now at the length come wee to the next Verse Then Iesus sayde to the Disciple whom hee loued c. Note in the words two things First Obseruations Christs charge Secondly Iohns obedience Before we come to the more exact handling of this text one thing would bee noted generally viz. Christs earnestnesse in the behalfe of his mother First he directed his speech to his mother Behold thy sonne And had hee sayd no more but this out of question it would haue made Iohn exceeding careful but Christ contents not himselfe with this but makes sure worke and directs his speech to Iohn also saying Behold thy mother From his example learne we to deale earnestly and zealously not carelesly and coldly in the behalfe of the distressed The Apostle telleth vs that it is good to loue earnestly in a good thing It was Salomons item that thou doest doe with all thy might exhort all with all thy might reprooue all with all thy might pleade the poore mans cause with all thy might Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God saith Christ with all thine heart and with all thy Math. 22. 29 might and thy neighbour as thy selfe A lesson that gals and wrings our lukewarme Laodeceans that happily will plead the poore mans cause but how they care not whether they speake or hold their peace whether they win or lose the day after a dead and dull and frozen and cold manner without all spirit and zeale But this obiter Come we to the words themselues and first of the charge wherein consider First Cui to whom Christ speakes Secondly Quid what he speakes First to whom namely to the beloued First Cui Apostle and heere many things are colligible I will select a two or three of them First our Sauiour commits the charge of his mother to a Disciple and none but a Disciple though there were neuer Musc in Iohn so many of her kindred according to the flesh present Non alii tamen cuipiam c Yet would our blessed Sauiour commit her to the trust of none but of a Disciple At quos Discipulos habent Euangelii ministri c. But sayth a learned man where shall a paynful and laborious Minister of Gods word finde such a Disciple to whom hee may with confidence vpon his death bed commit the care of his father mother wife or children It makes mee euen woe to consider it that when Gods Minister hath spent his strength and like a lampe wasted himselfe to giue light to others spent his body spent his substance vpon his flocke hath beene instant and earnest in season out of season not three years together as Paul was at Ephesus but tenne Act. 20. twenty thyrty fortie yeares together in labours often in trauells often in watchings often in prayers often in perrils often and when hee hath performed the duty and office of a faithfull Pastor his course beeing finished it makes my bowels euen turn within meto see his poore widdow to become a vagabond his children like Iudas his to beg their bread yet such is the ingratitude vnmercifulnes of these vnthankfull times that a Minister may spend his spirits and life blood in for a congregation yet amongst thousands of such as are or ought to be disciples not a man to bee found that wil relieue either mother wife son or daughter in lieu of al their labors They will as soone it may be sooner prouide for the wife and posterity of theyr shepheard or neatheard and thinke themselues as much bound to it as to prouide for the wife and children of their deceased Pastor Let their kindred prouide say we and what reason haue we to take our childrens bread and giue it to strangers as if the care and faithfulnesse of a Disciple ought not to exceed the care faithfulnesse of a kinsman or brother The virgin Marie had much kindred yet Christ commends her to a Disciple not to her kindred Secondly obserue that Iohn writing of Obseruation himselfe sayth not Deinde dicit mihi Then he sayd to me Behold c But thus he sayd to his Disciple whom he loued c. And so in the consequent words he sayth not Ego recepi I tooke her but ille recepit hee tooke her to his owne home Suppressit nomen Are. in Iohan. supra c. he suppressed his name before verse the twenty fifth of this chapter and here he suppresseth it againe if you would haue any reasons for his so doing I answer you First he doth it out of singular thankfulnesse R. A. in doct Euang. p. 177. to Christ for his entire and especiall affection towards him this great fauour would neuer out of his minde that his master loued him aboue all the Apostles therefore he delights to call himselfe the Disciple whom Iesus loued euen out of a thankefull minde It was no small fauour to be the best beloued Apostle the least that Iohn could returne was the sacrifise of prayse for so great a mercy to think of it speake of it write of it and as Dauid Psal 66. 20. sayth to exalt God with his tongue by acknowledgement of so admirable kindenesse It makes to the euerlasting prayse of Dauid that famous singer of Israel that he neuer receiued a new mercy but with all he would sound foorth a new song of prayse to God in one Psalme he cryes out Psal 103. 1. Psal 105. Benedic anima mea Iehouae c Soule prayse thou the Lord let all that is within mee praise his name In a second place Quid retrihuam c. What shall I render vnto the Lord for all Psal 33. 1. his benefits bestowed vpon mee In a third place Cantate iusti in Iehoua Reioyce in the Lord ye righteous prayse is comely for the vpright In a fourth Laudate Iah Praise the Lord for it is good to doe so it is a pleasant and Psal 147. 1â— a comly thing In a fifth place Halaluiah laudate Iehouam laudate eam in excelsis c. Praise the Lord praise the Lord from the heauens Psal 148. 1. praise him in the height In a word his life was euen a continual recounting of Gods mercies Oh that wee were men of the same spirit in these dayes thousands millions myrriads of blessings euen the blessings of both hands hath God poured downe vpon vs right handed left handed blessings for this life and a better he hath placed peace vpon our borders enriched vs with plenty and crowned euery new yeare with new blessings delighting to do vs good as a father to his owne sonne he hath declared vnto his word and statutes shewed vs his ordinances hee hath not dealt so with any nation But where is the man that like Iohn delights to talke of Gods mercyes to him who sings with that sacred virgin Magnificat anima mea c. My soule doth magnifie the Lord and Luke â—â— my spirit
mother behold thy sonne Then saith he to the Disciple behold thy mother And from that houre the Disciple tooke her to his owne home RIght Worshipfull and welbeloued I haue in mine owne charge discoursed of the bitter passion of our blessed Sauiour vnder Caiphas Herod Pilate and the notable accidents that fell out as hee was going towards Golgotha the place of his execution something also I haue spoken of the wonderfull occurrences that fell out during his aboade vpon the Crosse and the memorable speeches vttered theron seuen in number the first a prayer for his enemies Father forgiue them they know not what they doe Luke 23. 24. The second and third consolations one to the conuerted thiefe This day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise Luke 23. 43. The other to his mother Behold thy sonne Ioh. 19. 26. The fourth vvord vvas a vvord of complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Math. 27. 46. So vvas the fifth also mentioned by Iohn vvhen he knevv that all things vvere accomplished he sayde I thirst Iohn 19. 28. His sixth vvord vvas a vvord of triumph Consummatum est It is finished Iohn 19. 30. The seuenth vvas a speech taken out of the 30. Psalme Father into thy hands I commend my spirit v. 5 I am to speake at this time of his third vvord in which you may note vvith mee First the occasion in these vvordes When Iesus therefore saw his mother and the Disciple Secondly the speech it selfe which was double First to the virgin Mary Behold thy sonne Diuision of the text Next to Iohn the Apostle Behold thy mother Of the occasion first S. Luke sayth that vvhen Christ vvas going tovvards his execution there follovved him a great multitude vvomen that bevvailed him yea they follovved him as the vvord imports in the originall at the hard heeles and exceedingly bevvailed him yea they follovved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him till they came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iuxta hard to or exceeding neere the crosse till they came vnder the crosse vvhom vvhen our Sauior beheld amongst others his mother and beloued disciple in the midst of his extremity as it vvere casting off all griefe he comforts his mother and prouides for her after maintenance Iohannem commendans Mariae matri vicisim Mariam Iohanni Woman sayth he to his mother Behold thy sonne and againe to Iohn Behold thy mother commending Marie his mother to his Disciple Iohn and Iohn the Disciple to his mother Marie For vvee must not so vnderstand the vvordes as if that Christ had spoken to this effect behold and cast Non morum implorat opēsed iuvat Aeretius thine eyes vpon me thy wofully and miserably afflicted sonne this had beene to adde sorrow to sorrow afflictiō to bonds But thus conceiue it rather that our blessed Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ being fastned to the Crosse his hands nayled his feete nayled so as he could vnneath stirre either hand or foote or any part of his body but his head it may be with a nod of his head or winking vpon her with his Erasm in Ioh. eye he speakes to her in some such words as these Woman thou knowest how faith fully and carefully I haue hitherto prouided for thee with what childlike and filiall affection but now mine hower is come and wee must part yet bee not too much abashed either for my death or feare of want after my death thogh thou loose a sonne thou shalt finde a sonne hee stands by thee and will be as carefull and tender ouer thee as an if he were thy son And foorthwith looking directly vpon the Apostle Iohn he addes Behold thy mother not that Iohn was Maries sonne or Marie Iohns mother for Iohn was the son of Zebedeus Math. 4. 21. but his meaning is this that he would haue Iohn as highly to honour and tender her as if she had bin the mother that bare him for saith a learned Pifeat in Iohn Non quod ex ea genitus est sed quod Eliali amore eam debet am plecti expositor Iohannes Mariae filius dicitur Iohn is called Maries sonnes illius mater and Marie Iohns mother not that the one was the mother and the other the sonne but that he would haue Iohn to embrace the Virgine Marie with a filiall loue and affection Neither were his words vttered in vain for it follows in the story that the Disciple tooke her to his owne home Thus hauing intended to haue spoken of the occasion of the words I haue I know not how before I was aware discoursed of the meaning of the whole Text it will be time for me now to return to my entended method and first of the occasion in which obserue three things First Quis who he seeth Christ Secondly Quos whom he seeeth Marie and Iohn Thirdly Vbi where he seeth them viz. neere the Crosse And in handling all these I must be exceeding compendious lest my matter be to begin when the houre is at end The 1. Quis who seeth Bullinger in Ioh annem first point is Quis who that was Christ that saw thē after hee had bin persecuted bettayed condemned scourged nailed to the crosse Nunc etiam ne quid deesset passionis acerbitat That he might want nothing to augment the bitternes of his suffring hee seeth his mother vnder his crosse ready to be swallowed vp in the gulfe of sorrow In this life wee must expect crosse vpon crosse which brings into my mind the speech vsed 1. Sa. 25. 1. after relation of Dauids troubles one in the necke of another it is also added as to all the rest Samuel also died As one drop of rain followes another as one waue wallows in the neck of another so one afflictiō follows another a second a first a third a secōd cōmonly the last is not the least therfore Eliphaz in Iob tels vs That crosses come by fixes nay by seauens God deliuers in fixe troubles in the seuenth euill shal not come neere thee Iob. 6. As Iob had messenger after messenger so must wee haue crosse vpon crosse which doctrine may be applyed after a double manner First it may teach vs to liue in a continuall Vse the first expectation of afflictions not of one Let no man expect an heauen vpon earth but of many all the sons of Adam are subiect to crosses the sons of the first the sons of the second Adam but especially the sons of the second Iudgment begins with thē yea not only begins but like a continuall torrent runs ouer their backes from their birth to their graue and yet I know not how it comes to passe if the torrent bee neuer so little dryed vp that is if God giue vs neuer so little ease wee are ready with Dauid to dreame of immunity and exemption from crosses and to say as hee sayde Thou God of thy goodnesse hast made my hill so strong
backeward turne mocke-Gods opposers of the Gospell and what not I haue read of Silkewormes that after they haue done their master seruice in making silke for garments some of them turne to mothes and fret garments euen so is it with many in our times that at the first profession of godlinesse doe God some seruice by countenancing and encouraging such as are good but afterwards turnes to be very fretting moathes as cruell and deadliest enemyes as God hath in his Church But brethren beloued in the Lord remember Lots wife that was turned into a pillar of Salt for looking backe Oh it is a fearefull thing when wee are come out of the Sodome of our sinnes to looke backe again towards Sodome Paul calleth the Galathathians fooles because they began in the spirit and ended in the flesh Bee thou faithfull to the death sayth God and I will make thee heire of eternall life In a word let vs all take heed that there be in none of vs an euill and vnfaithfull heart to depart away from the liuing God for it were farre better neuer to haue known 2. Pet. 2. 21. the way of righteousnesse then after wee haue knowne to turne away from the holy commandement giuen vnto vs. Pardon now my boldnesse I will speak but this once there is one poynt more out of the last words of the verse to be handled for want of time I will but poynt to it It followes in the Text that Iohn tooke her to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his owne The poynt flowes Obseruation Iohn 2◠so naturally that I may deliuer it without further discoursing vpon the words and it is this that the Apostle Iohn had goods and riches of his owne able to liue of himselfe and to be helpfull to others Peter had a vocation and followed it probably the rest of the Apostles had as well as he onely want of time suffers mee not to proue it now Obiection If any shall obiect with Bellarmine that Bell de 7. verb Iohn was one of those that sayd Behold we haue forsaken all and followed thee what shall we haue therefore and shall vrge vs further that that they forsooke was house Math. 19. 27. brethren sisters father mother wife children lands Yea and shall vrge that place Mathew 4. 21. How Iesus saw Iames and Iohn his brother mending their nets and that at Christs command immediatly they left their nets and followed him To this I answer that though it bee Answer certayne they left all yet they left all but after a sort they left not all simply and wholely take all who would but they left all as one sayth Quatenus illo impedimento esse possent c. So farre forth as they might hinder them in preaching the Gospell and not otherwise they did not so leaue all but they could at theyr pleasure make the best aduantage of that was theirs in one place wee reade that Peter had an house and that Christ repayred to it In a second wee reade that Matthew after his calling from the Math. 8. 14. receipt of Custome made Christ a great Feast at his owne house Here wee see in this Text that Iohn had if not an house Math. 9. yet substance of his owne Hee tooke her to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his owne And this Doctrine like a two edged sword wounds on the right left hand Vse 1 first it giues a mortall and deadly blow to Papisticall beggery of Capuchins Heremites Anchorites that extoll and prayse Penury and Pouertie as a state of perfection contrary to that Prophets praier giue me neither pouerty nor riches and contrary to Christ his practise the practise of his Apostles that neuer led so Iohn 12. 6. base sordid life as they pretend but had that which was needfull and gaue almes and while they liued gaue many precepts perswading rather to giue to others then to be chargeable yea not onely to giue but to frequent in this duty reade at your leasure these Scriptures Luke 11. 11. 41. Rom. 12. 13. 2 Cor. 9. 6. Gal. 2. 10. Secondly this doctrine that Iohn tooke Vse 2 Marie to his owne makes against Anabaptisticall community which Anabaptists and Familists seeme to proue out of that place where it is sayd that all that did beleeue were in one place and had all things common they sold all their possessions Acts. 2. 44. and goods they had And this they runne vpon that they did not onely sell but sold all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moueable and not moueable possessions goods they made a through sale of all My answer in a word is first no man was compelled to sell so Peter sayd to Ananias Acts. 5. 4. was it not thine owne while it remayned As if he had sayd who compelled thee to sell Secondly It is not sayde they sold all but onely that they had all things common Aret. in Act. Apost Non est expressum quod omnia vendiderint sed quod omnia habuerint communia Thirdly of that that was sold they suffered not euery man to be his own caruer Quae venditasunt prudenter diuidunt but they distributed according to euery mans necessitie to some more to some lesse Fourthly If all things bee common why sayth God Thou shalt not steale Why 1. Cot. 6 sayth Paul That theeues shall not inherit Gods kingdome How can there be theft if thou take away propriety of goods Fifthly If all things be common then Frustra passim praecepta c. Aretius are all those precepts in vain that call vppon vs for bounty and almes why did not God call rather for community then liberality Sixthly Why writes Paul for his cloke and parchments if they were anothers as well as his Lastly a world of other inconueniences will follow if wee deny propriety of goods it will follow that Naboth was too scrupulous in the matter of his vineyard that the eight commandmant might well be razed out from the rest of the commandements nay if this gap bee opened would their not quickly follow a feareful confusion of all things And yet mistake me not for though I defend propriety of goods yet I defend no other propriety of goods then may stand with the communion of Saints Zacheus his goods were his owne so were Iobs yet they imparted to the necessityes of others it was a Nabalish speech shall I take my bread and giue it vnto strangers though thy goods be thine yet they are not so thine but that the poore haue a letter of Attorny from God to haue to their vse as well as thy selfe The conclusion for want of time shall be onely this be merciful as your heauenly father is mercifull FINIS
hath reioyced in God my Sauiour How doe wee vnderprise and vndervallew the greatest blessings nay are wee not so farre from thankefulnesse that wee murmur and complayne because of the abundance of Gods blessings how many contemners of the word of God that in stead of thankefulnesse for the word cry out as the Israelites of their Mannah Wee can see nothing but this Mannah how many seditious persons that cry out against our glorious peace and in stead of praysing God for it are ready to say that times of warre are better then times of peace How many that in stead of praising God for our great plenty doe repine and murmur at it Wel take we heed if we be thus vnthankefull that we make not God to delight as much in punishing vs as euer he did in blessing vs that as it is in Ose that Osea 10. 10. wee make not God desire to chastise vs. A second reason why Iohn conceals his name cals himselfe the disciple whoÌ„ Iesus loued was modesty therefore thogh 2. Reason Ob modestiaÌ„ Aret. in Iohan. hee were the best beloued Apostle and Christ his master honored him so much as to coÌ„mit his mother the virgin Marie to his custody yet as one regardles of praise he calles himself only by the name of the beloued Disciple out of thankfulnesse but mentions not his name out of an holy modesty and humblenes of mind eschewing of vaynglory An admirable patterne worthy to be set before our eyes in these dayes wherein wee thirst after mans prayse as much as euer dropsie man did after drinke we giue almes happily but it is to bee seene of men wee fast we pray we come to heare the word but whatsoeuer wee doe like the buylders of Babel here is our ayme to get our selues Gen 11. 4. a name I know not better to whom I may compare many men better then to Players you that haunt profane Theaters know their fashions better then I first they blow a trumpet to call spectators together and when many eyes are fixed vppon them then they begin their pageant and thus doe a number of our Pharises that neuer doe good worke but it is in publike in open view as if God would beleeue nothing without witnesse But what sayth the blessed Apostle Paul Let nothing be done through contention or vaine-glory And the same Apostle Be not desirous Phil. 2. 3. Gal. 3. of vaineglory prouoking one another enuying one another And our blessed Lord and Sauiour Christ Math. 6. When thou giuest almes let not thy right hand know what thy left hand doth when thou prayest enter into thy closet and shut the doore to thee doe that thou doest in secret so hee that seeth in secret shall reward thee openly And this out of the first part of the The second part of Christ his charge charge Cui to whom The second is Quid what hee sayth Behold thy mother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This particle Behold is diuersly taken in Scripture somtimes as a note of admiration Behold a virgin shall conceiue and beare a sonne Behold Isa 7. 14. Luke 7. 37 a woman in the cittie that was a sinner came to him Sometimes as a note of attention Behold how good a thing it is brethren to dwell together in vnity Psalme 133. 1. Behold Psal 134. 1. praise ye the Lord. Behold the bounty and iustice of God Behold I stand at the doore and Rom. 11 22 knocke Sometimes as a note of exultation Reu. 3. 20. Behold I bring you tidings of great ioy which Luke 2. 10. shall be to all pâ—ople Sometimes as a note of demonstration Behold where they haue layde Marke 16. 6. him Sometimes a note of derision Behold the man that tooke not God for his strength Sometimes as a note of compassion mouing to take pitty vpon the miserable and so it is vsed here Behold thy mother that is comfort and cherrish her as if shee were thine owne mother or if you please take it thus to Behold implyeth two things in this text First to see the virgins misery Secondly to relieue her misery There are some that see the miseryes of others as the rich glutton happily saw Lazarus his soares or the Priest and Leuite saw the Luke 15. 20. wounded passenger after a regardlesse manner There are others also that see the necessities of others the father saw his Luke 10. 33. prodigall sonnes and had compassion on him and ran to him and fell on him and kissed him Or as the Samaritane that saw the poore traueller and had compassion on him and bound vp his wounds and set him vpon his owne beast c. My meaning is that they see after an operatiue and effectuall manner the miseryes of others and such a beholding it is that God calleth for in this text Iohn could not but see the virgins sorrow before our Sauiour spake vnto him yet sayth our Sauiour Behold thy mother how behold her effectually really operatiuely care for her cherrish her comfort her as she were thine owne mother The obseruation to bee collected hence because it generally concernesall Gods people and not Iohn alone I will propound it generally viz. that is the duty of all Gods people Obseruation not onely to see but according to the meanes that God hath giuen them to succor relieue the miseries of the afflicted Rom. 12. 13. So sayth Paul distribute and communicate to the necessity of the Saints Christ also charges vs to make our selues friends Luke 16. 9. Reason 1. with vnrighteous Mammon and to giue to the poore It were easie to produce Scripture vpon Scripture for the confirmation of this truth Suffise it to produce a reason or two First to see and succour others in affliction is a most honourable thing it honoureth God according to that of the wise man hee that hath mercy on the poore honoureth God It honoureth our Pro. 14. 31 religion and profession yea what is it that makes professors as they call them and profession euill spoken of but the dissolute and scandalous liues of our professors because they are gripers grinders of the poore extortioners vsurers merciles I haue heard many professors rayled vppon but few charitable professors It honours God then it honours our profession to be mercifull yea and it honoureth our selues also makes vs like to God himselfe according to that Bee you mercifull as Luke 6. 36 your heauenly father is mercifull It makes vs the Lords Stewards Almoners â— and if it be an honor to be a kings Almoner how great an honour is it to be Almoner to the king of kings Secondly to behold and succor others Reason 2 in affliction is a sure signe and syntome of true religion so sayth Iames pure religion and vndefiled before God euen the father is this to visite the fatherlesse and widdow and to keepe himselfe vnspotted of the world Their are two