places of the Newe Testament as namely 2. COR. 12.4 where PAVL speakes of his rauishing to Paradise and also REVEL 2.7 But to leaue the vvordes and to come to the meaning This Paradise signifies none other thing but that House of the Father in the which is manie mansions as wee saide in the foureteenth Chapter Nowe woulde yee knowe the place of it PAVL saies It is farre aboue these visible heauens where Christ himselfe ascended EPHES. 4.10 It is the place of the Throne of that Majestie of that Glorie and of that euerlasting rest of the Kirke of Iesus Christ and of His Sainctes where they shall rest in a wonderfull glorie euerlastinglie The vvorde is borrowed from that Paradise that Parke of pleasure in the vvhich ADAM and EVAH vvere planted to liue in a vvonderfull pleasure for euer if they had stoode vvithout sinne But to come to the matter First in this answere that the Lord makes to the penitent Thiefe yee may see a vvonderfull readinesse in Christ to heare the petition of a miserable sinner for hee hath scarcely spoken the worde when the Lord makes an answere and no maruell for Hee that preuentes thee with grace ere thou thinkest of grace Hee will followe after with grace Hee who giues grace to begge grace Hee will giue a gracious answere ROMAN 8.26 The Spirite of GOD interceadeth for vs with sighes vnspeakeable That is the first grace Then hee subjoynes The Lord who searcheth the heart knoweth the sense and meaning of his owne Spirite There is the seconde grace Thou shalt not so soone open thy mouth to speake to Him with the Spirite but Hee shall as soone heare thy vvorde thou shalt not so soone haue a meaning but it shall as soone touch the heart of the Lorde as it touches thine heart because it is not thy spirite but the Lordes Spirite who speakes in thee So all the difficultie and hardnesse is to gette the first grace to praye there is no difficultie of the next And there are wonderous fewe vvho gettes this grace to begge to sigh to sobb c. yea where one hath it ten wantes it and when this is once gotten the other followes of its owne will for if thou askest spirituall graces of necessitie thou shalt gette thy petition graunted And if wee aske earthly thinges either shall wee gette our petition or else the Lord once shall shewe vs why Hee will not graunt it and so wee shall haue contentment to vndertake His will and shall heartily thanke Him There is more yet in this answere Besides this easinesse to heare marke an abounding mercie and exceeding liberalitie of the Lord passing aboue the petition The Thiefe onely prayed the Lord to remember him when He came in His Kingdome The Lord aunsweres Beholde euen I giue thee more than thou requirest for thou shalt be with me this day in Paradise so thou needest not to feare that I forget thee The Thiefe seekes but a little thing the Lord giues him more than hee can seeke the hande of the Lorde is not so scarce Wilt thou seeke a litle thing the Lord shall giue a thousand times more than thou canst seeke the Lord hath neither scant nor want Brethren the glory which we shall finde one day shall bee greater than we can looke or hope for in this world No things Heauenlie which He shall giue surmountes further aboue our capacitie than the Heauen does aboue the Earth Yea if thou speakest of earthlie things findes not many by experiēce that they get such an estate in the world as they would neuer haue looked or hoped for I sought but life saies Dauid Psal 21. 5 yet the Lord gaue me to be a king that is He gaue me not only a priuate obscure life but a glorious life in the sight of the people Besides this easinesse and liberalitie of the Lord to grant to a poore man aboue that that he durst presume He prescribes no time but this same day I know not if he durst haue bene so bold as to haue sought such a time that same day Marke further here a wonderfull power in the Lord at that time when Hee was in a most vile and ignominious death which was the image of Hell to pull a man quicke on the Crosse to breake Him on a Crosse The Lord is weakned the Iewes thought more of the dirt they trode on than of Iesus yet ye see what a wonderfull power which strikes out from Him to the thiefe this is the power of a King This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise What Emperour durst speake this Yea He vtters the power of GOD Himselfe This promise is proper to GOD only to promise participation of that heauenly Kingdome What Angell durst doe this None but the eternall and immortall GOD. It is true the LORD Iesus whilst as Hee hang vpon the Crosse was wonderfully weakned and that glorious Godhead that dwelt in the humane Nature kept it selfe closse for a time and held in the beames of His glorie for a time within that vaile of His bodie for if Hee had not kept closse that Glorie of His Godhead the world could not haue crucified Him yet He kept Him not so closse but in the Crosse Hee manifests Himselfe Hee does the part of a King and fought a fiercer battell than all the Kings in the world Hee fought against all the enemies and in the ende Hee triumphes in that Crosse as in a Chariote and leades them all as thieues before Him And if there were no more to shewe that Hee was a King than this hastie conuersion of the thiefe it may tell you if Christ had such a power whilst as Hee hang in such weaknesse on the Crosse What power hath He now when He is in the Heauen exalted in the Throne of glorie If it bee so that wee feele not CHRIST powerfull in vs to life as the thiefe felt Blame not IESVS as if Hee wanted power sufficient nowe in glorie who had such power in His humilitie but blame thy selfe Thou wants that which the thiefe had thou wants Faith in Christ glorified the thiefe may shame thee who beleeued in Him whē He was in extreame ignominie Then to end all this y t hath bin spokē of this answere in a word Seeing y e Lord of lords y e Lord Iesus is so readie Neuer was there King so ready to heare a subject as Iesus is if thou werest the vilest bodie that goes a Thiefe a Harlot c. yet if thou wilt saye this Lord remember on mee and giue mee a part of thy Kingdome if thou prayest to Him from a penitent heart with confidence and assurance I promise vnto thee Heauen and Earth shall goe together ere thou vvantest thine asking Seeing our Lord Iesus is so liberall then seeke more than enough more than a Kingdome and thou shalt get more The only cause why we want is in vs we haue no hearts to seeke it And last Seeing He is so
deepe perswasion of thine heart thou speakest like a Parrat thou prophanest that Holy word and knowest not what thou speakest Now all the Apostles are away yet their testimonie remaines this is that blessed Gospell that wee haue this day yet the Lord leaues not the world destitute of witnesses who haue liuelie voyces who will preach like the Apostles indeede their record should bee beleeued if thou beleeuedst neuer a preaching I say thou hast no Faith thou shalt neuer see Heauen Indeede we are not Apostles but sinfull men yet if thou beleeuest vs not thou shalt die as well as they who would not beleeue the Apostles I bid no man nor woman beleeue vs simply but only so farre as our record agrees vvith the recorde of the Apostles We may not compare with the Apostles we haue not seene Him we haue not heard Him as they did they had a greater measure of perswasion of Faith and of feeling than any Preacher hath nowe yet the Lord hath giuen His measure to euery one therefore we desire not that yee should beleeue vs simply to beleeue euery thing that we say as the Pope and that soule crue will bid you beleeue all that they affirme No if he were the best Minister that euer preached beleeue his recorde if it agree not with the writting of the Apostles They haue set downe the ground and they who teach any other thing but that which is written by the Apostles or els that follow on their writes by a necessarie consequence I pronounce a vengeance and a curse shall be on them Woe to deceiuers who poyson soules dayly by their vengeance and poyson Now to come to the last heade Iohn layes downe the ende wherefore His thighes were not broken and by piercing of His side These thinges were set downe that the Scripture might bee fulfilled and he cites two testimonies The first is out of the twelfth Chapter of Exodus Not one bone of Him shall be broken The next is out of the twelfth Chapter of Zacharie They shall see Him whome they haue pierced Some will maruell that it is said oft times in the Gospell this was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled Some would thinke that this had bene but a light cause that the thighes of Christ and the bones were not broken Wherefore That the Scripture might be fulfilled the side was pierced that the Scripture might be fulfilled Men would count this but light but wilt thou count that light that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled Thinkest thou it a light thing that that thing that the Lord spake long time before should come to passe and the LORD should be glorified in His Trueth Thinkest thou it a light thing that the Lord should bee found a lyer No ere He be a lyer and ere a jote or title that Hee hath spoken should passe away vnfâ—lfilled it is better that Heauen and Earth men and Angels and all the creatures should vanish to nothing The Lord speakes none idle talke as man will doe but what thing so euer that Hee speakes Hee speakes it of set purpose to the glorie of God and to the well of His Church and therefore it is very requisite both for His owne glorie and for the well of His Church that His word be accomplished Would to God we could consider how highly we sould regarde the glory of God in beleeuing of His promises of mercie and His threatnings of Iustice Well the end of these thinges was that GOD should be glorified in the trueth of His word There is nothing the Lord seekes more than to be knowne in the trueth of His worde and therefore looke what He will doe to bee knowne to be true in His promise rather than His promise be not performed Hee will inuert the course of nature the thing that the Lord hath once spoken it shall be performed albeit all the world should say the contrarie It is said Numb 23.19 God is not as man that He should lie neither as the sonne of man that Hee should repent hath Hee said it and shall Hee not doe it and hath Hee spoken and shall Hee not accomplish it Men may lie but God cannot lie ere Hee bring not about the thing that Hee hath spoken Hee will mixe the Heauen and the Earth together He will bring things about against all the meanes in the worlde not onely by and aboue nature but also contrarie and against nature As Hee brought the promise made to Abraham to passe Nature can be no impediment to the LORD albeit a creature can doe nothing against Nature Looke then what a Faith wee should haue Wee should beleeue His promise albeit it were neuer so vnpossible to Nature Thou must not only glorifie God when thou seest His promise come to passe but also thou must also glorifie Him by depending and hanging on His worde ere euer thou see it accomplished It is an easie thing when thou seest the Lordes promise come to passe to say Glorified bee GOD in the trueth of His promise but except thou glorifie Him by Faith in His worde ere euer thou see the promise effectuate thou doest nothing worthie of praise beleeâ—e His word let neuer death nor life nor power in Heauen or iâ— Earth or the Deuils separate thee from that Faith in His worde No I say further thou must so glorifie God by Faith in His word that albeit thou savvest all things threaten the contrarie yet notwâ—thstanding thou feelest in thine heart that God is true this was a fined and purified Faith Such was the Faith of Abraham who aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that hee should haue a seede not considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie nor the deadnesse of Saraes vvombe hee beleeued in despite of nature and all ordinarie meanes and therefore worthilie hee is called The Father of the Faithfull Then wouldest thou haue such a faith as the Lord commendes beleeue in His promise though all the thinges in the worlde shoulde threaten the contrarie Hath Hee promised to thee Heauen and Life and albeit thou sawe nothing but Hell and Death yet beleeue Him for there is nothing more contrarie to Life than Death And yet albeit thine owne heart woulde make opposition and saye vnto thee It cannot bee that euer thou canst get Life and Heauen for what seest thou but Death and Hell Yet thou wouldest glorifie God by beleeuing His promise in despight of Hell and Death Notwithstanding thou seest the Deuill man Death and Hell threatning that thou shalt not get life yet beleeue the Lordes promise And if in this case thou beleeuest thou hast a fined faith fined and made more precious than Golde in the fornace And except thou bee tried by such temptations thou knowest not what faith meanes Faith must bee tried by temptations by troubles and afflictions Our Christians woulde passe thorowe the worlde with ease and rest they will beleeue but howe In peace and rest they cannot abide to
and predictions which are foretolde of Christ are much worth for they haue this vse When thou readest them in that olde Testament they seale vp the worde of the Gospell of the manifestation of Christ in the flesh of His suffering and glorification that that report of olde is fulfilled But before I leaue this I see the Lord will not let His owne forget His vvorde which He hath once tolde them suppose they would forget it yet the Lorde will haue it called to their remembrance These vvomen woulde haue forgotten that which the chiefe Priestes remembred when they sought a guarde of Pilate to watch the sepulchre Sometimes it comes to passe that the godlie remembers not so much as the wicked who heares the worde to their destruction but if thou bee one of His Hee will haue it called to thy memorie but if thou bee none of His Hee vvill not regarde that vvhen thou hearest thou let it goe in at thine one eare and out at the other Great grace they gette vvho are in Him Well is that soule for euer that is in Him A man vvill thinke it a great thing that a king vvill speake vnto him but it is a farre greater thing that the King of Heauen vvill speake to thee There is some proportion betwixt the king and his subject betwixt the king and the begger but there is no proportion betwixt GOD and thee So then this is a great mercie that He will bring that word that thou hast contemned to thy remembrance and ere thou remember it not Hee will send downe an Angell from the Heauen to call it to thy remembrāce We haue not Angels now as these women had then but I say to thee as many true and faithfull Ministers are as like many Angels take away these men that preach the Gospell indeede I grant properly this to call all things spoken to remembrance pertaines to the Holy Spirit Iohn 14.26 thou shalt forget the word of God that is preached and thou shalt grow more blockish than a stocke or a stone and they that will not heare this word He makes them like stones and well were it to thee albeit thou werest a King if thou hearest not this word that thou werest a stone But marke the time when Hee brings it to their remembrance when the Lord is risen this tenour of time is not ay kept but sometimes ere the thing be done He calls it to remembrance for that is a part of our felicitie euer to be holden in memorie of grace Woe to thee that is not holden in memory of it but indeed it is more joyfull to remember after it is done and therefore at that great day when wee shall see all thinges fulfilled which were foretolde our joy shall be perfected I grant that Hope hath joy yet it hath heauinesse joyned with it but sight hath perfect joy without any heauinesse and when wee shall see all these thinges that were foretolde vs vvhen vve shall see that glorious God when vve shall see euery word that euer we read in the Gospell to be fulfilled we shall remember them all with such joy as no tongue can tell Wee glorie here vnder Hope but then our glorie shall bee in sight and vve shall haue it in our hand and as vvee shall rejoyce then we shall also glorifie GOD perfectly all manner of wayes novv vve doe it with great infirmitie but vvhen vve shall see Him vvee shall glorifie Him euerlastingly and this shall be a part of our song Glorie for euer be to that true GOD Hee promised me much and novve I see Hee hath fulfilled it and so vvee see there is neuer one vvord that vvee haue heard but that Holy and true GOD shall bring it to our memorie with such a joy as cannot be spoken This for the first argument nowe followes the second argument The Angell vses to confirme his speech Come hither and see sayes the Angell The LORD is not heere if yee vvill not credite my vvorde beleeue your ovvne eyes and see it is not this a great mercie when thou wilt not beleeue His word the Lord will let thee see the Lord is not contented to let thee heare these glad tythings but He will bring them before thine eyes What meanes these visible Sacraments but to helpe the infirmitie of the weake Faith besides the Sacraments this word of God is not like the vvord of man or of an Oratour like Demosthenes or Cicero or any man in this world No that word in y e gospel in great simplicitie hath a great Majestie shining in it yea it is visible as the Apostle sayes in the first to the Corinthians 2.4 It hath an ocular demonstration and vvhen it speakes to thee of Heauen it will drawe thine eye to Heauen and when it speakes to thee of the Crosse it vvill let thee see Christ crucified and if it speake to thee of His glory it shall let thee see Him in glory and that is it vvhich Paul sayes in the Epistle to the Galathians Chapter 3. verse 1. Hee preaches Christ so to them that he made them see Christ crucified before their eyes Novve I come to the thirde part it containes a commandement that he giues to the vvomen Tithings haue euer some commandement joyned with them and commandement requires euer obedience so when euer thou gettest tithings thou gettest a commandement doe this or thou shalt neuer get part nor portion of the tithings No Brethren a Christian life is not an idle life but practicke if euer thou vvouldest be partaker of these good tithings looke that thou striue to doe that vvhich Hee bids thee Ruane sayes the Angell home this haue I told you Preach ye to the Apostles Goe tell the disciples that He is risen Goe your way hastely to testifie the Resurrection This glorious Resurrection requires an hastie preaching and I saye to you that testimonie that is giuen of Christ requires expedition and therefore if thou aymest to testifie of the Lord doe it hastely the glory Hee gets vvould not be delayed The next part of the direction the Angell giues them is that they tell the Apostles that they goe to Galile because Christ would be before them there The Papistes thinke that they haue gotten a great vantage of this that Peters name was expressed and not the rest This speciall direction that is sent to Peter imports no supremacie but rather if ye consider well that hee was inferiour to them all It importes this plainely that Peter had done a great fault by the threefold deniall of the Lord. Alas in this action he had an euill conscience and if there had not beene a particular direction to Him hee durst not for his life haue come to CHRIST Thinke ye that a man that hath denied GOD dare come to Him except He be preuented No Peter durst not for his life haue looked to the LORD so this is their supremacie that they marke of Peter aboue the rest Now one thing
and quicknesse of his wit may doe some things without the speciall assistance of the Spirit of Christ but in the Church no man can doe any thing without the presence of the Spirit the man that hath not the Spirit and His graces in some measure is altogether vnprofitable and vnmeete for the Lordes worke for this cause the Lorde makes a speciall promise of this Spirit to them whome He places in His seruice because their calling and function in all respects is spirituall Looke to experience and ye will finde the trueth of this promise There is not a faithfull Minister but in some measure hee hath the Spirit of God to bee powerfull with him in his calling in such sort that not himselfe only but others also who see and heare him will sensiblie perceiue and take it vp The Apostle Paul found sensibly the Spirit of God to be powerfull with him in his labouring in the Ministerie when hee sayes It was not I that laboured but the grace of God which is with me 1 Cor. Chapter 15. verse 10. And againe when he sayes That hee laboured and stroue according to His working which worketh in him mightily Col. Chapter 1. verse 29. And on the other part when hee sayes to the Corinthians Yee see the experience of Christ that speakes in me which toward you is not weake but is mightie in you 2 Cor. Chap. 13. verse 3. he importes that as he himselfe found the power of the Spirit within him so they to whome he preached found it by His Spirit But I insist not to bring in particular places for if we consider well the Epistles of Paul vvee will finde many sentences testifying to vs that not only he himselfe found the power of the Spirit in his Ministerie and the life of Iesus working mightely in him in the middes of his infirmities yea euen in death it selfe 2. Cor. Chapter 4. verse 8. but also that same power was manifest vnto them that heard him Naturall men thinke all is but scorne that is spoken of the Spirit and of His power in the preaching of the Gospell they laugh at it as if there were no such thing but the faithfull man findes that it is not for nought that Christ promised His Spirit to them whom Hee sends as also that vvithout that Spirit no grace could haue bene wrought in their soules Now in the last wordes of this Text to assure them the more that they should receiue this Holy Spirit that was promised the Lord commands them That they goe not out of Ierusalem but that they tarie there vntill they be endued with power from on high that is Vntill they haue receiued this Spirit that He promised to send vnto them So in a manner for their further assurance He prescribes to them a particular time within the which they should receiue the Holie Ghost The Lord commonly when Hee makes a promise of anie thing to His owne Hee will giue them some waâ—rand to confirme and assure them vntill Hee fullie performe His promise for because He knowes our weaknesse and infirmitie He giues vs as it were an earnest pennie to strengthen our Faith and Hope vntill He pay the whole summe to vs for such is our weaknâ—sse that albeit vve haue no more wee cannot bee able long to depend vpon His naked word It is true indeede that the Lord sometime for the triall of the Faith of His owne will charge them to rest vpon His bare and naked word only to beleeue His promise Hee will giue no furâ—her assurance as likewise for a season it may bee that they depend vpon His bare word but it is as true that this cannot continue long for except as by Faith they depend vpon the worde so also they haue some feeling and foretasting of the thing promised and some earnestpennie and securitie to assure them of the obtaining of the promise their Faith will faile and decay So weake are we in Faith so ready are we to mistrust that we cannot stand nor continue except wee bee vnderpropped and vpholden by some speciall warrand from God Now to end One thing further may be marked in these words The Lorde discharges the Apostles to goe out of Ierusalem vntill they haue gotten tâ—is Holy Spirite that Hee promised them The lesson is A Minister should not couet to goe to the worlde to preach the Gospell vntill the time hee bee assured that the Holie Spirit accompanies him and his trauells for if the Apostles themselues might not goe out to preach vntill the Spirit were sent vnto them it is a foolish thing for any man after them to presume to doe it But alas it is a thing greatly to be lamented in this age that there are so fewe that waite vntill they be accompanied with the Holy Spirit in their Ministerie and that so many goe rashly to vndertake such an high calling Many vpon a conceite that they haue of their naturall giftes their wisdome their quicknesse ingine memorie eloquence and such other giftes will start vp to the pulpet and preach confidently to the people in the Name of Iesus But the Lorde in His just Iudgement not only withdrawes all blessing from their labours but also heapâ—s shame and ignominie vpon them and makes it manifest to the world that He sent them not but they ranne vnsent But thou who wouldest haue a good conscience who wouldest haue the Lord to blesse thy trauells in His Ministerie presume not too farre of thy naturall giftes how great so euer they be but waite vpon the Lordes leasure vntill Hee preuent thee with His Spirit and endue thee with power from on hie and in the meane time be crying earnestly for the presence of that Spirit who when Hee comes will open thine heart and loose thy mouth to speake with boldnesse and freedome in the Name of Iesus To whome with the Father and that blessed Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XX. verse 21 Then said Iesus to them againe Peace be vnto you as my Father sent me so send â— you verse 22 And when He had saide that He breathed on them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost verse 23 Whosoeuer sinnnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye reteine they are reteined HITHERTO beloued Brethren in Christ wee haue insisted in the opening vp of that Sermon that the Lorde vttered to His Apostles in His fift appearing after His Resurrection as it is set down by the Euangelist Luke wherein first He lets them see that it behooued Him to suffer and to rise againe from the death because it was so foretolde of Him and that it behooued Repentance Remission of sinnes to be preached in His Name to all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Next He giues them a direction to goe out to the world to be witnesses and preachers of these things albeit they were altogether vnmeet and vnsufficient and had
he hath a speciall warrand from the Iudge otherwise hee cannot haue a good conscience in his intimation then how shall the Pastour knowe Gods sentence pronounced in Heauen that hee may haue a good conscience in his proceeding To this I answere It is true indeede the Pastour hath none extraordinarie reuelation of that sentence vvhich is past in Heauen but all the warrand that the Pastour hath is ordinary wrought by the Spirit accompanying His own word vvhich He left in vvrite vnto vs and the Pastour gets this vvarrand out of the vvord by the applying of the generall sentences of the vvorde to particular persons according as they finde their disposition and behauiour and by this meanes gets such a sufficient warrand out of the vvorde as his conscience may rest vpon As for example to speake first of the sentence of the Remission of sinnes Before the Pastour absolue a man and remit his sinnes he lookes first to the generall sentences set downe in the worde that may be his warrand as namely that sentence which the LORD Himselfe vtters Ioh. 3.13 Whosoeuer beleeues in the Sonne of God shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Nowe to Faith in Christ joyne Repentance for the Gospell joynes Repentance and Remission of sinnes together Luke 24.47 and sayes Whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be safe To this generall proposition the Pastour will assume particularly This sinner repents and beleeues whereupon he concludes declaring the sentence that is alreadie past of Him in the Heauen therefore this sinner hath his sinnes forgiuen him and he shall be saued Againe before the Pastour binde a man and retaine his sinnes hee lookes to this generall sentence of the worde Hee that beleeues not and repents not is alreadie condemned Ioh. 3.18 Then he assumes particularly But this sinner beleeues not neither repents whereupon hee concludes the declaration of the sentence which is alreadie past in Heauen Therefore this sinner is condemned and is bound in Heauen The Lord worke in our heartes true repentance and Faith in the Lorde Iesus that not only wee may heare the voyce of the Pastour absoluing vs but likewise our owne consciences may assure vs of the Remission of our sinnes through the mercie of God in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLVI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XX. verse 24 But Thomas one of the twelue called Didimus was not with them when Iesus came verse 25 The other Disciples therefore saide vnto him Wee haue seene the Lord but hee saide vnto them Except I see in His handes the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put mine hand into His side I will not beleeue it verse 26 And eight dayes after againe His Disciples were within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus when the doores were shut and stood in the middes and saide Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard hitherto Welbeloued in Christ of fiue sundrie appearings of our Lord after His Resurrection The first was to Marie Magdalene The second was to other women The third was to two Disciples as they were going from Jerusalem to Emmaus The fourth was to Simon Peter The fift was to the eleuen assembled together in one place In this fift appearance the Lord hath a Sermon to His Disciples wherein first He lets them see the necessitie that He should suffer and rise againe and that these thinges behooued to be preached to the world and thereafter giues them a direction to goe out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to the worlde in His Name and to the end He may encourage them the more willingly to vndertake this charge Hee promises to giue them the Holy Spirit with His graces y t was promised before for their further assurance He enters them presently in some measure in possession of the Spirit for Iohn sayes Hee breathed vpon them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost and then Hee enarmes them with authoritie and power to forgiue and retaine sinnes And Hee sayes Whosoâ—uer sinâ—es ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine thâ—y are retained Now in the words that we haue presently read out of the Gospell of Iohn wee haue set downe a particular Hâ—storie concerning Thomas and his incredulitie this Thomas is he who is also called Didymus we read of him first that he was called and receiued to be one of the twelue Apostles Matth. 10 3. Next we â—ead that hee was offended that the Lord purposed to returne againe to Iudea beeing requestâ—d by Martha and Marie to come to Lazâ—rus their brother and that he burst out in words full of anger aâ—d iâ—dâ—gnation saying Let vs goe also that we may die with Lazarus Ioh 11.16 And last wee haue in this place set downe the Historie not only of his great incredulitie but also of his stubburnesse and wilfulnesse therein for neither did hee beleeue neither had hee a will or purpose to beleeue Of this doing of Thomas we may learne that by nature there was no difference betweene y e Apostles of the Lord Iesus other men albeit moste vile most vnworthie but grace made the difference they were as incredulous as stubburne as hard hearted as any other by nature while it pleased God of His mercie to open their heâ—rtes to make them to bâ—leeue And therefore the Lord Iesus when He calles them to be Apostles and ordaines them to preach the exceeding gâ—eatnesse of His mercy to others He makes them to stand for eâ—samples of that same mercie that they preach to others that they might y e more easily perswade others make them to come to seeke mercie in Iesus This was the ende why the Apostle Paul sayes The Lord shewed mercy on him who was a mâ—serable wreth and had called him to bee an Apost Iesus Christ saies he shâ—wed on me all long suffeâ—ing vnto the ensample of them which shall in time to come beleeue in Him vnto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 Thus much concerning the person of Thomas we come next to the Historie of his incredulitie first to the occasion of it the rest of y e Apostles Disciples who were assembled together in one to whom the Lord Iesus had manifested Himselfe declares preaches to Thomas y e ResurrectioÌ„ of Christ y e cause of their preaching thereof to him was because Thomas was absent when the Lord appeared to the rest What was the cause of his absence it is vncertaine neither will we curiously inquire what it was It may be that after Christ His Master was apprehended he kept himselfe close lurked secretly for feare of danger through the malice of the Iewes and durst not manifest himselfe so soone as the rest or it may be that he was entangled with his owne priuate affaires at that time when the rest met together and were speaking of
beleeue There are two sortes of contumacie and stubburnesse in sinne and vnbeliefe the one is conditionall and such vvas the vnbeliefe of Thomas the other sort is absolute vvithout any condition vvhen in no case vpon no cause nor vvarrand vvill beleeue and of this sort vvas the sinne and vnbeliefe of the Priestes and the Pharises for vvhen the souldiers that vvere appointed to keepe and guarde the sepulchre came in to the towne and tolde them that IESVS CHRIST vvas risen out of the graue not only did they not beleeue but also they stroue to keepe themselues in such vnbeliefe and hardnes of heart that in no cace nor condition they vvould suffer themselues to bee reformed so they deteined the vvord of GOD into vnrighteousnesse There is a great difference betweene these two sortes of vnbeliefe The first sort may obtaine mercie Thomas obteined mercie the LORD pardoned his vnbeliefe The other sort verie hardly can obtaine mercie the Priestes and the Pharises found no mercie their vnbeliefe vvas laide to their charge the LORD forgaue them not but as they remained in vnbeliefe so they perished in their infidelitie The LORD saue vs from this cursed sinne of vnbeliefe and infidelitie and namely from this absolute vnbeliefe that in no cace vvill suffer reformation for through processe of time it brings on this sinne against y e Holy Ghost which neuer will be forgiuen neither in this world nor in y e world to come Now last ere I leaue these words of Thomas we may see what is y e grouÌ„d fountaine of this vnbeliefe obstinacie and pride of Thomas the grouÌ„d of all was he leaned too much to his grosse bodily senses to his seeing feeling handling he makes his eyes his hand to be y e ground of his faith Thomas indeede failed not in this that he desired to see y e Lord with his eyes to handle him with his hands for ye heard before how y e Lord by y e sight of the eyes y e feeling of Him with their hands perswaded y e Apostles of the certaintie of His ResurrectioÌ„ Luke 24.39 likewise we see that y e Lord hauing regarde to y e infirmitie of His owne pitying the weaknesse of their faith dayly in y e Sacrament teaches them by y e outward senses as by the seeing tasting handling of y e Elements But herein Thomas sailed that he addicted tied himselfe so to his senses to his sight to his handling that he affirmed professed plainly except he saw him with his eyes handled him with his hands he would neuer beleeue that y e Lord was risen againe from the death notwithstanding of the witnessing of so many so godly so faithfull persons who euery one after another testified of the Lords Resurrection Then marke it Bâ—ethren It is not vnlawfull for a man to desire to see the Lorde euen with his bodily eyes No that desire is lawfull and acceptable to God for all the Sainctes that euer haue beene since the beginning of the world desired to see our LORD face to face Manie Kings and Prophets haue desired to see Him and yet sawe Him not Luke Chapter 10. verses 23.24 Abraham the father of the faithfull desiâ—ed to see Him and olde Simeon who got a reuelation that hee should not depart while he saw the LORD earnestly waited and thirsted for to see Him Luke 2 25. So that it is a lawfull and acceptable thing to desire to see the Lord. But in desiring to see Him we must beware that our faith be not so tied to the outward senses that we refuse altogether to beleeue except wee see the Lorde with our eyes and handle Him with our hands No I say more thou must be so farre from tying thy Faith to the outward senses that thou must not tie it to the very inward feeling of the soule thou must not say except I ay feele I will no wise beleeue for albeit that at all times thou haue not a feeling findest not grace into thy soule albeit thou findest not the Holy Spirite who is the earnest pennie of thy saluation to be presently working within thee and sealing vp thine adoption yet thou art obliged to relie and depend vpon the bare word and naked promise of God and so to seale in thy soule that the Lord is true for he hath made a verie small progresse in Faith that will not trust in GOD and depend vpon His naked worde except ay hee haue some feeling of grace of joy of comfort and of the Holy Ghost The Sainctes of God many times vvhen they had no feeling depended vpon the worde of promise and waited vpon the accomplishment of it Job when he felt not the Lords fauour but conceiued that the Lord was angrie with him he sayes Although thou slayest me yet will I trust in thee Iob 13.15 And Abraham when hee saw none appearance that the Lords promise concerning his seed could be performed yet it is said of him That aboue Hope hee beleeued vnder Hope Rom. 4.18 Likewise Dauid vvhen he vvas in great danger of his enemies and sawe litle appearance of deliuerie still trusted in God and depended vpon His promise for he sayes I will reioyce in God because of His word I trust in God and will not feare what flesh can doe vnto me Psal 56.4 It may be that the Lord exercise thee with the conscience of sinne and with the terrours of His vvrath in such sort that thou findest no sense of grace nor of His fauour yet in this case despare not but by the example of the Sainctes learne to depend vpon the worde and promise of God till thou findest the performance of it to the comfort of thy soule Now to goe forwarde and to end shortly After that the Euangelist hath set downe after this manner as ye haue heard the historie of the incredulitie of Thomas hee comes to another appearing of the Lorde after His Resurrection which is the sixt in number for of fiue wee haue heard alreadie and this appearing seemes chiefly to bee for Thomas cause The time of this appearing is noted It was eight dayes after that is from that day in the which Thomas had plainely professed that hee would neuer beleeue that the Lord was risen except that both hee sawe Him and felt Him and His wounds and it was the eight day likewise after the Lords Resurrection for the former fiue appearings of the Lord whereof we haue alreadie spoken were al vpon the first day in the which the Lord rose from the dead So ye see that Thomas the space of whole eight dayes interueening remained in incredulitie vnbeliefe This example of Thomas le ts vs see what is the disposition of the soule of a man after he hath committed a sinne against the Majestie of God after he hath once sinned he is wrapped vp in a senslesse securitie hee sleepes sound in his sinne there is a vale casten ouer the
testified vnto him that the Lord was risen and had appeared vnto them that they sawe Him with their eyes heard Him with their eares and handled Him with their hands yet such was the incredulitie of Thomas that he professed plainly that in no cace he would beleeue except hee saw in His hands the print of the nailes and put his finger in the print of the nailes and put his hande into His side To remedie this incredulitie of Thomas the Lord appeares now the sixt time eight dayes after His former appearings when His disciples were met together and Thomas with them Iesus came the doores beeing shut and stood in the middes of them and saluted them after the accustomed manner saying vnto them Peace be vnto you Now in these words which we haue presently read we haue the Lordes conference with Thomas first Next in the last wordes of the Chapter the Euangelist meetes mens curiositie affirming albeit all things that Iesus did were not written in this Gospell yet it was not vnperfect because all things were written that were necessarie to life and saluation In the conference that the Lord hath with Thomas Hee meetes him not roughly and rigorously as his incredulitie had justly deserued but with lenitie and meekenesse Hee endeuoureth to make him to beleeue by granting him his desire Thomas had plainly professed that except hee sawe the print of the nailes and put his hande into His side hee would not beleeue therefore the Lord sayes nowe Thomas Put thy finger heere and see Mine handes and put foorth thine hande and put it in My side and bee no more faithlesse but faithfull See the gentlenesse of the LORD and howe louingly Hee speakes to him Thomas was not onely incredulous but also he was stubburne obstinate proud and arrogant hee counted others fooles that beleeued hee professed that in no cace hee would beleeue without seeing and feeling of the LORDES wounds Now the LORD grantes this to Thomas which he desired albeit hee was vnworthie of it yea the LORD inuites him and louingly bids him put his hande in the print of the nailes and in His side for the LORD speakes not this in bitternesse and tauntingly to Thomas for the wordes that He subjoynes Be not faithlesse but faithfull testifie that Hee spake of loue and in lenitie to Thomas to make him to beleeue It is true indeede the wordes containe a sort of reproofe and rebuking of Thomas for his incredulitie but this reproofe is so tempered and seasoned vvith such lenitie and meeknesse that scarcâ—ly can it bee perceiued and taken vp This dealing of the LORD with Thomas le ts vs see how great is the mercie gentlenesse and long suffering of the LORD IESVS towards sinners whose sinnes deserue nothing but wrath judgement such is His mercie and meeknesse towards sinners that to the end Hee might please vs Paul sayes Rom. 15.3 Hee would not please Himselfe He suffered shame ignominie for vs He suffâ—red dolour paines for vs He died for vs and after Hee rose He spared no trauell to make the Apostles belâ—eue sundrie times did He appeare to them now He appeares for Thomas cause albeit he had runne very far in the course of infidelitie stubburnesse yet He striues by granting him his desiâ—e to perswade him and make him to beleeue The Lords gentlenesse and long suffering is very great towardes all men euen the verie reprobate themselues who refuse the riches of His bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering not knowing that the bount fulnesse of GOD leadeth them to repentance Rom Châ—pter 2 verse 4. For as Paul sayes Hee suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared for destruction Rom. Chapter 9. verse 22. But it is greater towardes his owne in whome Hee sees some sponke of grace to bee for albeit Hee finde it to be very small and heauily oppressed and smoothered downe by the corruption of our flesh and of our cankred nature yet He endeuoures to cherish and intertaine it for Hee breakes not the brused reed my quench the smooking flaxe Esay 42.3 Matth. 12.20 But Brethren it serues for no purpose to speake of this gentlenesse and bountifulnesse of the Lord except wee haue a sense and feeling of it in our owne soules and except we taste how sweete and bountifull the Lord is for no wordes can expresse it no wordes can perswade a man of it except he finde the proofe and sense of it in his owne soule The Lorde worke a feeling of it in euery one of our hearts that we may speake of it with the greater assurance perswasion But there may be a question mooued heere The desire of Thomas seemes to be vnlawfull and vnreasonable why then should the Lord haue granted it to him How standes this with His Iustice How agrees this with that vnchangeable Nature of GOD in Christ To this I answere That Thomas failed not in this that he desired to see the Lord for that is the desire of all the Sainctes but in this he failed as we heard before that he tied his faith so precisely to his outwarde senses to seeing and handling that hee professed that no wise he would beleeue except hee saw the Lord and felt Him yet no question he had in the meane time some spirituall desire to see the Lord and hee had a true and sincere loue towards the Lord. This louing dealing of the Lord with Thomas teaches vs this comfortable lesson The Lord markes not narrowly the infirmities and wants that are in His owne Hee lookes not narrowly to the weaknesse of their Faith to the imperfections wants of their prayers and requests for their prayers are full of wants and imperfections but Hee passes by their imperfections Hee ouersees their infirmities and misknowes the corruption wherein their Faith their prayers and desires are inuolâ—ed and ouercled and Hee hath a regard to their Faith albeit they haue it in neuer so small a measure for the Lord knowes the meaning of His owne Spirit euen then when He is wrestling into vs against an inumerable number of our infirmities sinnes and corruptions Happie is that soule that hath a sponke of true Faith for the Lord will regarde it and ouersee many infirmities and imperfections in him Thus farre of the Lords speech to Thomas Now followes the answere of Thomas vnto the Lord Thomas meetes Him with a notable confession Thou art my Lord and my God The Text makes no particular mention vvhether or not Thomas put his finger in the print of His vvounds and his hand in His side when the Lord bade him If so hee did and vvould none otherwise beleeue then surely hee hath beene very hard of heart impudent and obstinate vvho vvould not beleeue when he saw the Lord with his eyes and heard Him speaking to him But it is more probable and I am of that judgement that so soone as Thomas sawe the Lord and heard Him speaking that he was ashamed of his incredulitie
he came to himselfe bethought himselfe for it is a wonder to see howe soone the soule of the most obstinate and indured man will be turned when it pleases the Lord to be effectuall in it by His presence The rest of the Apostles beleeued not so soone as they sawe the Lord heard His voyce albeit their incredulitie was not so great as was the incredulitie of Thomas yet when it pleased the Lord to open their eyes and to illuminate their vnderstanding they beleeued And Thomas vvho by many degrees surpassed all the rest in incredulitie after that once he saw the Lord and heard Him incontinently he beleeued and gaue a notable confession of Him Then marke it Brethren Faith dependes not on our selues on the strength of our nature on the free wil of man or vpon such such disposition of the soule but it dependes vpon the free mercie and good pleasure of God It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in GOD that sheweth mercie Rom. Chapter 9. verse 16. Therefore when wee see any beliefe in CHRIST let vs euer giue the praise thereof to GOD and not to the man as if it were of his naturall strength power and inclination But let vs consider this confession of Thomas and the grounds vvhereupon it arises he sayes Thou art my LORD and my GOD. This confession that hee giues of the LORD proceedes from a cleare light whereby his minde was suddenly illuminated and that by the powerfull and effectuall presence of the LORD his minde was first illuminated to see CHRIST to be the LORD as He is man for CHRIST as Hee is man is LORD ouer all thereafter to see Christ as He is GOD for by the vaile of the flesh and of the nature of man Hee is led in and gets accesse to see the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily Next this confession proceedes frō the apprehension of the heart whereby it felt the Lord and tooke holde of Him for as that cleare light shined in his minde so also the heart of Thomas was opened to embrace the Lord and to draw Him in to himselfe and therefore hee calles Him not simply Lord but my Lord he stiles Him not simply God but my God For no question this plaine and cleare confession testifies that there was a cleare illumination in the minde and a full perswasion in the heart of Thomas of that which he confessed If wee compare Thomas with the rest of the Apostles wee will finde that as he surpassed them farre in vnbeliefe so he surpasses them farre in beleeuing and confessing of the LORD for such a confession hath not beene hitherto vttered by any of the Disciples so that in this example we may see verified that common saying The last shall be first and the first shall be last The rest of the Apostles were before Thomas in Faith they beleeued before him but nowe Thomas by a suddaine change runnes out before them hee hath a clearer sight and a greater measure of Faith than they had The rest of the Apostles had the Holy Spirit giuen them and that strengthened their Faith but Thomas who then was absent after that once hee see and heare the Lord he findes such a cleare and marueilous light in his soule that hee vtters a more glorious and notable confession than any of the rest had done before And this likewise teaches vs to ascribe the praise of all the benefites and graces that is in man to the grace and mercie of GOD who distributes to euery man according to the good pleasure of His will that which Hee thinkes meete for as was said before It is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie This sudden change and notable confession which Thomas giues of the LORD teaches vs yet further that there was some sponkes of grace and of spirituall desire left into the soule of Thomas to see the LORD and to enjoy His presence for except there had bene some piece of desire to haue seene Him how could hee vpon a suddaintie haue embraced Him so willingly and joyfully as one long desired and looked for For the wordes of Thomas importe first that hee had great sorrowe and sadnesse in His soule because as hee thought hee had lost the LORD Next that hee had a desire to finde Him and to see Him againe And thirdly that hee had an exceeding great joy when he found Him and by his expectation saw Him and enjoyed His presence This serues for thy comfort who hast gotten a measure of grace albeit the corruptions and infirmities of the flesh striue to drowne and smoother and suffocate it yet neuer shall it altogether be abolished and extinguished but at last it shall wrestle out and preuaile and ouercome the corruption Now to come forward to the LORDES replie to Thomas Hee answeres him Thomas because thou hast seene thou beleeuest blessed are they which haue not seene and haue beleeued Hee sayes not because thou hast touched Mee but because thou hast seene Me. So in my judgement Thomas touched not the Lord but contented himselfe with the seeing of the LORD and hearing of His voyce Hee acknowledges the Faith of Thomas but Hee extetenuates it in comparison of others Hee praises not Thomas for His Faith because hee tied his faith to his senses Hee beleeued because hee sawe Him but Hee praises and commends the Faith of others who no counting of the outwarde sense should beleeue in Him albeit they saw Him not Albeit Hee acknowledges the Faith of Thomas Hee calles him not blessed for it but Hee pronounces them to be blessed who haue not seene Him and yet doe beleeue These wordes of the LORD to Thomas le ts vs see that the case and condition of them who beleeue without seeing is nothing worse nor inferiour to the case and condition of them who haue not seene the LORD and vpon sight haue beleeued We this day who haue not seene the LORD face to face but only haue heard His worde and beleeue are nothing inferiour to them who sawe Him and beleeued and namely to Thomas who would not beleeue except he saw the LORD and if there were no more to assure thee who hast not seene the LORD IESVS and yet beleeuest that thou art blessed this joy that thou shalt finde in the middes of thy greatest sorrow and affliction might be a sufficient argument to perswade thee for Peter sayes The Godly in the middes of their affliction beleeuing in Christ whome they haue not seene reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. Chapter 1. verse 8. Indeede in this life the blessed estate of them who beleeue in Christ is neither clearly seene by others neither is it throughly felt by themselues for it is not seene what wee shall be and heere only haue wee the first fruites of the Spirite and a foretasting of these things that shall bee reueiled but in that
thou wilt and as long as thou wilt neuer shalt thou get any other true miracle from God except only this miraculous and wonderfull effect that the Gospell workes in bringing foorth in our heartes this true and justifying Faith in renewing vs and in beginning that life eternall in our soules for the faithfull finde by experience that this Gospell of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to them that beleeue If thou be not content with this marueilous effect but wilt goe on to seeke outwaâ—d signes and miracles thou declarest plainely to the worlde that thou neuer didst finde this powerfull effect of the Gospell into thy soule and if thou findest not this powerfull effect to bee wrought into thy soule by the preaching of the word and by the miracles that were wrought by the Lord Iesus and His Apostles thou wilt neuer beleeue albeit thou sawest ten thousand new miracles wrought before thine eyes Now we tolde you before that both the worde and doctrine and likewise the miracles were written by the speciall will direction of Christ but there is a difference betweene their writting for all the doctrine of Christ that is necessarie to life and saluation in substance not so much as a sentence excepted is set downe in write the Holy Spirit He omitted nothing But all the miracles that the Lord wrought are not set downe in write for it was necessarie for our Faith that y e substance of the whole doctrine should be set down in write but it was not necessary for our Faith that all y e miracles which He wrought should be writteÌ„ Our Faith required the one but our Faith required not the other for the Lord in writting and registrating of His word and miracles had not respect vnto the curiositie of vaine man which is vnsatiable and can neuer be satisfied but Hee had regarde to the Faith and Saluation of man and therefore Hee set downe these things in write which were sufficient and necessarie for Faith and Saluation Our Faith and Saluation was the rule and measure of the Lords reuelation and not the curiositie of vaine man Now if all things are written that are necessarie to life and Saluation then thou who is not content with these thinges but seekest other thinges and claimes vnto vnwritten verities which are the fantasies of mens braine and cry for new miracles What can any man thinke that that thou art doing but seeking something aboue and beyond eternall Life and Saluation thou seekest but fantasies that thine owne head conceiteth Indeede vaine Papist if thine vnderstanding were capable and if thy faith were able to comprehend all these thinges all the doctrine and miracles that are written in the Olde and New Testament thou wouldest haue some shew of reason to require more to clame to vnwritten verities and to desire moe miracles and I would the more willingly giue thee leaue to require them But seeing such is the weaknesse and infirmitie of thy Faith and vnderstanding that thou art not able to comprehend these same things that are written which farre surpasses the capacitie and vnderstanding of man why shouldest thou miserable wretch deuise other thinges to thy selfe Why goest thou about to clout and clamp to the word of God which so long as we liue in this worlde we are not able fully to attaine to the dreames and fantasies which thou hast forged in thine owne braine Now to end shortly The Euangelist in setting downe the ende wherefore these miracles were left in write which is that we might beleeue in Christ and get life through Him lets vs see what are the things that chiefly we ought to beleeue of Christ These things sayes he are written that yee might beleeue that Christ is that Sonne of God These wordes comprehend summarily the substance of all these things that are necessarie to be beleeued of Iesus we must beleeue in Iesus euen that Iesus who was borne of the Virgine Marie who walked in Iudea and was conuersant among the Jewes And what must we beleeue of Him These words tell vs we must beleeue two thinges of Him First that Hee is That Christ Next that Hee is That Sonne of God The first respecteth His office the next respecteth His person By reason of His office Hee is called That Christ because He is annointed of God the Father to bee our King Priest and Prophet for these three sortes of persons Kings Priestes and Prophets vsed to bee annointed in the Olde Testament In respect of His person wee must beleeue that He is That Sonne of God for as Christ is GOD and the Sonne of GOD properly Hee is a person euen the second person of the Trinitie The nature of man that Hee assumed makes not vp a part of His person but was only assumed to the diuine person and was so straitly conjoyned and vnited to the person of the Sonne that whole Christ GOD and man is called but one person Now looke what benefit we receiue by beleeuing these things of Iesus He sayes In beleuing we haue life through His Name How comes this that Faith in Iesus we get life First we flie as it were mount aboue while wee come vnto CHRIST and take holde of Him For where the Carioun is thither will the Eagles resort Next when wee haue honoured Him so that wee count nothing of our selues while we rest in Him by Faith then through our Faith as a conduit He conuoyes life into our soules and that not an euanishing life but Eternall life and this life is the life of God So this life thâ—t we liue here by Faith flowes first from the Sonne of God and from Iesus as He is God then it comes to vs from the Sonne of God as He is Christ and annointed our King Priest and Prophet for first as He was annointed to be our Priest by His death and sacrifice vpon the Crosse Hee merited life vnto vs thereafter as Hee was annointed to be our King and Prophet Hee applies powerfully and effectually vnto vs the benefites which as our Priest Hee merited vnto vs by His death for as He is our Prophet He applies them to vs by His teaching as He is our King He appliets them to vs by working powerfully and effectually into vs by His Spirit Now we see what we ought to beleeue of Iesus what gaine we receiue by this Faith the gaine is very great but the meanes to come by it lyes not in our hands wee are not able by our owne free will or by the strength of Nature to beleeue flesh and blood cannot teach vs this Faith for as it is true which Paul sayes No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. Chapter 12. verse 3. So none can beleeue that Iesus is that Christ and that Sonne of GOD but by the same Holy Ghost as the LORDE Himselfe tolde Peter after that Hee had confessed that Hee was the CHRIST the Sonne of the
it not saide The violent take the Kingdome of Heauen by force Matth. Chap. 11. vers 12. And doth not the Lord recommend importunitie and earnestnesse in crauing by the Parable of the widowe who importunated the vnrighteous Iudge To this I answere It is lawfull indeede to seeke continually the increase and growth of knowledge as well as of all other spirituall graces yea it is a thing that the Lord recommends vnto vs commands But of what knowledge should we seeke the increase Only the knowledge of these thinges that are reueiled and set downe in the Olde and New Testament it is the Lords will that wee euer grow in knowledge of these thinges and that we goe from knowledge to knowledge But this increase of knowledge is farre different from curiositie in seeking new reuelations besides the thinges that are reueiled in the writes of the Prophets and the Apostles The Lord likes well growth of knowledge but Hee mislikes curiositie yea I say to thee if thou seekest a clearer and more ample reuelation than that which is alreadie set downe in the Olde and New Testament thou offendest highly the Majestie of God for by so doing thou deniest that Christ when Hee came into the world brought with Him a full and perfect reuelation of all things necessarie Read what the Apostle Paul sayes Rom. 10.6 Now to end shortly In the last wordes of our Text wee haue set downe the Conclusion of this appearing of Christ whereof we haue spoken wherein hee telles that it was the third in number for hee sayes This nowe is the third time that Iesus shewed Himselfe vnto His Disciples after He was raised againe from the dead I thinke he calles it the third in number not absolutely but in respect of the Disciples and so the words import for it is said This is the third time that He shewed Himselfe vnto His Disciples for if we number precisely the particular appearing of Christ after His Resurrection vnto this time whereof wee haue any mention made in the Scripture we will finde that this is the eight in number He shewed Himselfe first to Marie Magdalene Next to other certaine women Thirdly to the two Apostles who were going to Emmaus Fourthly to Simon Peter Fifthly to lames as we may read 1. Cor. 15.6 Sixtly to the Disciples assembled together in Ierusalem Thomas only being absent Seuenthly to the same Disciples assembled together Thomas beeing present with them Eightly He appeared vnto these sâ—uen at this time when they were fishing Nowe it was not without cause that the Lord reueiled Himselfe so oft after Hee rose againe No question Hee did it not onely to confirme the Disciples of the trueth of His Resurrection but also for our cause that wee might haue stedfast faith and full assurance that Hee is risen againe for our comfort And it is the Lords will that when wee reade that there were so many that saw Him with their eyes heard Him spake with Him handeled Him and haunted with Him wee should bee fully perswaded and assured of His Resurrection But I will not insist in this matter because I haue spoken of it alreadie Nowe seeing the Lord has had such a great care of our faith that by beleeuing we might haue comfort seeing so oft times and to so manie Hee appeared the LORD make these meanes effectuall to worke and to encrease faith in vs that both in our life and especiallie in the houre of death wee may haue matter of rejoycing in Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all praise and honour AMEN THE L. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XXI verse 15 So when they had dined Iesus said to Simon Peter Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me more than these He said vnto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He said vnto him Feede my lambes verse 16 He said to him againe the second time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me He said vnto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He said vnto him Feede my sheepe verse 17 He said vnto him the third time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me Peter was sorie because hee said to him the third time Louest thou mee and said vnto him Lord thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee Iesus said to him Feede my sheepe WEE haue hearde these dayes past Beloued in the Lord Iesus of the third generall appearance of the Lord Iesus after His glorious Resurrection The place we heard was by the Sea of Tiberias The persons to whom He appeared we heard were seuen in number The manner how He appeared was by miracle by wonderfull working He shewes a miracle in the Sea by taking of many great fishes there Then by land by the extraordinary preparation of meat fire to His disciples comming off the sea to the land To this He joyned y e third miracle in keeping whole the net so that there was not a threed broken notwithstanding of the great number of fishes taken therein Thereafter as He manifested Himselfe in His Godhead diuine power in working of miracles so He comes on more familiarly manifestes Himselfe in His humane nature lets theÌ„ see y t He was a maÌ„ ate drunk with theÌ„ as other men therfore He sits down dines with them Hee eates Himself giues them to eat also Then hauing dined He enters in conference with Peter which conference we haue to entreat of this day as God wil giue vs grace The end of His conference with Peter was not to make him an Vniuersall Bishop His Vicar here on y e earth as the Papists speake that is to say To make vp a Popedome for the Papists make these words relatiue to that promise which they saye He made to Peter before Matth. 16.18 I say vnto thee Thou art Peter vpon this Rocke I will build my Kirke That was not the end but y e end of it was to restore him again to his own rowm of th'Apostleship from the which he fell for Peter had made a foule defection froÌ„ his Lord he denied Him thrise so by this defection threefold denial he depriued himselfe of his rowm of th'Apostleship wherunto he was called Looke how verily Judas fell by his traitorie as verilie did Peter fall for he that denies the Lord Iesus vnto the time he bee restored againe he cannot be a Christian man let bee an Apostle or Minister So in a word the ende of this conference was to restore Peter again by taking out of his own mouth a threefold confession of his loue to the Lord of the hatred of that foule sin which hee committed by denying of the Lord. Indeed it is true at Christs first meeting with His disciples at HierusaleÌ„ in a maÌ„ner he was restored because he got a dâ—rection with the rest to go foorth preach the Gospel where Christ sayes As my Father sends me so send J
Prophetes and Apostles vvhich containe exactly the doctrine of Christ necessarie to saluation Nowe let vs consider in order the promises vvhich the Lord joynes vvith this commission that He giues to His Apostles the first two are set downe in Marke the third in Matthew the first promise is of euerlasting life and saluation to all that beleeue by their Ministerie and are baptized by them Hee that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued This promise of life and saluation that Hee subjoynes to the preaching and baptizing of the Apostles was no doubt to mooue and allure men vpon the consideration of so faire and great benefiâ—es that they should receiue them the more willingly to beleeue in the Lord Iesus With this promise to them that beleeue He joynes a denunciation of judgement against all those who would not beleeue by their Ministerie He denounces eternall death and damnation against them Hee that will not beleeue sayes Hee shall be condemned So that as on the one part He promises a faire reward to mooue men to beleeue so on the other part Hee threatens a fearfull judgement against them that beleeue not but despises the Apostles doctrine to make men to abhorre and detest that abhominable sinne of infidelitie Vpon this promise of reward and threatning of judgement first we learne this lesson The Ministerie of the Gospell is euer effectuall and powerfull in men either one way or other for seeing this Ministerie of the Gospell which from the Apostles dayes continues and shall continue to the ende of the world is grounded vpon that incomprehensible power that filles both heauen and earth howe is it possible but it must bee mightie and powerfull It must be powerfull either to life and saluation or els to death and damnation to life to them that beleeue to death to them that beleeue not Therefore Paul sayes that alwayes they triumphed and were victorious in Christ and that they were a fauour to God both in them that are saued and in them who perish In them who are saued they vvere the sauour of life vnto life but in them who perish they were the sauour of death vnto death 2. Cor. 2.14 The Apostle in these wordes le ts vs see that the preaching of the Gospell is euer powerfull and effectuall in all sorts of men Alas men count too lightly yea despise contemne and scorne this preaching as if it were a matter of none effect and the worde of man and not of God but take heede how thou hearest the Gospell for thou shalt finde it to be the most powerfull thing that euer was and if it bee not powerfull to worke life and saluation it shall worke death and damnation in thee Next we learne out of these wordes that Faith Righteousnesse Saluation and all spirituall graces are so tied and bound to this Ministerie of the Gospell that whosoeuer submits himselfe to this Ministerie and conformes himselfe to the Gospell hee shall attaine to Faith Righteousnesse Life and Saluation and by the contrarie whosoeuer contemnes this Ministerie hee shall neuer get any spirituall grace no Faith no Righteousnesse no Life no Saluation but by this Gospell But yee will say We should not tie nor binde the grace of God to those externall things Wee should not restraine Gods working to the outward Ministerie Indeede I grant the grace of GOD is not so tied to these ordinarie meanes and outward helpes which are dayly vsed in the Church but that yee may worke without them and that ye may worke immediatly by His owne Spirit in whome and when He pleases but it is as true that whosoeuer contemnes those outwarde ordinarie meanes which the LORD hath ordained to bee vsed he shall be depriued of all spirituall grace of Faith of Righteousnesse of Saluation For Faith sayes Paul is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God preached Rom. Chapter 10. verse 17. Many foolish men with-draw themselues from the outwarde Ministerie from the meanes of grace and are exercised in pastime in drinking in harlotrie and yet they will say they will come to Heauen as soone as the best of them but they deceiue themselues for if thou contemnest these outwarde meanes which the LORD hath ordained thou shalt neuer get no grace the gates of Heauen shall be closed on thee thy portion shall bee with the Deuill and His Angels Thirdly we may marke out of this promise an excellent and worthie effect of Faith to wit Saluation and eternall life for Hee sayes Hee that beleeueth shall be saued But we may not thinke that this effect proceedes from the force power worthinesse and merites of Faith No but this effect of life and Saluation proceedes only from the vertue power and merite of Christ which the soule apprehendes for this Life and Saluation stayes and abides so plenteously and in such abundance in Christ that as soone as wee put out the hand of Faith and takes holde of Him so soone will we finde that life of CHRIST conueyed into our soules His life is made ours by Faith In Christ there dwelles such a marueilous and glorious light that when wee approach to Him by Faith by the beames of His brightnesse He shines in our hearts that we may get the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus 2. Cor. Chapter 4. verse 6. By Faith His light is made ours in Christ there is such a wonderfull and incomprehensible glorie that as soone as with open face with the eye of Faith we beholde Him in the mirrour of the Gospell as soone are we transformed in the same Image from glorie to glorie 2 Cor. 3.18 by Faith His glorie is made ours when wee shall see Him face to face wheÌ„ Faith shall be turned into sight He shall perfect our glorie Hee shall change our vile bodies that they may bee fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things to himselfe Philip. chap. 3. vers 21. Seeing then so excellent and worthie are th'effectes of faith wee ought both carefullie to vse th' ordinarie meanes vvhereby faith is vvrought and also pray earnestlie that the Lord vvould giue a blessing to them and by them vvorke faith in our heartes that so vvee may enjoye all these graces and benefites Fourthlie vvee see in this promise of life and saluation that the Lord joynes Baptisme with faith in Christ For sayes Hee hee that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saued Wee may not vnderstand this so as if Baptisme vvere eyther simplie a cause or an halfe cause of saluation No it has no respect of a cause in the saluation of man but it is joyned to Faith as a signe and an outwarde marke to testifie and beare vvitnesse of the cause to wit Faith in Iesus Christ and in such sorte it must followe vpon Faith and bee conjoyned vvith it that hee vvho beleeues vvould vvishe to bee baptized it is not possible that
hee can contemne Baptisme And if a man contemne Baptisme let him boast of his faith as hee pleases that contempt is a sure token that he had neuer faith neither shall he get eternall life So Baptisme in some respect is necessarie to saluation that is it must not be contemned or neglected for if a man contemne or neglect it he cannot get saluation but it is not simplie and absolutelie necessary to saluation that is incase a man contemne it not nor neglect it he may be saued without it It is the contempt and not the want of it that hurtes man for a man may bee ingraffed in Christ by Faith and may bee saued by Christ vvithout the seale of Baptisme for the grace of God is not so bound and tyed to th' ordinarie meanes and outwarde helpes but that the Lord may vvorke without them when and where Hee pleases And the Lord Iesus as apparantly importes no lesse in these vvordes than that Baptisme is not absolutelie necessarie to saluation for vvhen after the promise He settes downe the cause of damnation Hee speakes not a vvorde of Baptisme for Hee sayes onelie Hee that beleeues not shall bee damned of sette purpose He leaues out Baptisme And if it had beene absolutelie necessarie to saluation no question Hee vvoulde not haue misknowne it and passed it by Now last marke the meaning of these wordes Hee that beleeues not This negation and vvant of faith comprehendes first all sinne vvhatsoeuer against the morall Law whether it be originall sinne wherein we are conceiued and borne or actuall sinne proceeding from originall sinne for if we haue not Faith in the Lord Iesus all these sinnes whatsoeuer will be laid to our charge will bring vs to damnation Next this negation and want of Faith comprehends that infidelitie rebellion stubburnesse whereby men disdainfully refuse reject that grace which the Lord offers freely in Iesus Christ to sinners this sinne of infidelitie of all sinnes is the greatest most detestable and therefore procures most speedie fearfull heauie judgement and therefore Christ sayes He that beleeues not is condemned alreadie Joh. 3 18. These wordes importr that there is no delay of judgement to him who disdainfully rejects grace but the judgement is present and alreadie past against him and hee giues a reason taken from that rebellion and repining against the Majestie of the only begotten Sonne of God hee is condemned alreadie sayes he Because hee hath not beleeued in the Name of that only begotten Sonne of God The Lord saue vs from this cursed sinne of infidelitie for where it is all other sinnes are laid to mens charge it drawes out most speedily most fearfull judgements Now it followes that we speake of the second promise to them that beleeue These tokens shall follow them that beleeue in my Name they shall cast out deuills and shall speake with new tongues and shall take away serpents and if they shall drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recouer The former promise was of life eternall to them who beleeue this promise is of the gift of working miracles He promises that the Holy Spirit should giue to them that beleeue a power gift to worke miracles We may not thinke that this power is common to all that euery particular Christian who beleeues should haue this gift neither must we thinke that it should be extended to all times and ages But this promise is to be restrained to a certaine number of particular persons on whome it shall please the Lord to bestowe this gift of working of miracles and it is to be restrained bounded within a certaine time it must bee restrained to that first age and infancie of the Church to the first time that the Gospell beganne to be preached for then it was expedient and necessarie that the Gospell which was vnknowne and not heard of before to the world should be confirmed by miracles and therefore we ought not to looke for new miracles in this age wherein we liue because the Gospell is alreadie sufficiently confirmed by the miracles wrought in that first age of the Church by Christ and His Apostles and them that immediatly succeeded The Papistes indeede bragge much of miracles that are dayly wrought in their Church but their miracles are such as Christ foretold that false Christs and false Apostles should worke and that the Antichrist should worke at his comming Matth. 24.24 And they are these which Paul calles lying signes and wonders which notwithstanding hee sayes are effectuall in them who perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth Now yee see here there is a promise of sundrie great and excellent things to be wrought by some of the faithfull in the first age of the Church as namely casting out of Deuils of speaking with newe tongues taking away serpents the drinking of deadly and poysonable things without harme the healing of sicke folkes by laying on of their hands wherein I purpose not particularly to insist but onely to marke some thinges generally for our edification Consider first the order of these promises which the Lord makes to them which beleeue First Hee promises life Saluation thereafter He promises working of miracles the promise of life is a promise of the greatest miracle that euer was wrought in the world as for other miracles they are but workes signes and tokens of that life Saluation that was to be wrought which farre surpasses all other miracles The Lord Himselfe testifies vnto vs that all the miracles which were wrought in the first age of the Church were counted but like as many fignes and tokens of life and Saluation to be wrought by Him When He sayes Matth. 9.6 That ye may know that the Sonne of man hath authoritie on earth to forgiue sinnes I will restore to health this man that is sicke of the Palsey then He sayes to the sicke man Arise take vp thy bed and goe to thine house Where He lets vs see that the miracle of bodily health was a signe token of a greater grace miracle euē of Remissiō of sins life euerlasting Whereupō we marke this lesson That Faith is neuer vvithout some miracle it hath euer one miracle or other following vpon it Indeede it hath not alwayes with it such miracles as were wrought in the first age of the Church as casting out of deuils healing of diseases yet it neuer vvants that greatest miracle of all the miracle of Regeneration of life and Saluation vvhich Christ Himselfe lets vs see is more to be marueiled at than all the miracles heere promised for vvhen the seuentie disciples who were sent out with power to worke miracles returned rejoycing that they had wrought such great things that they had cast out deuils and healed diseases He said vnto them Albeit I haue giuen you power to cast out deuils to tread on serpents and
faith y t coms by hearing thoÌ„ of that faith y t proceeds of seeing for He sayes to Thomas Because thou hast seene mee thou beleeuest but blessed are these that haue not seene and haue beleeued Joh. 20.29 Marke a manifest difference betwixt y e suffering crucifying of the Lord His Resurrection Ascension When y e Lord was crucified al sort of people beheld Him there were gathered a great multitude not of the Iewes only but also of the GeÌ„tiles out of many natioÌ„s for it was a solemne time the time of y e Passâ—ouer but there were not so many y t beheld His Resurrection nor Ascension for it was His pleasure to manifest Himself after His Resurrection to a small number of His own familiars namely His disciples Apostles likewise it was His pleasure to make choise but of a few of that same sort to be eye-witnesses of His glorious AsceÌ„sion for He wold haue His glory to be made manifest to y e world rather by the preaching of y e Gospel than by the sight of the eyes Of this difference we learne this lesson for our instruction That the shame ignominy of Christ is offred to be seene of all sorts of meÌ„ but His glory is manifested only to a small number euen to those who are saued by His bloode The shame ignominy of Christ in His meÌ„bers is laid to th' eyes of all sorts of men there are none who sees not how vile contemptible the faithfull are vnder the crosse but the glory of the faithfull is seene but of a few eueÌ„ only of those who are ordained to be partakers of that same glory For albeit saies Iohn that now we are the sons of God yet it is not made manifest what we shall be 1. Epist 3.2 And as th'Apostle Paul saies of y â— Iewes Jf they had known the Lord of glory they would not haue crucified him 1. Cor. 2.8 So say we of the wicked of the world If they knew that glory of the children of God they would not so contemne them despise persecute theÌ„ The place y t He leades theÌ„ to is said to be Bethania and Act. 1.12 it is said They returned to JerusaleÌ„ from the mount that is called the mount of Oliues neare vnto which mouÌ„t was Bethania both were neare to Ierusalem about 15. furlonges or a Sabbath dayes journey about 2. miles Ioh. 11.18 The Lord of set purpose chose this place to manifest His glory wherin before He suffred ignominy It was in this place that He wrastled with the feare of death finding the terrours of the wrath of God ceazing on His soule when He said his soule was heauie vnto the death It was in this place that the bande of men of warre came and tooke him It was in this place that they bound him and led him away to that shamefull death of the crosse Therefore in this place the Lord makes a shew of His glory in this same place He addresses Himself to triumph from this same place ascends He to His Heauenly Throne Marke the lesson in a worde The Lord of necessitie must be glorified in that same place where before He was dishonored He must be honoured either in mercy by y e conuersion of a sinner who has despised Him or els by the executing of judgemeÌ„t pouring forth of vengeance vpon th'obstinate stubborne contemners But to goe forward to the coÌ„ference coÌ„munication that was betwixt the Lord His Apostles alittle before He asceÌ„ded to HeaueÌ„ This coÌ„fereÌ„ce is set down Act. 1.6 For after the disciples were come together to the mount of Oliues they asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome of Israel Th' occasion of this their question is not set down here but it is likely that the Lord at this time has bin speaking something of that Heauenly Kingdome that vpon His speach they haue taken occasion to aske this question of th' earthly kingdome In demanding of this question they faile many wayes First they faile in curiosity being too curious as the Lordes answere imports Next they faile in this that as yet they thinke y t He should haue bene an earthly king that His kingdome should bee of this world Thirdly they faile in this that they desired to reign triuÌ„ph before they had foughten sufficiently ended their warfare This might seeme strange that they profited so litle in so long time hauing such faire occasion Their ignorance cannot be excused for by the space of 3. yeeres more they were coÌ„uersant with the Lord hearing Him preach saw Him worke miracles after His resurrectioÌ„ sundry times He appeared to them spake to theÌ„ in this same time they saw in Him a majesty they saw Him clad inuested with HeaueÌ„ly glory yet for all this they are earthly minded and think of nothing but of an earthly kingdome In this example of y e disciples we may perceiue how dull we are by nature vncapable of spirituall HeaueÌ„ly things All th' outward meanes of y e worlde will not profit vs if there be no more albeit we heard al HeaueÌ„ly spirituall things neuer so loÌ„g albeit we saw all things neuer so loÌ„g we will neuer be a haire the better except y t wee be taught of God except our minds be illuminate our hearts be opened by the H. Spirit Therfore when we vse th' outward meanes we should pray coÌ„tinually y t the Lord wold send His H. Spirit to instruct vs inwardly and to joyne His blessing with them Now to come to the Lords answere first He reproues them for their curiosity he said vnto them Jt is not for you to know the times the seasons He giues them a good reason because the Father has put them in his owne power Men in all ages haue bin too curious to inquire the things which belong not vnto them Th'Apostles here began curiously to inquire of the time of the restoring of the kingdome to Israel euer since men haue coÌ„tinued curiously to inquire the times seasons namely the particular time of the Lordes coÌ„ming to judgement But the Lord here snibs represses this curiosity in th'apostles for what had they adoe to search out the things y t the Lord kept secret to Himselfe It is not y e Lords will that men at any time should be curious to inquire the particular times which He keepes close to Himself namely the particular diet period of Christs coÌ„ming to judgement for of that day houre knowes no maÌ„ no not th'Angels which are in heaueÌ„ Mark 13.32 Next in the answere He calles them to remembrance of y t promise which He made to theÌ„ before of y e sending of y e H. Spirit induing them with power froÌ„ an high But saies He yee shall receiue power of the holie Ghost when he shall come on you This putting them in remeÌ„brance
the Lord Iesus had bene crucified taunted and scorned and suffered all the ignominie that euer could haue bene and yet had bene taken downe quicke and the nailes loosed gotten His wounds healed thou hadst not beene sâ—uâ—d thy saluation had not beene wrought Our sinnes had neuer bene forgiuen vs for without shedding of blood and death there had bene no remission of sinnes except I know beside all the paine the Lord suffered that He suffered the death also I would neuer beleeue to get life to be saued Now to end in a word Looke to the witnesses the burrioes they were euill witnesses for themselues but good witnesses for vs for their witnessing testifies to our wâ—ll that the Lord was dead and so these burrioes haue done a notable good worke to vs but not to themselues because they were His enemies It is as tâ—ue this day as it was that day there is and shall be witnesses preaching the death of CHRIST crying That CHRIST died for the redemption of the vvorlde and teaching saluation by CHRIST to others and others shall gette good by them yet they shall gette no good themselues Why Because they are enemies to the Crosse of CHRIST An enemie to His death can preach His death vvell enough All Preachers of the death of IESVS CHRIST ought to take heede to this That vvhen they preach to others as the Apostle saieth they be not reprobate themselues Woe to the man who preaches saluation to others if in the meane time hee bee a reprobate himselfe I must bee as carefull for mine owne saluation as for the saluation of others And therefore if thou speakest of the death of CHRIST to thy Neighbour striue to bee assured that thou thy selfe art partaker of that saluation through IESVS To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour Praise and Glorie for euermore Amen THE XXIV LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 34 But one of the Souldiours with a Speare pearced his side and foorthwith came there out blood and water verse 35 And hee that sawe it bare recorde and his recorde is true and hee knoweth that hee saieth true that yee might beleeue it verse 36 For these thinges were done that the Scripture should bee fulfilled Not a bone of him shall bee broken verse 37 And againe another Scripture saieth They shall see him whome they haue thrust thorow THE last day beloued Brethren in Christ we entered into the History of the taking of the Lord from the Crosse before Hee was buried The taking of Him from the Crosse it came by a request The Iewes His enemies made request to Pilate the Romane deputy and Iudge for the time The summe of the request was that the thies of the crucified men might bee broken and so they might bee taken from the Crosse Pilate the Iudge yeelded to the request gaue commandement to the souldiers to the burreo to execute slay them that afterward they might be buried The souldiers came first to the one thief broke his thies theÌ„ they came to the other thief broke his thies also and last they came to Iesus and finding Him already dead and to haue giuen vp â—he spirit they would not breake His legges Yet to put the matter out of doubt one of the souldiers came with a speare and pearced the Lords side thorow y e heart out of the wound there gushâ—d blood and water Nowe Brethren this day as the Lord shall giue vs grace we shal follow out this History and we shall speake of three things First of the effusion gushing out of the blood the water out of the side of the Lord. Then we shâ—ll speake of that graue testimonie that Iohn the writer of this Gospel gaue to the History narration that the bones of the Lord were not broken and that His side was pearced and that thereafter the bloode and the water gushed out Last we shall speake of the end wherfore these things came to passe There was not one bone of Him brokeÌ„ His side was pearced to the end that the word of the Lord long time spoken of before might be accoÌ„plished And he brings in two Scriptures the one coÌ„cerning that His bones shuld not be brokeÌ„ the other coÌ„cerning the pearcing of His side with the speare Now come to y e first of these heads I leaue the vaine dreame of the papistes for all their religion is but dreames fantasies I passe their dreame coÌ„cerning this souldier y t pierced the side of the Lord with a speare how they say y t the Griek worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a speare was the name of the man that pearced Christes side and how they saye that this man was a Centurion an olde Captaine who was blind after he had pearced the Lords side hee washed his eyes with the blood that issued out got his sight theâ—eafter in an instant was conuerted became a Christian man and a Martyre and this is he whom they worship and whose bones are kept as a relict and he is called Sainct Longimus I leaue the spirit of vanities fie on them they fill the hearts of the people of God with such vanities and therefore shame and confusion shall come vpoÌ„ them in the end Now Brethren to speake of that which is more profitable Of the gushing out of the blood and water out of the side of the Lord. IOHN saies that one of the souldiours with a speare pearced his side and foorthwith came there out blood and water No doubt this effusion of the blood and water in a part was naturall and ordinarie for they who haue skill in the things which concerne the bodie of man and knowe the Anatomie they knowe that the heart of man is a receptacle of bloode and in the heart is the cleannest and finest blood The vitall blood is fined in the heart of man and the bloode there is finer than in the rest of the bodie Yee heare commonlie that the heart blood is the finest blood and moste precious Ye know likewise that there is a fliece which compasseth and goes about the heart which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in it there is some liquor and water wherewith the heat in the heart is cooled and refreshed Then to come to the purpose The Lord being pearced thorow the sidâ— and in thorow the heart it was no wonder that that bloode in the heart and that water in the fliece should haue gushed out especiallie seeing that Hee had but newlie giuen vp the ghoste and Hee was yet warme so that this blood and this water coulde not bee yet much altered by reason of the shortnesse of time But Brethren when I weigh this matter more deepelie and consider that this bloode and this vvater gushes out in such aboundance and so distinctlie that the one is so seuered from the other that they who stoode beside might discerne verie
well the blood from the water and the water from the blood I see heere something aboue nature and I am compelled to thinke and saye that there was something heere extraordinarie As all thinges that fell out in the death of the LORD IESVS was extraordinarie and shewed Him to bee more and greater than anie common man that euer died The giuing vp of the ghoste with a loude voyce shewed that Hee was more than a man For Brethren to leaue the speaking of this matter let vs see what this blood this water meanes and to what vse the gushing out of the blood the water serues for No question the gushing out of the blood and the water out of the wounde testifies that the Lord was verily dead What man will liue when his heart blood is shed The heart is the most vitall part of the bodie It is the seat of the life Perse it and there is no life for the man So this effusion of the blood water testifies that the Lord was dead and there was no life in Him Yet Brethren this blood this water meaned more than this they testified of the force of that death they testified not of a death only but of a powerfull death No mans death was euer so powerfull as the death of the Lord Iesus All the Emperoures in the world had no such power in their death as Christ had It testifies of a power to purge the sinnes of man What Emperoures bloode ransomed sinfull man or could purge him from his sins What water came there euer from an Emperours heart which washed away the corruptioÌ„ of thy nature Now to speak it in a word This blood and this water testified of a power that flowed from the death of Christ to the remission of sinnes and the washing of our foule nature with the bloode bracke out remission of sinnes and with the water burst out regeneration Yet to make this plainer By the bloode of Christ which is the bloode of God God and man in one wee are ransomed from death and Hell the guiltinesse of all our sinnes is taken awaye the punishment with the guilt is taken awaye Hell is taken awaye the justice of God that required our blood is satisfied by that bloode of Christ that wrath that would haue sucked vp thy bloode it woulde not haue left one droppe of thy bloode vnsucked and that vvrath which cannot be satiate vvithout bloode is satiate by the onelie bloode of CHRIST Marke vvell It vvas not bloode onelie that came out of His side but it was bloode and vvater it vvas a vvaterie bloode IOHN vvho stoode by left this in register That sensiblie in the bloode hee perceiued vvater to testifie That by that bloode of IESVS vvee obtaine not onelie remission of our sinnes but by this same bloode the foulenesse and vncleannesse of our nature is vvashen away for vvater serues to vvash away filthinesse This same IOHN in his first Epistle Chap. 5. vers 6. saies that Christ came into the world by water meaning the vvater vvhich gushed out of His side IOHN coulde neuer forget this sight Hee came by vvater to vvashe awaye this inherent corruption vvhich is in vs for if it bee not purged there is no entrie to HeaueÌ„ I fore-warne thee thou shalt neuer see Heauen if thy corruption be not purged away Then he saies He came by water and blood not by water onely but by water and blood meaning this blood was waterie and this water was bloodie Not only to wash away the inherent corruption but also to ransomâ— vs to obtaine to vs remission of our sinnes and to take away the guiltinesse of our sinne both originall and actuall and that punishment and wrath that was due to vs In that same Chapter Iohn poyntes out the three witnesses of Christ in the Heauens and three witnesses of Christ in the earth And for the witnessing in the earth hee counts these same two the blood and the water the third the Spirit who testifies thâ—t Iesus came died for thee where we may see that this blood and this water that came out of the side of the Lord neuer leaues the earth neuer ceases to crie The Redeemer of the worlde is come If thou be in Iesus that blood sprinkling thine heart conscience within thee shall testifie vnto thee that Iesus is come in the world for thy purgation So that Brethren I affirme this that all the words in the world and all the hearing shall not put that perswasion in thine heart that Iesus Christ is come for thy Redemption except that blood and that water cry within thee certainly we haue no better assurance that the Lord is come than when we feele that effectuall working of the remission of our sinnes and the purgation of them by the mortifying of sinne Now we haue dayly in our Sacraments of Baptisme the Lords Supper outward signes of this water and this blood whereby they are outwardly represented to our eyes In the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we haue the signe of the blood in the Sacrament of Baptisme we haue the signe of the water and therefore the blood the water remaine euer in the earth as witnesses testifying that Christ is come and they are euer represented to vs in these outward signes and symboles in the Sacraments So in a word this blood gushing out of the Lords side and this water testifies First that the Lord was truely dead Next that His death is forceable to the remission of our sinnes and to our regeneration Vnto these two vses we may joyne the third this gushingouâ— of the blood and water out of the Lords side testified that the sacrifices purgations and washing of the Law were now abolished they were now no more to haue place because they were only certaine types and shadowes of the blood and water to come whicâ— gushed out both together out of the Lords side Now I come tâ— the testimonie of Iohn concerning the breaking of the thighes oâ— the Lord y e piercing of His side with y e speare Iohn seales vp this first he saies I testify this J beare witnes to this theÌ„ he aggreages hiâ— testimonie in sundry words First I as an eye-seeing witnesse stood by and I sawe with mine eyes that the thies of the Lorde were not broken and that a souldier pearced Hâ—m thoâ—ow â—he side vnto the heart and that bloode and water came out of His side Next As I saw these so I tell thee that my testimony is true Thirdly I know am perswaded my testimonie to bee true my conscience perswades me that it is true I belieue it my selfe to the end that yee may beleeue it So therefore as I beleeue beleeue thou This he saies to all to the end of the world yea who heares this beleeue it as well as I. Yee see heere IOHN is earnest to testifie the death of Christ that verily He died And he testifies it
with great weight and manie graue wordes Wee haue hearde before sundrie testimonies of His death The Lord in the last wordes Hee testifies of His owne death when Hee cryes Father into thine handes I commende my spirite All those wonders from the Heauen testified that the Lorde had giuen vp the ghoste His Heauenlie Father made the Burreoes and the men of warre to testifie that Hee was dead and to preach it to all the people about Now IOHN comes in last and with many words and wordes of great weight testifies that the Lorde gaue vp the ghoste What meanes all this Ye see there is not any thing in all the historie testified by so many testimonies The Spirit of God labours not to perswade vs of any thing in all His Passion so much as that He died and to certifie this that Hee was pearced with a speare To leaue the Heresies which fell in the worlde concerning the death of Christ for it was much to perswade the world of it they would not beleeue that IESVS died truelie All these testimonies lets vs see such a necessitie to bee in the death of IESVS that except the LORD had died as truelie as euer man died Hee coulde not haue beene our Redeemer And except Hee had died truelie wee coulde neuer haue beleeued to haue beene saued by Him Except I knowe as truelie as euer I knewe any thing in the worlde that my Redeemer died for mee I woulde neuer goe seeke life out of His death Indeed a wanton sinner who is ladeÌ„ with sin feeles not the weight thereof so loÌ„g as his coÌ„science is sleeping that he feeles not y e burreo sees not y t fearfull wrath that caÌ„not be quenched without bloode that terrible justice of God y t cannot be satisfied but by death will count little of the death of Christ It is alike to him whether He had died or no so loÌ„g as thou sleepest al is alike but after the coÌ„scieÌ„ce is wakened the Lord once let thee feele the weight of thy sinnes wherewith thou art ladned No if thou diddest but feele the weight of an euill thought thou wouldest groane as fast as if the mountaines and rockes were tumbled on thee and then thou wouldâ—st thinke no life nor saluation for thee but Hell and damnation if thou gottest not a Sauiour for thee and if thou feelest that Iustice of God and the terrours of Hell before thee the sight of the death of Iesus would be the most joyfull and comfortable sight that euer thou sawest and all thy joy glorie would be in that death of Christ Paul sayes Gal. 6.14 Far be it from me that I should reâ—oyce in any thing but in the death of Christ he fouÌ„d all his life to be in that death 1. Cor. 2.2 he sayes When I came amongst you to speake of the death of Christ to you who knew not what it meant a vaine companie they were who delited in vaine oratorie I would not begin to clawe your itching eares but I decreed to know nothing but Iesus Christ and Him crucified Nowe Brethren besides this In these wordes that IOHN sets downe and 〈◊〉 the which hee aggreadges his testimonie marke another lesson Will ye see from whence our Faith comes from whence comes our Faith from whence flowes it IOHN sayes And he that saw it bare record and his recorde is true and he knoweth that hee saith true that they should beleeue From whence then comes Faith in this death it comes by hearing Faith is of hearing of a testimonie and recorde and if thou hearest not a record thou shalt not beleeue and if thou beleeuest not thou shalt neuer see Heauen And if thou contemnest the recorde I giue thee this doome thou shalt neuer see Heauen with thine eyes if thou werest a King So Faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit by a recorde and witnesse bearing So ere thou gettest Faith some witnesse must stand vp and beare recorde The Lord must send out some witnesse to cry and preach but what witnesses must these be IOHN sayes He that saw these things hath testified of them The witnesses must be seeing witnesses it must be Iohn and such as saw Him and felt Him with their handes Then who must bee the witnesses They must be the Apostles that were conuersant in this world with Iesus Christ who heard Him preach and saw Him vvorke vvonders and savv Him dead and savv Him crucified and savve Him pierced thorovv the side They must be the first witnesses But more Brethren Is it enough that they savve Him with their bodily eye No Iohn addes more that hee vvas persvvaded that his testimonie was true The vvitnesses as they testifie that vvhich they savve so they must beleeue it vvith their heartes There were great multitudes hundreths thousands vvho heard Him touched Him and savv Him crucified and some of them crucified Him too yet none of these are made vvitnesses to preach to the vvorld but the Apostles vvho savv and beleeued these are set vp as witnâ—sses in y e world that all should beleeue TheÌ„ the first ground of thy Faith is the very eye of the Apostles their sight and sense The next ground is Faith in the heartes of the Apostles And if yee will say to me Why beleeue ye the Gospell of Iohn and the Gospell of Matthew and the Epistles of Paul c. I answere because these were men who heard and saw Christ and I will say more I beleeue them because they beleeued in their heartes that thing which they saw and goe before not onely by sight of the body but also by Faith in the heart When yee heare these recordes albeit the men be not liuing yet we haue that same thing that they wrote and that which they themselues beleeued I beseech you consider them and passe not ouer lightly when yee reade of Iohn or Paul or the rest I beseech you passe not lightly seeing the ground of thy Faith is not onely their sight but the sense of their heartes and Faith ye who would read with judgement trauell to goe into the heart to seeke that Faith into the heart and that joy and that sadnesse that they felt and pray LORD seeing these men vtter a feeling of these things that they saw and which they wrote touch mine heart and giue me thine Holy Spirit that I may attaine to the sense and feeling of these things If ye would haue a testimonie of this beholde what PAVL sayes in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and fourteenth verse I beleeue that I my selfe shall gloriously rise and then he brings in Dauids wordes J beleeued and therefore I spake Alwayes looke that in reading we striue to haue a feeling and sense in our heart of that which we read otherwise we make no fruit of our reading we speake like parrats wee know not what we speake I say to thee if the word of grace rise not from the
rolling away of the stone froÌ„ the doore of the graue they foresaw not this impedimeÌ„t ere they came froÌ„ home but being carried with an earnest desire to anoint the Lords dead body they were not mindfull of any impedimeÌ„ts We know wheÌ„ a man or a womaÌ„ would faine haue a thing done they will not forecast for all perils but it is better to prouide foresee in time y e impedimeÌ„ts ere thou begin the worke Yet a man or a womaÌ„ who hath the worke of the Lord should not cast for all perils for if he put not his hand to the work of the Lord except he see al impedimeÌ„ts remoued he will neuer do any thing to the glory of God for in performing of y e Lords work we must not think y t He will remoue all impedimeÌ„ts at y e first as these womeÌ„ fouÌ„d al impedimeÌ„ts to be takeÌ„ away Now these women came forward as they came they perceiued the stone to be rolled from the graue Marie Magdalene seeing the stone away she ran back shewed the matter to Peter Iames in Jerusalem where they laye lurking she brings in her conceit euill tidings to them saies The body of the Lord is stolleÌ„ away out of the graue we know not where they haue layed him So Brethren in this Text y t we haue read we haue first a particular Historie of Marie Magdalene registrate by Iohn TheÌ„ we haue the History of the rest of the women As concerning Mary Magdalene wee note of her these foure thinges out of the Gospel of Iohn First her outcomming Next what she sees when she is come to wit the stone rolled away Thirdly what shee does when she sees the stone remoued she returnes to Peter fourthly what she saies she brings no good tidings to Peter and Iames but she saies They haue stollen away the body of the Lord and I know not where they haue layed him Touching the going out of Marie I stay not on it for she came out with the rest of the first coÌ„pany of womeÌ„ only this if any maÌ„ would aske wherfore the women got this honour aboue men ye euen the Apostles to be made first witnesses of this Resurrection of Christ I answere So it pleased the Lord y t directed theÌ„ this only one cause makes their witnessing also to be autentik y t no man should except against it Ye see in ciuil things womeÌ„ are not admitted to be witnesses but here ye see in this spiritual mâ—tter they are made witnesses before all the world their testimony is so auteÌ„tik y t if Iohn or Peter or any of th'apostles had refused this testimony they had hazarded their part portion in the resurrectioÌ„ of Iesus Christ if thou reject their witnessing this day thou shalt neuer haue part of His resurrection To come to the Text What sees she the rest when they come to the graue They see the stone rolled away so they are relieued of y t care y t troubled theÌ„ by the way Mary Magd. the rest came of a great zeale to the graue to anoint the Lords dead body yet I wil not coÌ„mend this purpose because they had no warrand of the word of the Lord for He told He would rise the third day therfore they shold not haue come out to anoint Him y e third day Yet wheÌ„ they go out the third day to anoint Him ere they came to the graue they find y e impedimeÌ„t to be takeÌ„ away the stone to be remoued Mark this well If they y e came to this action without any warrande got all impedimeÌ„ts remoued How much more if any man or woman of zeale to God to His glory haue a good purpose haue an expresse warraÌ„d of His word shal they find al impedimeÌ„ts to be takeÌ„ away God is the same to vs now y t He was to theÌ„ then Yet I see again it is not to be too wise in the work of the Lord but assoon as we know what is the Lords will we shuld addresse our selues to perform the same commit the successe to Him who can remoue al impedimeÌ„ts for in so doing thou honourest God giuest Him the glory y t is due to Him when vnder hope against hope thou beleeuest as AbrahaÌ„ did Rom. 4.18 But ye will say Albeit Marie Magd. fouÌ„d the stone rolled away yet she fouÌ„d not the body of the Lord which she meant to anoint with odours I answere she fouÌ„d not the thing she sought but what lost she She found a better thing than shee sought she seekes the Lord among the dead and she findes Him among the liuing the faithfull who seeke the Lord shall neuer be disappointed if thou missest that thing that thou seekest thou shalt get a better thing if thou seekest this life if thou be in the Lord if thou loose it what loosest thou thou shalt finde a better life Marie seeing y e stone rolled away she goes not forward but returnes home again Now certainly I caÌ„not deny but this came of zeal but I will not excuse her but she shuld haue stayed with y e rest haue looked into y e graue to heare the Angels informatioÌ„ but on a suddenty she returnes Brethren this falles out in y e best most godly they will oft times be miscaried for a while not y t there is any fault to be found with their zeale or w t their affection to y e Lord but y e hastie sudden doing comes more of a blindnes ignorance than of zeale therefore marke y e lessoÌ„ Who euer would be zealous in a good cause would vtter their affectioÌ„ toward y e Lord ere they begin they shuld beware know well what they are doing let knowledge goe before let it be borne as a torch to shew the way then let zeale follow for if zeale follow not I wil not giue a penny for thy knowledge zeale without knowledge is better thaÌ„ knowledge without zeale a great zeale w t a sober measure of knowledge is better thaÌ„ al y e knowledge in y e world without zeale knowledge without zeale serues for nothing but for damnatioÌ„ if y u vnderstood couldest tel ouer y e whole Bible without zeale that serues thee for nothing I had rather haue one y t can speake two words w t zeale than haue all thy knowledge litle knowledge w t zeale wil saue thee but if y u hadst all y e knowledge in y e world without zeale it wil not saue thee Now y e last thing concerning Marie wheÌ„ she hath returned back to Peter Iohn here she begins to make a sad narratioÌ„ coÌ„plaines sayes alas They haue stollen away the body of the Lord we know not where to seeke it speaking in the plurall nuÌ„ber she makes a mone looke to y e affectioÌ„ of the woman toward y e Lord she could not be separate froÌ„
first witnesse of His Resurrection Hee will not haue a man to be witnesse but an Angell Then He is carefull to whome this Angel should tell His Resurrection He will not haue him testifying it to the men of warre He wil not haue pearles casten before svvine but to the vvomen The LORD is carefull of the place vvhere His doctrine should be taught He vvill haue the vvomen to goe to the graue to the ende they should receiue the doctrine of Resurrection the better that by the emptinesse of the graue the Angell might the better demonstrate that the LORD was risen Thinke yee novv that the LORD hath casten off that care He had then That care He had of the person of the Preacher of the person to vvhome He sends Him of the place of preaching No that same LORD hath the same care yet and He vvill loue them vvell to vvhome He concredites His glorious Euangell He loues them vvell vvhom He lets attentiuely and carefully heare His glorious Gospell and the LORD hath a care vvhere a man may most commodiously speake for edification and vvhere men vvomen may heare Christ pointed out commodiously This for the thing they savv vvhat follovves The sillie vvomen are terrified as the guard of the men of vvarre vvere terrified I see then in the person of these vvomen the presence of GOD is terrible to the godly and more I see vvhen men and vvomen are seeking Iesus Christ the first sight they get of Him is terrible The ground of this is not only that terrible Majestie that no creature can bee able to looke on and why should not all flesh stoupe at the presence of that glorious GOD but this is not the onely ground but because in the most godly man or vvoman there is a remanent corruption therefore they are afraide at the presence of GOD. Feelest thou it not now thou shalt feele it ere thou go This remanent corruption can not abide the sight of that glory a spot of vncleannesse cannot stand in the presence of that Holy Majestie yet I see a greater difference betweene the women and the guard for the men of warre vvere terrified to the death but so vvere not the vvomē Where fro came this difference betweene the vvomen and the Guarde That Guarde vvas but a companie of prophane bodies vvithout God vvithout grace vvithout faith vvithout hope vvithout loue vvas full of sinne of an euill conscience But the vvomen suppose they were sinfull had partly an euill conscience for where sin is there is part of an euill cōscience yet in a part they were purged frō sin thorow the death of Iesus Christ they had their conscience sprinkled with His blood as that euill cōscience terrified them so that good consciēce held them vp Suppose so long as we remain in this body we cānot be quit free of sin corruption ye well is y e soule y t in the blood of Iesus findes their sins forgiuen them for suppose it be terrified yet it wil not despaire Now I come to the speach of the Angell to the women The Angell seeing thē terrified he speaks and encourages them first and saies to them Feare yee not and then he begins to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ last he giues them a commandement to tell the Disciples First hee saies to the women Feare not He spake not such a word to the Guarde but let them lye still till they gathered their spirites and rose vp and ran home for for all the world they durst not tarrie there There is another difference betweene the godlie and the wicked When the Lorde hath casten the wicked down He will not giue them a word to comfort them but will let them lye still Woe to them nothing within them to raise them vp no faith no hope no part of good consciēce they are full of sin nothing without them no the Lord shall not vouchsafe a good word on them He will neither giue thē an inward nor an outward comfort and at the latter day the Lord shall speak one joyfull word to them but He will say Goe your way ye cursed companie to be tormented with the Deuill and his angels Woe to the estate of them y t shal be foūd out of Iesus Christ Albeit y t now these things sound not in thy eares now thinkest Heauē Hell to be but matters of jests yet one day though thou be a king thou shalt find these things to be earnest thou shalt wish whē thou wast made a mā or a womā thou hadst bin made a stock or stone But by the contrary The Lord holds vp y e godly not only inwardly by a piece of good cōscience but also by outward means He speaks comfortablie to them And He will say to them by His Ministers Feare not Marke further He will not only holde them vp but that same thing y t terrified the wicked He will make it to cōfort them He makes this same Angell that terrified the men of vvarre to comfort and encourage them More than this Hee will not onely free and relieue them from terrour but He will poure in joye And no question this worde had a powerfull force to raise them vp comfort thē And then besides this He ministers joye by telling them of y t glorious resurrection So not only feare is put away but the glorious Resurrection of Iesus Christ is tolde them whereof there arises an vnspeakeable joye Well Brethren albeit we feele not this joy for the present yet hold still thy eare heare on continually howbeit with pain for it thou get grace to hold still thy eare heare I promise thee in the name of God thou shalt get such a joye in the ende as shall make thee to thinke all thy paine to be nothing Now one word ere I end Mark how the Lord prepares His own to heare these tidings He will not haue them to come with a light disposition of heart as wee vse to doe without any sight premeditation of sin misery Thou wilt come in not once think thou hast neede of the preaching of the glorious Resurrection of Christ But look the preparation of these women Ere euer the Lord will haue the Angel speaking one word Hee will haue them terrified no question they were exceedinglie affraid As euer thou wouldest look for joy thine heart must be prepared with terrour in some measure castē down ere euer the Lord speake one cōfortable word to thee And therfore let no man take hardily with the terrours of the word This is the first Thē the next poinct of preparation is Whē thou art casten downe ere He begin to speak to thee the glad tidings of saluation He will raise thee vp He will say to thee who art casten down thorow the sense of thy sin Be not terrified but be of good comfort And if the Lords spirit accōpany this word it will
I thinke no man nor woman should doubt why these women preached this Resurrection The LORD giues them a spâ—ciall direction first from GOD then from His Angell and this commission might satisfie so that the Apostles were bound to receiue this commission that vvas ordained by the LORD of Heauen I marke this lesson There is neither man nor woman can speake in the Name of the Lord except they be sent So sayes Paul to the Romanes tenth Chapter and fifteenth verse None can preach except he be sent How can one preach CHRIST and if hee be not sent by CHRIST daâ—e a knaue stand vp in the middest of a cittie or towne and make a proclamation in the name of the Prince and not haue a warrand and darest thou stand vp and speake in the Name of the great GOD of Heauen and haue no warrand Indeede it is the LORD who knowes who is sent if thou werest neuer so admitted and warranded by the Church the Lord in that great day shall neuer count of thy preaching except thou haue a vvarrand in thy conscience Will Hee put His worde in the mouth of euery knaue No that is a grace to call IESVS the LORD No thou canst not call IESVS the Lord except thou haue the Spirit of Iesus as the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth Chapter and third verse So whether wee bee Ministers or others who speake of IESVS we should looke that that Spirit be in the heart to direct vs when we speake I marke next it was not enough to haue seene this resurrection and neuer to haue spoken one worde of it No Hee commands them to testifie to the Apostles and the Apostles got this commandement to preach it againe for the Gospell is not a candle to put vnder a bushell but to holde it vp and shewe it to the worlde for it is the life and the light of the worlde PAVL sayes to Timothie in his second Epistle the second Chapter first verse That that thou hast heard of mee before many witnesses the same deliuer thou to faithfull men which shall be able to teach others also No it is not to be concredite to euery knaue it is too precious a jewell to deliuer to knaues let them deliuer it to them that are able to teach others let the first deliuer to the second and the second to the third and the third to the fourth and the fourth to the fifth and so let it euer sound in the world Woe to that soule that impedes the course of the glorious Gospell for what can there be vvhere it is not teached but death No this Gospell is a stumbling blocke to the world Tell them sayes the Angell Hee vvill meete them in Galile for Iurie denied mee No would CHRIST say I will not appoint to meete with them in Ierusalem for Ierusalem is not worthie of mee but I will meete them in Galile and so they met with Him as ye shall see hereafter by Gods grace Then I see that all these tithings that tell vs of things that are not seene hath euery one of them a promise joyned with them y t we shall see them come to passe Beleeue thou that He hath suffered and thou shalt see that He hath suffered and beleeue that He is in glorie thou shalt see Him in glorie We savv Him not vvith our bodily eyes but we haue that blessing which the LORD pronounced to Thomas Iohn Chapter 20. verse 29. Blessed are they which neuer saw mee and yet doe beleeue in mee Now blessed for euer shall that soule be that neuer savv the LORD and yet beleeues in Him and I speake to thee a sore vvorde if thou beleeuest not vntill thou see Him thou shalt neuer see Him if thou beleeuest not that He died vntill thou see that Hee died thou shalt nâ—uer see Him but to thy damnation Hope vnder hope and against Hope Brethren many are the impediments that will stay vs so that wee will say I vvill neuer see Him I heare much speaking of Heauen but alas I feare I shall neuer see it I heare much spoken of life but alas I feare I shall neuer see life And these are the tentations of the most godly men and women of this vvorld yet against all these tentations beleeue Gods promises and hope for life for PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the fifth Chapter and the fifth verse Faith brings foorth experience and Hope makes not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts aboundantly by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. No let none of these tentations hinder vs that thing that holdes backe the infidels shall worke for the best to thee that fearest the Lord if thou fearest the Lord I promise thee in y e name of GOD all these tentations shall further thee and thou shalt bee partaker of Life Now a word and I shall ende He signets seales vp that which he hath told I haue tolde you it saies he as he would say It is true that I haue tolde you and I vvill seale it to be true and ye shâ—ll find it to be true therefore doubt not So our lesson is this WheÌ„soeuer thou commest to testifie to the people of God in paine of thy life looke thou speake nothing but that which God biddes thee speake and that thou mayest saye in conclusion This is true that I haue saide and that this is true I vvill byde by it and seale it vp vvith my blood The Angell had no blood but if thou be not of that minde to shedde thy blood thou art but a deceiuer This is a great boldnesse to seale to seale it vp with thy blood but if thou haue it not sealed vp in thine heart thou shalt neuer seale it vp with thy blood and vvhen it comes to the sealing thou shalt steale away No it is a great vvord to say vvith the Prophet Dauid I beleeued and therefore I spake Looke thou speake nothing to the people of God but that which thou striuest to beleeue Howe is this assurance gotten And vvill euerie vvanton man get this assurance to stande and seale it vp vvith his blood No except thou striue night and day to get the Lorde in thy presence and not to haue anie joye but in His presence thou shalt neuer haue this assurance Then howe is it kept The Lord hath appointed reading Take heede to thy reading saies Paul to Timothie in his first Epistle the fourth CHAPTER and 13. vers and giue thy selfe to meditation and shâ—we thy knowledge in that that thou hast read and get not a knowledge onelie but a sense to speake to others Reading bringes knowledge and meditation bringes feeling and last is prayer And if it bee the duetie of all men to praye then especiallie the Minister is bounde to praye both for himselfe and for them also to vvhome hee is sent So in a vvorde Reade meditate and
praye night and daye so farre as is possible to thee to doe And if thou doe these thinges thou shalt seale it vp vvith the effusion of thy bloode and thou shalt haue more joye in thy death than euer thou hadst in thy life So that thy death shall bee the beginning of thy life and of that fullnesse of joye which thou shalt possâ—sse vvith Him in the Heauens for euer To Him therefore vvith the Father and His blessed Spirit be all Praise and Honour for euer AMEN THE XXXI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 8 So they departed quicklie from the sepulchre with feare and great joye and did runne to bring his disciples word MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 8 And they went out quicklie and fledde from the sepulchre for they trembled and were amazed neither saide they anie thing to anie man for they were afraide LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 1 NOw the first day of the weeke earlie in the morning they came vnto the sepulchre and brought the odours which they had prepared and certaine women with them verse 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre verse 3 And went in but found not the bodie of the Lord Jesus verse 4 And it came to passe that as they were amazed thereat beholde two men suddenlie stoode by them in shining vestures verse 5 And as they were afraide and bowed downe their faces to the earth they saide to them Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead verse 6 Hee is not heere but is risen remember howe hee spake vnto you when hee was yet in Galile verse 7 Saying that the Sonne of man must bee deliuered into the handes of sinfull men and bee crucified and the third day rise againe verse 8 And they remembred his wordes verse 9 And returned from the sepulchre and tolde all these thinges vnto the eleuen and to all the remnant verse 10 Nowe it was Marie Magdalene and Ioanna and Marie the mother of Iames and other women with them who tolde these thinges vnto the Apostles verse 11 But their wordes seemed vnto them as a fained thing neither beleeued they them I Shewed you from the beginning vvelbeloued in the Lord Iesus that there vvere two compainies of vvomen that came out of Hierusalem to the graue of the Lord First one company in the vvhich vvas Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James Solome with some others TheÌ„ soone after that there came out another company of vvomen vvhose names vve finde not registrated Wee haue hearde alreadie of the Historie of the first vvomen vvee hearde of their outcomming vvee hearde vvhat they saw and vvhat they hearde vvhen they came to the graue of the Lord. Now this daye vvee haue the returning of the first companie home to Hierusalem set downe in few vvords Then we shall goe to the Historie of the second company of vvomen vvherein first vve haue their outcomming Secondlie vvhat they heare and see and thirdly their tidinges to the Apostles vvhat they had hearde and seene And this Historie concerning the seconde companie is written by Luke Chap. 24. vers 2. Matthew writes concerning the first companie and Marke also Iohn speakes onelie of Marie Magdalene Luke sets downe the whole seconde companie But nowe to returne to the home-comming of the first companie of women It is written by MATTHEVV and MARKE that when they had receiued direction of the Angell They returned home with feare and great joye to tell the eleuen Apostles for IVDAS was fallen awaye what they had heard and seene I note shortlie these three thinges in these women First I see that there was a feare in them Next I see that they had an exceeding joye And last of all I see in them obedience to the voyce of the Angell with all expedition The feare was because of the presence of that glorious Angell The joye because of the joyfull newes to wit That the LORDE was risen The obedience was because of the commaundement of the Angell to runne home and tell the APOSTLES All these three thinges are to bee commended in them And they teach vs this lesson howe wee shoulde depart from the presence of our GOD when wee meete to heare these glorious tidinges without the which there is no life and without the hearing whereof thou shalt neuer see Heauen Let no man deceiue himselfe they teach vs howe wee should depart from the worde Depart with feare and reuerence that is the first Then depart with joye that is the seconde And thirdly depart with a minde to obeye that which thou hast heard and this is the last Wee shoulde feare in respect of the presence of the Lord whereat all the Angels were afraid and where two or three are gathered together in His Name there is His presence And if thou seest not His presence in the Congregation it were better for thee that thou presentedst not thy selfe in the Congregation The joye shoulde bee of the hearing of these tidinges Thou delitest to heare tidinges but all the tidinges of the worlde is nothing to these to wit That Iesus is come into the world and hath died for thee And last of all Depart with obedience for thou gettest this commandement When thou goest home communicate these tidinges to others that thy joye may bee encreased The light of the Gospell requires holinesse and a godlie conuersation that thou liue soberlie in thine owne person justlie with thy neighbour and godly with thy God When the daye breakes out and when the Sunne rises the light of the daye is not for nothing it cryes vpon thee to thy labours to fall to an honest conuersation Then much more the Sunne of righteousnesse that light of lightes that LORDE vvhen Hee shines and cryes Shake off the vvorkes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light Shake off thy murther thy adulterie and oppression in paine of thy life Thou wilt come out and sticke and slaye a man in sight of the Sunne No that murther shall not so much bee layed to thy charge as the contemning of GOD vvho shined before thee vvhen as thou slewest that man Wee are fallen nowe to such a shamefull murther as vvas neuer heard of among the TVRKES What will become of this Kingdome Suppose there vvere none other sinne but this sinne of blood O it cryes for a vengeance Marke this sie vpon thee that in such a light and in the sight of that great GOD thou shouldest commit such villanie But I goe forwarde and I enter to the Historie of the seconde companie of women who went out to the graue of the Lord. The first company sawe but one Angell but this sawe two Angels and therefore they are diuerse The Historie is very plaine and there can be no other thing almost marked than that which is already touched and therefore I shall goe thorow it shortly as God shall giue the grace This second companie came out shortly after the first companie they draw neare
to them that impaire the authoritie of the Scripture wee may pingle with them a while here but wee remit them to that great day that the Iudge appeare and then they shall receiue their reward for their blasphemie But to leaue them What are these Scriptures that preach CHRISTS Resurrection from the dead In what part is His Resurrection foretolde In the 13. of the Actes Paul preaching of Christ he confirmes it by the olde Scriptures The first Scripture is out of the 55 of Esay verse 3.24 Where He sayes Hee will make an euerlasting couenant with you of the sure mercies of Dauid Then he concludes Therefore it behooued the Lord to rise from death Marke the consequent No there is not such a thing as that euer mercie had continued if Christ had not risen The Apostle sayes in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the first CHAPTER and the 20. VERSE In Him are all the promises of God Yea and Amen No thou or I should neuer haue had Faith nor any spirituall grace if Christ had not risen So so oft as euer thou feelest a sponke or motion of that spirituall life within thee thou mayest say I am sure that Iesus is risen from the death for this is sure all grace and life flowes from the life of Iesus So if Hee had not risen thou shouldest haue had no life He hath another Scripture out of the sixteenth Psalme at the tenth verse Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt suffer thine Holy One to see corruption Then hee concludes therefore Hee is risen How followes this It followes well enough for if He had not risen His body behoued to rot and to be corrupted as ours rotte And Peter in the second Chapter of the Actes and verse 31. vses the same testimonie Likewise in the fiftie three Chapter of Esay and the 8. verse where he prophecies of Christ he sayes And who is able to count His generation for all His death He is that euerlasting Essence meaning that albeit Hee died Hee shall rise to life without end There is another Scripture Then they should haue beleeued without sight But alas who is carefull to get this knowledge of this Resurrection and if we had a care to seeke Christ wee would turne ouer these olde Scriptures to see the prophecies of Christ to come then we would come to the New Testament to see these things accomplished so wold meditate in y e Scriptures night day to cōfirme our faith to get our hearts set stablished on the LORD for it is a matter of great difficultie to get the heart established with grace and if thine heart bee not established and filled with that worde thou wilt neuer see CHRIST nor gette anie grace in Him So to ende this I beseech you as euer yee woulde see CHRIST bee diligent to seeke the Scriptures that yee maye settle your heartes heere vpon Him and beleeue in Him that heereafter yee maye see Him to your comfort and consolation at His seconde comming when Hee shall appeare in the cloudes with the millions of Angels To Him bee glorie for euer Amen THE XXXIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 9 And when Iesus was risen againe earlie the first day of the weeke hee appeared first to Marie Magdalene out of whome hee cast seuen deuils IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 11 But Marie stoode without at the sepulchre weeping and as shee wept shee bowed her selfe into the sepulchre verse 12 And sawe two Angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feete where the bodie of Iesus had layen verse 13 And they saide vnto her Woman why weepest thou Shee said vnto them They haue taken away my Lord and I knowe not where they haue layed him verse 14 When shee had thus saide shee turned her selfe backe and sawe Iesus standing and knewe not that it was Iesus verse 15 Iesus saieth vnto her Woman why weepest thou whome seekest thou Shee supposing that hee had beene the Gardener saide vnto him Sir if thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast layed him and I will take him away WEE haue heard Brethren before first of the out-comming of the first companie of women to the graue of the Lorde and of their returning home againe Secondlie vve heard of the out-comming of the second companie of women and their returning home againe Thirdlie and last of all we heard how Peter and John beeing wakened with the tidinges which the women tolde them of His Resurrection came out to the graue to see if it was so as the women had reported They ranne and in running they striue who shall bee first Iohn out runnes Peter whether it was because hee was younger and more able in his person or whether hee had greater joye in his minde I leaue that to anie man to judge and comes first to the graue and lookes in and goes backe againe Peter comes after him and lookes better about him and seeing the winding-sheete in one part of the graue and the linnen cloth wherewith the Lordes head was wrapped to bee in another part hee wonders at it and thereafter goes into the graue Then came IOHN againe who afore onely looked in and nowe the seconde time enters in and when hee sawe hee beleeued and went his waye Thus farre wee hearde the last daye Nowe in this Text ye will see MARIE MAGDALENE of whom yee hearde before who came to the graue of the LORD with the first company and drawing neare to the graue saw that great stone remooued who hastilie ranne home thinking verilie that the bodie of the Lord had beene stollen awaye and wist not where it vvas layed This same MARIE as appeares hath followed after Peter and Iohn suppose shee ranne not with them yet shee came soone after but before shee came they had gotten the sight of the graue and went awaye shee comming to it goes not in but stands without at the graue vveeping So this daye vvee returne to the Historie of MARIE MAGDALENE and first vve shall speake of her mourning And secondly wee shall speake of these thinges which shee sawe in the graue and about the graue and how shee met with the LORD for whom she mourned and last wee shall speake of the effect that followed vpon these sights as GOD shall giue the grace and as the time shall permit Then to beginne at the first it is saide in the Text Marie Magdalene stood without weeping when she came to the graue She enters not in the graue nor lookes not into it but abode in that opinion that the body of the Lord was stollen away she stands without weeping and mourning Nowe certainely I must ascribe this to a wonderfull loue of this woman there is no man that can expresse sufficiently this loue that she bare to Christ No well were wee if wee could loue Him halfe so well as she did Yet in this mourning shee sinneth
vvee bee Pilgrimes heere a vvhile that our joye maye bee the greater vvhen vvee meeâ—e vvith the LORDE vvhome vvee haue longed for vvee are contented for a time Now when Marie departs what does shee She tolde the Dâ—sciples that shee had seene the LORDE Shee is preaching and telling The LORD is going to heauen to your Father and your GOD. Nowe Brethren seeing vvee are Pilgrimes let vs take heede vvee bee well occupied and looke wee discharge our commission for there is no man nor woman but they haue a commission Thou that art a Preacher preache both in time and out of time to His glorie and if thou discharge thy commission faithfullie in thy calling then euen as Marie was welcome vnto Him againe so shalt thou bee also welcome when thou shalt meete with the LORD and Hee shall accept well of thee The LORDE enable vs to take heede to this that seeing wee must remaine absent from our LORDE for a time heere wee maye euer cast vs to bee vvell occupied and walke carefullie in that calling that Hee hath placed vs in And then when that the LORDE of Glorie shall appeare whome wee haue serued in this life our soules and bodies shall enjoye the full fruition of His presence in Heauen To whome be glorie for euermore Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 9 And as they went to tell his disciples beholde Jesus also met them saying God saue you And they came and tooke him by the feete and worshipped him verse 10 Then saide Iesus vnto them Bee not afraide Goe and tell my Brethren that they goe into Galile and there shall yee see mee MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 10 And shee went and tolde them that had beene with him who mourned and wept verse 11 And when they hearde that hee was aliue and had appeared to her they beleeued it not BELOVED BRETHREN these dayes past vvee haue heard first the Historie of Marie Magdalene how shee returned home and how shee came againe to the graue of her LORD and of her mourning and weeping at the graue of her looking againe in to the graue of the sight of th'Angels meeting with her of Christes wordes vnto her first Hee spake aloofe and afarre off vnto her Woman why weepest thou whome seekest thou Then Hee speakes homelie vnto her calling her by her name and sayes Marie Shee answeres Him Rabboni as Hee had named her homelie so shee answered Him homelie Hee named her like a Master and shee answered Him like a reuerende Disciple Hee calles her as a Sheepehearde and shee answeres Him as one of His flocke knowing Him by His voyce shee offers to embrace Him but Hee preuentes her and sayes vnto her Touch mee not for I am not ascended to my Father perceiuing her to bee ouer much addicted to His bodilie presence before Hee will permit her to touch Him Hee will haue her first to beleeue in Him and to touch Him in glorie by the hande of faith Then Hee sendes her in commission Goe to my Brethren so calling His Disciples A louing stile Tell them of other tidinges than euer they haue hearde yet They hearde of my Resurrection but they beleeued not but nowe I goe to the Heauens to my Father and to your Father to my GOD and to your GOD And this is the commission Marie receiuing it shee executes it and runnes to the Disciples to tell them and as Iohn sayes she preaches to them the thing that shee had heard of the LORDE MARKE sayes that when shee came to them shee founde them weeping This was a weeping time but shortlie after followed a time of joye This change of courses yee see in the worlde for though thou bee wanton and laugh heere neuer so much yet thou wilt weepe soone after But wilt thou weepe and mourne heere for a while when there is matter of mourning thou shalt laugh and rejoyce shortlie afterwarde Nowe when Marie findes the Apostles weeping and mourning shee telles them that the LORD is aliue shee confirmes it that Hee spake and sayes shee sawe Him with her eyes But howe takes the Apostles with this commission They remaine faithlesse for all that she could say they would not beleeue her No it is an hard matter to beleeue the Article of the Resurrection That a man that is dead can rise againe and take life fleshe and blood will neuer dite this vnto thee that one that is dead can liue againe The women vvho vvere more simple and not so vvise in vvorldlie vvit as the Apostles vvere are more readie to credite the Resurrection than the Apostles vvho vvere strong according to the fleshe The Resurrection is harde to be beleeued of anie man but this is sure The Resurrection is hardest to bee beleeued of them vvho are vvisest in this vvorlde No hee that hath this worldlie vvisedome hee countes these Heauenlie and Spirituall thinges but follie till hee bee made a foole that hee maye bee made wise as the Apostle PAVL speakes 1. CORIN CHAP. 3. VERS 18. That is till hee renounce this worldlie wisedome hee shall neuer beleeue these Spirituall thinges When I consider the wordes of MARKE I finde manie faultes in the Disciples They were lying mourning this vvas a vaine mourning What cause had they of mourning for Him whome they thought vvas dead but yet vvas aliue So they had matter of joye and not of mourning And from vvhence proceeded this mourning First they vvere ignorant of the Scriptures which had foretolde that he shoulde rise againe Then they had forgotten the vvorde vvhich the LORDE had spoken vnto them That hee shoulde die and rise againe the thirde daye Yet there is vvorse in them than this The first companie of vvomen vvho tolde them of CHRISTES Resurrection they woulde not beleeue them Then the next companie comes neither woulde they beleeue them one vvorde And last MARIE came vvho not onelie met vvith the Angels but also vvith the LORDE and receiued a commission and yet they vvoulde not beleeue her notwithstanding shee tolde them that she had seene Him So there is not onelie an vnbeliefe but a stiffenesse in them So that if yee will count these faultes their dolour is first without comfort and secondlie an ignorance of the Scriptures and thirdly a forgetfulnesse of the worde of the LORDE and last there is an infidelitie that they would neither beleeue the women who came from the Angels nor MARIE that came from the LORDE and sawe Him and spake with Him So that they are as new to enter to learn as though they had neuer seen nor known Christ Yet there was some good thing in them for certainly howbeit the dolour came of ignorance forgetfulnesse and incredulitie yet I am sure of this that the loue which they carried towardes CHRIST caused them to mourne for if they had not loued Him they had not mourned for Him No there was none of the High Priestes that wet their cheekes for His death So
could enter into the heart of man thou shalt vvonder vvhen thou seest it that euer there could bee such joy prepared for thee and therefore measure it not by thy capacitie Yet this vvould not be passed by They goe not to His throat to His necke or to His middle but they fall dovvne and takes Him by the feete and vvorships Him Marke it Brethren a sinner vvill be homely indeede vvith his God vvith CHRIST No there vvas neuer a creature so homely vvith another as the sinner vvill be vvith the LORD But marke it This homelines vvill not be vvith misnourturnesse and vvith an opinion of paritie albeit thou wilt bee homely with Him as with thy brother yet thou mayest not make thy selfe as companion to Him and count lightly of Him but thou must be lowly thine head must be reuerenced Hee is our Head Ephes Chapter 1. verse 22. If therefore wee ought to reuerence Him for He is in a wonderfull sublimitie and highnesse aboue His Church and as this is true that the soule which is joyned with Him in this life by Faith sees in Him such a Majestie that it stoupes before Him so much more vvhen wee shall see Him face to face in glorie and His Majestie fully reueiled wee shall reuerence Him and in humilitie fall at His feete singing Holy Holy Holy as yee haue in the sixt Chapter of Esay and in the Reuelation Nowe to goe forward While they are sitting at His feete the LORD speakes to them and suffers them to feele Him and all to this ende that they might beleeue Hee was risen and liuing Then He sayes to them Feare not this encouragement importes that notwithstanding all their embracing of Him and confidence there vvas a piece of feare and lying backe in them I will not commend it because the Lord hath discommended it It is true indeed our joyning with Him by Faith should be with such a confidence that it should be without any feare or doubting but with joy This should be but marke it againe There is such an holinesse in that Majestie that we joyne with there is no spot in Him then so long as we are here there is such vncleannesse such an euill conscience in vs that our Faith is joyned with doubting and feare so that if thou hast not a recourse to Him no peace for thee we will feare that that Holy one consume vs that are so vnholy but the Lord who knowes thy feare He comfortes thee thou knowest not thine owne feare so well as the Lord does thou feelest Him not so soone by Faith but as soone He knowes thy feare and thine heauinesse as Hee did the feare of the women and Hee sayes to a sinner that faine would embrace Him feare not thou hast no cause of feare My terrours haue taken thy terrours away And as the Apostle sayes Heb. Chapter 4. verse 16. Let vs goe boldly to the throne of grace with confidence that we may receiue mercie if thou hearest this voyce thou mayest goe boldly and He shall put away all teâ—rours and feare But in that life to come when all matter of seare as sinne and corruption of nature is away albeit vve shall see Him more clearelie and bee conjoyned vvith Him more perfectlie yet all feare shall bee taken awaye for perfect loue castes out feare as Iohn saieth in his first Epistle Chap. 4. vers 18. Nowe to goe to the commission Goe and tell my Brethren that they goe into Galile and there shall they see mee They woulde see mee bid them goe before mee into Galile and there they shall see mee There is heere then a commission giuen vnto the vvomen to the Disciples There was afore a commission sent vnto the Disciples by the Angels First of a companie of vvomen and afterwarde another companie and next MARIE was sent from the Lorde Himselfe Nowe Hee sendes a newe commission to tell them that Hee was risen yet they neuer beleeued Heere vvee see a marueilous patience in suffering their incredulitie so long What King vvoulde haue had euer the tenth part of this patience With this Hee joynes the louing stile Tell my Brethren Hee sayes not Tell these sluggishe and faithlesse bodies His patience is joyned with loue vnspeakeable All the worlde cannot expresse the lenitie and patience of the LORDE towardes His owne though they shoulde bee neuer so vnbeleeuing yet Hee calles them His Brethren Wee shoulde studie night and daye to knowe that the LORDE loues vs for our standing is not in our loue towarde Him but in His loue towardes vs and if thou finde thy selfe rooted in His loue as the Apostle speakes to the EPHESIANS thou shalt neuer bee separated thorowe anie occasion from that loue that is in CHRIST Then againe I see Hee hath a marueilous studie to gette them instructed Hee sayes not I haue sent manie alreadie and yet they will not beleeue No Hee sendes euerie companie after another till they beleeue and till faith be wrought in their heartes What meanes all this care to instruct them The Lorde was to sende them foorth to teach others and therefore all His studie is before they instruct others that they might beleeue themselues No if the Lorde sende thee to tell of His Death His Resurrection and Ascention to the Heauens and of His comming againe to Iudgement He will haue a care that thou be instructed and that thou beleeue that which thou deliuerest vnto others No I will not giue a pennie for a Minister that hath no assurance no feeling nor no sight of the death and Resurrection of CHRIST and that will stande vp and speake to the people of GOD. Besides this patience this loue and this care that Hee hath to instruct them who are to bee employed in His seruice Hee shewes a marueilous wisedome in humbling them thorowe the teaching of the women And therefore Hee will not sende an Angell vnto them but infirme women to schoole them and shame them and howbeit the commission beares not this in expresse wordes yet Hee will haue the women to saye in effect Fie vpon you yee are sluggishe bodies yee shoulde haue taught vs and not wee you This is it that the Apostles shoulde haue vnderstood They vnderstoode His wonderfull wisedome Hee was to sende them to the worlde He was carefull to instruct them He sendes not Angels to schoole them but women to learne them humilitie that they neuer forget this that they were schooled in the schoole of women for as it is required that the seruantes of GOD haue knowledge and a perswasion so they must haue humilitie or else they cannot bee faithfull Preachers Nowe one worde and so I shall ende Bidde them sayes Hee goe to Galile Hee sayes not Goe to Hierusalem No the LORDE had turned His backe on Hierusalem for these who contemned Him when Hee was humbled in the fleshe the LORDE will dispise them when Hee is glorified Woe to them whome Hee forbiddes His seruantes to goe vnto
away and the Euangelists note it That that fame remaines amongst them vnto this day I thinke ye should maruell that such a false fame should haue preuailed God disappointed them before but now He permits them to get the victorie Woe to that victorie that is gotten against God woe to that man that goes against God if an euill action prosper with him it is a token that he shall be thrust in Hell This was but a small victorie for no doubt all that He appointed for life and saluation beleeued that He rose Nowe Brethren when they are away the true perswasion remaines in our heartes that the LORD rose so that euer trueth in the end gets the victorie Ye would maruell that the people should credite that His body was stollen out of the graue for if it was stollen by whome was it stollen They say by His disciples Is it likely that they who were a companie of timorous and abashed persons durst haue come out without armour against Pilates guarde They say whilst they were asleepe they tooke it away then they slept very sound that they could not heare such an hudge stone taken away and if they were sleeping when it was taken away Why followed they not when they wakened and no doubt if it had beene true they would haue followed and haue brought the disciples and executed them Yee would wonder now vvhy these people should not haue beleeued I ansvvere These people were appointed for damnation and they hated the light and therefore a lie gets soone place in their heartes they that hate the trueth the Deuill cannot make such a lie but they will easily beleeue it What is the cause that the people beleeue the Pope and that crue of the Antichristian kingdome The cause is this They hate the light and therefore as the Apostle sayes Because they beleeued not the trueth the Lord makes them to beleeue lies So our lesson is this in a word loue the trueth and thou shalt hate lies they hate the trueth and their heartes drinke in lies The Lord set our heartes vpon Him and make vs to beleeue the trueth This for the first we goe to the second and we shall enter in it and leaue the rest till the next day because the time is almost spent alreadie Wee come againe to better and more holy witnesses There are two of the disciples of Christ the name of the one is Cleopas and the name of the other is not expressed these were not two of the eleuen disciples but two of the common rancke of disciples that vsed to follow the Lord. The same day sayes the Text to wit the same day that Hee rose the same day that the women went out and did meete Him and that same day that these women returned and preached to the Apostles These two disciples went on their iourney about threescore furlongs which is seuen mile of ours or thereabout from Ierusalem They are not going to seeke Christ but they leaue Him and as it were in a manner they despared that euer they should see Him they were thinking all that time that they had spent with Him was lost yet suppose they were leauing Him He leaues not them These women sought Him and they found Him but these two disciples leaue Him but yet the Lord castes Him in their way Well Brethren who euer findes the Lord man or woman it is of grace if thou hast found the Lord thou hast gotten mercie thou hast found mercie for if thou findest Him thou hast found Him ere euer thou hast sought Him or els if thou hast sought Him thou hast not sought Him as thou oughtest for Marie sought Him not as she should haue done and therefore the Angell said Why seekest thou the liuing amongst the dead So thou that seekest Him not and findest Him thanke GOD and thou that seekest Him and seekest Him not as thou oughtest to haue sought Him if thou finde Him thanke Him for it is of grace that thou findest Him for if Hee looked howe thou soughtest Him thou wouldest neuer finde Him Wee faile often in seeking of Him either wee seeke Him not with that measure of desire that wee ought alas the best of vs all in this world cannot seeke Him with halfe a great desire or if wee seeke Him wee faile as the women did And last of all wee seeke Him not for that ende wee should seeke Him Wee should seeke Him for that life and that grace that is in Him that we might bee like Him and partakers of that life But all men for the most part seeke Him for some worldlie respect as for a deliuerance out of miserie and if thou be sicke thou vvilt crie for thy health if thou be poore thou vvilt crie for riches and if thou bee hungrie thou wilt crie for meate So that the seeking of Him is either for the bellie or some other worldlie thing scarcelie one among an hundreth will seeke the Lorde for himselfe for Heauen and glorie and if one can come thus farre to get a grone for Heauen that vvill bee in a sober measure and with a great imperfection Wee are by nature addicted to the thinges that are on the earth and for them doe wee seeke them but Heauenlie thinges that cannot bee seene wee seeke them not vvee thinke them but follie So I saye if wee get a desire wee get it with such an imperfection that it is a wonder The thing that thou and I shoulde moste seeke for is that seconde comming of CHRIST to put an ende to this miserie that is vvithin vs and vvithout vs so that this shoulde bee our saying Come LORDE IESVS and put an ende to this miserie But who cryes for this comming Yea rather I heare men saye God keepe me from that daye Alas knowest thou not that thy miserie shall neuer haue an ende vntill that daye The Apostle PAVL sayes Wee that haue gotten the first fruites of the Spirite wee sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies Roman Chapt. 8. vers 23. Wee are nowe the Sonnes of GOD but it appeares not vvhat shall bee but then it shall appeare vvhat thou art Nowe the Godlyest is in moste miserie And alas it appeares that the best of vs hath that SPIRITE but soberlie and not in that measure that wee shoulde haue And if wee had it wee woulde sigh and crie Come LORD IESVS come that word would neuer goe out of our mouthes and our eyes would neuer be from the Heauens to looke when our Lord would come and breake their cloudes and these visible Heauens and then take thee to Himselfe out of this vaile of miserie to that endlesse joy So to come to our purpose Whether vve see Him first or last it is of grace that all glorie may redound to Him Well as they are journeying betvvixt Ierusalem and Emmaus they are talking as tvvo men vse to talke together and all their talke vvas of CHRIST and His crucifying
beleeuest as the Papistes bidde thee as the multitude beleeue and close thine eyes thou shalt perish vvith the multitude They vvill say What adoe hast thou vvith the Bible thou hast no more adoe but beleeue as the Church beleeues but I saye vnto thee It shall happen vnto thee as it happened vnto Cleopas That thing that should bee the matter of hope it shall cut thee from hope as it did this poore man Cleopas yea I say further if thou beleeuest with the multitude thou shalt perish with the multitude Fie is not that rabble ashamed of this light fie vpon them No the vengeance from Heauen shall light vpon them except they repent Novve to come to the second parte of the narration that hee makes ye haue heard his conclusion But now sayes Cleopas This is the third day since hee was crucified and dead Yet we heare nothing As hee would say once dead and ay dead Marke vvhat hee vvould gather of this It is the thirde daye since hee died and wee haue not seene him alas I feare wee shall neuer see him againe alas hee will neuer redeeme Israel Hee dare not speake this right out but hee keepes it in his minde Is this a good conclusion It is the thirde daye since hee died therefore hee cannot redeeme Israel Hee should haue concluded It is the thirde daye since hee died therefore hee is risen in glorie to bee the Redeemer of Jsrael But the ignorant man knewe not the Scriptures of GOD as Christ sayes to him heereafter for Christ had foretolde that hee woulde rise the thirde daye and yet hee had forgotten it and so he concludes I shall neuer see him and hee cannot be the Redeemer Then ye see vvhat it is to be ignorant of the Scriptures of GOD and to forgette them There is nothing concerning Christ but it is fullie set downe in the olde and newe TESTAMENTES So that if an Angell woulde come downe from Heauen hee can tell no more in substance Yet if thou wilt not looke to them but close thine eyes that thou see not and stoppe thine eares that thou heare not and so forget them againe before thou bee well out of the Kirke it is a wonder that thou shouldest gette anie matter of hope No thou shalt find nothing but matter of desparation Whosoeuer therefore vvoulde haue matter of joye in the heart and haue joye in their distresse let them alwayes haue the Scriptures before their eyes What needed these men to haue beene troubled if they had kept the Scriptures before their eyes So in a vvorde As thou vvouldest haue joye in trouble keepe the Scriptures in thy memorie for there is no joye but in these Scriptures Nowe to goe forwarde to the thirde parte of this Narration of Cleopas concerning Christ Before hee comes to it hee makes a rehearsall of these same thinges which had happened that same day in the morning for on the thirde daye in the morning there went out some women he himselfe was not so ready it had bene better for himselfe to haue said I went out to the graue and I saw and I heard this and they haue made vs the Disciples of Christ all astonied for they tolde vs that they founde not the bodie of CHRIST But they tolde vs that they founde Angels and that the Lorde was risen and aliue but for all this we beleeued not Then some of vs who were men namely Peter and Iohn who went out and they founde this that the LORDE was out of the graue But marke his last vvordes But none of them sawe the LORDE Alas these two DISCIPLES apparantlie hath come out of HIERVSALEM ere MARIE MAGDALENE and some other women who went out that same day had returned shewed that they had seene the Lord. They went away ouer soone to Emmaus But looke what he concluded They sawe Him not therefore Hee was not risen This is it that they would conclude Because they could not see Him with their bodily eyes therfore they looked neuer to see Him As if wee should haue measured the Redeemer the Redemption by grosse and carnall senses Looke if he concluded well He should haue concluded the contrarie We could not see Him with our eyes and senses and therefore wee beleeue He is the Redeemer That is the conclusion that Hee shoulde haue gathered for faith is the demonstration of things which are not seene as the Apostle speakes Hebr. 11.1 This is a false conclusion Wee cannot see Him vvith our bodilie eyes therefore wee cannot hope to see Him But by the contrarie Wee cannot see Him with our bodilie eyes therefore wee beleeue and hope to see Him Then wee see this in CLEOPAS and his fellowe suppose they were with CHRIST and should haue had an eye to haue seene yet they are meere carnall for leaning onelie to the senses of the bodie they are more naturall than spirituall and so they conclude They should neuer see the Lord for suppose they spake not this vvith their mouthes yet they thought it in their heartes and they were standing betwixt hope and despaire No if thou bee but a naturall man thou shalt beleeue nothing but that which thou conceiuest and feelest with thy senses but for Heauenlie thinges thou canst not beleeue them Heauen and Hell will bee but fables to thee and all will be but follie vnto thee There are enough of these men in this Towne and therefore as euer thou wouldest see Heauen as thou wouldest liue hereafter and as thou wouldest reigne in glorie seeke to haue spirituall senses which may passe farre beyonde nature a spirituall eye to see thinges Heauenlie and a spirituall hand to feele things Heauenlie or else thou shalt die and perishe and thou shalt neuer haue life heereafter Then in time seeke to bee spirituall and to seeke Heauen and Heauenlie thinges A bodilie eye will neuer perceiue these thinges Yee see then howe false a conclusion hee hath gathered Yet I perceiue in the last part of his narration something that smelles of the hope of Resurrection an impediment in his heart hee is neare to despaire almoste hee hath giuen ouer both faith and hope of CHRIST that euer they shoulde see Him yet hee is fleeting aboue hee swatters and swimmes hee giues not cleane ouer hee drownes not altogether but as yee maye perceiue a sponke of faith and hope remaines in him and it beares him so aboue that hee sayes not I despaire And where got hee this Euen of the report of the vvomen suppose hee beleeued not them yet hee durst not saye that they lied or that it was vntrue that they spake Well it is alwayes good to heare of CHRIST and if it vvere but a vvoman to speake of Him for in the daye of thy trouble yea if thou were betwixt hope and despaire that thing which thou hast hearde will bee brought to thy remembrance and keepe thee from despaire But thou who hast not hearde thou shalt perishe and thou who hast hearde
if it were true y t two bodies might bee in one place at one time then it would followe that one bodie at one time might be in manie places But both these assertions are directlie repugnant to the nature of a bodie whatsoeuer it bee whether it bee a glorified bodie or a bodie not glorified It is but a vaine distinction which the Papistes haue inuented betwixt a bodie glorified and a bodie not glorified for a glorified body remaines a true body the glorifying of it takes not away the nature nor the natural properties of a bodie and therefore it cannot bee at one time in manie places but onelie in one place neither can it bee in one and the selfe same place with another bodie Next others thinke That when the body of the Lord went in at the doore the body of the doore was rarified and yeelded and gaue place to the Lords body that it might enter in when it had gone in it returned to its own estate was thickned made solide as of before euen as when the Lord was walking on the sea the sea was thickned made hard solide vnder His feet y t it might beare Him aboue therafter again incontinent it returned to its own nature This opinion is more tollerable than the former because it stands well enough with the Omnipotent power of God where as y e former sentence of the Papists cannot stand with His omnipotency because it includes a manifest contradiction Thirdly some thinke That whē the Lord was entring in the dore opened to Him and after He was come in the dore incontinent most speedily closed again This opiniō semes to be most probable wee read in sundrie places the like to haue bene done as in the 5. Chapter of the Actes the Angell of the Lorde opens the doores of the Prison where the Apostles were and shuts them againe And in the 12. Chapter of the Actes when the Angell brings Peter out of prison the yron gate opened vnto them of the owne accorde And likewise in the 16. Chapter of the Actes When Paul and Silas beeing in prison prayed and sung Psalmes to God all the doores of the prison opened and euery mans bands were loosed in the which places yee see When the Lord deliuered His seruants whether by the ministerie of His Angels or without their ministerie the doores were opened But in no place of Scripture we reade of the rarifying of a bodie and much lesse any thing of that vaine opinion of the Papists That two bodies may be in one place at one time and therefore this last opinion seemes to be most likely But in this point wee insist not Only one thing we marke out of this place that the LORDS comming is very sudden and vnlooked for how so euer it be that the LORD comes vnto men vvhether it bee in mercie as Hee vses to come to His ovvne vvhether it be injustice to the vvicked His comming is euer sudden and vvithout their expectation and therefore we should not be so carefull curiously to enquire about the particular comming of the LORD as vve should be carefull to prepare our selues that vvee may bee readie vvaiting for His glorious appearing that vvhen euer Hee comes Hee may finde vs with oyle in our lampes readie to enter in with Him Watch sayes the LORD for yee knowe neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come Now to end shortly Hauing spoken already of the circumstances of the meeting of the disciples as also of the marueilous appearing of the Lord to them it followes last that we speake of His saluting of them when He comes in amongst the mids of them He is not silent but He salutes them sayes Peace be vnto you This was His cōmon salutation which they were acquainted with no question He vttered it with such a homely familiar voyce that they might easily haue known that it was He none other y t appeared spake vnto them for Hee vvent about by all meanes possible to remooue all doubting out of their heartes that so they might haue a full assurance of His Resurrection and yet for all this very hardly could they bee perswaded that it was He and therefore Marke sayes He reprooued them for their vnbeliefe hardnesse of heart because they beleeued not them which had seene him beeing risen vp againe For such is the infidelity dulnes of our hearts that al the meanes that GOD vses is litle enough to make vs to beleeue Now when the LORD sayes to His disciples Peace be vnto you wee must not thinke that this was a bare and simple vvishing and desiring of peace vnto them without any further effect No wee must not thinke so This word was powerfull this wishing of peace behooued to bee effectuall in their soules because it proceeded from Him who is the fountaine and author of all peace and who Himselfe is our peace as the Apostle sayes Ephes 2.14.17 And when the Lord who is peace Himselfe comes to preach peace How can it be possible except the heartes of men be harder than the flint or adamant but that preaching of peace must be effectuall in their soules The Lord in this wishing of peace is not like man the most that a man can doe is to wish peace and to desire peace to others No man albeit He were neuer so holy can doe more hee cannot giue his peace that he wishes he cannot make his peace effectuall But Christ when Hee wishes peace Hee giues and communicates that same peace He workes that same peace in their heartes and therefore when Hee is departing out of the world comforting His disciples Hee sayes Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giues giue I vnto you Ioh. 14.27 He sayes not only I leaue peace with you but I giue you my peace and that not as men in the world who can doe no more but wish I make my peace effectuall by giuing you peace The Lord make euery one of vs partakers of this peace that wee may euer haue matter of rejoycing in IESVS To whome with the Father and Holie Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 37 But they were abashed and afraide supposing that they had seene a spirit verse 38 Then hee saide vnto them Why are yee troubled and wherefore doe doubtes arise in your heartes verse 39 Beholde mine handes and my feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee haue verse 40 And when hee had thus spoken hee shewed them his handes and feete verse 41 And while they yet beleeued not for joye and wondered c. IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 20 And when hee had thus saide hee shewed vnto them his handes and his side Then were the Disciples gladde when they had seene the Lord.
determinate prouidence of God in a manner of necessitie so that in respect of this prouidence they coulde not otherwise haue bene We haue heard before that there was a necessitie of Christes death resurrection that there was a necessitie of preaching now here we see that there is a necessitie of sending of Ministers to preach the Gospel for there is no faithfull Minister but he must haue his commission of Him God must make choose of him separate him frō the common sort of men as Paul sayes of himselfe He was called to be an Apostle put apart to preach the Gospel of God Rom. 1.1 So must it be with all faithfull Pastors It is true indeede some wil preach whō y e Lord hath not sent some wil run vnsent some wil preach to get honor vantage or preferment to themselues but these are not faithfull Pastours but all faithfull Pastours must of necessitie be sent of y e Lord receiue their cōmission frō Him Now if this be true y t nothing concerning Christ or His Gospel or the Ministers y t preach it falles out without y e determinate prouidence counsel of God it is as true that none heares y e Gospel preached without y e same prouidence The speciall prouidence of God is no lesse extended to the hearer than to y e Preacher of y e Gospel so that the hearer as well as the Preacher is bound to glorifie God in His gracious prouidence in y e riches of His grace Many oftentimes thinke that it is by conjecture y t men come to y e Church heares the word preached but y e faithfull man that hath felt the power of this word in quickening His soule raising it frō death to life is assured y t the Lord had a special prouidence care in making Him to heare y t word at such a time to his great comfort But it would be marked that albeit all y e Preachers of the Gospel be sent by God yet all are not sent after one manner there is a great difference amongst them for some are sent immediatly of the Lord Himselfe without the ministerie of men as were the Prophets of olde and here the Apostles None of these were sent by mens ministerie but it was only the Lorde Himselfe who sent them according to the good pleasure of His will some are sent mediately by the ministerie of men as are the ordinarie Pastours and Ministers in the Church this daye who albeit they bee sent by God yet the Lord vses the ministerie of men in sending of them Nowe these men whom the Lord employes in this piece of seruice to call and send others should not bee rash nor lay handes suddenly on any man but they ought to be verie carefull to take good heede vnto the Lords will and consider and trie narrowly whether it be the Lords will to call such and such persons to the Ministerie that so they may haue a good conscience that they haue sought to conforme themselues to Gods will When Christ sent His Apostles He sent them according to the will of GOD the Father 1 Cor. 1.1 So whomsoeuer men call and send they must call and send them according to the will of God the Father and the Sonne But yee will say Howe shall men knowe these men whome the Lorde thinkes meete to be sent How shall they know whether it be the Lordes will to choose such and such men to His Ministerie I answere The LORD hath set downe sufficient markes and tokens in the Scripture whereby wee may know them whome the Lord would haue vs to send He hath stamped them with gifts beyond the common sort of men If yee would know what these gifts and graces are wherewith the Lord endues them read 1. Timoth. 3 c. Tit. 1.6 In the which places ye will see what properties the Spirit of God requires to be in a faithfull Pastor Indeed I grant there are some of the properties rekoned out there by the Apostle that are common to other true Christians with the Pastour As to be temperate wise holy righteous and such other but there are some other that properly belong to a Pastour As that hee bee apt to teach that he be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine and conuince the gainesayers that hee haue skill to guide and rule the Church of God Let them who haue power to call Ministers take heed vnto these properties that they call not men to this High calling vpon a priuate affection which vice and corruption hath beene too common in all ages but that they call them whom the Lord hath stamped with these graces and pointed out as meete to vndertake this charge that they may haue the better conscience in their proceeding Yet before we leaue this it would be considered who these were whom the Lord sendes were they wise men were they such who constantly auouched Him professed His Name Were they such men as deserued much at His hand Were they such as were meete and sufficient for such a glorious calling No certainely For who is sufficient for these things sayes the Apostle 2. Cor. 2 16. Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues 2. Cor. 3.5 What manner of men are they then Euen these who before His death and suffering were offended in Him who were ashamed of Him and fled away euen these who after His Resurrection were so hard to beleeue that He was risen againe from the dead for all the paines that the Lord tooke vpon them men altogether vnmeete and vnsufficient for such an high and glorious calling men who by nature were fraughted with such stuffe as was directly repugnant to such a worthie calling and yet for all this the Lord castes them not off but sends them to preach saluation to the world He made them of darknesse to be light to shine to the rest of the world for sayes Paul God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse is He that hath shined in our heartes 2. Cor 4 6. Our hearts are darke by nature yet the Lord by shining in them brings light out of darknesse for as the Lord in the first creation commanded light to come out of darknesse so dayly in the new creation and regeneration and namely when Hee sets a man in His Ministerie He makes light to shine out of darknesse We haue a notable example of this in the Apostle Paul he had bene before a blasphemer and a persecuter an oppressour yet such was the mercy fauour of God toward Him that for all this He not only beautifies him with that common grace to be a Christian and to get an assurance of the Remission of his owne sinnes but also countes him faithfull to place him in His Ministerie to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to others The world thinkes it an easie thing to make a man a Minister but if wee consider what stuffe is in man
Pastours vvho before vvere called themselues But to goe forward When He hath charged them to goe out to preach the Gospell because it was a very weightie and painfull charge therefore He encourages and strengthenes them the more willingly to vndertake it First by bestowing vpon them the Holy Spirit and His graces Next by arming them with power and authoritie To come to the first it is said When Hee had saide this Hee breathed on them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost In giuing to them the Holy Spirit He vses an outward and visible signe Hee breathes vpon them for this breathing vpon them was not the sending and giuing of the Holy Spirit it selfe but it was an outward signe and Sacrament to represent to signifie and assure them of the giuing of the Holy Spirit the outward breathing vpon them was a signe of the inward breathing of the Holy Spirit vpon their soules and a signe verie fit and conuenient to expresse the thing signified for the wind serues very well to represent the Holy Spirit and is vsed for that same purpose by the Lorde Himselfe Ioh. 3 8. Thâ— wind blâ—wes where it listeth c. But it would be marked that the Lord vses not only the bare and naked signe No that could haue profited them very litle but to the signe He joynes words telling the meaning of it He sayes Receiue the Holy Ghost For the Lorde in all Sacraments vses commonly to joyne the word to the Sacrament As in Baptisme and the Lords Supper to the end that not only Hee may declare and open vp the meaning of the signe but also to worke and confirme Faith in mens heartes that so the Sacrament may be powerfull and effectuall in them for the outward signe alone is not able to worke Faith in the soule but it is the word chiefly that workes Faith the worde is the life of the Sacrament and therefore except the word be joyned with the outward signe it cannot bee a true and effectuall Sacrament Nowe it is to be considered that this breathing of the Lord vpon His Apostles was not a thing that Hee would haue to bee kept ordinarily in His Church but it is an extraordinarie signe vsed extraordinarily by the Lorde in the sending out of extraordinarie men the Apostles to an extraordinary calling whereby the Lord at that time endued them with extraordinarie graces necessarie for that great calling And therefore foolish and damnable is the practise of the Pope his Cardinalls and his Bishops which they vse in sending out their shauelings into the world for when they admit them with their vile and stinking mouths they breath vpon them and say Receiue the Holy Ghost filthily abusing this action of the Lord as if it lay in their hands with their breathing to giue the Holy Spirit whereas the Lord hath reserued this power to Himselfe alone and communicates it not to any man they are but counterfaiters of such things as the Lord will not haue to bee counterfeited for this His action in all pointes was extraordinarie and therefore ought not to be vsed ordinarily but I leaue them to their owne vanitie A question may bee heere mooued How agrees this doing of Christ on His Disciples and giuing them the Holy Ghost recorded here by Iohn with the wordes that we heard before out of the Gospell of Luke where the Lord sayes Beholde I doe send the promise of my Father vpon you but tarie in Ierusalem vntill ye be endued with power from on high Which wordes importe that at this fift appearing to His Disciples which is one with this that John recordes He gaue them not the Holy Ghost but only promised to send Hâ—m to them I answere Both these places agree well enough together for in Luke the Lord promised to send His Spirit with His graces in a full measure vpon them which promise indeed hee performed on the daye of the Pentecosts when they beeing gathered together there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fiâ—e and sate vpon each one of them and they were all miraculously filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 2.1 But the Lord heere only giues them the Holy Ghost and His graces in a small measure to be as it were a beginning of that full accomplishment which they were to receiue in the daye of the Pentecoste for wee may not thinke that the Holie Spirit and all His graces were giuen fully and compleetely to the Apostles at one time No but they were giuen piece and piece by degrees for first they got the fruites of the Spirit when the Lorde was conuersant with them in the flesh in the dayes of His infirmitie Next after He rose from the death they receiued them in a greater measure as we may see in this place of Iohn and last after the Lordes ascension Hee powred downe in abundance His Spirit with all His graces according as He had promised to them Luke 24.49 and was long before foretolde by Ioel Chap. 2. verse 28. But why would Hee not giue them the Holy Spirit and His graces in a full measure at the first Because there behooued to be a certaine proportion and correspondence betweene the Head and the members the Lord Iesus was their Head they were members of His body so long as He was not fully glorified Himselfe it was no reason that they should haue receiued the fulnesse of grace but when He was fully glorified He filled them abundantly with grace Ephes 4.10 The Lord now glorified in the Heauens hath store and abundance of grace to giue to His Church but our heartes are not prepared to receiue grace wee offend Him continually with our sinnes and grieue His Holy Spirit for this is the last age of the world wherein sinne aboundes and thâ—refore that vve are not so skant of grace the fault is not in the Lorde there is no scarcitie nor want of grace with Him but the fault is in our selues who entertaine sinne in our heartes whereby wee banish grace out of them and makes the Spirit who should be our Comforter to be a witnesse against vs in that great day of the Lord. Now after that the Lord hath encouraged His Apostles by giuing them His Holy Spirit and His graces in the words following to make them the more willing He armes them with power and auâ—hoâ—itie before He send them out He sayes Whosoeuer siâ—nes ye remit thâ—y are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine they are reteined As if Hee had said to them I will not send you out powerlesse with a fectlesse worde in your mouth but to the end ye may the better discharge your commission I enarme you with power I will giue you power to binde and loose to forgiue sinnes and retaine sinnes The Lord sendes none out to his warfare till first Hee furnish them with weapons and armour But what weapons are they Euen spirituall weapons Paul sayes The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through
Christ His ResurrectioÌ„ from the dead Alwayes what euer hath bene the cause of his absence wee may perceiue that he was depriued of that grace and presence of the LORD which the rest who were met together found Whereof we learne this lesson That whosoeuer doe absent themselues from the assembly of the LORDS Sainctes from these holy meetings whereinto the LORD hath promised His owne blessed presence they procure no small skaith and damage to themselues they depriue themselues of some grace and comfort that the LORD ministers to them that meet together What euer be the cause of thine absence it caÌ„not be but hurtfull to thee albeit all causes of absence be not alike hurtfull for if thou be absent by negligence the lesse is thy danger and losse but if wilfully and vpon contempt thou absentest thy selfe then not only depriuest thou thy sâ—lfe of grace and comfort but also thou procurest the wrath of GOD vpon thee for the contempt of His blessed ordinance Therefore if wee would bee partakers of the grace and blessing that the LORD hath promised to these holy assemblies we should postpone our priuate adoes and the cares of the world vnto these Holy exercises and we should embrace that counsell of our Sauiour Seeke first the Kingdome of Heauen and His righteousnesse and all other thinges shall bee ministred vnto you Matth. Chapter 6. verse 33. The man that makes this his first and his chiefe care to seeke the Kingdome of God when he hath gotten it hee will finde by experience that there is nothing necessarie for the sustaining of this present life that shall be inlaking to him It is a foolish thing to be too carefull for these worldly things for if thou seekest first the Kingdome of Heauen all these things will be casteâ— to thee Nowe to come to the preaching of the rest of the Disciples to Thomas it is said The other Disciples said vnto him We haue seene the Lord They preach to Thomas the Lordes Resurrection for the benefite they had receiued themselues in Thomas absence they willingly communicate to him they knewe and they sawe that the Lord was risen they tell this to Thomas as they beleeued so they wished and desired that hee should beleeue also This Example of the Apostles we ought all to followe When the Lorde communicates any spirituall benefite to vs we should not keepe it close to our selues but wee should bee carefull to communicate it to the well of others And thus doing we need not to feare that the grace shall be empaired and grow lesse No by the contrarie this communicating of the grace and vsing of the talent that the LORD hath giuen vs is the hie and readie way to augment the grace and to reape profite of the talent that wee haue receiued Albeit thou hast taken great paines and spent much time with the losse of some worldly goods to attaine to grace yet that should not make thee the more sparing in communicating it to others It is the Lords will that thou giue it to others freely chearfully and liberally Therefore trie and examine whether thou wilt be willing and carefull to communicate to others the grace that God hath giuen thee and if thou findest this then thou hast a good conscience and if thou findest it not thou hast no matter of rejoycing because thou doest not that which the LORD requires at thine hands When the Disciples haue informed Thomas of the Lordes Resurrection looke howe Thomas takes with it What is his part In a word hee beleeues not their report His incredulitie was very vvonderfull for albeit hee vvas compassed vvith such a cloud of witnesses of faithfull witnesses of eye-seeing witnesses yet he beleeues not Apparantly euery one of them who had seene the LORD course by course had tolde him of the LORDES Resurrection and first Marie Magdalene who got this honour first to see the LORD after His Resurrection hath witnessed to Thomas that she saw the LORD and spake with Him Next the other women who did meete with Him as they were returning froÌ„ the graue testifies the same Thirdly the two disciples who were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus informed him that they did meete with Him in the way of the conference they had with Him Fourthly Peter to whoÌ„ also y e Lord had appeared stroue to perswade him and last the whole number of the Apostles and the faithfull there assembled testified with one voyce that they had seene Him and spoken with Him yet Thomas is nothing mooued with all these speeches their witnessing makes not him to beleeue he remaines still in incredulity This example of Thomas telles vs that all the outward meanes that can be vsed all the testimonies of the worlde the testimonies of the most faithfull most godly most wise of the eye-witnesses will not mooue the heart of a man to beleeue will not perswade him of any point of doctrine necessarie to Saluation if there bee no more What then will make a man to beleeue Nothing but the Spirit of IESVS CHRIST it must be He that must witnesse vnto our heartes what is the will of GOD concerning vs it must be Hee that must take away the vale and illuminate our darke soules it must bee Hee that must open our heartes as Hee opened the heart of Lydia and make vs to beleeue If this Holy Spirit of CHRIST bee not present a man will not beleeue his owne eyes his owne senses will not perswade him We sawe the trueth of this before in the rest of the Disciples when the LORD stood in the middes of them when they sawe Him with their eyes when they heard Him speake face to face they beleeued not While as Luke sayes the LORD opened their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Luke Chapter 24. verse 45. This doctrine would bee well marked because it serues to decide a controuersie that this day is betwixt vs and the Papists The controuersie and question which is betwixt vs and them concerning the chiefe and principall witnesse and judge First of authenticke Scripture Next of true interpretation of particular places of Scripture that is How shall a man knowe that this Scripture that wee haue and wee reade and vse dayly is the very worde of GOD and not the worde of any creature And againe Howe shall a man knowe what is the true meaning of any particular place of Scripture and whether this or that sense of the word is to bee receiued The Papistes affirme that the chiefe and principall witnesse judge both of the one or the other is the Church they say y t we could not be assured that y e Scripture is authenticke y t it is y e very word of God except y e church affirme it so to be likewise they say y t we cannot be assured of y e right meaning of any place of y e Scripture except it be by y e testimonie of y e same Church they teach
great daye when our LORD shall appeare then shall it bee seene how blessed the estate of them shall be who beleeued for then when wee see Him as He is we shall be like to Him in glorie The world countes them who beleeue in Christ Iesus to be vile and contemptible bodies but one day they shall see their happinesse their glorie to their shame and confusion But heere it may be asked What mooues the Lord so highly to commend the Faith of them who beleeue and yet see not What can be the cause of this I answere The reason is because Faith without sight is more hardly obtained than Faith by sight The man that beleeues without sight he must ouercome many moe impediments and tentations than the other who beleeues that which he sees and this is commonly true that which is obtained most hardly and acquired with greatest difficultie is most precious most excellent and most worthie of praise and so this Faith that wants sight is farre to be preferred more praise worthie than the other for it is sundrie wayes tried and fined before it appeare 1. Pet. 1.7 Now to goe forward The Euangelist in the end of the Chapter by the way meetes some things which curious men might haue objected First they might haue asked Whether if all the miracles which the Lord Iesus wrought while Hee was in the world were set downe in write and extant in the Gospell written by him Iohn answeres No they are not all written for he sayes Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of His Disciples which are not written in this Booke They might haue saide againe to Iohn then by appearance this Euangell that thou hast written is not perfect but vnperfect To this hee answeres My Gospell is perfect enough because all things are written that are necessarie to Faith and Saluation These words are casten in only by the way in this Historie of the Resurrection for albeit hee seemes to breake off the Historie of the Resurrection of CHRIST and to conclude in a manner the whole Gospell yet he returnes againe to the same Historie of the Resurrection in the Chapter following and in the ende thereof hee concludes the whole Gospell almost in these same words that are set downe heere But to returne and to speake of the miracles whereof Iohn speakes heere hee sayes Many other signes and Miracles wrought the LORD which are not written in this booke Then it may be asked Wherefore are they not written Were they vnprofitable Serues the knowledge of them to no vse To this I answere That these miracles were profitable and steadable to confirme and strengthen the faith of them who liued in that age and sawe them done yea further they are also steadable to the faith of them who liued in the ages following for when we read and heare that there was such a great multitude of miracles wrought by the Lord albeit wee know not distinctly and particularly what they were that serues very much to strengthen and confirme our Faith so that wee see these miracles which are not written are not left out of write as though they were vnprofitable and as though they serued for no vse or were vnworthie to be remembred No they were profitable and worthie but they are left out because the miracles set downe in write by Iohn and the rest of the Euangelists which indeed are very many are sufficient to Faith and Saluation But because the Euangelist sets downe in this place the ende of the miracles that the Lorde wrought therefore we shall speake more largely of them CHRIST when Hee came into the worlde was many wayes marueilous and therefore amongst many other glorious stiles Hee gets this also to bee called wonderfull Isaiah Chapter 9. verse 6. For first if wee looke to His person Hee was wonderfull for He was GOD and man in one person the like whereof neuer was nor neuer shall bee Next if we looke to the doctrine which Hee brought out of Heauen and to the worde which Hee preached to the worlde Hee was wonderfull for wonderfull was the light of His doctrine whereby Hee brought a marueilous light to the darke worlde and this made the officers to say to the High Priestes Neuer man spake like this man Ioh. Chapter 7. verse 46. and in the 7. Chapter of the Euangell of Matth. verse 29. Hee teached them as one hauing authoritie and not as the Scribes Last if we consider the things that Hee did and the wonders that Hee wrought in the world He was wonderful for they declared plainly that He was not only a man a creature but that He was God the great Creator and that Eternall IEHOVAH And these miracles serued to confirme His doctrine for the doctrine and the word of the Gospell preached by CHRIST serued to worke and beget Faith in the heart but the miracles serued to confirme the doctrine the word which He preached for they were steadable either to prepare the hearts of men to receiue the word and doctrine of the Lord or els to confirme them in that word which they had reeceiued alreadie Now both the word and doctrine of Christ and also His Miracles are set downe and left in register to vs by the speciall will direction of Christ to the well of them that were to liue in the ages to come that they might beleeue get life and saluation and therefore this written word doctrine should be receiued by vs as the viue voyce of Christ Himselfe and wee should count no lesse of it than if wee heard Christ Himselfe speaking to vs with His owne mouth and likewise wee shoulde count of the miracles written in the Gospell as if wee had seene the Lord Iesus working them before our eyes and therefore nowe in our age we neede not any new miracles to confirme of new againe the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles Indeede miracles were very necessarie to them that liued in the Primitiue Church when the Gospell was first preached and when it appeared vnto the world to be a new doctrine when the Church was in her infancie then miracles were very needfull but now seeing the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles is sufficiently confirmed alreadie by all these miracles that were wrought in these dayes by Christ His Apostles we need no miracles Why should we desire them except we thought that the doctrine is not yet sufficiently confirmed and as yet is but a new doctrine If we thinke that it is the same doctrine which Christ and His Apostles taught it needes no new confirmation Many vaine and fantasticke men but especially the Papistes this daye are not content with the Miracles that haue bene wrought by the Lord Iesus His Apostles to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell but they craue new miracles to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell as if it were not sufficiently confirmed alreadie But I say vnto thee Vaine man goe seeke miracles as
Peter and the rest got the victory notwithstanding of feare and dread thou wilt giue mee the victory vvith Peter This aduertises vs thus farre Neuer man suffered martyrdome by his owne strength And if Peter had beene giuen ouer to his owne strength hee vvoulde not haue suffered more than Judas And if Steuen had not bene sustained with the sight of Heauen to haue holden vp his heart hee vvoulde not haue suffered the death Paul teaches vs Philip. chap. 1. vers 29. As faith is the gift of God so it is the gift of God to suffer affliction It is giuen to you saies he to suffer And therfore he saies to Timothie 2. Epist chap. 1. vers 8. Be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel But howe By your owne strength No but by the power of God And therfore whosoeuer would haue this strength let him beg it of the Lord. Whensoeuer it shall please God to say Goe to the stake then euer say Lord giue me strength I shall suffer Therefore as night day we should be vpon this resolution to suffer for Christ so should we night day be earnest in prayer and if thou findest the power of God by prayer to bee conueyed to thine heart thou needest not to feare for that power will prop it vp vphold it in th' extremity of death martyrdome So euer be in prayer saying Lord giue me strenth and if thou get once a piece of this power thou shalt wonder at it Now Iohn in the next verse he joynes y e meaning of these words of the Lords to Peter lest any mā reading or hearing should doubt of the meaning This spake hee sayes Iohn signifying by what death hee should glorifie God Hee meanes that hee shoulde die a violent death hee should not get leaue to die his owne naturall death in peace but that hee should die violently vpon the scaffolde The Papistes vpon these wordes gather That Peter was crucified that y e Lord meant y t he should be hanged but the words beare no such thing Thou shalt stretch out thine hands What necessity is there here to import crucifying or hanging more than heading or any one death more than another What death it was it is not certaine it is farre better not to meddle with it than to beleeue mens fables Only the words of y e Lord import y t he died violently But what death soeuer it was it is not much to edification Yet this is not to bee passed by but wel to be marked That whē He is speaking of his death He sayes not after this māner He signified what death he should die no but by what death he should glorify God a thing more worthy of marking He stiles defines y e death martyrdome of Peter to be a glorifying of his God Brethren the death of all the godlie and Saincts whatsoeuer kinde of death it bee whether it bee in peace their owne naturall death or a violent death whatsoeuer kind of death it bee it may bee defined after this manner to bee a glorifying of God And blessed are they that die in the LORD Blessed are they that die in faith in the LORD IESVS that is as PAVL sayes sleepes in Him 1. Thessal chap. 4. vers 14. So I saye The death of euerie godlie man and woman glorifies their God Yet we must vnderstand That the death of these who suffer martyrdome and seales vp the trueth of Christ with their blood that death especiallie gettes this praise and this stile That it glorifies GOD after a speciall manner Marke it well Martyrdome properly is called The glorifying of God because in it especially is the matter of the glorie of God Aboue all other deathes of men in the worlde in the death of the Sonne of God Iesus Christ was greatest matter of the glorifying of His Father and therefore aboue all other deathes the death and crosse of Christ gettes this stile of the glorifying of GOD Joh. Chap. 12. vers 28. When the LORDE has striuen vvith the feare of death looke howe Hee considers vvith Himselfe Lord glorifie thine owne Name that is Bee thou glorified in my death Next after Christs death the death of the Martyres serues most for the glorie of God and therefore next after Christes death the death of the Martyres brookes this stile Therefore ye see in this place Iohn speaking of the martyrdome of Peter calles it The glorifying of GOD. And Paul to the Philippians speaking of his death sayes that the Lord should be magnified in his death Philip. chap. 1. vers 20. And all to this end To encourage vs chearefullie to go to death for Christs sake What knowes anie of vs but wee may bee charged with martyrdome whether it be Minister or anie of the flocke And I affirme to you that if the Lord call any of you to die for the Gospell if ye denie Him Hee will denie you These are His owne wordes Matth. 10.33 Therefore seeing euerie one of vs if wee bee Christians are bound to suffer No not a Minister onelie but the soberest of you all lad and lasse Wee haue this encouragement to suffer Martyrdome that our death shall glorifie God after a singular manner It is no matter vvhat become of thee if thou gettest that honour to glorifie God for bee assured if thou doe so thou shalt be partaker of His glorie When the conference is done the Lord appearantly rises vp for the time of this conference they were sitting together And the Lord sayes to Peter Followe thou mee The meaning is this as though He would say Well Peter I haue forewarned and enarmed thee against this death in tokē of this follow thou me for he giues him this as an vndoubted signe of his crosse death y t was to come No Brethrē they that will follow the Lord must take vp his crosse and followe Him And therefore bids Hee Peter follow Him Well these wordes are hard to flesh and blood But here is the great comfort We haue Christ to follow He goes before vs When we goe to the crosse to martyrdome Hee goes before vs. To goe to death vvithout Christ going before vs of all thinges it is most terrible and fearefull But to goe to death following Christ there is great matter of consolation for vvhen Hee is before vs and if vvee followe vvith His crosse vpon our backes vvee shall finde that the death of Christ has taken away the bitternesse of death Whosoeuer shall followe Christ shall neuer taste the bitternesse of death But if thou bearest thine owne crosse thou diest for thine owne sinne as a Malefactor a Thiefe a Murtherer c. Woe is thee for the ende of that death is th'extremitie of Hell It stands not onely in a shamefull ignominious and comfortlesse departure and in the sundring of the soule from the bodie it ends not there but thereafter y e soule must be thrust into Hel to be tormēted for euer But whē we
they saw Him they worshipped Him What made them to fall downe and worship Him What sawe they into Him No question they sawe in Him a glorious Majestie By all appearance at this time He has shewed himselfe in greater glory than Hee did of before So beholding His glorie on the one part and their owne vnworthinesse on the other as Hee approaches vnto them they humblie fall downne and worship Him This their behauiour teaches vs that wheresoeuer the Lord of Glorie is present there He should be worshipped and adored His presence requires adoration Seest thou the Lord present with thee Then in humilitie fall downe and worshippe Him But thou wilt saye I cannot see Him how then can I adore Him Th'Apostles saw His glorious presence with their eyes therefore they ought to haue worshipped Him but as for vs who liue in these dayes after His ascension to Heauen we see Him not and therefore how can wee worship Him But I answere thee It is true thou seest Him not nowe vvith the eyes of thy bodie but thou seest Him with the eyes of thy soule thou seest Him with the eyes of faith thou seest Him in the vvorde and Sacraments first crucified and then glorified And if thou wilt not worship Him when thou seest Him here present in the worde and Sacraments thou wouldest not haue worshipped Him if thou haddest seene Him with the eyes of thy body face to face These profane bodies vvho vvill not vvorship Him nowe vvhen they see Him present in the mirrour of the Gospell they vvill neuer gette leaue to worship Him in the Kingdome of Heauen Thinkest thou not that the Lord is seene present in His word What meanes Paul then vvhen he sayes that an vnlearned man comming into the meetinges of the faithfull where manie are prophecying finding himselfe rebuked and judged of all and the secrets of his heart made manâ—fest that hee will fall downe on his face and worshippe GOD and saye plainlie That GOD is among them indeede 1. Corinth Chap. 14. vers 24. and 25. What sees the vnlearned man among them that makes him to fall down and giue such a confession No question but the glorious light of the GOSPELL shines into his soule and Christ offers Himselfe present to bee seene by the eye of faith The faithfull this daye by experience finde in their meetings this same presence of the Lord And therefore it becomes vs in all our meetinges euer to vvorshippe the Lord and to sit vvith feare and reuerence to heare the worde and to prepare our heartes to receiue the Holie Spirite whome the Lord promises and offers with the preaching of the worde to all His Chosen Againe this their behauiour teaches vs what force and power there is in the glorious presence of Christ Iesus His presence is powerfull to humble and bowe both the bodie and soule of the creature This made Paul to saye that at the Name of IESVS euerie knee should bowe both of thinges in Heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth Philipp chap. 2. vers 20. For that sublimitie and highnesse vvhereunto the Father hath exalted Him is so effectuall and powerfull in all creatures and of all sortes that either sweetlie willinglie it mooues them to worship Him in all humilitie or else it breakes bruises them with fearcenesse and violence and compels out perforce obedience of them The sight and sense of this sublimitie and highnesse makes the blessed Angels in Heauen in all reuerence to worshippe Him The sense of this sublimitie makes the Sainctes on earth when either they speake or heare of Him reuerentlie and in humilitie to bow both their bodies and their soules vnto Him And by the contrarie The sight and sense of this same sublimitie raises vp in the Deuill and his angelles such horroures and dread as cannot bee expressed The sense of this sublimitie makes the wicked howe proude and jollie soeuer they bee in their owne conceite oft times when they heare of Him to quake and tremble The Euangelist Matthew notes That notwithstanding of their worshipping of Him yet some of them doubted But who were these that doubted Euen some of these who before worshipped Him And what mooued them to doubt Apparantly that same that before moued them to worship Him moues them also now to doubt to wit that extraordinary vnaccustomed majesty and glory wherein Iesus appeared to them which scarcely they could haue deemed to bee so great wonderfull And certainly the glory of the Lord sitting this day in the HeaueÌ„s at the right hand of the Father is so exceeding great woÌ„derfull that if it were permitted to vs to behold it as it is with our bodily eyes such is y e corruption of our nature we could not but doubt whether He were y e Christ who vvas so far humbled abased in y e earth of whom we heard before in y e Gospel Beside this cause y e difficulty to belieue this article of the ResurrectioÌ„ of y e dead seemes likewise to haue furthered their doubting for indeed amoÌ„g al y e articles of our belief there is none more coÌ„trary to nature nor harder to belieue thaÌ„ this article of y e ResurrectioÌ„ of our bodies froÌ„ y e dead Nature can neuer be perswaded y t a dead body y t has bin a prey to worms is resolued in dust ashes can rise vp againe to life But as of all articles there is none harder to be belieued so there is none more necessary to saluatioÌ„ nor none that brings greater consolation And therefore the Lord that vve might haue the more full assurance and perswasion thereof tooke great paines vpon Himselfe and for the space of fourtie dayes Hee remained vpon the earth after His Resurrection and sundry times shewed Himselfe to His Disciples and manie other of the Faithfull that all occasion of doubting might bee remooued and so their joye and comfort might bee the greater Nowe this doubting of the Disciples lets vs see vvhat is the disposition of the heartes of the Godlie euen in their best exercises For euen their best exercises are euer accompanied vvith a piece of doubting of vvant of infirmitie c. their vvorshipping of GOD is vvith doubting their prayer is vvith infirmitie and vvauering of the minde their meditation falles from GOD and spirituall things to carnall and earthly things their hearing of the word is euer with some piece of loathing their Faith is mixed with infidelitie so that before they can come to any great measure of grace they must striue and wrestle through many infirmities and ouercome many difficulties and tentations so that the best man euen in his best workes hath no matter of rejoycing if the Lord would enter in judgement with him Yee haue heard the disciples behauiour now look how the Lord meetes them First He drawes nearer to them and then He enters in communing with them for it is said Iesus came and spake vnto them He
that is y t by baptisme they should seale vp y t Gospel which they had teached before But to whō should they go out to whō should they preach Whome should they baptize Not the Jewes only but all Nations Marke sayes Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature As if He had said My power is extended to all Nations to euery creature and therefore this my Gospell your Ministerie whereby my power is manifested and declared to all must likewise bee extended to all creatures in the world These words of the Lord furnishes vs sundrie lessons for our instruction First we may learne heere that this office of the Apostleship which the Lord committes to His Disciples is not a bare stile of honour No but it is a laborious and painefull charge and calling they are commanded to goe out into the worlde to preach diligently the Gospell to euery creature The Pope his Cardinalles and Bishops vaunt bragge that they are the successours of the Apostles they clame this as a stile of honour to themselues but in the meane time they refuse to vndertake any paines and trauell for mans saluation as the Apostles did these idle bellies liue in carnall securitie and sensualitie taking their pleasure and pastime and deceitfully gather in to themselues the substance of the world and commit the charge of Preaching to Vicares and Curates as if the Gospell were too base an exercise for them and a thing whereof they had just occasion to be ashamed and therefore let them clame what stiles they list to themselues they are nothing lesse than successours to the Apostles Next these wordes lets vs see that there are two points of y e Ministerie for y e Lord giues His Apostles commission to preach the Gospell to baptize so the Ministers haue these two things enjoyned vnto them to preach the word to minister the Sacraments we heare nothing spoken here of offering of a Sacrifice either bloody or vnbloody or of a Priesthood and no question if there had bene such a thing or at least if it had bene a matter of such importance so necessarie as the Pope his shauelings say the Lord would altogether haue misknowne it passed it ouer with silence but He would haue spoken something of it to His Apostles so it is but a follie vanitie to thinke that since Christ hath once offered Himself a propitiatory Sacrifice for y e Redemption of the world that now there remaines any propitiatory Sacrifice in the Church The Lord hath put an end to them all by His death Sacrifice there is no Priesthood cōmitted either to the Apostles before or to the Ministers now but that whereby y e preaching of y e word they offer the soules of men womē in a Sacrifice to y e Lord Away with that deuilish sacrifice of y e Masse whereby the Pope and his Clergy deceiues the world making men beleeue that daylie they offer vp Christ againe as a propitiatorie sacrifice to the Father for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead No there is no propitiatorie sacrifice nowe left to the Kirke That sacrifice which the Lord once offered vpon y e crosse is sufficient perfect enough to take away the sinnes of y e world Thirdly these words teach vs y e these two poincts of the calling of the Ministery Teaching Baptizing were not cōmitted to diuerse sundry persons but both were cōmitted to one y e selfe same person So that he who is ordained to preach is ordained to baptize and he who cānot preach has no power nor libertie granted him of the Lord to baptize and if hee baptize he does it without the Lords commandement he has no warrant of Him and therfore his doing is but a profanation of that Holie Sacramēt of Baptisme This baptizing of infants which is ministred by priuate men has no warrant nor allowāce of God much lesse that which is done by women Fourthly out of these words we may learne what order ought to be kept in the ministring of Baptisme to wit the word must be first preached the couenant of grace and the glad tidings of saluation must be first opened vp vnto vs and then Baptisme should be ministred to seale vp that same word and couenant which before was preached Wherefore serues Baptisme except first the word be preached Baptisme is a seale And what serues y e seale for if there be nothing to be sealed Wherefore can it serue if the charter of the word preceed not Therfore except the preaching of the couenant of grace preceede Baptisme is nothing but an vnprofitable ceremony and a dead element Nowe in whose name should this Sacrament of Baptisme be ministred The Lord sayes IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SONNE AND OF THE HOLY GHOST That is Yee shall baptize by the authoritie power of the Father the Sonne of the Holy Ghost Whereof we haue to learne That the power efficacie of Baptisme depends neither vpon the power of the Minister who baptizes nor vpon the force nor power of the words pronounced by the Minister in Baptisme as if there were any such power or operation in the wordes as the Papists falsely attribute vnto them but all the force efficacie of Baptisme depends vpon the power of God only And therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized to lift vp his eyes his heart to Heauen and to craue the blessing efficacy thereof from God only Next it would be noeed y t He sayes not in a generall tearme Baptise in the name of God but Hee sayes distinctly Baptise in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized not to content himselfe with a confused knowledge and consideration of God but hee ought to behold that glorious Majesty y t incomprehensible essence distinctly in the Trinitie of the persons that is three distinct persons in one Godhead for faith is a distinct a cleare knowledge apprehension of the Majesty of God for whosoeuer truely and sincerely beleeues puts his confidēce in God he finds sensibly by experiēce that all good things flowe first from the Father as the fountaine of all grace and goodnesse through the Sonne as Mediator by whom all grace is conueyed and cōmunicated vnto men and by the Holie Ghost who powerfully effectually works all grace in y e heart Last we see here a cleare and a plaine naming of the three distinct persons of the Godhead the Lord names distinctly The Father the Sonne the holy Ghost In all the Old Testament we will not reade so plaine cleare a distinction of y e three persons of y e Godhead Then learne here that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God brought first of all into the world a distinct knowledge of God and that He first of all distinctly named The
finde them all most clearly manifested in the person of Iesus Christ Now wouldst thou know that in him thou shalt find all things that the soule of man stands in neede of can require What can the soule of man require Desirest thou honour If thou beleeuest in him he shall grant thee that power prerogatiue that thou shalt be the Sonne of God Ioh. 1.12 Desirest thou riches He was made poore that thou through his pouertie mightest be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 not with transitorie and corruptible riches but with riches and treasures incorruptible permanent desirest thou food meat drinke to thy soule He is that bread of life he is that water of life desirest thou wisdome sanctification and redemption Christ is all these vnto thee 1. Cor. 1.29 Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou light He is the light of the world Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou life He is thy life Col. 3.4 What euer he suffered it was for thee for by his stripes we are healed Esai 53.5 He was burthened with shame that he might redeeme thee from shame and cloth thee with glory he was taken and bound to set thee at libertie who was bound with Sathan and sinne he was mocked and was dumbe before the earthly Iudge that thou whose mouth before was closed through the guilt of sinne before God might haue boldnesse peartnesse in thy prayers supplications he suffered-anguish and griefe that thou mightst finde comfort ioy he dranke the gall that thou mightst drinke of a sweet and ioyfull cuppe he was naked that thou mightst be clothed and if thou wilt goe through all the points of his suffering and apply them to thy broken and casten downe soule thou shalt finde that euery one of them shall furnish comfort vnto thee yea if thou be a true penitent sinner beleeuest in him thou shalt find all these miracles to be wrought and performed in thy soule which euer the Lord in the dayes of his humiliy wrought on the body of any thou shalt finde life to thy dead soule eyes to thy blind soule eares to thy deafe soule limbes to thy lame soule a new tongue to thy dumbe soule c. Therefore as we should take pleasure delite in reading the whole parts of the Scripture for it is all by diuine inspiration is profitable to teach to cōuince to correct to instruct in righteousnes 2. Tim. 3.16 so chiefly that part which cōtaines the historie of the passion resurrection of Christ for of all there is none more profitable none more necessarie none more easie to be vnderstood by the simple none more easie to be kept in memorie none more forcible to mooue the affections either to admire the incomprehensible and infinite loue of God toward sinners or the fiercenes of his wrath for sinne or the seueritie of his iustice in seeking such exact satisfactiō or to moue to detest abhorre sin which made the Sonne of God to be made so vnworthily alwayes handled at last to be so shamefully crucified or to reioyce for these incomprehensible benefits that Christ hath acquired to vs our effectuall calling frō the kingdome of darknes to his marueilous light our iustification in pacifying the wrath of God in satisfying for sinne in absoluing vs from guiltines in dying that we might liue in bringing peace ioy to the conscience c. our sanctificatiō whereby we are repaired to his owne Image Nothing serues more for the mortificatiō nor when we consider how Christ hang vpon the Crosse for sin nothing will moue vs more effectually to cōforme our selues to him as an ensample in his humility patience obediēce loue finally in offering our selues to him as he offered himselfe for vs nor when by faith we beholde Christ on the Crosse crucified for vs. Now this history of the death resurrectiō of Christ haue many worthy men learnedly cōfortably handled exponed with great painfulnes no lesse cōmendatiō amōgst the rest that reuerent faithful man of God M. Robert Rollocke of blessed memory for his learned iudicious expositiō thereof for his manifold other graces which God vouchsafed on him deserues with the first to be cōmēnded for God in him as in a vine ensample gaue vs a shew of such qualities cōditiōs as are required to be in a Bishop of Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 3. In him learning godlines stroue together knowledge consciēce art nature a professiō an answerable conuersatiō he was faithfull painfull in his calling his calling did he decore with an holy harmlesse life for betweene these two there was such an harmony cōsent that in reading his writtings any man might see the maner of his life in seeing his life he might also therein read his writtings for his life spake what his pen wrote his person was a patterne of his writtē precepts he was neuer idle but euer doing the office of a Minister of Iesus either did he read meditate pray comfort preach or write no trauell did he refuse that he might glorifie God who sent him enlarge the kingdome of Iesus Christ acquire miserable soules from misery to felicity from darknes to light from death to life that so at last he might finish his course with ioy that was his meat his drink the delite pleasure of his soule Great graces did the Lord bestow vpō him excellēt knowledge great humility feruēt zeale charitable interpreting of all mēs doings compassiō toward all sorts of sinners Who in cōceiuing was more quick in iudgmēt more solide in memory more stedfast sure in deliuery more pithy in conuincing more powerful who with learning had greater facility easines in declaring his mind resoluing y e text of Scripture greater clearnes in raising y e grounds of doctrine greater power in applying greater wisdome in furnishing cōsolation greater dexterity in loosing of things obscure doubtsome In one word we may be bold to say of him that which Nazianzene spake of Athanasius that his life was a good definition of a true Minister preacher of the Gospell But we need not to insist in praysing him seeing so many euen all that knew him by face or heard him doe praise him for the singulare excellēt vertues graces that God bestowed on him yea they who neuer knew him by face but by his learned iudicious writtings dwelling afarre off haue highly commēded him the posteritie whose profite so much hee regarded in his labours wee doubt not shall know praise him and we had rather be silent than to speake too litle Now Sir because we thought that these Lectures on this history of the passion resurrectiō of Christ in it selfe for the matter so mouing alluring would profite edifie many if not of the most learned at least of the simple sort that other Sermons that were deliuered by him and set out by vs of before were well
acknowledge professe We offer therefore these Lectures our labours therein vnto your patronage protectioÌ„ not only as a testimony of the Authors great liking and gratitude toward you but also as a monumeÌ„t of our thaÌ„kfulnes for your kindnes shewed vnto vs finally Sir as God hath preuented you many wayes with his blessings hath made you seÌ„sible of his loue hath giuen you an honorable accouÌ„t estate in this world so continue in the honouring of God doing good vnto his Saints for his sake the Lord shall performe the fruite of his promises in you which his Saints find by experience his mercy shall neuer leaue you vntill the time that he accomplish the worke he hath begun he crowne his grace with glory Now the God of all grace peace who is able to doe all things exceeding aboundantly aboue all that we can aske or thinke grant to you Sir according to the riches of his mercy a long happy peaceable life here to the comfort of his Church Commonwelth that you may abound in euery word worke that you may fight constantly the good fight of faith here on earth that wheÌ„ your course is finished ye may be assured to receiue that crowne of glory in the heauens which Iesus hath acquired to them that loue him To whose gracious protection we recommend you in body and soule with all the actions you enterprise according to his will for now and euer AMEN Yours in the Lord H.C. W.A. THE FIRST LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 1 WHEN IESVS had spoken these thinges hee went foorth with his Disciples ouer the Brooke Cedron where was a Garden into the which he entred and his Disciples verse 2 And Iudas who betrayed him knew also the place for IESVS oft times resorted thither with his Disciples verse 3 Iudas then after he had receiued a band of men and officers of the high Priests of the Pharises came thither with lanterns torches weapons verse 4 Then IESVS knowing all thinges that should come vnto him went foorth and said vnto them Whom seeke yee verse 5 They answered him IESVS of Nazareth IESVS said vnto them I am hee Now Iudas also who betraid him stood with them verse 6 Assoone then as hee had said vnto them I am hee they went away backwardes and fell to the ground VNTO this part of this GOSPELL beloued in the LORD IESVS the LORD hath done the office of a Prophet and Doctor going about to instruct the people of the IEWES in the way of Life and saluation and to instruct and comfort His owne Disciples especially in these last CHAPTERS Nowe in the eighteenth and nineteenth CHAPTERS following He doeth the office of a Priest Ye know the LORD he is a King a Priest and a Prophet He playeth the part of a Priest in offering vp himselfe Hee offered vp none other sacrifice than his owne bodie for the world and for the redemption and saluation of mankind As concerning his passion and suffering which is rehearsed in these two CHAPTERS the historie diuideth it selfe verie clearly First wee haue his Passion and suffering in the Garden Next wee haue his suffering in the Hall of Caiaphas the high Priest Thirdly we haue his suffering before Pontius Pilate the Iudge Fourthly wee haue his suffering in the place of Execution which is called Caluaria or in Hebrewe GOLGOTHA where he was crucified And last in the ende of the nineteenth Chap. we haue the last poinct of his suffering standing in his sepulchre and buriall which is the last part of his humiliation Nowe this day wee shall speake somewhat as the time shall serue of his suffering in the Garden In this first head of Christes suffering in the Garden first wee haue the part of Christ offering himselfe to bee taken and bound willingly and of a set purpose Next we haue the part of Iudas in comming out with a companie of men of warre against him to the same Garden hee knewe the place well enough because the Lord with his Disciples were wont to resort thither In the thirde place wee haue the communication betwixt the Lord and them that came with Iudas to take him And fourthly wee haue a fact of Peter who will shew his loue towards his Master and his manhood by cutting off the eare of Malchus the high Priestes seruant And last the taking of Christ offering himselfe willingly his putting into the hands of his enemies and his binding These things are set downe in the first part of this historie Of the Passion of the Lord concerning his suffering in the Garden Now to come to the words and first to Christes part It is said When IESVS had spoken these things he went foorth with his Disciples ouer the Brooke Cedron where was a Garden into the which hee entered and his Disciples There is Christes part of verie purpose he casteth himselfe to that place which Iudas knew and where hee knew that hee was wont to resort of verie purpose hee went thither because the houre of his death was at hand The time is well to bee noted when he doeth this when he had spoken these things that is when â—ee had sufficiently instructed and comforted his Disciples and made that prayer for them and recommended them to the Father to keepe them in his absence then hee maketh himselfe for death and purposely he went to that place to be taken Heere is a plaine lesson offered vnto vs in the person of Christ when hee had discharged a duetie especially to them who were concredite vnto him after that he had instructed them and after that by prayer hee had commended first his owne selfe and then all his own to God then in securitie and peace he goeth on to death hee goeth not to die before he discharge a duetie to them that were committed vnto him then willingly he addresseth himselfe to death Yee knowe the lesson When a man or a woman hath discharged their calling faithfully towardes them that were committed vnto them and done their duetie to them to whom they are addebted then in peace rest and with a good conscience they may offer vp themselues at the pleasure of God to laye downe their life and to die therefore whosoeuer they be that would die in rest and peace and alas when shouldest thou haue rest peace and quietnesse to thy soule if in the houre of death thou haue it not Let them take heed before they goe to die that they haue discharged a faithfull duetie and then hauing beene faithfull when they goe to die they may lie downe and rest in peace and in a good conscience But yee knowe againe one follie in this poinct and this is the common fashion of men when they haue their health before the Lord call on them they are so sloathfull in discharging their duetie to them to whome they are indebted that when the soule is to depart out
be obedient to the Father that is Hee died willingly at the good will and pleasure of the Father And if He had not bene obedient His sacrifice had neuer beene a satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde and then what good had the sacrifice of CHRIST done to mee or thee or to anie man and therefore hereupon is our faith grounded that we know the LORD IESVS not onely died but also that Hee died willingly and so willingly and with such a readinesse to pleasure his Father and to satisfie the wrath of the Father as no tongue of man nor Angell can expresse And when euer thou settlest thine heart on the death of CHRIST looke that thine heart settle it on a willing and obedient death for if thou thinke not that Hee died willinglie and chearefullie for thee thou canst haue no comfort Now to come to Iudas part Iudas knoweth the place where the LORD was hee knoweth the Garden well enough because IESVS oftentimes was wont to resort thither with his disciples and Judas was one of them for manie times hee was there with the rest of his disciples and hee knewe that commonly the LORD was wont to resort thither with his disciples and on this hee taketh occasion to betray Him and when hee hath gotten a band of men of warre and the seruants of the high Priestes and Pharises hee as a Captaine to them and they as a guarde with swordes and staues enter within the Garden to take the LORD IESVS Well Brethren it is the acquaintance and familiaritie that Judas had with CHRIST and with the place where He was vvont to resort that was the occasion of the betraying of the Lord. If Iudas had not bene acquainted with Christ Iudas had not come to this place to take Him It is familiaritie that makes traitours hee that will betray a man must be a domesticke a houshold man to him Will euerie man betray Christ No not euerie man hee that will betray Christ must be one that knoweth Him and His trueth in some measure Then thou that knowest Christ take good heede to thy knowledge and to thy familiaritie take good heede that knowledge of Christ be in sinceritie and that thou be not an Hypocrite but bee a friend indeede and not outwardly otherwise if thy knowledge be but in hypocrisie and if thy friendship bee coloured thou shalt bee a traitour and in the ende thou shalt make apostasie with Judas from Iesus Christ What is the cause that men become Apostates and traitours and after that they haue professed and subscribed they fall away from Iesus Christ what but because they were neuer true nor sincere friends to Iesus Christ All was but dissimulation and shall end in persecution of Iesus Christ and his members and they shall end in destruction as Iudas did for after that hee had once made apostasie from the Lord and betrayed his Master hee neuer tooke rest till he hanged himselfe If ye will marke well ye wil find in the companie of Iudas two rancks sorts of men The first is a band of men of warre of the Romane Deputies that was one part of the guarde The other was the officers and ministers of the high Priest they make out the other part Then the third guarde is partly of Gentiles partly of Iewes How came they They came with lanterns weapons lights on a naked man with feare of warre they needed not What needed all this companie the Lord Iesus beeing a naked man in the Garden not minded to fight What needed Iudas to bring such a guard with him The Spirit of God marketh in this Narratiue that Iudas in doing this had an euill conscience through his euill doing The man that taketh an euill or a wicked deede in hand will thinke that hee can neuer get men enew to doe it with him hee shall feare for no cause if yee should guarde him with all the worlde scarcely shall hee be in securitie for hee wantes that peace of GOD. Paul to the Philippians calles it that peace that passes all vnderstanding and that guardes the heart of man for peace is nothing but a good conscience and hee who wantes this good conscience which is the inward guarde that man can neuer bee saued with an outwarde guarde if all the worlde should stand about that man hee will euer bee in feare and albeit hee were in the mids of an armie he will tremble and quake but a good conscience will rest in peace as Dauid sayeth Although I were helmed about with ten thousand men yet would I not be afraid for I know assuredly that thou wilt bee with mee That heart is well guarded that hath a good conscience for it will haue peace inwardly and will not seeke that outward guarde The same thing is set out in the manner of his comming hee commeth with lanternes and hee commeth with lights and in the night This comming in the night manifesteth that he had an euill conscience for he that doeth euill hateth the light What needed all this company Was not the Lord Iesus dayly going in and out in Hierusalem And was He not daylie teaching in the Temple yet they layed not an hand vpon him The verie season and time of his out-cōming testifieth that he had an euill conscience in doing of it and therefore he came not in the day light Hee that hath an euill conscience feareth the Sunne hee dreadeth the light and hee seeketh to execute his purpose in the night The night maketh an euill man impudent All these things manifest vnto vs that Iudas had an euill conscience but it was not well wakened but when it was wakened then he despaired and he had Hell in his soule and got no rest till he had hanged himselfe Nowe I goe forwarde to the communication betwixt the Lord and the Guarde Ihon saith The Lord knowing all things that should happen vnto him and that were to come vnto him he commeth forward he fleeth not away he hideth not himselfe he is not drawne out of an hole as men who haue done an euill fact but vnrequired hee commeth foorth vnto them and vpon his owne free motiue hee offereth himselfe vnto them then he tarrieth not till they beginne to talke but first the Lord speaketh saieth Whom seeke ye and they answere not knowing him by the face they say IESVS of Nazareth Hee answereth not denying himselfe I am hee hee confessed himselfe Will ye marke these thinges when hee saieth hee knewe all thinges that should come vnto him Iohn would let you see that the Lord Iesus willingly and wittingly offered Himselfe vnto the death This taking and laying hands vpon Him commeth not of hap-hazard No the Lord knew well enough all the things that should come to Him He is taken wittingly and as He is taken wittingly so is Hee taken willinglie and Hee is readier to offer Himselfe to bee taken than they are to take Him But to come to the wordes Hee
saieth Whome seeke yee heere and when they saye IESVS of Nazareth then Hee answereth I am hee These wordes doe testifie that wittinglie and willinglie Hee offereth Himselfe to bee taken And if yee marke yee shall see in His answere such mildnesse as is vnspeakeable Hee beginneth not to speake in wrath and when they saye IESVS of Nazareth Hee giueth not an answere scornefullie So that as Hee offereth Himselfe willingly so yee see also such a mildnesse in Him when Hee is taken euen as the Scripture spake as Hee had beene a Lambe So that ye see that neither in word nor deede he vttereth anie thing to hinder his obedience to his Father this then is the thing that IOHN recommendeth vnto vs and letteth vs see euen that Iesus Christ was willing to die And this lesson we should all learne if it shall please GOD to call anie of vs to suffer for Iesus Christes sake that we suffer with such willingnesse and pleasure that we run to death and embrace it with our armes let this mildnesse vtter it selfe in all thy doings away with that scorning if thou would be like Iesus Christ die in peace willingly looke not to the instrument nor the Hang-man who putteth handes in thee but lift thine heart to the God of heauen and say O LORD seeing that it is thy will that I die mine eye is on thee and as IESVS CHRIST offered himselfe willingly to bee a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world euen so am I willing to obey thy will It is noted that Iudas was amongst the rest and no question the eye of the Lord is on him but neuer a worde he speaketh to him Now I thinke that this standing of Judas is mentioned to let vs see two things the first is that patient suffering of Iesus Christ he beginneth not to vpbraide him and to speake angrie wordes to him or to looke to him angrylie Some would haue thought that the LORD seeing Iudas might haue saide to him Well Traitour art thou there who hast betrayed mee No hee giueth him not an angrie looke hee is euen a verie Lambe as the Prophet speaketh of him a Lambe without anger either in looke or in worde but in suffering he vseth such a mildnesse and patience as is wonderfull Next to let vs see that impudencie of the traitour Iudas how durst he face the Lord IESVS whome hee betrayed a traitour is ay impudent and shamelesse hee hath ay an hard heart and then a brasen face to the man whome he hath betrayed Ye see how dangerous a thing it is once to harden the heart against Christ and once to beginne to doe euill against conscience if thine heart beginne once to be indured thou shalt not come backe whilst thou commest to extreame induration and at last to perdition Iudas could neuer come backe after that once his heart was hardened against the Lord but past forward till he came to that finall induration and hardnesse of heart Therefore farre be it from vs once to beginne to harden our heartes against the LORD If thou beginnest once thou shalt grow in hardnesse till thou commest to that finall induration Lord saue vs from that sinne the hardnesse of heart against the trueth and against Iesus Christ It is to bee feared that these men vvho vvith the betrayers of Iesus Christ haue set their faces against Christ His true religion against their natiue countrey and goe forwarde in such induration and obstinacie of heart that they shall come to that part of Iudas And it is a rare thing to see a man who hath gone so farre forwarde in induration come euer backe againe to grace Now wee haue the effect that followes on this word that Hee speakes I am hee for these wordes are no sooner spoken albeit they be few and gentle but they are all amazed tremble and fall downe backward to the ground It is an admirable thing that one word and that so mildly spoken should haue wrought such an effect for it is such a worde as they woulde haue wished for It is verie wonderous that such a gentle word shoulde as a whirle-winde or as a flashe of fire so haue strucken them No question this is to let them see that the Lord needed not to haue beene taken with them except it had beene His owne will No it was not possible for them to touch one haire of His head for Hee saith Himselfe in the 10. Chap. and 18. vers of this Gospell No man taketh my life from me I haue power to lay it downe and to take it vp againe So the Lord by this wonderfull effect of that word I am hee will let them knowe that they had no power to lay hands on Him if it had not bene His owne will And no doubt He hath had a respect vnto them howbeit they were enemies to Him yet Hee wished thē well And by the striking of them to the grounde Hee woulde let them see that if they encountred with Him they would die and He will let them see His power that He might cause them to repent or else to make them vnexcusable and to let them see that Hee was the Lord of Glorie and that they put hands to the Lord of Glory and slew the Lord of Life Wee may gather of the effect of this worde that if such a sober and gentle worde comming out of the mouth of Iesus Christ did driue them vpon their backes and cast them to the ground what if Iesus Christ had spoken an angrie word what force woulde that haue had If the bleating of a Lambe had such a force what force shall the roaring of a Lion haue Where shall the wicked stand And if the voyce of the Lord Iesus humbly and like a Lambe standing before them Himselfe alone and speaking with such gentlenesse had such effect as to throwe them downe vpon the grounde what effect shall that roaring full of wrath and indignation at that Great day not out of the mouth of a Lambe nor of an humble man Iesus of Nazareth but out of y e mouth of a lion out of y e mouth of Iesus Christ the Iudge sitting in His Glorie Majestie saying to y e wicked Away yee cursed to that fire which is prepared for the Deuill and his angels Mat. 25.41 What effect then shall that voyce haue Whither shall that voyce driue them And further marke If that voyce had such an effect beeing no threatning nor boasting but gentle and milde nowe what effect shall this voyce haue whereby Hee threatneth the worlde by His seruantes with His judgementes If the milde speaking had such a force what effect shall these terrible threatninges haue against the wicked for it is another thing vvhen Christ threatneth in wrath and vvhen Hee speaketh meekelie Nowe as certainlie as this vvorde that Christ Himselfe spake vvrought such an effect As certainelie also the vvorde of Iesus Christ vvhich Hee putteth into the mouth of His faithfull Teachers
and Pastors heere in this vvorld shall bee effectuall either to thy life or to thy death and as certainelie the same vvorde shall haue effect to driue the vvicked men vpon their backes as Zacharie saieth Chap. 1. vers 4.5.6 When the men are dead that haue spoken that vvorde after it hath beene spoken it shall bee founde liuing and that same voyce shall haue effect vvhen vvee are dead It is true sayeth the LORD my Prophets died with your fathers but my voyce which I put into their mouthes died not with them and your fathers knewe that that worde which I did put into their mouthes was liuing and neuer left them vntill it brought on judgement vpon them The LORD graunt that euerie soule may reuerence the vvorde of IESVS CHRIST for it shall bee founde that either it vvas spoken to thy saluation or to thy damnation And Heauen and Earth shall vanishe awaye before one jote of that Worde passe awaye vvithout its owne effect But nowe let vs see vvhat they doe after they are fallen downe vpon the grounde Leaue they off No no they rise againe and the LORD IESVS standeth still and letteth them rise againe and vvhen they are risen they speake nothing but Hee speaketh first and Hee saieth Whome seeke yee and they saye IESVS of NAZARETH And Hee answereth I am hee Nowe this is a strange thing Who can thinke that these men vvho founde so great a power proceeding out of the mouth of the LORD IESVS CHRIST finding such force shoulde haue medled with Him againe But left they Him for all this No but they get vp againe and pursue Him and take Him and binde Him It is an hard matter to bee giuen ouer to a reprobate sense that is to want feeling when the Lord taketh out of the soule in His judgement all sight sense that person is miserable and if thou be once strucken with that senselesnesse of the soule albeit thou be throwne downe vpon thy backe thou shalt get vp againe like a drunken man and fight against the Lord and that man is worse than any beast horse or mule for once strike a Horse downe he hath a feeling therof and he will beware of the like perill againe But a man who should haue reason after that the Lord hath once strucken him with senselessenesse there is no beast so senselesse as he is and as hee is senselesse so he shall not leaue off from euill doing and hee shall compt no more of the power of God than of a flee for they feele not the hand of God they are so astonished and they will vp againe after they are casten downe and they will assaye His power againe and will not leaue off till His wrath destroy him Striue therefore euer to keepe the soule in a sense and feeling and let not that miserable scroofe to goe ouer thy soule but haue still a feeling of the power of God and mercy of God in thy soule and alwayes haue a wakened conscience for if thine heart come to that extreame senselessenesse thy soule shall ouer-grow with such a fatnesse that thou shalt haue no more sense than a dead stocke and thou shalt bee like an Oxe fedde to destruction thou shalt neither haue feeling of mercie nor of judgement To ende with this ye see that Iesus Christ albeit he was but himselfe alone a simple man to looke to and without armour yet Hee prouoketh them and speaketh to them first Hee dischargeth them to stirre Him vntill first they entered into a conditiō with Him That His disciples should passe free there is not such a thing that one of them could haue power to put out their hand to take Him And if there were no more but this that they had no power to stirre him they might see more in Iesus Christ than in a common man they might see power in Him to keepe Himselfe yet their senselessenesse is so great that they cannot see this The Lord keepe vs in sense and feeling of Him that when He hath adoe with vs wee may feele Him and see Him that our conscience may bee wakened and our hearts mollified through Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE SECOND LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 7 Then he asked them againe Whom seeke yee And they said IESVS of Nazareth verse 8 IESVS answered I saide vnto you that I am hee therefore if ye seeke me let these goe their way verse 9 This was that the word might bee fulfilled which hee spake Of them which thou gauest mee haue I lost none verse 10 Then Simon Peter hauing a sword drew it and smote the high Priestes seruant and cut off his right eare Now the seruants name was Malchus verse 11 Then saide IESVS vnto Peter Put vp thy sworde into the sheath shall I not drinke of the cuppe which my Father hath giuen mee verse 12 Then the band and the captaine and the officers of the Iewes tooke IESVS and bound him THE last day beloued in the LORD IESVS wee diuided the whole Historie of the Passion and suffering of Iesus Christ which is contained in these two CHAPTERS to wit the XVIII and XIX of this Gospell in these parts First wee haue his suffering in the Garden Then wee haue his suffering in the Hall of the high Priest Thirdly we haue his suffering before the Iudge Pontius Pilate Fourthly wee haue his suffering in the place of Execution in Caluaria otherwise GOLGOTHA And last we haue the last part of his suffering which is his Buriall The last day wee entered into the first part of his suffering which IOHN in this Chapter setteth downe to bee this The Lord Iesus beeing in the Garden is taken captiue and bounde John passeth by all that agonie and conflict that the Lord had before his taking in the Garden with the heauie wrath of his Father for our sinne which hee did beare As concerning his taking we haue first the part of Iesus who of purpose wittingly and willingly came to this Garden to be taken which Garden was knowne to Judas the Traitor Then wee haue the part of Iudas he knowing the Garden commeth forward because the Lord vsed with his Disciples to resort thither accompanied with a band of men of warre with the officers and seruants of the high Priest to take and apprehende the Lord. In the third place wee haue the communing that fell out betwixt Christ and them that came to take him he knowing all things that should come vnto him hee taketh not the flight nor seeketh not to goe his way as he might haue done because it was night but hee commeth out vnsought and beginneth the speach and saieth Whome seeke yee They not knowing him by face answered IESVS of Nazareth He answered againe not denying himselfe I am he as he would say in plaine wordes I am the man whom yee seeke why seeke yee
power of GOD and liueth nowe in glorie at the right hande of the Father How great a power must this bee that proceedeth out from Christ glorified Alas if the worlde saw this if the blinde men saw the thousand part of that terrible power that commeth from Iesus Christ glorified thinke ye that for all the world they durst confederate with the King of Spaine the Pope and his power and enterprise anie thing against Christ and his Church but alas this blindnesse and induration letteth them not see nor feele but in the ende they shall feele it if the Lord in mercie conuert them not to their euerlasting shame confusion Well to goe forward IOHN to this purpose alleadgeth an olde prophecie which was prophecied before of Iesus Christ long before hee came into the world and this is the prophecie Of them which thou gauest me haue I lost none Nowe Iohn draweth this prophecie to the preseruation of Christes disciples at this time because the disciples that were concredite vnto him escaped at this time Marke Brethren It is true indeed that the prophecie properly is to be vnderstood not so much of a safetie in this life presently as of a spirituall safetie to life euerlasting this is the meaning Yet it hath pleased the Spirit of God to apply this prophecie to this bodily preseruation the cause is this At this time the bodily safetie of his disciples importeth that spirituall safetie the life to come as by the contrarie the indangering of the present life indangered the life to come If the disciples had bene taken at this time to haue suffered with their Master they had all reuolted and denied their Master Wee may see the proofe of this in Peter and so they had hazarded not onely this life but also the life to come because that the disciples were as yet but children in Iesus Christ and were not strengthened enough with the power of Christ and woe is to that soule that will denie Iesus Christ and chiefly in death There is not one who will suffer their litle finger only to be burnt for the cause of Christ except he be strengthened with the power of Iesus Christ and there is not one that will now suffer affliction but they who are guarded with the power of God and therefore yee see heere Gods mercie towardes his disciples This is the mercifull dealing of God with his owne hee will neuer let one of his owne bee tempted but hee will giue them power to beare out the temptation and Hee will neuer suffer them to be tempted till He giue them abilitie and when Hee hath giuen them strength then the LORD will lay on the burthen It is a wonderfull thing the heauier the burthen be that the Lord layes on his owne the greater strength Hee giues them to sustaine it The world hath wondered at the Martyres of God who had so great comfort in the time of their burning in the fire and how in suffering they would sing Psalmes vnto their latter breath The world wondereth at this The heauier that the death hath bene the greater hath the power of God bene and the greater hath the life of Iesus beene in the Martyres And these disciples whom he spared now when He saw that they were ripe Spared He them then No no what was the whole lifetime of the disciples after that Christ departed out of this world but a perpetuall suffering till the life was taken from them they died all by persecution and then by the lossing of this life they got life euerlasting in dying they died not but in dying they entered into a more glorious life So this is that mercifull power of God It appeares that in this countrey there is litle ripenesse because of this litle suffering and therefore the Lord hath dealt mercifully with vs and in great mercie hath holden mens handes off vs therefore wee should pray if it shall please him to bring any to the triall to suffer for his glorious Names sake Lord I am not able to behold the sight of the fire much lesse to suffer the crueltie of the fire therefore if thou wilt haue mee to suffer giue me strength whereby I may bee able to suffer Now I goe to Peters part he setteth downe his action certainly it is worth nothing albeit it seemeth to bee verie zealous What doeth hee hee hath a sword about him he seeing them rush on his Master shevveth his manhood And he striketh the seruant of the high Priest whose name was Malchus and he cut off his right eare The rest of the Euangelists Mat 26. Marke 14. Luke 22 speake of some thing that was done before this When the Lord was communing vvith them that tooke Him then comes the traitour Iudas to the Lord and cryes Rabbi Rabbi Master Master with that he kisseth Him now this was a signe that hee had giuen vnto his companie that that man whome hee should kisse was the man that they should take Now what doth the Lord He makes no signe of anger and there is none of vs but wee thinke that He should haue vttered great anger to the traitour fie on thee traitour for of all men he is most detestable but the Lord in mildnes meeknes of Spirit for all this whole time He takes purpose to suffer patiently as Esay sayeth Hee was as a Lambe before the shearer as a sheepe led to the slaughter openeth not his mouth He sayes friend betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse He assayeth if the conscience will bee brought to remorse There is a wonderfull patience of God to the most vile sinner whē he hath giuen them a signe the whole companie russhed vpon Him Then the disciples said Master shal we defend thee by the sword but Peter not staying vpō an answere he was hardie striketh off the eare of Malchus the high Priests seruant Nowe Brethren albeit that this Malchus the high Priests seruant deserued that not only his eare should be cut off but also that the head the life should be taken from him for he was in a very euill action indeed he was cled with authority but with an euill authoritie if thou hadst the authoritie of all the kings in the world it wil neuer excuse thee before God if thou shouldest get a subscriptiō to do euil against an innocent man the Lord shall not alow thee but His judgmēt shal ouertake thee whether Peter did this of zeale for no doubt he loued his Master exceeding well he would haue had his Master out of his hands yet for all this the Lordes owne wordes testifie that this fact of Peter is to be condemned If ye will examine the zeale it is a very preposterous and vnskilfull zeale the zeale is nothing worth if a man go beyond the boundes of his calling What was Peter but a priuate man this cōpany being sent by the Magistrats superior power Peter ought not
to haue resisted them to recompense this injurie by reason of his calling albeit it was the greatest injurie that euer was done in the world Then the words of Christ doe declare that he did it of blindnesse for hee did that lay in him to stay the worke of the redemption of the world hee tooke no heede to his hand Now to marke something There is nothing more common to men than this to cloake their actions with the pretence of zeale he or she will say I did it of zeale but the Spirit of God in this place and marke it letteth thee see if thy zeale be a naked zeale if it go beyond the bounds of thy calling albeit it be in a good cause yet thy zeale is worth nothing if thy zeale be with ignorance if thou hast not the warrand of this worde thy zeale is of no value it will not warrand thine action if yee would haue surer rules of actions nor zeale is take heede to thâ—se two thinges First to thy calling Looke that thou go not beyond the bounds of thy calling Shalt thou that art a priuate man strike with a sworde Is that thy calling Then next to Gods word What auaileth it vnto a man to goe forward in blindnesse if he be not illuminate with the light of God it is but a blinde zeale and if thou wouldest haue thine actions well ruled then take that lanterne of the word going before thee to warrand thy conscience in all thy proceedings for of all graces this is one of the greatest to haue the worde of God thy warrand in all thine actions As for zeale I cast it not awaye it is ouer rare to be casten away for it is a speciall grace of God but take heede if thou wouldest haue zeale looke that it be moderate and passe not the boundes of thy calling and then looke that thou haue a warrande of the word of God looke that the eye of thy soule bee illuminate Ioyne these two together and then goe forwards to the worke of the Lord. Certainly experience hath taught vs that this zeale hath had an euill successe no man by this zeale did euer get commendation of God It may be that men will runne forwards rashly in zeale and will haue a good entrie but the ende will tell thee that it was but foolish hardinesse it will forthinke them And no doubt Peter when hee got this answere of his Master he repented No man hath neede to finde fault with men of this age for there are few Peters nowe adayes where yee shall finde one like Peter who hath zeale ye shall find ten who haue none The zeale of God is awaye that did eate vp the heartes of the men of God of old Then againe ye shall see in this fact of Peters Peter was a good man and one who loued Iesus Christ very well and hee was loath to leaue Him and when as the Lord said to His disciples Will yee depart also from mee Peter answered and saieth LORD Whither shall wee goe thou hast the wordes of life hee was verie loath to depart from Him And this action also which hee hath in hand is a good action in the defence of Christ Yet for all this in this good action and in the cause of God see how hee is miscarried the Lord findeth fault with him Well this is our nature that when we would doe the worke of the Lord our corruption defileth it and oftentimes in doing it we will sinne and we will blot it with some foule blotte And Peter doing this with some preposterous zeale he is not allowed for an vncleane man as hee is vncleane so hee shall make the worke of the Lord vncleane So the chiefe thing that a man should be exercised withall is prayer that y e Lord would sanctifie the person that the worke that y e Lord hath employed him in may be holily done and marke againe the greatest default that was in Peter was his too great zeale We need not to be afraide for this in this lande Nay we may be afraide for default of it that the worke of the Lord should perish and wee are to pray that the King and those whom he hath employed in this worke may haue an vpright heart and such an heart as Dauid and good Ezechias had an heart louing God and hating Gods enemies I would not doubt then but the worke in his hande should take a good end and hee should report honour and glorie Now the Lord seeing what Peter did Hee forbiddeth him and sheweth a greater anger against him than against Iudas Hee spake not so angrylie against Iudas or any of them that pursued Him as Hee did to Peter and He sayeth Put vp thy sword into the sheath and then he subjoyneth the reason Shall I not drinke of the cuppe that my Father hath giuen me Thou doest what lieth in thee to holde off the cuppe I will drinke of the cuppe that my Father hath giuen me of necessitie I must drinke it for it was preordinate before all times that I should drinke it and seeing it is so I will drinke it Shall any thing be injoyned to vs to doe of necessitie and shall we not doe it willingly The Father hath propined vnto mee a bitter cuppe of affliction and I shall drinke it out dregges and all Matthew in his 26. Chapter giueth mo reasons wherefore the Lord disallowed Peter and this is one Hee who strikes with the sword at his owne hande whom the Lord hath not armed to strike he shall be strucken with the sword It is a dangerous matter to slay if the Lord put not the sword into thine hand then he giues another reason will I be defended with the arme of man No if I would pray to my Father Hee would send me twelue legions of Angels and lastly sayeth He Shall not the Scripture bee accomplished of mee Shall I make the worde of the Lord false which hath foretolde of my suffering and therefore stay thy rashnes And note what Luke sayeth in his 22. Chapter verse 51 He takes vp the eare and puts it on againe Ye may see here that the Lord will haue no man hurt in his taking the Lord will haue no vnjust defence Iesus Christ will not bee defended with vnlawfull meanes He will not bee defended with Peters sword for he had no power giuen him of the Lord for to strike He will not haue injurie repressed with injurie Nay He will not haue the man that hath the just cause to represse an authoritie This guarde came from the authoritie from the Romane empire and Christ will not haue Peter a priuate man to meddle with the superiour power He will not haue him to defend Him against the authoritie It is a dangerous thing to resist authoritie albeit it be vnlawfully vsed chiefly a priuate man and albeit that the authoritie had done wrong yet a man who hath not authoritie should not represse
the injurie done by the authoritie the Lord will not allow it the Lord will not haue injurie repayed by an injurie Well then if the Lord will not haue a wrong defence against injuries Hee will not haue a wrong to meete a wrong What damnation lyes on these men who do an injurie doe delight to oppresse the innocent If Peter got such a reproofe for the defence of Christ against his enemies What damnation shall these murtherers get who oppresse the innocent man the damnation of these men shall bee great I denounce an heauie damnation against thee Let the King the Magistrates and all the world winke at thee the hand of the Lord shall light on thee this shall be thy recompense Thou who takest pleasure in oppression shalt be oppressed the Lord shall thrust downe thine head and bloodie hand shall presse thee downe for euer the Lord saue vs from this judgement woe to them that oppresse their neighbour either in word or deede Now to goe forward Shall I not drinke of the cuppe that my Father hath giuen me By the cuppe is vnderstood a measure of affliction that the Lord will lay on any man as a cuppe is a measure so the Lord hath a measure of affliction to lay on his owne as the Master of a familie hath a cuppe drinketh to his familie sayes Drinke thou this drinke thou that euen so the Lord is the Master of this world He will fill the cuppe of affliction He will say Drinke thou this drinke thou that if He propine thee a cup He will cause thee drinke it all the world cannot saue thee but if the Lord bid thee doe it thou must drinke it He hath commandement ouer his creatures good reason that we doe His will either to liue or die as He pleaseth if the Lord propine thee with a cup of affliction if thou drinke it not willingly heere is the danger thou shalt bee compelled to drinke the dregs thereof to thy destruction Woe is to the soule that will in no measure lay down his necke to that burthen but againe if thou take that cuppe gladly as the Lord Iesus did He dranke the dregs of the bitter cuppe of the wrath of the Father yea Hee receiued it gladly and thanked Him for it albeit thou hadst bitternesse in the beginning yet in the end thou shalt finde joy and sweetnesse What followed on that cuppe Glorie the more that thou sufferest if it be patiently the greater glorie shall be to thee Then seeing that we must also suffer in this world for it is nothing but a suffering life woe is to thee that wilt make thy heauen into this world thou needest not to looke for an heauen in the world to come What euer wee suffer let vs striue against our rebellious nature for it is full of rebellion and striue to get patience and say Lord I haue no patience in mine hand Lord giue me patience contentment let this be our prayer in distresse and they who will seeke this I will promise them the most glorious issue that euer was the bitternesse of the affliction shall not stay that glorie In this world we are all as it were on a Skaffold to trie our faith to trie our patience that afterward all our afflictions may be turned in joy glorie all the teares that will gush out of thine eyes the Lord with his hand shal wipe them away wilt thou awaite to see this end thou shalt neuer againe see dolour nor displeasure Now remaineth one thing of the taking of the Lord then sayeth he Then the band and the captaine and the officers of the Iewes tooke Jesus and bound him He gaue them good leaue or els they could neuer haue bound Him but will yee marke how particularly they are named that tooke Him there is the band of the men of warre and the captaine and the seruants to let you see that there was no man that was there and was partaker of that doing but the eye of God was on him the holy Spirit recounteth them Beware euer to be in euill companie if there were neuer so many in that companie yea if there were ten thousand with thee the Lord shall see thee and judge thee whether thou be a Captaine or a single souldier or a gudget beware to bee in euill companie Say not I am not a principall man but a seruant I must obey the authoritie and I must followe my Captaine No that shall bee no warrand to thee for if thou shalt be in euill companie the eye of the LORD shall bee vpon thee to judge thee let none of these worldly excuses moue thee but say Lord thou seest whither I go with whom I come what I come to do or els thy cōscience shal terrifie thee whether thou be highest or lowest in doing an ill fact the iudgement of the Lord shall fall on thee Now to come to his taking the Lord is taken willingly resistes not whē they boūd him he put out his hands to be boūd looke how he pointes out the suffering of Christ First he sayes he was taken then he was bound thinke ye this is for no purpose There is not a worde or a sillabe lost here the taking of the Lord and the laying handes on him was for our cause who lying vnder sinne the deuill and death and this taking recounters and meetes our taking by the deuill and death Euery thing in Him and His suffering behoued to meete vs and our suffering Hee that should redeeme vs as wee were taken so it behooued Him to be taken and as wee were bound so it behooued Him to be bound and if His taking and binding had not answered to our taking and binding Hee had not beene a meete redeemer for vs and if he had not beene bound as we were we had not beene deliuered from the bands of sinne albeit it is hard to Him yet to the sinner it is joyfull and if thou findest thine handes bound hard thus the Lord Iesus was a captiue bound for thee it would bee the joyfullest tithings to thee that euer was Who is he or shee that feele the bandes of death and damnation but this will bee joyfull tithings to them because we feele not this when we heare word of His taking we take litle thought of it and are so litle mooued therewith Therefore Brethren I recommend this lesson to you and my selfe seeing we are all sinners lying vnder sinne and death that we striue to bee found in Iesus that by faith in Him wee may finde his passion and all the partes thereof to be forcible and effectuall to freee and deliuer vs from the bandes of sinne and death and so may be made partakers of life and glorie through Him To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie AMEN THE THIRD LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP.
XVIII verse 13 And led him away to Annas first for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas who was the high Priest that same yeere verse 14 And Caiaphas was he that gaue counsell to the Iewes that it was expedient that one man should die for the people verse 15 Nowe Simon Peter followed IESVS and another Disciple and that Disciple was knowne of the high Priest therefore he went in with IESVS into the Hall of the high Priest verse 16 But Peter stood at the doore without Then went out the other Disciple which was knowne vnto the high Priest and spake to her that kept the doore brought in Peter verse 17 Then said the maid that kept the doore vnto Peter Art not thou also one of this mans Disciples Hee saide I am not verse 18 And the seruants and officers stood there who had made a fire of coles for it was colde and they warmed themselues And Peter also stood among them and warmed himselfe WEE haue heard Brethren the first part of the suffering of Christ vvhich vvas in the Garden by the Brooke Cedron into the vvhich the Lord as he vvas accustomed entered vvith His Disciples In this Garden after that a coÌ„muning passed betwixt Him and them that came to take Him the Lord Iesus is taken and bound This is that outward suffering in the Garden besides the inward agonie in the soule vvith the vvrath of the Father for our sinnes vvhich Hee did beare Nowe Brethren to passe by all thinges vvhich vvee haue alreadie spoken vvee enter into the second part of His suffering vvhich vvas in the Hall of the High Priest Caiaphas It is saide vvhen Hee is taken and bound they leade Him away first to the house of Annas who was father-in-law to Caiaphas who was high Priest for that yeere The rest of the Euangelistes before they come to his part they report some thinges done before and namely they make mention of a gentle reproofe which the Lord gaue to these that tooke Him handled Him so roughly being the justest man in the world He saies What needeth all this that ye should come out against me as a thiefe and an enemie Might yee not haue had me daylie whilest I was teaching in your Temple in Hierusalem for I auowed my doctrine before the world Then He aduiseth Himselfe and saies Whereto shoulde I speake this this is your houre and this is the time that the Father hath granted to you to worke the worke of darknesse for a time and as the Lord hath ordained so it must be But say what He would say the miserable creatures are so blinded that they goe on furiously against the Lord. Another thing likewise they report In the meane time that they were binding the Lord the disciples are scattered and fled Another thing also Marke 14.51.52 whilest they were leading Him to Hierusalem there followed a young man clothed with linnen vpon his bare bodie and certaine of the young men followed him and sought to haue caught him but hee left his linnen cloth and fledde from them naked This seemeth to haue bene one who in the night being in his bâ—d and hearing a noyse and a dinne commeth hastily to see what it was Ye see here the insolencie of these men who will run vpon the Lord they will take all the worlde if they might they spare none Now to come to our matter They leade the Lord Iesus to Hierusalem they bring Him first to the house of Annas because perchance it was the first house in the way that they came to that was an house of estimation and again because Annas was father-in-law to Caiaphas who was High Priest that yeere they woulde gratifie him to see this miserable spectacle for he was a wicked man Woe is them that delite to see the bands of Iesus Christ They led Him before y e world to an open spectacle after they had once caught Him In these words to speake this by the way ye may marke perceiue a great corruption at this time in the Church of y e Iewes for before the comming of Christ immediatly all the estates of Churches and commoÌ„ weales were confused troubled and the estate of y e High Priest being a most notable estate among them was corrupted By y e law of God it was appointed that only one High Priest should bee at once he all his dayes should brooke it yet such was y e corruptioÌ„ then that they chose moe high priests together euery one of these serued their course about in the office this was y t yere that Caiaphas serued but it had bene better for him he had neuer serued for in his time y e moste mischieuous fact was done that euer was in the world to wit y e crucifying of Iesus Christ y e God of glory So it was not for his good y e he serued I might tell you moe corruptions in the hie priesthood amoÌ„g theÌ„ the high priest was wont to be choseÌ„ by the people by the mouth of God this power was takeÌ„ froÌ„ them giueÌ„ to Ethnick princes presidents that ruled the people they chose theÌ„ And theÌ„ the high priests were wont to be choseÌ„ of the tribe of Leui posterity of Aaron only but then any man was takeÌ„ in by bribery it was bought sold wheÌ„ they would shoot in one they would shoot out another this was the coÌ„fusioÌ„ of the hie priests estate immediatly before Christ came There is nothing mentioned what vvas done vvith Iesus in the house of Annas they tooke Him in here to driue ouer a piece of time till Caiaphas should gather his couÌ„sell before vvhoÌ„ Iesus vvas to be accused it appeares here that there He vvas bound more straitly than before Annas sends Him to Caiaphas his son-in-law straiter bound than He vvas in the garden It is marked vvhat Caiaphas was not to his praise but to his shame This Caiaphas was he that gaue counsell that one should die for the people ye heard of this in the 11. Chap. and 49. vers This vvas both a prophesie and a counsell When the Scribes Pharises vvere in doubt vvhat to doe vvith Christ hee saies It is expedient that one should die for the people In giuing counsell the Lord guides the foule tongue of him as He did Balaams tongue for vvhen Balaam vvas purposed to curse Gods people the Lord made him to blesse them Euen so the Lord vsed the tongue of Caiaphas hee shall neuer haue commendation of that prophesie hee was seeking the blood of Iesus Christ yet the Lord ruled the tongue of him to prophesie of that which came to passe But whereto is this repeated here that Caiaphas gaue them counsell These words are not in vaine Iohn would let vs see by this description that they who tooke the Lord they brought Him to the greatest enemy He had to him that gaue couÌ„sell that He shuld die all meÌ„ would haue their counsels
hee is not vvakened till the Prophet of the LORD came vnto him The longer that thy conscience lieth still in sinne the bitterer the vvakening vvill bee A reprobate vvill get an harde vvakening Iudas got a sore vvakening he vvas asleepe vvhilest hee kissed his Master but vvhen hee vvakened he hanged himselfe But the Lord dealeth otherwise vvith His owne Hee vvill vvaken them in mercie and in the heauiest displeasure they shall haue the sweetest joye and in the greatest aboundance of teares the greatest comfort Of all the thinges in the vvorlde take best heede to the conscience for it is alwayes verie readie to fall asleepe and of all judgementes a sleeping conscience is the greatest and therefore let vs striue night and daye to haue a waking conscience which may rounde in our eares when vvee lay vs downe at Euen vvhat vvee haue done all the daye if thou hast done good then thou mayest sleepe vvith a sound conscience but if thou hast done euill it is better a thousand times to vveepe vvith teares and vvake in mourning till thou findest thy selfe to be recōciled to God againe than to sleepe We should neuer let the conscience sleepe but euer hold it vvaking to tell vs vvhen vve doe euill that vve may haue dolour vvhē vve haue done vvell vve may haue joy through Iesus Christ To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euermore AMEN THE FOVRTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 19 The high Priest then asked IESVS of his Disciples and of his Doctrine verse 20 IESVS answered him I spake openly to the worlde I euer taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple whither the Iewes resort continually and in secret haue I said nothing verse 21 Why askest thou mee aske them that heard me what I said vnto them beholde they know what I said verse 22 When he had spoken these things one of the officers which stood by smote IESVS with his rodde saying Answerest thou the high Priest so verse 23 IESVS answered him if I haue euill spoken beare witnesse of the euill but if I haue well spoken why smitest thou me verse 24 Now Annas had sent him bound vnto Caiaphas the high Priest verse 25 And Simon Peter stood and warmed himselfe and they saide vnto him Art not thou also one of his Disciples He denied it and said I am not verse 26 One of the seruants of the high Priest his cousin whose eare Peter smote off saide Did not I see thee in the Garden with him verse 27 Peter then denied againe and immediatly the Cocke crew BELOVED in the LORD IESVS we haue heard the first part of the Passion of the LORD which was in the Garden beside that inward agonie with the wrath of His Father that Hee felt in His soule outwardly in the Garden where Hee was taken like a thiefe bound Hee was taken to deliuer vs from that captiuitie and bondage of sinne and death And then after we entered into the seconde part of His suffering which was in the Hall of Caiaphas being taken and bound He is led away to Hierusalem The first house that He is brought vnto is the house of Anna◠the father-in-lawe to Caiaphas and there Hee tarrieth a certaine time till the Priestes the Elders and Scribes were assembled in the house of Caiaphas and then Annas sendes Him bound to Caiaphas the High Priest Now we heard the last day the Historie of Peter how hee denied his Lord and Master Peter vpon a vaine confidence notwithstanding of an admonition of the Lord hee will followe Him to the house of the High Priest Now the Lord entereth in and the other disciple vvho knewe the High Priest and Peter vvas stopped at the doore this might haue beene an aduertisement for him to haue left off but yet hee would not and the other disciple thinking to gratifie him he desireth the maiden that kept the doore to let him in and beeing no sooner entered in but that same seruant vvoman tempteth him This temptation is by a sober instrument neither vttered she any reuiling vvordes vnto him yet neuerthelesse Peter falleth vvhereby yee maye see vvhereunto the confidence of fleshe and blood turneth for the lightest assault vvill throwe him downe vvho trusteth in it Hee is standing vvarming himselfe vvith euill companie and being standing securely he getteth his reward hee deare bought his vvarming there for hee is tempted and denieth his Lord and Master Now to come to this Text There are two parts of it shortly the first containes the suffering of the Lord Iesus in the Hall of the high Priest the second containes the second and third deniall of Peter As for the first it is saide that Caiaphas the high Priest begineth to aske of Iesus concerning his doctrine and his disciples he layeth not downe first such and such particular pointes of false doctrine because he had none to lay to the charge of the Lord and therefore this was no formall proceeding and dealing to draw a man before a judge and then not to haue one word to lay to his charge Should not the dittay be made before the man was taken ye may see the malice of this persecution Well then to examine his words he enquireth about his doctrine and then for his disciples whilst he asked him of his doctrine he would meane that his doctrine was not allowable and that it might not abide the light and that Hee teached lies and whilst as hee speaketh of His disciples hee would meane that the Lord was a seducer and had seduced so many among the people the Lord answeres The thing that I haue teached I haue teached openly before the world and therefore why askest thou me of my doctrine as though it were not allowable and as if I had teached in secret holes and caues then he appealeth to the witnessing of his enemies aske of these men who haue heard me I will bee judged by them This is the effect first of the question of the high Priest and next of the answere of the Lord. The first thing that wee marke here is shortly this Beholde in the person of Caiaphas the malice of the enemies of the trueth in their heartes they know the trueth and yet they will seeme that they knowe it not CAAIPHAS knewe the trueth but hee seemeth not to knowe it the enemies will count light darknesse albeit the truth should shine in their faces more bright than the Sunne in the noone-tide of the day yet they will say Light is darknesse But to come to Christs part as the trueth loues the light and desires not to be hid neither to bee teached in secret holes and caues so the trueth so farre as is possible is publikely to bee teached in the presence of the worlde it would haue all men to know it it would euer bee heard and the light would euer shine through the world The Ministers of the trueth should euer
striue to preach in publike that all the men and women of the worlde may heare euen to preach in the most publike places of the world and if it were for no other thing than this that thou mayest answere to the Lord if it fall out that the light come to bee challenged for darknesse theÌ„ thou maiest appeale say We haue teached nothing in holes and that the enemies of the trueth may be conuicted in their conscience and compelled to beare witnesse of the trueth I meane not that at no time it is lawfull to preach in secret places and as though the trueth of God had euer a free course and were publikly preached for experience hath teached that the trueth of God hath fled to the wildernesse in time of persecution and the Saints of God haue bene glad to goe to holes to get the comfort of the worde but I meane this that so farre as possibly can be is to bee preached openly and if that libertie of the trueth be restrained let vs bee content to suffer and deliuer in secret consolation by the word Then marke againe in Christes answere albeit the Lord suffereth willingly offereth Himselfe to be taken giueth his hands to bee bound yet yee may see that the Lord will not yeeld to the enemies that He is a false teacher or that He is a seducer or that that light is darknes or that the trueth is a lie It is true that if it please the Lord that we suffer for the trueths sake wee are bound to suffer patiently and willingly but looke to this againe let neuer the trueth of God be saide to be a lie neuer yeeld to the enemies that the trueth of God is false for all the torments of the world Peter sayeth Let vs suffer for a good cause and not as theeues and murtherers 1. Pet. 4. 15 16. It is a paine to suffer for an euill cause so long as the Lord giueth vs a mouth let vs protest that the trueth is trueth Paul sayes 2. Tim. 2.9 I am in bands and I am afflicted in bands as though I were an euill doer yet the word of God that He hath put in my mouth is not bound all the enemies in the world so long as I haue a mouth shall not restraine it The Martyres were neuer brought to this to coÌ„fesse that they suffered for an euill cause albeit thou yeeld hands and foot to any torture beware of this that thou neuer confesse that it is an euill cause wherefore thou diest let euer the veritie be free in all our suffering When the Lord makes this answere One of the officers which stood by smote Iesus with his rod and saide Answerest thou the high Priest so Meaning that the Lord had not answered him so reuerently as Hee should haue done The Lord answereth If I haue euil spoken beare witnes of the euil but if I haue well spoken why smitest thou me Alwayes whether He had well or euill spoken He findeth fault with him that he should haue smitten Him so rashâ—y so brethren this is another part of the suffering of Iesus Christ He suffers not onely of the high Priest but of his seruants also Hee suffers of all men all this was done without any order of law The high Priest speakes to Him against order of Law and the officer strikes Him against order of Law he failes in this because he strikes Him for well doing for He maintained the trueth of His father TheÌ„ againe why should he haue strucken Him till He had bene judged and then if He were judged yet it was no place to punish a man in judgement though he were neuer so euill So yee see in how many things these men faile What shall I say Ye shall commonly find the most innocent man who hath bene brought before euill men and corrupted judges of the worlde of all sort of men haue beene handeled most vnformally vnreasonably A thiefe or a murtherer hath not bene so euill handeled as the moste innocent for they will let a murtherer or the wickedest man in the world tell his tale in patience and they will delay striking of him till the place of execution but experience hath taught this that wheÌ„ an innocent man is judged all the proceeding is without order as we see in this example of Christ the most innocent man that euer was And such like in the Martyrs of God neuer thiefe nor robber was so vnreasonably handled as they What is the cause of this Euen this the malice of the heart of man was neuer so bent against an euill man as the wicked man is against the innoceÌ„t yea a just judge hates not so much vnrighteousnes as a wicked judge hates innoceÌ„cie And therfore it is a wonder that the judgemeÌ„t of the wicked proceedes vnorderly against the godly the Lord answeres If I haue spoken euill thou shouldst not strike mee without order if well why smitest thou me The Lord binds him that he hath done wrong howbeit Hee suffered most willingly patiently but Hee strikes not againe Yet marke in this patient suffering Hee will haue wrong appeare to be wrong that which is vnjust to be vnjust In all our patient suffering let ay right appeare to be right and wrong to be wrong Let not a man y t suffers be so dumbe that he say not that wrong is wrong No let them speake that the coÌ„science of the wicked man may be conuict and brought to some remorse The Lord no doubt pities this man that strook Him would haue had his conscience coÌ„uict y t he might repent So let the wicked see that wrong is wrong in the most patient suffering that the wicked may bee conuict and God glorified Nowe is subjoyned that Annas had sent Him bounde to Caiaphas Hee returnes to the grounde of His accusation and the grounde is this Annas sent Him bounde vnto Caiaphas howbeit in the house of Annas the Lord was not struckeÌ„ yet Annas was not blamelesse for these words are registrated to his euerlasting shame that he sent such an innocent man to such a burrio this makes him guiltie of the blood of the Lord Iesus Meddle nothing with the suffering of an innocent man for if once thou seemest to consent to his death thou art guiltie and if thou rejoycest in the wracke of the innocent for if thou shalt once consent vnto it thou art guiltie of all the innocent blood froÌ„ the blood of Abel that was shed vnto the end of the world for whosoeuer will consent to the blood of an innoceÌ„t man he may easily be brought on to consent to the shedding of the blood of all innocents y t euer was keepe therefore thine hands thine eyes thine heart cleane from any assent to the wracke of the innocent Now to come to the second part of our text which containes the two denialls of Peter All this time Peter is standing warming him with the officers of the High
Christ that thou mayest haue a continuall remorse for in the bitternesse of sinne is the sweetnesse of joy Nowe to make an ende and shortly to examine this fall of Peters Certainely there are many faults in this fall First he is caried away with a vaine confidence of flesh and blood he will take vp his crosse and follow the Lord albeit that the Lord aduertised him that hee was not able and then the doore was shut vpon him to aduertise him and put him in minde yet he would not stay then when he is let in alas he denies his Lord once he denies Him twise thrise till the LORD did staye him I dare not say but all this time Peter caried a good heart towards his Lord a spunke of faith a spunke of loue in the heart albeit his faith loue were choked it was suppressed with infirmities of the flesh namely with feare then when he is entered in and come vnto the fire side if that faith and loue was suppressed before with his nature then it was farre more suppressed this litle spunke of loue in the man was smoothered there falles such a weight of infirmitie on it that it was pressed downe vnder the burthen of corruption and vnder securitie if thou be sleeping in securitie albeit thou haue a spunke of loue it will be smoothered and this is most true that this spunke of loue was so smoothered yea I say more it was pressed that except the Lord had looked ouer his shoulder with the eye of his mercie and wakened that spunke of loue it had died out In Peter we haue a cleare example of the weaknesse of the godly men into this life albeit we haue faith and loue yet in the example of Peter we see that the spunke of grace will be choaked with corruption infirmitie and then will ye come to God Peter is one of the chiefe examples of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ Paul to Timothie countes that he was one of the greatest examples of mercie in the world but if yee looke to the sinne of Peter ye will finde that it was greater than the sinne of Paul for Paul did all of ignorance and so if Paul as hee sayes was made an example of the mercie of God to sinners surely this example of Peter ought much more to bee an example to all sinners let no sinner that lookes to him despaire of mercie how burthened so euer hee be with sinne for that same Iesus Christ who was mercifull to Peter hath store of mercie for all them that it pleaseth him mercifully to looke vpon To Him therefore with the Father and holy Spirit be all honour and glorie AMEN THE FIFT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 28 Then led they IESVS from Caiaphas into the common Hall Now it was morning and they themselues went not into the common Hall lest they should bee defiled but that they might eate the Passeouer verse 29 Pilate then went out vnto them and said What accusation bring you against this man verse 30 They answered and said vnto him If he were not an euill doer we would not haue deliuered him vnto thee verse 31 Then saide Pilate vnto them Take yee him and judge him after your owne Lawe Then the Iewes saide vnto him It is not lawfull for vs to put anie man to death verse 32 It was that the word of IESVS might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should die IN the eighteenth and nineteenth Chapters of this Gospell Brethren is contained the History of the Passion of the Lord Iesus Christ and it is diuided in these parts The first is the suffering of the Lord in the Garden The next is the suffering of the Lord vnder the High Priest Caiaphas the Ecclesiâ—sticall Iudge The third is the suffering of the Lord vnder Pontius Pilate the Ciuill and Romane Magistrate The fourth is the suffering of the Lord in the place of Execution The last in the sepulchre Wee haue spoken of y e first part of His suffering in the Garden besides the inward coÌ„flict He had with y e wrath of His Father for y e sins of y e elect which Hee did beare vpon Him The Lord is taken like a thiefe or vagabond and bound led to Hierusalem We heard also the suffering of the Lord in y e Hall of the High Priest whose name was Caiaphas When the High Priests Elders are set down in couÌ„cell He is brought in before them and being brought they haue not a word to say against Him howbeit they bound Him brought Him to judgemeÌ„t This was an vnformall dealing therfore the hie priest demands of Him His doctrine of His disciples to catch a word out of His mouth wherupoÌ„ he might make his accusatioÌ„ wheÌ„ they preuaile not this way the rest of the EuaÌ„gelists note that they begin to suborne false witnes but they get no vantage that way neither for they caÌ„not agree together TheÌ„ the hie priest begins in wrath to adjure Him to tell him whether he be that Christ or no The Lord denies it not but saies Thou hast said it He giues him a faire testimony of this after this Hee saies Yee shall see the sonne of man sitting at the right haÌ„d of the power of God come in the clouds of heaueÌ„ Then the high priest rent his clothes as though He had blasphemed said What haue we more need of witnes behold now ye heard His blasphemy what think ye Then he the rest of the councell coÌ„cluded y t the Lord was worthy of death so the couÌ„cel departed In the meane time the Lord is kept still in the Hall of the hie priest the officers are al about Him working all kind of injury against Him y e rebukes y t shuld haue befalleÌ„ to vs are laide on Him as the prophet said of Him Psal 69.10 Some spitted on Him some put a vaile on His face smote Him saying in scorn Prophesie Christ who it is that striketh thee nothing in the Lord but patieÌ„ce He spake nothing He made no more resistaÌ„ce than a silly laÌ„be before the shearer wheÌ„ it is begun to become light in the morning the Priests Elders begin to sit down in councell the hie priest asked of Him the same again whether he was that Christ or no He answereth If I should tell you ye will not belieue mee what auailes it to speak to an indured heart He testifies again Thou hast said it he giues an argumeÌ„t of this hereafter shall the son of man sit at the right haÌ„d of the power of God Then the hie priest and the Elders the second time concludes Him to be worthie of death adjudges Him to die theÌ„ the councell arises the first thing they doe they lead Him to Pontius Pilate the Romane deputie to the judgemeÌ„t Hall to him to execute y t sentence they had
might giue out the sentence Yet there is some accusation heere that he is an euill doer Is that sufficient vvhen a man is deliuered to the Iudge to say This man is an euill man No hee must qualifie it in particular wherein he is euill and hath failed if they had found anie they woulde not haue passed by it in their owne judgement seate they coulde get nothing to say against Him Nowe when they came to the judgement of Pilate and striuing to accuse Him they can saye nothing but in generall This is an euill man Then this I marke thorow this whole processe that the Lord will alwayes haue these two thinges to bee seene manifestly First the innocencie of Christ for looke the whole processe yea when He is slaine dead vpon the Crosse His very enemies themselues are constrained to testifie that He is an innocent man as the Centurion did The next is the wrongfull dealing of the Iewes against their consciences Now Brethren as it was in this matter of Iesus Christ so it hath beene since in all the Martyrs The Lord hath made both the innocencie of the Martyrs to appeare clearly and also He hath made the crueltie and tyrannie of their enemies to appeare Reade the bookes of the Martyrs and yee shall finde these two So Brethren it is well for them that will suffer for a good cause and chiefely for the cause of Iesus Christ yea although it were but in this That the Lord will haue their innocencie appearing What and if all the worlde condemne thee so the Lord Iesus justifie thee for albeit thou die yet thine innocencie dieth neuer And this is our comfort indeede that albeit this bodie shoulde bee burnt yet the daye shall come that our innocencie shall appeare for at the glorious comming of the Lord Iesus thou and thine innocencie shall stand vp to shame the Tyrants of the world Thus for their answere Pilate sayes againe Yee haue a lawe take and iudge Him after your lawe Albeit Pilate seeme to speake these thinges tauntingly to mocke the Iewes speaking one thing and thinking another to represse their pride yet the Text following testifies that he spake it in earnestnesse as he would say Before that I should condemne any man this way without an accusation for your pleasure I had rather renounce of my right and permit judgement to you condemne and doe as ye will Well then it is to be marked I see here that ere Pilate had judged the Lord wrangously he had rather haue giuen ouer his right and the judgement of Capitall crimes and well had it bene for Pilate if he had stood to this sentence and it had bene better that he had giuen ouer his right that the Romanes had albeit that hee should haue immediatly beene taken and hanged by the Emperour for it Alas the miserable man lost himselfe by the malitiousnesse of the Iewes yet albeit he be an Ethnicke hee is a man of better conscience than the Jewes were The light of a naturall conscience in this Pilate surpasses all the knowledge of the Iewes And the Lord at this time did set vp that light of Pilates on a Skaffolde as a lanterne and light to condemne these Iewes that had no cōscience The very words of Pilate are a lanterne to let the Iewes see that they had no conscience God in his wisdome from time to time vses to doe so Hee will make the Paganes to stand vp like light to shame the professours of the Gospell whose conscience is as it were burnt vp with a hote irone Is it not a great shame to thee when the Lord will raise him vp to be a light vnto thee who should bee a light to him and as in this worlde Hee will make men without God to stand before the Professours in this world to shame them So in the world to come He will raise them vp to shame and to condemne them Sodome and Gomorrha shall rise vp to the judgement of many in this age who professe Christ Yee shall see howe Pilate although he was a very euill man yet hee pities the Lord Iesus wil not for their importunity cōsent to his death They say It is not lawfull for vs to put any man to death They require not that power to bee giuen them that the Romanes had for fourtie yeere before the destruction of the towne and Temple of Ierusalem they lost all authoritie to judge on Capitall crimes they spake truely And heere they would appeare to gratifie Pilate when they would acknowledge him to judge in capitall crimes but in effect they take the power of a judge from Pilate when vpon their sentence onely without accusation triall or verdict they will haue him to condemne Christ But better had it beene a thousand times for Pilate that they had taken that power to themselues for they inuolued the man in their guiltinesse by condemning Christ Iesus And I say more it had bene better for the Priestes that they had taken the whole judgement vnto themselues because that blood of Pilate lies vpon them This is a true thing the moc thou drawest to communicate with thy sinne thy damnation shall be the greater It were better for the Princes of this worlde who are like as many slaues to the Pope the Emperour the King of Spaine c. to renounce all the right they haue of judgement to the Pope when he and his crue haue condemned on innocent of Heresie to execute him rather than to be the Popes Burrio It had bene better for Sigismundus the Emperour that hee had resigned all authoritie to the Pope in burning Iohn Husse and Ierome of La Prage than breaking promise and oath to haue executed the Popes malice vpon them it had beene better he had neuer seene that councell and one daye the Princes of the earth shall curse the time that euer they were executers to the Pope And it were good for the Pope also that hee inuolued not these Princes in the same guiltinesse for their blood lies vpon him Would God their eyes could bee opened to see that deceiuer To returne againe It is not they that must condemne the Lord no but it must be Pilate hee must doe all that they may bee cleane and when the Lord is slaine are they cleane no Brethren let Pilate condemne Him and put Him to execution yet the Priestes and the Iewes are greater murtherers of Iesus Christ than Pilate was indeed Pilate hath his part in that woefull action woe vnto him that euer he medled with it and now hee findeth that hee hath his part therein But those High Priests those Iewes are the greatest murtherers of Iesus Christ Ye know the Papistes vse to say when a man is put to death It is not we y t slay the man it is the ciuill sword of the secular power Who burnt Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage but the Emperour The Pope is holy and his handes are cleane and these sinnes
hurt him not which are done by the hands of the Emperour Who executes them in the Inquisition The Kinges the Popes holy hāds are cleane of all Excuse as they will I pronounce and the Lord shall ratifie it in that Great day that they are greater murtherers than the secular power Away with their vaine excuses When they haue murthered the man they will put the fault in the Magistrate Wil God accept such excuses In the next vers Iohn subjoynes wherfore y e Iewes would not take vpon them to judge of y e life or death of Iesus Christ and saies that they answered so that that might be fulfilled that the Lord spake signifying what death he should die When He was conuersant with His Disciples He fore-told them that He should die vpon the Crosse Now the Iewes will not take vpon them the right of the judging Him that these words might be fulfilled If the Iewes had taken it vpon them they would not haue crucified him because it was not vsuall among the Iewes they vsed to stone a deceiuer or blasphemer to the death according to the lawe as they did Steuen afterwards This death of the Crosse was familiar and vsuall among the Romanes Then Brethrē we see here the God of Heauen is the disposer of the whole action of the persecution passion of Christ what euer be mans part There is not a word vttered nor an action done either by Pilate or any of the Iewes which the Lord did not dispose All that Pilate did all that the Iewes did as that spitting and buffeting of Christ were all disposed by the Lord And this is it that ye reade in that prayer in y e Acts of the Apostles cap. 4. vers 28. The princes of the earth are gathered against thine anointed Herode Pilate and the Gentiles Whereto That they should doe that thing that thine hand and thy councell hath ordained Neither Herode Pilate nor any of the Iewes or Gentiles did anie thing in this execution but that vvhich God appointed The vnderstanding herof serues to this that there was nothing done to our Redeamer but that which His father appointed they were but persecuters appointed by God euen as the hang-man the Iewes Pilate Herod were like as many hangmen to execute that decree of God This would seeme a very light word that the Iewes say We haue no power to sit ouer the life or death of men yet this is a meane whereby the Lord bringes to passe that forme of Cursed death Brethren we may speake as lightly of thinges as wee please and many times to little purpose but there is nothing that passes GODS decree Looke to that prouidence that GOD hath in His creatures The LORD disposes the lightest wordes that thou speakest He rules thine hand so that whatsoeuer thou doest He makes al to effectuate produce that which He hath decerned the thing that thou wilt speake or doe it will serue for some purpose to Him how beit little for thee In the meane time let no man thinke that when men speake or doe euill that they shall bee the more excusable for if there were no more but this it shall make thee vnexcusable because in speaking euill and in doing euill thou hast not the LORD before thine eyes Thou doest it not for obedience to His vvill Take this lesson Let euerie man and vvoman take good heede that they bee vvell exercised and if our GOD employe vs let vs take good heede that vvee bee in a good seruice in speaking good and doing good Lende not thine heart thine hande nor thy tongue to the Deuill in vnrighteousnesse And seeing thou canst not sleepe from morning to euening but must bee speaking and doing praye that the LORD maye employe thee to doe vvell and to speake vvell and saye LORD let mee bee an instrument to doe well And more in doing vvell bee not content of the outwarde face of the action but in doing vvhether it bee little or much goe euer to the heart and see the disposition thereof and looke thou doe it in sinceritie hauing regarde to GOD. Thinke it not enough and if the LORD vvorke a good vvorke by thee as an instrument but looke still that Hee vvorke in thee that thou mayest finde a good motion in thine heart For alas vvhat auaileth the outwarde action if the heart bee foule vvhich defileth all Indeed vvee maye not thinke that there is anie perfection in vs or in our actions in this life but this is the perfect ground that makes that action to smell sweetelie in the sight of GOD to vvit Faith in IESVS CHRIST If that thou findest that thou hast IESVS CHRIST in thine heart by Faith albeit vvith great vveakenesse in thy selfe yet in CHRIST all the imperfection and vveakenesse is hidden and vvhen the action commeth before the LORD it is pleasant and acceptable to Him All thinges are pleasant that come to the Father thorowe the Sonne there is the grounde of all grace and acceptation Sticke to the LORD IESVS and haue Him not in thy mouth onelie as the Hypocrites doe but let Him also bee inclosed in thine heart and dwell therein for then thou shalt bee acceptable to GOD through Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer vvorlde vvithout ende AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 33 So Pilate entered into the common Hall againe and called IESVS and saide vnto him Art thou the King of the Iewes verse 34 IESVS answered him Sayest thou that of thy selfe or did other tell it thee of mee verse 35 Pilate answered Am I a Iew Thine owne nation and the high Priests haue deliuered thee vnto mee What hast thou done verse 36 IESVS answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world my seruants would surely fight that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes but nowe is my Kingdome not from hence verse 37 Pilate then saide vnto him Art thou a King then IESVS answered Thou sayest that I am a King for this cause am I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse vnto the trueth euerie one that is of the trueth heareth my voyce THE last day Brethren we entered into the suffering of Christ vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane Gouernour Ciuill Iudge in Iudeae for the time Iesus is led into the Common Hall to the House of Iustice as ye heard where Pilate sate Now Pilate is not rash in judging but before he sit downe to judge hee will haue an inditement and will see what things the Iewes haue to lay to the charge of the Lord He saw the accusers of Him the Iewes in multitudes he saw no accusation therefore he goes out vnto them because they would not come to him and asketh what accusation haue they against Him hee receiueth little answere or at least little
Saints shall be required at their hands the sinnes of the Princes whome they haue abused shall be laide to their charge and the blood of those who perish shall bee required at their handes and we shall see that the blood of all that haue bene slaine from Abel the just shall be laide vpon the backe of the Pope and his Clergie The Lord saue the Princes of the world from them Another thing I would marke here Iesus would haue Pilate to take heede not to the delation only but to these also who giues it vp He would haue him to looke to the Iewes and to their disposition and affection It is not enough to a Iudge to looke to the crime but he must looke to the accusers and trie their disposition for if the accuser seeke the mans blood he will be a calumniator There is not a Iudge who is set on life and death but he is bound to set his eye on the delators Take heede to Pilates answere when Iesus hath demanded him thus then Pilate growes somewhat angrie that Christ should haue meaned that that sentence should haue proceeded from him So this is a sure argument that Pilate very gladly would haue kept his hands free of that blood of Iesus for hee sawe that He was an innocent man that it was a false accusation which was laid against Him Am I a Iew sayes he Thine owne nation and the High Priestes haue deliuered thee vnto me What hast thou done First he cleanses himselfe that he was not the author thereof because he was not a Iew and therefore knewe not perfectly His doings Next he sheweth who was y e author to wit His countrey men namely the High Priests for in conscience hee was perswaded both of Christs innocencie and of their calumnie and therefore cleanses himselfe but he was farre intangled in this judgement that hee could not get himselfe free he had done well if hee had saide I will haue nothing to doe with thee or if he had deliuered Him from these Iewes by his power but putting his hands once to judgement he could not get himselfe free Looke what it is once to beginne to judge the innocent when the Iudge beginnes to satisfie the appetite of wicked men he can not well quite himselfe till he defile himselfe with the blood of the innocent albeit hee would absolue the man yet his mouth shal condemne him So for no mans appetite let not a Iudge enter in judgement against an innocent man whome he knowes in his conscience to bee innocent And if thou enter in judgement with him absolue him vnder the paine of thy life or els thou shalt be guilty of his blood This is a corruptioÌ„ sometime of the judgment of SCOTLAND how the Iudge will say I behooued to doe it I did it against my will I was compelled to doe it Well that shall be none excuse to thâ—e for if thou doe it thou shalt bee condemned for it it is no small thing be a Iudge We haue heard Pilates cleansing of Christ he is so touched in his conscience with the innocencie of Iesus Christ that hee is compelled to cleanse himselfe first to Iesus Christ before that Iesus cleanses Himselfe to him Now followes the answere of Christ to this calumnie My Kingdome is not in this world Thou askest at me if I be a King I answere My Kingdome is not in this world he denies not absolutely that Hee was a King for the Lord Iesus is the most glorious King that euer was or shall be but He denies y t He was an earthly king As the Iewes accused Him He giues a reason If my Kingdome were of this world my seruants would fight for me he who aspires to a kingdome he wil fight all y t may doe for him to the very death if he had bene seeking a kingdome He would not haue stayed Peter froÌ„ fighting as He did Now to examine Christs answere First He denies not y t He is a king Next not denying y t He is a King commeth to a distinction I am a King But what a King Not an earthly but a spirituall King that is true the Iewes lay to my charge y t I affect an earthly Kingdome y t is not true Now Brethren this is to be marked He telleth him indeede that his Kingdome is not of this world but He telleth him not where His Kingdome was Hee sayes not My Kingdome is in Heauen Hee sayes not this My Kingdome is in the conscience of men and women in the world He teaches not Pilate this Some would thinke that He should speake more clearly of this matter to Pilate but Christ entred not into the common Hall to play the Doctour and to teach but the Lord Iesus set Himselfe to play the Priest to suffer patiently y t part of teaching was ended but knowing that the houre of His suffering was come that Pontius Pilate should be his judge He would not stay him And therefore Hee would not enter in doctrine because the time of teaching was past if Pilate would haue bene taught he might haue heard Iesus teach before but he would not heare Him He teaches Pilate as much as might make him inexcusable Then Brethren I see as Christ hath a time of teaching wherein He will teach men yea his verie enemies as He vttereth when they would haue taken Him sought his life so He hath a time of silence when He will not open his mouth Hee speaketh some thing albeit litle to Pilate but Hee speakes not so much as one word to the High Priests because Hee would haue rather had him safe than them because they were malitious Christ hath not as yet shut his mouth in this land but Hee teaches not sparingly nor scantly for to speake it so The raine of the word of God is powred aboundantly out of Heauen to water the thirstie soules of men if thou spendest thy time wilt not vse it well I warne thee that the day will come when thou shalt not get one word to thy comfort wilt thou alwayes haue the blessed Euangell and the ministrie thereof No as Christ had but one time when that time was past He would teach no more so hath his ministers all their teaching shall end as His did I say GOD sheweth grace on the persecuters of this Land when as yet He offereth grace to them but I denounce as the Lord liues if they repent not in time they shall not get so much as one good worde to comfort them Wherefore let not the opportunitie slip whilst it called the day let vs not harden our hearts Thus far y e Lord hath purged himself hath teached Pilate what a King He was not an earthly but a spirituall King I will not digresse here to speake of the kingdome of Christ therefore I come to Pilates answere Art thou a King well then would Pilate say thou deniest not that thou art a
King he should haue asked what a King He was where his kingdome was that He might haue gotten a part of it there is y e coÌ„fessioÌ„ that Iesus gaue vnder Pontius Pilate as is saide 1. Tim. 6.13 Pilate should haue bin inquisitiue of these things and followed out that purpose about his kingdome but he breakes off the conference by an accusation of Iesus An earthly hearted man knowes not things heauenly so he cannot speake of them but rather he will stay an heauenly purpose Ye see earthly hearted men when one will begin to speake of heauenly things hath no more pleasure in them than Pilate had begin once to speake of heauenly things to a prophane man then he cannot keepe purpose with thee but hee will breake off purpose speake of earthly things Paul 1. Cor 2. sets down the grouÌ„d here The naturall man sayes he knowes not the things of the Spirit of God yea he will wonder what that means when thou speakest of Heauen yea he hath no power nor spirituall sense for they are but foolishnes to him the most wise things of God are but foolishnes to the naturall man he delites not in them because he hath not tasted how sweet the Lord is So Pilate interrupteth Christ Christ answeres He sayes Thou sayest that I am a King In the which answere the Lord denies not that He is a King but He takes the mouth of Pilate to be witnes that He was a King Then he lets vs see for what cause He came into the world not to be an earthly King Came I into the world but that I might beare witnesse of the trueth I came not to be an earthly King as other Kings are but I came from the throne of a King a glorious Kingdome that I may play the part of a seruaÌ„t in bearing witnes to the trueth Iesus Christ was God equall with the Father thought it no robberie but He made Himselfe of no reputation by taking on the forme of a servant Phil. 2.6 As though he would say I came into the world tooke on the flesh of man to be a seruant to my Father to be a witnes to the trueth then He subjoynes lest that Pilate should thinke that office of litle effect that He laboured in vaine sayes They who are of veritie to wit begotten of the word the immortal seed of the word of God for by veritie here is meant the word of veritie as Chap 17. vers 17. preceeding They heare my word He draweth neâ—re vnto Pilate if thou be such an one as is begotten of the trueth thou wilt heare my word albeit Christ be stayed from speaking Pilate would haue put Him off Hee leaues not but speakes againe to Pilate He would haue winne Pilate it had bene possible Albeit we be interrupted when we speake of heauenlie things to profane men and women wee ought not to leaue off by the example of Christ but howbeit wee bee interrupted wee should returne againe and follow out the thing we haue begun to see if some wordes will sinke in their hearts or if they will not returne that they may be vnexcusable Speake of Christ and of Heauen it shall neuer be in vaine but as Paul saies 2. Corin. 2. it shall bee a sweet odour to God either to their saluation or damnation that God may be glorified either in mercy in winning of them or in justice in their perdition And therfore it is good to speake of things HeaueÌ„lie the soule is nourished therby A man that redresses himselfe to a kingdome would euer take delite to speake of it if thou hast no pleasure at no time to speake of Heauenly things it is a sure token that thou hast no part of that kingdom thou hast neuer tasted the sweetnes of it for they who haue tasted thereof will haue somtimes a delite to speake of thinges Heauenly and will desire that sincere milke of the word as Peter speakes So if thou findest the worde of life sweet why shouldst thou not desire it continually for it is that only food by the which y e life of God is nourished within thee here and one day it shall present vnto thee such satiety of all pleasure and joy in the face of God as the heart cannot thinke of now howbeit thou gettest but scant in this world Alas that we should let such a joy passe away for fault of feeling tasting What is the veritie saies Pilate he askes this not with pleasure but loathing disdaining taries no answere but goes his way His stomack loathes Christ Then in Pilate we haue an example of naturall men if any will speake of things Heauenly vnto them of Christ and of His benefits they will stay the speach so farre as they can and if thereafter any will insist and yet speake on then at the last if thou wilt vrge them they must speake something but they will speake as Pilate did lightly and disdainfully and when they haue asked they will leaue off and will not care for an answere but askes for the fashions cause when they are constrained thereunto We are by nature like to Pilate either we will not speake one word of things Heauenly or else if wee bee compelled to speake and wordes bee throwne out of vs wee will speake with a loathing and disdaining of the heart There vvas neuer any thing in the world that could moue the naturall man more to loathing than y e word of God he will heare it with such disdain that when one thing is saide in word hee will say another in heart and he vvill thinke him vvho teaches him the most foolish man in the vvorld And he vvho is vvisest if he be not regenerated and renewed hee shall count Christ and things Heauenly most foolish A simple bodie is sooner vvonne than hee vvho is vvise in his owne conceit in the vvorld If thou vvouldest be an hearer or speaker of Heauenly things striue alwayes to get a reformation of thine own corrupt nature and let thy meditation and prayer be thus Lord reforme mine heart that thy vvord maye bee fruitfull in mee so that both I may heare vvith pleasure and also that the vvords come not from the teeth forward but from the deepnes of mine heart when I speake of Thee and things Heauenly that so thy vvord may edifie both mee and others It is a more dangerous thing to come to heare if vve be not duely prepared than to tarrie away and better not to speake at all than to speake of thinges Heauenly vvithout the inward sense of the heart Now the Lord grant vs grace that in hearing speaking of things Heauenly vve may haue this Heauenly disposition in some measure for Christes sake To vvhom vvith the Father and Holy Spirit be all Praise Honour and Glory both now and euermore Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 38 Pilate said vnto him What
and some may thinke that this proceeded from stubburnenesse in Iesus No Brethren in this He was so farre from disobedience either to God or to the Magistrate that the Lord Iesus vttered a great obedience to God and the Magistrate and a wonderfull patience in that He will not repine in one word knowing well that it was the will of his Father in heauen the houre was come and therefore the houre comming He will not helpe Himselfe in one word so pleasantly and willingly Hee offereth Himselfe to the death This was prophecied of Him in the 53. of Esay Hee maketh no more repining than a sheepe or a lambe that stands before the shearer Hee opened not His mouth not for stubburnesse but Hee was patient Brethren some would maruell of the boldnesse of the Martyres when they suffered O the boldnesse that they had in answering eueÌ„ in the fire they suffered not one word to slâ—p but they answered for Gods glorie and well of them that stood by O! but the Lord kept silence Some would thinke that Iesus Christ in this point was inferiour to the Martyres but this is the mâ—tter Christ was silent that the Martyres might speake for except Hee had beene silent they in persecution should not haue opened their mouthes He was dumbe that wee might speake and was made nothing that wee might be some thing Now to returne to our text againe Pilate vses all meanes to get Iesus loose he vses the present occasion to that purpose knowing the vse of the Iewes hee would haue beene glad to haue had Iesus set at libertie aboue all the prisoners To speake somewhat of this custome they had this custome to get a prisoner set at libertie at festiuall times to the honour of their Feastes the Passeouer was a Feast in rememberance of that deliuerance out of Egypt now as they were deliuered so they would haue a prisoner deliuered but therewith they dishonoured God is that to honour God to breake His commandement this custome was not from the beginning but entred in when the Romane Emperour entred in and this manner of doing wanted not a faire pretence it had a pretence of clemencie mercie of the Gouernour we know this there is nothing wherein a Prince resembleth God more than in clemencie but it is a sin to let a wicked man escape or that the Emperour should let him goe for Gods Lawe sayes Deut 11.12.13 Thine eye shal not spare the murtherer neither looke vpoÌ„ him with a pittifull eye Will ye see what things these men haue for them who thinke that Princes may giue men that are conuict of Capital crimes their liues Some will say hath not a free Prince licence to giue him his life albeit the Law of God say The murtherer shall die the death well I say and it is the trueth that were as much as to giue him an absolute power but all the worlde shall not giue him such a power hee may well vsurpe it but not an Angell in Heauen hath absolute power ouer a begger to put him to death and to keepe him aliue at his pleasure much lesse a mortall man only the great Creator whose will is the rule of all righteousnesse hath this power ouer his creature It is true indeed a Prince should be loth to put out that life y t God hath put in should beware to judge rashly in Capitall crimes It is no small matter to make a crime Capitall but if the crime bee Capitall and deadly the Prince hath no power to holde his hand abacke from execution and to forgiue Indeede for weightie and great considerations a Prince may mitigate the punishment but to say he may let the man goe free hee hath no power but yet they will insist further and say Is not this one of the judiciall lawes that was giuen to the Jewes then what haue we to doe with it I answere these lawes seeing the Iewes and their Commonwealth and lawes politicke are abrogate in so far as they concerned that people wee haue nothing adoe with them they are abolished but for asmuch as they are grounded vpon nature and naturall law we haue adoe with them as for this law it is naturall Ye know that naturall men Ethnickes who had neuer the law of the Iewes they executed the murtherer but yet they insist they will bring in the example of good kings who forgaue Capitall crimes committed against the very vniuersall and naturall law and namely of Dauid forgaue he not Joab for slaying of Abner and Amasa and Amnon for committing incest and againe forgaue he not Absolom for slaying of Amnon his brother but I answere We are bound to liue by Gods lawes not by examples as for Dauid if hee had power to haue punished those men hee failed but it lay not in the handes of Dauid sayes hee not of Ioab the sonnes of Seruia are too strong for me 2. Sam. 3.39 Ye know what he left in his Testament to Salomon concerning Joab 1 Kings 1. Ioab was a great man if Dauid might haue punished he failed sinne cannot be excused albeit he punished it not Some will say further Should not and ought not each priuate man forgiue a priuate offence is not that Gods will and commandement Hereupon they would conclude and make it to follow A Prince may forgiue a wicked man for Capitall crimes but I say and affirme that there is a great difference betweene a priuate man and a King When a King forgiues a Capitall crime hee forgiues Gods right hee is free in another mans right indeede there is a difference betweene these crimes that are Capitall and the crimes that in their owne nature are not Capitall but by the lawes of Princes are made Capitall for vpon just considerations the Prince hath power to dispense with them as for ExaÌ„ple It was not deadly of y e own nature to Simei to go out of the Portes of Ierusalem but because Salomon forbade it it became deadly Like as it is in the handes of Princes to make to change such special lawes so it lyes in his hands to forgiue such a man traÌ„sgressing them vpon weightie and great considerations So to returne these crimes that are Capitall by naturall law a Prince hath no power to remit them albeit hee were ruler of all the world hee derogates to Gods glorie and secondly if there were no more to let vs see that God hath not giuen that power to forgiue Capitall crimes against Gods Lawe and nature the Iudgements of God which ceazed on such men and their posteritie were sufficient to shevv it for if thou forgiuest a thiefe he vvould hang thee on the same gallovves That sad example of the Iudgement of God vpon Saul who against Gods expresse commandement spared Agag king of Amaleck might terrifie other Princes to remit such persons Some will come forth and his remission to his abhominable murther and crimes in his bosome vpon whome the sunne is not worthie to
conscience and getting litle blenckes immediately he goes in againe to the common Hall and takes in Iesus Christ and he sayes to Iesus Whence art thou Art thou the Sonne of God hee had no certaintie of this this is worthie of commendation that hee getting a blencke hee will follow it out who vvill say but this was worthie of commendation in an Ethnicke If it shall please GOD to giue vs a blencke any time let vs striue to follow it foorth and let that glimmering mooue thee to follow it out further for all the joy in the worlde is in the sight of GOD thou neuer knewest what joy is who hast not tasted of the pleasure of Heauen fye on thee who hast not tasted of this joy So if it shall please the Lord to giue vs a glance of Iesus Christ Pilate learnes vs to followe it albeit it goe out of thine eyes for a time rest neuer till thou gettest it againe although men would giue thee all the pleasures in the world Now Brethren we must not thinke that it was the loue of the trueth that mooued Pilate to aske this No it vvas rather the feare of danger that mooued him to aske it for hee feared some danger to come vnto himselfe when hee heard that hee vvas the Sonne of God therefore partly for this cause and partly because Christ knew that Pilate disdained Him and all spirituall graces in Him Hee gaue him none ansvvere But let vs follovv out the knowledge of CHRIST once begunne vpon the loue of the trueth then vvee may bee assured that according to His promise Hee vvill heare vs for Hee saies Verily verily whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name that shall hee giue you IOH. XVI 23. Thou vvho hast that sweet promise Knocke and it shall bee opened shouldest thou not bee instant to make inquirie of IESVS vvho offereth Himselfe so vvillingly and saies I am the Light of the worlde and Come to Mee to get the water of Life Alas that thou shouldest perishe for default of seeking of grace Yee vvoulde maruell that IESVS answered not a vvorde I spake of this somewhat before I shall saye onely this for the present The Lord Hee knewe His houre vvas comming that Hee shoulde die and Hee knewe it vvas His Fathers vvill therefore Hee vvould not vtter so much as a vvorde to staye and holde backe His death If Hee had giuen Pilate euident and sure information vvhat manner of person Hee vvas then happily Hee vvoulde haue stayed and vvoulde haue proceeded no further and vvoulde not haue slaine Him but hee knewe not vvith vvhome hee dealt vvhen hee gaue out the sentence of death against Him But it maye bee asked vvith reuerence vvee speake it Was not this an harde matter that Christ vvould not doe so much as to tell Pilate that this vvas Gods vvorke and that Hee Himselfe vvas the Sonne of God vvas it not an hard matter so to hinder this mans saluation But I saye What reckoning is to bee made of Pilate and all the creatures in the vvorlde Angels and men so that God bee glorified We are all made to glorifie Him and except He had a respect to His owne glorie in the creature He would neuer haue made man nor Angell If it please the Lord to be glorified in thy damnation holde thee content Hath not the Potter saies Paul power of the claye to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour Roman 9.21 I saye more God in that his great sa nilie hath some vessels of honour and some of dishonour 2. Timâ—th 2.20 If that thou finde thy selfe to bee one of the vessels of honour thou hast no cause to complaine and to saye Wherefore was this man made to shame for thou hast enough if thou hast gotten mercie thanke GOD that of His free will He hath put a difference betwixt thee and him There are none who are ordained to be vessels of honour but they wil seeke the honour of God eueÌ„ suppose it were by their own destructioÌ„ as ye may read of Moses This is the nature of all them who haue gotten some assurance of GODS fauour in IESVS and if thou haue this assurance in thine heart certainly thou art an instrument of glorie Now to ende Yee see Brethren in this whole action the pittifull estate of Pilate he is tossed to and fro betwixt two parties his own conscience on the one part vrges and forces him to stand and pleade for Christ and on the other part the desire that he hath to pleasure the vnportunate Iewes and the feare that he hath to offend Cesar moues him to goe on in that processe against Christ till at last he pronounces sentence against Him Iudges by his example are to take good heed to their proceedinges in judgement and to keepe their hands from euill and that they sit not in a wicked judgemeÌ„t Be not Iudge against the innocent Pilate sate in judgement doing wickedly pronouÌ„cing sentence against the Lord of Glorie If thou sit in judgement pronounce not sentence against y e innocent either leaue that judgement or then absolue the innocent in despite of the worlde It is no small matter to pronounce sentence of damnation The Lord grant vs this conscience that whensoeuer wee shall be employed we may be employed in doing of good deedes and in glorifying God that wee may haue that assurance of grace in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and Holy Spirit bee all Honour and Praise for euer Amen THE TENTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XIX verse 10 Then saide Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto mee Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to loose thee verse 11 IESVS answered Thou couldest haue no power at all against mee except it were giuen thee from aboue therefore hee that deliuered mee vnto thee hath the greater sinne IN this whole Historie of the suffering of IESVS CHRIST vnder Pontius Pilate we see a continuall strife betwixt the Iudge Pilate and the accusers Pilate laboures by all meanes to get the innocent set free The Hie Priests be y e contrary endeuour themselues to get Iesus Christ crucified Pilate seekes if it had beene possible to followe his conscience they seeke by all meanes the contrarie to harden the heart of Pilate The last words as yee heard the Iewes rose and saide Wee haue a law by the which hee ought to die because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God These wordes of theirs are so farre from that that they take away the conscience of Pilate that by the contrarie by these words the conscience of Pilate is more wakened than before and he begins to feare IESVS CHRIST and humbles himselfe more than euer hee did yea in such sort that when as hee heares tell that IESVS was the Sonne of GOD hee demaundes of Him Whether Hee was the Sonne of GOD or no but hee receiues no answere for the LORD
foolish the most proud man is the most foolish in talking Looke and consider the proud man when thou hearest him speake and thou wilt say Yonder man is a foolish man And this proceedes of the Lords just and wise dispensation the proud man in his heart dishonoures the Majestie of GOD. Thou who art proud hast adoe with God and not with thy fellowes Therefore the LORD in His just Iudgement will cause thy mouth to speake to thy shame to accuse thy selfe Hee will cause thee who art a proude King call thy selfe a murtherer to shame thy selfe and to be reuenged of thy proud heart Thus much for Pilates demand which containes a blasphemie against that Majestie and therefore IESVS will not let him goe away vnreprooued Hee sayes to him Well Thou wouldst haue no power ouer me except it were giuen thee from aboue as for them who haue put mee in thine hands woe is to them their sinne is the greater their damnation the more to wit the Priests the Iewes There are two partes of this answere The first concernes the Majestie of GOD the second concernes the High Priestes and the Iewes for the LORD hath adoe with two sorts of persons for there was two sortes of persons who put Him in the handes of Pilate The first was GOD The next was the Iewes who deliuered Him to be condemned As for GOD Looke what Hee speakes of him and howe reuerently Thou wouldest haue no power except it were giuen thee from aboue As for man Hee accuses him of sinne Nowe let vs examine euery part of these Thou wouldest haue no power ouer me except it were giuen thee from aboue Thou gloriest too much of thy power as though it were of thy selfe and not of GOD for if thou forgettest that heauenlie prouidence without the which nothing can come vnto mee But I tell thee Pilate if thou shouldest haue had power ouer me if it were not giuen thee this is spoken for two respects First because all superiour power is of God Next in this respect because when a man hath gotten power ouer others hee can doe nothing to them nor stirre an haire of their head but by the prouidence of God Pilate was ignorant of both these he beleeued he had his power of Cesar only but Christ lettes him know that there was one higher than Cesar from whome he had his power hee was ignorant of Gods prouidence hee vttered him to be a blasphemer of God therefore the Lord hearing this blasphemer albeit Hee held His tongue before now He speakes when He heares His Father dishonoured for all His suffering was for the honour of His Father therefore He will now reprooue Pilate how far are we from thus doing we are cleane contrarie to this the very silliest of vs all if wee heare any thing tending to our owne reproach then there is such anger in vs that we cannot be pacified but who is angrie to heare God dishonoured Where shall the Lord finde a zealous man in this Land few in Court or Councell hath that zeale they vvho are greatest blasphemers greatest enemies to God by conuoyes are most aduanced the zeale of God is out of the hearts of men for the most part so that by all appearance certainely a judgement shal light vpon this Nation for albeit we were created redeemed for Gods glorie yet we haue no care of it all that is away vvherefore serues our creation it had bene better we had neuer bene created if wee set not our selues to glorifie Him Yet to weigh the wordes better we see this plainely albeit a man be in the handes of a superiour power whether he be an innocent man or wicked yet he is in the hands of God there is not a King in the world that is able to open his mouth against a man but by the speciall dispensation of God so that the life or the death of the man hangeth not so much on the sentence of the King as it doth on the decree of God the life of man hanges more on that decree of His than all the decrees of Kings There is great blindnesse and beastlinesse in vs that we see not that prouidence therefore now and then the Lord will let men see and feele that the life and death of men hanges not so much on the sentence and decree of the Prince as on that eternall decree sentence of God 1. Sam. Chap. 14. When Saul had giuen out the sentence that Ionathan should die that for breaking of an vnlawfull law it lay not in his hands to slay him then in Chap. 15 when hee ordained that Agag should liue the Lord stirred vp the spirit of Samuel and hewed him with a sword The Lord will let vs see that the sentence of Kings makes not a man to die or liue but His eternall decree This is not to be passed by Iesus warneth Pilate of two things First that he hath his authoritie not of Cesar He sends him to the heauens aboue Cesars throne to Gods Throne Next vvhatsoeuer hee did in his office and authoritie hee did it by the dispensation of God So vvee haue first this lesson to wit it appertaineth vnto Princes to knowe that the authoritie vvhich they haue it is of GOD Monarches shoulde vnderstande that they haue that power of GOD and so shoulde inferiour Magistrates how beit they should acknowledge the superiour Knowe yee not howe Nabuchadonezer learned that all the power was of God he was sent foorth like a beast to liue seuē yeeres among the beasts to learne this lesson that all the power hee had was of God Dan. 4. Next learne howbeit Princes haue gotten that power of God yet God will not denude Himselfe of power ouer them but He so rules them by His providence that they cānot stirre without His will Then Princes should looke to God seeing they can doe nothing without His blessed prouidence Esa◠10. When Assur boasted that he had done all things by his own hands his own wisedome y e Lord is more angrie at him for not acknowledging of his power to be from God in that persecution than Hee is for the persecution it selfe He pronounces the sentence against Him What art thou but an axe or a sawe in the hands of the sawer It is a vaine thing for a king to ascribe power to himself not to God woe is him it is a sore thing to match with God Then againe when Iesus was in the hands of Pilate denied He the power of Pilate No He acknowledges his power but He acknowledged it vvas of God and therefore He willingly submits Himself vnto it Wherefore all subjects should learne this lesson When they looke to their Princes or to their superiours not to looke so much to the man as to God who hath armed him with that power he is foolish that thinks not that the power y t the Magistrate or Prince hath gottē is of God this should
be the grouÌ„d of obedieÌ„ce vvheÌ„ I see the image of God in him wheÌ„ I see him armed vvith y e power of God I ought to obey him for the conscience of God Then a game marke in Iesus Christ vvhen Pilate the earthly Iudge hath to doe vvith Him Hee lookes not so much to Pilate as to His Father Iesus Christ all this time when He is pulled here and there sets not His eye so much vpon men as vpon His Father and vpon His prouidence This teaches a lesson vnto all men but chiefely to them vvho fall into the handes of men of authoritie and power They ought not so much to set their eyes vppon this or that man as vpon God and acknowledge albeit it were in the middest of all torments it is not man that deales vvith me it is not so much any person deales with me as it is my God The King hath not an hand to moue or a word to speake against me if my God giue it not to him he who is in the handes of men and lookes not to this is worse than a beast This is a chiefe point whereby thou glorifiest God to acknowledge His prouidence in suffering or in torment none can haue consolation but hee who seeth this there is the matter of consolation and patience in torments to see that when hee is in the hands of a Tyrant hee is in the handes of a mercifulll Father and to say Albeit these torments bee sore and grieuous and albeit men deale with mee it is my Father that deales with mee in mercie Let thee bee torne and rent yet acknowledge this thou shalt finde joy that shall exceede all thy torments Looke to the Martyres So Brethren it is no small comfort to a man for to set his eyes alwayes vpon God and especially when hee is into the handes of a Iudge or Tyrant Nowe thus farre the Lord hath giuen an answere to Pilate and hath challenged the glorie of that Majestie Would to God we could learne that lesson to defend the glorie of God which is blasphemed in this world Come to the other part it is in respect of the High Priestes they were the instruments of God working by his prouidence to put Christ in his handes Pilate thou gloriest ouer me but woe is to them who haue put mee into thine hands Woe is to them who put an innocent man in the handes of a Tyrant Marke this There is nothing spoken of Pilate that hee sinned albeit hee sinned but Hee speakes of the sinnes of the Iewes and of the High Priestes this lets vs see that albeit Pilate sinned yet they sinned more and their damnation is greater than his hee that beginnes mischiefe the wrath of God shall especially ouertake him and if there were no more but the example of Iudas it may tell vs this that Iudas was the first that beganne this worke Iudas put Him first in the handes of the High Priest On whome strikes the wrath first What befell to Iudas Whilst the Lord Iesus is so handled the traitour Iudas is put to the torture and the Lord rents the soule of him in pieces the miserable Catiue to be free of that torture he hangs himselfe Did the wrath of God light first vpon Iudas who was the first traitour the wrath of God lightes first vpon the traitours yet the Jewes are sleeping they thought they were free of judgement but still the wrath prosecutes them to induration Thinke yee that these traitours are free of wrath No no the dolour and vengeance in its owne time shall ouertake them and they shall not haue a worde to speake The Papistes when they haue caught a Christian who confesseth Iesus Christ when they haue tryed Him they will put Him into the handes of the Emperour or King of Spaine they will washe their handes as cleane of the blood of the innocent and who tooke his life but the King of Spaine O! but the wrath of GOD persecutes them and all the blood of the innocent lies vpon them because they deliuered them into their handes to bee tormented by them The judgement of that Antichrist and of that accursed crue shall bee heauier than the judgement of the Kinges who execute their malice I denounce this IN THE NAME OF GOD and therefore let euery man and woman beware that they be not partakers in the murther of the innocent yea if the Hangman knowe that hee is innocent albeit hee thinkes howsoeuer the matter goes he is free let him not touch him Reade yee not in the Historie of the three Children Sidrach Mesach and Abednego who being taken and casten into the hote fierie fornace at the commaundement of Nebuchadnezar the King that the men that cast them into the fornace were slaine with the flame of the fire Yea if it were but in a thought take heede thou consent not to the death of the innocent Nowe to ende in a worde Yee see heere when Iesus speakes of His Father and of His doinges Hee blames Him not but Hee speakes in all submission of Him but when Hee speakes of the Iewes who were instruments of this worke of God Hee rebukes them shamefullie and imputes sinne vnto them This is a wonder and yet it is the worke of God and they are instrumentes ruled by God yet the Lord is Holy and they are vnholy and wicked Act. chap. 2. vers 23. They crucified Him with wicked haâ—des now the Lord was cleane and the Iewes handes were vnholie Howe was this The cause was because in all this doing there was not such a thing as that anie of these wicked instrumentes looked vnto God they are satisfying the affection of their heartes and drinking vp the innocent blood maliciously Marke this Whatsoeuer thou doest in this worlde whether thou goest out or in eatest or drinkest set alwayes thine eyes vpon the Lord and doe it all to His pleasure and saye vvith thy selfe I doe this to pleasure and to glorifie thee O Lord And I aduertise thee that albeit thou doest anie thing agreeable in it selfe to the vvill of GOD yet if thine heart bee not set vpon GOD in the doing that vvorke is vnholie in thine hand There is nothing to sanctifie thy soule if thine eye be not set vpon GOD for vvhen the eye of the soule is set vpon the LORD there commeth light downe from Him that sanctifieth the heart And this is it in a vvorde that I vvoulde saye Bee neuer at the ende of an euill thing if thy conscience tell thee in thine eare that thou art at an euill turne doe it not I appeale you when yee doe anie thing in secret if your conscience vvill not saye O catiue that vvhich thou doest vvill bring thee to destruction Manie men in this Lande thinke themselues neuer vvell but vvhen they are at an euill turne But I forewarne thee as thou vvouldest bee safe and finde mercie at that Great day to holde thine handes cleane from all euill turnes and chiefelie from
hands then marke what hee sayes I am innocent of the blood of this iust man See yee to it Well is this out of his owne mouth both the speaking and doing of Pilate testifieth that Iesus was innocent he confesseth that he was going to condemne an innocent man so I see that the conscience of the innocencie of Christ neuer leaues Pilate I doubt not but hee would gladly haue wanted it It is a maruell that during all the time of the suffering of Iesus Christ the Lord will haue the innocencie of His deare Sonne to appeare in the beginning in the mids and in the ending thereof All the time of His accusation Pilate preaches His innocencie when it commeth to condemnation the Iudge both by word and deed testifies that He was innocent it is not a common person that protestes this but the Iudge himselfe then againe looke to the end of this worke when Iesus is lifted on the crosse then the Father froÌ„ the heauen testifies that He was innocent then the Centurion with the burrio the men of warre seeing the wonders are compelled to say this is the Sonne of God and the people seeing this goe home thumping on their breasts say alas so they had cause so the innocencie of Iesus Christ is declared all this whole time out of the mouth of the Iudge himselfe of many others What meanes all this No doubt but y e Father herein had respect to y e honour of His Son for indeede the most honourable death is to die as an innocent and if thou wouldest die honourably die not as a guiltie person but die innocently And this was to aggreadge Pilates damnation and the damnation of the Iewes But brethren there is another cause that pertaines more to vs and serues more to our comfort euen that we should haue faith in this Mediatour the Lord Iesus for except He had died as an innocent I would neuer lay my sinne on Him the thing that makes mee to beleeue that Hee hath made satisfaction is because He suffered innocently and had no sinne in Himselfe Heb. 7.26 and as Peter sayes Hee bare our sinnnes because I am perswaded He bare my sinnes vpon Him I beleeue in Him so this redounds to the comforte of the members of the Church of God Yet I see more here Pilate he hath not only the coÌ„science of the innocencie of Iesus but this same very coÌ„science it makes him to turne to the Iewes to summond them before that terrible tribunall See yee to it sayes he I tell you ye will giue an account of this dayes worke so this is a citation of the Jewes before that terrible tribunall and they haue found it and shall finde it No Brethren take heede thou shalt neuer want summonding let Kings and them who are in authoritie cease to summound thee let thine owne conscience neuer speake a worde to thee nor charge thee the Lord shall not let thee bee without a citation if thy conscience will not waken thee He will waken the conscience of a Turke or a Pagane and he shall charge thee to appeare before that terrible Tribunall Thou thinkest when thou sleepest and thy conscience accuses thee not that all is well no the Lord shall raise vp the conscience of a Pagane to summound thee and I say to thee albeit thou thinkest thou art at rest when thy coÌ„science is sleeping wilt spend thy time thou wilt eat drinke be merrie take thy pastime yet it is one of the most heauiest judgements y t euer God laid on any then wheÌ„ He hath raised the conscience of another man to warne thee it is a sore warning that if thou sleepe on and repent not thou shalt be wakened that thou shalt not get leasure to say God be mercifull to mee This world knowes not what it is doing Yet marke further Notwithstanding all this conscience of y e innocencie of Iesus Alas I sâ—e not this that his owne conscience accuses him or sayes to him Woe to thee Pilate thou art going an euill way thou wilt make thy selfe guiltie of that innocent blood that will burthen thee euerlastingly his conscience is busier to accuse the Iewes as himselfe hee shoulde not bee so busie to accuse the Iewes as himselfe for if his conscience had accused himselfe sharply had he euer said Thus I am cleane of the blood of this just innocent one By the contrary it had vrged out another confession sentence There is nothing but damnation for me for the coÌ„demning of the innocent What should haue bene the cause of this He vvas buâ— a silly naturall man his conscieÌ„ce was wrong informed concerning that thing hee thought himselfe well enough seeing he had striâ—eÌ„ so long yeelded thorow necessity All this sluggishnes of his conscieÌ„ce came of a wrong information he knew no better The more thou knowest the better informed conscieÌ„ce thou hast Striue ay to get knowledge Alas that blindnes that man lyes in by nature that makes thee think that sin is no sin that is deceit Striue ay to get a cleare mind a well informed conscience whereof thou should excuse thee and whereof to accuse thee Get this out of the word of God which is the only rule of our life of all our actioÌ„s from that light that comes from Heauen for the light of nature will beguile thee and it will say that thou art blessed when the malediction of God is vpon thee and it wil say Thou doest well when thou doest euill Therefore get that light that comes from Heauen to make thee to see This for Pilates part Now let vs come to the part of the Iewes Their part is far worse This is a great deformitie vvhen these vvho haue the Oracles of God are warned by Turkes and Paganes This is to turne the vp-side of the vvorlde downe Looke howe readie Pilate is to laye off the burthen from himselfe vpon the Iewes as readie are they to laye it both vpon their owne backes and vpon their posteritie If this exoneration of himselfe vvhen hee disburthens himselfe of the blood of Iesus testifies that hee had a conscience of His blood that vvas innocent It must followe if the Iewes vvere readie to take on this burthen then they had no sight of His innocencie neither vvere they touched therewith in conscience and therefore like blinded bodies seeing nothing vvith an imprecation they translate the burthen from Pilate and laye it vpon themselues Ignorance is euer temerarious the blinder the bodie is the more rashly vvill it endanger it selfe A blind bodie vvithout knowledge will run it selfe speedily without remorse into Hell and will take on such a burthen that it shall neuer bee able to laye it off againe What meanes all this running so speedilie in vvicked courses but that men vvant conscience and their owne corruption hath blindfolded them Is there anie man that hath light that will run on to their death to
heauenly power so goe like dogges to their vomite spues out the light they had receiued they are as guiltie of the blood of Christ as Pilate trampe the blood of the Couenant vnder their feete Woe to them that resist the Gospell woe to the apostate Lordes of this Land for thus resisting the light there is no light but this to leade thee to heauen I denounce woe to them if they continue the treasure of wrath and woe shall bee heaped on them they shall be as guiltie as Iudas or Pilate or the Iewes hastie sudden shall be their judgement except the Lord preuent them with repentance they their posteritie shall be cursed vnderly a terrible vengeance Woe to their friends who will joyne with them Separate thee frō them as thou wouldest see saluation Away out of Babylon Yee would thinke this a light worde Let his blood bee vpon our head As they wish the blood of the innocent to light on them so it neuer leaues them nor shall neuer leaue so many of them as repented not the blood of the innocent shall lye vpon their backes euerlastingly This should learne vs to take good heed to our wordes it was but a worde to cast off the God of glorie and to take on a Tyrant They got Caesar to be their King and he spoyled them Take good heede to thy words for thou who vsest against thy selfe imprecations and cursings and wilt say God plague mee Gods vengeance light vpon mee I giue my soule to the Deuill if this or that be not Well hast thou giuen thy soule to the Deuill he shall get it hast thou taken a curse vpon thy selfe thou shalt bee cursed it is a wonder that the earth should not open to swallowe such men The Lord makes these thinges to come to passe nowe and then Hee makes the cursed creature that vses such speaches to bee a terrible example And if thou be a prophane person who wilt say I giue my soule to the Deuill I saye and if the Deuill get thee not then and thou be not thrust into Hell but gettest repentance it is a wonder Such is the judgement of God that oft times He will let no reuersion be except that earnestly thou seeke for grace and mercie the Lord I say shall make that worde which thou sakest to haue no reuersion wilt thou or wilt thou not but like as thy foule mouth spake it so thou shalt bee giuen to the Deuill for there is nothing more effectuall to a mans destruction than the wordes which proceede out of his owne mouth Well Pilate is lying in securitie and hee thinkes himselfe well enough when he hath once disburthened himselfe he sits downe and giues out sentence and absolues a seditious vagabonde He letteth Barabbas loose vnto them Woe to them who will absolue a seditious lowne and a murtherer The next thing is more woefull he begins to giue out the sentence against the innocent he comes on and strikes Him hee scourges Him this is the seconde time and when hee hath done hee giueth Him into the handes of the Jewes to satisfie their wicked appetite As long as thou hast a wakened conscience and so long as it telles thee This is good and this is euill thou wilt not goe so boldly and forwardly in euill Well is that bodie who hath a wakened conscience suppose it terrifie thee and holde thee waking But after it bee once lulled in a sleepe and securitie then thou runnest on as the arrowe doeth out of the bow to a mischife there is nothing to holde thee but thou runnest swiftly to mischiefe Ephes 4.19 After they once lost feeling they ranne out to all wantonnesse commiting all vncleannesse with griedinesse There was neuer any creature so griedy of any thing in the world as men who liue without conscience will be of filthinesse As thou wouldest keepe thy selfe so keepe feeling in thy conscience count it more precious than all thinges in the worlde Nothing can guarde thy soule from Sathan but the approbation of a feeling conscience Thou wilt come out with thy Pearles and with decked cloathing but if thou want this conscience thou art a preye to the Deuill Fy on these men who lye in such a senselesnesse shame and confusion shall light vpon them Was there euer such a dead and senselesse Generation as this It is a token that Hell is ouer-taking them seeing they lye all in such a senselesse securitie Marke notes a word here that would bee considered Chap. 15. vers 15. Pilate did this to gratifie an euill people hee would not displease the Jewes This is the common fashion of Princes to seeke to be populare to seeke the fauour of the people Looke that a Prince seeke not by euill meanes the fauour of the people for he will hang an innocent man and let a murtherer goe free for the fauour of the people thou buyest it too deare with the losse of the fauour of God Woe be vnto the man though he were a King that mischieuously falles abacke from the Trueth and so looses the fauour of God for the fauour of Idolaters But will yee come on yet Got Pilate the fauour of the people No they persecuted him to the death they delated him to the Emperour and hee was banished and for feare of greater shame hee put handes in himselfe and slew himselfe Yea if he were all the kings in the world who seekes to gratifie a wicked people in an euill cause namely in Idolatrie and if the LORD haue not mercy on him that same people shall be his destruction The Lord graunt Kinges and Princes to see that howbeit they haue the fauour of the people by vnlawfull meanes and want the fauour of God that all the fauour of the people that they can haue without Gods fauour is nothing that they may seeke Gods fauour aboue all things And the Lord be mercifull to our King for Christes sake To whom be all Honour and Glory foreuermore AMEN THE XIII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 27 Then the Souldiers of the Gouernour tooke IESVS into the common hall and gathered about him the whole bande verse 28 And they stripped him and put about him a skarlet robe verse 29 And platted a crowne of thornes and put it vpon his head and a reede in his right hand and bowed their knees before him and mocked him saying God saue thee King of the Jewes verse 30 And spitted vpon him and tooke a reede and smote him on the head verse 31 Thus when they had mocked him they tooke the robe from him and put his owne rayment on him and led him away to crucifie him verse 32 And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene named Simon him they compelled to beare his Crosse MARC CHAP. XV. verse 16 Then the souldiers led him away into the hall which is the common hall and called together the whole band verse 17 And clad
and therefore I deserued not death yet it is not so euill as malice for whereas malice prouokes the wrath and judgement of the Iudge for it is a terrible thing to haue an malicious heart and of set purpose to sinne against the Iudge Ignorance will mooue the Iudge to pitie and commiseration and so ye see the LORD seeing the poore ignorant multitude Hee pities them and as Hee pities them so Hee prayes for them Ignorance mooued Him to pittie and to praye for them In a worde The Christian man that is persecuted wrongfullie either hath to doe with malicious men wee may finde this in experience ere wee die who persecute of malice or with enemies who are not so much malicious as ignorant if hee haue to doe vvith malicious persons patience is required but if hee haue to doe with ignorant bodies then not onelie patience is required but also rueth and loue Wouldest thou haue patience then commit vengeance vnto Him vvho judges justlie for if thou vvouldest bee patient looke to thy GOD and saye I commit thee in the hands of the Iudge And if thou haue to doe vvith an ignorant see that thou bee pittifull looke to the ignorance of them that persecute thee and thou shalt not so soone looke to their blindnesse but thou shalt not onelie bee patient but also pittifull and the ignorant vvill seeme to bee miserable and to bee pittied for this is certaine that the innocent man vvho is persecuted is not so much to bee pittied as hee vvho of blinde ignorance persecutes him Alas What is to bee pittied but that vvhich procures damnation before GOD So ignorant blinded bodies are moste to bee pittied Nowe consider howe all rankes and sortes of people shame Him and first Pilate shames Him and commaundes an inscription and title to be vvritten on the Crosse bearing the crime and cause of His death It is saide that Pilate the Iudge Writeth a title to bee fixed on the Crosse and bee writeth it in Hebrew and in Grecke and in Latine to the ende that men of all Languages might reade it and vnderstand it and the effect thereof is this IESVS of Nazareth the King of the Jewes This was in Hebrewe in Greeke and in Latine three Languages to bee read by Hebrewes Graecians Romanes There is no question but this was written according to the fashion of that time for among the people of GOD both the judgementes and also the punishmentes vvith inscriptions containing the cause thereof vsed to bee publicked And this vvas a commendable and allowable custome that vvhen a man vvas condemned to die they alwayes vsed to put vp an inscription containing the crime and cause to testifie that hee vvas vvorthilie executed According hereunto they handle the Lord IESVS for they lead y e whole proces in the sight of y e people went not into a corner to judge Him but in the presēce of y e whole people they led Him out of the Portes of Hierusalem to execute Him Reade of this custome Iosh Chapter 7. verse 19. Of Achan who stolle the Babylonians garment how hee was judged of the whole people Read of that blasphemer in the wildernesse Leuit. 24.23 how before the whole people hee was executed publikly Reade of Ionathan how hee was judged and condemned of his father Saul in the sight of the whole people 1. Sam. Chapter 14. verse 5. As the Iudgement was publicke so they vsed to put an inscription aboue them to testifie to the people their crime and the cause of their death that they died justly It is no small matter to slay a man albeit hee were the poorest that euer was and there is not a Prince in the face of the earth that may slay a man without a good cause No not the Emperour hath that power And as no man should bee slaine lightly so if there bee a just cause of execution the man may not be executed priuily at the pleasure of the Iudge but if there bee good justice the Iudgement must be before the people The people haue their owne right and entresse in judgement seates Yee know in that great Iudgement of the world which shall be at the latter day not one shall be judged and condemned without the approbation and consent of the whole Elect which shall stand round about their Lord. Then how much more hath the people at the least the best part entresse in earthly Iudgements to see good administration of justice and Iudgement and that the Iudge vse no Tyrannie This then was the cause of this Inscription euen that the cause of the death of Iesus should bee made manifest to the people according to common commendable custome But Pilate had another respect Pilate did this not so much that the people should know the cause of His death for his conscience tolde him that He was innocent as he put it vp to reuenge him on the malicious Iewes who compelled him against his heart and conscience to condemne Him Hee will haue this put vp that their King was hanged and that they hanged Him with their owne hands But GOD hath His part heere and all was gouerned by that heauenlie Prouidence Neither is Pilate nor the Iewes heere so much to be looked to as the dispensation of the Father As Pilate did it for one ende so the LORD did it for another ende Men will doe a thing vpon an euill intent GOD will doe the same thing by a wicked instrument to His good ende by His effectuall prouidence Hee will haue this to be put vp to ratifie the Heauenly and Spirituall Kingdome of IESVS CHRIST and Hee vvill let them all see that IESVS is the onely King and inspeciall by this inscription the LORD vvill haue it testified to the vvorlde that as IESVS hung vpon the Crosse vvith paine and shame that so likewise vpon the same Crosse He triumphed gloriously ouer His enemies ere Hee came to Heauen on the Crosse Hee gotte victorie and Hee triumphed ouer them all and ledde them all captiues on the Crosse as it is vvritten to the COLOSS. CHAP. 2. VERS 15. More than this The LORD did it to this ende To fore-shaddowe that the preaching of the Kingdome of IESVS CHRIST to followe on His Ascension should bee to all Nations Kingdomes and Languages for immediately after that Hee passed out of the vvorld IESVS vvas proclaimed to all Nations the King of Glory and continues to this day and shall bee for euer Pilate is a preacher heereof albeit hee haue little minde of it but hee vvas like Caiaphas vvho prophesied that it vvas expedient that one shoulde die for the sinnes of the vvhole people CHAP. 11. VERS 40. And this is done by the speciall prouidence of GOD no doubt The constancie of Pilate in his sentence and vvriting notwithstanding the strong opposition of the Scribes and the High Priestes vvho desired him to alter and change the title and for that vvhich vvas vvritten by Pilate to vvit This is
it is impossible that that body can attaine to glory They thinke him as an out-cast and will scorne his profession They will saye Are these your Christians of all men they are the moste miserable if that be the waye to Heauen I will renounce to goe that way this is rather the waye to goe to Hell This is the voyce of the worlde And the cause is because miserable catiues know not what sinne is which at that time behooued to bee purged by the Crosse for the justice and Majestie of GOD beeing offended required that it shoulde bee so and nowe in vs sinne thorowe manifolde crosses and afflictions must bee mortified Let the vvorlde thinke and speake as it pleases the onely waye whereby thou shalt come to life is suffering and affliction and thou must thinke this that wee must bee racked thorowe Hell ere wee come to Heauen Our redemption is wrought by the Crosse thou shalt not come to Heauen but by the Crosse The ground of all is sinne But alas the world sees it not The word will teach thee that there is no other vvay to come to Heauen but by affliction and it will thee that if thou bee not purged and changed by trouble and affliction thou shalt neuer see Heauen Alas that wee coulde once grone vnder sinne And blessed is the soule that hath a sight of the weight of sinne and vvoe to that soule that hath no sight of sinne To goe forwarde I see in this Thiefe vvho rayles on Christ some speciall thing hee hath a particular of his owne hee is in torment and therefore hee saies Jf thou bee that CHRIST saue thy selfe and vs. Brethren a torment vvhatsoeuer it bee if it bee not the better sanctified it vvill mooue the creature to fall out in blasphemie thou vvilt blaspheme both in heart and mouth and thou vvilt saye that there is no power in GOD to saue thee And the Thiefe in effect saide this There is no power in thee to saue mee I renounce thee as a Sauiour and if thou confesse His power thou wilt denie His mercie and vvilt saye GOD is but a Tyrant And if thou vvilt saye Hee is mercifull bee mercifull to vvhome Hee vvill Hee cannot bee mercifull vnto mee This last distrusting of mercie to thy selfe is a great sinne And that to saye altogether that there is no mercie in GOD it is a plaine blasphemie And last to saye there is no power in GOD it is to denie GOD to bee GOD For howe can Hee bee GOD if Hee vvant power So I thinke that this catiue hath beene a great blasphemer of that Majestie and vvhen I looke on it I see in him the image of the death of the reprobate vvhen they are dying and changing this life The Lord giue vs grace to die well The reprobate shall thinke that in their doing God hath no power to saue them for of all men in the worlde the reprobate is the most Ioath to die for either they shall thinke that God is not mercifull at all or else at least that there is no mercie in Him for them and so the miserable creature will turne his backe on GOD and immediately shall cast himselfe into Hell and damnation Wee reade of Sidrach Mesach and Abednego that they were so farre from this blasphemie that when the Tyrant falles out in blasphemie they meete him and saye Our GOD is Almightie and Hee hath power to deliuer vs if Hee please Neuer come thou to despaire though thou shouldest die tenne thousande deathes but sleepe in His bosome hang on Him and saue His honour and thinke not that which maye derogate His honour and saye Though thou shouldest slaye mee LORD yet will I trust in thee and so die sweetlie resting in His armes Well I see this hath beene a miserable bodie and hath died miserablie blaspheming the God of Glorie and this is euen as the reprobate shall doe at the latter Iudgement And yet when I compare him with the Pharises and Priests I find their blasphemie greater than his Well shall it bee to the Thiefe in respect of them for they had knowledge and hee wanted Who shoulde haue had knowledge but they They had no torment hee had sore torment What neede had they to blaspheme Therefore their condemnation shall bee greater than his And vvhen I compare this blasphemie of the Thiefe with the blasphemie of some men in these dayes vvho when anie crosse falles vpon them without their expectation vvill saye What can GOD doe more vnto mee so in effect denying power to bee in GOD and in IESVS CHRIST I count the blasphemie of these men to bee greater than his vvas For nowe IESVS is in Glorie and the Thiefe saw Him on the Crosse in miserie vvith himselfe If thou now blasphemest Him so it were well done that thy mouth were sowed vp that thou neuer spakest a vvorde Nowe to ende vvith this The LORD giue vs grace that neither in thought nor in vvorde vvee dishonour that MAIESTIE but maye acknowledge His mercie and power towardes vs in IESVS CHRIST To vvhome bee all Honour Glorie Praise Power and Dominion both nowe and euermore Worlde vvithout ende AMEN THE XVII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 40 But the other answered and rebuked him saying Fearest thou not GOD seeing thou art in the same condemnation verse 41 We are indeede righteously heere for wee receiue things worthie of that we haue done but this man hath done nothing amisse verse 42 And hee saide vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome WEE heard the last day Brethren of all these railings and blasphemies that the Lord Iesus suffered of all rankes and estates of persons whilest Hee hang on the Crosse naked liuing in torment Pilate began fixed on the Crosse an ignominious inscription That Iesus was a Traitor against Caesar and that He suffered death for His treason Then the Hang-men foure in number in despite and in His sight tooke his garmentes and diuided them in foure partes and because his coate had no seame but was wouen thorowout therefore they cast lottes for it who shoulde haue it whole Then comes on the people with their part and raile vpon Him and blaspheme Him saying Nowe if thou bee that Christ come downe and saue thy selfe Then followe the high Priestes the Scribes and the Elders who raile on Him and saye Is this hee who will saue others let see if hee can bee able to saue himselfe Then the men of warre and Gentiles beginne to raile if thou bee the King of the Iewes saue thy selfe and come downe from the Crosse And then one of the Thieues railes out on Him If thou be that Christ saue thy selfe and vs both but nowe so like as thou art the Christ thou art adying as vvell as vvee and art neither able to sâ—ue thy selfe nor vs and therefore thou art not a King Nowe Brethren yee maye perceiue that it was no prayer that
one gets the conscience of their merite and feeles that they deserue death ten wants it It is a pitie to see how many dies without sense like dogges and then if it fall so that one get the conscience of sinne in the houre of death it falles out ofttimes that they get not the sense of mercie It may bee that thou get the sense of sinne and be stricken with a feare but with a desperate feare for with the sense and feeling of sinne if there bee not also a sense of mercie there is nothing but terrour and a seruile feare So thou shalt die like a vile slaue in damnation So the conscience of this thiefes merite makes him to feare God no doubt hee hath had a sweet sense of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ But who made this difference It was the Lord It was a happie thing for this thiefe to be crucified with IESVS CHRIST for all this slowed out of the Crosse of IESVS CHRIST Therefore take vp the lesson Thinke not that in the houre of death thou shalt bee twitched as thou shouldest either with the feeling of thy sinne and miserie or yet of mercie except that thou sweetely turne thee to the Crosse of CHRIST and say LORD I feele neither sense of my merite and what my sinnes deserues nor of mercie LORD therefore giue mee it then the sweetnesse of that sense shall swallow vp that paine No comfort in death but in IESVS CHRIST except thine eyes be set on that Crosse Woe is to thee and woe to thee againe and better for thee if thou hadst neuer come in the world Thou and I sayes hee suffer iustly This confession witnesses the inward conuersion to IESVS CHRIST for when the heart of a sinner is turned to IESVS CHRIST it will taste a such sweetnesse that the creature will not care by that it bee shamed so it can get that LORD in whome it feeles such a sweetnesse glorified it is a sure token that these shamelesse sinners these men who will not shame themselues in the sight of the worlde but will stand in their pointes of honour with GOD these miserable soules these bloodie murtherers these adulterers tasted neuer of that mercie in IESVS CHRIST If thou wouldest haue thy sinnes hid from the eyes of GOD that terrible Iudge then open them to the world that the LORD may be glorified and if thou hidest thy sinnes the LORD shall rippe vp thy brest in that great daye and let all the world see the most hid and secret corner of thine heart to thy shame and confusion Nowe come to the thirde argument of reproofe and it is taken from the innocencie of Iesus This is an innocent and iust man Fearest thou not GOD to raile on the innocent if He were guiltie as thou and I am thy railing were more tollerable but howe canst thou raile on this just man The lesson is Iust ones who suffer innocently should not be railed vpon the LORD keepe our mouthes from railing on them if thy conscience tell thee of their innocency reuile them not a man who suffers may be innocent two manner of wayes for either hee is innocent in himselfe and not guiltie of that for which hee suffers or els if hee bee a malefactour and guiltie he may be innocent through Faith and repentance through the blood of Iesus Christ as this thiefe was innocent in Christ Now if a man be innocent of that crime for which hee suffers raile not on him on paine of thy life and if thou findest him innocent in the blood of Iesus Christ and findest him to haue true and vnfained repentance in Him albeit he bee neuer so wicked let him die and suffer these paines hee should suffer for repentance should not exeeme and free him from ciuile punishment but beware thou raile on him surely thy mouth should be stopped to raile out on him God forbid that an euill word be spoken out against him as a reprobate whom the LORD Iesus countes innocent in His blood for this railing testifies that thou counts that man as a reprobate and that is too sore a judgement thou takes to thee I see heere further the LORD neuer leaues His Sonne without a testimonie of His innocencie Pilate euer on testified His innocencie before hee condemned Him and said once twise thrise I finde nothing worthie of death in Him No Pilate was neuer brought to say that Christ was guiltie suppose he condemned Him but euer preached and proclaimed His innocencie Then when Hee is comming to suffer the poore women followes and testifies and now the poore penitent thiefe testifies the innocencie of Christ and lastly the men of warre were compelled to say Of a trueth this is the Sonne of God And if ye consider well yee shall see two thinges very contrarie that of all men that suffered He was both the most just and the most vnjust He was innocent in Himselfe and Hee was guiltie in vs and this for our consolation for this lets vs seee how meete a Mediatour He was for vs my Sauiour must be innocent in Himselfe Heb. 7.26 and He must bee guiltie in me Thus farre this thiefe hath vttered that inward repentance in rebuking the other for his blasphemie and sinne and in confessing his sinnes before the other thiefe and those that stood by now followes the third effect he turnes him to the Lord and in all humilitie seeking remission grace and life and sayes Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome Prayer should follow vpon confession of sinnes but marke the word hee calls Him Lord albeit he saw Him hanging on the tree there like a vile slaue yet he acknowledges Him to be a King when he ascribeth a Kingdome to Him albeit he sees Him hanging there like a slaue yet he askes life of Him albeit he saw Him in weaknesse in torment and at the point of death All these things are marueilous and ye shall see them the more marueilous if ye will consider well the person of him who prayes what a man before this time he was and then what is his estate present and last the person of Him to whom he directs his Prayer This his conuersion was marueilous if this man had beene trained vp in the schoole of Christ any space of time it had beene lesse marueilous but beeing trained vp in a denne of thieues where hee had lost all kinde of equitie and naturalitie where hee had liued like a beast like a lyon liuing by cutting of throates theft and by the bloode of men this man to be turned from such an foule heart to get faith and seeke mercie so suddenly in a moment such sudden mutation is more than marueilous aad wonderfull Then will yee looke to his present estate if he had bene free in the body without paine so that he had gotten leasure and licence to looke thorow that body to His Kingdome and to that eternall Life then this doing had beene lesse marueilous
but beeing nailed quicke on the Crosse in such extreame paine that might haue occupied and exercised all his senses and when he is looking and waiting for the hand of the hangman to breake him quicke on the Crosse to this man to haue driuen his senses and to haue set them on a better life from that hell hee was in to that heauenly Life it was more than wonderfull and I say it was as wonderfull as if he had leapt out of the lowest hell to the highest heauen Then come to the person of him to whome he prayes if hee had seene Iesus Christ standing before him like a glorious King it had beene lesse to haue beene wondered at but hee is hanging in that shamefull death and in greater shame than he for they railed not on him as they did on Christ which no question was more grieuous than all torments as if Hee had beene a reprobate from GOD So if he had seene Him in glorie it had bene no maruell but to seeke life in a man who was dying ignominiously and who was hanging in a worse estate than Himselfe and to haue pierced thorow and seene thorow such a cloud of ignominie such a faire Life and glorie I say it was more than wonderfull Further if he had seene Him before and bene familiar with Him heard Him teach and had seene His wonders as the Apostles did it had not bene much to maruell at but this beeing the first meeting the first acquaintance and neuer to haue spoken with Him before they met in an ignominious Crosse together then to seeke in such a death such a life in such ignominie such glorie it is a thing more than marueilous Came anie of the Iewes then and prayed vnto Him Yea came anie of the Apostles Came anie of His Disciples Came either Peter or Iohn or Matthew No all were offended with Him I saye of this man to the glorie of God that hee shamed all that stood by hee shamed the Apostles and made them to cast downe their faces And I saye hee shames all men and women who will not beleeue when they see Him not crucified as hee sawe but glorified nowe in the Heauens sitting at the right hande of that Majestie shame shall light on thee and this Thiefe shall bee sette vp in glorie to testifie against thee and to condemne thee 1. COR. 1.27 Paul saies GOD will raise vp thinges naughtie to shame thinges high in the worlde and to humble the pride of the fleshe If euer this was practised it is practised in this Thiefe Therefore in time learne thy lesson at this Thiefe for if hee doe thee no good hee shall doe thee euill and this same preaching shall doe thee euill if it doe thee no good The LORD raised him vp vpon a Gallowes to bee a Teacher of Faith and Repentance of Hope of Patience of Loue and of all graces and thinke no shame to learne at him for if thou thinkest shame of the Thiefe to bee thy master hee shall giue out a testimonie to aggreadge thy damnation and hee shall saye I went to teach the Infideles on the Crosse with Thee and they hearde it and beleeued not Lord let their damnation bee aggreadged All this that I speake tendes to this That hee who glories maye glorie in the Lord And they who woulde maruell let them maruell at the Lord. I speake not these thinges that yee shoulde wonder at the Thiefe that sillie creature But all this is That yee shoulde wonder at Iesus Christ who wrought such a wonder at this time and shewed such a power when Hee was weakened It is a wonder to shewe such power in His humiliation and such mercy on such a vile sinner who was not worthie that the earth shoulde beare him let bee to dwell in Heauen Wonder at Him who is so mercifull and gracious to poore sinners To Him therefore bee praise for euermore AMEN THE XVIII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 43 Then Iesus said vnto him Verely J say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 25 Then stood by the crosse of Iesus his mother and his mothers sister Marie the wife of Cleopas and Marie Magdalene verse 26 And when Iesus saw his mother and the disciples standing by whome he loued He said vnto his mother woman beholde thy sonne verse 27 Then said He to the disciple behold thy mother and from that houre the disciple tooke her home vnto him WEE heard the last day Beloued in Iesus of the repentance of one of the Thieues that hung on the Crosse with Christ in a moment wonderfully hee begins to be penitent for all his misdeedes and former life and hee vtters his penitencie and the displeasure that was in his heart for sinne in sundry effectes First hee rebukes bitterlie that blasphemie that the other Thiefe speakes out against the Lord and saies Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same damnation Thou and I suffer justly for we haue demerited all this but this man pointing out Christ hath done nothing amisse When hee hath thus rebuked the Thiefe hee turnes him about to Iesus Christ who hung in the middest and hee directs his prayer to Him and saies Lord remember mee when thou commest to thy Kingdome The other the blasphemer would faine haue liued in the vvorlde And therefore because hee sawe that IESVS had no power to giue him this earthlie life therefore hee blasphemeth CHRIST in His face But the penitent Thiefe seekes not this present life but desires that hee may gette entrie in to that Heauenly Kingdome The last day I spake concerning the petition of the penitent Thiefe I repeate nothing Onely wonder not at the Thiefe or at such an earnest repentance in him suddenly bâ—â— wonder at Iesus Christ vvho in such vveaknesse hanging so shamefully vpon the Crosse yet vttered such mercie and such infinite power yea one of the moste miserable catiues that euer was in the vvorlde I goe forwarde and first I shall shewe you of the answere that the Lord giues to the penitent Thiefe and then I shall come to the earnest recommendation that Iesus made of His Mother MARIE vnto IOHN The Lord answeres him Verily I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The answere containes a promise and the thing that the Lord promises is Thou shalt bee vvith mee thou seekest to bee vvith mee in my Kingdome thou shalt bee vvith mee and thou shalt bee a subject vvith mee and more a follower and vvhereas thou werest a vile Thiefe I shall make thee a glorious King in the Heauen And when shall this bee Without delay it shall not be to morrowe or other morrowe but this same day immediately thou shalt bee transported to that vnspeakeable glorie And where shall this bee It shall bee in Paradise Thou shalt not goe to Purgatorie but into Celestiâ—ll Paradise Of this worde Paradise wee reade in sundrie
shall rehearse vnto you the vvhole Passion of IESVS CHRIST in as fewe vvordes as I can Then the whole life of Iesus Christ whilest Hee was in this vvorlde vvas a continuall suffering of the burthen of our sinnes that Hee bare and that obedience to His Father required that not onely in His life-time shoulde Hee doe for our saluation but chiefely it required that the Mediator shoulde die All that Hee did had beene nothing worth to vs and if Hee had not died for as the Apostle sayeth HEBR. CHAP. IX VERS XXII No remission of sinnes without blood Thinke not that euer thy sinnes shall bee forgiuen thee without the shedding of the blood of Iesus Christ And either thou must die or haue part in the death of the Mediator The ende of His suffering was the perfect abolishing and vndoing of the sinnes of the Elect as yee may reade in the ninth CHAPTER to the HEBREVVES Now marke againe This perfect abolishing and vndoing of our sinnes required a perfect passion and suffering of the Mediator Whether ye looke to the time it required a perfect time or will yee looke to the greatnesse of it it required an infinite quantitie of greatnesse for if it had not bene perfect in time and quantitie thou hadst neuer beene redeamed Brethren that yee maye the better vnderstande the vvhole Passion of IESVS CHRIST I shall point out vnto you the vvhole manner of His sufferinges For why shoulde vvee not knowe this Our life standes in His death Hee suffered all for vs. And I see thorowe out the Scripture the vvhole sufferinges of Christ maye bee drawne to these three sortes The first is The Lord Iesus suffered temptations Secondlie The Lord Iesus suffered shame and ignominie the GOD of glorie suffered shame Howe agree these two together Shame and Glorie The thirde the LORD IESVS suffered paine and that verie grieuous paine in soule and bodie I shall goe thorowe all these three kinds of suffering shortlie and so I shall make an ende And first to speake of these temptations shortlie I call the temptations that the LORD suffered those tryalles of Him by the Deuill His enemie for hee let Him neuer rest and woefull was that battell that Hee had with him on the Crosse and His temptations by the ministers of the Deuill in the worlde who solicitated Him to leaue His GOD euen such temptations as wee are subject to in this worlde onelie except sinne for Hee knewe no sinne there vvas not one spotte of sinne in that holie One and so Hee was not subject to these foule motions inwarde temptations as we are who dare not face the Sunne nor the Moone And wherefore suffered Hee all these temptations Euen for thy cause the ende of all His suffering was that Hee might succour all them who were tempted either in bodie or soule HEBR. Chap. 2. vers 18. Art thou tempted if thou canst haue recourse to Him who was tempted for thy sake Hee will pittie thee As Hee suffered and was tempted so by His suffering Hee hath learned to pittie thee Hee who neuer hath tasted of miserie hee cannot pittie the miserable bodie And therefore when thou art tempted goe to CHRIST and saye LORD thou wast tempted as I am therefore now helpe and succour mee Thus farre for the first sort of Christes sufferinges The seconde sort was His shame and ignominie that open ignominie that He suffered especiallie on the Crosse Whether ye looke to His accusation they accused that most innocent One as a vile sinner or whether ye looke to all these false Testimonies that were brought against Him or yet whether yee looke to the tauntes and mockinges that Hee suffered and to that spitting on His face and blasphemies vpon the Crosse In all these yee shall sâ—e that shame He suffered for our sinnes The Apostle ROMAN Chap. 15. vers 3. saies Iesus Christ when hee was in the worlde hee spared not nor hee pleased not himselfe as wee doe but as it is written The rebukes of them which rebuke thee fell on me All these despites thou shouldest haue suffered but the LORDE Hee translated them vpon Himselfe O the shame that the sinner shoulde haue suffered and if the LORD IESVS had not taken it off the backe of the sinner and laid it on His owne backe Come to the last sort Thou who wouldest bee freed of paine either in bodie or soule Marke the paine of the Lord lay holde on it and apply it to thy soule for otherwise Nothing shall remaine for thee but paine euerlastingly all the kingdomes of the worlde shall not saue thee Then the last sort was paine and dolour in body and paine and dolour in soule but in the soule chiefly Looke to the time of it from His first conception to His last breath scarcely was the Lord well borne when thorow the persecution of Herode the Tyranne His mother was compelled to flee with Him to Egypt from that time He was vnder continuall affliction whilst as Hee entered into the thirtie yeere of His age when Hee takes vpon Him the part of a Mediator for mankinde from this foorth for Hee liued after this space three yeeres and an halfe His paine grew and increased in body and soule and ay nearer the last houre His displeasure and paine grew the more Now Brethren we shall speake shortly of these paines and dolours that the Lord suffered in the time of these three yeeres and an halfe for the Gospell makes mention of that suffering during this space the Lord Iesus is in continuall paine both of body and soule not in body onely but chiefly in the soule His paine during this time is chiefly that inwarde anguish all His paine was for our sinnes if yee compare the soule and the body together the soule is ten times worse and more sinfull than the bodie the soule is nothing but a sinke of sinne all sinne proceedes out of that stinking puddle of the soule The body hath no life in it but that which it hath of the soule and therefore seeing the Lord offered Him to suffer for our sinnes Hee behooued to suffer chiefly in the soule What shall I say of the impudent Papists who maintaine this doctrine that the Lord suffered not that inward paine of the soule O! that they dare be so bolde as to auouch such doctrine against the manifest wordes of the Holy Spirit They knowe not what sinne is They knowe not what is the greatnesse of the euill of sinne or the Iustice of GOD and lastly they know not what is the mercie of IESVS CHRIST In a worde I proclaime both before GOD and His Angels the Pope and his shauelings are open enemies to the Crosse of CHRIST if it were but in this that they take away the chiefe part of His suffering Bee thou a Papist if thou continuest in that fantasie thou shalt neuer haue no part nor portion of His suffering Concerning the suffering of His bodie and of that ignominious death of
the Crosse wee haue bene speaking Only nowe I shall point out the ground whereupon the sufferings of the LORD arises First they rise of that naturall infirmitie He was an infirme man without sinne He hungred as we doe He thirsted as we and through trauelling Hee rested neuer daye nor night and sojourned through the world Hee wearied as we doe Then another ground was that sadnesse and heauinesse of the soule Hee was in a continuall sadnesse there was neuer so sad a man as He was we read that He did weepe but we neuer read that Hee did laugh And thinke not that when the soule is in heauinesse that the bodie can bee well And last His suffering proceeded of a violent dealing against Him and nayling Him on the Crosse vvho vvas so violently handled as the LORD of glory was I leaue this and vve vvill speake of the dolours which Hee suffered in His soule First the LORD IESVS whilst as Hee trauelled vp and downe amongst His people Hee vvas in a continuall displeasure When Hee looked vpon that obstinate people Hee was sad vvhen Hee entred in Ierusalem Hee vvepes and sayes Ierusalem Ierusalem faine would J haue gathered you as a henne gathereth her birdes vnder her wings but thou wouldest not The moste speciall griefe that the LORD suffered in His soule was that vvhich Luke in his tvventieth tvvo Chapter names an agonie that is an anguish in the soule and an heauie paine proceeding from a battell that Hee had in His soule it proceeded from the wrestling with the wrath of GOD and infinite wrath vvith Hell and the povvers of it vvith death not temporall but euerlastingly Novve this agonie Hee vtters in the Garden when Hee sayes My soule is heauie on all sides euen to the death That vvorde was expressed out of that bitter anguish that Hee had in His soule whilst He spake so To speake of the time of it I am of that minde that it vvas not only when Hee vvas in the Garden but before in the twelfth Chapter of Iohn vvhen Hee vvas speaking to His disciples Hee sayes My soule is troubled And Hee turnes Him to His Father and Hee sayes Father saue mee from this houre yet the nearer He drew to death it grew greater and greater it was greater in the Garden than it was of before but now on the Crosse when Hee saide My God my God why hast thou forsaken Mee it was the greatest of all I will speake something of this I will certifie you the speciall vnderstanding of the suffering of Iesus Christ stands in the knowing of this inward agonie which IESVS CHRIST had in His soule and if yee knovve not this yee know nothing of His suffering it is true that no tongue is able to tell it No all the tongues of Angels the heart of man nor Angell is not able to conceiue the greatnesse of it The wordes of the Scriptures expresse not the greatnesse of the anguish but so far foorth as the LORD will giue mee the grace I will speake somewhat of it In the wordes that the Spirit vses in the Scripture yee shall finde this The LORD suffers a torment in His soule then yee shall see in the wordes an exceeding greatnesse of the anguish in the soule and lastly yee shall see in the wordes of the Spirit not only that He suffered anguish in the soule and the greatnesse of it but the very degrees and partes of it particularly First goe to the olde Testament in the fiftieth and third Chapter and fifth verse of the prophecie of Esay hath these wordes It pleased the LORD IEHOVAH to breake Him the wordes importes not only the breaking of the body but also of the soule Then in the hundreth and sixteene Psalme and at the fifth verse Dauid who was a type of CHRIST sayes The sorrowes of death haue compassed Mee and the anguish of Hell hath ouertaken Mee These wordes importe not onely a bodily suffering but they importe an anguish in the soule Come to the Newe Testament Matthew in his twentieth and sixt Chapter My soule is heauie and compassed to the death Wouldest thou haue the greatnesse of it Hee sayes On all sides And whereto Euen to the death not of the temporall death but euen to the death of the soule Then Luke in his twentieth and two Chapter sayes Hee was in an agonie Hee was in anguish Hee was wrestling With whome was this His disciples were away from Him There vvas no man vvith Him It vvas vvith the wrath of the Father from Heauen with a vvrath vnspeakable Peter 2. Actes sayes GOD raysed Him vp from death and raysed Him the doloures of death beeing loosed He could not bee retained vvith them The vvordes in their owne language is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies extreame dolour like as a woman hath in bearing her birth The Spirite of GOD vseth to expresse the paine of the Hell in the soule by a similitude of a vvoman vvho trauelleth in birth for of all paines in the bodie it is the greatest and sorest and yee that haue felt it yee knowe that yee could not liue if it continued with you 1. THESSALON CHAP. 5. VERS 3. Hee settes downe the paine of Hell by that similitude When they shall saye Peace then shall come the suddaine doloure vpon them like a woman trauelling then shall they not escape And MARKE CHAP. 14. VERS 33. comes on more particularlie and saies Not onelie hee had a paine in the soule but also hee settes downe the degrees of the paine The natiue Language is moste proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Hee beganne to bee astonished and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee beganne to bee in a grieuous and extreame anguishe When the vvrath beganne to presse downe the soule then the anguishe arose and the extreamitie of paine But I leaue the opening vp of all thess vvordes vntill the next occasion and so to ende As vvee speake of the suffering of CHRIST So I beseech GOD to open our soules and our heartes to feele it For there is no life but in His suffering And the LORDE giue vs grace that our heartes maye take fast holde of his sadnesse and dolour to our joye euerlasting To this LORDE bee Honour and Praise for euermore AMEN THE XX. LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 46 And about the ninth houre IESVS cryed with a loude voyce saying ELI ELI LAMASABACHTHANI that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee THE last daye welbeloued in Christ vpon occasion offered in this place wee began to rehearse ouer all the whole Passion of Christ and vvee brought the matter to that agonie and that inwarde anguish of the soule which the Lord suffered beside all the outward passions of His bodie especially during the time of three yeeres and an halfe to wit the time in the which Hee bare openly the office of a Mediator betwixt God and man Nowe as the Lord will giue vs grace by
occasion of this voyce wherby the Lord vttered this heauie complaint to His Father before He yeelde vp the ghoste when He saies My God my God why hast thou forsaken me we shall speake this day of that inwarde agony and anguishe of the soule that the Lord was in when Hee vttered this voyce I perceiue three groundes whereby we maye bee able in some measure for who is able to attaine to the perfect knowledge of the greatnesse of that agony that the Lord suffered to come to the knowledge of that agony The first grounde I shall take out of the vvordes of Scripture vvhereby that agonie is expressed The second ground I take from these effectes that the Lord vttered partly in prayer and partly in heauie complaint in that agonie And the thirde ground I shall take from our owne feeling What auailes all the knowledge in the vvorlde without feeling of His Passion and of His Resurrection Then to goe forward in order and to open vp euerie one of these grounds The last day I began to bring to you the words of Scripture some out of the old TestameÌ„t some out of the New by the which this inward agony y t the Lord suffred in his soule is expressed most viuely I cited to you those words that are in the 53. chap. of Esay where there is a viue and liuely prophesie of Iesus to come into the world The Lord saies the Prophet tooke pleasure to breake him This breaking is not onely of the body on the Crosse but chiefely in breaking of the soule for the soule of Iesus was rent with sorrow Then I cited out of the 116. Psalme the words of Dauid being the type of Christ The dolours of death haue compassed me the sorrowes of Hell haue ouertaken me Then I came to the Gospel of Matthew and I cited these words out of the 26. CHAP. My soule is heauie on all sides to the death There is the heauinesse of the soule and an heauinesse without any joy and a heauinesse to death euen to euerlasting death Then I came to Luke who in his 22. CHAP. hath these words And he was in an agony there is a battell But where In the GardeÌ„ With whom None was fighting with Him no man was neare Him Whom with but with the heauie wrath of the Father that He felt in His soule In the 2. of the Acts I cited the wordes of Peter Whome God raised vp againe when He had loosed the dolours of death The word in its owne languague signifies that paine that women suffer in trauelling wherby the Scripture vses to expresse the paine of Hell And last of all I came to the words of Marke in his 14. Chap. where he not onely vtters this inward paine that the Lord had in His soule but also the greatnesse of it and the degrees and partes thereof The wordes are When the Lord was in the Garden he began to be afraid and astonished and then to bee in a wonderfull heauinesse The words in their owne language are more significatiue Nowe Brethren wee shall examine and weigh these wordes of Marke The first word that Marke vses signifies an astonishment a feare and an horrour whereby the Lord in the Garden was troubled suddenly from the Heauen so that all the members of His bodie shooke and trembled It is not a matter of jestes it arose vpon a sense of the wrath of God comming from HeaueÌ„ and a most vehement sense thereof that lighted on Him suddenly because Hee bare our sinnes and this terrible wrath ouer-tooke all the powers of His soule and occupied them Brethren I take this to be none other thing but that first stroke of euerlasting death whereby the reprobate shâ—ll bee stricken in the first entrie to Hell when they set in their head first to Hell the wrath shall so strike them that all the powers of the soule shall be dammished The suffering of Christ in His soule is the viue image of the suffering of the reprobate in Hell And â—t is it that Paul in the 1. Epistle to the Thessalonians sets downe When they shall crie peace all things are sure then sudden destruction approaches the wrath and vengeance from Heauen lightes on suddenly so that all the haires of their heads shall stand on end and it shall come vpon them suddenly euen as the showres and dolour comes on a woman who is trauelling in birth I can giue no better example of it than ye haue in the Prophecie of Daniel in Belshazzar the prophane man he is sitting with his Princes banketting and prophaning the holy vessels of the House of the Lord. What falles out hee sees come out of the wall suddenly an hand writting he sees it not so soone look the first stroke of Hel but he is stricken with a feare horrour his knees shiuer smite one another he becomes like a dead man a viue image of Hell This for the first worde that Marke vses and the first part of that agonie that IESVS CHRIST suffered for vs in His soule Now wee haue to weigh the second word Hee sayes Hee beganne to bee astonished and to be in a wonderfull heauinesse The word in its owne language signifies an extreame paine in the soule Who is able to tell it The Lord saue vs from the extreamitie thereof it rose vpon that horrible wrath that He was stricken with and was lying on Him and pressing downe His soule First Hee was stricken then the heauie wrath of GOD lyes still on the soule so that Hee hath dolour in His soule that all the powers of His soule is full of wrath Who can beare the wrath of the Omnipotent GOD No not CHRIST as He was man only no not all the Angels in Heauen The LORD saue vs from it When the wrath of the great GOD strikes on any in the Hell all the powers of the soule faile and all leaue off to doe their duties beeing full of displeasure It is a marâ—eilous thing for as carefull as the LORD was wount to bee of the redemption of man for that was His only care night and day it was His meate and drinke yet all that care was nowe away and He forgets it and Hee falles out in a Prayer and Hee sayes Take away this cuppe from Mee and that was the cuppe of His Passion for our Redemption yea Hee bids His Father take it away which if it had beene taken from Him neuer a soule should haue beene redeemed Consider then if Hee was in an agonie or not when Hee forgate the worke of our Redemption Now we must not thinke that this forgetfulnesse came of sinne our forgetfulnesse comes of sinne the Holy one had no sinne but it rose of an infirmitie of Nature wherewith Hee was cled for our sinne Yee see if a man be in a distresse in the soule the senses and all the powers of the soule are so occupied about that sorrowe that they forget their owne functions and operations
to helpe the part that is distressed Euen so it was with the LORD for when for our sinnes Hee was vnderlying the wrath of that Omnipotent Iudge all the faculties of His soule His vnderstanding His memorie c left all their functions that all might concurre to helpe Him in that common agonie Well Brethren if yee would see Hell yee haue here the viue image of it The reprobate after that at the first they are astonished vvith the sudden vvrath as they continue in Hell their dolour and paine shall euer be augmented the vvrath shall still lye vpon them like a mountaine tumbling on them and pressing them euer in soule body so that they remaine euer in this euerlasting paine Christ made an end of it but if thou be a reprobate this anguish shall neuer leaue thee Oh! that the vvorld vvill not knovv this and once pause on it vvould they then thinke ye runne to all mischiefe as they doe And if once thou be cast into Hell mountaines of dolour and heapes of vvrath shall be heaped on thee for euermore These are tvvo parts of that Hell that the Lord suffers novv vvould yee haue the thirde part I remit you to the 5. Chapter to the Hebrewes vvhere there Paul sayes that the Lord vvhen Hee prayed in the dayes of His flesh vvith strong cries and vvith teares Hee vvas heard He had a terrible feare beside the present paine He vvas in a feare of a greater danger to insue If thou goest to Hell once beside the present paine that thou shalt be in And O the vveight of that paine that shall be on thee thou shalt euer haue a terrible feare of a greater paine to fall on thee y e paine of Hell is not ended in a moment but y u shalt finde the paine gâ—ovving euerlastingly a mountaine of vvrath shall come after another as y e vvaues of the sea follovving one another It is a sore matter to be in this paine euerlastingly Now we haue heard the first ground out of the wordes of the Holy Spirit Come to the second ground When He was in the agonie He vtters such effects that they who saw Him and heard that pitifull voyce might easily see what anguish Hee had in the soule He falles out in a prayer Father take away this cuppe that is the cuppe of thy wrath wherein He vtters a forgetfulnesse of our redemption the dolour so increases vpon Him that Hee prayes with greater intention with teares and with strong cries and with weeping Hell will cause thee to mourne and compell thee to squeele and houle like a dogge laugh not it will cause thee to gnash thy teeth if thou be cast in vtter darknesse yet as He prayes the wrath increases that He did sweate blood and the droppes of blood fell from His face to the ground What man read ye of or heard yee euer of or euer shall that was in such a feare in such a torment that for the feare of the torment he did sweat blood So that ye see that the Lord was in such anguish as neuer a man was Were any of the Martyres in such a feare or such an anguish as this No no Then as Hee vtters His agonie in prayer so Hee vtters it in many heauie and bitter complaints Iohn 12. When hee is speaking of His glorification suddenly He breakes off and sayes My soule is troubled what shall I say and then Hee turned Him to His Father and sayes Saue mee from this houre and last Hee sayes My soule is heavie on all sides euen to the death But of all complaints this that Hee vtters on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee is the most heauie and it proceedes from the most bitter anguish of the soule Nowe the Lord grant that this complaint may saue vs from that complaint of the reprobate that they shall vtter in Hell No question these words vtter a forsaking of Him and that Hee was deserted for a time He was left off without all comfort in the world Of all joy that He was wount to haue all joy was taken from Him They import not a diuulsion of the Godhead from the manhead the glorious Godhead dwelt in the Lord Iesus whilst as He hang on the Crosse GOD neuer left Him at any time after that once the Sonne of God tooke to Himselfe our flesh Hee left it neuer no not on the Crosse nor in the graue Hee left it neuer nor neuer shall but the Godhead kept it selfe so closse in Christ the man that it would let Him haue no joy whilst He should pay that ransom to the vttermost farthing whereby the justice of God was satisfied for our sinnes And this is the thing He complaines on Yet whilst He sayes My God my God He lets vs see Hee despaires not but in the meane time whilst Hee was left He cleauâ—th to God hath His confidence in His God the Deuill and all the world cannot separate Him from His GOD that dwelt within Him Confidence in God will ofttimes be in the godly without feeling of joy albeit that Spirit will not be out of their soules The Spirit will minister no joy to them yet the poore soule will neuer leaue off to put confidence in God Well this complaint tells vs that Iesus Christ was deserted for a time to saue vs who should haue bene reprobates for euer But there is a great difference betweene Iesus Christ and the reprobate Indeede they agree in this that both He and they are left comforâ—lâ—sse He vttered a great complaint so they shall complaine and houle And as He cried and wept so shall they But here is the difference He was for a time in a manner reprobate they shall bee made reprobates for euer Hee complained for a time but they shall complaine for euer He ceases not to put His confidence in God the reprobate shall haue no confidence but as God shall leaue them so shall they leaue God as God shall turne His backe on them so shall they turne their backe on God This is a sore matter Then Iesus Hee vttered this complaint My God my God They shall not say My God why hast thou left mee but shall crie alas for euer God hath left me for euer and cast me off from His presence for euer This speech My God is a speech of confidence and He cleaues to God in His heart they shall shoute and cry GOD hath left mee for euermore cast me off This for the two grounds come to the third ground that is our owne feeling for if thou feelest not all thy knowledge auailes not a straw Paul to the Phillippians Chapter 3. sayes He counted all things to be but losse and dung that he might knowe Him that is Iesus Christ TheÌ„ he sets down the parts of this knowledge that I may know Him the vertue of His resurrectioÌ„ the coÌ„munion of His Passions be made conformable to His death
to worke this worke of redemption and saluation by base and naughty meanes that the world respects no more of than the dirt which they treade on Looke what is the difference betwixt the wisedome of GOD and the wisedome of man Will yee looke to the cause of our redemption to IESVS CHRIST or to the Professors and to Ministers they are the foolishest in the vvorlde sillie bodies and compare them vvith potent men they are but contemptible and of no valour and compare them with wise men they are but fooles So looke to the Crosse and to the Ministerie thereof whereby wee are saued all is weake base and contemptible and all to this ende that the LORD onelie maye gette the glorie and as the APOSTLE saies He that glorieth may onlie glory in the LORD And let euerie one of vs giue glorie to that LORD of Glorie To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour and Praise for euermore AMEN THE XXI LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 47 And some of them that stood there when they heard it saide This man calleth Elias verse 48 And straightway one of them ranne and tooke a spunge and filled it with vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to driâ—ke verse 49 Other said Let be let vs see if Elias will come and saue him verse 50 Then Iesus cryed againe with a loude voyce yeelded vp the ghost MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 35 And some of them that stood by when they heard it said Beholde hee calleth Elias verse 36 And one ranne and filled a spunge full of vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to drinke saying Let him alone let vs see if Elias will come and take him downe verse 37 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and gaue vp the ghost LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 46 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and saide Father into thine handes I commende my spirite And when hee had thus said hee gaue vp the ghost IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 28 After when Iesus knewe that all thinges were performed that the Scripture might bee fulfilled hee saide I thirst verse 29 And there was set a vessell full of vineger and they filled a spunge with vineger and put it about an hyssope stalke and put it to his mouth verse 30 Now when Iesus had receiued of the vineger hee said It is finished and bowed his head and gaue vp the ghost DVRING the time that the LORD IESVS hung quicke on the Crosse which was three houres and large more yee may reade well-beloued in Christ sundrie voyces that He vttered When I looke thorowe the foure Euangelistes I finde in number sixe sundrie voyces and euery one of them is well to be marked for at that time Hee vttered nothing in vaine The first voyce wee reade of was a voyce of diuine power together vvith mercy when one of the Thieues who hung at His right hand said to Him Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome The Lord answered him like a King and like a powerfull and mercifull God Verily J say vnto thee this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise The next voyce was a voyce of humane pittie and naturall affection toward His Mother she being by the Crosse with Iohn and other women He recommendes her to the custodie of His wâ—ll beloued Disciple The thirde voyce wee reade of was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from an heart that was sadde on euery side to the death and from that agonie on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The fourth voyce in like manner was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from a wonderfull heate in the soule and body I thirst The fifth voyce by all appearance was a voyce of joye seeing the worke of Redemption to bee wrought and the wrath of His Father to be asswaged He saies after He had drunken the vineger Jt is finished The sixt and last voyce in like manner was a voyce of joye for finding Hee was to giue vp the ghoste immediately and finding His Father sweetly to loose His soule from His bodie He saies Father into thine hands I commend my spirit Now Brethren all thâ—se foresaid voyces the Lord vttered during the time that He hung quick on y e Crosse Of these we haue heard the first the second the third which was that heauie complaint that Hee made to His Father My God my God c. This daye as God shall giue vs grace wee shall speake of the three other voyces one of them of sadnesse and the other two of joye But before wee come to these voyces which are the three lâ—st voyces wee haue to speake something of the misconstruing of the complaint of the Lord vttered to His God Nowe the Iewes that stood by Him and heard Him crie Eli Eli for Hee cryed aloude of maliciousnesse not of mistaking Him they begin to calumniate and to misconstrue His wordes because the worde Eli which is My God sounded like Elias Therefore they said Hee cryed for Elias when Hee cryed on His God Let vs see if Elias will come and take Him downe In the which wordes wee may see clearely that they sought not onelie to destroy His bodie but the Deuill in them sought to sunder and seuer Him both in soule and bodie from His God they woulde not heare Him crye vpon His God but they sought to destroy His bodie and His soule such was the insatiable malice of the hearts of these Iewes against Iesus Christ This is the common dealing of the Deuill and his instruments with the godly and chiefely in that last houre when the separation of the soule from the body is to follow Not only to get the body dead but the soule God separated if thou beginnest to pray call on God they will scorne thy prayer seeke to cut thee froÌ„ God all hope of life But to leaue them their bitter maliciousnes As in all the poinctes of the suffering of Christ I looke more to the disposition of His Father than to the Iewes to the deuil or his instrumeÌ„ts So I doe in this No question as His Father exercises Him inwardly with a bitter wrath eueÌ„ so wheÌ„ as the Lord by making an heauy mone seekes an outgaet cries My God my God c Hee will haue Him met outwardly with bitternes Aime where He wil He meetes Him with nothing but bitternes wrath inwardly outwardly hell inward outward no refuge nor escaping till y t ransome be payed to the least farthing Wel BrethreÌ„ if ye would see an image of hell see it here The Lord Iesus was for a time fealt nothing but extreame bitternes But the reprobate after they be once casten into hell there is nothing for them but bitternes let theÌ„ aime here there to escape houle cry they shal be met wiâ—h bitternes What if it were but for a time The Lord escaped His suffering
blindnesse of y e Iewes y t cannot know Him to be the Mediator but after that once a man be giuen to a reprobate sense he will say the Sun in y e noone-tide is but darknes The Gospel is hid sayes Paul 2. Cor. 4.4 to them who perish if thou see not beleeue not y e Gospell thou hast an earnest pennie in thy bosome y t thy damnatioÌ„ is sealed vp Thus farre for His thirst they gaue Him a drinke There is a vessell full of vineger This was a custome that they vsed they had a drinke beside them who were crucified Some thinke it was for this end that the paine might be stanched There is a drinke of vineger standing beside the Lord but I knowe not if they gaue such a sowre drinke to the thieues So this vessell standing beside one of them steps to it in scorne and takes a water sponge and puts it on a reede and puts it to His head he got litle thanke for his worke I take this giuing of this drinke to the Lord at this time to haue proceeded from bitter malice The wrath of His Father was begun to be asswaged yet the wrath of the Iewes could not be asswaged There is none end of the malice of the Iewes so long as breath is in Him they neuer cease to rage against Him WheÌ„ He was dead they persecute Him wheÌ„ He was in glorie they thought to shame Him WheÌ„ y e Lord looses y e raines of y e deuill of wicked men to chastise his own they run headlongs to wracke His Church y e Lord seekes but chastisemeÌ„t they seek wrack of body soule he y t knowes not this he knowes nothing if these persecuters got their will they would not only seeke y e wracke of y e body but also of y e soule What doth y e Lord for this when y e Lord hath pulled in their raines Hee takes y e scourge casts it in y e fire because they run far beyond their coÌ„mission This shal be y e end of their miserable soules O y t damnation y t shal ouertake them when y e Lord hath chastened vs by them they shal be cast in y e fire for euer Refuses y e Lord y e drinke indeede before He was raised vp on y e Crosse He tasted of this but would not drinke but He beeing on the Crosse it is said He dranke it It may by that after such a troublesome labour that His drought was so great that Hee was glad to drinke any liquour Alwayes this I know except the Lord had had a thirst of thy saluation Hee had not drunken it The thirst of thy saluation made Him as Hee dranke out the cuppe of the wrath of His Father So to drinke out this bitter cuppe that was propined to Him out of the bitternesse of their heartes Hee dranke out the wrath of God and the wrath of man that thou shouldest drinke the water of Life I say remember vpon that drinke that Iesus dranke when thou drinkest delicious drinkes it is not thy money that buyes the wine except it be bought with the precious blood of Iesus not a piece of bread or any thing pertaines to thee if it bee not bought with the blood of Iesus to them who are sanctified all thing is sanctified if thou be not in Him thou shalt bee accused as a violent possessour of all things in y t great day Now I goe to the next voyce when He hath drunkeÌ„ He saies Jt is sinished that is y t wearisome worke is now put to an end now the ransom is payed now the work of RedemptioÌ„ is ended Brethren that yee may vnderstand this The Lord when He was in the Garden had two workes The first was to buy Heauen to conquere life to vs The second to put vs in possession of it The first worke He beganne it in the first moment of His conception and continues still from that time to that moment He gaue vp the Spirit to the Father Now that worke beeing ended He proclaimes on the Crosse cries out in the audience of them all Consummatum est it is finished Now that wearisome worke is ended the deare worke is ended Heauen and life and righteousnesse is conquered to the worlde for euer This is the summe of the Gospel the worke of our Redemption is ended this is all our preaching Heauen life glorie is conquered againe to the lost world Thou needest not to giue one pennie out of thy purse for Heauen Cursed are they from the High Heauen to the low Hell that open their mouth to say Thou must pay some of that ransom out of thy purse Woe to the Papistes who will stand vp say Thou must pay some part of that ransome wo to that foule mouth that dare be so bold to open it and say pay thou a part of that ransome with thy money seeing that Iesus Christ hath proclaimed that all is finished bought by His blood woe vengeance and euerlasting damnation shall light on the Pope and all the Papistes that dare open their mouthes to speake such presumptuous wordes Yet there is another worke remaining which is to put vs in possession of Heauen and He began this at His resurrection and He holdes it on yâ—t and shall continue it vnto His comming againe And at that day of His comming yee shall heare Him crying All is ended not on His Crosse but in glory and all the Angels and all the Sainctes shall crie All is ended Glorie to him who hath ended all no more shall bee Looke downe to His heart and to the sense from whence this voyce arose wheÌ„ He saies this ye shall find that Iesus felt the wrath of His Father asswaged Before Hee was in an agony now Hee feeles the agony to cease where before He fouÌ„d no joy now joy returnes On the sense of all these thinges falles out this voyce All is ended WheÌ„ I looke to this I thinke I see y e image of a godly Sainct dying for the godly are like to him in death and life Before the last moment they are in a battell and suddenly they will say I haue gotten the victorie in Iesus and theÌ„ last they will yeeld vp the spirit Come to the last voyce It is a voyce of joy I am of that opinion that before the Lord yeelded vp the ghost the agony left him and that joy that had left him returned againe and made him to vtter joyfull words The Euangelists say He cryed with a loud voyce What voyce this is Luke expresses Father into thine hands I recommend my spirit All that were standing about might haue heard him vttering this powerfull voyce Now ye would wonder that a man immediatly yeelding vp his spirit should haue such a strong voyce Ye see men and women in death their voyce will faile them some will not haue any voyce and some not any signe some if they get that grace to speake
yet it will be a weake voyce because the strength of nature failes Yet Iesus all the day before vttered not so shrill a voyce So it must follow that naturall strength was not failed in Iesus Christ and that by the strength of nature hee might haue liued long for the other two liued long and were not dead till they came and brake their legges Iesus died against nature neither was hee broken as they were What followes of this Iesus Christ in that same moment that he yeelded the spirit hee had a power aboue nature and a diuine power against nature which puts out the life and if he had power against nature to put out his life hee vttered before the Iewes that they had no power to put out his life and that hee had a power to keepe his life if it had pleased him And that is it which he saies None takes my life from mee but I laye it downe and I take it vp againe Yee will heare that when worde came to Pilate that IESVS was dead hee wondered and all the world wondered at this yeelding vp of the spirit And by this the Lord would shewe that hee was not a common man hee would shewe that he was God either to keepe his life or to put it out at his pleasure Hee saies Father into thine handes I commende my spirite These wordes are farre from this My God my God why hast c. for those words proceeded of great sadnesse mixed with confidence but of no joye but these wordes Father into thine handes c. as they proceeded of confidence so they proceeded of a wonderfull joye No doubt at this time hee feeles that sweete hande of the Father dealing with him moste sweetelie not as the reprobate Alas the hande of the Lorde in justice striking the soule of the reprobate looses it from the bodie with the sense of extreame wrath But the Lord feeles the hande of the Father loosing his soule from the bodie with sweetnesse And all they who die in CHRIST will feele the Father loosing the soule with sweetnesse as these last wordes vtter Looke to the Martyres they neuer vtter the first voyce My God my God c. No but the second Father into thine handes I commende my spirite because they find joye in torment Steuen the first Martyr vttered the second voyce ACTS CHAP. VII VERS 59. And the rest of the Martyres followed him which testifies plainelie that this was a voyce of joye that IESVS vttered But marke the wordes of CHRIST yee see that euerie man and vvoman beside the bodie they haue a spirite and more beautifull and farre more precious of substance than the bodie and yet it lodges in an house of claye and in an earthlie Tabernacle Next there will bee a separation of the soule and the bodie Thou thinkest euer to liue but whether thou wilt or thou wilt not thy soule shall bee separate from the bodie and then the bodie shall die Shall thy soule die No if thou bee in CHRIST the Father shall take thy soule Nowe againe Brethren see how carefull the Lord is of his soule at the poinct of death If Iesus who had no sinne is so carefull of his soule I pray thee who art a sinfull bodie how carefull shouldest thou bee thereof It must liue either in Heauen or in Hell if the Lord cryed so loude that the earth quaked again till the Temple rent asunder wilt not thou a sinfull creature bee carefull of thy soule A man should haue care of the soule at all times but chiefly at the houre of the separation for at that time the Deuill is busie to deuour thee and the golfe of Hell to swallowe thee vp Then looke how carefull thou shouldest be in following the example of Iesus to recommend the soule into the handes of the Father and looke how carefull thou art to render the soule into the handes of the Father the Father shall be as carefull to loose the soule if thou bee in Iesus Christ to conuoy it with Him to rest for euermore in His blessed bosome The LORD giue vs grace to commende our soules into the hands of that faithfull keeper in the houre of death and that wee maye finde Him readie to receiue and conuoye them with Him to that euerlasting rest purchased to vs through Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be praise for euermore AMEN THE XXII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 50 Then Jesus cryed againe with a loud voyce and yeelded vp the ghost verse 51 And beholde the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen verse 52 And the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saincts which slept arose verse 53 And came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holie Citie and appeared vnto manie verse 54 When the Centurion and they that were with him watching Iesus saw the earthquake and the things that were done they feared greatly saying Truely this was the Sonne of God MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 37 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and gaue vp the ghost verse 38 And the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome verse 39 Now when the Centurion who stood ouer against him saw that he thus crying gaue vp the ghost he said Truely this man was the Son of God LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 46 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and saide Father into thine handes I commende my spirite And when hee had thus said hee gaue vp the ghost verse 47 Now when the Centurion sawe what was done hee glorified God saying Of a suretie this man was just verse 48 And all the people that came together to that sight beholding the things that were done smote their breasts and returned IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 30 Now when Iesus had receiued of the vineger hee said It is finished and bowed his head and gaue vp the ghost WEE heard the last daye vvelbeloued Brethren the sundrie voyces and speaches vvhich Iesus Christ vvhilest Hee hung quicke on the Crosse and vvas nayled thorow handes and feete vttered in the audience of the vvhole people The first two voyces vvere the voyces of pittie and mercie The one of mercie to one of the Thieues that vvas crucified vvith Him Verily saies the Lord this day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise The other of pittie to His owne Mother vvho stood by looking on Him when as Hee hung vpon the Crosse in extreame paine recommending her to IOHN His welbeloued Disciple Other two voyces were voyces of sadnesse and heauinesse of heart The one an heauie complaint to His Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The other proceeding from an extreame drought that came of that sense of wrath and paine which Hee felt during the time that Hee hung vpon the Crosse I thirst The last two
voyces vvere of joye for it appeares well that before the Lord gaue vp the ghost comfort and joye returned to Him againe And I am of this mind that there are none who are Gods owne but before their departure out of this life sooner or later they will get a sense of that joye which they are to passe vnto immediatelie The first voyce of joye was All is ended As though Hee vvoulde saye This wâ—â—ke is done and ended and nowe the ransome of the redemption of man is payed to the least farthing Nowe the last voyce vvas vvhen Hee vvas immediatelie readie to render vp His spirite into the handes of the Father sayes with a feeling of joy in the heart Into thine hands Father J commend my Spirit Now this day we haue to speake by His grace First of His death and the yeelding vp of His Spirit Next of those wonders that fell out immediatly after the Lord had rendered the Spirit and thirdly we haue to speake how the multitude were mooued when they sawe these wonders Novve as concerning His death the words are but few Iohn sayes When Hee had spoken and cried with a loude voyce Hee bowed downe His head and He rendered His Spirit The wordes are to be marked Hee renders His Spirit first as it were Hee tooke His soule in His owne Hande and deliuered it in the handes of the Father desiring Him to keepe it well to the day of His glorious resurrection for Brethren this is the difference betweene the godly vngodly in their death as they differ and are vnlike to other in their life so especially in their death The vngodly cast away the soule and life and cares not where it goes but woe is to them that doe so they will neuer take vp such a life againe when they haue cast it awaye not regarding where it goes to but thinking lightly of it No let no man nor woman cast away this life or dislodge this soule lightly if the soule goe from thee lightly and thou carest not for it better it were for thee neuer to haue had a life a soule or a body But againe Brethren The Lord Iesus as all His lifetime Hee is carefull for the soule that is lodged in an earthly tabernacle so chiefly in the moment when it is to fllit The godly they will not let the soule flit out of the body vntill they know that the hand of the Lord is sweetly loosing the soule to keepe it vntill the day of their glorious resurrection Brethren it would be well marked There is not one of the foure Euangelists Matthew Marke Luke or Iohn but they note very precisely the death of the Lord and the yeelding vp of His Spirit As for the circumstances that fell out in His Passion some will note one thing and leaue another As for example These voyces that He vtters on the Crosse not one of the Euangelists hath them all some hath one and some another But when it comes to the yeelding of the Spirit they all in one harmonie note The Lord gaue vp the Spirit This is a thing not to be passed by nor to be lightly looked on and it lets vs see the death of our Sauiour the separation of His soule from His body is so substantiall and so needfull a thing both to Him to haue suffered and vs to knowe that except the Lord had suffered the death all the crucifying of Him inwardly outwardly all the rest of His suffering had auailed vs nothing the ransome of our sinnes had not bene payed for that was the curse that was laide vpon vs to pull our soule from our bodie and as it was needfull that He should suffer the death for vs so it is needfull to euery one of vs to knowe this that my Sauiour died and His soule was really separated from His body it is needfull that thou haue euermore the Lord Iesus crucified before thee and know that the soule was separated from His blessed body for grace and remission of sinnes is conquered thorow the death of the Mediatour if thou hast not Faith of the death of the Mediatour it is vnpossible that thou canst beleeue that thy soule shall come to Heauen The Apost Heb. 9. hath a notable comparison hee sayes When a man hath made a Testament and his legacie wherein hee leaues such inheritance to any man his Testament can neuer bee sure nor ratified before the man be dead and if he ratifie not the Testament with his death it cannot bee sure for the man in this life may alter the Testament But after that once he die there it stands it cannot be reuoked Euen so sayes the Apostle The Heire of the world Iesus Christ hath made a Testament and such one as neuer man made leauing such goods and heritage to His Saints as neuer man left euen that heauenly Heritage that exceeding Glorie Now sayes the Apostle If the Heire of the World Iesus Christ had not sealed vp His Testament by His blood it had neuer beene sure but His death interueening and closing it then the Testament is sure all the world is not able to alter one jote of it to adde or diminish it Woe be to him that will adde any thing to the Testament of Iesus Christ he is counted a villaine who will adde to a mans Testament Wilt thou adde or diminish any thing at thy pleasure from the Testament of Iesus Christ This Newe Testament is the best Testament that euer was Let Worldlings bee content with the Testaments of their forefathers yet count thou nothing at all except thou get a part of the legacie left in His Testament Woe bee to thee albeit thou get Eaâ—ledomes and Kingdomes and great possessions left to thee by the Testament of thy forefathers if thou gettest not this Testament Well Brethren this Testament can not be ratified but by the blood of the Testator How can I beleeue it except I know that He died and that the soule was as verily separated from the body as euer the soule of man was so when I consider the death of my Sauiour who hath made such a Testament I am so farre from that to bee offended at that shamefull death that the death is the ground of my saluation and that in His death is all my glorie the assurance of my life is in the assurance of His death and His ignominie and shame is my glorie Now thus farre for the death of the Lord Iesus Now come to the consideration of these wonders that fell out immediately as He gaue vp the Ghost The Vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe to the bottome The earth quaked Such things neuer fell out in all the deathes of men in the world No not in the deathes of all the Kings in the world The stones were clouen the graues of the dead did open These are the foure wonders that are noted to haue fallen out immediatly when the Lord gaue vp the Ghost Brethren
sees wherefore and for what end thou art come to that meeting whether it be to feede thine eares and to take delectation in hearing of new things or to take pastime to see and be seene or to eschew the shame of the world or whether thou commest to reape profite and to be edified of that thou hearest and to get life of that Crosse and death of Christ for therein stands thy life and this should be the end of thy meeting with Gods children Thâ—n seeing the eye of the Lord is set on euery soule therefore it becomes euery one of vs to striue to approue our heartes to the Lord so that euery one of vs may saye to the Lord for this ende am I come O Lord to be partaker of the fruit of the death of Iesus Christ Woe to them who come for another cause or sinistrous respect and come not to be edified for the Gospell shall neuer be a worde of life to them but a sauour of death vnto death If it worke not life in thee and if the Spirit worke not life by the preaching of the Crosse it shall be the power of death to thy soule Brethren we haue heare the first part Now we haue to speake of the second part The taking of His bodie downe from the Crosse before His buriall The taking downe of the body of the Lord Iesus Christ the Lord of lords comes of a râ—quest made to Pilate and made not by His friends but by His enemies I see this this miserable people of the Iewes were spoyled of all power as they had no power to hang any so they had no power to take any downe from the Crosse or from the gallowes without the leaue of the Magistrate they were spoyled of all power by the judgement of God therefore they behooued to haue recourse to Pilate they were slaues yet they would not acknowledge the true King of glorie who might haue made them free I see heere a commendable thing in the Romane policie As it was not lawfull to hang any without the command and licence of the Magistrate so they who were hanged might not be taken without the licence of the Iudge There sould nothing be done to a guiltie person but by the authoritie of the Iudge God in His judiciall Law gaue not only Lawes concerning the lifting of men vpon the crosse but also of y e taking down of them froÌ„ the crosse It is wel to be marked who it is that giues the aduise that the Lord with the other two should bee taken downe from the crosse to put an ende both to their paine and their ignominie It is not one of His disciples it is not Peter nor Iohn nor Matthew they are not so bold they durst not presume it No it was His enemies that crucified Him that interponed their request for Him Was this a benefite they did to Him Certainely this was a benefite they did to Him to take Him downe from the crosse yet they doe it not to benefite Him for any pitie they had on Him for they thought that Hee was liuing but the Lord had giuen vp the Ghost When thy friendes will not make a suite for thee the Lord will raise vp thine enemies to doe thee good He cannot only make thy friend doe thee good but thy foe also If thou bee the Lordes He can make them who would wish thee woe to doe thee good if thou be the Lords the fire the water and the sworde which otherwise would deuoure thee shall benefite thee the Lord against all mens expectation shall doe thee good if thou bee the Lords thou shalt not want reliefe Now what was the summe of their request They besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken downe That is that they might bee put out of paine and that they might make an end of them for they thought they were quicke Now whether this request was vpon a custome vsed amongst them or not the Text declares not but it seemes except the feast of the Passeouer had interueened that same time that they would not haue bene carefull of them but would haue suffered them to hang whilst they had yeelded vp y e Ghost The other two were quicke in paine when the Lord yeelded vp the spirit I note this When thy enemies doe thee a good turne they doe it neuer of loue These might haue dispatched the Lorde and the two Thieues with lesse paine than to haue broken their thies They had taken their liues sooner from them if they had beaten out their braines So when thy enemie benefites thee and does thee anie good turne bee sure he does it not of purpose to doe thee good as we coÌ„monly speake If he giue thee a bit he will giue thee a buffet with it Soure and bitter is the benefite of the enemie Indeede it is true that the Lord who makes all thinges to worke for the best to them that loues Him will dispose their doings otherwise and make them to worke thy good And therefore haue thine eye set vpon the Lord and He shall make the malice and bitternesse of thine enemie to turne to thy comfort There is another thing to bee marked The Lord had ordained that there should not bee one bone broken of CHRIST and so it was fore-tolde Nowe will yee see the force of the word and prouidence of God The force of the worde and prouidence of God appeares the more clearelie by this opposition which is made to His ordinance The Iewes requested to haue His bones broken and Pilate gaue commandement to breake them But is there any bone broken notwithstanding their sute and Pilates commandement No not one This lets vs see That if God haue ordained said any thing it lies not in the hands of any man to disanull it If God shall say There shall not be one bone of my anointed broken great Caesar and al the Kings of the earth the king of Spaine and the Pope and all their adherents shall not be able to doe the contrary So in the middest of all feare and danger let vs depende vpon the prouidence of God and saye Lord if thou hast saide otherwise than these mens intentions are I will not bee affraide for them I know they are not able to do any thing without thy prouidence and so Lord I leane onely on thy prouidence and am content with thy will So in these miserable dayes we are to leane to God and to depende on His prouidence and wee shall see the vaine enterprises of men vanish away like smoake and we shall see the wicked to bee made spectacles to all the worlde Let vs see what moued the IEVVES to make this request Was it pittie that mooued them No They had no pittie of Him Was it obedience to the commandement of God who commaÌ„ded that an hanged man should be cut down y t same day because he was accursed Deu. 21.22.23 No it was a vaine
superstition that moued them they were to celebrate the Passâ—ouer and this was the day of their preparation they were preparing them by crucifying the innocent the Lorde of glorie Was this an holy preparation This was the Fryday and the morne was the Paâ—che Iohn sayes that was an high day or a great Sabbath because they kept two holy dayes together both their owne ordinarie Sabbath and the extraordinarie Passeouer and this they did contrarie to the ordinance of GOD for they should haue celebrated the Passeouer on Thurseday as the LORD did for He celebrated it that night that He was betrayed by Iudas and led away captiue by the Iewes So they did cast in the two Holy dayes together according to their custome for when y e Passeouer fell to bee on Thurseday they vsed to delay it vntill the Satterday which was their Sabbath day lest y t if these feasts which are so neare other had bene both kept the people should haue wearied and if Christ the other had not bene taken downe thaâ— y t Holy exercise wold haue bin defiled So they thought if they had bin taken down from the crosse and put away they had bene holy eneugh And vpon that same pretence when they were to accuse Christ they would not enter in the common Hall lest they should haue beene polluted They were Hypocrites they polluted the world and defiled the earth that they tread on A polluted body who hath no sanctification in Christ there is nothing that he touches meat or drinke yea the earth he walkes on but he defiles all yet these foule Hypocrites thought that if Iesus who sanctifies the Sabbath and sanctifies the heart had beene taken away they had beene holie eneugh An Hypocrite is a foule body defiles all that he handles All his religion is outward standing in bodily exercises and when he hath polluted all yea the very earth he treades on he will say Handle not touch not taste not that will pollute thee Coloss 2.21 There is his religion When the foule body defiles the aire the earth the Heauen hee bids thee touch it not lest it defile thee when he defiles all that he touches Nowe they get the request granted them and gets a commandement of Pilate and so The men of warre came forward and brake the legges of the one first and then they came to the other and brake his also They brake both their legges with great paine and torment Now will ye see these 2 thieues they are like in their death both are crucified in end both their thighes are brokeÌ„ yet for al this the one of them is a vessell of glorie and he had a promise of glorie and an assurance of it in his heart the other had none So Brethren take heede though the death of the wicked and the godlie bee alike yet they are not alike in condition Iudge not of mens estate by the outwarde miserie measure not Heauen and Hell by the outwarde death The Elect and the wicked will be oft times alike in death and oft times the Elect will die in the greatest torments Who suffered more painefull deathes than the Martyres did Beware that thou say as the Papistes who are enemies to Christ say They teach albeit that in Iesus Christ thy sinne be forgiuen yet the paine is not forgiuen and they say that the paine that the godly suffer in death is a satisfaction for sinne They say that the paine of the penitent thiefe was the punishment of his sinne but they lie and the Lord shall justifie it The Elect suffer no paine for sinne torment them as they will burne them scalde them all is but a mercifull chastisement and death to them is a faire port to Heauen He makes darknesse to be light to His owne Well this for the execution of the two thieues They come to the Lord to see whether He was dead or not they are not rash they finde Him dead they finde no sponke of life in Him therefore they offer not to breake His thighes See how the word and prouidence of God takes effect The Lord had said One bone of Him should not be broken and therefore to preueene the breaking the Lord miraculously tooke the Spirit from His Sonne His death was miraculous as ye heard before by the strength of nature He might haue liued longer as that great and mightie voyce which he vttered last testifies and so His sudden death was a meane to performe the Lordes ordinance Hee would vse this as the ordinarie meane to execute the eternall decree of the Father It is a follie to thee to say thou wilt depend on the prouidence of God and in the meane time to leaue off meanes for by so doing thou temptest God who as He hath ordained the ende so He hath also ordained the meanes to the end As for example If thou wouldest goe to Heauen thou must vse the meanes the hearing of the word c. Yet many will contemne the meanes and yet bragge they are assured to come to Heauen they will contemne the preaching which is the instrument that God vses But I say to thee thou deceiuest thy selfe for I denounce if thou werest an Emperour thou shalt neuer see Heauen nor life who contemnest that meane and instrument which the Lord hath ordained to bee vsed to bring thee to Heauen which is the preaching of His trueth Now Brethren ye see here the testimonie of the death of Christ giuen by the buâ—rioes they preach His death as though they had said Marke all people This Iesus whom we haue crucified is dead and therefore in token that this is true wee will not breake His bones after that comes another burrio a man of warre and giues the last witnesse Hee smites Him with a speare so that out of the wound gushed out blood and water As though the knaue had said I shall let you see that Hee is dead that there is no life in Him and so hee smites Him to the heart with a speare The Lord would haue the death of the Lord testified sundrie wayes for thy comfort for the most shamefull thing that euer was is death except it be sanctified it is the greatest miserie that can come to man if thou gettest no remedie against it for that death of the body is a port to that death euerlasting It is no childrens play to haue the soule dislodged No it was an ignominie to the Lord of glorie to be holden vnder the bands of death and to be tread vnder the feete of death yet the Father will haue His death testified sundrie wayes First Hee will haue it testified with a cry when He cried with a loude voyce Father into thine hands I commend my Spirit Next Hee will haue the burrioes to testifie His death and then He will haue a speare thrust to His heart to testifie His death besides the testimonie that all the creatures gaue of His death Is this for nothing No for suppose
Christ I goe to the second testimonie Zacharie 12.10 prophecies that the Iewes that pierced thorovv Christ should see Him and vvhen they see Him they should vveepe for Him as for their only begotten sonne It is a prophecie of the repentance of the Jewes vvho had crucified Christ pierced Him thorovv a promise of their repentance for that vvofull deede they did This same thing came to passe in the 2. of the Acts vvhen Peter in his preaching laide to their charge that wicked deede that they had crucified the Lord of glorie had put hand into the Lord of life at his preaching their hearts were pricked pierced thorow with bitternesse they demand of Peter the rest What shall they doe to be safe it is said three thousand of them repented beleeued at that one preaching The words wold be marked How is this that They pierced Iesus They pierced Him first with their sins it was the Jewes sins chiefly that procured the death of Christ Next they pierced Him when they persecuted Him when they crucified Him blasphemed Him and rayled on Him hanging on the crosse last they pierced Him when by the speare in the handes of a souldier they thrust Him thorow and pierced His side And who is this that pierced Him It was not so much the Ethnicke man that did this as the Iewes for whose sinnes Hee came to die for they were the occasion of all this wickednes If we will marke narrowly and will weigh narrowly this matter aright we will see great wickednesse malice and vnthankfulnesse to haue bene in this people The Lord came to die for them And who are these that slay Him Euen these for whome He came to die Was not this a mischieuous deede Who will not abhorre and detest such a villanie and malice Alas should I who am a sinner when an innocent man comes to die for my sinnes slay that man and be a burrio to Him Lord saue mee from such wickednesse and let neuer mine hands be a slayer of that man and yet this was the malice of the vngratefull Iewes Againe will ye consider the wonderfull loue that Christ caried to this people when they deserued nothing at His hands but death He dies for them when they were His enemies He shed His blood sor them thereafter when they executed Him and crucified Him beholde His wonderfull loue Hee brings them to repentance His mercie ouercomes their malice so that in them ye see that which is said to be verified Where sinne aboundes grace and mercie superabounds ROM 5.20 There is no comparison betweene the loue of Iesus and the sinnes of men Albeit thy sinnes were neuer so great and hainous yet the loue mercie of Christ will compasse them and goe round about them all so that no sinner hath occasion to despare of mercie and of grace I doubt not there is none of vs all but we will condemne the Jewes and will finde fault with the malice of this people but looke to thy selfe whilst as thou condemnest them that thou disfigure thine owne face and condemne thine owne selfe Are there none in this land that haue put hand in Iesus that died for them as surely as euer the Iewes did Who dare cleanse themselues Thou darest not say but thou hast pierced the Lord either one way or other There is not a sinne that thou committest but therewith thou hast pierced the Lord. Hast thou opponed thy selfe to the Trueth and persecuted the Gospell then thou hast pierced Christ Hast thou persecuted the Church of Christ and troubled His members on the earth thou hast pierced the Lord for Hee cries out Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee 〈◊〉 Hast thou beene giuen ouer to thy lustes and led a wicked life I say if thou bee in any of these rankes if thou gaine standest His Trueth persecutest Him in His members or by thy euill life Protest as thou wilt thou hast pierced Him as well as the Iewes and thou shalt bee as guiltie of His death as they were and as Pilate Herode Iudas and Caiaphas were challenged for His death so shalt thou except the Lord of His mercie grant thee grace to repent The Lord giue euery one of vs grace in time to repent IOH. REVEL 1.7 drawes this Scripture to the second comming of Christ in the cloudes for hee sayes They shall see Him whom they haue pierced and all the Tribes of the earth shall mourne before Him Of the which wee may gather that in the latter daye the very Elect when they shall rise and see the Lord when they shall see these handes and these seete and that side which by their sinnes they haue pierced thorow their first meeting shall bee with bitter mourning they shall mourne as a man will doe for His onely begotten sonne but immediatly that weeping shall be turned into joy and the Lord shall wipe away all teares from their eyes so that they shall neuer mourne nor sorrow any more but they shall be with the Lord and rejoyce with a solide joy for euer more Now I come to the buriall of that blessed body As the downe taking from the crosse came by a request so this buriall also comes by request But who requests for His buriall Not the Iewes that requested for His downe taking but good Ioseph of Arâ—mathea requests for the buriall The Iewes requested not for any loue they bare to Him but Joseph that worthy disciple of Christ requests vpon loue Then the thinges that we shall speake of the buriall this day are these First by the conference of the foure Euangelists wee haue a faire description of this man Ioseph Next we haue especially in the Gospell of Luke how boldly he comes to Pilate thirdly we haue the suite it selfe then the good and humane answere that he receiues out of the mouth of Pilate Then looke how this man is pointed out First he is described by his name his name is Ioseph Next hee is described by his countrey he vvas of Arimathea a tovvne in Iudea Thirdly he vvas described from his substance Hee was a rich and wealthie man and vvhat more What matter of all outvvard things of our birth of the place of it or all the riches and substance in the vvorld if there be no more Fourthly he is described from his office He was a wise and graue Senator and apparantly hee was in that Councell of the IEVVES which was called SANEDRIM yea apparantly he was on PILATES couÌ„sell because he was a wise and potent man But all these are outwarde thinges therefore the Spirit afterward paints him out by his inward qualities for if thou haue no good properties I will not giue a pennie for all thy calling thy substance and all outwarde thinges Hee is painted out in these qualities which concerne this life his behauior toward meÌ„ he is called a good vpright maÌ„ in his life But what helpe all these ciuill and morall vertues
the pointes of his Iustice it behoued Him to suffer all the points of Iustice vnder the earthly judge Pontius Pilate in His condemnation in His taking from the crosse in His burial this was all to the intent that thou mightest be fully freed from all the points of the Iustice of GOD for whatsoeuer thing He either did or suffered it was for thy cause There is another thing here that would not be passed by There is no question but it comes of the Prouidence of God that this body is neither reaued away by violence nor stollen away by slight but the taking away comes of a speciall request◠no question this matter was so dispensed that the death of Iesus should bee made notable and come to the eares of Pilate and all other men the death was to be made notable to the world likewise the buriall was to be made notable to the end that His glorious resurrection might be made knowne to the world These are the two pillars of our Faith the death of Christ and His resurrection these are the two points that the deuill and the Heretiques haue from time to time striuen to hew and cut downe that they should not appeare to the world because they are the chiefe pillars of our Faith but honour glory be to the Lord who of His grace hath kept these pillars constantly in His Church in despite of the deuill all his instrumēts Now the God of Heauen grant vs grace to take holde on His death and glorious resurrection that through His death and resurrection we may bee raised from death to newnesse of life here that hereafter wee may reigne in glory with Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all honour praise and glorie world without end AMEN THE XXVI LECTVRE OF THE BVRIALL OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 44 And Pilate marueiled if hee were alreadie dead and called vnto him the Centurion and asked of him whether hee had beene any while dead verse 45 And when hee know the trueth of the Centurion hee gaue the bodie to Ioseph verse 46 Who bought a linnen cloth and tooke him downe and wrapped him in the linnen cloth c. IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 38 And after these things Ioseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Iesus but secretly for feare of the Iewes besought Pilate that hee might take downe the body of Iesus And Pilate gaue him licence Hee came then and tooke Iesus bodie verse 39 And there came also Nicodemus who first came to Iesus by night and brought of myrrhe and aloes mingled together about an hundreth pound verse 40 Then tooke they the bodie of Iesus and wrapped it in linnen clothes with the odours as the manner of the Iewes is to burie THE last day welbeloued in Iesus Christ wee entered into the History of the Buriall of the Lord Iesus and wee hearde that the Buriall came by a request made to Pilate the Romane Deputie for the time The request maker was one IOSEPH Hee is set down and described by all the foure EVANGELISTES in all his properties Hee was a man of ARIMATHEA a Towne in IVRIE Hee vvas a rich man and also an honourable and graue Counseller Then as concerning the qualities of his person Hee was a good and an vpright man who liued vprightlie in the worlde and yet hee had a further respect than vnto this life for he waited constantlie for the Kingdome of God And therefore when Christ came into the worlde and tooke vpon Him that great office of the Mediator betwixt GOD and man hee enters into His schoole and became His Disciple howbeit for feare of the IEVVES hee durst not manifest himselfe but lurked secretlie for a time euen to this time that it came to the Buriall of the bodie of Iesus and then hee shewes himselfe to bee a Disciple of Christ In that Councell which was against the Lorde hee vvas a Counseller but hee vvoulde neither giue counsell nor consent to the condemning and slaying of CHRIST Thus much yee hearde before concerning this man and his properties Then wee hearde howe hee goes forwarde boldlie to Pilate to seeke the Lordes bodie Hee lurked before so long as Iesus was in the worlde working such wonders as neuer man wrought speaking with such a grace as neuer man spake with But nowe when Hee is dead hee comes out boldlie and goes to Pilate and hee manifestes himselfe To let vs see that IESVS in His death had greater force to drawe the soules of men vnto Him than Hee had in His life for from that death there came so sweete and sensible a smell to the soules of sinners that it drewe the soules of sinners vnto Him Namelie the heart of this man IOSEPH So that hee comes out boldlie as saide is and hee goes to PILATE and requestes him to giue him the bodie of IESVS to bee buried Thus farre vvee hearde the last daye Nowe this daye wee haue PILATES answere to IOSEPHS request PILATE wonders that He was dead so soone and for the more certaintie hee calles a Centurion and askes him if Hee was dead alreadie The Centurion affirmes that Hee was dead alreadie PILATE grantes the request After this we come to the maner of His Buriall Wee shall goe forward as time shall suffer God shall giue vs grace Pilate wonders that hee was so soone dead This wondering of Pilate no question imports that the death of Iesus was extraordinary It was not after the common fashion of men y t were crucified for men who were crucified they vsed to hing long on the Crosse before they yeelded the spirit dayes nights and in end ere they yeelded the spirite the life was taken from them by violence They were broken on the Crosse So Pilate hearing that the Lorde was so soone dead hee wondered as at an extraordinarie thing There are sundrie thinges that testifie that death of Iesus to haue beene extraordinary as first That mighty and loude voyce crying which the Lord vttered on the Crosse immediately before He yeelded the spirit for who will giue a loud crie at the yeelding of his spirit for at the poinct of death when nature failes it is a rare thing to finde a man to haue a voyce or a word Next The yeelding of His spirit so suddenly whē by the power of nature He might haue liued longer Last This wondering of Pilate testifies That His death was extraordinarie that there was a power in Iesus which controlled nature When nature would haue kept life the diuine power puts it out In a word This wondering testifies That the death of Iesus was the death of God the death of a man but God in the man glorious and blessed for euermore Now it is said Pilate vnderstood of the Centurion that Iesus was dead when hee granted the request of Ioseph and gaue the bodie to him to bee buried First I see Pilate is a good Iustitier the Romane Iustice was
good many suters to crucifie Him many suters to breake Him many suters to hold Him down in the graue ye read of none but of one Ioseph vvho makes sute to get the dead body of Iesus buried Read all the Ecclesiasticall Histories and ye shall finde these same things that fell out in Christ to haue fallen out in His members when a godly man hath beene drawen out before the ciuile Iudge or to martyrdome there hath bene sundrie suters for him some suters good some euill yet euer moe euill than good Therefore a Pâ—ince or Magistrate was neuer in such danger in any judgement as wheÌ„ he gets a good man fallen in his hands Pilate was neuer in such danger as he was into through this action for it lost him his life present the life to come When the action of a thiefe or a murtherer comes before a King there is no such danger but when a godly man is brought before him for the cause of CHRIST then he should take good heede where he shall get one to giue him a good counsell he shall get many to giue him euill counsell many shal crie crucifie Him woe to him if he assent as Pilate did for he shall inuolue himself in that same guiltines with them that cried crucifie him It is true indeede that Pilate granted a good suite hee gaue leaue to Ioseph to burie the body of Christ yet did this any good to Pilate saued it him No Thinkest thou when thou hast executed an innocent that thou doest enough when thou hast giuen His bodie to bee buried No that shall not excuse thee nor free thee from guiltinesse O how gâ—eat and weightie is the burthen of Magistrates Therefore they had neede euer to haue good men about them and we should pray the Lord earnestly to guide them and direct them in judgement This much for the suters now come to the sute the wordes are these The deceiuer said whilst as He was aliue that within three dayes He should rise command therefore that the sepulchre bee made sure vntill the third day lest His disciples come by night and steale Him away and say to the people that He is risen froÌ„ the dead so shall the last eâ—rour be worse than the first In effect this is as much as if they had said these wordes this man said that He should rise the third day therefore appoint Him a guard to testify of His glorious resurrectioÌ„ y e Lord so directed their words albeit their meaning was flat contrarie Marke therefore a good lesson euer more the Lord hâ—th snared the reprobate in their wicked deuises hath euer turned them from that mischieuous end they aymed them to the manifestation of His owne glory The Priests Pharises thought to obscure y e glorie of Christs resurrection if it had lyen in their hands to hold Him by force in the graue but the Lord who workes light out of darknesse makes their sute to serue for the clearer manifestation of His resurrection for they could haue done no more for the manifestation of His resurrection if they had bene hired for that purpose so looke what interprise wicked men will deuise to dishonour Him I say the Lord shall turne it in end to His glory but to their destruction I will say further it may seeme marueilous peruerse deuises of the wicked often times do serue more to His glory than the good purposes deedes of the godly for it is not a greater glory to GOD to bring light out of darknes than to bring light out of light the Lord is a most skilfull and mightie workeman Hee makes His glory to appeare by bringing light out of darknesse by bringing life out of death and by calling the thinges that are not as if they were all the deuises of the wicked are darknesse the doings of the godly are light so the Lord will sometimes bee more woÌ„derfully glorified in the doings of the wicked than in the doings of the godly But this doth y e wicked no good nor it serues nothing for their benefite for in y e meane time they are more malicious against y e Lord than euer they were they call Him a deceiuer this is a wonderfull thing they saw the Lords povver in obscuring of the sun in renting of the rockes in opening of the graues they saw His great glory shine in all these wonders yet such is the maliciousnes of these wicked men they call y e Lord of glory a deceiuer in so doing not onely they oppone themselues against God but also they doe so far as in them lay as to haue spitted in the face of God yet these miserable creatures I meane the Scribes Pharises came not on a suddaintie to this extreame maliciousnes but they shew some meane small beginnings of it wheÌ„ Christ first manifested Himselfe began to preach amongst them then they proceeded froÌ„ worse to worse continually all the time He was conuersant amongst them thereafter in His Crosse death they taunted mocked Him put Him to the most shameful death they could deuise now when He is buried laid in y e graue they vtter more maliciousnesse than euer they did they come to the extremitie of maliciousnes and induration they call the Lord a deceiuer Cursed be y t mouth that calles the Lord a deceiuer as Paul sayes He that loueth not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be anathema maranatha 1. Cor. 16.22 This lets vs see the nature of their sinne it was a sinne against the Holy Spirit and this is the nature of that sinne when once thou shalt enter in it thou vvilt hardly get backe againe vntill thou commest to extreame excecation and induration to thine euerlasting destruction My lesson is this If the Lord giue vs grace to learne it When it pleases the Lord to shine vnto thee albeit thou vverest a King or Earle or Lord looke as thou vvould eschevv Hâ—ll damnation that thou repine not to this light but greedily embrace it and vvalke in it for if thou step forvvard in repining thou shalt haue an hard backe-comming againe and thou shalt come from excecation to excecation vntill thou come to vtter destruction Novv I doubt not but ye are sorrovvfull vvhen ye heare the Lord a deceiuer yee are sorrovvfull to heare light called darknesse but comfort our selues vvith this the Lord vvho vvas free of all guile and deceit suffers Himselfe to bee called a deceiuer to purge vs from guile and deceit for it might seeme marueilous that the Spirite of God shoulde register this name of a deceiuer suppose they called Him a deceiuer for this name defiles the aire to call the Lord of Trueth a deceiuer Yet no question the Spirite hath left it in register to bee hearde and read of all Christians to the ende of the worlde that thou mayest knowe what the Lorde hath suffered for thee And doubtlesse this name was heauier to Him
than all the vexation that was done to Him it was heauier than the crucifying of him it selfe and when thou hearest this name thou shouldest say He was not a deceiuer but it was I that was a deceiuer Hee was called a deceiuer for me who was damned for deceit that I should be deliuered from the debt punishment of deceit and deceiuers Now to end shortly Ye haue a watch saies he goe and make it sure keepe it as yee please Hee was an easie man to graunt to any man whatsoeuer thing he sought of him either good or euill Hee granted to Ioseph his sute to burie Christ so he grants to the Priests and Pharises this sute to keepe Him in the graue The reason is because being an Ethnick he serued not God but the affections of meÌ„ whether good or euill he looked not to God but hee had a respect to his owne standing and therefore hee cares not to grant a sute suppose it were against God and Christ Hee had a respect to his owne standing when he commanded Christ to be crucified Such like he respected his owne standing when hee gaue Ioseph leaue to burie Him and likewise now when he grantes this sute to the Priestes to vvatch His graue he respected his owne standing Marke this Brethren It is a miserable thing vvhen a King or a Iudge hath not God before his eyes wo to y t king who hath not God a good coÌ„scieÌ„ce before his eyes for he will be a slaue to the affections of any varlot in the Countreye A Begger a Horse-rubber and the vilest slaue that can be among men is not so vile a slaue as he who serues the affections of men and hath not God and a good conscience before him and euer the higher and the greater his estate be he is the greater slaue Nowe hauing gotten leaue of Pilate they set men of vvarre to keepe Him in the graue they make the sepulchre sure with the watch to the ende Hee shoulde not bee stollen awaye and for the more securitie they sâ—aled the stone and signated it vvith Pilates ring and then it vvas death to anie man in the vvorlde to touch it Yet the more busie they are and the more they striue to hold Him in the graue the more the Lorde glorifies Him and the more cleare and manifest was his Resurrection Could Pilates seale holde him in the graue Could the men of vvarre holde him in No they coulde not keepe him but yee will haare They fell all downe dead at his Resurrection and they had not a worde to speake suppose such was the impudencie of the Priests that although they knew that he vvas risen Yet they hired the men of vvarre to say that he vvas not risen but his disciples stole him away by night And this errour continues in the vvorlde among the Iewes euer since But the Lord Iesus arose vvith great power and glorie and now is in infinite glorie in the Heavens at the right hand of the Father To vvhom vvith the Sonne and holy Spirit from our hearts vvee render all praise honour and glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE XXVIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII NOw in the ende of the Sabbath when the first day of the weeke began to dawne Marie Magdalene and the other Marie came to see the sepulchre verse 2 And beholde there was a great earth-quake for the Angel of the Lord descended from heauen and came and rolled backe the stone from the doore and sate vpon it verse 3 And his countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snowe verse 4 And for feare of him the keepers were astonied and became as dead men MARKE CHAP. XVI ANd when the Sabbath day was past Marie Magdalene and Marie the mother of Iames and Salome bought sweete ointmentes that they might come and anoint him verse 2 Therefore earlie in the morning the first day of the weeke they came vnto the sepulchre when the Sunne was now risen LVKE CHAP. XXIIII NOw the first day of the weeke early in the morning they came vnto the sepulchre and brought the odours which thâ—y had prepared and certaine women with them IOHN CHAP. XX. NOw the first day of the weeke came Marie Magdalene early when it was yet darke vnto the sepulchre and sawe the stone taken away from the tombe THESE dayes past beloued Brethren in Christ wee haue heard at length of the death and Passion of our Lorde Iesus Christ and in ende wee heard of His Buriall after His death and passion Now it followes as the Lord shall giue vs grace that we speake of His glorious resurrectioÌ„ from the dead In speaking of the Resurrection of Iesus Christ wee shall follow out the whole foure Euangelistes Matthew in his last Chapter Marke in his last Chapter and Luke in his last Chapter sets downe the Historie of the resurrection of Iesus Christ but John insists more largelie than the rest for he hath two Chapters of the Historie of the Resurrection Then to come to the purpose Wee finde in none of the foure Euangelists the time and the houre when the Lord arose from the dead preciselie noted We finde not the manner of His rising out of the graue Wee finde no mention made of any witnesses that sawe Him rise out of the graue It hath pleased the Lord in His wisedome to conceale all these thinges yet it is certaine He arose out of the graue in the morning what houre he knowes Himselfe in the morning after y e Iewish Sabbath which was the beginning of the thirde day after His Buriall for the Iewes counted their day from euen till eueÌ„ so the third day began at euening As it is certaine that the Lord arose out of the graue in the night so we find in the foure Euangelists that when He is risen He testifies a little after His glorious Resurrection by many witnesses And first of all the emptinesse and roomnesse of the graue testifies thâ—s Resurrection Marie Magdalene and the other Marie and Salome testifie of it The Angâ—ls of Heauen testifie of it The Lord Himselfe testifies of it by appearing to the vvomen And these vvomen testifie of it to His Disciples And then the Lord witnesses His Resurrection by His owne appearing vnto them To come to the Text that we haue read We haue first of all out of the Gospel of MARKE noted the occasion how it comes to passe that these women are made witnesses to the Resurrection of Iesus Christ Next wee haue the coÌ„ming of these holy women out of Hierusalem with odours to anoint the dead bodie of Iesus which they supponed to haue bene in the graue Thirdly wee haue the rehearsall of some things that fell out whilest the women were comming to the graue There falles out a great earthquake because their was a glorious Angell comming from Heauen to the graue And last of all we shall speake of the part of Marie Magdalene
encourage thee it will raise vp thy dead soule Then when the sinner is raised vp to heare gladly then hee comes on to the gladde tidings of saluation Iesus is come into the world for thy sins this Iesus is crucified dead and buried for thy sins and this same Iesus is risen and ascended vp to the Heauen to bee an euerlasting Aduocate for thee What more This same Iesus shall come to judge the world and to take thee with Him one day and to make thee partaker of His glorie This is the vvhole summe of the Gospell The Lord giue vs grace to bee partakers of that joy vvhich the glorious Gospell offers in this IESVS CHRIST To whom vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all Praise and Honour for euermore AMEN THE XXX LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 5 But the Angell answered and saide to the women Feare yee not for I know that yee seeke Jesus who was crucified verse 6 Hee is not heere for hee is risen as he said come see the place where the Lord was layed verse 7 And goe quicklie and tell his Disciples that hee is risen from the dead and beholde hee goeth before you into Galile there shall yee see him loe I haue tolde you MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 6 But hee saide vnto them Bee not so troubled yee seeke Iesus of Nazareth who hath beene crucified hee is risen hee is not heere beholde the place where they put him verse 7 But goe your way and tell his Disciples and Peter that he will goe before you into Galile there shall yee see him as hee said vnto you WE heard the last day Brethrē that there were two companies of women that came out of Hierusalem to the graue of IESVS CHRIST The first companie came foorth in the dawning of the daye before the rising of the Sunne The next companie came foorth somewhat later I thinke about the rising of the Sunne In the first companie vvere Marie Magdalene and Marie the mother of Iames and Salome others vvho are not named These came out of Hierusalem altogether and as they drew neare to the graue they saw the great stone that vvas rolled to the doore of the graue rolled away Mary Magdalene assoone as she sees the stone to bee rolled awaye tarries no longer but supponing it was done by men and that they had stollen away the Lordes bodie by night then in haste shee runnes home and telles PETER and IOHN and shee saies to them They haue stollen awaye the bodie of the Lord and wee know not where they haue layed him But the other women tooke more aduisement than Marie Magdalene for they abode still and when shee was gone home they entered into the graue and they sawe an Angell standing in the graue in the likenesse of a young man clothed with a long white robe sitting at the right side of the graue at which sight they were wonderfullie astonished And this Angell to my judgement was euen that same Angel that rolled awaye the stone from the graue and with His bright looke terrified the Guarde and frighted them lest they should haue troubled the vvomen The women beeing astonished at the sight of the glorious Angell Hee begins to speake to them of the Resurrection and to tell them of these tidinges For the better vnderstanding of the Oration of the Angell wee shall speake of it in these foure partes The first is a voyce of comfort a worde of encouragement Feare not saies the Angell The next hauing encouraged them hee beginnes to preach to them of the Resurrection of Iesus Christ testifying vnto them that the Lord was risen And hee confirmes by one or two arguments that the Lord was risen In the thirde part of his Oration hee giues a commandement to the vvomen to tell the Apostles and namelie Peter that the Lorde was risen and more than that that that same Lorde should goe before them into Galile and there they shoulde see him In the fourth and last part hee concludes this speach and hee saies Beholde I haue tolde you Then after the Oration of the Angell vvee haue the effect that the Oration vvrought in the hearts of the vvomen to vvit they feare and rejoyce exceedinglie and they obey the voyce of the Angell and they runne home with all haste to tell the Apostles that the Lord was risen Nowe to returne to the Oration of the Angell It is short but wonderous pitthie As for the first part of the Oration Feare not Wee spake of it the last daye and there vvee left off therfore now wee proceede to the seconde part to that graue testimonie which the Angell giues to the Resurrection of Christ Before he speakes hee conciliates authoritie to his person Whosoeuer speakes in the name of Christ shoulde haue an authoritie of person The vvordes are these I knowe perfectly that yee seeke Iesus of Nazareth that was crucified sayes the Angell hee askes not Whome seeke ye but hee breakes off the speech and he sayes I know ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth that was crucified and buried and by this knowledge he lets them see that hee was sent of God and knew the purpose of the women ere euer they reueiled it to Him What man is he that knowes the minde of a man except that the Lord giue him knowledge extraordinarily No all the Angels of Heauen will not know my minde except the Lord reueile it No man nor Angell can know the heart and search the secrets thereof but onely GOD that made the heart So he lets them see that he was sent of God that the worde might haue the greater credite for wherefore serues the authoritie of persons but that the worde they speake may haue the greater credite Marke the lesson There is neuer one that the Lord sends to be witnesses in the world of Christ of His crosse and passion of His resurrection of the mercies and graces that passe all vnderstanding flowing from His Passion and Resurrection but either in one measure or other He wil haue them decored with heauenly reuelation with power euen to goe downe to the secret thoughts of mens hearts and to lay them open to them that they may see their owne vile heartes for our heartes are not knowne not to our owne selues vntill wee goe downe and pull off the vaile off them and all to this end that we may see God in that person that speakes and the last end is this that credite may bee giuen to that gracious word and should the word of life passe without credite Paul 1. Cor. 14.24 25. sayes If a Prophet stand vp to prophecie or a Preacher to preach and if an ignorant person come in loadned with sinne and not feeling the burthen alas there are too many of this sort if this person come in with the force of the word he is dejected and he falles downe and glorifies God and hee will say GOD is with that man that speakes
and if God were not with the man that speakes the heart of the man would neuer be dejected No all the Kings vnder the Heauen could not deject the heart of the poorest begger So to end this in a worde The Lord will know well whome He sends to speake these glorious tithings that Christ hath suffered and is risen and this is sure these that He sends He will giue them power to pull downe if it were the heart of a King to the ground yet the stile hee giues to Christ would not be past by marke it well hee saies not I knowe yee seeke IESVS the Sonne of GOD he saies not so but he saies I knowe yee seeke Jesus of Nazareth a man who was latelie crucified So the Angell in styling of Him giues Him the basest and vylest names that hee can hee names Him from a sillie Towne in IVRIE IESVS OF NAZARETH Then from that vile death of the Crosse That man that was crucified I doubt not but in this name he had a respect to the women who knew these stiles which Hee had in the dayes of His flesh when Hee was conuersant here they knewe these stiles better than the stiles of His Godhead which were from all eternitie Yet he hath a further respect to these stiles to let vs and these women see that hee was not ashamed of His infirmitie nor at the shamefull death of the Crosse Noe the Angels to whom this death appertaines not so much as to vs saies PETER in his first EPISTLE the first CHAPTER and the eleuenth VERSE delight to looke in to CHRIST to looke in to that infirmitie and to that death of the Crosse Alas proude sinner wilt thou bee offended to looke in to it when Peter saies it is the delight of the holie Angels to looke in to it Because these Angels in the infirmitie of CHRIST they sawe the power of GOD shining in that foolishnesse of the Crosse of CHRIST they sawe that wisedome of GOD and in that justice of GOD they founde a passing me 〈…〉 and therefore nowe and euerlastinglie their delight is to looke 〈◊〉 CHRIST and His suffering And as they delight to looke in to CHRIST and His suffering so they shall giue praise to Him and more for that than for the making of the worlde in His great wisedome and power Yet if wee will weigh and consider well wee shall finde another respect which the Angels haue in naming Him after such base stiles which is That the glorie of His Resurrection might appeare the greater It is euen as hee shoulde haue saide IESVS of that sober Village NAZARETH who was counted vile in the worlde and was crucified yet for that infirmitie Hee is risen againe and is in the glorie of the Heauens So hee names Him after these base stiles to enlarge the glorie of His Resurrection for the humbler that Hee was the Resurrection was the more glorious It vvas indeed a great matter and a vvonder to see a man a vvorme treade on by the Deuill treade on by death it vvas a vvonder to see Him howe Hee vvas humbled that Hee should haue risen againe to such a wonderous glorie So that at the Name of Iesus all knees shall bowe Philipp Chap. 2. vers 10. But I leaue this and I goe forwarde Next comes on the tidinges The wordes of MATTHEVV are these First Hee is not heere Then the next wordes Hee is risen The first worde was an heauie worde to these holie women for apparâ—ntlie they conceiued with Marie Magdalene that His bodie was stollen awaye out of the sepulchre and thought not that He was risen againe The next worde they heare comfortes them The first worde makes them exceeding heauie but the seconde worde makes them to rejoyce when hee saies Hee is risen He is not stollen away craftilie but by His owne power He is risen In this anunciation as in a picture yee maye obserue the forme which is vsed in proponing the EVANGEL and gladde tidinges of Saluation The beginning is alwayes in dolour and in sadnesse but the ende is in joye and gladnesse The first vvorde that vvee heare is That the LORDE is come into the worlde and suffered shame reproaches and ignominie and at last the shamefull death of the Crosse vnder PONTIVS PILATE These are heauie tidinges to vs to heare that our LORDE was so hardlie and so euill entrâ—◠〈◊〉 the vvorlde and that in ende Hee died the vile death of â—â—â—osse for vs and was buried And yet immediatelie it followes That the same LORDE is risen and ascended vp in glorie to the Heauens and there sittes at the right hande of GOD and that thorowe His Passion death and Resurrection our sinnes are forgiuen vs wee shall rise againe and get life euerlasting And these are joyfull tidinges Nowe to insist further The first tidinges which is tolde to the Kirke in this earth are sadde and heauie Thou must suffer And whosoeuer will striue to liue godlie in CHRIST of necessitie he must suffer affliction There are sadde tidinges But it followes if thou suffer with Him thou shalt reigne with Him These are gladde tidinges Nowe I shall giue you the wordes of the Scripture for my warrande Christ Matth. 16.21 saies the same to His Disciples I am to goe vp to Hierusalem and to suffer and to bee slaine And Peter tooke euill with it These are sadde tidinges But Hee saies I will rise againe the thirde daye And this is joyfull And in the XVI CHAPTER and XXXII VERS of IOHN Hee saies to them The time will come when yee shall bee scattered and leaue mee alone Sadde tidinges But I am not alone for the Father is with mee Ioyfull tidinges Then Hee saies to them Yee shall bee hated of all men for my Names sake That is sadde tidinges to them But they who continue to the ende shall bee saued Gladde tithinges And againe in the 16. Chapter of IOHN and 33. vers He saies Jn the worlde ye shall haue affliction A sad word But J haue ouer-come the worlde gladde tidinges So yee see these tidinges alwayes beginne with sadnesse but they ende with joye And as it is of the worde so it is of the disposition of the hearers The sinner will first bee sadde and then finde such a joye as is vnspeakeable and this shall bee thy disposition so long as thou art an hearer But when thou shalt be a beholder no heauines of heart but joye for euer and all teares shall be wiped away from thine eyes While thou art hearing thy teares shall bee mingled with joye but when thou art seeing there shall bee perfect joy without teares Thus farre for the tidings He is not content to tell them onely the Lord is risen no one word will not suffice them but He confirmes it by Christes prediction He said it before the Lord was to suffer and to rise the third day Looke the XVI Chap. of Matth. So he confirmes them by the Lords owne Testimonie These prophesies
They saw the stone away froâ— the sepulchre as the first did And they enter into the graue as the first â—id But they found not the body of the Lord Iesus and they are very sad and heauie supposing it had bene stollen away they see two Angels whom they supposed to be two men fearfull to looke on the first companie see but one Angell these see two and the earthly witnesses grow in number so the heauenly growe there was but one Angell only who appeared to the first companie now this companie see two Angels and all this was for the greater certaintie of the matter and resurrection of Iesus Christ they seeing two Angels are afraide therefore the Angells begin and comfort the women by telling that Christ was risen and bids them goe tell the Apostles Nowe wee shall marke something of the part of the women and then we shall come to the part of the Angels As this carefulnesse of the Lord that was in these women was worthie of praise so the Apostles carelessenesse of their Lord cannot be praised for it became them to haue come out first as the couragiousnesse of these women is to be commended so the Apostles cowardnesse merites no commendation and the moe women testifie of His Resurrection that same brings the greater shâ—â—c to the Apostles When thou art a man and hast a calling and wilâ— let a Wife goe before thee it shames thee and no doubt the force of His Resurrection was more powerfull in the poore women than it was in the very Apostles for all this spirituall courage flowes from the life of Christ for except He had risen from the death and that vve got life thorovv His life vvee vvould neuer haue life yea all the spirituall life and quicknesse that vvas in the fathers of olde vvas by the vertue of Christes Resurrection to come and all this quicknes of ours is by the vertue of His Resurrection already past if thou haue that life begunne it shall be a sure earnestpennie that thou shalt rise in glorie and liue a life like to the glorious life of thy glorious Head and Sauiour Iesus Christ Then I marke another thing in these women They are subject to diuerse perturbations of minde they come out with sadnesse and when they found not the body of the Lord Iesus their dolour is increased then when they see and heare the Angels they are terrified and last of all they finde joy Wilt thou compare the godlie vvith the vngodlie yee shall finde sometimes in the heartes of the vngodly greater peace than in the heartes of the godlie no paine nor vexation in them but they say peace peace as the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians the fifth Chapter and the thirde verse but beholde the end when they haue cried Peace then a sudden destruction from the Heauen shall ouertake them and their peace shall end in disquietnesse for euer The trouble of the godly endes in endlesse joy the godly beginnes in sadnesse goes forward in sadnesse but euer in the ende they finde joy and the greater trouble thou bee in in the ende thou shalt finde greater joy and vvhen thou shalt attaine to that joy the verie remembrance of that trouble that thou haddest in this life shall augment thy joy and thou shalt rejoyce that euer thou hadst trouble here if thou hadst bene euen burnt or martyred for CHRISTS sake and by the contrarie The wicked that haue liued heere in securitie vvhen they are thrust in Hell in endlesse paine and displeasure shall finde that the remembrance of the joy that they had in this life shall augment their paine and they shall curse the time that euer they liued here in such pleasure and had this false peace on earth This Historie is plaine and therefore I goe forvvarde I come to the part of the Angell the first speech is somewhat rough Why doe yee seeke the liuing amongst the dead Why doe yee this Then Hee comes on and sayes Hee is not heere Hee is risen Then he confirmes it by a reason Remember women what Hee said to you when Hee was with you in Galile Saide Hee not that Hee behooued to bee deliuered into the hands of sinfull men and bee crucified and to rise againe the third day This is the meaning in effect Then vvhere Hee beginnes with a reproofe there must bee a fault in them No the LORD vvill not reprooue thee for nothing I take their fault to be obliuion for so the wordes of the Angell import they had forgot that Hee should rise the thirde daye suppose He had told them Well Brethren I see this It is the vvill of God that vve neuer forget His word more I see If thou lettest it slip out of thy mind as we doe too readily the Lord will reproue thee but in His reprouing in His anger He neuer forgets mercy lenitie in reprouing of the women Hee makes the Angell to instruct and tell them that Hee vvas risen so in reproouing of thee Hee will teach thee and it learnes vs this lesson Alwayes in all reproofes teach them whom thou reprouest if thou reprooue them without a care to instruct them thy reproofe auailes nothing at all Then looke so soone as his anger goes away and when he hath spoken two wordes thereafter hee sayes Hee is not heere Hee is risen Remember He said to you He behooued to suffer and die and rise the third day So we learne this at the Angell It may be that God speake a word of anger but it will soone goe away and the mercy remaines for euer and when Hee hath laide His anger aside Hee teaches in mercie and I speake this to the childe of God Manie faults in vs all and nowe and then He speakes in anger that His owne perish not with the wicked world Hee will waken them with some angrie word and thinke as thou wilt and if thou be not wakened with some angrie worde thou shalt die in thy stincke and canker of thy corrupt nature and so long as we are here there is euer some matter of anger so that now and then Hee will speake to thee in anger for wee are as foolish children thinking and speaking as children and therefore haue need to be chastised but when wee are perfect men neuer an angrie worde nor a gloome shall be but alwayes mercie and pleasure for euer Then I marke another thing in the Angell Remember sayes he that the Sonne of man must bee deliuered into the handes of sinfull men and to die and the third day to rise againe as Hee shewed to you Well then I see the Lord He forgets not His owne worde that He speakes suppose the women had forgotten it No the Lord that speakes it thinkes neuer so light of it as thou doest Thou wilt forget soone and thou takest no thought of it but that word that He speakes either by Himselfe or by His Ministers He will neuer forget
heades and they had more of that vvorldlie and fleshlie vvit than of that Heauenlie vvit and this drewe them to this securitie This is the nature of the Regenerate Suppose the Regenerate in this vvorlde compt in some measure of the crosse of Christ and of the power of God yet in the best of them there is some lacke some infirmities and vvantes and they will thinke sometime the preaching of the Crosse and Resurrection of Christ to bee but vanitie and a dreame of vviues as IOHN PETER MATTHEVV and the rest of the Apostles did for none of them vvoulde beleeue this That CHRIST vvas risen Wee vvill thinke that there is some great follie in these tidinges I vvill tell you my nature and the nature of the best man or vvoman but vvhen vve shall see That joyfull Morning as DAVID calles it then vvee shall saye vvith SARAH THE LORDE hath made mee nowe to laugh indeede Shee scorned vvhen shee hearde saye shee shoulde conceaue and beare a childe shee thought shee coulde not beare a childe and nowe vvhen shee sees it come to passe shee saies The LORDE makes mee to laugh indeede And so shall vvee saye one daye that thing vvhich vvee thought but jestes then wee shall saye I see this nowe that I coulde not beleeue vvell enough nowe I see it is true indeede So then in despite of all naturall vvit striue to gette an hope aboue hope and then shalt thou greatlie vvonder at that sight and maruell foreuer that there could be such a joy Now blessed is that man or that woman that gets a taste of it here for they shall be assured of it for euer But to goe forward I see that it auailes not much to speake to a sleeping person that is loadned with sin and feeles it not that is the worst estate in the worlde neuer to groane vnder this mortalitie vnder this burthen of death They can neuer say with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death And if yee speake to these persons of the Resurrection death of Christ it auaileth nothing to them What did the Apostles They thought it but a scorne if the Apostles thought so what wilt thou doe that sleepest in thy murther in thine adulterie in thy theft in thine oppression If the Apostles slept how wilt thou sleepe a sleeping sinner must bee once wakened as PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the first Chapter and eighteenth verse The wrath of God is manifest from the Heauen against all the vnrighteousnesse of men And I say the wrath and the vengeance of GOD is manifest vpon the sleeping sinner and death comes on him that neuer shall haue an end But PAVL in the Epistle to the Romanes the third CHAPTER and the twentie and one VERSE hee comes on with other tithings and sayes That the righteousnesse of GOD through faith in Jesus Christ is made manifest to them that beleeue And I will say to thee that Iesus is come into the world and died for thee if thou beleeuest thou shalt be freed of that burthen of sinne and wrath and vvhen a man heares this he will thinke it the sweetest tithings that euer he heard for the sinner will finde life in that death and that blood will sprinckle his conscience as the Apostle sayes to the Hebrewes and thou wilt finde a wonderfull joy vvhen thy sinnes are remitted in Christ of all joyes vnder the Heauen this is the greatest The preaching of Christ auailes to none but to him who findes his soule loadned with sinne Now one word and so I shall ende I see in the Apostles and in their great infirmitie the great prouidence of GOD they will neither beleeue nor misbeleeue but by His Prouidence what euer vvas their part in it the worke was good of a good purpose The LORD will not haue them to beleeue the testimonie of the first companie nor yet of the second companie of women No no He vvill not haue them to beleeue vntill they see it with their eyes and feele it with their handes and ere they passe out to others He vvill speake to them and let them see that they may be perswaded that it was true I alwayes tell you this It is not a small thing to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ to preach His Passion and Resurrection and wilt thou of a light knowledge preach it No beware thou speake this or that vpon a report Of all men that speakes in this earth or is sent with a commission a Minister hath most neede to beware what hee speakes Speake hee of the Passion or Resurrection of CHRIST ere euer hee speake let him get a sight of Him suppose not vvith the bodily eyes lay hold on Him by Faith in thine heart Thinke it not enough to be an hearing witnesse but a seeing witnesse and vvhen thou hast gotten that persvvasion with vvhat confidence vvilt thou speake of His death thou wilt speake with such euidencie that the high heartes of men shall be humbled finding such weight in thy wordes The LORD giue vs grace that vvhen vve stand vp to speake of the Resurrection of CHRIST to others vvee may haue the perswasion of it in our ovvne heartes and that vve may finde His gracious Spirit working in vs and as vvee speake of Heauen and these joyes to others so vvee may finde some joy beginne in our owne hearts heere that after this life is ended we may reigne with Him in glorie for euer with CHRIST To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXXII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 12 Then arose Peter and ranne vnto the sepulchre and looked in and sawe the linnen clothes layed by themselues and departed wondering in himselfe at that which was come to passe IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 3 Peter therefore went foorth and the other disciple and they came vnto the sepulchre verse 4 So they ranne both together but the other disciple did out-runne Peter and came first to the sepulchre verse 5 And hee stouped downe and sawe the linnen clothes lying yet went hee not in verse 6 Then came Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and sawe the linnen clothes lie verse 7 And the kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in a place by it selfe verse 8 Then went in also the other disciple who came first to the sepulchre and hee sawe it and beleeued verse 9 For as yet they knewe not the Scripture That hee must rise againe from the dead verse 10 And the disciples went awaye againe vnto their owne home WE haue heard these dayes past beloued in the Lord Iesus of the two companies of women that went out of Hierusalem towarde the graue of the Lorde early in the morning The one company that came first wherein was Marie Magd. and Marie the mother of
Iames and Salome with other women And the next company of women whose names are not expressed nor registrate Wee hearde of their returning home againe from the graue of the Lord how they come to the place where the XI Apostles were lurking with some other disciples who loued the Lord We heard of y e preaching that the first company makes then the preaching of the secōd company their preaching all testifying that the Lord Iesus was risen Wee heard last what effect this preaching wrought in the heartes of the XI Apostles to wit they thought it all but follie fables a fained report beleeued it not It is an hard matter to beleeue y e report of Christ of His Passion glorious resurrection Thus far we heard the last day Now to come to the Text y t we haue read We haue first another effect which this report wrought howbeit it wrought not faith yet it had its own effect in 2. disciples at least Peter Iohn they are wakened by it to seeke to the graue of y e Lord to see if it was so as the women reported Well then the report of the women is not altogether fruitles at the least it wakens some of them vp to run to the graue to see if it was so as the womē had reported This testifies clearly y t euen al the time y t these Apostles lay lurking like cowards yet all that time there remained in them a seede of faith a seede of godlinesse a sponke of loue toward their Master Christ Indeed it was smoothered with the drosse of the corruption of nature but yet it was not quite put out and therefore assoone as these women come and make report of the Resurrection of Iesus Christ the seed begins to waken and drawe spirits and makes them to run to see if it was true y t He was risen For it is true that they who once haue gotten faith in Christ in whose heart this seede is once sowne howbeit for a time they will fall in a slumber yea in an heauy sleepe that seed will be so holdē down that it will not be seen to y e world yea they that haue it wil not feele it thēselues yet it is sure that true seed of faith sowne once in the heart wil neuer be clean put out extinguished altogether It is true it will be for a time lying dead in the heart without life or motion The Lorde will bee lying in thee without working for a time and taking a shape and fashion as the birth in the mothers vvombe does as the Apostle sayes Galath Chap. 4. vers 19. vntill Christ bee formed in you And all this time Hee lyes vvithout vvorking the man vvill seeme then to bee but dead but assoone as that vvorde soundes vvhich is the vvorde of Life the vvorde of the Crosse and of the Resurrection of Iesus then that man who appeared to be dead vvill take life and Iesus who appeared to be dead in thee vvill be quicke Howbeit they vvill not haue faith yet it vvill stirre them vp to seeke Christ and inquire vvhether it bee so or not In the Historie of the Actes Chap. 17. vers 11. yee maye reade a vine example of this There vvere certaine of the IEVVES in a Towne called Berea and they vvere in the same estate they had no thought of Iesus but vvere enemies vnto Him yet notwithstanding there was some good seede vvithin them And therefore they are saide to bee more Noble than the IEVVES at Thessalonica Now the Apostle PAVL comes in amongst them and beginnes to preach CHRIST then that little seede beginnes to stirre and they beginne to bee vvakened and they are thereby mooued to reade the olde Testament to see if it vvas true that PAVL preached or no And then they finding it to bee so as PAVL had spoken manie of them beleeued in CHRIST Wee haue our lesson heere It is not good to be hastie in judgement bee loath to condeme anie howbeit thou see men fall and lye long yet judge not too hastilie of them for who knowes if there bee a sponke in their heartes which neither thou nor they themselues knowe of but trie whether the seede bee or no And thou shalt trie it by this thing Speake of the Death Passion and Resurrection of CHRIST vnto them if after long speaking there bee no vvakening certainlie that is a verie euill token that there is no good in that heart if hee bee in such a deadlie sleepe that nothing vvill vvaken him that is a faithlesse heart and an heart full of gall and bitternesse and replenished vvith iniquitie But if there bee some quickening although it vvere neuer so little yea suppose hee beleeue not and yet hath a readinesse to heare and saye this LORDE open mine eyes to see and mine heart to beleeue And if this bee founde in him that is a good heart and that birth shall come foorth in its owne time for as the birth is not perfected in an instant in the mothers wombe so faith is not perfected at the first but it growes by little little Nowe when they are wakened what doe they They runne to the graue They went not faire and softlie but they ranne to the graue Nowe certainlie this running must needes proceede of some motion in the heart some motion behooued to stirre them vp Yee see what motion mooued Marie Magdalene to runne home she was in displeasure because shee mist the bodie of the LORD for shee thought it had beene stollen awaye It cannot bee displeasure that mooued them to runne No doubt it was joye in their heartes which made their heartes light and the light heart made the feete speedie And if thou haue joye it will cause thee to runne and seeke Him But from whence came this joye I see no matter of joye but in these tidinges which they hearde But howe coulde they haue joye seeing they beleeued them not I answere to this They woulde haue beleeued and faine woulde haue had it so and that vvas the thing which they moste desired And yee knowe that vvee heare that thing vvhich vvee vvoulde faine haue come to passe vvee vvill haue joye to heare of it and our delight vvill bee to see if it bee so And so suppose there vvas not a full faith in them yet there vvas a bowing and an inclination to faith And it is a strange thing to bowe the heart for it will bee as hard to bow the heart as to bowe a strong Oake So the least bowing to yeelde to the report of Iesus is wonderfull and there shall followe an vnspeakeable joye which passes all vnderstanding The least conception of that joye will bee greater than thou wilt haue yea and make thee a King or a Queene Seeke euer to that Heauenlie affection for the Beast hath this earthlie affection then seeke thou after the Heauenlie or thine estate shall bee worse than the Beastes one daye So when the
for all her loue her mourning passed measure No yee will not finde scarcely in all the Scripture such a mourning as was in this woman she mournes too much almost desperately for the body of the Lord she mournes in vaine where there was no cause of mourning but cause of joy The ground of all this mourning was ignorance and forgetfulnes she had forgotten that which He had tolde her that He should rise againe the third day shee remembred not but the third daye missing the body she thinkes it to be stollen away Marke this The godly when they thinke they doe best they are oft miscaried with their owne affections they are mourning for Christ and also louing Christ and yet in the meane time they are sinning against Him The ground of this in them is ignorance and forgetfulnes of the promises of the Lorde so that if yee would looke into that word ye need not be ignorant concerning God if thou mournest for ignorance blame thy selfe thou lookest not to the worde for if thou lookest into this word and mournest thou hast forgot as Marie Magdalene did and therefore thou deseruest to be casten in a perplexitie Yet to consider this somewhat better First when she came out to the graue shee ranne home and seeing the stone rolled away she tells false tithings and shee once conceiues a false opinion Novv she stands and abides in this opinion and vvill not goe in to the graue but stands without the graue and mournes desperately for a time Well Brethren after that once a vvrong opinion conceit enter into the head of any it is not lightly remoued againe thou mayest conceiue it lightly as Marie Magdalene did but thou shalt not lay it downe so lightly Beware of opinions concerning God religion ere euer thou suffer an opinion to enter into thine head consider it in the beginning had she considered it well shee had not beene ouer-come with it nowe Therefore let not opinions concerning GOD Religion and that Life to come lightlie enter into your heades Nowe at last she bowes her bodie goes in to the graue When she hath gone forwarde for a season in this vaine displeasure at the last the Lorde bowes her heart for if she had not bowed her heart she should neuer haue bowed her bodie to haue looked in to the graue Marke the goodnesse of the LORDE towardes His owne when they haue gone forwarde a while in their owne perplexitie the LORDE lookes vnto them and will not let them goe on so desparatelie to destruction but Hee wiil bowe thine heart first The first grace is not the giuing to thee the thing thou seekest but the moouing of thine heart to seeke is the first No Hee will not present Himselfe at the first before thee but Hee will haue thee to bowe thy selfe to seeke Him And it lyes not in the handes of anie bodie to bowe himselfe to seeke Him No as life is of mercie so seeking of life is of mercie And if thou gettest an inclination to seeke Christ and Heauen that is the first grace and He that hath gâ—uen thee the fiâ—st grace to seeke without doubt Hee will also giue thee the seconde to finde Him Nowe shee lookes in to the graue and her looking in is not in vaine for looking in shee seekes and seeking shee findes And marke what shee findes she findes not a dead bodie as she thought shee woulde haue beene glad to haue founde it but shee sees two gloriouâ— Angels sitting in the graue clothed in bright rayment the one where His head had layen and the other where His feete had layen So our lesson is this Bowe thy bodie and thou shalt see seeke and thou shalt finde yea I sâ—y to thee if thou wilt bowe thy bodie to seeke thou shalt get greater thinges than thou seekest MARIE sought but Christes deade bodie and shee findes Angels bearing witnesse that Hee was risen So in a worde Seeke and thou shalt finde greater thinges than euer thou soughtest Alas wee wâ—nt grace for fault of seeking And I testifie this that the worlde wantes grace and saluation for fault of seeking for their heaâ—te cannot bowe downe to seeke Nowe what sees shee Shee sawe Angels Peter and John saw something also but what sawe they when they went to the graue They sawe but a winding-sheete lying in one place of the graue and a kerchiefe in another but MARIE sawe not this onelie which might haue witnessâ—d that the LORD vvas risen and not stollen awaye for if Hee had beene stollen they vvoulde haue stollen the vvinding-sheete and the kerchiefe also Shee sees a fairer sight than IOHN and PETER did MARIE that vvas a vvoman sees a more glorious sight than two Apostles sawe they see but linnen clothes Marie sees two Angels and in this shee is preferred to the two Apostles That vvhich I saye of her I saye of all these vvomen that they vvere preferred aboue the Apostles Marke this yee that are vvomen All your sâ—xe is honoured in these vvomen The first and the seconde companie got the sight of Angels which none of the Apostles got And vvhen I consider this their preferment I finde it standes in these two poincts chiefelie First they get the first reuelation it is first tolde to them and secondlie it is not tolde to them by men but by Angels In both these the Apostles are postponed they get it tolde them by vvomen and then they get it tolde them in the seconde rowme So that all vvomen haue a prerogatiue in these vvomen In this That the LORDE giues this prerogatiue to this infirme sexe Hee shames the Apostles and that to this ende that all glorie maye be giuen to GOD. Yet I vvill not passe by the sitting of the two Angels Nothing heere fell out rashlie all vvas ordained hee that vvas appointed to sit at the head of the graue hee sate at the head and hee that vvas appointed to sit at the feete sate at the feete So the LORDE appointed that not onelie they shoulde speake vvith their tongue but also by their placing tell that Hee was risen And the Angell of GOD that sate at the head vvoulde saye Magdalene heere is the place where his head laye hee is risen And the other that sate at the feete vvoulde saye Heere is the place where his feete laye hee is risen It is euen so yet in the vvorld they whom Hee sendes to teache Hee disposes them so that by their sitting their going and standing Hee will preach and Hee vvill make their sitting to informe them that Hee ordained to life and saluation The Lorde vvorkes all for the weale of His Elect yea the least circumstance is for the weale and saluation of His owne Nowe to goe forwarde Marie hath seene a faire sight but stayes the grace heere and thinkes the LORDE Hee hath done enough because Hee hath let her see such a glorious sight No He will haue them also to speake They both
vvith one voyce saye Why weepest thou When the LORDE beginnes once to bowe the heart Hee vvill let thee see grace yea Hee vvill not let thee see onelie but Hee vvill also let thee heare Hee woulde not onelie let her see dumme Angels but Hee woulde haue them also to speake vnto her that shee might heare joyfullie When Hee hath once begunne ere Hee leaue Hee vvill fill all the senses vvith grace Hee shall fill the eye with sight the eare with hearing and in the ende Hee shall fill thine heart fullie with grace and mercie Nowe what heares Marie The Angels saye vnto her Woman why mournest thou For as shee looked in to the graue shee vvept bitterlie the teares went neuer from her eyes nor the sadnesse from her heart till the LORDE Himselfe saide MARIE why weepest thou Marke the vvordes The Angell no doubt rejectes her because shee wept without measure and in vaine because shee thought that the bodie of the LORDE had beene stollen awaye shee wept for Him who was liuing But as the Angell reprooues her so hee pitties her Then if thou weepe for the LORD Hee shall cause the Angels of Heauen to pittie thee Yet againe What saye the Angels They saye not Woman feare not as they did to the rest of the women that came before And why saye they not Feare not Shee was so ouer-come with displeasure and so sadde hearted that shee was not afraide of the Angels and was not astonied as the other women for they had not so sad an heart as shee had for her heart was so filled with sadnesse and displeasure that feare coulde not get place The Angell sayes Woman why mournest thou because it was mourning that ailed her The LORD giues alwayes medicine according to the sore If thou bee sad Hee will saye Why mournest thou The Angell applies the medicine and stilles her A mourning bodie for CHRIST woulde bee stilled If thou weepest for CHRIST suppose thou passe bounds yet thou shalt not want stilling though He should send his Angels to still thee No there was neuer any y t mourned for Christ that wanted stilling Nor there was neuer anie childe that got so sweete wordes to still them as thou shalt get who mournest for CHRIST Then Blessed are they sayes CHRIST that mourne for they shall receiue consolation Matth. 5.4 If thou mourne for the loue of the LORDE thou shalt bee stilled and comforted and blessed shalt thou bee one daye Alas this is a laughing worlâ—â—-woe vnto it few men or women are nowe mourning wiâ—◠〈◊〉 Magdalene alas vvhat neede haue vvee of stilling No vvee are laughing notvvithstanding of all thâ—se judgements that approach fast and are neare at hand they vvill cause vs all mourne one day But vvhat sayes the Angells to her Say they in an anger Why seeke yee the liuing amongst the deade Beholde the mercie of GOD to His children she merited if yee looke to her fault to haue beene reprooued more sharply shee forgot the vvord of our Sauiour and she vvould not looke in to the graue yet he reprooues her not hee sayes not to her Why seeke yee Him that is liuing amongst the dead as the Angell spake to the other vvomen This is our lesson in a vvorde The LORD lookes not vvhat thou meritest but He lookes vvhat thou needest Hee vvill not speake according to thy merite but according to thy neede and necessitie for if thou mournest for the LORD Hee vvill minister comfort to thee No He wil not make a sorrowful heart more sorrowfull he is a cruel person that vvil do so no the Lord wil not do so He will not bruâ—se the brokâ—n reede neither will He quench the smoaking flaxe as it vvas prophecied of Him long before Esay Chapter 42. and the third verse But if thou bee sad Hee vvill raise thee vp vvith such comfort as cannot be tolde Novve to goe forvvarde When they haue demanded Why vveepest thou â—hee ansvveres without any feare as their sight terrifies her not so neither is she terrified vvith their voyce What vvas the cause that shee feared not and that at the voyce of the terrible Angâ—lls shee is not mooued Euen because her heart vvas ouercome and loadned vvith dolour and sadnesse that there could be no place almost left to feare She sayes They haue stollen away the body of the Lord and I knowe not where they haue laid Him What could she doe vvith it wherefore vvas shee so carefull Shee tells vvhat shee vvould doe vvith it shâ—e sayes to Himselfe I would burie it nowe all this came of a suâ—passing loue and therefore looke not so much to her doing as to her loue Learne at Marie Magdalene to loue the LORD and shee may learne all the world This loue and zeale of GOD is almost out of the heartes of men and vvomen and when I consider her great loue I find it is more than any naturall affection as father to sonne or man to woman 〈◊〉 â—â—cept there had come a force vertue out of that body she could neuer haue loued the Lord so well No except He loose our heartes with that loue hee beares to vs wee cannot loue Him but when once Hee looses thine heart thou wilt hate thy selfe to loue Him so what euer I discommend in her I discommend not her loue No I shall neuer discommend loue nor zeale in any person Alas we haue too litle of it to discommend it and I doubt not but all these imperfections that vvere in her were couered by the LORD IESVS whome shee loued Our comfort is this if we loue the LORD our GOD well albeit wee had a thousand imperfections they shall be couered with the mantle of the righteousnes of IESVS yea He shall meete thy loue vvith vnspeakable loue Thus farre for the sight and hearing of the Angels The Text sayes assoone as shee had spoken She turnes her about againe Men would thinke this an vndiscreet behauiour to stand and heare two Angels and then like a vaine person to turne her about I will not excuse this altogether but I impute this to the exceeding dolour and sadnesse wherewith their soule was loadned there must be many faultes ouerseene in a sad person I had rather beare with twentie faultes in such a person as to beare with one in a vaine person Now as she is speaking to the Angels so the LORD comes neare toward her backe and ere euer He came or shee savv Him He touches her with a secret and powerfull presence of His Spirit for I doubt not as Hee came neare her but His Spirit both turnes her about and closes the mouth of the Angels for He is the LORD both of man and Angell and if He come His presence must turne thee and when Hee comes to speake all the Angels must holde their tongue and be dumbe Yee knowe that IOHN the BAPTIST vvas a great light before the LORD came and many followed him but vvhen CHRIST comes IOHN closes his mouth
and as he sayes Ioh. Chap. 3. vers 29. It is the bridegroome that hath the bride and I stand sayes he heare Him and hearing Him I reioyce with an ioy vnspeakable and glorious No it is the greatest joy vnder the Heauen to heare Him speake and if thou hearest Him thou vvilt not desire to speake shee turnes her and shee sees IESVS standing vvhome she sought shee sought Himselfe and findes His Messengers but at the last she finds Himselfe In a word we haue our lesson Seeke euer the Lord thou will not get Him at the first Thou wilt not get a King at the first for Hee hath Messengers afore and wee His Ministers are all His Messengers and wee all tell you and I tell you that CHRIST is comming and blessed bee that commer I bidde thee stande a while and then the LORDE shall come at thy backe Happie and blessed art thou that shalt bee asking for Him thou shalt get such a joyfull meeting as Marie Magdalene did but woefull shall that meeting bee to thee who delitest not to heare nor to speake of Him for Hee shall come vpon thee like a thiefe in the night So blessed art thou who art talking with His Messengers for Hee shall call thee by name as Hee did Marie and that shall bee the joyefâ—llest voyce that euer thou heardest I saide before that shee got a preferment aboue the Apostles in getting a sight of the Angels but that was common to her with the other women Heere yee see further she got a preferment aboue all women shee gets the first sight of Iesus as MARKE sayes after His Resurrection And this argues that her desire to see Him exceeded the desire of all the Apostles and all the women So thou that longest moste for the LORD shall see Him first and joyefull shall that sight bee to thee Yet marke howe shee receiues it Shee knowes Him not This is a marueilous thing shee neuer left Him but followed Him from GALILE and yet when the LORDE offers Himselfe vnto her eyes shee knowes Him not This must bee imputed to that great stupiditie which was in her eyes they were so dimme that shee coulde not see If the LORDE had anie secrete dispensation in it or in what forme He appeared I will not dispute Our lesson is this There enters such a mist into our eyes that suppose the LORDE offer Himselfe to bee seene in the vvorde crucified and glorified in His Gospell yet thou vvilt not see Him till the beames vvhich glaunce from His face shine into thine hearte and scatter that cloude of darknesse and vvhen that cloude is awaye thou vvilt see vvith such a sweetenesse as cannot bee vttered and thou who diddest neuer see that sight thou neuer sawest joye Nowe blessed is that soule that can beholde the LORDE in the Mirrour as it were comming behinde and happie is that soule that can delite to see Him in the Mirrour for certainlie they shall see Him one daye face to face and the LORDE will turne them about as Hee did Marie and then these vile bodies shall bee like vnto His glorious bodie and that face which is now but vile shall then glaunce as the Sunne in the Noone daye So blessed are they that can awaite till the LORDE come Thou neuer mettest with one in this worlde who can make thee so joyefull as Hee will and euer the greater languor that thou hast for Him the greater shall bee thy joye Alas wee seeke joye heer and there is but fewe who seeke CHRIST in whome is all true joye Well Marie knewe not the LORDE but yet Hee knewe her No thou mayst wel forget Him but He wil not forget thee but He shall cause thee to knowe Him ere thou goe Hee sayes to Marie Woman why mournest thou At the first He lyes aloofe He sayes not Marie but like an vncouth man Hee sayes to her Woman why mournest thou Then Hee sayes not I knowe thou weepest for mee but Hee sayes Why weepest thou Hee sayes not I knowe whome thou seekest but Whome seekest thou So then at the first Hee holdes Him aloofe with His owne Hee giues them not His familiar presence at the first but as long as wee are heere on earth His speach shall bee a farre off As long as wee liue by faith Hee lookes to vs as it were afarre off And this speach is to waken a languor and piece of sadnesse in vs till wee meete with the LORDE for the more thou mournest the greater shall bee thy joye The Lord if Hee please in an instant maye take thee to the Heauens but Hee will let thee lye heere for a while and the greater that thy sadnesse is in this life the greater shall thy joye bee in the life to come O that joye which that bodie shall haue who hath longed for the LORDE Then thinke long and waite for that His bright and glorious comming as Paul speakes for no man shall get a crowne but thâ—y who haue waited for Him Nowe I shall ende in a worde Shee supposing that hee had beene the Gardener of the Garden where the LORDE was buried shee saide vnto him Sir if thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast layed him that J maye take him awayâ— Looke if shee loued Him not well when Hee was liuing for in His death shee coulde not bee seuered from Him so did the loue of IESVS constraine her In the twentie and fourth CHAPTER OF MATTHEVV it is saide Wheresoeuer a dead carkeis is thither will the Eagles be gathered together Nowe shee is a Mirrour of loue and zeale Alas if thine heart coulde melt with loue as hers did Yet I see in her a marueilous stupiditie Shee knowes Him neither by sight nor voyce her heart was so ouer-come with dolour sadnesse And this senselessenesse that fell on good Marie Magdalene will often-times fall on the best man or vvoman in this life That as the Prophet sayes in hearing they will not heare and in seeing they will not see So all tendes to this Let euerie one judge charitablie of another Bee loath to condemne anie for as liuelie as thou art thou mayest fall downe dead and therefore waite on the LORDE and the voyce of the LORDE shall come vnto thee and call on thee as Hee called on Marie and that voyce shall open both the eyes of thy bodie and of thy soule and Hee shall let thee see and feele that it is Hee and that joye shall bee compleate vvhen thou shalt come and inherite that Kingdome which was prepared for thee before the foundation of the vvorlde The LORDE graunt it maye bee our onelie joye and that vvee maye holde vp our eyes and vvaite night and daye for that blessed comming of IESVS at the which time our joye begunne shall bee perfected and neuer haue ende To this LORDE IESVS vvith the Father and that blessed SPIRIT bee all Praise Honour and glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE XXXIV LECTVRE OF THE
RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 16 Iesus sayeth vnto her Marie Shee turned her selfe and saide vnto him Rabboni which is to say Master verse 17 Iesus sayeth vnto her Touch mee not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but goe to my Brethren and say vnto them I ascende vnto my Father and to your Father and to my God and your God verse 18 Marie Magdalene came and tolde the Disciples that shee had seene the Lord and that hee had spoken these thinges vnto her WEE heard these dayes pâ—st beloued in CHRIST howe that earlie in the morning first one companie of women came out of HIERVSALEM to the graue of the LORD and next after them another companie Thirdlie wee heard of PETER and IOHN two of the Apostles howe they came out to the graue of the LORDE beeing stirred vp by the report of the women And last wee heard of the outcomming of MARIE MAGDALENE to the graue of the LORDE the seconde time following after the Disciples PETER and IOHNNE after they vvere returned shee comes againe to the graue Shee offered not to looke in but stoode mourning for a space vvithout thinking certainelie that the bodie of the LORDE had beene stollen awaye But at the last it pleased the LORDE to bowe her minde and then shee bowed her bodie and looked in to the graue and sawe two Angeles the one at the head and the other at thee feete of the graue where our LORDE had layen sitting clothed in bright rayment and when shee sawe them shee vvas nothing afraide as the other vvomen shee vvas so filled vvith displeasure and sorrowe and her eyes vvere so dimme vvith mourning that shee coulde not see The Angels aske her Why weepest thou Shee answeres them They haue taken awaye the bodie of the LORDE and I knowe not where they haue layed it Yee vvill maruell at this there is nothing in her minde but the dead bodie of the LORDE and as shee is not terrified vvith the sight of the Angels so shee is not terrified vvith their voyce and shee turnes her about from them and finding Him standing beside her in His owne proper person and the LORDE saide as the Angell had saide before vnto her that is Woman why weepest thou Hee calles her Woman speaking strangelie and Hee proceedes further and sayeth Whome seekest thou as though Hee had not knowne vvhome shee had beene seeking MARIE supposing Him to haue beene the Gardener of that Yearde vvhere the LORDE vvas buried shee sayes Sir if thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast layed him that I maye take him vp and burie him Nowe as saide is there is nothing else in her minde but that deade body of Iesus which is an argument that shee loued Him exceedingly when Hee vvas liuing I say all that vvas in her vvas exceeding vehement in her was exceeding loue to the Lord exceeding vehement desire to see Him exceeding displeasure for Him for stealing Him out of the graue as she supposed so that I may say she vvas one of the violent ones that Christ speakes of in the 11 of Matthew that breakes vp Heauen he sayes there That violence is done to the Kingdome of Heauen and the violent possesse it She pulled Christ out of the handes of the Apostles and of the rest of the women and vvent betvvixt them and Him and therefore she meetes Him first because she seekes Him before them Thus farre we heard the last day now we follow out the rest of the Historie and that thing that followes of the communing betwixt the Lord and her the Lord leaues her not so lying in ignorance displeasure but as He had before somewhat strangely and vncouthly talked with her so now He comes on more homely and Hee vtters a more kindely word and He names Her by her name Marie Hee speakes nothing but one word but a well chosen vvord an homely vvord the vvord of a Pastor of a shepheard naming her by her ovvne name as it is said in the 10. of Iohn The good shepheard will name his sheepe by their name this was a powerfull word as will be seene by the effects that were wrought in her she sawe not of before it opened her eyes to see and her eares to heare and in a vvorde it opened all her dead senses Marke this lesson When the Lord hath spoken to vs for a time as a stranger afarre off as though He knew vs not at last He will come on with an homely kinde word and He will let thee see that He knowes thee by thy name by thy face by thine heart and by thine actions Read the 4. of Iohn speaking to the woman of Samaria He speakes to her at the first as though Hee had not knowne her but at the last He begins and tells her of all that she had done and that shee was but an harlot lying presently in harlotrie shee hearing that shee vnderstands that Hee is a Prophet and at last that Hee is Christ the Messias Brethren though the Lord speakes to vs afarre off as a stranger that knowes vs not and wee answere as though we knew Him not yet stay still heare on and thou shalt heare one vvorde that shall doe the deede thy effectuall calling will be performed with one word it standes not in many words When He will waken thee one word vvill doe the deede Yet to come to her assoon as she hearest the word she comes turnes her in an instant to Him againe so it seemes that shee had turned her from Him as she did from the Angels that spake to her before she sayes Rabboni it is a Chaldaicke word which in our language signifies Master He speakes but one word she another His vvord is a well chosen word and so was hers His word vvas homely hers also vvas homely His was the word of a Pastour her word is the vvorde of one of the flocke His vvord is the vvord of a Master her vvorde is the vvord of an obedient disciple and last His word is the word of povver to call her His vvorde testifies his calling and the effect of His povver In this stands our calling when the LORD names vs by our name and speakes kindely to vs and then we answere Him We may not answere any way No thou must answere like one of the flocke like one that knowes the voyce of the shepheard thou must answere like one that knowes the voyce of His Master thou must answere like one that feelest the effect of His calling When the Lord speakes homely if thou answerest homely there shall be exceeding joy this is it that vve call effectuall calling The thing that I note is this shortly As long as the LORD speakes strangely to vs we will heare Him strangely and as long as Hee knowes not vs wee will not know Him if it vvere a thousand yeeres wee will not knowe Him and this lets vs see that neither man nor
woman can doe ought except He preuent them with grace if He loue thee not first thou wilt neuer loue Him 1. Iohn 4. and if Hee know not thee first thou shalt neuer know Him No neuer a man will know the Lord except He know them first Hee sayes in the 4. Chapter to the Galathians verse 9. Now seeing ye knowe God then bethinking himselfe hee sayes yea rather are knowne of God and therefore thou shouldest say Lord loue mee that I may loue thee Lord know me that I may know thee c. Now I go forward When she hath vttered this word Rabboni she goes forwarde to haue embraced Him in her armes Hee meetes her and sayes Touch mee not for I am not yet ascended to my Father Some would maruell what mooued the Lord Iesus to stay that woman that loued Him so intirely to touch Him Wee will heare hereafter how a whole companie tooke Him by the feete and adored Him as ye may reade Matth. 28 8. and the disciples touched Him as ye may read in the 24. of Luke and the 39. verse Thomas put his handes in His side in this same Chapter and it cannot bee saide that these touched Him after that Hee ascended vp to Heauen that could not be possible it is a maruell then that Hee should be so strange to MARIE I ansvvere to this and I take mine ansvvere first out of the reason and next out of the commission Hee giues to Marie for first when Hee sayes to her I am not gone vp to my Father and therefore touch me not now the meaning is this in effect it is not time for thee to touch mee nowe till that time I bee in glorie and then touch mee by the armes of Faith as much as thou canst or mayest yee must consider that shee vvas too much addicted to His bodily presence and shee thought that Hee should haue remained and dvvelt with her on earth as Hee did before and therefore Hee vvould not let her come neare Him vntill Hee instructed her of a spirituall touching that He was not to stay here but to dwel with His Father in the Heauens but after He hath instructed her He lets her the other vvomen touch Him as much as they vvould This is the first answere The other I take it out of the commission He giues her the commission was to tell the disciples and Hee vvilles her to tell hastely and therefore Hee will not let her come neare to touch Him vntill she haue done her commission Now let vs marke somethings in Marie Magdalene Yee read in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fifth Chapter and the fourteenth verse PAVL sayes The loue of God constraines mee that is the loue of GOD binds vp mine heart and hand and all my senses Novv vvould to GOD we could loue Him halfe so well as he did hee giues the reason because Hee loued me and died and gaue His life for me I vvill consecrate me to His seruice it is litle enough thou shouldest doe so seeing Hee hath bought thee and then He defines the seruice hee sayes now I will know no man after the flesh that is for carnall respects as for Countrie land kinred or parentage But I acknowledge them as new creatures I will looke to the grace of regeneration this is the seruice of Christ if I haue knowne CHRIST Himselfe after the flesh yet I know Him no more so Hee had His friends His kinred and His Countrey as other men had but since Hee is exalted aboue the Heauens I will knowe Him no more so I will compare Marie with Paul a godlie man with a godlie woman she is like Him in this that she loued the Lord exceeding well He died to redeeme Paul therefore Hee loued Him exceeding well shee loued Him because Hee died for her but when it comes to the seruice Marie is not well learned Paul touches Him by Faith in the Heauens Marie lookes not to the Heauens but she goes to embrace Him in her bodily armes in this shee is behind but she got better instruction hereafter Marke this lesson There are some men that will loue the Lord intirely and yet when they come to His seruice they will faile for such is the grossenes of our nature that we cannot incline to that spirituall seruice which He chiefly requires Papistâ—ie is full of this grossenes they can doe nothing if they want His carnall presence either in Himselfe or in a stocke or a stone or in a piece of bread and therefore they dreame a bodily presence of Him in the Sacrament all their Religion is earthly no Spirit no grace in it But accepted the Lord of that grosse seruice of Marie that she offered I am certaine He loued Marie better than the Pope all his shauelings yet for as well as He liked Marie Hee likes not this her seruice Hee sayes to her Touch me not then how will he like of that person that Hee loues not so well that delites in grosse and wilfull ignorance The LORD keepe vs from such grosse seruice and make vs to touch Him by Faith Another thing here He will not suffer her to touch Him before that she had gotten commission to her brethren This lets vs see if the LORD haue giuen vs a commission He will haue vs doing it with speed not beeing intangled with any thing Paul sayes in the second Epistle to Timothie the second Chapter and the fourth verse No man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life because hee would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldiour if the embracing of a person may hinder thee doe it not if the saluting of a person in the journey may hinder thee doe it not Yee read in 2. Kings Chapter 4. verse 29 Where the Prophet Elisha sends his seruant Gehazi to the Shunnamite he sayes Make haste Salute no man by the way and if any salute thee answere him not and when Christ sends out His disciples He bids them make hasle and salute no man by the way LVKE CHAPTER 10. VERSE 4. The LORD will not haue vs to decline neither to the right hand nor to the left if it were but a looke if it may hinder thee in the Lords worke doe it not Paul receiued a commission as yee may reade Philip. Chapter 3. verse 13. he ranne so that he neuer looked ouer his shoulder but that hee forgot that which was behinde and endeuoured to that which was before till he had ended his course Yee remember of the wife of Lot how she was forbidden by the Lord to looke backe to Sodome she would not goe forward in her journey but shee would looke backe againe and therefore the Lord turned her in a pillar of salt Hee would haue them speedie in His worke and Woe is them that doe the worke of the Lord negligently Ierem. 48.10 Nowe let vs come to the commission He sayes to her Marie Goe and
tell my brethren Well gets a woman the commission where is Peter Iohn and Matthew and the rest of the Apostles alwaies in the beginning it is a woman that gets the commission The last day yee remember I spake of sundrie preferments of women that they gote before all men they gote the reuelation of His Resurrection before all men in the world and not by men but by glorious Angels but Marie is preferred to all men and women in this that shee first sees the Lord and then shee gets a reuelation of the Lord that the women got not she gets the reuelation of His ascension and yet there is more she got it not to her selfe alone but He sayes Tell the Apostles tell them sayes Christ I goe to my Father So this is a speciall grace that women got and especially Marie that was furthest casten downe possessed with seuen deuils What should I say The further thou be casten downe the higher shalt thou bee exalted But marke the wordes Hee sayes Tell my brethren Notwithstanding of their sluggishnesse notwithstanding they were offended in Him yet Hee sayes Tell my brethren In the 22. Psalme verse 23. DAVID sayes I shall preach to my brethren The LORD accomplished heere that prophecie heere Hee preaches to His brethren ye read in Heb. 2.11.12 Hee that sanctifies and wee which are sanctified are all of one that is wee are of one common nature and therefore He is not ashamed to call vs brethren and therefore he brings in this place of the 22. Psalme saying J will declare thy Name vnto my brethren the reason is this Hee hath a common nature vvith vs and therefore Hee is not ashamed of vs marke it well Nowe vvhen He is risen He calles them brethren and now vvhen Hee is in that passing glorie the LORD is not ashamed to call vs brethren if a man of small linage bee exalted in this world hee vvill not knovve his father or his mother But the LORD that is exalted aboue all the Angells is not the prouder Hee is also humble to His brethren as euer Hee vvas in the earth Hee is not ashamed to call vs poore wretches His brethren and sisters that are heere in the earth No if thou bee not ashamed of Him first Hee vvill neuer bee ashamed of thee Now to come to the commission He sayes Tell them I goe to my Father and to your Father and to my God and to your God Tell them this The commission that is giuen before by the Angells telles that Hee was risen but the commission that the LORD Himselfe giues to Marie is of an higher degree of glorification it is of His ascension for Tell them sayes Hee I goe to my Father and to your Father and to my God and to your God The LORD vvhen Hee comes in proper person brings euer a greater reuelation than vvas of before All the light that the Angels Prophets or IOHN the BAPTIST reueiled of Him vvas but darknesse in respect of that light that Himselfe brought Likevvise after His going to Heauen the Apostles the disciples and Ministers Ministers light to the end of the vvorlde but in that great day vvhen the LORD shall come thou shalt see a greater light thou savvest neuer light comparable to that light It is hard for thee novve to beleeue but sober thinges but then thou shalt see great things thou shalt haue no stoppe euen thinges that the eye hath not seene neither hath entered in the heart of man Yet let vs vveigh the vvordes better I goe vp to my Father I goe not dovvne let them not seeke mee in the earth I haue beene in it as PAVL sayes to the Ephesians the fourth CHAPTER and the ninth VERSE Hee descended into the lowest partes of the earth I goe nowe to the Heauen The vvorde importes that Hee vvas to leaue them and that vvorde vvas sad to them and to Marie and they tooke it heauie I goe sayes Hee to my Father and to my God Hee vvent not for His ovvne vvell to the Father that the Father might communicate His glorie to Him I goe sayes Hee to my Father and to your Father and to my God and to your God This imports that as Hee vvent to His Father for His ovvne glorie and vvel so Hee vvent for their glory and vvell and assoone as He should get that glorie He should communicate it to them and no doubt this vvorde your Father and your God raised their heartes to follow Him suppose our bodies bee heere our heartes are in the Heauen and vve are citizens there albeit thy body vvere burnt if thine heart be in the Heauen thou art vvell and if He had not gone to Heauen neither had He gotten glory neither had anie glorie beene communicated vnto vs but Hee going to that Father of glorie as the Apostle calles Him and so as the first begotten of GOD beeing filled with glorie wee are made partakers of His glorie as yee reade in the first CHAPTER of this Gospel of Iohn The oyle y t was poured down vpon the head of AARON stayed not there but ranne downe to his bearde his breast his girdle and the lowest partes of his garment So the graces that were in Iesus Christ our head stayed not there but flowed from Him euen to the meanest of all His members The Lord who is full of grace giues euery one of vs a part here and one day we shall bee all filled with grace and glory for euer and euer Marke the wordes well he calles Him first Father and then he calles Him God which imports two natures in one person The Father importes His Godhead and that he calles Him his God it imports that He is man so that these two wordes import that Christ is both God man blessed for euer But marke the order He sayes not I goe to your Father and mine No but to my Father and your Father Ere euer He be our Father He must be His Father Ere euer He be our God He must bee the God of Christ the man for if it had not bene for the bloode of Christ Hee had neuer bene thy God thou hast that bought vnto thee with the bloode of Christ wee come in vnder Christ our elder brother Nowe when Marie hath receiued the commission shee tarries no longer howbeit shee was loath to depart from Him yet because shee saw that it was His will she obeyes The godly would faine goe and dwell with the Lord Paul sayes I haue confidence in GOD and J choose rather to remooue out of this bodie and to dwell with GOD 2. Corint Chap. 5. Faine woulde the godlie soule bee with GOD and suppose it bee pressed downe with sinne yet it breaks aye vpward toward the Heauens to be with the Lord that this moâ—talitie may bee swallowed vp of Life for as long as wee lye heere vvâ—e liue vnder the burthen of sinne So faine woulde the godlie bee with Him yet seeing it is his vvill that
of necessitie loue caused them to mourne for Him And this sponke of loue that was couered kept down afore in end it brake out burnt thorowe all their imperfections It is a wonder to see howe the LORDE will keepe in a sponke of grace vnder an hundreth imperfections And this shoulde make vs to bee loath to judge and to giue out sentence for all the euill that wee see in anie it maye bee that the LORDE will let thee see that there was some sponke of grace in that man couered which sponk will breake out in its owne time Nowe I haue ended the Historie of MARIE MAGDALENE who loued the LORDE so well and so entirelie In the words following to wit in the Gospell of MATTHEVV there are two discourses The first is of the two companies of women at their turning home againe as they met with the Angels afore nowe they meete with the LORDE Himselfe In the next discourse wee haue a piece of an Historie of them that were set to keepe the graue who returned to the Scribes and to the High Priestes vvith these same tidinges Hee is risen againe Nowe I shall goe thorowe this daye the first discourse and piece of Historie as GOD shall giue vs grace Then to returne to the women It is saide that as they returned home The LORDE met them but Marie was returned before these women came foorth shee had met with CHRIST and returned home againe This company meetes with the LORDE as they returned homewarde Ye will perhaps aske what was the cause that Hee met with Marie Magdalene No doubt this was the cause She loued Him best shee loued Him aboue them all and shee had the greatest languor to see Him and shee rested neuer till shee had seene Him and met with Him What was the cause that these women sawe Him afore the Apostles No question their languor to see IESVS was next to MARIE The Apostles languor was last and therefore they got the last sight of Him Nowe the lesson is easie Thou that longest moste for the LORDE IESVS shalt see Him first with MARIE MAGDALENE A man will thirst for earthlie thinges and bee disappointed of them but it is vnpossible if thou thirst for CHRIST and to see thy LORDE but thou shalt see Him So Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Matth. Chapter 5. verse 5. So if thou vvouldest see CHRIST first long for Him and thou shalt neuer get that blessednesse till thou seest Him Then if thou canst not be the first in care and desire to see Him vvith Marie Magdalene yet bee next in care vvith the rest of the vvomen and if thou canst not attaine to the first nor second looke that thou be in the third roome at least that thou long vvith the Apostles and thou shalt get the thirde sight for blessed are they that get any sight yea the last sight Blessed are they that come either first or last to Heauen but thinke not that this dravving neare of ours to Him is the cause that Hee dravves neere to vs No if Hee drevve not neare vnto vs first vve vvould neuer thinke of Him let be to dravv neare vnto Him So Brethren the cause vvherefore our heartes doe dravv neare vnto the LORD is not in vs but in Him because He thirstes for vs and dravves vs vnto Him and vvouldest thou haue an argument that the LORD is neare vnto thee looke if thine heart dravves neare vnto Him and if thou findest thine heart longing and thirsting for Him then the LORD is neare vnto thee and Hee is present with thee and if thou findest no sense nor feeling of Him in thine heart nor no desire of Him nor no languour for His presence in the vvhich is sacietie of joy and if thou haue no languour bee sure the Lord is farre from thee for if Hee be farre from thee albeit thou hadst all the world about thee thou art but a miserable body When Hee meetes vvith these vvomen Hee is not dumbe and Hee speakes not to the eare only but also to the heart He sayes God saue you the word in the own language would be wel marked it signifies rejoyce Is not this a great thing that Hee that hath joy to giue thee should bid thee rejoyce and no doubt it was an effectuall vvord and it made them to haue joy vnspeakable A man when Hee bids thee rejoyce hath no power to worke joy in thee but the LORD is joy it selfe who hath joy to giue but the LORD Himselfe or who can giue peace but the LORD assoone as He drawes neare to any person and giues His presence to Him to y e end that His presence may worke He giues a joyful word the word of the Lord is of power as Paul sayes Rom. 1.16 The Gospell is the power of GOD vnto saluation vnto euery one that beleeueth So if thou contemnest this word that bids thee rejoyce thou shalt get no portion of that grace that is with Him so this word is the only minister that ministers joy to the soule all the thinges in the world shal neuer minister joy to the soule that is afflicted Whē He hath spoken this word and no question it was very effectuall they are so filled with joy that they tarie not to make answere but they fell dovvne at His feete And embrace Him by the feete and adore and worship Him as Thomas did vvhen hee put his hande in His side he said Thou art my Lord and my God IOHN Chapter 20. verse 28. Hee refuses not this honour because Hee vvas their LORD and GOD. Yee see heere how effectuall the presence of the LORD is albeit it were but one worde Reioyce the povver that is in that worde workes such a joy in the heart of a sinner that the poore sinner must meete Him the LORD cannot meete thee but if thou feelest that joy but thou must meete Him againe and striue to haue Him in thine armes No svvord nor fire nor hunger nor nakednesse nor nothing can separate thee from Him if thou feelest Him in thine heart but thou must meete Him againe and cleaue fast to Him The feeling of this joy which is through the presence and worde of GOD mooues vs to desire to embrace Him and makes our conjunction vvith Him vvhereupon arises our joy againe farre greater than before The joy that wee haue novv is but by Faith and a farre meeting as farre as is betvvene the Heauen and the Earth yet sayes Peter in his first Epistle the first Chapter and the eight verse Wee not seeing Him but beleeuing in Him reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious So beleeuing in Him vvee finde joy but vvhen thou shalt see Him face to face Alas lookest thou not for this then thorovv thy conjunction with Him by sight there shall be praise honour and glory for euer No such shall bee thy joy as eye neuer savve eare neuer heard nor neuer
Woe to vs if Hee saye once Goe not to EDINBVRGH Woe is them and woe to that Towne where the Lorde forbiddes His Messengers to goe Beware of this that the Lorde saye not to His Messenger Goe to the North or South but goe not to EDINBVRGH for then shall wrath and destruction light vpon it What confusion and destruction lighted vpon Hierusalem after that the Lord had once turned His backe vpon it Yet sayes the Lorde Bid them goe to Galile and there they shall seeme They beleeued not others who tolde them of mee but there I shall speake vnto them mine owne selfe This is the great mercie of the LORDE towardes His Disciples vpon whome the LORDE shoulde neuer haue looked if Hee had respected their infidelitie but albeit they were vnfaithfull yet Hee remained faithfull and mercifull for Hee coulde not denie Himselfe but where there sinnes abounded there His grace surmounted aboue them all for as the APOSTLE sayes Where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more Now al the world was full of sinne when Christ came yet grace superabounded Now this was a meeke dealing with them that they shoulde see mercie aboue their sinnes to this ende that they shoulde by experience teach others for hee that feeles both miserie and mercie is the best teacher in in the worlde So beeing to sende them to teach others Hee lets them finde grace to superabounde PAVL Roman 5.20 sayes Where sinne abounded there grace superabounded Reade the first Epistle to Timothie Chap. 1. vers 13. there the Apostle sayes J was a blasphemer and an euill liuer and a persecuter this was his miserie and if the LORDE had neuer looked to him hee had neuer beene an Apostle nor a Christian man But what sayes hee thereafter The grace of the LORDE IESVS superabounded and for as high and weightie as my sinne was yet His mercie was greater and it weighed it downe So then yee see the LORDE cares for them that lye in miserie to tell them of it I tell you this daye yee are lying in miserie and Hee is carefull that the Preacher haue a sense both of miserie and of mercie to tell of the wrath of GOD which is manifest from the Heauen vpon all impenitent sinners And if thou wilt repent thee I assure thee though thou vvere the greatest sinner that euer was thou shalt haue mercie and therefore if thou hast gone long on in sinne yet euen for GODS cause at last take vp thy selfe and I promise thee exceeding mercie in that bloodie Sacrifice of our LORDE and SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST who hath died both for thee and mee and all penitent sinners To Him therefore with the Father and Holie Spirit bee all Honour and Glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXXVI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 11 Nowe when they were gone beholde some of the watch came into the Citie and shewed vnto the High Priestes all the thinges that were done verse 12 And they gathered them together with the Elders and tooke counsell and gaue large money vnto the Souldiours verse 13 Saying Saye His Disciples came by night and stole him awaye while wee slept verse 14 And if this matter come before the Gouernour to bee hearde we will perswade him and so vse the matter that yee shall not neede to care verse 15 So they tooke the money and did as they were taught and this saying is noysed among the Iewes vnto this day MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 12 After that hee appeared vnto two of them in another forme as they walked and went into the countrey LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 13 And beholde two of them went that same daye to a towne which was from Hierusalem about threescore furlonges called EMMAVS verse 14 And they talked together of all these thinges that were done verse 15 And it came to passe as they communed together and reasoned that Iesus himselfe drewe neare and went with them verse 16 But their eyes were holden that they could not know him WEE hearde hitherto in the Historie of the Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST Beloued in Him of sundrie vvitnesses of His Resurrection First Angels and next vvomen Namelie MARIE MAGDALENE vvas the first that gotte the sight of Him after His Resurrection and after her other vvomen gotte a sight of Him also and a direction to His Disciples to assure them that Hee vvas risen againe Nowe in this TEXT vvhich vvee haue read out of the Gospell of MATTHEVV vve haue a piece of Historie of another sorte of vvitnesses that testified of the Resurrection of IESVS euen of the men of vvarre who were sent out to watch the graue they came not to the Disciples but to the High Priestes and tâ—ey testifie vnto them of the Resurrection of IESVS Then in the Historie vvritten by MARKE and LVKE vvee returne to the true vvitnesses to vvit two of them that vvere His Disciples Hee meetes with them as they vvere journeying from Ierusalem to Emaus and thereafter these two tell the rest that the Lord vvas risen Now to goe thorow these two pieces of Historie shortly as God shall giue the grace and as time shall permit When the vvomen that had met with Iesus had returned Some of the souldiours that had watched the graue returnes home to Ierusalem to tell the things that had fallen out but they came not to the place where the Apostles vvere but to the place where the High Priests vvere from whome they vvere sent and they tell the Lord was risen The Historie is plaine these witnesses are the souldiours that vvatched the graue they haue not such a commission as the other witnesses had they are not sent by CHRIST nor by His Angels but runne of their owne accorde but yet they runne by the speciall prouidence of GOD No doubt His prouidence directed them to the High Priestes and not so much to instruct them for they vvere hardened as to let them see that they vvere disappointed of their expectation They obtained of Pilate to let men goe out and to keepe Him in the graue and to haue smoothered His Resurrection that it had neuer come to light and yet the LORD sendes these same men to Ierusalem as witnesses of that resurrection that they would haue smoothered as if they had bene sent out by the High Priestes to this ende that they should be witnesses they could testifie no better of it the LORD turnes it about so that they could doe no better if the High Priests had hired and waged them to be witnesses of His Resurrection It is a vaine thing to striue with GOD and to hide that thing that Hee will haue brought to light for hide it as thou vvilt in despite of thee He shall bring it to light to thy shame that Hee may bee glorified Novve to speake what they testified they testified the same thing that the vvomen had testified they testified the trueth they testified All that was done that IESVS vvas risen yet there is a great
difference betvveene them and the vvomen when the vvomen vnderstood that Hee vvas risen they came home vvith joy the men of vvarre came home vvith sadnesse and vvith discontentment and they preach this to them that were sad to heare it and ashamed of it they preach it not to the Apostles as the vvomen did but to the High Priestes Marke this Lesson Looke how ye tell tythings there are some that will make good tithings of euill tithings and euill tithings of good as they please albeit they be neuer so good if they be not contented with them they vvill make them euill but be they neuer so euill if they be contented with them they will make them good and tell them vvith joy Bevvare hovv ye tell tithings of the Church of ENGLAND of FRANCE or of GERMANIE or of other partes Looke when thou speakest of the prosperous estate of the Church that thou speake it with joy and vvhen yee heare that the Church is troubled speake that not with joy but vvith sadnesse Thou that art not content vvith the prosperous estate of CHRISTS Church thou vvouldest haue hid CHRISTES Resurrection as the Scribes did and if thou hadst beene liuing with them So in a vvord if the Church be sad tell it vvith sadnesse and if she be joyfull tell thy tithings vvith joy if thou speakest of IESVS and His glorie speake of Him vvith joy and pleasure in thine heart Novv to goe forvvard The High Priests when they heare these newes they are nothing content therevvith but are ashamed They call a Councell of the High Priestes and the Senatours of the people The thing that they decerne is to bribe the men of vvare that vvatched the graue and to hire their tongues to lie they gaue them a great summe to say That the body of the Lord was stollen out of the graue by the disciples in the night whilst they slept and lest the men of vvarre should bee affrighted for Pilate and so refuse to lie they preuent that for say they take no thought of Pilate ye shall get no harme If hee heare of this wee will perswade him and so keepe you harmelesse Well these men were once disappointed and yet leaue they off No they will haue His glory and Resurrection smoothered and because they could not get it by violence nowe they will smoother it by craft No that thing that they cannot doe by violence they shall seeke to bring it about vvith lies No thinke yee that these Traitours and Apostate Lordes doe rest No that thing that they could not get done by violence they seeke to doe it by craft Well yee vvould maruell at this yee vvould aske Whether or not they were assured that the LORD IESVS was risen and beleeued the report of the men of warre I answere It could not bee but they beleeued that He rose by a diuine power No it could not be but they thought it and if they had thought that the disciples had stollen His body away they would haue pursued them and gotten the bodie againe Then seeing the arme of GOD raised Him vp and they knew that the Lord was risen Is not this a wonder that they repent not but will oppone them to the power of God No wonder not at it Men who haue once begunne to fight against the Holy Spirit and God Himselfe immediately can scarcely euer repent and turne backe againe but rather goes forward to fulfill their sinnes as the Apostle sayes 1. Thess 2.16 the wrath of God is come vpon them to the full This is not the first time they fought against God immediatly but they had often times done so before and beginning they leaue not off but goe forward So learne this lesson marke how dangerous a thing it is once to beginne to oppone thy selfe to God if thou beginnest once to oppone thy selfe against that Majestie the wrath of God shall so sease on thee that thou shalt not get leaue to goe backe till thou bee shut in hell So Steuen Acts 7.31 speakes of these same Iewes O stiffenecked people yee euer resist the Holy Spirit that is as yee haue begunne to sinne against that Holy Spirit so yee continue ye cannot goe backe againe So that they are set out as a spectacle of Gods judgement and it should learne vs to tremble once to thinke euill against that Holy Majestie these people may be a document to all them that oppone themselues to Him The Lord saue vs from all sinnes but namely from this sinne against the Holie Ghost that can haue no repentance Nowe to goe forwarde The souldiers against their owne conscience sell themselues miserably to lie and it was a wonder that the Iewes knew it not to be a lie the men who made this lie were prophane men of warre who commonly vse to haue litle godlinesse or religion Indeede I grant the Lord hath His owne of all sortes but seldome finde ye that men of warre are either good or godly Besides this they were Ethnikes and without God in the world in a word they were prophane hearted men then what wonder was it that they sell their tongue their conscience No if thine heart be prophane thou shalt soone sell thy tongue and thy conscience to any man and thou shalt soone sell thine hande to murther albeit it were a King as ye haue heard of sundrie Our Kings Majestie had neede to take heede to this that there bee no prophane men about Him for they will sell him his kingdome for a litle price It is said of Esau Heb. 12 16. He solde his birthright he solde Heauen he solde his part of Paradise for a messe of pottage What was the ground of all this The Apostle sayes Let no prophane man be among you as Esau prophanitie was the ground and hee brings in this as an effect following prophanitie if thou be prophane thou wilt sell thy conscience and I say this marchandise of buying and selling of consciences that is so frequent in this Lande tells that this Land is ouerspread with prophanitie The Apostle sayes It is the will of God that yee bee holy but Scotland may say farewell holinesse Alas if thou kept in thine heart holinesse thou wilt keepe thy conscience but if thou be prophane like Esau thou wilt sell thy conscience for a pennie So I direct mine exhortation to all sortes of men to Traffiquers be not prophane but keepe an holy heart and thou shalt keepe a good conscience and if thou be a Iudge if thou bee prophane thou wilt sell thy conscience for a crowne art thou a Marchand if thou wantest an holy heart thou wilt sell thy conscience a Minister if his heart be not holy hee will soone sell his tongue and his conscience So in a word Let vs striue with our conscience to haue an holy heart Alas the ground of all this mischiefe in Scotland is prophanitie of heartes When they haue sold their tongue they went and said He was stollen
for this was but the third day after He vvas crucified Yee see Brethren for all this leauing of the LORD and desparing euer to see Him yet heere is a piece of godlinesse in their heartes and a sponke of Hope that keepes them that they drowned not into despare for if they had not preuented they would haue perished with the rest of the Iewes and as they are thus wrestling betwixt Hope and Despare the Lord takes them by the hande to helpe them It is a good thing to haue if it vvere but one sponke of grace yea if it were but to speake of Him For none can call Iesus the Lord as the Apostle sayes except he haue gotteen the Spirit of Christ So holde on and speake of Him if thou canst doe no more Yet to goe forward When they are talking He comes in and goes with them Marke it This is an argument that the Lord heard what they were speaking and as He heares them Hee joynes with them side for side Well take heede to thine heart to thy words The Lorde is nearer to thee than thou thinkest walke as if thou werest speaking to Him and as if He heard thee or saw thee and when thou speakest abhorre not the presence of the Lord Thou that wilt runne to an hole wilt abhorre His presence but ay say this Lord be present at my speaking what meanes all this baudrie talke and blasphemie Euen this Thou seekest not to haue thine heart sanctified by the presence of thy God so if thou wilt speake say Lord be into mine heart and Lord rule my tongue and open my mouth then when He openeth thy mouth gracious words will come out So in a word seeke that presence to sanctifie your speech and actions It is said when He joynes with them Their eyes are so bound vp that they could not know Him They know not His face nor His voyce Marke sayes That he appeared to them in another forme Luke sets downe in plaine wordes how this was to wit not that He was of a diuerse forme indeed but because their eyes were holden closed that they could not know Him so the change was in them not in Him Hee remained in one forme and was euer like Himselfe in all His appearance He neuer altered His presence but He altered their eyes that behelde looked vpō Him I thinke some of you would aske In what forme appeared Hee Was Hee naked The souldiours got His clothes Whether was He naked or not No I thinke not that Hee was naked but Hee appeared with His Ioynes girded as a man addressed to a journey as He appeared to Marie cled like a Gardener yet ye will aske had He indeede cloathes on Him or not I haue no warrant of that alwayes He appeared to them to be clothed indeede they thoght He had cloths on Him these men thought He had clothes on for their eyes vvere bound vp It is a wonder that they could not know Him nor His voyce He altered not His voyce and yet they could not know Him albeit it be naturall by the sight of the eye to know one with whō wee are acquainted it is naturall by the eare to know the voyce yet this place lets vs see that the Lord hath a commandement of these gifts when Hee sayes looke that thou see not thou shalt not see and if He say to thee looke that thou know not thy father thou shalt not know him and more if He say know not the voyce of thy wife thou shalt not knowe her voyce All this tends to this We should beg our eyes our eares and all at the hands of God ay for that gift that thou hast thanke God hartily and say Lord I thanke thee for this that I can know the voyce of one creature frō another so all our lifetime should be a begging of His gifts if we moue we should thanke our God Now if we should beg this naturall sight that we haue much more are we bound to beg the thing we haue not to beg a spirituall eye to see heauenly things then when thou gettest it thou shouldest render thanks to Him Now of graces this is the best that the Lord giues an eye to see that life for if thou gettest one blencke certainly thou shalt see Heauen that joy and glorie at the which one day thou shalt wonder Now glory bee giuen to Him for all His giftes and euen for this that Hee hath giuen vs these bodily eyes I beseech Him to giue euery one of vs spirituall eyes that we may get a blencke of Him here and in the Heauens enjoy His presence for euermore through Christ our Lord. To whome with the Father and Holy Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XXXVII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 17 And hee saide vnto them What manner of communications are these that yee haue one to another as yee walke and are sadde verse 18 And the one named Cleopas answered and saide vnto him Art thou onelie a stranger in Hierusalem and hast not knowne the thinges which are come to passe therein in these dayes verse 19 And hee saide vnto them What thinges And they saide vnto him Of Jesus of Nazareth who was a Prophet mightie in deede and in worde before God and all the people verse 20 And howe the high Priestes and our Rulers deliuered him to bee condemned to death and haue crucified him IN this Historie of the Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST welbeloued in Him wee haue heard hitherto of sundrie witnesses testifying His Resurrection from the death The Angels began and they testified His Resurrection to the women The women testified it to the Disciples who were conuened at Hierusalem and namelie to Peter and Iohn Then MARIE came foorth the seconde time and shee meetes with the LORD Then there are other women who came foorth and meetes vvith the LORDE And after these women there comes other witnesses to vvit enemies who were sent to watch the graue by PILATE and the High Priestes and they witnessed That Hee was risen But they solde their tongues to the high Priestes and the IEVVES to make a lie and to affirme that the LORDES DISCIPLES had come in the night and stollen awaye His bodie vvhile they slept And after these vvitnesses yee hearde the last daye wee returned to other two vvitnesses vvho both vvere the Disciples of the LORDE the one is named CLEOPAS but the name of the other is not expressed These two euen in a manner despairing that euer they shoulde see the LORDE they depart out of Hierusalem where they were with the rest of the Disciples to a Village not farre off called EMMAVS and they were talking by the waye of the thinges which immediatlie had fallen out before The Lorde who sawe them and hearde them addresses Himselfe shortlie to them and goes with them as a passenger going out the waye
and Hee bindes vp their eyes so that they could not knowe nor discerne Him suppose they had followed Him and had beene with Him long time before Thus farre wee hearde the last daye Nowe wee followe out the rest of this Historie and in this Text which presentlie wee haue read wee haue the communication which was betwixt the Lorde and them while they vvent out the waye they knewe Him not and Hee makes Him not to knowe them so each one of them is a stranger to others The Lord beginnes the conference and Hee demaundes of them first What manner of communication it was that they had while as they were in the waye And next seeing their countenance sadde Hee demaundes of them Wherefore they were so sadde These are the two things which Hee demaunded of them Nowe to note something of them As they walked out the waye yee see they haue beene sadde and their speach and communication by appearance hath beene a monefull complaint which they made concerning CHRIST Not vaine and ydle talke nor rejoycing in the tidinges but all their talke and speach came from sadde and heauie heartes But whilest they are sadde the LORD comes to them and Hee comes to comfort them Well is that soule that is sadde and mournes for Christ and His Kirke for that soule shall get consolation out of Christes mouth But if where there is matter of mourning thou be merrie then the Lord will not come to comfort thee It is true these men were sadde for Christ without a cause for that was the moste joyefull daye that euer was and therefore they shoulde especiallie haue beene joyefull that daye yet suppose they were sadde without a cause the Lord comes comforts them No it is better thou bee sadde for Christ for a matter that is joyfull than to bee gladde in a sadde matter choose rather to bee sadde for Christ than to bee merrie or ouer wanton And if thou bee sadde albeit there be no matter the LORD will pittie thee but if thou laugh rejoyce and take thy pastime the LORDE will let thee laugh on for a time but He will leaue thee destitute of all consolation when thou hast neede of it I tell you this aye There is no matter of laughing in this miserable Lande it were better for vs to mourne and to bee sadde for sinne that wee might gette comfort from GOD. Nowe to come forwarde CHRIST perceiuing these men to bee sadde Hâ—e drawes neare vnto them and Hee askes the cause of their heauinesse and what mooued them to bee so sadde and Hee desires them to reueile their mone and care vnto Him Suppose Hee makes Himselfe vnknowne vnto them and speakes to them as though Hee had no care yet no question this is His vvill that they shoulde reueale the cause of their care and sadnesse vnto Him that they might finde comfort in Him Brethren are yee sinners are your heartes filled vvith care it is the will of thy GOD and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST that thou poure out thine heart to Him let Him see thy sadnes Mark this It is no small matter to knowe GODS will vvee are slowe and sloathfull to turne vs wee will consume our selues and pine awaye in our sorrowe and griefe ere wee make our complaint and mone vnto Him who onelie maye furnishe vs with consolation and Hee knowes vs well enough and therefore Hee awaites not till we first reueale our griefes vnto Him and poure them into His bosome but Hee prouokes vs first and Hee will enter in and seeke them out as yee will heare He sought them out of these men with great difficultie Come yee to mee sayes Christ Matth. 11.28 all yee that are wearie and I shall refrâ—sh you I here is His will If thou be wearied come to Him and get rest and ease to thy soule If thou goe not to Him thou shalt neuer get rest nor ease whether thy trouble bee within thee or without thee Yea not onelie by word inuites and prouokes Hee vs but also by His doing Hee drawes vs Ioh. Chap. 6. vers 44. there Hee sayes No man can come to mee except the Father drawe him It is His will that thou shouldest come vnto Him but if Hee put not out His hande and drawe thee thou vvilt neuer come to Him in all thy life time And therefore vvhensoeuer yee heare this voyce Sinner come vnto mee then saye this againe vnto the LORDE LORDE drawe mee put thine hande to mine heart and drawe mee or else J cannot come to thee No except the Lord put out His hand and draw thine heart to Him thou art not come All the Kinges in the worlde are not able to drawe a sinner except GOD onelie Nowe consider their answere and see this communing The one named Cleopas takes the speach in hand the other disciple is silent and he answeres the Lorde verie roughlie not knowing with whom hee had to doe thinking Him to haue beene a passenger and stranger walking out of the waye hee sayes vnto Him Art thou a stranger in Hierusalem and hast not knowne the thinges which haue fallen out within these fewe dayes In these wordes because hee tooke the Lorde to bee a stranger and passenger going out of the waye yee cannot blame him in making such an answere And as he tooke him to bee a stranger he answeres well for when such wonderfull workes fall out in anie Countreye it becomes no man to bee ignorant of the wonderfull workes of GOD and if euer there was a wonderfull worke that worke of the Crucifying of the Lorde was moste wonderfull And if thou bee ignorant of the wonderfull workes of GOD thou merites a rebuke And as Cleopas marueiled so will the godlie maruell at thee who canst neither bee seeing nor hearing nor consider the wonderfull workes of GOD. It is a wonder to see the illumination of a sinner and the conuersion of the heart of a man to GOD and to see a regenerate man yea the raising of a deade man to life is not so marueilous as is the quickening of thee who art deade in sinne and trespasses as the Apostle PAVLE sayes to the EPHES. Chap. 1. vers 21. And as the quikening and illumination of a sinner is a wonder so also the blinding of a sinner is a wonder Is it not marueilous that though thou crie to him as thou wilt and albeit heauen and earth shoulde goe together hee will neither heare nor see As the Lorde is more than wonderfull to his owne in mercie to cause them to heere and see thou wonderest liâ—tle at his mercie but all the Angels wonder at it euen so in blinding and hardening of the wicked the LORDE is wonderfull Sittest thou heere nowe and seest not nor hearest not the LORDE All the world maye wonder at thee So the LORDE maye bee vvondered at either in mercy to his own or in justice to the wicked as th'Apostle speaking in the eleuenth Chap. to the Romanes hee wonders at it and
from morning till euening we should vvonder at that God and his works at that mighty GOD whom the Prophet calles Deum admirabilem To goe forward The Lord who knew all things for all thinges are naked to His eyes He knew better what was done than Cleopas did yet Hee will not take vpon Him that Hee knevv He misknowes them and He askes What are these things Marke it Brethren Hee got a rough and sharpe answere before and yet Hee leaues not off Hee will not leaue them but Hee beares vvith their infirmities and novv Hee giues another pull to the heart deales againe vvith them that they should povvre out their sadnesse and griefe to Him No if thou pertainest to the Lorde Hee vvill not leaue thee for an hard meeting suppose thou dravvest abacke Hee vvill giue thee another pull Albeit wee be vnfaithfull sayes the Apostle yet the Lord abideth faithfull Change as thou wilt the Lord shall neuer change but remaine ay constant in mercie to His ovvne till they be perfected and crovvned vvith glorie Then Cleopas seeing him to bee troubled with a stranger at the last hee must tell the vvordes that he and his companion vvere speaking as they vvent on the way Marke this lesson Repine as thou vvilt when the Lord dravves thee at the last thou must yeeld But vvhat is the cause that any sinners vvill yeelde vvhen the Lord dravves Euen the secret operation of His Holy Spirit and if he that drew them by the vvorde had not a secret power and operation by His Spirit in their hearts they vvould neuer haue yeelded Albeit the LORD vvould prooue them by speech and language albeit Hee vvould exhort them admonish them threaten them yea and scourge them to come to Him and vvell is the soule albeit it be scourged yea if it vvere harled thorovv the middes of Hell if it were thorow neuer so great difficulties in the world if once it get grace to come to Him yet none outward thing will make vs to come to Him it is the inward draught of His Spirit that makes vs to come to Him and drawes vs by the eye by the eare and by the hand if He take vs not by the hand we can neuer come to Him It is saide in the 2. Chapter to the Romanes and the 4. verse Hee drawes the reprobate and calles them but all that calling is but outwarde Hee vvill scourge them and dravv them outwardly but Hee neuer puts the feeling of His holy Spirit in their heartes and so they can neuer come to Him therefore whē the Lord is outvvardly drawing and calling thee say alwayes this Lord draw thou mine heart inwardly by thine Holy Spirit or els it will bee long ere it come to thee if all the sicknesses all crosses troubles scourges judgements that can bee and all this preaching that I heare will neuer cause mee come to thee except thou draw mine heart Now to come to the vvords that Cleopas speakes there is none of them but they vvould be marked he beginnes and rehearses to Him the vvhole summe of these things that hee and his companion had bene speaking and he propones them summarily he sayes All the things we haue spoken was Concerning Iesus of Nazareth Alas fewe of vs take pleasure to talke of Him therefore when the Lord comes takes thee by the hand looke thou mayest say Lord I haue bene talking of thee in some measure for as sure as the Lord laid to His eare to heare what Cleopas and his companion talked as sure He layes to His eare to heare vvhat thou speakest Then vvhen he hath tolde the generall hee lets the stranger know what a man Iesus vvas and then he telles shortly what had befallen him these two dayes and after he speakes of the effects that it had wrought in his heart and in the heartes of His disciples to wit that He was no Redeemer This is the whole conference I shall goe thorovv this conference as God shall giue the grace and as time shall permit First in describing of Him hee calles Him Iesus of Nazareth That was the stile hee gaue Him Marke it The first thing that hee speakes to Him is an vntrueth he calles Him Iesus of Nazareth No doubt he thought He had beene borne at Nazareth suppose they had the Prophecie that Hee should be borne at Bethlehem in Iuda Micah Chapters verse 2. and that He vvas borne there The ground of this errour that vvas amongst the Iewes vvas because of Ioseph and Marie dwelt at Nazareth and Iesus was brought vp there with them that false rumor spred that Ioseph vvas His father and that He was borne there but He was not borne there I grant it is true that after His resurrection Peter in the Actes and the Apostles themselues called Him Iesus of Nazareth as Cleopas here calles Him Iesus of Nazareth Also Paul in the twentie sixe Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles and the ninth verse calles Him Iesus of Nazareth but neither Peter nor Paul spake this of ignorance as if Hee had bene borne there but because they to vvhome they spake knewe Him best vnder that name they submitted themselues to their capacitie But as for Cleopas he knevve no better for he thought indeede that Iesus had bene borne at Nazareth so the first word he speakes is plaine vntrueth so yee see what it is to judge vvith the multitude The Papists will send thee to beleeue that which the multitude beleeues and makes the multitude a token of the true Church but thou shalt be beguiled with the multitude and if thou follovvest them because they walke in the broad vvay thou shalt perish vvith them Next consider His description Hee calles Him Vir Propheta Indeede He failed not in this stile Hee was a man and was a man indeede blood and bone as we are yet there is a defect in this vvord Cleopas knewe no more but that He vvas a man hee knew not that He was GOD and man in one person It is true Peter in the 2. of the Actes calles Him Vir Propheta yet hee knew Hee was the Sonne of GOD blessed for euer so as in the first wordes there is an vntrueth so in the next wordes there is a defect I marke this to let you see the ignorance that was in them before the LORD ascended to the Heauen It was a wonder that they who walked so long with Him should haue beene so ignorant the third time he calles Him A Prophet Indeede He was such a Prophet as was neuer before nor after Him yet there is a fault here he giues Him the greatest stile he thought Hee had but Hee had farre greater stiles for Hee is not a Prophet onely but also a Mediatour King and High Priest Then hee comes on and hee telles what a Prophet Hee was saying that Hee was powerfull in word and deede Nowe would to GOD we could speake of Him in loue with this poore man
that had litle knowledge indeede in this stile hee would let vs see that there was neuer such an one in worde nor worke neuer one wrought such miracles as Hee did and neuer man spake as Hee did as His owne very enemies testified of Him Iohn Chapter 7. yet will yee measure it with the knowledge of the man there is a defect here also he thoght He had bene like the rest of the Prophets who prophecied not by their owne spirit but by the Spirit of IESVS yet was hee ignorant that IESVS spake and wrought all by His owne Spirit Why should vvee not knovve these thinges This is the difference betweene CHRIST and all the Prophets all these Prophets and Moyses himselfe were but seruants they spake neuer a vvord by their spirit but by the Spirit of CHRIST as Peter speakes in the first Epistle Spake Moses Esay or Ezechiell in their owne name Dare any Minister speake in his owne name No not vnder paine of his life but IESVS is called the LORD of the house In the Epistle to the Hebrewes the third Chapter Hee spake by His owne Spirit and these preachings were preached by His owne Spirit and He spake by His owne authoritie as yee may reade in the seuenth Chapter of Matthew An Herauld if Hee speakes in his name should be hanged but the King himselfe will speake in his owne name the LORD spake in His owne Name but the Prophets spake not in their owne name reade these Prophecies They say there Thus saith the LORD but ye shall finde thus when Christ comes Hee sayes Amen amen dico vobis Verilie verilie J say vnto you in mine owne Name and authoritie and not in my Fathers only This Cleopas knew not but counted Him a Prophet like others albeit more excellent than others Cleopas thought Hee was potent by the Spirit of GOD and so by another but hee knew not that He spake in His owne Name and by His owne authoritie beeing equall with the Father Nowe to be short hee sayes Hee was mightie before GOD and the whole people That is to say He had the approbation of the LORD from the Heauen and what euer He spake the LORD approoued it what euer Hee did His Father approoued it Then againe He did neuer an action but with the approbation of the people But it would be asked How approoued they Him seeing they persecuted Him scorned Him and crucified Him I answere Albeit that neither by word nor deede the Iewes nor the High Priestes had approoued Him yet the conscience of the same High Priests and Iewes approoued Him and bare witnesse to them that Hee was GOD so that sometimes they were compelled to say Neuer man spake as Hee did Iohn Chapter 6. verse 46. and sometimes againe since the world beganne was it not heard that anie man opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde Iohn Chapter 9. verse 32. So that all that they did to Him was against conscience I regarde not what thou doest to mee if thou be bound in conscience to testifie that that is true which I speake and that is good which I do for in that day thou who speakest against thy conscience shalt not haue one worde to speake thy conscience shall bind vp thy mouth so this is well said that Hee had the approbation both of GOD and man but hee thought Hee had this approbation as one of the Prophets suppose in a greater measure But looke the first Chapter to the Hebrewes and the fifth verse For vnto which of the Angels saide hee at anie time let bee Prophets Thou art my Sonne this daye haue I begotten thee Then hee knew not that he had that approbation of that God who dwelt in him God in him approoued him Roman Chap. 1. vers 4. it is saide Hee was declared mightilie to bee the Sonne of GOD. And 1. Timothie Chap. 3. vers 16. Hee was justified by the Spirite And againe it is saide Actes Chap. 2. vers 22. Jesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God among you with great workes and wonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you Cleopas knewe little of this Nowe Brethren wee haue examined his wordes and yee see heere a great ignorance In the first wordes an vntrueth and yee see in all the wordes following there is some want And to whome is it that hee preaches Hee preaches Christ to Christ and hee describes the Lorde to the Lorde and yet the Lorde heares him patientlie Yee will not beleeue how Hee vvill heare thy babbling if in thine heart thou haue a loue to GOD suppose thou babble Hee will heare thee and if thou speake vvith loue suppose thou canst not praye as other men and women can Babble on to Him and speake on with a good heart Hee vvill no more reject thee than Hee did Cleopas Hee is aye like to Himselfe For what is all our language to Him but a babbling yea all our knowledge is but babbling So suppose wee haue not knowledge nor a tongue to speake yet let vs not leaue off to speake in loue with our hearts and Hee shall heare vs and giue vs a comfortable answere Nowe I counted neuer so much of knowledge as of an heart which loueth God Keepe an heart to thy God come with faith and loue to thy God and thou wilt not thinke how Hee vvill delight in thee if vvee come vvith loue to the Lord then vvee come boldlie to the Throne of grace And vvhy Because vvee come not in our owne righteousnesse or in our owne perfection vvee appeare onelie in the merites of IESVS CHRIST And suppose thou babble and be ignorant yet if thou appeare in Him thou art full of knowledge for His knowledge the Lorde countes to bee thine O vvhat is it to bee in Christ Hee vvho hath Christ hath all though hee vvere neuer so vveake hee is strong in Him My power sayes the Lord is perfect in infirmitie And therefore sayes Paul I will glorie in my infirmitie that the power of God may be seene in mee 2. Cor. 12. Now a word and so I ende Cleopas beginnes to tell vvhat vvas befallen to such a personage vvho vvas mightie in vvord and deede yet for all this they handled Him most vnworthily of any man Our Priestes and rulers as PILATE first they condemned Him to the death without a cause and next they haue crucified Him if ye consider well the words yee vvill finde that Hee speakes to them with a vvonderfull indignation as if He had said albeit He was such a man and so great a man in all respects yet they condemned Him without a cause and then they crucified Him And vvhat indignitie vvas this for as the Apostle sayes Albeit He vvas the LORD of glorie yet most shamefully they crucified Him 1. Cor. Chapter second and the eight verse Well take vp this in His wordes What euer is done against Christ it is an indignitie if vve knew that Majestie wee offend
suppose thou beleeuedst not at the first and conceiuedst it not yet vvhen thou art at the brinke of desparation that shall holde thee aboue thou gettest further information Nowe goe to the rest Wee haue hearde this preaching of Cleopas to the passenger as he supposed Yee see he was carefull to teach Him and no question all that hee knew of Christ he tolde it Learne this lesson at Cleopas All that knowledge which thou hast of Christ tell it to another and if thou haue little tell it to him that hath nothing and it may be thou shalt get further information as Cleopas did for the stranger instructed him in all thinges Nowe CHRIST speakes and Hee sayes to him not letting him know that He was Christ O fooles Hee that Christ calles a foole is a foole indeede And if Hee call thee a foole thou art one And then Hee sayes Slowe of heart to beleeue concerning Christ the Messias Before I come to the words behold the clemencie mercie of the Lord These two men were rauing like fooles or as men in a feuer suppose they were His Disciples they vtter a plaine distrust and yet the Lord castes them not off Hee saw a little sparke in them Hee sawe a sponke of faith and Hee goes not to put it out So that it is true that is spoken of Him Esay Chap. 42. Hee neuer brake the bruised reede nor yet put out the smoaking slaxe but helde it in and quickened the sponkes thereof where hee founde it till it came to a perfection No Hee vvill neuer cast thee awaye for a little faith but Hee vvill entertaine it and of a sponke Hee vvill make a fire Yet to come to the wordes Hee sayes Fooles madde men vvithout anie minde And then Hee calles them dull hearted There are two thinges in man A minde to see and a vvill to embrace that which he seees As for their minde they vvere bereaued of mind as for their will they haue not a vvill nor an heart to embrace it So marke what misbeliefe is Alas it leaues not one part of the whole all the povvers of the soule are vitiate by misbeliefe Faith goes thorow all the powers of the soule it first stands in an illumination and sight of those things that concernes thy saluation it decernes of thinges heauenly and then goes downe to the heart and makes it to embrace IESVS CHRIST and His benefites euen these heauenly things that thou canst not see with the eyes of the bodie Infidelitie by the contrarie beginnes and blindes the minde of the infidell that hee sees not nor cannot see nor discerne of things heauenly and spirituall Albeit thou canst neuer discerne so vvell of policie as the Heathen could yet in heauenly things thou art but madde and out of their minds Christ would call thee vvood and madde Looke hovv Paul calles all the Philosophers 1. Rom. In a worde hee calles them fooles and then infidelitie goes from the minde and filles the heart and makes the heart astonied if thou be an Infidell thou art dull and senselesse thou mayest lay holde on the worlde but if thou gettest no better thou shalt die in thy dulnesse and senslessenesse So wouldest thou knowe whether thou art quicke or not and of a good conceiuing Trie not thy selfe by earthly things and say not I vnderstand the writing of this man or that man but if thou wouldest know whether thou werest not dull senslesse or not looke if thou seest any thing in Heauen and heauenly things and then thou art not dull and senslesse but if thou feelest not heauenly thinges albeit thou werest a King goe thy way thou art but a dull and senslesse creature the Asse or the Dogge is better than thou there the stile Hee giues them wood men and madde men without a minde These men that can compasse these thinges in the worlde thinke themselues quicke but I saye to thee in the Name of this IESVS if thou knowest not CHRIST and heauenly thinges thou art but a dull and senslesse man and seest not nor vnderstandest no more than an Asse Marke euery word that He speakes whilst He calles them slow to beleeue all that the Prophets had spoken He castes the Prophets in their teeth He calles them slow to beleeue not this thing or that thing not this man or that man but that which the Prophets had spoken It is euill not to beleeue any that speakes the trueth but it is worse not to beleeue a Prophet Any man that is sent or called of God if thou beleeuest Him not that same calling of the man augments thy judgement looke to it If ye beleeue not a man that is called that calling of his shall augment thy judgement Then Hee sayes Beleeue yee not the thinges that they haue spoken to you hearest thou many thinges and is this vvorde oft beaten in thine eares and hearest thou this daye the morne and other morne and yet wilt thou not beleeue the more heauie is thy judgement the more thou hearest if thou purposest not to beleeue the greater is thy judgement I giue thee my counsell if thou purposest not to beleeue heare not a preaching for all the preachings that thou hast heard shal aggrauate thy judgment a thousand times heauier shall thy judgement be better that thou hadst heard neuer a preaching except thou purpose to beleeue Marke this He vses a sharp forme of rebuke before He teach them He telles them not vvhat Hee vvas Hee makes as though Hee vvere a stranger and yet He calles them fooles and slovve to beleeue Take heede to this yee that vvill not suffer your selues to bee called foolish and vvill not suffer your heart to be launced but ay vvouldest haue good vvordes and that vvill not heare your selues to be called fooles there is the vvay to grace there is the order of teaching and hearing and if thou teachest call a foole foole albeit hee weâ—e a King call him madde or els thou vvilt beguile him call a slow hearted bodie foolish that is the only vvay to come to light and knovvledge Thou that vvouldest preach must doe this and thou that art an hearer First thou must get a sense of thy miserie and that thou art but foolish as euer thou vvouldest see Christ striue to get a sight of the blindnesse of thy soule and the hardnesse of thine heart and if thou seest thy blindnesse and miserie then thy desire will be vvakened and thou vvouldest giue ten thousand Kingdomes to be out of that damnable estate Now I shall bee short When Hâ—e hath begunne thus roughly vvith them and hath prepared their heartes to heare then Hee beginnes to teach Why should I call thee a foole and an hard hearted bodie except it be to teach thee So Hee beginnes and teaches them a faire preaching and no doubt Hee made a large discourse but heere it is summarilie gathered vp Hee layes downe His proposition It behooued him to suffer and to enter into
his glorie There is the necessitie It behooued that the Lorde Iesus by manie and sore sufferings shoulde enter into His glorie Marke this vvho can tell it clearer than Hee Himselfe tolde it So I will tell it againe Iesus by His suffering behoâ—ued to enter into His glorie IESVS CHRIST once leauing His glorie got no entrie againe into it till Hee was so inanited as neuer creature was The LORDE putteth to a necessitie of suffering saying Jt behooued him to suffer and so saye I There was such a necessitie layed vpon Him that Hee behooued to suffer and all the vvorlde coulde not saue Him from it beeing once come downe into this vvorlde Therefore the LORDE by His Prophets had fore-tolde this necessitie That hee shoulde suffer death and therefore seeing Hee fore-telles it it behooued him to suffer All the vvorlde shall not bring it backe againe The Lorde as Hee had fore-tolde it so Hee had ordained it from all eternitie Wilt thou call backe againe that that the LORDE hath decreede Thou mayest reduce the decreet of man but all the world cannot reduce the decreet of GOD. These are the causes of His suffering but I shall come to a lower and a subordinate cause I saye to thee thy sinne made this necessitie The LORDE taking vpon Him the burthen of thy sinne and becomming Mediator that immaculate Lambe that had no sinne neither in bodie nor in soule Hee taking once the burthen of our sinne vpon Him Hee was in a manner holden out of Heauen for a time and Hee was made accursed and therfore before He suffered for sinne He could not get entrie into Heauen for wheresoeuer sinne is there is death bee it inherent within thee if thou get not one to die for thee thou must die for this is plaine talke but would to God it were vvell learned death must euer followe sinne if thou laye it not on Him and Hee die not for thee thou shalt die for euer Thou makest but a pastime of harlotrie and murther and theft but I say There is no satisfaction of thy harlotrie and murther but death I saye to thee harlot thou art dead murtherer thou art but dead albeit thou be a lord I tell thee thou art but dead if thou get no reliefe in the Mediator without satisfaction for thy sins thou shalt neuer see HeaueÌ„ Christ saw not HeaueÌ„ after He tooke on our sin till He was dead and offeâ—ed His blood The high Priest durst not enter into Sanctum sanctorum without a basen full of blood vnder paine of death Euen so Christ entered not into heauen but with his owne blood And if thy sinne helde an innocent out of heauen O miserable bodie thinkest thou that thou who art altogether defiled canst come to heauen Nothing can enter there that is defiled Murtherer thou shalt neuer see heauen except thou goe to Iesus and laye on the burthen of thy sinne vpon him and saye Lord take this burthen from mee and if thou canst saye this from thine heart he will take it from thee Now Brethren a question would be asked If Iesus hath died for thy sinnes and mine that we might get an entrie Thou mayest say to mee What to doe haue I to suffer seeing the Lorde hath prepared the way What to doe haue I to suffer in soule or body or why shoulde I bee afflicted seeing the Lorde hath made the way patent I will not answere with the Papistes for they will saye Thou must paye one part but I saye to thee in despite of thine heart if thou paye anie part thou must paye the whole But I answere All these sufferinges is no satisfaction to bring thee to Heauen Then thou wilt saye Why should I suffer if it helpe not to bring me to HeaueÌ„ I answere All the afflictions which are laide on thee are laide on thee for the slaughter of the remaining corruption feelest thou not a remaining corruption within thee All th'afflictioÌ„s which are laid on thee as sicknesse want of goods losse of friendes c. all is laid on thee to slaye that remaining corruption Brethren I will tell you plainlie The death of Iesus and His suffering is the only meane to enter into Heauen in despite of all the Papistes Againe I saye Looke what neede wee haue of His death wee haue as much need of affliction in our owne persons to slaye that sin which remaines in vs Suppose there be manie wayes to slay sinne yet except thou be chastised and vexed with affliction outwardly and inwardly as it pleases the Lord to laye it on thee thou shalt neuer see Heauen So cast thee not to sleepe but make thee for affliction and trouble to mortifie thy sinne or else thou shalt neuer see Heauen And vvell is thee that art afflicted and made like Christ by thine afflictions What wordes can be tâ—uer than the words of Paul and Barnabas Act. 14. It behooueth you to enter into heauen by manie tribulations The Apostle sayes there is a necessitie And againe he sayes Heb. 12.14 without holinesse affliction brings holinesse no man shall see the Lord. Well thou that delitest to polâ—ute thy body I tell thee if thou be not holie thou shalt neuer see God And I saye more Without affliction either in soule or bodie thou shalt neuer bee holy Thou that sleepest securely and hast mind of nothing but thy dinner and thy supper good chiere and good companie I tell thee once twise yea thrise thou shalt neuer be holy and thou shalt neuer come to Heauen and if thou sleepest on in this estate thou art not one of His compt Booke Let him or her who is afflicted thanke God and take it out of His hand and saye The Lord hath sent it to sanctifie me Lord giue me thy Spirit that I may bee holy that I may see thy blessed face one day to my euerlasting joye in Iesus To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be glory for euermore Amen THE XXXIX LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 27 And he beganne at Moses and at all the Prophets and interpreted vnto them in all the Scriptures the thinges which were written of him verse 28 And they drewe neare vnto the towne which they went to but hee made as though he would haue gone further verse 29 But they constrained him saying Abide with vs for it is towardes night and the day is farre spent So he went in to tarrie with them verse 30 And it came to passe as hee sate at table with them hee tooke the bread and blessed and brake it and gaue it to them verse 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew him and hee was no more seene of them verse 32 And they saide betweene themselues Did not our heartes burne within vs while he talked with vs by the way and when hee opened to vs the Scriptures WEE insist yet Beloued in Christ in this part of Historie concerning the two Disciples of CHRIST who in the
daye of His resurrection vvent out to HIERVSALEM to a Village neare by called Emmaus We heard these dayes past what Cleopas one of the two spake by the waye to Christ whome hee tooke to be a passenger because his eyes were bounde vp that hee could not see Him nor discerne Him neither by His voyce nor by His face All his speach tēdes to this Our hope is gone we thought Iesus should haue beene the Redeemer but He is dead and continues vnder death Wee entered in the answere which Iesus makes speaking to Him like a passenger The first entrie is rough lāguage O fooles sayes Hee and dull of heart to beleeue all that the Prophets had spoken of Iesus An hard entrie Thereafter He begins to instruct them and to teach them The chiefe poinct of doctrine is first laid downe in these wordes Jt behooued that CHRJST shoulde suffer and by suffering enter into his glorie Of this which wee hearde the last daye I repeate nothing In this TEXT as GOD shall giue vs grace and as time shall suffer wee haue the confirmation of this doctrine Hee prooues this necessitie that hee behooued to suffer by manie testimonies And then in the seconde wee haue howe Hee manifested Himselfe and howe their eyes were opened and howe Hee let them see that Hee was Christ And in the thirde parte wee haue the effectes which it vvrought in them after that they knewe Him to bee their Lorde and Master Then to beginne at the first To prooue that Christ suffered and so entered into His glorie Hee searches the Scriptures Hee beginnes at Moses and from Moses hee comes to the Prophets interpreting vnto them what Moses and the Prophets had spoken concerning CHRIST interpreting that which concerned His Passion and that vvhich concerned His glorie after His Passion The matter is set downe summarilie Heere no Scriptures are expressed neither such as vvere taken out of MOSES or the PROPHETS but summarilie it is saide That Hee prooued all out of MOSES and the PROPHETS There Hee alleadged not a bare testimonie but Hee declared and expounded euerie one of the Testimonies to these two Disciples And then vvhen Hee hath interpreted them Hee gathered the conclusion That it behooued himselfe to suffer Now Brethren we see in this place what the preaching of the Gospell is in effect it is none other thing but the declaration of Moses the Prophets Christ preaches here the Gospell to them and yet He does nothing but interpretes Moses and the Prophets So the preaching of the Gospell is nothing but the exponing of Moses and the Prophets and this Euangell is a plaine commentarie of the Text of Moses Moses wrote not one thing and the Apostles another but Moses wrote the same thing that the Apostles wrote only this is the difference Moses wrote obscurely the Apostles more clearly Then marke well this They that are preachers of the Gospell separate neuer the interpretation of the Gospell from the Text of Moses and the Prophets Some fantastick braines haue thought the Olde Testament not needfull since the Gospell was written but all is vanitie Christ teached not that way yee see Christ takes His Text out of Moses and interpretes Moses and the Prophetes and the Apostles wrote nothing of Christ but that which they grounded vpon Moses and as for vs wee should speake nothing but that vvhich vvee ground vpon the writtings of the Apostles and next wee ground our preachings vpon the Prophets and thirdly vpon Moses that is a ground that is a sure ground and all the world cannot cast it downe that doctrine which is grounded vpon the Apostles the Prophets and Moses it is good but if it bee not grounded vpon these three I will not giue thee one pennie for it Secondly ye see all the interpretation of Moses is concerning Christ and what befell Him His suffering and His glory after His passion there is the chiefe corner stone whereupon our Faith is builded and whereupon our Faith is grounded and whereupon the doctrine of Moses the Prophets and the Apostles is builded the corner stone Christ and therefore sayes the Apostle beeing grounded vpon the foundation of the Prophets and the lowest stone Christ and in the first Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 3. verse 10. He sayes No man can lay another ground but that which is laide alreadie Iesus is the foundation and ground of all true doctrine and veritie Paul Rom. 10. calles Him the end of the Law in Him is all the Law fulfilled and Hee put an end to all these types and shadowes in the Lawe So there is the chiefe ground of our doctrine Iesus Christ the lowest stone vpon Him is grounded the doctrine of Moses the Prophets and the Apostles and we builde our doctrine vpon Him I goe forward This for the first head now followes the second part of the Text how Hee beginnes to manifest Him for as yet they thought Him to be but a passenger yet a gracious man and blessed passenger as yee will heare they were loth to depart from Him it is saide When they draw neare to Emmaus in a towne where they thought to lodge all night the Lord makes as though He would haue gone further the wordes are He faines as though He were to goe further that village was not the end of His journey the words giue occasion of a question Thought the LORD one thing and spake He another to speake one thing and to thinke another is a plaine lie I will not insist in this matter the purpose of the Lord at this time was to enter into the village towne with them and sit at Table with them vpon this condition that they should bee earnest with Him vrge Him and in a manner constraine Him but this failing was in them they not beeing earnest Hee purposed to leaue them and to goe further then when it comes to the doing and executing of His purpose when He said Hee vvould goe further He lied not for He purposed so to doe if they had not beene earnest with Him and caused Him to abide Then wherein can it be said that He vsed simulation except in this that Hee shew not them that if they were earnest with Him He would abide No if thou wouldest haue Him to stay with thee thou must be earnest to seeke Him and constraine Him in a manner I might let you see examples both in God and godly men that haue shewed a part of their purpose and kept the rest to themselues God said to Moses I will slay this people and none of them shall escape Hee kept vp this except thou interceede And againe Hee sayes Yet fourtie dayes and then Niniue shall be destroyed Lied the Lord Not albeit He kept vp a part of His purpose except they had repented for if they had not repented He had destroyed them So the Lord bids Samuel conceale His purpose in annoynting Dauid 1. Sam. 6.16 This onely is our lesson Bee not curious
preaching No not an Angell hath power to set thine heart on fire So thou that hast this burning thou mayest saye that the Lorde Iesus is present in thine heart But marke this We see in these men that our eyes are so blind that we cannot discerne the Lord so long as we liue here we cannot get full sight but we are in a strife if the heart shall say The Lord is here the flesh will say He is not here so that we hing here betwixt hope and despaire But when Hee once manifestes Himselfe in glorie then that burning which we felt in this life that sense which we then felt shall bee brought to our remembrance Thinke not that thou shalt loose that sense No Thou shalt take it vp with thee to the Heauen and we shall say one to another Remember yee not what burning wee had when wee spake and hearde of CHRIST in the earth Then it behooued this LORDE to haue beene then with vs in the earth So the remembrance of that joye which thou felt in the vvorlde shall bee a part of thy joye which thou shalt haue in the Heauens in the life to come Therefore get much joye here and laye it vp in store in thine heart goe on in feeling and I promise thee in the Name of GOD it shall neuer depart but it shall euer augment and enlarge thy joye and glorie in the life to come No as the worde of GOD which is the immortall seede of GOD euanishes not so neither shall the effect of the worde euer euanish Then euer striue to get a sense of the working of this worde in thine heart Nowe a worde and so I shall ende Yee woulde thinke this a sober conclusion As wee walked by the waye when hee spâ—â—e to vs our hearts burned therefore it was he that spake with vs So they concluded that it must bee his Spirit onelie which settes the heart on fire May we not in like manner conclude At the preaching of Paule the Spirite settes the heart on fire therefore Paul is Christ This is a false conclusion And I answere to this That if these men had felt no more but a common feeling in an ordinarie measure their argument had not beene good But they had another feeling than can be at the preaching of a man for no doubt vvith the vvorde Hee sent His Spirite to vvorke in them extraordinarilie And I put it out of question They had such a vvonderfull feeling as they coulde neuer haue had at the preaching of anie man vvhosoeuer So their conclusion is sure Seeing as Hee spake Hee breathed His Spirite vpon vs Hee must bee CHRIST It is a vvonder of them vvho haue gotten GODS SPIRITE howe they vvill discerne of GODS SPIRITE in others And manie are beguiled for fault of this SPIRITE There is verie much spoken of our feeling at the PREACHING And vvhat serues all They call it a fire for the Spirite which raises that feeling is like a fire and therefore He is compared to a fire Matth. 3.11 And a fire hath euer an vp-burning and if thou haue true feeling thine heart shall bee set on fire that fire is mightie will burne vp the drosse of thy saluation which is in thy foule heart No speake not of feeling except thou be regenerate Thou that art an Harlot speake not of feeling except thou feele it burne vp thine harlotrie And thou that art a murtherer saye not that thou hast a feeling and if it burne not vp thy bloodie heart So I charge thee before God heare not one worde except thou findest that Spirit to burne vp thy corruption thou tellest mee that thou feelest and yet thou remainest an harlot fye vpon thine harlotrie let not that word come out of thy mouth Againe as the fire of Gods Spirit burnes vp the drosse of thy corruption so it will inflame thy loue to God it will inflame thine heart and all the power of the soule to the loue of GOD and righteousnesse so that it vvill binde thine heart to God as the Apostle sayes The loue of God constraineth me so that thou wouldest bee content to die to liue with Him and to pleasure Him thou wouldest not care to liue or to die and what more as a fire is nourished with some matter that is meete for burning so this fire once kindled in our soules is nourished and fed by the continuall presence of GOD in IESVS CHRIST and that precious oyle of the Holy Spirit Further a flame tendes alwayes vpward and it will lift an heauie thing that falles downe vpon it ye see a traine of powder will blow vp an house Wee are heauie by nature and loadned with sinne yet that fire of loue will raise thee vp and place thee with the Lord whom thou louest and thine heart will bee lifted vp to Him There is neuer one that loues IESVS in the Earth but they are dwelling with Him in the Heauen and shall enjoy that presence euerlastingly So yee see what it is to haue the heart set on fire till we meete with our LORD and then our heartes shall haue the full fruition of His presence for euer To this IESVS with the Father and Holy Spirit be glorie for euermore AMEN THE XL. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 13 And they went and tolde it to the remnant neither beleeued they them verse 14 Finally hee appeared vnto the eleuen as they sate together and reproched them for their vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart because they beleeued not them which had seene Him beeing risen vp againe LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 33 And they rose up the same houre and returned to Ierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and them that were with them verse 34 Which saide The Lord is risen indeede and hath appeared to Simon verse 35 Then they tolde what things were done in the way and how Hee was knowen of them in breaking of bread verse 36 And as they spake these things Iesus Himselfe stood in the middes of them and said vnto them Peace be to you IHON CHAP. XX. verse 19 The same day then at night which was the first day of the weeke and when the doores were shut where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stood in the middes and said to them Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard Beloued in Christ these dayes past of the conference which was betwixt Christ and these two Disciples who were going to Emmaus Christ reproued theÌ„ sharplie because they thought that Christ being crucified all hope of Redemption was past Next He instructed them affirming that it behooued Him to suffer and by suffering to enter into His glorie This His doctrine which Hee prooued by manie Testimonies of Scripture beginning at Moses and from Moses Hee comes to the Prophets interpreting vnto them what they had spoken concerning Christ concerning His Passion and concerning His glorie after His Passion for the preaching of
so receiue mutuall comfort or if others speake nor to them at least this fall out that of their owne message and of that speach that they vtter of IESVS CHRIST they will find their joye to encrease more and more to abounde so that it falles out that their preaching is not onelie powerfull and comfortable to the soules of others but euen to themselues when they preach to others they preach to themselues If thou hast gotten a spiritual grace or comfort to thy soule bee carefull to communicate it vnto others for by so doing thou shalt find thy grace and joye to encrease feare not that by communicating of thy grace it shall bee empaired for these spirituall graces are not like worldlie benefites whereof the more thou giuest to others there is the lesse behinde but the more thou giuest of these spirituall graces vnto others the more thou hast behinde to thy selfe the more shall they encrease For to him that hath it shall bee giuen and hee shall haue abundance Matth. Chap. 25.29 But it vvoulde bee marked Albeit these two Disciples finde themselues to bee preuented by the eleuen who were telling that same thing that they came to tell them yet they are not so silent nor conceale not the thinges vvhich they had hearde and seene but it is saide that they also tolde what thinges were done in the waye and howe CHRIST was knowne of them in breaking of bread and so they goe about to confirme the APOSTLES in that which they themselues were telling of the Resurrection of CHRIST Nowe a question may bee mooued heere Howe is it that LVKE sayes that vvhen the two Disciples came of purpose to tell the eleuen what had befallen to them in the waye and vvhat they had hearde and seene concerning IESVS the eleuen preuentes the two and telles them that IESVS was risen and had appeared to Peter seeing MARKE speaking of this same matter sayes that when these two went and tolde Christes appearing to them to the remnant that they beleeued Howe agree these two together To this I answere First That when LVKE sayes that they tolde the two Disciples that the Lorde was risen indeede and that hee had appeared to Simon Peter hee meanes that there was a number among them who beleeued and that which was proper to some hee ascribes it indefinitelie to the whole And on the other part when MARKE sayes they beleeued not it is to bee vnderstoode that there vvere certaine of them vvho beleeued not And so both the EVANGELISTES according to the accustomed forme of speaking in the Scripture attribute that indefinitelie to the whole which was proper to a part Next I answere When Marke sayes they beleeued not he speakes of a full and perfect Faith that was free of all doubting wauering and vnconstancie but Luke speakes of a begunne Faith which in the meane time wantes not the owne doubting for wee may perceiue in the Historie that sundrie times after this they were in doubt as yee see hereafter in the 41â— verse of this Chapter where it is said that after Hee had shewed them His hands and His feete they beleeued not their heartes were not constantly settled with an assurance of His resurrection Novv in the next part of our Text vve haue set dovvne another appearing of Christ after His resurrection which falles out in this same very time when these two disciples were talking with the eleuen this is His first apparition we haue heard of foure alreadie His first appearing was to Marie Magdalene the second was to certain other women the third was to y e two disciples who were going to Emmaus the fourth was to Peter which we shewed you before Luke touched in a worde verse 34. Now in this His fift appearing He appeares vnto the disciples beeing assembled together The three Euangelists Marke Luke Iohn set downe particularly the circumstances of their assembling meeting together which circumstances would be well considered because they serue for the clearing of the Historie the first circumstance is of the persons that were conueened who and how many they were Marke sayes that He appeared vnto the eleuen yet we must vnderstand by the Historie y t followes in Iohn that Thomas was not present at this meeting but here he giues y e name of the whole to y e most part after Iudas death they were commonly called the eleuen Iohn sayes generally indefinitely That the disciples were assembled Of this circumstance we marke The disciples of the Lord for the most part euer vsed to meete and assemble together they assembled together before His Passion they assembled together euen in the verie time of His Passion and hanging on the Crosse for it is saide in the 23. Chapter of Luke and the 49. verse And all His acquaintance stood afarre off and the women that followed Him from Galile beholding these things and now they assembled together after His Passion So yee may see They who are Christes are euer going about to meet to holde themselues together that they may speake conferre of all thinges that fall out concerning Christ and the estate of His Church whether they be joyfull and comfortable or sad sorrowfull that they may edifie further one another mutually in the course of their saluation that they may be joyned together and make vp and compleete one body And why not For as there is one GOD the Father one head the LORD Iesus one Spirit one Faith one Baptisme one hope of vocation so there should bee but one body the members whereof should endeuoure to entertaine loue and vnitie amongst themselues Ephes Chapter 4 verses 3 4 5 6. This meeting together of the members of the body of Christ and their mutuall conference brings with it an exceeding great consolation and joy for the Lord hath promised to send that Comforter the Holy Spirit to these meetings of the Sainctes and Christ sayes in the 18. Chapter of Matthew and the 20. verse Where two or three is gathered together in my Name there will I be in the middes of them If thou despisest these holy meetings and disdainest thou the holy conference I denounce to thee in the Name of Christ thou shalt neuer finde a solide joy or consolation manie there are who contemne the meetings of the faithfull and the assemblies of the Sainctes and disdaine the meanes of grace godly speeches and conferences and yet will dreame to themselues that the Holy Spirit vvill dvvell in their soules and that they will finde joy and consolation but the end will prooue that their corrupt and false hearts haue deceiued them Nowe I come to the second circumstance which is concerning their exercise in that meeting What were they doing Marke sayes They sate together Luke sayes They were speaking of these things that they had heard by the report of sundrie persons concerning the Lords Resurrection so ye see their exercise was holy their conference was spirituall
this was a very good preparation going before the Lords comming appearing to them yea no question it was wrought by the force and power of the Lord Himselfe when He was approaching and drawing neare to them for when the Lord is drawing neare approaching to vs then that Holy Spirit who dwelles in our heartes beginnes to moue and vtter Himselfe He wakens vp joy in our heartes Hee opens our mouth to speake with freedome and libertie and to entertaine purpose of spirituall and heauenlie thinges for that Spirit in our soules hath a forecast and feeling before hand of the LORDS comming this is it that shall mooue the godly in that great day when they shall see the tokens of the comming of the LORD to looke vp and lift vp their heades knowing that their redemption dravves neare Luke 21.28 for except the Lord did send before a ligt to shine in their soules as a messenger going before Him to tell Him that the Lorde is comming they would neuer lift vp their heads and therefore when the Lord commands His disciples to looke vp and to lift vp their heades before His comming it is as much as if He had saide to them that Hee will furnish them strength at His comming to lift vp their heades and to be waiting for Him Nowe followes the third circumstance concerning the time of this meeting Iohn in setting it downe is more particular than any of the rest of the Euangelists He sayes It was the same day at night which was the first day of the weeke That is it was the same day that He rose which for that same cause is called the Lords day and it was in the Euening after Sunne-setting when it began to be darke night for it was after the returning of the disciples from Emmaus and they returned not to Ierusalem vntill it was very late for wee heard before it was towards night when they desired the Lorde to stay with them and they returned from Emmaus to Ierusalem after the Lord had stayed some space with them and had eaten and manifested Himselfe to them in the breaking of bread Luke 24.29.30 Iohn telles the cause why they assembled in the night rather than in the daye For feare of the Iewes who as they were malicious against the Lord Himselfe so would they haue vttered their malice against His disciples and all them that loued Him so they make a choyse of a time that was least dangerous for Brethren it is the Lordes will that His children make a choyse of the time that is most conuenient which may serue most for their safetie in their assemblies and meetings it makes not at what times meetings be kept whether in the daye or in the night if so be that they who assemble and meete together be holy for all times are sanctified to the faithfull and them who are holie themselues for it is true that Paul sayes To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 Likewise Christ Himselfe shewes His presence to His own indifferently at any time when they are met together whether it be day or night it is not these outward things that Christ chiefly respects neither the time nor the place nor no such outward circumstaÌ„ce but Christ lookes chiefly to the persons that meete together to their disposition whether they be holy or not the outward things sanctifie not the person but the person sanctifies the outward things manie thinke thâ—t if they come to the Church on the Lordes daye because both time and place is holy that they are holy enough but if thou hast no holinesse in thine heart all thinges are polluted vnto thee the time is polluted the place is polluted the exercise of the word is polluted For vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing nothing is pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled Tit. 1.16 The last circumstance is of the place The Euangelists make no particular mention of a speciall place wherein they did meet only Iohn markes That the doores were shut and therefore that they kept themselues close and quiet and in this their meeting exercise they were secret so that the Iewes knew not either where they were or what they were doing Iohn sayes it was for feare of the Iewes that the doores were shut As they had holy wisdome in choosing of the time so they had holy wisdome in choosing of the place God will haue His children to be wise in all things and when Christ sendes out His Apostles He exhortes them To be wise as serpents Matth. 10.16 The faithfull are compassed about with many perills and dangers on all sides which hardly they will eschew except they haue holy wisdome Now it was not only the feare of danger from the Iewes that made them shut the doores but likewise that they might be secret for when the Sainctes are exercised in godly conference and in spirituall and heauenly exercises and when they are handling secret and hid mysteries of saluation then they should bee separated from the worlde and from the societie of prophane men prophane men should be debarred from such holy exercises and from the meetings of the Sainctes and one day they shall be fully debarred and put out of their companie for when they shall be gathered vnto the Lorde Iesus to enjoy His glorious presence in the Heauens the wicked shall get none entrance there to trouble them any more with their prophanitie Thus farre wee haue spoken shortly of the circumstances of the disciples meeting Now it followes we should speake of the appearing it selfe Whilst the disciples thus gathered were speaking one to another of the Resurrection of Christ in the meane time Iesus himselfe comes stands vp in the mids of them He presentes Himselfe to them when the doore were shut after an extraordinarie manner a marueilous manner and verie suddenly for a glorified bodie hath a very swift and speedie motion Iohn lets vs see that His appearing and comming to the house to them was miraculous for hee sayes Hee came when the doores were shut but the particular â—â—nner of His entering in by what way Hee came into the house is not expresselie set downe by anie of the Euangelists and therefore sundrie men haue sundry opinions of the manner of His comming in euerie one farre different from another First The Papistes affirme That the bodie of our Sauiour pearced thorow the doore the substance and bodie of the doore remaining whole vnbroken vnaltered in anie part so that both the bodie of the LORDE and the bodie of the doore at one time vvere in one place And this they affirme that they may haue some appearance of a grounde to establishe that vaine and foolishe dreame and fantasie of the bodily and locall presence of the bodie of our Lorde in the Sacrament of the Supper Of the which doctrine of necessitie it must follow That one and that selfe same bodie may be in manie places at one time for
the eye of the soule for the eye of our soule is but bleered there vvas neuer such a bleered eye in the body as in the soule the fault then is in the canker and vile disposition of the soule of man This is their change at the sight of Christ they are blinded in minde and troubled in heart What does the Lorde Le ts Hee them be le ts Hee them ly in that blindnesse and terrour No He departs not but trauells to change them ouer againe in mind heart and affection it is the worde of Iesus onely that is able to alter and change the heart of man and that euill disposition and blindnesse which is there when all the affections of the heart are out of order it is the worde of Christ onely that hath povver to change them all the Angells in Heauen and all the men in the Earth vvill not bee able to put thine heart in order if it bee troubled Therefore he or she that hath blind terrours let them resort to the hearing of the word of God I saye to thee if thou disdainest this worde and if thou seekest to this man or seekest to that man or seekest to Angels thou shalt neuer get rest nor reliefe in thy trouble So it is the word of Iesus Christ that must giue light and consolation But what sort of word must this be Must it be a soft a gentle and calme vvord to the eare No vvhen the minde hath blinded it selfe and vvhen the affections are out of order shee must bee tamed the affections are hammered and throwne downe because the pride of the soule reaches vp to Heauen to reason against God 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 10. verse 4 5. Therefore she must be subdued by sharpe threatning and sad speeches to hammer her downe So the Lord sayes Why are yee troubled Why let yee vaine fantasies arise in your heartes No doubt these words had power to represse and hammer dovvne the misordered vanities in their heartes then the disordered affections must be compelled to bee in order not by faire vvords but by threatning and saying away to your order they must bee beaten and strucken downe Let no man deceiue himselfe thinking that he should alwayes heare soft and gentle words No that vvill neuer make a change in the soule Come to the words Wherefore doe doubts arise in your heartes In the vvordes the Lord lets you see how the minde blindes her selfe when a spirituall object is set before it the vvord Ascending that is vsed lets vs see that first of all a small cogitation enters in and then it growes to a mountaine When she sees an heauenly object God or the word or Christ in the which God or Christ is seene assoone as this heauenly object is laid before the eye of the minde she begins to reason she gets not the blenck so soone but assoone she reasones and the discourse arises vp like a mountaine so that the light of the Spirit shall bee taken out of her eye and shall make such conclusions that shall rise vp and stand like mountaines and blinde her and if shee hath any sight pull it out of her as yee see sometimes when the Sunne vvill be shining bright vvithin a short time a cloude vvill arise from belovv and vvill take away the light of the Sunne Euen so from the reason of man arise doubtes like a foome all thy reason is but stinking foome and it will stand vp like a foule blacke smooke betvvixt thee and God Rom. 1.21 Reade yee not what the Apostle sayes The Gentiles and Philosophers beginning at reason put out the blencke that they had of God and in their wisdome they became madde fooles This day the Papists and their Doctours haue blinded themselues vvith vaine Philosophie and vvith their thornie questions they haue drowned Christ and so obscured Him that Hee could not bee seene to the worlde and they drowne themselues in their ovvne dung Let all men then take this lesson When the vvorde of the LORD is offered to thee Bee not too curious Bevvare of thy learning beware of thy reasoning leane not too much to it that it stand not vp betweene thee and GOD and blinde thee let not cogitations arise When it comes to the Scripture reason Why not but with sobernesse with a soule desirous to learne with prayer with calling on that Spirit No light in that word but by that Spirit of light who dited the Scriptures If thou gettest that Spirit then light shall be offered and giuen to thee but if thou vanishest in thy minde and followest thy wit except thou castest away thy reasoning reade not one worde I forbid thee to reade one worde of the Scriptures lest thou aggreadge thy damnation Now I goe forward When thus way by checking Hee hath beaten downe the imaginations reasonings and cogitations that sublimely rose out of the minde and when by an angrie worde Hee hath beaten downe the affections which were out of order nowe in gentlenesse Hee beginnes to teach and instruct them and He teaches them two things First that He is a bodie Secondly that He is not a Spirit and that He is that same CHRIST that same man that same bodie and none other that before His Passion haunted with them teached them and wrought miracles in their presence Hee teaches them by a familiar argument First by the sight Beholde sayes He mine hands and my feete He holdes vp His handes not His handes onely but also the markes of the wounds of His hands He lets them see His feete and the print of the nailes Next Handle Mee sayes He if ye will not see feele What better argument would yee haue than to feele flesh blood and bones Next Hee prooues that Hee was no Spirit but a man with the body of a man A spirit or an Angell hath not body flesh and bones but so it is I haue them Ergo I am no spirit This is a sensible argument and see how Hee dimittes that glorious body to their eyes and to their hands to bee seene to bee touched that He might make them to beleeue albeit Faith be a spirituall worke in the soule yet it is wrought and confirmed in the soule by the eye by sight by the hand by touching This place lets vs see how damnable is the doctrine of the Papistes who would haue vs to beleeue that in the Supper of IESVS CHRIST there is a locall and bodily presence of CHRISTS body and that the whole bodie is there and that the blood is there drunken by thee and the body is eaten by thee after a bodily manner with the mouth of thy bodie and not sacramentally and spiritually How dare these deceiuers of the world these vile knaues affirme that they eate the body of IESVS CHRIST and puts it in their vile mouthes What reasonable man can be perswaded of it Will they teach me as CHRIST teached His disciples will they let mee see visibly vvith mine eye
and feele sensibly vvith mine hand a body then shall I beleeue otherwise no Papist will cause me beleeue that I eate CHRIST really and bodily with my mouth no more than the disciples would beleeue that CHRIST was a body till they felt Him and sawe Him I will be of the Faith of the disciples Beleeue them who will I shall neuer beleeue them by the grace of GOD. Let mee see a bodie not the roundnesse and whitenesse of the bread and let me feele this that CHRIST let His disciples feele if thou vvilt not let mee feele that I will neuer beleeue thee holde thee content and I am not bound to beleeue thee yea more if I beleeued thee I vvere faire in the wrong I should sinne against the LORD and against the trueth of His body Why If I beleeue thee neither seeing nor feeling such a thing then I should beleeue the body of Christ to be vnuisible and vntractable and to beleeue that is to beleeue the body of CHRIST to bee no bodie That bodie that is not seene nor handled is not a body these properties beeing taken avvay from a bodie there remaines no bodie yea sight and feeling are such vnseparable accidents of the bodie that the verie glorified bodie cannot be vvithout them The Papists cast vnto vs a friuolous distinction betwixt the glorified body of CHRIST and His vnglorified bodie No the verie glorified bodie is as vvell visible and tractable as an vnglorified bodie The godlie in the latter daye shall see whether it be visible or not Goe thy way with thy bodily presence thou debarrest thy selfe from that presence that the godlie shall see one daye to their consolation Furthermore Brethren There is another thing to be marked I see IESVS CHRIST after His glorious Resurrection to haue kept the markes of the wounds Hee shewes His handes and His wounded hands Hee shewes them His feete and His wounded feet He shewed His side to Thomas when he would not beleeue made him to put his handes in His side Yee woulde maruell that Christ rising vp in glorie shoulde haue kept the markes of infirmitie When the Lord rose it became Him to shake off all infirmitie and the markes of His woundes are a part of infirmitie See ye not howe it hath pleased the Lorde to humble Himselfe for our cause to the ende that vvee should beleeue Not onelie rose Hee and appeared vnto them but also after He rose Hee keepes the marks of His vvoundes that no vvayes they shoulde doubt but fullie beleeue that it vvas Hee and none other It is a vvonderfull thing to see the humilitie of Christ for our cause as all His life vvas but an humbling of Himselfe so after His Resurrection for thine exaltation vvhen Hee should haue gone to glorie Hee abides fourtie dayes to cause His Disciples beleeue Art not thou who art dust and ashes bound to humble thy selfe for Him seeing that Hee who is so glorious humbled Himselfe so low for thee Now whether the Lord keepe these markes or no or vvhether vve shall see Him come vvith them or no in that great day I vvill not be curious but this I knowe the fresh memorie of the vvoundes and of the Crosse shall neuer vanishe out of the hearts of the Elect and in the Heauen thou shalt remember a thousande times better than in the earth vvhen thou shalt see Him as Hee is when thou shalt beholde Him vvhom thou hast pearced thorowe thou shalt mourne sayes the Prophete Zacharie There is the remembring of the vvoundes And as that Crosse shall neuer goe out of the eye of the Father for it is as present now before the eye of the Father as it was that houre that He was crucified So vvhen thou shalt come to Heauen alwayes thou shalt haue a memorie of the Crosse And in this respect He is called an euerlasting Sacrifice and an euerlasting Priest And as the sight of that Crosse pacifies the vvrath of GOD vvere it out of the eye of the Father the flame of His vvrath vvoulde deuoure and consume thee for the pacifying of the vvrath standes in the sight of the Crosse So the joye and peace of thy conscience in Heauen shall stande in an euerlasting remembrance of the Crosse and His bloodie vvoundes There are two groundes of our Eternall joye and peace in Heauen First our joye and peace standes in the sight of that present glorie of Christ in Heauen Next after the sight of that glorie they stand on a remembrance of His by-gone Crosse These shall bee the two pillars of the euerlasting joye and happinesse vvhich the Sainctes shall haue in Heauen So Hee shall stand in as good stead to thee in the Heauen as Hee did in the earth Learne to seeke Him to embrace Him and to bee homelie with Him for in Him standes thy joye euerlastinglie and euer thou bee happie thou must bee vvith Him Now this for Christs part Hitherto hath Hee taught them by the senses and thinges sensible But looke vvhat this vvorkes in them It is saide That for joye they coulde not beleeue and they fell out in a wondring There is the effect that it vvrought There is something heere vvrought to vvit a joye and a vvondering Yet the thing that they shoulde haue is not as yet vvrought that is Faith for joye and wondring by appearance stayes their faith So harde a matter is it to cause a man to beleeue It is an easie thing to thee who knowest not what Faith is to saye I beleeue but when thou art put to the proofe thou wilt finde howe harde a thing it is to cause thee to beleeue There is as great contrarietie betwixt our nature and faith in Christ as is betwixt water and fire And if thou beleeuest there must bee as great chaunge in thy nature as to change water into fire and fire into water Nature must bee turned into grace But howe comes it to passe that joye and wondering shoulde staye Faith Consider it That which one would faine haue comming to passe yee knowe hee cannot easilie beleeue it when one telles him that it is come to passe And that which least wee woulde haue comming to passe we most easilie beleeue that it hath come to passe A man that feares euill will credite an euill report readilie but hee that earnestlie wishes a good thing will not so soone credite a good report hee will thinke it almoste impossible But yet when a man heares tell of a thing which hee would faine haue comming to passe although hee beleeue it not yet the heart will leape for joye This was the disposition of the Apostles The thing that fainest they would haue cōming to passe was a sight of IESVS And if thou were acquainted with Christ as these men were if Hee were taken out of thy sight thou wouldest gette no pleasure till that thou sawest Him as PAVL sayes I desire to be dissolued and to bee with CHRIST Hee had such a thirst to
that as those things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie those things behooued to be preached to the world So He instructes them in these two necessities Then Hee comes on in the second part of His preaching and giues direction to them to be preachers and witnesses to the worlde of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which He had promised them before His Passion and that they should haue the greater securitie He giues them commandement not to depart out of Ierusalem vntill they were endued with vertue out of Heauen this is the effect To come to the first part When they heard Him speake with a voyce familiar wherewith they had beene acquainted and that homely salutation Peace bee vnto you yet they would not knowe Him when they had seene His hands and feete yet they beleeued not that it was He when they had handled Him and felt Him yet they beleeued Him not for all this they were rauished with joy yet they beleeued not The Lorde will not leaue them in this vnbeliefe but He will let them vnderstand that it was He He teaches them by the sight of a bodily action Hee askes if they had aâ—y meâ—t They present to Him A piece of rosted fish and that was all the delicate they gaue Him and with it A piece of hony combe Hee takes and eates in their sight Hee eates the piece of the rosted fish and the hony combe Not that the Lord after His Resurrection had any need to eate any of their meat Hee who nowe vvas immortall after His Resurrection that was glorious and that vvas full of God and had all the powers of His soule filled with God What needed He their piece of fish or their hony combe to eate So it was not for any need He had that Hee eated but that He eated in their sight that they should beleeue that the Lord was a body a Spirit eates not neither drinkes The Lord therefore shewes them that He vvas no Spirit In doing this Brethren no question He humbled Himselfe beeing now immortall and glorious and full of God Was not this a humbling of Him an immortall bodie to take that mortall bread It is a wonderfull thing to see how Iesus Christ humbled Himselfe ay whilst He vvas yet still in this vvorld Beeing sayes Paul Philip in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God He made Himselfe of no reputation taking on Him the shape of a seruant That is the nature of man in the nature of man became obedient to the Father for vs to the death to a vile death euen to the death of the Crosse a foule deâ—th and a sore death Then vvhen after He vvas once â—â—ade and risen againe â—nd should haue entred to His glory and haue passed to Heauen immâ—diately after His Resurrection to sit at the right hande of that Majestie Hee would not immediatly doe so but did deferre and delay it the space of fourtie dayes and all this time humbling Himselfe it was a small thing that when He was mortall to humble Himselfe but when He was immortall that Hee should haue continued so long humbling Himselfe for the cause of man it is a wonder amongst all the partes of His humiliation this is one part that He ate this mortall food And thou when thou shalt be glorified thou shalt not bee so farre humbled as to eate any food of this world thou shalt not be so farre humbled as IESVS CHRIST was humbled Was this Brethren for the Apostles cause only Was it for Peters cause Iohn Iames and the rests cause No Paul sayes All is yours speaking to the Church whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas or thinges present or things to come or life or death all is yours and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods 1. Epist to the Corinthians the 3. Chapter and the 21. and 22. verses So all the Apostles themselues were for the Churches cause I speake to you Paul Iohn Iames c. were for your cause and all this homelinesse of Christ with them was for your cause as they were for your cause so seeing the LORD hath so farre and so many wayes humbled Himselfe consider if wee haue not great cause to meete Him or not If any will bowe so lowe as to take thee by the hand wilt thou not put out thine hande againe and meete Him and thinke ye that this humbling of the LORD of glorie hath taken an ende it endes not so long as this Ministerie continues Know yee what this Ministerie and this preaching is It is but an humbling of GOD from Heauen and that for thy cause looke what Paul sayes in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. Chapter and the 20. verse We are Ambassadours for Christ as though GOD did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God There ye see that by this Ministerie GOD humbles Himselfe to pray thee to be reconciled with Him is not this an humbling of God euen that He should pray thee to be reconciled with Him He becomes a suter and solister for thy cause sayes the Apostle We pray you that yâ— should be reconciled to Him what is it to God to humble Himselfe if not this when He beseeches and requests vs by His Messengers and Ambassadours that wee bee reconciled to Him This exceeding humbling of the LORD as it lets vs see His loue vnspeakable towardes vs so it requires a meeting on our partes as wee would eschew fearfull judgements If the first humbling of GOD when He humbled Himselfe in our nature will not mooue thee to make Him a meeting it shall bring on a judgement If the second wherein He humbled Himselfe after His Resurrection so many wayes will not mooue thee it shall double thy judgement if the third humbling of Him now in the Ministerie will not mooue thee if thou contemnest the word and the Ministerie it shall triple the judgement albeit thou werest the King of the world O that judgement and wrath that shall bee heaped vpon thee thou shalt be thrust downe and plunged in Hel to be tormented for euermore Can GOD humble Himselfe for nothing No either shall it be for passing mercie or els for a passing judgement to thee for euer more Then Brethren yee shall marke in this place and I shall onely touch it by the way The Lord after His glorious Resurrection eated the meate they gaue Him Hereof it followes That after His glorious Resurrection Hee kept these naturall powers as eating and drinking if Hee kept them not how could Hee eate at this time if there was not a power attractiue in His stomacke how could the meat goe ouer to His stomacke This I speake to let you see when we shall rise be glorified and see our Lord vvhen this humbled bodie shall be translated to the likenesse of His glorious body as vvee shall keepe the same
confirmed To goe forwarde with the proposition of the argument vvhen He sayes It behoued all these things to come to passe He propones it not simply but whilst He telles it He secretly rebukes them Heard ye not of this before Are not these the words which I spake to you while I was yet with you Why haue ye novv forgote them seeing not long since I tolde you them I finde in the disciples of Christ a very great ignorance at the first Thinke ye that any of them knew one word of this notwithstanding they vvere foretolde in Moses in the Prophets and in the Psalmes No not a worde then vvith this ignorance I see a great forgetfulnesse albeit they knew not should they not haue remembred what their Lorde saide to them before His Passion and yet when they see Him suffer and see His Resurrection this cannot waken their memorie to say My Lord tolde me this therefore I will beleeue in them thou mayest see thy nature howe ignorant and forgetfull thou art by nature let thee ly still albeit thou werest Peter or Paul or the best of them let thee sleeepe on thou shalt die sleeping if these disciples had not beene wakened they had died this is the great and speciall mercie of God that He shewes to His own He wil let them fall in a slumber ly a while in ignorance but incontinently He will come giue them a putte with sharpnesse mercie waken them Thou who refusest sharpnes O that sharpe wakening that shall abide thee Therefore assoone as the Minister of God cries vnto thee O Catiue sleepest thou death and damnation abides thee if thou wakenest not but if thou wilt waken in time thou shalt finde mercy pray vnto the Lord that thou mayest be wakened for if thou wakenest not in time heauie shall the judgement be that shall ouertake thee wofull shall thy wakening be and the dolour that shall come on thee as the paine of a woman in trauell Our men for all our crying will not bee wakened but if they continue sleeping they shall goe to Hell Nowe to come to the assumption These things are written of mee that I should die and rise againe and no doubt when Hee telles this to them He falles out in a discourse of the Scriptures alleadging testimonies out of Moses the Prophets the Psalmes as the words following declare But to proceed Is the Lord content to alleadge the Scriptures simply Does He no more Marke it well as Hee alleadges and opened the Scriptures vnto them So Hee opens their minde and vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Would ye haue an effectuall preaching there is an effectuall preaching when these two goe together when the Scriptures are opened and the Lord puts in His hande and opens the heart and the dead soule that is sleeping to vnderstand that piece of Scripture which is opened Would yee haue the difference betweene the preaching of Christe and the preaching of His seruants all their preaching is nothing in respect of His Moses the Prophets and all the Apostles are nothing to Him when He preached that same LORD that spake had power in His owne hande and made His owne Spirite to open the heart neuer a preacher had that that the Lord Iesus had He had His owne Spirit to giue vnto His owne when Hee spake His owne word the preachers haue not that Spirit to giue but referres it vnto the Lord 1. Cor. 13.5.6.7 Paul sayes to the Corinthians who esteemed much of Paul O vaine men Paul is nothing he only plants Apollos is nothing he wateres but it is God that giues the increase if he blessed not the labour of Paul or of any other preacher all were lost labour if the Lord giue not His Spirit with the word man teaches in vaine In the 16. of the Actes verse 14. When Paul is preaching we read not that any are conuerted for all his preaching but only one woman Lydia happie Lydia When Paul preached it is not said that Paul opened her heart but that the Lorde opened her heart Paul deliuered the doctrine but the Lorde and not Paul had the Spirite to giue vvith the preaching therefore vvhen yee heare and come to heare euer crie Lorde open mine heart No creature no Minister none Angell yea all the Angels of Heauen will not open the heart of a sinner Crie for that Spirite that He would open thine heart that thou mayest feede vpon that food of life Nowe consider at what time it is that the mindes of the disciples are opened to vnderstand It was euen when Hee is exponing the Scriptures then their mindes are opened and at none other time to let you see in despite of the worlde that there is none opening of the heart none illumination of the Spirit but by this word by the hearing and by the reading of this worde Away with these fantasticke reuelations of the Anabaptistes awaye with the Pope and the crue of His shauelings who affirme that the Spirit will be effectuall at the preaching of his vnwritten verities at the dreames and fantasies of men which is not only not found in the Scripture but also is altogether contrarie and repugnant to the Scripture I pronounce let them heare albeit it were a thousand yeere the Spirite of Iesus shall abhorre that trash and peltrie Set me vp the Pope to preach these vanities to thee I denounce thy minde shall not be opened that Spirit shal neuer come to open the mindes neither of them who preach nor yet their mindes who heare them Goe vnto Rome sit and heare and lend thine eare to a flattering societie of their Clergie heare them on thy soule shall the more be blinded the more thou hearest the Spirit of Christ will only accompanie His owne word Looke what is our nature in the Disciples of CHRIST knowest thou it not their mindes were blinded sound sleeping while the Lord opened them They knew not what Moyses said or what the Prophets spake of Christ while the Lord opened their vnderstanding Nothing in nature but euill nothing but blindnesse in the mind Away with the Papist and his freewill fye on thee that thinkest thy selfe better than thou art fye on thee that knowest not thy naturall blindnesse and deadnesse thou wilt come and speake of thy Free-will and of the light of thy minde thou wilt saye that thou hast a Free-will to encline to heauenly things be not deceiued with the conceite of this engine naturall quicknesse Indeede in humane thinges a man will haue a great quicknesse and sharpnesse but bring him to the Scriptures of God to Moyses to the Prophets Apostles he is as blind as a Moldewarpe as fond as a foole the greater naturall wit and quicknesse that thou hast a sore thing the greater excecation and foolishnesse in spirituall things speake to the naturall man of the Scripture of all the fooles in this world he is the greatest the more
be ministred by preaching thou who contemnest this preaching I denounce to thee thou shalt neuer taste of that Spirit thou vvho vvilt stand vp and saye I haue the Spirit and then contemnest the Ministerie I say thou liest albeit thou vverest the Emperour of the vvorld Now to goe forwarde there is a great necessitie of preaching But take heede to this preaching He describes this preaching by sundrie circumstances First it must bee in some name and in some authoritie a man that standes vp and preaches to the people hee must preach to the people in some name an Herauld vvill stande vp at the market crosse and make his proclamation it must bee in some name for if hee stande vp and proclame in his owne name he is but a knaue deserues to be hanged So vvhosoeuer stands vp to preach looke that hee preach neuer a vvorde in his owne name CHRIST sayes there must be preaching in my Name Looke that all preaching be in the Name of Iesus Christ Nowe vvhat is the name of CHRIST The Name of CHRIST is His power O that passing power His authoritie What power Euen that power that Hee speakes of in the last Chapter of Matthew All power in Heauen and Earth is Mine Then in the second Chapter to the Philippians and the ninth verse Wherefore GOD also hath highly exalted Him and giuen Him a Name aboue euery name He is exalted in a wonderfull sublimenesse O that high sublimenesse that the Lord hath receiued Hee hath gotten a Name aboue all names and a power aboue all powers and none shall haue such a power then he sets out this power All knees must bowe at the Name of IESVS all powers must bow to that power and all knees must bee folded before it bowe thy knee before that power or els thou shalt be thrust in Hell all knees shall be bowed before that Tribunall that Name vvill cause all the Deuils in Hell bow and stoupe It is written in the 4. Chapter of the Actes There is none other Name vnder Heauen able to saue men but the Name of Iesus Christ thou shalt neuer see life but by this power and this Name Marke it No life I vvill tell againe No saluation to man or vvoman in the vvorld but by the Name of Iesus and His power and therefore how great shall the power of this His Name as yee may well see by the word vvhich sets it out euen the Gospell The Euangel that speakes of the Name of Iesus Paul calles it to the Romanes Chapter 1. verse 16. The power of God vnto saluation Speake of Caesar and this Kingdome or that Kingdome will it be powerfull vnto life Will all the speaking of all the creatures in the world bee powerfull vnto life Speake of the Crosse of CHRIST what seemes to bee more base yet it is the power of God and the vvisdome of God vnto saluation So the power must be wonderfull when a word will haue such a power that it will saue a soule The LORD when Hee was in the worlde Hee preached in His owne Name and the Iewes marked that He preached with authoritie and Hee sayes Amen Amen I say vnto you That is in mine owne Name As for all other teachers all their preaching must be in the Name and authoritie of Iesus and not in a creatures name When a man hath this LORD in His eye without regard of himselfe when hee goes to set out that Name ye will not beleeue how the LORD will be with him and how He will make his authoritie to be seene But by the contrarie if a man haue no sinceritie and haue not the authoritie and Name of IESVS before him but seeke himselfe in his preaching hee will haue no spirit no grace none authoritie his language will be vnsauourie his preaching will be of litle value Paul because He preached Christ and Him crucified therefore sayes Hee that his preaching was with euidencie and demonstration of the Spirit on the other part because the Corinthian Doctours had themselues not Christ before their eyes therefore hee sayes that they preached with ostentation and humane eloquence all their preaching was but winde The Philosophers of old spake much of matters of vertue but because they neuer spake one worde in the Name of Christ therefore all their speaking was but babling neither were they changed themselues nor yet changed they others they might teach men to bee Hypocrites and to couer their vices but they could not bee instruments of Regeneration because they spake not in that powerfull Name of Iesus Christ I put the Papists in this same rancke that vvill speake in the Popes name I say all their doctrine and their speaking of saluation is more in the name of man nor in the Name of Iesus Christe and therefore it may well worke errour and hypocrisie in thee but no saluation thou mayest well thinke that thou hast something but in effect thou hast nothing Then we see of necessitie there must be preaching but whereof must this preaching be The LORD sayes it behooued that preaching bee in my Name Of repentance and remission of sinnes There is the summe of the Gospell Would yee knowe the effect of all preaching The whole Gospell is summed vp in those two Heades Repentance and Remission of sinnes It is not my purpose to insist largely in these pointes but I shall speake of them shortly Repentance is none other thing but a preparation to the soule Whereto To receiue grace to receiue remission of sinnes saluation and life euerlasting It is but a making straight the wayes of the Lord who is comming with grace and mercie to the soule This Repentance is wrought partly by the Law and partly by the Gospell The Law sayes Cursed be he that continueth not in all which is written in the booke of the Law to doe them and because the conscience of all flesh accuses them as guiltie of the transgression of the Lawe therefore there arises in the soule horrours and terrours vnspeakable Then the Gospell comes in to comfort the casten downe soule and it sayes Whosoeuer beleeues in Iesus he shall be saued for this is the summe of the Gospell When the soule heares this it conceiues an vnspeakable sorrowe and sadnesse for the offending of so mercifull and louing a Father and this the Apostle calles a godly sorrow 2. Cor. Chapter 7. verses 9. and 10. Now it is this godly sorrow properly which workes repentance and turnes the heart to God that before was farre away from Him The other sorrow that is by the Lawe properly is not the cause of repentance but it prepares the heart thereunto Therefore seeing this godly sorrowe turnes the heart to God of necessitie it must be accompanied with faith for without Faith there is no conuersion to God The preaching of Iohn Baptist telles vs how necessarie the doctrine of the Gospell is to worke repentance for He sayes Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hande
thou restrainest that grace that should bring poore soules to Heauen and saluation But to goe forward We haue heard the necessitie of preaching in whose name we should preach what we should preach and last to whome it should be preached to all Nations euen to the Gentiles O! if we Gentiles should not rejoyce that mercie and grace is preached vnto vs who were aliants from the grace of GOD. Now albeit this grace bee extended to all yet there is a difference in order of preaching for the Lorde sayes Beginning at Hierusalem As He would say this preaching must first be preached at Hierusalem and beginne there and before grace bee offered to the Gentiles grace first of all must be offered to the Iewes Grace pertaines first to the Iewes they were the people of God of olde and therefore they must haue their owne right and then when grace is offered to the Iewes grace is extended and runnes abroade ouer all the earth Paul sayes to y e Iewes It was necessary that the word of God should first haue beene spoken vnto you Actes 13.46 There is the order yet the Lorde loues Hierusalem forgets it not Hierusalem that crucified the Lord the Lord forgets it not the Lord will not cast it away but will send His Apostles to preach there first O how loth was He to cast away that Nation that He had chosen of olde from among all Nations a people that He hath once begunne with O how loth will He be to cast away that people Scotland hath a proofe of this I dare say it had not bene the patience that the Lord beares vnto this Land He had not spared vs so long because of the great contempt and disdaining of the Gospell But aboue all the rest that Nation which the Lorde hath chosen from among the rest to be a peculiar people to Himselfe He will offer grace to it first therefore the Iewes got this honour first to haue grace offered to them And as grace in this life is offered to the Iew so shall the Iew get first glorie in Heauen Paul Rom. 2.10 sayes Glorie and honour and peace shall be to euery man that doeth good to the Iew first and also to the Grecian And as the glorie shall belong vnto the faithfull Iew first so by the contrarie the vnfaithfull Jew shall first bee dishonoured for the Apostle sayes in the words immediatly preceeding Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon the soule of euery one that doeth euill of the Iewe first and next of the Grecian But to ende heere I beseech you to striue vnto vnfained Repentance and to get an assurance of the remission of thy sinnes here if thou wilt be honoured in this life by grace and in the life to come by glorie in Heauen for neither grace nor glorie pertaines vnto impennitent sinners who lye like swine in sinne and delite in sinne But only to all penitent sinners where sinne aboundes grace and mercie superaboundes and that in the blood of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XLIV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 48 Now yee are witnesses of these things verse 49 And behold I doe send the promise of the Father vpon you but tarie yee in the citie of Hierusalem vntill yee be endued with power from high AFTER that the Lord belooued Brethren in Christ in His fift appearing after His Resurrection by sundrie euidences hath gone about to perswade His Disciples that it was Hee Hee vtters a sweete Sermon for their instruction wherein first Hee instructes and informes them in two necessities the first is that all thinges that befell to Him as His Passion and Resurrection behooued to befell vnto Him the second is that as these things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie these things behoued to be preached in the world Next Hee giues them a direction to goe out and to preach this Gospell to the worlde We haue heard alreadie of the two necessities First that it behooued Him to suffer the death and to rise againe from death because these things were foretold of Him in Moyses and the Prophets and the Psalmes therefore of necessitie they behooued to come to passe We heard thereafter of the necessitie of the preaching of these thinges Profane men thinke preaching is for the fashion but they deceiue themselues for if there be a necessitie that thou shouldest beleeue that thou mayst be saued there is as great a necessitie that there should be preaching of the word for Faith is by hearing and without hearing no Faith no life no saluation In opening vp of this necessitie of preaching we marked vnto you the particular circumstances that are set downe in the Text Namely first in whose name this preaching behooued to be to wit in the Name of IESVS CHRIST Next whereof it behooued this preaching to bee to wit of Repentance and Remission of sinnes for that is the summe of the Gospel Thirdly to whome this behooued to be preached not to the Iewes only but to all Nations and last in what order this doctrine should be preached first to the Iewes beginning at Ierusalem and thereafter to the Gentiles Now in the Text that we haue presently read the Lord comes to the second part of His Sermon wherein Hee giues direction to the Apostles to bee Preachers and witnesses to the world of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which Hee had promised to them before His suffering and that they might haue the greater securitie Hee giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they were endued with power and vertue out of Heauen But to come to the wordes after that Hee hath set downe the necessitie of preaching Hee giues them a direction and charge to bee preachers of these thinges vnto the worlde Now sayes Hee yee are witnesses of these things that is These things that yee haue heard and seene come to passe according as they vvere foretolde yee must not keepe them close and secret with your selues but yee must declare preach and testifie them vnto the world Nowe it is not without great cause that the Lord directes and sendes them out to preach for looke how necessarie it is that the word bee preached as necessarie it is that some bee directed and sent out by the Lorde to preach for How shall they preach sayes Paul except they be sent Rom. Chapter 10. verse 15. A man must not runne vnsent but before hee preach hee must haue a commission from God If we will enter in a particular consideration marke all things set downe in this Sermon we will finde there is nothing either concerning Christ Himselfe His suffering and rising againe or concerning the Gospell of Christ and preaching of it or concerning the Ministers Preachers of the Gospell falles out rashly or by fortoun chance but that all things come to passe by the
and how farre his nature is repugnant to that calling wee will thinke that of all things in the world it is most hard and most painefull It is an hard thing indeede to bring a man out of nature and make him a Christian but it is farre harder to make a man a teacher of Christians and a disposer of the treasures of grace and of the secrets of God Nowe when I beginne to consider what should haue mooued the Lord to haue chosen such persons and so vnmeete for such an high calling I thinke this chiefly hath beene it that when the Apostles went out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to others and to exhort all persons howe grieuouslie so euer they had sinned to come and to seeke mercie in Christ they might propone themselues as examples of the superaboundant mercie of God and that they in their Ministerie might declare and make manifest the gentlenesse and long suffering of God towardes all men euen the greatest sinners in the worlde and that by the proofe and experience that they found in their owne person of the mercie of God in calling them and placing them in that high calling who before vvere so miserable wretches and so vpon their owne experience they might the more easily perswade euen the most miserable sinners to seeke for mercie and grace in Christ When Paul preaches Where sinne aboundes there grace and mercie superaboundes if hee had not found this by experience and had not stoode for example hereof hee would not so easily haue perswaded sinners of the exceeding greatnesse of the mercie of God But to goe forward Because this direction that He giues them and this Ministerie He calles them to was very painfull and troublesome and so they might haue taken hardly with it therefore in the words following the Lord goes about to encourage them to vndertake it and to discharge it chearfully the Argument is of great force Beholde sayes He I will send the promise of my Father vpon you that is I will send vnto you the Holy Spirit Himselfe with Him His extraordinarie giftes and graces as the gift of prophecie of working of miracles of tongues and such other that ye may bee the more able to discharge this calling and to performe the worke I send you for Hee calles this the promise of His Father because the Father long before by His Prophetes promised at the comming of the Messias to send His Spirite in great abundance vpon them that beleeue Yee may read this promise in sundrie places of the Olde Testament but chiefly in the 2. Chapter of the prophecie of Ioel and the 28. verse In the last dayes I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maides will I powre my Spirit c. And of the accomplishment of this promise ye may read in the 2. Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles Out of this place wee may marke first That the things which the Father promised of olde to His Church the Sonne in the appointed time accomplished them the Father promised of olde the Spirit and His graces the Sonne in the fulnesse of time sendes the Spirit and His graces and giues them to His Church and for this cause the Spirit and His giftes that is giuen to euery faithfull man is called the measure of the gife of Christ Ephes Chapter 4. verse 7. And thereafter in that same Chapter ver 11. the Apostle sayes That Christ to the end He might fill all things Hee gaue some to bee Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Teachers that is He gaue all sorts of gifts vnto His Church that He might fulfill the promise of His Father and all these giftes and graces that we see are now in the Church from whome came they but only from the Lord Iesus This leadeâ— vs to an higher ground that the Sonne hath receiued of the Father all graces and all the giftes of the Holy Spirit together with the Holy Spirit Himselfe the Father hath giuen all first to the Sonne and not to vs for the Father loues the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into His hand Ioh. 3.35 And In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge Coloss Chapter 2. verse 3. Yet there is an higher cause of this to wit that the Sonne only hath merited the Holy Spirit with the fulnesse of all His graces No man euer merited any of them for who can merite them but hee who first receiued them The Lord Iesus receiued them first wee haue none but as He giues vs Hee merited and purchased them to vs with no lesse price than with the ransome of His owne blood Now wouldest thou know how all these graces that the Lord hath boughâ— with such a deare price are communicated to thee and made thine I will tell thee Not by any merite of thine own for thou couldest merite nothing at the Lordes handes but Hell and damnation but it is of the free grace and liberalitie of the Father and the Sonne that they are made thine it is of this grace that out of His fulnesse we receiue grace for grace When the Apostle Coloss Chapter 2. verse 9. hath saide In Him dwelles all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily thereafter he subjoynes And ye are compleete in Him as if hee had saide All this fulnesse is made yours of free grace whilst as by Faith yee take holde of Him Consider the wonderfull bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the Sonne to thee who giues thee these graces freely that Hee bought so dearely and purchased with such a worthie price Yee know sayes the Apostle the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that He beeing rich for your sakes became poore that ye through His pouertie might be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 Now ere I go forward I marke another lesson that the Spirit of God pointes out clearely in these words for our instruction for when the Lord sayes I will send you the promise of my Father vpon you that is the Holy Spirit with His graces He lets vs see that without His Spirit His presence and assistance a Minister cannot be able to doe any thing well in His calling but that in the discharge of euery part of His calling hee must bee assisted by the Spirit The Apostle Paul when hee is telling what good successe his preaching had among the Gentiles he takes not the praise thereof to himselfe but he ascribes all to the presence of Christ by His Spirit I dare not sayes he speake of any thing which Christe hath not wrought by mee to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deede Rom. 15.18 It is not with a Minister as it is with a man in the ciuile policie No there is a great difference for in the ciuile policie a man by his naturall giftes by his wisdome
deserued no such thing at His hand because they were ashamed of Him and fled away at His Passion yet He honoures them with this high calling then to encourage them the more chearfully to vndertake this calling He promises to send vnto them the Holy Spirit who was before promised to them by the Father to accompanie them and their trauells And last that they might haue the greater securitie and assurance to receiue this Spirit He giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they finde His promise performed vnto them and vntill they were endued vvith power from on high Thus farre vve haue heard out of Luke of this Sermon Now in this Text that vve haue read Iohn followes out cheifly y e latter part of the Lord concerning the sending out of the Apostles and he insistes therein more largely and particularly than Luke does marking especially the things that vvere omitted by Luke for he vvrote after him First in these vvordes vve haue set downe a preface to prepare their heartes the better to receiue the vvorde which Hee vvas to speake vnto them thereafter vvee haue the preaching wherin first He sends out the Apostles to preach the Gospel Next He confirmes them partly by giuing them the Holy Spirit partly by arming them with power and authoritie But to come to the words Iohn sayes that before He sent them out He said againe to them Peace be vnto you Before at the first meeting with them this was His salutation Peace be vnto you Now He repeates these wordes againe Wherefore is this It was to prepare their heartes to receiue the more reuerently and attentiuely and with the greater comfort these things that Hee was to speake to them concerning their charge to preach in His Name to the world The man that would receiue the word of the Lord especially the Gospell of peace and consolation must haue His heart prepared with the assurance of peace for the message of peace and consolation requires First that the soule be prepared with peace to the end it may receiue the word with peace and joy for except the soule haue some perswasion of peace it can finde no comfort and if we receiue the message of peace with a perswasion of peace and vvith a joy in the soule then the more vvee heare the greater shall our comfort bee the more shall vvee drinke in that joy of the Holy Spirit The messengers of peace should follow this example of the Lord When they are to preach the Gospell of peace they should prepare their heartes that by foretelling that all their message and the worde that they are to speake tendes to peace and likewise they who come to heare shoulde haue their heartes prepared vvith some sense of peace and joye but such a joye as followes vpon sorrow for sinne and a sense of their owne miserie and vvhich euer is accompanied with true Repentance for there is no true joye of a Christian man in this life but that which is conjoyned with Repentance and sorrow for sinne Nowe vvhen the Lorde hath prepared their heartes vvith this preface of peace Hee comes to the Sermon and first Hee giues them a direction to goe out to preach the Gospell As my Father sayes he sent me so send I you Wee haue spoken some thing alreadie of this sending out of the Apostles in opening vp of the Lordes wordes as they are set downe by Luke and therefore heere I shall be the shorter in speaking of it Yee see the Lorde sets downe this sending of the Apostles by vvay of comparison with His owne sending I sent you euen as the Father sent mee This comparison importes first that the Sonne only vvas sent immediatly by the Father the Sonne only hath gotten this honour to be sent immediatly by the Father The Apostle sayes Christ tooke not this honour to Himselfe to bee High Priest but Hee that saide vnto Him Thou art My Sonne this day haue I begotten Thee gaue it Him Heb. 5.5 And the Father by sending the Sonne immediatly Himselfe gaue Him all power to send all others so that all others are sent by the Sonne albeit not all after one manner for some are sent by Him immediatly as the Prophets Apostles some mediatly as the Pastors the Teachers Indeede I grant The Prophets and Apostles were sent also by the Father but they were sent mediatly by the Father immediatly by the Sonne therefore Paul vses to call Himselfe The Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God the Father whereby he meanes that immediatly he was sent by the Sonne mediatly by the Father the Sonne sent the Prophets and Apostles immediatly therefore it is said when He ascended vp to Heauen He gaue some to be Apostles and some to be Prophets Eph. 4.11 Next this comparison importes that the office of the Apostleship is not only lawful but also that it is furnished with authority for Christ who sent His Apostles was first sent by His Father not only had Hee a lawful calling but He had it with authority euen so all true Pastors Teachers in the Church haue not only a lawful calling to preach the Gospell but also authoritie joyned with their calling because they are sent by the Sonne for it was the Sonne that gaue some to be Pastors some Teachers Eph 4.11 for albeit true Pastors in y e Church be called by y e ministerie of mē yet they are sent by the Son therfore men haue their authoritie frō Him for in a maner they represent His person as the Son represented the person of His Father was His ambassadour to the worlde so they are ambassadours of the Sonne and must represent His person Men in this Lande despise the Ministers of the Gospell and count most vilely of them in respect of the basenesse of their persons but they shoulde consider it is not with men but with God Christ Himselfe whose ambassadours they are that they haue adoe the obedience or disobedience and contempt of the Pastour redounds directly to the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne counts it to be done to Himselfe and to the Father for He sayes He that heares you heares me and he that despises you despises me and he that despises me despises Him that sent me Luke 10.15 Thirdly this comparison lets vs see who they are that haue a lawfull calling in the Church not euery one that hath a pretence and shew of outwarde calling but only they vvho are called by them vvho vvere sent themselues before And therefore these only are lawfull Pastours who haue bene called by the Presbyterie and fellowship of the Elders who themselues before had a lawfull calling The people and flocke haue no power to call a man to the Ministerie they may indeede nominate and present a man and giue their consent but the calling and admission of a man to the function of the Ministerie belonges only to the Eldership and
GOD to cast downe holdes c. 2. Cor. Chapter 10. verse 4. Hee hath giuen them power to discharge their calling Yee may reade of this power at great length Matth. Chapter 16. verse 19. When the Lord speaking to Peter in his person sayes to all the Apostles I will giue vnto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt binde vpon earth shall be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heauen And Matth. Chapter 18. verse 18. the Lord sayes to all his Apostles Whatsoeuer ye binde on earth shall be bound in Heauen and whatsoeuer yee loose on earth shall be loosed in Heauen So yee see the Lord giues them this power before His suffering and now after His Resurrection He renewes it againe Nowe wee must not thinke that this power was giuen only to the Apostles and their Ministerie which was then extraordinarie No but it is giuen also to the ordinarie Pastors and their ordinarie Ministerie to continue with them to the ende of the world Nowe Brethren because this power which the Lord giues to His Ministerie is a matter of great importance and serues much for our instruction Wee shall insist somewhat more largely in speaking of it First What are the meanes whereby this power is practised and put in execution The meanes are two the first is the preaching of the worde the preaching of the Law and the preaching of the Gospell The second is Ecclesiasticall discipline vvhich ought to be conjoyned with the preaching of the word should follow after it But wherein is this power placed Standes it in this that the Pastor himself should reteine or forgiue mens sins Is this the proper effect of the Ministerie No the Pastour himselfe hath no power to forgiue or reteine sinnes because that belongs only to God Himselfe and cannot be communicated to any creature The Pharises themselues acknowledged this for when CHRIST saide to the sicke of the Palsey Sonne thy sinnes are forgiuen thee they counted Him a blasphemer for say they Who can forgiue sinnes but GOD oly Marc. Chapter 2. verse 5. c. And the Lord sayes himselfe Esay 43.25 I euen I am Hee that puts away thine iniquities for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes This is so proper to the Lord that He will not giue this power to any flesh because it is a part of His glorie and He sayes J will not giue my glorie to another Esay 48.11 And good reason it is that this power of forgiuing and reteining of sinnes belong only to Him for all sinne properly is against the Majestie of GOD Himselfe for Iohn sayes Sin is a transgression of the Law of God Therefore Dauid when He had slaine Vriah had committed adulterie with Bathsheba his wife he sayes to the Lord Against thee against thee only haue I sinned done euill in thy sight Psal 51.4 So this stands sure that properly it is a thing belonging to GOD only to forgiue and reteine sinnes to binde and to loose that is to pronounce the sentence of remitting and reteining of sinnes Then wherein stands this power that Christ hath giuen to His Pastours and Ministerie I answere It stands in the promulgation and proclaming in the earth of that sentence that is alreadie past giuen out in y e Heauens for this is manner of y e Lords dealing with men Hee will not lift them vp to Heauen immediatly make them to heare y e sentence of remitting or reteining of sinnes pronounced there by Himselfe No but He abases demits Himself to vs by His Ministry He comes down as it were out of Heauen to vs by His Ministerie He intimates proclames to vs in the earth that sentence which alreadie He hath pronounced in the Heauens and that either to our comfort and consolation if it bee the sentence of remission of sinnes or els to our griefe and downecasting if it be the sentence of reteining of sinnes And if wee despite and contemne this Ministerie wherein God abases and demits Himselfe vnto vs and by the which as the Apostle sayes 2. Cor. 5.20 He prayes vs to be reconciled vnto Him we can haue no warrand nor assurance of the remission of sinnes not of saluation Then yee see that this power that the Lord giues to this Ministerie stands in the proclaming declaring of that sentence which is alreadie past and pronounced in the Heauens and the words that the Lord vses here if we marke them wâ—ll import this same meaning for He sayes Whosoeuer sinnes ye forgiue they are forgiuen speaking in the time bypast as if Hee had saide this is a thing alreadie done the sentence is alreadie pronounced in the Heauen as for you who are my Ministers ye only intimate proclame in earth that sentence which is alreadie past in Heauen He sayes on the other part Whosoeuer sinnes yee reteine they are reteined vsing the time bypast as if He had said the sentence of reteining of their sins is already pronounced in Heauen ye only intimate declare on earth y e sentence which already is past in HeaueÌ„ Now hauing considered wherein this power consists we shal let you see what sort of power it is This power that the Lord hath giuen to His Ministerie either extraordinarie as the Apostles had or ordinarie which the Pastours haue is not a Kingly power not such a power as is giuen to Kings Rulers in the world No it is only a ministeriall power Let a man sayes Paul so thinke of vs as of the Ministers of Christ 1. Cor. 4.1 And againe He sayes We haue not dominion ouer your Faith but we are helpers of your ioy 2. Cor. 1.24 yet it is a power so the Apostle calles it 2. Cor. 13.10 According to the power which God hath giuen me to edification and not to destruction And a glorious Ministerie 2. Cor. 3.9 And as the word of God calles it a power so also the consciences of men finde it to bee a power Therefore the Apostle sayes 2 Cor. 13.3 Ye seeke experience of Christ that speaketh in me which toward you is not weake but is mightie in you And if we will compare it with the ciuile and kingly power we will finde it in this respect to be preferred to the ciuile power that whereas the ciuile power is extended only ouer the body the life and goods temporall this power of the Ministerie is extended to the soule to the spirituall graces of the soule and life euerlasting and therefore it is called by the Apostle the Ministerie of the Spirit and of righteousnesse 2 Cor. 3.8 9. Now to end shortly There may be a question moued When the Minister either remittes sinnes or reteines sinnes vpon earth how shall he be assured that y e Lord hath not remitted or reteined them in Heauen for it becomes the Herauld or Messenger to make intimation of nothing but of that whereof
that we ought to beleeue that the Scripture is the word of God and that this or that is the true interpretation thereof because the Church sayes so so they make the testimonie of the Church to bee the chiefe and almost the only Argument that should mooue men to beleeue that the Scripture is authenticke and the word of God and that this or that is the true and proper interpretation of any place of Scripture for these are their common speeches The Church is aboue the Scripture the Church is of greater authority than the Scripture without the authority of y e Church no man is obliged to beleeue that y e Scripture is thâ— word of God the Church is y e supreme Iudge of y e right interpretation of the Scripture many such others But by the contrarie Wee affirme that the chiefe and principall Iudge and witnesse both of the Scripture that is the worde of God and also of the true interpretation of the Scripture is the Holy Spirit because He only is able to perswade mens heartes He only is able so to testifie that He can mooue them to beleeue Hee only is able to open the vnderstanding of men to make them to vnderstand and take vp the right meaning of the Scripture Then will the Papist object Yee make the Spirit that is giuen to a priuate man to be the Iudge and witnesse of the authentike Scripture and the interpretation thereof and it is an absurde thing to preferre the Spirit speaking by the authoritie of any priuate man to the authoritie of the Church I answere It followes not that we make the Spirit of a priuate man to bee Iudge either of the one or of the other because we affirme that the Spirit who is Iudge speakes in the Scripture and by the Scripture and by the Scripture as by the moste powerfull and effectuall meane mooues men to beleeue and therefore that this Spirit who is Iudge is not the Spirit of a priuate man but the Spirit of the Scripture it selfe for this Spirit by the Scripture teaches vs that the Scripture is auâ—henticke and that it is the worde of God and againe this same Spirit by the Scripture teaches vs that this or that is the proper meaning of the Scripture for the principall voyce of the Holy Spirit whereby He speakes to vs is the Scripture which this day is to vs in stead of the vine voyce of God Himselfe and ought to bee esteemed and embraced of vs as if God Himselfe spake to vs out of Heauen As for the voyce of the Church when I speake of the Church I meane not the Romane Church for she is but an adulterous Church and falsely clames to her selfe the name of a Church but I speake of the true Church militant it is not the chiefe meane whereby the Holy Spirit vses to perswade men but it is an inferiour meane of lesse importance than the Scripture neither hath it that force to make men to beleeue that the Scripture hath But to leaue this and to returne to the incredulitie of Thomas not only he beleeues not but hee vtters great stubburnesse in refusing to beleeue not only was hee incredulous but also malitious neither did hee beleeue neither was he willing to beleeue for he sayes Except I see in His handes the print of the nailes and put my finger in the print of the nailes and put mine hande into His side I will not beleeue it he would not beleeue except hee sawe Him except hee saw His hands and His feete except hee saw the print of the nailes where with His hands and His feete were pierced and except he had put his hand in the wound of His side which one of the souldiers had pierced with a speare We may heere see his stubburnesse and obstinacie that was joyned with his incredulitie incredulitie is commonly accompanied with obstinacie and stubburnesse in such sort that when the way is laide before vs and the doore opened whereby vvâ—e may escape out of this bondage of sinne and thraldome of darknesse wherein wee are kept captiues yet wee refuse to goe out of that bondage and rather striues more and more to thrall our selues to sinne and to holde our selues in the bands of darknesse This contumacie and stubburnesse in sinne is that poyson and that gall of bitternesse that Sathan hath spued into the heartes of all the children of Adam and this is that band of iniquitie whereby as by a strong chaine we are ledde boâ—nd as miserable catiues vnto eternall condemnation except we be relieued from it by the mercie of God in Iesus Christ Peter perceiuing the impietie and deuilish practises of Simon Magus he takes vp this to be the ground and fountaine of all when he sayes I see that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the bands of iniquitie The Lord saue vs and free vs from this miserable bondage wherein we are by nature yet if we consider more narrowly the wordes of Thomas we shall finde that not only was hee incredulous not only was hee stubburne but also proud and arrogant and contemned and despised all the rest in respect of himselfe esteeming himselfe onely to bee wise and the rest to be fooles scorning their witnessing and report as a fable not worthie of credite and a vaine dreame An incredulous man that beleeueth not the trueth is not only stubburne and obstinate in his incredulitie but also he swelles in pride and seemes in his owne conceite to be only wise contemning others as fooles hee will count the preaching of the Crosse of Christ and of His Resurrection to bee but plaine follie hee will count them that beleeue the doctrine of the Crosse and Resurrection of Christ to be fantasticke and doated fooles and yet in very deede of all the fooles of the worlde they themselues are the greatest although they bee counted wonders in the worlde for their naturall wisdome Therefore the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the third Chapter and the eighteenth verse If any man amongst you seeme to bee wise in this world let him bee a foole that hee may be wise hee sayes not if any man among you be wise for he that hath not the wisdome of God and is not wise in Christ he hath no wisdome he is but a very foole but hee sayes If any man seeme to bee wise in this worlde let him bee a foole that hee may be wise that is let him renounce and forsake all carnall and worldly wisdome which is enimitie against God Rom. Chapter 8. verse 7. and can no more stand with the wisdome of GOD than darknesse with light yet it would be marked that Thomas sayes not simply and absolutely that in no câ—ce he would beleeue that Christ was risen againe but hee sayes Except I see in His handes the print of the nailes c. The wordes are conditionall importing that in some cace and vpon some conditions hee would
eyes of his soule that he cannot see sinne in its own colour hee cannot consider the way wherein hee is walking nor the judgement which he is drawing on his own head Whereupon it falles out that he proceedes from sinne to sinne and either hee falles ouer againe in that same sinne which before hee hath committed or in some other sinne Wee haue a proofe of this in the person of Peter for after that once he had denied his Master hee slept in a senslesse securitie he made litle account of the great sinne hee had committed whereupon it came to passe that soone after he falles ouer againe in the same sinne of denying of the Lord and alitle after being demanded he denies Him the third time and if he had bene oftener demanded no doubt but he would haue denied Him oftener if the Lorde had not looked vpon him fauourably The like also wee see in Dauid albeit otherwise a man after Gods owne heart after that he had committed that foule adultery with Bathsheba the wife of Vriah hee is twitched with a griefe or remorse but lyes still sleeping securely in sinne and so from adulterie with Bathsheba hee falles in abhominable murther of Vriah her husband and after this hee continued for a long season as it were benummed and without a sense of his sinne or feare of judgement and as all sortes of sinne leaue some senslessenesse and induration in the heart so chiefly stubburnesse and contumacie in not beleeuing the knowne trueth of God brings greatest senselessenesse and induration An example of this Paul lets vs see in the Gentiles who followed not that light that the Lord had left in nature and which the Lord shew to them in the workes of His creation that they might glorifie God but repined against it and therefore sayes the Apostle As they regarded not to acknowledge God euen so God deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate minde to doe those thinges which were not conuenient Rom. 1.28 Because they would not glorifie God as became them to doe there was such a dimnesse in their eyes such senslessenesse and blindnesse ouertooke them that they regarded not to doe the thinges that were most vnnaturall They past all feeling and gaue themselues ouer vnto wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse euen with greedines Eph. 4.19 And they had their consciences burned as it were with an hote iron 1. Timoth. 4.2 It is a dangerous thing once to fall in sinne for if the Lord leaue thee to thy selfe thou shalt neuer stay while thou râ—nne headlong to destruction Therefore pray continually that the Lord would looke fauourably vpon thee and that He would lay holde on thee that thou fall not away from Him and if thou haue fallen that Hee would put out His hand and draw thee to Him againe that thou mayest returne and be saued Thus for the time of the sixt appearing of the Lord now He appeares after y e same maner that He had appeared to the Disciples before For the Disciples beeing within and Thomas with them Iesus came the doores beeing shut and stood in the middes Of this manner of appearing we haue spoken at length before therefore we will speake no more of it When He is come in among them He vses that same forme of salutation which He vsed before for He said Peace be vnto you We passe by this salutation also because wee haue spoken of it already No question it was a very effectuall powerfull salutation because Hee that wished peace vnto them was the author of peace Only one thing I shall marke and so I shall ende I see there is nothing that is able to waken the soule of a sinner that is lying sleeping in sinne and wrapped vp in a senslâ—sse securitie but only the gracious presence of the Lord Iesus What was it that wakened Peter when he had thrise denied his Master It is said The Lord turned backe and looked vpon Peter whereupon immediatly his heart smote him and hee went out and wept bitterly Luke 22.61 62. How was Dauid wakened when he had long lien in his sinne without any remorse How but by the fauour of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God who pitied Him and sent His Prophet Nathan vnto him for this yee must vnderstand that all the Prophets which spake of olde to the Fathers were sent immediatly by Iesus Christ and spake by His Spirit 1. Pet. 1.11 and 3.19 And what was it that wakened Thomas out of his securitie What mooued him that was so obstinate in his incredulitie to beleeue What but the gracious presence of Christ for except that mercie of God in Iesus Christ waken vs out of securitie all the Iudgements of God that euer He hath powred out vpon any from the beginning will not mooue vs the most fearfull and terrible examples of His wrath vpoÌ„ others will not waken vs. Iudas lets vs see the proofe of this in his Epistle when he tells that they who turned the grace of God into wantonnes were not mooued to absteine from sinne by the example of that fearfull and terrible Iudgement of God which ouertooke Sodome and Gomorrhe and the cities about them but that they likewise notwithstanding of these great Iudgements continued in the like sinnes and defiled the flesh Iude 7 8. Then seeing we are naturally sleeping in sinne and none outward thing in the worlde no judgement neither temporall nor spirituall seazing on vs in neuer so high a measure can bee able to waken vs. Let vs pray earnestly that the LORD would preuent vs with His owne gracious presence that wee sleepe not while death oppresse vs. The Lord make euery one of vs to finde this presence of the LORD Iesus To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLVII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 27 After said He to Thomas Put thy finger here and see Mine hands and put foorth thine hande and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull verse 28 Then Thomas saide vnto Him Thou art my Lord and my God verse 29 Iesus saide vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued verse 30 And many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of His Disciples which are not written in this booke verse 31 But these thinges are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ that Sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through His Name AFTER that we had spoken at length Well beloued in Christ of the first fiue appearings of the Lord after His Resurrection wee beganne the last day to speake of this sixt appearing the occasion whereof was premitted by y e Euangelist John to wit the absence of Thomas from the rest of the Apostles when the Lord appeared vnto them and his great incredulitie when they tolde him for notwithstanding that many faithfull witnesses
liuing GOD for Hee sayes vnto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona for neither flesh nor blood hath reueiled that vnto thee but my Father which is in Heauen Matth. Chapter 16. verse 17. And therefore we must craue continually of the LORD that Hee would vouchsafe His Spirite on vs to worke Faith in our soules that beleeuing in IESVS CHRIST wee may get life and Saluation through Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euermore AMEN THE XLVIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XXI AFter these thinges Jesus shewed Himselfe againe to His Disciples at the sea of Tiberias and thus shewed He Himselfe verse 2 There were together Simon Peter and Thomas which is called Didymus and Nathanael of Cana in Galile and the sonnes of Zebedeus and two other of His disciples verse 3 Simon Peter saide vnto Him I goe a fishing They saide vnto him Wee also will goe with thee They went their way and entred into a shippe straightway and that night caught they nothing verse 4 But when the morning was nowe come Iesus stood on the shore neuerthelesse the Disciples knew not that it was Jesus verse 5 Iesus then saide vnto them Sirs haue yee any meate They answered Him No. verse 6 Then Hee saide vnto them Cast out the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall finde So they cast out and they were not able at all to draw it for the multitude of fishes verse 7 Therefore saide the Disciple whome Iesus loued vnto Peter It is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord hee girded his coate to him for he was naked and cast himselfe into the sea WEE continue as yet Brethren Beloued in Christ in the Historie of Christs appearings after His Resurrection whereof this which we haue set downe in the beginning of the 21. Chapter of Iohn is the seuenth if wee reckone precisely all the particular appearings whereof any mention is made in the Gospel But if we count only the appearings vnto His Apostles assembled together this is the third in number as the Euangelist himselfe hereafter telles In the first two appearings He manifested Himselfe vnto the eleuen beeing assembled together in an house the doores beeing closed only Thomas was absent in the first appearing nowe heere Hee appeares only vnto seuen beeing together not in an house but without at the fishing As concerning the particular time of this appearing what day it was from the first daye of His Resurrection or howe many dayes it was from His last appearing vnto them it is not particularly set downe and therefore we will passe by it but the Euangelist markes particularly the place of this appearing for he sayes Iesus shewed Himselfe againe at the sea of Tiberias which sea is otherwise called the sea of Gennesareth for according to the accustomable forme of speaking among the Iewes a lake is called the Sea Before wee come to the rest of the circumstances of this appearing it is expedient that we answere to a question that may bee mooued It may bee asked What is the cause that the Lord appeared so oft times vnto His Disciples and so many wayes Had it not bene enough that He had appeared to them once or twise What needed there any moe appearings To this answere There are many great and weightie causes wherefore the Lord so oft times appeared and first because Faith in the Resurrection from the dead is a thing very hardly and with great difficultie is obtained for among all the Articles of Faith there is none more contrarie to Nature none appeares to be more vncredible therefore the Lord that He might assure them that He was risen and that they who are in Him one day shall rise againe Hee appeared so oft times after His Resurrection Next Hee appeared so ofâ— to His Disciples because they were to be the first witnesses of His Resurrection to the worlde and therefore they needed oft times to see the Lorde to haue heard to haue handled Him and beene conuersant with Him they needed all sortes of helpes to their Faith that they might haue full assurance themselues that the Lorde was risen to the ende that with the greater assurance and with a full perswasion as the Apostle speakes of himselfe 1. Thess 1.5 They might testifie of that Resurrection both by viue voyce and by writting vnto others euen to the comming of the Lord Himselfe indeede so it came to passe for because Hee appeared and reueiled Himselfe so oft times to them therefore they had exceeding great libertie and boldnesse both in their speaking and writting for the frequent seeing of Him hearing of Him speaking and conuersing with Him made them to haue a full perswasion and this full perswasion made them to haue great libertie freedome for he that hath not a full perswasion in his owne heart should not take vpon him to be a witnesse and preacher of the graces and benefites of God to others neither will he euer be able to speake of them with freedome to mooue others to beleeue Thirdly He appeared so oft vnto His Apostles not for their causâ— only but for our cause also who should liue in the ages to come Hee had respect vnto the weaknesse of our Faith for euery particular appearing of Christ serues to helpe and further something our Faith our Faith degree by degree is helped by euery one of them and all His appearings beeing joyned together are a sure and stedfast ground to our Faith to repose vpon they serue to consummate our Faith and to bring it to a full perfection for when wee heare or reade that our Lord appeared at any time to His Disciples wee should thinke and settle this in our minde that when Hee appeared vnto them Hee appeared vnto vs when they saw Him we saw Him when vvee reade that the Lord appeared vnto Peter I should thinke that He appeared vnto mee vvhen Iohn and the rest of the Apostles sawe Him vvith their eyes I should so esteeme that I sawe Him vvith mine eyes and whensoeuer they sawe Him I should lay my count that I saw Him for vvhen that Peter sayes That with his eyes he saw His Maiestie 2. Pet. 1.16 hee pointes out Christ as it were with his finger to bee seene with mine eyes When Paul sayes That the Lord was seene of him after His Resurrection 1. Cor. 15.8 hee pointes out the Lord to be seene by me When Iohn sayes Wee declare vnto you that which wee haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes which we haue looked vpon these handes of ours haue handled of that worde of life 1. Ioh. 1.1 hee sets the Lord as it were before my face that I may see Him with mine eyes I may heare Him with mine eares and may handle Him vvith mine handes To the end that my ioy may be full as he speakes there verse 4. And therefore thou
they bee for by so doing they not onelie depriue themselues of happinesse but also they turne the blessinges of God into a curse to them When IOHN hath informed PETER that it was the Lord vvhat does PETER It is saide When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord hee girded his coat to him for hee was naked and cast himselfe into the Sea He shewes a great zeale and forwardnesse for in my judgement this doing of PETER proceeded not from foolish hardinesse and inconsiderate rashnesse but from a true zeale and feruent desire to meete with the Lord. Nowe will yee compare IOHN and PETER together ye will find great diuersitie of giftes IOHN knewe the Lord first and that by sight PETER knew the Lord next but by hearing for IOHN informed him IOHN was before PETER in faith knowledge but PETER who comes behinde passes IOHN who was his teacher had instructed him for he is more zealous than IOHN was IOHN exceeded in knowledge but PETER exceeded in zeale This lets vs see the trueth of that sentence of PAVL One and the selfe same Spirit worketh all gifts distributing to euery maÌ„ seuerally as he willeth 1. Corinth 12.11 Euen in the Apostles themselues for euen among them some excelled in one gift and some in another IOHN excelled in knowledge and had knowledge of the glorious person of Iesus Christ and namelie of His diuinitie as his Euangell declares for it is full of high mysteries sublime doctrine of Christ aboue the rest of the Apostles PETER excelled in zeale and forwardnesse and was more ardent in zeale than the rest as wee may reade in the Gospell PAVL excelled in labouring and painfulnesse in preaching of the Gospell for hee sayes himselfe I laboured more aboundantlie than all the Apostles 1. Corinth Chap. 15. vers 10. The LORD gaue not all graces to anie one of them but to euerie one such a measure of grace as Hee pleased neither had it beene expedient to themselues nor so profitable to others It had not beene expedient to themselues because it might haue beene that they would haue comtemned and despised others in respect of themselues It had not beene so profitable to others because others would haue enuied them for their great perfection of graces And so by this meanes the bodie of IESVS euen His Church which should bee compact and straitlie joyned together would haue beene miserablie rent asunder On the other part this inequalitie and diuersitie of giftes that the Lord giues to men is a speciall meane to joyne and knitte together the members of the misticall bodie of CHRIST for as in the bodie of man the inequalitie and diuersitie of functions giftes that are giuen to seueral members joynes and holds together y e meÌ„bers of y e body eueÌ„ so y t inequality diuersity of spiritual graces giuen to euery meÌ„ber of y e body of Christ euery one hauing neede of the helpe of another joynes and holdes together the members to make vp one compact bodie Reaâ—e of this in the first Epistle of Sainct Paul to the Corinthians Chap. 12. vers 24.25 Nowe I shall onelie marke one thing and so I shall ende All the night preceeding when the Lord Iesus was absent Johns faith and Peters zeale were languishing and dwining but in the morning when Christ returnes both Johns faith and Peters zeale beginne to reuiue and to gette newe strength and vigour Whereof we may learne that this grace of faith knowledge and zeale is wakened and raised vp by Christ who is the onelie matter and object of them for our faith and knowledge proceedes of His gracious light which shines in our darke soules Our zeale proceedes from the Spirite of Christ who by His comming kindleth a burning fire in our heartes and makes vs to burne with zeale who before were colde in the seruice of God PAVL sayes God that commanded light to shine out of darknesse is Hee who hath shined in our heartes to giue the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ. 2. Cor. Chap. 4. vers 6. The wordes import that all faith and knowledge of God that wee haue is by looking vnto the face of Iesus For when wee looke vnto His face the beames of that glorie which shines in it is conueyed into our soules and lighteneth them and so workes faith and knowledge in them And when wee shall gette a full sight and see Him as Hee is clearelie face to face then wee shall bee like to Him in glorie for His glorie shall transforme vs into this same image from glorie to glorie 2. Cor. cap. 3. vers 18. Then seeing that no grace can either bee wrought or entertained in the soule without the presence of the Lord Iesus and the beholding of His countenance wee should bee carefull constantlie to looke to His face and beholde His glorie in the mirrour of the worde so long as wee are in this pilgrimage that so hereafter wee may see Him face to face and so bee made partakers of His glorie which Hee hath purchased to all them that loue Him by the shedding of His owne blood To Him therefore with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all praise and glorie AMEN THE XLIX LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IOHN CHAP. XXI verse 8 But the other Disciples came by shippe for they were not farre from land but about two hundreth cubites and they drâ—we the nette with fishes verse 9 As soone then as they were come to land they sawe hote coales and fish layed thereon and bread verse 10 Iesus saide vnto them Bring of the fishes which yee haue nowe caught verse 11 Simon Peter stepped foorth and drewe the nette to lande full of great fishes an hundreth fiftie and three and albeit there were so manie yet was not the nette broken verse 12 Iesus saide vnto them Come and dine And none of the Disciples durst aske him Who art thou seeing they knewe that hee was the Lord. verse 13 Iesus then came and tooke bread and gaue them and fish likewise verse 14 This is now the third time that Iesus shewed himselfe to his Disciples after that hee was risen againe from the dead IN this seuenth appearing of Christ Beloued Brethren in the Lord wee haue spoken alreadie of the place of His appearing to vvit at the Sea of Tiberias and vve haue spoken of the persons to vvhome Hee appeared vvho vveâ—e seuen in number the Lord by His secret prouidence gathered them together and kept them together albeit some vvâ—uld haue suâ—dered from the râ—st to the ende the Lord might shew Himselfe vâ—to them being assembled together in one place Wâ—e hauâ— spoken of their exercise how they vvere fishiâ—g but got little successe howbeit they had laboured all the night We told you also of the Lords appearing to them He shewes Himselfe to them in the morning and finding y t they had caught nothing Hee biddes them cast out the net on the
right side of the shippe we shew you their obedience albeit they knew Him not thought that He had bene a stranger yet vpon hope of a good successe they cast out the net We haue heard what successe the Lord gaue to this their obedience the net was so filled with fishes that they were not able to drawe it And last we haue heard how Iohn knew Him first and tolde Peter and how Peter vpon a feruent zeale to meete with the Lord casts Himselfe into the Sea and hazardes his life Nowe this day by Gods grace we shall follow out the rest of the Historie of this appearing of Christ as namely how the Disciples did meete vvith the Lord and how when they came to the land miraculously they saw fishes laide on hote coales and what was the Lords conference and dealing with them and vvhat vvas the behauiour of Peter and the rest of the Disciples But to come to the wordes when Peter had cast himselfe into the Sea and came to the Lord what doe the rest of the Disciples Are they altogether carelesse Haue they not also a desire to meete vvith the Lord Yes they haue a desire and they came to the Lord albeit not so soone as Peter For they came by ship for they were not far from land but about two hundreth cubits Albeit they came not all so soone as Peter yet at the last they al come to y e Lord as vvell as Peter for they vvere not destitute of grace no more than Peter as zeale caried Peter to y e Lord so Faith knowledge brings and leades the rest to the Lord Peters zeale mooued him to come more speedily suddenly hastily to the Lord but their Faith and knowledge brought Iohn the rest also to the Lord for such is the force of Faith that albeit it haue not ay such feruent zeale accompanying it as vvas the zeale of Peter yet at last it will leade conuey a man vnto Christ Striue aboue all thinges to haue Faith and seeke it dayly of the Lord for if thou haue Faith in Christ not only shalt thou get a comfortable sight of Him heere in thy soule but also thou shalt see Him hereafter face to face by the contrarie if thou want Faith if thou haue it not in some measure thou shalt neuer get a sight of God to thy comfort for as the Apostle sayes Without holinessâ— no man shall see the Lord Heb. 12.14 If thou be not holy thou shâ—lt never see Heaven so say I Without Faith thou shalt neuer sâ—e God if thou haue not Faith thou shalâ— neuer come to Heauen Mocke Faith and holinessâ— as ye please the Lord sh◠〈◊〉 â—sie this one day vvithout Faith holinesse the gates of Heauen shal be closed vpon thee thou shalt neuer get no portion of life nor glory Nowe vvhile the Disciples are comming to the Lord They are drawing the net with the fishes Compare this doing of theirs vvith the doing of Peter ye vvill see both doe vvell albeit the manner be diuerse Peter left the net all y e fishes behind swimmed out hastily speedily to meet y e Lord Iohn the rest drawing after them the net full of fishes come to y e Lord both doe vvell both their doings are commendable for zeale so caried Peter y t not only he cared not for y e net the fishes but also he hazarded his life that hee might come to y e Lord Iohn the rest of y e Disciples as they knew y e Lord Himselfe so they esteeme highly of that benefite vvhich the Lord powerfully louingly had bestowed vpoÌ„ them as a pledge of His fauour therfore they were not carelesse of the benefite they misregarded it not but they thought it meet to carrie it with them for His cause who had vouchsafed it on them so both y e one the other are worthy of praise hereof we may learne this lesson The actions of y e Children of God wherein they are exercised according to y e gift that y e Lord hath distributed to euery one albeit they be very farre different one from another yet they are all in some sort good worthy of their owne praise because euery one of them helpes another for as it is with the giftes faculties so it is with the actions operations proceeding from them Now the gifts faculties are diuerse yet all are for the well of the body euery one of them supplies the want of another yea euen y e meanest gifts helpe the greatest the gift of the foot helpes the gift of the hand and of the eye Euen so the actions and operations slowing from the gifts serue for the well and commoditie of the whole body euery one of them supplies the want and inlake that is in another the least may helpe the greatest in some thing that it wants Ye see a proofe of this heere in the actions doings of the Apostles Peter left the net the fishes and all behinde him that hee might corâ—e hastily vnto the Lord the thing that inâ—aâ—ed in him the rest supplied they bring the bâ—nefite with them the fishes that the Lord had sent them Again albeit that Iohn y e rest brought y â— fishes with them that y e Loâ—d gaue thâ—m as a pledge of â—is loue yet they were somewhat sloâ—e they â—aâ—eâ— not as Peter did to come to the â—ord now Petâ—r helpeâ— them in this waâ—â— for by hiâ— zeale and forwardnesse he stirred them vâ—â—â— prouoked them to a godly eâ—ulat on Wee must not incontinently despise and reject the particular actions of euery one of the children of God because they are not perfect in all respects for the Lord will not bestow all gifts at once to euery faithfull man but wee should consider all the actions of all the children of GOD gathered together as it were in a masse and one heape and so because euery one helpes and supplies the want of another to the well of the whole we shall finde a perfection Now when by ship drawing the net with the fishes after them they come to land What falles out What finde they They find a miraculous worke for it is said As soone then as they were come to land they saw hoat coales and fish laide thereon and bread Where euer they came they sawe miracles when they were on the Sea they found a miraculous multitude of fishes inclosed in the net when they come to the lande they found another miracle a fire and all furniture for their dinner extraordinarily prepared without the hand of man No question these things were done by the extraordinarie working and dispensation of GOD to the end that not only they might assuredly know that the Lord was risen againe but likewise that when they considered His marueilous and extraordinarie power they might be perswaded that He who rose from the dead was not only man but also God for
vsed it not 1. Cor. 7.31 That is When he is exercised in worldly things he hath not his heart fixed on the world for that is the right vsing of the world for that man that hath his heart fixed on the world when he is occupied in a worldly calling he abuses the world If euer in all thine actions thine heart bee glewed to the vvorlde and thine affections teddered to the earth if thou haue no pleasure to thinke of Heauen and heauenly thinges thou mayest take that for a sure token that as yet thou art not called to the participation of grace Nowe when Peter drawes the net with an hundreth fiftie and three great fishes in it the Euangelist markes that Albeit they were so many yet was not the nette broken No question as the taking of so many fishes the hote coales fish laide thereon with bread was effectuate as ye heard by the secret extraordinarie miraculous prouidence of God so was this also and all was to this end that the Disciples might see that the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily and that the Godhead which before the Passion was obscured and kept the selfe close did nowe vtter the selfe gloriously When Peter hath drawen the net vvith the fish to the land The Lord saide vnto them Come and dine In the former doings ye haue heard Hee vttered His Godhead now heere by His familiar and accustomed forme of doing He makes it manifest that Hee vvas man also Yee haue heard before that by the actions of eating and drinking He prooued that Hee was not a Spirit but a man Luke 24.39 And as Hee is carefull to enforme their mindes and by these actions to perswade them that He is both God and man so likewise He hath a care of their bodies and of the sustentation of this temporall life He knew that by their long painfull trauell they were both wearied and hungrie and had great need of refreshment the Lord had a care of this and Hee feedes them as it were with His owne hand so that at one time both their soules and their bodies are fedde by Him and this should be thy care that when thou findest that the Lord feedes thy body and hath a care of this temporall life that thou also striue to finde that the Lord feedes thy soule hath a care to bring thee vnto eternall life And indeede if thou receiuest these temporall benefites which serue for the sustentation of thy body with thankesgiuing and prayer thou wilt finde that when the Lord feedes thy body He feedes also thy soule Now the Euangelist markes by the way interrupting the Historie That none of the Disciples durst aske Him Who art thou seeing they knew that Hâ—e was the Lord. No question the Euangelists sets downe these wordes partly to let vs see what great reuerence they caried to the Lord while they sate at table with Him and partly to let vs see how full and sure perswasion they had that it was the Lord for he telles the cause why they durst not aske Him who He was because They knewe that He was the Lord and it had bene too great boldnesse and impudencie in them to haue asked that at the Lord which they knewe well enough and the Lord had reueiled Himselfe to them sufficiently before and now also By this behauiour of the Disciples wee may marke what is the nature of Faith and the force and effect of it in the regenerate man it is not vnreuerent but thinkes reuerently of the Lord whome it apprehends it is not impudent and shamelesse but humble and shamefast it is not immoderate it passes not measure but it is moderate and conteines the selfe within bounds and measure that is it is not euermore curiously seeking many and new reuelations but it is content with that measure that the Lord hath reueiled By the contrarie looke to the nature of infidelitie it is euer vnreuerent toward GOD impudent and immoderate it is neuer content with that measure of reuelations which the Lord hath giuen but it is euer curiously out of measure seeking new reuelations and what if it were for any good end what if it were to learne and grow better then it were somewhat more excusable but it is all to this ende that either it may tempt the Majestie of God or els to satisfie the immoderate and vnsatiable curiositie wee may see the example of these fruites of infidelitie in sundrie persons as in the Iewes who as Dauid sayes oft times tempted the Lord in the Wildernesse by their infidelitie but chiefly in the Scribes and Pharises they euer tempted the LORD for albeit both by His Word and doctrine and also by His diuine workes and miracles Hee had sufficiently reueiled Himselfe vnto them and albeit also they had beene conuicted in their conscience that Hee was the Messias yet notwithstanding of all this they continue still in tempting of Him and they say Master we desire to see a signe of thee Matth. Chapter 12. verse 38. But the LORD answered them An euill and adulierous generation seekes a signe but no signe shall be giuen to it but the signe of the Prophet Ionah The Papists this day are very like the Scribes and Pharises they cannot be content with that measure of reuelation which the LORD hath giuen vs in the Scriptures and namely in the Newe Testament wherein the Mysterie of CHRIST and the doctrine of Saluation is fully and clearly set downe a clearer reuelation than is there set downe shall we neuer finde vntill the LORD come in the cloudes to judge the world they cannot be content with all the Miracles which wee reade wrought in the Olde and Newe Testaments by the Prophets by the Lord Himselfe and the Apostles but they are euer seeking for new and extraordinarie reuelations they are seeking vnwritten verities which may be calâ—ed vanities they are euer seeking newe miracles and such other toyes and dreames they can neuer bee content But wee may answere them as the LORD answered the Pharises They shall get no moe signes nor reuelations than they haue gotten alreadie they are too bold and impudent after that the LORD hath sufficiently reueiled Himselfe to sâ—eke for new reuelations This their doing testifies sufficiently that they haue no Faith for faith is reuerent shamefast and moderate keeping the selfe within the bounds of Gods reueiled will but by the contrarie it beares witnesse of their infidelitie for this impudencie and immoderate seeking of newe miracles and reuelations are fruites of infidelitie But a question may bee mooued vpon these wordes When hee sayes And none of the Disciples durst aske Him Who art thou seeing they knew that Hee was the LORD Is it vnlawfull for vs to seeke increase and growth of knowledge Yea are we not commanded to seeke it dayly Sayes not the LORD Seeke and ye shall finde aske and it shall bee giuen you knocke and it shall bee opened vnto you Luke Chapter 11. verse 9. Yea is
you Joh. 20.31 Yet because this was generall therfore now to take all grudges and doubts out of the heart of Peter the rest of th'Apostles he has a particular dealing with him here in this place this he does in presence of so many disciples for the greater confiâ—mation of his restoring and herein the Lord vrges him thrise that He might draw out of him a threefold confession answerable to his thrâ—efold deniall It may bee likewise that in this conference the Lord had a great respect to recommend the caâ—e of His Kirke which He was to leaue behind Him to Peter to the rest of th'Apostles for in the person of Peter Hee speakes to all the rest Vpon this conference marke this generally First that the Lord will not refuse repentance and pardon to him who has denied Him if his deniall come of infirmitie Next That it is the Lord only who prouokes and allures a man to repentance and who preuents him if he be careles of his sinne We saw before that the Lord looked vpon Peter after he had denied Him in the Hall of Caiaphas made him to weepe Now He accomplishes brings to perfection y t worke which He began He vrges a threefold coÌ„fession But to come to y e matter The Lord begins to commune with him these are the words Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me better than these pointing out the rest of th'apostles that is more than the rest loues me This the Lord demands of Peter not that He was ignorant of the loue of Peter towarde Him for Peter testifies this in his answere when hee sayes to the Lord Thou knowest that I loue thee The Lord knew th' inward affection of Peter as well as himselfe did So as for Himselfe He ned not this confession nor to speak one word for He knew his heart yet He vrges the confession of the mouth that that loue which he baâ—e in his heart hee should professe with his mouth wherefore in demanding He calles first of all Peter to remembrance of his bragging that he vsed a little before His Passion when Peâ—er stood vp saide Though all should be offended by thee yet will I neuer be offended Matth. 26.33 As though he should say Though all should leaue thee I shall not leaue thee I shall bee readie to goe to prison and to death with thee Therefore the Lord sayes Louest thou me more than these TheÌ„ with this he calles to remeÌ„brance that foule defection for all his craking as if Hee vvould saye For all thy boasting PETER remember thee of thy deniâ—ll So in one vvorde Hee prickes his conscience Hee rebukâ—s him both for his arrogant vanting also for his foule defectioÌ„ This He does in effect but if ye mark y e words ye shal see y e pricking of him to be joyned w t such sweetnes in speaking as is woÌ„derful to be so seasoned w t loue as is marueilous for Hee sayes in effect as much as this Howbeit Peter thou hast fallen in thy bragging vanting and also hast made foule defection from me yet if thou repent thee and turne to me and if thou loue me there is place of pardon forgiuenesse So ye see two contrary thinges joyned together asperitie and lenitie sourenesse and sweetnesse rebuke and consolation casting downe and raising vp wounding and healing in one sentence The Lord in one sentence in one demaunde at one time yea at a poinct of time He could wound a man and heale him Some might thinke seeing that this was the first conference that Christ had with Peter after his denyall and that there should haue beene another kind of meeting and more sharpe beginning with a run-a-gate who had denyed his Maister thrise ye may thinke Hee should haue vpbraided him and said Run-a-gate why deniedst thou mee so mischieuouslie Why against thy conscience sinnedst thou so hainously But He sayes not so but these are all the words Simon the sonne of Jona louest thou me The Lord was not a flyter a chyder an vpbraider a cryer c. Therfore it was prophecied of him My seruant shall not crie nor make his voyce to be heard in the streete nor quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reed Esay 42.2 Matth. 12.19.20 The ground was That exceeding loue to Simon Peter the passing loue to sinners especially to the secret ones whom He had chosen that loue hid all their sinnes as Peter speakes in his first Epist and 4. chap. So that if He spake an angry word to any His anger was so tempered with loue that scarcely did it appeare So learne this lesson Rebukers should be louers if thou rebuke a man loue him otherwise speake not to him but close thy mouth for if thou season not thy rebuke with loue then that which should haue bene a medicine wil be turned into poyson They that should be instructers and admonishers should be louers Wherfore whatsoeuer thou doest doe it in lenity meeknesse and not in bitternesse A bitter teacher is not vvorth a pennie And this is it that Paul requires 2. Timoth. 2.24 where he sayes The seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be gentle towards all men All should be in lenitie teaching in lenitie admonitioÌ„ in lenity Wherfore Because if lenitie be lacking there will be no edificatioÌ„ no coÌ„forting no instruction If that which thou speakest be smoothed ouer and mixed with a gall of bitternesse it will poyson the man Therefore whatsoeuer thou be whether Minister or other looke that thou hast loue and it will make thee to discharge all the pointes of thy duetie with lenitie Now the Lord is not contented to demand this once onelie Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me but once twise thrise What needed this yee will aske was it not sufficient to aske this once What behoued this doubling trepling Brethren this was not only y t he might make a threefold coÌ„fession answerable to his threefolde deniall that so he might be restored but also because his threefolde deniall procured that he should not be so soone and easilie credited They that haue made a foule defection as Peter did certainlie they would be tried ere they bee trusted And Christ this day would learne vs that Apostates would be well tried and their hearts would be sounded and ripped vp from the ground A slender answere should not content vs wee may not settle vpon the swarfe of the heart but the heart must bee pricked with manie interrogations it must be lanced deepely that if there be a spunke of sinceritie loue it may be raised vp appeare for ye wil not thinke what deepnes of deceitfulnes lies in the heart of man as Ierem. 17.9 sayes The heart is deceitfull wicked aboue al things who can know it It is hard to thee to get thine owne heart souÌ„ded tried go thy way assay it thou shalt find it to be true thou shalt bee
beguiled with it as well as another And as for the sinceritie of the heart it is not in the vtmost swarfe but it is downe lowe in the ground Therefore thine heart must be touched pricked and lanced partlie by thy selfe and partlie by others till that pure fountaine of sinceritie and loue breake foorth and appeare There is the speciall cause of this doubling All this serues for the weale of PETER howbeit hee tooke euill vvith it for euerie demand vvas a confirmation of PETER in that grace of Apostleship Now to come to PETERS answere Peter said vnto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee Behold the meeting Christ sayes Louest thou me Hee answeres Lord thou knowest that I loue thee There is a sweet meeting When the Lord requires loue of thee then meete thou Him vvith loue This answere imports y t His demand has bene very louing vttered with a sweet voyce and behauiour and that Hee saide as much as this I loue thee Peter louest thou mee So in this demande Hee has touched the heart of PETER with the sense of that loue which Hee bore to PETER Now this sense opened the heart of PETER to loue the Lord againe 1. Ioh. 4.4 There will neuer man loue the Lord first It vvill passe thy power to loue Him first therefore of neede force the loue of Christ behoued to be shed abroad in the heart of PETER and hee behooued to bee touched with the loue of the Lord before hee could answere Lord I loue thee Therefore if the Lord saye vnto thee Louest thou mee Saye Lord loue mee that I may loue thee And if euer thou wouldest discharge a duetie in this lâ—fe striue euer to finde that Iesus loues thee for else all His commaundementes will bee for nothing But marke the vvordes Pâ—tâ—r svvould seeme not to answere the Lord as Hee propones the Lord propones by way of comparison Louest thou mee bettâ—r than thâ—se Peter answeres simplie Lord I loue thee Hee sayes not better than these I see heere a piece of modestie more than hee had before for before hee fell he was ouer loftie and jollie and thought little of the â—est But nowe I see after his fall hee vvill not compare with the rest but simplie hee sayes Lord I loue thee Brethren I see that although his fall vvas euill yet it has done him good it has tamed him he was ouer arrogant before The defection of the godlie is verie euill yet this is a sure thing that the fallings and the sinnes yea the foulest defections of the godlie doe euer better them and worke alwayes to their good A vvonderfull thing The Lord who brings light out of darknesse makes the defection of His owne to turne to their vveale Has hee beene a proude man an ignorant man c. the Lord vvill giue him a fall Hee vvill cast him downe vpon his backe and vvith that Hee vvill tame him make him to stink in his own nostrils as He did to Peter for now vvhen he is fallen sees his own vveaknesse he speakes soberly makes no matching with the rest Lord if th'Elect be much beholdeÌ„ to God for He makes all things to further them for their saluatioÌ„ So in a vvord No euill can come to the godly man Yet the wordes vvould be considered he sayes not simply I loue thee but Lord thou knowest that I loue thee he takes the Lord to be vvitnesse to his coÌ„fession as if he vvould say It stands not in my words but Lord thou knowest that I loue thee And so here he both acknowledges Iesus to be God for He is only judge to the heart also approues the sinceritie of his loue to Him for God is said to bee witnesse not so much to the confession of the mouth as to the sinceritie of the heart If thou louest the Lord call Him to be vvitnesse of thy loue and therfore beware of your confession of faith and loue to the Lord looke y t it be with sinceritie of the heart not from the teeth forward neb of the tongue only but looke y t it rise from the loue which is rooted in the heart for the Lord is witnesse and judge of the heart Hee vvill passe from thy wordes and vvill looke in vvith a pearcing eye into thine heart rip it open to see if there bee any sinceritie of loue there So looke euer to y e heart vvheÌ„ thou takest the Lord to be witnesse to thee Men coÌ„monly take no heed to this they say The Lord knowes when they vvill speake falsly Ye shall find this coÌ„monly that he who is the greatest swearer falsest man is euer readiest to take God to be his vvitnes but vvhen he speakes so vvhat is he doing eueÌ„ crauing that God vvould send a veÌ„geance judgemeÌ„t on him Yet to vveigh the vvords more narrowly he sayes not simplie Thou knowest but vvheÌ„ he professes his loue to Him he giues Him a reuerend stile again calles Him Lord. No th'Apostles carried to their Lord a vvonderfull reuerence This learnes thee vvhen thou makest a coÌ„fession a professioÌ„ a protestatioÌ„ vvherin thou namest y e Lord as it should be in modesty sincerity of heart so should it be in fear reuereÌ„ce That God who is full of glory majestie should neuer be named but with honor reuerence when thou speakest to Him speake in reuerence yea thinke neuer of Him but with reuerence Well these speaches protestations of men wherin they name the majesty of God y t are so vnreuerend rash insolent testifies sais plainly That in their hearts there is no reuerence to God yea they vtter y t in their hearts they haue said There is not a God in heaueÌ„ But O miserable catiue thou shalt find y t there is a God one day to thy euerlasting daÌ„nation I giue thee no lesse doome CoÌ„sider further when Peter answeres y e Lord the third time it is said by John y t Peter was sad in heart giues a sad sorrowfull coÌ„fessioÌ„ because he thought the Lord by so many interrogatioÌ„s credited him not but dâ—strusted him TheÌ„ learne hereby what should be y e properties of a true coÌ„fessioÌ„ as coÌ„fessioÌ„ should be in modesty sincerity reuereÌ„ce so it should be in sadnes y e coÌ„fessioÌ„ of a sinner must be in grief sadnes there is no question but in his confession he saw matter of sadnes saw y e Lord by His vrging of him so many times would haue him to be sad This he perceiues therfore he is sad wheÌ„ he confesses So the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of a sinner must be with sadnes of heart Wilt thou come to the Lord with a waÌ„ton confession after thine accustomed mirrinesse No no for the Lord by pricking of Peter so oft declares y t He has no pleasure in a coÌ„fession except it be in sadnes Therfore when thou confessest say Alas Lord thâ—t I caÌ„not loue thee so well as
loued Iesus and that exceedingly they would soone haue fainted we want the tenth part of that loue to Iesus that they had alas all is vanished away Would Peter or Paul or any of them haue borne out these things if they had wanted the loue of Christ if it had not constrained them No 2 Cor. 5 14. he sayes We are fooles but for Christs sake for that loue of Christ constraineth me that is the loue of Iesus occcupies so all my senses that it beares mee out thereafter he resolues that loue which he caried to Christ into the owne cause where he subjoynes Bâ—cause we know that if â—ne be dead for all then were we all dead the ground of His loue was because Christ loued him and this loue is the cause that makes His owne to doe all to suffer all for Christs sake to liue to Him to die to Him looke if thou findest that Christ loues thee then thou wilt loue Him so that thou wilt not refuse if it were a thousand deaths for His cause O the loue of Christ is a great gulfe No it will drowne greater persecutions than the Sea will Pray therefore that the loue of the Lord Iesus may be in thine heart that thou mayest loue Him againe Now againe if the faithful dischaâ—ge of the dutie of a Pastor must proceede of necessitie from the loue of Christ as the effect froÌ„ the cause Then marke how ye shall know whether a man loue Christ or not a King a Minister euery Professor whosoeuer Would ye haue a token looke if he be faithfull in his calling if this be a necessâ—ry effect then marke their works by their works thou shalt know them the loue cannot be seene with the eye it is vttered by a marke by the life wheÌ„ thou seest a man well occupied in his own calling the King ministring Iustice the Pastor feeding his people certainly thou mayest say Yone man loues Christ but if the action be inlacking what warrand haue I that a man loues God I haue none The Apostle Paul by the confusions and perturbations which he saw to be in the Church of Corinthus gathers that the false teachers these deceiuers loue not y e Lord Iesus therefore he denounces a judgment against them saying If any man loue not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be had in execratioÌ„ yea excoÌ„municated to death 1. Cor. 16.22 I say an vnfaithful Pastor who feedes his own bâ—lly not Christs sheepe is accuâ—sed not only because he spoiles y e Church of Christ but also because he loues not y e Lord Iesus Woe shall be to him one day by y e contrarie a faithfull Pastor ô what honour glory shal he be exalted vnto Yet againe these words would be considered the word of feeding would be looked to it is a borrowed word to speake properly a Minister feedes not it is an Heard that feedes neat and sheepe the Scripture applies not this word only to Ministers but to Kings for looke how busie as an Heard is going about feeding his flock as busie should a King be in his calling a King is but an Heard set ouer to feed y e people of God but the Scripture commonly in the New Testament applies it to Ministers because in a Minister there should be as great diligence painfulnes carefulnes toward y e people as in y e Heard toward y e flocke if there were no more to teach this this threefold so earnest coÌ„mendation to Peter the rest were sufficient It is true that y e Lord Iesus Himself is the Prince of y e Pastors yea properly He is only Pastor He is the Heard therefore He clamâ—s this stile to Him Job 10 1. For why the flock is His not y e Ministers therfore He sayes Feed my lambes then ye are his flocke He is your Pastor properly Againe it is His food that y e flock is fed with all y e store of y e fodder of grace is out of His barne If a Minister minister to you y e smallest portion of food which is not taken out of y e barneyard of Iesus it is poyson he giues you Knaues haue deceiued y e world long the Pope his shauelings haue propined poyson to y e people haue made many thousands goe to Hell giue Christs flocke Christs food But notwithstanding that Christ properly is y e only true Pastor yet louingly he coÌ„muninicates this His stile to them whoÌ„ He employes in His seruice of y e Ministerie Thou y t art a Minister He cals thee a Pastor but thou art but as a seruant laid vnder y e chiefe shephâ—ard they are not Lords of y e flock No not the best of them No not Lords but dispensators so they are not propeâ—ly Pastors Seeing then such is the mercy of the Lord that He so honours them that Hee coÌ„municates His stile to y e Ministers therfore they should striue to shew theÌ„selues worthy of that stile by y e faithfull discharge of their calling in feeding of y e flock But who are they that should be fed Christ sayes first Feed my lambes then He sayes twise Feed my sheepe all is one for y e Kirke is compared to a folde full of sheepe He sayes not Goe feed tygres lions wolues but lambes sheepe Who are these then By these lambes sheep the Lord vnderstands His Chosen Blessed is hee that is chosen in Christ for great is the number of them that perishes a very haÌ„dfull shall be saued they must be more tame ones sillie simple ones like sheep Ye see y e sheep euer receiuing hurt neuer noysom nor hurtfull to any other Any beast will ouercome a sheep but it wil ouercome none so it is silly simple ones y t are Christs sheep Now I mean not y t all th'Elect are at y e first hand as silly as sheepe no but y t they who were before like wolues lions tygres by y e Spirit through the preaching of y e word by processe of time are tamed and made like sheep No no wheÌ„ Peter went out to feed theÌ„ they were like tygres raging in their lusts No the chosen by nature before they be tamed called they are nothing differeÌ„t froÌ„ y e reprobate they rampe and roare like lioÌ„s albeit in y e secret couÌ„sel of God His decree of predestinatioÌ„ by His grace there be a great differeÌ„ce betwixt y e one y e other for God only makes a differeÌ„ce betwixt His Elâ—ct the reprobate What was Paul himselfe or any other before they were called but wolues tygres TheÌ„ y e Pastor albeit he find men as wolues tygers yet he should not stay froÌ„ feeding of theÌ„ no he must preach y e Gospel y t therby he may make of wolues tygres lambes and sheepe for many of them that were like tygres after they had once hearde the voyce of the Apostles became simple as sheepe Nowe it may bee
asked here Seeing the Lord recommends vnto Peter only His chosen to bee fed instructed by him should th'Apostles haue care of any other to feed and instruct except of th'Elect onelie Let it bee that these Elect at the first hand bee like wolues and tygers yet the care of them onelie in this place is recommended vnto Peter and the rest by the Lorde I answere Albeit the Lorde recommende chiefelie the care of th'Elect yet He excludes not the reprobate for it is the Lordes vvill that foode should bee offered to them also for the Pastor cannot know who are Elect or Reprobate therfore it is his duety to compt all to be elected to feed all he must not be rash in judgemeÌ„t No man should be so bold as to presume to giue out sentence who are chosen or who are reprobate for the LORD knoweth who are His 2. Timoth. 2.19 Therefore let him stay vntill the Lord discerne who are elect let the Pastor count all to be Lambes and endeauoure to feede all yet his labours shall only be fruitfull in the Elect for there is neuer one that is not chosen that shall bee tamed by the word all the preachings in the world will not tame a reprobate but he shall euer be a Wolfe indeede a reprobate may for a season take on a sheepe skinne that is hee may play the hyprocrite and may seeme outwardly to some to be godly but truely and in effect he will neuer haue true Faith nor godlinesse Now last this would not be passed by that the Lord bids Peter feed His not another mans sheepe but His owne sheepe that is them whome He hath redeemed and ransomed with His owne blood This word containes an argument wherefore the sheepe should be fed to wit because they are the Lords ransomed with His owne blood And more than that this vvord admonishes the Pastor that hee count not the slocke to be his owne but the Lords and that hee feede it not to himselfe to vse the slocke for his owne gaine and aduantage Iohn Baptist sayes Hee that hath the bride is the bridegroome but the friend of the bridegroome reioyces greatly because of the bridegroomes voyce Ioh. 3.29 By these words Iohn signifies that he wooed not the Church to himselfe but to the Lord who is the bridegroome And Paul sayes to the Coâ—inthians I am iealous ouer you with godly iealousie for I haue prepared you for one husband to present you as a pure virgine to Christ 2. Cor. 11.2 For it is the most abhominable and detestable sacriledge that can bee to spoyle Christ the bridegroome of the Church His bride to take from Him His flocke which Hee hath redeemed with such a precious and glorious ransome euen the blood of God Acts 20.28 Seeing then that the Lord hath committed to Pastors the Church which is His owne Spouse and His Flocke which He hath redeemed with no lesse price than His own blood the LORD giue Pastours grace to be carefull in feeding of them with that food of life furnished vnto them by the LORD Iesâ—s To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise and honour for euer AMEN THE LI. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IOHN CHAP. XXI verse 18 Verely verely I say vnto thee When thou wast yong thou girdedst thy selfe and walkest whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be olde thou shalt stretch out thine hands and another shall gird thee and leade thee whither thou wouldest not verse 19 And this spake Hee signifying by what death hee should glorifie God And when He had said thus He said to him Follow Me. THE last day beloued Brethren we heard how the Lord in this third appearing vnto His Disciples after His Resurrection when He dined with them fedde them and giuing them meat out of His owne hande hee entered in conference with Peter especially the ende of the conference Hee had with Peter was to restore Peter to that dignitie of the Apostleship from which hâ—e had fallen and whereof hee had made himselfe vnworthie through his apostasie and threefolde deniall of his Lord and Master Hee askes him one thing thrise Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou Me Peter answeres and giues a threefold confession Lord thou knowest that I loue thee The LORD answeres againe and giues a threefold absolution and pronounces the sentence of his restoring againe three times Fâ—â—de then sayes the Lord My Lambes feede My sheepe This Hee does to confirme him the better in his restoring for when a man hath made a foule defection froÌ„ God his heart is not easily perswaded of grace againe it will not be at one or two sentences it will not be a promise at one time that will giue him an assurance of the fauour of God againe therefore to giue Peter the greater assurance of grace Hee triples ouer the sentence and giues him three times that commission to feede His lambes and sheepe The last day Brethren as the Lord gaue the grace we opened the meaning of these words and last of these words My Lambes my sheepe now only thus farre I adde for your consolation ye see all this loue that Peter confesses toward the Lord Himselfe Hee turnes it ouer vpon His Lambes His Sheepe and flocke in a word vpon His Church Marke it The Pastor or Minister will no sooner professe loue to his Lord that placed him in that roome but as soone the Lord will send him to the flocke people if thou loue me the Lord will say loue my people the Lord will place His people in His own roome looke what loue any will beare to Him He will haue it declared and vttered to His Saints more He does it three times so oft as Peter professes loue so oft He sends him to y e people look how oft the Pastor professes loue to Christ as oft He will send him to y e people if he say I loue thee then He will answere feede my Lambes if He will say a thousand times He wil answere feede my flocke manifest it vpon them that carie mine Image This shewes the wonderfull loue that God beares to His Elect He will haue all that dutie that is due to Him to be translated vpon His Church so that whosoeuer doe not their dutie to y e Church I â—ffirme I say professe as they will they haue no loue to Christ thou mayest stand vp and bable vaunt of thy loue to Christ but I say there is no such loue in thine heart as thou professest with thy mouth If thou sâ—yest thou louest God doest not thy dutie to man thou art a lyar 1. Joh. 4.18 To goe forward to this Text When He hath restored him to the office of Apostleship which by his deniall justly he had lost Hee giues him the office with a knot as we speak He forewarnes him in the entrie that hee shall get no rest in it and when he hath done all what shall be his
the time of thy life but chiefly in the houre of death as Paul sayes of himselfe Philip. 1.21 Now Brethren take heede all these earthly things as liberties riches nobilitie kinred glory honour of the worlde and fauour of men these thinges can stand thee in stead only so long as thou leauest thy riches thy nobilitie albeit thou wert come of Kings can be steadable no longer but if thou bee laide on thy backe on thy death bed at the houre of thy death what will they helpe thee then Nothing but thou wilt disdain them al No they shal not hold thy life one houre thē all these aduantages in earth cānot be aduātage in y e houre of death in heauē or earth no aduātage to any in y e hour of death but Iesus who has ouercome death if y u haue Iesus ô y t joy y u shalt find in death by the contrarie How terrible a departure will they find that haue not Christ Iesus This miserable generatiō will not know this vntill they feele it by sad experience There were two thieues hanged with Christ but both got Him not to bee aduantage in death therefore let men whē they are liuing wholest haue Christ before their eyes seeke to be acquainted w t Him in their life that they may haue Him to be aduantage in their death Yet one thing further ere I leaue these things I thinke all yōg men y t haue health habilitie strength of body to run ride rash here there that haue libertie to passe repasse at their pleasure may learne a lessō at Peter Peter when hee was young hee might haue done what hee pleased he thought hee was a happie man for the word importes when hee makes mention of his former condition which hee had before he knew Christ for when he was young and had libertie he was free from Christ for he knew not Christ before Christ knew him so Peter in his youth a free man a young strong man he was also free from Christ foolish vaine young men esteeme themselues to be happie if they haue health strength habilitie freedome to liue as they please albeit they bee without God and free of Iesus Christ alas that is a miserable freedome when thou art free heere in earth if thou be free from Christ also that is miserable for if thou be not a bond-seruant to Christ albeit thou wert a King a Cesar thou art but a seruant to sinne a slaue to the deuill Paul Rom. 6.20 sayes When ye were the seruants of sinne ye were freed from righteousnesse if thou be not the seruant of Christ thou art a slaue to the Deuill and sinne for of need force thou shalt either be the seruant of Christ or els thou shalt be a greater slaue than a horserubber Let neuer a man glorie in a libertie that he may runne or ride doe this or that except that with that freedome he find himselfe bound as a seruant to Christ except he can say in his heart albeit I be free yet Lord Iesus I am thy bond-seruant for Peters condition when hee was in the chaines and bands led out to die the death for Christ was better than when he was a yong man following his owne lust pleasure there is no happinesse but in Iesus Christ all these earthly liberties will not make thee happy if thou be not boūd to Christ in his seruice they only are truely free whō the Sonne makes free Ioh. 8.36 And the Apostle sayes Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3.17 But I goe forwarde Hee sayes Thou shalt bee ledde whither thou wouldest not This is a marueilous thing These wordes would import that hee died not willingly for the Lord but he vvas drawne contrary his will to the tormēt How can this be The vvords may import a comparison to vvit That one shall leade thee not so much where thou wilt as where he will for thy will shal be subject to the will of the persecuter tormēter I answere Indeed it is true when Peter suffered for his Lords sake he suffered not so vvilingly but in the meane time for there was a battell vvithin him he found somthing that made resistance to y t obediēce first there vvas nature vvhich naturally abhors death there is nothing more terrible to nature than this dissolution parting seuering of the soule body therfore Christ Himself who set Himselfe in all respects to be obedient to y e Father hauing our nature abhorred death prayed saying Take this cup frō me So I say it was no maruel y t nature in Peter abhorred frō death vvold haue declined y t death in some measure There vvas another cause more in Peter than was in Christ Christ had nature but it was holy Peter beside this common nature had some remaining corruption And whosoeuer has it as all men sauing Christ Iesus has it they will find that whē they are bent to giue obedience to God in any thing it vvill rebell and make some resistance when thou fainest vvould obey Him lay downe thy necke to die for Christ it will draw thee aback Againe the best y t liues vvill vtter the vvords of th'Apostle I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that I doe Rom. 7.19 Therefore Brethren learne this lesson at Peter All the godly from the beginning all the Holy Martyres what euer they haue bene that haue died for the Name of the Lord Iesus their obedience has not beene altogether perfect No it is a vanitie to thinke that the Martyres died vvithout all feare I say The best of them in their death found some horrour and infirmitie And I saye The victorie that they got vvas by an inwarde battell in their soule and as they vvere victorious by yeelding themselues outwardly to the death so they vvere victorious in their soules This is comfortable When thou seest that the Saincts feared abhorred death if thou findest the like feare in thee yet bee not ouer much casten downe Thou wilt say Shall I suffer death in the fire shall I bee burnt quicke and bee dammed as the Martyres haue beene vvith sundry sortes of tortures Alas I am not able to abide it And no question there will be an horrour in thine heart when thou thinkest of this but especially when thou commest to the act of suffering then all such infirmitie such feare dread shall rise and get vp in thy soule But let this be thy comfort in the Lord vvhē thou findest this that this feare shall not hinder thine obedience and say There is nothing that befalles to me but that which befalles to the best seruants of God I am not alone such infirmitie such dread and feare as I haue Peter had and the best Saincts of God had and howbeit they had them yet their obedience was not hindered thereby And so as
haue Christ going before vs bearing our crosse suffering for our sins theÌ„ we following Him bearing His crosse Hee dying first takes away the bitternesse of death and makes our death an entrie to life euerlasting There is a comfort that Peter gettes in death so that death is made sweet to him and a port to life euerlasting Brethren ye must vnderstand That Christ goes before vs not onelie in His death but in His Resurrection and life for at this time Hee vvas risen So PETER followes Him in His Resurrection There is a double comfort Wee followe IESVS CHRIST not onelie in His death but also in His Resurrection to raise vs to life againe for it is by vertue of that life of IESVS CHRIST that vvee rise to life after our death Whereto intendes all this Euen to encourage vs to suffer Martyredome and seale the Gospell with our blood if it shall please the Lord to call vs and happie art thou if the Lord shall honour thee so that Hee will haue thee to beare His Crosse to suffer as an innocent who for a thousand of thine own sinnes art worthy of an ignominious death desperate departure for if He goe before thee if He beare thy Crosse the bitternesse of death is taken from thee because the guiltinesse of thy sinne is forgiuen Now the Lord furnish vs strength courage that we shame not His cause if it shall please Him to call vs to suffer for the Name of Iesus To whome with the Father and Holie Spirit be all praise and glorie for euer AMEN THE LII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XXI verse 20 Then Peter turned about and saw the Disciple whom Iesus loued following which had also leaned on His brest at supper and had saide Lord which is he that betrayeth thee verse 21 When Peter therefore saw him he said to Iesus Lord what shall this man doe verse 22 Iesus said vnto Him If I will that he tarie till J come what is it to thee follow thou Me. verse 23 Then went this word abroad among the brethren that this disciple should not die Yet Iesus saide to him he shall not die but if I will that he tarie till J come what is it to thee verse 24 This is that disciple which testifieth of these things and wrote those things and we know that his testimonie is true verse 25 Now there are also many other things which Jesus did the which if they should be written euery one I suppose the world could not containe the bookes that should be written Amen WEE haue heard Brethren that after the Lord had restored Peter to the dignitie of the Apostle shippe from the which hee had fallen by his threefold deniall of his Master in the Hall of the High Priest he addes to his absolution restitution a premonition and forewarning forewarning him that in the end of his Apostleship when he should become an old man he should close vp and seale his Apostleship with his blood When thou wast young sayes the Lord to Peter thou girdedst thy selfe thou knittedst thy clothes when thou wast wont to goe any way and wentedst whither thou pleasedst but when thou shalt be olde thou shalt not get credence to gird thy selfe to put thy girdle about thee but thou shalt stretch out thine hands and another shall giâ—d thee with cordes and chaines and shall lead thee away not where it shall please thee but where it shall please him he shall lead thee to the death We heard Iohn opened vp the meaning of these words and told vs that Christ thereby signified that Peter should glorifie God by a violent death and thereafter to encourage him the Lord goes before him bids Peter follow Him signifying thereby that His death had taken away the bitternesse of death and that by vertue of His Resurrection he should liue againe Now in the wordes that we haue read in the first place we haue set downe a new conference betweene the Lord and Peter for while they are in the waye the Lorde going before and Peter following there they fall againe in a new conference and Peter as he was ay too rash albeit very zealous so here rashly he demandes a curious question and it is about Iohn the writter of this Gospell the question is What should Iohn doe What shall this man doe Shall he not follow the Lord The Lord had not bidden him follow Him it might haue contented Peter well enough that the Lord had kept silence of Iohn and he to haue done the thing that the Lord bade him Nowe Brethren ere I come to the question yee must marke the occasions of this curiositie of Peter I perceiue the first occasion that brings Peter to this question is this When they are going together Peter lookes ouer his shoulder and turnes him about and turnes his eye from the Lord and looked to Iohn that apparantly followed a farâ—e off vpon which followes this curiositie and this learnes vs this lesson If the Lord bid thee followe Him in any calling what euer it be as Hee bade Peter followe Him to the death that was his calling for a man followes God in his calling all lawfull callings are but a following of the LORD learne here to be wiser than Peter hold thine eye constantly vpon Him thine heart vpon Him in thy calling followe Him foot for foot tread thou in the same footsteps so farre as He shall giue the grace decline not neither to the right hand nor to the left as to thine eye looke that it be neuer drawne froÌ„ Him looke not ouer thy shoulder to see what is behind thee but look constantly on the Lord for if thou doe this thou loses y e sight of Him that of need force shall make thee to settle backe in thy calling Peter but once turning goes one foot backward falles back froÌ„ y t course wherin he should haue walked Paul Philip. 3.14 considered this well in that race he ranne to be partaker of ResurrectioÌ„ life euerlasting he sayes I neuer looke behind me I neuer looke ouer my shoulder to see what is behind but mine eye is euer vpon the marke to get the price of the high calling of God Seeing then we haue taken vp a course to walke in to that life Iesus Christ beeing the forerunner and breaking vp the Heauen holde thine eye continually vpon the forerunner follow Him in thine own calling and see that thine eye goe neuer off Him It is the felicitie of the creature to follow Him and thou must follow the Lord in thine owne calling there is the first occasioÌ„ VpoÌ„ this followes another for piece piece he comes to his curiosity turning himselfe about looking to John Whom the Lord loued who was very familiar with the Lord apparantly hath vsed the Lord more homely than any of the rest for he was the man which leaned on Iesus brest at supper for wheÌ„ y e Lord
forewarned them that one of them should betray Him Peter winkes vpoÌ„ Iohn beckenes vnto him as hee leaned on y e Lords brest to aske who it was John said Lord which is he that betrayeth thee Now Peter remeÌ„bring this loue of y e Lord towards John this great familiaritie he marueiles why that Disciple should haue bene left behind should not haue beene required to follow Him as well as he and so he falles out in this curious question forgets in a manner his own calling there is the ground Peter looking to Iohn he sees him not so soone but hee findes in him the matter of his curiositie wilt thou leaue off thine own calling take leasure to looke about thee here or there to this man or that man wheÌ„ y e Lord hath bidden thee strictly follow Him forbidden y t thou shouldst looke about thee thou shalt not so soone do this but as soone thou shalt find matter of curiositie No if thou take thee y t leasure to looke to another thou shalt get a stuÌ„bling block to stay thee froÌ„ thy calling therfore if thou be called by God to any calling looke y t thine eye be neuer off y e Lord as thou wilt be answerable to Him hold thine eye vpon Him take thee not so much leasure froÌ„ thine own calling as to looke once to another man ô y t strict life y t is required of a Christian men thinke y t they may liue loosely as they please No but thou must walke circumspectly precisely in thy calling holding thy eye vpoÌ„ y e Lord Another thing I marke Peter wheÌ„ he sees Iohn following after wonders y t the Lord bids not him also follow he thinkes that y e Lords homelines with Iohn is failed It wil be at times y t these men y t haue found in greatest experience y e loue of Christ familiaritie w t Him blessed are they y t haue found His loue is homely with Him if thy acquaintance begin not here y u shalt neuer be acquainted w t Him hereafter let no maÌ„ be guile himselfe it will be y t meÌ„ wil think y e Lord has forgot them has left them cast them off they themselues wil begin to doubt of y e Lords fauour the smallest thing y t can be wil make vs to dout but there is no cause why either y u shouldst doubt or other men should think so for whom He loues He loues to y e end The answere which y e Lord giues here to Peter testifies His loue was as great now as euer it was before if thou gettest once His loue it shall not faile thee it wil appeare indeed to thy sense y t it failes but measure thou not y e fauour of God by these things that are outward y u must not judge rashly either of thy selfe or of others by these outward things Now come to y e question vpon these occasions followes this question What shall this man doe Shal not Iohn thy beloued disciple follow thee Wilt thou leaue him behind thee If thou giuest mee this honour to die for thee wilt thou not giue him the like Ye see here an example of curiositie not only superfluous but hurtfull he hurt himselfe and did no good to Iohn What was the ground of it he tooke him leasure from his vocation which was to looke to Iesus and to follow Him to scanse vpon John VpoÌ„ this hee falles in this inconuenâ—ent Paul 2. Thess 3.11 speaking of them who liued inordinately he joynes these together They worke nothing themselues again They are curious about other mens affaires Meaning y t all this curiositie about other mens affaires comes froÌ„ idlenes in their own calling VpoÌ„ this it comes to passe y t thou sets thy mind on other folk if thou wert busie in thy own calling y u wouldst not be curious in other folks affaires this ye shal find y t these meÌ„ that busie their heades about other mens adoes finding fault with this man and that man they are most idle and carelesse of their owne adoes fye vpon this curiositie fleeting and flowing hither and thither Then set thy minde on thine owne calling so thou shalt not get time to trouble and vexe thy minde with other mens adoes This is the curious question folke would thinke that this is but a light worde which Peter speakes but it is not so for beside this curiositie there is another fault in him hee hath a sinistrous judgement of the Lords doing he thinkes all men should be called to one calling hee is called to die for Him and so hee thinkes should Iohn also but the LORD lets him see that hee is beguiled There are many in this warfare but all this hath not one station calling he hath one he hath another he hath this he hath that The Lord will say to one Doe thou this to another Doe thou that to Peter Follow me to John tarie thou still there for example There will be ten men in this warfare he will take one of the ten and say Come thou out and goe be burnt for my Names sake and he will let the rest stand still and will exercise them with croces some more gently some more sharply as pleases Him so diuersly Hee will crosse them no Christian without some crosse be patient in it thou shalt get a faire outgate He will exercise one in the minde and another in the body the third in his goods and geare He hath many wayes to exercise His owne if there were a thousand of them Hee will get as many crosses so that none shall escape his crosse It is a vaine thing to thinke that all men shoulde be called to that whereunto thou are called No leaue others to the Lord to doe with them as He pleases goe thou to the scaffold if the Lord command thee and leaue thy neighbour Thus farre for the curious question Now come to the rebuke He meetes Peter in anger and with sharpe words If I will that hee tarie till I come what is it to thee Doe that which thou art commanded to doe Follow thou me As He would say Let John be thou art too curious looke to thy selfe turne thine eye from Iohn and follow me in thy calling which I haue placed thee into Yee shall perceiue in this reproofe three things that He findes fault with First that he should haue left off his calling the second that he was curious about Johns calling the third the greatest of all hee enters into the calling of the Lord a great vsurpation it pertained to the Lord to call Iohn and euery man as pleases Him O! but hee would be the caller of John this is no small thing No no thou must not scoffe with the Lord as though Hee had no discretion to call others so in this doing he does injurie to the Lord. Brethren behold in Peter how many euills falles on
curiositie First hee forgets his owne calling Secondly hee is too curious in his brothers calling Lastly hee does an injurie to Christ makes an eruption vpon Christes office to spoyle Him of His authoritie and power to call all and thinke ye not albeit the Lord now adayes as Hee did Peter then but He lookes with an angrie eye vpon curious men This rebuke is registrated to rebuke thee if thou be giuen to curiositie But it would bee marked that albeit the Lord be angrie with Peter yet neuerthelesse He forgets not His mercie When He found him to linger in his course the Lord leaues him not but He puts out His hand and takes holde of him therefore He sayes Follow thou me This is the mercie of the Lord towards His owne that when He rebukes them He leaues them not there but He will put out His hand and pull them in againe to Him No neuer one of vs would goe forward except by a new grace pulled vs forward except the Lord led vs by the hand there could not be such a thing as a man could be saued There is such a stumbling and wauering in our nature therefore Paul saide I striue by all meanes to attaine to the Resurrection of the dead Yea rather sayes he I am comprehended of Christ Jesus Phil. 3.11 12. Therefore ay cry for grace after grace otherwise thou canst not goe one foot right forwarde much lesse perseuere to the end Ye will aske a question Should neuer one of vs be carefull of our brother in his calling Humanitie required that Peter should bee carefull of John is this the thing the Lord reprooues and forbids I answere there is a great difference betweene carefulnesse and curiositie it is not carefulnesse Hee findes fault with Woe to him that cares for himselfe only for why should not euery one of vs be helping one another be carefull to bring forward the stragling body But it is curiositie that the Lord reprooues Then the lesson is this shortly Take heede that by thy doing men should be very wise thou hinderest not thy selfe more by thy curiositie when thou enterest into the affaires of thy brother than thou profitest him by thy care when thou beginnest to care for him beware thou fall not in curiositie passe neuer the bounds of thy calling for there is none that hath a calling but it is joyned with care of his brother the higher calling the greater care The Kings calling requires a great care of others in the Policie Such like the Ministers calling is joyned vvith a care for the people not to feed himself but to feed the people It is joyned with a speciall and wonderfull care so that night and day his eye should not bee off his flocke Yet men should beware that their care turne not to curiositie Curiositie is very dangerous A curious man has no loue to thee for he takes pleasure in the hurt euill that falles to thee and it is his meat drinke hee feedes vpon the euill report of others Iohn subjoynes that when the Disciples hearde of these words of Christ they giue them a strange glosse They say Iohn should not die A faire glosse a faire commentarie Iohn sayes This was not the meaning of the Lord He spake not such a thing He saide not to him hee should not die and that was not His minde Hee tolde not whether hee should liue or die But Hee saide If I will hee tarrie till I come what is that to thee Yee see howe readie men are to misconstrue and peruert the one-folde meaning of the LORD If the Disciples vvho heard His owne liuelie voyce vvere so readie to giue a false and a lying glosse to His vvorde vvhich they hearde Him speake I pray you vvhat maruell is it albeit men daylie misconstrue the vvritten vvorde of GOD and neuer leaue off to father lies vpon the Scriptures Yee vvonder at the Papistes I vvonder not Looke the whole Scriptures these Traitors conclude euer a lye vpon the trueth Looke the Rhemish newe Testament and the rest of their vvrittes I vvonder not at them but I vvonder at this Considering this grossenesse of ignorance and the propension of men naturallie to misconstrue GODS Worde and Will that there is so much as one to open the trueth and to vnderstand the right meaning of the vvorde The cause of this misconstruing is not of the Scripture as if it vvere doubtsome harde obscure or as a nose of vvaxe as they blaspheme but the fault is partlie in the blindnesse of the minde of man and partlie in the peruersitie and frowardnesse of the vvill and malice of the heart for it falles out that either such is the blindnesse of man by nature they knowe not the minde of the LORDE or else if they knowe His minde yet vvillinglie they desire not to knowe it but to remaine ignorant for it is true that the Apostle PETER sayes They that are vnlearned and vnstable wreast the SCRIPTVRES to their owne destruction 2 Pet. Chap. 3. vers 16. And PAVL sayes Jf our GOSPELL bee hidden it is hidden to them who perishes whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded 2. Cor. 4.34 Againe we may perceiue that a lye ran speedily abroad and was easily receiued got soone place in the hearts of th'Apostles wherof we may learn that the multitude commonly drinkes in lyes vanities fables and Heresies very suddenly because naturally they are very bent thereunto Yet this errour remained not long vvith th'Apostles for after that according to the Lordes promise extraordinarily in the day of the PENTECOSTE they vvere illuminated and after the Holie Spirite vvas giuen them vvho called all thinges to remembrance which the Lord had spoken vnto them when Hee was present with them and gaue them the true meaning and vnderstanding of all these thinges as CHRIST sayes Joh. chap. 14. vers 26. This lye concerning IOHN euanished then all the Disciples knewe the LORDES meaning when Hee spake these wordes to Peter of Iohn If I will that hee tarrie till I come what is that to thee But the Papishe Kirke and that Antichristian Kingdome this day makes it plaine enough vnto vs howe bent men are by nature to receiue maintaine and entertaine lyes and vanities for in that Kingdome not onelie is this fable of IOHN retained but also an hudge multitude of lyes and of the vanities and fantasies of the braine of man which were deuised by the GENTILES are allowed and receiued for almoste all the Religion of the Papistes like a Beggers cloake is clouted and patched together partlie of the fables and superstitions of the GENTILES and partlie of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Iewes vvhich vvere abolished by the comming of CHRIST If anie vvould knowe what fables they maintaine and giue out concerning Iohn let them reade their golden Legende Nowe in the last two verses of this Euangell the Apostle concludes his GOSPELL and in the conclusion hee telles vs vvho
approached to them partly that Hee might take away all occasion of doubting from them partly that with the greater profite and commoditie He might instruct them and that His teaching might be the more powerfull and fruitfull for no question while He drawes nearer to them with His body offers Himselfe to be seene more clearly with y e bodily eyes in y e meane time He drawes nearer to them inwardly joynes Himselfe by His Spirit more powerfully and familiarly to their soules for this is the accustomed dealing of the Lord when by the word He is purposed to be effectuall and powerfull in the soule of any man He drawes neare them by His Spirit whereas by the contrarie when Hee is not of purpose to be effectuall by his word in the heart He approaches not inwardly to the soule but He holds Himselfe a farre off and giues them only a shew of His power and glory outwardly a farre off Now followes the Lords cōmuning with His Disciples wherein He giues them a commission to goe out and preach to the world baptizing them that beleeue But before He giues them this commission by way of preface He sets down the ground of this commission to wit that power and authoritie which He had for sayes He All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth for it was necessary that the Apostles should be enformed of this His power and authoritie which He had giuen Him to the end that knowing that infinite power whereupon their commission and Apostleship was grounded they might the more chearefully and willingly with free heartes and open mouthes discharge their commission message beeing assured that they had Him who was Lord of Heauen and Earth to be their protectour maintainer Marke this Brethren This Ministerie of the Gospell albeit it be but a sort of seruice in the Church of God it is no Lordship and albeit men count very basely of it and esteeme it of all callings in the world to be the most vile and contemptible yet it is grounded vpon such a power as farre surpasses all the power of all the Kings and Monarches of the earth and it is the Lordes will that both the Ministers themselues and likewise the people that heares them haue their eyes fixed and be exercised continually in the contemplation and consideration of that incomprehensible and infinite power whereupon this Ministrie is grounded to the end that both the Ministers may the more chearfully and couragiously discharge their calling and also the people that heare them be not offended nor stumble at the basenesse of this outward forme of the ministerie not measuring the Majestie and glory of the Gospell preached vnto them by the outward shew and forme which they see but by the infinite and incomprehensible power of the Lord whereupon it is grounded Next it is to bee marked that Hee sayes All power is giuen me not in heauen only but also in earth He joynes them both together and that for the comfort of His Apostles whom Hee was to send out and of the Ministers who were to follow them to the end of the world for when He sayes that all power was giuen to Him in the earth it serues to encourage the Apostles and all Ministers in the Church faithfully and chearefully to discharge their calling so long as they remaine heere in the earth and grounding and anchoring themselues vpon that infinite power which the Lord Iesus hath vpon the earth to striue and fight couragiously and boldly against the assaults of Sathan against the allurements of sinne against the feare and terrour of trouble and persecution against the manners and behauiour of this vnthankfull world as assured that His almightie power in the earth shall guarde defend them in their calling so long as the Lord hath a worke adoe with them Againe when Hee sayes that all power was giuen to Him in Heauen it serues to comfort the Apostles Ministers vpon the hope of a reward that after they haue discharged their dutie in their calling after they haue striuen against all difficulties hath ouercome all tentations at last they should waite for the Kingdome of Heauen where they shall rest from their labours enjoy the presence of their Lord King for euer 1 Cor. 15.19 Jf in this life only we haue hope in Christ of all men we are the most miserable By the which words He meanes if the power of Iesus Christ whereupon wee repose anchore our selues extended no further than within the bounds of this present life then our estate condition of all men were most miserable yet ere we leaue these words it is to be considered what maner of power this is whereof he speakes whereupon their Apostleship is groūded that ye may vnderstand this the better ye must consider that there is a twofold power in the Lord Iesus the Sonne of God the first is heritably the other purchased The first He hath as the Sonne of God equall with the Father before the foundations of the world were laide of this He speakes in His Prayer to His Father before His Passion Father glorifie me with thine owne selfe with that glory which I had with thee before the world was Ioh. 17.5 The other the Sonne of God Iesus Christ purchased to Himselfe for our cause when Hee made Himselfe of no reputation and tooke on Him the forme of a seruant humbled Himselfe and became obedient to the death euen to the death of the Crosse for the Lord then exalted Him highly and gaue Him a Name aboue euery Name that at the Name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth Philip. 2.6 Heere the Apostle speakes of that power which Hee as a Mediatour acquired by His perfect obedience in all things and of this acquired power it is which the Lord speakes in this place for frō this power which He purchased to Himselfe by His obedience in our flesh proceedes the Gospel from this power proceedes the Ministerie in the Church from this power proceedes Saluation to the world for that heritāble power which the Sonne of God had with the Father from all eternitie without the manhead of Christ and His acquired power by His obedience would neuer serue to bring life Saluation to sinners Nowe to come to the sending out of the Apostles Hee sayes Goe therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them In these wordes Hee giues them their commission and committes vnto them the Ministerie and office of the Apostleship commanding them to goe foorth to all Nations to teach and baptize them for the Lord sets downe here distinctly three points of their calling First y t they should goe foorth to all Nations of the world not holding themselues within y e narrow boūds of y e land of Iudea as they did before Next y t they should preach y e Gospel thirdly y t they should baptize
these thinges and none other thinges So that if they teach not these thinges but their owne dreames and fantasies they haue nothing adoe vvith this promise for if they keepe not the condition vvhat vvarrant can they haue to looke for the promise Nowe howe farre the Papistes are from keeping this condition from teaching the doctrine of Christ onelie it is more than manifest and they are blind that sees it not for in stead of the doctrine of the Gospell they teach their owne traditions dreames and fantasies They haue banished the Spirite of Trueth and haue bewitched the vvorlde vvith their lyes and vanities Therefore seeing the felicitie and happinesse both of Pastor and people standes in this To finde the Lordes presence with them in this pilgrimage the Lord grant that both Pastor and people may striue carefullie to holde fast the doctrine of the Gospell and that they may conforme their liues thereunto that so vvith confidence they may claime to this promise of the presence of Christ To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE LV. LECTVRE OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XXVI verse 19 So after the Lord had spoken vnto them hee was receiued into heauen and sate at the right hand of God LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 50 Afterward hee led them out into Bethania and lift vp his handes and blessed them verse 51 And it came to passe that as hee blessed them hee departed from them and was carried vp into heauen verse 52 And they worshipped him and returned to Hierusalem with great ioye ACTS CHAP. I. verse 6 When they therefore were come together they asked of him saying Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel verse 7 And hee saide vnto them It is for you to knowe the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power verse 8 Bu yee shall receiue power of the holie Ghost when hee shall come on you and ye shall bee witnesses vnto mee both in Hierusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and vnto the vttermost partes of the earth verse 9 And when he had spoken these things while they beheld he was taken vp for a cloude tooke him vp out of their sight verse 10 And while they looked stedfastlie toward heauen as hee went behold two men stood by them in white apparell BELOVED BRETHREN IN CHRIST vvee haue alreadie insisted at length in the Historie of the LORDES Resurrection vvherein vvee shewed you how often Hee appeared to His owne and especiallie to His Apostles to the ende that not onelie they themselues might bee more fullie perswaded of His Resurrection but also vvith the greater confidence and libertie they might speake therof to others In His last appearing to His Apostles vvee sawe Hee gaue them a commission and charge To goe out to the vvorlde to preach the Gospell and to baptize In the Name of the Father of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost but He willes them to teach nothing else but onelie these things all these things which He had taught them before And to th' end He might the more easily moue them willingly and chearfully to vndertake discharge this calling first He sets down His vnspeakable incomprehensible power wherupoÌ„ is is grounded shewing them that al power in heaueÌ„ in earth was giuen vnto him Next He subjoynes a threefold promise of blessing to them in the discharging of their Ministery The first is a promise of life saluation to them who beleeue are baptized The second is a promise of th'extraordinary miraculous gifts of the H. Spirite The third is a promise of His own powerfull presence to continue with them vnto th' end of the world vpon condition That they faithfully discharge their calling teach these things all these things onlie these things which the Lord had taught no other Now it rests that we speak of the History of His Ascension to Heauen which we haue briefelie and in fewe vvordes in th'Euangelistes for Matthew and Iohn makes no mention of it Marke touches it shortlie in his Gospell Luke also speakes something of it in his Gospell but hee insistes in it more largely in setting downe the Circumstances of it in the first Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles In the words which wee haue presently read we will see how the LORD leades His Disciples out to Bethania we will see what conference communication is betwixt the Lord and them we will shew how He blessed them we will see the manner of His Ascension what was the behauiour of the Apostles while Hee was ascending to Heauen and looked stedfastly to the Heauen as He went vp Then to come to the words Luke sayes He led them out into Bethania This was the place from the which the Lord ascended vp to the Heauen and therefore of set purpose He leades them out of Ierusalem to this place They come not to this place by fortune or chance they come not there of their owne accorde or vpon any foresight that they themselues had No but they were ledde out of Jerusalem to see that glorious Ascension of Christ and to be partakers of His grace But who led them out It is saide The Lord ledde them out none comes to grace by aime none comes to the place vvhere grace is in dealing by fortune or chance No it is the Lord which leades them as then the Lord ledde His Apostles as it were by the hande to Bethania to see His glorie and to be made partakers of grace so it is alwayes by the LORDS secret and powerfull prouidence that any man comes to the place vvhere the LORD distributes His grace for sayes CHRIST No man can come to mee except that Father who hath sent mee draw him Ioh. Chapter 6. verse 44. Therefore if thou findest at any time by this Ministerie grace to bee communicated into thy soule in His Church ascribe neuer the praise of it to thy selfe or to thy trauell but giue the praise and honour of all to the LORD IESVS vvho had a care of thee and by His gracious prouidence bâ—ought thee there But vvho are these vvhom the Lord leades out Not all they vvho heard Him vvho knew Him vvho had conuersed vvith Him but it is only His Disciples vvhome the Lord ledde out these only vvhome He vsed most familiarly vvhom Hee loued most tenderly and vvho in a manner vvere His domestiques The number of them vvhome the LORD chooses and leades out to grace at any time is not great they are but few in respect of the multitude vvhome the Lord passes by but especially at this time it was the LORDES pleasure to choose but a few to be eye-witnesses of His glorious AsceÌ„sioÌ„ for it was y e Lords will that His AscensioÌ„ should rather be manifested made known to the world by hearing than by seeing for y e Lord prefers likes better of that
As He blessed them He departed froÌ„ them He went alitle froÌ„ them Next He was taken vp Tdirdly He was receiued in a cloud Fourthly being receiued in y t cloud His Apostles beholding Him the cloud toâ—ke Him out of their sight Fiftly being taken out of their sight by the cloud He was caried vp into heauen If we weigh coÌ„sider wel all these circumstaÌ„ces we wil see that th'AscensioÌ„ of our Lord was not only exceeding glorious but also very sensible visible for while He stood in the mids of them He depaâ—ted separated Himselfe a space from them to the end that they all might the better see Him ascending thereafter He was taken vp piece piece degree by degree so that sensibly piece piece they might haue followed Him with their eyes then as they are thus beholding a cloude interueenes takes Him out of their sight After this they see His person no more but they see y t cloud wherein He was receiued to be caried vp into heaueÌ„ al these circumstaÌ„ces were very sensiible for now He goes not froÌ„ them on a suddainty He conueyes not Himselfe out of their sight in a momeÌ„t as He did w t the two Disciples w t whom He sate at table in Emmaus no question the Lord of set purpose would haue His AscensioÌ„ to be so sensible to the end y t the disciples who saw it the whole form of it so clearly might haue a setled assuraÌ„ce ful perswasion in their hearts to the end y t w t the greater euidency liberty freedom they might preach proclaime it to the world for the ful perswasion of the heart made theÌ„ bold confideÌ„t in preaching as Paul saies Seeing we haue such trust we vse great boldnes of speech y t so y e world hearing theÌ„ speak w t such euidency freedome boldnes of the Lords AsceÌ„sion seeing theÌ„ paint out so vinely sensibly the whole forme processe y t therein was vsed might without any doubt fully beleeue y t the Lord was ascended to heaueÌ„ so the Lord had a regard respect vnto His Kirk in all the faithful y t shuld liue in th'ages to come yea euen of vs who liue this day wheÌ„ so sensibly visibly in the preseÌ„ce of His Apostles He asceÌ„ded into heaueÌ„ The Lord made not His Apostles eye witnesses of His Ascension so much for their own cause as for the Kirkes cause which by their Ministery was to be gathered together to be broght to th' obedience of Iesus so when y u coÌ„siderâ—st y t sensible forme progresse y t the Lord vsed in His Ascension for thy cause it is thy duty to praise glorifie His Majesty for it Now after the Lord is caried vp to heauen what followes was there no higher degree of glory Yes for Marke sayes After He was receiued into heauen He sate at the right hand of God After He had past throgh al the visible HeaueÌ„s He was set at the right hand of His Father in the highest Heauens farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery name that is named not in this world only but also in that which is to come so that all things were made subiect vnder His feete Ephes 1.20 21. this the Father had spoken of Him before when He said Sit thou at my right hand vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole Psal 110.1 To sit at the right hand of God is to obtaine y t highest degree of glory in the heauens as Mediator to haue equal power glory w t the Father to haue power ouer all creatures to doe w t them as He pleases to haue all things vnder His feete to be declared to be y e head of y e Kirk that person by whoÌ„ the Father immediatly guides gouernes all things for as He is y e Sonne of God equall with y e Father He was glorified with that glory which Hee had with the Father before the foundations of the world were laid according as He prayed before His Passion Joh. 17.5 as He is man He is exalted aboue euery creature in such sort that by y e hand of Christ the man God gouernes all things in heauen in earth so we see that y e Lord by degrees passed froÌ„ glory to glory now He is in such incomprehensiblâ— glory as this mortal eye of man caÌ„not be able to pierce into Indeed the disciples saw His glorious AscensioÌ„ but they could not be able to see that highnes sublimity of glory whereunto He was exalted wheÌ„ He sate at the right hand of y e Father SteueÌ„ saw the heaueÌ„ opened the Sonne of man standing at the right hand of God Acts 7.55 but how sober meane a portioÌ„ of His glory was y t which He saw in respâ—ct of y e fulnes of glory y t He had theÌ„ in y e heaueÌ„s but albeit we be not able w t our bodily eyes to pierce behold y e greatnes of y t glory whereinto He is exalted yet this is our coÌ„fort y t we find sensibly by experience in our own soules y t Iesus is sitting in his Kingdome w t exceeding glory power by these comfortable effects motions y t He workes within vs. Th'Apostles albeit they saw Him not sitting at y e right hand of God in glory yet in y t same momeÌ„t y t He sate down in His throne of glory they found in their own hearts his kingly power that dominioÌ„ y t He hath ouer al creatures for what meaned y t exceeding joy y t they had after that He was taken out of their sight wheÌ„ they were returning to Jerusalem eueÌ„ this that Christ was entred in His kingdome that His kingdome power was effectuall into their soules what meanes these spiritual motions which are raised vp in the hearts of the godly this sadnes for sinne this vnspeakable joy this peace traÌ„quillity of coÌ„science this loue to God desire to see Him euen this y t the Lord Iesus is come into His Kingdome is now reigning in y e heaueÌ„s y t He hath established this Kingdome in our soules For the Kingdome of God sayes Paul is righteousnes peace and ioy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14.17 therefore wheÌ„ y u findest any spiritual motioÌ„ in thy soule take it for a sure argument of Christs sitting at the right hand of God in His kingdome Now hauing spokeÌ„ of Christs Ascension let vs see what was the Apostles behauiour wheÌ„ they saw the Lord thus asceÌ„d whâ—t did they It is said that they worshipped Him next that they looked stedfastly toward heauen what moued theÌ„ to worship Him no question the sight of a wonderfull glory Majestie in Iesus because at this time they saw Him in an higher glory majesty than euer they did before therfore of necessity their worshipping of Him at this time
behoued to be in a greater humility w t greater reuereÌ„ce w t greater feruency thaÌ„ euer it was before Indeed they worshipped Him before knowing Him to be the Messias but their knowledge was but very mean sober but now they see know perfectly that He is the Lord of glory the glorious judge of the world therefore the worshipping of Him at this time behoued to be in greater reuereÌ„ce with greater perswasion boldnes than euer it was before The sight of that glorious majesty makes euer the creature in reuereÌ„ce to worship God the greater sight the greater reuerence The faithfull while they liue here in th' earth because by th' eye of faith in the mirrour of the Gospel they see the glory of the Lord therfore in humility they worship His majesty but because they see Him not clearly as He is but darkly and obscurely therfore their worshipping here is not like that worshipping y t shal be when they shal see Him face to face for when we shal see him as he is we shal worship Him with greater reuerence confideÌ„ce boldnes liberty than euer we did before for then vve shall be made like vnto Him that is vve shall bee made conformable to the image of His glory and vve shall shake off all this mortality corruption vvherewith th'Apostles vvere clad at this time vvheÌ„ they worshipped Him ascending to HeaueÌ„ So that that vvorshipping adoring of the Lord which the faithful shal giue Him in that great day wheÌ„ He desceÌ„ds from the HeaueÌ„s to judge the world shall surpasse exceedingly by many degrees that worship which the Apostleâ— gaue Him wheÌ„ they saw Him asceÌ„d into HeaueÌ„ for theÌ„ there shal be nothing to hinder them Now in the meane time while the Lord is ascending to Heauen as they worship Him so likewise they followe Him vvith their eyes and looked stedfastly toward heauen vvhere they saw Him ascending vvhich testifies plainly that their hearts were lifted vp to the Heauens together vvith Christ as Christ ascended so their hearts ascended vvere lifted vp to Heauen by the power veâ—tue of that same Ascention glorie of Christ in vvhome they beleeued for they that beleeue in Christ and are conjoyned to Him by faith of necessity must by that bâ—nd of faith be lifted vp together vvith Him to the Heauens for that soule that is linked to Him by faith caÌ„not be seuered from Him but it must follow Him vvhersoeuer He goes Mark this lesson wheÌ„ y e heart is lifted vp to Heauen it vvill lift y e eye of y e bodie to Heauen also y e sight sense of y e Ascension of Christ liftes vp the heart to Heauen for where there is in y e heart a sense feeling of y e power of Christs AscensioÌ„ of necessity both the soule th' eyes of the body must be lifted vp to Heauen And this lifting vp of th' eyes of the body proceeding froÌ„ the lifting vp of y e heart to Heauen this lifting vp of y e heart proceeding froÌ„ y e feeling of y e power of th'AsceÌ„sioÌ„ of Iesus which now y e faithfull find is a sure argumeÌ„t vndoubted warraÌ„â— to y e faithful y t one day th' eye y e heart y e soule y e body yea y e whole man shal be lifted vp to heaueÌ„ both soule body in y t great day wheÌ„ y e Lord appeares to judgemeÌ„t shal enjoy His glorious preseÌ„ce therfore y e godly haue great cause continually to be waiting looking for y t glorious apppearing of Christ happy art thou who art euer waiting for it for at y t glorious appearing thou shâ—lt be partaker of glory w t him to whoÌ„ with y e Father H. Spirit be all praise honor glory Amen THE LVI LECTVRE OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 20 And they went foorth and preached euerie where And the Lord wrought with them and confirmed the word with signes that followed Amen LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 52 And they Worshipped him returned to HierusaleÌ„ with great ioye verse 53 And were continuallie in the Temple praising and lauding GOD Amen ACTS CHAP. I. verse 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heauen as hee went beholde two men stood by them in white apparell verse 11 Which also said Yee men of Galile why stand yee gazing into heauen This Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen verse 12 Then returned they vnto Hierusalem from the mount that is called the mount of Oliues which is neare to Hierusalem beeing from it a Sabbath dayes journey verse 13 And when they were come in they went vp into an vpper chamber where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartlemew and Matthew James the sonne of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes and Iudas Iames brother verse 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplications with the women and Marie the mother of Iesus and with his brethren THE last day welbeloued BrethreÌ„ in Christ we entred into the history of Christs ascension to heauen We heard of the circuÌ„staÌ„ces of it The Lord led them out to Bethania to the mount of Oliues from the which place He asceÌ„ded vnto heaueÌ„ we heard of the coÌ„muning y t was betwixt Christ his disciples who asked of him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Jsrael The Lord reproues this their curiosity It is not for you to know the times the seasons which the Father has put in his owne power And then he tels what they ought to doe First they shuld be mindfull of the promise of y e H. Spirit Next they shuld look to their own calling to beare witnesse of him to the world Wee heard how before his Ascension he blessed them we heard of the manner of his Ascension it was very sensible and visible He went a little space from them and was taken vp and receiued in a cloude hee was taken out of their sight and carried vp to heauen This was done the â—oth th'Apostle themselues might be perswaded and also with greater boldnesse assurance perswade others of His Ascension We heard that wheÌ„ He was taken out of their sight He was placed at the right hand of God and exalted to that sublimitie of glory that all the creatures in heauen and earth are subdued to him And last wee hearde what was the behauiour of th'Apostles In the meane time they worshipped him and looked stedfastly to â—he heauens This day by Gods grace wee shall follow out put an end to this history In the words which wee haue read we wil sâ—e what falles out While the disciples are looking vp to the heauens two Angels are sent to them by Christ who partly reproues them and partlie comforts them We will see likewise what the disciples doe after this They
retuâ—ne to Hierusalem with great joy when they come there they goe vp to an vpper chamber but they stay not there but they goe to the Temple remain there continually praising lauding God and last they went out preached the Gospel euery where and the Lord gaue them a good successe for He wrought with them and confirmed the word with signes that followed Luke in th' Acts telles vs that while they looked stedfastly toward heauen as he went behold two men stood by them in white apparell As they were worshipping Him the Lord sent incontinent from His Heauenlie Throne Legates Ambassadours And who were they eueÌ„ Angels two in number and in forme outward shape like to men therefore they are said to be two men and were clothed in white and glorious apparell Marke the lesson in a word Christ sits no sooneâ— down at the right hand of the Father but He makes His disciples whom Hee left in the earth behind Him not only to know y t He had a kingly power whereby He commands the very Angels themselues but also to know that singular care affection that Hee caried to them which He testifies by sending these Angels from heauen for their cause for their consolation This kingly power of Christ this care that He hath of His own continues eueÌ„ this day in the Kirk euery of y e faithful find the proofe experience of it to their great joy comfort Now let vs see what these Angels say to y e Apostles in their speech to them First they reprooue then they comfort them first they said Ye men of Galile why stand ye gazing vnto Heauen they reprooue them because they stood idly gazing looking to the heaueÌ„ whereas the Lord had coÌ„manded them to returne to Jerusalem that there they might wait for the Spirit that was promised them that hauing gotten the Spirit they might goe out to the world preach the Gospâ—l to euery creature as the Lord had commanded them This reproofe of th'Angels imports that they contented themselues too much w t idle looking gâ—â—ing that they were too vnmindfull of that great high calling whereunto the Lord had ordained them Of this reproofe we learn this lessoÌ„ it is not the Lords wil that any maÌ„ should be idle in the world nor that he content himselfe w t a bare idle contemplatioÌ„ of y e creatures of God No not of y e best of them it is not the Lords will y t we stand idly gazing vpon the very heauens whereunto the Lord hath ascended now is in glory No it is His will that all men all their dayes be painfully exercised in some calling wherein they may both glorifie God doe good vnto men Indeed it is true it is the Lords wil that men should alwaies haue their affectioÌ„s set aboue their hearts lifted vp to heaueÌ„ that they haue their eyes set vpon God vpon Christ vpon that glory which is to be reuealed but in the meane time while men are thus exercised they should be exercised likewise in some honest lawful calling Th' Apostle Paul by his practise lets vs see what should be the behauiour of a Christian While hee looked not to the things that are seene but to the things that are not seene 2. Cor. 4.18 While he choosed to remoue out of the body to go dwell with Christ 2. Cor. 5.8 While he minded not earthly things but had his conuersation in heauen from whence he looked for his Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Philip. 3.20 contented hee himselfe thinke ye with this speculation Was he in the meane time idle had he not another calling Yes hee was very diligently exercised in the Ministry For sayes he we couet that both dwelling at home remoouing from home we may be acceptable to Him for we must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill therefore knowing that terrour of the Lord we perswade men bring them vnto the faith 2. Cor. 5.9 10 11. So Paul wheÌ„ he was looking to heauenly things he was in the meane time diligeÌ„tly exercised in his Apostleship in bringing men to Christ eueÌ„ so it becomes euery faithfull man so to haue his heart his affections set vpoÌ„ heauen heauenly things y t in y e same meane time in some honest lawful calling he may be doing some good in y â— earth on the other part wheÌ„ he is busie labouring exercised in his calling he shuld haue his eyes lifted vp to God should haue his heart his affections conuersatioÌ„ in y e heauens for except that in all things which we do we haue y e Lord His glory before our eyes it is not possible y t we can do any thing well vprightly Then in a word ye see here y e Lord by these Angels coÌ„demnes idle speculatioÌ„ coÌ„templatioÌ„ without any exercise in any lawfull calling This serues to coÌ„demne these idle bellies y e Monks of y e Romane Kirk who coÌ„tent theÌ„selues w t bare idle speculatioÌ„ hauing no regard in y e meane time y t they may be exercised in any lawful calling wherin they may either glorify God or do good to meÌ„ yea they are so far froÌ„ doing good y t by y e coÌ„trary they hurt y e Kirk of God exceedingly by bringing in their dreames faÌ„tasies y t they haue deuised in their idle braines to corrupt peruert mens minds y e Lord neuer allowed nor blessed such a life y e Lord abhors such idlenes if y e Angels reproue y e Apostles for gazing to heaueÌ„ where they saw w t their eyes y e Lord Iesus to ascend which by appearaÌ„ce to maÌ„s judgment was a very good exercise to haue their hearts fixed on Christ their eyes vpoÌ„ y e place whither He ascended what wold y e Angels say to these idle belly gods who withdraw theÌ„selues froÌ„ all honest callings liue vpoÌ„ y e sweat of other meÌ„s browes vnder y e preteÌ„ce of spiritual exercise now after y e Angels haue reprooued y e Apostles next in y e 2. part of their speech they raise theÌ„ vp coÌ„forts theÌ„ while they say This Iesus which is taken vp froÌ„ you into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene Him goe into heauen They comfort them by putting them in hope that Hee shal returne yea returne in glorie and such a glorie as they saw Him ascend vvith and so vpon hope of His glorious returning in that great daye they wil th'Apostles to comfort themselues against all trouble distresses that they might be subject vnto y e time of their remaining in y e earth Whereupon we may perceiue what is the ground whereupon the solide consolation of a Christian soule arises It arises euen
him that which before he had committed vnto him to be kept The soule y t has this faith hope has no cause to complaine of His bodily absence for they recompense it abundaÌ„tlie but if thou wantest this faith apprehending thy Sauiour w t all His graces this hope waiting patieÌ„tly for His returning thou caÌ„st haue no true matter of rejoycing albeit thou hadst al y â— outward benefits of y e world heaped abundantly vpoÌ„ thee Now come to y e next thing that the disciples doe vvhen they are returned to Hierusalem it it saide that they went vp into an vpper chamber then is reckoned out particularly who they were where abode both Peter Iames Iohn Andrew Philip Thomas Bartlemew Matthew James the son of Alpheus Simon Zelotes Iudas Iames brother after he subjoynes in a general word The women particularly Mary the mother of Iesus his brethren These were they who most familiarly conuersed w t Iesus whom he kept together while he was in the world now when he is gone out of y e world ascended to heauen they abide together And what was their exercise They all continued with one accord in prayer supplicatioÌ„ This was an holy exercise they seuered theÌ„selues froÌ„ y e rest of y e world withdrue theÌ„selues from worldly impedimeÌ„ts kept theÌ„selues alone together to th' end they might entertain nourish y t joy which they fouÌ„d of the beholding of y t glorious AsceÌ„sion of Christ through y e hope y t they had of his glorious returning again to judgemeÌ„t whereof th'Angels had instructed theÌ„ Then mark the lesson they y t rejoyce together in Iesus desire to be seuered from the coÌ„mon society of meÌ„ froÌ„ outward distractions impediments desire to remain liue together The childreÌ„ of God delite take pleasure in the society one of another and good reason they so doe for wheÌ„ this life is ended they shal remain liue together in heauen without any seuering Yea further al spiritual graces are acquired entertained only in the society of the Saints without this society no faith hope joy nor grace of Christ caÌ„ be gotten or intertained al grace y t is giueÌ„ a maÌ„ is giuen to him as a meÌ„ber of y t body as to one of the Saints Therfore wheÌ„ Paul speakes of any grace or benefite y t the Lord is to bestow on any faithful maÌ„ coÌ„monly he vses to say thâ—t that grace is withall the Saints as when he wishes to th' Ephesians the sense of the breadth the leÌ„gth the depth the height of that loue of God in Christ he wishes they might be able to coÌ„prehend it with al the Saints Eph. 3.18 Likewise wheÌ„ he prayes y t y e Thessalonians might haue their hearts established in holines before God he craues that this establishmeÌ„t might be with all the Saints 1 Thess 3.13 speaking of y e riches of y e glory of y e inheritaÌ„ce he sayes y u shalt neuer get it but amoÌ„g y e Saints Eph. 1.18 for as one member being cut off froÌ„ y e body can receiue no sappe nor life froÌ„ it euen so if thou be cut off froÌ„ y e socitie of y e Saints froÌ„ y e Kirk of God y u shalt neuer get any grace of Christ to conclude our joy blessednes will be perfected in the kingdome of heaueÌ„ in y e society fellowship of the Saints Many meÌ„ despise disdaine y e society of y e Lords Saints here on earth they count them vile contemptible the offscourings of the world they scarcely will giue them a countenaÌ„ce yet in the meane time they flatter theÌ„selues foolishly that they shal be in heauen as soone as they but if thou haue no pleasure in their societie here in earth thou shalt finde thou shalt neuer get that priuiledge to enjoy any grace or blessing with them in the heauen I giue thee this doome the Lord shall ratify it one day Now wheÌ„ the disciples are met together in the vpper chamber they stay not there but Luke in the last words of his gospel sayes that They were continually in the Temple praising and lauding God And this is the third thing that y e disciples doe after they haue stayed for a space in y e vpper chamber occupied in holy exercises in prayer and supplication they beginne to be more bold and they take greater courage vnto them and they goe out into a publike place to the Temple to vse these same spirituall exercises which they vsed in the vpper chamber for the Apostles with the Lordes brethren with Marie his mother and other holy women assembled publikely in the Temple and there praised and glorified God We see heere what are these meanes wherby spiritual graces are intertained increased in y e societie of y e Saints to wit the preaching of the Gospel prayers supplications praising blessing of God in Psalmes Hymnes spirituall songs holy communication without these holy exercises no faith no hope no joy no grace of Christ can either be obtained or entertained increased if thou contemnest despisest these exercises thou needest neuer to looke for grace Againe we see here y t they assemble as frequeÌ„tly in as great number as they may or can in y e most publike solemne place they could find for they came together with one accord in y e TeÌ„ple this they do to y e intent y t both greater glory might redouÌ„d to y e Lord greater joy coÌ„fort to theÌ„selues the more frequent that y e assemblies of y e Saints be the more publike solemne the place of their meeting be the greater the more effectuall is the Lords presence among them the greater is their joy the greater glory redounds to God for if the Lord has promised That where two or three are gathered together in his name there he wil be in the middes of theÌ„ Mat. 18.20 Much more where the Saincts are frequently in great number gathered together in a publicke solemne place for spirituall exercises will the Lord manifest His powerful presence amoÌ„g them The fourth and last thing that th'Apostles doe is set downe by Marke in the last verse of his Gospel where we haue two things expressely mentioned First the going out of the disciples to preach to the worlde Next the successe that the Lord gaue to their preaching These two points comprehend the summe and substance of al the history of th' Acts of th'Apostles Then first he saies They went foorth and preached euery where That grace y t they got theÌ„selues they are careful to coÌ„municate it to others But when was this that they went out into the worlde Was it immediatly after the Lords Ascension Was it before they receiued the holy Spirit were sufficiently furnished with grace theÌ„selues No but they stayed still in
Hierusalem according to the Lords coÌ„mandemeÌ„t til they got that promised Spirit with His graces Then assoone aâ— they haue receiued the H. Spirit with His graces and were sufficienly furnishâ—d theÌ„selues they goe out to coÌ„municate that grâ—ce to the world wherewith they themselues were replenished beginning at Hierusaâ—eÌ„ then going throughout all Judea then to Samaria last to the vtmost parts of th' earth This doing of the disciples serues to teach these who intende to entâ—r into that holy calling of the ministery how they ought to behaue theÌ„sâ—lues They must not suddeÌ„ly rashly goe out to preach the Gospel before they bee well furnished themselues but they should keepe themselues close vsing holy meanes and exercises till they find themselues to be furnished with grace in some measure but being once furnished with grace it is the Lordes will that they keepe themselues no more close but that they goe out and communicate that same grace vnto others for the Lord giues them no spirituall graces to keepe to themselues but to th' end that they may employ them to the weale edification of others Men should beware of these two extremities first that they presume not to goe out to preach to others till they bee first well furnished themselues next when they are furnished with grace that they let not Gods graces rest within themselues but that they vse them chearfully for the benefite of the Kirke But if we consider more narrowly this going out of the disciples we wil find it to be extraordinarie and miraculous it fell out altogether vnexspected of the Iewes no the Iewes neuer thought that thinges should haue fallen out so either concerning Christ Himselfe or His disciples for as coÌ„cerning Christ they thought they should neuer haue heard any more of Him except cursed and detestable speaches of Him for they had nowe handeled Him shamefully they had railed on Him and crucified Him putting Him to an ignominious death and after Hee was buried and risen they perswaded the guarde y t watched the sepulchre to noise abroad that his discipleâ— had come by night stollen him away so they thought there should haue bene no more of Him But beholde vpon a suddaine the Lord vnexspected of them by His powerfull prouidence makes His glory to be sounded throughout the whole world and whereas they thought He should haue bene buried for euer in shame Hee is exalted to a wonderfull glory And as concerning the disciples The Iewes thought they durst neuer haue presumed to haue opened their mouthes againe to speake of the Name of Christ for they thought they were all but sillie based bodies who sled away when their Master was taken and were offended at His ignominious death and terrified and astonished with that sorrowfull spectacle that they saw when He hung vpon the crosse neither durst they presume to meete together againe openly for feare of their liues But while the Iewes are thus thinking and beleeue that there shall neuer be any moâ—e worde of Christ behold vpon a suddain when they thinke nothing lesse His disciples come out publickly in their presence and before the whole world holding out bearing before them y t crucifiâ—d man boldly charging the worlde to beleeue in Him From whence comes this that they vvho before vvere so dâ—shed and based that sledde away before durst nowe meet together so openly and preach with such boldnesse and libertie Him of vvhome before they vvere ashamed Euen from that incomprehensible vvonderfull power of Christ their King who was now sitting in the Heauens in glory vvho according to His promise sent vpon them His holy Spirit and indued them vvith power froÌ„ an hight Now the last thing is the successe that the Lord giues vnto their preaching He saies The Lord wrought with them and confirmed the worde with signes that followed If ye reade th' Acts of th'Apostles ye vvill see the successe has bene marueilous for within a short space by their Ministery they brought gâ—eat multitudes not onely of the Jewes but also of the Gentiles to th' obedience of Christ and by them suddenly the face of the world was changed The cause of this great successe th'Euangelist marks to be the Lords vvorking vvith them confirming the vvord that they preached vvith signes and vvonders When it is said that the Lord wrought with them we may not thinke that they vvere the chiefe workers and the Lord but an helper to them No the Lord is euer the chiefe worker and His faithfull seruantes but worke together with Him in the building of that spirituall house vnto the Lord He being the chiefe builder and His seruantes but worke with Him So Paul calles them workers together with God 2. Cor. 6.1 All the successe of the Gospel is His His seruantes are only instruments vsing the meanes Paul plants Apollo waters but God giues th' increase 1. Cor. 3.6.9 Now as we saw in their going out to the worlde in their preaching with boldnesse that Christes power was wonderfully manifested euen so in this great and glorious successe that they haue in their preaching that same power of Christ is as wondefully manifested If we compare this successe which the Gospel had in that first age of the Kirke of Christ with that successe which it hath now adayes we will find a great difference Many more were called then than there are nowe for then at one preaching thousandes were conuerted but nowe at many preachings scarcely will one be conuerted And what meanes this seeing the Gospel is taught nowe in that same sinceritie that it was then Euen this that by all appearance the Lord hath gathered in alreadie the most part of them who are to bee saued and the number of these that rest to be called and saued is few in these dayes in respect of that great multitude of them who were called and saued in the dayes of th'Apostles The great haruest is gathered in already onely glaininges now remaine And on the other part it importes that there is a great number ordained to wrath and destruction and therfore they are not conuerted by the preaching of the Gospel If our Gospel saith Paul bee hidden it is hidden to them that perish 2. Cor. 4.3 Now to end here Seeing all the successe of the Gospel proceedes from the powerfull presence of Christ by His Spirit the Lord grant that so long as He giues vs liberty to vse these outward meanes He would make vs find the powerfull working of the Spirit concurring with the meanes that wee may turne to Christ and so bee assured that wee shall bee saued from that wrath which is to come in that great day of the appearing of the LORD IESVS To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer AMEN FINIS