be the grouÌ„d of obedieÌ„ce vvheÌ„ I see the image of God in him wheÌ„ I see him armed vvith y e power of God I ought to obey him for the conscience of God Then a game marke in Iesus Christ vvhen Pilate the earthly Iudge hath to doe vvith Him Hee lookes not so much to Pilate as to His Father Iesus Christ all this time when He is pulled here and there sets not His eye so much vpon men as vpon His Father and vpon His prouidence This teaches a lesson vnto all men but chiefely to them vvho fall into the handes of men of authoritie and power They ought not so much to set their eyes vppon this or that man as vpon God and acknowledge albeit it were in the middest of all torments it is not man that deales vvith me it is not so much any person deales with me as it is my God The King hath not an hand to moue or a word to speake against me if my God giue it not to him he who is in the handes of men and lookes not to this is worse than a beast This is a chiefe point whereby thou glorifiest God to acknowledge His prouidence in suffering or in torment none can haue consolation but hee who seeth this there is the matter of consolation and patience in torments to see that when hee is in the hands of a Tyrant hee is in the handes of a mercifulll Father and to say Albeit these torments bee sore and grieuous and albeit men deale with mee it is my Father that deales with mee in mercie Let thee bee torne and rent yet acknowledge this thou shalt finde joy that shall exceede all thy torments Looke to the Martyres So Brethren it is no small comfort to a man for to set his eyes alwayes vpon God and especially when hee is into the handes of a Iudge or Tyrant Nowe thus farre the Lord hath giuen an answere to Pilate and hath challenged the glorie of that Majestie Would to God we could learne that lesson to defend the glorie of God which is blasphemed in this world Come to the other part it is in respect of the High Priestes they were the instruments of God working by his prouidence to put Christ in his handes Pilate thou gloriest ouer me but woe is to them who haue put mee into thine hands Woe is to them who put an innocent man in the handes of a Tyrant Marke this There is nothing spoken of Pilate that hee sinned albeit hee sinned but Hee speakes of the sinnes of the Iewes and of the High Priestes this lets vs see that albeit Pilate sinned yet they sinned more and their damnation is greater than his hee that beginnes mischiefe the wrath of God shall especially ouertake him and if there were no more but the example of Iudas it may tell vs this that Iudas was the first that beganne this worke Iudas put Him first in the handes of the High Priest On whome strikes the wrath first What befell to Iudas Whilst the Lord Iesus is so handled the traitour Iudas is put to the torture and the Lord rents the soule of him in pieces the miserable Catiue to be free of that torture he hangs himselfe Did the wrath of God light first vpon Iudas who was the first traitour the wrath of God lightes first vpon the traitours yet the Jewes are sleeping they thought they were free of judgement but still the wrath prosecutes them to induration Thinke yee that these traitours are free of wrath No no the dolour and vengeance in its owne time shall ouertake them and they shall not haue a worde to speake The Papistes when they haue caught a Christian who confesseth Iesus Christ when they haue tryed Him they will put Him into the handes of the Emperour or King of Spaine they will washe their handes as cleane of the blood of the innocent and who tooke his life but the King of Spaine O! but the wrath of GOD persecutes them and all the blood of the innocent lies vpon them because they deliuered them into their handes to bee tormented by them The judgement of that Antichrist and of that accursed crue shall bee heauier than the judgement of the Kinges who execute their malice I denounce this IN THE NAME OF GOD and therefore let euery man and woman beware that they be not partakers in the murther of the innocent yea if the Hangman knowe that hee is innocent albeit hee thinkes howsoeuer the matter goes he is free let him not touch him Reade yee not in the Historie of the three Children Sidrach Mesach and Abednego who being taken and casten into the hote fierie fornace at the commaundement of Nebuchadnezar the King that the men that cast them into the fornace were slaine with the flame of the fire Yea if it were but in a thought take heede thou consent not to the death of the innocent Nowe to ende in a worde Yee see heere when Iesus speakes of His Father and of His doinges Hee blames Him not but Hee speakes in all submission of Him but when Hee speakes of the Iewes who were instruments of this worke of God Hee rebukes them shamefullie and imputes sinne vnto them This is a wonder and yet it is the worke of God and they are instrumentes ruled by God yet the Lord is Holy and they are vnholy and wicked Act. chap. 2. vers 23. They crucified Him with wicked haâ—des now the Lord was cleane and the Iewes handes were vnholie Howe was this The cause was because in all this doing there was not such a thing as that anie of these wicked instrumentes looked vnto God they are satisfying the affection of their heartes and drinking vp the innocent blood maliciously Marke this Whatsoeuer thou doest in this worlde whether thou goest out or in eatest or drinkest set alwayes thine eyes vpon the Lord and doe it all to His pleasure and saye vvith thy selfe I doe this to pleasure and to glorifie thee O Lord And I aduertise thee that albeit thou doest anie thing agreeable in it selfe to the vvill of GOD yet if thine heart bee not set vpon GOD in the doing that vvorke is vnholie in thine hand There is nothing to sanctifie thy soule if thine eye be not set vpon GOD for vvhen the eye of the soule is set vpon the LORD there commeth light downe from Him that sanctifieth the heart And this is it in a vvorde that I vvoulde saye Bee neuer at the ende of an euill thing if thy conscience tell thee in thine eare that thou art at an euill turne doe it not I appeale you when yee doe anie thing in secret if your conscience vvill not saye O catiue that vvhich thou doest vvill bring thee to destruction Manie men in this Lande thinke themselues neuer vvell but vvhen they are at an euill turne But I forewarne thee as thou vvouldest bee safe and finde mercie at that Great day to holde thine handes cleane from all euill turnes and chiefelie from
a good Iustice the Romane Iustitiers were good he shewed him selfe to bee a good Iustitier in this a man condemned to die hee would not giue Him out of His hands till hee knew perfectly that He was dead The Iudge should not giue a man out of his hāds to any till he know he be dead Iustice requires that If they did so to the greene tree the Lord Himselfe saies what shall they doe to the withered If so precise justice was kept on y e innocent what shall become of the reprobate who must suffer euery point of justice Lord saue vs from that justice of the reprobate I put it out of doubt This justice kept on Iesus is a liuely image of that justice that shal be kept on the reprobate Thou shalt not escape one point of that justice but thou shalt suffer in thy carcage y e extremity if thou be not participate of His blood Another thing is to bee marked in Pilate I see a part of humanity in him hee grants the dead body humanely And surely this was by the fashion for the bodies of crucified mē were not giuē yeelded at the request of mē as their death was ignominious so was their buriall I put no doubt the cōscience of the innocencie of Iesus neuer left him the consciēce of His innocēcie made him to be so easie to grant the body of Iesus at the request of Ioseph Brethren if this matter had bene in the hands of Caiaphas the Priests and the Scribes the Elders they would not haue bene so ready to haue giuē the body to be buried for as they sought to shame Him in His death so would they in His buriall they had buried Him like an Asse castē Him out like a beast So who is this that dishonours the Saints of God in their buriall It is not Pilate or an Ethnicke or Turke or Pagan it is hypocrit professors hypocrits Caiaphas it is false priests knaues with a coloured religion it is the counterfet hie priests those shauelings those monks friers who murther the innocēts there was neuer bitternes nor gal of heart like their bitternes who wil cal thēselues the kirke they are a false a deceiuing kirke they haue not bene content to martyre the deare Saincts of God that bloody massacre shall neuer goe out of memory it shal be recent to their perpetual shame they shal pay for it one day but they haue raised vp y e bones of the dead to burne thē The vessels of dishonour seeke the dishonour of the vessels of honour but shame and confusion shall light vpon them whē the Saints of God shall get honour The Lord saue vs from them and that judgement which they shall receiue We goe now to the māner of the Buriall Looke the louing affection of this holy man Ioseph would to God we could learne at him who loued the dead Iesus so well to loue Him now liuing and glorified in the Heauēs When he hath gottē the body of the Lord he takes it puts it not in a foule cloth he takes not an old sheet but he buyes the cleanest linnē finest that culd be gottē the Spirit of God notes that it was a fine linnen cloth which had neuer touched any mans body before then he wraps the body of Iesus in that winding sheet I suppone it was with his owne hands for wee reade of none other that touched Him for hee thought his owne hands ouer vnworthie to winde such a precious and glorious bodie Nowe Brethren as the Buriall of the Lord was honoured by an honourable man who was the Burier of Him so it was honoured with a cleane winding-sheet which is a piece of the honour of the Buriall But looke to this mans doinges better When hee procures leaue to bury Him he departs not leaues another to bury Him he sais not I haue done enough I haue gottē his body he has other friēds thā I here he has his mother his disciples other womē who came with him out of Galile and others let them bury him doe y e rest to him No he saies not so So this is a cōmendable thing in him who hauing gottē leaue to bury him he perfects the worke he will bury him himselfe with his owne hands Let vs learne at Ioseph If we put to our hāds to the work of Iesus to honour him wo to him that honours him not if thou begin to do him any seruice leaue not off whilst thou haue ended it Count not that which thou hast done as men doe who will say I haue professed I haue suffered for religion more than the best of them But when thou art running that race neuer looke ouer thy shoulder vntill thou commest to thy races ende and say thou art an vnprofitable seruant suppose thou hadst done neuer so much goe forward the crowne is not in the middest of the race but at the end and hee who persistes to the end of the race he shall get the crowne not he who goes backe againe Yet the affection of the man would bee considered and weighed after that once that sweete smell the sweetest smell that euer was felt comes from the body of Iesus that sweet smell of loue for the sauour of that body is the sauour of loue such loue as man neuer bare to man such loue as made the Lord to die for sinners after that the smell comes to Iosephs soule it wakened vp in his heart loue towards the Lord for Hee must loue vs before wee loue Him and whilst Hee begins to loue Him he makes request for Him euer the nearer that he drawes to that precious body the sweete smell that came from that precious body was alwayes the greater and the heart of Ioseph warmed ay the more with Him so that he could neuer get rest vntill he got that body in his armes and wrapped it in linnen clothes So when we begin to taste that fragrant odour that sweet smell our hearts will be allured to draw neare to Him and as we draw the nearer to Him wee will ay finde the sweeter sauour proceeding from Him Thou shalt feele alwaies the more that sweet odour the more neare thou meete with Him and who euer thou bee that seekest Him once thou vvilt neuer rest vvhilst thou see Him and be vvith Him Paul speakes this of himselfe 2. Cor. 4.8 I approoue rather to be with the Lord than to dwell in this bodie And to the Phillipians 1.23 I desire to be loosed and to be with Christ For as vvell as vve loue this body vve vvill be content to slit out of it to let the body fall dovvne like a broken pitcher that vve may be conjoyned vvith Christ vve vvill be content to slit and to obtaine Iesus Christ euen vvith the dissolution of the body This for the part of Ioseph in the burying of Christ novve follovves the part of one Nicodemus Whilst as Ioseph is
vvith one voyce saye Why weepest thou When the LORDE beginnes once to bowe the heart Hee vvill let thee see grace yea Hee vvill not let thee see onelie but Hee vvill also let thee heare Hee woulde not onelie let her see dumme Angels but Hee woulde haue them also to speake vnto her that shee might heare joyfullie When Hee hath once begunne ere Hee leaue Hee vvill fill all the senses vvith grace Hee shall fill the eye with sight the eare with hearing and in the ende Hee shall fill thine heart fullie with grace and mercie Nowe what heares Marie The Angels saye vnto her Woman why mournest thou For as shee looked in to the graue shee vvept bitterlie the teares went neuer from her eyes nor the sadnesse from her heart till the LORDE Himselfe saide MARIE why weepest thou Marke the vvordes The Angell no doubt rejectes her because shee wept without measure and in vaine because shee thought that the bodie of the LORDE had beene stollen awaye shee wept for Him who was liuing But as the Angell reprooues her so hee pitties her Then if thou weepe for the LORD Hee shall cause the Angels of Heauen to pittie thee Yet againe What saye the Angels They saye not Woman feare not as they did to the rest of the women that came before And why saye they not Feare not Shee was so ouer-come with displeasure and so sadde hearted that shee was not afraide of the Angels and was not astonied as the other women for they had not so sad an heart as shee had for her heart was so filled with sadnesse and displeasure that feare coulde not get place The Angell sayes Woman why mournest thou because it was mourning that ailed her The LORD giues alwayes medicine according to the sore If thou bee sad Hee will saye Why mournest thou The Angell applies the medicine and stilles her A mourning bodie for CHRIST woulde bee stilled If thou weepest for CHRIST suppose thou passe bounds yet thou shalt not want stilling though He should send his Angels to still thee No there was neuer any y t mourned for Christ that wanted stilling Nor there was neuer anie childe that got so sweete wordes to still them as thou shalt get who mournest for CHRIST Then Blessed are they sayes CHRIST that mourne for they shall receiue consolation Matth. 5.4 If thou mourne for the loue of the LORDE thou shalt bee stilled and comforted and blessed shalt thou bee one daye Alas this is a laughing worlâ—â—-woe vnto it few men or women are nowe mourning wiâ—◠〈◊〉 Magdalene alas vvhat neede haue vvee of stilling No vvee are laughing notvvithstanding of all thâ—se judgements that approach fast and are neare at hand they vvill cause vs all mourne one day But vvhat sayes the Angells to her Say they in an anger Why seeke yee the liuing amongst the deade Beholde the mercie of GOD to His children she merited if yee looke to her fault to haue beene reprooued more sharply shee forgot the vvord of our Sauiour and she vvould not looke in to the graue yet he reprooues her not hee sayes not to her Why seeke yee Him that is liuing amongst the dead as the Angell spake to the other vvomen This is our lesson in a vvorde The LORD lookes not vvhat thou meritest but He lookes vvhat thou needest Hee vvill not speake according to thy merite but according to thy neede and necessitie for if thou mournest for the LORD Hee vvill minister comfort to thee No He wil not make a sorrowful heart more sorrowfull he is a cruel person that vvil do so no the Lord wil not do so He will not bruâ—se the brokâ—n reede neither will He quench the smoaking flaxe as it vvas prophecied of Him long before Esay Chapter 42. and the third verse But if thou bee sad Hee vvill raise thee vp vvith such comfort as cannot be tolde Novve to goe forvvarde When they haue demanded Why vveepest thou â—hee ansvveres without any feare as their sight terrifies her not so neither is she terrified vvith their voyce What vvas the cause that shee feared not and that at the voyce of the terrible Angâ—lls shee is not mooued Euen because her heart vvas ouercome and loadned vvith dolour and sadnesse that there could be no place almost left to feare She sayes They haue stollen away the body of the Lord and I knowe not where they haue laid Him What could she doe vvith it wherefore vvas shee so carefull Shee tells vvhat shee vvould doe vvith it shâ—e sayes to Himselfe I would burie it nowe all this came of a suâ—passing loue and therefore looke not so much to her doing as to her loue Learne at Marie Magdalene to loue the LORD and shee may learne all the world This loue and zeale of GOD is almost out of the heartes of men and vvomen and when I consider her great loue I find it is more than any naturall affection as father to sonne or man to woman 〈◊〉 â—â—cept there had come a force vertue out of that body she could neuer haue loued the Lord so well No except He loose our heartes with that loue hee beares to vs wee cannot loue Him but when once Hee looses thine heart thou wilt hate thy selfe to loue Him so what euer I discommend in her I discommend not her loue No I shall neuer discommend loue nor zeale in any person Alas we haue too litle of it to discommend it and I doubt not but all these imperfections that vvere in her were couered by the LORD IESVS whome shee loued Our comfort is this if we loue the LORD our GOD well albeit wee had a thousand imperfections they shall be couered with the mantle of the righteousnes of IESVS yea He shall meete thy loue vvith vnspeakable loue Thus farre for the sight and hearing of the Angels The Text sayes assoone as shee had spoken She turnes her about againe Men would thinke this an vndiscreet behauiour to stand and heare two Angels and then like a vaine person to turne her about I will not excuse this altogether but I impute this to the exceeding dolour and sadnesse wherewith their soule was loadned there must be many faultes ouerseene in a sad person I had rather beare with twentie faultes in such a person as to beare with one in a vaine person Now as she is speaking to the Angels so the LORD comes neare toward her backe and ere euer He came or shee savv Him He touches her with a secret and powerfull presence of His Spirit for I doubt not as Hee came neare her but His Spirit both turnes her about and closes the mouth of the Angels for He is the LORD both of man and Angell and if He come His presence must turne thee and when Hee comes to speake all the Angels must holde their tongue and be dumbe Yee knowe that IOHN the BAPTIST vvas a great light before the LORD came and many followed him but vvhen CHRIST comes IOHN closes his mouth
the eye of the soule for the eye of our soule is but bleered there vvas neuer such a bleered eye in the body as in the soule the fault then is in the canker and vile disposition of the soule of man This is their change at the sight of Christ they are blinded in minde and troubled in heart What does the Lorde Le ts Hee them be le ts Hee them ly in that blindnesse and terrour No He departs not but trauells to change them ouer againe in mind heart and affection it is the worde of Iesus onely that is able to alter and change the heart of man and that euill disposition and blindnesse which is there when all the affections of the heart are out of order it is the worde of Christ onely that hath povver to change them all the Angells in Heauen and all the men in the Earth vvill not bee able to put thine heart in order if it bee troubled Therefore he or she that hath blind terrours let them resort to the hearing of the word of God I saye to thee if thou disdainest this worde and if thou seekest to this man or seekest to that man or seekest to Angels thou shalt neuer get rest nor reliefe in thy trouble So it is the word of Iesus Christ that must giue light and consolation But what sort of word must this be Must it be a soft a gentle and calme vvord to the eare No vvhen the minde hath blinded it selfe and vvhen the affections are out of order shee must bee tamed the affections are hammered and throwne downe because the pride of the soule reaches vp to Heauen to reason against God 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 10. verse 4 5. Therefore she must be subdued by sharpe threatning and sad speeches to hammer her downe So the Lord sayes Why are yee troubled Why let yee vaine fantasies arise in your heartes No doubt these words had power to represse and hammer dovvne the misordered vanities in their heartes then the disordered affections must be compelled to bee in order not by faire vvords but by threatning and saying away to your order they must bee beaten and strucken downe Let no man deceiue himselfe thinking that he should alwayes heare soft and gentle words No that vvill neuer make a change in the soule Come to the words Wherefore doe doubts arise in your heartes In the vvordes the Lord lets you see how the minde blindes her selfe when a spirituall object is set before it the vvord Ascending that is vsed lets vs see that first of all a small cogitation enters in and then it growes to a mountaine When she sees an heauenly object God or the word or Christ in the which God or Christ is seene assoone as this heauenly object is laid before the eye of the minde she begins to reason she gets not the blenck so soone but assoone she reasones and the discourse arises vp like a mountaine so that the light of the Spirit shall bee taken out of her eye and shall make such conclusions that shall rise vp and stand like mountaines and blinde her and if shee hath any sight pull it out of her as yee see sometimes when the Sunne vvill be shining bright vvithin a short time a cloude vvill arise from belovv and vvill take away the light of the Sunne Euen so from the reason of man arise doubtes like a foome all thy reason is but stinking foome and it will stand vp like a foule blacke smooke betvvixt thee and God Rom. 1.21 Reade yee not what the Apostle sayes The Gentiles and Philosophers beginning at reason put out the blencke that they had of God and in their wisdome they became madde fooles This day the Papists and their Doctours haue blinded themselues vvith vaine Philosophie and vvith their thornie questions they haue drowned Christ and so obscured Him that Hee could not bee seene to the worlde and they drowne themselues in their ovvne dung Let all men then take this lesson When the vvorde of the LORD is offered to thee Bee not too curious Bevvare of thy learning beware of thy reasoning leane not too much to it that it stand not vp betweene thee and GOD and blinde thee let not cogitations arise When it comes to the Scripture reason Why not but with sobernesse with a soule desirous to learne with prayer with calling on that Spirit No light in that word but by that Spirit of light who dited the Scriptures If thou gettest that Spirit then light shall be offered and giuen to thee but if thou vanishest in thy minde and followest thy wit except thou castest away thy reasoning reade not one worde I forbid thee to reade one worde of the Scriptures lest thou aggreadge thy damnation Now I goe forward When thus way by checking Hee hath beaten downe the imaginations reasonings and cogitations that sublimely rose out of the minde and when by an angrie worde Hee hath beaten downe the affections which were out of order nowe in gentlenesse Hee beginnes to teach and instruct them and He teaches them two things First that He is a bodie Secondly that He is not a Spirit and that He is that same CHRIST that same man that same bodie and none other that before His Passion haunted with them teached them and wrought miracles in their presence Hee teaches them by a familiar argument First by the sight Beholde sayes He mine hands and my feete He holdes vp His handes not His handes onely but also the markes of the wounds of His hands He lets them see His feete and the print of the nailes Next Handle Mee sayes He if ye will not see feele What better argument would yee haue than to feele flesh blood and bones Next Hee prooues that Hee was no Spirit but a man with the body of a man A spirit or an Angell hath not body flesh and bones but so it is I haue them Ergo I am no spirit This is a sensible argument and see how Hee dimittes that glorious body to their eyes and to their hands to bee seene to bee touched that He might make them to beleeue albeit Faith be a spirituall worke in the soule yet it is wrought and confirmed in the soule by the eye by sight by the hand by touching This place lets vs see how damnable is the doctrine of the Papistes who would haue vs to beleeue that in the Supper of IESVS CHRIST there is a locall and bodily presence of CHRISTS body and that the whole bodie is there and that the blood is there drunken by thee and the body is eaten by thee after a bodily manner with the mouth of thy bodie and not sacramentally and spiritually How dare these deceiuers of the world these vile knaues affirme that they eate the body of IESVS CHRIST and puts it in their vile mouthes What reasonable man can be perswaded of it Will they teach me as CHRIST teached His disciples will they let mee see visibly vvith mine eye
you Joh. 20.31 Yet because this was generall therfore now to take all grudges and doubts out of the heart of Peter the rest of th'Apostles he has a particular dealing with him here in this place this he does in presence of so many disciples for the greater confiâ—mation of his restoring and herein the Lord vrges him thrise that He might draw out of him a threefold confession answerable to his thrâ—efold deniall It may bee likewise that in this conference the Lord had a great respect to recommend the caâ—e of His Kirke which He was to leaue behind Him to Peter to the rest of th'Apostles for in the person of Peter Hee speakes to all the rest Vpon this conference marke this generally First that the Lord will not refuse repentance and pardon to him who has denied Him if his deniall come of infirmitie Next That it is the Lord only who prouokes and allures a man to repentance and who preuents him if he be careles of his sinne We saw before that the Lord looked vpon Peter after he had denied Him in the Hall of Caiaphas made him to weepe Now He accomplishes brings to perfection y t worke which He began He vrges a threefold coÌ„fession But to come to y e matter The Lord begins to commune with him these are the words Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me better than these pointing out the rest of th'apostles that is more than the rest loues me This the Lord demands of Peter not that He was ignorant of the loue of Peter towarde Him for Peter testifies this in his answere when hee sayes to the Lord Thou knowest that I loue thee The Lord knew th' inward affection of Peter as well as himselfe did So as for Himselfe He ned not this confession nor to speak one word for He knew his heart yet He vrges the confession of the mouth that that loue which he baâ—e in his heart hee should professe with his mouth wherefore in demanding He calles first of all Peter to remembrance of his bragging that he vsed a little before His Passion when Peâ—er stood vp saide Though all should be offended by thee yet will I neuer be offended Matth. 26.33 As though he should say Though all should leaue thee I shall not leaue thee I shall bee readie to goe to prison and to death with thee Therefore the Lord sayes Louest thou me more than these TheÌ„ with this he calles to remeÌ„brance that foule defection for all his craking as if Hee vvould saye For all thy boasting PETER remember thee of thy deniâ—ll So in one vvorde Hee prickes his conscience Hee rebukâ—s him both for his arrogant vanting also for his foule defectioÌ„ This He does in effect but if ye mark y e words ye shal see y e pricking of him to be joyned w t such sweetnes in speaking as is woÌ„derful to be so seasoned w t loue as is marueilous for Hee sayes in effect as much as this Howbeit Peter thou hast fallen in thy bragging vanting and also hast made foule defection from me yet if thou repent thee and turne to me and if thou loue me there is place of pardon forgiuenesse So ye see two contrary thinges joyned together asperitie and lenitie sourenesse and sweetnesse rebuke and consolation casting downe and raising vp wounding and healing in one sentence The Lord in one sentence in one demaunde at one time yea at a poinct of time He could wound a man and heale him Some might thinke seeing that this was the first conference that Christ had with Peter after his denyall and that there should haue beene another kind of meeting and more sharpe beginning with a run-a-gate who had denyed his Maister thrise ye may thinke Hee should haue vpbraided him and said Run-a-gate why deniedst thou mee so mischieuouslie Why against thy conscience sinnedst thou so hainously But He sayes not so but these are all the words Simon the sonne of Jona louest thou me The Lord was not a flyter a chyder an vpbraider a cryer c. Therfore it was prophecied of him My seruant shall not crie nor make his voyce to be heard in the streete nor quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reed Esay 42.2 Matth. 12.19.20 The ground was That exceeding loue to Simon Peter the passing loue to sinners especially to the secret ones whom He had chosen that loue hid all their sinnes as Peter speakes in his first Epist and 4. chap. So that if He spake an angry word to any His anger was so tempered with loue that scarcely did it appeare So learne this lesson Rebukers should be louers if thou rebuke a man loue him otherwise speake not to him but close thy mouth for if thou season not thy rebuke with loue then that which should haue bene a medicine wil be turned into poyson They that should be instructers and admonishers should be louers Wherfore whatsoeuer thou doest doe it in lenity meeknesse and not in bitternesse A bitter teacher is not vvorth a pennie And this is it that Paul requires 2. Timoth. 2.24 where he sayes The seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be gentle towards all men All should be in lenitie teaching in lenitie admonitioÌ„ in lenity Wherfore Because if lenitie be lacking there will be no edificatioÌ„ no coÌ„forting no instruction If that which thou speakest be smoothed ouer and mixed with a gall of bitternesse it will poyson the man Therefore whatsoeuer thou be whether Minister or other looke that thou hast loue and it will make thee to discharge all the pointes of thy duetie with lenitie Now the Lord is not contented to demand this once onelie Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me but once twise thrise What needed this yee will aske was it not sufficient to aske this once What behoued this doubling trepling Brethren this was not only y t he might make a threefold coÌ„fession answerable to his threefolde deniall that so he might be restored but also because his threefolde deniall procured that he should not be so soone and easilie credited They that haue made a foule defection as Peter did certainlie they would be tried ere they bee trusted And Christ this day would learne vs that Apostates would be well tried and their hearts would be sounded and ripped vp from the ground A slender answere should not content vs wee may not settle vpon the swarfe of the heart but the heart must bee pricked with manie interrogations it must be lanced deepely that if there be a spunke of sinceritie loue it may be raised vp appeare for ye wil not thinke what deepnes of deceitfulnes lies in the heart of man as Ierem. 17.9 sayes The heart is deceitfull wicked aboue al things who can know it It is hard to thee to get thine owne heart souÌ„ded tried go thy way assay it thou shalt find it to be true thou shalt bee
retuâ—ne to Hierusalem with great joy when they come there they goe vp to an vpper chamber but they stay not there but they goe to the Temple remain there continually praising lauding God and last they went out preached the Gospel euery where and the Lord gaue them a good successe for He wrought with them and confirmed the word with signes that followed Luke in th' Acts telles vs that while they looked stedfastly toward heauen as he went behold two men stood by them in white apparell As they were worshipping Him the Lord sent incontinent from His Heauenlie Throne Legates Ambassadours And who were they eueÌ„ Angels two in number and in forme outward shape like to men therefore they are said to be two men and were clothed in white and glorious apparell Marke the lesson in a word Christ sits no sooneâ— down at the right hand of the Father but He makes His disciples whom Hee left in the earth behind Him not only to know y t He had a kingly power whereby He commands the very Angels themselues but also to know that singular care affection that Hee caried to them which He testifies by sending these Angels from heauen for their cause for their consolation This kingly power of Christ this care that He hath of His own continues eueÌ„ this day in the Kirk euery of y e faithful find the proofe experience of it to their great joy comfort Now let vs see what these Angels say to y e Apostles in their speech to them First they reprooue then they comfort them first they said Ye men of Galile why stand ye gazing vnto Heauen they reprooue them because they stood idly gazing looking to the heaueÌ„ whereas the Lord had coÌ„manded them to returne to Jerusalem that there they might wait for the Spirit that was promised them that hauing gotten the Spirit they might goe out to the world preach the Gospâ—l to euery creature as the Lord had commanded them This reproofe of th'Angels imports that they contented themselues too much w t idle looking gâ—â—ing that they were too vnmindfull of that great high calling whereunto the Lord had ordained them Of this reproofe we learn this lessoÌ„ it is not the Lords wil that any maÌ„ should be idle in the world nor that he content himselfe w t a bare idle contemplatioÌ„ of y e creatures of God No not of y e best of them it is not the Lords will y t we stand idly gazing vpon the very heauens whereunto the Lord hath ascended now is in glory No it is His will that all men all their dayes be painfully exercised in some calling wherein they may both glorifie God doe good vnto men Indeed it is true it is the Lords wil that men should alwaies haue their affectioÌ„s set aboue their hearts lifted vp to heaueÌ„ that they haue their eyes set vpon God vpon Christ vpon that glory which is to be reuealed but in the meane time while men are thus exercised they should be exercised likewise in some honest lawful calling Th' Apostle Paul by his practise lets vs see what should be the behauiour of a Christian While hee looked not to the things that are seene but to the things that are not seene 2. Cor. 4.18 While he choosed to remoue out of the body to go dwell with Christ 2. Cor. 5.8 While he minded not earthly things but had his conuersation in heauen from whence he looked for his Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus Philip. 3.20 contented hee himselfe thinke ye with this speculation Was he in the meane time idle had he not another calling Yes hee was very diligently exercised in the Ministry For sayes he we couet that both dwelling at home remoouing from home we may be acceptable to Him for we must all appeare before the Iudgement seat of Christ that euery man may receiue the things which are done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or euill therefore knowing that terrour of the Lord we perswade men bring them vnto the faith 2. Cor. 5.9 10 11. So Paul wheÌ„ he was looking to heauenly things he was in the meane time diligeÌ„tly exercised in his Apostleship in bringing men to Christ eueÌ„ so it becomes euery faithfull man so to haue his heart his affections set vpoÌ„ heauen heauenly things y t in y e same meane time in some honest lawful calling he may be doing some good in y â— earth on the other part wheÌ„ he is busie labouring exercised in his calling he shuld haue his eyes lifted vp to God should haue his heart his affections conuersatioÌ„ in y e heauens for except that in all things which we do we haue y e Lord His glory before our eyes it is not possible y t we can do any thing well vprightly Then in a word ye see here y e Lord by these Angels coÌ„demnes idle speculatioÌ„ coÌ„templatioÌ„ without any exercise in any lawfull calling This serues to coÌ„demne these idle bellies y e Monks of y e Romane Kirk who coÌ„tent theÌ„selues w t bare idle speculatioÌ„ hauing no regard in y e meane time y t they may be exercised in any lawful calling wherin they may either glorify God or do good to meÌ„ yea they are so far froÌ„ doing good y t by y e coÌ„trary they hurt y e Kirk of God exceedingly by bringing in their dreames faÌ„tasies y t they haue deuised in their idle braines to corrupt peruert mens minds y e Lord neuer allowed nor blessed such a life y e Lord abhors such idlenes if y e Angels reproue y e Apostles for gazing to heaueÌ„ where they saw w t their eyes y e Lord Iesus to ascend which by appearaÌ„ce to maÌ„s judgment was a very good exercise to haue their hearts fixed on Christ their eyes vpoÌ„ y e place whither He ascended what wold y e Angels say to these idle belly gods who withdraw theÌ„selues froÌ„ all honest callings liue vpoÌ„ y e sweat of other meÌ„s browes vnder y e preteÌ„ce of spiritual exercise now after y e Angels haue reprooued y e Apostles next in y e 2. part of their speech they raise theÌ„ vp coÌ„forts theÌ„ while they say This Iesus which is taken vp froÌ„ you into heauen shall so come as ye haue seene Him goe into heauen They comfort them by putting them in hope that Hee shal returne yea returne in glorie and such a glorie as they saw Him ascend vvith and so vpon hope of His glorious returning in that great daye they wil th'Apostles to comfort themselues against all trouble distresses that they might be subject vnto y e time of their remaining in y e earth Whereupon we may perceiue what is the ground whereupon the solide consolation of a Christian soule arises It arises euen
be obedient to the Father that is Hee died willingly at the good will and pleasure of the Father And if He had not bene obedient His sacrifice had neuer beene a satisfaction for the sinnes of the worlde and then what good had the sacrifice of CHRIST done to mee or thee or to anie man and therefore hereupon is our faith grounded that we know the LORD IESVS not onely died but also that Hee died willingly and so willingly and with such a readinesse to pleasure his Father and to satisfie the wrath of the Father as no tongue of man nor Angell can expresse And when euer thou settlest thine heart on the death of CHRIST looke that thine heart settle it on a willing and obedient death for if thou thinke not that Hee died willinglie and chearefullie for thee thou canst haue no comfort Now to come to Iudas part Iudas knoweth the place where the LORD was hee knoweth the Garden well enough because IESVS oftentimes was wont to resort thither with his disciples and Judas was one of them for manie times hee was there with the rest of his disciples and hee knewe that commonly the LORD was wont to resort thither with his disciples and on this hee taketh occasion to betray Him and when hee hath gotten a band of men of warre and the seruants of the high Priestes and Pharises hee as a Captaine to them and they as a guarde with swordes and staues enter within the Garden to take the LORD IESVS Well Brethren it is the acquaintance and familiaritie that Judas had with CHRIST and with the place where He was vvont to resort that was the occasion of the betraying of the Lord. If Iudas had not bene acquainted with Christ Iudas had not come to this place to take Him It is familiaritie that makes traitours hee that will betray a man must be a domesticke a houshold man to him Will euerie man betray Christ No not euerie man hee that will betray Christ must be one that knoweth Him and His trueth in some measure Then thou that knowest Christ take good heede to thy knowledge and to thy familiaritie take good heede that knowledge of Christ be in sinceritie and that thou be not an Hypocrite but bee a friend indeede and not outwardly otherwise if thy knowledge be but in hypocrisie and if thy friendship bee coloured thou shalt bee a traitour and in the ende thou shalt make apostasie with Judas from Iesus Christ What is the cause that men become Apostates and traitours and after that they haue professed and subscribed they fall away from Iesus Christ what but because they were neuer true nor sincere friends to Iesus Christ All was but dissimulation and shall end in persecution of Iesus Christ and his members and they shall end in destruction as Iudas did for after that hee had once made apostasie from the Lord and betrayed his Master hee neuer tooke rest till he hanged himselfe If ye will marke well ye wil find in the companie of Iudas two rancks sorts of men The first is a band of men of warre of the Romane Deputies that was one part of the guarde The other was the officers and ministers of the high Priest they make out the other part Then the third guarde is partly of Gentiles partly of Iewes How came they They came with lanterns weapons lights on a naked man with feare of warre they needed not What needed all this companie the Lord Iesus beeing a naked man in the Garden not minded to fight What needed Iudas to bring such a guard with him The Spirit of God marketh in this Narratiue that Iudas in doing this had an euill conscience through his euill doing The man that taketh an euill or a wicked deede in hand will thinke that hee can neuer get men enew to doe it with him hee shall feare for no cause if yee should guarde him with all the worlde scarcely shall hee be in securitie for hee wantes that peace of GOD. Paul to the Philippians calles it that peace that passes all vnderstanding and that guardes the heart of man for peace is nothing but a good conscience and hee who wantes this good conscience which is the inward guarde that man can neuer bee saued with an outwarde guarde if all the worlde should stand about that man hee will euer bee in feare and albeit hee were in the mids of an armie he will tremble and quake but a good conscience will rest in peace as Dauid sayeth Although I were helmed about with ten thousand men yet would I not be afraid for I know assuredly that thou wilt bee with mee That heart is well guarded that hath a good conscience for it will haue peace inwardly and will not seeke that outward guarde The same thing is set out in the manner of his comming hee commeth with lanternes and hee commeth with lights and in the night This comming in the night manifesteth that he had an euill conscience for he that doeth euill hateth the light What needed all this company Was not the Lord Iesus dayly going in and out in Hierusalem And was He not daylie teaching in the Temple yet they layed not an hand vpon him The verie season and time of his out-cōming testifieth that he had an euill conscience in doing of it and therefore he came not in the day light Hee that hath an euill conscience feareth the Sunne hee dreadeth the light and hee seeketh to execute his purpose in the night The night maketh an euill man impudent All these things manifest vnto vs that Iudas had an euill conscience but it was not well wakened but when it was wakened then he despaired and he had Hell in his soule and got no rest till he had hanged himselfe Nowe I goe forwarde to the communication betwixt the Lord and the Guarde Ihon saith The Lord knowing all things that should happen vnto him and that were to come vnto him he commeth forward he fleeth not away he hideth not himselfe he is not drawne out of an hole as men who haue done an euill fact but vnrequired hee commeth foorth vnto them and vpon his owne free motiue hee offereth himselfe vnto them then he tarrieth not till they beginne to talke but first the Lord speaketh saieth Whom seeke ye and they answere not knowing him by the face they say IESVS of Nazareth Hee answereth not denying himselfe I am hee hee confessed himselfe Will ye marke these thinges when hee saieth hee knewe all thinges that should come vnto him Iohn would let you see that the Lord Iesus willingly and wittingly offered Himselfe vnto the death This taking and laying hands vpon Him commeth not of hap-hazard No the Lord knew well enough all the things that should come to Him He is taken wittingly and as He is taken wittingly so is Hee taken willinglie and Hee is readier to offer Himselfe to bee taken than they are to take Him But to come to the wordes Hee
saieth Whome seeke yee heere and when they saye IESVS of Nazareth then Hee answereth I am hee These wordes doe testifie that wittinglie and willinglie Hee offereth Himselfe to bee taken And if yee marke yee shall see in His answere such mildnesse as is vnspeakeable Hee beginneth not to speake in wrath and when they saye IESVS of Nazareth Hee giueth not an answere scornefullie So that as Hee offereth Himselfe willingly so yee see also such a mildnesse in Him when Hee is taken euen as the Scripture spake as Hee had beene a Lambe So that ye see that neither in word nor deede he vttereth anie thing to hinder his obedience to his Father this then is the thing that IOHN recommendeth vnto vs and letteth vs see euen that Iesus Christ was willing to die And this lesson we should all learne if it shall please GOD to call anie of vs to suffer for Iesus Christes sake that we suffer with such willingnesse and pleasure that we run to death and embrace it with our armes let this mildnesse vtter it selfe in all thy doings away with that scorning if thou would be like Iesus Christ die in peace willingly looke not to the instrument nor the Hang-man who putteth handes in thee but lift thine heart to the God of heauen and say O LORD seeing that it is thy will that I die mine eye is on thee and as IESVS CHRIST offered himselfe willingly to bee a sacrifice for the sinnes of the world euen so am I willing to obey thy will It is noted that Iudas was amongst the rest and no question the eye of the Lord is on him but neuer a worde he speaketh to him Now I thinke that this standing of Judas is mentioned to let vs see two things the first is that patient suffering of Iesus Christ he beginneth not to vpbraide him and to speake angrie wordes to him or to looke to him angrylie Some would haue thought that the LORD seeing Iudas might haue saide to him Well Traitour art thou there who hast betrayed mee No hee giueth him not an angrie looke hee is euen a verie Lambe as the Prophet speaketh of him a Lambe without anger either in looke or in worde but in suffering he vseth such a mildnesse and patience as is wonderfull Next to let vs see that impudencie of the traitour Iudas how durst he face the Lord IESVS whome hee betrayed a traitour is ay impudent and shamelesse hee hath ay an hard heart and then a brasen face to the man whome he hath betrayed Ye see how dangerous a thing it is once to harden the heart against Christ and once to beginne to doe euill against conscience if thine heart beginne once to be indured thou shalt not come backe whilst thou commest to extreame induration and at last to perdition Iudas could neuer come backe after that once his heart was hardened against the Lord but past forward till he came to that finall induration and hardnesse of heart Therefore farre be it from vs once to beginne to harden our heartes against the LORD If thou beginnest once thou shalt grow in hardnesse till thou commest to that finall induration Lord saue vs from that sinne the hardnesse of heart against the trueth and against Iesus Christ It is to bee feared that these men vvho vvith the betrayers of Iesus Christ haue set their faces against Christ His true religion against their natiue countrey and goe forwarde in such induration and obstinacie of heart that they shall come to that part of Iudas And it is a rare thing to see a man who hath gone so farre forwarde in induration come euer backe againe to grace Now wee haue the effect that followes on this word that Hee speakes I am hee for these wordes are no sooner spoken albeit they be few and gentle but they are all amazed tremble and fall downe backward to the ground It is an admirable thing that one word and that so mildly spoken should haue wrought such an effect for it is such a worde as they woulde haue wished for It is verie wonderous that such a gentle word shoulde as a whirle-winde or as a flashe of fire so haue strucken them No question this is to let them see that the Lord needed not to haue beene taken with them except it had beene His owne will No it was not possible for them to touch one haire of His head for Hee saith Himselfe in the 10. Chap. and 18. vers of this Gospell No man taketh my life from me I haue power to lay it downe and to take it vp againe So the Lord by this wonderfull effect of that word I am hee will let them knowe that they had no power to lay hands on Him if it had not bene His owne will And no doubt He hath had a respect vnto them howbeit they were enemies to Him yet Hee wished thē well And by the striking of them to the grounde Hee woulde let them see that if they encountred with Him they would die and He will let them see His power that He might cause them to repent or else to make them vnexcusable and to let them see that Hee was the Lord of Glorie and that they put hands to the Lord of Glory and slew the Lord of Life Wee may gather of the effect of this worde that if such a sober and gentle worde comming out of the mouth of Iesus Christ did driue them vpon their backes and cast them to the ground what if Iesus Christ had spoken an angrie word what force woulde that haue had If the bleating of a Lambe had such a force what force shall the roaring of a Lion haue Where shall the wicked stand And if the voyce of the Lord Iesus humbly and like a Lambe standing before them Himselfe alone and speaking with such gentlenesse had such effect as to throwe them downe vpon the grounde what effect shall that roaring full of wrath and indignation at that Great day not out of the mouth of a Lambe nor of an humble man Iesus of Nazareth but out of y e mouth of a lion out of y e mouth of Iesus Christ the Iudge sitting in His Glorie Majestie saying to y e wicked Away yee cursed to that fire which is prepared for the Deuill and his angels Mat. 25.41 What effect then shall that voyce haue Whither shall that voyce driue them And further marke If that voyce had such an effect beeing no threatning nor boasting but gentle and milde nowe what effect shall this voyce haue whereby Hee threatneth the worlde by His seruantes with His judgementes If the milde speaking had such a force what effect shall these terrible threatninges haue against the wicked for it is another thing vvhen Christ threatneth in wrath and vvhen Hee speaketh meekelie Nowe as certainlie as this vvorde that Christ Himselfe spake vvrought such an effect As certainelie also the vvorde of Iesus Christ vvhich Hee putteth into the mouth of His faithfull Teachers
consideration of His innocencie will neuer mooue mee to account Him my Redeemer for without this what is His innocencie to mee But when thine heart is perswaded of these two things ye would maruell what great and marueilous effects will follow in the heart of a faithfull man when I looke to His innocencie I will bee moued with commiseration towards Him I will pitie Him As the women followed Him out of Ierusalem weeping and pitying His innocencie Luke 23.17 and when I see that Hee beeing most innocent in Himselfe is become guiltie for mee then arises in mine heart a dolour and displeasure for that that I should be the cause that He suffered innocently I am moued for that that I should haue pierced the Lord through with my sinnes I will bee moued with sadnesse as it is saide in the first Chapter of the Reuelation and seuenth verse They shall waile before Him whome they pierced thorow Then againe when I finde my selfe disburthened of my sinne and guiltinesse through His guiltinesse mine heart will be filled with a joy vnspeakable it is a wonder what a joy will bee mingled with the displeasure that the world would wonder that these contrarie effectes should bee in the heart of a Christian this is the effect of repentance if any man hath felt it Againe when I see that Hee hath loued mee mine heart will melt with loue to Him againe as Paul sayes in the 2 Epistle to the Corinthians 5.14 15. The loue of Christ constraines me binds vp fast my senses because that once we know that we were dead and He hath died for vs And he to whome much is forgiuen loueth much LVKE CHAP. VII VERS XLVII Brethren yee that haue hearde of the Historie of that notable Martyr IOHN HVSSE who was burnt for the loue of CHRIST nowe when hee was brought foorth to bee burnt quicke then his executers put a paper vpon his head whereupon were pictured three Deuils with this title set ouer their heads HAERESIARCHA the which when hee sawe hee saide My LORD IESVS CHRIST for my sake did weare a Crowne of thornes why should not I therefore for His sake weare this light crowne bee it neuer so ignominious Suffer on thou shalt not suffer the extreamity thou who wilt suffer paine or shame for Him thou shalt bee partaker of glorie with Him Nowe I goe to the rest of the meanes that Pilate vses Pilate when this is done hee goeth into the Common Hall and commeth out himselfe and the fourth time hee witnesseth of the innocencie of IESVS that hee could finde no fault in Him I see this and it appeares well by the testimonie that hee giues to Iesus that all that Pilate did to Iesus was against conscience for woulde hee immediatlie after hee had scourged Him haue cryed out to cleanse Him if his conscience had not tolde him that Hee was just Hee did it to a good end to deliuer Him from death This is the doing of vngodlie men who are not drawne out of the puddle of nature they will doe a smaller euill for a greater good as they thinke against conscience they will not start at a straye but beholde the ende it may bee that a good thing may followe thereupon yet thou shalt haue no rewarde for it Beware to sinne against conscience and vvhen thou goest about to doe any thing that thy conscience forbiddeth thee leaue it off and let it bee or else thou shalt goe forwarde till thou crucifie Christ and make shipwracke of Faith Therefore doe nothing against conscience yea albeit it were a good deede The thirde thing hee caused IESVS to bee brought foorth before the people with a Crowne of Thornes and a purple Garment to see if the Jewes woulde pittie Him To see an innocent man so handeled it would haue mooued any man to pittie then hee saies Beholde the man I haue done enough vnto Him yee may bee satisfied nowe I see heere that euen during the time that hee sawe Iesus misused so sharply this doing shewes that hee was mooued with some pittie of the innocent for his conscience tolde him that Hee was innocent and not only did hee this against conscience but euen against naturall pittie and yet hee went forwardes to examination If a man haue but a naturall pittie nature and all the power therein will neuer hinder him to doe a mischiefe Then Brethren let vs alwayes seeke night and daye to bee raised vp aboue nature for if wee haue but the power of nature to holde vs from sinne wee and our nature both will goe to Hell Albeit that nature mooue vs to pittie men yet if there bee no more but nature the malice of the heart smoothers it and ouercomes it onely the Spirit of GOD is able to fight and preuaile against nature Otherwise albeit the light of nature were neuer so great the worse shall preuaile Therefore as yee woulde bee saued from euill striue to get the Spirit of grace and saye Lord giue mâ—e Thy Spirit that by his power I may striue against the corruption of nature This shoulde bee our exercise if wee woulde bee partakers of Heauen for neuer a soule shall see Heauen by nature Looke what effect this workes in the heartes of the Iewes nothing can satisfie them but the blood of the innocent they cryed Crucifie him crucifie him When men are giuen ouer to crueltie nothing will satisfie them but the blood of the innocent Pilate by all meanes assayed to set Iesus the innocent at libertie yet all in vaine for nothing will satisfie them because malice possesses their heartes Indeede it is true that by the eternall decree of God it behooued Christ to die but in the meane time they are vnexcusable for they did all of malice If yee will compare them with Pilate they did worse than hee hee is to bee preferred to them a thousand degrees they had the light of the worde of God to haue instructed them which Pilate wanted when Pilate got sundrie warninges and last a sharpe warning from his wife he in a manner gainstood them not but he had a conscience of the innocencie of Christ and he had a naturall pittie in his heart and faine would haue deliuered Him yea foure seuerall times hee preached to the Iewes that Christ was innocent But as for the Iewes for as oft as they are tolde of Christes innocencie yet their conscience is not wakened neither can they bee moued so much as to a naturall pitie So if ye speake of want of conscience of induration there is no comparison betwixt Pilate and the Iewes Thinke not that there is anie man in the worlde that vvill haue lesse pittie in their heartes than they vvho are lyers against the Trueth than they that say they are Church-men Holie men and Defenders of the Trueth And I saye that the Pope makes lesse conscience of euill than the Turke And it vvere better for an innocent person to fall into the handes of a Turke than
the word of God and by that Spirit as ye would see life and if yee put it out the Lord shall make you as senslesse as a beast They cried both but Pilate cries Judge ye him They crie crucifie him Pilate cries I find no fault in him worthy of death What euer be Pilates part who was a judge what euer was the part of the Iewes the accusers the Lord hath His part also in it and hee appointes it by His eternall decree the houre was come and Hee will haue His onely begotten Sonne to die for the sinnes of the world and He will be glorified in His death at this houre and He will not haue Him to die as one worthie of death in Himselfe but like an innocent in the sight of the world Now looke to this wisdome that his innocencie should appeare He will haue the Iudge protesting His innocencie oftentimes before He should die On the other part Hee will haue the conscience of the High Priests scraped out and He will haue them getting His blood if the High Priests conscience had beene wakned Iesus had not died at this time for the sinnes of the worlde and therefore to the ende that He should die He hardened the hearts of the accusers When any innocent man suffers and chiâ—fly for Christ the Lord hath disposed the worlde so that Hee hath made some to testifie of the innocencie of the Martyres and some hath Hee hardened to seeke the blood of the Martyres that He might be glorified Looke to Daniel Darius had a conscience of his innocencie but the Princes had hardened hearts Daniel 6.1 Looke when Paul was accused the Romane Gouernours Lysias Felix and Festus had a conscience of the innocencie of Paul but the High Priestes persecutes Him to the death When a malefactor sufferes the Lord will not vse this manner of doing He will not haue the Iudge to testifie the mans innocencie where there is none but he willl let him die and suffer like a murtherer an oppressour or a blasphemer as he is in very deed hee will haue Iudge accusers and all men conspire together to take awaye such pestes from the earth Therefore if there were no more but this if wee must die it should moue vs to die in a good cause and the best cause is the cause of Iesus Christ Take heede that thou suffer not like a nocent and guiltie person but like an innocent so thy death shall be glorious it is a paine to die and a greater paine to die for an euill cause Now the Priests answere Wee haue a lawe and according to our lawe Hee merites the death they challenge not a lawe to crucifie Him or any power to punish Him capitallie for all power of this was taken away from them by the Romanes yet for all this they forget not the right of their lawe That the blasphemer should die the death according to this lawe they affirme Him worthie of death So Brethren What euer Pilate can doe or say to mitigate and to asswage their malice speake what he can speake they continue in hardnes against Christ looke what blindes them The word of God that should make them to see it it blindes them and they vse it to their blinding All the things in the world yea the best thinges the very word of God serues to wicked men for nothing els but for their farder induration the more they seee the blinder they are they will read but the more they reade the blinder are they for why they abuse the word they will not make it a rule to direct their affections and actions but they abuse it to their fantasie makes a slaue of it Looke to the Papists this day they abuse the old and new Testaments they make them to serue their appetites they interpret expone and applie the word as they please they make the word of God the author of their lies I affirme that the word of God doth nothing to the Papists but blinde them it had bene good for them that they had neuer seene heard nor read the Scripture of God Write on say on this shall bee verified one day but let vs consider their reasoning The lawe ordaines that the blasphemer shall die the death but so it is that this man is a blasphemer for Hee hath made himselfe the Sonne of God therefore He should die y e death If ye looke the ground the general No maÌ„ can find fault with it for it is set downe in y e Law Leuit 24.14 but come to the applicatioÌ„ where they subsume Iesus is a blasphemer there they faile for Iesus was is and shall be that only begotteÌ„ Son of God therefore the conclusion is false that Hee ought to die the death So yee see the generall is true but the assumption and the conclusion is a lye In wicked men yee shall finde this that no man will laye downe fairer generalles out of the worde of God than they no man will doe that better but come on to the application there they goe astraye they applie not right but they applie either to this affection or that As for example The murtherer should die the death if there be an hatred in them against the man they will applie it vnto him but by the contrarie if hee bee a kinsman or a friende they will say this man is no murtherer howbeit hee bee as great a murtherer as Barabbas was and therfore he should not die Take heed to thine heart and thinke it not enough to knowe the generall to bee true but take heede to thine heart and to the affections thereof that they maye bee sanctified and chiefely thou who art a Iudge looke that thine heart bee free of hatred and of peruerse loue or else thy loue thine hatred and thy peruerse affections shall bee poyson to thee and shall blinde thee and shall make thee pronounce false judgement For what auailes knowledge what auailes it thee to haue a great light in thine head either thorowe nature or yet thorowe the worde of God if thou wantest reformation and sanctification to thine affections all is for nothing True Christianitie stands in the reformation of the heart and without this all the knowledge in the Scripture shall poyson thee to the death for except thou be reformed it had bene better for thee that thou hadst bene ignorant and neuer seene the Scripture Nowe to goe forwarde When they haue answered Pilate hee continues and it is said when he heard that that man was the Sonne of God if hee had a conscience before now he hath a greater conscience Euen as whatsoeuer Pilate can speake to the hie priests did no more but hardeÌ„ them on so all the wordes they vse to put out his conscience stirres it vp and wakens it the more Indeede they sought by all meanes to blotte out his conscience And all the doing of a consciencelesse man is to blinde thee and put out thy conscience like as his
bid thee doe thou shalt haue the world By worldly things hee will allure the naturall man and by the losse of them he will terrifie him and make him to yeeld This is our lesson Let neuer any man againe after Pilate trust to a naturall conscience except hee finde the conscience propped vp by faith and with better thinges and higher things than the things of this world and if this conscience be backed with hope of that life it will bee a wonder to see howe a man will stand to the ende No Crowne but to him vvho standes to the ende Hee vvho is so backed hee vvill stand against the Deuill and hee vvill saye I care not for this life vvhen the Deuill tempts him if I loose this life I shall get a better if I loose the king I shall see a more glorious king if I loose this vvorld I shall find a better happie is that man vvho hath his conscience backed vvith faith in Iesus Christ and hath a sight of Heauen and of God It is onely this man and vvoman that can stand in temptations against the Deuill and the vvorld Now let vs see the effect Alas this assault vvas sore to Pilate we shall see how by little little he looses his conscience inclines to pronounce y e sentence of damnation against the innocent assoone as he heares these vvords he is astonished and in all hast he brings foorth Iesus and comes out in sight of the vvhole people and sits downe in his tribunall he calles it The Pauement in Hebrew GABBATHA we call it an high seate or loft vvhere the Iudge sate The time is noted when he goes to that vvoefull judgement to wit when as the Jewes were in a preparation to the Passeouer the houre is noted The sixt houre which in our account is the twelft houre the Lord Iesus was condemned and deliuered to the men of warre I neede not to speake of the calculation of the Iewes they diuide the day and the night into twelue houres sixe houres before noone and sixe after noone The time and the place is so particularly noted that vvee should giue greater credite to the Historie But to come to y e matter Ye see clearly that this last temptation had the greatest force astonished Pilate and that conscience that had stood so long it began to saile him and he begins to decline Then Brethren note the force of such temptations what force they haue in respect of naturall men It is impossible for a man who hath nothing but nature without anie portion of grace in him to abide the force of such a temptation When hee is straited with these either to loose conscience or els to loose honour riches life c. so to die the death it is impossible for him to keep a naturall cōscience he will think that man to be a wise man who will redeame his life by the losse of his conscience will think him a foole who will lay down his life ere he want his conscience Whereto should we insist in this point O foole what is thy life when thou hast lost sense conscience the senses wherby men properly liue are not so much these outwarde senses as tasting touching seeing hearing smelling as the fealing of that inward cōscience So if once thou loose that inward feeling thou art no better than a beast for they haue all these outward senses What better art thou than dead No the carion is not so dead as thou whē thou art past feeling but yet there is worse well were it for a senseles man to liue in securitie that that cōscience should sleep but marke that same cōsciēce y t before was a coūseller telling thee what was right wrong vvhat thou shouldest doe and what thou shouldest not doe it is the faithfullest counseller that a man can haue for it will counsell thee night day to doe good leaue euill after once thou hast hardened thine heart against cōscience suppose thou lay it asleepe and passe thy time yet it will not sleepe for euer I forewarne all that haue a sleeping cōscience that it shall not sleepe aye but it shall come with the terriblest face that euer was ere all be done The face of the Burrio was neuer so terrible as thy conscience when it comes againe to teare thee rent thee and draw in pieces thy miserable soule Howbeit wicked mē for a while will be busie playing riding and running to get the tormenter at rest yet I tell thee that if the LORD haue not mercie vpon thee it shall vvaken so that it shall neuer sleepe againe neuer let thee rest Of all the torments in the world the worst is the torment of the conscience driuing thee before the terrible tribunall to cling in thy soule and drie it vp with the fire of the wrath of God No peace for the wicked sleepe on as they will they shall be wakened Now Brethren beside the force of this tentation there is an inward malice of the heart against the conscience Certainely a conscience in a naturall man is good and it is a remnent of grace after the fall but there is as euill a thing that dwelleth in thine heart since that fall that is a bitternesse malice of thine heart there is such a gall of bitternesse that if there were no more to slay them it is enough It is not this outwarde tentation onely that drawes Pilate so farre backe but also the malice of the heart when the conscience sounded in his eare and said Pilate doe not this the malice of the heart caried him against conscience I say againe albeit that there were nothing without thee to moue thee there is too much within thee These men who runne headlong vnto blood to wracke religion and their countrey thinke yee not but they haue aduertisment in the meane time by their conscience and they know that they doe wrong But alas such is the gall of bitternesse such is the malice of their heart against conscience that it caries them as mad men with a furie ouer the belly of their conscience Nowe Brethren this is well to be marked When Pilate is set downe in His tribunall albeit he be caried away by his conscience will yee looke yee shall see a priuie battell betweene the spunke of the conscience he had and the malice of the heart When hee sits downe he hath a doubt in his heart that conscience drawes him backe that hee dare not at the first pronounce the sentence but hee sayes Behold your King He sayes scornefully of His Kingdome yet hee meaneth in his heart to haue Him loose as if he had saide Is this the man Alas hee is little likely to bee a King a poore miserable sillie poore man this is his meaning that he might moue them to let Him liue So as I marked before the force of the tentation outwarde and of the inward malice of the heart against
to worke this worke of redemption and saluation by base and naughty meanes that the world respects no more of than the dirt which they treade on Looke what is the difference betwixt the wisedome of GOD and the wisedome of man Will yee looke to the cause of our redemption to IESVS CHRIST or to the Professors and to Ministers they are the foolishest in the vvorlde sillie bodies and compare them vvith potent men they are but contemptible and of no valour and compare them with wise men they are but fooles So looke to the Crosse and to the Ministerie thereof whereby wee are saued all is weake base and contemptible and all to this ende that the LORD onelie maye gette the glorie and as the APOSTLE saies He that glorieth may onlie glory in the LORD And let euerie one of vs giue glorie to that LORD of Glorie To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour and Praise for euermore AMEN THE XXI LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 47 And some of them that stood there when they heard it saide This man calleth Elias verse 48 And straightway one of them ranne and tooke a spunge and filled it with vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to driâ—ke verse 49 Other said Let be let vs see if Elias will come and saue him verse 50 Then Iesus cryed againe with a loude voyce yeelded vp the ghost MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 35 And some of them that stood by when they heard it said Beholde hee calleth Elias verse 36 And one ranne and filled a spunge full of vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to drinke saying Let him alone let vs see if Elias will come and take him downe verse 37 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and gaue vp the ghost LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 46 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and saide Father into thine handes I commende my spirite And when hee had thus said hee gaue vp the ghost IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 28 After when Iesus knewe that all thinges were performed that the Scripture might bee fulfilled hee saide I thirst verse 29 And there was set a vessell full of vineger and they filled a spunge with vineger and put it about an hyssope stalke and put it to his mouth verse 30 Now when Iesus had receiued of the vineger hee said It is finished and bowed his head and gaue vp the ghost DVRING the time that the LORD IESVS hung quicke on the Crosse which was three houres and large more yee may reade well-beloued in Christ sundrie voyces that He vttered When I looke thorowe the foure Euangelistes I finde in number sixe sundrie voyces and euery one of them is well to be marked for at that time Hee vttered nothing in vaine The first voyce wee reade of was a voyce of diuine power together vvith mercy when one of the Thieues who hung at His right hand said to Him Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome The Lord answered him like a King and like a powerfull and mercifull God Verily J say vnto thee this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise The next voyce was a voyce of humane pittie and naturall affection toward His Mother she being by the Crosse with Iohn and other women He recommendes her to the custodie of His wâ—ll beloued Disciple The thirde voyce wee reade of was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from an heart that was sadde on euery side to the death and from that agonie on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The fourth voyce in like manner was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from a wonderfull heate in the soule and body I thirst The fifth voyce by all appearance was a voyce of joye seeing the worke of Redemption to bee wrought and the wrath of His Father to be asswaged He saies after He had drunken the vineger Jt is finished The sixt and last voyce in like manner was a voyce of joye for finding Hee was to giue vp the ghoste immediately and finding His Father sweetly to loose His soule from His bodie He saies Father into thine hands I commend my spirit Now Brethren all thâ—se foresaid voyces the Lord vttered during the time that He hung quick on y e Crosse Of these we haue heard the first the second the third which was that heauie complaint that Hee made to His Father My God my God c. This daye as God shall giue vs grace wee shall speake of the three other voyces one of them of sadnesse and the other two of joye But before wee come to these voyces which are the three lâ—st voyces wee haue to speake something of the misconstruing of the complaint of the Lord vttered to His God Nowe the Iewes that stood by Him and heard Him crie Eli Eli for Hee cryed aloude of maliciousnesse not of mistaking Him they begin to calumniate and to misconstrue His wordes because the worde Eli which is My God sounded like Elias Therefore they said Hee cryed for Elias when Hee cryed on His God Let vs see if Elias will come and take Him downe In the which wordes wee may see clearely that they sought not onelie to destroy His bodie but the Deuill in them sought to sunder and seuer Him both in soule and bodie from His God they woulde not heare Him crye vpon His God but they sought to destroy His bodie and His soule such was the insatiable malice of the hearts of these Iewes against Iesus Christ This is the common dealing of the Deuill and his instruments with the godly and chiefely in that last houre when the separation of the soule from the body is to follow Not only to get the body dead but the soule God separated if thou beginnest to pray call on God they will scorne thy prayer seeke to cut thee froÌ„ God all hope of life But to leaue them their bitter maliciousnes As in all the poinctes of the suffering of Christ I looke more to the disposition of His Father than to the Iewes to the deuil or his instrumeÌ„ts So I doe in this No question as His Father exercises Him inwardly with a bitter wrath eueÌ„ so wheÌ„ as the Lord by making an heauy mone seekes an outgaet cries My God my God c Hee will haue Him met outwardly with bitternes Aime where He wil He meetes Him with nothing but bitternes wrath inwardly outwardly hell inward outward no refuge nor escaping till y t ransome be payed to the least farthing Wel BrethreÌ„ if ye would see an image of hell see it here The Lord Iesus was for a time fealt nothing but extreame bitternes But the reprobate after they be once casten into hell there is nothing for them but bitternes let theÌ„ aime here there to escape houle cry they shal be met wiâ—h bitternes What if it were but for a time The Lord escaped His suffering
with great weight and manie graue wordes Wee haue hearde before sundrie testimonies of His death The Lord in the last wordes Hee testifies of His owne death when Hee cryes Father into thine handes I commende my spirite All those wonders from the Heauen testified that the Lorde had giuen vp the ghoste His Heauenlie Father made the Burreoes and the men of warre to testifie that Hee was dead and to preach it to all the people about Now IOHN comes in last and with many words and wordes of great weight testifies that the Lorde gaue vp the ghoste What meanes all this Ye see there is not any thing in all the historie testified by so many testimonies The Spirit of God labours not to perswade vs of any thing in all His Passion so much as that He died and to certifie this that Hee was pearced with a speare To leaue the Heresies which fell in the worlde concerning the death of Christ for it was much to perswade the world of it they would not beleeue that IESVS died truelie All these testimonies lets vs see such a necessitie to bee in the death of IESVS that except the LORD had died as truelie as euer man died Hee coulde not haue beene our Redeemer And except Hee had died truelie wee coulde neuer haue beleeued to haue beene saued by Him Except I knowe as truelie as euer I knewe any thing in the worlde that my Redeemer died for mee I woulde neuer goe seeke life out of His death Indeed a wanton sinner who is ladeÌ„ with sin feeles not the weight thereof so loÌ„g as his coÌ„science is sleeping that he feeles not y e burreo sees not y t fearfull wrath that caÌ„not be quenched without bloode that terrible justice of God y t cannot be satisfied but by death will count little of the death of Christ It is alike to him whether He had died or no so loÌ„g as thou sleepest al is alike but after the coÌ„scieÌ„ce is wakened the Lord once let thee feele the weight of thy sinnes wherewith thou art ladned No if thou diddest but feele the weight of an euill thought thou wouldest groane as fast as if the mountaines and rockes were tumbled on thee and then thou wouldâ—st thinke no life nor saluation for thee but Hell and damnation if thou gottest not a Sauiour for thee and if thou feelest that Iustice of God and the terrours of Hell before thee the sight of the death of Iesus would be the most joyfull and comfortable sight that euer thou sawest and all thy joy glorie would be in that death of Christ Paul sayes Gal. 6.14 Far be it from me that I should reâ—oyce in any thing but in the death of Christ he fouÌ„d all his life to be in that death 1. Cor. 2.2 he sayes When I came amongst you to speake of the death of Christ to you who knew not what it meant a vaine companie they were who delited in vaine oratorie I would not begin to clawe your itching eares but I decreed to know nothing but Iesus Christ and Him crucified Nowe Brethren besides this In these wordes that IOHN sets downe and 〈◊〉 the which hee aggreadges his testimonie marke another lesson Will ye see from whence our Faith comes from whence comes our Faith from whence flowes it IOHN sayes And he that saw it bare record and his recorde is true and he knoweth that hee saith true that they should beleeue From whence then comes Faith in this death it comes by hearing Faith is of hearing of a testimonie and recorde and if thou hearest not a record thou shalt not beleeue and if thou beleeuest not thou shalt neuer see Heauen And if thou contemnest the recorde I giue thee this doome thou shalt neuer see Heauen with thine eyes if thou werest a King So Faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit by a recorde and witnesse bearing So ere thou gettest Faith some witnesse must stand vp and beare recorde The Lord must send out some witnesse to cry and preach but what witnesses must these be IOHN sayes He that saw these things hath testified of them The witnesses must be seeing witnesses it must be Iohn and such as saw Him and felt Him with their handes Then who must bee the witnesses They must be the Apostles that were conuersant in this world with Iesus Christ who heard Him preach and saw Him vvorke vvonders and savv Him dead and savv Him crucified and savve Him pierced thorovv the side They must be the first witnesses But more Brethren Is it enough that they savve Him with their bodily eye No Iohn addes more that hee vvas persvvaded that his testimonie was true The vvitnesses as they testifie that vvhich they savve so they must beleeue it vvith their heartes There were great multitudes hundreths thousands vvho heard Him touched Him and savv Him crucified and some of them crucified Him too yet none of these are made vvitnesses to preach to the vvorld but the Apostles vvho savv and beleeued these are set vp as witnâ—sses in y e world that all should beleeue TheÌ„ the first ground of thy Faith is the very eye of the Apostles their sight and sense The next ground is Faith in the heartes of the Apostles And if yee will say to me Why beleeue ye the Gospell of Iohn and the Gospell of Matthew and the Epistles of Paul c. I answere because these were men who heard and saw Christ and I will say more I beleeue them because they beleeued in their heartes that thing which they saw and goe before not onely by sight of the body but also by Faith in the heart When yee heare these recordes albeit the men be not liuing yet we haue that same thing that they wrote and that which they themselues beleeued I beseech you consider them and passe not ouer lightly when yee reade of Iohn or Paul or the rest I beseech you passe not lightly seeing the ground of thy Faith is not onely their sight but the sense of their heartes and Faith ye who would read with judgement trauell to goe into the heart to seeke that Faith into the heart and that joy and that sadnesse that they felt and pray LORD seeing these men vtter a feeling of these things that they saw and which they wrote touch mine heart and giue me thine Holy Spirit that I may attaine to the sense and feeling of these things If ye would haue a testimonie of this beholde what PAVL sayes in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and fourteenth verse I beleeue that I my selfe shall gloriously rise and then he brings in Dauids wordes J beleeued and therefore I spake Alwayes looke that in reading we striue to haue a feeling and sense in our heart of that which we read otherwise we make no fruit of our reading we speake like parrats wee know not what we speake I say to thee if the word of grace rise not from the
they thought Hee was stollen away Yet the Lorde Iesus supplies their weaknesse and to the emptinesse of the graue Hee subjoynes the saying of the Angell The Lord is risen from the dead Then the lesson is this Againe seeke the Lorde Art thou sicke in bodie He will supplie thy weaknesse Art thou weake in faith seeke the Lord as certainlie as He supplied the faith of these women Hee shall supplie thy faith And if thou wilt not beleeue for one testimonie Hee will testifie againe and I testifie Hee will neuer leaue thee if thou once aimest to seeke Him yea Hee will heape testimonie vpon testimonie till Hee confirme thee and bring thee to perfection Nowe Brethren followes heereafter a faire description of this Angell In MATTHEVV first he is described from his looke countenance The looke and his eyes glaunced as ye see flashes of fire Then hee is described from his rayment Hee is cladde with faire bright rayment white like the snowe Hee hath fierie eyes and his rayment is like white snow Last of all hee is descriued from the effect that followed on his sight But on whome Not on the women but on the strong men of warre for assoone as they saw him they were not able to looke vpon him but fell downe as dead they might not sustaine to beholde him and his glorious countenance Now as this great Earthquake which was joyned with his comming downe from Heauen vvas a visible signe of the presence of God accompanying Him so that terrible countenance white rayment were also visible signes of that same presence of GOD accompanying Him when hee came to the graue The Majestie of GOD shined in his face rayment the same presence made the men of vvarre to fall downe as dead Whereto vvas all this To glorifie honour that great commission that the Angell had Why should not the ambassadour of a glorious King be glorious Why should not His looke his countenance His rayment and all be glorious But yet againe all this is for the vvell of the poore women In all this the LORD regarded them for euen as the terrible earthquake vvas to prepare their heartes to receiue the ambassage reuerently Euen so vvas the bright countenance and shining rayment of this Angell Novve to speake something of the signes of the presence of God that He hath vsed since the beginning to set out His inuisible glorie No all the Angels in Heauen had neuer povver to get accesse nor apprehend y t inaccessible light It is true the great God hath no neede to borrovv either light from the fire-flash or vvhitenes frō y e snovv or hue or hotnes from the fire to set foorth His glory for all the beauties in all the creatures are not to be cōpared to y t glory that is in Him The fire had neuer y t glance to set forth His glory c. yet it hath pleased y e Lord for our capacitie submitting Himselfe to our infirmitie by those things y t are most glorious exquisite in Nature to set out represent His incomprehensible glory He takes as it vvere a darke shadovv thereby to let vs see His shining glory therefore Brethren take vp y e lesson When euer the Lord vtters His Majestie by outward signes of His creatures hold not altogether thine eye fixed on y e outward signes as though His Majesty extended y e selfe no further as though there were no greater glory in Him than in them as though He vvere no vvhiter than the snow nor brighter than the fire for the visible creature cannot fully expresse the glory of the Creator but by the eye of Faith thou shouldest pierce into that inward light and incomprehensible glory whereinto GOD dwells blessed for euer which is represented by the beautie of these outwarde signes Therefore when Hee sets out His brightnesse by the brightnesse of the Sunne when thou seest the Sunne shining thou shouldest say with thy selfe I cannot abide the brightnesse of this Sunne therefore what brightnesse is in y t God that made it and if by the eye of Faith thou lookest thorow the glorie of all the creatures to the infinite glorie of the Creator thou shalt haue a faire vantage for thou shalt no sooner looke vpon His glorie by the eye of faith but assoone shall the Lord by the beames of His infinite glorie and by a marueilous light shine in thine heart for as the Apostle sayes 2. Cor. 4.6 God that commanded the light to shine out of darknesse is Hee which hath shined in our hearts And I doubt not but these poore women looking to the glory of the Angell who was an Ambassadour of Iesus they saw and considered how glorious Iesus was who sent him and so they found the glory of the Lord shining in their soule afterwards which made them to rejoyce with a joy vnspeakable and glorious Now to end shortly it is said That for feare of Him the keepers were astonished and became as deade men The men of warre are standing about the graue when His Angell comes but when they see the Angell the earth did not shake so fast as they did they shake and fall downe deade as it were in a trance these men were stout before and it is likely that they had bragged before that all the world should not get Him out of the graue for they were acquainted with tumultes of warre and they had seene as many terrible sights as any men yet for all their stoutnesse they looke not so soone to the Angels face and rayment but assoone they fall downe dead Wel thou art a stout man if thou wilt say All the deuils in Hel shal not smite thee nor affright thee thou thinkest thou wilt out-face all the world this Land is full of such foolish braggers who will say they will not bee afraide to meete the Deuill but one blencke of the face of that Majestie of GOD will cause them fall downe as dead to the ground Will yee weigh this matter aright It is not onely the outwarde sight of the Angell that astonishes these men for if it was the sight of the Angell why fell not the women downe Why were they not astonished the women stood still and the Angel spake to them and they to him so there must be another cause of this terrour and what was the cause They were great sinners sinne did reigne in them without repentance they had an euill conscience they were enemies to Iesus Christ and therefore at the sight of the Angell when the light of GOD enters in and wakens their consciences they are stricken with exceeding terrour and feare The children of God who haue their consciences purged from the guiltinesse of sinne vses not to be stricken with such terrour at the sight of God but rather receiue joy thereby It is true The presence of the Majestie of God is terrible in it selfe and the Angells themselues can not behold it in the owne brightnesse yet
to them that impaire the authoritie of the Scripture wee may pingle with them a while here but wee remit them to that great day that the Iudge appeare and then they shall receiue their reward for their blasphemie But to leaue them What are these Scriptures that preach CHRISTS Resurrection from the dead In what part is His Resurrection foretolde In the 13. of the Actes Paul preaching of Christ he confirmes it by the olde Scriptures The first Scripture is out of the 55 of Esay verse 3.24 Where He sayes Hee will make an euerlasting couenant with you of the sure mercies of Dauid Then he concludes Therefore it behooued the Lord to rise from death Marke the consequent No there is not such a thing as that euer mercie had continued if Christ had not risen The Apostle sayes in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the first CHAPTER and the 20. VERSE In Him are all the promises of God Yea and Amen No thou or I should neuer haue had Faith nor any spirituall grace if Christ had not risen So so oft as euer thou feelest a sponke or motion of that spirituall life within thee thou mayest say I am sure that Iesus is risen from the death for this is sure all grace and life flowes from the life of Iesus So if Hee had not risen thou shouldest haue had no life He hath another Scripture out of the sixteenth Psalme at the tenth verse Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt suffer thine Holy One to see corruption Then hee concludes therefore Hee is risen How followes this It followes well enough for if He had not risen His body behoued to rot and to be corrupted as ours rotte And Peter in the second Chapter of the Actes and verse 31. vses the same testimonie Likewise in the fiftie three Chapter of Esay and the 8. verse where he prophecies of Christ he sayes And who is able to count His generation for all His death He is that euerlasting Essence meaning that albeit Hee died Hee shall rise to life without end There is another Scripture Then they should haue beleeued without sight But alas who is carefull to get this knowledge of this Resurrection and if we had a care to seeke Christ wee would turne ouer these olde Scriptures to see the prophecies of Christ to come then we would come to the New Testament to see these things accomplished so wold meditate in y e Scriptures night day to cōfirme our faith to get our hearts set stablished on the LORD for it is a matter of great difficultie to get the heart established with grace and if thine heart bee not established and filled with that worde thou wilt neuer see CHRIST nor gette anie grace in Him So to ende this I beseech you as euer yee woulde see CHRIST bee diligent to seeke the Scriptures that yee maye settle your heartes heere vpon Him and beleeue in Him that heereafter yee maye see Him to your comfort and consolation at His seconde comming when Hee shall appeare in the cloudes with the millions of Angels To Him bee glorie for euer Amen THE XXXIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 9 And when Iesus was risen againe earlie the first day of the weeke hee appeared first to Marie Magdalene out of whome hee cast seuen deuils IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 11 But Marie stoode without at the sepulchre weeping and as shee wept shee bowed her selfe into the sepulchre verse 12 And sawe two Angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feete where the bodie of Iesus had layen verse 13 And they saide vnto her Woman why weepest thou Shee said vnto them They haue taken away my Lord and I knowe not where they haue layed him verse 14 When shee had thus saide shee turned her selfe backe and sawe Iesus standing and knewe not that it was Iesus verse 15 Iesus saieth vnto her Woman why weepest thou whome seekest thou Shee supposing that hee had beene the Gardener saide vnto him Sir if thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast layed him and I will take him away WEE haue heard Brethren before first of the out-comming of the first companie of women to the graue of the Lorde and of their returning home againe Secondlie vve heard of the out-comming of the second companie of women and their returning home againe Thirdlie and last of all we heard how Peter and John beeing wakened with the tidinges which the women tolde them of His Resurrection came out to the graue to see if it was so as the women had reported They ranne and in running they striue who shall bee first Iohn out runnes Peter whether it was because hee was younger and more able in his person or whether hee had greater joye in his minde I leaue that to anie man to judge and comes first to the graue and lookes in and goes backe againe Peter comes after him and lookes better about him and seeing the winding-sheete in one part of the graue and the linnen cloth wherewith the Lordes head was wrapped to bee in another part hee wonders at it and thereafter goes into the graue Then came IOHN againe who afore onely looked in and nowe the seconde time enters in and when hee sawe hee beleeued and went his waye Thus farre wee hearde the last daye Nowe in this Text ye will see MARIE MAGDALENE of whom yee hearde before who came to the graue of the LORD with the first company and drawing neare to the graue saw that great stone remooued who hastilie ranne home thinking verilie that the bodie of the Lord had beene stollen awaye and wist not where it vvas layed This same MARIE as appeares hath followed after Peter and Iohn suppose shee ranne not with them yet shee came soone after but before shee came they had gotten the sight of the graue and went awaye shee comming to it goes not in but stands without at the graue vveeping So this daye vvee returne to the Historie of MARIE MAGDALENE and first vve shall speake of her mourning And secondly wee shall speake of these thinges which shee sawe in the graue and about the graue and how shee met with the LORD for whom she mourned and last wee shall speake of the effect that followed vpon these sights as GOD shall giue the grace and as the time shall permit Then to beginne at the first it is saide in the Text Marie Magdalene stood without weeping when she came to the graue She enters not in the graue nor lookes not into it but abode in that opinion that the body of the Lord was stollen away she stands without weeping and mourning Nowe certainely I must ascribe this to a wonderfull loue of this woman there is no man that can expresse sufficiently this loue that she bare to Christ No well were wee if wee could loue Him halfe so well as she did Yet in this mourning shee sinneth
away and the Euangelists note it That that fame remaines amongst them vnto this day I thinke ye should maruell that such a false fame should haue preuailed God disappointed them before but now He permits them to get the victorie Woe to that victorie that is gotten against God woe to that man that goes against God if an euill action prosper with him it is a token that he shall be thrust in Hell This was but a small victorie for no doubt all that He appointed for life and saluation beleeued that He rose Nowe Brethren when they are away the true perswasion remaines in our heartes that the LORD rose so that euer trueth in the end gets the victorie Ye would maruell that the people should credite that His body was stollen out of the graue for if it was stollen by whome was it stollen They say by His disciples Is it likely that they who were a companie of timorous and abashed persons durst haue come out without armour against Pilates guarde They say whilst they were asleepe they tooke it away then they slept very sound that they could not heare such an hudge stone taken away and if they were sleeping when it was taken away Why followed they not when they wakened and no doubt if it had beene true they would haue followed and haue brought the disciples and executed them Yee would wonder now vvhy these people should not haue beleeued I ansvvere These people were appointed for damnation and they hated the light and therefore a lie gets soone place in their heartes they that hate the trueth the Deuill cannot make such a lie but they will easily beleeue it What is the cause that the people beleeue the Pope and that crue of the Antichristian kingdome The cause is this They hate the light and therefore as the Apostle sayes Because they beleeued not the trueth the Lord makes them to beleeue lies So our lesson is this in a word loue the trueth and thou shalt hate lies they hate the trueth and their heartes drinke in lies The Lord set our heartes vpon Him and make vs to beleeue the trueth This for the first we goe to the second and we shall enter in it and leaue the rest till the next day because the time is almost spent alreadie Wee come againe to better and more holy witnesses There are two of the disciples of Christ the name of the one is Cleopas and the name of the other is not expressed these were not two of the eleuen disciples but two of the common rancke of disciples that vsed to follow the Lord. The same day sayes the Text to wit the same day that Hee rose the same day that the women went out and did meete Him and that same day that these women returned and preached to the Apostles These two disciples went on their iourney about threescore furlongs which is seuen mile of ours or thereabout from Ierusalem They are not going to seeke Christ but they leaue Him and as it were in a manner they despared that euer they should see Him they were thinking all that time that they had spent with Him was lost yet suppose they were leauing Him He leaues not them These women sought Him and they found Him but these two disciples leaue Him but yet the Lord castes Him in their way Well Brethren who euer findes the Lord man or woman it is of grace if thou hast found the Lord thou hast gotten mercie thou hast found mercie for if thou findest Him thou hast found Him ere euer thou hast sought Him or els if thou hast sought Him thou hast not sought Him as thou oughtest for Marie sought Him not as she should haue done and therefore the Angell said Why seekest thou the liuing amongst the dead So thou that seekest Him not and findest Him thanke GOD and thou that seekest Him and seekest Him not as thou oughtest to haue sought Him if thou finde Him thanke Him for it is of grace that thou findest Him for if Hee looked howe thou soughtest Him thou wouldest neuer finde Him Wee faile often in seeking of Him either wee seeke Him not with that measure of desire that wee ought alas the best of vs all in this world cannot seeke Him with halfe a great desire or if wee seeke Him wee faile as the women did And last of all wee seeke Him not for that ende wee should seeke Him Wee should seeke Him for that life and that grace that is in Him that we might bee like Him and partakers of that life But all men for the most part seeke Him for some worldlie respect as for a deliuerance out of miserie and if thou be sicke thou vvilt crie for thy health if thou be poore thou vvilt crie for riches and if thou bee hungrie thou wilt crie for meate So that the seeking of Him is either for the bellie or some other worldlie thing scarcelie one among an hundreth will seeke the Lorde for himselfe for Heauen and glorie and if one can come thus farre to get a grone for Heauen that vvill bee in a sober measure and with a great imperfection Wee are by nature addicted to the thinges that are on the earth and for them doe wee seeke them but Heauenlie thinges that cannot bee seene wee seeke them not vvee thinke them but follie So I saye if wee get a desire wee get it with such an imperfection that it is a wonder The thing that thou and I shoulde moste seeke for is that seconde comming of CHRIST to put an ende to this miserie that is vvithin vs and vvithout vs so that this shoulde bee our saying Come LORDE IESVS and put an ende to this miserie But who cryes for this comming Yea rather I heare men saye God keepe me from that daye Alas knowest thou not that thy miserie shall neuer haue an ende vntill that daye The Apostle PAVL sayes Wee that haue gotten the first fruites of the Spirite wee sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies Roman Chapt. 8. vers 23. Wee are nowe the Sonnes of GOD but it appeares not vvhat shall bee but then it shall appeare vvhat thou art Nowe the Godlyest is in moste miserie And alas it appeares that the best of vs hath that SPIRITE but soberlie and not in that measure that wee shoulde haue And if wee had it wee woulde sigh and crie Come LORD IESVS come that word would neuer goe out of our mouthes and our eyes would neuer be from the Heauens to looke when our Lord would come and breake their cloudes and these visible Heauens and then take thee to Himselfe out of this vaile of miserie to that endlesse joy So to come to our purpose Whether vve see Him first or last it is of grace that all glorie may redound to Him Well as they are journeying betvvixt Ierusalem and Emmaus they are talking as tvvo men vse to talke together and all their talke vvas of CHRIST and His crucifying
preaching No not an Angell hath power to set thine heart on fire So thou that hast this burning thou mayest saye that the Lorde Iesus is present in thine heart But marke this We see in these men that our eyes are so blind that we cannot discerne the Lord so long as we liue here we cannot get full sight but we are in a strife if the heart shall say The Lord is here the flesh will say He is not here so that we hing here betwixt hope and despaire But when Hee once manifestes Himselfe in glorie then that burning which we felt in this life that sense which we then felt shall bee brought to our remembrance Thinke not that thou shalt loose that sense No Thou shalt take it vp with thee to the Heauen and we shall say one to another Remember yee not what burning wee had when wee spake and hearde of CHRIST in the earth Then it behooued this LORDE to haue beene then with vs in the earth So the remembrance of that joye which thou felt in the vvorlde shall bee a part of thy joye which thou shalt haue in the Heauens in the life to come Therefore get much joye here and laye it vp in store in thine heart goe on in feeling and I promise thee in the Name of GOD it shall neuer depart but it shall euer augment and enlarge thy joye and glorie in the life to come No as the worde of GOD which is the immortall seede of GOD euanishes not so neither shall the effect of the worde euer euanish Then euer striue to get a sense of the working of this worde in thine heart Nowe a worde and so I shall ende Yee woulde thinke this a sober conclusion As wee walked by the waye when hee spâ—â—e to vs our hearts burned therefore it was he that spake with vs So they concluded that it must bee his Spirit onelie which settes the heart on fire May we not in like manner conclude At the preaching of Paule the Spirite settes the heart on fire therefore Paul is Christ This is a false conclusion And I answere to this That if these men had felt no more but a common feeling in an ordinarie measure their argument had not beene good But they had another feeling than can be at the preaching of a man for no doubt vvith the vvorde Hee sent His Spirite to vvorke in them extraordinarilie And I put it out of question They had such a vvonderfull feeling as they coulde neuer haue had at the preaching of anie man vvhosoeuer So their conclusion is sure Seeing as Hee spake Hee breathed His Spirite vpon vs Hee must bee CHRIST It is a vvonder of them vvho haue gotten GODS SPIRITE howe they vvill discerne of GODS SPIRITE in others And manie are beguiled for fault of this SPIRITE There is verie much spoken of our feeling at the PREACHING And vvhat serues all They call it a fire for the Spirite which raises that feeling is like a fire and therefore He is compared to a fire Matth. 3.11 And a fire hath euer an vp-burning and if thou haue true feeling thine heart shall bee set on fire that fire is mightie will burne vp the drosse of thy saluation which is in thy foule heart No speake not of feeling except thou be regenerate Thou that art an Harlot speake not of feeling except thou feele it burne vp thine harlotrie And thou that art a murtherer saye not that thou hast a feeling and if it burne not vp thy bloodie heart So I charge thee before God heare not one worde except thou findest that Spirit to burne vp thy corruption thou tellest mee that thou feelest and yet thou remainest an harlot fye vpon thine harlotrie let not that word come out of thy mouth Againe as the fire of Gods Spirit burnes vp the drosse of thy corruption so it will inflame thy loue to God it will inflame thine heart and all the power of the soule to the loue of GOD and righteousnesse so that it vvill binde thine heart to God as the Apostle sayes The loue of God constraineth me so that thou wouldest bee content to die to liue with Him and to pleasure Him thou wouldest not care to liue or to die and what more as a fire is nourished with some matter that is meete for burning so this fire once kindled in our soules is nourished and fed by the continuall presence of GOD in IESVS CHRIST and that precious oyle of the Holy Spirit Further a flame tendes alwayes vpward and it will lift an heauie thing that falles downe vpon it ye see a traine of powder will blow vp an house Wee are heauie by nature and loadned with sinne yet that fire of loue will raise thee vp and place thee with the Lord whom thou louest and thine heart will bee lifted vp to Him There is neuer one that loues IESVS in the Earth but they are dwelling with Him in the Heauen and shall enjoy that presence euerlastingly So yee see what it is to haue the heart set on fire till we meete with our LORD and then our heartes shall haue the full fruition of His presence for euer To this IESVS with the Father and Holy Spirit be glorie for euermore AMEN THE XL. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 13 And they went and tolde it to the remnant neither beleeued they them verse 14 Finally hee appeared vnto the eleuen as they sate together and reproched them for their vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart because they beleeued not them which had seene Him beeing risen vp againe LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 33 And they rose up the same houre and returned to Ierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and them that were with them verse 34 Which saide The Lord is risen indeede and hath appeared to Simon verse 35 Then they tolde what things were done in the way and how Hee was knowen of them in breaking of bread verse 36 And as they spake these things Iesus Himselfe stood in the middes of them and said vnto them Peace be to you IHON CHAP. XX. verse 19 The same day then at night which was the first day of the weeke and when the doores were shut where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stood in the middes and said to them Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard Beloued in Christ these dayes past of the conference which was betwixt Christ and these two Disciples who were going to Emmaus Christ reproued theÌ„ sharplie because they thought that Christ being crucified all hope of Redemption was past Next He instructed them affirming that it behooued Him to suffer and by suffering to enter into His glorie This His doctrine which Hee prooued by manie Testimonies of Scripture beginning at Moses and from Moses Hee comes to the Prophets interpreting vnto them what they had spoken concerning Christ concerning His Passion and concerning His glorie after His Passion for the preaching of
the Gospell is nothing else but an expounding of Moses and the Prophets and Iesus Christ is the foundation whereupon the doctrine of Moses and the Prophets is builded He is the end of the law all tendes to Him Thereafter we heard how Christ manifested Himselfe to these Disciples for when as Hee made Himselfe as though Hee woulde haue left them beeing constrained by them Hee went in to tarrie with them and as He sate at table with them in the blessing and breaking and distributing of the bread their eyes were opened and they knowe Him Last wee hearde vvhat effectes vvere vvrought in them vvhen they sawe Hee vvas their Lorde and Master Howbeit Hee left them yet they vvere not sadde but that sight which they got of Him left exceeding great joye and comfort in their heartes and so they call to mind that burning which they found in their heartes when He spake vnto them whereby they are more confirmed that it was the Lorde that spake to them for the burning of the heart which a man will finde in himselfe is a sure token of the presence of Christ Nowe in the Text which we haue presently read we haue set down their returning to Hierusalem with great expedition how they declare to the Apostles others who were there assembled all things y t fell out vnto theÌ„ by the way these things which they saw with their eyes which they had heard with their ears Therafter we haue set doun another appearing of Christ which fell out this same very time y t these two Disciples are talking together with th'eleueÌ„ of these things TheÌ„ to come to the words It is said They rose vp the same houre and returned to Hierusalem The circumstance of the time of their returning vvould be weighed They make no delay they stay not all night in Emmaus albeit it was late and they were before of intention to haue remained there till the morning but they vse all possible expedition and they rise that same houre to returne to Hierusalem that they might shew the Disciples what they had heard and seene make them partakers of their joy Compare this their returning to Hierusalem with their comming out of Hierusalem to Emmaus ye will find a great difference WheÌ„ they came out of HierusaleÌ„ to Emmaus they went slowly with sad hearts sad conference and when the Lord whom they supposed to be a passenger met them inquires what conference that was that they had amongst themselues They take leasure enough to tell Him the sorrowfull newes that had falleÌ„ out in Hierusalem of the crucifying of Iesus of Nazareth But in their returning to Hierusalem they make great speede they goe quickly they goe with joyefull heartes hasting to communicate to the disciples the great joye which they themselues had conceiued vpon the things which both they sawe and heard The lesson is plaine When the children of God are casten downe when their hearts are grieued when they haue no joyfull and comfortable newes to tell but sadde and heauie tidinges concerning Christ and His Gospell and the estate of His Kirke then they will goe slowlie and with heauie cheare they will speake slowly and with sadnesse they will haue little pleasure in any thing that they doe for the griefe of their hearts takes hand and foote from them so that they can doe nothing willingly and with chearefulnesse But by the contrarie when their hearts are joyfull when they haue joyfull and comfortable tidinges to tell to others of Christ and His Kirke then are they quicke and speedie and chearefull in al their doings they will goe with expedition and chearefulnsse they will speake with chearfulnesse with chearfulnes they will make haste to communicate their joye to others for y e joy which they conceiue in their hearts cheares vp and encourages all the members of their bodies to doe their duetie vvillinglie vvith chearfulnesse and pleasure Yea such is the force of the joye in the heart that it will swallow vp ouercome all troubles all stayes impediments which can be casteÌ„ in to hinder a good purpose and therefore if thou seest a man slow to a good action and namelie to preach the Gospell of IESVS thou hast just occasion to suspect that he hath found little joy in his heart through the Gospel as by the contratrie if thou seest a man hasten with chearfulnes to preach the Gospell it is a sure token that he hath his heart filled with the sense of joye through the Gospell Nowe when they came to Hierusalem They founde the eleuen Disciples of the Lorde and beside them they founde sundrie others gathered together with them Appearinglie these men vvho were gathered together vvith the Disciples vvere such as had heard the Lord Iesus teaching when He was conuersant in the worlde and had founde the power of His Preaching effectuall to their conuersion for as euill men delite in the societie of euill men because conformitie in manners makes men to entertaine societie together as the harlot with the harlot the drunkarde with the drunkard the thiefe with the thiefe c. EueÌ„ so good men take pleasure in the company of good men that they may be a mutuall furtherance one to another of the glorie of God their own saluation When these two Disciples finde th'eleuen the rest that were with them in Hierusalem looke howe they are exercised They are telling one to another that the Lord Jesus was risen indeed These two Disciples came to tell theÌ„ these newes supposing they had knowne nothing of them but they found themselues preueÌ„ted they found that the Lords disciples tel them that same that they came to haue informed them of to wit that the Lord Iesus was risen indeed And this they prooue by the testimonie of Simon Peter who had affirmed to them that he had seene the Lord for among others to whom the Lord appeared after His ResurrectioÌ„ He appeared in particular to Simon Peter as Paul testifies 1. Cor. 15.5 where he telles that He was seene of Cephas before He was seene of the rest of the twelue So these two disciples that made haste vpon set purpose to further strentheÌ„ and comfort others they are furthered strengthened comforted by others and so they find their comming to bee profitable to themselues The lesson shortly is this Often times it comes to passe that they who come of set purpose to declare to others that joy which they haue found to be wrought in their soules by the Holy Spirit by the preaching of the Gospell are preuented by others heaâ—e of others these same glad tidings that they came to speake themselues before they can get time or leasure to vtter them theÌ„selues and so they finde that same joye communicated to them vvhich they come to communicate to others or if they be not preuented then it falles out that they heare these same glad tidings of others that they themselues declare to others and
so receiue mutuall comfort or if others speake nor to them at least this fall out that of their owne message and of that speach that they vtter of IESVS CHRIST they will find their joye to encrease more and more to abounde so that it falles out that their preaching is not onelie powerfull and comfortable to the soules of others but euen to themselues when they preach to others they preach to themselues If thou hast gotten a spiritual grace or comfort to thy soule bee carefull to communicate it vnto others for by so doing thou shalt find thy grace and joye to encrease feare not that by communicating of thy grace it shall bee empaired for these spirituall graces are not like worldlie benefites whereof the more thou giuest to others there is the lesse behinde but the more thou giuest of these spirituall graces vnto others the more thou hast behinde to thy selfe the more shall they encrease For to him that hath it shall bee giuen and hee shall haue abundance Matth. Chap. 25.29 But it vvoulde bee marked Albeit these two Disciples finde themselues to bee preuented by the eleuen who were telling that same thing that they came to tell them yet they are not so silent nor conceale not the thinges vvhich they had hearde and seene but it is saide that they also tolde what thinges were done in the waye and howe CHRIST was knowne of them in breaking of bread and so they goe about to confirme the APOSTLES in that which they themselues were telling of the Resurrection of CHRIST Nowe a question may bee mooued heere Howe is it that LVKE sayes that vvhen the two Disciples came of purpose to tell the eleuen what had befallen to them in the waye and vvhat they had hearde and seene concerning IESVS the eleuen preuentes the two and telles them that IESVS was risen and had appeared to Peter seeing MARKE speaking of this same matter sayes that when these two went and tolde Christes appearing to them to the remnant that they beleeued Howe agree these two together To this I answere First That when LVKE sayes that they tolde the two Disciples that the Lorde was risen indeede and that hee had appeared to Simon Peter hee meanes that there was a number among them who beleeued and that which was proper to some hee ascribes it indefinitelie to the whole And on the other part when MARKE sayes they beleeued not it is to bee vnderstoode that there vvere certaine of them vvho beleeued not And so both the EVANGELISTES according to the accustomed forme of speaking in the Scripture attribute that indefinitelie to the whole which was proper to a part Next I answere When Marke sayes they beleeued not he speakes of a full and perfect Faith that was free of all doubting wauering and vnconstancie but Luke speakes of a begunne Faith which in the meane time wantes not the owne doubting for wee may perceiue in the Historie that sundrie times after this they were in doubt as yee see hereafter in the 41â— verse of this Chapter where it is said that after Hee had shewed them His hands and His feete they beleeued not their heartes were not constantly settled with an assurance of His resurrection Novv in the next part of our Text vve haue set dovvne another appearing of Christ after His resurrection which falles out in this same very time when these two disciples were talking with the eleuen this is His first apparition we haue heard of foure alreadie His first appearing was to Marie Magdalene the second was to certain other women the third was to y e two disciples who were going to Emmaus the fourth was to Peter which we shewed you before Luke touched in a worde verse 34. Now in this His fift appearing He appeares vnto the disciples beeing assembled together The three Euangelists Marke Luke Iohn set downe particularly the circumstances of their assembling meeting together which circumstances would be well considered because they serue for the clearing of the Historie the first circumstance is of the persons that were conueened who and how many they were Marke sayes that He appeared vnto the eleuen yet we must vnderstand by the Historie y t followes in Iohn that Thomas was not present at this meeting but here he giues y e name of the whole to y e most part after Iudas death they were commonly called the eleuen Iohn sayes generally indefinitely That the disciples were assembled Of this circumstance we marke The disciples of the Lord for the most part euer vsed to meete and assemble together they assembled together before His Passion they assembled together euen in the verie time of His Passion and hanging on the Crosse for it is saide in the 23. Chapter of Luke and the 49. verse And all His acquaintance stood afarre off and the women that followed Him from Galile beholding these things and now they assembled together after His Passion So yee may see They who are Christes are euer going about to meet to holde themselues together that they may speake conferre of all thinges that fall out concerning Christ and the estate of His Church whether they be joyfull and comfortable or sad sorrowfull that they may edifie further one another mutually in the course of their saluation that they may be joyned together and make vp and compleete one body And why not For as there is one GOD the Father one head the LORD Iesus one Spirit one Faith one Baptisme one hope of vocation so there should bee but one body the members whereof should endeuoure to entertaine loue and vnitie amongst themselues Ephes Chapter 4 verses 3 4 5 6. This meeting together of the members of the body of Christ and their mutuall conference brings with it an exceeding great consolation and joy for the Lord hath promised to send that Comforter the Holy Spirit to these meetings of the Sainctes and Christ sayes in the 18. Chapter of Matthew and the 20. verse Where two or three is gathered together in my Name there will I be in the middes of them If thou despisest these holy meetings and disdainest thou the holy conference I denounce to thee in the Name of Christ thou shalt neuer finde a solide joy or consolation manie there are who contemne the meetings of the faithfull and the assemblies of the Sainctes and disdaine the meanes of grace godly speeches and conferences and yet will dreame to themselues that the Holy Spirit vvill dvvell in their soules and that they will finde joy and consolation but the end will prooue that their corrupt and false hearts haue deceiued them Nowe I come to the second circumstance which is concerning their exercise in that meeting What were they doing Marke sayes They sate together Luke sayes They were speaking of these things that they had heard by the report of sundrie persons concerning the Lords Resurrection so ye see their exercise was holy their conference was spirituall
BELOVED in CHRIST IESVS vvee haue in hand as yet the Historie of the appearing of Christ after His glorious Resurrection First Hee appeares to MARIE MAGDALENE at the graue Next He appeares to another companie of vvomen as they returned from the graue Thirdlie Hee appeared to two of His Disciples that same daye of His Resurrection as they went from Hierusalem to Emmaus Fourthlie Hee appeared to Simon Peter alone And now last and this is His appearing which vvee haue in hand He appeares to a companie of His Disciples to the eleuen Thomas being excepted with others of the common sort where they were gathered together in the night in a secret place of Ierusalem The last day as God gaue the grace we spake of this conuention of the disciples of His miraculous and sudden comming and standing vp in the middes of them the doore beeing shut Wee heard when Hee stood vp amongst them what He did He salutes them after His olde fashion and sayes Peace be vnto you in such sort that they might haue vnderstood that it was the Lord by the voyce and that salutation wherewith they were acquainted but ye see what effect His presence His voyce and His salutation workes in them In the beginning of this Text which wee haue read when they see Him and heare Him it is said That they are abashed troubled in heart and terrified with Iesus Why Because they thought they had seene a spirit or an Angell in the shape of a man this His presence should haue confirmed and strengthened their Faith which euen they pretended to haue of the Resurrection of Christ but it falles out otherwise This is an hastie change and litle before they are speaking confidently one to another of Him and of His Resurrection These that were conueened at Ierusalem before were speaking of Him and assuring the two disciples that He was risen indeede then the two assuring them that Hee was risen now in an instant they are astonished so abashed and afraide that when they see Him they cannot beleeue that it is He their Faith almost euanisheth A litle before in their minde there was light there was knowledge now in steade of that light comes in blindnesse and dimnesse in the eyes of the minde a litle before there was Faith in the heart and joy in the Resurrection of Christ now there is such infidelitie that they wil not beleeue their owne senses in stead of joy there is trouble this is a sudden change from the better to the worse yee see howe suddenly the soule of man will bee changed now he will beleeue now Faith in an instant will bee turned in infidelitie now he will rejoyce and euen now his joy will bee turned in dolour This is our estate so long as we liue in the world but Brethren it would be marked where begins this change There are two partes in the soule of man there is the minde the eye of the soule that giues light to the soule and to all the partes of it and to the whole man then there is the heart and the affections that should be guided by the minde which is the eye of the soule both are changed in the disciples in an instant but where beginnes the change Not at the heart nor the affections first No but it begins at the minde the minde deceiues it selfe and she beleeues when she sees Christ she sees a Spirit when she sees one thing she supposes shee sees another shee blindes her selfe and when she hath blinded her selfe then followes terrour and all the affections of the heart are troubled by reason of the false imagination of the minde Brethren there is not one of vs but we haue this minde this heart these affections and these mutations Why then should wee not knowe them I marke this to let you see the vanitie of the reason of man the best thing in man is his reason but she is full of vanitie shee that should haue guided all the inferiour powers of the soule she is first out of order It is a miserable Commonwealth where the head is out of order for then it beeing out of order all is misordered commonly it is this minde that puts all the affections out of order and by her vaine imaginations reasonings and toyes she will giue in such terrours in the soule as is wonderfull If there be any power of the soule that hath need to be reformed and renued in IESVS CHRIST I say the wit and minde of man hath most need to be renued and illuminate by the Spirit of IESVS CHRIST And therefore the Apostle exhortes the Ephesians To be renued in the spirit of their minde Ephes Chapter 4 verse 23. Plato was a foole and Aristotle and all the Philosophers who were accounted wonders in the world for their wisdome in naturall things who said the minde of man was perfect and placed reason as a Queene in the soule to guide and holde all the affections in order The Papistes are a litte better than the Philosophers for they ascâ—ibe too much to the minde and reason of man they set themselues to aduance man and to extenuate grace and their wisdome is farre from the wisdome of God The Spirit of God sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes Chapter 8. verse 7. That the wisdome of the flesh is enimitie against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither can it be But to goe forwarde When they see CHRIST They supposed that Hee had beene a spirit I doubt not but He appeared in some glorious forme they may not abide the sight of Him without great terrour and feare they are blinded with the sight of Him this eye of the bodie subject to mortalitie all is mortall the eye and all is so infirme and weake that it may not abide to see a thing immortall glorious and heauenly All that vve see is mortall the Earth the Heauens are mortall an heauenly spirituall thing the eyes of the bodie cannot behold I say more let be the eyes of the body and this outvvarde sense the eye of the soule that should be clearer in sight than the eye of the body may not abide any immortall and heauenly object so long as we are in this life it may not beholde an heauenly thing I speake by naturaull disposition a man that hath but nature may not looke to God and heauenly things but so soone as these glorious objects are laide before the eye of the minde there goes a great dimnesse ouer it and that exceeding brightnesse blindfoldes it so that it is not able to beholde it The fault of this is not so much in the glorious object as it is in thy soule and if it vvere right heauenly thinges should comfort thee The fault is in the euill disposition of the eye of thy soule it is but a bleered eye like the eye of the body looking to the Sunne growes blinde is worse than of before so is it vvith
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
great daye when our LORD shall appeare then shall it bee seene how blessed the estate of them shall be who beleeued for then when wee see Him as He is we shall be like to Him in glorie The world countes them who beleeue in Christ Iesus to be vile and contemptible bodies but one day they shall see their happinesse their glorie to their shame and confusion But heere it may be asked What mooues the Lord so highly to commend the Faith of them who beleeue and yet see not What can be the cause of this I answere The reason is because Faith without sight is more hardly obtained than Faith by sight The man that beleeues without sight he must ouercome many moe impediments and tentations than the other who beleeues that which he sees and this is commonly true that which is obtained most hardly and acquired with greatest difficultie is most precious most excellent and most worthie of praise and so this Faith that wants sight is farre to be preferred more praise worthie than the other for it is sundrie wayes tried and fined before it appeare 1. Pet. 1.7 Now to goe forward The Euangelist in the end of the Chapter by the way meetes some things which curious men might haue objected First they might haue asked Whether if all the miracles which the Lord Iesus wrought while Hee was in the world were set downe in write and extant in the Gospell written by him Iohn answeres No they are not all written for he sayes Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of His Disciples which are not written in this Booke They might haue saide againe to Iohn then by appearance this Euangell that thou hast written is not perfect but vnperfect To this hee answeres My Gospell is perfect enough because all things are written that are necessarie to Faith and Saluation These words are casten in only by the way in this Historie of the Resurrection for albeit hee seemes to breake off the Historie of the Resurrection of CHRIST and to conclude in a manner the whole Gospell yet he returnes againe to the same Historie of the Resurrection in the Chapter following and in the ende thereof hee concludes the whole Gospell almost in these same words that are set downe heere But to returne and to speake of the miracles whereof Iohn speakes heere hee sayes Many other signes and Miracles wrought the LORD which are not written in this booke Then it may be asked Wherefore are they not written Were they vnprofitable Serues the knowledge of them to no vse To this I answere That these miracles were profitable and steadable to confirme and strengthen the faith of them who liued in that age and sawe them done yea further they are also steadable to the faith of them who liued in the ages following for when we read and heare that there was such a great multitude of miracles wrought by the Lord albeit wee know not distinctly and particularly what they were that serues very much to strengthen and confirme our Faith so that wee see these miracles which are not written are not left out of write as though they were vnprofitable and as though they serued for no vse or were vnworthie to be remembred No they were profitable and worthie but they are left out because the miracles set downe in write by Iohn and the rest of the Euangelists which indeed are very many are sufficient to Faith and Saluation But because the Euangelist sets downe in this place the ende of the miracles that the Lorde wrought therefore we shall speake more largely of them CHRIST when Hee came into the worlde was many wayes marueilous and therefore amongst many other glorious stiles Hee gets this also to bee called wonderfull Isaiah Chapter 9. verse 6. For first if wee looke to His person Hee was wonderfull for He was GOD and man in one person the like whereof neuer was nor neuer shall bee Next if we looke to the doctrine which Hee brought out of Heauen and to the worde which Hee preached to the worlde Hee was wonderfull for wonderfull was the light of His doctrine whereby Hee brought a marueilous light to the darke worlde and this made the officers to say to the High Priestes Neuer man spake like this man Ioh. Chapter 7. verse 46. and in the 7. Chapter of the Euangell of Matth. verse 29. Hee teached them as one hauing authoritie and not as the Scribes Last if we consider the things that Hee did and the wonders that Hee wrought in the world He was wonderful for they declared plainly that He was not only a man a creature but that He was God the great Creator and that Eternall IEHOVAH And these miracles serued to confirme His doctrine for the doctrine and the word of the Gospell preached by CHRIST serued to worke and beget Faith in the heart but the miracles serued to confirme the doctrine the word which He preached for they were steadable either to prepare the hearts of men to receiue the word and doctrine of the Lord or els to confirme them in that word which they had reeceiued alreadie Now both the word and doctrine of Christ and also His Miracles are set downe and left in register to vs by the speciall will direction of Christ to the well of them that were to liue in the ages to come that they might beleeue get life and saluation and therefore this written word doctrine should be receiued by vs as the viue voyce of Christ Himselfe and wee should count no lesse of it than if wee heard Christ Himselfe speaking to vs with His owne mouth and likewise wee shoulde count of the miracles written in the Gospell as if wee had seene the Lord Iesus working them before our eyes and therefore nowe in our age we neede not any new miracles to confirme of new againe the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles Indeede miracles were very necessarie to them that liued in the Primitiue Church when the Gospell was first preached and when it appeared vnto the world to be a new doctrine when the Church was in her infancie then miracles were very needfull but now seeing the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles is sufficiently confirmed alreadie by all these miracles that were wrought in these dayes by Christ His Apostles we need no miracles Why should we desire them except we thought that the doctrine is not yet sufficiently confirmed and as yet is but a new doctrine If we thinke that it is the same doctrine which Christ and His Apostles taught it needes no new confirmation Many vaine and fantasticke men but especially the Papistes this daye are not content with the Miracles that haue bene wrought by the Lord Iesus His Apostles to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell but they craue new miracles to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell as if it were not sufficiently confirmed alreadie But I say vnto thee Vaine man goe seeke miracles as
Iames and Salome with other women And the next company of women whose names are not expressed nor registrate Wee hearde of their returning home againe from the graue of the Lord how they come to the place where the XI Apostles were lurking with some other disciples who loued the Lord We heard of y e preaching that the first company makes then the preaching of the secōd company their preaching all testifying that the Lord Iesus was risen Wee heard last what effect this preaching wrought in the heartes of the XI Apostles to wit they thought it all but follie fables a fained report beleeued it not It is an hard matter to beleeue y e report of Christ of His Passion glorious resurrection Thus far we heard the last day Now to come to the Text y t we haue read We haue first another effect which this report wrought howbeit it wrought not faith yet it had its own effect in 2. disciples at least Peter Iohn they are wakened by it to seeke to the graue of y e Lord to see if it was so as the women reported Well then the report of the women is not altogether fruitles at the least it wakens some of them vp to run to the graue to see if it was so as the womē had reported This testifies clearly y t euen al the time y t these Apostles lay lurking like cowards yet all that time there remained in them a seede of faith a seede of godlinesse a sponke of loue toward their Master Christ Indeed it was smoothered with the drosse of the corruption of nature but yet it was not quite put out and therefore assoone as these women come and make report of the Resurrection of Iesus Christ the seed begins to waken and drawe spirits and makes them to run to see if it was true y t He was risen For it is true that they who once haue gotten faith in Christ in whose heart this seede is once sowne howbeit for a time they will fall in a slumber yea in an heauy sleepe that seed will be so holdē down that it will not be seen to y e world yea they that haue it wil not feele it thēselues yet it is sure that true seed of faith sowne once in the heart wil neuer be clean put out extinguished altogether It is true it will be for a time lying dead in the heart without life or motion The Lorde will bee lying in thee without working for a time and taking a shape and fashion as the birth in the mothers vvombe does as the Apostle sayes Galath Chap. 4. vers 19. vntill Christ bee formed in you And all this time Hee lyes vvithout vvorking the man vvill seeme then to bee but dead but assoone as that vvorde soundes vvhich is the vvorde of Life the vvorde of the Crosse and of the Resurrection of Iesus then that man who appeared to be dead vvill take life and Iesus who appeared to be dead in thee vvill be quicke Howbeit they vvill not haue faith yet it vvill stirre them vp to seeke Christ and inquire vvhether it bee so or not In the Historie of the Actes Chap. 17. vers 11. yee maye reade a vine example of this There vvere certaine of the IEVVES in a Towne called Berea and they vvere in the same estate they had no thought of Iesus but vvere enemies vnto Him yet notwithstanding there was some good seede vvithin them And therefore they are saide to bee more Noble than the IEVVES at Thessalonica Now the Apostle PAVL comes in amongst them and beginnes to preach CHRIST then that little seede beginnes to stirre and they beginne to bee vvakened and they are thereby mooued to reade the olde Testament to see if it vvas true that PAVL preached or no And then they finding it to bee so as PAVL had spoken manie of them beleeued in CHRIST Wee haue our lesson heere It is not good to be hastie in judgement bee loath to condeme anie howbeit thou see men fall and lye long yet judge not too hastilie of them for who knowes if there bee a sponke in their heartes which neither thou nor they themselues knowe of but trie whether the seede bee or no And thou shalt trie it by this thing Speake of the Death Passion and Resurrection of CHRIST vnto them if after long speaking there bee no vvakening certainlie that is a verie euill token that there is no good in that heart if hee bee in such a deadlie sleepe that nothing vvill vvaken him that is a faithlesse heart and an heart full of gall and bitternesse and replenished vvith iniquitie But if there bee some quickening although it vvere neuer so little yea suppose hee beleeue not and yet hath a readinesse to heare and saye this LORDE open mine eyes to see and mine heart to beleeue And if this bee founde in him that is a good heart and that birth shall come foorth in its owne time for as the birth is not perfected in an instant in the mothers wombe so faith is not perfected at the first but it growes by little little Nowe when they are wakened what doe they They runne to the graue They went not faire and softlie but they ranne to the graue Nowe certainlie this running must needes proceede of some motion in the heart some motion behooued to stirre them vp Yee see what motion mooued Marie Magdalene to runne home she was in displeasure because shee mist the bodie of the LORD for shee thought it had beene stollen awaye It cannot bee displeasure that mooued them to runne No doubt it was joye in their heartes which made their heartes light and the light heart made the feete speedie And if thou haue joye it will cause thee to runne and seeke Him But from whence came this joye I see no matter of joye but in these tidinges which they hearde But howe coulde they haue joye seeing they beleeued them not I answere to this They woulde haue beleeued and faine woulde haue had it so and that vvas the thing which they moste desired And yee knowe that vvee heare that thing vvhich vvee vvoulde faine haue come to passe vvee vvill haue joye to heare of it and our delight vvill bee to see if it bee so And so suppose there vvas not a full faith in them yet there vvas a bowing and an inclination to faith And it is a strange thing to bowe the heart for it will bee as hard to bow the heart as to bowe a strong Oake So the least bowing to yeelde to the report of Iesus is wonderfull and there shall followe an vnspeakeable joye which passes all vnderstanding The least conception of that joye will bee greater than thou wilt haue yea and make thee a King or a Queene Seeke euer to that Heauenlie affection for the Beast hath this earthlie affection then seeke thou after the Heauenlie or thine estate shall bee worse than the Beastes one daye So when the
heart is wakened thou wilt seeke the Lord but if thine heart be not bowed it shall stand vp like a wall or a brasen pillar and this shall bee thine estate Thou vvilt haue no joye but sadnesse at the hearing of these tidinges for the stiffe heart receiues no joye but is in dolour and there is no seeking of CHRIST there to see vvhether Hee bee there or not So in a worde our lesson is this Let not a stiffe heart depriue thee of that solide joye which is in CHRIST fie vpon that heart Nowe to goe forwarde They runne and they ranne together striuing who should bee formost and who should come first to the graue to vnderstande the trueth of these vvomens reportes Now our lesson is this It is an happie thing to striue in good thinges vvho shoulde bee readiest farthest forwardes No I shall neuer blame one to striue to be first at CHRIST No striue with thy father and with thy mother No striue with all thy kinred to be first in Heauen and looke that thou neuer giue place to another to goe before thee but alas our people striue farre otherwise we striue who should runne fastest from the LORD and fastest forward to a mischiefe to murther blood and in oppression this is all the strife in this countrey Who striues to be first in Heauen The LORD sayes Matth. CHAPTER 11. VERSE 12. The Kingdome of Heauen suffer violence and the violent take it by force and possesse it The LORD meaneth that wee should striue to throng in and to see who should be first in Heauen Alas how farre are wee from this godly striuing dolefull experience teaches vs this day in Scotland Thou wilt possesse another mans heritage but who striues to possesse that heauenly heritage The LORD sayes in Luke 13. Chapter and verse 24. Striue to enter in at the strait gate Meaning that we should striue with our whole kinred to be first in Heauen suppose thou wilt let a King goe in before thee at an earthly gate yet striue to goe in before him to Heauen and striue to goe in before all thy kinred Paul that exhorted all men to runne hee ranne himselfe he sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the ninth Chapter and the twentie three verse Hee ranne and hee ranne on to be partaker of the Gospell that he preached to others and hee ran so fast that hee neuer looked behind him No if thou standest to count thy footsteps another shall passe by thee and thou shalt come behind Hee sayes Hee looked to that prise of the high calling of GOD Philip. 3.14 If two be running here on the earth striuing to get the crowne the one will enuie the other and he will trauell to get himselfe forvvard and put his companion backvvard This earthly race is with enuie and euery one would take the feet from another Paul giues a reason hereof in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the ninth Chapter and the twentie foure verse and sayes There is but one crowne but it is not so with thee that runnest in that heauenly race the one will not enuie the other the one vvill not put the other behind he will not put him backe but hee vvill take him by the hand say Goe forward to the end brother and thou shalt get the crowne this is it that we should euery one exhort another to doe euer to goe forward to Heauen and euery one take another by the hand to helpe him forward because there is not a crowne only but many crownes looke how many runne there are as many crownes wilt thou runne thou shalt get a crowne will I runne I shall get a crowne and will the third runne he shall get a crowne neuer one who runnes shall be destitute of a crovvne PAVL in the second Epistle to Timothie the fourth Chapter and the 7. and eight verses sayes I haue fought a good fight I haue finished my course J haue kept the faith nowe hencefoorth is laid vp for me the crowne of righteousnesse which the Lord that righteous Iudge will giue to mee at that day No he cannot be just but He must giue the crowne to thee that hast runne And not only to mee sayes hee but vnto all them also that loue that His appearing As he would say to all them that vvill runne vvith mee and I say to thee if thou wilt runne on lead thy neighbour by the hand that is vveaker than thou it shall be so farre from hindering thee from the crowne that thine honour and glorie shall be augmented when thou shalt come to Heauen Paul sayes in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians the 2. Chapter and the nineteenth verse What is our hope or ioy or crowne of reioycing Are not yee it euen in the presence of our Lord Iesus Christ at His comming And therefore well is that soule that winnes another to Heauen be thou King Lord Gentleman or Minister if thou helpest many to Heauē thou shalt get y e more glorious crowne To goe forward they run together but in y e running y e one is speedier than y e other Iohn leaues Peter behind him outruns him but when it comes to the graue he only lookes in and sees the linnen cloathes lying but hee enters not in to get knowledge but seeing the linnen cloathes hee stands still Peter that came behind him enters first in into the graue sees the matter as it was the windingsheete as we call it lying in one place and the kerchiefe that was vpon His head in another place by it selfe To speake this by the way it lets vs vnderstand this Amongst the Iewes that the windingsheete was not put ouer the whole body and head as we vse to doe but from the shoulders downe and the linnen was about the head after this manner Christ was wrapped Wherefore should I speake of the vanitie of the Papistes they will say to you they haue the same windingsheete and this same kerchiefe remaining as reliques and they will haue them in sixe or seuen places at one time is not this a great wonder it should haue lasted so long and yet should bee kept in so many places at one time and more they say the vine picture of Christ is in that windingsheete His body they say made such a dint that His picture might be seene there but thinke yee if it were so that the Euangelists who register smaller thinges would haue hid and conceiled it But I leaue them to their vanitie as vnworthie of any refutation and I come to the matter In this course and race of Peter and Iohn to the graue I see this course that wee haue in this life is verie vnequable it keepes not alwayes one constant tenour nor wee are not ay alike speedie sometimes one runnes fast sometimes hee will settle and wearie and goe slowly forwarde and whilst as hee wearies his neighbour will outrunne him and ere they come to the end hee
Lorde they haue seene such an homelinesse as they could neuer thinke of In the 3. of the Reuelation verse 20. The Lord Iesus sayes I will stande at the doore and I will knocke hee that will open to mee I will come in and suppe with him Once let me in I shall be so homely as thou neuer wouldest haue thought I shall insinuate mee in thine heart I shall not only sit at thy table but I will sit in thine heart and shall feede thine heart with joy and food euerlasting Nowe to goe forwarde the Lord who no question bound vp their eyes before opens them now if He close thine eyes the world cannot open them He only can oppen them The meane whereby Hee opens them apparantly was that forme of prayer Hee vsed before He brake the bread Next they vnderstood that it vvas Hee by the distributing of the bread for Hee vsed to feede them with His owne hande and therefore by these signes they are made to know Him I see here grace growes after that once grace begins none end of grace after that once He hath inuited them He suppes with them then He feedes them with His owne hand and then at the last their eyes were opened and judge yee what joy that was to them No doubt that was the most joyfull sight that euer they saw So hold on and entertaine the Lord a while and set Him at thy table and neuer be glad to eat nor drinke except thou findest some presence of thy GOD for it is a lothsome dinner if thou wantest Him and if thou entreatest Him on thou shalt finde in ende an exceeding joy Entertaine Him now as a passenger and in the ende thou shalt see Him to thy comfort thine eyes shall bee opened to see Him as He is Then it is said as their eyes were opened He was lifted from them yee must not thinke that the Lord made His body inuisible it is contrarie to the order of nature a thicke body to be inuisible nor yee must not thinke that He brake out at the house side as the Papists dreame this departure was by the holding of their eyes He was not changed in this forme or that forme but the change vvas in their eyes so that they see not howe Hee departes or in what manner as before their eyes were holden that they could not know Him To leaue this yee would maruell Hee giues them but one blencke in an instant He goes away from them why stayes He not No it was not meete for them that Hee should stay nor yet was it possible for Him to stay after that manner that they would haue had Him to haue stayed seeing nowe sufficiently they were assured that Hee was risen it was not needfull that Hee should stay with them as of before as yee see the Apostles in the 1. of the Actes speaking to Him they say Lord wilt thou at this time restore the Kingdome to Israel That is in effect Lord wilt thou not remaine with vs here on the earth No He would not stay with them but giues them a glance of Him then secondly Hee could not dwell amongst them the earth could not be capable of a glorious body glorifie a man or a woman the earth cannot keepe them glorifie a man or a woman this earth is too euill for them they cannot dwell in the earth No that Paradice wherein Adam was set that pleasant Garden that He was placed in could not keepe a glorious body and a glorified man So the Lorde beeing glorified could not dwell and abide amongst men as of before so then wouldest thou dwell with Christ and dwell in that pleasant place and thou shalt neuer haue happinesse nor joy till thou dwellest with Him Thinke not to bring Him downe to the earth but if thou wouldest dwell vvith Him flit out of the earth make thee for flitting Paul sayes I desire to flit and to dwell with the Lord Wouldest thou desire to dvvell vvith the Lord desire to flit out of thy bodie for if thou hast not a desire but art afraide to flit it is a token that thou hast no langour of God and that thou shalt neuer dvvell vvith Him but that soule that desires to flit to enjoy that presence that soule that hath groaned for it for the soule that is godly groanes as a man that groanes vnder a burthen shall enjoy the presence of God dvvell with Him and that soule shall be glorified thy body indeed shall not bee glorified vntill that time that Hee shall appeare and then thy bodie and thy soule both shall bee glorified with Him and then our eyes shall see Him and our bodies shall dwell vvith Him in the Heauen in that euerlasting Paradise Nowe Brethren hitherto the Lorde hath manifested Himselfe then see what effect followes and is wrought in their heartes of this manifesting Yee woulde thinke that so soone as the Lorde had bene taken from them they shoulde haue bene sadde For who would not bee sadde to want Him For if thou sawest Him for all the world thou wouldest not bee content to want His presence Yee would maruell why they make no mone for that short time that Hee abode with them No doubt that sight that they got left such a comfort in their heartes as cannot bee spoken And if the Lorde giue His presence to anie man his heart will haue such a joye that it will feede vpon it Yee reade in the eight Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles howe the Eunuche who came from the Queene of Candare when Philippe came and baptized him Philippe was carried awaye from him yet the Scripture sayes not that hee mourned when Philippe was taken away No it is saide that hee went on his waye rejoycing From whence comes this joye No doubt it was the presence of Philippe that left this joye behinde it So in a worde The presence of God leaues alwayes joye and if thou get a blinke of Him in the morning thou shalt bee joyefull of Him all the daye and that joye shall feede thee and when thou art eating and drinking that presence will feede thee Woe to thee who seekest not to get a blinke of Him for if thou gettest not a blinke of Him thou shalt neuer haue solide joye in thine heart But the wordes would bee marked And they saide betweene themselus Did not our heartes burne within vs while hee talked with vs by the waye and when hee opened to vs the Scriptures There are the vvordes When these two men hearde Him the worde was effectuall but they thinke Him not to bee their Lord till hee manifested Himselfe vnto them and then they call to minde by their burning that they found that it was Hee that spake vnto them This confirmes them that it was Hee The same burning of the heart that one will haue is a sure token of the presence of Christ for if the Lorde were not present in thine heart it woulde not burne at the