of these Samaritans being Israelites and many Jews also when obnoxious to the Laws or for some other secular advantages removing thither out of Judea After which times also another Anti-Temple about one hundred and fifty years before our Lords coming was erected in Egypt for the Jews flying together with Onias a Son of the High Priest when as persecuted by Antiochus Epiphanes which Temple perished as also the other near the time of the destruction of that in Jerusalem and both these forraign Temples seem preludiums of Gods worship shortly to be made common to the whole world This is premised for the better understanding of what follows § 197 Near to this City Sychem and this Mount was a Well digged by Jacob and then made use of by the City And here our Lord travelling on foot and wearied with his mornings journey it being now about noon and the heat of the day sat down on the side of the Well to rest himself it as a place of resort likely having some Trees and shade about it whilst the Disciples went into the Town to buy some meat for his and their dinner For the Jews had no commerce or conversation with the Samaritans when absolute necessity did not require it as this of travellers buying victuals of them so as to ear and drink and lodg with them being accounted by them Schismaticks and unclean which caused also the same enmity against and separation of the Samaritans at least some of them from the Jews see Luk. 9.53 the other Samaritans seem herein more remiss see vers 56. Whilst our Lord was here left alone a Samaritan woman came thither out of the City to draw water This happened also to be a woman that had had already five husbands either all already deceased or she by divorce separated from them for in latter times women also used to procure divorces from their husbands and that now lived incontinently with one not married to her § 198 Our Lord thirsty with his journey and desiring to entertain some further spiritual discourse with her concerning the salvation of this poor wretch requested of her some water to drink upon which she somewhat wondring asked him why he as appearing by his habit and perhaps his speech a Jew would receive water from her and out of her vessel being a Samaritan and one also it seems that for all the impurity of her life was a Zelot of the Samaritan Religion and way of Gods worship and of their separation from the Jews Here-upon our Lord moved with compassion took occasion to preach the new Gospel and to reveil himself to her and turning the mention of water with a Metaphor and to enter without force or abruption into pious discourse as usually and as we find he doth by and by concerning meat and again concerning harvest told her that he was a person from whom she might expect a greater curtesy and that if she had well known the Gift of God and who he was she would have begged water of him rather the true water quenching all thirst and in the receiving of it a Well continually abounding i. e springing up in all spiritual Graces to everlasting life conferred by it Our Lord here speaking as formerly in his discourse with Nicodemus of the Gift of the Holy Spirit which he came to bestow upon the world and which his Death procured of the Father which being conferred in our regeneration by the water of baptism cures all hunger and thirst after earthly things and fully satisfies and beatifies the Soul Consider Jo. 7.38 39. 6.35 Esai 44.3 § 199 The woman saying she should be glad to receive such water Our Lord the more to encrease her faith in him bad her to call her husband as if it were meet that he also with his wife should share thereof thus taking occasion to discover to her his knowledg of all her former life and condition and for the present of her living in secret concubinage She hereby discerning him to be a Prophet and perhaps to divert him from speaking more of her husband presently begun to consult him concerning Religion who in the present division were in the right the Samaritans or the Jews and where God was more acceptably worshipped in Mount Garizim where the Patriarchs Abraham and Jacob and afterward Joshua by Gods appointment and their fore-fathers that came out of Egypt built an Altar and offered Sacrifices as hath bin said or at Jerusalem a place of a latter consecration and sanctity the Samaritans also rejecting any testimonies produced out of the Prophets against them and see the vehement contest and dispute of the Samaritans and Jews that had bin before this in Alexandria before Ptolemeus Philometer made Judge in a cause Joseph Ant. l. 13. c. 4. § 200 Our Lord after he had first told her that the Samaritans not Jews for the time past were peccant and schismatical herein and the right way of salvation to be among the Jews and so also the Salvation through the Gospel first to be communicated to them proceeds to instruct her concerning the times of the Gospel now at hand wherein all such former Divisions and factions concerning the place of worship should be taken away that God was a Spirit not addicted or confined to Place nor taken with corporeal things and external Ceremonies but only as these were types and prefigurations of spiritual things to come and of his real service by and through Christ but that he expected those now who should worship him in what place soever in spirit and in truth intimating here the abrogation from henceforth of the former legal worship and Ceremonies which was accordingly established by the Apostles Act. 15. a thing that at this time the Samaritans would more willingly hear of than the Jews And he speaks also here to her of worshipping not God in general but the Father the true worshippers will worship the Father For that all worship of God now was to be through Christ his Son and by such as were also made his Sons through Christ Worshipping God also in Spirit seems to be the worship of him in and by the Holy Spirit given through Christ according to those expressions of our Lord to Nicodemus before Jo. 3.6 that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit and Mat. 22.43 David in Spirit called him Lord. And of S. Paul whom I serve in the Spirit Rom. 1.9 and Rom. 8.14 those who are led by the Spirit and vers 9. Ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit § 201 The woman upon our Lords saying the Hour cometh c. replyed that she believed when the Messias should come he would declare all Gods pleasure concerning his worship and remove all the present differences Our Lord told her that himself was the Messias She hearing this and much transported with his former discourse whose words were with authority and setting hearts on fire and bidden also by him to call her husband carelesly leaving
Elias was yet alive in his body and was to return among them to rectify all things before the coming of the Messias the darkning of the Sun also filled them full of wonder and expectation of some other strange things their hearts also now being somewhat mollified and beginning to entertain another opinion of our Lord than not long before § 103 After this our Lord entring into his last Agony said I thirst as if it were to accomplish the drinking up the last dregs and portion that remained of the cup of Gods wrath against sinners remembring the words that follow in the same prophetick Psalm vers 16. Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea lingua mea adhaesit faucibus meis in pulverem mortis c. and Psalm 68.22 potaverunt me aceto And there being a vessel of vinegar or small sour Wine with which mingled with water the Soldiers and common people used to quench their thirst one of the By-standers running and drenching a sponge in it put this upon the top of a long reed and so applied it to our Lords mouth the darkness now diminishing to refresh him and prolong his life a little in expectation of what perhaps Elias would do for him whether he would come at last and take his Fellow-prophet down from the Cross After our Lord had received the Vinegar which was as it were the last dregs of the bitter cup prepared for him by his heavenly Father to drink he said those precious words so full of consolation to poor sinners consummatum est that all was finished a Passiones consummavi now as he said an opus consummavi before he entred on his passion Jo. 17. All the prophecies being now fulfilled the Sacrifice offered and the Ransome of mankind from Gods wrath and the Prince of Darkness and from eternal Death fully paid And so with another loud and strong voice like the former recommending his now departing Spirit into the hands of his celestial Father in the words again of the Psalmist changing Domine there into Pater and exhibiting this as the last act of his dutiful submission to all his Will he pronounced those last words of his on the Cross In manus tuas Pater commendo spiritum meum Psal 30 And so meekly bowing down his head which perhaps hitherto was held erected towards heaven in prayer see Heb. 5.7 gave up the Ghost not when the torments of death forced it away but when he pleased seeing all now fulfilled voluntarily to regive it Shewing in his strong out-cries his miraculous power and strength to have kept it longer in being about the ninth hour the time of offering up the Evening Sacrifice and in the end of the sixth day of the week as entring into his Sabboath of rest The two Malefactors that suffered with him being both yet alive not that our Lord any way abbreviated for himself the torments of this cruel death but that the barbarous usage of him all that day and the night precedent without any sustenance refreshment or repose and the loss of so much blood under his coronation and scourging had so debilitated and exhausted him which was also seen in his fainting under the Cross that these his last torments on the Cross must needs have a speedier period unless he should have continued his life by miracle § 104 All the passions of our Lord thus at last come to an End and his bloody Sacrifice for our redemption finished the Sun which seemed this while to have sympathized with his sufferings began to recover its strength and now the infernal powers of darkness their hour expired to quake and tremble and with them the Earth also to shake in such a manner that the Rocks were rent asunder with it and particularly that of Mount Calvary where our Lord suffered cleft asunder some two or three foot from the hole wherein our Lords Cross was fastned from one side of the Hill to the other to be seen at this day gaping about an hand breath and the depth of it not to be sounded Yet the infinit mercy and long-suffering of God who to shew his displeasure rent the rocks forbare to take present vengeance on the Murderers of our Lord giving them longer time to repent as some of them also did The veil of the Temple also remote from this place and standing at the other side of the City was rent in two saith the Evangelist from the top to the bottom Which veil divided the Sanctum Sanctorum where was the Ark the symbol of Gods presence from the outer Temple and into which the High Priest entred only once every year carrying in thither the blood of the Sacrifice to sprinkle it before the Ark on the solemn day of Expiation The renting of which Veil at this time was very significative of the effects of our Lords passion 1. To shew now an end and consummation and so Abolishment of all the former Typical Ceremonies of the Mosaical Law this new High Priest succeeding and abrogating now the former Aaronical Priesthood who having offered the only pleasing Sacrifice to God on the Altar of the Cross was to enter with the blood of it into the celestial Sanctum Sanctorum and there with it sprinkled before God's Throne to make an atonement for the sins of the whole world Who saith the Apostle much prosecuting this matter in his Epistle to the Hebrews took away the first covenant that he might establish another following and dedicated to us a new and living way of access to the throne of Grace and entrance into the Holy of Holies through the veil of his Deity that is his Flesh which veil also was rent on the Cross the members of the body rent first and at last his soul also rent from the Body And chap. 9.11 c. Who saith he an High Priest of good things to come by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted to God and so by or through a more ample and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands i. e. the Heavens vers 24. nor by or with the blood of Goats or Calves but by his own blood entred into the Holies eternal redemption being thus found and effected 2. Again to shew that the Partition was now taken away between Jew and Gentile and his service no longer confined to his Temple at Jerusalem but that it was to be every where equally accepted of him and his Church to be spread over the whole world and a general and free access admitted for all people to God the Father and to the Divinity through this veil of our Lords humanity Neither Jew nor Greek saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 neither bond nor free c. now But all one in Christ Wherefore our Lord foretold to the Samaritan woman Jo. 4. That the time was coming when they should neither in that Mount of Samaria the Temple of Garizim nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but the true worshippers should worship him every where not with carnal Sacrifices any more but in spirit and
resorting to him as also Philip and Nathanael Galileans We find also Acts 19.3 some Brethren living at Ephesus and Apollo of Alexandria to have received Johns Baptism which argues also a resort to him from forraign parts unless we imagine an authority of Baptizing either commited by him to or at least assumed by some of his more eminent Disciples Hither also came the Publicans and the Soldiers and those that were esteemed the most notorious sinners to hear his Sermons made of Repentance and remission of sin which seemed to concern such persons most These therefore terrified with his words made humble confessions of their former sins to him Mat. 3.6 Mark 1.5 as those other Converts in the Acts did to S. Paul Acts 19.18 promised amendment of their lives were baptized by him in order thereto Lastly asked his advice and directions concerning their Duty in their several Vocations and Employments where the Gentleness and tenderness wherewith he treats the Soldiers and the Publicans yet the instruments of sustaining the Roman Power is very notable not bidding them presently to desert or change their Profession or proposing to them any high perfections as he did to some others but admonishing them according to their present capacity of avoiding those faults to which their employments more tempted them the Soldier to do no violence to any nor falsly accuse them to make way for plunder but to be content with that gain their wages afforded them and the Publicans that they should not enhance the Taxes upon the People nor require more than was appointed them instructing them first in acts of Justice and doing no wrong to their Neighbour whilst he exhorted others to acts also of charity § 133 And lastly hither also came the learned and highly-esteemed Scribes and Pharisees Many of them as appears by what our Lord saith Luk. 7 30. though perhaps not all moved with curiosity to see and observe the strangely habited person and not with compunction for their sins as others or the believing what he was or said no more than they did afterward our Lord himself to verify our Lords speech Pauperes evangelizantur These bearing a show of sanctity and accordingly reverenced among the people so soon as the Baptist beheld seeing and knowing all their interiour by the Holy Spirit he entertained not them with the same mansuetude and indulgence as the poor Publicans and Soldiers as the one appearing to him interiorly clothed with humility and Contrition the other with Pride and Hypocrisy but presently fell into a sharp reprehension of them before all the people knowing this the proper way if any for their cure calling them a generation of Serpents which was also our Lords language afterwards denouncing to them the Novissima the great wrath to come and such fruitless Trees and chaff their being cast into an unquenchable fire unless a speedy repentance for their sins and reformation of their manners prevented it And seeing them from the approaching Messiah he foretold expecting much contrary to what he said at his coming as heirs of the promises made to their Father Abraham all Glory and prosperity and Dominion over the Gentiles he fore-signified to them by using a similitude from the Rocks and Stones that lay about him that God upon their incredulity and impenitency abandoning them could raise unto Abraham another seed i. e. out of the yet stony-hearted and unbelieving Gentiles As indeed not long after he did § 134 The Baptist thus had for some time executed his Office and made a preparatory commencement of the Gospel according as our Lord saith Mat. 11.13 that the Law and the Prophets were till John but that from his daies the Kingdom of Heaven or of the Gospel suffered violence i. e. whilst whole multitudes and crowds of people Soldiers Publicans Sinners came flocking in to it Though indeed the Apostles of our Lord consummating the preaching of this Evangelium with the Holy Ghost descending on the people baptized with it by them and doing of all sorts of Miracles in confirmation of what they divulged far transcended the beginnings of the Baptist and so the least of them in this respect was greater than he as our Lord saith Matt. 11.11 John then was a prodromus preaching so as our Lord afterward the Kingdom of Heaven at hand and judgment and wrath to come on the impenitent and unbelieving Confession repentance and so remission of sin not by Johns Baptism this being only with water and to be consummated in the other but by the Baptism of him that was to come after him who should baptize them with the Holy Ghost Jo. 1. and who was the Lamb of God that should take away the sins of the world and in whom they were to believe Act. 19.4 § 135 Whereby it appears that there was an obligation also remaining on all who possibly could procure it after Johns Baptism of receiving Christs which effected a perfect regeneration by conferring the Holy Ghost and that whatever assistance also of the Holy Ghost may be supposed in those predispositions to this perfect regeneration effected by the same Spirit as in Confession of sins repentance and bringing forth the fruits thereof and believing on the Messias Act. 19.4 which things were caused in the people by Johns preaching this also we have from the power and virtue only of him that was to come after him And that those true penitents who died under Johns baptism only and without our Lords became partakers of the Holy Spirit and of salvation in the same manner as all the righteous deceased under the Law i. e. through the merits of Christ in their using the typical Ceremonies relating thereto whatever they were according to the divine appointment § 136 John therefore told them that our Lord who came after not he should baptize them with this Holy Ghost and St. Luke adds baptize them also with fire Where fire may be taken in a double sense either for the fire of the Holy Spirit elegantly opposed by John to his water or as some rather understand it the fire of the Divine wrath For S. John's Spirit had some of that of Elias and the context seemeth to favour this sense for there it follows Luk. 3.17 whose fan is in his hand and the chaff he will burn with fire the one or the other baptism shew that of the Holy Ghost or of fire was to be received by every one Thus after John had began first the preaching of the Gospel and using the new Ceremony thereof Baptism but deferred all the power and virtue thereof to Christ that was then at hand And great multitudes from all parts were now gathered unto him and a very great number as appears by the expression Luk. 3.21 at least of the common sort were baptized by him and were in great expectation what would be the end of these things since he plainly and often told them that himself was not this Christ nor shewed he any miracle at
to follow his Fathers business Thus raising them to still higher thoughts concerning him And we see for fulfilling the end of his coming into the world what a distance he kept also from his Cosin the Baptist And it may be observed also that upon all occasions he shewed laying-aside any indulgence or carnal respects or indearments for his kindred and a perfect abstraction from any inordinate affection to them see that place Mat. 12.48 for our example seeing how many are drawn to offend God and loose their own Souls to humour to gratify to provide for to enrich such their near Relations But this answer here our Lord seems to have returned to his Holy Mother thus before company chiefly because he intended to perform this Miracle with all privacy afterward when disengaged of this attendance and we may suppose him to have delivered it with such a submissin of his voice and fashion of his countenance as shewed him no way displeased with her request And the Blessed Virgin thereby well assured of the fact and that he answered her with a dilation only not a denyal hasted to the servants and bad them do what ever he commanded them this her great faith well preparing the way to such a great work which presently begat so many more believers on him § 175 There were standing six large water-pots of Stone containing as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is computed some twenty Gallons a peice that was prepared for the Guests washing their hands and purifying themselves from any uncleanness they might have unwittingly contracted for Mark 7.4 unless the Jews wash first they eat not as also for the cleansing of Pots Cups and other vessels if perhaps used by persons unclean These water-pots thus made use of and thereby partly emptied Our Lord after some time retired from the company and commanded the servants to fill these Pots brim full of water who by this pouring in the water so immediatly before could witness that there was no deceitful artifice used in the business Our Lord without touching the Pots or using any other Ceremony bad them draw out and carry to the Governour see Ecclus 32.1 2. of the feast who tasting it presently called the Bridegroome and asked whence came that excellent Wine and why not it spent first a meaner sort being good enough for those who perhaps would use it to excess the Bridegroom being as ignorant as the Governour and so the Servants examined concerning it all was discovered and Our Lord generally magnified their beholding also the great quantity of it much increasing their wonder As our Lords Miracles alwaies super-exceeded necessity and in the Miracles of the Loaves and Fishes he would have great plenty to be left And so also he gave extraordinary strength and vigor to the infirm he restored to carry away the beds they lay on to leap and dance to minister unto him c. Upon the sight of this his first publick Miracle the belief in Him as the true Messias the Son of God was much confirmed in his new gathered Disciples and many others And the matter of it the wine he miraculously bestowed on them at this feast an Emblem of the Holy Spirit they should afterward receive at another and at his last parting from them which spirit also then seemed to the people to have transported them even as new wine § 176 After this saith the Text our Lord removed from hence not to Nazareth though near Mark 6.4 where he knew his former mean and obscure Education would much prejudice their faith in him as the Messias and so his visit bring a greater guilt on them in which Act he shewed also how little he was sweyed with any human affections usually adhering much to the place of our Education and where men most desire applause But to Capernaum the Metropolis and chief Town in Galilee for publick resort and Traffick therefore said by our Lord Matt. 11.13 exalted to Heaven for its building wealth and prosperity situate in the Borders of Zabulon and Nephthali Mat. 4.13 on the East side of the entrance of Jordan into the Lake of Genesareth or Tiberias or Sea of Galilee as it is variously called being near 20 miles in length and 6 miles broad The water and the fish of which Lake is much extolled by Josephus who very well knew these places De Bello Judaico lib. 3. cap. 18. See Rogier de Terre Saincte saying much what the same lib. 1. cap. 9. Lacus Genesar saith he quadraginta stadits in latittudine patens centumque in longitudine aquae dulcis est atque potabilis Palustri enim crassitudine tenuiores habet latices undique in littora ac arenas desinens purus est ac praeter hoc temperatus ad hauriendum fluvio quidem sive fonte lenior est semper autem frigidior quam lacus diffusio patitur manet aestivisque noctibus ejus aquae sub divo perstatae id enim facere indigenis moris est nequaquam aestibus cedunt Varia autem sunt in eo piscium genera ab alterius loci piscibus tam sapore quam specie discreta mediusque fluvio Jordane secatur Thus also he speaks of the coast adjoyning to it Ad Genesar vero lacum ejusdem nominis terra praetenditur natura simul pulchritudine admirabilis Nullum enim ipsa pro ubertate sui negat arbustum totamque plantis consevere cultores Coeli vero temperies etiam diversis aptissima est Vvas sane caricas sine intermissione decem mensibus suggerit caeteros vero fructus anni spatie senescentes Nam praeter aeris lenitatem fonte quoque irrigatur uberrimo qui Capernaum ab indigenis apellatur From which spring or stream this City it seems took its name This Lake is encompassed with the Tribes of Gad and Manasses on the East and with those of Issachar Zabulon and Naphthali on the West the Country thereabout very populous and the Towns frequent by reason of the great fertility of the soil Decapolis near to it Coraizin at two miles distance on the east side of Jordan on one side of it and Bethsaida on the other Cities near adjoyning then the City Magdala then Tiberias This City being lately repaired and adorned by Herod the Tetrarch and in honour of Tiberius the Emperor this name given to it as also Bethsaida was much adorned by Philip his brother and called Julia. Lastly standing very conveniently for our Lords making his voyages upon the Lake to several places for his preaching Most remote also from Jerusalem and it seems also from the Court of Herod and so less capable of disturbance from thence § 177 He went down hither saith the Text Jo. 2.12 he and his Mother and his Brethren and his Disciples And our Lord pitched on this City for the ordinary place of his residence it seems also that his Mother and Brethren changed their former habitation at Nazareth and dwelt here The names of these his Brethren Mat.
the Paschal Lamb his Type without a bone of him being broken Of Moses his smiting of the rock and so water gushing out of it of his nailing a brazen Serpent on a Pole that all who looked with faith upon it might be healed as our Lord also came in similitudine peccati of Aarons dry and withered Rod afterwards rebudding and flourishing of Jonah lying three daies in the Whales belly and afterwards cast up now also he expounded to them Daniels weeks remembred them of Hosea's chap. 6.3 vivificavit nos post duas dies in die tertia suscitabit nos and of Davids Psal 15.10 Non dabis Sanctum tuum videre corruptionem And de torrente in via bibet propterea exaltabit caput Of Zachary's chap. 13.6 7. Quae sunt plagae istae in medio manuum tuarum and his Percutiam Pastorem dispergentur oves These and all the forementioned descriptions of his passion especially in the Prophet Esay chap. 5.3 and in the Ps 21. and 68. he set before them and many more in these Books than man's weak apprehensions hath bin able to discover the whole History and Prophecies of the Old Testament principally prefiguring and representing the great Mystery of the salvation of mankind that was in the latter daies to be wrought by the Son of God These things our Lord discoursed continuing his Speech till they were now arrived at the Village where their business called them whilst their hearts were all on fire in hearing what he said according to that of the Psalmist Ps 18.15 Ignitum eloquium tuum c. Our Lord making as though he would have gone further gave them occasion to shew their hospitality and so importuned by them to stay and eat with them or also to stay all night the day being near an end and they infinitly longing after more of his conversation and discourse he yeilded to their request and so sitting down at Table he took the bread blessed brake and gave it them suddainly appearing to them in his own likeness or also performing this Ceremony in some singular manner of benediction as was formerly his custome well known at least to Cleophas Josephs Brother used to the same table Or because we may imagine our Lords actions done in the most perfect manner in this breaking of bread celebrating with them the memorial of his Passion after his long discourse thereof in the holy Eucharist sometimes expressed by breaking of bread see Acts 20.7 2.46 after he had first sufficiently instructed them in this great Mistery wherein he now when personally departing yet would continue a miraculous presence of himself to his Church to the end of the world After which given them and their hospitality thus amply rewarded upon eating it their eyes also were no longer held but that they clearly discerned with great reverence his Sacred Majesty now in his own form and likeness and knew him and after this he suddainly departed out of their sight § 126 The two Disciples ravished with what they had seen and heard yet by our Lords suddain withdrawing himself their joy not unmixed with some sadness presently returned back that Evening to Jerusalem and told the company there assembled all that had hapned their being two together rendring their testimony more credible where they found the Disciples also relating our Lords appearance to Peter They reported also to them his Sermon and the types in the law and the Prophets presignifying such his sufferings before his entrance into his Kingdom notwithstanding which though many of them were much perswaded yet some others saith St. Mark chap. 16.13 still remained incredulous probably arguing from our Lord 's presently vanishing both from the women and from St. Peter and last from these two at Emaus that it was some Spirit only appearing in his likeness For the same conceit they had also by and by when our Lord appeared to themselves Luk. 24.37 § 127 After so many messages and ocular Witnesses of his Resurrection sent to them for the trial of their faith and all by some of them still discredited now late at night as they were after Supper sitting and debating these things and some it seems still contradicting the doors being fast shut for fear of the Jews who also had spread a report of them that they had stoln away our Lords Body our Lord himself suddainly appeared in the midst of them at which they were at first much affrighted thinking him some night-walking-Spirit knowing the doors to be firmly bolted and perceiving him descending rather then entring in among them But our Gracious Lord soon allayed this astonishment saluting them with a Pax vobis the usual and Antient salutation of the Jews but this pax of his extraordinary and not sicut Mundus Jo. 14.27 working in the Soul the effect whilst he spake with his mouth the words Then mildly reprehended them that they had remained so obstinatly incredulous to the Eye-witnesses that came to them in a matter also so often foretold them nor yet believed their own eyes at present but took him for a Spirit then proceeded to discover and shew them the scars of the wounds he had received in his hands feet and side those noble scars which his glorified Body in heaven still retains eternal Witnesses of his love to mankind and with which he will appear at his second coming for the greater confusion of his Enemies when saith S. John Apo. 1.7 they shall look on him whom they have pierced and whose tender of mercy after it they also rejected He bad them also to feel and handle his true flesh and bones different from Spirits therefore saith the Apostle not only Quod audivimus quod vidimus but manus nostrae contrectaverunt de verbo vitae Then what only remained for their satisfaction whilst the excess of their Joy and wonder still suspended their full assent and belief he called for meat and eat also before them of that poor fare which they were provided of though in this great Feast and to which our Lord also had bin most accustom'd a piece of a broild fish and of an hony-comb the one plentiful in the woods of this countrey and the other a common food among Fishermen perhaps the relicks of their Supper but now ended Of which after he had eaten he gave to them the remainder saith the vulgar in S. Luke chap. 24.43 Et cum manducasset coram eis sumens reliquias dedit eis To partake of what he Sanctified and that they might say they had eat and drunk with him as also those at Emaus See Act. 1.4 After he had thus eaten before them and by all these waies satisfied them excepting only Thomas absent of the truth and reality of that the Testimony of which they were to spread abroad through all the world and for which afterwards to lay down their lives he made much what to them the same Sermon or Discourse as to the two Disciples that went to Emaus instructing them in