a blessed Resurrection let us labour to belong to the first fruits It is strange that we should thinke to continue nothing but very tares and stinking weeds in Gods field and thinke at harvest time to be carried home into his barne as the best Corne. Beloved however it prove with us that many a tare and filthy weed may be brought home among the good Corne and many a good eare of Corne left behind in the field yet at that harvest the end of the world not one tare in Gods field shall be brought home into his barn nor one eare of good Corne left behind to rot in the field Let us therefore strive to belong unto the first fruits if we look to be blessed in the first fruits Secondly If Christ be risen as the first fruits then let this confirme all them that belong unto the first fruits in the assured blessed hope of their undoubted glorious Resurrection if the poorest despised member of Christs body shall not rise again to glory then Christ himselfe is yet in the power of death death gnawes upon him It is the Apostle himselfe that is thus bold But if there be no Resurrection from the dead 1 Cor. 15.13 then is Christ not risen the Head is not in Heaven if any of the members shall for ever rot in the earth Observe how still the Scripture makes the blessed hope that is in us of our Resurrections to rest and build it selfe upon Christs Resurrection Job 19.25.26 so Job I know that my Redeemer liveth is one that death hath no power over and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth and what then Job what if thou knowest that why I know then that I shall not alwayes be wormes meat but though after my skin wormes destroy this body yet in my flesh shall I see God So the Apostle having prayed that God would give the Ephesians enlightned minds to know the excellency of the happiness that awaits them in Heaven in these words That yee may know what is the hope of his calling Eph. 1.18 and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints Lest they should thinke But how should wee ever attaine this happiness wee poore mortall corruptible creatures that dayly dy and rot and putrify in the grave and no signe of any such ensuing glory therefore he prayes withall that they may know the greatness of Gods power in raising up Christ from the dead as an assurance that he will also raise up them And that ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead verse 19.20 because as it follows he raised up Christ to be the Head over all things to his Church which is his body the fulness of him which filleth all in all and therefore Christ is maimed and imperfect without his body His body therefore doubtles shal be assumed at last to him body and head to make one perfect man and one full Christ Till we all come in the unity of the faith Eph. 4.13 and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man c. what firmer hope therefore of our Resurrections then that wee are thus to be the fulness of Christ who should otherwise be a maimed Christ an imperfect Christ a halfe Christ a head without a body Further for this point makes that which the Apostle hath Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his Resurrection and the power of his Resurrection to me ward to raise mee up also by an influence of the head upon the members after all my fellowship with him in his sufferings 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him do believe in God that raised him up from the dead and gave him glory that your faith and hope might be in God sc nothing doubting but that he would also raise you up having raised him up your first fruits Rev. 1.18 I am he that liveth and was dead and have the keyes of Hell and of death have the keyes he slipt not out onely himselfe deceiving the keeper but he came out powerfully with keyes in his hand to let out also whomsoever of his he would he did not indeed as Samson did with the door of the gate of the City Gaza carry away the door and all that whosoever would might go forth but onely tooke away the keyes of the door to let out and lock in still whom he would Thirdly If Christ be risen as the first fruits then let this comfort us against the feare of death if we reckon of a day wherein he that dyed for us and rose again will for that which is sowne in corruption raise it again in incorruption which is sowne in dishonour raise it in glory sown in weakness raise it in power which is sowne a naturall body raise it a spirituall body Why should we much be afraid of death death doâ—s but spoil us of our rags to give us robes does but pull downe our old ruinous house to reare up a new one and a stately one in the roome We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved 2 Cor. 5.1 we have a building of God a house not made with hands he that now fears death much hath but either a little faith or an ill conscience and no marvaile if these two be afraid to dye the one looking at death as an end of all his hopes and the other as the beginning of all his misery But a good faith and a good conscience will not feare that which it knows can neither hold it nor hurt it it knows that Christ is risen as the first fruits and it knows that it belongs to those first fruits it knows what that means John 6.39 This is the Fathers will that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day And that and if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin Rom. 8.10 but the spirit is life because of righteousness And that Heb. 2.14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himselfe likewise tooke part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death the Divell He knowes that that which was spoken in a figure to the Jews shall in the very letter be performed to him and all Christs members Esay 26.19 Thy dead men shall live together with my dead body shall they arise awake and sing yee that dwell in dust c. and that which was a parable to them shall be a truth to the Saints That the valley of dry bones that were very dry Ezek. 37.5 the four winds shall blow upon them and breath shall come into them and they shall live and stand up upon
Matt. 22.30 In the Resurrection they neither marry not are given in marriage but are as the Argels in Heaven not a Resurrection to a state of immortality but onely to the state of their former naturall life subject to death again But as for our Saviours Resurrection he rose so as now no more to returne to corruption Act. 13.37 and death now to have no more dominion over him Rom. 6.9 and as himselfe saith Rev. 1.18 now to be alive for evermore I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Ans 2 Secondly For those Matt. 27. either they rose not till after Christs Resurrection as most thinke so that the graves indeed opened at his death but the dead bodies arose not till after Christs Resurrection And the graves were opened c. sc those there abouts in Mount-Calvary or else if they rose before his Resurrection then they rose either upon dispensation onely for a time to lay down their bodies again or if to retaine their bodies for ever as glorious bodies then Christs Resurrection was in order of nature though not of time before theirs because through the power and vertue of his Resurrection they were raised seeing as he is said in the Councell and foreknowledge of God to be a Lambe slaine from the foundation of the world and therefore nothing hinders but that Christ was the first fruits because all that rose before Christ either rose onely to a naturall life or if not yet onely upon dispensation for a time to lay down their bodies again or if to retaine their bodies for ever yet by the power and vertue of Christs Resurrection preconceived in Gods counsell as the fountaine and cause of their life and Resurrection And so wee may see Act. 26.23 how Christ was to be the first that should rise from the dead and here the first fruits of them that slept and the first borne from the dead Col. 1.18 because he rose onely by his own power I have power to lay it down c. and because never to return to corruption again Qu. 2 A second question is about the wicked whether and how they are to be raised seeing Christ cannot be said to be their first fruits whether and how therefore are they to be raised whose Resurrections are not hallowed and consecrate in Christ 1 Cor. 15.22 in whom are all to be made alive Ans 1 First That they shall rise there is no question John 5.28 29. The houre is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall heare his voice and shall come forth c. Act. 24.15 and have hope towards God which they themselves also allow that there shall be a Resurrection of the dead both of the just and of the unjust Ans 2 Now secondly How they shall be raised whether in and by Christs Resurrection or no For this we are to know that Christ by his Resurrection was made Lord and onely Potentate of every creature Act. 2.36 and therefore received power over quick and dead Phil. 2.11 that he might be able to bring again from the dead all the wicked and disobedient as their judge to punish them and all his own as their Saviour to glorify them Wherefore by Christs Resurrection both the wicked and the godly shall be raised but the wicked as the members of Satan onely to be damned the godly as members of his own body to be saved The wicked by a power upon them onely from without the godly by a power upon them from within inhaerent in them as his own members as the head by an inward influence quickens the body whereas the wicked shall be quickned by an outward influence onely upon them as the sun by an outward influence upon putrified slimy matter animates and quickens frogs and toads and therefore those that he quickens by that inward influence he shall make glorious like himselfe whereas those that he quickens by an outward influence only shal not participate of his glory like as those creatures which the sun quickens though the sun be a glorious body yet they are not so but filthy abominable wretched creatures frogs toads c. Well then for the cause of our Resurrections consider first a morall judiciall cause sc the justice of God requiring that we should all receive in our bodies according to that which we have done in our bodies and therefore that we should be raised again And secondly a physical effecting cause sc the Lordly soveraigne power of Christ risen from the dead effecting the Resurrection of the wicked as their judge to make them comformable in torments to the Divell their head and effecting the Resurrection of the godly as their Saviour to make them comformable in glory to himselfe their head and of these he is onely said to be the first fruits because he shall onely hallow and dedicate these unto God in a glorious Resurrection like unto his owne bringing the whole harvest of them without losing one eare into the same barne and Heavenly repository whereunto he the first fruits is already come And therefore where it is said here that all shal be made alive in Christ it is meant onely of his own members that by an inward quickning influence upon them from him their head shall be revived to the same glorious kind of life with himselfe Matt. 25.46 Rom. 6.23 and 8.13 which indeed is onely in Scripture phrase the proper life and the other but an eternall living death And that these are onely meant the next verse showes where these all that are to be made alive in Christ are called Christs but for the wicked they are none of his he owns them not they are the limbs of the Divell and none of his members Vse First If Christ be risen as the first fruits to ensure the glorious Resurrection of his then let this admonish every one of us as we desire to be made partakers of this glorious Resurrection so to endeavour to belong unto these first fruits sc to Christ the first fruits doe not blesse the tares and cockell and darnell and all filthy weeds that grow among the Corne but onely the good Corne If we would be blessed therefore in Christ the first fruits let us not be tares c. in Gods field the Church but let us be good Corne otherwise the parable will read us our destinies Gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burne them in bundles to burne them there is the destiny of the tares Matt. 13.30 But gather the wheat into my barne the wheat is blessed in the first fruits but the tares their lot is to be burned they are nothing belonging to the first fruits to be blessed and ensured in them no man when he offered God his first fruits desired a blessing upon the tares and weeds that grew in his field but upon the good Corne as therefore wee desire to have
factum est nescierunt in Ps 55. Stulta insania si vigilabas quare permisisti si dormiebas unde scisti in Ps 36. and so lyars are not to be believed or it was true and then how could they tell what hapned foolish madnes if thou wast awake why didst thou suffer it if thou wast asleep how didst thou know it Secondly it is more then too incredible they would do it would they that being Jews knew well what God and Religion meant have dared to have father'd such a grosse forgery on God it is the argument one of them which our Apostle here instanceth in If Christ be not risen then are we found false witnesses of God which some might thinke irreligious and profane wretches that they are to be no such great argument yet weigh it well in these persons the Apostles and a forcinger argument cannot be brought for how canst thou imagine that the Apostles who being no such fooles as appears well enough by putting the wise Jews so to it to call councell upon councell against them would of themselves without Divine warrant have attempted so foolish a thing as the preaching of obedience up and down the world to a crucified man no otherwise risen from the dead then by stealing his body out of the grave what hope could ever they have of any successe No hope from him whom they preached whose own consciences told them he was yet in the power of death no hope from God whom they so foully belyed no hope from any thing in themselves not from eloquence and excellency of speech to perswade they were but rude and illiterate men not from wealth and riches to corrupt shoos on their feet and a staff in their hand was most of that they had not from authority and greatnes to awe and prejudice they were but contemptible fishermen the like not from number and multitude to overrun and subdue they were but eleven silly sneaks that had all run away when their Master was apprehended no hope therefore from any thing in themselves no hope further from any docibleness and inclinabliness of the parties to be perswaded not any inclineableness of the Jew Not him but Barrabas and Crucify him Crucify him was the loud and joynt cry of the Jew the Jew was hardned therefore against any such Doctrine it had been as easie for these fisher men the Apostles to have spoken to the fishes of the Sea to have made them follow them on the dry land as to have spoken to the people of the Jews to have made them follow them in the Doctrine and beliefe of Christs Resurrection upon their own bare word they that cared not for all Christs miracles when he was alive but Crucified him were they likely to have believed the bare assertions of fishermen for his Resurrection Not any inclinableness again in the Gentile Act. 17.32 it was that they mocked at when they heard of the Resurrection it was that that Paul was glad to qualify with this argument of insinuation in the beginning when he was to speake of it to the Gentile Act. 26.8 Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead be it a thing never so hard why should it be thought above Gods ability to do It was that also that when Paul was in the earnestness of his speech about the assertion of it Act. 26.24 made Festus break out with a loud voice and say Paul thou art beside thy selfe was the Gentile therefore likely to be inclinable to this Doctrine especially Christs suffering being publick and all seeing it and his Resurrection being private and underhand and but a few supposed witnesses of it and those few opposed almost by all that nation the nation of the Jews that if there had been any such thing should have brought the knowledge thereof unto the Gentiles would they therefore that were no stark fooles have gone about a thing of so great folly wherein they had no hope of successe from him that they preached as not risen no hope from God as belyed by them no hope from any thing in themselves as being without eloquence without riches without authority without multitude no hope from any inclinableness in the parties to be perswaded Jew or Gentile as being utter enemies the one to the mention of the name of Jesus of Nazereth the other to the mention of the Resurrection Either therefore they were very Idiots and stark fooles and why then were the wisest Jews so put to it by them to lay heads together and to assemble councel after councel or else they were wise enough and why then should any thinke they would attempt such a foolish thing without good ground and reason But suppose they had been so overseene as not to have considered these things at first yet would they not when the storme once begun to fall on them and the world rise up in armes against them seeing the impossibility every way of making their Legend their lying Legend take would they not then have desisted would not fair nor foul means have made one of them at least at last have bewrayed the whole busines but that all their life long in spite of what the world could do they should continue every one of them in most constant asseveration of the Resurrection certainly had they been nothing but deceivers it is not imaginable that the world could have a pack of such except they had been very incarnate Devils but their writings and much more their lives shewed them to have been rather incarnate Angels Again if they would have done this they should either have taken our Saviour for an impostor deceiving them of his promise that he promised them he would rise again the third day and so they should rather have hated him as an Impostor then preached him as Saviour or else should have taken him as the true Saviour indeed though yet deteined in the grave and so they would never have gone about to have preached him that was Truth by meere lyes and falshood they could not thinke that the true Saviour would thinke well of false Apostles and therefore it is too incredible they could it is more then too too incredible they would preach the Resurrection as Meere Deceivers Secondly Not as deceived with any fantasme or apparition Diabolicall For first They were sure the body was not in the sepulchre their own sense and the sense of all the Jews viewing the empty sepulchre confirmed them of that Secondly They were sure none had privately stollen the body away and laid it elsewhere because of the Watch that kept the sepulchre and because of the grave-cloaths left behind and the napkin that was upon his head wrapt up alone none would have carried away a dead Ghastly body and that so full of wounds and gored blood and Ghastly visaged for the Napkin of his head also was taken off none would have carried away a dead body in such
diligent that other enemies of theirs could say when they came to Thessulonica These that have turned the world up side down are come hither also Act. 17.6 so diligent that by their means in a small time the sound of the Gospel went into all the earth Rom. 10.18 and their words unto the end of the world and that leaven of the Kingdome spoken of Mat. 13. had leavened the whole lumpe Fourthly Grace of sincerity to take all this pains for no sinister worldly respect whatsoever but meerly for the Gospels sake to plant it whence could they have this sincerity but from the same power of the Holy Ghost How sincerely they preached the Gospel without seeking either praise or profit by it see a little Not praise Act. 3.12 for when upon the cure of the lame man the people came flocking about them and admiring them almost as halfe Gods what sayes S. Peter Ye men of Israel why looke ye so earnestly on us as if by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walke And when upon the like occasion the men of Lystra would have honoured Paul and Barnabas for Gods they were so far from seeking their own praise that they did all they could to hinder it Act. 14.14 c. they ran in among the people crying out and saying Sirs why do you these things we also are men of like passions with you c. And when some magnifying Paul and some Apollo and some Cephas calling themselves after their great Masters I am of Paul c. how doth Paul take up all pride that might arise thereupon 1 Cor. 3.5 who is Paul and who is Apollo but ministers by whom ye believed And we preach not our selves 2 Cor. 4.5 but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Christs suke If therefore that of our Saviours be true John 7.18 He that speaketh of himselfe seeketh his own glory but he that seeketh his glory that sent him the same is true and no unrighteousness is in him then they seeking not their own glory when it was offered them but anothers that sent them it must needs be that they speake not of themselves but acted by his spirit that sent them So for profit how sincerely they preached the Gospel without perverse aime that way Their hungry bellyes oftentimes in hunger and thirst which was not voluntary abstinence for that is meant afterwards in fastings often 2 Cor. 11.27 Their cold backs in cold and nakedness Their purse penniless Act. 3.6 silver and gold have I none these show what a little gain they made of the Gospel Paul would never have writ for a cloake as far as from Rome to Troas four hundred miles if poor man he had had that variety or his converts had been so franke unto him as to have furnished him with money to have bought a new one he made but a little harvest of the Gospel that was glad to write for an old cloake 400 miles to hap him against winter The cloak that I left at Troas with Carpus 2 Tim. 4.13 bring with thee And that it was for happing to his back against the cold winter you may gather from that which followeth do thy diligence to come before winter verse 21. verily this argument if any other that the Appostles should with that sincerity preach the Gospel all praise and all profit set aside this helps to confirme the truth of the Gospel if any other that they should take such infinite pains in that harvest send forth Labourers into thine harvest and aime at no harvest at all thereby for themselves in the world Mat. 9.38 And therefore not without good reason does St. Paul so often stand upon this thing Act. 20.33 1 Cor. 4.11 and 9.3 2 Cor. 11.10 and 12.14 1 Thes 2.5 to stablish his converts in the truth of the Gospel which he preached Neither at any time used we flattering words Who is there even among you that would shut the door for nought But what a deal of pains tooke they for nought or rather they knew well enough whom they trusted and who it was that said lift up your eyes and looke on the fields for they are white already to harvest He that reapeth receiveth wages John 4.36 They would never have sweat so in this harvest and so little wages here but that they knew of those other wages Fifthly The grace of extraordinary patience whence also could they have it but from the power of the Holy Ghost who were they and what were their bodyes was their strength the strength of stones and their flesh of brasse Job 6.12 that they should be able to hold out against hunger and thirst against cold and nakedness stripes and imprisonments c was their Souls not like other mens but heavenly spirits sheathed in earthly bodyes that they should not be overcome no not much affected with all the opprobries reproaches ignominies that the world could cast upon them that all the paine and all the shame the world could put them to they should still continue as strong as steddy as anvills unstirred unmoved for all the blows What can this be but the power of the Holy Ghost coming upon them if so many strong men with Iron hammers should let drive at a piece of glass or earthen vessel and not be able to breake it all men would say it were an enchanted glass or vessel how many let drive at those earthen vessels the humane natures of the Apostles with such bats and blows as would almost have broken steele and adamant That therefore these earthen vessels were not broken with all these blows what should be the reason but onely that they were enchanted enchanted with that power of the Holy Ghost coming upon them that made their frail natures hold out so against dint of stroke of all persecutions I will turn aside saith Moses and see this great sight why the bush burnes with fire and consumeth not Exo. 3.3 that was a strange thing to his conceit so a strange thing it must needs be to any ones consideration that the Apostles who for their fraile humane natures were nothing but bushes and brushwood and combustiblest stuffe that could be strange that they should continue in the fire the fire of tribulation and consume not burne not yeeld not but as though their bodies were burnish't brasse shine onely the brighter for the fire surely what can be the reason but onely because as the Lord was in the bush and so it consumed not so the Lord was in these bushes these weak Apostles and they consumed not In the third of Daniel the Princes Governours Captains and the Kings Councellours all flocked together to see those men upon whose bodies the fire had no power they thought that a wonder surely I know not whether it be a greater wonder that the bodies of the Apostles flesh and blood like other men
1 Peter 1.4 that fiery tryall whereof St. Peter speakes should have no power upon them should not drive them to impatience not to desist or desert their Evangelical callings but hold out 20 30 40 years together unto the death and in death Moses was a godly Saint and yet driven to a little impatience that he was weary of his calling through the vexful behaviour of the Jews If thou deale thus with me Numb 11.15 kill me I pray thee out of hand Elias was a godly Saint yet driven to a little impatience when the storme fell so fierce upon him It is enough now O Lord take away my life 1 Kings 19.4 for I am not better then my fathers Job was a Saint who like him and yet driven to a great deale of impatience when he opened his mouth and cursed his day Let the day perish wherein I was borne c. Job 3. for a whole Chapter together But where do we ever read that all the afflictions the world could heap upon them put the Apostles into any impatience or that their spirits were any whit broken or their hearts dejected with them nay it broke their hearts when others pityed them and would have had them favoured themselves in Christs sufferings What meane you to weep and breake my heart Act. 21.13 Act. 20.22.24 for I am ready not onely to be bound but also to dye c. And now behold I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem But none of these things move me neither count I my life deare unto my selfe c. And I take pleasure in infirmites c. 2 Cor. 12.10 whence could they have this patience nay this joy in all their tribulations but from the power of the Holy Ghost And therefore I marvell not that St. Paul should so often urge this for an evident proofe of the truth of his ministry his Apostleship his Gospel that he preached namely his patience and indefatigable enduring of all misery and all affliction for the Gospels sake 2 Cor. 6.4 and 11.23 c. Gal. 6.17 Col. 4.18 2 Cor. 4.7 and 10. In all things approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience c. And from henceforth let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus And Remember my bonds Well I will conclude this with his reasoning we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us alwayes bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body That it may appeare that Jesus Christ is alive indeed by giving such strength and power to such a frail creature as Paul otherwise of himselfe was for that it is not to be understood of the life of glory to be manifested afterwards in the body but so as it is already expounded the drift and circumstances shew That the excellency of the power c. in our mortall body c. and because in the fourteenth verse he proceeds there to that sense Sixthly Grace of tenderest love and affection to the Salvation if they could of the whole world to the Salvation of those they never saw nor heard of before to the Salvation of those that it cost them many a long tedious journey to come into them to the Salvation of those that when they came among them gave them but cold entertainment even sought their death that came to bring them the word of life such love whence could they have it but from this power of the Holy Ghost Consider but how cold and back-ward men are in this business to build up one another even neighbour his neighbour and friend his freind in their Salvations and say if these men must not needs have been acted and moved with something in them more then flesh and blood that made them so zealous and earnest for the Salvation of the whole world of the unknowne world the remote world the injurious world that sought their deaths as much as they did their lives Take a scantling of this their earnest zeale and love to every Souls Salvation in St. Paul First In St. Pauls sollicitous care and feare nothing so full of care and feare for anothers good as love None so loving therefore as St. Paul that had such cares and fears and jealousies in his heart as touching others Salvations 2 Cor. 7.5 Without were fightings within were fears Within fears namely lest by some means men should be tempted and drawne away again from the faith Gal. 4.19 2 Cor. 11.2 and 28. Col. 2.1 And I am jealous over you with a godly jealousie And besides those things that are without that which cometh upon me dayly 1 Thes 3.1 the care of all the Churches And I wish you knew what great conflict namely of feare and care I have for you And for this cause when I could no longer forbeare namely for care and fear about you Secondly See it in St. Pauls wise and studious diligence by art and by industry 1 Col. 28. striving if he could to win every Soul Though I be free from all men yet have I made my self servant to all 1 Cor. 9.19 that I might gain the more that we may present every man perfect c. Nothing so painfull and devicefull of any course to speede as love Thirdly See it in St. Pauls earnest obtestations and entreaties that men would regard themselves and that which makes for their own Salvations no so humble a supplicant as true love the tender mother would beg it on her knees at her sons hand that he would reclaime and know his own good so St. Paul most humbly beseeches all that they would know their own good know the things that belong unto their own peace Now then we are Embassadors in Christ 2 Cor. 5.20 and 2.6 we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God And we then as workers together with him beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vaine 2 Cor. 10.1 And Now I Paul my self beseech you by the meekness c. and gentleness of Christ c. To name one place more for all If there be therefore any Consolation in Christ Phil. 2.1 if any comfort of love c. what would beg so hard for no other boone but onely that men would know the things that belong to their own peace but onely Love Fourthly See it in St. Pauls abundant thanks and prayers for those whom God hath vouchsafed to call unto the participation of his heavenly truth It is no small measure of love that makes him so sensible of others eternall good others that what were they to him but onely that they were the Sons of Adam so sensible as to be so abundant in thanks to God for that blessing unto them and in prayers to God for the continuance of it Most of
cut a whet-stone a funder with a rasor for a vestal virgin to draw water in a sive for another to pull a ship up Tyber with her girdle when with Cables all the company besides could not make her stir for Mahomet to make the moon seeme to come in at his sleeve c. Such wonderments toyish wonderments does the Divell ordinarely work but where are his mercies his curing the sick c indeed sometimes he cures some sick Postquam definunt laedere curasse creduntur Tert. Apol. but it is but una eademque manus c. but healing where he hurt when they cease to hurt they are thought to heale as if I should ease by pulling away the pin that I thrust into another sides it is but thus healing where he hurt or else in some lesser diseases perhaps that are within his skill healing sometimes that he may hurt wounding the Soul to the heart through healing the ripled skin of the body And thus it appears that the miracles of the Apostles had some specialness in them and were done by no other Magick then that of our Saviours Yet shall receive power of the holy Ghost c. And if so then that our Saviour is not in the grave but risen indeed that could send this power of the holy Ghost upon them I will end this point with St. Austin If any say that these speciall miracles were not indeed wrought by the Apostles to confirme Christs Resurrection and ascension Hoc nobis unum grande miraculum sufficit quòd ea terrarum orbis sine ullis miraculis credidit This one great miracle sufficeth us that the world believed these things without miracles There are these incredible things sayes he One that Christ is risen from the dead and ascended bodily into heaven Another that the world should have believed so incredible a thing A third incrediblest of all that a few silly obscure meane fellows should perswade the world to this beliefe either therefore they wrought some speciall miracles to perswade the world thereunto Et Eloquia persuadentium mira fuerunt facta non verba and their perswasive arguments were wondrous works not words or else this is the miracle of all miracles that the world should believe those few silly men without miracles De civitat 22.7 Quisquis ergo adhuc prodigia ut credat inquirit magnum est ipse prodigium qui mundo credente non credit 22.8 John 3.2 and 12.37 Aug. de Civit. Dei 21.6 Vide quandam auream catenam apud Chrys in 1 Cor. Hom. 7. Whosoever therefore doth yet require miracles that he may believe he not believing when the world believeth is himself a great miracle Thirdly Whence had the Apostles that extraordinary grace of such happy successe in their preaching in so short a time to draw almost the world after them to bring all to their lure to make all dance after their pipe whence but from this power of the holy Ghost coming on them and making their words to be very charms unto the people verily verily sayes our Saviour to his Disciples he that believeth on me John 14. the works that I do shall he do also and greater works then these now what are these greater works Our Saviour he cured all diseases and cast out Divils he raised the dead what greater works did the Apostles yes the conversion of the world and the subversion every where of his Kingdome that is called the Prince of the world were greater works a farre greater work to raise up the dead world then one dead Lazarus Lazarus had been four dayes in the grave and was ready to stinke the world had stunke many and many years together in the grave of all Idolatries impieties lusts wickednesses c. a farre greater work to cast out Satan every where out of his Temples out of his worship out of the hearts of men that every where he possessed then out of the bodies of a few Corporally possessed whence therefore could the Apostles do these greater works but from the power of the holy Ghost from the reason rendred in that text because I go unto my Futher c. because I cannot be deteyned in the grave but rise again to have all power given me both in Heaven and in earth Now consider with me from some particulars the greatness of his worke by twelve men such as they were to convert a World such as it was to embrace a Doctrine such as they preached Consider the greatness of this work and then say my text is proved But now is Christ-risen from the dead else this work could never have taken that such a doctrine to such a world by such twelve men should have been effectually preached First such a Doctrine a Doctrine that might have offended as a new Doctrine an incredible Doctrine a Doctrine too high for the world wallowing in flesh and blood a Doctrine bringing the crosse and persecution after it a Doctrine that for the enduring the crosse and for the crucifying their flesh and blood gave no present promises but the promises to envite unto the Gospel were future and in another world a Doctrine that might have offended thus many wayes First as a new Doctrine that should have overturned all their old Religion no more the same rites the same Ceremonies the same Altars the same Temples the same Gods that they and their predecessors had so long time worshipped but all must be cashierd and a new upstart tother-day Religion about one Jesus of Nazareth never heard of before forsooth must come in the roome away with such new Doctrine Novelty that in other things is pleasing to the nature of man is odious in Religion The Divell knowes what he does when he seekes to cast upon us by our adversaryes the aspersion of novelty of a new Gospel and new Gospellers new Bibles and new every thing even the very old cobwebs in the Temple are sacred and superstition is loth to have them brushed down though they have venemous spiders in them and webs of lawne might be hung in their roome so odious is Novelty in Religion and therefore first it might have offended as a new Doctrine Secondly as an incredible Doctrine what credibleness that life and Salvation should be preached in the name of a pretended God borne but of a poor Jewish woman brought up like a poor Carpenters son crucified like a wicked malefactor dead and buried like a weake man and affirmed by almost the whole nation of the Jews to be yet under the power of death when as but two or three obscure fishermen and the like talke of his Resurrection What credibleness in this Doctrine Is it credible that he that was so borne so bred so crucified so dead and buried and no talke but by a few obscure Galilaeans of his Resurrection that he should be the onely God blessed for ever principalities and powers and thrones and dominions and all the renowned Gods up
enough to hinder from giving a little they thought it not enough to hinder from giving all and yet had affections better ordered indeed but as strong for the life as the world could to wife and children Perhaps thou maist say they had more zeale then wit but take heed thou have not more wit then grace when their zeale shall be rewarded in Heaven take heed they wit be not punished in Hell Consider therefore these three thousand and five thousand Christians and whence could they have this extraordinary grace of holiness but from a Divine power c. so rare and admirable was this their holy conversation that it procured them grace with all the people nay great grace Act. 2.47 and 4.33 and 5.13 nay so great that they magnified them Consider againe he writes in 1 Thes 1.3 remembring without ceasing your work of faith and labour of love c. so that ye were ensamples to all that believe Consider also what the very Pagans witnessed concerning the old Christians extraordinary holiness Pliny writes that some Renegadoes counterfeit Christians being examined about the secret but sacred conventicles of Christians could say no more then thus of them That they used at set dayes to meet before day and there to sing praises to Christ as God and to bind themselves with a holy vow not to doe any mischiefe Sed ne furta ne Latrocinia ne adulteria committerent ne fidem fallerent ne depositum abnegarent lib. 1o. Epis 97. that they should not commit any theft or robbery or adultery nor breake their word nor withhold that which was committed to them to keepe And that very wretch Julian writes thus to a Paganish Bishop namely to study to promote the Paganish Religion as the Christian Religion was at first promoted to wit by holiness of life hospitality to strangers liberality to all c. Turpe namque est c. for it is a shame sayes he that those impious Galilaeans should have enough for their own and relieve the Jew Tert. 6.29 relieve the Pagan too and we not relieve our own Also Bonus Vir Cajus Sejus sed tantum malus quòd Christianus they used to say such an one was a good man but onely bad in this that he was a Christian Consider lastly that the old Christians in their very appeals to the Gentiles were confident to stand upon the Christians innocency Quis illic sicarius quis manticularius quis sacrilegus aut corruptor what privie murtherer or Assassinate is there among Christians what Pick-purse what Sacrilegious person or Church-robber what corrupter And so much of the testimony of the Spirit hereunto may be added the testimony of Josephus a Jew John 15.26 bearing witnesse of his Resurrection the third day Act. 5.32 and appearing to his Disciples Antiqu. 18.4 Lastly Whence had the primitive Martyrs and Confessors that extraordinary grace of sufferings but from the power of the holy Ghost This wee cannot but acknowledge if we consider the universality invincibility patience and joy of their sufferings The universality in that so many of all sorts and conditions as well of feeble women and tender children as men as well of the rich and those that were brought up in all tenderness and delicacies as of the poore and those that were used to more hardships as well of the wise and understanding that would not have been cozened with a fable to have hazarded their lives as of the silly and ignorant in that so many of all sorts are registred Martyrs and Confessours so many that by computation the very Martyrs that were slaine for the name Christ are thought to equalize for number or exceed all the sacrifices that were under the Law sacrificed as types of Christ and yet there was offered at once two and twenty thousand oxen 3 Kings 1.63 and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep Again If we consider the invincibility of their sufferings in that not all the variety of torments not all the extremity of torments not all the protractedness of torments that the wit of man and the malice of man could devise and what more ingenious then wit and malice put together not all could overcome them but invincibly they persisted against all against such torments that it were enough to strike horrour into the heart to heare them related how their joynts were stretched upon the rack drawne off one after another how their bowels were scrued and twined out of their bodies by little and little beginning at the Navill how their flesh was nipped and pulled away peece-meale with pincers how their sides were scraped till the very bare ribbs appeared with iron scallops or scrapers how under their nails one of the sensiblest places they were peirced with sharp needles run into the root of the nails and the flesh of the nails pickd out with little hooky instruments how they were rosted broiled on Gridirons set in red hot iron chairs and as for their throwing them down hard steep rocks to breake their necks and their casting them to wild beasts and their burning them at stakes these gentle deaths were favours If we consider their invincibleness in all these what shall we say but that it was the power of the holy Ghost upon them the power of the holy Ghost upon that Blandina that invincibly endured all torments from morning till night and when her tormentors that successively one after another were to inflict the torments confessed at night they were quite tyred shee invincible was fresher to endure new torments then they to inflict them Euseb 5.1 Again if we consider the patience of their sufferings to take all those torments not onely so invincibly but so patiently so patiently in that first so willingly when they might have been rid of their torment with thanks too if they would but in two words have denied Christ whereas perhaps there may be some very wretches that may harden themselves in patience but it is when they see there is no remedy as traitours Ravilliacks c. Secondly So patiently in that so meekly so uncomplainingly not complaining of the extremity not crying out in that bitterness of their Soul unsufferable unsufferable as meere flesh and blood would have done but so meekly and uncomplainingly enduring all torments without any whining or whimping as if they had suffered in other mens bodies or their bodies had been bodies of marble or their flesh of brasse This patience is above their former invincibleness invincible one may be through resolution and yet a little impatient when extremity is upon them through frailty but to be not only so invincible but so patient too whence this but from the power of the holy Ghost upon them Lastly if wee consider the joy of their sufferings not onely so patiently but so joyfully to take their sufferings ye became sayes the Apostle followers of us of the Lâ—rd 1 Thes 1.6 having received the word in