heades and they had more of that vvorldlie and fleshlie vvit than of that Heauenlie vvit and this drewe them to this securitie This is the nature of the Regenerate Suppose the Regenerate in this vvorlde compt in some measure of the crosse of Christ and of the power of God yet in the best of them there is some lacke some infirmities and vvantes and they will thinke sometime the preaching of the Crosse and Resurrection of Christ to bee but vanitie and a dreame of vviues as IOHN PETER MATTHEVV and the rest of the Apostles did for none of them vvoulde beleeue this That CHRIST vvas risen Wee vvill thinke that there is some great follie in these tidinges I vvill tell you my nature and the nature of the best man or vvoman but vvhen vve shall see That joyfull Morning as DAVID calles it then vvee shall saye vvith SARAH THE LORDE hath made mee nowe to laugh indeede Shee scorned vvhen shee hearde saye shee shoulde conceaue and beare a childe shee thought shee coulde not beare a childe and nowe vvhen shee sees it come to passe shee saies The LORDE makes mee to laugh indeede And so shall vvee saye one daye that thing vvhich vvee thought but jestes then wee shall saye I see this nowe that I coulde not beleeue vvell enough nowe I see it is true indeede So then in despite of all naturall vvit striue to gette an hope aboue hope and then shalt thou greatlie vvonder at that sight and maruell foreuer that there could be such a joy Now blessed is that man or that woman that gets a taste of it here for they shall be assured of it for euer But to goe forward I see that it auailes not much to speake to a sleeping person that is loadned with sin and feeles it not that is the worst estate in the worlde neuer to groane vnder this mortalitie vnder this burthen of death They can neuer say with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death And if yee speake to these persons of the Resurrection death of Christ it auaileth nothing to them What did the Apostles They thought it but a scorne if the Apostles thought so what wilt thou doe that sleepest in thy murther in thine adulterie in thy theft in thine oppression If the Apostles slept how wilt thou sleepe a sleeping sinner must bee once wakened as PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the first Chapter and eighteenth verse The wrath of God is manifest from the Heauen against all the vnrighteousnesse of men And I say the wrath and the vengeance of GOD is manifest vpon the sleeping sinner and death comes on him that neuer shall haue an end But PAVL in the Epistle to the Romanes the third CHAPTER and the twentie and one VERSE hee comes on with other tithings and sayes That the righteousnesse of GOD through faith in Jesus Christ is made manifest to them that beleeue And I will say to thee that Iesus is come into the world and died for thee if thou beleeuest thou shalt be freed of that burthen of sinne and wrath and vvhen a man heares this he will thinke it the sweetest tithings that euer he heard for the sinner will finde life in that death and that blood will sprinckle his conscience as the Apostle sayes to the Hebrewes and thou wilt finde a wonderfull joy vvhen thy sinnes are remitted in Christ of all joyes vnder the Heauen this is the greatest The preaching of Christ auailes to none but to him who findes his soule loadned with sinne Now one word and so I shall ende I see in the Apostles and in their great infirmitie the great prouidence of GOD they will neither beleeue nor misbeleeue but by His Prouidence what euer vvas their part in it the worke was good of a good purpose The LORD will not haue them to beleeue the testimonie of the first companie nor yet of the second companie of women No no He vvill not haue them to beleeue vntill they see it with their eyes and feele it with their handes and ere they passe out to others He vvill speake to them and let them see that they may be perswaded that it was true I alwayes tell you this It is not a small thing to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ to preach His Passion and Resurrection and wilt thou of a light knowledge preach it No beware thou speake this or that vpon a report Of all men that speakes in this earth or is sent with a commission a Minister hath most neede to beware what hee speakes Speake hee of the Passion or Resurrection of CHRIST ere euer hee speake let him get a sight of Him suppose not vvith the bodily eyes lay hold on Him by Faith in thine heart Thinke it not enough to be an hearing witnesse but a seeing witnesse and vvhen thou hast gotten that persvvasion with vvhat confidence vvilt thou speake of His death thou wilt speake with such euidencie that the high heartes of men shall be humbled finding such weight in thy wordes The LORD giue vs grace that vvhen vve stand vp to speake of the Resurrection of CHRIST to others vvee may haue the perswasion of it in our ovvne heartes and that vve may finde His gracious Spirit working in vs and as vvee speake of Heauen and these joyes to others so vvee may finde some joy beginne in our owne hearts heere that after this life is ended we may reigne with Him in glorie for euer with CHRIST To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXXII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 12 Then arose Peter and ranne vnto the sepulchre and looked in and sawe the linnen clothes layed by themselues and departed wondering in himselfe at that which was come to passe IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 3 Peter therefore went foorth and the other disciple and they came vnto the sepulchre verse 4 So they ranne both together but the other disciple did out-runne Peter and came first to the sepulchre verse 5 And hee stouped downe and sawe the linnen clothes lying yet went hee not in verse 6 Then came Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and sawe the linnen clothes lie verse 7 And the kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in a place by it selfe verse 8 Then went in also the other disciple who came first to the sepulchre and hee sawe it and beleeued verse 9 For as yet they knewe not the Scripture That hee must rise againe from the dead verse 10 And the disciples went awaye againe vnto their owne home WE haue heard these dayes past beloued in the Lord Iesus of the two companies of women that went out of Hierusalem towarde the graue of the Lorde early in the morning The one company that came first wherein was Marie Magd. and Marie the mother of
of necessitie loue caused them to mourne for Him And this sponke of loue that was couered kept down afore in end it brake out burnt thorowe all their imperfections It is a wonder to see howe the LORDE will keepe in a sponke of grace vnder an hundreth imperfections And this shoulde make vs to bee loath to judge and to giue out sentence for all the euill that wee see in anie it maye bee that the LORDE will let thee see that there was some sponke of grace in that man couered which sponk will breake out in its owne time Nowe I haue ended the Historie of MARIE MAGDALENE who loued the LORDE so well and so entirelie In the words following to wit in the Gospell of MATTHEVV there are two discourses The first is of the two companies of women at their turning home againe as they met with the Angels afore nowe they meete with the LORDE Himselfe In the next discourse wee haue a piece of an Historie of them that were set to keepe the graue who returned to the Scribes and to the High Priestes vvith these same tidinges Hee is risen againe Nowe I shall goe thorowe this daye the first discourse and piece of Historie as GOD shall giue vs grace Then to returne to the women It is saide that as they returned home The LORDE met them but Marie was returned before these women came foorth shee had met with CHRIST and returned home againe This company meetes with the LORDE as they returned homewarde Ye will perhaps aske what was the cause that Hee met with Marie Magdalene No doubt this was the cause She loued Him best shee loued Him aboue them all and shee had the greatest languor to see Him and shee rested neuer till shee had seene Him and met with Him What was the cause that these women sawe Him afore the Apostles No question their languor to see IESVS was next to MARIE The Apostles languor was last and therefore they got the last sight of Him Nowe the lesson is easie Thou that longest moste for the LORDE IESVS shalt see Him first with MARIE MAGDALENE A man will thirst for earthlie thinges and bee disappointed of them but it is vnpossible if thou thirst for CHRIST and to see thy LORDE but thou shalt see Him So Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be satisfied Matth. Chapter 5. verse 5. So if thou vvouldest see CHRIST first long for Him and thou shalt neuer get that blessednesse till thou seest Him Then if thou canst not be the first in care and desire to see Him vvith Marie Magdalene yet bee next in care vvith the rest of the vvomen and if thou canst not attaine to the first nor second looke that thou be in the third roome at least that thou long vvith the Apostles and thou shalt get the thirde sight for blessed are they that get any sight yea the last sight Blessed are they that come either first or last to Heauen but thinke not that this dravving neare of ours to Him is the cause that Hee dravves neere to vs No if Hee drevve not neare vnto vs first vve vvould neuer thinke of Him let be to dravv neare vnto Him So Brethren the cause vvherefore our heartes doe dravv neare vnto the LORD is not in vs but in Him because He thirstes for vs and dravves vs vnto Him and vvouldest thou haue an argument that the LORD is neare vnto thee looke if thine heart dravves neare vnto Him and if thou findest thine heart longing and thirsting for Him then the LORD is neare vnto thee and Hee is present with thee and if thou findest no sense nor feeling of Him in thine heart nor no desire of Him nor no languour for His presence in the vvhich is sacietie of joy and if thou haue no languour bee sure the Lord is farre from thee for if Hee be farre from thee albeit thou hadst all the world about thee thou art but a miserable body When Hee meetes vvith these vvomen Hee is not dumbe and Hee speakes not to the eare only but also to the heart He sayes God saue you the word in the own language would be wel marked it signifies rejoyce Is not this a great thing that Hee that hath joy to giue thee should bid thee rejoyce and no doubt it was an effectuall vvord and it made them to haue joy vnspeakable A man when Hee bids thee rejoyce hath no power to worke joy in thee but the LORD is joy it selfe who hath joy to giue but the LORD Himselfe or who can giue peace but the LORD assoone as He drawes neare to any person and giues His presence to Him to y e end that His presence may worke He giues a joyful word the word of the Lord is of power as Paul sayes Rom. 1.16 The Gospell is the power of GOD vnto saluation vnto euery one that beleeueth So if thou contemnest this word that bids thee rejoyce thou shalt get no portion of that grace that is with Him so this word is the only minister that ministers joy to the soule all the thinges in the world shal neuer minister joy to the soule that is afflicted Whē He hath spoken this word and no question it was very effectuall they are so filled with joy that they tarie not to make answere but they fell dovvne at His feete And embrace Him by the feete and adore and worship Him as Thomas did vvhen hee put his hande in His side he said Thou art my Lord and my God IOHN Chapter 20. verse 28. Hee refuses not this honour because Hee vvas their LORD and GOD. Yee see heere how effectuall the presence of the LORD is albeit it were but one worde Reioyce the povver that is in that worde workes such a joy in the heart of a sinner that the poore sinner must meete Him the LORD cannot meete thee but if thou feelest that joy but thou must meete Him againe and striue to haue Him in thine armes No svvord nor fire nor hunger nor nakednesse nor nothing can separate thee from Him if thou feelest Him in thine heart but thou must meete Him againe and cleaue fast to Him The feeling of this joy which is through the presence and worde of GOD mooues vs to desire to embrace Him and makes our conjunction vvith Him vvhereupon arises our joy againe farre greater than before The joy that wee haue novv is but by Faith and a farre meeting as farre as is betvvene the Heauen and the Earth yet sayes Peter in his first Epistle the first Chapter and the eight verse Wee not seeing Him but beleeuing in Him reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious So beleeuing in Him vvee finde joy but vvhen thou shalt see Him face to face Alas lookest thou not for this then thorovv thy conjunction with Him by sight there shall be praise honour and glory for euer No such shall bee thy joy as eye neuer savve eare neuer heard nor neuer
determinate prouidence of God in a manner of necessitie so that in respect of this prouidence they coulde not otherwise haue bene We haue heard before that there was a necessitie of Christes death resurrection that there was a necessitie of preaching now here we see that there is a necessitie of sending of Ministers to preach the Gospel for there is no faithfull Minister but he must haue his commission of Him God must make choose of him separate him frō the common sort of men as Paul sayes of himselfe He was called to be an Apostle put apart to preach the Gospel of God Rom. 1.1 So must it be with all faithfull Pastors It is true indeede some wil preach whō y e Lord hath not sent some wil run vnsent some wil preach to get honor vantage or preferment to themselues but these are not faithfull Pastours but all faithfull Pastours must of necessitie be sent of y e Lord receiue their cōmission frō Him Now if this be true y t nothing concerning Christ or His Gospel or the Ministers y t preach it falles out without y e determinate prouidence counsel of God it is as true that none heares y e Gospel preached without y e same prouidence The speciall prouidence of God is no lesse extended to the hearer than to y e Preacher of y e Gospel so that the hearer as well as the Preacher is bound to glorifie God in His gracious prouidence in y e riches of His grace Many oftentimes thinke that it is by conjecture y t men come to y e Church heares the word preached but y e faithfull man that hath felt the power of this word in quickening His soule raising it frō death to life is assured y t the Lord had a special prouidence care in making Him to heare y t word at such a time to his great comfort But it would be marked that albeit all y e Preachers of the Gospel be sent by God yet all are not sent after one manner there is a great difference amongst them for some are sent immediatly of the Lord Himselfe without the ministerie of men as were the Prophets of olde and here the Apostles None of these were sent by mens ministerie but it was only the Lorde Himselfe who sent them according to the good pleasure of His will some are sent mediately by the ministerie of men as are the ordinarie Pastours and Ministers in the Church this daye who albeit they bee sent by God yet the Lord vses the ministerie of men in sending of them Nowe these men whom the Lord employes in this piece of seruice to call and send others should not bee rash nor lay handes suddenly on any man but they ought to be verie carefull to take good heede vnto the Lords will and consider and trie narrowly whether it be the Lords will to call such and such persons to the Ministerie that so they may haue a good conscience that they haue sought to conforme themselues to Gods will When Christ sent His Apostles He sent them according to the will of GOD the Father 1 Cor. 1.1 So whomsoeuer men call and send they must call and send them according to the will of God the Father and the Sonne But yee will say Howe shall men knowe these men whome the Lorde thinkes meete to be sent How shall they know whether it be the Lordes will to choose such and such men to His Ministerie I answere The LORD hath set downe sufficient markes and tokens in the Scripture whereby wee may know them whome the Lord would haue vs to send He hath stamped them with gifts beyond the common sort of men If yee would know what these gifts and graces are wherewith the Lord endues them read 1. Timoth. 3 c. Tit. 1.6 In the which places ye will see what properties the Spirit of God requires to be in a faithfull Pastor Indeed I grant there are some of the properties rekoned out there by the Apostle that are common to other true Christians with the Pastour As to be temperate wise holy righteous and such other but there are some other that properly belong to a Pastour As that hee bee apt to teach that he be able to exhort with wholesome doctrine and conuince the gainesayers that hee haue skill to guide and rule the Church of God Let them who haue power to call Ministers take heed vnto these properties that they call not men to this High calling vpon a priuate affection which vice and corruption hath beene too common in all ages but that they call them whom the Lord hath stamped with these graces and pointed out as meete to vndertake this charge that they may haue the better conscience in their proceeding Yet before we leaue this it would be considered who these were whom the Lord sendes were they wise men were they such who constantly auouched Him professed His Name Were they such men as deserued much at His hand Were they such as were meete and sufficient for such a glorious calling No certainely For who is sufficient for these things sayes the Apostle 2. Cor. 2 16. Wee are not sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues 2. Cor. 3.5 What manner of men are they then Euen these who before His death and suffering were offended in Him who were ashamed of Him and fled away euen these who after His Resurrection were so hard to beleeue that He was risen againe from the dead for all the paines that the Lord tooke vpon them men altogether vnmeete and vnsufficient for such an high and glorious calling men who by nature were fraughted with such stuffe as was directly repugnant to such a worthie calling and yet for all this the Lord castes them not off but sends them to preach saluation to the world He made them of darknesse to be light to shine to the rest of the world for sayes Paul God who commanded light to shine out of darknesse is He that hath shined in our heartes 2. Cor 4 6. Our hearts are darke by nature yet the Lord by shining in them brings light out of darknesse for as the Lord in the first creation commanded light to come out of darknesse so dayly in the new creation and regeneration and namely when Hee sets a man in His Ministerie He makes light to shine out of darknesse We haue a notable example of this in the Apostle Paul he had bene before a blasphemer and a persecuter an oppressour yet such was the mercy fauour of God toward Him that for all this He not only beautifies him with that common grace to be a Christian and to get an assurance of the Remission of his owne sinnes but also countes him faithfull to place him in His Ministerie to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to others The world thinkes it an easie thing to make a man a Minister but if wee consider what stuffe is in man
and how farre his nature is repugnant to that calling wee will thinke that of all things in the world it is most hard and most painefull It is an hard thing indeede to bring a man out of nature and make him a Christian but it is farre harder to make a man a teacher of Christians and a disposer of the treasures of grace and of the secrets of God Nowe when I beginne to consider what should haue mooued the Lord to haue chosen such persons and so vnmeete for such an high calling I thinke this chiefly hath beene it that when the Apostles went out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to others and to exhort all persons howe grieuouslie so euer they had sinned to come and to seeke mercie in Christ they might propone themselues as examples of the superaboundant mercie of God and that they in their Ministerie might declare and make manifest the gentlenesse and long suffering of God towardes all men euen the greatest sinners in the worlde and that by the proofe and experience that they found in their owne person of the mercie of God in calling them and placing them in that high calling who before vvere so miserable wretches and so vpon their owne experience they might the more easily perswade euen the most miserable sinners to seeke for mercie and grace in Christ When Paul preaches Where sinne aboundes there grace and mercie superaboundes if hee had not found this by experience and had not stoode for example hereof hee would not so easily haue perswaded sinners of the exceeding greatnesse of the mercie of God But to goe forward Because this direction that He giues them and this Ministerie He calles them to was very painfull and troublesome and so they might haue taken hardly with it therefore in the words following the Lord goes about to encourage them to vndertake it and to discharge it chearfully the Argument is of great force Beholde sayes He I will send the promise of my Father vpon you that is I will send vnto you the Holy Spirit Himselfe with Him His extraordinarie giftes and graces as the gift of prophecie of working of miracles of tongues and such other that ye may bee the more able to discharge this calling and to performe the worke I send you for Hee calles this the promise of His Father because the Father long before by His Prophetes promised at the comming of the Messias to send His Spirite in great abundance vpon them that beleeue Yee may read this promise in sundrie places of the Olde Testament but chiefly in the 2. Chapter of the prophecie of Ioel and the 28. verse In the last dayes I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maides will I powre my Spirit c. And of the accomplishment of this promise ye may read in the 2. Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles Out of this place wee may marke first That the things which the Father promised of olde to His Church the Sonne in the appointed time accomplished them the Father promised of olde the Spirit and His graces the Sonne in the fulnesse of time sendes the Spirit and His graces and giues them to His Church and for this cause the Spirit and His giftes that is giuen to euery faithfull man is called the measure of the gife of Christ Ephes Chapter 4. verse 7. And thereafter in that same Chapter ver 11. the Apostle sayes That Christ to the end He might fill all things Hee gaue some to bee Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Teachers that is He gaue all sorts of gifts vnto His Church that He might fulfill the promise of His Father and all these giftes and graces that we see are now in the Church from whome came they but only from the Lord Iesus This leadeâ— vs to an higher ground that the Sonne hath receiued of the Father all graces and all the giftes of the Holy Spirit together with the Holy Spirit Himselfe the Father hath giuen all first to the Sonne and not to vs for the Father loues the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into His hand Ioh. 3.35 And In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge Coloss Chapter 2. verse 3. Yet there is an higher cause of this to wit that the Sonne only hath merited the Holy Spirit with the fulnesse of all His graces No man euer merited any of them for who can merite them but hee who first receiued them The Lord Iesus receiued them first wee haue none but as He giues vs Hee merited and purchased them to vs with no lesse price than with the ransome of His owne blood Now wouldest thou know how all these graces that the Lord hath boughâ— with such a deare price are communicated to thee and made thine I will tell thee Not by any merite of thine own for thou couldest merite nothing at the Lordes handes but Hell and damnation but it is of the free grace and liberalitie of the Father and the Sonne that they are made thine it is of this grace that out of His fulnesse we receiue grace for grace When the Apostle Coloss Chapter 2. verse 9. hath saide In Him dwelles all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily thereafter he subjoynes And ye are compleete in Him as if hee had saide All this fulnesse is made yours of free grace whilst as by Faith yee take holde of Him Consider the wonderfull bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the Sonne to thee who giues thee these graces freely that Hee bought so dearely and purchased with such a worthie price Yee know sayes the Apostle the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that He beeing rich for your sakes became poore that ye through His pouertie might be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 Now ere I go forward I marke another lesson that the Spirit of God pointes out clearely in these words for our instruction for when the Lord sayes I will send you the promise of my Father vpon you that is the Holy Spirit with His graces He lets vs see that without His Spirit His presence and assistance a Minister cannot be able to doe any thing well in His calling but that in the discharge of euery part of His calling hee must bee assisted by the Spirit The Apostle Paul when hee is telling what good successe his preaching had among the Gentiles he takes not the praise thereof to himselfe but he ascribes all to the presence of Christ by His Spirit I dare not sayes he speake of any thing which Christe hath not wrought by mee to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deede Rom. 15.18 It is not with a Minister as it is with a man in the ciuile policie No there is a great difference for in the ciuile policie a man by his naturall giftes by his wisdome
Christ His ResurrectioÌ„ from the dead Alwayes what euer hath bene the cause of his absence wee may perceiue that he was depriued of that grace and presence of the LORD which the rest who were met together found Whereof we learne this lesson That whosoeuer doe absent themselues from the assembly of the LORDS Sainctes from these holy meetings whereinto the LORD hath promised His owne blessed presence they procure no small skaith and damage to themselues they depriue themselues of some grace and comfort that the LORD ministers to them that meet together What euer be the cause of thine absence it caÌ„not be but hurtfull to thee albeit all causes of absence be not alike hurtfull for if thou be absent by negligence the lesse is thy danger and losse but if wilfully and vpon contempt thou absentest thy selfe then not only depriuest thou thy sâ—lfe of grace and comfort but also thou procurest the wrath of GOD vpon thee for the contempt of His blessed ordinance Therefore if wee would bee partakers of the grace and blessing that the LORD hath promised to these holy assemblies we should postpone our priuate adoes and the cares of the world vnto these Holy exercises and we should embrace that counsell of our Sauiour Seeke first the Kingdome of Heauen and His righteousnesse and all other thinges shall bee ministred vnto you Matth. Chapter 6. verse 33. The man that makes this his first and his chiefe care to seeke the Kingdome of God when he hath gotten it hee will finde by experience that there is nothing necessarie for the sustaining of this present life that shall be inlaking to him It is a foolish thing to be too carefull for these worldly things for if thou seekest first the Kingdome of Heauen all these things will be casteâ— to thee Nowe to come to the preaching of the rest of the Disciples to Thomas it is said The other Disciples said vnto him We haue seene the Lord They preach to Thomas the Lordes Resurrection for the benefite they had receiued themselues in Thomas absence they willingly communicate to him they knewe and they sawe that the Lord was risen they tell this to Thomas as they beleeued so they wished and desired that hee should beleeue also This Example of the Apostles we ought all to followe When the Lorde communicates any spirituall benefite to vs we should not keepe it close to our selues but wee should bee carefull to communicate it to the well of others And thus doing we need not to feare that the grace shall be empaired and grow lesse No by the contrarie this communicating of the grace and vsing of the talent that the LORD hath giuen vs is the hie and readie way to augment the grace and to reape profite of the talent that wee haue receiued Albeit thou hast taken great paines and spent much time with the losse of some worldly goods to attaine to grace yet that should not make thee the more sparing in communicating it to others It is the Lords will that thou giue it to others freely chearfully and liberally Therefore trie and examine whether thou wilt be willing and carefull to communicate to others the grace that God hath giuen thee and if thou findest this then thou hast a good conscience and if thou findest it not thou hast no matter of rejoycing because thou doest not that which the LORD requires at thine hands When the Disciples haue informed Thomas of the Lordes Resurrection looke howe Thomas takes with it What is his part In a word hee beleeues not their report His incredulitie was very vvonderfull for albeit hee vvas compassed vvith such a cloud of witnesses of faithfull witnesses of eye-seeing witnesses yet he beleeues not Apparantly euery one of them who had seene the LORD course by course had tolde him of the LORDES Resurrection and first Marie Magdalene who got this honour first to see the LORD after His Resurrection hath witnessed to Thomas that she saw the LORD and spake with Him Next the other women who did meete with Him as they were returning froÌ„ the graue testifies the same Thirdly the two disciples who were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus informed him that they did meete with Him in the way of the conference they had with Him Fourthly Peter to whoÌ„ also y e Lord had appeared stroue to perswade him and last the whole number of the Apostles and the faithfull there assembled testified with one voyce that they had seene Him and spoken with Him yet Thomas is nothing mooued with all these speeches their witnessing makes not him to beleeue he remaines still in incredulity This example of Thomas telles vs that all the outward meanes that can be vsed all the testimonies of the worlde the testimonies of the most faithfull most godly most wise of the eye-witnesses will not mooue the heart of a man to beleeue will not perswade him of any point of doctrine necessarie to Saluation if there bee no more What then will make a man to beleeue Nothing but the Spirit of IESVS CHRIST it must be He that must witnesse vnto our heartes what is the will of GOD concerning vs it must be Hee that must take away the vale and illuminate our darke soules it must bee Hee that must open our heartes as Hee opened the heart of Lydia and make vs to beleeue If this Holy Spirit of CHRIST bee not present a man will not beleeue his owne eyes his owne senses will not perswade him We sawe the trueth of this before in the rest of the Disciples when the LORD stood in the middes of them when they sawe Him with their eyes when they heard Him speake face to face they beleeued not While as Luke sayes the LORD opened their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Luke Chapter 24. verse 45. This doctrine would bee well marked because it serues to decide a controuersie that this day is betwixt vs and the Papists The controuersie and question which is betwixt vs and them concerning the chiefe and principall witnesse and judge First of authenticke Scripture Next of true interpretation of particular places of Scripture that is How shall a man knowe that this Scripture that wee haue and wee reade and vse dayly is the very worde of GOD and not the worde of any creature And againe Howe shall a man knowe what is the true meaning of any particular place of Scripture and whether this or that sense of the word is to bee receiued The Papistes affirme that the chiefe and principall witnesse judge both of the one or the other is the Church they say y t we could not be assured that y e Scripture is authenticke y t it is y e very word of God except y e church affirme it so to be likewise they say y t we cannot be assured of y e right meaning of any place of y e Scripture except it be by y e testimonie of y e same Church they teach
that is y t by baptisme they should seale vp y t Gospel which they had teached before But to whō should they go out to whō should they preach Whome should they baptize Not the Jewes only but all Nations Marke sayes Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature As if He had said My power is extended to all Nations to euery creature and therefore this my Gospell your Ministerie whereby my power is manifested and declared to all must likewise bee extended to all creatures in the world These words of the Lord furnishes vs sundrie lessons for our instruction First we may learne heere that this office of the Apostleship which the Lord committes to His Disciples is not a bare stile of honour No but it is a laborious and painefull charge and calling they are commanded to goe out into the worlde to preach diligently the Gospell to euery creature The Pope his Cardinalles and Bishops vaunt bragge that they are the successours of the Apostles they clame this as a stile of honour to themselues but in the meane time they refuse to vndertake any paines and trauell for mans saluation as the Apostles did these idle bellies liue in carnall securitie and sensualitie taking their pleasure and pastime and deceitfully gather in to themselues the substance of the world and commit the charge of Preaching to Vicares and Curates as if the Gospell were too base an exercise for them and a thing whereof they had just occasion to be ashamed and therefore let them clame what stiles they list to themselues they are nothing lesse than successours to the Apostles Next these wordes lets vs see that there are two points of y e Ministerie for y e Lord giues His Apostles commission to preach the Gospell to baptize so the Ministers haue these two things enjoyned vnto them to preach the word to minister the Sacraments we heare nothing spoken here of offering of a Sacrifice either bloody or vnbloody or of a Priesthood and no question if there had bene such a thing or at least if it had bene a matter of such importance so necessarie as the Pope his shauelings say the Lord would altogether haue misknowne it passed it ouer with silence but He would haue spoken something of it to His Apostles so it is but a follie vanitie to thinke that since Christ hath once offered Himself a propitiatory Sacrifice for y e Redemption of the world that now there remaines any propitiatory Sacrifice in the Church The Lord hath put an end to them all by His death Sacrifice there is no Priesthood cōmitted either to the Apostles before or to the Ministers now but that whereby y e preaching of y e word they offer the soules of men womē in a Sacrifice to y e Lord Away with that deuilish sacrifice of y e Masse whereby the Pope and his Clergy deceiues the world making men beleeue that daylie they offer vp Christ againe as a propitiatorie sacrifice to the Father for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead No there is no propitiatorie sacrifice nowe left to the Kirke That sacrifice which the Lord once offered vpon y e crosse is sufficient perfect enough to take away the sinnes of y e world Thirdly these words teach vs y e these two poincts of the calling of the Ministery Teaching Baptizing were not cōmitted to diuerse sundry persons but both were cōmitted to one y e selfe same person So that he who is ordained to preach is ordained to baptize and he who cānot preach has no power nor libertie granted him of the Lord to baptize and if hee baptize he does it without the Lords commandement he has no warrant of Him and therfore his doing is but a profanation of that Holie Sacramēt of Baptisme This baptizing of infants which is ministred by priuate men has no warrant nor allowāce of God much lesse that which is done by women Fourthly out of these words we may learne what order ought to be kept in the ministring of Baptisme to wit the word must be first preached the couenant of grace and the glad tidings of saluation must be first opened vp vnto vs and then Baptisme should be ministred to seale vp that same word and couenant which before was preached Wherefore serues Baptisme except first the word be preached Baptisme is a seale And what serues y e seale for if there be nothing to be sealed Wherefore can it serue if the charter of the word preceed not Therfore except the preaching of the couenant of grace preceede Baptisme is nothing but an vnprofitable ceremony and a dead element Nowe in whose name should this Sacrament of Baptisme be ministred The Lord sayes IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SONNE AND OF THE HOLY GHOST That is Yee shall baptize by the authoritie power of the Father the Sonne of the Holy Ghost Whereof we haue to learne That the power efficacie of Baptisme depends neither vpon the power of the Minister who baptizes nor vpon the force nor power of the words pronounced by the Minister in Baptisme as if there were any such power or operation in the wordes as the Papists falsely attribute vnto them but all the force efficacie of Baptisme depends vpon the power of God only And therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized to lift vp his eyes his heart to Heauen and to craue the blessing efficacy thereof from God only Next it would be noeed y t He sayes not in a generall tearme Baptise in the name of God but Hee sayes distinctly Baptise in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized not to content himselfe with a confused knowledge and consideration of God but hee ought to behold that glorious Majesty y t incomprehensible essence distinctly in the Trinitie of the persons that is three distinct persons in one Godhead for faith is a distinct a cleare knowledge apprehension of the Majesty of God for whosoeuer truely and sincerely beleeues puts his confidēce in God he finds sensibly by experiēce that all good things flowe first from the Father as the fountaine of all grace and goodnesse through the Sonne as Mediator by whom all grace is conueyed and cōmunicated vnto men and by the Holie Ghost who powerfully effectually works all grace in y e heart Last we see here a cleare and a plaine naming of the three distinct persons of the Godhead the Lord names distinctly The Father the Sonne the holy Ghost In all the Old Testament we will not reade so plaine cleare a distinction of y e three persons of y e Godhead Then learne here that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God brought first of all into the world a distinct knowledge of God and that He first of all distinctly named The
into the handes of the Pope and those sillie soules that lye in the Holie house would exchaunge the one with the other The judgement of GOD is lying vpon these doers on HERODE on PILATE on the High Priestes and vpon the IEWES yet PILATE gettes this grace that hee hath some conscience and it is holden waking and sounding in his eare and staying him from that wicked action and then Pilate gettes a pittifull heart But come to them to wit the Iewes and High Priestes the judgement of GOD lyes so vpon them that they proceede from degree to degree to fearefull induration till the action bee finished and the heartes of them are locked vp from all pitie and their consciences are blotted awaye so heauie is the judgement that lies vpon the Iewes Therefore thinke not that wee are free from judgement when wee are sitting in ease eating and drinking in wealth honour and glorie for I affirme that the heauiest judgement that euer GOD layes vpon anie creature is a senselessenesse For when as a man or a woman is doing euill and hath no sense of that their evill doing O! that is the moste miserable estate that can bee for it is a sure fore-runner of eternall damnation No outwarde crosse neither sicknesse nor pouertie is so sure a token of GODS judgement as to bee rocked vp in securitie and to bee lying sleeping in sinne Senselessenesse is a sure token of a sore judgement which shall ouertake thee so that thou shalt not bee able to open thy mouth to saye GOD helpe mee and therefore beware of senselesnesse Now the LORD holde our consciences waking although it should trouble vs that we may cease from going forwardes in sinne for CHRISTES sake To whome bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euermore AMEN THE NINTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XIX verse 7 The Iewes answered him Wee haue a Lawe and by our Lawe he ought to die because hee made himselfe the Sonne of GOD. verse 8 When Pilate then heard that word hee was the more afraid verse 9 And went againe into the common Hall and said vnto IESVS Whence art thou But IESVS gaue him none answere WEE heard in the beginning of this CHAPTER Brethren how Pilate the Iudge insisted earnestlie to get IESVS whom his conscience dited to bee innocent set free and loosed and therfore first he commandes Him to bee taken and scourged to bee crowned with a Crowne of Thornes and clad with a purple Garment in derision of His kingdome thinking thereby to haue satisfied the Iewes Then when he had done this he commeth foorth himselfe and in presence of all the people protestes the fourth time that He was innocent Thirdly when hee bringes Him foorth with a Crowne of Thornes and with a purple rayment hee vtters a pittifull voyce saying Beholde the man to mooue the Iewes to be content but their malice could not be satisfied but the Iewes and Priestes cried out Crucifie him crucifie him Thus much we haue heard alreadie Now in the beginning of this Text wee haue the replie of Pilate to the Iewes and the communication betwixt him and them Take yee him saies he and crucifie him as for mee I finde no fault in him He answeres indeed with an anger for he is commoned with the obstinacie of the Iewes because nothing woulde mooue them but still they cried out Crucifie him but he saies If ye will take it on your coÌ„science crucifie ye Him as for me albeit I have right to crucifie Him I had rather giue my right to you than to deâ—ile mine hands with the blood of the innocent Ye heard when they vrged Pilate to condemne Him without a verdict hee answered on this manner Ye haue a law judge Him according to your law Before I judged a man without a crime I had rather resigne my right to you Ye see there Pilate had rather giue ouer his right that he had of the Romane Emperour in judging and executing before he had condemned an innocent man this had bene very commendable in this Ethnicke man if it had not beene forced out of him by the guiltinesse of his conscience his conscience cried within him Iesus is innocent So this is forced out of him for Brethren ye shall vnderstand that men doe things in conscience two wayes either against their will when they are compelled violently to doe it or els with their will when they doe any thing willingly when the heart is as readie to doe it as the conscience charges When a man doeth a thing vpon constraint hee getteth litle praise before God when a man doeth willingly then there is matter of true praise if yee compare Pilate with the Iewes who had lost their conscience he hath his owne praise for it is better to be commoned on conscience to doe any thing than to doe against conscience But let him who would haue the true praise not do any thing on coÌ„straint of coÌ„science only but also with a willing heart as the conscience requireth that he doe it so let him be as glad to doe it Naturall men will haue a conscience and doe vpon conscience albeit they were neuer so prophane but if the heart agree willingly to do God seruice there is more than nature there if thou wouldest haue praise of God take not onely heede to thy conscience but looke also that thou haue a joy in thine heart in well doing Will ye marke through this whole discourse that the Lord lets not the conscience of Pilate sleepe Iudges now who will be counted Christians haue not such a conscience and as it is waking so it lets him not rest but causes him speake if thy conscience be wakned thou shalt bee speaking and shalt be compelled to say the good cause is the good cause But looke to the High Priests there is as great difference betweene them and Pilate as it betweene the heauen the earth ye shall see nothing in them but the conscience sleeping locked vp in a sound sleep the more that Pilate testifies of the innocencie of Christ they are the more hardened This is a wonder Pilate was but a naturall man who had none illumination but through the light of nature ye must know that it is knowledge that makes a conscience As for the High Priests they had light by the word of God yet come to the conscience Pilate had a better conscience than they had all Would ye search the ground of it the High Priests albeit they had the word of God and light and illumination there thorow yet the malitiousnesse of their hearts put out that light corruption blotted it out and when once a man is illuminate and then beginneth to extinguish that light it coÌ„meth by the just Iudgement of God that the light of nature is put out and then all conscience is scraped out and then hee becommeth like a beast and so falleth into a reprobate sense keepe the light that ye haue gotten by
vvee bee Pilgrimes heere a vvhile that our joye maye bee the greater vvhen vvee meeâ—e vvith the LORDE vvhome vvee haue longed for vvee are contented for a time Now when Marie departs what does shee She tolde the Dâ—sciples that shee had seene the LORDE Shee is preaching and telling The LORD is going to heauen to your Father and your GOD. Nowe Brethren seeing vvee are Pilgrimes let vs take heede vvee bee well occupied and looke wee discharge our commission for there is no man nor woman but they haue a commission Thou that art a Preacher preache both in time and out of time to His glorie and if thou discharge thy commission faithfullie in thy calling then euen as Marie was welcome vnto Him againe so shalt thou bee also welcome when thou shalt meete with the LORD and Hee shall accept well of thee The LORDE enable vs to take heede to this that seeing wee must remaine absent from our LORDE for a time heere wee maye euer cast vs to bee vvell occupied and walke carefullie in that calling that Hee hath placed vs in And then when that the LORDE of Glorie shall appeare whome wee haue serued in this life our soules and bodies shall enjoye the full fruition of His presence in Heauen To whome be glorie for euermore Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 9 And as they went to tell his disciples beholde Jesus also met them saying God saue you And they came and tooke him by the feete and worshipped him verse 10 Then saide Iesus vnto them Bee not afraide Goe and tell my Brethren that they goe into Galile and there shall yee see mee MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 10 And shee went and tolde them that had beene with him who mourned and wept verse 11 And when they hearde that hee was aliue and had appeared to her they beleeued it not BELOVED BRETHREN these dayes past vvee haue heard first the Historie of Marie Magdalene how shee returned home and how shee came againe to the graue of her LORD and of her mourning and weeping at the graue of her looking againe in to the graue of the sight of th'Angels meeting with her of Christes wordes vnto her first Hee spake aloofe and afarre off vnto her Woman why weepest thou whome seekest thou Then Hee speakes homelie vnto her calling her by her name and sayes Marie Shee answeres Him Rabboni as Hee had named her homelie so shee answered Him homelie Hee named her like a Master and shee answered Him like a reuerende Disciple Hee calles her as a Sheepehearde and shee answeres Him as one of His flocke knowing Him by His voyce shee offers to embrace Him but Hee preuentes her and sayes vnto her Touch mee not for I am not ascended to my Father perceiuing her to bee ouer much addicted to His bodilie presence before Hee will permit her to touch Him Hee will haue her first to beleeue in Him and to touch Him in glorie by the hande of faith Then Hee sendes her in commission Goe to my Brethren so calling His Disciples A louing stile Tell them of other tidinges than euer they haue hearde yet They hearde of my Resurrection but they beleeued not but nowe I goe to the Heauens to my Father and to your Father to my GOD and to your GOD And this is the commission Marie receiuing it shee executes it and runnes to the Disciples to tell them and as Iohn sayes she preaches to them the thing that shee had heard of the LORDE MARKE sayes that when shee came to them shee founde them weeping This was a weeping time but shortlie after followed a time of joye This change of courses yee see in the worlde for though thou bee wanton and laugh heere neuer so much yet thou wilt weepe soone after But wilt thou weepe and mourne heere for a while when there is matter of mourning thou shalt laugh and rejoyce shortlie afterwarde Nowe when Marie findes the Apostles weeping and mourning shee telles them that the LORD is aliue shee confirmes it that Hee spake and sayes shee sawe Him with her eyes But howe takes the Apostles with this commission They remaine faithlesse for all that she could say they would not beleeue her No it is an hard matter to beleeue the Article of the Resurrection That a man that is dead can rise againe and take life fleshe and blood will neuer dite this vnto thee that one that is dead can liue againe The women vvho vvere more simple and not so vvise in vvorldlie vvit as the Apostles vvere are more readie to credite the Resurrection than the Apostles vvho vvere strong according to the fleshe The Resurrection is harde to be beleeued of anie man but this is sure The Resurrection is hardest to bee beleeued of them vvho are vvisest in this vvorlde No hee that hath this worldlie vvisedome hee countes these Heauenlie and Spirituall thinges but follie till hee bee made a foole that hee maye bee made wise as the Apostle PAVL speakes 1. CORIN CHAP. 3. VERS 18. That is till hee renounce this worldlie wisedome hee shall neuer beleeue these Spirituall thinges When I consider the wordes of MARKE I finde manie faultes in the Disciples They were lying mourning this vvas a vaine mourning What cause had they of mourning for Him whome they thought vvas dead but yet vvas aliue So they had matter of joye and not of mourning And from vvhence proceeded this mourning First they vvere ignorant of the Scriptures which had foretolde that he shoulde rise againe Then they had forgotten the vvorde vvhich the LORDE had spoken vnto them That hee shoulde die and rise againe the thirde daye Yet there is vvorse in them than this The first companie of vvomen vvho tolde them of CHRISTES Resurrection they woulde not beleeue them Then the next companie comes neither woulde they beleeue them one vvorde And last MARIE came vvho not onelie met vvith the Angels but also vvith the LORDE and receiued a commission and yet they vvoulde not beleeue her notwithstanding shee tolde them that she had seene Him So there is not onelie an vnbeliefe but a stiffenesse in them So that if yee will count these faultes their dolour is first without comfort and secondlie an ignorance of the Scriptures and thirdly a forgetfulnesse of the worde of the LORDE and last there is an infidelitie that they would neither beleeue the women who came from the Angels nor MARIE that came from the LORDE and sawe Him and spake with Him So that they are as new to enter to learn as though they had neuer seen nor known Christ Yet there was some good thing in them for certainly howbeit the dolour came of ignorance forgetfulnesse and incredulitie yet I am sure of this that the loue which they carried towardes CHRIST caused them to mourne for if they had not loued Him they had not mourned for Him No there was none of the High Priestes that wet their cheekes for His death So