times Verse 5. Thirty and eight years A long while to be in misery but what is this to eternity of extremity Wee need have some thing to minde us of God to bring us to Christ King Alvered pray'd God to send him alwaies some sicknesse whereby his body might be tamed and he the better disposed and affectioned to God-ward Verse 6. Lam. 3. And knew that he had been c. Christs eye affected his heart he could not but sympathize and succour this poor creeple out of his meer Philanthropy which moveth him still 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew mercy according to the measure of our misery whereof he bears a part Heb. 5.2 Verse 7. I have no man c. He looked that Christ should have done him that good office and could not think of any other way of cure How easie is it with us to measure God by our â—â—odell to cast him into our mould to think that he must needâ— go our way to work Verse 8. Rise take up thy bed c. A servile work upon the Sabbath-day This our Saviour here commands not as a servile work but for confirmation of the truth of a miracle greatly tending to Gods glory like as another time he bad them give meat to the Damosell he had raised not for any necessity but to ensure the cure Verse 9. Dei dicere est efficere Andimmediately the man Christs words are operative together with his commands there goes forth a power as Luk. 5.17 So they were in the Creation Gen. 1. So they are still in regeneration Isa 59.21 Verse 10. It is the Sabbath it is not lawfull c. Verè sed non sincerè It more troubled them that Christ had healed him then that the Sabbath had been broken by him The poorer Swedes alwaies break the Sabbath saying that its only for Gentlemen to keep that day Verse 11. He that made me whole c. So it seems Christ had healed him in part on the inside also and given him a ready heart to obey though it were contra gentes as they say Verse 12. What man is he Not that made thee whole but that bad thee take up thy bed c. They dissembled the former and insisted only upon the later which shews the naughtinesse of their hearts Verse 13. Had convey'd himself away Lest by his present that work should be hinder'd True goodnesse is publike spirited though to private disadvantage and works for most part unobserved as the engine that doth all in great businesses is oft inward hidden not taken notice of Verse 14. Findeth him in the Temple Praising God likely for his unexpected recovery So Hezekiah the first work he did when off his sick-bed Isa 38.22 Behold thou art made whole c. Hence is 1. Magdeburgens praef ad cent 5. Commemoratio beneficij 2. Commonitio offâ—eij 3. Comminatio supplicij Ingentia beneficia ingentia flagitia ingentia supplicia Verse 15. Told the Jews Of a good intent surely to honour Christ however it were taken by the spitefull Jews Probi ex suà naturâ caeteros fingunt The Disciples could not imagine so ill of Judas as it proved Mary Magdalen thought the Gardener who ever he were should have known as much and loved Jesus as well as she did Verse 16. Therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus This he foreknew would follow and yet he forbare not In the discharge of our consciences rightly informed and regulated we must not stand to cast perils but doe our duties zealously what ever come of it This courage in Christians Heathens counted obstinacy but they knew not the power of â—he Spirit 〈◊〉 the privie armour of prooff that Saints have about their 〈◊〉 Verse 17. My Father worketh Yet 〈◊〉 labour or lassitude in conserving the whole creature This he doth every day and yet breaketh not the Sabbath Erge nec ego Verse 18. The Jews sought the more Persecution is as Calvin wrote to the French King Evangelij genius the bad genius the devil that dogs the Gospel Ecclesia harts crucis saith Luther Veritas odiurn parit Ter. Truth breeds hatred saith the Heathen as the fair Nymphes did the ill-favoured Fauns and Satyrs Verse 19. The Sonne can doe nothing c. He denies not himself to be the Son though they quarrell'd him but sweetly sets forth the doctrine of his Deity which they so much stomacked and stumbled at Verse 20. For the Father loveth the Son This noteth that eternall power of doing miracles that is in Christ As that which follows He will shew him greater works c. is to be referred to the declaration of that his power That ye may wonder Though ye beleeve not for such was the hardnesse of their hearts grown as neither ministery misery miracle nor mercy could possibly mollifie Behold ye despisers and wonder and perish Acts 13.41 Verse 21. Raiseth up the dead Bringing them from the jawes of death to the joyes of eternall life which none can do but God alone Verse 22. The Father judgeth no man viz. The Father alone but by the Son to whom all judicatory power is committed Verse 23. He that honoureth not the Son As Jews and Turks do not Nor Papists that upon the matter despoile him of his threefold office and so deny the Lord that bought them Verse 24. He that heareth my Word As death came into the world by the door of the ear so doth life eternall Isa 55.3 God was in the still voice and the Oracle bad Hear ye 〈◊〉 Mat. 17. Verse 25. The dead shall hear the voice The 〈…〉 shall beleeve the promises and shall live the life of 〈…〉 and of glory in Heaven Verse 26. So hath he given to the Son What wonder then if faith apprehending the infinite fountain of life derive thence some rivelet of 〈◊〉 and apply the same to us for spirituall quickning Verse 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza Because he is the Son of man Or as he is the Son of man By vertue of the hypâ—st arâ—â—â—ll union his manhood came as neer to God as could be He had the best naturall parts both of minde Isa 11.2 3. and body Psal 45.2 and the best supernaturall whereby he found favour also with God Luk. 2.52 for he had more neer familiarity with the Godhead then ever had any creature together with a partner-agency with his Godhead in the works of mediation 1 Tim. 2.5 In the state of exaltation the Manhood hath 1. excesse of glory 2 the grace of adoration together with the Godhead 3. Judiciary power as here and Act. 17.30 Verse 28. Marvell not at this And yet who can but marvell at this great mystery of godlinesse whereat Angels stand amazed yea whereat he himselfe wonders and therefore calls his own Name Wonderfull Isa 9.6 It is truly affirmed of Christ Mirari decet non rimari that he is created and uncreated without beginning and yet
opportunity before time in laying hold upon eternall life but fools are semper victuri saith Seneca they will and they will c. so they trifle and by futuring fool away their own salvation Amend before the draw-bridge be taken up Charles King of Sicily and Jerusalem was called Cunctator not in the sense as Fabius because he stayed till opportunity came but because he stayed till opportunity was past Too many such Manna must be gathered in the morning or not at all and not kept till the morrow lest it stinke Verse 38. That the saying of the Prophet These unbeleevers were not such because the Prophet had so foretold it but the Prophet therefore foretold it because they should be such Like as Joseph's foretelling the famine was no cause of it but an antecedent only Verse 39. Therefore they could not beleeve c. They could not because they would not saith Theophylact out of Chrysostome who yet extolleth mans free-will more then is meet Contra Julian l. 1 c. 2. Pelagianis nondum litigantibus Patres securiùs loquebantur saith Augustine Verse 40. He hath hardned their hearts With a judiciary hardnesse This is in some respect worse then hell sith besides that God inflicts it as a punishment of former obstinacy it is one of the greatest sins and so far greater in evil then any of the greatest punishments Hence it was the saying of a Reverend man If I must be put to my choice I had rather be in hell with a sensible heart then live on earth with a reprobate minde Verse 41. When he saw his glory His train only in the Temple Isa 6.1 where the Seraphims are said to hide their faces with two wings as with a double scarfe before Gods glorious brightnes that would put out their eyes else they clap their wings on their faces as men do their hands when the lightning flasheth in their eyes Verse 42. Lest they should be put out c. which would redound to their disgrace and this these Ambitionists could not away with But what saith a Reverend Divine Bravely contemne all contumel es and contempts for thy conscience taking them as crowns and confirmations of thy conformity to Christ Verse 43. They loved the praise of men Which what is it else but a little stinking breath These have their reward Mercedem suam non Dei saith Hierome How much better Luther Haud velim Erasme gloriâ aut nomine vehi Epist ad Nic. Hansm Major est mihi timor in laudibus gaudium verò in maledictis blasphemijs Verse 44. Jesus cryed c. As being now to cry his last to them and is therefore so earnest in his contestation This was the Conclamatum est to this perverse people his farewell-Sermon c. Verse 45. Seeth him that sent me For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself Col 2. and in him the God-head dwelt bodily So that in all our addresses we must fix the eye of faith on the humane nature of Christ and there speak as to our God Like as where I see the body of a man there I know his soul is and therefore I speak to his understanding when and where I see his body because they are not severed so viewing by faith Christs manhood now glorified I there see and speak to the great God because I know he is there personally united Verse 46. I am come a light into the world Not by participation only as the Apostles were the lights of the world Mat. 5.14 but by nature How prodigiously blasphemous then was that Bishop in the Councell of Trent that in his oration there made Câ—r el. Episcop Bipontan applied this text to the Pope who at that time was Paul the third an odious hypocrite That whosoever beleeveth in me c. And he that this way seeks the Kingdom of Heaven must with him in Justin Stratonis servus ap Justin l. 18. look for this Sun of righteousnesse in the West that is dying upon the altar of his crosse so shall he become King of Heaven Verse 47. I judge him not viz. Whiles I am here on earth I sustain another person now that men may come apace to me without fear Some ancient hereticks hold that God in the time of the Law was a severe Judge and now in the dayes of the Gospel he was all made of mercy and mildnesse But the Apostle saith somewhat otherwise Heb. 2.1 2 3. God is more peremptory in his judgments now then ever of old Verse 48. The word that I have spoken If the word shall judge us then ought it much more to be a Judge of our doings now said Mr Philpot Martyr Therefore let it be president in all Assemblies and judgements saith Beza as in the Nicen Councell Constantine caused the Bible to be set upon a desk as Judge of all controversies Verse 49 50. For I have not spoke of my self The divine authority of Gospel-doctrine is here in the close of this last Sermon ad populum most gravely asserted by our Saviour as that which is undoubtedly authentick because it comes from the Father Sic de Virgilio Sâ—aliger dc Tacito Peacham e cujus ore nil temerè excidit David saith one sets the 119 Psalm as a Poem of commendation afore the book of God The sonne of David say I sets this Text as his Imprimatur his authoritative License at the end of the Gospel And as a friend once wrote to Aegidius Abbot of Norinberg concerning the 119 Psalm that they were verba vivenda non legenda words not to be read but lived the same may I affirme of our Saviours Sermons and I know that his commandement is life everlasting CHAP. XIII Verse 1. That he should depart c. THis definition of death Calv. in loc saith Calvin pertains to the whole body of the Church It is to the Saints no more then a passage to the Father an in-let to eternall life Whether a Christians death be a burnt-offering of Martyrdome or a peace-offering of a naturall death whether it be by a sudden change as Eliah's or a lingring sicknes as Elisha's it is a sweet sacrifice ascending to God as Manoah's Angel ascended in the smoke This made Basil when the Emperours Lieutenant threatned to kill him cry out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioa. Manlij loc com 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I would he would for so should he soon send me to my heavenly father to whom I now live and to whom I desire to hasten This made Velcurio a Dutch Divine when he lay upon his death-bed break out into these sweet words Pater est amator Filius Redemptor Spiritus Sanctus Consolator quomodo itaque tristitiâ affici possim The Father loves me the Son redeemed me the holy Ghost comforts me how then can I be cast down at the approach of death And the like triumphant words were uttered to me by my late Reverend good friend and
lye hath been alwayes held hatefull but equivocation is now set forth of a later impression The Jesuites have called back this pest from hell alate for the comfort of afflicted Catholicks as Arch-Priest Blackwell and Provinciall Garnet shamed not to professe Est autem satanae pectus semper faecundissimum mendacijs saith Luther He began his kingdom by a lye and by lyes he upholds it as were easie to instance See my Notes on Genesis chap. 3. ver 5. Verse 48. That thou art a Samaritan And why a Samaritun trow but that they thought the worst word in their bellies good enough for him Malice cares not what it faith so it may kill or gall and these dead dogs as he calleth Shimci will be barking 2 Sam. 16.9 The Primitive Persecutours used to put Christians into bears and doggs skins or other ugly creatures and then bait them so doth the wicked put the Saints into ugly conceits then speak against them Verse 54. It is my father that honoureth me 1 Sam. 2.30 According to that Them that honour me I will honour this is a bargain of Gods own making Fame follows vertue as the shadow the body or if not yet she is proprio contenta theatro content with her own applause Verse 55. Yet ye have not known him There is a two fold knowledge of God 1. Apprehensive 2. Affective or cognoscitiva standing in speculation and directiva vitae Verse 59. Then took they up stones This is merces mundi the worlds wages Let 's look up with Stephen and see Heaven as he did thorow a showre of stones c. CHAP. IX Verse 1. He saw a man which was blinde THis was enough to move Christ to mercy the sight of a fit object When God sets us up an Altar be we ready with our sacrifice Verse 2. Who did sinne this man Imbuti era â—r Iuâ—ai dogmate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beza How could he sinne before he was borne But the Disciples dream't of a Pythagoricall transanimation hence this foolish question Verse 3. But that the works of God c. Hinc Alexander Ales Paena inquit duplicem habet ordinationem Vnam ad culpam quae praecedit alteram ad gloriam quam praecedit God sometimes afflicts for his own glory but sinne is never at the bottome And though God doth not alwayes afflict his for sinne as Job Job 11.6 yet Job shall do well to consider that God exacteth of him lesse then his iniquity deserveth as Zophar telleth him Verse 4. Whiles it is day As other men do Psal 104.22 None can say he shall have twelve houres to his day And night death is a time of receiving wages not of doing worke On this moment depends eternity on the weakest wier hangs the greatest waight Verse 6. Made clay As he did at first in making Man the Poets tell us some such thing of their Prometheus to shew that this cure was done by that Almighty power that he put forth in the Creation Verse 7. He went his way and washed He obeyed Christ blindling He looked not upon Siloam with Syrian eyes as Naaman did upon Jordan but passing by the unlikelihood of a cure by such a means he beleeveth and doeth as he was bidden without sciscitation Verse 16. This man is not of God True if he had indeed made no conscience of keeping the sabbath Sanctifying the Lords day in the primitive times was a badge of Christianity When the question was propounded Christianuâ— suâ—â—intermittere non possum Servasti Dominicum Hast thou kept the Sabbath the answer was returned I am a Christian and may not do otherwise The enemies and hinderers of sanctifying the Sabbath are called unbeleevers vagabonds and wicked fellows Acts 17.2 5. B. White Act and Mon. Sometipsum detestatus est quòd Regi poitùs quam Deo studuisset placere Sâ—uitet Sueton Dio in Veâ—pas That late great Antisabbatarian Prelate so much cast off by the rest after he had served their turns might well have cryed out with Cardinal Wolsey Surely if I had been as carefull to serve God as I was to please men I had not been at this passe How can a man that is a sinner Yes that he may by divine permission or at least he may do something like a miracle as the false prophets and Antichrist Suetonius tells us that Vespasian cured a blinde man by spetting upon his eyes And Dio testifieth that he healed another that had a weak and withered hand by treading upon it And yet Vospasian lived and died a Pagan This therefore was no convincing argument that the Jews here used Verse 17. He is a Prophet The more the Pharisees opposed the truth the more it appeared Veritas abscondi erubescit saith Tertullian The Reformation was much furthered in Germany by the Papists opposition Among many others two Kings wrote against Luther viz. Henry 8th of England and Ludovicus of Hungary This Kingly title being entred into the controversie made men more curious And as it happeneth in combats that the lookers on are ready to favour the weaker and to extoll his actions though they be but mean so here it stirred up a generall inclination toward Luther saith the Authour of the hist of the Councell of Trent Luther also in an epistle to the Electour of Saxony Hist of Count. of Trent fol. 16. triumpheth and derideth the foolish wisedome of the Papists in causing him and the other Protestant Princes Scultet Annal. 274. to rehearse the confession of their faith in a publike Assembly of the states of Germany and in sending copies thereof to all the Courts of Christendome for advice whereby the Gospel was more propagated and the cause of Christ more advanced then if many preachers had been sent out and licensed Verse 21. He is of age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Felix ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say the Etymologists ut felix sit homo floridae vegetae aetatis Becman corpore animo valens Verse 22. Put out of the Synagogue This was that kinde of excommunication they called Niddui or separation and such were by the Greeks called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were two other more heavy kinde of excommunications in use among the Jews Cherem and Samatha or Maranatha which they derive as low as from Henoch Jude 14. The Heathens also had their publike execrations not rashly to be used against any Est enim execratio res tristis mali ominis saith Plutarch who therefore highly commends that Athenian Priest that being commanded by the people to curse Alcibiades refused to do it That Archflamen of Rome the Pope is like a wasp Cum pontisex Rom. diras in â—u livic 12. Gall. Regem evomeret Atqui aâ—t rex Precandi ille non imprecandi causa pontisex constitutus est Firron lib. 2. de gest is Gallor no sooner angry but out comes a sting an excommunication which being once out
The word works not sometimes till many years after it hath been preached as here and as they say of the Elephant that she goes with young thirteen years after she hath conceived Verse 42. And many beleeved on him there Place is no prejudice to the powerfull operation of the word when by the Spirit it is made prolificall and generative CHAP. XI Verse 1. Bethany the town of Mary c. NOt the tower of Mary and Martha Caflellum as some Monkes have doted digni sanè qui ad Grammatices elementa remittantur saith an Interpreter Bethany was a small town or village nigh to Ierusalem where dwelt these three Lazarus and his two sisters all in one house though fratrum concordia rara to whom our Saviour joyns himself a fourth in their friendship Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity Psal 133.1 3. Surely there the Lord commands the blessing even life for evermore Verse 2. Cant. 1. It was that Mary which anointed This makes her name as an ointment poured out And she spared for no cost being of her minde it seems Plaut that said Ego si bonam famam servasso sat ero dives Verse 3. Behold he whom thou lovest is sick This was enough to say to a loving Saviour Phil. 4.6 We need not be carefull in any thing more then to make our wants known to God and let him alone to helpe us God may give the dearly beloved of his soul into the hand of her enemies Ier. 12.7 how and when he pleaseth So to minde and move Christ for the labouring Church it shall suffice to say She whom thou lovest is sick is in ill case c. But St Austin asketh Si amatur quomodò infirmatur Oh well enough Afflictions are Christs love-tokens As many as I love saith he I rebuke and chasten See my Treatise upon that Text. Verse 4. But for the glory of God Happy Lazarus though sick and dead to be an instrument of glory to be given to God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil 1.20 St Paul stood atiptoes as it were to see which way Christ might be most magnified in his body whether by life or by death Verse 5. Iesus loved Martha The Saints are all round about his throne Rev. 4.4 because he is alike near to them for solace and tuition Howbeit as man living amongst men he was affected to some more then some as to these three and the beloved Disciple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato These were his Jedidiahs his singularly affected and this was an high prerogative Plato commendeth his countrey of Athens for antiquity of the people c. but chiefly for this that they were beloved of the Gods Verse 6. He abode two dayes Waiting to be gracious but as a God of judgement he knows best when to deal forth his favours Isa 30.18 To prescribe to him is to set the Sun by our diall This Caesar tearms saucinesse in his souldiers Verse 7. Then after that saith he c. When help is seasonable his fingers itch as the mothers breast akes when it is time the childe had suck Verse 8. And goest thou thither again Yea with the hazard of his life to the helpe of his friend The Ancients painted friendship a fair young man bare-headed in a poor garment at the bottom whereof was written Death and Life in the upper part Wilkins Com. in Muret. orat 1. deâ—aud lit Summer and Winter his bosom was open so that his heart might be seen whereupon was written Longè Propè a friend at hand and afarre off Verse 9. Are there not twelve hours q. d. Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth Shall I not live out my stint Job 7.1 The Turkes shun not the company of those that have the plague Blunts voyage into Levant â—â— but pointing upon their foreheads say It was written there at their birth when they should die A Priest indeed might enter without danger into a leprous house because he had a calling from God so to do A man may follow God dry-shod thorow the red sea This our Saviour calls here to walk in the day by an excellent and elegant similitude But he that keeps not within Gods precincts may not look for his protection I commend the charity but I question the discretion of Mr Stafford publike Professour of Divinity in Cambridge who hearing that a certain Priest called Sr Henry Conjurer in K. Henry the eights dayes lay sore sick of the plague was so moved with pity to the poor Priests soul that he came to him exhorted and so laboured him that he would not leave him before he had converted him and saw his conjuring-books burnt before his face Act. and Mon. fol. 924. Which being done Mr Stafford went home and immediately sickened and shortly after most Christianly deceased He might have I confesse an extraordinary call to this worke But Zanchius somewhere maketh mention of a colleague of his in the Ministery that by the like means took his death and much bewailed upon his death-bed that he had not yeelded to Zanchius advising him to the contrary Verse 10. But if any man walke in the night As good Josiah did in that rash expedition against Pharaoh-Necho either hoping to ingratiate with the Assyrian or fearing to have an over-heavy neighbour of the Egyptian he went up to battell not so much as asking leave of the Lord though he had Jeremy at hand and Zephany and a whole Colledge of Seers besides The best are sometime miscarried by their passions to their cost Verse 11. Rev. 14.13 1 Thes 4.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lazarus sleepeth The Saints are said to die in Christ to sleep in Jesus The Greeks call their Church-yards dormitoryes sleeping-places The Germans call them Godsacre because their bodies are sown there to be raised again The Hebrews Beth-chaym the house of the living Verse 12. If he sleep he shall do well Sleep saith one is the nurse of nature the sweet parenthesis of all thy griefs and cares Verse 13. Jesus spake of his death Which profane Writers also do call a sleep but only because the functions of the faculties are extinct by death therefore they call it an iron sleep an eternall sleep c. Vt somnâ—â— morttis sic â—ectâ— imago sepuâ—chri Isa â—6 19. Christians call death a sleep because it is to them a sweet rest in their beds warmed and perfumed for them by Christs body laid in the grave with whom also they look to rise to life eternall Thy dead men shall live with my dead body shall they arise Verse 14. Then said Jesus unto them plainly Because they understood him not Ministers must be gentle to all men apt to teach patient in meeknesse instructing the ignorant yea the insolent 2 Tim. 2.24 25. Austin confesseth he was glad to use some words Breerw enquiries pag 29 sometimes to his