be dissolved and a better erected ther 's no heaven to be had Heaven is too hot to hold unregenerate persons no such dirty dog ever trampled on that golden pavement it is an undefiled inheritance Verse 4. How can a man c. He understands no more of the doctrine of Regeneration though he could not but have often read of it in Ezekiel elsewhere then a common cowherd doth the darkest precepts of Astronomy 1 Cor. 2.14 All this is gibbrish to him Water ariseth no higher then the spring whence it came so the naturall man can ascend no higher then nature Verse 5. Be born of water and the holy Ghost That is of the holy Ghost working like water cooling cleansing c. In allusion belike to that first washing of a new-born babe from his bloud Ezek. 16.4 Or else to those Leviticall washings and not without some reference to Nicodemus and his fellow-Pharisees who placed a great part of their piety in externall washings as do also the Mahometans at this day Every time they ease nature saith one that had been amongst them they wash those parts Blunt voyage into Levant pag. 100. little regarding who stands by If a dog chance to touch their hands they wash presently before prayer they wash both face and hands sometimes the head and privities c. Verse 6. That which is born of the flesh c. Whole man is in evil and whole evil in man Quintilian saw not this and therefore said that it is more marvell that one man sinneth then that all men should live honestly sin is so much against mans nature Many also of the most dangerous opinions of Popery as justification by works state of perfection merit supererogation c spring from hence that they have sleight conceits of concupifcence as a condition of nature Yet some of them as Michael Bains professour at Lovaine c. are sound in this point Verse 7. Marvell not c. viz. through unbeliefe Miracula assiduitate vitescunt for otherwise it is a just wonder far beyond that of naturall birth which but that it is so ordinary would surely seem a miracle Verse 8. The winde bloweth c. Libero et vago impetu Watch therfore the gales of grace we cannot purchase this winde as Saylers in Norway are said to doe for any money This Hawke when flowen will not easily be brought to hand again Verse 9. How can these thing be Christ had told him that the manner of the Spirits working is incomprehensible and yet he is at it How can these things be Luth. apud Scultet in Annalib Sed scribo haec frustra saith Luther in a certain letter of his to Melancthon quia tu secundum philosophiam vestram has res ratione regere hoc est ut ille ait cum ratione insanire pergis Verse 10. Art thou a master c The Pharisees and Philosophers for their learning are called Princes of this world 1 Cor. 2.8 And yet had they known they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory Indoctirapiunt caelum c. The poore are gospellized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only receive it but are changed by it But Bellarmine cannot finde in all the Bible Matth. 11.5 Promissio de remittendis peccatis eis quae consitentur Deo non videtur ulla extare in divinis literis Bell. de Iust if l. 1. c. 21. where remission of sin is promised to such as confesse their sins to God Verse 11. Ye receive not our witnesse Our Saviour joyns himselfe with the Prophets whose writings Nicodemus had read so negligently and takes it for a dishonour that he should have written for men the great things of his Law and they continue strangers thereto Hosea 8.12 Verse 12. If I have told you earthly things That is spirituall things under earthly grosse similitudes of winde water c. In the mystery of Christ the best of us are acutè obtusi But for the naturall man that cannot tell the nature of the winde or enter into the depth of the flower or the grasse c. how should he possibly have the wit to enter into the deep things of God especially if darkly delivered Verse 13. And no man hath ascended c. Caput corpus unus Chrislus Object Therefore all but Christ are shut out of heaven Sol. The Church and Jesus make but one Christ 1 Cor. 12.12 He counts not himselfe full without his members who are called the fulnesse of him that filleth all Ephes 1. ult Verse 14. And as Moses lifted up the serpent There it was vide et vive here crede et vive And as there he that beheld the serpent though but with a weak squint-eye yea but with halfe an eye Selniccer in pedag Christ pag. 321. was cured So here if we looke upon Christ with the eye though but a weak faith we shall be saved Doctour Cruciger when he lay a dying cried out Credo languidâ fide sed tamen fide I beleeve with a weak faith but with a faith such as it is Verse 15. That whosoever beleeveth Luther Ioh. 6 35 36. Faith is the soule hand sidei mendica manus saith one foot whereby we come to Christ mouth hic credere est edere saith Austine wing whereby wee foare up and fetch Christ into the heart Verse 16. God so loved the world This is a sic without a sicut there being nothing in nature wherewith to parallell it The world that is all mankinde fallen in Adam This the Apostle fitly calleth gods Philanthropy Tit. 3.4 it being a sweet favour to the whole kinde of us that any are saved by Christ Verse 17. Indg 9 At peitaru vivâ—t reâ—neâ—que beatus 〈◊〉 â—â—sse reâ—al Her epâ—â— 1. Not to condemne the world Unlesse it be by accident because they will not be saved they will not have heaven upon Christs tearms they will not part with their fat and sweet with the V ne in Jothams parable no not for a Kingdom they will not be constrained to live happily raigne eternally Verse 18. Is condemned already The sentence is passed the halter about his neck there wants no more then to turn him off the ladder of life and he is gone for ever In the mean while he hangs but by one rotten twined thread over hell-fire Because he hath not beleeved He saith not because he hath committed adultery murther There is no righteousnesse now but of faith no sin saith one but from unbeliefe for thy sins against the Law are not imputed unto thee if thou do but beleeve the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gal. 3.23 It is unbeliefe that shuts a man up close prisoner in the Lawes dark dungeon whence faith only can fetch us out Verse 19. This is condemnation This is hell above ground and aforehand Affected ignorance is the leprosie in the head which makes a man undoubtedly uncleane and utterly to be excluded Levit. 13.44 Verse
speech 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when to the richer of the Citizens the mothers of those who died in the wars were given to be maintained by them Verse 28. That the Scripture might be fulfilled It is a high point of heavenly wisdome to doe our ordinary businesse in obedience to Gods command and with an aim at his glory to goe about our earthly affairs with heavenly mindes and in serving men to serve God to taste God in the creature and whether we eat or drink or what ever else we doe to set up God Every action is a step 1 Cor. 10.31 either to heaven or hell The poor servant in being faithfull to his Master serves the Lord Christ Col. 4. who was more carefull hee of fulfilling the Scripture and working out our salvation then of satisfying his own most vehement thirst Verse 29. Now there was set a vessel full of vineger Cold comfort Grarum thuris in calice vini they used to give others wine to comfort them according to Prov. 31.6 and mingled myrrhe with the wine that might at tenuate their bloud and so help to dispatch them as also to cause a giddines in them They might go no further on the preparation day then three pasae i.e. twelve miles lest comming home too late they might not have leisure to prepare Buxt Synagog Iudaica that they might be the lesse sensible of their pain But they dealt much worse with our Saviour mingling for him in mockery vineger and gall to add to his other misery This he drank that we might drink of the heavenly Nepenthes that torrent of pleasure Psal 16. Verse 30. It is finished Christ would not off the Crosse till all were done that was hee to be done that which remained being rather a play then a work to him Verse 31. Because it was the Preparation Their preparation to the Sabbath began at three of the clock in the after-noon The best and wealthiest of them even those that had many servants did with their own hands further the preparation so that sometimes the Masters themselves would chop herbs sweep the house cleave wood kindle the fire c. Our Ancestours also were wont to give over work on the Saturday when it rang to evensong And usually as men measure to God in preparation he remeasureth to them in blessing K. Edga ordained that Sunday should be solemnized in his Land from Saturday nine of the clock till Munday morning Act and Mon. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 27.62 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 15.42 Ante sabbathuÌ„ Vetus ecclesia vigniliam vocabat Buxtorf The Jews before their preparation had their fore-preparation And before their Sabbath their fore-sabbath their sabbatulum antesdabbathum Those of Tiberias began the Sabbath sooner then others those at Tsepphore continued it longer adding De profano ad sacrum We are now so far from this that we trench upon the holy time and say When will the Sabbath be over yea in too many places Gods sacred Sabbath is made the voider and dunghill for all refuse businesses As by others it is made as Bacchus his Orgies with Ales May-games c. So that it should be named according to these mens observing of it Daemoniacus Alsted Encycloped potiùs quam Dominicus as Alsted hath it Verse 32. Brake the legs of the first The good theef also had his legs broke and his life taken away though by his repentance he made his crosse a Jacobs ladder whereby Angels descended to fetch up his soul Verse 33. And saw that he was dead already He took his own i me to die and therefore ver 31. it is said That he bowed his head and gave up he ghost whereas other men bow not the head till they have given up the ghost He also cried with a loud voice and died which shews that he wanted not strength of nature to have lived longer if he had listed Verse 34. But one of the souldiers with a spear What an odd conceit is that of the Papists that from the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have made this souldiers name Longinus Notetur turpiâ—-Pontificiorum laosus in Longino inscitia Graecae linguae Cartw. In Deorum numerum relatus ut de Franci co Bâ—mbus Hist Ven. 1 Job 5.6 and to make up the tale they tell the people that whereas before he had been blinde by the anointing of his eyes with the watery bloud that came out of Christs side he received his sight became a Christian a Martyr a canonized Saint and that his reliques were afterwards worshipped There came out bloud and water The pericardium being pierced which nature hath filled with water to cool the heat of the heart Hereto S. John addudes when he saith that Christ came by water and bloud to teach us that he justifieth none by his merit but whom he sanctifieth by his Spirit Poffumus etiam hinc asseverare ex latere Christi fluxisse nostra sacramenta saith Calvin We may safely say that our Sacraments issued out of Christs side Verse 35. Plus valet oculatus testis unus quam auriti decem Ex quibus postea historia Evangelica est contexta Scult Annal. ep deâ—ic And he that saw it c. Nothing so sure as sight One eye-witnesse is moe then ten ear-witnesses It is probable their Day-books wherein they recorded his daily Oracles and other occurrences and out of which they compiled the Gospels His record is true The Gospel is called the Testimony Isa 8.20 because it beareth witnesse to it self The Law is called light Lex Lux because by it self it is seen to be of God as the Sun is seen by it's own light Verse 36. Not a bone of him was broken So he appeared to be the true Paschall Lamb that was rosted whole in the fire of his Fathers wrath to deliver us from the wrath to come The souldiers could not break his legs because God had otherwise ordered it Voluntas Dei necessitas rei Verse 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They shall look upon him This is not a threat but a promise Zech. 12.10 fulfilled Act. 2.37 when Peters hearers felt the nails wherewith they had crucified Christ sticking fast in their own hearts and piercing them with horrour Verse 48. A Disciple of Jesus but secreily for fear A Disciple he was though a dastard Infirmities if disclaim'd discard us not Vzziah ceased not to be a King when he began to be a leper Zech. 32. Jehoshuah the high-Priest though ill-cloathed yet stood before the Angel Christ did not abhorre his pretence nor reject his service The Church calleth her self black Cant. 1.5 but Christ cals her fair c. In Peace-offerings they might offer leavened bread to shew that God will bear with his peoples infirmities Verse 39. And there came also Nicodemus Another night-bird a chieftain in the Ecclesticall State as Joseph of Arimathaea or Ramath Samuels countrey was in the Civil The
too many women especially who should doe well to keep their tears for better uses and not wash foul rooms with sweet waters Needlesse tears must be unwept again Verse 12. And seeth two Angels Sent for her sake and the rest to certifie them of the resurrection It is their office and they are glad of it to comfort and counsell the Saints still as it were by speaking and doing after a spirituall manner though we see them not as she here did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Philosopher told his friends when they came into his little and low cottage The gods are here with me sure it is that God and his Angels are ever with his people when they are weeping especially Verse 13. Woman why weepest thou Angels pity humane frailty still and secretly suggest comfort But Mary had no such cause to cry if she had known all but to rejoyce rather so hath a Christian in what condition soever all things reckoned Had Elizabeth known she should have been Queen she would not have wisht her self a milk-maid Jam. 1. Saints are heirs of the kingdom saith James heads destinated to the diadem saith Tertullian what mean they then to be at any time in their dumps Verse 14. She turned her self back As not able to abide the brightnes of those glorious Angels any longer To the Gardener therefore she addresseth her self for further direction See what a happinesse it is to be taught by the ministery of men like our selves and to have Angels about us but invisible Verse 15. Woman why weepest thou whom seekest thou Where the Angels left the Lord begins God hath for our sakes taken the preaching of the Gospel from the Angels and given it to Ministers who have thenceforth also changed names for Ministers are called Angels Rev. 2.1 and Angels Ministers Heb. 1.14 Verse 16. Jesus saith unto her Mary Christ is neerest to such as with Mary cannot see him for their tears if with her in humility they seek after him He cals her but by her name and she acknowledgeth him The ear we say is first up in a morning and nothing so soon awakes us as to be called by our names How easily can Christ call up our drousie hearts when he pleaseth and when we are even turned away from him as Mary here was make us reciprocate and cry Rabboni Verse 17. Touch me not c. She had caught him by the feet as the Shunammite did Elisha as the Shulamite did her Spouse and there she would have held him longer Mat 28 â— Cant. 3 4 out of inconsiderate zeal but that he takes her off this corporall conceit that she may learn to live by faith and not by sense to be drawn after him to heaven Ne morare sed ad perturoatos disciputos accurre quod vid stâ—renuncia Pet. Martyr whither he was now ascending and to go tell his brethren what she had seen and heard Verse 18. Mary Magdalen came and told She had told them and troubled them before with a conceit that they had but to what end or whether she knew not removed the Lords body fitly therefore is she sent to assure them of the resurrection And though loth to depart yet she bridles her affections though never so impetuous and brings them to be wholly at Christs beck and check Verse 19. When the doors c. for fear of the Jews The sheep had been scattered but now were by the great shepherd recollected according to the promise Lech 13.7 I will turn my hand upon the little ones yet sensible of their late fright they shew some trepidation Afterwards when the Spirit came down upon them they not only set open the doors but preached Christ boldly in the Temple without dread of danger So did Basil when the Emperour threatned him with bonds banishment Pueris illa terriculamenta proponeuda c. he wisht him to affright babies with such bugbears his life might be taken away but not this faith his head but not his crown So Luther at first so fearfull and faint-hearted that in the year 1518. he wrote thus to Pope Leo the tenth I lay my self prostrate at your Holinesse feet Vivisica occide voca revoca approba reproba vocem tuaÌ„ vocem Christi in te praesidentis loquentis agnoscam together with all that I am and have quicken me kill me call me recall me approve me reprove me I shall acknowledge your voice to be the very voice of Christ ruling and speaking in you c. Yet afterwards he took more courage witnesse among many other things that brave answer of his to one that told him that both the Pope and the Emperour had threatned his ruine Contemptus est à me Romanus favor furor And when Spalatinus had sent unto him to enquire whether he would go to Worms and appear in the Gospels cause if Caesar summoned him Go said he I am resolved to go though I were sure to encounter so many devils there as are tiles upon the houses Omnia de me praesumas Luth. Epist praeter fugam palinodiam Fugere nolo multò minus recantare Verse 20 He shewed unto them his hands c. For their further confirmation so he doth unto us every time we come to his table But oh how should our hearts long to look for ever upon the humane nature of Christ cloathed with an exuberancy of glory at the right hand of his heavenly Father And to consider that every vein in that blessed body bled to bring us to heaven Augustin was wont to wish that he might have the happinesse to see these three things Romam in flore Paulum in ore Christum in corpore But I should take venerable Bedes part rather and say with him Anima mea desiderat Christum regem meum videre in decore suo Let me see my King Christ in his heavenly beauty Verse 21. Then said Jesus to them again Peace The common salutation amongst the Jewes the Turks at this day salute in like sort Salaum aleck the reply is Aleek salaum that is Blunts voy into Levant Peace be unto you This our Saviour purposely redoubleth to perswade them of pardon for their late shamefull defection from him and their backwardnesse to believ his resurrection Sin is soon committed but not so easily remitted or if in heaven yet not in our own consciences till which ther 's little comfort Christ to confirm them is pleased again to imploy them and to count them faithfull putting them again into the ministery 1 Tim. 1.13 A calling not more honourable then comfortable the very trust that God commits to a man therein seales up love and favour to him Verse 22. He breathed on them and saith c. Otherwise who had been sufficient for these things The Ministery is a burden to be trembled at by the Angels themselves Onâ—â— ipsis etiaÌ„ Angelâ—s tremendum saith Chrysostome Father