And them he sent two and two before his face into every city and place whither he himselfe would come There was a more speciall choice of twelve Apostles S. Mar. 3.14 that they should be with him and that he might send them forth to preach Of which twelve also he admitted three to a more intimate familiarity these were Saint Peter Saint James and Saint John his brother These only were permitted to be present when he went in S. Mar. 5.37 and raised up Jairus his daughter and these only he taketh with him into the mountain and was transfigured before them Not presently so soon as he had ascended but as he prayed or was praying He did not change the nature of his body but only the externall forme into a greater glory for his face did shine as the Sun and his raiment was white as the light white and glistering saith Saint Luke exceeding white as snow so as no fuller upon earth can white them saith Saint Mark. And so each Evangelist hath his owne expression It was for his disciples sake to whom he would shew a glimpse of his glory to the end that the humility of his passion might not offend them And it was for his servants Moses and Elias sake S. Mat. 17.4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. S. Mar. 9.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. S. Luc. 9.32 33 34 35 36. whom he would entertain in robes of glory For Moses and Elias talked with him appearing in glory and speaking of his decease which he should accomplish at Hierusalem And so the other passages follow as they are set down by the Evangelists Of the motion made by Saint Peter as touching three tabernacles to be built there Of the Fathers testimony from heaven Of the disciples question concerning the comming of Elias and of Christ his answer thereunto And that first as he came down from the mountain he charged them to conceal the vision till after his resurrection which also they did questioning one with another what the rising from the dead should mean He abode with his three Apostles all night upon the mount and the next
a blinde and dumbe devill By convincing the scribes and pharisees of the irremissible sin By promising the signe of the prophet Jonas By teaching the people in parables By sending forth his Apostles two and two By feeding five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes By walking upon the sea to his disciples By reproving the traditions of the pharisees By healing the daughter of the Canaanitish woman By healing him that was deaf and had an impediment in his speech By feeding foure thousand with seven loaves and a few little fishes By reproving the pharisees and sadduces By reprehending his disciples By healing the blinde man It became him who humbled himselfe and was made man for the redemption of all mankinde to do all these things And thus following herein my learned author late right Reverend Diocesan in his learned Theanthropicon our sacred history doth put an end to the third year after his Baptism which was the two and thirtieth year of his age The first occurrence of the next year is that Jesus with his disciples came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi not into Caesarea Philippi it selfe S. Mar. 8.27 S. Luc. 9.18 S. Mat. 16 13 Christ interrogateth his disciples but into the townes of Cesarea Philippi as St. Mark saith and in the way having prayed alone he asked his disciples saying Whom do men say that I the son of man am This question was propounded to them by the way as they went not out of ignorance as if he had not known what it was that the people said of him nor out of curiosity as if he were delighted to hear the rumours of the vulgar concerning himselfe but docendi gratiâ because he meant to teach and instruct them more perfectly He did not aske whom the Pharisees and Scribes did say him to be that was publickly and notoriously known for in the blindeness of their own minds and in the hardness of their hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Epiphanius They knew not his Godhead and they supposed that he was no other but a meer man Lib. Anchor cap. 27. They knew nothing of his wonderfull conception which was by the holy Ghost nor of his wonderfull birth which was of a pure virgin nor of his speciall priviledge which was that he was without all sin nor of the hypostaticall union whereby the word was made flesh not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God They did therefore notoriously defame him S. Joh 8.44 S. Joh. 10.20 said that he was a Samaritan and that he had a devill That he had a devill and was mad And because he came eating and drinking S. Mat. 11.19 they said Behold a man gluttonous and a wine-bibber a friend to publicans and sinners They undervalued all his miracles and look what they saw and knew to be done by the divine power and vertue of the holy Ghost they affirmed of the devill S. Mar. 3.22 saying He hath Beelzebub and by the prince of devills casteth he out devills Therefore he did not ask what they said him to be but whom do men the people the vulgar say that I the Son of man am The opinion of the people concerning Christ They told him according to the common opinion of the people of the Jewes in those dayes whereby it was believed that the souls of the defunct according to the merits of each person did commigrate into other bodies that some said that he was Saint John the Baptist some Elias others Jeremias or one of the prophets that is to say of the old Prophets and that he was such by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that the soul of Saint John the Baptist Elias or Jeremias or of one of the Prophets was transmigrated into him and that this was the vulgar errour concerning him Whereupon he demanded of them saying But whom say ye that I am Simon Peter the mouth of the Apostles replyeth both for himselfe and for all the rest Thou art Christ Saint Peters confession the son of the living God He pronounceth him blessed for his faiths-sake whereby he so believed affirming that this his answer was by divine revelation For flesh and blood saith he hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven And then admonisheth him of the retribution for his confession sake Thou art Peter and upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Promising also unto him the keyes of the kingdome of heaven to the end that whatsoever he should binde on earth should be bound in heaven and whatsoever he should loose upon earth should be loosed in heaven His prerogative 1st He confers upon him this prerogative That he is Peter that is to say a stone for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the greek signifieth a stone And it was his prerogative that he was made a stone not by conversion of his nature into stone but by the gift of grace by his faith by his function For in this was Christ as good as his word and performeth that promise which he made when first he was presented to him by his brother Saint Andrew Thou art Simon the son of Jona S. Joh. 1.42 thou shalt be called Cephas which is by interpretation a stone And he did reserve the confirmation of his promise till Saint Peter had made this good confession The Church of God which is the whole number of those whom God hath elected to eternall life The Church compared to a materiall temple S. Mat. 21.13 1 Pet. 5.2 is often in the Scriptures resembled to a materiall temple and in particular to the temple of Hierusalem So that like as that temple was called an house the house of prayer in like manner is this called an house a spirituall house for distinction sake The materiall house was built of stones laid one upon another the spirituall house is likewise said to be builded but the edification is not of naturall and inanimate 1 Cor. 12.26 1 Pet. 2.5 but of spirituall and living stones The naturall stones of the materiall temple were joyned and cimented one unto another that so the building might rise to perfection Eph. 2.21 and the spirituall stones are in like manner fitly framed together that the building might grow unto an holy temple of the Lord. The materiall temple had a strong foundation that foundation was a rock upon which were superstructed great and mighty stones to support the whole fabrick which stones might not improperly be called the foundation and were indeed a second foundation most necessary for so great a structure which afterwards was raised with costly and curious stones such as Solomon made ready 1 King 6.7 and brought thither or such as those stones which the disciples did marvell at in the temple S. Mar. 13.1 S. Mat. 24.1 saying Master see wha◠manner of stones
was come the sabbath of the seventh day which was the sabbath signifying must vanish away That Sabbath of the seventh day did therefore teach the people of God to expect the true sabbath in whom all must cease from the unclean works of sin and every one must submit himself to him and suffer him to have and sanctifie a sabbath in him by his most holy and most blessed spirit so to cease from their own works not doing thine own waies nor finding thine own pleasure Isai 58.13 nor speaking thine own words saith the Prophet Isaiah as to do all the workes of his law by faith For he that is entred into his rest which is Christ the true sabbath He also hath ceased from his own workes Heb. 4.10.11 as God did from his Let us labor therefore to enter into that rest lest any man fall after the same example of unbeliefe The feast of Easter did set forth Christ the true paschall Lambe who should be killed that so he might be made the food of the faithfull unto everlasting life who so eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood S. Joh. 6.54 hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day And because that Christ is that feast and is our passeover that therefore we must purge out the old leaven for so S. Paul himself sets forth the Mysterie Purge out therefore saith he the old leaven that ye may be a new lumpe as ye are unleavened For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us 1 Cor 5.7 Therefore let us keep the feast not with the old leaven neither with the leaven of malice and wickednesse but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth The feast of Pentecost did set forth Christ conferring the gifts of the Holy Ghost upon his Church and was a type of that day wherein the Holy Ghost was sent under the outward visible signes of fierie cloven tongues Act. 2. The feast of Trumpets did signifie Christ publishing his Gospell by the mouthes of his Apostles and Disciples whose sound went into all the earth Rom. 10.18 and their words unto the ends of the world The day of attonement or yearly feast of the expiations did set forth the expiation of sins by Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousnesse Rom. 3.25 for the remission of sins Upon which day the passion and death of Christ and mans Redemption by him was so plainly shewed that nothing could be more lively acted or represented The day it selfe was a day of a general and universal expiation of sins by sacrifice wherein the attonement was made for the holy Sanctuary and for the tabernacle of the congregation for the Altar for the Priests and for all the people of the congregation Therefore the great expiatory sacrifice Christ crucified upon the Cross must be offered up for all the sins of all man-kind as well for the most holy who may be compared to the Sanctuary to the Tabernacle to the Altar to the Priests all consecrated unto God by his mysterious Sacraments as also for all sorts of sinners to be understood by all the people of the congregation For what other thing is the world but a congregation of all sorts of people all sinners all standing in need of the generall and universall expiation That generall and universall expiation must be made by no other person but by the High Priest therefore an High Priest must be expected who must make the great attonement for the sins of the whole world The High Priest did make an attonement for himself and it was needfull for him so to do because he was a sinner therefore he was not the true high priest but a type of him who had no need to make an attonement for himselfe because he had no sin That high priest did make the attonement every year and did admit of a successor by reason of death therefore he was not the true high priest but a type of him who should make the attonement once for all made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec Heb. 6.20 That high priest had none to accompany him when he made the attonement therefore this high priest must himselfe be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world That high priest did put on those garments which were common to the other priests to wit the linnen coat the linnen breeches the linnen girdle and the linnen mitre he did also bring his own sacrifice a young bullock for a sin-offering and a ram for a burnt offering and did receive of the congregation two kids for a sin-offering and a ram for a burnt-offering therefore this high priest should put on the whole human nature and should receive that of us which he would sacrifice for us as namely the substance of our flesh But as those garments are said to be holy so must they understand the humanity of Christ to be without sin The young bullock which the high priest brought for a sin offering and the ram which he brought for a burnt offering was his humble acknowledgment that he was not that High priest but a type of him that should make the great attonement for all mankinde Heb. 7.26 Seeing as the Apostle saith such an high priest became us who is holy blamlesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher then the heavens Who needeth not daily as those high priests 27. to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the peoples for this he did once when he offered up himselfe Such a one therefore were they admonished by that his sacrifice to look for The two goats upon which the high priest cast lots did signifie Christ in two natures and that in one of those natures namely the humanity he should be killed and die but yet by the determinate counsell and foreknowledge of God for that was signified by the lots that were cast seeing as Solomon saith in the book of Proverbs The lot is cast into the lap Prov. 16.33 but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. The blood of the bullock and the blood of the goat which the high priest brought successively within the vail and did with his finger sprinckle the mercy seat and before the mercy seat seven times did in the mystery instruct them to know that not by the blood of goats and calves but by his own blood should Christ the true high priest enter in once into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us Heb. 9.12 And that seven-fold aspersion made by the finger of the high priest did signifie the fulnesse and perfection of the propitiation to be made by Christ The incense which was offered by the high priest within the vail in the most holy place the cloud whereof did arise and cover the mercy seat did shew forth the prayers and supplications with strong crying
the Master For he taught them as one having authority as one who had the reseration and understanding of all the scriptures and of all the prophets by whose power saith Bede the secrets of the divine law of God panduntur fidelibus clauduntur infidelibus are opened to the faithfull are shut up unto the unbelievers In Apoc. cap. 2. S. Mat. 7.29 and not as the Scribes 1st He promiseth blessednesse as his own reward to them that follow him in true piety and a virtuous life 2ly He admonisheth his Apostles what he had made them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the salt of the earth and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the light of the world That therefore they must diligently preach the word of God and abound in good works 3ly He tells them he came to fulfill the law and from thence takes occasion to expound divers precepts of the law perverted and obscured by the impious glosses and traditions of the scribes and pharisees as touching murther adultery divorce swearing revenge and then setteth down divers practick rules of charity and commendeth perfection with which that Chapter is concluded In the sixth Chapter he goeth on condemning the feigned righteousness of the scribes and pharisees who did play the hypocrites in their almes prayers and fastings instructing them now to give their almes to pray and to fast And because the pharisees were covetous envious and distrustfull of the providence of God that therefore they must beware of covetousness an evill eye and not to be solicitous of things pertaining to this present life In the seventh chapter because the pharisees were uncharitable judgers of others therefore they must take heed that they judge not any rashly or uncharitably And because they were contumaciously wicked and would surely persecute them that therefore they should not expose the holy things of religion to their scorn and contempt But because that they are not able to performe these things of themselves that therefore they must be instant in prayer for God will give them either the things which they pray for or some other things which shall be better and more convenient for them Then gives he a generall rule of righteousnesse as well distributivè as commutativè which is the law and the prophets admonishing them of the way to heaven and premonishing them of false prophets who would seek to divert them from it Finally not to be hearers of the word only but doers of it like houses builded on a rock and not on the sand And so concludeth his Sermon to the admiration and astonishment of all the hearers Having ended his Sermon he came down from the mountain The leper cured S. Mat. 8.2 S. Mar. 1.40 S. Luc. 5.12 followed by great multitudes of people And behold there came a leper and worshipped him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Saint Mark saith that he came beseeching him and kneeling downe to him Saint Luke that he was full of leprosie and that seeing Jesus he fell on his face And both Saint Matthew Saint Mark and Saint Luke do say that he made his supplication saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean Therefore have we to note the humility of this leper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he worshipped him he worshipped him with bowing of his body and holding up his hands to make supplication But this was not a posture low enough for bodily reverence and for supplication to him that could cure him at his pleasure therefore he came down upon his knees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kneeling down to him saith Saint Mark and yet was he not low enough before he would tender his petition he would go as low as possibly he could even to the earth to manifest his humility by the lowest deportment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 falling down on his face as Saint Luke saith 2ly We have to observe his faith whereby he maketh a good confession acknowledgeth the power of Christ and consequently his Godhead that he was able to make him clean by the power of his word and with due submission unto his will he desired cure yet not absolutely but according to the good pleasure of his will Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean It was that which Christ willed And Jesus put forth his hand and touched him S. Mat. 8.3 saying I will be thou clean and immediately his leprosy was cleansed And Jesus saith unto him See thou tell no man but go thy way shew thy selfe to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them The gift commanded by Moses was to be offered by him that was to be cleansed and in the day of his cleansing Levit. 14. But Christ would have him that was cleansed to offer the gift for a testimony unto them that he came not to destroy but to fulfill the law as Tertullian observeth Lib. 4. cont Marcion cap. 9. That the priest also might pronounce him clean and testifie against themselves in that they would not believe in him who testified his Divinity by all the miracles that he did But he went out S. Mar. 1.45 and began to publish it much and to blaze abroad the matter insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city but was without in desart places and they came to him from every quarter He published that which he was forbidden but not in that sense in which he was forbidden to publish it he was forbidden to publish it for his owne sake for he must not boast of the benefit which he had received He was forbidden to publish it for Christ his sake so as to procure to him the vain praise of man which he sought not for but he was not forbidden to publish it for the glory of God And therefore he did publish it although he had been commanded to say nothing to any man and did blaze it abroad as Saint Mark saith Being departed from that city he came to Capernaum where he healed the Centurions servant who was sick of a palsey The Centurions servant cured of a palsey and ready to die The story is diversly reported by the Evangelists Saint Matthew and Saint Luke and must be reconciled thus This Centurion a foot-captain or commander of an hundred footmen but not an Israelite hearing of Jesus made means unto him on the behalfe of his servant by the Elders of the Jewes who having interceded effectually for him S. Luc. 7.2 3 4 5. v. 6 7 8 Christ went with them as Saint Luke saith But when he was not far from the house he sent friends to him with such a message as Saint Luke also delivers Which when Iesus heard he marvelled at him and turned him about and said unto the people that followed him I say unto you 9 10. I have not found so great faith no not in Israel And they that were sent returning to the house found the servant whole that had been sick In the
the vote of the Scribes and said even as they did This fellow doth not cast out Devils but by Beelzebub the prince of Devils Hereupon others of their consorts S. Mat. 12.24 seeing that the Scribes and Pharisees had condemned this signe to be from hell tempted him and sought of him a signe from heaven They would have had him peradventure as St. Hierome also saith to have brought fire from heaven as Elijah did 2 King 1.10 1 Sam. 12.18 or to have caused it suddainly to thunder and rain as the prophet Samuel did But he apologizeth and recriminateth By the apologie he maintaineth his divine power whereby that and all other his divine miracles were effected By the recrimination he convicteth them of that irremissible sin which is against the holy Ghost The Scribes and Pharisees convinced of the irremissible sin in that they saw and knew his divine power in the works which he did and yet blasphemed The apologie is grounded upon two arguments whereof the first is taken from the absurdity of the consequence as if he should say how irrationall is this How doth Sathan cast out Sathan is his kingdom divided or doth he himself seek the ruine of his own kingdom or must it not needs be so if he will cast himself out where he hath once gotten quiet possession This is true of every kingdom S. Mat. 12.25 26 27 28. S. Mar. 3.23 24 25 26. S. Luc. 11.17 18 19 20. and of every house therefore of Sathans kingdom and of Sathans house how then do I by Sathan cast out Devills or by whom doe your children cast them out The second is taken from the manner of ejection which is the necessity of the consequence How can I cast out Sathan against his will were I not stronger then he can any man enter into a strong mans house and spoil his goods if he be not stronger then that strong man first to bind him and then to spoil his goods If I therefore have entred into Sathans house If I have bound him S Mat. 12.29 30. S Mar. 3.27 S Luc. 11.21 22 23. S Mat. 12.31 32. S Mar. 3.28 29 30. The irremissible sin against the holy Ghost if I have cast him quite out of his house and despoyled him of his goods as you may see in this demoniak am I not then stronger then Sathan And if stronger then Sathan who else but God and the son of God The recrimination followeth and is this therefore you Scribes and Pharisees because you have said that I have an unclean spirit and do cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils have sinned against the Holy Ghost to your own damnation The irremissible sin therefore is not blasphemy against the nature or person of the holy Ghost if a man shall deny that there is an holy Ghost or third person as did the Photinians or if he shall deny him to be God or more then a creature as did the Macedonians Quid ergo fiet de his quos lucrari cupit ecclesia saith St. Augustine What shall then become of those whom the Church desireth to acquire De verb. Dom. Ser. 11. cap. 4. The Church desireth to gaine and hath gained such But that irremissible sin is blasphemy against the works of the holy Ghost and is when he that is illuminated shall against his own knowledge and conscience slander and blaspheme the holy Ghost in his works by a malicious obtrectation by a wilfull repudiation and by an envious persecution of those that work them So the Scribes and Pharisees blasphemed the holy Ghost by affirming those works to be done by Beelzebub which they saw and knew to be done by the finger of God and by persecuting Christ for his works sake Saint Matthew and St. Luke proceed in the recrimination and both of them do say S Mat. 12.39 40. S Luc. 11.29 30. The signe of the Prophet Ionah that he denyed them a signe from heaven that is to say such a signe and in such a manner as they desired But yet promised the signe of the Prophet Ionas by the resurrection of his body upon the third day Indeed Jonah was an excellent type of the resurrection of Christ and of his resurrection upon the third day For like as Jonah for three dayes was in the Whales belly and during that time no better then dead but then the fish could hold him no longer for then the Lord spake unto the fish Jon. 2.10 and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land And Jonah is sent a Prophet to preach to Nineveh that they should repent Piscis qui Ionam devoravit in pelago significat mortem quam Christus passus est in mundo saith one of the Fathers The fish which devoured Jonah in the sea signifieth the death which Christ suffered in the world For even so was Christ in the grave as Jonah in the Whales belly till the third day but then the earth could hold him no longer God speaks unto the grave and the grave must surrender his blessed body and he ariseth and preacheth to the Ninevites for he sendeth his Apostles with ample commission Rom. 10.18 And their sound went into all the earth and their words unto the ends of the world In amplifying of which recrimination while he insisteth more sharply he telleth them that the Queene of the south and the Ninevites shall rise up in judgement against them for their unbelief and hardness of heart to their condemnation S Mat. 12.43 44 45. S. Luc. 11.24 25 26. which he affirmeth to be just for as much as the Devill whom he would cast out of the world by the power of his Gospell should in a worse manner than ever enter again into their nation And as he insisted upon these things a certain woman that heard him and was in the company be it Marcella or whosoever it were Blessedness of Christs mother cryed out as in a divine rapture Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the paps which thou hast sucked Indeed the wombe was blessed the paps were blessed the body was blessed the soul was blessed S. Luc. 1.48 yea and all generations shall call her blessed but that blessedness came not to her by bearing of Christ but by believing in Christ S. Luc. 11.28 and therefore he replyeth saying yea rather blessed are they that heare the word of God and keep it So having pronounced his mother blessed blessed in bearing more blessed in believing she together with his brethren arriveth there S. Luc. 8.19 desiring to speak with him and because they could not come at him for the preass they sent unto him calling him as Saint Mark saith The cause of her comming to Christ as he was preaching No doubt but the cause of their comming was good and as they thought at that time necessary peradventure to perswade him to take some pitty upon himselfe considering his long fasting and continuall pains which also
for like as he rose by his own power even so did he go forth by his own power notwithstanding the stone nor needed he the ministery of an Angell or that the stone should be rolled back for his going forth The Angell descended and caused the earthquake to the end that the Souldiers being terrified and affrighted with the presence of the Angell and with the earthquake might flie away from the sepulchre and make report of that which they had seen And he rolled away the stone for the womens sake which were to come thither to the end that they might look into the sepulchre and see that he was risen The watch therefore being runne away in great fear and amazement and the stone being rolled away then came St. Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James and Salome and some others with them as the day began to dawn very early in the morning when it was yet dark bringing the spices and ointments which they had prepared the day before the Sabbath after they had observed where it was that he was buried to the end that they might annoint him And as they came they were very solicitous concerning that great stone which they had seen to be rolled to the door of the sepulchre how S Mat. 28.1 S. Mar. 16.1 2 3. S. Luc. 24.1 S. Joh. 20.1 and by whose help having heard nothing it should seem concerning any watch to have been set there to keep the sepulchre they should procure the stone to be rolled away As they talked of this among themselves they came into the garden where they see the stone rolled away and the Angell sitting upon it An Angell fitteth upon the stone S. Mat. 28.5 6 7. Being sorely affrighted at his presence the Angell comforteth them bidding them not to feare For I know saith he that ye seek Jesus which was crucified He is not here for be is risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay 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 loe I have told you So they entred into the sepulchre An Angell sitteth in the sepulchre and saw a young man sitting on the right side clothed in a long white garment and they were affrighted terrified also at the sight of him But he in like manner comforteth them S Mar. 16.5 saying Be not affrighted yee seeke Jesus of Nazareth which was crucified he is risen he is not here 6 behold the place where they laid him But go your way tell his Disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him 7. as be said unto you Then went they out with fear and trembling being sore amazed and yet overcome with joy and not communicating a word with any one by the way they did run to carry the good tidings to Saint Peter S Mat 28.8 S Mar. 16.8 Two Angels stand in the sepulchre S Luc. 24.4 5 and to the rest of the Apostles Saint Luke reporteth the story a little otherwise For he saith that when they came into the sepulchre and found not the body of the Lord Jesus two men stood by them in shining garments And as they were affraid and bowed their faces to the earth they said unto them why seeke ye the living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him that liveth among the dead He is not here but is risen Remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee 6 7 8. saying The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinfull men and be crucified and the third day rise again And they remembred his words So that the first Angel came also into the sepulchre whom they saw sitting upon the stone and probably it was he that spake unto them these words there which so soon as they had heard and remembred also the words which Christ had spoken unto them in Galilee They went out quickly fled from the sepulchre ran unto the Apostles and to the Disciples that were with them to whom they made a narration of these things namely St. Mary Magdalen S Mar. 16.1 S Luc. 24.10 and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and Salome and other women that were with them who came altogether with the report Saint Mary Magdalen being the mouth of the other women to begin and tell it first as it should seem by Saint John S Joh. 20.2 S Luc 24.11 And their words seemed unto them as idle tales and they believed them not But St. Peter and St. John ran to the sepulchre to the end that they might see the truth of that which was reported Saint Peter and St. John run to the sepulchre St. John as being the younger man and more agile of body out-ran Saint Peter and came thither first but he went not in but abode the comming of Saint Peter who was hasting on with speed yet he stooped down and looked in and saw the linnen clothes lying Saint Peter came and went in first without delay and St. John followed and they both saw the linnen clothes and the napkin Whereupon Saint John believed that he was risen S Luc. 24.12 S Joh. 20.3 4. c. but St. Peter departed wondering in himself at that which was come to pass For as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead And so they returned home All this while he had not appeared unto any His first apparition to Saint Mary Magdalen But St. Mary Magdalen loved much and therefore went the second time unto the sepulchre after that St. Peter and St. John were returned home againe When she came thither she stood without at the door weeping for it is likely she went to weep there And as she wept she stooped down and looked into the Sepulcher S. Joh. 20.11 And seeth two Angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Iesus had layen And they say to her Woman why weepest thou 12 She being now more confident and nothing afraid by reason that she had been strengthened by the former vision saith unto them Because they have taken away my Lord 13 and I know not where they have laid him And when she had thus said she turned her selfe back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus 14 For her eyes were holden that she should not know him at the first Jesus saith unto her Woman why weepest thou She supposing him to be the gardiner saith unto him Sir if thou hast born him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away 15 lest the Iewes should insult and offer indignity to his dead body Then Iesus openeth her eyes to the end that she might know him and calleth her by name saying Mary 16 She turned her selfe and saith unto him