not for Souls Obs 5. The Gracious Promise which Christ gives his Apostles for their Encouragement namely to qualifie them for and to succeed them in their Office I will make you Fishers of Men. Faithfulness and Care Diligence and Endeavour is our part but the Blessing and Success is Christ's our Labour is only in the Cast Christ's Power is wholly in the Draught Some Fish cleave to the Rocks others play upon the Sands more wallow in the Mud and verily we shall labour all our Days and catch nothing if Christ doth not bring our Fish to Net and inclose them in it as well as assist us in the throwing and casting of it Obs 6. The Apostles ready Compliance with our Saviour's Call Straightway they forsook Father and Friends Ship and Nets and followed Jesus Whom Christ calls he calls effectually he draws whom he calls and works their Hearts to a ready Compliance with their Duty Obs 7. That upon their Call to the Ministry they leave off their Trade they forsake their Ship and their Nets and lye close to their Ministerial Imployment Teaching us That the Ministers of the Gospel should wholly give themselves up to their great Work and not incumber themselves with secular Affairs and worldly Business Nothing but an indispensible Necessity in providing for a Family can excuse a Minister's encumbring himself with Worldly Concerns and Business 21 And they went into Capernaum and straightway on the sabbath-day he entred into the synagogue and taught 22 And they were astonished at his doctrine for he taught them as one that had authority and not as the scribes Our Saviour having called his Disciples Peter and Andrew James and John to follow him in order to their preaching of the Gospel here we may observe how he went himself along with them teaching personally in the Synagogues where-ever he came He did not send his Apostles forth as his Curates and lye at home himself upon his Couch of Ease What shall we say to those lazy Fishermen that set others to the Drag but care only to feed themselves with the Fish Not willing to wet their Hand with the Net or take any Pains themselves Our Saviour did not thus but when he sent forth his Apostles he still preached himself he went into their Synagogues and taught Observe farther The Success of his preaching the People were astonished at his Doctrine struck with Admiration apprehending and believing him to be an extraordinary Prophet sent from God Learn thence That such is the Efficacy of Christ's Doctrine especially when accompanied with the Energy and Operation of his Holy Spirit that it makes all his Auditors Admirers causing Astonishment in their Minds and Reformation in their Manners Observe lastly The Reason of our Lord's Success in preaching He taught as one having Authority He taught in his own Name as being Lord of his Doctrine not saying with the Prophets Thus saith the Lord but I say unto you And he wrought powerful Miracles which accompanied his Doctrine As Christ was careful to preserve the Authority of his Person and Doctrine with the People so is it the Duty of his Ministers to demean themselves amongst their People that neither their Authority may be contemned nor their Persons despised but their Doctrine and themselves reverenced and obeyed 23 And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit and he cried out 24 Saying Let us alone what have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth Art thou come to destroy us I know thee who thou art the holy One of God 25 And Jesus rebuked him saying Hold thy peace and come out of him 26 And when the unclean spirit had torn him and cried with aloud voice he came out of him 27 And they were all amazed insomuch that they questioned among themselves saying What thing is this what new doctrine is this for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits and they do obey him St. Mark having given an Account of our Saviour's Doctrine which he preach'd v. 15. namely the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance he now acquaints us in the remaining part of this Chapter with the Miracles which he wrought for the confirming of his Doctrine and they are Three First The casting of a Devil out of one possessed v. 23. Secondly The curing of Peter 's Wife's Mother of a Fever v. 29. Thirdly The cleansing of a Leper from v. 40. to the end of the Chapter His first Miracle was the casting out of a Devil out of one possessed There was a Man with an unclean Spirit That is an unclean Spirit did enter into him and bodily possess him Amongst the many Calamities which Sin has brought upon our Bodies this is one that we are liable to be bodily possess'd by Satan The Devil has an inveterate Malice against Mankind seeking to ruin our Souls by his Suggestions and Temptations and to destroy our Bodies by some Means or other but blessed be God tho' his Malice be infinite yet his Power is limited and bounded as he cannot do all the Mischief he would so he shall not do all he can Oh how much is it our Interest as well as our Duty by Prayer to put our selves Morning and Evening under the Divine Protection that we may be preserved from the Power and Malice of evil Spirits Obs 2. The Attribute or Title given to the Devil he is called an unclean Spirit The Devils those wicked Spirits of Hell are most impure and filthy Creatures impure by Means of their original Apostacy impure by Means of their actual and daily Sins such are Murder Malice Lying and the like by which they continually pollute themselves impure by Means of their continual Desire and Endeavour to pollute Mankind with the Contagion of their own Sin Lord how foul is the Nature of Sin which makes the Devil such a foul and unclean Creature Obs 3. This unclean Spirit no sooner saw Christ but he cried out Whence Note That the Greatness of Christ's Power being the Son of God over Devils and wicked Spirits is such that it is very terrible and tormenting to them it was terrible to them in his State of Humiliation on Earth and made them then cry out but Oh how terrible will his Power be to them at the great Day when Christ shall come in flaming Fire to render Vengeance both to Men and Devils Obs 4. The Substance of the Devil's Outcry Let us alone what have we to do with thee Art thou come to destroy us Where Note 1. That tho' the Devils are now as full of Sin and Discontent as they can be yet they are not so full of Misery and Torment as they shall be Art thou come to torment us before the time Says St. Matth. 8.29 Art thou come to destroy us Says St. Mark That is to bring upon us our full and final Destruction Implying that the Devil has not yet his full Judgment and compleat Damnation Therefore there is certainly a Day of
people who being ignorant of his Extraction look upon his Breeding as well as his Calling to be Divine This good use ought to be made of our Saviour's Observation that his Ministers be very wise and discreet in Conversation with their People not making themselves cheap and common in every Company nor light and vain in any Company for such Familiarity will breed contempt both of their Persons and their Doctrine But our Duty is by strictness and gravity of deportment to keep up an awe and esteem in the Consciences of our People always tempering our Gravity with Courtesy and a Condescending Affability that Minister which prostitutes his Authority frustrates the end of his Ministry and is the occasion of his own Contempt 25 But I tell you of a truth many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias when the heavens were shut up three years and six months when great Famine was throughout all the Land 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta a city of Sidon unto a woman that was a widow 27 And many Lepers were in Israel in the time of Elizeas the Prophet and none of them was cleansed saving Naaman the Syrian Here our Saviour by a double instance confirms what he had last told his Country-men at Nazareth namely that Prophets are most despised by their own Country men and Acquaintance and that Strangers oft-times have more Advantage by a Prophet than his own People The first instance of this which our Saviour gives them is in the days of Elias tho' there were many Widows then in his own Nation yet none of them were qualified to receive his Miracles but a Stranger a Widow of Sareptha The second instance was in the days of Elisha when tho' there were many Lepers in and about his Neighbourhood yet they being his Country-men despised him and none were qualified for a Cure but Naaman the Syrian a man of another Country Thus the Prophets of God like some Fishermen catch least in their own Pond and do more good by their Ministry among strangers then amongst their own Country-men Kinsfolk and near Relations No Prophet is accepted in his own Country 28 And all they in the Synagogue when they heard these things were filled with wrath 29 And rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him unto the Brow of the Hill whereon their city was built that they might cast him down headlong 30 But he passing thro' the midst of them went his way Observe here 1. The horrid Impiety of the People of Nazareth in thrusting their Saviour out of their City and their barbarous and bloody Cruelty in bringing him to the Brow of the Hill with full intent to cast him down headlong But Christ was to dye a clean contrary way not by throwing down but by lifting up Oh ungrateful and unhappy Nazareth is this the Return you make that Divine Guest which for Thirty Years had sojourned in your Coasts No wonder that the ablest Preaching and most exemplary Living of the Holiest and best of Christ's Ministers obtain no greater success at this day amongst a people when the presence of Christ at Nazareth for thirty Years together had no better influence upon the Minds and Manners of that People but instead of Receiving his Message they rage at the Messenger Neither let any of the Ministers of Christ think it strange that they are ignominiously despised when our Master before us was in danger of being barbarously Murthered and that for his plain Preaching to his own People the Men of Nazareth But Obs 2. The miraculous escape of our Blessed Lord from the murdering hands of the wicked Nazarites he passing through the midst of them went his way How and after what manner he escaped is not declared and therefore cannot without presumption be determined Altho' the Rhemists to make way for their Doctrine of Transubstantiation positively affirm that contrary to the nature of a Body he penetrated thorough the Breasts of the People But whether he struck them with Blindness that they did not see or smote them with fear that they durst not hold him or whether by a greater strength then theirs which his Godhead could easily supply his Humane Nature with he escaped from them it is neither prudent to inquire nor possible to determine we know it was an easy thing for him who was God as well as Man to quit himself of any Mortal Enemies and at the same time when he rescued himself could have ruin'd them by frowning them into Hell or looking them into nothing 31 And came down to Capernaum a city of Galilee and taught them on the Sabbath-days 32 And they were astonished at his Doctrine for his word was with power 33 And in the Synagogue there was a man which had a Spirit of an unclean Devil and he cryed out with a loud voice 34. Saying let us alone What have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth art thou come to destroy us I know thee who thou art the holy one of God 35 And Jesus rebuked him saying hold thy peace and come out of him and when the Devil had thrown him in the midst he came out of him and hurt him not 36 And they were all amazed and spake among themselves saying what a word is this for with Authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits and they come out 37 And the same of him went out into every place of the Country round about Our Blessed Saviour being driven out of Nazareth by the fury of his Country-men departs to Capernaum where he enters into their Synagogues and taught Who can declare the pains that our Saviour took and the hazards which he ran in preaching the Everlasting Gospel to lost Sinners But observe the smalness of his Success the People were astonished but not believed his Doctrine produced Admiration but not faith his Auditors were Admirers but not Believers the People were astonished at his Doctrine the reason of which Astonishment is added for his word was with power that is there was Majesty in his Person Spirituality in his Preaching and powerful Miracles accompanying both and confirming Both of which the Evangelist here gives us an account namely the casting out of a Devil in one possessed v. 33. There was a man which had a Spirit of an unclean Devil and he cryed out that is the Devil that unclean Spirit did enter into him and bodily possess him Amongst many other Calamities which sin has brought upon our Bodies this is one to be Bodily possest by Satan The Devil has an inveterate Malice against Mankind seeking to ruine our Souls by his Suggestions and Temptations and to destroy our Bodies by some means or other Oh how much is it our Interest as well as our Duty by Prayer to put our selves morning and evening under the Divine care and Protection that we may be preserved from the power and malice of Evil Spirits Obs 2. The Title here given
a contrary Effect this Miracle which Christ wrought had upon these People Instead of Believing on him for his Miraculous Cure of the Possessed the Loss of their Swine enrages them and makes them desire Christ to depart from them Temporal Losses are so great in Worldly Mens Estimation that Spiritual Advantages are nothing esteemed Carnal Hearts prefer their Swine before their Saviour and had rather lose Christ's Presence than their Worldly Profit Obs 2. How Unanimous and Importunate these Gadarens were to get rid of Christ the whole City came out and are not only willing with his Departure but they beseech him to depart out of their Coasts Learn hence That deplorably sad is the Condition of such from whom Christ departs more deplorably sad their State who say unto Christ depart but most deplorably sad is the Case of them that intreat and beseech Christ to depart from them Thus did these Gadarens and accordingly Christ took Ship and departed from them and we never read of his return more unto them CHAP. IX 1 AND he entred into a ship and passed over and came into his own city In the last Verse of the foregoing Chapter the Gadarens with one Consent desire CHRIST to depart out of their Coasts â—here we find our Saviour according to their desire departing from them into his own City which was Capernaum for Bethlehem brought him forth Nazareth brought him up and Capernaum was his Dwelling-place From their Desire of Christ's Departure and from Christ's departing according to their Desire we Learn That the Blessed Jesus will not long trouble that People with his Presence who are weary of his Company and desirous of his Departure 2 And behold they brought to him a man sick of the palsie lying on a bed and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsie Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee Observe 1. The Patient One sick of the Palsie which being a Resolution of the Nerves weakens the Joints and confines the Person to his Bed or Couch As a Demonstration of Christ's Divine Power he was pleased to single out some Incurable Diseases as the World accounts them to work a Cure upon as the Leprosie and Palsie 2. The Physician Jesus Christ he alone is that Wise Faithful and Compassionate Physician that can and doth Cure both Soul and Body Obs 3. The Moving or Impulsive Cause of this Cure Jesus seeing their Faith that is their firm Perswasion that he was cloathed with a Divine Power and able to help together with their Confidence in his Goodness that he was as willing as he was able and no sooner did they exercise their Faith in Believing but Christ did exert his Divine Power in Healing Obs 4. The marvelous Efficacy and Power of Faith it obtained not only what was desired but more than was expected they desired only the Healing of the Body but Jesus seeing their Faith Heals Body and Soul too saying Be of good cheer thy Sins are forgiven thee 3 And behold certain of the scribes said within themselves This man blasphemeth See here how the best of Men are sometimes charged with saying and doing the worst of things to Do well and Hear ill was the Portion of Christ himself and may be the Portion of the holiest of those that belong to Christ The Innocent Jesus was accused of Blasphemy of Sorcery and of the blackest Crimes Innocency it self can protect no Man from Slander and False Accusations 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts 5 For whether is easier to say Thy sins be forgiven thee or to say Arise and walk 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins then saith he to the sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and go unto thine house Our Saviour here gives the Pharisees a Twofold Demonstration of his Godhead First By letting them understand that he knew their Thoughts for to search the Hearts and to know the Thoughts of the Children of Men is not in the Power either of Angels or Men but the Prerogative of God only Secondly By assuming to himself a Power to Forgive Sins the Son of Man hath Power to Forgive Sins Our Saviour here by Forgiving Sins in his own Name and by his own Authority doth give the World an undeniable Proof and convincing Evidence of his Godhead for Who can Forgive Sins but GOD only 7 And he arose and departed to his house 8 But when the multitude saw it they marvelled and glorified God which had given such power unto men Note here The Multitude marvelled but not believed they admire our Saviour for an Extraordinary Man but did not believe in him as the Son of God They praise God for giving such Power to Heal the Bodies of Men but not for sending his Son into the World to Save the Souls of Men. Learn hence That the sight of Christ's Miracles is not sufficient to work Faith in the Soul but requires the concurring Operation of the Holy Spirit the one may make us marvel the other must make us believe 9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receit of custom and he saith unto him Follow me And he arose and followed him Obs here The Number of our Lord's Apostles not being filled up what a strange Election and Choice he makes Matthew a grinding Publican is the Man Learn Such is the Freeness of God's Grace that it chuses and such is the Efficacy of it that it over-powers and brings in the worst of Sinners unto God Matthew a Publican Zaccheus an Extortioner Manasseh a Murderer Paul a Persecutor all these are brought home to God by the Power of Converting Grace Obs 2. Matthew's ready Compliance with God's Call He arose and followed Christ When the Inward Call of the Spirit accompanies the Outward Call of the Word the Soul readily complies and presently yields Obedience to the Voice of God Christ oft-times speaks by his Word to our Ear and we hear not we stir not but when he speaks by his Spirit to our Hearts Satan shall not hold us down the World shall not keep us back but we shall arise and follow our Lord and Master 10 And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house behold many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples Observe here Christ invited Matthew to a Discipleship Matthew invites Christ to a Feast the Servant invites his Master a Sinner invites his Saviour We do not find where ever Christ was invited to any Table that he refused to go if a Pharisee if a Publican invited he constantly went not for the Pleasure of Eating but for the Opportunity of Conversing and doing Good Christ feasts us when we feast him From Matthew's Example Learn That new Converts are full of Affection towards Christ and very expressive of their Love unto him Such
is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Our Blessed Saviour being thus fitted and prepared by his Baptism and Temptations for the Execution of his Ministerial Office he now enters upon the great work of Preaching the Gospel and St. Luke here declares the first place he preacht at namely Nazareth and the first Text he preacht upon Isa 61.1 Observe 1. The place which our Saviour preacht at he bestowed his first Sermon upon Nazareth the place of his Conception and Education For tho' Christ was Born at Bethlehem yet he was bred and brought up at Nazareth there he had his poor but painful Education working on his Father's Trade that of a Carpenter This prejudiced the Jews against him who lookt for a Scepter not an Ax in the hand of him that was born King of the Jews Our Saviour's short and secret abode at Bethlehem and his long and publick living at Nazareth occasioned him to be called Jesus of Nazareth Yet some conceive it was a Nick-name fastned by the Devil upon our Saviour that he might disguise the place of Christ's Nativity and leave the Jews at the greater loss concerning their Messiah Sure it is that this Name Jesus of Nazareth stuck upon our Saviour all his Life and at his Death was fixed by Pilate on his Cross Yea after his Ascention such as believed on him were called The Sect of the Nazareens or the followers of Jesus of Nazareth Observe 2. The Text which our Saviour preacht upon at Nazareth he takes it out of the Prophet Esaias Ch. 61.1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath Anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor that is God the Father hath poured forth his Holy Spirit without measure upon me in all the Gifts and Graces of it to sit and furnish me for the work of a Mediator and particularly to preach the Gospel to the poor in Spirit and to such as are poor in outward Condition also if meekned and humbled with the sight and sense of their sins To bind up the broken hearted that is to comfort them with the glad tidings of the Gospel To preach Deliverance to the Captives to let such Sinners know who were slaves to sin and Satan that a Deliverer is come if they be willing to be Delivered by him To preach the acceptable year of the Lord or to proclaim a Spiritual Jubilee in which God proffers pardon of Sin and Reconciliation with himself upon the Terms of the Gospel Learn hence 1. That God stirreth up none to take upon them the Office of the Ministry whom he hath not fitted and furnished with Gifts for the Regular discharge of it 2. That Christ himself did not undertake the Office of a Mediator but by the Ordination of God the Holy Spirit The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and he hath sent me to preach the Gospel 3. That no Creature Angel or Man could perform the Office of a Mediator but only Christ who was Consecrated to that Office by an Anointing from the Holy Spirit without measure The Spirit of the Lord hath anointed me 4. That the preaching of the Gospel is the great Ordinance which Christ himself made use of and recommended to his Apostles and Ministers for inlightning blind Sinners for comforting broken hearts and for Delivering Captive Souls from the slavery and dominion of sin and Satan He hath sent me to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the broken-hearted to publish Deliverance to the Captives and Recovering of Sight to the blind What Enemies then are they to the Souls of Men who have low and mean thoughts of this high and honourable Ordinance of God the preaching of the Everlasting Gospel which is the power of God unto Salvation Observe 3. The Behaviour of our Saviour's Auditors the Men of Nazareth under his Preaching their Eyes were fixt and their minds intent upon him and upon what was spoken by him The Eyes of all that were in the Synagâ—gue were fastned upon him not closed with sleep nor gazing about upon others but fixed upon Christ the Preacher fixing of the Eye is a great help to the attention of the ear and the intention of the mind a fastned eye is a means to help us to a fixed heart as a wandring eye is both a sign and a cause of a wandring Heart O that our Hearers would imitate our Saviour's Hearers under the Word They fastned their Eyes upon him as if they meant to hear with their eyes as well as with their Ears And yet we have cause to suspect that Curiosity rather than Piety caused this their Attention seeing as you will find v. 29. That these very Persons who out of Novelty were ready to eat his words soon after out of Cruelty were ready to devour the speaker for they thrust him out of the city led him to the Brow of the Hill and would have cast him down headlong Oh blessed Saviour What wonder is it that the Persons of thy Ministers are despised and their Doctrine neglected when thou thy self the first Preacher of the Gospel and for thy first Sermon at Nazareth wert thus ignominiously treated 22 And all bare him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth and they said is not this Joseph's son 23 And he said unto them ye will surely say unto me this Proverb Physician heal thy self Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum do also here in thy country 24 And he said verily I say unto you no Prophet is accepted in his own country Observe here 1. The effect of our Saviour's Ministry at Nazareth it created wonder but did not produce Faith they marvelled but not believed they admire the Wisdom of his Discourses but will not own him to be the promised Messias because of the Poverty and Meanness of his Condition Is not this Joseph's Son They expect the son of a Prince not the son of a Carpenter to be their Messiah Thence Note That the Poverty and Meaness of Christ's Condition was that which Multitudes stumbled at and which kept many yea most from Believing on him None but a Spiritual Eye can discern Beauty in an humbled and abased Saviour Obs 2. Our Saviour wonders not that so few of his Country men amongst whom he had been bred and brought up and with whom he had lived most part of his time did despise his Person and reject his Doctrine He tells them No Prophet has honour in his own Country that is very seldom has Teaching us that usually the Ministers of God are most despised where they are most familiarly known sometimes the remembrance of their mean Original and Extraction sometimes the poverty of their Parents sometimes the Indecencies of their Childhood sometimes the follies of their youth sometimes the faults of their Family and Relations are ript up and made occasions of Contempt and therefore that Prophet that comes from afar and has not been much known gains the greatest Reputation amongst a
him 11 The woman saith unto him Sir thou hast nothing to draw with and the well is deep from whence then hast thou that living water 12 Art thou greater then our father Jacob which gave us the well and drank thereof himself and his children and his cattel 13 Jesus answered and said unto her Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life Observe here 1. How ignorant Persons are of spiritual things till enlightned by the Holy Spirit of God This poor Womans Question Whence hast thou that living Water looks much like that of Nicodemus John 3.9 How can these things be A natural Person cannot perceive the Mind of Christ when speaking to them about spiritual things Spiritual Objects must have a spiritual Eye to discern and behold them 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit Observe 2. With what great Humility and Condescension our Holy Lord treats this poor Woman pitying her Ignorance and pardoning her Infidelity He tells her That the Water of that Well which she was about to draw could not give an abiding Satisfaction but the Thirst quenched for the present would certainly return again But he that should drink of the Water which he had to give that is be made partakers of the Graces of his Spirit shall find such refreshing satisfaction therefrom that all inordinate Desires after earthly things will be quench'd and extinguish'd and will be like a Well of Water springing up till they come to Eternal Glory Learn hence 1. That as the Body of Man is subject to natural so is the Soul of Man subject to a spiritual kind of Thirst 2. That no Creature-Comfort or earthly Enjoyment can quench this Thirst which the Soul of Man is subject unto 3. That the Spirit of Grace which our Saviour here calls the Water of Life is able fully and perfectly to quench this Thirst of the Soul And where it is once savingly received shall never be totally or finally lost It shall be in him a Well of Water springing up into everlasting life 15 The woman saith unto him Sir give me this water that I thirst not neither come hither to draw 16 Jesus saith unto her Go call thy husband and come hither 17 The woman answered and said I have no husband Jesus said unto her Thou hast well said I have no husband 18 For thou hast had five husbands and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband in that saidst thou truly These Words set forth unto us 1. What manner of Person this Woman was whose Conversion Christ sought so industriously after 2. The Means he used in order to that End Observe 1. What manner of Person this Woman was besides that she was an Idolater as being a Samaritan she was also an Adulteress and lived now in the Sin of Uncleanness with one that was not her Husband after she had had five Husbands before Whence we learn That the ice of old Age will not quench the Fire of Lust Concupiscentia non senescit such is the Pollulution of our Nature that Lust will be insatiable if Grace doth not restrain it This Woman after five Marriages yet lives in the Sin of Uncleanness Observe 2. The Way and Manner our Lord takes the Method and Means our Lord uses in order to her Conversion 1. He deals very tenderly and gently with her he uses no roughness or tartness of Speech with her he doth not call her Whore nor upbraid her for her impudent Lewdness in living with a Man that was none of her Husband but only gives her to understand that he knew the Sin she lived in yet this he did likewise with all imaginable privacy whilst his Disciples were away and no Body by but they two only Hence learn 1. That private Sins are not to be reproved publickly 2. That in reproving Sin all sharpness and bitterness of Expression must be avoided The Pill of Reproof must be rapp'd up in Sugar for if they to whom it is given taste the bitterness of Gall and Passion mixt with it they will certainly spit it out before it may be upon our Faces Our Lord's Practcie here instructs us That Sin is to be so reproved as that the Credit and Estimation of the Sinner may be preserved as much as may be Note 2. That as Christ dealt with this Woman tenderly and gently so he discovers her Sin to her particularly and sets her secret Sin before the Face of her Conscience distinctly If ever the Ministry of the Word works upon the Minds of Men to their Conversion it must be by a particular and close application of the Word to every Man's Conscience Generals will not affect Note 3. What the particular Sin is which Christ charges home upon the Conscience of this Woman it is the Sin of Uncleanness that the Man she kept with was not her Husband Learn thence That amongst all Sins the sin of Uncleanness will lie heaviest upon the Conscience and wound the Soul most deeply when the Spirit of God once effectually discovers it and charges it home upon the Conscience For there is no Sin so directly opposite to Sanctification and Holiness as this Sin No Sin that quenches the Holy Spirit of God like this Sin 19 The woman saith unto him Sir I perceive that thou art a prophet 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship In these Verses the Evangelist declares a threefold Effect and Fruit of the Grace of Conversion that appeared in this Woman 1. She neither denied nor excused nor extenuated the Sin which Christ had charged her with but tacitly owns and implicitly confesses it 2. She doth not only own and confess what she was charged with but she doth profess Reverence to our Saviour's Person and pays Honour to him as an extraordinary Prophet Sir I perceive that thou art a Prophet 3. She desireth Instruction and Resolution from him concerning the Worship and Service of the true God how she might seek him and where she might serve him most acceptably whether at Jerusalem or upon Mount Gerizim Our Fathers worshipped in this Mountain but ye say Jerusalem is the place where Men ought to worship Where Observe How ready and forward Persons of a false Religion are to ascribe too much to Antiquity and to the Example and custom of their Fore-Fathers Whereas it is not the continuance of a thousand or two thousand Years that can make any thing truly Ancient in Religion except it has been from the beginning Nothing is truly Ancient in Matters of Religion but that which can derive its Original from him that is truly called the Ancient of Days 21 Jesus saith unto her Woman believe me the hour cometh when ye shall neither
Lazarus ver 41 42. Yet as God he had a Power of himself to raise Lazarus an Almighty Power communicated with his Essence from the Father by an Eternal and ineffable Generation 23 Jesus saith unto her Thy brother shall rise again 24 Martha saith unto him I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day 25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Believest thou this Here Observe 1. Christ's meek Answer to Martha's passionate Discourse he takes no notice of the forementioned failings but comforts her with a promise of her Brother's Resurrection Thy Brother shall rise again Thence learn That the Knowledge and Belief of the General Resurrection is and ought to be a sufficient support under the Loss of our endeared Friends ' who die in the Lord. Observe 2. That the Doctrine of the General Resurrection was no new Doctrine Job believed it ch 19.26 Daniel publish'd it ch 12.1 The Pharisees had a Notion of it but Martha here makes it an Article of her Faith I know he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last Day Observe 3. How Christ particularly Instructs Martha in the cause of the Resurrection acquainting her that he himself is the Author and efficient cause of it I am the Resurrection and the Life That is I am the Author and principal efficient cause of the Resurrection And this with respect to both Natures 1. His Divine Nature is the efficient cause of the Resurrection he shall Raise our Bodies out of the Dust by the Power of his Godhead 2. His Humane Nature is the exemplary cause or pattern of the Resurrection For which Reason Christ is called the first Born from the Dead For tho' some were raised before him Yet was his Resurrection the cause of their Resurrection Hence St. Paul argues from Christ's Resurrection the certainty of the Resurrection of his Members Christ and Believers are one Mystical Body therefore is not Christ perfectly Risen till all his Members are Risen with him Indeed Christ's personal Resurrection was perfect when he arose and all Believers arose Representatively in him Yet till all Believers arise personally the Resurrection of Christ has not received its utmost perfection but there is somewhat behind of the Resurrection of Christ Most fitly then might our Saviour assert I am the Resurrection and the Life Observe 4. That Christ not only asserts himself to be the Resurrection but also the Life I am the Resurrection and the Life that is I am the cause of Life Natural Spiritual and Eternal and Whosoever Liveth and Believeth in Me shall never Die. That is eternally tho' his Body shall die because of Sin yet his Spirit shall live because of Righteousness 27 She saith unto him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world 28 And when she had so said she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying The Master is come and calleth for thee 29 Assoon as she heard that she arose quickly and came unto him 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town but was in that place where Martha met him 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house and comforted her when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily and went out followed her saying She goeth unto the grave to weep there 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him she fell down at his feet saying unto him Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died Observe here 1. The full confession which Martha makes of her Faith in Christ as God Thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World A confession which comes nearest to that of St. Peter Math. 16.16 of any that we meet with in Scripture Nay it seems more full than Peter's Confession for those additional words which should come into the World are not in his Confession the Summ is She believed Christ to be the very Messias who was Typified and prefigured Prophesied of and promised to the Old Testament Saints as the person that in the fulness of time should come into the World for the Redemption and Salvation of it Thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World Thence Learn That Christ is never rightly believed in nor regularly depended upon for Salvation except he be owned and acknowledged to be the Eternal Son of God Martha was now fully perswaded of Christ's Divine Nature of which the best of the Disciples till after our Saviour's Resurrection had but a faint and uncertain perswasion Observe 2. How earnest and intent our Saviour was to dispatch the errand he came upon Namely to raise Lazarus from the Grave and to comfort the Two mournful Sisters he would not so much as enter the House till he had effected his work and therefore he goes strait to the Grave which probably was the place where Mary met him Lord it was thy Meat and Drink to do the Will of thy Father it was thy Meat and Drink by Day thy Rest and Repose by Night How unlike are we to thy self if we suffer either our Pleasures or our Profits to divert us from our Duty Observe 3. What haste and speed Mary makes to attend upon her Saviour she arose quickly and came unto him Mary's Love added Wings to her motion The Jews observing her hasty motion have a loving suspicion that she is gone to the Grave to weep there but their Thoughts were too low for whilst they supposed that she went to a dead Brother she was waiting upon a living Saviour And she that used to sit at Jesus feet now falls at his feet in an awful veneration the very gesture was supplicatory And her humble prostration was seconded with a doleful Lamentation Lord If thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Where Observe A mixture of Faith with humane infirmity Here was strength of Faith in ascribing so much Power to Christ that his presence could preserve from Death but here was Infirmity in supposing the necessity of Christ's presence for this purpose Certainly he that did raise him from Death being present could have preserved him from dying being absent had he pleased This was Mary's moan Lord hadst thou been here our Brother had not died full of Affection but not from frailty and infirmity However Christ takes no notice of her errors and infirmity but all the reply we hear of is a Compassionate Groan which the following Verses acquaint us with 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her he groned in the spirit and was troubled 34 And said Where have ye laid him They say unto him Lord come and see 35 Jesus wept 36 Then said the Jews Behold how he loved him 37
Learn hence 1. That the Servants of God themselves are oftimes much to seek and cannot apprehend and understand at present the actings and dealings of God with them they understand not either the intent or the event of God's dispensations 2. That altho' God's dealings with his Children and People are for a while in the dark and are not presently made known yet there will come a time for the clearing and evidencing of them when they shall understand that all his dispensations were in mercy to them The second part of our Saviour's Reply to St. Peter follows If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me as if Christ had said Peter This external act of mine in washing thy Feet doth signifie something farther and imports my washing of thy Soul from the guilt and defilement of Sin without which thou canst neither have interest in me nor Communion with me Learn hence 1. That so universal is the pollution of Sin that every Soul stands in need of washing 2. That Christ washeth all that have a part and interest in him both from the guilt and pollution of all their Sin Observe 3. That St. Peter now understanding better what was meant by this outward washing Namely That it did signifie and represent the cleansing of the Soul from the defilement of Sin he is so far from refusing that Christ should wash his Feet that he offers Hands and Head and all to be washed by him Lord not my Feet only c. Learn hence That so thoroughly sensible are the Saints of the filthiness and pollution of Sin that they desire nothing more than an inward thorough and prevailing purification of their whole Man by the Blood and Spirit of the Lord Jesus Observe 4. Our Saviour's Reply to St. Peters's last Request he that is washed needeth not save to wash his Feet plainly alluding to the custom of those Countries where going abroad barefoot or with thin Sandals covering only a small part of their Feet they had frequent occasion to wash their Feet but no need to wash their whole Bodies In like manner the Saints and Servants of God who are already washed and cleansed by the Blood of Christ from the guilt of their Sins and have a real work of Renovation and Sanctification begun in them by the Spirit of Christ they ought to be daily purging and purifying their Affections and Actions and labouring daily after further measures and degrees of Sanctification Learn hence 1. That the holiest the wisest and the best of Saints whilest here in a World of Sin and Temptation do stand in need of a daily washing by Repentance and according to their renewed and repeated acts of Sin 2. That all justified persons are in God's account clean persons ye are clean but not all that is you are justified and pardoned sanctified and cleansed all of you excepting Judas whose heart was known to Christ tho' his Hypocrisie was hid from the Disciples 12 So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments and was set down again he said unto them Know ye what I have done to you 13 Ye call me Master and Lord and ye say well for so I am 14 If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye also ought to wash one anothers feet 15 For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you 16 Verily verily I say unto you The servant is not greater then his lord neither he that is sent greater then he that sent him In these words our Saviour declares to his Disciples his intention and design in washing of their Feet Namely To teach them by his Example the duty of humility that as he had performed that act of abasement towards them so should they be ready to perform all offices of Love and humble Condescension one towards another Behold I have given you an Example that ye should do as I have done unto you Learn thence That humility and mutual condescension amongst the Members and Ministers of Jesus Christ is a most necessary Grace and Duty which the Son of God not only taught by his Doctrine but recommended and inforced by his Example Observe farther The Argument which Christ makes use of to press the imitation of his Example upon them and that is drawn from the titles given to him by his Disciples Ye call me Master and Lord and so I am Now Servants ought to imitate their Master and Subjects to obey their Lord and King Christ is a Master to teach and direct a Lord to govern and protect as he is a Master we are to learn in his School as he is a Lord we are to serve in his House he must be submitted to as a Prince as well as relied upon as a Saviour It is in vain to expect Salvation from him if we do not yield subjection to him Another Argument which our Lord makes use of to press his Disciples to imitate his Example is drawn from his Dignity and Superiority over them The Servant is not greater than his Lord as if Christ had said Tho' you my Disciples are to have a very high and honourable station in the Gospel Church yet let not this swell you with pride but be you mutually condescending to each other Remembring you are yet but Servants to my self and ought to be so to one another and the Servant is not greater than his Lord. Learn hence That whatever dignity Christ confers upon his Servants and Officers yet he is over them all superior to them and above them 2. That the consideration of Christ's Dignity and his Ministers meanness ought to keep their minds humble and lowly and far from affecting Superiority over their Brethren The Servant is not greater than his Lord nor he that is sent greater than he that sent him 17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them Our Lord here intimates unto to us these two things 1. The necessity of Knowledge in order unto Practice 2. The necessity of Practice in order unto Happiness A Man may know the Will of God indeed and not do it but he can never do the Will of God acceptably and not know it Learn hence 1. That Christ doth not approve of a blind Obedience in his People but requires that their Practice and Obedience be founded upon Understanding and Knowledge 2. That the first care of those that will be Christ's Disciples and followers must be this With all seriousness to apply themselves to the Knowledge of their Master 's Will. 3. That next to the Knowledge of our Duty our first and chief care must be to practise every thing that we understand and know to be our Duty 4. That a right-knowledge and practice of our Duty will certainly make us happy If ye know these things happy are ye if do them 18 ¶ I speak not of you all I know whom I have chosen but that the scripture may be fulfilled He that eateth
chearful Obedience a pleasing and an acceptable Obedience A constant and Abiding Obedience All other motives without Love are servile and base and beget in us the drudgery of a Slave but not the Duty of a Son he that fears God only is afraid of smarting but he that Loves God is afraid of offending Learn hence That the best and surest evidence we can have of our Love to the Lord Jesus Christ is an humble chearful universal and persevering Obedience to his commands keep my Commandments that is endeavour it without reserve for tho' we cannot keep the Commandments to a just satisfaction yet we may perform them to a gracious acceptation And the Word My My Commandments is a sweetning and alleviating Word Moses's Law an unsupportable Load but Christ's Law an easie Burthen The Law from Sinai dreadful the Law from Sion Gracious it pardons weakness and accepts sincerity 16 And I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever 17 Even the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Christ comforteth his Disciples here with a promise of the Mission of the Holy Spirit to supply the want of his Bodily presence Where Observe The procurer of this Blessing 1. And that is Christ by his prevailing Prayer and powerful Intercession I will pray it runs in the future Tense and so 't is a promise of Christ's continual Intercession As long as Christ is in Heaven a Christian shall not want a supply of Comfort and Consolation here on Earth Observe 2. The Author and Donour of the blessing and that is God himself I will pray the Father and he shall give The Father that is my Father your Father and he that is the Father of Comfort and all Consolation I will pray and he will give 'T is an expression of great assurance Observe 3. The blessing it self the Holy Ghost called here Another Comforter Where note 1. The Divinity of the Holy Ghost he that will supply the Comforts of Christ's presence must be as Christ is the God of all Comfort Note 2. The person of the Holy Ghost he is a Divine person not a Divine quality or operation then we might call him a Comfort but not a Comforter Note 3. The Office and Imployment of the Holy Ghost He is a Comforter that is an Advocate and Intercessour to sue for us an Encourager and one that Administers Consolation to us and as he is an Holy Spirit so are his Comforts Holy Comforts Observe 4. The stability of this Blessing That he may abide with you for ever The best of our outward Comforts are sudden flashes not lasting flames but the Consolations of the Holy Spirit are strong Consolations they are abounding Consolations and everlasting Consolations especially the Holy Spirit will be the Comforter of good Men in the day of Affliction in the day of Temptation and at the hour of Death when all other comforts flag and fail Observe lastly The additional Title given to the Holy Ghost he is called the Spirit of Truth partly in opposition to Satan who is called a Lying Spirit partly because he teacheth and revealeth the Truth leadeth his People into all Truth and sealeth and confirmeth Truth to the Souls of Believers he is the Spirit of Truth both in his Essence and in his Operations Learn hence That as the Holy Spirit is True in his Essence and Nature so is he True in his Office as a Comforter to good Men. All his Consolations being real and solid and free from imposture and delusion 18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you Here Observe 1. The Condition which the Disciples were in upon the account of Christ's removal from them and that was sad and Comfortless Fatherless or Orphans as the word signifies Hence learn That Christ's Departure or the loss of his gracious Presence is very sad and Comfortless to a Pious Soul well might the Disciples here lament and mourn upon the occasion of Christ's leaving of them seeing thereby they should be deprived of his Doctrine and Instructions of his Advice and Counsel and of the Benefit of his Holy and Instructive Example Observe 2. The care of Christ for his Disciples in reference to this their sad and disconsolate Condition He would not leave them Comfortless Where Note He doth not say I will not suffer you to be comfortless but I will not leave you so that is he will not desert or disown them in their comfortless Condition he will not leave them either in point of Affection or in point of Activity he will not cease to Love them nor cease to bestir himself for them Learn hence That Christ will not leave his Friends in a sad and Comfortless state and Condition tho' for a time they may be brought into it I will not leave you Comfortless I will come unto you Christ's coming here unto them is to be understood of his coming to them by his Holy Spirit in the Gifts of it in the Graces of it and in the Comforts of it thus he did not long leave them Comfortless but at the Feast of Pentecost came again to them 19 Yet a little while and the world seeth me no more but ye see me because I live ye shall live also 20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Here our Saviour foretels his approaching Death that within a little time the Men of the World should see him no more for tho' he arose again the World saw him no more after his Death for we Read of no Appearances of him after his Resurrection to any but to his Disciples only indeed the hour is coming when the World shall see him again Namely At the Day of Judgment when every Eye shall behold him with Terror and Amazement Observe farther The Consolation given to his Disciples Ye shall see me and because I live ye shall live also Because I am raised from the Grave I will quicken your Dead Bodies in the Grave and ye shall live also and as I live by my Ascension into Heaven so shall you my Disciples live a Life of Grace here and a Life of Glory with my self hereafter Learn hence That a Believer's Spiritual Life is derived from Christ who by his Spirit Communicates a quickening vertue to all his Members because he lives they shall live also Observe lastly A farther priviledge ensured to Believers after Christ's Ascension and the Spirits Mission they should more perfectly understand the Essential union betwixt Christ and the Father and the Mystical Union betwixt Christ and his Members At that Day ye shall know that I am in my Father c. The knowledge which the Saints now have of the Mysterious and Mystical Union is but dark and imperfect but in Heaven they shall
our Lord again forewarns his Disciples of their approaching Sufferings to the intent that they might remember that he had foretold them of them and would not fail to support them under them He had often told them in general of Persecutions and Troubles which they must expect to meet with but did not till now intimate the kinds and degrees of those Sufferings with respect to their Weakness and because whilst he was with them he himself bear the brunt of all the Worlds Rage falling upon him letting them along But after his Ascension when the Malice of Satan and wicked Men could not reach him then did the Storm fall upon them Hence learn 1. That Christ is so tender of his Disciples Weakness that he will not put them upon the hardship of Sufferings till they be trained up and prepared for them 2. That it may encourage the Saints in and under their Sufferings that Christ himself is the great Object of the Persecutors Malice and they only so for his sake for could they reach him they would not concern themselves with them Learn 3. That the Saints of God after long Exemption and Freedom from Sufferings must expect that Storms will arise Clouds gather thick and Trials come on a pace and their being under one Trial will not hide or shelter them from another 5 But now I go my way to him that sent me and none of you asketh me Whither goest thou 6 But because I have said these things unto you sorrow hath filled your heart Observe here How our Saviour again intimates to his Disciples his speedy departure from them and reproves them for being so sadded as it and concerned for it without considering the End and Design of it and the Benefit and Advantage they were to receive by it Here we see how the Disciples Thoughts were wholly taken up about themselves what they should do for want of Christ's bodily Presence without being instant with him to know whither he was going and what Benefit he should reap and they might expect from his departure Learn hence That Christ's Disciples ought not so much to have lamented the loss of his bodily Presence as to have rejoyced in his Glorious Exaltation and in their own Advantages by his Death Resurrection and Ascention None of you ask me Whither goest thou But sorrow hath filled your heart 7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come unto you but if I depart I will send him unto you In these words our Saviour urges his Disciples to submit to his Departure as that which would make way for his sending the Comforter to them which he assures them would be of more Advantage to them than his own stay and continuance amongst them Thence learn That the Presence of the Holy Spirit with us is a greater Comfort and Advantage to us than the Presence of Christ in the Flesh amongst us Christ's bodily Presence was comfortable but the Spirit is more intimately a Comforter than Christ in his fleshly Presence Because the Spirit can comfort all Believers at once in all Places but Christ's bodily Presence can comfort but few and that in one Place only at once Christ did converse with his Disciples outwardly but the Spirit possess'd himself of their Hearts inwardly Now for the Spirit to dwell in us is more advantagious than to have Christ dwell in the Flesh amongst us The Benefit of Christ's Conversation was great but the Advantage of the Spirit 's Renovation and holy Inspirations is much greater The one encourages and excites us to be Holy but the other quickens and enables us to be Holy Therefore well might Christ say It is expedient or highly necessary and advantagious for you that I go away He subjoyns a Reason If I go not away the Comforter will not come but if I depart I will send him to you Whence we learn That Christ's Ascension was indispensably necessary in order to the Spirit 's Mission the Spirit could not have descended if Christ had not first ascended the Spirit could not come but by the Gift and Mission of the Mediator Now the sending of the Spirit being a part of Christ's Royalty as Mediator it was not convenient that the Spirit should be sent till Christ was Crowned and sate down on his Throne in his Kingdom then the Spirit was to make Application to us of the Redemption purchased for us 8 And when he is come he will reprove the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment 9 Of sin because they believe not on me 10 Of righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more 11 Of judgment because the prince of this world is judged In these and the following Verses our Saviour acquaints his Disciples with the Advantages that will redound by the coming of the Comforter First The Advantage to the World Secondly To the Apostles And Thirdly To himself To the World 1. He shall convince them of Sin Righteousness and Judgment Of Sin that is of their sinful State and Nature of the large extent of Sin and particularly of the sin of Unbelief Learn hence 1. That the Spirit of God is the Author of Conviction of Sin and that all Convictions of Sin do either mediately or immediately flow from him 2. That Unbelief is a Sin of the greatest malignity against Christ and of greatest danger to a Christian's Soul He shall convince the World of Sin because they believe not on me Secondly Of Righteousness that is of the insufficiency of all humane Righteousness and of the necessity of the Righteousness of a Mediator by which alone we are to expect acceptance with God Thirdly Of Judgment that is the Spirit shall convince the World that Jesus is both Lord and Christ that he had a Power to judge Satan the Prince of the World and that he did by his Death put down the Kingdom of Darkness Learn hence 1. That Satan is a Prince who by unjust Usurpation and the Sinners voluntary Consent has exercised a Tyrannical Power over the World 2. That Christ by his Death did judge condemn and overcome this mighty Prince and hath made his Conquest evident to the Consciences of Men by the Convictions of his Holy Spirit The Spirit shall convince of Judgment that is that Satan the Prince of this World is judged 12 I have yet many things to say unto you but ye cannot bear them now 13 Howbeit when he the Spirit of truth is come he will guide you into all truth The second Benefit which our Saviour declares was to be expected by the coming of the Holy Spirit relates to the Apostles themselves He shall guide you into all Truth that is into all Truth necessary for you to know in order to Salvation This is a principal Text which the Papists bring for their Doctrine of Infallibility but groundlesly For this Promise was made to all
a Pattern of Thankfulness then was Jesus to his followers There is hardly any one External Duty which we do not find the Hypocrite performing in Scripture except this of Thanksgiving and Praise we find Judas Repenting Ahab Humbling himself Saul Sacrificing but we do not find any wicked Man in an humble Spiritual manner blessing and praising God Need will make us Beggars but Grace only Thanks-givers X. In his Compassion towards those that were in Distress and Misery Matth. 20.34 Great was his Compassion to the Bodies of Men he healed all that came unto him he healed many undesired with great Condolency and tender Sympathy he exercised acts of Mercy and Compassion when the object of Compassion was before him and did perfectly abhor and severely condemn all Acts of Cruelty How great was his Compassion to the Souls of Men what Pains did he take and what Hazards did he run in preaching the Gospel to lost Sinners in his fervent Prayers for them but especially in Dying for them Let us imitate Christ herein as his Compassion was universal to all Mankind to the whole Man Soul and Body as it was Active and Operative as it was exercised with marvellous Complacency and delight as it was a preventing Compassion and an unwearied Compassion so let ours be also XI In his Holy and fruitful Discourse his Lips dropt as the Honey Comb and his Tongue was as choice Silver when walking with his Disciples to Emaus with what Heavenly Discourse did he entertain them in the way See Luke 24.13 c. A good Pattern for our Imitation when providentially cast into such Company as will bear it Lord what a Shame and Reproach is it to us that in common Conversation we spend so many hours together in talking over all the News of City and Country and part without speaking one word of Jesus Christ our best Friend XII In his free Conversation The Son of Man came eating and drinking Matth. 11. v. 19. that is was of a free and familiar Converse Affable and Sociable not Sower or Morose never shuning the Society of the worst of Men even of the Pharisees themselves but complying with their innocent Customs and accompanying them at their Feasts See on Luke 5.29 We do not find that when Christ was invited to any publick Entertainment that ever he refused to go not so much for the pleasure of Eating as for the opportunity of Conversing and doing good Christ converst with bad Men but as their Physician not as their Companion Let us go and do likewise XIII In his Patience under Sufferings and Reproaches when he was reviled he reviled not again but under-went the Burden of his Sufferings with admirable Patience and Meekness of Spirit when his Name and Honour suffered the vilest Indignities Blasphemies and Reproaches that the Malice of Satan and the Malignity of wicked Men could belch out against it when he was called a Blasphemer a Sorcerer a Devil a Wine-bibber a Glutton a Friend of Publicans and Sinners For an innocent Person and a dignified Person to bear all this when he could have look'd all his Enemies into Hell and have frown'd them into nothing Verily to bear all this without the least discomposure of Spirit is the highest Triumph of Patience that ever the World was acquainted with And why all this but to leave us an Example that we should follow his Steps 1 Pet. 2.21 22. XIV In his readiness to forgive Injuries One of his last Words upon the Cross was a Prayer for his Murtherers Father forgive them Luke 23.34 He offered up his Blood to God on the behalf of them that shed it Thus to forgive our Enemies and to beg Forgiveness for them will be an Evidence of a Christ-like Frame and Temper when the Grace of God calms those tumultuous and outragious Passions which at any time we find raging in our Breasts moulding our Spirits into Sweetness and Gentleness freeing us from all malicious desires of Revenge which are so far beneath a Christian that it is the baseness of a Man yea as Jealousie is the Rage of a Man so Malice is the Rage of the Devil 't is the very Soul and Spirit of the Apostate Nature XV. In his laying to Heart the Sins as well as the Sufferings of others Mark 3.5 He was grieved for the hardness of their Hearts Such was his Zeal for his Father's Glory such his Compassion to the Souls of Men such his Antipathy against and hatred of Sin that he was grieved for Sin where-ever he found it and mourned over those who had no Hearts to mourn for themselves Lord how far are they from a Christ-like Spirit and Temper who instead of mourning for other Mens Sins rejoyce in Iniquity and take Pleasure to see their Brother stab at once the Christian Name and his own Soul XVI In his Zeal for the Publick Worship of God John 2.17 The Zeal of thine House hath eaten me up Now as Christ was so Christians ought to be intensly Zealous for the Glory of God the Honour of his House and the Purity of his Publick Worship The Zeal of thine House that is for the Honour of thine House hath eaten me up Our Zeal for the Publick Worship of God glorifies him most and he accepts it best Now we own that God whom we serve in the face of the World And this creates a veneration and esteem of God in the Minds of Men. XVII In his glorifying of his Father in all he did John 17.4 I have glorified thee on the Earth The whole Life of Jesus when here on Earth it was a glorifying of his Father he glorified his Father by the Doctrine which he taught by the Miracles which he wrought by the unspotted Purity of his Life and by his unparallel'd Sufferings at his Death In like manner should we glorifie God in all we do in all we design in all we desire in our natural Actions of eating and drinking in our Civil imployments buying and selling in our lawful Recreations taking care that too much of our time be not consumed therein Recreation is not to be our business but to fit us for business but especially let us seek to glorifie God in our Religious Duties Publick and Private and Secret XVIII In his Impartiality in reproving Sin He feared the Faces and spared the Faults of no Offenders The Pharisees were a Proud and Haughty sort of People who dishonoured God above most when they pretended to glorifie him above any Therefore we find Christ denouncing a Bed-Roll of Woes against them in one Chapter St. Matth. 23. Wo to you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites Eight several Woes are denounced against them for so many several Sins committed by them Those to whom God has given Authority to Reprove the Sins of others ought to imitate their Pattern in his Impartiality in reproving Sin His very Enemies gave him that Character St. Matth. 22.17 Thou carest not for any Man thou regardest not the Person of Men
Voice a Voice in his Habit a Voice in his Diet and a Voice in his whole Conversation His Example Teaches us That the Ministers of the Gospel are not to affect Bravery in Apparel or Delicacy in Diet but having the necessary Comforts and needful Conveniencies of Life to be therewith content 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan Obs here The great Encouragement which John had in his Ministry from the People's Attendance upon it he was now Fishing for Souls and God brought the People very thick about the Net of the Gospel and multitudes were inclosed Learn thence That it is matter of great Rejoicing to the Ministers of Christ when they find their People forward to encourage their Ministry by a diligent Attendance 6 And were baptized of him in Jordan confessing their sins This Place the Papists bring to support their Doctrine of Auricular Confession but very groundlesly For 1. The Consession of those Converts was voluntary and not constrained 2. It was general and not of every particular Sin 3. It was publick and open not in the Ear of a Priest Note That Confession of Sin past together with a Profession of Faith in and Obedience to Christ for the time to come are necessary Requisites and Qualifications in all Persons of riper years that are admitted to Baptism John admitted these Persons to Baptism upon their Confession of Sin and Promise of Amendment 7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadduces come to his baptism he said unto them O generation of vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come 8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance 9 And think not to say within your selves We have Abraham to our father for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham Here we have the Entertainment which John gave to his unexpected Auditors the Pharisees and Sadduces which came to Hear him and to be Baptized by him He gives them first a quick and cutting Compellation Oh Generation of Vipers next a sharp and severe Reprehension Who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come It was matter of Wonder and Admiration to see such Men turn Proselytes Note thence That the Condition of proud Pharisees pretending and false-hearted Hypocrites tho' it be very dangerous yet is not hopeless and desperate and their Salvation tho' very improbable yet must not be despaired of as impossible And accordingly the Baptist having given them a smart Reproof subjoins a seasonable Exhortation Bring forth Fruits meet for Repentance as if he had said Do not satisfie your selves with a bare Profession of Repentance but let us see the Fruits of Repentance in your daily Conversation Learn thence That sincere Repentance is not a barren thing but constantly brings forth the Fruits of Holiness answerable to its Nature As the Body without the Spirit and as Faith without Works is dead so Repentance without Fruits is dead also Observe farther How he enforces his Exhortation with a necessary Caution Think not to say within your selves We have Abraham to our Father c. As if he had said Trust not to your outward Priviledges and glory not in them flatter not your selves that because you are Abraham's Seed and the only Visible Church that therefore the Judgments of God will not reach you for God can out of the obdurate Gentile World raise up a People to himself and take them into Covenant with himself and cast you all out Now from St. John's plain-dealing with these Hypocritical Pharisees we Learn That it is the Duty and ought to be the Endeavour of the Ministers of Christ to drive Hypocrites from their vain Confidence who do constantly bear up themselves upon their External Priviledges in the Enjoyment of which they promise themselves a freedom from the Judgments of God Think not to say within your selves We have c. 10 And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewen down and cast into the fire The Baptist had preacht the Doctrine of Repentance in the former Verses he backs it with a powerful Motive in this Verse drawn from the Certainty the Severity and Suddenness of that Vengeance which would come upon them if they continued impenitent Now is the Ax laid to the Root of the Trees Learn 1. That those whose Hearts are not pierced with the Sword of God's Word shall certainly be cut down and destroyed by the Ax of his Judgments Learn 2. That it is not unsuitable for Gospel-Preachers to press Repentance and Holiness of Life upon their Hearers from Arguments of Terrour John does it here and Christ elsewhere Observe farther That forasmuch as the Sin here specified is a Sin of Omission which brings this sore and severe Judgment Every Tree that bringeth not forth Good Fruit as well as that which bringeth forth Evil Fruit is hewn down and cast into the Fire we may gather That Sins of Omission are certainly Damning as well as Sins of Commission the Neglects of Duty as are dangerous and damnable as the Acts of Sin Such Trees as stand in God's Orchard and bring forth no Good Fruit are markt out as Fuel for the Devil's Fire 11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance but he that cometh after me is mightier than I whose shoes I am not worthy to bear he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire In these Words John declares the Excellency of Christ's Person and Ministry above his own As to his Person he owns that he was not worthy to carry his Shoes after him or to perform the lowest Offices of Service for him And as to his Office he declares that Christ should not Baptize as he did with Water but with the Holy Ghost and with Fire that is should plentifully pour down of the Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit upon his Proselytes which like Fire in their Operation should purifie their Hearts from Sin consuming their Lusts and Corruptions but at the same time he has a Fiery Indignation and Flaming Judgments to destroy and burn up Impenitent Sinners like combustible Stubble Where observe How Christ is represented by one and the same Metaphor of Fire in a way of Comfort to his Children and in a way of Terrour to his Enemies he is a Fire unto both He sits in his Church as a Refiner's Fire he is amongst his Enemies as a Consuming Fire a Fire for his Church to take Comfort in a Fire for his Enemies to Perish by 12 Whose fan is in his hand and he will thorowly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire In these Words the Baptist compares Christ the promised Messiah to an Husbandman the Jewish Church to a Barn-Floor the Office of the Husbandman is to Thresh Fan and
of God the Father pronouncing 1. The Nearness of Christ's Relation to himself This is my Son 2. The Endearedness of his Person This is my Beloved Son 3. The Fruit and Benefit of this near and dear Relation unto us In him I am well pleased Note 1. That there is no possibility for any Person to please God out of Christ both our Persons and our Performances find Acceptance only for His sake 2. That in and through Christ God is well-pleased with all Believers This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased c. CHAP. IV. The former part of this Chapter acquaints us with our Blessed Saviour's Combat with and Conquest over Satan and the first Verse informs us of the Time when and Place where the Combat was fought 1 THEN was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil Observe here 1. The Time when Christ entred the Lists with Satan implied in the word Then that is First Immediately after his Baptism he is no sooner out of the Water of Baptism but he is in the Fire of Temptation Secondly Immediately after the Spirit descended upon him and the Father had by a Voice from Heaven manifested his Complacency and Satisfaction in him This is my Beloved Son c. Note thence That great Manifestations of Love from God are usually followed with great Temptations from Satan Observe 2. The Place where this Combat was fought and that is in the Wilderness Learn thence That no Place can priviledge us from Temptation or be a Sanctuary from Satan's Assaults the solitary Wilderness has a Tempter in it yea Satan sometimes makes use of Mens Solitariness to farther his Temptations a Cell a Nunnery or a Cloister are as open to Satan as the open Fields and the Persons that live in them have a Tempter without and an Enticer within as well as other Men. Obs 3. The Efficient Cause of Christ's going into the Wilderness to be Tempted by Satan He was led up of the Spirit says St. Matthew The Spirit drove him says St. Mark That is the Holy Spirit of God not Satan the Unclean Spirit for the Devil is seldom if ever called The Spirit but usually some Brand of Reproach is annexed as the Evil Spirit or the Vnclean Spirit Christ was Led by the Spirit that is he was carried by a strong Impulse of the Spirit of God into the Wilderness to be Tempted by Satan Learn hence 1. That none of the Children of God ought to expect a Freedom from Temptations seeing Christ himself in the Days of his Flesh was strongly solicited by Satan unto Sin 2. That all the Temptations wherewith the Children of God are assaulted are ordered by Divine and Special Dispensation Satan could not assault our Saviour till he was Led by the Spirit into the Wilderness for that End and he shall not assault any of his Members but by Divine Permission and special Dispensation 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights he was afterward an hungred Obs here 1. How the Divine Power upheld the Human Nature of Christ without Food What Moses did at the Giving of the Law Christ doth at the Beginning of the Gospel namely Fast Forty Days and Forty Nights Christ hereby intended our Admiration not our Imitation or if our Imitation of the Action only not of the Time Christ teaches us by Fasting and Prayer to prepare our selves for a Conflict with our Spiritual Enemies as he prepared himself by Fasting to grapple with the Tempter so should we 3 And when the tempter came to him he said If thou be the Son of God command that these stones be made bread Observe here 1. The Occasion of the Temptation 2. The Temptation it self The Occasion was our Saviour's Hunger and want of Bread Learn thence That when God suffers any of his Dear Children to fall into Want and to be streightned for Outward Things Satan takes a mighty Advantage thereupon to Tempt and Assault them But what doth he Tempt our Saviour to To the Sin of Distrust to question his Sonship If thou be the Son of God And next to distrust his Father's Providence and Care Command that these Stones be made Bread Learn hence 1. That Satan's grand Design is first to tempt the Children of God to doubt of their Adoption and next to Distrust God's Fatherly Care over them and Provision for them and last of all to use Unwarrantable Means to help themselves Thus Satan dealt with Christ and thus he deals with Christians For to work a Miracle at Satan's Direction was not a Lawful Means of providing Food for himself 4 But he answered and said It is written Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Observe here The Weapon which our Saviour made use of to repell the Temptation and to vanquish the Tempter and that is the Word of God It is written Learn That the Scriptures or the Written Word of God is the only sure Weapon wherewith to vanquish Satan and to beat back all his Fiery Temptations 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city and setteth him on a pinacle of the temple That is Satan by God's permission took up his Body and carried it in the Air and set it upon one of the Battlements of the Temple Learn hence 1. What a mighty Power Evil Spirits have over our Bodies if God permits them to execute and exercise their Power upon them 2. That it is owing to the gracious Care and watchful Providence of God over us that we are not hurried away bodily by Satan Thanks be to God tho' the Devil's Malice be infinite yet his Power is limited and bounded as he cannot do all the Mischief he would to the Bodies and Souls of Men so he shall not do all he can 6 And saith unto him If thou be the Son of God cast thy self down for it is written He shall give his angels charge concerning thee and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone Here we have Observable First the Sin which Satan tempts Christ unto and next the Argument which he tempts him from The Sin tempted to is the Sin of Self-Murther Cast thy self down Whence we Learn That Self-Murther is a Sin which Christ himself was and the best of Saints may by Satan be tempted to the Commission of But forasmuch as Satan tempted Christ to murther himself but had not power to do it himself do thou cast thy self down We Learn That tho' Satan may tempt yet he cannot compel he may entice but cannot enforce any to Sin against their own Consent Obs 2. The Argument which Satan uses it is a Scripture-Argument he quotes the Promise of God He shall give his Angels charge over thee What a Marvel is here to find Satan with a Bible under his Arm and a Text of Scripture in his Mouth Christ
saith unto them Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Then he arose and rebuked the winds and the sea and there was a great calm 27 But the men marvelled saying What manner of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him Observe here 1. Christ and his Disciples no sooner put forth to Sea but Dangers attend and Difficulties do accompany them a Tempest arose and the Ship was covered with Waves Learn thence That the Presence of Christ it self doth not exempt his Disciples and Followers from Trouble and Danger here is a great Tempest about the Disciples Ears tho' Christ was in their Company Obs 2. The Posture our Saviour was in when this Tempest arose he being weary on the Land was fallen asleep in the Ship Our Blessed Redeemer hereby shewed himself to be truly and really Man as he took upon him our Human Nature so he subjected himself to our Human Infirmities Obs 3. The Disciples Application made to him they awoke him with a sad Out-Cry Lord save us we perish here was Faith mixed with Human Frailty They had Faith in his Power that he could save them but being asleep they concluded he must awake before he could save them Whereas tho' his Human Nature was asleep yet his Divine Nature neither slumbred nor slept Learn hence That the Prevalency of Fear in a time of great and imminent Danger tho' it may argue weakness of Faith yet it is no Evidence of want of Faith In the midst of the Disciples Fears they believed Christ's Power Obs 4. A double Rebuke given by our Saviour 1. To the Winds and Seas next to the Fears of his Disciples He rebukes the Winds and the Seas and instantly they are calm when the Sea was as furious as a Mad-man Christ by his Divine Power calms it Learn hence That the most raging Winds and outrageous Seas cannot stand before the Rebukes of Christ if once he Rebukes them their Rage is down GOD lays a Law upon the most Lawless Creatures even when they seem to act most lawlesly 2. Christ rebukes his Disciples Fears Why are ye fearful No sooner was the Storm up but their Fears were up they forgat that the Lord High-Admiral of the Ocean was on-board the Ship and were as much over-sett with their Boisterous Passions as the Vessel was with the Tempestuous Winds and accordingly Christ rebukes the Tempest within and then the Tempest without first he calms their Hearts and then the Seas From this Instance we see that great Faith in the Habit may appear little in Act and Exercise The Disciples Faith in forsaking all and following Christ was great Faith but in this present Act their Faith was weak through the Prevalency of their Fear 28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes there met him two possessed with devils coming out of the tombs exceeding fierce so that no man might pass by that way We read of few if any in the Old Testament that were possest with Evil Spirits but of many in the New Testament Our Saviour came into the World to destroy the Works of the Devil therefore he suffered Satan to enter some Human Bodies to shew his Divine Power in casting them out Note here 1. That the Evil Angels by their Fall lost their Purity but not their Power 2. That they do no oftner exert their Power in doing Mischief to the Bodies and Lives of Men is from the Restraining-Power of GOD the Devils cannot do all the Mischief they would and they shall not do all they can 29 And behold they cried out saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God art thou come hither to torment us before the time Observe The Devils knew Christ to be the Son of GOD and that he came into the World to be a Saviour but not their Saviour therefore they cry out What have we to do with Thee Or Thou with us Oh what an uncomfortable Faith is this to believe that Christ is a Saviour and at the same time to know that he is none of our Saviour But what is their Out-cry against Christ This Art thou come to torment us before the time Learn 1. That there are Tortures appointed to the Spiritual Natures of Evil Angels The Fire of Hell is conceived to be partly Material and partly Spiritual partly Material to work upon the Bodies of Evil Men and partly Spiritual to work upon the Souls of Men and the Spirits of Evil Angels Learn 2. That tho' the Devils be now as full of Discontent as they can be yet they are not so full of Torment as they shall be their Speech here intimates that there will be a time when their Torments shall be increased when they shall have their fill of Torment Therefore they pray Increase not our Torments before the appointed Time of their Encrease 30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding 31 So the devils besought him saying If thou cast us out suffer us to go away into the herd of swine Observe here 1. A notable Evidence of Satan's Limited Power that a whole Legion of Devils had not Power to destroy one Man nor were able to hurt the meanest Creature without Permission Obs 2. The Devils Acknowledgment of their own Impotency and Christ's Power their Asking Leave of Christ to go into the Swine shews that they could not go of themselves Learn hence 1. The Restlesness of Satan's Malice he will hurt the Swine rather than not hurt at all 2. That tho' Satan's Malice be infinite yet his Power is limited and bounded as he cannot do all the Mischief he would so he shall not do all he can 32 And he said unto them Go. And when they were come out they went into the herd of swine and behold the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea and perished in the waters Altho' Christ seldom wrought any Destructive Miracle and altho' he certainly foresaw that the Swine would perish in the Waters yet that the People might see how great the Power and Malice of the Devil would be if not restrained by Christ he permitted him to enter into the Swine Christ said unto them Go and how glad was Satan of this Permission to enter the Swine in order to their Destruction Let it teach us our Duty by Prayer to commit our selves and all that we have Morning and Evening into the Hands of GOD's Care All that we have in the House and all that we have in the Field that it may be preserved from the Power and Malice of Evil Spirits 33 And they that kept them fled and went their ways into the city and told every thing and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils 34 And behold the whole city came out to meet Jesus and when they saw him they besought him thâ—t he would depart out of their coasts Obs 1. What
us from the Surcharge of it 2. A Cloud overshadows them to hinder their farther prying and looking into the Glory We must be content to behold God here through a Cloud darkly e'er long we shall see him Face to Face Obs 2. The Testimony given by God the Father out of the Cloud concerning Jesus Christ his Son This is my Beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Here Note 1. The Dignity of his Person he is a Son therefore for Nature coessential for Dignity coequal for Time coeternal with the Father and a Beloved Son because of his Likeness and Conformity to him Father's Likeness is the cause of Love and a Union of Wills causes a mutual endearing of Affections Note 2. The Excellency of his Mediation In whom I am well pleased Christ in himself was most pleasing to God the Father and in and through him he is well pleased with all Believers Christ's Mediation for us makes God appeaseable to us Note 3. The Authority of his Doctrine Hear him Not Moses and Elias who were Servants but Christ my Son whom I have commissioned to be the great Prophet and Teacher of my Church Therefore adore him as my Son believe in him as your Saviour and hear him as your Lawgiver He honours Christ most that obeys him best The obedient Ear honours Christ more than either the gazing Eye the adoring Knee or the applauding Tongue This is my beloved Son hear him 6 And when the disciples heard it they fell on their face and were sore afraid 7 And Jesus came and touched them and said Arise and be not afraid 8 And when they had lift up their eyes they saw no man save Jesus only 9 And as they came down from the mountain Jesus charged them saying Tell the vision to no man until the Son of man be risen again from the dead Observe here 1. The Effect which this Voice from Heaven had upon the Apostles it cast them into a Passion of Horror and Amazement They were sore afraid and fell on their Face Learn thence That such is the Majesty and Glory of God that Man in his sinful State cannot bear so much as a Glimpse of it without great Consternation and Fear How unable is Man to hear the Voice of God And yet how ready to despise the Voice of Man If God speaks by himself his Voice is too terrible if he speaks by his Ministers ir is too contemptible Obs 2. The Person by whom the Disciples were recovered out of these amazing Fears into which they were cast namely by Christ Jesus came and said be not afraid Learn That it is Christ alone who can raise and comfort those whom the Terrors of the Almighty have dejected and cast down Obs 3. The manner how Christ recovered them out of this passionate Amazement it was threefold 1. By his Gracious Approach he came unto them Christ will come with Comfort unto his Children when they are disabled from coming to him for Comfort 2. By his comfortable Touch He came and touched them Christ comforts Believers by a real and close Application of himself unto them An unapplied Christ saves none comforts none 3. By his comforting Voice He said be not afraid 'T is a Word of Assurance that there is no Ground nor Cause of Fear and 't is a Word of Assistance 'T is Verbum Operatorium he that said unto them Arise be not afraid did by his Spirit breath Life and conveigh Strength into their Souls to enable them to arise Obs 4. The strict Injunction given by Christ to his Disciples not to publish or proclaim this Vision till after his Resurrection for two Reasons 1. Lest it should hinder his Passion For had the Rulers of the World known him to be the Lord of Life and Glory they would not have crucified him Therefore Christ purposely concealed his Deity to give way to his Passion 2. Christ being now in a State of Humiliation would have his Majesty veiled his Glory concealed and consequently forbids that the Glorious Vision of his Transfiguration should be published and accordingly charges his Disciples That they tell the Vision to no Man till he was risen 10 And his disciples asked him saying Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come 11 And Jesus answered and said unto them Elias truly shall first come and restore all things 12 But I say unto you that Elias is come already and they knew him not but have done unto him whatsoever they listed likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them 13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist Here we have the Disciples Question and our Saviour's Answer They ask our Saviour how the Observation of the Jewish Doctors holds good that Elias must come before the Messias come We see the Messias but we see no Elias our Saviour answers that Elias was come already Not Elijah in Person but one in the Spirit and Power of Elias One of his Spirit and Temper to wit John the Baptist who was prophesied of under the Name of Elias And indeed great was the Resemblance between the Elias of the Old Testament and of the New viz. John the Baptist They were both born in bad Times they were both Zealous for God and Religion they were both undaunted Reprovers of the Faults of Princes and they were both hated and implacably persecuted for the same Learn That Hatred and Persecution even unto Death has often been the Lot and Portion of such as have had the Courage and Zeal to improve the Faults of Princes Elias is come and they did unto him whatsoever they would 14 And when they were come to the multitude there came to him a certain man kneeling down to him and saying 15 Lord have mercy on my son for he is lunatick and sore vexed for oft times he falleth into the fire and oft into the water 16 And I brought him to thy disciples and they could not cure him Observe here 1. A sick Patient brought to Christ the great Physician for Cure and Healing A Lunatick that is a Person at certain times of the Moon afflicted with the Falling Sickness 2. This Sickness of his was aggravated by Satan who bodily possess'd him and cruelly cast him into the Fire and into the Water but rather for Torture than Dispatch Oh how does Satan that malicious Tyrant rejoice in doing Hurt to Mankind Lord abate his Power since his Malice will not be abated Obs 3. The Person that brought him forth for Cure his compassionate Father who kneeled down and cried out Need will make a Person both humble and eloquent Every one has a Tongue to speak for himself happy is he that keeps a Tongue for others 4. The Physicians that he was brought unto First To the Disciples and when they could not cure him then to Jesus We never apply our selves importunately to the God of Power till we totally despair of the Creatures help 17 Then Jesus answered
as well as Sins of Commission Consider it 2. In its specifical Nature 't is a Sin of Unmercifulness or Want of Love to Christ and his Members Learn thence That one reigning Sin one prevailing Corruption is enough to damn a Person because it deprives a Man of the Grace of the Gospel and excludes him from all the Benefit of the Promises Note Lastly If such as do not give to Christ in his Members shall be miserable at the great Day what will the Condition of them be that take from them who strip and starve them who persecute and hate them Who imprison or banish them If the Uncharitable shall scarcely be saved yea shall certainly be damned where shall the Unmerciful and Cruel appear 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal Observe here 1. That tho' the Righteous are first judged yet the Sentence is first executed on the Wicked These shall go into everlasting Punishment Obs 2. That Men's States and Conditions in another World will be different as their Ways and Doings have been in this World 3. That everlasting Life shall be the Portion of the Godly and everlasting Punishment the Portion of the Wicked God grant that the Horrors of eternal Darkness and the dismal Thoughts of a miserable Eternity may effectually discourage every one of us from a wicked and impenitent Course of Life for who can dwell with the devouring Fire Who can dwell with everlasting Burnings CHAP. XXVI 1 AND it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings he said unto his disciples 2 Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passeover and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified 3 Then assembled together the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people unto the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas 4 And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty and kill him 5 But they said Not on the feast day lest there be an uproar among the people Several things are here Observeable as 1. The Persons conspiring against our blessed Redeemer's Life namely the chief Priests Scribes and Elders that is the whole Sanhedrim or general Council These lay their malicious Heads together to contrive the Destruction of the innocent Jesus Learn thence That general Councils have erred and may err Here was a general Council consisting of Priests Doctors and Elders with the High Priest their President yet erring in a Point of Doctrine concerning the Messiah not believing Jesus to be the Son of God notwithstanding all the convincing Miracles which he had wrought before them Obs 2. The manner of this Conspiracy against our Saviour's Life it was clandestine secret and subtil they consulted how they might take him by Subtilty and kill him Learn thence That Satan makes use of the Subtilty of crafty Men and abuseth their Parts as well as their Power for his own Purposes Satan never sends a Fool of his Errand Obs 3. The Time when this Conspiracy was managed at the Time of the Passover Indeed at first the chief Priests did not incline to that time fearing a Tumult and Vproar among the People but Judas presenting them with a fair Opportunity to apprehend him they changed their Purpose and accordingly at the Feast of the Passover our Saviour suffered This was not without a Mystery that Christ the true Lamb of God whom the Paschal Lamb typified and represented should be offered up at the Feast of the Passover Signifying thereby that he was the true Paschal Lamb and that the Legal Shadow ought to cease in the Exhibition of him Learn hence That not only the Death of Christ in general but all the Circumstances relating to it were fore-ordained by God himself as the Place where at Jerusalem the Time when at the Feast of the Passover that Time did God devise best for this Lamb to be a Sacrifice 6 Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper 7 There came unto him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment and poured it on his head as he sat at meat This Woman St. John says was Mary the Sister of Lazarus who to shew her Love to Christ and put Honour upon him took a precious Box of Ointment and poured it upon our Saviour's Head according to the Custom of the Eastern Countries who used so to do at their Feasts and Banquets to which David alludes Psal 23.5 Learn hence 1. That where true Love to Christ prevails in the Heart nothing is adjudged too dear for Christ This Box of Ointment murmuring Judas valued at 300 Pence which reckoning the Roman Penny at Seven Pence Halfpenny makes of our Money Nine Pounds Seven Shillings and Six Pence Love we see spares for no Cost but where the Esteem of Christ is high the Affection will be strong Note 2. That where strong Love prevails towards Jesus Christ it suffers not it self to be outshined by any Examples The weakest Woman that strongly loves Jesus Christ will piously strive with the greatest Apostle to express the Fervour of her Love unto him I do not find any of the Apostles at thus much Cost to put Honour upon Christ that this poor Woman was at Love knows no Bounds no Measures 8 But when his disciples saw it they had indignation saying To what purpose is this waste 9 For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor That is when Judas and some other Disciples whom he had influenced saw this Action they murmured particularly Judas blamed this holy Woman for needless Prodigality and did tacitly reflect upon Christ himself for suffering that wasteful Expence Oh how doth a covetous Heart think every thing too good for Christ He that sees a pious Action well done and seeks to undervalue it shews himself possess'd with a Spirit of Envy Judas his invidious Spirit makes him censure an Action which Christ highly approved Learn thence That Men who know not our Hearts may thro' Ignorance or Prejudice censure and condemn those Actions which God doth commend and will graciously reward Happy for this poor Woman that she had a more righteous Judge to pass Sentence upon her Action than wicked Judas 10 When Jesus understood it he said unto them Why trouble ye the woman for she hath wrought a good work upon me 11 For ye have the poor always with you but me ye have not always 12 For in that she hath poured this ointment on my body she did it for my burial Observe here How readily our Lord vindicates this good Woman She says nothing for her self nor need she having such an Advocate 1. Christ rebukes Judas why trouble ye the Woman Plainly intimating that it is no small Trouble to a Gracious Spirit to find their good Works misinterpreted and misrepresented next he defends the Action calling it a good Work because done out of a Principle of Love to Christ she hath
is in it self considered a very bitter and distasteful Cup which Humane Nature abhorrs and cannot but desire and pray may pass from it 2. That yet oft-times the Wisdom of God is pleased to put this bitter Cup of Affliction into the Hands of those whom he doth most sincerely love 3. That when God doth so it is their Duty to drink it with humble Submission and chearful Resignation Not my Will but thine be done Obs 4. The manner how our Lord prayed and here we shall find it 1. A solitary Prayer he went by himself alone out of the hearing of his Disciples he said to them Tarry ye here while I go and pray yonder Mark Christ did neither desire his Disciples to pray with him or to pray for him No he must tread the Wine-press alone not but that Christ loved and delighted in his Disciples Company but there were Occasions when he thought fit to leave them and to go alone to God in Prayer Thence Learn That the Company of our best Friends is not always seasonable Peter James and John were Three good Men but Christ bids them tarry while he went aside for private Prayer There are Times and Cases when a Christian would not be willing that the dearest Friend he has in the World should be with him or understand and hear what passes betwixt him and his God 2. This Prayer of Christ was an humble Prayer that 's evident by the Postures into which he cast himself sometimes Kneeling sometimes Lying prostrate upon his Face He lyes in the very Dust lower he cannot fall and his Heart was as low as his Body And such was the Fervour of his Spirit that he prayed himself into an Agony Oh let us blush to think how unlike we are to Christ in Prayer as to our praying Frame of Spirit Lord what Drowsiness and Deadness What Laziness and Dulness What Stupidity and Formality is found in our Prayers How often do our Lips move and our Hearts stand still 3. It was a repeated and reiterated Prayer He prayed the first second and third time He returns upon God over and over plies him again and again resolving to take no Denial Learn thence That Christians ought not to be discouraged tho' they have sought God again and again for a particular Mercy and no Answer of Prayer has come unto them Observe also How our Lord used the same Prayer three times over saying the same Words A Person then may pray with and by a Form of Prayer and yet not pray formally but in a very acceptable manner unto God Christ both gave a Form of Prayer to his Disciples and also used one himself Observe next The Posture in which our holy Lord found his own Disciples when he was in his Agony they were sleeping when he was praying Oh wonderful that they could sleep at such a time Hence we gather That the best of Christ's Disciples may be sometimes overtaken with Infirmities with great Infirmities when the most important Duties are performing He cometh to his Disciples and finds them sleeping Observe next The gentle Reproof he gave the Disciples for sleeping What could you not watch with me one Hour Could you not watch when your Master is in such Danger Could you not watch with me when I am going to deliver up my Life for you What not one Hour and that the parting Hour too After his Reprehension he subjoins an Exhortation Watch and pray that ye enter not into Temptation and superadds a forcible Reason For tho' the Spirit be willing yet the Flesh is weak Thence Learn That the holiest and best resolved Christians who have willing Spirits for Christ and his Service yet in regard of the Weakness of the Flesh or the Frailty of Humane Nature it is their Duty to watch and pray and thereby guard themselves against Temptations Watch and pray for tho' the Spirit is willing yet 45 Then cometh he to his disciples and saith unto them Sleep on now and take your rest behold the hour is at hand and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners 46 Rise let us be going behold he is at hand that doth betray me 47 And while he yet spake lo Judas one of the twelve came and with him a great multitude with swords and staves from the chief priests and elders of the people 48 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign saying Whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he hold him fast 49 And forthwith he came to Jesus and said Hail Master and kissed him 50 And Jesus said unto him Friend wherefore art thou come Then came they and laid hands on Jesus and took him Our Saviour having pour'd out his Soul in Prayer to God in the Garden he is now ready and waits for the coming of his Enemies being first in the Field Accordingly While he yet spake came Judas one of the Twelve and under his Conduct a Band of Soldiers to apprehend him It was the Lot and Portion of our Blessed Redeemer to be betrayed into the Hands of his mortal Enemies by the Treachery of a false and dissembling Friend Observe here The Traytor the Treason the Manner how and the Time when this treasonable Design was executed Obs 1. The Betrayer Judas all the Evangelists carefully describe him by his Name Judas by his Sirname Iscariot lest he should be mistaken for Jude the Brother of James God is tender of the Names and Reputations of his upright-hearted Servants He is also described by his Office One of the Twelve The Eminence of his Place and Station was an high Aggravation of his Transgression Nay in some respect he was preferred above the rest having a peculiar Trust reposed in him he bare the Bag That is he was Almoner and Steward of Christ's Family to take Care for the necessary Accommodations of Christ and his Apostles and yet this Man thus called thus honoured thus respectfully treated by Christ for the Lucre of a little Money perfidiously betrays him Oh whither will not a bad Heart and a busie Devil carry a Man Learn hence 1. That the greatest Professors had need be jealous of their own Hearts and look well to the Grounds and Principles of their Profession A Profession begun in Hypocrisie will certainly end in Apostacy Learn 2. That Persons are never in such eminent Danger as when they meet with Temptations exactly suited to their Master-Lusts Covetousness was Judas's Master-Sin the Love of the World made him a Slave to Satan and the Devil lays a Temptation before him which suits his Temper hits his Humour and it prevails immediately Oh pray pray that ye may be kept from a strong and suitable Temptation a Temptation suited to your predominant Lust and Inclination Obs 2. As the Betrayer Judas so the Treason it self with its aggravating Circumstances he led an armed Multitude to the Place where Christ was gave them a Signal to discover him and encouraged them to lay Hands upon him and hold him
Diet but both by their Habit and Diet set an Example of Gravity and Sobriety before their People being in these as well as in other things an Example unto their Flocks 7 And preached saying There cometh one mightier then I after me the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose Observe here 1. The high Opinion that the Baptist had of Christ he is mightier than I That is a Person of greater Dignity and Excellency by far than my self whence may be gathered that tho' Christ was Man he was not meer Man but more than Man even very God equal with the Father for John Baptist was the greatest of them that were born of Women Matth. 11.11 yet says he Christ is mightier or greater than I. How so but in regard of the Dignity of his Person being both God and Man in two distinct Natures and one Person Observe 2. The humble and low Estimation that the Baptist had of himself His Shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose A proverbial Speech implying that he was unworthy to do the basest and meanest Service for Christ Oh how well doth Humility of Mind an humble Apprehension a low Esteem and Opinion of themselves and their own Gifts and Abilities become the Messengers and Ministers of Christ John was a Man of eminent Abilities yet of Exemplary Humility he thought himself unworthy to unloose Christ's Shoe or do the meanest Office for him 8 I indeed have baptized you with water but he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost John shewed the Dignity of Christ's Person above his own in the former Verse in this he declares the Excellency of Christ's Office and the meanness of his own I wash the Body with Water but Christ cleanses the Soul by the Operation of his Holy Spirit Thence Learn That tho' the Ministers of Christ do by Christ's Command dispence the Outward Ordinance of Baptism yet it is Christ himself that by the Inward Work of his Spirit doth make it effectual to such as receive it I Baptize with Water but he with the Holy Ghost 9 And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized of John in Jordan 10 And straightway coming up out of the water he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him 11 And there came a voice from heaven saying Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased See the Note on Matth. 3.13 Observe here 1. The great Condescention of Christ in seeking and submitting to the Baptism of John Christ tho' he was John's Lord and Master yea Lord of Heaven and Earth yet cometh to hear John Preach and will be Baptized of his Messenger Thence Learn That the greatest Persons should neither think themselves too great nor too good to come unto the Ministers of God to hear the Word from his Mouth or to receive the Sacrament at his Hand Christ the Son of God was content to be Baptized of John a mean Person in Comparison of himself How dare then the greatest upon Earth despise the Ministry of Man being appointed by God Observe 2. The solemn investing of Christ into the Office of a Mediator by a threefold Miracle namely the opening of the Heavens the Descent of the Holy Ghost and God the Father's Voice or Testimony concerning his Son The Heavens were opened to shew that Heaven which was closed and shut against us for our Sins is now opened to us by Christ's undertaking for us As Christ opened Heaven by his meritorious Passion so he keeps it open by his prevailing Intercession Next The Holy Ghost descends like a Dove upon our Saviour Here we have a Proof and Evidence of the Blessed Trinity The Father speaks from Heaven the Son comes out of the Water and the Holy Ghost descends in the Likeness of a Dove But why did the Holy Ghost now descend upon Christ First For the Designation of his Person to shew that he was the Person set apart for the Work and Office of a Mediator Secondly For the Sanctification of his Person for the Performance of that Office This was Christ's Unction the Day in which he was Anointed above his Fellows to be the King Priest and Prophet of his Church Isa 61. v. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me he hath anointed me c. Observe 3. The Voice of God the Father pronouncing 1. The Nearness of Christ's Relation to himself This is my Son 2. The Endearedness of his Person This is my Beloved Son 3. The Fruit and Benefit of this near and dear Relation unto us In him I am well pleased Hence Learn 1. That there is no Possibility for any Person to please God out of Christ neither our Persons nor our Performances can find Acceptance but thro' him and for his sake 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Ground and Cause of all that Love which God the Father sheweth to the Sons of Men In Christ God is well pleased with us as a reconciled Father out of him a consuming Fire 12 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan and was with the wild beasts and the Angels ministred unto him Immediately That is 1. After his Baptism Christ is no sooner out of the Water of Baptism but he is in the Fire of Temptation Such as are Baptized with Christ and entered into the Profession of Christianity they must look to be assaulted with Satan's Temptations Again Immediately that is 2. After the Father had declared his Complacency in him and being well pleased with him Learn thence That great Manifestations of Love from God are usually followed with great Temptations from Satan The Spirit driveth him That is the Holy Spirit of God For the Devil is seldom if ever called the Spirit but usually some Brand of Reproach is annexed as the evil Spirit or the unclean Spirit and the like Christ was led by the Spirit says St. Matthew 4.1 He was driven by the Spirit says St. Mark that is He was carried by a strong Impulse of the Spirit of God to be tempted by Satan and did not go of his own private Motion to enter the Lists with Satan Teaching us our Duty not to run into or rush upon Temptations without a Warrant and Call from God Observe next the Place where Satan assaulted Christ with his Temptations it was a solitary Wilderness No Place can priviledge us from Temptations or be a Sanctuary from Satan's Assaults The solitary Wilderness has a Tempter in it yea Satan oft-times makes use of Men's Solitariness to farther his Temptations and such as separate themselves from Humane Society and give themselves up to Solitude and Retirement they give great Advantage to the Tempter to tempt them Observe next the Time and Continuance of our Holy Lord's Temptations not for an Hour a Day a Week or a Month but for Forty Days
with them Now this Person was so great a Cripple by reason of the Palsie that he was born of Four He could not go nor was capable of being led but was carried by Four in his Bed or Couch Obs 2. As the Grievousness of the Disease so the Greatness of their Faith The Man and his Friends had a firm Persuasion that Christ was cloath'd with a Divine Power and able to help him and they hoped in his Goodness that he was also willing to help him Accordingly the Roof of the Jewish Houses being flat they uncover some part of it and let the Bed down with the sick Man in it into the Room where Christ was Obs 3. No sooner did they exercise their Faith in believing but Christ exerts his Divine Power in healing And see the marvellous Efficacy of Faith it obtained not only what was desired but more than was expected They desired only the healing of the Body but Christ heals Body and Soul too Son be of good Cheer thy Sins are forgiven Thereby our Saviour shews them that Sin is the Original Cause of all Bodily Diseases and consequently that in Sickness the best way to find Ease and Deliverance from Pain is first to seek for Pardon The Sense of Pardon in some degree will take away the Sense of Pain Obs 4. The Exception which the Scribes took against our Saviour for pronouncing that this Man's Sins were forgiven him They accuse him of the Sin of Blasphemy urging that it is God's peculiar Prerogative to pardon Sin Their Doctrine was true but their Application false Nothing more true than that it is the highest degree of Blasphemy for any meer Man to arrogate to himself the incommunicable Prerogative of God which consists in an Absolute and Authoritative Power to forgive Sin But then their denying this Power to Christ of forgiving Sin which he had as God from all Eternity and as Mediator God and Man in one Person when here upon Earth this was Blasphemy in them the challenging of it none in him Obs â— Our Saviour gives these Scribes a twofold Demonstration of his Godhead 1. By letting them understand that he knew their Thoughts Jesus perceived in his Spirit that they reasoned within themselves To search the Hearts and to know the Thoughts and Reasonings of Men is not in the Power of Angels or Men but the Prerogative of God only 2dly By assuming to himself a Power to forgive Sin For our Saviour here by assuming to himself a Power of forgiving Sins in his own Name and by his own Authority doth give the World an undeniable Proof and convincing Evidence of his Godhead for who can forgive Sins but God only Obs 6. The Effect of this Miracle upon the Minds of the People They marvelled and were amazed but not believed They admire our Saviour for an extraordinary Man but did not believe him to be God Learn hence That the Sight of Christ's Miracles is not sufficient to work Faith in the Soul without the concurring Operation of the Holy Spirit The one may make us marvel the other must make us believe 13 And he went forth again by the sea-side and all the multitude resorted unto him and he taught them 14 And as he passed by he saw Levi the son of Alpheus sitting at the receit of custom and said unto him Follow me And he arose and followed him 15 And it came to pass that as Jesus sat at meat in his house many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples for there were many and they followed him 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicanes and sinners they said unto his disciples How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners 17 When Jesus heard it he saith unto them They that are whole have no need of the physician but they that are sick I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Obs here 1. The unwearied Pains and Diligence which our Saviour used in the Execution of his Ministerial Office and Calling No sooner had he done preaching in Capernaum and healing the sick of the Palsie but he goeth out thence to the Sea side to preach there Oh Blessed Saviour How perpetually wert thou employed in the Labours of thy Calling in the Service of thy Father and for the Good of Mankind Thou went'st about doing Good setting a Pattern for all thy Ministers to follow How doth the Example of thy laborious Diligence at once instruct and shame us Obs 2. The number of out Lord's Disciples not being fill'd up observe what a free and gracious unexpected and undeserved Choice he makes Levi that is Matthew for he had both Names a grinding Publican who gathered the Taxes for the Romans and was probably guilty as others were of the Sins of Covetousness Extortion and Oppression yet is he called to follow Christ as a special Disciple Learn thence That such is the Freeness of God's Grace that it calls and converts Sinners unto Christ when they think not of him nor seek unto him Little did Levi now think of a Saviour much less seek after him yet is he at this time called by him Matthew a Publican Zacheus an Extortioner Saul a Persecutor all these are brought home to God as Instances and Evidences of the mighty Power of converting Grace Obs 3. Matthew's ready Compliance with Christ's Call He arose and followed him When the inward Call of the Holy Spirit accompanieth the outward Call of the Word the Soul readily complies and presently yields Obedience to the Voice of Christ Christ oft-times speaks by his Word to our Ears and we hear not we stir not but when he speaks by his Spirit efficaciously to our Hearts Satan shall not hold us down the World shall not keep us back but we shall with Levi instantly arise and follow our Saviour Obs 4. Levi or Matthew to shew his Thankfulness to Christ makes him a great Feast Christ invited Matthew to a Discipleship Matthew invites Christ to a Dinner The Servant invites his Master a Sinner invites his Saviour We do not find that when Christ was invited to any Table that he ever refus'd to go if a Publican if a Pharisee invited him he constantly went not so much for the Pleasure of eating as for the Opportunity of conversing and doing Good Christ feasts us when we feast him Learn hence That new Converts are full of Affection towards Christ and very expressive of their Love unto him Matthew touch'd with a Sense of Christ's rich Love makes him a Royal Feast Obs 5. The Cavil and Exception which the Scribes and Pharisees made at our Lord 's free Conversation They censure him for conversing with Sinners he justifies himself telling them that he convers'd with them as their Physician not as their Companion They that are whole need no Physician says Christ but they that are Sick As if our Lord had said With whom should a Physician converse but
Nature was asleep yet his Divine Nature neither slumbered nor slept Learn hence That the Prevalency of Fear in a time of great and imminent Danger tho' it may argue Weakness of Faith yet is no Evidence of a total want of Faith in the midst of the Disciples Fears they believed Christ's Power Obs 4. A doable Rebuke given by our Saviour first to the Winds next to the Fears of his Disciples He rebukes the Winds and instantly they are calm When the Sea was as furious as a madman Christ with a single Word calms it Learn hence That the most raging Winds and outragious Seas cannot stand before the Rebukes of Christ Christ as God lays a Law upon the most lawless Creatures even when they seem to act most lawlesly Observe farther Christ rebukes his Disciples Fears Why are ye fearful No sooner was the Storm up but their Fears were up they forgot that the Lord high Admiral of the Ocean was on board the Ship and were as much overset with their boisterous Passions as the Vessel was with tempestuous Winds and accordingly Christ rebukes the Tempest within before the Storm without First he calms their Hearts then he quiets the Seas From this Instance of the Disciples we may gather that great Faith in the Habit may appear little in Act and exercise the Disciples Faith in forsaking all and following Christ was great Faith but in this present Act their Faith was weak thro' the Prevalency of their Fears Oh the imperfect Composition of the best of Saints Faith and Fear will take their turns and act their part whilst we are upon the Stage of this World e're long our Fears will be vanquished and our Faith swallowed up in Vision Lord set our Souls a longing for that joyful Hour CHAP. V. 1 ANd they came over unto the other side of the sea into the country of the Gadarenes 2 And when he was come out of the ship immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit 3 Who had his dwelling among the tombs and no man could bind him no not with chains 4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains and the chains had been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broken in pieces neither could any man tame him 5 And always night and day he was in the mountains and in the tombs crying and cutting himself with stones 6 But when he saw Jesus afar off he ran and worshipped him 7 And cried with a loud voice and said What have I to do with thee Jesus thou Son of the most high God I adjure thee by God that thou torment me not 8 For he said unto him Come out of the man thou unclean spirit 9 And he asked him What is thy name and he answered saying My name is Legion for we are many 10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country 11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding 12 And all the devils besought him saying Send us into the swine that we may enter into them 13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea they were about two thousand and were choked in the sea 14 And they that fed the swine fled and told it in the city and in the country And they went out to see what it was that was done 15 And they come to Jesus and see him that was possessed with the devil and had the legion sitting and clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid 16 And they that saw it told them how it befel to him that was possessed with the devil and also concerning the swine 17 And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts 18 And when he was come into the ship he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him 19 Howbeit Jesus suffered him not but saith unto him Go home to thy friends and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee and hath had compassion on thee 20 And he departed and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him and all men did marvel This piece of History gives us a very sad Relation of a Person that was possessed with a Legion of Devils we read of few if any in the Old Testament that were thus possess'd but of many in the New Testament Our Saviour came into the World to destroy the Works of the Devil therefore he suffered Satan to enter some humane Bodies to shew his Divine Power in casting him out Note here 1. That the evil Angels by their Fall lost their Purity but not their Power for with God's Permission they have Power not only to enter into Men's Bodies and to possess them but also to distemper their Minds and drive them to Frenzy and Madness causing them to offer Violence to their own Lives and to do Hurt and Mischief to their own Bodies Thus did this possessed Person here wounding and cutting himself with Stones Note 2. That the Reason why the evil Angels do no oftner exert their Power in doing Mischief to the Bodies and Lives of Men is from the restraining Power of God The Devils cannot do all the Mischief they would and they shall not do all they can Note 3. The Place where these evil Spirits delighted to make their Abode amongst the Tombs or Graves places desolate forlorn and solitary which are apt to breed Horror of Mind and give Advantage to Temptations Learn thence That it is dangerous and very unsafe for Persons especially in whom Melancholly prevails to give themselves to Solitariness to frequent desolate and forlorn Places and to affect the being much alone it giving Advantage to Satan to set upon them with powerful Temptations It is better to frequent Humane Society and especially to delight in the Society and Communion of the Saints by means whereof we may be more and more strengthned and fortified against Satan's Temptations Note 4. That the Devils own Christ to be the Son of God and that he came into the World to be a Saviour but not a Saviour to them therefore they cry our What have we to do with thee Or thou with us Oh! what an uncomfortable Confession and Acknowledgment is this to own Christ to be a Saviour and at the same time to know that he is none of our Saviour Note 5. That tho' the Devils do own Christ to be the Son of God and do pay Homage and Worship and yeild Service and Subjection to him as his Slaves and Vassals yet it is not a free and voluntary Service but extorted father and forced from them by the Power of Christ He worshipped and cried out saying What have I to do with thee Note 6. What a Multitude of evil Spirits did enter into one Man Oh
could not 19 He answered him and saith O faithless generation how long shall I be with you how long shall I suffer you bring him unto me 20 And they brought him unto him and when he saw him straightway the spirit tare him and he fell on the ground and wallowed foming 21 And he asked his Father How long is it ago since that came unto him And he said of a child 22 And oft-times it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him but if thou canst do any thing have compassion on us and help us 23 Jesus saith unto him if thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth 24 And straightway the Father of the child cried out with tears and said Lord I believe help thou my unbelief 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together he rebuked the foul Spirit saying unto him Thou dumb and deaf spirit I charge thee come out of him and enter no more into him 26 And the Spirit cried and rent him sore and came out of him and he was as one dead insomuch that many said He is dead 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up and he arose 28 And when he was come into the house his Disciples asked him privately Why could not we cast him out 29 And he said unto them This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting Observe here 1. The person brought to Christ for help and healing one Bodily possest by Satan who had made him deaf and dumb from his childhood and oft-times cast him into the Fire and Water but rather to torment then to dispatch him Oh how does Satan that malicious Tyrant rejoyce in doing hurt to their Bodies as well as the soul of Mankind Lord abate his power since his malice will not be abated How great is thy goodness in preserving us from the power and malice of evil Spirits and how watchful is thy Providence over us to preserve us when Satan is seeking by all imaginable means and methods to destroy us Observe 2. The Person that represents his sad condition to our Saviour his compassionate Father who kneeled down and cried out need will make a person both humble and eloquent Every one has a Tongue to speak for himself happy he that keeps a Tongue for others Observe 3. The circumstance of time Satan had got possession of this person very young in his youth nay in his childhood and oh how hard was it to cast him out after so long possession the Disciples could not do it with all their power and prayers and when our Saviour himself by the power of his Godhead did dispossess him it was with foming and renting that he left him Thus when Satan gets possession of Persons hearts in their youth oh how hard will it be to cast him out it will put the Soul to great grief great pain great sorrow of heart Satan will endeavour to hold his own and keep the sinner his slave and vassal if all the power of Hell can keep him Lord convince young persons that it is easier to keep Satan out then it is to cast him out of the possession of their hearts Observe 4. The Physicians which this distressed Person is brought unto First to the Disciples and then to Jesus We never apply our selves importunately to the God of Power till we dispair of the Creatures help But why could not the Disciples cast him out Christ tells them because of their unbelief that is because of the weakness of their Faith not the total want of Faith Whence learn that secret unbelief may lie hid and undiscerned in the heart which neither others nor our selves may take notice of until some tryal doth discover it Observe 5. The poor man's humble Request and Christ's gracious reply If thou canst do any thing help me says the Father if thou canst believe all things are possible says our Saviour Note thence that the fault is not in Christ but in our selves if we receive not that mercy from him which we desire and need there is no deficiency in Christ's power the defect lies in our Faith Hereupon the man cries out with Tears Lord I believe help thou my unbelief if these were tears of Joy for the truth of his Faith then we gather that the lowest degree and least measure of Faith is matter of Joy unspeakable to the owner and possessor of it If these were Tears of Sorrow for the weakness of his Faith then we may collect that the Remains of Unbelief in the children of God do cost them many tears they are the burthen and sorrow of gracious Souls The Father of the child cried out with Tears Lord I believe help my unbelief Observe 6. With what facility and ease our Saviour cast out this stubborn Devil that had so long possest this poor child even with a word speaking how long soever Satan has kept possession of a Soul Christ can eject and cast them out both easily and speedily one word of Christ's mouth is sufficient to help us out of all distress both bodily and Spiritual Yet did our Lord suffer the evil Spirit to rage and rend the child before he went out of him not from any delight in the poor childs misery but that the Multitude seeing the Desperateness of the Case might the more admire the power of Christ in his Deliverance Observe 7. The Sovereign Power and absolute Authority which Christ had even here on Earth when in his State of Humiliation over the Devil and his Angels he commands him to go out and enter no more into the child and is obeyed This was a proof and demonstration of the Godhead of our Saviour that he had power and Authority over Devils to command and over-rule them to curb and restrain them at his Pleasure And whereas Christ commands the Devil not only to come out but to enter no more into the Person it implies that Satan being cast out of his hole earnestly desires to enter in again to recover his hold and to regain his possession but if Christ says enter no more Satan shall obey his voyce Observe 8. The Disciples enquiry into the Reasons why they could not cast this stubborn Devil out According to the power which he had given them to work Miracles Christ tells them it was 1. Because of their unbelief by which understand the weakness of their faith not their total want of Faith 2. Because they did not in this extraordinary case apply themselves to the use of extraordinary means Namely prayer and fasting Learn hence 1. That in extraordinary cases where the Necessities either of Soul or Body do require it Recourse must be had to the use of extraordinary means one of which is an importunate Application unto God by solemn Prayer Secondly that fasting and prayer are two special means of Christ's own Appointment for the enabling of his people Victoriously to overcome Satan and cast
Herodians The Pharisees were against paying Tribute to Cesar looking upon themselves as a free People and the Emperor as an Usurper but the Herodians were for it Herod being made by the Roâ—an Emperor King over the Jews he was very zealous for having the Jews pay Tribute to Cesar and such of the Jews as sided with him particularly his Courtiers and Favourites were called Herodians Note 2. The Policy and wicked craft here used in imploying these two contrary Parties to put this question to our Saviour concerning Tribute thereby laying him under a Necessity as they hoped to offend one side let them answer how he would if to please the Pharisees he denied paying Tribute to Cesar then he is accused of Sedition if to gratify the Herodians he voted for paying Tribute to Cesar then he is lookt upon as an Enemy to the liberty of his Country and exposed to a popular Odium Thus has it all along been the practise of Satan and his Instruments to draw the Ministers of God into dislike either with the Magistrates or with the People that they may fall under the Censure of the one or the Displeasure of the other Obs 3 With what wisdom and caution our Lord answers them he calls for the Roman Penny answering to seven pence half penny of our Money two of which they paid by way of Tribute as Poll-money for every head to the Emperour Christ asks them whose Image or Superscription this their Coyn bore They answer Cesars Render then says he to Cesar the things that are Cesars as if our Lord had said your admitâ—ing of the Râ—man Coyn amongst you is an Evidence that you are under Subjection to the Roman Emperour because the Coâ—ning and imposing of Money is an Act of Soveraign Authority therefore you having owned Cesar's Authority over you by accepting of his Coyn amongst you Give unto him his just dues and render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars Learn hence 1. That our Saviour was no Enemy to Magistracy and Civil Government there was no truer Pay-master of the King 's dues than he that was King of Kings he preach'd it and he practised it Matth. 17.27 2. Where a Kingdom is in Subjection to a Temporal Prince whither his Right be by Discent Election or by Conquest the Subjects ought from a principle of Conscience to pay Tribute to him 3. That as Christ is no Enemy to the Civil Rights of Princes and his Religion exempts none from paying their Civil dues so Princes should be as careful not to rob him of his Divine Honour as he is not to wrong them of their Civil Rights as Christ Requires all his Followers to render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars so should Princes oblige all their Subjects to Render unto God the things that are Gods 18 Then come unto him the Sadduces which say there is no Resurrection and they asked him saying 19 Masters Moses wrote unto us if a man's brother die and leave his wife behind him and leave no Children that his brother should take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother 20 Now there were seven brethren and the first took a wife and dying left no seed 21 And the second took her and died neither left he any seed and the third likewise 22 And the seven had her and left no seed last of all the woman died also 23 In the Resurrection therefore when they shall rise whose wife shall she be of them for the seven had her to wife 24 And Jesus answering said unto them do ye not therefore err because ye know not the Scriptures neither the power of God 25 For when they shall rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are as the Angels which are in Heaven 26 And as touching the dead that they rise have ye not read in the Book of Moses how in the bush God spake unto him saying I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and of Jacob 27 He is not the God of the dead but of the living ye therefore do greatly err Our Blessed Saviour having put the Pharisees and Herodians to silence in the former verses here he encounters the Sadduces This Sect derived its name from one Sadock who denied the Immortality of the Soul the Resurrection of the Body and Angels and Spirits Here they propound a case to our Saviour of a Woman who had seven Brethren successively to her Husbands they demand whose wise of the seven this Woman shall be at the Resurrection as if they had said if there be a Resurrection of Bodies surely there will be of Relations too and the other World if there be such a place will be like this in which Men will marry as they do here and if so whose Wife of the seven shall this Woman be they all having an equal claim to her Now our Saviour for resolving of this question first shews the different state of Men in this and in the other World The Children of this World says our Saviour marry and are given in Marriage but in the Resurrection they do neither As if Christ had said after Men have lived a while in this World they die and therefore Marriage is necessary to maintain a succession of Mankind But in the other World men shall become immortal and live for ever and then the reason of Marriage will wholly cease for when Men can die no more there will be no need of any new supplies of Mankind Observe Secondly That our Saviour having got clear of the Sâ—duces Objection by taking away the foundation and ground of it he produceth an Arâ—ument for the proof of the Souls Immortality and the Bodies Resurrection Those to whom Almighty God pronounces himself a God are certainly a live but God pronounced himself a God to Abraham Isaac and Jacob many hundred years after their Bodies were dead therefore their Souls are yet alive for otherwise God could not be their God because he is not the God of the Dead but of the Livâ—ng From the whole Note 1. That there is no Opinion so monstrous and absurd that having had a Mother will die for lack of a Nurse The beastly Opinion of the mortality of the Soul and the Annihilation of the Body finds Saduces to profess and propagate it Nâ—te 2. The certainty of another life after this in which Men shall be eternally happy or intollerably miserable according as they behave themselves here Though some Men live like Beasts yet they shall not die like them nor shall their last end be like theirs Note 3. That glorified Saints in the morning of the Resurrection shall be like the glorious Angels not like them in Essence and Nature but like them in their Properties and Qualities in Holiness and Purity in Immortality and Incorruptibility as also in their manner of living they shall stand in no more need of Meat and Drink then the Angels do but shall live the same heâ—venly immortal and
he cast himself sometimes Kneeling sometimes lying prostrate upon his Face he lies in the very Dust and lower he cannot lye and his Heart was as low as his Body 3. It was a vehement fervent and most importunate Prayer such was the fervour of our Lord's Spirit that he Prayed himself into an Agony Oh let us blush to think how unlike we are to Christ in Prayer as to our praying-frame of Spirit Lord what deadness and drowsiness what stupidity and formality what dulness and Laziness is found in our Prayers How often do our Lips move when our Hearts stand still 4. It was a Re-iterated and Repeated Prayer he Prayed the first second and third time for the passing of the Cup from him he returns upon God over and over again resolving to take no Denyal Let us not be Discouraged though we have sought God often for a particular Mercy and yet no Answer has been given in unto us Our Prayers may be answered though their Answer for the present is suspended A Prayer put up in Faith according to the Will of God though it may be delayed it shall not be lost Our Saviour Prayed the first second and third Time for the passing of the Cup and altho' he was not heard as to Exemption from Suffering yet he was heard as to Support under Suffering Observe 5. The Posture the Disciples were found in when our Lord was in this Agony Praying to his Father They were fast asleep Good God! Could they possibly sleep at such a time as that was when Christ's Soul was exceeding Sorrowful Could their Eyes be thus heavy Learn thence That the best of Christ's Disciples may be and oft-times are over-taken with Infirmities with great Infirmities when the most important Duties are performing He cometh to his Disciples and finds them sleeping Observe 6. The mild and gentle Reproof which he gives the Disciples for their sleeping Could ye not watch with me one hour Could you not Watch when your Master is in such Danger Could you not Watch with me when I am going to deliver up my Life for you What not one Hour and that the parting Hour too After his Reprehension he Subjoyns an Exhortation Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation and super-adds a forcible Reason for though the Spirit be willing yet the flesh is weak Thence Learn That the Holiest and best Resolved Christians who have willing Spirits for Christ and his Service yet in regard of the Weakness of the Flesh or frailty of Humane Nature it is their Duty to Watch and Pray and thereby guard themselves against Temptation Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation for though the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak 43 And immediately while he yet spake cometh Judas one of the Twelve and with him a great Multitude with Swords and Staves from the Chief Priests and Scribes and Elders 44 And he that Betrayed him had given him a Token saying whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he Take him and lead him away safely 45 And as soon as he was come he goeth straightway to him and saith Master Master and kissed him 46 And they laid their hands on him and took him 47 And one of them that stood by dreâ— a Sword and smote a Servant of the High-priests and cut off his Ear. 48 And Jesus answered and said unto them Are ye come out as against a Thief with Swords and with Staves to take me 49 I was daily with you in the Temple Teaching and ye took me not but the Scriptures must be Fulfilled 50 And they all forsook him and fled The Hour is now almost come even that Hour of Sorrow which Christ had so often spoken of yet a little while and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of Sinners for while he yet spake cometh Judas with a Band of Soldiers to apprehend him it was the Lot and Portion of our Dear Redeemer to be Betrayed into the hands of his Mortal Enemies by the Treachery of a false and dissembling Friend Here we have Observable 1. The Traitor 2. The Treason 3. The Manner how 4. The Time when this Treasonable Design was Executed Observe 1. The Traitor Judas All the Evangelists carefully describe him by his Name Judas by his sir-name Judas Iscariot lest he should be mistaken for Jude the Brother of James Almighty God takes great care to preserve the Names of his upright-hearted Servants he is further described by his Office One of the Twelve The Eminency of his Place and Station was an high aggravation of his Transgression Learn hence That the greatest Professors had need be very jealous of themselves and suspicious of their own Hearts and look well to the Grounds and Principles of their Profession for a Profession begun in Hypocrisy will certainly end in Apostacy Learn farther That Persons are never in such eminent Danger as when they meet with Temptations exactly suited to their Master Lusts Covetousness was Judas his Master-sin the Love of the World made him a Slave to Satan and the Devil lays a Temptation before him exactly suited to his Temper and Inclination and it instantly over-comes him Oh pray we that we may be kept from a strong and suitable Temptation a Temptation suited to our inclination and predominant Lust and Corruption Observe 2. The Treason of this Traitor Judas he led on an Armed Multitude to the place where Christ was gave them a Signal to discover him by and bids them lay Hands upon him and hold him fast This Treason of Judas is attended with these Hellish Aggravations He had been a Witness to the Miracles which our Saviour had wrought by his Divine Power and therefore could not sin out of Ignorance What he did was not at the sollicitation and perswasion of others but he was a Voluntier in this Service the High-priests did not send to him but he went to them offering his Assistance No doubt it was matter of Surprize to the Chief Priests to find one of Christ's own Disciples at the head of a Conspiracy against him Lord How dangerous is it to allow our selves in any one secret or open Sin None can say how far that one Sin may in time lead us Should any have told Judas that his Love of Money would at last make him sell his Saviour he would have said with Hasael is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this thing That Soul can never be safe that Harbours one sin within its Breast Observe 3. The manner how this Hellish Plot was Executed partly by Force and partly by Fraud by Force in that Judas came with a Multitude Armed with Swords and Staves and by Fraud giving a kiss and saying Hail Master Here was Honey in the Lips but Poyson in the Heart Observe 4. The Time when the Place where and the Work which our Saviour was about when this Treasonable Design was Executed he was in the Garden with his Disciples exhorting them to Prayer
Submission and intire Resignation to the Divine pleasure to be disposed of by God as he thought fit Behold the Handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word We hear of no more Objections or Interrogations but an humble and submissive Silence Learn hence that a Gracious Heart when once it understands the pleasure of God argues no farther but quietly Rests in a Believing Expectation of what God will do All disputations with God after his Will is made known and understood arise from Infidelity and Unbelief The Virgin having thus Consented instantly Conceived by the Over-shadowing Power of the Holy Ghost 39 And Mary arose in those days and went into the Hill-country with haste into a City of Judah 40 And entred into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth 41 And it came to pass that when Elizabeth heard the Salutation of Mary the babe leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost 42 And she spake out with aloud voice and said Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb 43 And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me 44 For lo as soon as the voice of thy Salutation sounded in mine ears the babe leaped in my womb for joy 45 And blessed is she that believed for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. Observe here 1. The Visit made by the Virgin Mary to her Cousin Elizabeth The Holy Virgin had understood by the Angel that Elizabeth was no less akin to her in Condition than in Relation being both Fruitful in Conception she hastens into the Hill-country to Visit that Holy Matron The Two Wonders of the World were now met under one Roof to Congratulate their mutual Happiness only the meeting of the Saints in Heaven can parallel the meeting of these two Saints on Earth Obs 2. The design and intention of this Visit which was partly to Communicate their Joys each to other and partly to strengthen the Faith of each other Such a Soul as has Christ Spiritually Conceived in it is restless and cannot be quiet till it has imparted its joy Obs 3. The effect of the Virgins Salutation She had no sooner Saluted Elizabeth but the babe in Elizabeths womb leaped for joy doing homage and paying adoration to his Lord who was then in presence If Elizabeth and her holy Babe thus rejoyced when Christ came under their Roof how should our Hearts leap within us when the Son of God vouchsafes to come into the Secret of our Souls not to visit us for an hour but to dwell with us yea to dwell in us and that for ever Obs 4. How Elizabeth by an extraordinary Spirit of Prophecy confirms what the Angel before had told the Holy Virgin Blessed says she art thou among Women and Blessed is the Fruit of thy Womb and what an honour is this that the Mother of my Lord should come to me Where Note How Elizabeth acknowledgeth the Incarnation of Christ and the Union of the Divine and Humane Nature in the person of the Mediator She acknowledges Christ her Lord and Mary to be the Mother of the Son of God Obs Lastly How the Virgin is pronounced Blessed not so much for carrying Christ in her Womb by sense as for bearing him in her Heart by Faith Blessed is she that believed Mary was not so Blessed in bringing forth Christ as in Believing in him yet the Believing here mentioned I take to be her firm assent to the Message which was brought her by the Angel as if Elizabeth had said Dumbness was inflicted on my Husband for his Unbelief of what the Angel said but Blessed art thou that didst believe the Angel My Husband a Man an aged Man a learned and eminent Man a Priest of the most High God and the Message to him of more appearing possibility yet he disbelieved But thou a Woman a mean unlearned Woman of a private Condition and the Message brought most incredible both to Nature and Reason and yet is it believed by thee Blessed therefore is she that believed and know that as a Reward for thy Faith all things shall certainly be performed that were foretold thee from the Lord Learn hence 1. It is the Property of God to do Great and Wonderful things Our Faith must be Great and our Expectation great great Expectations from God Honour the greatness of God 3. If our Faith be Great God's performances will be gracious and full Blessed is she that believed for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord. 46 And Mary said My soul doth magnify the Lord. 47 And my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour 48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his hand-maiden for behold from hence-forth all Generations shall call me Blessed 49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things and holy is his name 50 And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations 51 He hath shewed strength with his arm he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts 52 He hath put down the mighty from their Seats and exalted them of low degree 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away 54 He hath holpen his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy 55 As he spake to our Fore-fathers to Abraham and to his seed for ever This is the first Canticle or Song of praise Recorded in the New Testament composed by the Blessed Virgin with unspeakable Joy for designing her to be the Instrument of the Conception and Birth of the Saviour of the World Where Observe 1. The manner of her Praise her Soul and Spirit bear their part in the work of Thanksgiving My Soul doth magnify my Spirit hath rejoyced As the sweetest Musick is made in the Belly of the Instrument so the most delightful praise arises from the bottom of the Heart Obs 2. The object of her praise she doth not magnify her self but the Lord yea she doth not Rejoice so much in her Son as in her Saviour Where Note 1. That she doth implicitly own and confess her self a Sinner for none need a Saviour but a Sinner And 2. by rejoycing in Christ as her Saviour she declares how she valued her self rather by her spiritual Relation to Christ as his Member than by her natural Relation to him as his Mother according to that of St. Austin Beatior Fuit Maria percipiendo Christi fidem quam concipiendo Carnem She might have been miserable notwithstanding she bore him as her Son had she not Believed in him as her Saviour therefore she sings my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour Obs 3. How she admires and magnifies God's peculiar favour towards her self in casting an eye upon her Poverty and lowly Condition that she a poor obscure Maid unknown to the World should be lookt upon
Gentiles Christ is a light to the one and the glory of the other a light to the blind and dark Gentiles and the Glory of the Renowned Church of the Jews The Messias being promised to them born and bred up with them living amongst them preaching his Doctrine to them and working his Miracles before them and thus was Christ the Glory of his people Israel 34 And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary his mother Behold this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel and for a sign which shall be spoken against 35 Yea a sword shall pass thro' thine own Soul also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed Two things are here observed Simeon's Blessing and Simeons Prediction he blessed them that is the Parents and the Child Jesus not Authoritatively but Prophetically declaring how God would bless them his Prediction is Twofold 1. concerning Christ 2. concerning his Mother concerning Christ Simeon declares that he should be for the rise of many in Israel namely all such as should embrace and obey his Doctrine and imitate and follow his example and for the fall of others that is shall bring punishment and ruine upon all obdurate and impenitent Sinners and a Sign to be spoken against that is he shall be as a mark for obstinate Sinners to set themselves against Christ himself when here in the World was a stone of stumbling and a Rock of offence to the men of the World enduring the contradiction of Sinners against himself both the virulence of their Tongues and the violence of their hands 2. Concerning the Mother of Christ Simeon declares that the sight of her Son 's bitter Sufferings would like a Sword pierce through heâ— Heart for tho' he might be born yet should he not dyâ— without the pains of his Mother as if the Throws suffered by other Women at the Birth were reserved for her to endure at the death of her Son The Sufferings of the Holy Jesus on the Cross were as a Sword or dagger at the Heart of the Holy Virgin and she Suffered with him both as a tender Mother and as a Sympathizing Member of his Body 36 And there was one Anna a prophetess the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asser she was of a great Age and had lived with an husband seven years from her Virginity 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years which departed not from the Temple but served God with fastings and prayers night and day 38 And she coming in at that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Israel Simeon is seconded by Anna a Prophetess she also declares that the child Jesus was the promised and expected Messias and thus Christ was proclaimed in the Temple by two Heralds of different Sexes Concerning this Aged Woman Anna it is said that she departed not from the Temple night nor day not that she lived and lodged there but by her never departing from understand her daily repairing to the Temple that which is often done is said in Scripture to be always done we are said to do a thing continually when we do it seasonably Thus we pray continually when we pray as often as duty requires us to pray Learn hence That such duties as a Christian performs out of Conscience he will perform with Constancy and Perseverance Nature will have her good Moods but Grace is steady The devotions of a pious Soul like Anna's are as constant but more frequent then the returns of day and night 39 And when they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord they returned into Galilee to their own city Nazareth 40 And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdom and the Grace of God was upon him Here we see the truth and reality of Christ's Humane Nature he grew as we do from Infancy to Childhood from Childhood to Youth and Manhood To his divine Nature no accession or addition could be made for that which is infinite cannot encrease The deity was infinite in Christ so was not the Humanity but capable of additions and accordingly as Christ grâ—w up the Stature of his Body and the faculties of his mind encreased thro' the Grace and Power of God's Spirit upon him 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every Year at the feast of the passover 42 And when he was twelve years old they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast Observe here the persons making this yearly Journey to Jerusalem our Saviour's Parents and himself 1. Joseph who is called Christ's Father not that he was his natural Father for Christ had no Father upon Earth but Joseph was his Reputed and supposed Father his nursing Father who by the appointment of God took a Fatherly care of him and and his Father in Law being Husband to Mary 2. Mary the Mother of Christ went up to Jerusalem with her Husband and her Son God commanded only the Males to go up to Jerusalem the weaker Sex were excused but the Holy Virgin well knowing the spiritual profit of that long Journey would not stay at home Such as will go no farther than they are dragged in Religious Exercises are Strangers to the Virgins Piety and devotion But 3. the child Jesus in his Minority goes up with his Parents to this holy Solemnity thereby no doubt intending our instruction when we are young to give God an early possession of our Souls to consecrate the Virgin Operations of our minds to him and in our Youth to keep close to the Worship and Service of God when we are so importunately courted by the World Obâ—erve farther This holy Family came not to look at the Feast and be gone but they duly stay'd out all the appointed time â—â—seph's Calling and the Virgins Houshold Business could â—either keep them at home nor hasten them home before the publick Duties in the Temple were dispatcht and ended All worldly Business must give place to Divine Offices and we must attend God's service to the end except we will depart unblest 43 And when they had fulfilled the days as they returned the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem and Joseph and his mother knew not of it 44 But supposing him to have been in the company went a days journey and they sought him amongst their kinsfolk and acquaintance 45 And when they found him not they turned back to Jerusalem seeking him The Service of the Temple being ended they return home to Nazareth Religious Duties are not to be attended to the prejudice and neglect of our particular Callings God calls us as well from his House as to his House They are much mistaken who think God is pleased with nothing but Devotion he that says be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord says also be not slothful in business Piety and Industry must keep pace with one another God is as well pleased
there is required a lawful Authority a righteous Cause an honourable Aim and Intention and a just and righteous manner of Prosecution without Vanity and Ostentation without Cruelty and Oppression Courage and Compassion on the one hand and Cowardise and Cruelty on the other hand do frequently accompany one another 15 And as the people were in expectation and all men mused in their hearts of John whether he were the Christ or not 16 John answered saying unto them all I indeed baptize you with water but one mightier then I cometh the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unlose he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire 17 whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his Wheat into his Garner but the chaff he will burn with Fire unquenchable Observe here 1. How the extraordinariness of John the Baptists Person the earnestness of his Preaching the Acceptableness of his Doctrine and the Exemplariness of his Conversation drew all Persons to an Admiration of him insomuch that they began to think within themselves whether he were not the Messias himself He plainly tells them he was not but only his Servant his Harbinger and Fore-runner Obs 2. The high Opinion which John had of Christ he is mightier than I that is a Person of greater Authority Dignity and Excellency than my self From whence may be gathered that tho' Christ was man he was more then Man even very God equal with the Father for John himself was the greatest of them that were born of Women Matth. 11.11 yet says John Christ is mightier then I. How so but in regard of the Dignity of his Person being both God and Man he that cometh after me is mightier then I. Obs 3. The humble and low Estimation that the Holy Baptist had of himself his Shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unlose a Proverbial Speech implying that he was unworthy to do the lowest Offices and meanest Services for Christ Lord how well does humility of Mind an humble Apprehension and a low opinion of themselves become the Messengers and Ministers of Christ John was a Man of eminent Abilities yet of exemplary Humility he thought himself unworthy to unlose Christ's Shoe Obs 4. John does not only declare the Dignity of Christ's Person but the Excellency of his Office He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire as if he had said I only wash the Body with water but Christ cleanses the Soul by the operation of his Holy Spirit which is as fire in the effects of it purifying the hearts of his People from Sin and consuming their Lusts and Corruptions yet at the same time having fiery Indignation and flaming Judgments to destroy and burn up impenitent Sinners like dry Stubble Observable it is in Scripture that Christ is represented by one and the same Metaphor of fire in a way of Comfort to his Children and in a way of Terror to his Enemies he is a fire unto Both. He sits in the hearts of his people as a Refiners fire he is amongst his Enemies as a Consuming fire a fire for his Church to take Comfort in a fire for his Enemies to perish by Observe Lastly how the Holy Baptist compares our Saviour to an Husbandman and the Jewish Church to a Barn floor the office of the Husbandman is to thresh fan and winnow his Corn separating it from the Chaff preserving the one and consuming the other Observe 1. That the Church is Christ's floor 2. That this Floor Christ will purge and that thoroughly 3. That the Word of Christ is the Fan in his hand by and with which he will thoroughly purge his Floor The Church is compared to a Floor upon the account of that Mixture which is in the Church In a Floor there is Straw as well as Grain Chaff as well as Corn Tares as well as Wheat Cockel and Darnel as well as good Seed Thus in the Church there has been there is and ever will be a mixture of good and bad Saints and Sinners Hypocrites and Sincere Christians but this floor Christ will purge purge it but not break it up purge out its Corruptions but not destroy its Essence and existence And the Fan in Christ's hand with which he will purge his Floor is his Holy word accompanied with the wing of Discipline The Fan detects and discovers the Chaff and the Wing dissipates and scatters it and by the help of both the Floor is purged his Fan is in hand and he will thoroughly purge c. 18 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people 19 But Herod the Tetrarch being reproved by him for Herodias his brother Philips wife and for all the evils which Herod had done 20 Added yet this above all that he shut up John in prison Observe here 1. In John the Baptist the character of a zealous and faithful Minister of the Gospel he is one that deals plainly and durst tell the Greatest Persons of their Faults Herod tho' a King is reproved by him for his Adultery and Incest The Crown and Scepter of Herod could not daunt the faithful Messenger of God There ought to meet in the Ministers of Christ both courage and impartiality courage in fearing no faces and impartiality in sparing no sins Obs 2. Who it was that Imprisoned and Beheaded the Holy Baptist Herod a King How sad is it when Kings who should be nursing Fathers to the Church do prove the bloody Butchers of the Prophets of God The severest Persecutions which the Ministers of God have fallen under have been occasioned by their telling great Men of their Crimes Men in power are impatient of Reproof and imagine that their Authority gives them a License to transgress Obs 3. The heinous aggravations of this Sin in Herod He added this to all his other Sins that he shut up John in prison This evidenced him incorrigible and unreclaimable John had preacht before Herod and Herod had heard John with some Delight but he had a darling lust which occasioned his Destruction Learn thence that Hypocrites may hear the word with some pleasure and do many things with some delight but they have always some beloved Lust that must be spared they will neither part with it nor bear Reproof for it Herod sticks not to cut off that Head whose Tongue was so bold to reprove him for his Lusts 21 Now when all the people were Baptized it came to pass thâ—t Jesus also being Baptized and praying the heavens were opened Obs 1. The great Condescension of Christ in seeking and submitting to the Baptism of John Christ tho' John's Lord and Master yet yields to be Baptized of his Servant and Messenger Obs 2. The Reasons why Christ would be Baptized 1. That by this Rite he might enter himself into the Society of Christians as he had before by Circumcision entred into the Society of the Jews 2. That he might by his own Baptism
Authority doth give the World an undeniable proof and convincing Evidence of his Godhead For who can forgive Sins but God only Observe 6. The effect which this Miracle had upon the minds of the people they marvelled and were amazed were filled with fear but not with Faith Astonished but not Believed Learn hence That the sight of Christ's own Miracles is not sufficient to work Faith in the Soul without the efficacious Grace of God the one may make us marvel the other must make us believe 27 And after those things he went forth and saw a publican named Levi sitting at the receipt of custom and he said unto him follow me 28 And he left all rose up and followed him 29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own house and there was a great company of Publicans and of others that sate down with them 30 But the Scribes and Pharisees murmured against his Disciples saying Why do ye eat and drink with Publicans and Sinners 31 And Jesus answering said unto them they that are whole need not a Physician but they that are sick 32 I came not to call the Righteous but sinners to Repentance The number of our Lord's Disciples not being filled up Observe 1. What a free and gracious what an unexpected and undeserved Choice Christ makes Levi that is Matthew for he had both Names a grinding Publican who gathered the Tax for the Roman Emperor and was probably Guilty as others were of the sins of Covetousness and Extortion yet is he called to follow Christ as a special Disciple Learn hence that such is the freeness of Divine Grace That it sometimes calls and Converts Sinners unto Christ when they think not of him nor seek unto him Little did Levi now think of a Saviour much less seek after him yet is he here called by him and that with an efficacious Call Matthew a Publican Zacheus an Extortioner Saul a Persecutor all these are effectually called by Christ as instances and evidences of the mighty power of Converting Grace Observe 2. Levi or Matthew's ready Compliance with Christ's Call He presently arose and followed him when the inward call of the Holy Spirit accompanieth the outward call of the word the Soul readily complies and yields Obedience to the voice of Christ Our Saviour says the pious Bishop Hall speaks by his word to our Ears and we hear not we stir not but when he speaks by his Spirit efficaciously to our Hearts Satan cannot hold us down the world shall not keep us back but we shall with Levi instantly arise and follow our Saviour Observe 3. Levi to shew his Thankfulness to Christ makes him a great Feast Christ invited Levi to a Discipleship Levi invites Christ to a Dinner The Servant invites his Master a Sinner invites his Saviour a better Guest he could not invite Christ always comes with his cost with him we do not find that when Christ was invited to any Table that he ever refused to go if a Publican if a Pharisee invited him he constantly went not so much for the pleasure of eating as for the opportunity of Conversing and doing good Christ Feasts us when we feed him Levi to give Christ a pledge and specimen of his Love makes him a Feast Learn thence That new Converts are full of affection towards Christ and very expressive of their Love unto him Levi's heart being touch with a sense of Christ's rich Love makes him a Royal Feast Observe 4 The cavil and exception which the Scribes and Pharisees made at our Lord 's free Conversation They censure him for conversing with sinners malice will never want matter of Accusation Our Saviour justifies himself telling them he convers'd with sinners as their Physician not as their Companion They that are whole need not the Physician but they that are sick as if our Lord had said with whom should a Physician converse but with his sick Patients and is he to be accused for that now this is my case I am come into the World to do the office of a kind Physician unto Men surely then I am to take all opportunities of conversing with them that I may help and heal them for they that are sick need the Physician but as for you Scribes and Pharisees who are well and whole in your own Opinion and conceit I have no hopes of doing good upon you for such as think themselves whole desire not the Physicians help Now from this Assertion of our Saviour The whole need not the Physician but the sick these Truths are suggested to us 1. That sin is the Souls malady its Spiritual disease and sickness 2. That Christ is the Physician appointed by God for the cure and healing of this Disease 3. That there are multitudes of sinners spiritually sick who yet think themselves sound and whole 4. That such and only such as find themselves sin-sick and spiritually diseased are subjects capable of Christ's healing They that are whole need not the Physician but they that are sick I came not says Christ to call the Opinionatively Righteous but the Sensible Sinner to Repentance 33 And they said unto him why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers and likewise the Disciples of the Pharisees but thine eat and drink 34 And he said unto them can ye make the children of the Bride-chamber fast while the Bridegroom is with them 35 But the days will come when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them and then shall they fast in those days 36 And he spake also a parable unto them No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old if otherwise then both the new maketh a rent and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old 37 And no man putteth new wine into old Bottles else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled and the bottles shall perish 38 But new wine must be put into new bottles and both are preserved 39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway desireth new for he saith the old is better An Objection is here made against the Disciples of our Saviour that they did not fast so much and so often as John Baptist's Disciples did John's Disciples imitated their Master who was a Man of an austere Life Christ's Disciples imitated him who was of a more free Conversation Observe therefore our Saviour's Defence which he makes for the not fasting of his Disciples he declares that at present it was neither suitable nor tolerable not suitable in regard of Christ's Bodily Presence with them who being their Bridegroom and his Disciples children of the Bride-chamber it was now a day of Joy and Rejoycing to them and mourning and fasting would be very improper for them But when the Bridegroom shall be taken away that is Christ's bodily Presence removed then there will be cause enough for the Disciples to fast and mourn Learn hence 1. That Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom of his
mockings bitter Reproaches sharp invectives to free the Ministers of God in all Ages from the danger of our Saviour's Wo here denounced Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of you 27 But I say unto you love your Enemies do good to them that hate you 28 Bless them that curse you and pray for them which despightfully use 29. And unto him smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other and him that taketh away thy cloak forbid not to take thy coat also Observe here 1. The Noble Spirit of Christianity and the large extent of Christian Charity the Jewish kindness was limited and confined to those of their own Religion Kindred and Nation their Charity began and ended at home but our Saviour obliges his Followers to the exercise of a more extensive Charity even to all Mankind even the worst of men our Enemies that seek our Destruction Christianity is so far from allowing us to persecute them that hate us that it commands us to Love them that Persecute us Observe 2. The Nature and quality of the Duty enjoyn'd Love your Enemies there the inward affection is required Bless them that curse you there outward civility and affability is required Do good to them that hate you here real acts of kindness beneficence are required to be done to the worst of Enemies tho' they be guilty of the worst of Crimes calumly and cruelty striking both at our Reputation and our Life Learn That Christianity obliges us to bear a sincere Love to our most malicious Enemies to be ready at all times to pray for them and upon all occasions to do good unto them Thus to do is an imitation of God our Maker of Christ our Master 'T is for the good of this lower World and the way to a Better 't is the Ornament of our Religion the perfection of our Nature and an high degree and pitch of Vertue To which may be added the next Duty not to revenge injuries where private Revenge is the thing forbidden and we are directed rather to suffer a double Wrong then to seek a private Revenge Christianity obliges us to bear many injuries patiently rather then to Revenge one privately we must leave the matter to God and the Magistrate The truth is Revenge is a very troublesome and vexatious passion the mans Soul swells and boils and is in pain and anguish and has no ease Besides by our Revenging of one injury we necessarily draw on another and so bring on a perpetual Circulation of Injuries and Revenges whereas forgiveness prevents vexation to others and disquietment to our selves 30 Give to every one that asketh of thee and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again These and the like Precepts of our Saviour are not to be taken strictly but restrainedly we are thereby obliged to Charity according to others Necessities and our own Abilities but not bound to give to every one that has the Confidence to ask for what we have Indeed every Man that really wants is the proper Object of our Christian Charity and we must with a compassionate Heart and open Hand relieve him according to his Necessity but answerably to our Ability Nor must the second part of the Verse be understood as forbidding Christians to seek the Recovery of their just Rights by pursuing Thieves and following the Law upon Oppressors but requiring us to forbear all Acts of private Revenge as directly contrary to the Spirit and Temper of Christianity as Jealousy is the Rage of a Man so Revenge is the Rage of the Devil 't is the very Soul and Spirit of the Apostate Nature 31 And as ye would that men should do to you do ye also to them likewise Here our Saviour lays down a most excellent Rule of Life for all his Disciples and Followers to walk by namely always to do as we would be done by The Golden Rule of Justice and Equity in all our Dealings with Men is this To do as we would be done unto It is a full Rule a clear Rule a most just and equitable Rule which the Light of Nature and the Law of Christ binds upon us St. Matthew Ch. 7.12 adds that this is the Law and the Prophets that is the Sum of the Old Testament and the Substance of the Second Table The whole of the Law is this to Love GOD above our selves and to Love our Neighbour as our selves 32 For if ye love them which love you what thank have ye sinners also love those that love them 33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you what thank have ye for sinners also do even the same 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive what thank have ye for sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again 35 But love your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the children of the Highest for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil 36 Be ye therefore merciful as your father also is merciful The Design of our Blessed Saviour in all and every of these Precepts is to recommend unto us all sorts and kinds of mercy and charity namely charity in giving charity in forgiving charity in lending it is sometimes our Duty if we have ability to Lend to such poor Persons as we cannot expect will ever be in a Capacity either to repay or to requite us This is to imitate the Divine Bounty which does Good to all even to the unthankful and to the unholy Love for Love is justice Love for no Love is favour and kindness but Love and Charity mercy and compassion to all Persons even the undeserving and ill-deserving this is Divine Goodness a Christ-like Temper which will render us illustrious on Earth and glorious in Heaven St. Luke says here Be ye merciful as your Father it merciful St. Matthew says Ch. 5. last Be ye perfect as your father in Heaven is perfect implying that love and mercy charity and compassion is the perfection of a Christians Grace he that is made perfect in Love is perfect in all Divine Graces in the Account of God Perfection in all Graces but especially in Love and Charity ought to be our Aim in this Life and shall be our attainment in the next 37 Judge not and ye shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned forgive and ye shall be forgiven This Prohibition Judge not is not to be understood of our selves but our Neighbours Self-judging is a great and necessary Duty rash judging of others is an heinous and grievous sin which exposes to the Righteous judgment of God it is private judging and private condemning of Persons which Christ forbids it follows Forgive and ye shall be forgiven not that a bare forgiving of others is all that God requires in order to our forgiveness But it is one part of that Obedience which we owe
save us we perish Obs 4. A double rebuke given by our Saviour 1. to the Winds 2. to the fears of his Disciples Christ rebuked the Winds and instantly they were calm when the Sea was as furious as a Mad Man Christ with a single Word calms it Learn thence That the most raging Winds and outragious Seas cannot stand before the Rebukes of Christ Christ as God lays a Law upon the most Lawless Creatures even when they seem to act most Lawlesly Observe farther Christ Rebukes his Disciples fears and their want of Faith Why are ye fearful where is your faith No sooner was the storm up but their fears were up and their faith was down They forgot that the Lord High Admiral of the Ocean was now on Board their Ship and were as much over-set with their Boysterous Passions as the Ship was with tempestuous Winds and accordingly Christ rebukes the Tempest within before he calms the Storm without first he quickens their Faith then he quiets the Seas Note from hence that great Faith in the Habit may appear but little in Act and Exercise The Disciples Faith in forsaking all and following Christ was great Faith but in this present Act their Faith was weak thro' the prevalency of their fear Oh the imperfect composition of the best of Saints faith and fear will take their turns and act their several parts whilst we are here ere long our fears will be vanquished and our faith swallowed up in Vision our hope in fruition Then shall we obey with vigour praise with chearfulness Love without measure fear without Torment Trust without Despondency Lord strengthen our Faith in the Belief of this desirable Happiness and set our Souls a longing for the full fruition and final enjoyment of it 26 And they arrived at the Country of the Gadarens which is over-against Galilee 27 And when he went forth to Land there met him out of the city a certain man which had Devils long time and wore no cloaths neither abode in any house but in the Tombes 28 When he saw Jesus he cryed out and fell down before him and with a loud voice said What have I to do with thee Jesus thou son of God most high I beseech thee torment me not 29 For he had commanded the unclean Spirit to come out of the man for oftentimes it had caught him and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters and he brake the bands and was driven of the Devil into the Wilderness 30 And Jesus asked him saying What is thy name and he said Legion because many Devils were entered into him 31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep 32 And there was there an herd of many Swine feeding on the mountain and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them and he suffered them 33 Then went the Devils out of the man and entered into the Swine and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the Lake and were choaked 34 When they that fed them saw what was done they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country 35 Then they went out to see what was done and came to Jesus and found the man out of whom the Devils were departed sitting at the feet of Jesus cloathed and in his right mind and they were afraid 36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the Devils was healed 37 Then the whole multitude of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them for they were taken with great fear and he went up into the Ship and returned back again 38 Now the man out of whom the Devils were departed besought him that he might be with him 39 But Jesus sent him away saying Return to thine house and shew how great things God has done for thee and he went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him 40 And it came to pass when Jesus was returned the people gladly received him for they were all waiting for him This piece of History gives us a very sad Relation of a Person that was possessed with a Legion of Devils we read of few if any in the Old Testament that were thus possest but of many in the New Our Saviour came into the world to destroy the Works of the Devil therefore he suffered Satan to enter some Humane Bodies to shew his Divine Power in casting him out Observe here 1. That the Evil Angels by their Fall lost their Purity but not their Power for with God's permission they have Power not only to enter Mens Bodies and to possess them but also to distemper their minds and to drive them to Frenzy and Madness such was the deplorable Case here Note 2. That the reason why the Evil Angels do no oftner exert their Power in doing mischief to the Bodies and Lives of Men is from the restraining Power of God the Devil cannot do all the mischief he would and he shall not do all he can Observe 3. The place where these Evil Spirits delighted to make their abode amongst the Tâ—mbs or Graves places desolate forlorn and solitary which are apt to breed horror of mind and to give advantage to Temptation from whence I gather That it is very dangerous and unsafe for Persons especially in whom Melancholy prevails to give themselves too much to solitariness to frequent desolate places and to affect being much alone for it gives advantage to Satan to set upon them with powerful Temptations It is much better to frequent Humane Society especially to delight in the Communion of the Saints by means whereof we may be more and more strengthned against Satans Temptations Obs 4. How the Devils own Christ to be the Son of God and pay unwillingly Worship and Homage to him yielding Subjection to him as his slaves and vassals not a free and voluntary Service They cryed out and fell down before him saying What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God where by calling him Jesus they own him to be a Saviour but none of their Saviour What have we to do with thee Jesus Oh what an uncomfortable Expression is this to own Christ to be a Saviour and at the same time to know and declare that he is none of our Saviour Quid est Deus si non sit meus What is God if he be not my God What comfort in a Saviour if he be not my Saviour Observe 5. What a multitude of Evil Spirits do enter into one Man oh the extreme malice and enmity of the Devil against Mankind in that so many Evil Spirits should at once afflict and torment a single Person even a Legion many thousands of them Note likewise the unity and agreement which is amongst these Evil Spirits in doing mischief tho' there was a multitude of them in this one Person yet have they all but one Name
Satan for casting out of Satan then is the Devil like a Family divided within it self and divided like a Kingdom against it self which can never stand bust must be brought to Destruction Observe Lastly Our Saviour tells the Pharisee that they might with as much reason attribute all other Miracles to the Power of the Devil as those wrought by himself for there were certain Jews amongst them that casts out Devils in the Name of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob now our Saviour asks them by what power these their Children cast them out They acknowledged that what they did was by the Power of God and there was no cause but their malice why they should not acknowledge that what he did was by the same Power If I by Beelzebub cast out Devils by whom do your sons cast them out but if I with the finger of God cast them out no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you that is the long expected Kingdom of the Messias is certainly come and I having wrought these Miracles by my own Power is a Demonstrative proof that I am the promised Messias 21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace his goods are in peace 22 But when a stronger then he shall come upon him and overcome him he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted and divideth his spoil 23 He that is not with me is against me and he that gathereth not with me scattereth 24 When the unclean Spirit is gone out of a man he walketh thro' dry places seeking rest and finding none he saith I will return to my house whence I came out 25 And when he cometh he findeth it empty swept and garnisht 26 Then goeth he and taketh to him seven other Spirits more wicked then himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of that man is worse than the first Our Saviour having sufficiently shewn that he did not Work his Miracles by the Power of the Devil he next informs the Pharisees from whence he had that Power even from God himself accordingly he compares Satan to a strong Man armed with Weapons to defend his House and himself cloathed with Divine Power he compares him to one that is stronger thâ—n the strong Man so that the Argument runs thus the Devil is very strong and powerful and there is no Power but only God's that is stronger than his if then says Christ I were not assisted with a Divine Power I could never cast out this strong Man who Reigns in the Bodies and Souls of Men as in his house for it must be a stronger than the strong Man that shall bind Satan and who is he but the God of strength Learn thence That only Christ's Divine Power is superior to Satans strength he only can vanquish and over-rule him at his pleasure and drive him out of that Possession which he holds either in the Bodies or Souls of Men The strong man armed keeps the house till a stronger than he comes upon him and over-comes him When the unclean Spirit goeth out of a man he walketh thro' dry places seeking rest and findeth none Note here 1. That Satan is an unclean Spirit he hath lost his Original Purity his Holy Nature in which he was Created and is by sin become universally sinful and impure no means being allowed him by God for the purging of his filthy and impure Nature yea he is a perfect Enemy to Purity and Holiness maligning all that Love it and would promote it 2. That Satan is a restless and unquiet Spirit being cast out of Heaven he can rest no where when he is either gone out of a Man by Policy or cast out by Power he has no content or satisfaction till he returns into a filthy Heart where he delights to be as the Swine in miry places 3. That wicked and prophane sinners have this unclean Spirit dwelling in them their Hearts are Satans House and Habitation and the Lusts of Pride and Unbelief Malice and Revenge Envy and Hypocrisy these are the Garnishings and Furniture of Satans House Mans Heart was God's House by Creation 't is now Satan's by Usurpation and judiciary Tradition 4. That Satan by the Preaching of the Gospel may seem to go out of Persons and they become sober and civilized yet may he return again to his old habitation and the latter end of that Man may be worse then the beginning 27 And it came to pass as he spake these things a certain woman of the company lift up her voice and said unto him Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the paps which thou hast suckt 28 But he said Yea rather Blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it Observe here 1. How ready we are to admire Persons for their external Priviledges and the favours of Divine Providence and to pronounce such Blessed Blessed is the Womb that bare thee 2. That Christ makes another judgment of Persons and pronounces them more blessed that bear him in their hearts by Faith then his own Mother who bare him in her Womb by sense The Blessedness of being an Obedient Believer is far greater than that of being the Mother of our Blessed Saviour Blessed be God this great and gracious Priviledge is not deny'd unto us now Altho' we cannot see Christ yet love him we may his bodily presence cannot be enjoyed by us but his Spiritual Gracious Presence is not denyed us Tho' Christ be not ours in house in arms by Affinity by Consanguinity yet in Heart in Faith in Love in Service he is or may be ours verily spiritual Regeneration and an obediential doing of God's Will bringeth men into a more Honourable Relation to Christ than natural Generation ever did Yea rather blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep it 29 And when the people were gathered thick together he began to say this is an evil generation they seek a sign and there shall no sign be given it but the sign of Jonas the Prophet 30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites so shall also the Son of man be to this generation 31 The Queen of the South shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them for she came from the utmost parts of the Earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold a greater than Solomon is here 32 The men of Nineveh shall rise up in judgment with this generation and shall condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonas and behold a greater than Jonas is here The Sign which the Pharisees here desired of our Saviour was a Miracle wrought by him Now our Saviour tho' he was very ready to work Miracles to encourage and confirm his Hearers Faith yet not to satisfy the unbelieving Pharisees Curiosity And accordingly he tells them they should have no other Sign than that of his Resurrection which Jonas was a Type of Next he threatens them for
their Obstinacy and Infidelity which he aggravates from the Example of the Queen of the South and the Men of Nineveh From hence Learn That the sins of infidelity and impenitency are exceedingly heightned and their guilt aggravated from the Means afforded by God to bring Men to Faith and Obedience The sin of the Pharisees was infinitely greater in rejecting the Evidence of Christ's Miracles than the sin of the Ninevites would have been in refusing to hearken to Jonas his Ministry therefore the Ninevites shall condemn the Pharisees 33 No man when he hath lighted a Candle putteth it in a secret place neither under a Bushel but on a Candlestick that they which come in may see the Light 34 The light of the body is the eye therefore when thine eye is single thy whole body also is full of Light but when thine eye is evil thy body also is full of darkness 35 Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness 36 If thy whole body therefore shall be full of light having no part dark the whole shall be full of light as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light Our Saviour in these words does these two things 1. he declares that altho' his Ministry had no effect upon the proud and obstinate Pharisees yet he would not hide the light which he came into the World to bring nor conceal that Heavenly Doctrine which his Father had committed to him to Communicate to the Children of Men teaching us That such as are enlightned by God with the Knowledge of his Word and Will ought not to conceal and hide this Knowledge within themselves but communicate it to others and improve it for the good and benefit of others No man that lighteth a Candle putteth it under a Bushel 2. Our Saviour here discovers the Reason why the Pharisees continued blind under so clear a light as that of his Ministry namely because the eye of their Understanding was darkned not so much with Ignorance as with Prejudice whereby they opposed Christ and his Holy Doctrine for if the Mind be clearly enlightned by the Word and Spirit of God that Light will diffuse and spread it self in the Soul as the bright shining of a Candle doth in the House enlightning all the inward Faculties and directing all the outward Actions and communicating its Light also to the enlightning of others 37 And as he spake a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him and he went in and sate down to meat 38 And when the Pharisee saw it he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner 39 And the Lord said unto him now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness 40 Ye fools did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also Observe here 1. The free Conversation of our Blessed Saviour how readily he complies with the Pharisees Invitation to dine with him I do not find that when Christ was invited to any Table that ever he refused to go if a Pharisee if a Publican invited him he constantly went not so much for the pleasure of eating as for the opportunity of Conversing and doing good Christ feasts us when we feed him He says of himself that he came eating and drinking that is allowing himself a free tho' innocent Conversation with all sorts of Persons that he might gain some Observe 2. The Exception which the Pharisee takes at our Saviour's not washing his hands before Dinner This they made but without any warrant for it a Religious Act abounding in external washings but neglecting the inward Purgations of their Hearts and Consciences from Sin and Uncleanness Thus Pharisaical Hypocrisy puts God off with outward cleansing instead of inward Purity regarding more the outward cleanness of the hand than the inward Purity of the Heart Observe 3. Our Blessed Saviour does not condemn any external Decency and cleanliness in Conversation but his design is to shew the vanity of outward Purity without inward Sanctity and to convince them of the Necessity of cleansing the Heart in order to the purifying and Reforming the Life The Pharisee washt his hands clean but left his Soul full of uncleanness not considering that he that made the Soul as well as the Body requires that both should be kept pure all the impiety of mens Lives proceeding from the impurity of their Hearts and Natures 41 But rather give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you As if Christ had said the way to purify your Meats and Drinks and Estates from all pollution cleaving to them and to have them Sanctified Blessings to you is in Conjunction with other Graces by doing Works of Mercy and by liberal Alms-giving according to your Ability Learn that Charity and Alms-giving according to our ability and opportunity is a special means to sanctify our Estates to us and to cause us holily and comfortably to enjoy whatever we do possess Give Alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you 42 But Wo unto you Pharisees for ye Tythe Mint and Rue and all manner of Herbs and pass over judgment and the love of God these ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone Our Saviour here denounces a Wo against the Pharisees for their strict and scrupulous observing the lesser things of the Law as Tything Mint and Rue whilst they were regardless of the principal and substantial Duties which they owed both to GOD and Man Learn hence That altho' some Duties are of greater moment and importance than others yet a good Man will omit none but make Conscience of all both great and small in obedience to the Command of God there is no Duty so little as to be neglected no Command so small as to be disobeyed but yet there is a difference in Duties and our first regard ought to be to the greater then to the less Christ doth not condemn them for Tything Mint and Rue but for passing over judgment and the love of God 43 Wo unto you Pharisees for ye love the uppermost seats in the Synagogues and greetings in the Market-place The next Wo denounced against the Pharisees is for their Ambition Pride and Popularity affecting the uppermost Seats in the Synagogues and Salutations in the Markets where their fault was not in taking but in affecting these uppermost places God is the God of Order there may and ought to be a precedency amongst Persons honour is to be given to whom honour is due and that by God's Command But Pride and Ambition are detestable Vices especially in such as are Preachers and ought to be patterns of Humility 44 Wo unto you Scribes Pharisees Hypocrites for ye are as Graves which appear not and the men that walk over them are not aware of them Another Wo is here
forsake their sins and obey his Gospel Adding farther that it would be an Heart-piercing sorrow a Soul-rending grief to them at the Great Day to see not only the Patriarchs and Prophets and other Jews but even the despised Gentiles from all Quarters and Nations whom they thought accursed admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven and themselves eternally shut out For the last shall be first and the first last that is the Gentiles who were afar off shall receive the Gospel when you for rejecting it shall be cast off From the whole Note 1. That there is a determinate time when Souls must if ever accept of the offers of Grace and Salvation which are made unto them now is the door open and Persons invited in 2. That e're long Jesus Christ who now stands at every one of our doors waiting for our complyance with his Gospel-Terms will wait no longer upon us nor strive any farther by the motions of his Spirit with us when once the master of the house is risen up and shut to the door 3. That doleful is the condition of such miserable Souls against whom the door is shut the door of Repentance the door of hope the door of Salvation all shut eternally shut and that by him who shutteth and none can open 4. That all would be saved at last all will cry for mercy when it is too late even such as now sinfully undervalue and scornfully despise it Ye shall stand without and knock at the door saying Lord Lord open to us Note 5. That it is no good plea for admittance into Heaven because we have been Church-members here on Earth no outward priviledges tho' Christ has taught in our Streets no external Acts of Communion tho' we have eaten and drunk in his presence and at his holy Table will justify our hopes of entring into Heaven when we dye if we be workers of iniquity whilst we live Lord we have eaten and drunk in thy presence but he shall say I know you not ye workers of iniquity Note 6. That as Hell will be a second Heaven to the Glorified so Heaven will be a second Hell to the Damn'd Hell will be a second Heaven to the Glorified that is it will add exceedingly to the Happiness of the Saints in Heaven to see and be sensible of that misery which they escaped and the damn'd indure and on the other hand Heaven will be a second Hell to the Damn'd that is it will encrease their Torments and add to the vexation of their Spirits to see some in Heaven whom they little expected to see there some that never saw nor heard nor enjoyed what they have done Strangers yea Heathens taken in when the Children of the Kingdom that is the Members of the visible Church are shut out They shall come from the East from the West from the North and from the South and sit down in the Kingdom of God but the children of the Kingdom shall be cast into outer darkness 31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees saying unto him Get thee out and depart hence for Herod will kill thee 32 And he said unto them Go ye and tell that Fox Behold I cast out Devils and do cures to day and to morrow and the third day I shall be perfected 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day and to morrow and the day following for it cannot be that a Prophet perish out of Jerusalem It may seem strange that the Pharisees who had no kindness for our Saviour should come here and acquaint him with a danger that he was in from Herod Get thee hence for Herod will kill thee It is probable they had a design to drive him out of the Country because his Reputation was so great among the People who were admirers of his Person hearers of his Doctrine and Witnesses of his Miracles But what intention soever they had in acquainting Christ with this Danger it is very evident that our Saviour slighted it by the Message which he sent to Herod Go and tell that Fox Where we must not suppose that our Lord did fix this Name of Fox upon Herod as an opprobrious Title thereby reflecting the least dishonour upon him as a King but it was to let him know that being about his Fathers Work he feared neither his Power nor his Policy neither his Cruelty nor his Craft and that nothing should take him off from finishing the Work of Man's Redemption Learn hence That when God calls forth any of his Servants to any special service for him all the combined Power and Policy of the Prince of Darkness and his Instruments shall never be able to hinder them till they have finished their Course and done the Service which God designed I must work to day and to morrow and the day following as if Christ had said Let Herod know that my time is not in his Hand and as to this matter I am not under his Command or Power e're long my work will be finished and then I shall be perfected 34 O Jerusalem Jerusalem that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee How often would I have gathered thy children together as an Hen doth gather her Brood under her wings and ye would not 35 Behold your house is left unto you desolate and verily I say unto you Ye shall not see me until the time come when ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Our Lord concludes this Chapter with a Compassionate Lamentation over Jerusalem the place where he was to suffer his Ingemination or doubling of the Word Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem shews the vehemency of his affection towards them and the sincerity of his desires for their Salvation Observe 1. The Kindness and Compassion of Christ to the Jews in general and Jerusalem in particular set forth by a lively Metaphor and Similitude namely that of a Hen gathering her Chickens under her Wings As the Hen doth tenderly cherish and carefully hide and cover her young from the Eye of the Destroyer so would Christ have shrouded and sheltered this People from all those Birds of Prey and particularly from the Roman Eagle by whose Tallons they were at last destroyed Again as the Hen continueth her Call to her young ones from Morning to Night and holds out her Wings for shelter to them all the day long so did Christ wait for this Peoples Repentance and Conversion for it was more than Forty years after they had killed his Prophets and murthered himself before they met with a final Overthrow Observe 2. The amazing obstinacy and wilfulness of this People in rejecting the Grace and Favour the kindness and condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ I would have gathered you but ye would not Observe 3. The fatal issue of this obstinacy Behold your house is left unto you desolate is left that is certainly and suddenly will be left desolate the present Tense being put for the paulo post futurum
intimate Friend he has in the World should be with him to hear what passes in Secret betwixt him and his God Again 2. it was an humble Prayer that appears by the Postures in which he cast himself sometimes kneeling sometimes lying Prostrate upon his Face he lyes in the very Dust and lower he could not lye and his Heart was as low as his Body 3. It was a vehement fervent and importunate Prayer Such was the Fervour of his Spirit that he Prayed himself into an Agony Oh let us blush to think how unlike our Praying-frame of Spirit is to Christ's Lord What Coldness Deadness Drowsiness Formality and Laziness is found in our Prayers how often do our Lips move when our Hearts stand still Observe 4. The Posture which the Disciples were found in when our Lord was Praying in his Agony they were fast asleep Good God! Could they possibly sleep at such a time as this When Christ's Soul was exceeding sorrowful could their Eyes be thus heavy Learn thence That the very best of Christ's Disciples may be and oft-times are overtaken with great Infirmities when the most important Duties are performing Then cometh he to his Disciples and findâ— them Sleeping Observe 5. The Mild Meek and Gentle Rebuke which he gives his Disciples for their Sleeping he said unto them Why sleep ye could you not Watch with me one hour What not Watch when your Master was in such Danger Could you not Watch with me when I am going to lay down my Life for you What not one hour and that the parting Hour too Learn hence That the holiest and best Resolved Christians who have willing Spirits for Christ and his Service yet in regard of the Weakness of the Flesh and frailty of Humane Nature it is their Duty to Watch and Pray and thereby Guard themselves against Temptations Rise and pray lest ye enter into c. 47 While he yet spake Behold a Multitude and he that was called Judas one of the Twelve went before them and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him 48 But Jesus said unto him Judas Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a Kiss 49 When they which were about him saw what would follow they said unto him Lord Shall we smite with the Sword 50 And one of them smote the Servant of the High-priest and cut off his right Ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said Suffer ye thus far and he touched his ear and healed him 52 Then Jesus said unto the Chief Priests and Captains of the Temple and the Elders which were come to him Be ye come out as against a Thief with Swords and Staves 53 When I was daily with you in the Temple ye stretched forth no hands against me But this is your Hour and the Power of Darkness It was the Lot and Portion of our Blessed Redeemer here we find to be Betrayed into the hands of his Mortal Enemies by the Treachery of a false and dissembling Friend And in this sad Relation before us we have Observable The Traitor the Treason the Manner how and the Time when this Treasonable Design was Executed Observe 1. The Traitor Judas all the Evangelists carefully Describe him by his Name Judas Judas Iscariot lest he should be mistaken for Jude the Brother of James and by his Office one of the Twelve Lord How ought the greatest Professors to look well to themselves and to the Grounds and Principles of their Profession For a Profession begun in Hypocrisy will certainly end in Apostacy Observe 2. The occasion of the Treason Covetousness or the inordinate Love of Worldly Wealth and accordingly the Devil lays a Temptation before him exactly suited to his Temper and Inclination and it instantly over-came him Learn hence That Persons are never in such imminent danger of falling into Sin as when they meet with Temptations exactly suited to their Master Lusts Oh pray we That God would keep us from a Temptation suited to our predominant Lust and Corruption Observe 3. The Treason of Judas He led on an armed Multitude to the place where Christ was gave them a signal to discover him by and bids them lay hands upon him and hold him fast Which Treason of Judas was attended with these black and hellish Aggravations He had been a Witness of our Saviour's Miracles an Hearer of our Holy Lord's Doctrine What he did was not by Sollicitation the Chief Priests did not send to him but he went to them Lord How dangerous is it to allow our selves in any Secret Sin none can say how far that one Sin may in time lead us Should any one have told Judas that his Covetousness would at last make him deny his Master and Sell his Saviour he would have said with Hazael Is thy Servant a Dog that I should do this thing Observe 4. The Endeavours used by the Disciples for their Master's Rescue One of them St. Matthew says it was Peter drew a Sword and cut off the Ear of Malchus But why not the Ear of Judas rather Because though Judas was most Faulty yet Malchus might be most forward to Arrest and carry off our Saviour Oh how does a pious Breast boyl with Indignation at the sight of any open Affront offered to its Saviour Yet tho' St. Peter's Heart was sincere his hand was too rash good Intentions are no warrant for irregular Actions and accordingly Christ who accepted the Affection reproved the Action To resist Authority even in Christ's own Defence is rash Zeal and discountenanced by the Gospel Peter did well to ask his Master If he should smite with the Sword but he ought to have stayed his hand till Christ had given him his Answer 54 Then took they him and led him and brought him into the High-priests House and Peter followed afar off 55 And when they had kindled a Fire in the midst of the Hall and were set down together Peter sate down amongst them 56 But a certain Maid beheld him as he sate by the fire and earnestly looked upon him and said This Man was also with him 57 And he denied him saying Woman I know him not 58 And after a little while another saw him and said Thou art also of them And Peter said Man I am not 59 And about the space of an hour after Another confidently affirmed saying Of a truth that fellow also was with him 60 And Peter said Man I know not what thou sayest and immediately the Cock Crew while he yet spake 61 And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter And Peter remembred the word of the Lord how he said unto him before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice 62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly This Paragraph of the Chapter gives us an account of the Fall and Rising of Peter of his Sin in denying his Master and of his Recovery by Repentance both must be considered distinctly First touching his Sin and Fall there are Four Particulars Observable relating thereunto namely the Sin it self the Occasion
46 And when Jesus had cryed with a loud Voice he said Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And having said thus he gave up the Ghost 47 Now when the Centurion saw what was done he Glorified God saying Certainly this was a Righteous Man 48 And all the People that came together to that sight beholding the things which were done smote their Breasts and Returned 49 And all his Acquaintance and the Women that followed him from Galilee stood afar off beholding these things Observe here 1. What Prodigies in Nature happened and fell out at the Crucifixion of our Saviour The Sun was Darkened at the Setting of the Son of Righteousness And the Veil of the Temple was Rent signifying That God was now about to Forsake his Temple that the Ceremonial Law was now Abolishing and the Partition-Wall betwixt Jew and Gentile being now pulled down all may have Access to God through the Blood of a Mediator Observe 2. The last Prayer of our Saviour before his Death Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit They are words full of Faith and Comfort fit to be the last Breathings of every Gracious Soul in this World Learn hence That Dying Believers are both Warranted and Encouraged by Christ's Example Believingly to Commend their precious Souls into the Hands of God as a Gracious Father Father into thy Hands Observe 3. What influence our Saviour's Death had upon the Centurion He Glorified God saying Verily this was a Righteous Man Here Note That Christ had a Testimony of his Innocency and Righteousness given unto him from all sorts of Persons whatsoever Pilate and Herod pronounced him Innocent Pilate's Wife proclaimed him a Righteous Person Judas the Traitor declared it was innocent Blood the Thief on the Cross affirmed he had done nothing amiss and the Centurion owned him to be a Righteous Man yea the Son of God Mark 15.39 only the Pharisees and Chief Priests which were Teachers of others not Ignorance but Obstinacy and Malice Blinded and Hardned them to their Ruine and Destruction instead of Owning and Receiving him for their Saviour they Ignominiously put him to Death as the vilest Impostor 50 And behold there was a Man Named Joseph a Counsellor and he was a good Man and a just 51 The same had not consented to the Counsel and Deed of them he was of Arimathea a City of the Jews who also himself waited for rhe Kingdom of God 52 This Man went unto Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in Linnen and laid it in a Sepulchre that was hewn in Stone wherein never Man before was laid 54 And that Day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on 55 And the Women also which came with him from Galilee followed after and beheld the Sepulchre and how his Body was laid 56 And they Returned and prepared Spices and Oyntments and rested the Sabbath-day according to the Commandment The Circumstances of our Lord's Funeral and Honourable Interrment are here Recorded by our Evangelist such a Funeral as never was since Graves were first Digg'd Where Observe 1. Our Lord's Body must be Begg'd before it could be Bury'd The Dead Bodies of Malefactors being in the Power and at the Disposal of the Judge that Condemns them Observe 2. The Person that Begg'd this Body and bestowed a Decent and Honourable Buryal upon it Joseph of Arimathea a worthy though a close Disciple Grace doth not always make a publick and open Shew where it is But as there is much secret Riches in the Bowels of the Earth though unseen so is there much Grace in the Hearts of some Saints which the World takes little Notice of Observe 3. The Mourners that followed our Saviour's Hearse to the Grave The Women which came out of Galilee a poor Train of Mourners The Apostles who should have been most officious to bear his Holy Body to the Ground were sometime since all Scattered afraid to own their Master either Dying or Dead Funeral Pomo had been no way suitable either to the End or Manner of our Lord's Death and accordingly here is is nothing like Observe 4. The Grave or Sepulchre in which our Holy Lord lay it was in a Sepulchre Hewn out of a Rock That so his Enemies might have no occasion to say that his Disciples stole him away by secret Holes and unseen Passages under Ground It was in a New Sepulchre Wherein never Man was laid before lest his Adversaries should say it was another that was Risen who was Bury'd there before him And has Buryed in a Garden As by the Sin of the first Adam we were driven out of the Garden of Pleasure the Earthly Paradise so by the Sufferings of the Second Adam who lay Buryed in a Garden we may hope for Entrance into the Heavenly Paradise Observe 5. The manner of our Lord's Funeral it was Hasty Open and Decent Hasty because of the Preparation for the Sabbath Open that all Persons might be Spectators and none might say He was Buryed before he was Dead Decent being wrapt in fine Linnen and Perfumed with Spices Observe 6. The Reasons why our Lord was thus Buryed Seeing he was to Rise again in as short a Time as other Men lye by the Walls doubtless it was to declare the Certainty of his Death to Fulfil the Types and Prophecies which went before of him As Jonas being Three days and three nights in the Whales Belly He was also Bury'd to Compleat his Humiliation This was the lowest step to which he could Descend in his Abased State In a word Christ went into the Grave that he might Conquer Death in its own Territories and Dominions Observe 7. Of what Use our Lord's Buryal is to us his Followers it shews us the amazing Depths of his Humiliation from what and to what his Love brought him even from the Bosom of his Father to the Bosom of the Grave It may Comfort us against the fears of Death and the Terrors of the Grave The Grave could not long keep Christ it shall not always keep Christians It was a Loathsome Prison before it is a Persumed Bed now He whose Head is in Heaven need not fear to put his Feet into the Grave Awake and Sing thou that dwellest in the Dust for the Enmity of the Grave is slain by Christ CHAP. XXIV This Last Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel contains the History of our Saviour's Resurrection and gives us an Account of what he did upon Earth between the Time of his glorious Resurrection and Triumphant Ascension 1 NOW upon the first day of the Week very early in the Morning they came unto the Sepulchre bringing the Spices which they had prepared and certain others with them 2 And they found the Stone Rolled away from Sepulchre 3 And they entered in and found not the Body of our Lord Jesus 4 And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout Behold Two Men stood by them in shining Garments 5 And
as is the Parent and Principle of Obedience to him Note 2dly That it is the high honourable Privilege of all such as receive Christ by Faith to become the Sons of God by Adoption This is a precious Privilege a free Privilege an honourable Privilege an abiding Privilege and calls for all possible Returns of Gratitude and Thankfulness of Love and Service of Duty and Obedience of Submission and Self-Resignation 13 Which were born not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God Because the bragging Jews did much boast of their Natural Birth and Descent from Abraham as being his Blood and Off-spring Therefore it is here asserted that Men become not the Children of God by Natural Propagation but by Spiritual Regeneration They are not born of Blood Grace runs not in a Blood Piety is not Hereditary Religious Parents propagate Corruption not Regeneration Were the Conveyances of Grace Natural good Parents would not be so ill suited with Children as sometimes they are No Person then whatsoever has the gracious Privilege of Adoption by the first Birth They are not born of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man that is no Man by the utmost Improvement of Nature can raise himself up to this Privilege of Adoption and be the Author and Efficient Cause of his own Regeneration Learn hence That Man in all his Capacities is too weak to produce the Work of Regeneration in himself They says Dr. Hammond who by the influence of the highest Rational Principles live most exactly according to the Rule of Rational Nature that is of unregenerate Morality are the Persons here described Learn 2. That God alone is the Prime Efficient Cause of Regeneration He works upon the Understanding by Illumination and upon the Will by Sanctification Which were born not of Blood nor of the Will of the Flesh nor of the Will of Man but of God 14 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth The Evangelist having asserted the Divinity of Christ in the foregoing Verses comes now to speak of his Humanity and Manifestation in our Nature The Word was made Flesh Where Note 1. Our Saviour's Incarnation for us 2. His Life and Cenversation here among us He dwelt or tabernacled for a Season with us In the Incarnation or Assumption of our Nature Observe 1. The Person Assuming The Word that is the Second Person subsisting in the glorious God-Head Obs 2. The Nature Assumed Flesh that is the Humane Nature consisting of Soul and Body But why is it not said The Word was made Man but The Word was made Flesh Answ To denote and set forth the wonderful Abasement and Condescension of Christ there being more of Vileness and Weakness and Opposition to Spirit in the Word Flesh than in the Word Man Christ's taking Flesh implies that he did not only take upon him the Humane Nature but all the Weaknesses and Infirmities of that Nature also sinful Infirmities and personal Infirmities excepted he had nothing to do with our sinful Flesh Tho' Christ loved Souls with an infinite and insuperable Love yet he would not sin to save a Soul And he took no personal Infirmities upon him but such as are common to the whole Nature as Hunger Thirst Weariness c. Obs 3. The Assumption it self He was made Flesh that is he assumed the Humane Nature into an Union with his God-head and so became a True and Real Man by that Assumption Learn hence That Jesus Christ did really assume the true and perfect Nature of Man into a personal Union with his Divine Nature and still Remains True God and True Man in one Person for ever Oh blessed Union Oh thrice happy Conjunction As Man Christ has an experimental Sense of our Infirmities and Wants As God he can support and supply them All. Note farther 2. As our Saviour's Incarnation for us so his Life and Conversation among us He dwelt or tabernacled amongst us The Tabernacle was a Type of Christ's Humane Nature 1. As the out-side of the Tabernacle was mean made of ordinary Materials but it 's inside glorious so was the Son of God 2. God's special Presence was in the Tabernacle there he dwelt for he had a delight therein In like manner dwelt all the fulness of the God-head bodily in Christ and the glory of his Divinity shined forth to the Eye and view of his Disciples for they beheld his Glory the Glory as of the only Begotten of the Father that is whilst Christ appeared as a Man amongst us he gave great and glorious Testimonies of his Being the Son of God Learn hence That in the Day of our Saviour's Incarnation the Divinity of his Person did shine forth through the Vail of his Flesh and was seen by all them that had a Spiritual Eye to behold it and a mind disposed to consider it We beheld his Glory as the Glory of the only Begotten of the Father ¶ 15 John bare witness of him and cried saying This was he of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me 16 And of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace 17 For the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ 18 No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten son which is in the bosom of the father he hath declared him Here we have John Baptist's first Testimony concerning Christ the promised Messiah And it consists of four Parts 1. John prefers Christ before himself as being surpassingly above himself He that cometh after me is preferred before me that is in the Dignity of his Person and in the Eminency of his Office as being the eternal God Now amongst them that were born of Women there was not a greater than John the Baptist If Christ then was greater than John it was in regard of his being God He is therefore preferred before him because he was before him as being God from all Eternity Learn hence That the Dignity and Eternity of Christ's Person as God sets him up above all his Ministers yea above all Creatures how excellent soever He that cometh after me in Time is preferred before me in Dignity for he was before me even from all Eternity 2. John prefers Christ before all Believers in Point of Fulness and Sufficiency of Divine Grace Of his Fulness do they receive They have their Fillings Christ has his Fulness theirs is the fulness of a Vessel his is the Fulness of a Fountain their fulness is Derivative his Fulness is Original yet also Ministerial on purpose in him to give out to us that we may receive Grace for Grace that is Grace answerable for Kind and Quality though not for Measure and Degree As a Child in Generation receives from its Parents Member for
would bring him to Heaven 't is not enough that we be new-dress'd but we must be new-made that is thoroughly and universally changed the Understanding by Illumination the Will by Renovation the Affections by Sanctification the Life by Reformation or we can never come at Heaven We must be like God or we can never live with him If we be not like him in the Temper of our Minds on Earth we can never be happy in the Enjoyment of him in Heaven for Heaven which is a place of the greatest Holiness would be a place of the greatest Uneasiness to an unregenerate and unholy person 4 Nicodemus saith unto him How can a man be born when he is old can he enter the second time into his mothers womb and be born Two things are observable in this Question of Nicodemus How can a Man be born when he is old 1. His Ignorance and Weakness in propounding of such a Question So true is that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 2.14 The natural Man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God What a gross Conception had this learned Man of the Notion of Regeneration How ignorant is Nature of the Workings of Grace 2. Yet in this Question of his there is discovered a great deal of Plainness and Simplicity He did not come as usually the Pharisees did with an insnaring Question in his Mouth but with a Mind fairly disposed for Information and Conviction with a pious desire to be instructed Whatever Ignorance we labour under it is safest and best to discover it to our Spiritual Guide that we may attain the Mercy of saving Knowledge but how many had rather carry their Ignorance to Hell with them then discover it to their Minister 5 Jesus answered Verily verily I say unto thee Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Nicodemus not rightly understanding Christ's meaning in the former Verse our Saviour is pleased to explain himself in this and tells him that the Birth he spake of was not Natural but Spiritual wrought in the Soul by the Spirit of God whose Working is like Water cleansing and purifying the Soul from all sinful Defilement Learn hence That the regenerating Change is wrought in the Soul by the Spirit of God which purifies it from its Natural Defilement and renews it after the Divine Likeness and Image 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit As if Christ had said As Men generate Men and Nature begets Nature so the Holy Spirit produceth Holy Inclinations Qualifications and Dispositions Learn hence That as Original Corruption is conveighed by Natural Generation so Saving Regeneration is the Effect and Product of the Holy Spirit 's Operation 7 Marvel not that I say unto thee Ye must be born again 8 The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou hearest the sound thereof but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit Nicodemus making an Exception against our Saviour's Notion of Regeneration from the Absurdity and Impossibility of it as he thought our Saviour therefore proceeds to clear the Matter by a Similitude taken from the Wind which at once declares the Author and describes the Manner of Spiritual Regeneration The Author of it is the Holy Spirit of God compared to the Wind first for the Quality of its Motion It blows when and where it listeth Secondly From the Sensibleness of its Effects Thou hearest the sound thereof Thirdly From the Intricacy or Mysteriousness of its Proceedings Thou knowest not whence it cometh nor whither it goeth As the Natural Wind is not under the Power of Man either to send it out or to restrain it It bloweth where it listeth for all us though not where it listeth in regard of God In like manner the Holy Spirit is as Wind in the freeness of its Motion and in the Variableness of its Motion also Learn hence That the Way and Work of the Holy Spirit of God in the Soul's Regeneration it is oft-times very secret and usually exceeding Various Various as to the time Some are wrought upon in Youth others in old Age. Various in his Methods of Working Some are wrought upon by the Corrosives of the Law others by the Lenitives of the Gospel Various in the Manner of his Working and in the Means by which he works Upon some by a powerful Ordinance upon others by an awakening Providence But though there be such Variety in the Method of the Spirit 's Working yet is the Work in all still the same There is no Variety in the Work wrought The effect produced by the Holy Spirit in the Work of Regeneration is alike and the same in all namely Likeness to God A Conformity in our Natures to the Holy Nature of God and a Conformity in our Lives to the Will of God 9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him How can these things be 10 Jesus answered and said unto him Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things 11 Verily verily I say unto thee We speak that we do know and testifie that we have seen and ye receive not our witness 12 If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things Observe here 1. How Nicodemus consulting only with carnal Reason persists in his Apprehension concerning the Absurdity and Impossibility of our Saviour's Notion of Regeneration or being born of the Spirit Nicodemus said How can these things be Learn hence That the great Cause of Mens Ignorance in the Matters of Salvation and the Mysteries of Religion is consulting their own Natural Reason without submitting their Understandings to the Authority of Divine Revelation Till they can give a Reason for every thing they believe they cry out with Nicodemus How can these things be whereas though we cannot give a reason of all Gospel Mysteries which we believe we can give a good reason why we believe them namely Because God has revealed them No Man can be a Christian who refuses to submit his Understanding to the Authority of Divine Revelation Observe 2. How our Saviour reproves Nicodemus for and upbraids him with his Ignorance v. 10. and his Infidelity v. 12. 1. His Ignorance is reproved Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things as if Christ had said Ignorance in any as to the Fundamentals of Religion is shameful tho' but a common Learner much more in a Teacher and Master and he a Teacher and Master in Israel now art thou one of them and yet knowest not these things Learn hence 1. That a Man may be very knowing himself and take upon him to teach and instruct others and yet be very ignorant of the Nature and much unacquainted with the Work of Regeneration upon his own Soul A Man may be sharp-sighted as the Eagle in the Mysteries of Art
in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father 22 Ye worship ye know not what we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews 23 But the hour cometh and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him Here we have our Saviour's Answer to the foregoing Question which consists of two Parts 1. Concerning the Place of Worship 2. Concerning the Worship it self As to the Place of Worship our Saviour tells her that though the Jews had heretofore by warrant of God's Word regularly worshipped at Jerusalem and the Samaritans superstitiously worshipped at Mount Gerizim yet the Hour was coming namely at his Death when all difference of Places for God's Worship should be taken away and therefore she need not trouble her self about the Place of God's Worship to know whether of the two Places were holier and the better to serve God in for ere long the Service of God should not be confined more to one Place than another Hence learn That since the death of Christ the Religious Difference of Places is taken away and the Worship of God not confined to any one particular Place or Nation 2. Our blessed Saviour resolves her concerning the Worship it self namely that the Ceremonial Worship which the Jews and Samaritans used should shortly be abolished and instead thereof a more spiritual Form of Worship should be established more suitable to the Spiritual Nature of the great and holy God and containing in it the Truth and Substance of all that which the Jewish Ceremonies prefigured and shadowed forth Learn hence That the True Worship of God under the Gospel doth not consist in the external Pomp of any outward Ceremonies but is Spiritual and Substantial No Worship is acceptable to him that is the Father of Spirits but that which is truly Spiritual 24 God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth God is a Spirit that is he has no Body nor bodily Parts He is not a bare spiritual Substance but a pure and perfect Spirit and therefore his Worshippers must worship him in Spirit and in Truth Where Spirit is opposed to the Legal Ceremonies and Truth to the Jewish Rites not to Hypocritical Services for the old Patriarchs did worship God in Spirit and in Truth As Truth is taken for Sincerity they served him with a sincere Conscience and with a single Heart But our Saviour's Business is to shew That a Worship without Legal Rites and Jewish Ceremonies is proper to the times of the Gospel In the Words Observe 1. The Nature of God declared God is a Spirit 2. The Duty of Man inferred therefore they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth From the whole Note 1. That God is a pure Spiritual Being When bodily Parts Hands and Eyes c. are ascribed to him it is only in Condescension to our weakness and to signifie those Acts in God which such Members do perform in us Note 2. That the Worship due from the Creature to God is spiritual Worship and ought to be spiritually performed The Jewish Ceremonial Worship was abolished to promote the Spirituality of Divine Worship yet must not this be so understood as if God rejected bodily Worship because he requires spiritual under the Gopsel for Jesus Christ the most spiritual Worshipper worshipped God with his Body Besides God has appointed some Parts of Worship which cannot be performed without the Body as Sacraments In a Word God has created the Body as well as the Soul Christ has redeemed the Body as well as the Soul and he will glorify the Body as well as the Soul therefore it is our Duty to worship and glorify God with our Bodies and with our Spirits which are his 25 The woman saith unto him I know that Messias cometh which is called Christ when he is come he will tell us all things 26 Jesus saith unto her I that speak unto thee am he Observe here 1. What a General Expectation there was in the Minds of all Persons at the time of our Saviour's appearing of one whom the Jews called the Messiah I know that Messiah cometh This Woman though a Samaritan yet knew that the Messiah should come and that he was now expected Observe 2. What the Work and Office of the Messias was apprehended and believed to be namely to reveal the whole Mind and Will of God to a lost World When the Messias is come he will tell us all things Learn thence That the Lord Jesus Christ the promised and true Messias being called and appointed by God to be the great Prophet of his Church hath fully and perfectly revealed all things needful to be known for our Salvation John 15.15 All things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you Observe Lastly How freely and fully Christ reveals himself to this poor Woman he tells her plainly that he was the Messias When the Jews asked him John 10.24 If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Christ did not in plain Terms tell them who he was Nay when John Baptist sent two of his Disciples to ask him whether he were He that should come he gave them no direct Answer Yet behold he makes himself plainly known to this poor Woman he discerning her Humility and great Simplicity that she was willing to be instructed by him and did not come to him as the Jews and Pharisees did captiously with a design to entangle and enspare him Hence learn That the Lord Jesus Christ delights to reveal himself and make known his Mind and Will to such as with an humble Mind and an honest Simplicity of heart do desire to know him and understand their Duty to him 27 ¶ And upon this came his disciples and marvelled that he talked with the woman yet no man said What seekest thou or Why talkest thou with her 28 The woman then left her water-pot and went her way into the city and saith to the men 29 Come see a man which told me all things that ever I did is not this the Christ 30 Then they went out of the city and came unto him Observe here 1. How the Providence of God so ordered and disposed of things that the Disciples did not return to Christ till he had finisht his Discourse with this poor Woman An humbled sinner may meet with such Satisfaction and sweet Refreshment in Christ's Company that the presence even of Disciples themselves the best and holiest of Saints may be lookt upon as injurious to it and an interruption of it This poor Woman had so sweet a time with Christ that an end being put to the Conference by the coming of the Disciples might be Matter of Grief and Resentment to her Yet the Providence of God so ordered that the Disciples did not come to break off the Conference till Christ had made himself known as the Messias to this
and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him 57 As the living Father hath sent me and I live by the Father so he that eateth me even he shall live by me 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven not as your fathers did eat manna and are dead he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever 59 These things said he in the synagogue as he taught in Capernaum Observe here How the Jews understanding Christ after a Carnal manner were offended at what he said for they thought it was Inhumane to eat Man's Flesh and could not understand how the Body of Christ could in such a Sense be Food to all the World Hence Note That Carnal Persons put a Carnal Sense upon Christ's Spiritual Words and so occasion their own stumbling But yet notwithstanding the Jews stumbled at our Saviour's Expression he doth not alter his words but presseth more and more the Necessity of feeding upon him by Faith in order to Eternal Life Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Learn from hence 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the True Spiritual Food of all Believers 2. That those and only those who do by Faith feed upon him shall obtain a Life of Grace and Glory from him if we do not by Faith feed upon him we can have no Evidence for a Life of Grace nor Title to a Life of Glory This place some Papists produce to Countenance their Doctrine of Transubstantiation and a Bodily eating and drinking of Christ's Flesh and Blood in the Sacrament But it is evident that Christ Treats not of the Sacrament in this Chapter for the Sacrament was not now Instituted and therefore it is not a Sacramental but a Spiritual feeding upon Christ by Faith that is here meant For this eating gives Life to the Eater all that eat are saved and all that do not eat are damned but this is not true of a Sacramental eating besides this eating that Christ speaks of he makes absolutely necessary to Salvation but some are saved that never fed upon Christ in the Sacrament as John the Baptist and the Thief on the Cross Lastly if it be understood of a Sacramental Eating and Drinking wo be to the Church of Rome for denying the Cup to the Laity because Drinking of Christ's Blood is made here as necessary as eating of his Flesh in order to Eternal Life Except ye Eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and Drink his Blood ye have no Life in you Observe farther The close and intimate Union which is betwixt Christ himself and those that feed upon him He that eateth me Dwelleth in me and I in him As Meat is turned into the Eater's Substance so Believers and Christ become one and by feeding on him that is by believing in him there followeth a mutual Inhabitation Christ dwelling in them and they in him this is true of a Spiritual feeding upon Christ but not of a Sacramental Eating Nay Christ carries it higher still and tells us That as there is a Real Union between the Father and him and as the Father Lives who sent him â—aving an Eternal Fountain of Life in himself and the Son Lives by the Father having the same Life communicated to him with his Essence from the Father in like manner says Christ he that eateth me the same shall Live by me All which is certainly true of our Spiritual Feeding upon Christ by Faith but cannot be applied to a Corporal feeding upon him in the Sacrament as the Papists would have it 60 Many therefore of his disciples when they had heard this said This is an hard saying who can hear it 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it he said unto them Doth this offend you 62 What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before The foregoing Doctrine of our Saviour concerning eating his Flesh and drinking his Blood sounded so very harshly that not only the common multitude but some of them that had been his Disciples that is who had given up their names to follow him could not tell how to bear them Our Saviour Reproves their unjust stumbling at what he had said That he was the Bread which came down from Heaven and tells them that his Ascension into Heaven should prove the Truth of his descent from Heaven Hence we learn That Christ's arising from the Grave and Ascending into Heaven by his own Power is an Evident proof of his Godhead and that he really came down from Heaven in respect of his Divine Nature which condescended to be cloathed with our Flesh What and if ye shall see the Son of Man Ascend up where he was before 63 It is the spirit that quickneth the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life To convince the Jews that our Saviour did not mean a carnal fleshly eating of his Body he tells them that such an eating would profit them nothing but it is a Spiritual eating of him by Faith that bringeth that Quickning Life of which he had spoken It is the Spirit or Divine Nature that Quickneth the flesh or human Nature alone separated from his Godhead profiteth nothing and can give no Life Learn hence That it is the Godhead of Christ united to the Humane Nature which adds all Vertue Efficacy and Merit to the Obedience and sufferings of the Humane Nature It is the Spirit or Divine Nature of Christ that Quickneth the flesh or Humane Nature alone profiteth nothing and therefore the carnal eating of my flesh would do no good 64 But there are some of you that believe not For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not and who should betray him 65 And he said Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto me except it were given unto him of my Father 66 ¶ From that time many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him Our Blessed Saviour having thus cleared his Doctrine that he was the Bread of Life which came down from Heaven and that he is not to be Carnally but Spiritually fed upon He plainly tells the Jews That the true cause of their stumbling at his Doctrine was their Ignorance and Unbelief there are some of you that believe not Upon which plain dealing of our Blessed Saviour's many unsound Professors did wholly forsake him and accompanied no longer with him Learn hence That multitudes who have long professed Christ and his Holy Religion may draw back and fall from their Profession and finally revolt from him 2. That it is an Evil heart of unbelief which causes Men to depart from Christ and to make Shipwrack of their Profession 67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve Will ye also go away 68 Then Simon Peter answered him Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of eternal life 69 And we
Life Observe 2. How the Jews misunderstood our Saviour's words He that keeps my saying shall never see Death as if he meant a freedom from Temporal Death and hereupon they looked upon him as beside himself to promise a Priviledge which neither Abraham nor the Prophets did ever enjoy Whereas it was not Exemption from Temporal Death but freedom from Eternal Destruction which our Saviour promised to them that keep his sayings Hence learn That the misunderstanding of Christ's Doctrine and taking it in a Carnal Sense has given occasion for the many Cavils and Objections made against it Observe 3. How Christ clears himself of all Ambition in this matter and shews that he did not make this promise of delivering his followers from Death vain-gloriously but that God whom they called their Father had honoured him with Power to make good what ever he had promised to them that keep his saying Learn hence That as Christ intirely sought his Father's Glory so the Father conferred all Honour and Glory upon Christ as Mediatour thereby testifying how infinitely pleased he was with the Redemption of Mankind performed by him If I honour my self my honour is nothing it is my Father that honoureth me 56 Your father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad That is Abraham having Received a Promise that the Messias should come of his Seed he exceedingly Rejoyced to see the day of my coming in the Flesh tho' afar off with the Eye of his Faith and in a Figure in his Sacrificed Son Isaac And this sight of his Faith was so Transporting that he leap'd for Joy Learn hence That a strong Faith giveth such a clear sight of Christ tho' at a distance as produceth an Holy delight and Rejoycing in him 57 Then said the Jews unto him Thou art not yet fifty years old and hast thou seen Abraham 58 Jesus said unto them Verily verily I say unto you Before Abraham was I am 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him but Jesus hid himself and went put of the temple going through the midst of them and so passed by Observe here 1. What a false and Ridiculous construction the Jews make of our Saviour's words as if he had affirmed that he had seen Abraham and Abraham him with bodily Eyes whereas Christ only asserted that Abraham had seen his Day that is he foresaw by Faith the Day of his Incarnation and coming in the Flesh Observe 2. Our Saviour's positive asserting of his Divinity or that he had a Being as God from all Eternity for says he Before Abraham was I am Where Note That Christ doth not say Before Abraham was I was but Before Abraham was I am which is the proper name of God whereby is signified the Eternal duration and permanency of his Being The Adversaries of Christ's Divinity say that before Abraham was Christ was that is in God's fore-knowledge or Decree but this may be said of any other person as well as Christ that he was in the fore-knowledge of God before Abraham was Born Whereas undoubtedly it was Christ's design in these words to give himself some preference and advantage above Abraham which this Interpretation doth not in the least do Observe lastly How the Jews looking upon Christ as a Blasphemer for making himself equal with God and for asserting his Eternal Existence they make a Zealous attempt upon his Life by taking up Stones to cast at him as the Jews used to deal with Blasphemers but our Saviour delivers himself miraculously from their fury and escapes untouched Hence learn That when Arguments fail the Enemies of Truth betake themselves to force and violence They took up Stones to cast at him 2. That as Christ disappointed his own Persecutors so he can and will deliver his People in their greatest extremity from the Persecutors Rage and Fury 2. Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the Godly out of Temptation and to reserve the Vnjust to the Day of Judgment to be punished CHAP. IX 1 ANd as Jesus passed by he saw a man which was blind from his birth The foregoing Chapter acquainted us with a famous Encounter which the Pharisees had with our Blessed Saviour in the Temple at Jerusalem This being ended as he passed from the Temple he saw a Man lying possibly by the High-way who was Born Blind Him Christ pitches upon as an object fit to exercise his Divine Power in the cure and healing of They that are Blind by casualty may possibly be relieved by Art and Industry but to cure one that is Born Blind nothing less is required than an Almighty Power Learn hence That Diseases and Distempers which are incurable by the ordinary course of Nature are not insuperable to Christ's Power nor impossible for him to help but a proper object for him to magnifie his Power upon Therefore is it here Recorded that this poor Man was Blind from his Birth such Blindness being accounted incurable by Natural means 2 And his disciples asked him saying Master who did sin this man or his parents that he was born blind Here Observe Something implied or supposed Namely 1. That all Bodily Afflictions and Calamities do come upon us for Sin Whereas Afflictions tho' they always fall upon a Sinner yet are they not always sent for Sin but by way of Purgation and Prevention of Sin 2. It is here supposed that as some Afflictions come upon Men for personal Sins so others come upon them for Parental Sins and that Children may and oftimes do very justly suffer for their Parents Sins 3. It is here supposed that there is no other Reason of a person's sufferings but only Sin Whereas tho' Sin be much and often the cause of suffering yet we may wrong God and Man yea and Sin too to conclude it is always the cause of suffering 4. It is implied here That there is a Transmigration of Souls from one Body to another the Disciples supposed that this Soul when it was in another Body sinned and was now punished by being put into a Blind Body This Pythagorean Error was crept in among the Pharisees and the Disciples here seem to be tainted and infected with it This may Teach us how far the Holiest and Wisest of Men are from an Infallible Spirit and that the Best Men may be misled by a common Error 3 Jesus answered Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents but that the works of God should be made manifest in him Christ's Answer must not be understood Absolutely as if he denied this Man and his Parents to be guilty of Sin for both he and they had Sin enough not only to deserve Temporal Blindness but Eternal darkness The meaning is That in Afflicting this Man the Lord did not so much Respect his or his Parent 's Sin as the manifestation of his own Glory in this miraculous Cure Christ doth not deny but that a Man 's own Sin and the Sin of his Parents may be the procuring
ye dead and come to Judgment Observe lastly How readily obedient Lazarus was to the Call and Command of Christ He that was dead came forth and if Lazarus did thus instantly start up at the Voice of Christ in the Day of his Humiliation how shall the dead be rouzed up out of their Graves by that Voice which will shake the powers of Heaven and move the Foundations of the Earth in the Day of his Glorification Question But where was Lazarus his Soul all this while that he was dead if in Heaven was it not a wrong to him to come from thence If not doth it not prove that the Soul sleeps as well as the Body Ans Souls go not to Heaven by Necessitation as the Fire naturally and necessarily ascends upward But are disposed of by God as the supream Governour those that have served him go to Heaven and those that have served the Devil to Hell and those that are not yet judged to either place but are to live presently again upon Earth as Lazarus was are reserved by God accordingly whether shut up in the Body as in a Swound or whether kept in the Custody and Hands of an Angel not far from the Body waiting his pleasure either to restore it to the Body or to return it to its proper place of Bliss or Misery The Scripture has not told us whether and it would be too great Curiosity to inquire and greater presumption to determine 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him 46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done 47 ¶ Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council and said What do we for this man doeth many miracles 48 If we let him thus alone all men will believe on him and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation Observe here 1. The different Effects which this Miracle had upon those Jews who were present at the raising of Lazarus Some of them believed on Christ but others persisting in their Unbelief went to the Pharisees and informed against him Notwithstanding all the Evidence which our Saviour gave of his being the Messias by the Miracles which he wrought yet many rejected him and refused to believe in him to their unutterable and inevitable Condemnation Obs 2. How greatly disturbed the Pharisees were upon the Account of our Saviour's Miracles Knowing how proper an Argument they were to convince Men they concluded that if Christ were suffered to go on and work Miracles he would draw all Men after him Learn thence That Jesus proved himself to be the true Messias by the Miracles which he wrought his Enemies themselves being Judges For we find here the worst of our Saviour's Enemies were afraid of his Miracles that by them he would draw all Men after him If we let him alone all Men will believe on him Obs 3. What was the Ground of the Pharisees fear if they let Christ go on to work Miracles that he would have so many Followers as would Alarm the Romans and awaken their Jealousie and cause them to come upon them with an Army to deprive them of the little Liberty they indulged them and take away their Place and Nation Their Place that is their Place of Worship the Temple And their Nation that is bring the whole Body of the Jewish Nation to utter Destruction Learn hence How all the Enemies and Opposers of Christ and his Kingdom do endeavour to colour their Quarrel with some specious Pretences that they may hide the odiousness of their Practices from the Eye of the World and may not be openly seen to fight against God Thus the Pharisees here persecute our Saviour not as the Messias though the Miracles he wrought were a sufficient Evidence that he was such but as one who would bring Ruine upon their Nation If we let him alone the Romans will come and take away both our Place and Nation 49 And one of them named Caiaphas being the high-priest that same year said unto them Ye know nothing at all 50 Nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people and that the whole nation perish not 51 And this spake he not of himself but being high-priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation 52 And not for that nation only but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad The foregoing Verses acquainted us with the Apprehension which the chief Priests had of the Necessity of taking away the Life of our blessed Saviour Lest the Romans should take away both their Place and Nation Now here in these Verses Caiaphas the High-Priest delivers his Opinion for the preventing of this danger he tells the rest that they ought not to boggle at the Matter but come to a positive and peremptory Resolution to provide for the Publick Safety Right or Wrong and that it is great Folly to prefer one Man's Life though never so innocent before a Nations Welfare a most wicked and devilish Speech as a Judge he regarded not what was lawful but as a wicked Politician he consulted what was expedient he declares that one Man though never so good and holy though never so just and innocent had better dye than a whole Nation suffer Whereas it is in any case unlawful to do Evil that Good may come Learn hence That although it be the Duty of all Persons to pray for and endeavour after the publick Welfare of a Church and Nation whereof they are Members yet it is altogether unlawful to promote the greatest National Good by wicked and unlawful Means Observe further How God over-ruled the Tongue of Caiaphas beyond his own intention prophetically to foretel that great good which by our Saviour's death should redound to the World And that the Fruit and Benefit of his death should not only extend to the Jews but to the Gentiles also and that he should gather into one Body or Church all that truly believe in him though far and wide dispersed upon the Face of the Earth Hence learn 1. That the Spirit of Prophecy did sometimes fall upon very bad Men and God has been pleased to reveal some part of his Mind to the worst of Men. Thus Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezar had in their Dreams a Revelation from God what things he intended to do Learn 2. That it is consistent with the Holiness of God sometimes to make use of the Tongues of the worst of Men to publish and declare his Will Caiaphas here though a vile and wicked Man was influenced by God to prophesie and speak an Oracle Almighty God may when he please employ wicked Men this way without any prejudice to his Holiness This Caiaphas spake not of himself but being High-Priest he prophesied that Jesus should dye for that Nation 53 Then from that day forth
argue from the Knowledg of Christ's Omnisciency to the certainty of his Divinity Now are we sure that thou knowest all things by this we believe that thou camest forth from God The Knowledg and Experience of Christ's Omnisciency may and ought fully to confirm us in the Belief of his Deity 31 Jesus answered them Do ye now believe 32 Behold the hour cometh yea is now come that ye shall be scattered every man to his own and shall leave me alone and yet I am not alone because the Father is with me In the foregoing Verse the Apostles made a full profession of their Faith in Christ's Divinity and in Christ's Omnisciency Now are we sure that thou knowest all things and that thou camest forth from God In this Verse Christ intimates to them that their Faith should be put upon a great Tryal very shortly Namely when his Sufferings came on and that then they should all forsake him and take care of themselves Ye shall be scattered and leave me alone Learn hence 1. That Christ was forsaken and left alone by his own Disciples in the Day of his greatest Distress and Danger 2. That when the Disciples left Christ they were scattered every one to his own 3. That when all forsook Christ and left him alone he was far from being simply alone because God was with him Ye shall leave me alone and yet am I not alone because the Father is with me God was with Christ and will be with Christians in a Suffering hour in his Essential presence in his Gracious and supporting presence He that sent me saith Christ is with me the Father hath not left me alone for I do always those things that please my Father 33 These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace In the world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world These words are the Conclusion of our Saviour's farewel Sermon to his Disciples in which he declares to them 1. The inevitable necessity of the World's Trouble In the World ye shall have Tribulation that is while ye have to do with the Men of the World while you have any thing to do with the things of the World nay while you have a being in the World you must look for Trouble both from within and from without from Friends and Foes in Body Soul Name Estate Heart-breaking Troubles Soul-rending Troubles such Troubles as will make the Heart to break and the Back to bend and you my Disciples must expect it as well as others In the World ye shall have Tribulation Hence learn That the Disciples of Christ in this World may yea must expect and look for Trouble Observe 2. The Remedy provided by Christ against this Malady In me ye shall have Peace when in the World ye have Tribulation Ye shall have Peace that is serenity of Mind a quiet and calm Temper of Spirit within when the World like a Tempestuous Air is full of Storms without Learn thence That though in the World Christ's own Disciples must look for and expect Troubles yet he has taken effectual care that amidst all their Troubles in him they may have Peace Christ's Blood has purchased Peace for them his Word has promised it to them and his Spirit seals it up to their Souls Observe 3. The Cordial provided by Christ for the support of his Disciples Spirits under the sinking Burthen of the World's Tribulations and Troubles But be of good cheer I have overcome the World I have taken the Sting out of every Cross and the Venom out of every Arrow Learn hence That it is a great Comfort to a Christian under all the Troubles of this World to consider that Christ has overcome the World That is all things in the World which may hinder his Peoples Comfort and Consolation here and their Eternal Happiness and Salvation hereafter As Namely the Prince of the World the Rulers of the World the wicked Men of the World the Troubles of the World the Temptations of the World the Corruptions that are in the World through Lust Now Christ having overcome the World all persons and things in it are at his disposal and can do nothing but by his permission and as he has overcome the World himself so he will enable us through Faith in him to overcome it also 1 John 5.4 This is the victory over the World even our Faith CHAP. XVII 1 THese words spake Jesus and lift up his eyes to heaven and said Father the hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee Our blessed Saviour having ended his Consolatory and Valedictory Sermon contained in the Three foregoing Chapters in this Chapter we have Recorded his last Prayer with and for his Disciples before he left the World which is a Copy left upon Earth of what he doth now interceed for as an Advocate in Heaven It is good saith one to compare Scripture with Scripture but not to prefer Scripture before Scripture all Scripture being written by Inspiration of God but if any part of Scripture be to be magnified above another this Chapter claims the preheminence it contains the breathings out of Christ's Soul for his Church and Children before his Departure not for his Disciples only but for the succeeding Church to the end of the World In the Verse before us Observe 1. The order of our Saviour's Prayer These words spake Jesus that is after he had finished his Excellent Sermon he closes the Exercise with a most fervent and affectionate Prayer teaching his Ministers by his Example to add Solemn Prayer and Supplication to all their Instructions and Exhortations if every Creature of God be to be Sanctified by Prayer much more the word of God which works not as a Natural Agent but as a moral Instrument in God's hand Now as God sets the Word on work so it is Prayer that sets God on work Observe 2. As the order of Christ's Prayer so the gesture in which he prayed He lifted up his Eyes to Heaven as an indication of his Souls being lifted up to God in Heaven to signifie his Reverence of God whose Throne is in Heaven and to denote his confidence in God and raised expectation of aid and help from God and not from any Creature Learn That the gestures which we use in Prayer should be such as may best express our Reverence of God and denote our Affiance and Trust in him Observe 3. The Person prayed to God under the Appellation of a Father it intimates a sweet Relation 't is a word of endearing Affection and implies great Reverence towards God and great confidence and trust in him Learn It is very sweet and comfortable in Prayer when we can come and call God Father Observe 4. The Mercy prayed for The hour is come glorifie thy Son that thy Son also may glorifie thee the hour is come that is the hour of my Sufferings and thy Satisfaction the hour of
am ascending to my Father and must be injoyed no longer after a Corporal but Spiritual manner Learn hence That our Love to Jesus Christ is best shewn not by our Humane Passionate Affections to his bodily Presence but by our Spiritual Communion with him by Faith here on Earth in order to an immediate Communion with him face to face in Heaven Christ now after his Resurrection was advanced to a more Spiritual Condition therefore refuses at Mary's Hand the Offices of Humane Conversation but expects of her the Duties and Services of Spiritual Devotion Obs 2. Christ's Injunction But go to my Brethren and say I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Where Note The endearing Title given to the Disciples My Brethren he had before his Death called them his Servants his Friends his Children but now after his Resurrection he calls them his Brethren he became our Brother by assuming our Nature in his Incarnation he continues our Brother by resuming that Nature at his Resurrection Note farther That Christ calls his Disciples Brethren after his Exaltation and Resurrection thereby shewing that the change of his condition had wrought no change in his Affection towards his poor Disciples but those that were his Brethren before in the time of his Humilition and Abasement are so still after his Exaltation and Advancement Go to my Brethren and say Humility doth not only go before Honour but it dwells with Honour and doth ever more accompany it Observe lastly The good News or Message of Joy which Christ sends by Mary to his dear Disciples say I ascend to my Father and your Father to my God and your God as if Nature and Adoption gave the same Interest Christ calls God his God and his Disciples God his Father and their Father first his and then theirs and therefore theirs because his Learn hence That God for Christ's sake hath dignified Believers with that near and dear Relation of his being a Father to them in and through his Son so that as they ought to carry it towards him like Children by Obedience Subjection and Resignation so they may expect he will retain a Fatherly Affection towards them and they may expect from him Fatherly Compassion Provision Protection Correction and all things needful 18 Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had spoken these things unto her 19 ¶ Then the same day at evening being the first day of the week when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them Peace be unto you 20 And when he had so said he shewed unto them his hands and his side Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord. Our blessed Saviour's first appearing after his Resurrection having been to Mary Magdalen as the former Verses acquainted us The same Day at Evening when the Doors were shut for fear of the Jews Jesus miraculously and as to the Disciples insensibly opens the Doors and stands in the midst of them and says Peace be unto you and shews them his Hands and his Side Where Note 1. That it has been no strange thing in the Church that the best Members of it have been put to frequent their Assemblies with great fear and been forced to meet in the Night with great Caution because of the Fury of the Persecutors Here Christ's own Disciples were forced to get together in the Night the Doors kept shut for fear of the Jews Note 2. Let Christ's Disciples meet together never so privately and with never so much hazard and jeopardy they shall have Christ's Company with them neither Bolts nor Locks nor fastned Doors shall hold Christ from them When the Doors were shut Jesus came and stood in the midst of them Observe lastly The Evidence which our Saviour offers to evince and prove the certainty of his Resurrection he shewed his Disciples his Hands and his Feet Christ appealed to and admitted of the Judgment of their Senses to assure them that it was his real Body And if we must not be allowed to believe our Senses as the Romish Synagogue would persuade us we shall want the best external Evidence we can have to prove the Truth of the Christian Religion namely the Miracles of our Saviour For how can we be assured that those Miracles were true but by the Judgment of our Senses Now as our Senses tell us that Christ's Miracles were true so they assure us that the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation is false 21 Then said Jesus to them again Peace be unto you as my Father hath sent me even so send I you 22 And when he had said this he breathed on them and saith unto them Receive ye the holy Ghost 23 Whos 's soever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whose soever sins ye retain they are retained Observe here 1. The Repetition of our Saviour's endeared Salutation to his Disciples Peace be unto you Peace be unto you This was no more than might be needful to signifie his firm Reconciliation to them notwithstanding their late Cowardize in forsaking of him and flying from him when the Storm fell upon him Observe 2. How Christ doth renew his Disciples Commission for the Work of the Ministry who possibly were much discouraged with the remembrance of their faint-heartedness in the time of his Sufferings he doth therefore anew Commissionate them and sends them forth in these Words As my Father sent me that is to preach plant and propagate the Gospel so send I you By the same Authority and for the same Ends in part for which I was sent by my Father do I send you namely to gather to govern and instruct my Church Learn hence That when Christ left the World he did not leave his Church destitute of a Gospel-Ministry which shall continue to the end of the World As Christ was sent by the Father so are his Ministers sent by him and they may expect having the same Authority and Commission the same Success and Blessing and the Contempt cast upon them and their Message ultimately reflects upon God and Christ whose Messengers they are Observe 3. How Christ that sends them forth doth furnish them with the Gifts of the Spirit for their Office He breathed on them and said Receive ye the Holy Ghost that is the Gifts of the Holy Ghost They had received the Holy Spirit before as a Spirit of Sanctification here they receive it in its extraordinary Gifts to fit them for their Office And Christ's conferring the Holy Ghost by breathing upon them shews that the Holy Spirit proceeds as well from the Son as from the Father And as by God's breathing the first Man was made a living Soul so by Christ's breathing on the Apostles they were quickened and extraordinarily enabled for the Service they were called to Learn hence That when Christ sends forth any about his
Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes an hundred and fifty and three and for all there were so many yet was not the net broken Observe here 1. What was Christ's End in commanding his Disciples to bring forth the Fish which they had now taken namely That the sight of their number and bigness together with the sight of the Net remaining unbroken might confirm them in the belief of its being a real Miracle Christ had fed their Bellies before his business now is to feed their Minds with the Contemplation of the Greatness and Reality of the Miracle All Christ's Miracles were obvious to Sense and would bear the examination of the Senses not like the lying Wonders of the Church of Rome which are commonly wrought in the dark to couzen the Vulgar and are meer Cheats and Impostours Observe 2. That this full Draught of Fishes which Peter and the rest of the Disciples now had might probably presage that great and wonderful Success which he and they afterwards were to have in fishing for Men. Here we have an Hundred fifty and three great Fishes caught at one Draught but Acts 2. we find Three thousand Souls converted by St. Peter at one Sermon Oh the marvellous success of the Gospel at the first preaching and planting of it Three thousand then proselyted by one Sermon Now we have cause to fear that there are Three thousand Sermons preached and scarce one Soul savingly converted Lord Who hath believed our Report 12 Jesus saith unto them Come and dine And none of the disciples durst ask him Who art thou knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh and taketh bread and giveth them and fish likewise 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead A twofold Reason may be assigned why Christ did at this time invite and call his Disciples to dine with him The first and more principal Reason was to evidence to them the reality of his Resurrection and to assure them of the Truth of his Manhood that they might not think it was an Apparition only By the Miracle in catching the Fishes he proved himself to be God by his present eating of the fish he evidenced himself to be Man And consequently teacheth us That our exalted High-Priest continues our Kinsman in Heaven He is still Bone of our Bone and Flesh of our Flesh He has taken possession of Heaven in our Nature sitting there in our glorified humanity united to the glorious Deity clothed with that Body which hung in its Blood and Gore upon the Cross but now shining brighter than ten thousand Suns The second and less principal Reason why Christ called his Disciples to dine with him was this To shew his tender Care over the Bodies of his dear Disciples as being the Tabernacles of his own Spirit the Temples of the Holy Ghost Therefore Christ incourages though not to the pampering yet to the refreshing of them Jesus said unto them Come and dine And he would not confer with them till they had dined as the next Verse shews 15 ¶ So when they had dined Jesus saith to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more then these He saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my lambs 16 He saith to him again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me He saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my sheep 17 He saith unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time Lovest thou me And he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus saith unto him Feed my sheep Observe here 1. Christ puts Peter upon a threefold profession of his Love unto him answerable to his threefold Denial of him His threefold Denial required a threefold Confession True Repentance ought and will be as eminent in the Fruits and Effects of it as the Saints Fall hath been A threefold Denial of Christ shall be attended with a threefold profession of Love unto him Observe 2. The solemn Question put by our Saviour unto Peter Lovest thou me Lovest thou me more than these That is more than the rest of my Disciples Dost thou love me more than thou lovest them Or more than they love me If so evidence the sincerity of thy Love to me by thy Care of mine Thence Note That Ministers who are called to take Care of Christ's Flock had need of much Love to Jesus Christ and great Compassion for Souls by which they will be animated and fortified to go through with the Labours and Difficulties as well as to encounter the Dangers and Sufferings which do accompany their Calling Simon lovest thou me Feed my Flock Note farther That the surest Argument and best Evidence of a Minister's Love to Jesus Christ is his conscientious Care to Feed that is to Teach Instruct and Govern the whole Flock of Christ Lambs and Sheep weak and strong the feeblest in the Fold were purchased by the great Shepherd And if he judg'd them worth his Blood well may we judge them worth our Sweat Note Again That such as would be faithful in their Ministerial Charge ought to look upon their People as committed to them by Christ himself as loved of him and committed to their care by him and for which they must be accountable to him Christ calls them three times over His Lambs and His Sheep and as often charges Peter to feed them Observe next Peter's threefold Answer to Christ's Question Simon lovest thou me more than these Lord thou knowest that I love Where Note 1. The great Modesty of Peter in his Reply Lovest thou me more than these says Christ Peter replies Lord Thou knowest that I Love thee he doth not say Lord I Love thee above them 〈◊〉 and before them all here is no boasting now once it was said and Peter vaunted tho' all Men forsake thee yet will not I but now his Fall had taught him Humility he boasts not of his Love above others and makes no comparison with others but only ranks himself among the true lovers of Christ Lord I love thee Note 2. The Evidence that Peter gives of his sincere Love to Christ he dare appeal to Christ himself Lord thou knowest that I love thee yea thou that art Omniscient the all-knowing and Heart-searching God Thou that knowest all things knowest that I Love thee Oh! 't is a blessed thing when we can and dare Appeal to God's Knowledge and 't is matter of high consolation to know that God knoweth our sincerity and Love unto him and that he knoweth and approveth us as such Lord Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I Love thee 18 Verily verily I say unto thee When thou wast young thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldest
without desiring to speak with thee 48 But he answered and said unto him that told him Who is my mother and who are my brethren 49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples and said Behold my mother and my brethren 50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven the same is my brother and sister and mother Observe here 1. The Verity of Christ's Humane Nature he had Affinity and Consanguinity with Men Persons near in Blood to him called his Brethren that is his Cosin-Germans 2. That the Holy Virgin her self was not wholly free from Failings and Infirmities for here she does untimely and unseasonably interrupt our Saviour when Preaching to the People and imployed about his Father's Business 3. That Christ did not neglect his Holy Mother nor disregard his near Relations but shewed that he preferr'd his Father's Service before them 4. Learn How dear Believers are to Jesus Christ he preferrs his Spiritual Kindred before his Natural Alliance in Faith and Spiritual Relation to Christ is much nearer and dearer than Alliance by Blood To bear Christ in the Heart is much better than to bear him in the Womb. Blessed be God this greatest Priviledge is not denied to us even now Tho' see Christ we cannot yet love him we may his Bodily Presence cannot be enjoyed by us but his Spiritual Presence is not denied us Tho' Christ be not ours in House in Arms in Affinity in Consanguinity yet in Heart in Faith in Love and Service he is or may be Ours Verily Spiritual Regeneration brings Men into a more Honourable Relation to Christ than Natural Generation ever did Whosoever shall do the Will of my Father he is my Brother Sister and Mother CHAP. XIII 1 THE same day went Jesus out of the house and sat by the sea-side 2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto him so that he went into a ship and sat and the whole multitude stood on the shoar 3 And he spake many things unto them in parables saying The foregoing Chapter gave us an Account of an Awakening Sermon preached by our Saviour to the Pharisees In this Chapter we are acquainted with the Continuance of his Preaching to the Multitude Where three things are Observable 1. Our Lord's Assiduity and unwearied Diligence in Preaching of the Gospel for this Sermon was made the same Day with that in the former Chapter Vers 1. The same Day went Jesus out and sat by the Sea-side A good Pattern for the Preachers of the Gospel to follow How ashamed may we be to Preach Once a Week when our Lord Preacht Twice a Day Obs 2. The Place our Lord Preacht in a Ship not that he declined the Temple or the Synagogue when he had the Opportunity but in the want of them Christ thought an House a Mountain a Ship no unmeet Place to Preach in It is not the Place that Sanctifies the Ordinance but the Ordinance that Sanctifies the Place Obs 3. The Manner of our Lord 's Preaching it was by Parables and Similitudes Which was an Ancient Way of Instruction among the Jews and a very Convincing Way working upon Mens Minds Memories and Affections making the Mind attentive the Memory retentive and the Auditors inquisitive after the Interpretation of the Parable Some are of Opinion that our Saviour's Parables were suited to his Hearers Employments some of whom being Husbandmen he resembles his Doctrine to Seed sown in the Field For thus he speaks 3 Behold a sower went forth to sow 4 And when he sowed some seeds fell by the way-side and the fowls came and devoured them up 5 Some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth and forthwith they sprung up because they had no deepness of earth 6 And when the sun was up they were scorched and because they had not root they withered away 7 And some fell among thorns and the thorns sprung up and choaked them 8 But other fell into good ground and brought forth fruit some an hundred fold some sixty fold some thirty fold 9 Who hath ears to hear let him hear The Scope of this Parable is to shew that there are Four several Sorts of Hearers of the Word but One Sort only that Hear to a Saving Advantage And to shew us the Cause of the different Success of the Word Preacht Here Observe 1. The Sower Christ and his Apostles he the prime and principal Sower they the secondary and subordinate Seedsmen Christ sows his own Field his Ministers sow his Field he sows his own Seed they sow his Seed Wo unto us if we sow our own Seed and not Christ's Obs 2. The Seed sown the Word of God Fabulous Legends and Unwritten Traditions which the Seeds-Men of the Church of Rome sow these are not Seed but Chaff or their own Seed not Christ's Our Lord's Field must be sown with his own Seed not with mixt Grain Learn 1. That the Word of God preacht is like Seed sown in the Furrows of the Field As Seed has a Fructifying Virtue in it by which it increases and brings forth more of it 's own kind so has the Word of God a Quickning Power to regenerate and make alive dead Souls Learn 2. That the Seed of the Word where it is most plentifully sown is not alike Fruitful As Seed doth not thrive in all Ground alike so neither doth the Word fructifie alike in the Hearts of Men There is a Difference both from the Nature of the Soil and from the Influence of the Spirit Learn 3. That the Cause of the Word's Unfruitfulness is very different and not the same in all In some 't is the Policy of Satan that Bird of Prey which follows God's Plough steals away the Precious Seed in others 't is a hard Heart of Unbelief in others the Cares of the World like Thorns choak the Word overgrow the Good Seed draw away the Moisture of the Earth and the Heart of the Soil and hinders the Influences of the Sun The far greater part of Hearers are fruitless and unprofitable Hearers Learn 4. That the best Ground doth not bring forth Fruit alike some good Ground brings forth more and some less Some thirty some sixty and some an hundred fold In like manner a Person may be a profitable Hearer of the Word altho' he doth not bring forth so great a Proportion of Fruit as others provided he brings forth as much as he can 10 And the disciples came and said unto him Why speakest thou unto them in parables 11 He answered and said unto them Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven but to them it is not given Here we have the Disciples Question and our Saviour's Answer Their Question is Why speakest thou to the People in Parables which they do not understand They cannot see the Soul of thy Meaning thro' the Body of thy Parables Christ answers To you my Disciples and such as you are who love
the Truth and desire to obey it the Spirit gives you an Affective Operative and Experimental Knowledge not barely to know these things but to believe them and feel the Power of them in and upon your own Hearts But the Generality of Hearers do satisfie and content themselves with a bare Notional Knowledge of what they hear a Parable therefore is well enough for them Learn 1. That the Doctrines of the Gospel are Mysteries 2. That it is a matchless and unvaluable Priviledge practically and savingly to understand and know Gospel-Mysteries 3. That this Priviledge all are not Sharers in nor Partakers of but only those to whom it is given Vnto you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom but to them it is not given 12 For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath That is whosoever improves the Measures of Grace received shall obtain farther Measures and Degrees of it But from him that doth not improve what he has already received shall be taken away that which to himself or others he seemeth to have his Common Gifts and Moral Endowments Learn That where there are Beginnings of True Grace and a right and wise Improvement of it God will make rich Additions of more Grace to the present Stock which we have received 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias which saith by hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive 15 For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them These Words of our Blessed Saviour as I conceive have a peculiar Reference and Relation to the Pharisees who attended upon Christ's Ministry not with an honest simplicity of Mind to be instructed by it but to carp and cavil at it Our Saviour tells them he had formerly spoken things very plainly and clearly to them and also wrought Miracles before them to convince them of the Divinity of his Person and of the Verity of his Doctrine But they would not believe either his Person or his Doctrine to be from God and therefore he would now speak to them in dark Parables that they may be Judicially Blinded they shut their Eyes against the clearest Light and said they would not see and now Christ closes their Eyes and says they shall not see Learn hence To acknowledge the Divine Justice which speaks darkly to them that despise the Light Such who see and yet see not they shall see the Shell but not the Kernel they shall hear the Parable but not understand the Spiritual Sence and Meaning of it When wilful Blindness of Mind is added to Natural Blindness it is a just and righteous thing with God to superadd Judicial Blindness and to give them Obstinacy of Heart His Curse unto them 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear 17 For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Here our Saviour pronounces such of his Disciples and Followers Blessed who received the Truths of the Gospel so far as they were already taught them he assures them that they shall receive farther Light and fuller Measures of Spiritual Illumination Blessed are your Eyes for they see Learn That such as have received the least Measures of Spiritual Knowledge and Saving Illumination and do improve it they are in an happy and blessed Condition for as they are capable of farther Measures of Divine Knowledge so shall they be Partakers of them 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart this is he which received seed by the way-side 20 But he that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth it and anon with joy receiveth it 21 Yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choak the word and he becometh unfruitful 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred fold some sixty some thirty As if our Lord had said You my Disciples who are not satisfied with a Sound of Words I will explain to you the Sence and Signification of this Parable The Scope of which is to shew the different Effects which the Word of God has upon Mens Hearts and the Reason of that Difference The Seed is the Word the Sower is the Preacher the Soil is the Heart and Soul of Man Now our Saviour assures us that the Hearts of some Hearers are like Highway-Ground in which the Seed is not covered with the Harrow of Meditation others are like Stony-Ground in which the Word has no Root no Root in their Understandings Memories Conscience Will or Affections But They are offended either at the Depth and Profoundness of the Word or at the Sanctity and Strictness of it or at the Plainess and Simplicity of it Again some Hearers our Lord compares to Thorny-Ground Thorns are Covetous Desires which choak the good Seed shadow the Blade when sprung up keep off the Influences of the Sun and draw away the Fatness of the Soil from the Seed All these Effects have Thorns in and among the Seed And the like Effects have Worldly Affections and Covetous Desires in the Heart of Man rendring the Word unfruitful and unprofitable But the good Christian hears the Word attentively keeps it retentively believes it stedfastly applies it particularly practises it universally and brings forth Fruit with Patience and Perseverance Fruit that will redound to his Account in the Great Day of Account Learn 1. That no Hearers are in Christ's Account Good Hearers of the Word but such as bring forth the Fruits of an holy humble and peaceable Conversation 2. That a Person may be a good Hearer of the Word if he brings forth the best Fruit he can tho' it be not in so great a Proportion as others do As some Ground brings forth Thirty some Sixty and some an Hundred-fold In like manner do all the sincere Hearers of the Word they all