attendance they departed praising and glorifying God that a new Saviour was born to Israel and divulging abroad the Vision of the Angels and the wonderful things they had heard and seen concerning this child Luk. 2.17 These poor Shepheards being chosen for the first preachers of the coming of the Kindom of God as afterward were the poor Fisher-men and begetting a great wonder saith the Evangelist Luk. 2.18 in the Bethleemites with their story Yet probable it is according to the poor and unknown condition of life that the son of God had chosen that their wonder by his secret influence upon them was so restrained as not to proceed to any farther inquiry after these Holy persons and that the child and his Mother receiv'd no visits upon it nor better entertainment and accommodation there And this noise that was made upon the jealousy raised afterward in King Herod served only to involve this Infant-Prince and his small family in much greater perils and the peoples present admiration was more unsafe to him then their former neglect Nor did the Bethleemites enjoy the Honour of having this Saviour of Israel born amongst them without their bearing also his Cross and that a heavy one not long after it After this early Predication of the new Messias the poor Shepheards return'd to their flocks rejoycing as for the mercy shewed to Israel in general so for the great favour done them in particular that they should be the first besides his parents that should behold the Messias and hear the Musick of Angels and divulge this good news to the great and to the wise ones of this world § 39 Where I may not pass further without pausing a little to contemplate the ordinary course of Gods wisdom in this matter For many great men doubtless there were Digress of the tribe of Judah at this time in this City who probably would have entertained with joy such a revelation concerning the birth of the Messias who might also with their riches have maintained or with their power protected him Yet God did not think fit to send an Angel with this joyful news to any of them but only to the poor Shepheards from whom the great and learned ones were to receive it As likewise from the very conception of this Prince God had hitherto dealt with low people and the honours done to our Saviours person and to his relatives in the frequent descent and visits of Angels were invisible to the world and communicable to it only upon their relations whom their mean condition made less authentick And we see in this infancy of the Gospel the truth of those scriptures fulfilled Not many mighty not many worldly-wise not many noble are called God hath chosen the weak and base things of this world to confound the mighty Blessed are the poor for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven And our Saviours message to the Baptist Pauperes evangelizantur to the poor the Gospel is preached as if as he came poor so he came only to the poor For which good pleasure of his Father S. Luke chap. 10.21 expresseth upon a certain time a great exultation in our Saviours spirit breaking out into this expression I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth and so a free and absolute disposer of all his favours that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them unto Babes Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight By which we may gather how welcome to his infancy was this visit of these poor sent to him by his Father § 40 And why such thing seems good in his sight our weakness may discover many reasons 1. Because it is said that he hateth the proud and giveth Grace and favour to the humble Now riches and honour are seldome severed from pride and humility more often accompanieth meanness and poverty An hungry Shepheard trembling with cold in an open feild and over-watched is in a more humble and mortified posture for receiving visits and revelations from heaven then one that is full of all good things well attended delicatly lodged and taking his ease tho elation or demission of the mind commonly rising and falling with the indulgences or sufferings of the body and the flow or ebb of our fortunes But 2ly were all conditions equally disposed for such favours yet he delights as is said before to chuse the meaner and weaker Agents for his instruments in great affairs the more to shew his omnipotency whilst out of these babes mouths he perfects his praise and by the feible things of the world confounds the mighty 3ly He doth this also to imploy and heighten the dignity of mens faith in matters of religion which when it believes only what it sees or is clearly demonstrated to it must needs be of very little esteem and reward with God But great faith is where little sight or conviction and where love and the Will have the greatest hand in the Composition of it To such believers God counts himself exceedingly indebted and wherever our Saviour met with any such faith in the Gospel he fell a-magnifying it very highly and granted presently whatever it desired Great is thy Faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt For the growth therefore of these great faiths it is that God discovers only to a few and those of less authority what he would have to be believ'd by all that so he might rest more engaged to their submission who have the weaker perswasives or impulses to it Or 4ly Had he no other motive at all thus to distribute his favours yet this he may do to have the return of a greater measure of praise and thanks for them from such receivers For God receives the greater acknowledgment for his gifts the more mean and unworthy the persons see themselves to be on whom he bestows them More when he gives them to a poor Shepheard then when to a great Rabbi which commonly whilst they render the one grateful make the other proud But lastly the Kingdom of this new born-Prince was to be quite another and a contrary thing to the Kingdoms of this world It was to be a spiritual and a celestial one and so founded in great humility and mortifications of the flesh and of this worlds lusts founded in denying mens-selves and forsaking all things that are dear unto them and taking up several sorts of crosses and those that enter into this Kingdom are to be only the poor poor one way or other either in estate or at least in spirit so that in this Kingdom wherein those of low degree are exalted Jam. 1.9 the rich and Honourable are to be made low that they may be exalted Let the rich rejoyce in that he is made low Jam. 1.10 And in their affections at least to become another thing then they are in their fortunes They that rejoyce to be as tho they rejoyced not they that purchase as tho they possessed not they
active nature spirit and judgment to return to be imprisoned for several years in such an impotent body as to be swathed cradled mute and for all conveniences or necessities wholly disposed-of by another that knows not his mind § 107 3ly Such a perfection and if I may so say man-hood of our Lords Soul and intellect being supposed in his infancy and so much vacancy from any serious external employments as accompanies child-hood we may imagine but Lord to have passed those his first daies continually in praier which also infers silence and Recollection and in Intercessions to his Father for Man's salvation and the business he came for into the world Which also may be inferred from this That when at 30 years of age he had entred on his Office of preaching and that his day-time was taken up with other business and great throngs of people who for their spiritual and corporal necessities continually flocked to him yet He used then to rise on nights and retire into some solitary place and there spend part or sometimes the whole night in Praier See Mark 1.35 Luk. 5.16 6.12 Till then that our Lords growth was capable of corporal Labours we may justly account his time at Nazareth spent much-what like that of S. John Baptist or also his own 40 daies sojourning in the Desart and that all this while he became a fervent Mediator for us now by his taking our flesh become his Brethren and negociated our business so much more with God when hindred by his age for doing it yet with men And his Father who was alwaies well pleased in him accepted his service in this time of nonage and sequestration from human affairs as more immediatly devoted to himself And if mankind is supposed to receive much benefit from the Praiers and Devotions of those Holy Hermits who without any conversation with men apply themselves wholly to these like Moses in the Mount praying whilst their brethren are fighting here with Satan and a thousand temptations how much more strength and succour may we be thought to receive from those infinitely-meritorious intercessions of our Lord in that his silent infancy Whose outward deportment also in this time corresponding with his mind must needs beget great reverence towards him and the like Devotion and silence in the Blessed Virgin and S. Joseph that daily beheld it and the oeconomy of this little family much exceed that of the strictest Monasticks Both these persons being before our Lords Nativity highly enriched with the Graces of the Holy Spirit and also by so near access to his person receiving daily new influences and recruits thereof from him who was full of Grace and Truth as the beloved Evangelist describes him Jo. 1.14 16 and of whose fulness we all receive Grace after Grace and all for and from this fountain of Grace § 108 In such silence and Devotion and conversation with Heaven our Lord seems to have spent his time till now he had run out â—2 years of his Age when happened a very strange accident concerning him It was a law that all Males should appear at the place which the Lord should chuse for his Residence in his Sanctuary or Temple there three times in the year at the three solemn feasts and that then none should appear empty or without an offering i. e. offerings of thanksgiving as God had prospered them to honour the Lord with their substance and first fruits of their increase See Exod. 23.15 17. 34.20 Deut. 16.17 Prov. 3.9 But women and children were dispenced-with and the males are said to be obliged thereto only from twenty years old to sixty or fifty But at the great Pascal feast it was usual from ancient times for the women and their children as well as men to go thither as appears by 1 Sam. 1.3 4. And so S. Luke saith of the Holy Virgin and her husband S. Joseph that they went to Jerusalem every year at the Paschal feast and we may presume took with them the Holy child Jesus after able to travel so far whom considering who He was and on such account how dear to them it would have bin a great affliction to have left behind them and to have relinquisht the Lord himself as it were to go to his house And there missing our Lord when twelve years old and hoping to find him gone before with some of their kindred argues that not to have bin his first journey In which also they would have bin more solicitous of his not straying froth them and their seeking him also in the Temple seems to have proceeded from some observation made by them of his former inclinations and practices there at these Feasts § 109 Now then when Jesus had completed the sacred Number of the twelfth year of his age All Gods works being exactly measured with a certain number of time among which the numbers of 12 and of 7 are very frequent in Scripture going up with his Parents as usually to this Feast it was the Divine pleasure after the Eastern Magi their having already proclaimed the birth of Him at Jerusalem and the Doctors of the Jews also by Herod's assembling and consulting them being then forced to take notice of it now again after 10 years more passed to manifest his Son to Israel and to the most learned thereof and to shew as it were a ray and glympse of his celestial Original and his Divine wisdom and Graces in an age as yet no way capable of acquiring these by studies or Human Art if so be they would now by comparing the Messias his Nativity and considering the transcendent knowledg that made them all astonished appearing in this child discern this Divine person and yeild him a due obedience and Adoration Which appearance also was made when Archelaus Herod's Son that Ruled in Judea and that might be dreaded as heir of his Fathers malice also to the new Messias was before this supposing our Lords stay in Egypt not above two years and Herod's reign according to Josephus De Bell. Judaic lib. 2. cap. 6. only nine ejected out of his Government by Augustus and banished to Vienna in France and a Roman President substituted in his place After therefore the Feast was now ended and the multitudes returning homeward Our Lord in obedience to the will of his Father in Heaven on a suddain with-drew himself from his Parents here on earth without giving them any notice of his purpose which made known to them might to their human reason have seemed somewhat extravagant and perilous and so have received some obstruction from their great solicitude for his safety Wherein He hath also shewed to us how little any Relations of Kindred many times great lets of Piety are to be regarded when any way hindring our service of God Of which disengagement from Kindred he also gave us examples afterward upon several occasions He therefore immediatly returned to the Temple carried hither with the same zeal and fervour of the Holy
no way moved upon the prospect and glory of this City or advance also of his own soon meekly returned him a second answer out of the Scriptures out of the Law too as the former and out of the same book of it prohibiting such a fact upon any such Motive or promsie the text being corrupted by the Devil as to the true sence and due circumstances thereof telling him that it was written that we may not tempt the Lord our God The Text is found in Deut. 6.16 and the instance there made is not to tempt him as in Massah where the Israelites suffering some thirst had not the patience of expecting the time wherein God thought fit to relieve them but irreverently and ungratefully expostulated with and importuned Moses for a Miracle in their supply for drink after they had but now seen that Miracle for supplying them bread in the former Chapter So patient and resigned our Lord remained still in the place and posture as Satan had set and held him in for he who was permitted to place him there had not the power to cast him down thence so to try what would be the issue of it till he confounded thought of changing the Scene again and like Balak of trying his experiments upon him in another place and in a contrary manner § 158 Having therefore now attacked our meek Lord in two of the three ordinary and most effective sorts of temptations as S. John reckons them Concupiscentia carnis as to eating which meat was rendred more alluring by extreme hungar and Superbia vitae some vain glory or Honour when so mounted on the top of a Pinnacle of one of the stateliest buildings of the world by there shewing himself supported and born up by Angels in the Air he now thought of assaulting him with the third Concupiscentia Oculorum and wealth and Coveteousness that that Temptation might not be omitted toward our Lord with which we are most frequently over-thrown and by which wealth and honour once admitted he could at least sooner work his ruine these instruments of his temptation being also great tempters § 159 Now laying aside therefore the glorious suggestions to our Lord of his being the Son of God as in the two former Satan begins now to treat him not as God's but as the Carpenter's Son and to take more upon him and magnifie himself instead of our Lord and to see if he could trample upon our Lords humility in whom he could not beget any pride So taking him from the Pinacle and from the prospect of Jerusalem he transported him to yet a greater and statelier height the top of a very high Mountain as if to a place where himself was Prince and Lord of all and there makes a Scheme and representation unto him of the great and spacious Kingdomes of the Earth and of all the Glory and beauty as it were set forth and spread before him in a large Map and shewed too all at once as it were in a moment saith S. Luke as all lying at his his feet the more to surprize him Then tells him that all these are his and to whomsoever he pleaseth he can give them and the prosperity and flourishing of the wicked for a time in this world seem'd to make good his words that therefore if he would but bow his knee and give him the honour due to such a Patron and Benefactor All should be our Lords and he presently possessed of them Whence our Lord might see that for all the high titles that might be given him he had been in the world but poorly treated hitherto in being advanced no higher than a Carpenter § 161 It is likely that Satan set forth this last Temptation with many more words and shewed the many honours he had formerly bestowed upon his true Servants Hoping also that the sight and view of such worldly Pompe might much work upon such a Novice and one so meanly educated As our first Parents that fell were taken with the gloss and beauty of the forbidden fruit Gen. 3.6 and as the Israelites brought out of the Desart into the land of Canaan were by the plenty thereof Deut. 32.15 drawn away from God Incrassatus impinguatus dilatatus dereliquit Deum Factorem suum But very imprudent and no less silly was such a proposal of his to our Lord and full of Pride and lies Whenas indeed himself was a miserable Bankrupt and prisoner tied up in chains not able to help a poor witch for all her not only worship of but Contracts and giving her Soul to him to a single farthing nor to take his lodging in a filthy Swine without an extraordinary leave and permission and when as most contrary he to whom he spake was the very person to whom all these things were given by the Father and who was the true Lord and heir of all And therefore Satan in this third assault saith nothing of his Son-ship and having all things in heaven earth and under earth to adore and submit to him as such will they nill they even Satan himself And this perhaps was one way how Satan hoped his Temptation might fasten upon our Lord if he could thus at least provoke him unseasonably at this time to the challenging of these things to himself and so some little stain of ostentation and vain glory might possibly run along and mingle with it § 162 But our meek Lord replies no such thing to him takes no notice of his shameful lies nor the cheat of his deluding appearances but after he had shewed the highest detestation of his endeavouring to rob his Father of his due worship and of taking this to himself in those words spoken to him Get thee hence Satan as if his last impudent and blasphemous proposal had clearly discovered to him who he was he with the same spirit of meekness as before answers him a third time out of the Scripture and the Law that we are commanded to worship the Lord our God and him only to serve and in what ever condition we are placed of poverty and want may do no prohibited thing to make our selves rich great or Honourable Which it indeed we would yet by this way we cannot make our selves so And the Devil so oft as he saith this doth but lye to us Thus our Lord stoutly repelled the last temptation also the lust of the eyes the surprisal of which must be greater too in so barren a Desart And so this being the uttermost bait he had with which to have caught our Lord and not able to disobey our Lords words Get thee hence Satan by the power of which words our Lord at last manifested that which he was not pleased to shew at Satans request Viz. that he was the Son of God this evil Angel departed And now after the temptation as usually follows a Consolation as also before the great Honour done our Lord at his Baptism was streight pursued with a great humiliation and for the
16. chap. saying Rabbi thou art the Son of God for so the Baptist also before had several times stiled him thou art the King of Israel that hath bin so long expected by this Nation § 171 Our Lord upon Nathaniels mentioning his Kingship answered that they should hereafter see much greater Confirmation of this their faith and that the time should be when they should behold the Heavens opened and Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man for so our Lord usually out of humility shall I say or rather a strong love to his Creature man stiled himself ascending and descending upon him as he being alwaies in Heaven as well as on Earth and the sole Mediator between Earth and Heaven who also only had traffick with Heaven and knew all his Fathers secrets there and again when they should see infinite numbers of them attending on him in his appearing at the last day in the full Glory of that his Kingdom which Nathaniel now confessed alluding in all this to the Honour that was done to their fore-father Jacob after his lying in the field alone so desolate and forsaken As also but a little before when our Lord was in the Desart the Angels had descended and ministred unto him In the same manner after this when his Judges asked concerning his being the Son of God he answered them that hereafter they should see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven i. e Clouds of Angels flying and waving about him Mat. 26.64 Jo. 6.58 62. And elsewhere some of his followers wondring at his speech of his feeding them with bread which came down from Heaven What and if saith he ye shall see the Son of man ascend up into Heaven where he was before And so his young Schollar Nicodemus wondring at his Sermon of mans being born again of the spirit he tells him of things of greater wonder Viz. of the Son of Mans ascending up into Heaven again as he had descended from Heaven Jo. 3.9 44. and also was then in Heaven § 172 Thus our Lord often represented to his Disciples and others his future Glory his Resurrection Ascension Coming in great Majesty to Judgment and that their faith in him might not languish from the mean appearance of things present And also this suddain and resolute Confession of Nathaniel who but now disputed the matter must needs be a great corroboration and consolation to the four former Discipies gathered to our Lord. All these five being persons of much zeal and piety tho most of them not wealthy had left their daily imployments and trade for a season to come and hear the Sermons of John receive as his penitents baptism from him and some of them at least were admitted into some more familiar acquaintance with him and by this had more notice of our Lord and God looking upon such their sincerity conferred on them the honour after thus prepared by John to be the first Disciples and Attendants on his Son § 173 In this our Lords journey into Galilee he arrived at Cana Nathaniels Town not far distant from Nazareth and about a daies journey from Capernaum as may be gathered from Jo. 4.47 compared with vers 52. which Cana also our Lord took in his way in the second journey he made from Jerusalem into Galilee See John 4.46 Now so it fell out that on this day he came thither was solemnized a Marriage and hither also were assembled our Lords Mother and his Brethren invited to this wedding probably of some of their near kindred the care our Lords Mother had concerning the Wine and her colloquy with the Servants shewing she had some particular interest therein Hither therefore our Lord coming with his new chosen Disciples they were also invited to the marriage And all this seems punctually so ordered by the Divine Providence that whereas our Lord had led his former life so obscurely Now the dignity of his person and Mission from Heaven and his Father there might be manifested in the first place to these his nearer Relations according to the flesh for the rectifying any their former misapprehensions and their believing on this common Saviour and being made partakers of so great a joy and that also his inauguration into and entrance upon his Office might be celebrated with a festival and this marriage signify that which he was one day to consummate with his Spouse the Church and therefore is he very Emphatically by the Baptist stiled the Bridegroome on whom himself attended Jo. 3.29 that whereas John came with fasting he might enter upon his Office with a feast and the children of the Bride-chamber rejoyce with him therefore also his Miracle here was corresponding changing water and penance into Wine and mirth answerable to Johns baptizing with water and he with the Holy Spirit § 174 To give an occasion to our Lord's first Miracle whereby in this publick meeting he was to manifest who he was whether by the multitude of Guests more than were expected among which was our Lord and his company or by some other disappointment for there being a Governor of the feast besides the Bridegroom and a good attendance of Servants and Wine supplyed in so great a quantity for the Guests are signs that that the Married were no very poor or mean persons it happened so that at the end of the feast there wanted Wine Our Lords Mother perceiving it and solicitous of their credit to whom she had so near relation presently told our Lord of it expecting he should relieve them herein either from his doing formerly some such domestick and private miracles upon some necessity in his youth at Nazareth or from the Holy Virgin 's having some prerevelation concerning this future fact By our Lords reply we may conjecture that this was spoken by his Mother before some of his Disciples or Kindred and perhaps in the midst of some Discourse when as our Blessed Lady imagined some urgent necessity thereof Hereupon our Lord for their Edification returned this answer to her What is it to me and thee woman in this matter my Hour or time is not yet Signifying his already well fore-knowing by his omniscience this want or wine and the due time of supplying it and that he was not to be sweyed in his actions by any human relations or respects how near soever but must act all things only according to the will of his Heavenly Father And thus frequently he takes occasion to Vindicate his Divinity and heavenly Original to beget early in his followers a right apprehension of his person and authority and omniscient conduct Some such answer as here he gives also to his Kindred Jo. 7.6 when they minding him of going up to Jerusalem at the feast and shewing his strange works there saying my time is not yet come So after his desputing with the Doctors he answered his Mother when she told him that they had sought him sorrowing why did they so since he was
the infinite Graces and love and sweetness he discovered in that look all which upbraided his unkindness the posture he left that innocent Lamb of God in sorrounded with and ready to be torn in peices by so many Wolves and also his leaving him so and hasting to save himself all these we may presume so galled and wounded him as that had not the High Priests Gate bin shut upon him he would now have reentred to recant there publickly his former act and run through all hazards whatever with his dear Lord. But the divine Providence had appointed this for one of our Lords sufferings the clear desertion of all his Followers and that he should tread the Wine-press alone § 41 Yet something may be said on the other side in the lessening of the lapse of this prime Apostle That his love and courage seems to be greater than most of the rest in his following his Master to his trial and venturing into the High Priests Pallace when it was he that just before had cut-off the ear of his servant In his denyal its being without any great scandal not in publick but to some idle people standing about a fire and medling with a matter of no concernment to them In that it was done upon a suddain surprisal not done with premeditation or put to any formal Trial of his fidelity and where perhaps hazarding also the reputation of the other Disciple that brought him in might run in his mind and much more his being questioned for Malchus And as it seemed a shame to deny our Lord at the accusation only of a poor Maid-servant so it might seem a thing of no great consequence to confess him before such a mean person But which is most to be noted he denyed not that Jesus was the Messias or the Son of God he renounced no part of his faith no such thing was he asked nor if put to it would he ever have denyed it but he denyed only his knowledg of or acquaintance with such a person Lastly the Fall of this great Apostle God permitted besides for the aggravation of our Lords sufferings by his cheifest Disciple denying as another of them betraying him for many other good ends As to beget a perfect humility in him a little before too confident of himself to shew us what frail things we are the best of us when our Lord leaves us a little to our selves and hath not his eye upon us To comfort poor sinners in their great miscarriages since the greatest Saints as David and Peter have had their falls To shew the infinitness of Gods mercy to Penitents in his pardoning such great offences and that to persons most obliged to him and from whom he had reason to expect the greatest fidelity Lastly to teach Peter the cheif Pastor of his sheep the more compassion to sinners in reflecting on his own infirmities and faults and to bear with those who are tempted and fall in as much as himself stood not when he was so § 42 What became of the other Disciple no mention is made T is probable that better acquainted with the house he went up into the Court and was present at our Lord's trial and seeing the severe proceedings against him after the Council rose quitted the Pallace with the rest where he saw was no safe staying any longer for any friends of Jesus when also he might take Peter presently after his third misadventure there along with him § 43 Now to return unto our Blessed Lord committed to the custody of the High-Priests Officers and Servants until the morning and the reassembly of the Council in the same place in a fuller body These Officers one would think since the time that being sent to apprehend him they returned to their Masters with a Nunquam sic locutus est homo sicut hic homo should now have treated him with some ordinary civility especially no final sentence being yet passed upon him and the Judges being to reexamine his cause the next morning The ear also our Lord restored but two or three hours before to Malchus and his reprehending Peter for his cutting it off might not have bin so soon forgotten by them But indeed now was the Power of Satan and of Darkness and his chain never so much loosened as at this time before the approaching ruin of his kingdom who therefore ceased not by all those his Instruments to act his utmost malice nor to suffer our Lord to rest one minute § 44 The Ministers therefore having as yet no order for the executing of any higher corporal punishment and because our Lord also was to proceed gradatim through all sorts of sufferings instead of indulging him or themselves any repose in which our Lords servant S. Peter was more civilly used Acts 12.6 after their watching all the fore-part of the night compass him about in a ring and notwithstanding his modest silence no way provoking them fall on abusing him both with their tongues and hands as far as was permitted They spit on his face being the greatest note of ignominy and disgrace that was amongst the Jews see Deut. 25.9 where the man was to be used so that would not raise up seed to his brother And they abhor me saith Job in his typical complaint Chap. 30.10 they forbear not to spit in my face when his tyed hands also could not cleanse it They smote him also on the face with the palmes of their hands They punched and thumped him with their fists and by the Prophecies Esay 50.6 it seems they also plucked off his hair being not tondentes but vellentes of this meek Lamb. These Jews also treated him this night as a Mock-Messias as the next day the Gentiles abused him as a Mock-King and after their cruelty wearied in this way and his rare faculty in Prophecying coming into their mind they remembred a Boys-play to this purpose and got a cloath and blindfolded him whereof the Philistines abusing blind Sampson was a Type and fall on beating him a fresh thus hood-winked that he being the Messias and the Christ and the great Prophet that was to come into the world should now so hooded prophecy and tell them who it was that smote him § 45 Cruel and causeless malice for which of his sweet words or mighty works as he once said to you Jo. 10.32 who left heaven to save you and in whom you never saw fault and who went about every where doing good for which of these do you thus treat him And how could the blessed Angels at least that waited on our Lord have the patience to suffer such vile wretches and the dregs of the people to strike and spit on their Creator the Lord of Heaven and Earth but that they well knew it was the pleasure of their great Master out of his infinite charity to suffer this even for the salvation of those his Tormentors and to receive these blows for the satisfaction of their fault that gave them
to God calling him Father in the midst of that severe handling of him and meekly resigning his dying Spirit into his hands Lastly in his dying before the other two and sending out a loud voice at his expiring which shewed his Divinity and that he gave up his life not upon any constraint of torments but voluntarily and when he pleased § 88 Seventhly This manner of death by the lifting up of the body in it towards heaven seems very significative that we now after and in imitation of it should exalt and remove our eyes and affections henceforth from the Earth towards Heaven Therefore our Lord gives it this honourable name of his Exaltation And I saith he if I be exalted from the Earth will draw all unto me Jo. 12.32 And the Apostle calls it his triumph having taken out of the way the Decree that was contrary to us he fastned it to his Cross and having despoiled the principalities and potentates triumphed over them in it Col. 2.15 So also in the nailing and fixing of the flesh of our Lord to the Cross significative of the mortifying and crucifying of the flesh and its lusts that is required of us in imitation of our Lord so disenabling it to stir hand or foot as it were any more to the breach of Gods commands and signifying our now dying to sin as he for it and this death of the Cross is often thus alluded to by the Apostle § 89 Eightly and Lastly the posture of this death carryed in it a lively Representation of his love to mankind with his arms stretched out as it were to embrace and receive all those who would come to him and his head declining to kiss them Having made this Digression upon the Jewes so often vehement demanding and at last Pilats consent to our Lord's Crucifixion to shew the multiplicity of the divine wisdom in the choice of this manner of death rather than any other I proceed now in the relation of the story after Pilats having committed to the Roman Guards the execution thereof § 90 The time now after Pilats four or five returns into the Praetorium and Exits to the Jews whilst he endeavoured by all means to have preserved our Lords life i. e. so far as his own safety with Cesar and his reputation with the Jews would permit and after our Lords being sent to and returned from Herod and the soldiers scourging and dressing him so as to be made a fitter object of the hard-hearted Jews Pity drew well towards Noon Jo. 19.14 Luk. 23.44 about the sixth hour saith St. John and St. Luke though called as yet the third hour by St. Mark because the sixth hardly yet begun The scoffing Soldiers then seizing on our Lord after some further abuses which both in words and actions by Satans instigation were committed both in the way and at the place of Execution as we may gather from the very Theif in the midst of his torments not tempering himself from reviling of him with the rest stript our Lord of his Purple and put on him his own garments whose prize shortly they were to be and so making all speed laid a cross already prepared upon his torn shoulders and so led away this only Isaac of God carrying the wood of his Sacrifice upon his back § 91 And to fulfil a second time after his being coupled with Barabbas the Prophet Esay's cum sceleratis reputatus est Esay 53.12 and that there might be some greater appearance of Justice and our Lord mingled with company whom the people might think like himself there were two notable Thieves on either hand one joined with him and haled along to their Execution but these also or one of them at least railing at him even when suffering with him and such companions he was to have of his greifs as offered him no solace therein And indeed if we consider the person he now took on him what Malefactor or crimes so great as could match him or his for he carried on his shoulders all the sins of the whole world present and past and to come and even those too of these Malefactors and so also this Anathema as the chief was crucified in the midst and the reason in the Prophet of his cum sceleratis reputatus seems very apposite quia ipse peccata multorum tulit Graced with this company and laden with an heavy Cross the long beam thereof being probably more than twice the length of a man for his body was to be stretched at its full length upon it and to be exalted to such a convenient height as might render him a spectacle to all the multitude and de facto so high it was that the Soldier to pierce his side used not his Sword but his Lance and to give him drink they tyed a spunge to the end of a long reed and so reached it to his mouth It was also to carry a Title over his head and to be fastned in the ground and the cross Beam of it also was to equal the breadth of his body and length of his arms I say thus laden he made a painful but most chearful march under it through a good part of the City the Governours Palace being near the Temple on the East side of it and Calvary the place of Execution at the North-West side thereof till when coming without the Gate he fainted away under it his body being now grown very feeble and his spirits exhausted by reason of his cruel scourging and other base usage of the three Guards of Officers Caiphas's Herod's and Pilats he had passed through and of his being kept all night without the least sleep or repose or refreshment or his former temperance having any superfluous humors to feed on Because our Lord alone was unable to bear it any further and it was an ignominious thing to carry or touch the instrument of the Execution of a Malefactor whence the word Furcifer was a common name of reproach by chance a poor man that came then out of the countrey one Simon a stranger of Cyrene in Africk where was then a great Colony of the Jews Act. 2.10 6.9 Joseph de Excid Hieros l. 7. c. 38. meeting them the Soldiers laid hold on him and forced him to bear our Lord's Cross after him either the whole or the heaviest end thereof whose sons Alexander and Rufus are particularly named by the Evangelist Mark 15.21 which shews that they were not only Converts to the Christian Faith but persons of some note amongst the Primitive Christians see Acts 19.33 Romans 16.13 it those the same And it is to be presumed that our Lord rewarded this service done him to their Father also in making him a Member of the Church and of his Kingdom and that he was saved by the Holy Cross he bore who thus had the honour even in the truest sense to take up the cross and follow our Lord and to partake of his reproach and ignominy But the divine Counsel
with our persons Heb. 10.19 § 109 Together with this stream of blood gushed out also another very Miraculous stream of water distinct from it for otherwise by reason of the strong tincture of blood this water could not have bin discerned if mingled with it A Type of which was Moses his smiting the rock and the water gushing out whereof the Apostle also speaking saith the rock was Christ 1 Cor. 10.4 And these two the water and blood lively represented the two Sacraments left by our Lord to the Church for the cleansing of sin and commemoration of his death the Sacrament of Baptism and of the Eucharist And thus as out of Adams side when lying a sleep was formed his Wife Eve so by the water and blood issuing out of Christs lying in the sleep of his death was formed in these two Sacraments his Spouse the Church regenerated in the one by Christs Spirit and nourished in the other with his grace redeemed by the shedding of blood and cleansed by the water § 110 St. John a spectator all this while and diligent observer of all that passed takes great notice of this with these words concerning it And he that saw it bare record and knoweth that he saith true that we might believe By which he saith the Prophecies were fulfilled that the Executioners should pierce his Sacred body but not break a bone and saith that this water and blood in the two Sacraments and the plentiful effusion that was not long after accomplish'd at Pentecost of the Holy Ghost and which also continues to the end of the world begetting and nourishing children to God joined with them are the three Witnesses that here on Earth give testimony continually of this redemption which the same Evangelist that saw this prosecutes also thus in one of his Epistles 1 Jo. 5.6 8. This is he that came by water and blood Jesus Christ not in watâ—r only but in water and blood and in these it is the Spirit that testifyeth that Christ is the Truth For there be three that give testimony in Earth the Spirit Water and Blood Thus S. John Meanwhile abstracting from this contemplation we may imagine what a ruful Spectacle this was to our Blessed Lady and the women with her in beholding such barbarous cruelty used to her Son even after his death and his most precious blood so spilt on the ground § 111 Whilst these things passed Joseph of Arimathea a noble Senator and one of the great Council of the Sanedrim a good man and a just saith S. Luke chap. 23.50 of him one who had not consented to their Counsel and doings but expected the Kingdom of God formerly a Disciple also of our Lord but secretly as also was another great man Nicodemus for fear of the Jews their estates and their Esteem lest either should be lost making them more timorous this Nobleman residing constantly in Jerusalem and rich had in a garden of his close by the place of our Lord's execution newly caused to be hewed out of the soft rock of the hill a Monument or Sepulcher for himself but ordained by the divine predesignment for the interring of our Lord's body near hand so that all things might the better serve for the evidence of his ensuing Resurrection He therefore though so timorous before and who had now also a special reason of not touching or coming near a dead corps because of eating the Paschal Lamb at even prohibited to any unclean as those were to be for seven daies that touched a dead body Numb 19.14 yet probably much animated both by our Lords patient and innocent sufferings and besides his former Doctrine and Miracles the many signs he saw now from Heaven and Earth of the transcendent dignity of his person and that he was what he believed him to be having heard also of the order of the persons executed their being presently taken down or perhaps being one of them also that procured it boldly saith the Text went in to Pilat to beg our Lord's Body of him though well foreseeing he must incur a great hatred from the cheif of the Jews his acquaintance herein Pilat after he had called the Centurion and certainly informed himself of his being already dead and no design herein of saving his life freely gratified him with it and commanded it should be delivered him not prohibiting him a decent Burial whom he had alwaies esteemed an innocent person That Joseph might not undergo this sad office alone without a companion and for the greater honour of our Lords funeral the time of whose humiliation was now expired with his death Nicodemus another great person one that had formerly by night conversed with our Lord and also in the Council spoken in his defence John 7.51 and probably more familiarly acquainted with Joseph by reason of their condiscipleship joined with him in this service mutually encouraging one another against the Priests and Elders of the Jews who must needs be much displeased with this fact as upbraiding them with the Murther if not of the Messias or a Prophet yet of a just person Joseph therefore suddenly prepared fine linnen for a Syndon and Nicodemus a great quantity of Spices about an hundred pound weight saith the Text and so coming to Calvary by the Governours authority took down the naked body from the Cross and removing it into Joseph's Garden close by probably there performed to it all the usual Ceremonies before burial washing his stripes and wounds and cleaning it from all those indignities the malitious Jews and Soldiers had done to it anointing it with sweet Oyles and wrapping it in the linnen filled with the spices and sweet odours and binding a Napkin about his head used for hindring the falling of the Jaws all to make good that in the Prophet Esay 11.10 Et erit Sepulchrum ejus gloriosum In which office we may imagine these great persons were assisted as with their Servants so with the help of the blessed Mother of our Lord and S. John more punctually relating this story than the rest who we may not think left our Lord after expired but waited still in the same place to observe how God would dispose of his Sacred Body and no doubt were much comforted in seeing that authority committed into the hands of those honourable persons our Lords Devotes and formerly known to them as such § 112 The Body thus decently and sumptuously accommodated was presently carried by this small train of Mourners and laid in the new hewn Sepulcher near at hand a place as convenient for the future events of our Lords Resurrection so a Monument durable and not subject to ruin as other the noblest Sepulchers ordinarily are For what more permanent than a Cave made in a Rock but such as also the place wherein he first lay when he came into the world the Manger that might continue to all posterity and such as remains to this day and is continually visited by a great confluence of devout
miraculously fed the Multitudes Mat. 15.29 and which was more convenient for the assembling of his Converts of which see what is said before § 251. P. 1. And such a place our Lord seems to have chosen for the greater Eminency Solitude and Privacy thereof free from Buildings High-waies or Passengers he purposing no general manifestation of himself to the Jews or to the World but only to some chosen Witnesses that some contradiction might add the more virtue to the Christian Faith Here then were assembled with many others the eleven Apostles with the Mother of our Lord and doubtless the other Galilean women who carried the first message both from the Angel and afterwards from our Lord himself to the Apostles of his meeting them in this place To whom our Lord first shewed himself at some distance from them upon which they presently fell down and adored him Mat. 28.17 but some of them saith the Evangelist unless he intimates here the doubt not that was then but had bin formerly viz. not of the Eleven but of the company had some doubt whether it was he i. e. at the first yet which by his nearer approach and discourse with them was presently after removed Our Lord then approaching told them that the time of his Exinanition being now finished all Power the exercise of which was suspended before see Mat. 11.27 Jo. 3.35 was given to him by his Father in Heaven and in Earth and upon this he renewed his charge unto his Apostles that they should go forth in his name and by his authority and proclaim him Lord of all and deliver his Laws and Commandements taught to them not only to the Jews but all other Nations that they should baptize Believers in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost declaring to them that such as believed and were baptized should be saved but the unbelieving damned then further promising them That he though corporally departing yet in his Grace and Holy Spirit would remain with and assist them and their Successors to the end of the world that he also gave them Authority over all the Power of the Enemy of mankind and in his name to do all sorts of wonderful works repeating here again what he had formerly said to them in his first Apparition at Jerusalem which see before Sect. 127. P. 11. Lastly commanding them to bid an Adieu to their country and return to Jerusalem in which place they were first to begin their work Where they should also after a few daies re-enjoy his presence and take their last leave of him his so often-foretold Ascension into Heaven to his Celestial Father being now at hand and necessary as for his own Glory so for the further promoting with him the business of their's and the world's salvation § 141 After this publick manifestation of our Lords Resurrection made not only to the Apostles but to the general Body of his former Converts and Believers most dwelling in Galilee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.7 afterward our Lord appeared singly to St. James i. e. our Lord's Brother shortly after made Bishop of Jerusalem perhaps out of a singular honour to him or also for negotiating something with him relating to his office whose constant residence was to be at Jerusalem and who was a Person of special Eminency among the Apostles as appears Gal. 1.19 2.9 and Acts 15.13 19. But the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used by the Apostle perhaps may not signify afterward in that Text as denoting a Posteriority of time to the appearance in Galilee But only besides as it is used by him 1 Cor. 12.28 and the apparition to James be rather in some part of the day of his Resurrection see St. Jerome de viris Illust in Jacobo between whom as being a Domestick in the same family and our Lord passed a more intimate familiarity and from his appearance to James we may also much more presume of his frequent particular apparitions to the Blessed Virgin his Mother though none mentioned § 142 Forty daies was the time predesigned of our Lord's stay upon Earth for the manifestation of his Resurrection and for the preparing of his Apostles for their future employment of propagating the Gospel and advancing the Kingdom of Christ in mens hearts over all the world A number frequently observed in Scripture for the accomplishing of any great work made up of six the number of the daies God spent in creating the world seven times multiplied as the number of 7. is a number of perfection and rest after the finishing such a work answering to the 7th day the Sabbath only in 42. the last two are usually cut off to make it a round number So Gen. 7.4 in the flood the rain descended for forty daies and after the abating of it Noah stayed forty daies and opened the window of the Ark Gen. 8.6 For thrice forty years God had patience with the old world before he destroyed it with the flood Ten times forty years the children of Israel were to sojourn in Egypt Forty two Generations were to pass between the coming of the Messias and the promise made to Abraham thereof of which forty two generations two sevens were to run out before the Kingdom of David and two sevens again in this Kingdom before the captivity and two sevens till the coming of Christ See Mat. 1.17 Acts 7.23 Moses when forty years old visited his Brethren and would have undertaken their protection and ibid. vers 30. after forty years more was sent by God to them for this purpose Again forty daies he stayed in the Mount for receiving the Law and for this time was continued his fast as also that of Elias and of our Lord. During forty daies were the persons deputed to view the land of Canaan Numb 13.25 and during forty years were the children of Israel appointed to do penance and bear their Iniquity for the Evil account given of it and murmuring concerning it Numb 14.33 34. Forty daies were allowed to the Ninevites for a time of Repentance before their City was to be destroyed Forty daies after the womans bearing of a Male child and twice forty daies after a Female were to be accomplished before their coming into or presenting their Son in the Sanctuary In the Judges we find whether rest or troubles given to the land of Israel ordinarily for the space of forty years The Prophet Ezekiel Ezek. 4.5 6. is appointed to do penance by lying on his side for forty daies for so many years of God's patient suffering the iniquities of Judah and for so many years again God forbare the wickedness of the Jewish Nation after their crucifying our Lord and persecuting Christianity until the destruction of Jerusalem And forty two Months i. e seven sixes of Months is the time prescribed for the duration of Antichrist and the last great affliction of Gods Church This to shew that all Gods works are pondered before hand and contrived in
a certain number weight and measure and the precedent works exact patterns of the succeeding and nothing here casually hapning especially the numbers of six and seven have bin very mystical and Sacred ever since the work of the creation in six and rest on the seventh day § 143 Before this time then was expired the Eleven Apostles and some other Disciples also and the Galilean women with the Blessed Mother of our Lord and his Brethren were now returned to Jerusalem and there remained together probably in the place where our Lord had celebrated his last Supper and which our Lord had first made choice of in the house of some wealthier Disciple when he sent Peter and John to provide the Paschal Feast for the more commodious transacting of all these affairs And there our Lord the last time shewed himself unto them and having discoursed several things concerning the Kingdom of God and their publishing and proclaiming to all Nations the universal power and Glory that was now given by God to him he promised before their going abroad in his service to endue them also speedily after his Ascending with power from on high by sending upon them the promise of his Father he had so often told them of which you may see promised of old in Joel 2.28 cited for it by St. Peter Acts 2.17 Zach. 12.10 Ezec. 36.26 Telling them that John baptized only with water but that they not many daies thence should be baptized with the fire see Mat. 3.11 or flame of the Holy Ghost for so in the likeness of a flame at Pentecost it descended and was poured forth upon them and so charging them that they should remove no more from Jerusalem till this thing was accomplished § 144 The Disciples hearing our Lord speak of things pertaining to his kingdom Act. 1.3 as also before in Galilee that all power was given to him in Heaven and Earth of their receiving power also from on high and a charge not to depart as yet from the Royal City joined perhaps with what he had formerly said unto them of their sitting on twelve Thrones things not then understood so spiritually by them as they ought but they imagining some temporal dominion of the Jews now to be restored in our Lord to the race of David over all other Nations like to that of Solomon the quite contrary to which followed shortly after namely their utter ruine A thing that ran in the mind of these two Disciples also that went to Emaus Luk 24.21 presently asked our Lord whether now the time was come of his restoring the Kingdom to Israel This they inquired notwithstanding our Lord had so often told them the contrary and informed them that his Kingdom was not of this world and that as it had treated him their Master so should it them the servants that they should be persecuted banished killed for his name sake and for the Gospel preached by them Our Lord therefore not too much to contristate them and knowing them not well prepared as yet for the communicating of such secrets in which by the Descent of the Holy Spirit he more fully instructed them afterwards and at how great a distance his Kingdom was in such a sense as they meant it when the Twelve were to sit upon twelve thrones did with great prudence and as much meekness and supporting of their infirmities return them only this Answer That it was not for them to know the times or the seasons which his Father had put in his own power much what so as he had answered to the Mother of James and John concerning who should sit at his right hand Dabitur illis quibus paratum est a Patre meo Mat. 20.23 and to Peter inquisitive concerning John Si eum volo manere c quid ad te And indeed there are many futurities with which it is better that our human weakness be not preacquainted as perhaps fit here that hope deferred might not too much contristate them for the Disciples as yet to be ignorant of such a long revolution of many ages as was to be before the day of Doome and our Lords return to take possession of the kingdom or before that prosperous and flourishing condition of his Church which was at last to precede his Kingdom Which coming of his in Glory many as appears by St. Paul 2 Thes 2.1 2. 2 Pet. 3.4 9. perhaps by understanding Mat. 24.34 and 1 Thes 4.17 expected even in the Apostles daies and the great terror in those that heard St. Peters first Sermon in the Acts shews that they then apprehended it not far off But saith he ye shall receive power after this Holy Ghost promised is come upon you and shall be witnesses unto me and preach this my kingdom boldly to all the Nations of the world § 145 After such discourses past in that large Caenaculum at Jerusalem the time of his return to his Father being fully come he led them first out of the City through the plain about a mile in breadth as far as Bethany that was at the foot of the Mount of Olives his Friends of that place making also part of his Train and so ascended to the top of the Mount of Olives But we may imagine this their procession out of the city was by his miraculous power in such a manner ordered as that neither himself was seen by others save them at least in a known shape nor so great a company perhaps by dividing themselves much noted Arrived at the top of the Hill he lift up his hands which shewed in the midst of them the dear marks of his suffering for them towards heaven from whence all Blessing comes and therefore this an usual gesture in all Invocation and Prayer and gave them his Benediction after his redemption of man as God the Father also did after his Creation Gen. 1.28 And as Aaron the former legal High Priest according to the Divine command Numb 6.23 is said Levit. 9.22 to have lift up his hands toward the people and blessed them before his going into the Sanctuary when also the fire descending afterward from the Lord upon the Sacrifice typified the Descent of the Holy Ghost And so saith the Evangelist he was parted from them and ascended slowly and by degrees so as they might keep their eyes upon him and discern his Motion till at some height a Cloud received him out of their sight to put an End to their further gazing after him Thus our Lord who was clothed with so much Splendor and glory at his Transfiguration and who had Moses and Elias waiting upon him and a bright Cloud of rays compassing himself and his Disciples and who Acts 22.6 when he was afterwards seen by St. Paul Acts 22.6 11. appeared in such a glory at Noon-day transcending that of the Sun that the light thereof struck him blind yet now entring upon the real possession of this glory admitted no alteration at all in his external appearance
encourage these poor men to go and see and pay their duties to him where they should find no repulse at the Gates nor needed some great Patron to convey them into his Court or bedchamber the place the entertainers and all other accoutrements about the Babe being very suitable to such visitants § 35 And presently after the delivery of this message there came down into the Air above them a great Troupe of the heavenly Militia who rejoycing when repentance happens to one sinner Luk. 15.7 10. did now much more when salvation came to the whole world with great joy celebrating the new birth of their Masters son the Saviour of men and the Lord of Angels and singing his Nativity-song in the sight and hearing of these ravished Shepheards that others also might hear it from them § 36 The subject and matter of which Song was this Peace to the Earth under this new-born Prince not from a Temporal enemy but from the wrath of the Almighty Reconciliation between God and man formerly a child of wrath Eph. 2.3 by this Mediator-Babe God and man Cessation or war between Earth and Heaven the only war which men had cause to dread Mans former offences against God being now cancell'd And the Angel removed that formerly guarded Paradise against us with a drawn sword Gen. 3.24 thro this onlysinless Infant taking our part and being Emanuel God with us Good will towards men yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good-will and well-pleasing such good will to man as God had to this Babe his own Son which he expresseth elsewhere in just the same terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3.17 such well-pleasing in man as to make his only Son not an Angel but a man Such peace and Good-will from God toward men below and Glory for it from men and Angels the welwishers of men to God on High But yet perhaps another Glory sung by the Angels to God on High with reference even to themselves For this Babe is said not only to be a Head of men Col. 1.18 but of Angels Col. 2.10 from which it follows that Angels are not only his subjects but also in some sense his members and God the Father is said to gather together in one in Him all things not only which are on Earth but also which are in Heaven Eph. 1.10 and further yet to reconcile unto himself by this babe making peace thro the blood of his cross all things whether they be things on earth or things in heaven Col. 1.20 Even those things in heaven receiving some benefit it seems tho we do not well know in particular what some further sanctification or illumination or recommendation to the Deity thro Him by whom as these Angels were created so it is said that they were created also for Him Col. 1.16 and they as all the rest of the Creation are acceptable and well-pleasing to God only thro Him being of themselves of no value without Him Besides the whole Creation being said Rom. 8.22 to groan under sin the whole Creation may be supposed to be some way or other releiv'd by this Expiatour of sin And Heb. 9.23 there is mention of a purifying even of the heavenly Sanctuary the habitation of these Blessed Angels by this Babe as if that had bin some way polluted by the faln Angels sin as the Earth by man's And 2 Pet. 3.13 T is said that as a new earth so new heavens shal-be made wherein dwelleth righteousness as if the present at least the lower regions of them retain'd some contagion of unrighteousness See Job 15.15 25.5 And Eph. 6.12 there is mention of wickedness dwelling now in heavenly places and Job 1.7 of that filthy Fiend Satan by Gods permission appearing there after his perambulation thro the earth in his presence amongst the sons of God And Rev. 12.10 we read of a war in heaven between the good and bad Angels and of the ejection from thence of the Evil Angels by the power of Christ Pardon this excursion for we can set no certain bounds to the benefit which the whole Creation hath receiv'd thro this Infant of God For whom therefore all the Angels of God as well as men are obliged to sing Gloria in excelsis Deo § 37 And what the Shepheards heard these sing at the same time sung all the rest of the whole Host of Heaven and went and paid their worship and adoration to the child in the Manger according to the Edict of the Almighty Psal 97.7 mentioned Heb. 1.6 Who when he brought in his First-born into the world said And let all the Angels of God worship Him And the Apostle in description of the mystery of the Incarnation 1 Tim. 3.16 after God manifested in the flesh adds seen of Angels perhaps with special relation to this solemn visit and doxology of theirs at his Nativity And S. Peter further saith 1 Pet. 1.12 That they even longed to look into this matter as if they could not be satisfied with seeing it it pleased them so well Of this honour done to the only begotten of God at his Nativity by the Angels how much was made visible to Joseph and Mary in the house besides this that appeared to the Shepheards in the feild we know not but meanwhile are bound gratefully to admire how free from envy the cause of some of their fall and how full of love and benevolence towards man these more noble Creatures were exulting and praising God for this honour done their Inferiours whereby these miserable creatures when sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death eternal objects together with the faln Angels of Gods wrath were now by this Babe advanced into their society and made sons of God and Heirs of Heaven nay in some sense advanced above themselves God passing by the substance of Angels Heb. 2.16 and making this babe his Son eternally to wear the form and fashion of man rather becoming flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone § 38 When the Angels had sung to the listening Shepheards this Song this Troop ascended into heaven again and went out of their sight and the believing Shepheards not valuing the harm which might happen to their forsaken flocks made hast toward Bethleem to see this Lamb of God shal I say or Shepheard of Israel for by both these titles he hath delighted to be stiled Jo. 1.29 10.11 Ezec. 34.23 where they found the Babe as described and fell down and did their homage to Him in a representation of the whole nation of the Jews and we may presume offered some small present as is usual to great Princes by their Subjects and as afterward we read the Magi did for the Gentiles Whom this Spiritual Prince rewarded richly for their pains in spiritual things in illuminating their minds and enflaming their hearts with a love and zeal of his glory for their faith not stumbling at the lowness of his outward appearance his poor lodging his hard bed his course swath his mean
that use the world as tho they did not use it and tho they be as big as Camels yet they must become as small as a thred to get into this Kingdom Mat. 19.16 21 23 24 26. which only admits the small things of this world Which thing since it is so hard to do tho possible therefore hath voluntary secular poverty ever since the times of the coming of this Prince bin had in such esteem because the poor only in spirit that remain still rich in Fortunes are forced to bear one heavy Cross more than any other poor which many of them sink and miscarry under and are not able to go through with it namely the trouble and anxiety of a prudent dispensing those goods and revenues of which God hath made them only his Stewards not Masters and by possessing living in a continual Temptation from them Now since this Kingdom hath such an Antipathy to this present world First none surely are more fit to entertain or be entertained by this King then those who have least of it Like adheres to its like and had the Great ones bin sent to the Stable to worship this Prince lying amongst their horses instead of the Shepheards likely their knees would have bin more stiffe and they that asked Can such a Prince come out of Galilee or Nazareth would much more Can such a Prince come out of a Stable and scorning to be subject to one so far below them would have become Traitors to Him as Great Herod was sooner then Disciples 2ly None so fit also to preach such a Kingdom to the world as the poor and those who were not themselves full of the possession of those things the contempt whereof they counselled to others § 41 Now to return to the Blessed Virgin and her husband We see how the same night that was so full of straits the joyful Shepheards coming in and relating see Luk. 2.19 as an occasion of their coming their vision the message and song of Angels revives their spirits and recreats their affliction Their heaviness endured not all the night but joy overtook it before the morning and the scandal of the Stable was removed by the glorious appearance in the feild whilst the child despised by earth was magnified by heaven And we may observe that this great humiliation of the Son of God was every where mingled with some state state beyond all other sons of men When conceived a great Angel of presence is sent before with the news of it the Virgin going to Elizabeth She inspired from heaven falls a-magnifying him and his Mother return'd to Joseph an Angel declares to Him the Holy Conception and greatness of this Prince Born in so mean a roome at Bethleem Angels appearing in the Air discover it to the Jews and sing a Gloria in excelsis to Him to counterpoise that ignominy in infimis And a new Star appearing in the heavens at the same time manifests it to the Gentiles And so hereafter when presented in the Temple Holy Simeon and Anna proclaim him The Infants life conspired against by Herod an Angel discovers the plot and afterward in Egypt reveals to them the death of his enemy Baptized by John the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove comes down and fits on his head Upon his fasting and humiliation in the Wilderness Angels come and Minister unto him Before his going up to Jerusalem to suffer Moses and Elias in great glory visit him In his greatest agony and faintings in the Garden an Angel is sent to restore strength to him And to shew the common intercourse he had with Angels and how he had these subjects of heaven continually at his beck and service see what he saith to Nathaniel Jo. 1.51 and to Peter Mat 26.53 Lastly when murthered by the Jews the Sun loseth its light and the earth so trembleth that the Rocks of it rent in peices when his body buried Angels sit at the Head and feet of his Grave After so shameful a death followed so glorious a resurrection and ascension into Heaven in a bright cloud of Angels Thus to great humiliations God not only giveth afterward after a resurrection or so but presently intermingleth great honours and like exaltations and hath given an example thereof in this Head that the same might be securely expected by the members § 42 Now whilst these honours were done Mary's Blessed Infant from on high in which honours of their children Mothers use to glory more then in their own the Evangelist noting the modest and silent behaviour of the Virgin saith that whilst all that heard wondred at and magnified these things she kept and pondered them in her heart Luk. 2.18 19. took great notice without much talk tho her glorying in Him had bin a right glorying being glorying in the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.31 covering all these things that had happened for the present with great taciturnity and humility and perhaps not without some presage of the hatred and envy which her Son was afterward to suffer which things in due time after our Saviours humiliation and resurrection was passed she revealed to the Apostles and other disciples from whom this Evangelist received them Luk. 1.1 Meanwhile we may imagine how these strange accidents still increased if capable of increase the silent and reverent deportment both of Joseph and Mary toward the child Jesus whilst the little Babe in the cratch by the secret influence of his divine power guided all these occurrences and made these persons so near him to do only such things as done might be acceptable to Him § 43 A compleat week was now passed over and the eighth day the number for all perfection was now come at which time the law required Circumcision of all male children Lev. 12.3 so to enroll them into the family of Gods Church and render them heirs of the Covenant made with faithful Abraham of redemption benediction and an eternal inheritance thro his seed that was to come our Lord Christ Of which Covenant Circumcision was from Abrahams time appointed in Gods Church as a Sacrament and seal Gen. 17. The Blessed Virgin therefore and her most â—â—us husband diligently performed to this Holy Babe the solemnities thereof Of which solemnity if we may make where the Law is silent any conjecture of the Ancient from the modern rites the manner of later times is that it may be done by any person even the Father of the Child and we see Moses his Sons were circumcised by their Mother Exod. 4.24 but yet is usually procured to be done by some person well experienced in the practice thereof may be done also in any place either more solemnly in their School or Synagogue or more privatly in their own house Two of the kindred or near relation are as it were a God-Father and God-Mother to the Child the woman bringing the Infant to the place of Circumcision The man sitting down and holding it in the Circumcision after which done with a
Priest that after their second Captivity at Babylon conducted the People again into the land of promise and rebuilt the Temple of the Lord formerly demolished Against whom in the visions of the Prophet Zachary cloathed in poor and filthy Garments Satan before the Lord bringing great Accusation God rebukes him Satan for it and commands Joshuahs filthy Garments to be taken away from him and him to be clothed with change of Raiment and a Miter and Crown to be set upon his head See Zach. 3.3 c. and 6.11 c. In both which places is joined a promise concerning this our Jesus called there by the name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Oriens Or as the Hebrew Germen who was typified by the other and who is our everlasting High Priest That he should build the Temple of our Lord and should bear the Glory and should sit and rule upon his Throne and be a Priest upon his Throne c. § 59 But tho Jesuses these two were before him and both sent deliverers of Gods people after a Captivity and both reconductors of Gods people into Canaan yet far short they came of this Jesus who saved mankind from a far higher slavery and of another kind than those other were and indeed from the only Captivity that could make us truly miserable Viz from the Captivity of sin Satan and death Triumphing in his Cross and Resurrection and descent of the Holy Ghost over these three the only terrible enemies of poor mankind who before that this Saviour came sat in chains and darkness and in the shadow of death trembling under Gods wrath and appointed to eternal torments § 60 This great Saviour came saith the Apostle 1 Thes 1.10 that he might save us from the wrath to come 1 For our salvation from Satan By him saith the Apostle Col. 1.15 we are delivered from the powers of Darkness And 1 Jo. 3.8 for this was he made manifest that he might destroy the works of the Devil And Col. 2.15 He spoiled Principalities and Powers and made an open shew and spectacle and triumph over them both in his life and in a Resurrection from the death that they had most cruelly contriv'd against him 2 And so for our saving from sin Sermo omni acceptione dignus saith the Apostle 1 Tim. 1.15 a comfortable saying beyond all other sayings this that Jesus came into the world to save sinners Especially when our conscience adds Quorum ego primus 3 Lastly for the salvation from death O Death saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.55 where is now thy sting O Grave where thy victory Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory over these thro our Lord Jesus And for the manner also of our Salvation by this Jesus much more misterious miraculous and indearing it was as to the delivered than that of any other Saviour whatever hath or can be For this Jesus came if I may so say not so much with his power to save us as with his patience and conquered not by his enemies sufferings but his own 1 To conquer those powerful spirits he took upon him weak flesh by this flesh they conquered us and in this flesh he redeemed us 2 To conquer Death Himself under-went and suffered Death but it could not hold him Act. 2.24 and by this his death destroyed Him that had the power of death Heb. 2.14 To save our lives he laid down his own Jo. 10.15 and healed our wounds with his own stripes Esay 53.5 3 So for sin He came in the likeness of sinful flesh to condemn sin in the flesh Rom. 8.3 And to free us from a Curse became himself a Curse for us Gal. 3.13 Such was this Salvation of this Jesus and such the way of it worthy a God O Blessed Jesu O ever blessed Name A name and the mistery thereof hid from ages and from generations and now made manifest and revealed What comfort could any other name expressing perhaps the Majesty or power or holiness or justice or eternity of this Prince have afforded to a poor guilty sinner trembling and despairing for the judgment to come but only this Or what comfort would this have aforded if it had bin only a Jesus from some temporal Tyranny from a Pharaoh or a Nabuchadnezzar or a Cesar and not a Jesus from the Devil or Hell or the Grave to which these other deliverances though for a time never so glorious would have left us still in bondage and in fear all our lives after a few daies to be devoured and swallowed up by them for ever Blessed name at which all the Spiritual Apolluons and destroyers of mankind all spiritual Pangs and anguishes of souls all the corporal messengers and arrows of death are afraid and tremble and from which only pronounced they do so often fly away Blessed name a poor sinners only consolation on his death-bed when the Grave opens her mouth for him and these spiritual Foes on every side invade him and Hell-fire eternal burns before him Blessed therefore be this name Jesus and exalted above all names at which Name let every knee bow of things in heaven in earth and under the earth and every tongue confess this Jesus Lord to the Glory of God the Father Amen § 61 After our Lord thus had received Circumcision as a Son of Abraham and entered into Gods Covenant and the name of Jesus as ordained the Saviour of the World and whilst Joseph and Mary abode still at Bethleem because this City near to Jerusalem and their own country very remote expecting the appointed time of the Purification of the Mother and presentment of the Child in the Temple certain persons both rich noble and Learned and probably much addicted to the study of Astronomy being directed by a Star came from the Oriental parts much more famed for wisdom to adore and do homage to this new-Born King and to present him with the most precious things those Countries afforded in behalf of the Gentiles as the poor and simple Shepheards being instructed by an Angel had done formerly in behalf of the Jews The Divine Providence so disposing it that our Lord to the Gentiles more contemplating the Creature should be manifested by a Star rather and the Jew as acquainted with the true worship of the Creatour by an Angel For both Jew and Gentile were now to have an equal share and a General Union in this Prince of Peace And the event corresponding exactly to these beginnings hath shewed us that after some few for the most part poorer and meaner and so humbler sort of the Jewish Nation were for the present by our Lord and his followers converted to the Faith represented by the Shepheards the riches and wisdom of the Gentiles hath bin brought into the obedience of the Gospel represented by the Magi till a compleat harvest of both shall be reaped by the Addition to them of the full Body of the Jews § 62 Now the Adoration and doing homage of the
sumptuously rebuilt by Herod as it were for the more solemn reception and honour of this Lord thereof though intended by Herod for his own Begun to be rebuilt by him in the 21 year of his Reign and in some Eight years finished and Dedicated as to the chief Body of the house but all the outworks and buildings not finished till 46 years afterwards and about the time when our Lord receiving Baptism from John began his predication See John 2.20 § 77 Here whilst our Lord as it were took possession of his Fathers house and whilst these Ceremonies were performed by the Priest And the blessed Virgin and S. Joseph who further considered whose Son it was and to whom offered were continuing their devotions and infinit thanks to God for this new-born Saviour of man-kind and the honour he had done the humility of his hand-maid chosen for his Mother and were reflecting also on the strange things spoken to them of this Divine off-spring by the Angel Gabriel and others by S. Elizabeth by the Shepheards and on the Homage of the Sages there came at the same instant into the Temple tho holy old man Simeon uncertain whether a Priest but conjectured rather none from the Evangelist's silence herein who enlightned by the prophecies and the common expectation that was in those daies see Luk. 2.38 of this new King for this Nation by the Divine Providence had bin detained ever after the Babylonian Captivity less or more under the servitude of forraign Nations and of the great Empires of the world to cause in them a more ardent desire and dependance upon the promised Messias for freeing Israel as they imagined from the Roman heavy-yoke but Simeon with more spiritual eyes expelling it for freeing the world from the servitude of sin and Satan who I say had for many years longed-after and prayed-for the comming of this Messias and the Redemption of all Mankind For to this devout person we may imagine his seeing the world so over-run with sin and held captive by Satan caused much grief for the offending of God and loss of so many souls and that he often brake out into the like passion with the. Prophet Esaiah chap. 62. 1. For Sion's sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth And vers 6 11. I will not hold my peace day nor night I will give him no rest till he establish till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth till the salvation of Sion cometh and his reward is with him and his recompence before him And upon such fervent supplications of his the Holy Ghost for his consolation revealed unto him that notwithstanding his old age and small distance from the Grave yet he should not dy before he had seen the Lords Christ And at this time the same Holy Spirit again gave him notice of our Load 's being then in the Temple a small infant in the arms of a poor Virgin § 78 Upon which coming in thither at this Instant with great Devotion and Humility he took this Divine Child out of his Mother's Armes being herein a representative of the Church accepting from God's hands this her Redeemer and in the embracing of him filled with the Holy Ghost as Elizabeth was before Luk. 1.41 and lifting up his eies to Heaven joyfully sung before the company there assembled his Nunc dimittis servum tuum in pace secundum verbum tuum blessing God for the salvation he had prepared not only for the Jewish Nation but all the world and for this childs being as the glory of Israel so the light of the Gentiles This suddain action and prophecy of this reverend old Man putting our Blessed Lady and S. Joseph into a new joyful wonder after all those other testimonies concerning the child heard before and adding still more matter to the Holy Virgins treasure out of which all these things came to the knowledg of Posterity § 79 After this he delivered the Holy Infant again to his Mother And in giving as an old Man if not also a Priest his Benediction to the thrice happy-parents and by the revelation of the same Holy Ghost foreseeing also the great sufferings of our Lord that were to follow and the oppositions that would be made to his new Kingdom of which sufferings one heavy one was then immediatly to break forth he made his more particular addresses to the Mother of our Lord for S. Joseph before those saddest times was to be at rest and told her That as the child was born for the advancement as he had already said of many in Gods people Israel such as should yeild to his Scepter so also for the fall and utter ruine of many others such as should not believe and acknowledg him and those secularly Great and that this age should throughly discover the goodness or wickedness of mens hearts And that he should be set up as a sign to all the world that should be much contradicted and spoken against by the great ones thereof as more especially he was at his death being lifted up on high on the pole of the Cross and all the people about him blaspheming See Psal 105.18 After and for which followed also the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion and Captivity of that Nation until this day When also as it were a sharp sword should pierce her Soul out of Maternal compassion towards him whilst she should stand by and behold such things done to the innocency of the Holy One of God After which words spoken by him much what in the expressions of the ancient Prophets See Esay 8.14,15 42.6 49.6 52.10 11.10 65.2 as we usually find those later in the new Testament to deliver their predictions in the language of the Old both coming from the same Dictator and he receiving again from the Infant the Benediction he bestowed on the parents he now joyfully retired waiting and preparing himself for his near approaching death and dissolution from the many infirmities of his old age § 80 No sooner had he finished his discourse causing much admiration in the hearers but that this first Divine testimony concerning our Lord now openly given in the Temple might be celebrated and ratified by two witnesses and those of both Sexes as both were equally concerned in this happy news a woman also of a great age Anna a Prophetess too detained in this life as Simeon was for her beholding the Lord Christ came in at the same time and seconded Simeon in the like Relation concerning this child his being the new-born Messias and Saviour of the world To which the Holiness of her person and severity and sequestration of her life from common converse somewhat like that of the Baptist added very much Whom the Evangelist thus sets forth That she had lived in perpetual widowhood from her youth after only having seven years enjoyed
Kingdom of heaven which law also he told them he came not to destroy or to relax as he was traduced but to fulfil and vindicate even to the least tittle thereof Lastly He instructs them in their behaviour and in the right performance of the three great Christian Duties of Praier Almes and Fasting § 257 Concerning Beatitude thus he teacheth them that as to this present life It consisted 1 In Poverty poverty either outwardly in their Estate and temporal fortunes or at least in Spirit and without having joy and consolation in wealth and riches possessed which hath made many having in the reaping no benefit to quit also the trouble of them and to make his Disciples and other Auditors happy in this way tend those Counsels of his following in Mat. c. 6.11 19 24. c. to the end and chap. 7.11 The Beatitude of which poor he declares to be their enjoying hereafter a Kingdom in heaven 2 Again consisted in weeping and mourning for the present a beatitude opposed to sensual pleasures and delights as poverty is to riches the frequent occasion of which mourning in this world our Lord shews in his Relation of the eighth Beatitude because men good and virtuous and lovers of him the world will certainly hate and a thousand waies molest them and so for the prefent Job 16 20. Mundus gaudebit saith our Lord vos autem contristabimini And Omnis disciplina with which God exerciseth here his Servants in praesenti quidem saith the Apostle videtur non esse gaudii sed maeroris and lastly All being sinners it must be a continued penitential sorrow here Heb. 12 11. that shall attain Bliss hereafter Now the felicity of these present mourners is promised hereafter to be perpetual Consolations 3ly Consisted in Meekness humility and lowliness of mind a sure companion of poverty and mourning To which meekness appertain those lessons and Counsels of our Lord following in Mat. chap. 5. from vers 21. to 27. and from vers 38. to the end of that chapter and chap. 6.12.14 and chap. 7.1 the observance of these Counsels being an effect of lowliness of heart And as the reward in the other Beatitudes is said to be the Kingdom of heaven so of this the inheritance of the earth alluding to Psalm 36.11 Mansueti haereditabunt terram perhaps partly because the good things thereof are seldom gotten or at least not long preserved or quietly possessed by turbulent contentious and litigious spirits But the ultimate and eternal inheritance of these meek souls is the new Heaven and Earth spoken of Apoc. 21.1 2. to which this promise relates 4ly Consisted in hungring and thirsting after and pursuing with our whole design the Kingdom of God righteousness and Holiness Lessons and advices tending to the which happiness are those following chap. 6.19 c. and from vers 24. to the end of the Chapter and chap. 7.11 But yet by the woe in S. Luke that is opposed to this Blessed here Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger and thirst this beatitude like the former seems to include also a great temperance and abstinence and the not satiating themselves with or having any thirst after secular pleasures and contents These two hungers after earthly and after heavenly things not consisting well together For which see what our Lord saith Mat. 6.24 33. Now to this present hunger and thirst the felicity promised hereafter is a full satiety of all good things § 258 From these our Lord passeth to the Beatitudes attainable here in our behaviour toward our Neighbours and placeth the fifth Beatitude in shewing all mercifulness charity and compassion toward them in all their necessities further explained in his Lessons following in chap 5.44 -6.12 14. -7.1 12. viz. in performing such mercy to them as we in our needs would desire from them freely forgiving without wrath and expostulating which is a degree of revenge all their faults and trespasses toward us Nay even loving them when they hate us blessing when they curse us doing good to them when they evil to us The reward of which our mercy to others is promised hereafter Gods like mercy to us in pardoning all our trespasses against him that excludes us from his friendship and from Glory § 259 The sixth Beatitude consisteth in cleanness and purity not only of our actions abstaining from any wicked deeds against our Neighbour but also in heart opposed to the Pharisees munditia carnis abstaining from Lust and concupiscence and irregular passions there towards him explained in these following Lessons in his Sermon chap. 5.19 observing the little commandments again vers 22 28 29. chap. 6.22 -7.1 2 21. Keeping not only our hands from killing but hearts from any passion of anger against our neighbour not only from committing adultery or fornication with but lusting after a woman not only from accusing our neighbour falsly but making any sinister judgment in our hearts of him wherefore think ye evil in your hearts said our Lord to the Pharisees Mat. 9.3 4. when they said none of him And out of the heart proceed the things which defile us Mat. 15.18 19. For out of the heart saith he proceed because in the heart they are transacted murthers adulteries fornications thefts false-witness blasphemies and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and how can ye being evil speak good things Mat. 12.34 and there begining every evil and good work And therefore it is on this part that God chiefly casts his eye 1 Sam 16.7 and there sees the breaches of both tables and the beauty or deformity of the soul And the happiness promised hereafter to such purity of heart is their eternal seeing and beholding of God according to Apoc. 22.4 for without such purity none may see him Heb. 12.14 Apoc. 21.27 And an extraordinary fruition and sense of his Divine presence in such pure hearts also here in this present life Jo. 14.23 § 260 The seventh is placed in the zeal on all occasions of making and preserving peace amongst all first negociating the peace of all men with God which was the Apostles employment 2 Cor. 5.10 to reconcile men to God and especially our own peace with him keeping all quiet and in due subordination within our selves in the obedience of the flesh and inferiour appetites to the Spirit 2ly Again procuring by all means the peace of men among themselves where either they have given us or we them any offence endeavouring a speedy reconcilement contributing here even so far as not to resist the evil received from them patiently to put-up quarrels and endure affronts suffer wrong from rather than go to law with them 1 Cor. 6.7 Taking all things said or done in good part and the best sense See 1 Cor. 7.15 Rom. 12.18 the likelyest waies surely to gain every ones peace with us and lastly making them also friends as much as we can one with another as Christ came down from heaven and shed
his blood to make us friends with God Col. 1.20 See this peace-making explained in his lessons following Mat. 5.24 25 39. c. And the happiness promised to such peace-makers is that they shall be specially called the children of God repeated Mat. 5.45 and see Eph. 4.32 and 5.1 of God who is the great peace-lover and-maker reconciling though by the death of his only Son the world to himself Col. 1.20 and doing good continually even to the unjust and unthankful Mat. 5.45 and that as his children they shall be made Heirs of all things Apoc. 21.7 § 261 Lastly The eight Beatitude is placed after all such peace-keeping with and making between others in suffering through the envy and malice of the world toward all good people many persecutions and hardships Defamations and reproaches for God's and for righteousness sake To which persecuted and sufferers the happiness promised hereafter is an exceeding great and Prophet-like Reward beyond others in the Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 5.12 § 262 These are our Lords Blessed ones viz. those living here for the present in many secular sufferings mortifications and restraints For such are 1 poverty and 2 mourning and 3 the not thirsting or longing after any earthly contents or satisfactions but after righteousness 4 Humility and meekness and pardoning all offences 5 Charity and distributing what we can spare to others necessities 6 putting up wrongs and keeping peace with and also making peace amongst all men to the uttermost 7 Not as much as indulging our selves the liberty of thinking any evil or harbouring any unlawful lust or displeasure in our heart against our Neighbour And lastly 8 in and for our doing well suffering evil Not that happiness lies in these things for no suffering for the present is joyous but grievous Heb. 12.11 but that for these it is promised us hereafter our then receiving mercy and being satiated and filled our possessing the Kingdom of Heaven inheriting the new Earth Apoc. 21.1 2. Our seeing God and being made his sons and heirs of all things Apoc. 21.7 and especially the persecuted and sufferers here receiving an exceeding great reward there beyond all others § 263 After the eight Beatitudes on the other side in S. Luke chap. 6.22 Our Lord pronounceth four woes 1 To the rich here 2 To the full 3 To the merry and rejoycing 4 To the by-all-well-spoken of honoured and applauded Viz. to such as would place their happiness and seek their content and take out their good things here on earth Woe unto you saith be because ye have already received your Consolation and because hereafter shall follow to you poverty and hunger and thirst and eternal mourning and ignominy as we know was said and happened to the rich man Luk 16 24 25. § 264 Such therefore being the true woes and the other the true Beatitudes of this present life our Lord continued his speech to them that all should endeavour to be rich in heavenly treasures there alwaies preserved and laid up safely for them not labouring for earthly so soon consumed or easily taken from them And that where every ones treasure is there will also his heart and affections be And therefore these their affections not set on heaven where they ought alwaies to have bin if their treasures be on earth and that according as these affections are rightly or otherwise disposed so will all their affairs go well or miscarry as the eye-sight bad the whole Body walkes in darkness That there is no serving two Contrary Masters but that in satisfying one they must displease the other Therefore that they should lay aside all careful thought for the things of this world for their life what they should eat or drink to sustain it or for their Body with what they should cloth it for that all their care was not able to add one cubit to their stature nor as else-where he saith to make one hair white or black and if they were not able to do that which was least why should they take thought for the greater Luk. 12.26 which is still less in their power Mat. 6.22 That the life it self was much more than meat with which it was nourished and the Body than rayment with which it was covered and that if these were not made by but freely bestowed on them that he that gave them that which was more would give them also what was less and being so bountiful as to give that which was much more valuable would in like manner bestow in their necessity that which was much less considerable viz. food for the one and clothing for the other which also they saw he did to his other creatures much inferiour to themselves without any solicitude of theirs food to the fouls of the Air without their sowing or reaping and apparel to the flowers of the field even with more pure lively and resplendent colours than that of Solomon when in all his glory and this without their carding or spinning is done to the flowers that though so shining to day are to morrow to be cut down and cast into the Oven as also elsewhere he tells them that not so much as a Sparrow that five of them are sold for two farthings is forgotten before his Father nor falls to the ground without his taking notice of it and that they were of more value to him than many Sparrows and the very hairs of of their head all numbred by him Mat. 10.28 Luk. 12.6.7 That their heavenly Father to whom they had now through him the Son acquired so near a relation well knew before all their want and as being such would provide for them that such lower cares took up the thoughts of worldlings but that their 's ought to be raised to higher matters seeking and pursuing after the Kingdom of God and the righteousness and holiness thereof and that all these other necessities should be unsought for sufficiently supplyed that therefore to day the should not be distracting their thoughts concerning to morrow for that the provisions of to day were trouble enough § 265 That the attendance on those higher matters were worthy of their whole intention since the way here that leads to eternal destruction was indeed very wide and broad and so very many took that course but that leading to eternal life streit and narrow and few that found it And that whatever they thought of the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees esteemed so strict a sect a mong them yet if their righteousness was no better than theirs their souls would perish and they fall short of Heaven And that he came not as he was traduced with his new Gospel to destroy or take away the former law of Moses but to fulfil it in all things First for all the Ceremonies and types thereof that they should have in him a perfect completion as to the Realities answering to and prefigured and signifyed by them and all the predictions and prophecies therein be fulfill'd
to every tittle that the Body of heaven and earth was after a certain time to vanish and pass away but no so one letter of Gods word Again that for the moral commandements and precepts of the Law much less came he to give any relaxation to mens former obedience thereto but to exact the observance of them to the least iota having procured for them from his Father the Holy Spirit for enabling them also to such observance and that he who did not endeavour to keep those that were slighted and accounted the least of these Commandements some of which he mentions below vers 22 28 34 39. not being angry not lusting in our heart not swearing at all c. not rendring evil for evil c. as well as those thought greater could not reach Heaven or eternal happiness In prosecution of which our Lord began to expound to them the true meaning and just extent of several of these Laws corrupted by the former glosses of the Pharisees and human Tradition That the precept of not killing or committing murder extended not only to not taking away our Neighbours life but to any reproaching or vilifying them by words as calling him silly or a fool which said without cause and in malice toward him incurreth not the sentence of a Civil Judg to some corporal punishment or also death in these lesser Courts in the several Cities or that greater at Jerusalem but even of damnation to hell-fire again extendeth also to any anger or disaffection against him in our heart Therefore that before they brought any Sacrifice offering or gift or made any addresses to God concerning themselves or implored his pardon of their faults or any his favours to them they should call to remembrance if there were any displeasure or disgust between them and their neighbour and should presently procure a reconciliation with him especially if such neighbour have any just quarrel against them on the former account that thus they might wisely prevent their neighbours complaints to God the Supreme Judg of all Whose exact justice upon such wrong done would certainly cast them into prison and before any releasment require of them the uttermost farthing if they were not diligent thus before hand and whist they have opportunity in this life to make their composition and peace with him § 266 Our Lord having said this in exposition of the Commandment proceeds to the second of committing Adultery the most natural impetuous and troublesome of our passions being these two Anger and Lust the one from an excess of hate towards another the other of Love After the bridling of the one he now prescribes that of the other and to this purpose tells them that this precept also of not committing adultery extended not only to not actually lying with our neighbors wife but not to much as looking on her or any other woman not our own wife with any lustful thoughts for that all such persons were guilty of committing adultery already with such persons in their heart And therefore that it even our right eye or right hand should be the instrument or tempter to offend God in such a manner it were better if we could procure no other remedy of committing such sin without doing this even to pluck out this though our right eye or cut off our right hand than to sin against God and so have not this eye or hand only lost but our whole Body cast for such offence into eternal flames Intimating at least our cutting-off the observed occasions of sin even though these seem as precious and dear unto us as our eye or right hand That also in marriage they were religiously to observe such an Holy Contract and patiently bear this great Yoke when not well and discreetly engaged without expecting any relief or indulgement of a separation or divorce afterward contrary to the great liberty they had taken herein except in the case of Fornication And in such case also that the parties might not upon this presently clap up new marriages better suting with their new affections and amours but were to live continently and single for God gives ability in such a separation Things which said by our Lord elsewhere the Disciples so check d at Mat. 19.10 that they concluded it was better to forbear marriage if having so streit obligations upon it § 267 From this he proceeds to some liberties and indulgments they practised contrary to the intention of the Divine Law in their conversation with their neighbour especially in a custome of oaths and other aggravating asseverations mostly coming from an evil root in their discourses and treatings which is contrary to the simplicity and moderation that ought to be in their words and reverence towards God and his creatures in relation to him that ought to be observed in their Oath In which matter he instructs them that the precept concerning an oath Lev. 19.12 and Deut. 6.13 Viz. that they should not forswear themselves and should perform unto the Lord their Oaths did not allow them a liberty to swearing also whenever they spake a truth swearing either by God himself or by any of his Creatures Or secure them that swearing also by some of Gods creatures at least such as by some Consecration had not a more special relation to him as the Sacrifice the Gold of the Temple c. signifyed nothing and had no guilt in it according to their false Glosses thinking reverence in using Oaths was only confined to the name of God and to his name not as to swearing but only false-swearing by it But that Mat. 23.16 excepting where necessity and matters of great consequence required it in which case we find Gods greatest Saints for advancing truth to have used it Heb. 6.16 And an end of all strifes among men faith the Apostle is an Oath their ordinary communication and discourse and dealing with their Neighbour was to be without any swearing at all either by God himself whose name they were at no time to take in vain Or by any of his Creatures over the least of which even an hair they had no power to make it white or black and all which they ought to reverence for the relation they have to him who at the first made them and alwaies replenishes and dwelleth in them But that their ordinary communication should be plain and simple and without endeavouring with any such attestations or artifice to add weight to their words Yea Yea Nay Nay as our Lords Amen Amen their assertion only being reiterated where less credited for that what was more than this came of Evil i. e. some irreverence toward God in himself or in his Creatures and again of evil either others having more jealousy of the truth of our words than they ought which in them is malice or from our own desiring to add more weight to our words than the matter requires which in us is a faulty ambition See this Lesson of our Lord repeated
considering their human infirmity when his divine Society or his fortifying grace is never so little suspended or also already being faln into Satans temptation elevating our abilities by Grace into presumption which is the usual forerunner of every fall returned an hasty and confident Answer against the infallible Word and prophecy of their Master that they would never forsake him viz. That as they had abode with him hitherto in his temptations twice followed him of late when he fled for his safety and when he returned to his dangers when also one of them Jo. 11.16 that was afterward as backward in his faith as any resolutely said Let us also go that we may dy with him so they would still be faithful and constant to him But especially Peter as more affectionatly loving our Lord so more forward in expressing it now also carrying one of the two Swords said That though all the rest should possibly withdraw themselves and he stand alone yet he would never leave him would go with him into prison and to death would dye with him and for him To whose confidence our meek Saviour replyed onely to this purpose That though it was now already night yet before the Cock-crow of the very next morning he that was so forward now to dye for him should not once but thrice deny him And indeed amongst others at the questioning of a silly Maid he did not onely say but swear and curse not onely that he was none of his followers or company but that he not so much as knew him A Passage very punctually related by all the Evangelists though Peters friends That this example might remain for ever upon Register to shew the world what the best of men what the very chief of the Apostles of God is when in an hour of temptation God's supporting grace is for never so little time withdrawn from him that the highest Saints to keep themselves from falling might learn to walk in profound humility and perpetual fear of falling and might also learn to compassionate the falls they daily see of their weaker Brethren and to bear with them their burdens Gal. 6.2 3. whilst as the Apostle if any man whatever thinketh himself to be something except only our Lord who stood in his temptation and by his standing we also stand when he is nothing he deceiveth himself Yet after this which was said by our Lord to Peter we find that Peter replyed again more vehemently That if he should dye with him he would not deny him in any wise Mark. 14.31 § 9 Thus he passed through the vally of Jehosaphat the vally of Judgment as some think it shal be and over the Brook Cedron an Emblem of the torrent of Gods wrath of which he was now to drink to the full Psal 110. and so came to the garden a Garden of sorrows to expiate herein what the first Adam had trespassed in a garden of pleasure Of which Passage of our Lord David in some manner seems to have bin a Type when he passed over the same brook toward Mount Olivet flying from the face of his ungrateful son Absalon conspiring against him and seeking his life see 2 Sam. 15.23 Where also he worshipped wept and prayed vers 30.32 And was heard and delivered from death but not so our Lord Where Ittai also his friend vers 21. promised like St. Peter and the Apostles to live and dye with him but was more faithful and stedfast herein than St. Peter was And where Hushai another friend vers 34. departed from him to the adverse party that sate in Concil against him as also Judas did but it was to betray them not him Here arrived this careful Shepheard seeing this great storm now ready to fall first thinks on the safety of those poor sheep whom his father had committed to him and seeing greater danger toward their souls from Satan who was now permitted to invade both them and their Master with all his powers of darkness and who had gotten one sheep from him already by his wiles not by any defect of this vigilant Pastor Jo. 17.12 but by his own naughtiness and Gods permission than toward their bodyes from their Fellow-Disciple and his Troops our Lord sets no sentinels nor provides no defence against these corporal Enemies but the better to prepare his Disciples for the tryal and sufferings approaching so soon as entred into the Garden straitly chargeth them not to sleep that night but to spend it in watching and prayer that they might not fall into or at least in their Temptation Thus leaving eight of his Disciples who perhaps might have bin apt to take some offence at the sight of his Agonies to their devotions near the entrance of the Garden and foreseeing his own great desolation of spirit approaching he takes those three of them more especially loved and familiarly treated by him and conducts them to the further part of the Garden that those whom he had formerly as it were to forearme their faith against this hour taken apart into Mount Tabor to behold his Glory might now be Spectators also of this his great Eclipse and exinanition § 10 And thus far all things being managed with most divine calmness readiness and courage now the combat begins not onely with his followers but himself Righteous Job yet not altogether sinless was delivered into the hands of Satan and Powers of Darkness but with a Reservation of his life But this Righteous and sinfree Person was delivered into the hands of that Enemy of Mankind and of his cruel Instruments life and all Abraham was strongly exercised and tempted by God concerning the loss of his onely Son but in fine his sons life was preserved and there was a commutation of the Sacrifice Isaac the Type proceeded so far as the carrying of his Wood but escaped the being burnt upon it But now the bowels of God his Father for the yearning of his bowels upon us had no compassion on this righteous Job stript first of all he had even to his innermost vesture nor on this onely Son the King and heir of Heaven and Earth but dy he must and the manner thereof to be committed to the malitious contrivance of the Enemy of God and man § 11 And in his entrance thereto first begins a spiritual combat far more sharp and desolate than those corporal ones that followed As in all afflictions commonly the first assault is the most grievous and least supportable Where we are to imagine that not only a natural fear of Death seized on our Lord by the suspending of other thoughts and considerations that might counterpoise it but also a most extraordinary and supernatural desolation and terror was brought upon his Spirit and that those divine consolations which God sometimes withdraws from his Saints which hath left them in very great perplexity heartlesness and aridity whereof they also make sad complaints as of even the greatest of mortal sufferings the same but in a much
what they were afterwards to instruct the Jews and all other Nations expounding to them the Law and the Prophets shewing them the many predictions concerning the Messias his Sufferings Resurrection and so entrance into his Glory a many of which they mentioned afterward in their Sermons in the Acts opening their understandings to understand the Scriptures § 128 Afterward more particularly addressing himself to his Apostles he told them in this and several other apparitions made to them before his Ascension that he was very shortly to go into Heaven to his Father and leave them here behind him That all power both in Heaven and Earth was given to him that therefore by this his Authority he also sent them to preach the Gospel to all Nations and witness to them the things they had seen and heard from him but beginning their predication first at Jerusalem and to Gods former people the Jews That they should preach to them repentance and remission of sin thro his name and also the observation of all those things which he had commanded them And that they should also Baptize them In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost instructing them that who so believed in him and were baptized which was the Sacrament instituted for washing away their sins for conferring on them the Spirit of regeneration and for initiating them into his Church should be saved and the unbelieving damned And that great signs also should follow them that believed and were of the Christian profession which signs should bear witness to the truth of their faith and Religion That in his name they should speak strange languages cure the sick cast out Devils and have a special command over all the powers of the Enemy as they are called Luk. 10.19 in taking up or treading on Serpents or in hapning to drink any poison not to receive any hurt from them Not that all Believers should do such Miracles but that these should still remain in the Church or Congregation of true Believers Testimonies and Evidences of Gods special favours to and presence with them § 129 At last he proceeded to their solemn Ordination wherein after he had pronounced a second Pax vobis and a sicut misit me Pater ego mitto vos He breathed upon them with his most Sacred mouth and said these words used ever since by them and their Successors in the ordination of others Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose sins ye shall forgive i. e. by Baptism or for those committed afterwards by Absolution upon confession and repentance or penance they are forgiven them and whose sins ye shall retain i. e. by not baptizing or absolving or further binding with Church-censures the impenitent and obstinat they are retained And so solemnly promised to be with them and their Successors with his power and protection till the end of the world and the time of his return to judg it § 130 This said he disappeared also to them as he had done several times already to the other which caused in them now less wonder at the former leaving their hearts replenished with great consolation After this done on the second day of the Feast and the first of his Resurrection he absented himself from them till the Eighth when that solemn Festivals Octave was fully ended and the people were upon their return to their own countreyes and habitations Where for this time our Lords glorious Person was together with those other Saints whose Bodyes were raised with him till his Ascension would be too much curiosity to inquire It seems he was pleased to observe the fixed laws of the Divine wisdom for Souls or Persons already translated to the next life viz. to have no more familiar or long-during converse with those of this for so neither did Elias and Moses make any long stay with our Lord in the Holy Mount. As for other good ends so perhaps for this the greater merit of our faith here concerning the life and affairs of the world to come § 131 S. Thomas one of the eleven was absent when our Lord thus appeared where some imagine from the fear he formerly bewrayed John 11.5 that he might not be as yet returned to the Society since their dispersion on Thursday night at our Lords apprehension and so might not have heard as the rest of our Lord 's former appearings at all to the women and to Peter c He whether the same night or afterwards being come to them and informed of their having seen our Lord yet for a greater manifestation still of our Lords Resurrection and for begetting in this Apostle more humility continued in the same incredulity as to their relations though so many as they had done to the other likely perswaded by the Circumstances of his appearing in the night coming through Doors shut and making scarse any stay at all with persons to whom he had formerly shewed so much affection but suddainly vanishing again that it might be some airy spirit subject in his motions to the order of a Superior power And though they related to him also their having seen his scars and touched his body or at least invited to do it yet he fancied that this was not done to purpose but ought to be better examined and that if he had bin there he would have thrust his hand into the Gash in our Lords side and his fingers into the holes made by the nails c Notwithstanding that this person besides his hearing our Lords many predictions to them of his Resurrection was present with the rest at our Lords raising from death after laid upon the Bier the widdows son at Naim and again at his raising of Lazarus out of his Sepulcher when he had lain longer time there than our Lord had done But this too-much suspicious and despondent inclination of his had appeared also several times formerly that we may see what materials our Lords Grace wrought upon and not to be discouraged as in those words of his at our persecuted Lords return into Judea for the raising of Lazarus Jo. 11 16. He then presently resolving that there our Lord and they must lose their lives and in his words again John 14.5 where our Lord telling his Disciples of his departure shortly and that they knew the place and the way whither he went Thomas dejectedly replied that they knew not whither he went and how could they know the way thither To whom our Lord answered that his Journey was a Return to Heaven to his Father whence he came and that He himself believed-in was the way thither Yet after the descent and renovation of the Holy Spirit this Apostle especially was made choice of to be a most eminent Assertor of the same Resurrection and Propagator of the Gospel throughout India and the remotest Nations of the East fulfilling our Lords words Acts 1.8 Et usque ad ultimum terrae and there at last laid down his life for it § 132 Our Lord then
or in any visible attendance of Angels or Saints or fiery charet and horses to conduct him as Elias or Cloud till elevated to some considerable distance perhaps to remove from his Disciples and the world to whom they were to testify it any scruple of the reality of this Ascent without having their eyes dazled with light or that such elevation might seem to have bin performed by the assistance of others and not by his own power and virtue as also to detain them for the present rather in the meditation of his Passion than of his Glory which was not fully to be revealed to Mortals till his return § 146 But had our Lord been pleased to have opened their eyes as Elisha obtained for his servant in the Mount how great would they have seen the solemnity of this day Jo. 17.4 5 Concerning which he had a little before his Passion besought his Father that now he had with all fidelity glorified him on Earth and finished the work here on Earth He had appointed him to do He would glorifie him i.e. his Humanity also in which he had finished it though extreamly difficult to flesh and blood with that Glory which in his Divinity he also alwaies had had with him before the world was which Petition was also then ratifyed by God the Father with a voice from Heaven Jo. 12.8 And now was the time come of accomplishing it and the time of his taking possession of those Joyes which being set before him saith the Apostle Heb. 12.2 be endured the Cross and despised the shame and is now set down of the right hand of the Throne of God § 147 Now then we may presume that all the Court and Militia of Heaven descended to meet this his Sacred Humanity in the Ayre and that it was exalted above the Heavens to the Throne prepared for it with great Jubilation and Triumph cum voce tubae as the Psalmist with which Humanity the Earth only had hitherto bin beatified bona si sua nosset and the Father had received all his praise and worship and service from it at a great distance from the place of his residence And if as the Apostle Heb. 1. when his Son came into this lower world and appeared in all the infirmities of our flesh God said let all the Angels worship him much more did he now command it at this his Exit after so many sufferings passed through and victories obteined and exact obedience in all things performed and the most severe prophecies fulfilled How overjoyed must those Citizens above be and with them all the Spirits of the Patriarchs and Prophets and the Church of the first-born and of just men consummated that in those Celestial habitations now they should for ever possess their dear Lord the Author of all their happiness and behold for ever his infinit Majesty and beauty And amongst these especially those predignified Souls who ever they were that were selected by him and revested with the robes of their glorified Bodyes to accompany and wait upon him as the first-fruits of the Resurrection and of his conquess over death With what Joy and Triumph to exprese it in those ravishments with which the Apostle speaks of him was this only Son and the brightness of Gods glory and express and visible Image of the Person of the Invisible God Heb. 1.3 compared with Col. 1.15 the first born of every Creature and the first-born again 〈◊〉 the Dead that in an things he might have the preeminency who was appointed by God Heir of all things and by whom all things were created that are in Heaven and in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions be Principalities or Powers viz. all the Angels as well as men All things created by him and for him and by the word of whose Power all things afterward also do still consist and are upheld Col. 1.17 compared Heb. 1.3 after he had by himself purged our sins and made peace through the blood of his Cross Col. 1.20 Heb. 1.30 and God had by him reconciled all things unto himself and by him collected all things in one by him whether things in Heaven or things on Earth Col. 1.20 those persons already received into glory there and those yet in their warfare here here both of the Jew and the Gentile all united in him the Head of all Eph. 1.10 22. With what Joy and Triumph I say was this most Sacred person Gods only Son bearing in thither his our humanity this day first received into his Armes and welcomed by God the Father With what solemnity did this Eternal High Priest when he had first through the Eternal Spirit offered himself without fault to God Heb. 9.14 Enter into the Heavenly Sanctuary the Gates there of set open whereof the Earthly was a Pattern there to appear in the presence of God his Father for us his Brethren and with what solemnity did he with the precious blood of his Sacrifice dedicate and purify the heavenly things themselves Heb. 9.23 and so set himself down on the right hand of the Throne of the Majesty in these Heavens far above all Principalities and Power and Might and Dominion and every name that is named not only in this world but in that also which is to come made Head over all things to his Church and expecting there till his Enemies wicked men and unbelievers Antichrist Satan Death be made his Footstool Eph. 1.21.23 c. Heb. 10.12.12.9 § 148 Our Blessed Lady and the Disciples and the rest of this holy company beholding this fell down and adored saith the Evangelist Luk. 24.52 with their eyes fixed upon him as he ascended when two men appeared standing by them in glorious and shining Vestments two of our Lords Train whom he left behind as also he had done before at his Resurrection Luk. 24.5 John 20.12 to entertain them with a new Message and divert them from this partly joyful partly sorrowful sight as they thought of our Lords honour or of their own loss who asked them why they looked so intently and wishfully after him for that they should not be deprived for ever of this their Lord but as he had often told them the same Jesus that was now thus taken up from them into Heaven should thence descend again in the same manner as he ascended thus the Angels briefly for their present consolation But this his second appearance and return to this world is described elsewhere much more particularly and that it shall be in the greatest Majesty and glory cum nubibus as this his ascent but with a shout and the voice of the Arch-Angel and sound of Trumpet and his brightness shining from the East unto the West with all his mighty Angels attending on him and he bringing all the Saints that were in foretimes deceased with him and those then living also meeting him in the Ayre and that he then sitting on the Throne of his Majesty all the Nations of the