by the Reader who will think them rather too few than too many But considering that unless we well understand the design of our Saviours coming into the World we cannot read the History of his Life with any real advantage for since he did spake and suffered nothing but with a tendency to that end we can never have a true notion of them unless we know the true motive and the end which he himself aimed at I judged it necessary to propound a short History of the Fall of Man and the Wounds which Men have received by it before I present them with the Medicine to heal them and teach them in a few words the happiness of that Estate wherein God Created them the lamentable Miseries into which they have faln by Sin and the means which Gods infinite goodness makes use of to save them The Discovery of these Miseries will make them more desirous to know what Christ hath done to deliver them and by how much they perceive themselves more obnoxious to Gods Justice by so much they will the more eagerly lay hold upon Jesus by Faith to save them from it II. Mans Creation and Fall by Sin When God created the Heaven and the Earth in six days he being desirous not only to provide a Governour for all his Corporeal Creatures but to put some other Beings into the places of the faln Angels in Heaven Created a Man and Woman whom he called Adam and Eve which signifies the Mother of all Living God formed them in his own Image i. e. gave them an Immortal Soul endowed them with abilities to know and love him which are two of the most noble Actions of the Rational Creature which make up the whole Life and happiness of God which is to know and love himself from all Eternity Wherefore he filled their Minds with Knowledge and their Will with Love He Created them perfect and upright their Souls in perfect submission to God and their Body to their Soul There was no darkness or trouble in their minds because God was their Light and Peace and nothing in there Bodies which might make them ashamed because there was nothing disorderly for which reason it is that the Holy Scripture saith That they were Naked Gen. 2.25 and were not ashamed In this Holy and Happy Estate they had a sound Judgment and perfect freedom of Will furnished with all Graces necessary to do that good which God required of them and to purchase that Glory which should be the reward of their Virtue which is to have a clear Vision of God They knew so much of God as Creatures are capable of and if they made a good use of this knowledge upon Earth they should be Translated to the full fruition of God in Heaven Their Innocency exempted them from Death and all other Evils which are the effects of Sin And their privileges were not only for themselves but their Posterity to whom they should communicate not only their Nature but Innocency and all the priviledges of it For the continuance of all these Temporal favours and obtaining that eternal happiness which he hath promised them God required nothing but an entire submission to his Will which that he might have tryal of he gave them a Command to abstain from the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil which was in the midst of Paradise threatning them with Death if they dared to Touch it Nothing was more easy than the observation of this Commandment but they kept it not long for the Devil envying their Happiness came to Eve under the Shape of a Serpent perswading her to Eat the Fruit which was forbidden and telling her that they should be so far from dying that they shall become as Gods By these promises she suffered her self to be seduced eat of the Fruit and gave it to her Husband who thro' a wicked Compliance made himself guilty of the Womans Sin As soon as they had thus broken the Command of their God they were made sensible of their Fault by the fearful Change in themselves for they perceived they were Naked and were filled with confusion because they felt in their Bodies the disorderly Motions of their Concupiscence God shewed himself to them no longer as a Father whose presence was their Joy and Happiness but as an offended Lord who reproved their disobedience and as a severe Judge to punish their Rebellion He Condemned the Man to Toil and Drudgery for his necessary Food the Woman to Pains in Child-bearing and drave them both out of the Terrestrial Paradise in which he had placed them he subjected them to all the miseries of this Life and passed the sentence of Death upon them which he had threatned condemning them not only to a Temporal Death of the Body but to the Second Death which is more terrible than the former the Death of the Soul which is to Live eternally with the Devils in Hell and be banished from the only cause and foundation of all Happiness God A just punishment saith St. Austin for their fault in disobeying so easy a Law of so great a God! All the Race of Adam being corrupted in him as in their Fountain and Root by his Sin was also lyable to the same punishment for as if he had continued in his Innocency all his Posterity had inherited it by their Birth and all the Advantages of it after the same manner since he hath sinned all Men naturally inherit his Crimes and all the Plagues which are consequent upon it This is the Sin which we call Original because we are guilty of it from our Original and Birth and this is the Sin which brings upon us all those Evils which we feel either in our Souls or Bodies for the darkness of the Understanding the corruption of the Heart the proneness of the Will to Evil and Opposition to Good the disorderly Motions of Concupiscence the turbulency of our Passions the excessive Love of our selves forgetfulness and Aversion to God all the Sins which we commit Hunger Thirst Weariness Griefs Death and Lastly Eternal Damnation are the sad Consequences and just punishments of this Sin which we come into the World with and which make us as St. Paul saith the Children of the Wrath of God Eph. 2.3 III. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ Out of the miserable condition into which Man had plunged himself and Posterity by Sin there was no way of Recovery had not God in his infinite Mercy been pleased to find out a way which none else could do He had compassion on his Creatures and contrived this means to save them the Word i. e. the Son of God the Second Person of the Holy Trinity was made Incarnate assuming a Body and Soul like us and united to his Divinity in his own person the Humane Nature which he intended to redeem He became Man still being God and took upon him all the weaknesses and Infirmities of Man Sin and Ignorance only excepted He undertook
is an Hebrew and Christ a Greek Word and signify both of them Anointed the Jews calling him so because they expected He should be a great King consecrated to God by a special Unction of which the Anointing of their Kings and Prophets was but a Figure Four thousand Years being at last expired and spent in waiting for him the Time appointed by God and foretold by the Prophets for the Deliverance of Mankind came The Roman Empire enjoyed a profound Peace under the Reign of Augustus and the Jews were governed by Herod whom the Romans had made King over them being some Years before become subject to their Power This Government by a Foreign Prince was an Evident Sign that the Coming of the Messiah drew near according to the Prophesy of Jacob Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet until Shiloh he that is sent do come This was the Time which God from all Eternity had prefixed for the Execution of his gracious Design That Jesus Christ the Saviour both of the Jews and Gentiles should be born in Judea and by him hath he accomplish'd the great Work of Man's Salvation in such a manner as the Gospel relates and which we are about to give an account of in this History of which I shall make Four Parts containing so many Periods of our Saviour's Life and shew what passed I. From the Conception of John the Baptist to his entrance upon his Ministry II. In the first Two Years of his Preaching III. In the Third Year of his Ministry IV. From his triumphant going up to Jerusalem to his Ascension into Heaven BOOK I. An Account of what passed from the Conception of John the Baptist to the Entrance of Jesus Christ upon his Ministerial Function I. The Conception of S. John the Baptist Book I. Luke 1 5-22 THere was among the Jews a certain Priest named Zacharias who with his Wife Elizabeth kept all the Commandments of the Lord blameless They were both of them very old and God that he might at length reward their Patience and contentedness in a signal manner having given them no Child but laid upon them the Disgrace of Barrenness which at that Time was accounted a great Curse inflicted by God It came to pass as Zachary ministred in the Temple according to his Course and offered the Incense commanded by the Law to God the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him from God That he should have a Son whom he should call John That this his Son should be great in the Sight of God and be filled with the Holy Spirit from his Mother's Womb That he should convert many Israelites from their Sins and should go before the Lord in the Spirit and Power of Elias preparing his Ways for him and disposing p. 5 The Anunciation of the Blessed Virgin Men to receive him Zachary doubting of the Truth of these Promises answered the Angel How shall I be assured of the Truth of thy Words for I am Old and my Wife is well stricken in Years The Angel reproving his Unbelief told him That from that Moment he should be dumb and not be able to speak till the Things which he had spoken of should come to pass And in that very instant he lost his Speech and the People who could not understand him but by Signs perceived by his Silence that he had seen a Vision The Days of his Ministration being accomplish'd he returned to his own House at Hebron Luke 1 23-25 a City in the Tribe of Judah and God performed that which he had foretold by the Angel for Elizabeth conceived and hid her self Five Months that she might between God and herself raise in her Heart a more perfect Sense of his Favour in taking away from her the Reproach of Barrenness and giving her a Son of whom she might hope for so great things II. The Conception of Jesus Christ. Six Months after the Conception of Elizabeth the same Angel Luke 1 26-38 which had foretold the Birth of S. John to Zachary was sent by God into a City of Galilee called Nazareth to foretel the Nativity of Jesus Christ to her who was chosen from all Eternity to be his Mother It was an Holy Virgin of the House of David named Mary who was espoused to a Man of the same Family called Joseph and living in perfect Chastity had her Spouse for a faithful Witness and Guardian of her Purity The Angel being come to her said Hail O thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among Women Her Modesty raised in her a great Disturbance at the unusual Appearance of the Angel and she was surprized at this kind of Salutation But the Angel bid her not be troubled telling her That she should have a Son who should be great and be called the Son of the Most High to whom God would give the Throne of his Father David i. e. an Eternal Kingdom and that she should call his Name Jesus which signifies a Saviour She reflecting upon her way of living with Holy Joseph and not understanding how she could preserve her Virginity and yet become a Mother said unto the Angel How shall this be seeing I know not a Man The Angel answered her That this Holy Child which shall be called the Son of God shall be born by the invisible Operation of the Holy Ghost and to shew her that God to whom nothing is impossible would work this great Miracle in her by his Almighty Power he tells her what had befallen her Cousin Elizabeth who having been barren for many Years was Six Months since with Child Being satisfied by this Instance that she might bear a Child and yet continue a Virgin she humbly submitted her self to the appointment of God and said to the Angel Behold the Handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word Then the Angel departed from her but the Holy Spirit wrought this great Mystery in her for which she had been fitted and disposed a great while before by the plentiful effusion of his Graces She conceived the Son of God the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who was incarnate i. e. became Man by taking on him a Body and Soul like us in the Womb of this chast and humble Virgin III. The Visitation of the Holy Virgin As soon as Mary had heard that her Cousin was with Child she went with haste to see her Luke 1. 39-55 and entring into her House saluted her which when Elizabeth heard she felt the Infant leaping in her Womb for Joy and being filled with the Holy Ghost she spake out with a loud Voice and said Blessed art thou among Women and blessed is the Fruit of thy Womb How great a Felicity is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come unto me And having inform'd the Virgin That her Child leaped in her Womb she added Blessed art thou because thou
hear let him hear i. e. let him understand the Sense and Meaning of what I say The Apostles themselves did understand it no more than others and therefore when they were alone with him they prayed him to tell them why he spoke to the People in Parables and to explain what he had already propounded to them In answer to the First Question he tells them How great an Happiness they enjoyed in being with him because they saw and heard those Things which many Righteous Men and Prophets desired to see and hear but could not obtain it And because he made them understand clearly those great Mysteries which he propounded to others in dark Similitudes and Parables only to punish the Blindness and Obstinacy of their Hearts which makes them unworthy and incapable of knowing the Truth Then he teaches them That by the Seed he spoke of he understood the Word of God They that after they have heard regard it not but immediately let themselves loose to their Sins are like the High-Way The Devil is figured by the Birds who are ready to take the Word out of their Hearts lest they believe and be saved Those that receive the Word with Joy but the first Temptation spoils all the Fruit because the Word has had no deep Root in the Soul are the Rock Others that choke the Word with Avarice love of Pleasures and other Passions are the Thorns which must be pulled up if we will have the heavenly Seed to thrive in our Hearts Lastly the good Ground signifies those well-disposed Souls which receive and retain faithfully the Word of God and through Patience and Constancy bring forth as much Fruit as they are able XXVI Other Parables Matth. 13 24.-35 Mark 4 26-34 Luke 13 18-30 He propounded also several other Parables He compares the World to a Field in which the Owner sowed good Seed but afterward discerned it to be mixed with Darnel which his Enemy had sown in the Night his Servants as soon as they saw it would have weeded it up but he hindred them lest they should root up the Corn with it and bad them let it grow with the Corn till the Harvest when he would have it separated from the Corn and burnt but gather the Corn into his Barn He compares the Kingdom of God to Seed which being cast into the Ground springs up and grows the Sower knows not how without any further Care Then to Mustard-Seed which being a very small Seed less than any other becomes the biggest among Herbs Lastly to Leaven which is put into the Dough till the whole is Leaven'd When he had spoken these things he sent the People away and returned to the House with his Disciples who prayed him to declare to them the Meaning of the Parable of the Darnel He tells them That it signifies That the Good ought to tolerate the Wicked with whom they are mixed till God shall separate them the one from the other at the End of the World for then the Sinners shall be cast into Hell-Fire and the Good shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of God He teaches them also the same Truth under the Parable of the Fishermen who catch all sorts of Fish in their Nets promiscuously but sitting upon the Bank separate the Good which they carry away and cast away the Bad. Lastly he makes them sensible that we ought to part with any thing to purchase Heaven by the Comparison of a Man who sold all he had to buy a Pearl of great Price or the Field in which he knew there was a great Treasure The Gospel gives us the Explication of none of the other Parables that by an Attentive Consideration of those which are explained we may find out the Sense of those that are not our selves having first begged of God that Spirit of Understanding which Jesus Christ requires of his Auditors when he says He that hath Ears to hear let him hear The Ignorant and Simple who have not Abilities to find out the Signification of those Parables which the Son of God hath not unfolded and who may justly fear mistaking by following their own Sense ought to consult their Pastors about such difficult Places and while we wait for the Resolution of what we demand practising the Truths they know which it is easy for an humble and teachable Soul to understand And for the help of these sort of Persons it is that I composed this Work chiefly and therefore shall give you the Sense of the Three following Parables to that of the Darnel out of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church All Three of them may signify the Preaching of the Gospel The Preacher disperses the Seed of the Word and this Seed groweth by little and little by the secret Operation of God's Grace in the Heart of him 1 Cor. 3.6 that receives it for the Preacher Soweth Planteth and Watereth There was nothing more contemned at first than the Doctrin of the Gospel but like a Grain of Mustard-Seed it hath grown and filled the whole Earth Lastly we must carefully keep and preserve the Word of the Gospel in our Hearts that the Sacred Leaven may leaven the whole Lump and by its secret Vertue reform all the Thoughts Desires and Actions of Man XXVII Jesus Christ goes to Preach at Nazareth Matth. 13 54-58 Mark 6 1-6 Luke 4 16-30 The Son of God after he had finished these Parables went to Preach in the City of Nazareth where he had been conceived and brought up His Disciples were also with him According to his usual Custom he went into the Synagogue on the Sabboth Day where standing up to read they gave him the Book of the Prophet Isaias He opened it and found the Place where the Prophet speaking of the Messias Isai 61.1 says That he was consecrated and sent by the Spirit of God to preach the Gospel to the Poor to heal the Sick to publish the Day of Grace from the Lord and declare the Day of Judgment When he had read this Text he shut the Book and gave it to the Minister Then sitting down he explained this Prophecy and shews that it was accomplished in himself All that were in the Synagogue fixed their Eyes on him while he spake and wondred so much at the gracious Words that proceeded out of his Mouth that they demanded one of another Whence hath this Man this great Wisdom which he shews Is not this the Son of the Carpenter called Joseph the Son of Mary and are not his Brethren i. e. Cousins James and Joses and Simon and Judas and are not his Kindred with us Whence then hath this Man all these thing The Gospel observes That he was not only a Subject of Astonishment but also of Scandal Whereupon Jesus knowing their Thoughts saith unto them Ye will surely apply this Proverb to me Physitian Heal thy self as a Reproach to him that he would not do as great Miracles in his own Country as he
they were desirous of doing the Will of God they would easily acknowledge that his Doctrin proceeded from God that sent him and whose Glory he sought after but because they observed not the Law instead of receiving the Truth he spake they sought to put him to Death The People then cryed out Thou hast a Devil who goeth about to kill thee Jesus puts them in Mind of that Man who had a Disease Thirty six Years whom he cured on the Sabboth Day John 5 1-16 for which though they themselves Circumcise Men on the Sabboth Day and do not think that they have broken the Law of Moses yet they were so implacably incensed against him that they had taken up a Resolve to slay him Some People of Jerusalem who knew how their Magistrates and Grandees hated him wondred to see him speak so freely no Man questioning or opposing him and said Are they convinced that this is really the Christ Nevertheless add they No Man knows whence Christ comes but we know whence this Man is Then cryed Jesus with a loud Voice in the Temple Ye know me and ye know whence I am yet I am not come of my self and ye know not him that sent me Thus reproving them for looking upon his Earthly Original as Man but did not know his Divine Original which he had from God whose Son he was from all Eternity Then several of the People believed on him being convinced by the greatness of his Miracles that he was the Christ But the Priests and Pharisees sent Officers to take him Jesus who could not suffer but at the Time prefixed by his Father said unto the Officers Yet a little while I am with you and then I return to him that sent me ye shall seek me and shall not find me and whither I go ye cannot come The Jews did not understand these Words but thought that he threatned them to leave Judea and go to teach the Gentiles The Officers did not take him because his Time was not come and in the last Day of the Feast he cried out with a loud Voice If any Man thirst let him come unto me and drink Whosoever believeth in me out of his Belly shall flow Rivers of Living Water which he meant of the abundant Graces of God's Holy Spirit which should be poured out upon the Souls of those that believe in him after he should be entred into his Glory Nevertheless the People were much divided in their Opinions about this Saying for some took him for a Prophet others acknowledged him for the Messias and others who knew not that he was born at Bethlehem could not believe him to be the Christ because they knew that Christ should not come out of Galilee but out of the Town of Bethlehem and from the Family of David Then the Priests and Pharisees asked the Officers whom they had sent to take him Why they had not brought him They gave them no other Answer but this Never Man spake like this Man The Pharisees asked them If they were so simple as to be lead away with such a Seducement and follow the Error of the cursed Populacy leaving the Pharisees and Grandees who being Learned and Judicious have none of them believed on him Upon this Nicodemus that Pharisee that came to Jesus Christ by Night told them That the Law doth not permit them to condemn any Man before an Hearing But they answered him Art thou also a Galilean i. e. a Disciple of this Man of Galilee From whence they affirmed That there never was a Prophet that rose out of Galilee Thus the Assembly parted without doing any thing to him and every Man returned to his own House XX. Jesus saveth a Woman taken in Adultery John 8 11-11 Jesus departing from Jerusalem from this Feast went up into a Mountain called the Mount of Olives which is distant from Jerusalem about the space of a Sabboth-days Journey which is something less than two Miles and as soon as it was day he returned again from thence to the Temple where being sat down he began to instruct the People that were gathered about him Then the Scribes and Pharisees brought a Woman to him who had been taken in Adultery and setting her before him in the midst of the People said unto him Master This Woman was taken in Adultery Lev. 20.10 Now Moses in his Law commanded us to Stone Persons found Guilty of that Crime But what sayest thou This Question they put to him that they might have an occasion to accuse him either of using too much Cruelty towards Sinners if he had commanded the Law to be executed upon her or of nulling the Law if he should pardon her But Jesus instead of Answering them stooped down and Wrote with his Finger upon the Ground But they continuing to ask him he raised up himself and saith to them He that is without Sin among you let him cast the first Stone Then stooping down he Wrote upon the Ground as before But they being amazed at this unexpected Answer and convicted by their own Consciences went away One by One. Jesus being left alone with the Woman asked her Where are thine accusers Hath no Man condemned thee she answered him No man Lord. He saith unto her Neither do I condemn thee Go and Sin no more XXI Jesus remains in the Temple Teaching The Jews go about to Stone him The Jews hated Jesus every day more and more Jo. 8 12-59 but that did not deterr him from Preaching the Truth undauntedly to all He tells them That he is the Light of the World and if they follow him they shall not walk in Darkness Hereupon the Pharisees replyed that the Testimony which he gave of himself was not worthy of Credit But he demonstrates that they judged amiss and the Testimony which he gave of himself was not therefore less to be believed because it was confirmed by the Testimony of his Father who wrought so great Miracles by him They then asked him Where his Father was He answered them That they knew not his Father because they would not acknowledge his Son He added moreover and said I go my way and ye shall seek me and shall dy in your Sins Whither I go ye cannot come And because they thought he would kill himself that they might not follow him hereupon he tells them That he was not from below as they are but from above and that if they did not believe in him they should dye in their Sins They then asked him Who he was He answers That he was the Son of God but in such words as they did not understand He adds That when they have lifted him up on high by which he means the Cross to which he was to be fastned they should believe him and know that he had done nothing of himself nor said any thing but what he hath heard of his Father These Truths which blinded the Proud enlightned several other Persons who believed on him
hast believed for the Things which have been told thee from the Lord shall be accomplished These Commendations did not at all puff up the Virgin 's Heart with Pride she could not be unsensible of the Favours which God had bestowed on her but being desirous to give him all the Glory and not daring to attribute any thing that the Lord had wrought in her to her Faith she referr'd all to the Mercy of her Creator saying My Soul doth magnify the Lord and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour for he hath regarded the lowliness of his Handmaid She adds That God is pleased when he sees fit to do great Things for his mean Creatures That he loves to exalt the Humble and debase the Proud and that lastly He is faithful to his Promises because he made her the Mother of his Son That he might perform the Promises which he had made to Abraham and the other Patriarchs IV. The Nativity of S. John Luke 1. 56-80 Mary continued Three Months with her Cousin and then returned to her own House In the mean while Elizabeth's Time of Delivery came and her Relations and Cousins met together to rejoyce with her concerning the Birth of her Son On the Eighth Day when he was to be circumcised and named they all gave him the Name of Zachary as his Father was called but Elizabeth opposed them desiring he should be named John as God had commanded by the Angel They answered her That there was none of her Family called by that Name and made Signs to his Father that he should shew them his Will about it And he required Writing-Tables and wrote thereon His Name must be called John and immediately his Tongue was loosed and his Speech being restored to him he made use of it to praise God But all that had been Witnesses of these Miracles and all that heard him speak were astonished and said one to another What manner of Child shall this be How great how holy a Man But that which they were ignorant of was revealed to Zacharias who being filled with the Holy Spirit understood the Mystery of the Incarnation and the part his Son was to have in that Mystery whereupon he prophesied and said Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his People He adds as the Virgin had done in her Song That God hath raised out of the House of David a Saviour of the World to perform the Promises which he had made to Abraham and renewed often by the Mouth of his Prophets And then he sums up all the Benefits of the Incarnation in a few Words he hath promised us That we being delivered from the Power of our Enemies might serve him by walking before him in Holiness and Righteousness all the Days of our Life Then he speaks these Words to his Son And thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the most high for thou shalt go before the Face of the Lord to prepare his Ways and to give Knowledge of Salvation to his People for the Remission of their Sins And indeed God did fulfil what Zachary had foretold of his Son and that he might fit this Infant for the great Office he designed him he made him eminent in all Spiritual Gifts and kept him in the Deserts till the Time of his appearing to his People Israel V. God reveals the Conception of Jesus Christ to Joseph While the Fame of those Miracles which happened at the Birth of John Matth. 1 18-25 spread it self over all the Hill-Country of Judea the Holy Virgin being returned to Nazareth meditated in deep Silence upon the Mystery which God had wrought in her She had not told Joseph what had befaln her but her Bigness discovered it and he perceived she was with Child But being an Holy and Pious Man he was not willing to disgrace her publickly whereupon he resolved to put her away privately And in this Purpose he continued till an Angel appearing to him in a Dream said unto him Joseph thou Son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy Wife for the Child that is conceived in her is the Work of the Holy Ghost She shall bring forth a Son and thou shalt call his Name Jesus because he is the Person which shall save his People from their Sins Joseph submitted to this Command and remained with his Wife both of them living in perfect Chastity And so that which God had long before foretold by the Prophet Isaiah was fulfilled A Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son Isai 7.14 which shall be called Immanuel which being interpreted is God with us VI. The Divine Generation of Jesus Christ The Time being come when the Virgin should be delivered she brought forth Jesus Christ in the manner which we shall hereafter speak of But before we relate the History of this Birth it is necessary to give an account of the Person who was born Men describe the Genealogies of the Grandees of the World that they may make them honourable by the Nobility of their Parentage and great Actions of their Ancestors who have no Worth of their own to render them remarkable Matth. 1 1-17 Luke 3. 23-38 Mary brought forth a Son of whom the Gospel recites Two Pedigrees and Two Births because he had Two Natures Jesus Christ is both God and Man and hath united in one Person the Divine and Human Nature As he is Man he is descended of a numerous Succession of Ancestors As he is God he hath only God for his Father as Man he was born in Time but as God he was born and is from all Eternity What S. John in the beginning of his Gospel teaches us concerning his Divine and Eternal Generation and for what Reasons he became Incarnate is this He says That Jesus Christ as God is the Word John 1 1-14 i. e. the Thought or Speech of God When a Man thinks he forms an Idea or Spiritual Image of the Thing he thinks of and this Image is called the Word i. e. the Speech of the Mind for it is by the Thoughts that the Mind reasons with and speaks to it self God is a pure Spirit who knows himself most perfectly and that from all Eternity He thinks then in knowing himself and forms an exact Image of himself and this Image is his Word But this Word infinitely excels all the Thoughts of Men in this That he is a Thought subsisting by himself and a distinct Person from him that formed it but yet the same God with him The Two Persons love each other infinitely from all Eternity and this Eternal Love is a Third Person called the Holy Spirit who is also the same God and of the same Nature with the Two other Persons from whom he proceeds This is what the Holy Scripture teaches us of the Holy Trinity which is nothing else but the God which we worship One in Three Persons of which the Second is called not
only the Son because he is begotten of the Father to whom the Name of Father is given for that Reason but also the Word because he is the Thought or interior Speech of the First Person which begat him by knowing himself and that from all Eternity because he knoweth himself from all Eternity And upon this Ground it is that S. John says That in the Beginning i. e. when the World began the Word was and the Word was in or with God for the Thought is in the Mind that forms it and that he was God it being the Property of this Word as we have said to be the same thing with the Being that begets it p. 23 The Birth of JESUS CHRIST VII The Human Birth of Jesus Christ. Augustus the Roman Emperor Luke 2. 1-20 being desirous to know the Number of all his Subjects published an Edict commanding every Person to go and be registred in his Native City In Obedience to which Order Joseph went up from Galilee with the Holy Virgin to Bethlehem a City of Judah to have his Name enrolled there because he was of the House and Linage of David For this Prince was born at Bethlehem which is therefore called in the Gospel The City of David While they were there her Time came that the Holy Virgin should be delivered And she brought forth Jesus Christ wrapped him in Swaddling Cloaths and because there was no Room in the Inn laid him in a Manger Not far from thence there were certain Shepherds who kept their Flocks by Night these Men all of a sudden were encompassed with a great Light and saw an Angel which said unto them Fear not for I bring you good News which shall fill all People with great Joy which is that this Day there is born in the City of David a Saviour which is Christ the Lord and by this Sign ye shall know him ye shall find the Infant wrapped in Swaddling Cloaths and lying in a Manger As soon as they had received this Message from God they heard a great number of those blessed Spirits praising God and saying Glory be to God in the height of Heaven and on Earth Peace to the Men of his good-liking i. e. to all truly penitent Sinners and sincere new Creatures As soon as the Angels were departed the Shepherds went in haste to Bethlehem where they found Mary and Joseph with the Babe who was laid in a Manger and they acknowledged the Truth of what the Angel had said unto them Then they returned glorifying God published the Miracles which they had seen and raised an Admiration in all those that heard them But Mary seriously meditated upon all these Things in her Mind and was careful to keep a faithful Remembrance of them VIII The Circumcision of Jesus Christ. Luk. 2.21 Lev. 12.3 Gen. 17.12 By the Law of Moses every Male Child ought to be circumcised within eight Days after the Birth according to the Command which God had given to Abraham for God being about to give this Patriarch a Son of whose Posterity our Redeemer should be born and entring into a Covenant with him to be kept by all his Posterity he instituted Circumcision as a Seal and Sign of that Covenant threatning to cut off that Male Child from his People which shall not be Circumcised Abraham himself and all the Jews his Posterity did exactly observe this Law and Jesus Christ was willing to submit to it himself wherefore the Gospel observes That he was Circumcised the Eighth Day and that he was named JESVS which was the Name that the Angel had ordered to be given him before his Conception IX The Adoration of the Magi. Matth. 2 1-12 The Holy Virgin and Joseph continuing still at Bethlehem the Magi which were certain great Philosophers and Astronomers came from the East to Jerusalem and asked Where the Person was who was lately born King of the Jews saying Numb 24.17 That they had seen a Star in the East signifying his Birth and conducting them thither and were come to worship him This Question much surprized the People of Jerusalem and above all troubled Herod who was then King of the Jews Whereupon he assembled the Chief Priests and the most learned in the Law among the Jews to be informed of them Where the Messiah which they expected should be born for he believed that it was he that the Magi enquired after under the Name of the King of the Jews They answered him At Bethlehem according to the Prophecy of Micah And thou Bethlehem Mic. 5.2 in the Land of Judah art not the least among the principal Cities of that Tribe for out of thee shall come a Governour that shall rule my People Israel Herod as soon as he had received this Information sent for the Magi privately to him and enquired of them At what Time the Star they spoke of was seen by them and sending them to Bethlehem said unto them Go and search diligently for the young Child which ye desire to see and when ye have found him let me know it that I may also pay him the like Adoration Being just got into the Way to Bethlehem they saw the Star again which had appeared to them in the East and the Gospel says they were filled with exceeding great Joy for it went before them to conduct them to him and stood over the Place where Jesus Christ was They immediately entred into the House and falling down before him they worshipped him and offered to him for Gifts Gold and Frankincense and Myrrhe And thus having paid their Homage they returned into their own Country but did not go by Jerusalem because they had been admonished in a Dream not to return again to Herod X. The Presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple The Holy Virgin and Joseph having so punctually observed the Law of Circumcision were not less exact in the performance of Two other Commandments of the Law the One of which concerned Mothers the other their First-born Children Lev. 12 2-8 The First of these obliges every Woman after her Delivery not to touch any hallowed Thing for a certain Time nor to go into the Temple for Forty Days after the Birth of a Son and Fourscore Days after the Birth of a Daughter and at the End of that Term the Mother shall go to the Temple to be purified for which end she must offer a Lamb for a Burnt-Offering and a Pigeon or a Turtle-Dove foâ— the Attonement of her Sins But if she be noâ— able to offer a Lamb she is allowed to offer â— Pigeon or a Turtle for it which being sacrificed by the Priest she is clean The Second Commandment of the Law which concerns the First-born Children enjoyns the Parents to present them to the Lord and to redeem them with Mony Exod. 13.2 15. Every First-born in Israel both of Man and Beast was consecrated to God bâ— a Command which God gave them when he slew the First-born
of the Aegyptians and so forced Pharaoh to let his People go out of his Land By this obliging the Jews to keep this Benefit iâ— Remembrance for ever But because every thing consecrated to God was to be offered in Sacrifice to him he contented himself with the Sacrifices of Beasts and would have Children to be redeemed Not but that Children might have been devoted to God after another manner viz. to have ministred at his Altar But God having chose for this Service one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel viz. Numb 8 16-18 the Tribe of Levi instead of all the First-born of all the other Tribes so that the First-born of all that were not of the Tribe of Levi were to be redeemed as not being qualified either for Sacrifices or Priests In obedience to these two Laws when Forty Days were expired after her Delivery Luke 2 22-32 did the Holy Virgin and Joseph go up to Jerusalem to offer the Sacrifice prescribed by the Law for her Purification and the Gospel observes That she offered the Sacrifice commanded such as were poor viz. Two Turtle-Doves or Two Young Pigeons At the same Time they carried Jesus Christ along with them to present him to the Lord and they redeemed him being not of the Tribe of Levi but of the Tribe of Judah While they were in the Temple came in an Holy Old Man named Simeon by the Direction of the Holy Spirit He was an Holy Man and one that feared God who was filled with the Spirit and longed earnestly for the coming of the Redeemer by whom God had promised to comfort his People The same Spirit which inspired him with a Desire and Expectation of a Saviour had promised him That he should not dye till he had seen him wherefore when the Holy Virgin and Joseph brought Jesus into the Temple this Holy Old Man being excited by Divine Inspiration came in took the Child up in his Arms blessed God for the Accomplishment of his Promise made to him and begged that he might dye because his Eyes had seen the Saviour which God would shew to all the World to be a Light to the Gentiles and an Honour to his People Israel When Joseph and Mary had seen and heard these things they were taken with great Admiration till Simeon turning himself to them blessed them and said to the Holy Virgin That this Child which she had presented to God should be the occasion of the Misery or Happiness of many Israelites and a Mark for obdurate Sinners to level their malicious Obloquies and Contradictions at which though they should discover the evil Thoughts and Dispositions of several Persons yet like a cutting Sword they shall wound her own Soul with Grief and Sorrow In the same instant came in also an Holy Widow called Anna a Woman of about Fourscore Years old who had the Gift of Prophecy and abode continually in the Temple serving God with Fasting and Prayers Night and Day She also saw Jesus Christ and knew him by the same Inspiration that had discovered him to Simeon wherefore she gave Thanks to God for the Mercy he had bestowed upon the World in giving them a Saviour and made him known to be the Messias to all those that waited for his coming XI Jesus 's Flight into Aegypt Matth. 2. 12-23 The Holy Virgin and Joseph having performed all that was commanded by the Law returned from Jerusalem and went down to Nazareth But Herod who waited for the coming back of the Magi that he might know of them where the New King was and so get him into his own Power seeing himself disappointed of his Expectations because as it is said before they were gone home another way fell into an extreme Passion and resolved to slay all the Children in Bethlehem and in the adjoyning Villages that were not above Two Years old and accordingly put it in Execution thinking in this barbarous Massacre to include him whose Destruction he chiefly aimed at But God prevented the Cruelty of this Prince and so ordered it that of all the Children whose Blood was shed as Jesus was the only one that he sought to kill so he was the only one that escaped for God by his Angel warned Joseph in a Dream of the Designs that Herod had to take away his Life and commanded him To take the Child and his Mother and fly into Aegypt and remain there till further orders Joseph immediately obeyed this Command and fled into Aegpt where after the Death of Herod the same Angel appeared to him and bid him return because he that sought to destroy the Saviour of the World was himself dead Then did Joseph immediately go into the Land of Israel with Jesus Christ and the Holy Virgin But hearing that Archilaus reigned in Judea in his Father Herod's stead he was afraid to go thither but being admonished of God in a Dream to go into Galilee he fixed his Dwelling in the City of Nazareth God thus accomplishing the Prophecies which did foretel That he should be called a Nazarene XII Jesus's Disputation with the Doctors In this Abode with his Parents at Nazareth Luke 2 40-52 the Child Jesus grew and waxed strong being full of Wisdom and Grace When he was Twelve Years old he went to Jerusalem with Joseph and the Holy Virgin who every Year went thither at the Passover and after the Feast he continued there without their Knowledge so that they returned without him supposing that he went along with some of their Company either behind them or before them But after they had gone a Day 's Journey and found him not neither among the Company nor yet with their Kindred and Acquaintance they turned back again to Jerusalem to seek him where after Three Days they found him in the Temple sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing them and asking them Questions and raising Admiration in all that heard him at his Understanding and Answers The Holy Virgin and Joseph were much surprized to see him in that Place and his Mother telling him how much they were troubled at the loss of him and the Pains they had taken to find him said to him Why hast thou dealt thus with us He answered them Why did ye seek me Did ye not know that I must necessarily be employed in promoting the Service of my Father They did not understand this Answer but the Virgin kept all these Words in her Heart Then Jesus went down to Nazareth with them and the Gospel says That he was subject to them and increased not only in Age but in Wisdom and in Favour both with God and with Man XIII The Preaching of John the Baptist. While John was in the Desert God enriched him with the Gifts of his Spirit Matt. 3.1 and in that Retirement fitted him for the great Employment he designed him as Jesus himself was secretly fitted for the Offices of his Ministry in Joseph's House They both waited with Patience for the Time
out of the Temple cast the Changers Mony on the Ground and overthrew their Tables and said unto those that Sold Doves Ps 69.9 Take these things hence make not my Fathers house an house of Merchandize This Action of Jesus brought to the Disciples minds these words of Scripture The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up but it surpriz'd and incensed the Jews who required of him a Miracle to prove his Authority of acting in that manner To whom he said Destroy this Temple and in three days I will rebuild it They understood it of the Temple out of which he had driven the Traders but he meant it of his Body which should be destroyed by Death and raised again the third day He did many Miracles at the Passover in Jerusalem which continues seven days and many Persons believed in his Name but he would not trust himself with those who were won only by Miracles because he knew the bottom of their hearts and exactly discerned what was unsound and imperfect in their Faith XX. The Discourse between J. Christ and Nicodemus VVhile Jesus was at Jerusalem Jo. 3 1.-12 a Jewish Ruler of the Sect of the Pharisees came to him by night and said unto him Master We know that thou art a Teacher come from God for no man can do those Miracles that thou dost except God be with him From hence Jesus takes an Occasion to teach this Pharisee the necessity of Baptism in order to Salvation saying unto him Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God To which he adds these important Truths That which is born of the flesh is flesh and that which is born of the spirit is spirit and that the Spirit inspires whom it pleaseth Nicodemus being surpriz'd asked him how can this be Jesus reproving his Ignorance that he was a Doctor and knew not these things saith unto him We testify what we have seen and ye receive not our Witness He then discovers these Mysteries of our Religion to him Jo. 3 13.-20 That no Man hath ascended up to Heaven but the Son of Man that came from Heaven That the Brazen Serpent which Moses put upon a Pole in the VVilderness that all those who were bitten by the fiery Serpents by looking upon it might be healed of their VVounds was but a Figure of him who was fixed unto the Cross for the deliverance of all those that believe in him from Eternal Death That he was sent into the World not to condemn the World but to save it That so great was the love of God towards Men that he gave them his only begotten Son to dy for them but this Love will be a just cause of Condemnation to all those that believe not in this Son and receive not this Light that is come to enlighten them loving rather to continue in darkness because they will not bring their VVorks to the Light of Truth lest they should be convinced thereby that the Actions which they so much delight in are criminal and sinful XXI St. Johns second Testimony concerning Jesus Jo. 3 23.-27 Jesus being come from Jerusalem after the Feast tarryed in Judea with his Disciples and there Baptized at the same time that John administred his Baptism in Jordan Here the Disciples of John had a dispute with the Jews about Baptism And they came to their Master and spake to him concerning Jesus Saying He to whom thou bearest Witness doth now Baptize and all men flock to him St. John who would not have gathered Disciples but that he might resign them to the Son of God answered them A man can receive nothing except it be given him from Heaven signifying by this answer that he acted in his Ministry only by the power and command of him who had called him to it Jo. 3 28.-36 He then puts them in mind of the Protestations which he had made before them That he was not the Christ He tells them that he is not the Bridegroom of the Church but the Bridegroom's Friend only And in that Quality 't was his only Joy and delight to hear the Bridegroom's Voice He goes on and says He must increase but I must decrease He adds that Jesus Christ came from above and therefore is above all that he speaks what he hath seen and heard and that he that receiveth his Testimony acknowledgeth that God is true because God hath sent him and hath not given his Spirit by measure to him but because he loveth him he hath given all things into his hands That Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he that believeth in him hath eternal Life and on the contrary he that believeth not shall not see Life but is an Object of the Wrath of God which shall not depart from him XXII John 's Imprisonment St. John did not think he had discharged his Office sufficiently Mat. 14 3.-5 Mar. 6 17.-20 Lu. 3.19 20. in discovering Jesus to be the Messiah at the River Jordan but he went to the Princes Court to Preach true Morality and Piety Herod Antipas the Son of Herod the Great in whose Reign Jesus Christ was Born and his Successor in one fourth part of his Kingdom from whence he is called Herod the Tetrarch had Marryed contrary to all Laws Herodias his Brother Philips Wife John went to reprove him for this Crime and for all the other evils which he had done and told him confidently that it was not Lawful for him to have her for his Wife who was his Brothers Wife Herod was not presently angry with this Holy Man but on the contrary believing him to be a Just Man and an Holy he had a great Respect and Veneration for him yea he feared him was a diligent Hearer of him and followed his advice in many things But Herodias was not so well affected to John for she hated him Mortally and sought all Occasions to destroy him By her instigation Herod became every day more averse to him and at length to please her apprehended him and put him into Prison He had at that time put him to Death but that he feared the People who accounted of and reverenced John as a Prophet VVhen Jesus knew that John was put into Prison and that the Pharisees had heard that he made and Baptized more Disciples than John tho' he Baptized no Man himself Jo. 4 1.-4 but by his Disciples he left Judea and returned into Galilee through Samaria XXIII The Samaritan Woman Jo. 4 5.-11 About noon Jesus came to a City of Samaria named Sychar and being wearied with his Journey he sat down on the brink of a Fountain called Jacob's VVell in a parcel of Ground which that Patriarch gave long since to his Son Joseph A certain VVoman of this Countrey came to fetch VVater at this VVell and Jesus saith unto her Give me to drink This VVoman who thought him to be a Jew wondred that he
whole And indeed so she was for as soon as she had done it she felt the same instant that she was cured of her Disease But Jesus who knew as the Gospel says That Vertue was gone out of him turned himself about in the Throng and asked Who it was that had touched him Peter and the other Disciples answered him Master the People throng and press thee and dost thou ask who it is that touched me But Jesus said unto them Some Body hath touched me for I perceive that vertue is gone out of me and he looked all-round about him to see her who had touched him with so much Faith that by it she had received the Cure of her Distemper The Woman seeing her self discovered cast her self down at the Feet of Jesus with Fear and trembling and acknowledged before the Multitude what had happened unto her The Son of God comforted her and said unto her Daughter be not afraid thy Faith hath saved thee go in Peace and be perfectly whole of thy Disease Matth. 9 23-26 Mark 5 35-45 Luke 8 49-56 While he was thus talking with this Woman there came a Man to Jairus and told him That his Daughter was dead and therefore 't was needless for him to trouble Jesus to go any further Our Saviour having heard the Message that that Man brought said unto the Ruler of the Synagogue Fear not only believe and thy Daughter shall be healed When they were come to the House they found there Pipers and Mourners who lamented her with doleful Tunes and hideous Outcries according to the Custom of the modern Jews Jesus entring in said unto them Why make ye so much a do howling and lamenting the Maid is not dead but sleepeth At these Words of his they laughed and mocked knowing well that she was dead but being ignorant that it was as easy for Jesus to raise the Dead as it is for Men to awake those that are asleep He then put forth the People out of the Chamber and suffered only three of his Disciples viz. Peter James and John with the Father and Mother of the Child to go in with him Then he goeth to the Bed where she lay taketh her by the Hand and called to her saying Damosel arise By these powerful Words he restored her Life and she rose And when they had given her something to eat she walked to the Wonder of her Father and Mother At his departure he commanded them very strictly to tell no Man what was done but the Fame of this Miracle spread it self in all that Country XI Jesus healed Two Blind Men and a Dumb Man Going from thence Matth. 9 27-31 Jesus was followed by Two Blind Men who cryed after him Thou Son of David have mercy on us When he was come into the House they came unto him and he said unto them Believe ye that I am able to do this that ye desire They answered Yea Lord and immediately he touched their Eyes saying According to your Faith be it done unto you and their Eyes were opened that very Moment but Jesus charged them to tell no Man of the Cure to teach Men to labour in sincere Humility to conceal the good Actions that they do and yet he permitted them to spread abroad his Fame in all that Country To instruct us by their Example That one part of that Acknowledgment which we ought to pay to God for the Mercies which we receive of him is to publish them that he may be known praised and glorified by those to whom we declare them After the Blind Men were gone they brought unto him a Dumb Man Matth. 9 32-34 possessed with a Devil As soon as the Devil was cast out the Dumb Man spake and the People were ravished with Wonder and said We never saw any such thing in Israel But the Pharisees began again to say that which they often repeated afterward That he cast out Devils through the Prince of the Devils XII Jesus cures a Man that had been diseased Thirty and Eight Years After this Jesus went up to Jerusalem to solemnize the great Feast John 5 1-47 then kept which is evidently the Passover Now there was at Jerusalem a Pool called the Sheep's Pool that is to say a Pond for Sheep because it was near a Gate of the City called the Sheep's Gate but others say because it was used to wash the Sacrifices in Into this Pool did an Angel at a certain Season come down and moved the Waters of it and put such a Vertue into it that whosoever first after the Waters were troubled by the Angel entred into it was healed of whatsoever Disease he had For this Reason it was that the Five Porches or Cloysters of a certain Building adjoyning to the Pool called in the Hebrew Tongue Bethesda the House of Mercy were always full of Sick Persons who waited for the Moving of the Waters among them was a certain Man who had an infirmity Thirty and eight Years which Jesus knowing said unto him Wilt thou be made whole This Man answered Sir I have no Man when the Water is troubled to put me into the Pool and while I am going my self another who hath more Strength or better Help steppeth down before me Jesus saith unto him Take up thy Bed and walk and immediately his Disease was healed and he took up his Bed and walked It was on Saturday which the Jews call the Sabboth-day that is to say a Day of Rest because all Labour is forbidden them on that Day by the Law wherefore when the Jews saw him carrying his Bed they contended with him for breaking the Law but he said to them He that made me whole said unto me Take up thy Bed and walk They then asked him What Man it was but the Man knew not who it was for Jesus did immediately convey himself away from the Multitude of People that were in that Place Not long after Jesus met this Man in the Temple and saith unto him Behold thou art made whole sin no more hereafter lest a worse Plague be inflicted on thee The Man went to the Jews and told them That it was Jesus which had healed him The Jews for this Reason sought to persecute Jesus and so much the rather because in his Defence of this Action on the Sabboth Day he had said My Father worketh continually doing Good and preserving as well on your Sabboth as other Days and I work only as he doth Wherefore they had a greater hatred against him not only because he had broken the Sabboth but had called God his Father making himself equal with God Hereupon Jesus makes an excellent Discourse to them to prove his Divinity and shews them That he had received all Power of his Father to Act Judge and raise the Dead That he did not depend upon his own Assertions to clear this Truth but he had John's Testimony the Nature of the Works and Miracles themselves which he did yea the
Hundred Thousand Men for Forty Years together with Manna that fell from Heaven Canst thou do any thing greater than Moses did Jesus answered them verily I say unto you Moses did not give you the true Bread from Heaven but 't is my Father that giveth it and this Bread is he that came down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World They said unto him Lord give us this Bread for ever He answered them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst By which words we are to understand That Jesus is the spiritual Food of those Souls that eat him believing on him by a lively Faith which works by Love and by thus eating him they obtain that happy Life with which they shall be fully and eternally satisfied Then he adds that altho' they had seen and been witnesses of so many Miracles which he had done yet they did not believe on him and by reason of their Infidelity they should lose the great advantage which all those which his Father should bring unto him should enjoy viz. to be raised up at the Last Day and inherit eternal Life Nevertheless the Jews murmured against him saying Is not this the Son of Joseph Do not we know his Father and Mother Why then doth he tell us that he came down from Heaven Jesus was so far from mollifying or recanting these Truths tho' they were offended at them that on the contrary he confirms them more strongly and having proved from Scripture that they should be taught of God that all whom his Father teacheth shall come unto him and that they themselves did not come unto him because they did not understand the Voice of him that sent him He tells them again that he is the Bread of Life that the Manna did not keep them from dying who eat of it but his flesh was the true Bread that came down from Heaven which giveth Life to all that eat of it These last words made them the more averse to him and they disputed among themselves how he could give them his Flesh to eat Nevertheless he pursued his Discourse and tells them that his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed that they have no Life in them if they eat not his Flesh and drink his Blood and that he that feeds on them shall be raised up at the Last Day and obtain eternal Life Lastly he teaches them what great effects his Body should work in the Souls of all those that receive it worthily saying to them He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and he shall live by me as I live by my Father which hath sent me These sublime Truths which he taught in the Synagogue at Capernaum offended many of the Jews yea several of his Disciples having hard them said These words are very heard and unintelligible who can patiently hear such Doctrin as this much less believe it But they understood them in a literal which were meant in a Spiritual sense only They thought saith St. Austin that if they eat his flesh they must cut it in pieces as the flesh which is sold in the Market is They were not sensible that besides the manner of eating Jesus Christ by Faith they might also really eat him in the Eucharist under the Figure of Bread a way wherein there is nothing affrighting But instead of believing all that he who was the Truth it self said unto them by attending to his Explication of what they did not understand they were offended at his Speech and withdrawing themselves from following him would be his Disciples no longer The Apostles were wiser than these deserters for Jesus having said unto them Will ye also leave me Peter answered for them all Lord to whom should we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life and we believe and know that thou art the Christ the Son of God Nevertheless among these Twelve which adhered so firmly to him there was one which should afterwards betray him which was Judas Iscariot Jesus knowing it foretold the Infidelity and Treachery of that Apostle saying Have not I chosen you Twelve And yet one of you is a Devil and a Wicked Traytor IV. The Pharisees complain that his Apostles did eat with un-washed Hands Jo. 6.4 The Passover was nigh at hand when Jesus multiplyed the Bread and made the former Discourse It appears by this Relation of St. John that he went not up to Jerusalem to Solemnize that Feast according to the Custom for that Evangelist says that after this he remained in Galilee not daring to go into Judea because the Jews sought to put him to Death Then the Scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem came unto him Matt. 1â— 1 -20. Mar. 7.1 -23. and having observed that his Disciples did not scruple to eat their Meat with unwashen Hands they complained of them to him Not that there was any commandment of the Law enjoyning them to wash their Hands before they eat but the Pharisees had annexed several Humane Traditions to the Law which they were more exact in the observance of than the Law it self For this reason it was that they said unto Jesus Why do thy Disciples break the Tradition of the Elders in not washing their Hands when they eat their Food Jesus asked them again Why do you your selves transgress the Law of the Lord by following your Traditions As for example Why do you perswade Children to think that they do a Work acceptable to God in giving him Offerings altho' they suffer their Father and Mother to be in want thus making them to prefer an Humane Tradition before the Commandment of God which injoyns Children so expresly to Honour and Support those from whom they have received Life Then he shews them that notwithstanding all their Ceremonial observances they wore the Hypocrites of whom God speaks by the Prophet Isaias This People honoureth me with their Lips Isai 29.13 but their Heart is far from me Lastly he calls to the People and saith unto them with a loud Voice Hear ye this and understand my sayings Nothing from without a Man entring into his Body can defile him but that which cometh out of the Man defileth the Man Upon this his Disciples came unto him and told him that the Pharisees were offended at his Words But he answered them Every Plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they are blind leaders of such as are as blind as themselves with whom they shall fall into the Ditch and so perish eternally together Then he went into an House and his Disciples desired him to explain to them his meaning in those Words Nothing that entreth into a Man defileth the Man but that which cometh out of the Man defileth the Man He unfolded the Parable to them and taught them that every thing that entreth into the Body
better till he came to a perfect sight Then the Son of God sent him to his own House forbidding him to tell any Man what had happened unto him X. S. Peter confesseth That Jesus Christ is the Son of God Matth. 16 13-20 Mark 8 27-30 Luke 9 18-20 Jesus went from thence with his Disciples and ascending up towards the Head of Jordan he went into the Towns adjoyning to Caesarea Philippi a City situate upon the same River on the South-Side of Galilee By the Way he asked them What Men said of him They answered him That some took him for John the Baptist others for Elias others for Jeremiah and lastly others for one of the old Prophets risen from the Dead But saith he to them whom say ye that I am Peter answered and said Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God Whereupon Jesus saith unto him Blessed art thou Simon Son of Jonas for Flesh and Blood hath not revealed this that thou hast said unto thee but my Father which is in Heaven And I also say unto thee That thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven XI Jesus foretels his Death to his Disciples Matth. 16 20-28 Mark 8 30-38 Luke 9.21 22. Jesus after this Discourse forbids his Disciples to publish it that he was the Son of God and then begins to tell them what he must suffer as he was the Son of Man He declares unto them That he must go to Jerusalem and be there disowned by the Jewish Governours Chief Priests and Scribes suffer many Cruelties and Indignities from them be put to Death and raised again the Third Day Peter who by reason of the great Love he had for his Lord and Master could not endure to hear this Discourse took him aside and reproved him saying God forbid that such Things should befal thee Lord. But Jesus rebuking him for giving him such Council which though it testified much carnal Love and Affection to him did so plainly oppose the Sacred Purpose of God in redeeming Man said unto him before all his Disciples Depart from me Satan for thou art an Offence to me for thou savourest not the things of God All this was transacted privately between Jesus Christ and his Disciples but he called the People Luke 9 23-27 and began to preach before them all those Truths which Peter did not understand when he discouraged him from suffering Death for he asserted it publickly That if any Man will follow him he must bear his Cross all his Days That to lay down his Life for him and the Gospel is the only way to be saved and to seek salvation any other way is to destroy himself and that he gets nothing by the World that loses his own Soul That he shall hereafter come in his Glory and render to every Man according to his Works and then he will disown them before his Father who have been ashamed of him and his Word before Men And he adds That there are some among his present Hearers who shall not dye till they see him in his Kingdom and in the Greatness of his Glory XII Jesus Christ is transfigured on the Mountain The Promise Matt. 17 1-13 Mark 9 1-13 which Jesus made in the last Words he partly performed within Eight Days after for he took Peter and James and John privately and led them into a very high Mountain where he went to Prayers and while he was at Prayers his Face became as radiant and shining as the Sun Luke 9 28-36 and his Garments as bright as the Light appeared as white as Snow The Three Apostles in the mean while were asleep but when they awoke they saw their Master Transfigured i. e. clear another Man from what they had seen him before for they saw him in that Glory in which he had promised to discover himself to some of them and they beheld also with him Two Men full of Majesty who talked with him concerning that Death which he should suffer at Jerusalem They knew that these Two Men were Moses and Elias and when they were about going from Jesus Peter that he might detain them with them said unto his Master Lord it is good for us to be here and if thou pleasest let us make Three Tabernacles One for thee and One for Moses and One for Elias But as he was thus speaking scarce knowing what he said in his Transport as the Gospel observes a bright Cloud over-shadowed them and there came a Voice out of the Cloud which spake these Words This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear him This Cloud and Voice filled the Three Disciples with so great Fear that they fell on their Faces to the Earth But Jesus came to them and comforted them and raised them up Then they lifted up their Eyes and looking round about they saw no Man save Jesus only As they were coming down from the Mountain he commanded them to tell no Man what they had seen till the Son of Man be risen from the Dead They obeyed this Command but did not understand the Last Words and they disputed among themselves about the Meaning of this Expression Vntil the Son of Man be risen from the Dead The Disciples having seen Elias with him in the Mount took an occasion to ask him Why the Scribes and the Pharisees did assert That that Prophet was to come before the Messias Jesus answered them That Elias shall indeed come and shall be rejected and evil-intreated as well as the Son of Man yea he adds That he is already come and that the Jews have done what they list to him and so will they make the Son of Man suffer as they have done his Fore-runner This Answer plainly discovered to the Apostles That the last Elias of whom he had spoken was John the Baptist who had gone before the first coming of Jesus Christ in the Spirit and Power of Elias as Elias himself in Person should go before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ XIII Jesus heals a young Man Lunatick and Dumb. The next Day Jesus being come to the Place Matth. 17 14-21 Mark 9 14-29 Luke 9.37 -42. where the rest of the Apostles were he met a great multitude of Men and the Scribes questioning with them As for the People as soon as they saw the Son of God they ran to him and saluted him being full of Admiration and Joy Jesus then asked the Scribes What was the occasion and Subject of your Dispute but at the same Time came a certain Man to him having broke through the Press and kneeling down at his Feet prayed him to have Pity on his only Son whom he had brought unto him because
to whom he said That if they would continue firm in the Observation of his Word then they should be his Disciples indeed That they should know the Truth and the Truth should make them free The Jews reply'd that they never were Servants but free as being the Children of Abraham He answers them That every one that commits Sin is the Servant of Sin and that they could not be truly free unless he made them free That they were indeed Abrahams Children according to the flesh but that in rejecting the Truth and seeking to Kill him who had told them the Truth they did not do like Abraham but made themselves the Children of another Father by following his Example and imitating him They maintain'd that in that sense they had no other Father but God but Jesus tells them again That if they were the Children of God they would hear God's Word and Love his only begotten Son whom he hath sent That Murther and Lying being the Works of the Devil those People who sought to destroy a Man whom they could not prove Guilty of any Crime and who had told them the Truth had the Devil for their Father They made no reply to this but by railing at him Calling him a Samaritan that hath a Devil Jesus answered them plainly I have not a Devil but honour my Father adding that there is another that will do him Justice because he seeketh not his own Glory Afterwards he saith That he that keeps his Word shall never dye which he means of Eternal Death But the Jews who understood it of the Death of the Body took occasion to insult over him asking him Whether he was greater than Abraham and the Prophets that he could preserve them from Death that keep his Commandments which these great Men could not avoid and therefore desire him to tell them what manner of Man he would have them to take him for He answers them again That he honoured not himself but derived all his Honour from his Father whom they worshipped as their God but know him not That as for Abraham whom they were always bragging of he had earnestly desired to see the Coming of him whom they contemned which he saw and was filled with great Joy They replyed Thou art not yet Fifty Years Old and hast thou seen Abraham He answered them Verily verily I say unto you before Abraham was I am Upon this they took up Stones to cast at him but he hid himself and went out of the Temple escaping the Fury of his Enemies for that time that he might expose himself to all their Malice and Rage when his time appointed by his Father for him to suffer was come XXII Jesus gives sight to a Man born Blind Jesus as he passed the Streets of Jerusalem John 9 1-41 saw a Man sitting in the Streets who was Blind from his Birth and his Disciples asked him whether it was his own or his Parents Sin that was the cause of his Blindness He answered them that he was not made Blind for any Sin that either himself or his Parents had committed but that God might manifest the more the wonderful Works of his Power He adds that it is his Office to do these Works in the time allowed him for it and that so long as he is in the World he is the Light of the World After this answer He spat on the Ground and having made Clay with the spittle he rubbed the eyes of the Blind Man with it and sent him to wash them to the Pool called the Pool of Silom where as soon as he had washed he saw clearly His Neighbours and all those that knew him when he was Blind and sat in the Streets begging could not believe what they saw but doubted whether he was the same Man or one like him But he told them all that it was he himself And further related to them That a Man called Jesus had restored his sight They asked him where he was but he saying that he could not tell they carryed him to the Pharisees who also themselves examined him and he related to them how the thing happened It was the Sabboth-day on which Jesus healed this Blind Man which was the cause that some of the Pharisees said This Man is not of God because he keepeth not the Sabboth But others could not believe that a Wicked Man could do so great Miracles so that there was a great Division among them Then they asked the Blind Man what he thought himself He answered that he looked upon Jesus as a Prophet All these things much astonished the Jews and they would not believe it till they had called the Father and Mother of the Blind Man of whom they enquired Is this your Son whom ye say was born Blind how then doth he see clearly But they fearing the Jews and knowing the Resolution that they had made to put every Man out of the Synagogue who should acknowledge that Jesus was Christ answered freely We know that this is our Son and that he was born Blind but we are ignorant by what means he seeth or who hath opened his Eyes He is of Age ask him he shall answer for himself Wherefore they called the Blind Man the second time and said unto him Give God the Glory we know that this Man is a Sinner and a Wicked Man He answered them I cannot tell whether he be a sinner but this I know that whereas I was Blind I now see clearly They asked him again how he had received his sight And he answered them I have already told and ye did not mind it why would you hear it again Are you desirous to be his Disciples Then were they enraged against him and reproaching him said unto him Thou art one of his Disciples but we are Moses 's Disciples For we know that God spake to Moses but as for this Man we knew not whence he is The Blind Man reply'd That it was very strange that they should not know that a Man who hath so Miraculously opened the Eyes of one Born Blind a thing the like to which was never heard of since the World began must needs be from God At this they cast him out of their Assembly with disgrace saying Thou wast altogether born in Sin and dost thou undertake to teach us Jesus heard that they had thus expelled him and meeting him he said unto him Dost thou believe on the Son of God He answered him Who is he Lord that I may believe on him Jesus saith unto him Thou hast seen him and it is he that speaketh to thee He answered him Lord I believe and immediately fell down at his Feet and Worshipped him as the Messias Jesus adds that he came into the World to exercise an amazing Judgment that the Blind may see and they that see may become Blind i. e. that they whose Pride hinders them from acknowledging their Spiritual Blindness may be blinded so as not to see the Truth for some
which they saw their Hearts being so much hardened that they could not endure the Remedies which were applyed for their Cure Nevertheless even among the Chief Men of the Jewish Nation there were several that belived on Jesus Christ but they dare not own him openly because the Pharisees had resolved to put all Jesus's Disciples out of the Synagogue and this their cowardly Timorousness proceeded from hence That they loved the Praise of Men more than the Praise of God So that it was in vain for Jesus to cry out to these sort of Persons as he doth in the next Words He that believeth on me believeth on him that sent me I am come a Light into the World that whosoever believeth in me may not abide in Darkness I am come to save and not to judge he that disregards my Words shall be judged by the same Word at the Last Day for I have not spoken of my self nor taught any thing but what my Father commanded me to teach So great an effect had their Fear and Hardness upon them IV. Jesus Christ curseth the Fig-Tree Matt. 21 17-22 Mark 11 12-14 Perhaps these last Words were spoken in the Temple for S. Mark saith That he went thither and in the Evening returned to Bethany with his Twelve Disciples The next Morning he came again to Jerusalem and perceiving himself an hungry he went to a Figtree which he saw in the Way hoping to find something on it to eat But because the Time for Figs was not come he found nothing for which Reason he cursed the Tree saying Let no Fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever and immediately the Fig-Tree withered away Not that the Fig-Tree say the Fathers was really to be condemned for not bearing Fruit since it was not the proper Season for it but that Jesus Christ would teach Men by what he did to the Fig-Tree that he expects good Works of them that he doth not allow them to be without Good Fruits and that the Punishment due to their Barrenness is to be given over to it that since they have not done the good they are able they should not be able to do the Good they would V. Jesus Christ drives the Merchants out of the Temple Matth. 21 12-22 Mark 11 15-26 Luke 19 45-48 Jesus being come to Jerusalem went into the Temple where seeing that Holy Place profaned and dishonoured by Trading and Merchandize he was moved with Indignation and drave out the Buyers and Sellers overthrew the Tables of the Mony-Changers and the Seats of them that sold Doves and would not permit any Man to carry any Vessel through the Temple And to satisfy them of the reasonableness of this Action he said to them Is it not written My House shall be called an House of Prayer by all Nations but ye have made it a Den of Thieves At the same Time came the Blind and the Lame to him and he healed them all The People were filled with Admiration at all these Things but the Priests Scribes and Chief Men among the Jews persisted still in their Resolution of putting him to Death and sought all occasions to bring it about but yet so that they might have no cause to fear the People The Miracles which he did and the Acclamations of the Children who cryed in the Temple Hosanna i. e. Health and Honour to the Son of David much enraged them and they could not but discover that Anger by asking him If he regarded what these children said But he silenced them by shewing them That that which displeased them so highly fulfilled the Scripture for have you never read saith he these Words of the Psalmist Out of the Mouth of Bakes and Sucklings thou hast perfected Praise Psal 8.2 When it was Night Jesus went from Jerusalem and returned again the next Morning in the Way the Apostles beholding the Fig-Tree which Christ had cursed but the Day before to be quite withered away and dead to the very Roots Peter shewed it to him saying Master behold the Fig-Tree which thou cursedst is withered away Whereupon Jesus takes an occasion to shew them how great is the Force of Faith and Prayer for he said unto them That if they have a stedfast Faith in God they should not only be able to dry up a Fig-Tree but to remove Mountains and whatsoever they shall ask in Prayer it shall be granted them provided that they be careful before Prayer to pardon those that have offended them because unless that be done God will not pardon them their Offences VI. The Discourse of Jesus Christ with the Priests and Doctors Matth. 21 23-27 Mark 11 27-33 Luke 20 1-8 Jesus enters again into the Temple where while he was instructing the People and preaching the Gospel the Priests Scribes and Rulers came upon him and asked him By what Authority he did these things He answered them I also will ask you one Thing which if you will answer me I will tell you by what Authority I do this He then asked them Whether the Baptism of John was from Heaven or of Men i. e. Whether it was of Divine or Human Appointment This Question much perplexed them for they durst not affirm that it was from Heaven for fear Jesus should retort it upon them Why did ye not then believe it But if they should affirm it to be a mere Human Institution they feared that the People who did generally believe that John was a Prophet would stone them wherefore they chose to answer That they knew not Then Jesus replyed Neither tell I you by what Authority I do these things which ye behold to be done by me After this he proposeth several Parables to these Hypocrites wherein he shews how great punishment they deserved for that unjust aversion and hatred which they had taken up against him and for their obstinacy by which they rejected those Truths which he had preached to them The first is of a certain Man who having two Sons commanded them one after another to go and Labour in his Vineyard The first told him plainly that he would not go but afterwards he repented and went the other having promised him to go went not Jesus asked the Priests and Scribes which of these two Sons did the Will of his Father They answered the first Then he shews them that the First figured the Publicans and Sinners who repented at the Preaching of John the Baptist and that they themselves not believing this his Holy Fore-runner who came to them in the way of Righteousness should not get into Heaven so easily as the Harlots themselves whose Repentance they would not imitate nor follow their Faith VII The Parable of the Husband-men that hired the Vineyard The second Parable is concerning a Man Matth. 21 23-46 Mark 12 1-12 Luke 20 9-19 who being about to take a long Journey Let out his Vineyard to Husbandmen and about the time of the Vintage sent one of his Servants to them to
the Resurrection He answered them That they neither understood the sense of Scripture nor the Power of God that Marriage which is necessary in this World to raise up Children and posterity to Mortal Men is not at all so in another World where no Man shall dye but all shall be like the Angels being immortal Then he shews them by Scripture that the Dead are alive in respect of God who will one day raise them and consequently they were in a great error in denying a future Resurrection A Doctor of the Law who heard this answer could not but acknowledge that he had replyed well and all the People continued their admiration of his Doctrin XI He teaches which is the greatest Commandment of the Law A certain Scribe who was a Pharisee Matth. 22 34-40 Mark 12 28-34 and who had seen how Jesus had put the Sadducees to silence came to him and asked him tempting him Which is the first and great Commandment of the Law He answered him This Thou shalt Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy Soul with all thy Mind and with all thy Strength and that the Second which is like unto it is this Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self In these two are contained all the Law and the Prophets The Pharisee highly approved this answer of Jesus and confessed that he deservedly preferred Love above all other things for that is more acceptable to God than all Whole Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices The Son of God for his part commended the Wisdom of this Doctor and assured him that he was not far from the Kingdom of God After this no Man durst ask him any more Questions but Jesus put one himself to the Pharisees for seeing them assembled about him in the Temple He said unto them What think ye of Christ whose Son is he They answered him The Son of David Whereupon Jesus objected these words of Ps 110.1 The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my Right Hand c. And asked them how he could be Davids Son since he being inspired by the Holy Spirit called him His Lord This Question they could not resolve him because they would not acknowledge the Divine Nature of Jesus Christ whence it was that they were Ignorant that as God he was Lord of David tho' as Man he was his Son XII Jesus discovers the Vices of the Scribes and Pharisees Jesus then turning his Discourse to the People but chiefly to the Disciples Matth. 23 1-12 Mark 12 38-40 Luke 20 45-57 admonisheth them to observe and do those Truths which the Scribes and Pharisees taught them since they sat in Moses Chair and had right to instruct them But that they should take heed how they imitated their Actions for he tells them that they were guilty of Hypocrisy and commanded others to do what themselves would not do that they affected the highest places and sought after the greatest Honour that they used long Prayers indeed but 't was to devour Widows Houses He taught his Disciples not to desire to be called Masters but to acknowledge themselves to be all Brethren That they had but one Father who is God and one Master Jesus Christ. And then he repeats the words which he had often spoken He that is greatest among you let him be Servant of all for whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased but he that humbles himself shall be exalted XIII Jesus Christ commends the Alms of a poor Widow Jesus sitting over against the Treasury took notice of those that cast their Gifts into it Mark 12 41-44 Luke 21 1-4 and seeing a certain poor Widow casting in two Mites which make a Farthing of our Mony he called unto his Disciples and said unto them That this poor Widow hath given more then all the Rest because these Rich Men who have put much into the Treasury have given out of their abundance but this Woman on the contrary hath out of her want given all she had even all her Living XIV Jesus Christ foretells the Destruction of Jerusalem When Jesus was come out of the Temple to return to Bethany Matth. 24 1-20 Mark 13 1-23 Luke 21 5-24 his Disciples began a Discourse among themselves in the way about the Magnificence and Beauty of that Building and the large Gifts with which it was enriched and endowed And then came to their Master to shew him that which they so much admired and one of them said to him Master seest thou what Stones and Buildings here are But he answered them That the time shall come in which all this great Building which they see shall be so utterly destroyed that there shall not be left one Stone upon another that shall not be cast down When they came to the Mount of Olives Jesus sat over against the Temple and Four of his Apostles viz. Peter James John and Andrew prayed him to tell them When this Destruction of the Temple which he had foretold should happen when the World should end and he should come again in Glory and what shall be the Signs of these great events Jesus explained all these things to them and first advises them to beware of the Multitude of Impostors who should pretend themselves to be the Messias as also not to be troubled at the Wars Seditions Famines and other dreadful Signs which are nothing but many presages of the horrible Calamities which shall come upon the Earth He tells them that before these things come to pass they shall be Persecuted brought before Judges Scourged in Synagogues be delivered over to Punishments by their Parents hated of all Men for the Love they bear to Christ and many of them shall be put to Death But he comforts them at the same time by assuring them that he will give them such Wisdom to speak before their Judges as all their Adversaries shall not be able to gain-say or resist that they shall secure and save their Souls by Patience that in spite of all the Rage of their Persecutors there should not one Hair of their Heads perish and that his Gospel shall be Preached in all the World Lastly he tells them that he would raise up false Prophets which should deceive many that Persecutions should make many to fall away that they shall see Iniquity abound and Charity grow cold but they that hold out to the end shall be saved and so receive a sufficient reward for their Patience After he hath thus instructed them concerning what should befal themselves he then tells them what shall come upon the City Jerusalem the Temple and the Jews themselves He saith then That when they shall see Jerusalem invested and Gods Temple defiled with execrable abominations they may then assure themselves that the Desolation of them is nigh That they should only contrive to save themselves with all the care they can that they may not be involved in the Calamities of their Nation That this is the time that God will pour
to confirm them afresh he tells them That he gives his Peace to them that they may not be troubled That if they loved him they would rejoce that he returned to his Father who is greater than himself as he was Man That he foretold them what should come to pass that when it comes to pass they may believe on him that hath foretold it That he will speak but little hereafter to them because the Prince of this World i. e. the Devil is coming i. e. is about to compass his Death by the Hands of the Jews tho' he had Power over him because he was guilty of no Sin but as he goes on That the World may know that I love my Father and do that which he hath commanded Arise and let us go hence XXVII Jesus gives his Apostles several Precepts Jesus knowing that his Death Jo. 15 1-27 which he was to suffer in Obedience to his Fathers Will was nigh was unwilling to lose that little time which he had with his Apostles and therefore made use of it in Instructing them and sowing that Seed in their Hearts which the Holy Spirit would make to increase in his due time He tells them therefore that they were Holy and Pure because they had receiv'd the Doctrin of the Gospel but that they may bring forth the Fruit which the Gospel requires of them that receive it they must abide in him as the Branches of the Vine abide in the Body of it without which they cannot bare Grapes That his Father is Glorified when his Disciples bring forth much Fruit and that he will one day cut and cast into the Fire those who bear no Fruit as the Vine-dresser cuts off and burns the dry and dead Branches of the Vine That the Fruit which he expected of them is the Love which they ought to have one for another imitating their Master who gave his Life for his Enemies themselves That they have not chosen him but he had chosen them to bring forth continuing Fruit and that he had not used them as Slaves but Friends in teaching them what he himself had learned from his Father That in choosing them to follow him he had taken them from the World and so not being of the World they must expect to be Hated and Persecuted as he himself was That they shall be cast out of the Synagogues John 16 1-33 yea men shall think they honour God and do a Work acceptable to him when they put them to Death and that they shall be thus treated by those that neither know the Father nor the Son that he hath sent That he hath told them these things before they come to pass that when they come to pass they may remember that he hath foretold them and by remembring them he might encourage and fortify them that they may not faint under the most Violent Persecution These Truths the Apostles heard with silence as if they were much afflicted and astonished at the loss of their Master Jesus Christ He told them that he was going to him that sent him and none of them asked whither he went but were only troubled at it He mildly reproves this their silence and to comfort them he tells them it was for their Interest that he should go away because he could not send the Spirit who is the Comforter till after his departure from them That when this Comforter is come he will convince the World and Principally the Jews of Sin in not believing in him whom God hath sent to save them of Righteousness and Justice either of Jesus Christ which was manifest by his Glorious Resurrection and Ascension or of the Faithful who have believed in him and have not seen him whom the Jews having seen have not believed on him That he will convince the World of the Judgment and Condemnation of the Prince of this World i. e. the Devil whose Kingdom hath been destroyed by Jesus Christ and of whose punishment all those shall fall into who will not free themselves from his Slavery and Bondage that they may submit to the Command and Power of Christ That this same Spirit of Truth shall make the Apostles understand all the Truths that they have heard and shall teach them those Doctrins which he could not instruct them in because they were not able to bear them Then he adds Yet a little while and ye shall see me no more and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to my Father His Disciples did not understand the meaning of these Words but asked one another what he intended by them and were desirous to ask him himself Jesus perceiving this tells them that they shall weep but the World shall rejoyce But yet as a Woman who in the Time of her Travel hath great sorrow but forgetteth all her Trouble and Pains as soon as she is Delivered for Joy that a Man-Child is born into the World In like manner they shall be in Sorrow for a Time but he will soon return to them again and then their Sorrow shall be changed into Joy which no Man can take away from them The Apostles saw this prediction accomplished in a short time after for they bewailed his Death while his Enemies rejoyced at it but at the end of Three Days they were filled with Joy to see him risen from the Dead and the Jews were much ashamed and enraged to see him Worshipped as a God whom they had Crucified as a Vile Malefactor and whose Memory they had endeavoured to extinguish from the Sons of Men. After this he promises them two things The First was that after his Resurrection he would nor speak to them in Proverbs and Parables as he had done hitherto but would speak to them plainly of the Father that they should need no explication of what he should say to them The Second was That they should pray to the Father in his Name which they had not yet done and should obtain whatsoever they petition'd of him At that time saith he ye shall ask in my Name and I need not promise you that I will pray my Father for you for my Father himself Loveth you because ye have Loved me and have believed that I am come from God I am come i. e. born eternally of God and am come into the World again I leave the World and go unto my Father The Apostles thought that they understood these last words perfectly and therefore said unto him Now speakest thou plainly and speakest no Proverbs And for that reason believed that he was come from God He answered them Ye now believe but the Hour is coming yea is already come that ye shall be scattered and shall leave me alone but I am not alone for my Father is with me These things have I said unto you that ye might have Peace in me Ye shall have afflictions in the World but be of good chear I have overcome the World XXVIII Jesus 's Prayer to his
Father Jesus having given his Disciples all these Instructions John 17 1-26 lift up his Eyes to Heaven and praying to his Father said My Father the hour is come glorify thy Son that thy Son may glorify thee And as thou hast given him power over all flesh so he hath given to as many as thou hast given him Eternal Life which consists in the knowledge of thee the true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work which thou hast given me to do And now O Father glorifie me with thy self with that Glory which I had with thee before the World was He then prays for the Apostles which his Father had given him and who having received his Word had believed that he came from God and that he had sent him and since he left them in the World he commends them to his Father not to take them out of the World by Death but to preserve them from Sin He had kept them all in his Fathers Name and had lost but One viz. Judas He had separated them from the World and because they had not the Spirit of the VVorld the VVorld hated them wherefore he prays his Father to keep them and Sanctify them by his VVord which is Truth it self offering himself a Sacrifice for them that he might obtain that favour for them He also recommedns all those to God who should believe in his Name thro' the Preaching of his Apostles and prays for such an Admirable Union among them as makes all Christians One being united together in God by his Charity as the Father who is in the Son and Son who is in the Father are by one Nature O Father adds he I pray that where I am those whom thou hast given me may also be that they may behold my Glory And he concludes this Admirable Prayer with these words Holy Father the World hath not known thee but I have known thee these have known that I have sent thee I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that they may have that love among them with which thou hast loved me and that I may be also my self among them XXIX The Agony of Christ in the Garden upon the Mount of Olives Jesus having finished the former Prayer Matth. 26 36-46 Mark 14 26-42 Luke 22 39-46 Jo. 18.1 went on his Journey towards the Mount of Olives and passing over the Brook Cedron which runs between Jerusalem and this Mountain went with his Disciples into a Garden called Gethsemani Here he commanded them to stay till he went and Prayed a little distance from it and in the mean time to pray themselves that they be not delivered over to temptation Jesus then taking with him Peter and James and John began to be seized with fear trouble and grief and said unto them My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto Death tarry ye here and watch with me Then departing from them about a Stones cast he threw himself upon the Earth and as he was willing for the Consolation of his Disciples to endure all the Passions which Nature ordinarily stirs up at the approaches of Death so he was desirous by his Example to teach them what to do in that Estate Thro' the voluntary perception of the infirmities of the flesh he Prayed his Father to save him from that Hour wherein he had declared him to suffer Death but thro' the Motion of a Spirit full of Submission and Charity he corrected those first Motions and yielded entirely to the Will of his Father saying My Father My Father all things are possible with thee remove this Cup from me nevertheless not mine but thy Will be done Having thus prayed he arose and went to his Disciples whom he found asleep their Hearts being filled with sorrow wherefore speaking to Peter he reproved him Simon sleepest thou and then he said to all of them What could ye not Watch one hour with me Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation The Spirit is ready but the flesh is weak As if he had said The Spirit would not be afraid of Death and ye believe that ye have strength enough to contemn it but the weakness of the flesh makes such a strong resistance against the Spirit that it will easily conquer it unless you beg the Divine grace to support you against the fears of Death Having said thus he returned again to his Prayers and said to God My Father If this Cup may not pass from me unless I drink it Thy Will be done Then he returned again to his Disciples and finding them so sleepy that they knew not what to answer him he went again to his Prayers a Third time St. Luke tells us that there came an Angel from Heaven to him to strengthen him and that the Agony in which he was i. e. the conflict that he had in himself between the Flesh which dissuaded him from suffering and the Spirit which was willing to submit to the Will of God caused such a violent disturbance in his Body that there issued from it a Swet which fell down to the Earth like drops of Blood Then he went a Third time to find his Apostles and saying unto them by way of Reproof and Irony That they might now sleep on and take their rest because his time was come He tells them in good earnest That the time was come that the Son of Man shall be delivered into the Hands of Sinners Arise therefore saith he Let us go hence behold he that betrayeth me is at hand XXX The Apprehension of Jesus Jesus had scarcely said these words Matth. 26 47-56 Mark 14 43-52 Luke 22 47-53 John 18 2-11 but Judas Iscariot came with a Band of Soldiers and Officers which the Priests Scribes Pharisees and Rulers had sent to take him They were Armed with Swords and Staves and had Lanthorns and Torches with them because it was Night and because they knew not him whom they had Orders to Seize Judas told them That it is he whom he shall Kiss Take him and carry him away safely He then came to Jesus and saying to him Hail Master he gave him a Kiss which was the Sign he had given them to make him to be taken by them Jesus said no more to him but these words Friend why are you come hither What Judas Dost thou betray the Son of Man with a Kiss Jesus then immediately goes to the Soldiers whom Judas had brought and asked them Whom they sought They answered Jesus of Nazareth He saith to them I am He And immediately they went back and fell to the Earth Then again he asked them Whom seek ye They answered again Jesus of Nazareth he said I have told you already That I am He and if ye seek me Let these Men go which he spoke of his Disciples that he might fulfil his Words spoken in his Prayer to his Father of them which thou gavest me have I
also who was Crucified with him used the same Language If thou art the Christ save thy self and us but the other reproved him in these Terms Dost not thou fear God since thou art Condemned to the same Punishment and that justly for we suffer no more than our Crimes deserve But this Man hath done nothing amiss Then he addresses himself to Jesus and saith unto him Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdom Jesus answered him Verily I say unto thee this Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise i. e. in a Place of Rest where the Souls of the Saints are which that Day was indeed a delicious Paradise by reason of Christ's Presence in it Among the great Number of People which stood about the Cross there were several Women who were come out of Galilee with Jesus and had ministred to him of their Substance All his Acquaintance also were there who beheld afar off what passed but the Holy Virgin Mary Magdalen and the other Mary stood by the Cross and John the Son of Zebedee stood by the Holy Virgin When Jesus therefore saw his Mother and the Disciple whom he loved standing by her he saith unto her Woman behold thy Son and look upon him with the Kindness of a Mother and then he said to his Disciple Behold thy Mother and reverence her and take Care of her as such From that Time this Virgin Mother say the Fathers dwelt with the Virgin Disciple to whose Care her Son had recommended her And we need not wonder saith S. Ambrose that this Apostle hath delivered such great Mysteries of Religion so divinely since he had with him the Sacred Temple wherein the Author of all these Mysteries was conceived It was about Noon when Jesus was fastned to the Cross and soon after the Sun was darkned and the Air was filled with Darkness for Three Hours About the Third Hour Jesus cryed with a loud Voice Eli Eli Lamma Sabacthani i. e. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Some of them that were present hearing him say Eli Eli and being ignorant of the Hebrew Tongue in which these Words signify My God my God thought he had called the Prophet Elias to help him XLI The Death of Jesus Jesus had done and suffered all that was foretold of him in Scripture and there was nothing to be fulfilled but the Words of the Psalmist They gave me Gall to Eat and when I was Thirsty They gave me Vinegar to drink That therefore nothing might be unperformed which his Father had Commanded Psalm 69.21 Matth. 27 50-54 Mark 15 37-39 Luke 23 46-49 John 19 28-37 he said I Thirst And immediately one of the Soldiers ran and took a Spunge and dipping it in a Vessel of Vinegar which stood by put it upon a Reed gave him it to drink saying stay let us see whether Elias will come and take him down from the Cross Jesus having received the Vinegar said All is accomplished And then crying out again a Second Time he said Father I commend my Soul into thy Hands and when he had said these words He bowed down his Head and gave up the Ghost At the same time the Vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the Top to the Bottom the Earth trembled the Rocks rent and the Graves were opened and as soon as Jesus rose from the Dead many Dead Bodies of Saints arose and appeared to many Persons in Jerusalem So many Prodigies affrighted the Captain and Soldiers which Guarded Jesus and in the Fright they cryed out Certainly this Man was the Son of God All the People which were present and beheld this Sight were not less affected than they so that all returned smiting their Breasts Nevertheless the Jews not being willing that the Body of Jesus and the Two Thieves which were Crucified with him should remain on the Cross on the Sabbath-day desired Pilate that their Leggs might be broke and that they might be taken down Then the Soldiers came and brake the Leggs of the Two Thieves but coming to Jesus they found him already Dead and therefore instead of breaking his Leggs one of them pierced his Side with a Spear and immediately there issued out Blood and Water so that two Prophesies were thereby fulfilled together Zech. 12.10 They shall look upon him whom they have Pierced and another speaking of the Paschal Lamb which was a Type of Jesus Christ A Bone of him shall not be broken Exod. 12.46 XLII The Burial of Jesus Among the Disciples of Jesus there was a Man of great Wealth and Honour born in Arimathaea Matth. 27 57-66 Mark 15 42-47 Luke 23 50-56 John 19 38-42 a City of Judaea named Joseph It is true he was a Disciple only in secret because he feared the Jews but he was no way concerned in their Crime And tho' he was one of the Rulers of Jerusalem he had not consented at all to any thing that they had done against the Son of God The Death of his Master filling him with more Courage he went to Pilate and begged leave of him to take down the Body of Jesus and Bury it Pilate could hardly believe that he was Dead so soon but being assured of it by the Centurion he gave his Body to Joseph and Commanded it to be delivered unto him Joseph then went and bought Linnen-Cloaths to Bury Jesus in and taking his Body down from the Cross wrapped it in them Nicodemus the Ruler who came to Jesus by Night being desirous to share with Joseph in paying these last Offices to their Master brought a Mixture of Aloes and Myrrhe of about an Hundred Weight and they two together wrapped up the Body of Jesus in the Linnen with the Perfumes and Buryed it according to the ordinary Manner of the Jews There was in the place where Jesus was Crucified a Garden and in it a Sepulchre which Joseph had Hewn out of the Rock wherein no Man was ever lay'd Here they lay'd the Body of Jesus and went away having rould a great Sone to the Mouth of the Sepulchre Mary Magdalene and the other Women who were present at the Death of Jesus did also assist at his Burial and took notice where they laid him and having considered on it they went and prepared Spices to Embalm him as soon as the Sabboth-day which was the next day was over Jesus being Dead and Buryed on Fryday the next day the Chief Priests and Pharisees went to Pilate and said unto him Sir we remember that that Deceiver for so they Term'd Jesus in his Life-time said that he would Rise again in Three days after his Death Command therefore that his Sepulchre be kept under a Guard till the Third Day for fear his Disciples should come by Night and stealing away his Body should perswade the People that he is risen from the Dead and so they will fall into a new Error worse than the first Pilate said unto them Ye have a Guard go and
because they knew it was their Master And Jesus having taken the Bread gave it them and likewise the Fish XLIX Jesus commits the care of his Sheep to St. Peter When they had eaten Jesus said to Peter Simon John 21 15-23 Son of Jonas Lovest thou me more than these do He answered him Yea Lord thou knowest I love thee Jesus saith unto him Feed my Lambs He asked him again a Second time Simon Son of Jonas Lovest thou me Yea Lord answered Peter thou knowest that I Love thee Jesus says again Feed my Lambs Jesus again the Third time put the same Question to him Peter was troubled that his Master seem'd to doubt of his Love and answered him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I Love thee Our Saviour having made him thus make some amends for his Sin in denying him Thrice by giving a Triple Testimony of his Love committed the Care of his Sheep to him i. e. the Souls of his People saying to him again Feed my Sheep He adds Verily Verily I say unto thee when thou wast Young thou girdedst thy self and went whither thou pleasest but when thou shalt be Old thou shalt stretch forth thy Hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not The Gospel saith that Jesus signified by these Words by what Death Peter should glorify God and they did indeed concur in the Martyrdom of this Apostle whom Tradition teacheth us to have been Crucified as his Master was Euseb Eccles Hist. lib. 2. c. 25. After this Jesus commanded Peter to follow him and Peter turning him seeth John the Beloved Disciple of Jesus following him and seeing him he saith unto Jesus Lord what shall become of this Man But Jesus checks his Curiosity by tclling him that he ought not to trouble himself with what shall befall others and orders him to mind nothing but to follow him And speaking of John he sayeth to him I will that he tarry till I come Or according to other Editions If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee These words seemed to intimate to the Apostles that John should not dye But this Evangelist who wrote these things himself observes that Jesus did not say that he should not dye and History indeed tells us That he is Dead But the sense of these Words of the Son of God perhaps signifies that that Disciple should continue as he was to his Death i. e. he should not dye a Violent Death as Peter should or that he should Live till the Destruction of Jerusalem for these words Vntil I come may signify according to the usual Language of Scripture Vntil I come to take him out of the World by Death Or till I come to punish and Chastize this People St. John did really live till after the Destruction of Jerusalem and dyed at last of his Natural Death L. Jesus Instructed the Apostles The Son of God shewed himself several times more to his Apostles during the Forty days Matth. 28 16-20 Mark 16 15-18 Luke 24 44-49 Acts 1.3 that he abode upon Earth after his Resurrection and he appeared so often saith St. Luke to give them ample Proofs that he was alive and to talk with them of the Kingdom of God And since he had determined to call Men by Preaching to the possession of that Kingdom he gave them necessary instructions to discharge their Functions well He explained to them all that was spoken of himself in the Law of Moses and in the Books of the Prophets and in the Psalms and opened their Understandings to understand the sense of Scripture He shews them that according as it is Written Christ must suffer Death and be raised the Third day and that Repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in all Nations beginning at Jerusalem He Communicates to them the Authority which he had received of his Father and saith to them All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Go ye therefore into all the World and Preach the Gospel and Instruct all People Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you He adds That they that believe not shall be Damned and on the contrary They that believe their Word by a lively Faith and are Baptized shall be saved and likewise shall do Miracles Casting out Devils Speaking with Tongues Drinking Poison without getting harm and Healing the Sick by laying their Hands on them Lastly since the Apostles had need of Power and Strength to exercise the Ministry which was entrusted to them he assured them of his protection telling them that he would be with them always to the End of the World and he promised them to endue them with power from above by the Holy Spirit which he would send from Heaven LI. The last Appearance of Jesus Christ Matth. 28 16-18 It is probable that Jesus gave them the greatest part of these Instructions at the Famous Apearance p. 217. The Ascension of Jesus Christ which he made to them upon the Mountain of Galilee where he appointed to meet them Here he promised them before he dyed to shew himself to them And on the day of his Resurrection the Angels and He himself commanded the Holy Women to tell his Disciples that he would meet in Galilee They went thither they saw him as he had promised and they Worshipped him 1 Cor. 15.6 It is credible that all his Disciples met him there as the Apostles and that it is of the Appearance that St. Paul speaks who saith That Jesus appeared to more than Five Hundred Brethren at once The same Apostle tells us that he also appeared to James but doth not relate in what manner Luke 24.49 Acts â—1 4-8 Lastly He shewed himself the Last time to his Apostles at Jerusalem where he commanded them to abide till they should receive the Holy Spirit which he promised them in these words John Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized i. e. Washed and Sanctified by the Holy Ghost not many days hence They asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom of Israel He answered them That it is not for them to know the Times and Seasons which God hath put in his own absolute Power But ye shall receive saith he to them the power of the Holy Spirit which shall come down upon you and ye shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth LII The Ascension of Jesus Christ These were the last Words according to S. Luke Mark 16.19 20. Luke 24 50-53 Acts 1 9-12 which Jesus spake upon the Earth if they were spoken immediately before he left his Apostles it was at Bethany whither he led them upon the Day of his Ascension or upon the Mount of Olives From which it appears he ascended as S. Luke relates He