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
deepe perswasion of thine heart thou speakest like a Parrat thou prophanest that Holy word and knowest not what thou speakest Now all the Apostles are away yet their testimonie remaines this is that blessed Gospell that wee haue this day yet the Lord leaues not the world destitute of witnesses who haue liuelie voyces who will preach like the Apostles indeede their record should bee beleeued if thou beleeuedst neuer a preaching I say thou hast no Faith thou shalt neuer see Heauen Indeede we are not Apostles but sinfull men yet if thou beleeuest vs not thou shalt die as well as they who would not beleeue the Apostles I bid no man nor woman beleeue vs simply but only so farre as our record agrees vvith the recorde of the Apostles We may not compare with the Apostles we haue not seene Him we haue not heard Him as they did they had a greater measure of perswasion of Faith and of feeling than any Preacher hath nowe yet the Lord hath giuen His measure to euery one therefore we desire not that yee should beleeue vs simply to beleeue euery thing that we say as the Pope and that soule crue will bid you beleeue all that they affirme No if he were the best Minister that euer preached beleeue his recorde if it agree not with the writting of the Apostles They haue set downe the ground and they who teach any other thing but that which is written by the Apostles or els that follow on their writes by a necessarie consequence I pronounce a vengeance and a curse shall be on them Woe to deceiuers who poyson soules dayly by their vengeance and poyson Now to come to the last heade Iohn layes downe the ende wherefore His thighes were not broken and by piercing of His side These thinges were set downe that the Scripture might bee fulfilled and he cites two testimonies The first is out of the twelfth Chapter of Exodus Not one bone of Him shall be broken The next is out of the twelfth Chapter of Zacharie They shall see Him whome they haue pierced Some will maruell that it is said oft times in the Gospell this was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled Some would thinke that this had bene but a light cause that the thighes of Christ and the bones were not broken Wherefore That the Scripture might be fulfilled the side was pierced that the Scripture might be fulfilled Men would count this but light but wilt thou count that light that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled Thinkest thou it a light thing that that thing that the Lord spake long time before should come to passe and the LORD should be glorified in His Trueth Thinkest thou it a light thing that the Lord should bee found a lyer No ere He be a lyer and ere a jote or title that Hee hath spoken should passe away vnfâ—lfilled it is better that Heauen and Earth men and Angels and all the creatures should vanish to nothing The Lord speakes none idle talke as man will doe but what thing so euer that Hee speakes Hee speakes it of set purpose to the glorie of God and to the well of His Church and therefore it is very requisite both for His owne glorie and for the well of His Church that His word be accomplished Would to God we could consider how highly we sould regarde the glory of God in beleeuing of His promises of mercie and His threatnings of Iustice Well the end of these thinges was that GOD should be glorified in the trueth of His word There is nothing the Lord seekes more than to be knowne in the trueth of His worde and therefore looke what He will doe to bee knowne to be true in His promise rather than His promise be not performed Hee will inuert the course of nature the thing that the Lord hath once spoken it shall be performed albeit all the world should say the contrarie It is said Numb 23.19 God is not as man that He should lie neither as the sonne of man that Hee should repent hath Hee said it and shall Hee not doe it and hath Hee spoken and shall Hee not accomplish it Men may lie but God cannot lie ere Hee bring not about the thing that Hee hath spoken Hee will mixe the Heauen and the Earth together He will bring things about against all the meanes in the worlde not onely by and aboue nature but also contrarie and against nature As Hee brought the promise made to Abraham to passe Nature can be no impediment to the LORD albeit a creature can doe nothing against Nature Looke then what a Faith wee should haue Wee should beleeue His promise albeit it were neuer so vnpossible to Nature Thou must not only glorifie God when thou seest His promise come to passe but also thou must also glorifie Him by depending and hanging on His worde ere euer thou see it accomplished It is an easie thing when thou seest the Lordes promise come to passe to say Glorified bee GOD in the trueth of His promise but except thou glorifie Him by Faith in His worde ere euer thou see the promise effectuate thou doest nothing worthie of praise beleeâ—e His word let neuer death nor life nor power in Heauen or iâ— Earth or the Deuils separate thee from that Faith in His worde No I say further thou must so glorifie God by Faith in His word that albeit thou savvest all things threaten the contrarie yet notwâ—thstanding thou feelest in thine heart that God is true this was a fined and purified Faith Such was the Faith of Abraham who aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that hee should haue a seede not considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie nor the deadnesse of Saraes vvombe hee beleeued in despite of nature and all ordinarie meanes and therefore worthilie hee is called The Father of the Faithfull Then wouldest thou haue such a faith as the Lord commendes beleeue in His promise though all the thinges in the worlde shoulde threaten the contrarie Hath Hee promised to thee Heauen and Life and albeit thou sawe nothing but Hell and Death yet beleeue Him for there is nothing more contrarie to Life than Death And yet albeit thine owne heart woulde make opposition and saye vnto thee It cannot bee that euer thou canst get Life and Heauen for what seest thou but Death and Hell Yet thou wouldest glorifie God by beleeuing His promise in despight of Hell and Death Notwithstanding thou seest the Deuill man Death and Hell threatning that thou shalt not get life yet beleeue the Lordes promise And if in this case thou beleeuest thou hast a fined faith fined and made more precious than Golde in the fornace And except thou bee tried by such temptations thou knowest not what faith meanes Faith must bee tried by temptations by troubles and afflictions Our Christians woulde passe thorowe the worlde with ease and rest they will beleeue but howe In peace and rest they cannot abide to
I thinke no man nor woman should doubt why these women preached this Resurrection The LORD giues them a spâ—ciall direction first from GOD then from His Angell and this commission might satisfie so that the Apostles were bound to receiue this commission that vvas ordained by the LORD of Heauen I marke this lesson There is neither man nor woman can speake in the Name of the Lord except they be sent So sayes Paul to the Romanes tenth Chapter and fifteenth verse None can preach except he be sent How can one preach CHRIST and if hee be not sent by CHRIST daâ—e a knaue stand vp in the middest of a cittie or towne and make a proclamation in the name of the Prince and not haue a warrand and darest thou stand vp and speake in the Name of the great GOD of Heauen and haue no warrand Indeede it is the LORD who knowes who is sent if thou werest neuer so admitted and warranded by the Church the Lord in that great day shall neuer count of thy preaching except thou haue a vvarrand in thy conscience Will Hee put His worde in the mouth of euery knaue No that is a grace to call IESVS the LORD No thou canst not call IESVS the Lord except thou haue the Spirit of Iesus as the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth Chapter and third verse So whether wee bee Ministers or others who speake of IESVS we should looke that that Spirit be in the heart to direct vs when we speake I marke next it was not enough to haue seene this resurrection and neuer to haue spoken one worde of it No Hee commands them to testifie to the Apostles and the Apostles got this commandement to preach it againe for the Gospell is not a candle to put vnder a bushell but to holde it vp and shewe it to the worlde for it is the life and the light of the worlde PAVL sayes to Timothie in his second Epistle the second Chapter first verse That that thou hast heard of mee before many witnesses the same deliuer thou to faithfull men which shall be able to teach others also No it is not to be concredite to euery knaue it is too precious a jewell to deliuer to knaues let them deliuer it to them that are able to teach others let the first deliuer to the second and the second to the third and the third to the fourth and the fourth to the fifth and so let it euer sound in the world Woe to that soule that impedes the course of the glorious Gospell for what can there be vvhere it is not teached but death No this Gospell is a stumbling blocke to the world Tell them sayes the Angell Hee vvill meete them in Galile for Iurie denied mee No would CHRIST say I will not appoint to meete with them in Ierusalem for Ierusalem is not worthie of mee but I will meete them in Galile and so they met with Him as ye shall see hereafter by Gods grace Then I see that all these tithings that tell vs of things that are not seene hath euery one of them a promise joyned with them y t we shall see them come to passe Beleeue thou that He hath suffered and thou shalt see that He hath suffered and beleeue that He is in glorie thou shalt see Him in glorie We savv Him not vvith our bodily eyes but we haue that blessing which the LORD pronounced to Thomas Iohn Chapter 20. verse 29. Blessed are they which neuer saw mee and yet doe beleeue in mee Now blessed for euer shall that soule be that neuer savv the LORD and yet beleeues in Him and I speake to thee a sore vvorde if thou beleeuest not vntill thou see Him thou shalt neuer see Him if thou beleeuest not that He died vntill thou see that Hee died thou shalt nâ—uer see Him but to thy damnation Hope vnder hope and against Hope Brethren many are the impediments that will stay vs so that wee will say I vvill neuer see Him I heare much speaking of Heauen but alas I feare I shall neuer see it I heare much spoken of life but alas I feare I shall neuer see life And these are the tentations of the most godly men and women of this vvorld yet against all these tentations beleeue Gods promises and hope for life for PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the fifth Chapter and the fifth verse Faith brings foorth experience and Hope makes not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts aboundantly by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. No let none of these tentations hinder vs that thing that holdes backe the infidels shall worke for the best to thee that fearest the Lord if thou fearest the Lord I promise thee in y e name of GOD all these tentations shall further thee and thou shalt bee partaker of Life Now a word and I shall ende He signets seales vp that which he hath told I haue tolde you it saies he as he would say It is true that I haue tolde you and I vvill seale it to be true and ye shâ—ll find it to be true therefore doubt not So our lesson is this WheÌ„soeuer thou commest to testifie to the people of God in paine of thy life looke thou speake nothing but that which God biddes thee speake and that thou mayest saye in conclusion This is true that I haue saide and that this is true I vvill byde by it and seale it vp vvith my blood The Angell had no blood but if thou be not of that minde to shedde thy blood thou art but a deceiuer This is a great boldnesse to seale to seale it vp with thy blood but if thou haue it not sealed vp in thine heart thou shalt neuer seale it vp with thy blood and vvhen it comes to the sealing thou shalt steale away No it is a great vvord to say vvith the Prophet Dauid I beleeued and therefore I spake Looke thou speake nothing to the people of God but that which thou striuest to beleeue Howe is this assurance gotten And vvill euerie vvanton man get this assurance to stande and seale it vp vvith his blood No except thou striue night and day to get the Lorde in thy presence and not to haue anie joye but in His presence thou shalt neuer haue this assurance Then howe is it kept The Lord hath appointed reading Take heede to thy reading saies Paul to Timothie in his first Epistle the fourth CHAPTER and 13. vers and giue thy selfe to meditation and shâ—we thy knowledge in that that thou hast read and get not a knowledge onelie but a sense to speake to others Reading bringes knowledge and meditation bringes feeling and last is prayer And if it bee the duetie of all men to praye then especiallie the Minister is bounde to praye both for himselfe and for them also to vvhome hee is sent So in a vvorde Reade meditate and
he hath a speciall warrand from the Iudge otherwise hee cannot haue a good conscience in his intimation then how shall the Pastour knowe Gods sentence pronounced in Heauen that hee may haue a good conscience in his proceeding To this I answere It is true indeede the Pastour hath none extraordinarie reuelation of that sentence vvhich is past in Heauen but all the warrand that the Pastour hath is ordinary wrought by the Spirit accompanying His own word vvhich He left in vvrite vnto vs and the Pastour gets this vvarrand out of the vvord by the applying of the generall sentences of the vvorde to particular persons according as they finde their disposition and behauiour and by this meanes gets such a sufficient warrand out of the vvorde as his conscience may rest vpon As for example to speake first of the sentence of the Remission of sinnes Before the Pastour absolue a man and remit his sinnes he lookes first to the generall sentences set downe in the worde that may be his warrand as namely that sentence which the LORD Himselfe vtters Ioh. 3.13 Whosoeuer beleeues in the Sonne of God shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Nowe to Faith in Christ joyne Repentance for the Gospell joynes Repentance and Remission of sinnes together Luke 24.47 and sayes Whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be safe To this generall proposition the Pastour will assume particularly This sinner repents and beleeues whereupon he concludes declaring the sentence that is alreadie past of Him in the Heauen therefore this sinner hath his sinnes forgiuen him and he shall be saued Againe before the Pastour binde a man and retaine his sinnes hee lookes to this generall sentence of the worde Hee that beleeues not and repents not is alreadie condemned Ioh. 3.18 Then he assumes particularly But this sinner beleeues not neither repents whereupon hee concludes the declaration of the sentence which is alreadie past in Heauen Therefore this sinner is condemned and is bound in Heauen The Lord worke in our heartes true repentance and Faith in the Lorde Iesus that not only wee may heare the voyce of the Pastour absoluing vs but likewise our owne consciences may assure vs of the Remission of our sinnes through the mercie of God in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLVI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XX. verse 24 But Thomas one of the twelue called Didimus was not with them when Iesus came verse 25 The other Disciples therefore saide vnto him Wee haue seene the Lord but hee saide vnto them Except I see in His handes the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put mine hand into His side I will not beleeue it verse 26 And eight dayes after againe His Disciples were within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus when the doores were shut and stood in the middes and saide Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard hitherto Welbeloued in Christ of fiue sundrie appearings of our Lord after His Resurrection The first was to Marie Magdalene The second was to other women The third was to two Disciples as they were going from Jerusalem to Emmaus The fourth was to Simon Peter The fift was to the eleuen assembled together in one place In this fift appearance the Lord hath a Sermon to His Disciples wherein first He lets them see the necessitie that He should suffer and rise againe and that these thinges behooued to be preached to the world and thereafter giues them a direction to goe out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to the worlde in His Name and to the end He may encourage them the more willingly to vndertake this charge Hee promises to giue them the Holy Spirit with His graces y t was promised before for their further assurance He enters them presently in some measure in possession of the Spirit for Iohn sayes Hee breathed vpon them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost and then Hee enarmes them with authoritie and power to forgiue and retaine sinnes And Hee sayes Whosoâ—uer sinâ—es ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine thâ—y are retained Now in the words that we haue presently read out of the Gospell of Iohn wee haue set downe a particular Hâ—storie concerning Thomas and his incredulitie this Thomas is he who is also called Didymus we read of him first that he was called and receiued to be one of the twelue Apostles Matth. 10 3. Next we â—ead that hee was offended that the Lord purposed to returne againe to Iudea beeing requestâ—d by Martha and Marie to come to Lazâ—rus their brother and that he burst out in words full of anger aâ—d iâ—dâ—gnation saying Let vs goe also that we may die with Lazarus Ioh 11.16 And last wee haue in this place set downe the Historie not only of his great incredulitie but also of his stubburnesse and wilfulnesse therein for neither did hee beleeue neither had hee a will or purpose to beleeue Of this doing of Thomas we may learne that by nature there was no difference betweene y e Apostles of the Lord Iesus other men albeit moste vile most vnworthie but grace made the difference they were as incredulous as stubburne as hard hearted as any other by nature while it pleased God of His mercie to open their heâ—rtes to make them to bâ—leeue And therefore the Lord Iesus when He calles them to be Apostles and ordaines them to preach the exceeding gâ—eatnesse of His mercy to others He makes them to stand for eâ—samples of that same mercie that they preach to others that they might y e more easily perswade others make them to come to seeke mercie in Iesus This was the ende why the Apostle Paul sayes The Lord shewed mercy on him who was a mâ—serable wreth and had called him to bee an Apost Iesus Christ saies he shâ—wed on me all long suffeâ—ing vnto the ensample of them which shall in time to come beleeue in Him vnto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 Thus much concerning the person of Thomas we come next to the Historie of his incredulitie first to the occasion of it the rest of y e Apostles Disciples who were assembled together in one to whom the Lord Iesus had manifested Himselfe declares preaches to Thomas y e ResurrectioÌ„ of Christ y e cause of their preaching thereof to him was because Thomas was absent when the Lord appeared to the rest What was the cause of his absence it is vncertaine neither will we curiously inquire what it was It may be that after Christ His Master was apprehended he kept himselfe close lurked secretly for feare of danger through the malice of the Iewes and durst not manifest himselfe so soone as the rest or it may be that he was entangled with his owne priuate affaires at that time when the rest met together and were speaking of
could enter into the heart of man thou shalt vvonder vvhen thou seest it that euer there could bee such joy prepared for thee and therefore measure it not by thy capacitie Yet this vvould not be passed by They goe not to His throat to His necke or to His middle but they fall dovvne and takes Him by the feete and vvorships Him Marke it Brethren a sinner vvill be homely indeede vvith his God vvith CHRIST No there vvas neuer a creature so homely vvith another as the sinner vvill be vvith the LORD But marke it This homelines vvill not be vvith misnourturnesse and vvith an opinion of paritie albeit thou wilt bee homely with Him as with thy brother yet thou mayest not make thy selfe as companion to Him and count lightly of Him but thou must be lowly thine head must be reuerenced Hee is our Head Ephes Chapter 1. verse 22. If therefore wee ought to reuerence Him for He is in a wonderfull sublimitie and highnesse aboue His Church and as this is true that the soule which is joyned with Him in this life by Faith sees in Him such a Majestie that it stoupes before Him so much more vvhen wee shall see Him face to face in glorie and His Majestie fully reueiled wee shall reuerence Him and in humilitie fall at His feete singing Holy Holy Holy as yee haue in the sixt Chapter of Esay and in the Reuelation Nowe to goe forward While they are sitting at His feete the LORD speakes to them and suffers them to feele Him and all to this ende that they might beleeue Hee was risen and liuing Then He sayes to them Feare not this encouragement importes that notwithstanding all their embracing of Him and confidence there vvas a piece of feare and lying backe in them I will not commend it because the Lord hath discommended it It is true indeed our joyning with Him by Faith should be with such a confidence that it should be without any feare or doubting but with joy This should be but marke it againe There is such an holinesse in that Majestie that we joyne with there is no spot in Him then so long as we are here there is such vncleannesse such an euill conscience in vs that our Faith is joyned with doubting and feare so that if thou hast not a recourse to Him no peace for thee we will feare that that Holy one consume vs that are so vnholy but the Lord who knowes thy feare He comfortes thee thou knowest not thine owne feare so well as the Lord does thou feelest Him not so soone by Faith but as soone He knowes thy feare and thine heauinesse as Hee did the feare of the women and Hee sayes to a sinner that faine would embrace Him feare not thou hast no cause of feare My terrours haue taken thy terrours away And as the Apostle sayes Heb. Chapter 4. verse 16. Let vs goe boldly to the throne of grace with confidence that we may receiue mercie if thou hearest this voyce thou mayest goe boldly and He shall put away all teâ—rours and feare But in that life to come when all matter of seare as sinne and corruption of nature is away albeit vve shall see Him more clearelie and bee conjoyned vvith Him more perfectlie yet all feare shall bee taken awaye for perfect loue castes out feare as Iohn saieth in his first Epistle Chap. 4. vers 18. Nowe to goe to the commission Goe and tell my Brethren that they goe into Galile and there shall they see mee They woulde see mee bid them goe before mee into Galile and there they shall see mee There is heere then a commission giuen vnto the vvomen to the Disciples There was afore a commission sent vnto the Disciples by the Angels First of a companie of vvomen and afterwarde another companie and next MARIE was sent from the Lorde Himselfe Nowe Hee sendes a newe commission to tell them that Hee was risen yet they neuer beleeued Heere vvee see a marueilous patience in suffering their incredulitie so long What King vvoulde haue had euer the tenth part of this patience With this Hee joynes the louing stile Tell my Brethren Hee sayes not Tell these sluggishe and faithlesse bodies His patience is joyned with loue vnspeakeable All the worlde cannot expresse the lenitie and patience of the LORDE towardes His owne though they shoulde bee neuer so vnbeleeuing yet Hee calles them His Brethren Wee shoulde studie night and daye to knowe that the LORDE loues vs for our standing is not in our loue towarde Him but in His loue towardes vs and if thou finde thy selfe rooted in His loue as the Apostle speakes to the EPHESIANS thou shalt neuer bee separated thorowe anie occasion from that loue that is in CHRIST Then againe I see Hee hath a marueilous studie to gette them instructed Hee sayes not I haue sent manie alreadie and yet they will not beleeue No Hee sendes euerie companie after another till they beleeue and till faith be wrought in their heartes What meanes all this care to instruct them The Lorde was to sende them foorth to teach others and therefore all His studie is before they instruct others that they might beleeue themselues No if the Lorde sende thee to tell of His Death His Resurrection and Ascention to the Heauens and of His comming againe to Iudgement He will haue a care that thou be instructed and that thou beleeue that which thou deliuerest vnto others No I will not giue a pennie for a Minister that hath no assurance no feeling nor no sight of the death and Resurrection of CHRIST and that will stande vp and speake to the people of GOD. Besides this patience this loue and this care that Hee hath to instruct them who are to bee employed in His seruice Hee shewes a marueilous wisedome in humbling them thorowe the teaching of the women And therefore Hee will not sende an Angell vnto them but infirme women to schoole them and shame them and howbeit the commission beares not this in expresse wordes yet Hee will haue the women to saye in effect Fie vpon you yee are sluggishe bodies yee shoulde haue taught vs and not wee you This is it that the Apostles shoulde haue vnderstood They vnderstoode His wonderfull wisedome Hee was to sende them to the worlde He was carefull to instruct them He sendes not Angels to schoole them but women to learne them humilitie that they neuer forget this that they were schooled in the schoole of women for as it is required that the seruantes of GOD haue knowledge and a perswasion so they must haue humilitie or else they cannot bee faithfull Preachers Nowe one worde and so I shall ende Bidde them sayes Hee goe to Galile Hee sayes not Goe to Hierusalem No the LORDE had turned His backe on Hierusalem for these who contemned Him when Hee was humbled in the fleshe the LORDE will dispise them when Hee is glorified Woe to them whome Hee forbiddes His seruantes to goe vnto
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
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
see Christ that hee woulde not care for death nor for the graue to see Him Howbeit they cannot beleeue yet they haue joye and their soules are rauished with admiration Faith is not so much in a rauished and carried heart as in a setâ—ed soule A faithfull heart is the moste setled heart in the worlde If there bee vanitie in the heart faith is so solide that it will presse out vanitie Faith is a solide thing in a setled heart A faithfull man is a setled man and a man without faith is as an emptie vessell and as a bagge of winde his joye is light and proceedes onely from the swarfe of the soule But after once faith bee setled there will bee solide joy that comes in with pleasure and searches the least corner of the heart a joye vnspeakeable and glorious begunne heere which will haue none ende till wee see Christ So this their joye goes not farre enough downe in their heartes for they are rauished with joye but had not solide faith When I marke this place I see in it what shall be the estate of the godlie when they shall meete with their LORD The first sight shall rauishe them so that they shall wonder that euer there coulde haue beene such a glorie Wilt thou but suspende thy judgement for a while thou shalt see that which thou neuer sawest and that which thou neuer heardest tell of and that which neuer coulde enter into thine heart When thou shalt see this thou shalt fall into an admiration Then after once thou knowest Him then after the admiration shall follow a solide faith a solide joye and a setled apprehension of thinges spirituall and that not for a time but for euermore Nowe it lastes not scarcelie is it present when it euanishes But after the full sight shall followe the solide joye that neuer shall haue ende As by the contrarie This shall bee the estate of the reprobate The first sight and sense of that wrath that shall ceaze vpon them so fearcelie as neuer before they coulde haue suspected shall astonishe confounde and dammishe them Thou knewest neuer what measure of wrath is hidden vp in the treasure of GOD. Thou who art a reprobate till thou feelest it there shall come such a terrour vpon thee that it shall cause all the haires of thine head stande ouer ende and it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such an astonishment as Christ suffered in the Garden a little before Hee was taken Then shall followe on them that anguishe and fearefull dreadfulnesse pressing them when they haue beene astonished at the sight and sense of vvrath vvhich is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhich vvas the LORDES seconde perturbation vvhich is a more setled feeling of vvrath and more constant apprehension of dolour sorrowe and anguishe for euermore in the Helles And it shall bee so vveightie vvhen they are shotte into Hell that it shall presse the sappe out of them The LORDE saue vs from it and giue vs grace to bee founde in CHRIST that wee maye bee saued from that vvrath vvhich is to come in Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euermore Amen THE XLII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 41 Hee saide vnto them Haue yee heere anie meate verse 42 And they gaue him a piece of a broyled fish and of an honie combe verse 43 And hee tooke it and did eate before them verse 44 And hee saide vnto them These are the wordes which I spake vnto you while I was yet with you that all must bee fulfilled which are written of mee in the Lawe of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalmes verse 45 Then opened hee their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures verse 46 And saide vnto them Thus it is written and thus it behooued Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the thirde day WEe continue as yet beloued Brethren in the History of the appearing of Christ after His glorious Resurrection His fift appearing was to the eleueÌ„ who were so called after the defection of Iudas and the others The common ranke of His Disciples conuened together in the night in a secret plâ—ce of Hierusalem and while they are sitting together hauing their conferences one with another each one perswading certifying another of the Resurrection of the Lord in the meane time the doore being shut the LORD on a suddaintie comes in ere they wist and Hee standes in the middes of them standing in the middes of them He wishes His peace to them and He sayes Peace be vnto you they seeing Him and supposing Hee had bene a Spirit or an Angell in the likenesse of a man they were abashed and astonished The Lord aftherwards settles them with a litle sharpe rebuke Hee beginnes to shew vnto them that He was no spirit but a very body and that same very man called Iesus vvho before His Passion vvas conuersant with them that same man that suffered and therefore He holdes out His handes and His feete which were both marked with the print of His wounds on the Crosse See sayes He feele sayes He looke if I be not that same man which suffered a Spirit hath not flesh and blood as I haue Ergo I am no Spirit When He had in this manner led them by the very sense to know Him by the eye to beholde Him by the eare to heare His familiar voyce salutation by the hand to handle Him What effect followed Yet sayes the Scripture they beleeued not and they could not beleeue for exceeding joy wherewith they were rauished for admiration and wondering they could not beleeue for a piece of time Faith dwelles in a setled heart and if there be any vanitie and any emptinesse in the heart Faith will presse out the vanitie and will fill vp that emptinesse in the heart and the faithfull man is the most solide and settled thing in the world and hee who is the vnfaithfull man is a vaine hearted man his heart is blowne vp with vanitie albeit he had all the naturall wit in the world Now the joy that Faith brings with it is not an admiration and rauishing of the heart but it is a solide joy a solide apprehension of spiritual things in the heart so the heartes of the disciples at the first sight became rauished in admiration the vaile of their heartes were not touched with joy they had not that settled joy that they had afterward Nowe to come to the Text that wee haue read In it first the Lord yet continues in assuring them that it was He He striueth on with their infidelitie then when He hath shewed them visibly the action of a body in eating in their sight then He comes to a sweete Sermon wherein Hee instructes them in two points first that all things that befell to Him as His Passion and Resurrection behooued to haue befallen to Him secondly againe
Christ His ResurrectioÌ„ from the dead Alwayes what euer hath bene the cause of his absence wee may perceiue that he was depriued of that grace and presence of the LORD which the rest who were met together found Whereof we learne this lesson That whosoeuer doe absent themselues from the assembly of the LORDS Sainctes from these holy meetings whereinto the LORD hath promised His owne blessed presence they procure no small skaith and damage to themselues they depriue themselues of some grace and comfort that the LORD ministers to them that meet together What euer be the cause of thine absence it caÌ„not be but hurtfull to thee albeit all causes of absence be not alike hurtfull for if thou be absent by negligence the lesse is thy danger and losse but if wilfully and vpon contempt thou absentest thy selfe then not only depriuest thou thy sâ—lfe of grace and comfort but also thou procurest the wrath of GOD vpon thee for the contempt of His blessed ordinance Therefore if wee would bee partakers of the grace and blessing that the LORD hath promised to these holy assemblies we should postpone our priuate adoes and the cares of the world vnto these Holy exercises and we should embrace that counsell of our Sauiour Seeke first the Kingdome of Heauen and His righteousnesse and all other thinges shall bee ministred vnto you Matth. Chapter 6. verse 33. The man that makes this his first and his chiefe care to seeke the Kingdome of God when he hath gotten it hee will finde by experience that there is nothing necessarie for the sustaining of this present life that shall be inlaking to him It is a foolish thing to be too carefull for these worldly things for if thou seekest first the Kingdome of Heauen all these things will be casteâ— to thee Nowe to come to the preaching of the rest of the Disciples to Thomas it is said The other Disciples said vnto him We haue seene the Lord They preach to Thomas the Lordes Resurrection for the benefite they had receiued themselues in Thomas absence they willingly communicate to him they knewe and they sawe that the Lord was risen they tell this to Thomas as they beleeued so they wished and desired that hee should beleeue also This Example of the Apostles we ought all to followe When the Lorde communicates any spirituall benefite to vs we should not keepe it close to our selues but wee should bee carefull to communicate it to the well of others And thus doing we need not to feare that the grace shall be empaired and grow lesse No by the contrarie this communicating of the grace and vsing of the talent that the LORD hath giuen vs is the hie and readie way to augment the grace and to reape profite of the talent that wee haue receiued Albeit thou hast taken great paines and spent much time with the losse of some worldly goods to attaine to grace yet that should not make thee the more sparing in communicating it to others It is the Lords will that thou giue it to others freely chearfully and liberally Therefore trie and examine whether thou wilt be willing and carefull to communicate to others the grace that God hath giuen thee and if thou findest this then thou hast a good conscience and if thou findest it not thou hast no matter of rejoycing because thou doest not that which the LORD requires at thine hands When the Disciples haue informed Thomas of the Lordes Resurrection looke howe Thomas takes with it What is his part In a word hee beleeues not their report His incredulitie was very vvonderfull for albeit hee vvas compassed vvith such a cloud of witnesses of faithfull witnesses of eye-seeing witnesses yet he beleeues not Apparantly euery one of them who had seene the LORD course by course had tolde him of the LORDES Resurrection and first Marie Magdalene who got this honour first to see the LORD after His Resurrection hath witnessed to Thomas that she saw the LORD and spake with Him Next the other women who did meete with Him as they were returning froÌ„ the graue testifies the same Thirdly the two disciples who were going from Ierusalem to Emmaus informed him that they did meete with Him in the way of the conference they had with Him Fourthly Peter to whoÌ„ also y e Lord had appeared stroue to perswade him and last the whole number of the Apostles and the faithfull there assembled testified with one voyce that they had seene Him and spoken with Him yet Thomas is nothing mooued with all these speeches their witnessing makes not him to beleeue he remaines still in incredulity This example of Thomas telles vs that all the outward meanes that can be vsed all the testimonies of the worlde the testimonies of the most faithfull most godly most wise of the eye-witnesses will not mooue the heart of a man to beleeue will not perswade him of any point of doctrine necessarie to Saluation if there bee no more What then will make a man to beleeue Nothing but the Spirit of IESVS CHRIST it must be He that must witnesse vnto our heartes what is the will of GOD concerning vs it must be Hee that must take away the vale and illuminate our darke soules it must bee Hee that must open our heartes as Hee opened the heart of Lydia and make vs to beleeue If this Holy Spirit of CHRIST bee not present a man will not beleeue his owne eyes his owne senses will not perswade him We sawe the trueth of this before in the rest of the Disciples when the LORD stood in the middes of them when they sawe Him with their eyes when they heard Him speake face to face they beleeued not While as Luke sayes the LORD opened their vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Luke Chapter 24. verse 45. This doctrine would bee well marked because it serues to decide a controuersie that this day is betwixt vs and the Papists The controuersie and question which is betwixt vs and them concerning the chiefe and principall witnesse and judge First of authenticke Scripture Next of true interpretation of particular places of Scripture that is How shall a man knowe that this Scripture that wee haue and wee reade and vse dayly is the very worde of GOD and not the worde of any creature And againe Howe shall a man knowe what is the true meaning of any particular place of Scripture and whether this or that sense of the word is to bee receiued The Papistes affirme that the chiefe and principall witnesse judge both of the one or the other is the Church they say y t we could not be assured that y e Scripture is authenticke y t it is y e very word of God except y e church affirme it so to be likewise they say y t we cannot be assured of y e right meaning of any place of y e Scripture except it be by y e testimonie of y e same Church they teach
and Pastors heere in this vvorld shall bee effectuall either to thy life or to thy death and as certainelie the same vvorde shall haue effect to driue the vvicked men vpon their backes as Zacharie saieth Chap. 1. vers 4.5.6 When the men are dead that haue spoken that vvorde after it hath beene spoken it shall bee founde liuing and that same voyce shall haue effect vvhen vvee are dead It is true sayeth the LORD my Prophets died with your fathers but my voyce which I put into their mouthes died not with them and your fathers knewe that that worde which I did put into their mouthes was liuing and neuer left them vntill it brought on judgement vpon them The LORD graunt that euerie soule may reuerence the vvorde of IESVS CHRIST for it shall bee founde that either it vvas spoken to thy saluation or to thy damnation And Heauen and Earth shall vanishe awaye before one jote of that Worde passe awaye vvithout its owne effect But nowe let vs see vvhat they doe after they are fallen downe vpon the grounde Leaue they off No no they rise againe and the LORD IESVS standeth still and letteth them rise againe and vvhen they are risen they speake nothing but Hee speaketh first and Hee saieth Whome seeke yee and they saye IESVS of NAZARETH And Hee answereth I am hee Nowe this is a strange thing Who can thinke that these men vvho founde so great a power proceeding out of the mouth of the LORD IESVS CHRIST finding such force shoulde haue medled with Him againe But left they Him for all this No but they get vp againe and pursue Him and take Him and binde Him It is an hard matter to bee giuen ouer to a reprobate sense that is to want feeling when the Lord taketh out of the soule in His judgement all sight sense that person is miserable and if thou be once strucken with that senselesnesse of the soule albeit thou be throwne downe vpon thy backe thou shalt get vp againe like a drunken man and fight against the Lord and that man is worse than any beast horse or mule for once strike a Horse downe he hath a feeling therof and he will beware of the like perill againe But a man who should haue reason after that the Lord hath once strucken him with senselessenesse there is no beast so senselesse as he is and as hee is senselesse so he shall not leaue off from euill doing and hee shall compt no more of the power of God than of a flee for they feele not the hand of God they are so astonished and they will vp againe after they are casten downe and they will assaye His power againe and will not leaue off till His wrath destroy him Striue therefore euer to keepe the soule in a sense and feeling and let not that miserable scroofe to goe ouer thy soule but haue still a feeling of the power of God and mercy of God in thy soule and alwayes haue a wakened conscience for if thine heart come to that extreame senselessenesse thy soule shall ouer-grow with such a fatnesse that thou shalt haue no more sense than a dead stocke and thou shalt bee like an Oxe fedde to destruction thou shalt neither haue feeling of mercie nor of judgement To ende with this ye see that Iesus Christ albeit he was but himselfe alone a simple man to looke to and without armour yet Hee prouoketh them and speaketh to them first Hee dischargeth them to stirre Him vntill first they entered into a conditiō with Him That His disciples should passe free there is not such a thing that one of them could haue power to put out their hand to take Him And if there were no more but this that they had no power to stirre him they might see more in Iesus Christ than in a common man they might see power in Him to keepe Himselfe yet their senselessenesse is so great that they cannot see this The Lord keepe vs in sense and feeling of Him that when He hath adoe with vs wee may feele Him and see Him that our conscience may bee wakened and our hearts mollified through Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE SECOND LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 7 Then he asked them againe Whom seeke yee And they said IESVS of Nazareth verse 8 IESVS answered I saide vnto you that I am hee therefore if ye seeke me let these goe their way verse 9 This was that the word might bee fulfilled which hee spake Of them which thou gauest mee haue I lost none verse 10 Then Simon Peter hauing a sword drew it and smote the high Priestes seruant and cut off his right eare Now the seruants name was Malchus verse 11 Then saide IESVS vnto Peter Put vp thy sworde into the sheath shall I not drinke of the cuppe which my Father hath giuen mee verse 12 Then the band and the captaine and the officers of the Iewes tooke IESVS and bound him THE last day beloued in the LORD IESVS wee diuided the whole Historie of the Passion and suffering of Iesus Christ which is contained in these two CHAPTERS to wit the XVIII and XIX of this Gospell in these parts First wee haue his suffering in the Garden Then wee haue his suffering in the Hall of the high Priest Thirdly we haue his suffering before the Iudge Pontius Pilate Fourthly wee haue his suffering in the place of Execution in Caluaria otherwise GOLGOTHA And last we haue the last part of his suffering which is his Buriall The last day wee entered into the first part of his suffering which IOHN in this Chapter setteth downe to bee this The Lord Iesus beeing in the Garden is taken captiue and bounde John passeth by all that agonie and conflict that the Lord had before his taking in the Garden with the heauie wrath of his Father for our sinne which hee did beare As concerning his taking we haue first the part of Iesus who of purpose wittingly and willingly came to this Garden to be taken which Garden was knowne to Judas the Traitor Then wee haue the part of Iudas he knowing the Garden commeth forward because the Lord vsed with his Disciples to resort thither accompanied with a band of men of warre with the officers and seruants of the high Priest to take and apprehende the Lord. In the third place wee haue the communing that fell out betwixt Christ and them that came to take him he knowing all things that should come vnto him hee taketh not the flight nor seeketh not to goe his way as he might haue done because it was night but hee commeth out vnsought and beginneth the speach and saieth Whome seeke yee They not knowing him by face answered IESVS of Nazareth He answered againe not denying himselfe I am he as he would say in plaine wordes I am the man whom yee seeke why seeke yee
Christ that thou mayest haue a continuall remorse for in the bitternesse of sinne is the sweetnesse of joy Nowe to make an ende and shortly to examine this fall of Peters Certainely there are many faults in this fall First he is caried away with a vaine confidence of flesh and blood he will take vp his crosse and follow the Lord albeit that the Lord aduertised him that hee was not able and then the doore was shut vpon him to aduertise him and put him in minde yet he would not stay then when he is let in alas he denies his Lord once he denies Him twise thrise till the LORD did staye him I dare not say but all this time Peter caried a good heart towards his Lord a spunke of faith a spunke of loue in the heart albeit his faith loue were choked it was suppressed with infirmities of the flesh namely with feare then when he is entered in and come vnto the fire side if that faith and loue was suppressed before with his nature then it was farre more suppressed this litle spunke of loue in the man was smoothered there falles such a weight of infirmitie on it that it was pressed downe vnder the burthen of corruption and vnder securitie if thou be sleeping in securitie albeit thou haue a spunke of loue it will be smoothered and this is most true that this spunke of loue was so smoothered yea I say more it was pressed that except the Lord had looked ouer his shoulder with the eye of his mercie and wakened that spunke of loue it had died out In Peter we haue a cleare example of the weaknesse of the godly men into this life albeit we haue faith and loue yet in the example of Peter we see that the spunke of grace will be choaked with corruption infirmitie and then will ye come to God Peter is one of the chiefe examples of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ Paul to Timothie countes that he was one of the greatest examples of mercie in the world but if yee looke to the sinne of Peter ye will finde that it was greater than the sinne of Paul for Paul did all of ignorance and so if Paul as hee sayes was made an example of the mercie of God to sinners surely this example of Peter ought much more to bee an example to all sinners let no sinner that lookes to him despaire of mercie how burthened so euer hee be with sinne for that same Iesus Christ who was mercifull to Peter hath store of mercie for all them that it pleaseth him mercifully to looke vpon To Him therefore with the Father and holy Spirit be all honour and glorie AMEN THE FIFT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 28 Then led they IESVS from Caiaphas into the common Hall Now it was morning and they themselues went not into the common Hall lest they should bee defiled but that they might eate the Passeouer verse 29 Pilate then went out vnto them and said What accusation bring you against this man verse 30 They answered and said vnto him If he were not an euill doer we would not haue deliuered him vnto thee verse 31 Then saide Pilate vnto them Take yee him and judge him after your owne Lawe Then the Iewes saide vnto him It is not lawfull for vs to put anie man to death verse 32 It was that the word of IESVS might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should die IN the eighteenth and nineteenth Chapters of this Gospell Brethren is contained the History of the Passion of the Lord Iesus Christ and it is diuided in these parts The first is the suffering of the Lord in the Garden The next is the suffering of the Lord vnder the High Priest Caiaphas the Ecclesiâ—sticall Iudge The third is the suffering of the Lord vnder Pontius Pilate the Ciuill and Romane Magistrate The fourth is the suffering of the Lord in the place of Execution The last in the sepulchre Wee haue spoken of y e first part of His suffering in the Garden besides the inward coÌ„flict He had with y e wrath of His Father for y e sins of y e elect which Hee did beare vpon Him The Lord is taken like a thiefe or vagabond and bound led to Hierusalem We heard also the suffering of the Lord in y e Hall of the High Priest whose name was Caiaphas When the High Priests Elders are set down in couÌ„cell He is brought in before them and being brought they haue not a word to say against Him howbeit they bound Him brought Him to judgemeÌ„t This was an vnformall dealing therfore the hie priest demands of Him His doctrine of His disciples to catch a word out of His mouth wherupoÌ„ he might make his accusatioÌ„ wheÌ„ they preuaile not this way the rest of the EuaÌ„gelists note that they begin to suborne false witnes but they get no vantage that way neither for they caÌ„not agree together TheÌ„ the hie priest begins in wrath to adjure Him to tell him whether he be that Christ or no The Lord denies it not but saies Thou hast said it He giues him a faire testimony of this after this Hee saies Yee shall see the sonne of man sitting at the right haÌ„d of the power of God come in the clouds of heaueÌ„ Then the high priest rent his clothes as though He had blasphemed said What haue we more need of witnes behold now ye heard His blasphemy what think ye Then he the rest of the councell coÌ„cluded y t the Lord was worthy of death so the couÌ„cel departed In the meane time the Lord is kept still in the Hall of the hie priest the officers are al about Him working all kind of injury against Him y e rebukes y t shuld haue befalleÌ„ to vs are laide on Him as the prophet said of Him Psal 69.10 Some spitted on Him some put a vaile on His face smote Him saying in scorn Prophesie Christ who it is that striketh thee nothing in the Lord but patieÌ„ce He spake nothing He made no more resistaÌ„ce than a silly laÌ„be before the shearer wheÌ„ it is begun to become light in the morning the Priests Elders begin to sit down in councell the hie priest asked of Him the same again whether he was that Christ or no He answereth If I should tell you ye will not belieue mee what auailes it to speak to an indured heart He testifies again Thou hast said it he giues an argumeÌ„t of this hereafter shall the son of man sit at the right haÌ„d of the power of God Then the hie priest and the Elders the second time concludes Him to be worthie of death adjudges Him to die theÌ„ the councell arises the first thing they doe they lead Him to Pontius Pilate the Romane deputie to the judgemeÌ„t Hall to him to execute y t sentence they had
hurt him not which are done by the hands of the Emperour Who executes them in the Inquisition The Kinges the Popes holy hāds are cleane of all Excuse as they will I pronounce and the Lord shall ratifie it in that Great day that they are greater murtherers than the secular power Away with their vaine excuses When they haue murthered the man they will put the fault in the Magistrate Wil God accept such excuses In the next vers Iohn subjoynes wherfore y e Iewes would not take vpon them to judge of y e life or death of Iesus Christ and saies that they answered so that that might be fulfilled that the Lord spake signifying what death he should die When He was conuersant with His Disciples He fore-told them that He should die vpon the Crosse Now the Iewes will not take vpon them the right of the judging Him that these words might be fulfilled If the Iewes had taken it vpon them they would not haue crucified him because it was not vsuall among the Iewes they vsed to stone a deceiuer or blasphemer to the death according to the lawe as they did Steuen afterwards This death of the Crosse was familiar and vsuall among the Romanes Then Brethrē we see here the God of Heauen is the disposer of the whole action of the persecution passion of Christ what euer be mans part There is not a word vttered nor an action done either by Pilate or any of the Iewes which the Lord did not dispose All that Pilate did all that the Iewes did as that spitting and buffeting of Christ were all disposed by the Lord And this is it that ye reade in that prayer in y e Acts of the Apostles cap. 4. vers 28. The princes of the earth are gathered against thine anointed Herode Pilate and the Gentiles Whereto That they should doe that thing that thine hand and thy councell hath ordained Neither Herode Pilate nor any of the Iewes or Gentiles did anie thing in this execution but that vvhich God appointed The vnderstanding herof serues to this that there was nothing done to our Redeamer but that which His father appointed they were but persecuters appointed by God euen as the hang-man the Iewes Pilate Herod were like as many hangmen to execute that decree of God This would seeme a very light word that the Iewes say We haue no power to sit ouer the life or death of men yet this is a meane whereby the Lord bringes to passe that forme of Cursed death Brethren we may speake as lightly of thinges as wee please and many times to little purpose but there is nothing that passes GODS decree Looke to that prouidence that GOD hath in His creatures The LORD disposes the lightest wordes that thou speakest He rules thine hand so that whatsoeuer thou doest He makes al to effectuate produce that which He hath decerned the thing that thou wilt speake or doe it will serue for some purpose to Him how beit little for thee In the meane time let no man thinke that when men speake or doe euill that they shall bee the more excusable for if there were no more but this it shall make thee vnexcusable because in speaking euill and in doing euill thou hast not the LORD before thine eyes Thou doest it not for obedience to His vvill Take this lesson Let euerie man and vvoman take good heede that they bee vvell exercised and if our GOD employe vs let vs take good heede that vvee bee in a good seruice in speaking good and doing good Lende not thine heart thine hande nor thy tongue to the Deuill in vnrighteousnesse And seeing thou canst not sleepe from morning to euening but must bee speaking and doing praye that the LORD maye employe thee to doe vvell and to speake vvell and saye LORD let mee bee an instrument to doe well And more in doing vvell bee not content of the outwarde face of the action but in doing vvhether it bee little or much goe euer to the heart and see the disposition thereof and looke thou doe it in sinceritie hauing regarde to GOD. Thinke it not enough and if the LORD vvorke a good vvorke by thee as an instrument but looke still that Hee vvorke in thee that thou mayest finde a good motion in thine heart For alas vvhat auaileth the outwarde action if the heart bee foule vvhich defileth all Indeed vvee maye not thinke that there is anie perfection in vs or in our actions in this life but this is the perfect ground that makes that action to smell sweetelie in the sight of GOD to vvit Faith in IESVS CHRIST If that thou findest that thou hast IESVS CHRIST in thine heart by Faith albeit vvith great vveakenesse in thy selfe yet in CHRIST all the imperfection and vveakenesse is hidden and vvhen the action commeth before the LORD it is pleasant and acceptable to Him All thinges are pleasant that come to the Father thorowe the Sonne there is the grounde of all grace and acceptation Sticke to the LORD IESVS and haue Him not in thy mouth onelie as the Hypocrites doe but let Him also bee inclosed in thine heart and dwell therein for then thou shalt bee acceptable to GOD through Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer vvorlde vvithout ende AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 33 So Pilate entered into the common Hall againe and called IESVS and saide vnto him Art thou the King of the Iewes verse 34 IESVS answered him Sayest thou that of thy selfe or did other tell it thee of mee verse 35 Pilate answered Am I a Iew Thine owne nation and the high Priests haue deliuered thee vnto mee What hast thou done verse 36 IESVS answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world my seruants would surely fight that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes but nowe is my Kingdome not from hence verse 37 Pilate then saide vnto him Art thou a King then IESVS answered Thou sayest that I am a King for this cause am I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse vnto the trueth euerie one that is of the trueth heareth my voyce THE last day Brethren we entered into the suffering of Christ vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane Gouernour Ciuill Iudge in Iudeae for the time Iesus is led into the Common Hall to the House of Iustice as ye heard where Pilate sate Now Pilate is not rash in judging but before he sit downe to judge hee will haue an inditement and will see what things the Iewes haue to lay to the charge of the Lord He saw the accusers of Him the Iewes in multitudes he saw no accusation therefore he goes out vnto them because they would not come to him and asketh what accusation haue they against Him hee receiueth little answere or at least little
King he should haue asked what a King He was where his kingdome was that He might haue gotten a part of it there is y e coÌ„fessioÌ„ that Iesus gaue vnder Pontius Pilate as is saide 1. Tim. 6.13 Pilate should haue bin inquisitiue of these things and followed out that purpose about his kingdome but he breakes off the conference by an accusation of Iesus An earthly hearted man knowes not things heauenly so he cannot speake of them but rather he will stay an heauenly purpose Ye see earthly hearted men when one will begin to speake of heauenly things hath no more pleasure in them than Pilate had begin once to speake of heauenly things to a prophane man then he cannot keepe purpose with thee but hee will breake off purpose speake of earthly things Paul 1. Cor 2. sets down the grouÌ„d here The naturall man sayes he knowes not the things of the Spirit of God yea he will wonder what that means when thou speakest of Heauen yea he hath no power nor spirituall sense for they are but foolishnes to him the most wise things of God are but foolishnes to the naturall man he delites not in them because he hath not tasted how sweet the Lord is So Pilate interrupteth Christ Christ answeres He sayes Thou sayest that I am a King In the which answere the Lord denies not that He is a King but He takes the mouth of Pilate to be witnes that He was a King Then he lets vs see for what cause He came into the world not to be an earthly King Came I into the world but that I might beare witnesse of the trueth I came not to be an earthly King as other Kings are but I came from the throne of a King a glorious Kingdome that I may play the part of a seruaÌ„t in bearing witnes to the trueth Iesus Christ was God equall with the Father thought it no robberie but He made Himselfe of no reputation by taking on the forme of a servant Phil. 2.6 As though he would say I came into the world tooke on the flesh of man to be a seruant to my Father to be a witnes to the trueth then He subjoynes lest that Pilate should thinke that office of litle effect that He laboured in vaine sayes They who are of veritie to wit begotten of the word the immortal seed of the word of God for by veritie here is meant the word of veritie as Chap 17. vers 17. preceeding They heare my word He draweth neâ—re vnto Pilate if thou be such an one as is begotten of the trueth thou wilt heare my word albeit Christ be stayed from speaking Pilate would haue put Him off Hee leaues not but speakes againe to Pilate He would haue winne Pilate it had bene possible Albeit we be interrupted when we speake of heauenlie things to profane men and women wee ought not to leaue off by the example of Christ but howbeit wee bee interrupted wee should returne againe and follow out the thing we haue begun to see if some wordes will sinke in their hearts or if they will not returne that they may be vnexcusable Speake of Christ and of Heauen it shall neuer be in vaine but as Paul saies 2. Corin. 2. it shall bee a sweet odour to God either to their saluation or damnation that God may be glorified either in mercy in winning of them or in justice in their perdition And therfore it is good to speake of things HeaueÌ„lie the soule is nourished therby A man that redresses himselfe to a kingdome would euer take delite to speake of it if thou hast no pleasure at no time to speake of Heauenly things it is a sure token that thou hast no part of that kingdom thou hast neuer tasted the sweetnes of it for they who haue tasted thereof will haue somtimes a delite to speake of thinges Heauenly and will desire that sincere milke of the word as Peter speakes So if thou findest the worde of life sweet why shouldst thou not desire it continually for it is that only food by the which y e life of God is nourished within thee here and one day it shall present vnto thee such satiety of all pleasure and joy in the face of God as the heart cannot thinke of now howbeit thou gettest but scant in this world Alas that we should let such a joy passe away for fault of feeling tasting What is the veritie saies Pilate he askes this not with pleasure but loathing disdaining taries no answere but goes his way His stomack loathes Christ Then in Pilate we haue an example of naturall men if any will speake of things Heauenly vnto them of Christ and of His benefits they will stay the speach so farre as they can and if thereafter any will insist and yet speake on then at the last if thou wilt vrge them they must speake something but they will speake as Pilate did lightly and disdainfully and when they haue asked they will leaue off and will not care for an answere but askes for the fashions cause when they are constrained thereunto We are by nature like to Pilate either we will not speake one word of things Heauenly or else if wee bee compelled to speake and wordes bee throwne out of vs wee will speake with a loathing and disdaining of the heart There vvas neuer any thing in the world that could moue the naturall man more to loathing than y e word of God he will heare it with such disdain that when one thing is saide in word hee will say another in heart and he vvill thinke him vvho teaches him the most foolish man in the vvorld And he vvho is vvisest if he be not regenerated and renewed hee shall count Christ and things Heauenly most foolish A simple bodie is sooner vvonne than hee vvho is vvise in his owne conceit in the vvorld If thou vvouldest be an hearer or speaker of Heauenly things striue alwayes to get a reformation of thine own corrupt nature and let thy meditation and prayer be thus Lord reforme mine heart that thy vvord maye bee fruitfull in mee so that both I may heare vvith pleasure and also that the vvords come not from the teeth forward but from the deepnes of mine heart when I speake of Thee and things Heauenly that so thy vvord may edifie both mee and others It is a more dangerous thing to come to heare if vve be not duely prepared than to tarrie away and better not to speake at all than to speake of thinges Heauenly vvithout the inward sense of the heart Now the Lord grant vs grace that in hearing speaking of things Heauenly vve may haue this Heauenly disposition in some measure for Christes sake To vvhom vvith the Father and Holy Spirit be all Praise Honour and Glory both now and euermore Amen THE SEVENTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 38 Pilate said vnto him What
is trueth And when he had said that hee went out againe vnto the Iewes and said vnto them I finde in him no cause at all verse 39 But you haue a custome that I should deliuer you one loose at the Passeouer will yee then that I loose vnto you the King of the Iewes verse 40 Then cryed they all againe saying Not him but Barabbas nowe this Barabbas was a murtherer WEE heard these dayes past Brethren of the suffering of the Lord First in the Garden Next vnder Caiaphas the High Priest for the time and then vvee entered into the thirde part of His suffering vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane gouernour who abode in Hierusalem for the time We heard the accusatiō that the Hie Priests and the Iewes alledge to Pilate the judge vvhere hee sate in judgement against Iesus Christ the accusation was not blasphemous against God for when the Priests thought Him afore in their own judgement seat worthy of death but treason against the maiesty of Caesar he calles himself say they the king of the Iewes as though Christ had come into y e world to be an earthly king and to take the kingdom ouer Caesars head Whē Pilate had posed Christ about this after one or two answeres he findes this accusation vaine false fained And therefore Brethren first in this Text we haue read this day we haue the purgatiō of Iesus and y t out of Pilates own mouth Next howe hee seekes by all meanes to get Him out of the Iewes hands Thirdly we haue the part of the Iewes how they seeke maliciously the life of the innocent preferres Barabbas a murtherer vnto Him As to the first part it is said that Pilate went out again to the Iewes out of the Hall and professed before them all that hee found no fault in that man worthie of death Then Pilate after his inquisition finding Iesus Christ vvho vvas accused before him free of all affectation of Caesars kingdome yet finding that Hee denied not but that Hee vvas a king and that vvas that good vvitnessing that Christ gaue vnder Pontius Pilate as Paul 1. Tim. 6.13 saies but Hee vvas no king of this vvorld Then Pilate thinkes there vvas no crime in Christ Iesus as concerning the other kingdome Pilate thought it but an imagination fantasie therefore thinking that Iesus made Himselfe to be a fantasticke king and sought not Caesars kingdome from him he vvould not count Him vvorthie of death but he clenses Him Politicke and prophane hearted men in this vvorld vvho smell of nothing but of the earth and haue no sense of Heauenlie thinges if ye will but leaue them the thinges of this worlde as Caesars kingdome the glory the honour the riches and the pleasures of this worlde vnto them they care not what men speake of God or His kingdome or of Iesus Christ or of matters of religion howbeit that they would say that they would climbe vp to the Heauen and raue it from God they care not for it as Paul sayes The natural man countes heauenly things but foolishnes speake to them of heauenly things all is but imagination Heauen is as dreame to them Lysias the chiefe Captaine who was in Jerusalem after this man vnder the Gouernour Felix when Paul was persecuted in Ierusalem ye remember what he wrote to Felix They accuse him of trifles and of questions of their law but I finde no thing in the man worthie either of death or of bands Acts 23.29 Wordly men countes it not a crime or a thing worthie of punishment to derogate from Gods glorie Well let men spend their time one day they shall feele it to their griefe that religion is the most earnest excellent thing that euer was and they shall curse the time that euer they esteemed any thing excellent but religion Yet this is commendable in Pilate that he giues so faire a testimonie of Iesus a Ethnicke who had no knowledge of God nor sense of the life to come to stand vp in y e face of them who should haue knowne Iesus Christ to purge the innocent might haue made the High Priests the Iewes ashamed Yet will ye marke this more narrowly albeit his purgation bee faire yet hee faileth farre for in purgation he vttereth a prophane heart whilst he purges Him in words he scorneth Him in his heart condemneth that Kingdome of His that trueth whereof He spake as a fable Prophane men who haue no part of sanctification whē they speake fairest and when they seeme to doe best they doe nothing but sinne Why because in the meane time when they speeke fairest their heart is full of vanitie in their heart they scorne God Albeit thou standest vp speakest much for the defence of Christ seemest to be angrie at the Iewes as Pilate did if in the meane time thine heart beleeue not in that Iesus thou art but a scorner all thy speach serueth for no purpose to thee if thou beleeuest not therefore in speaking of Heauen of religiō of Iesus Christ we should take heede to the heart y t it be sanctified remember y t while the mouth speakes God sees the heart whē thou speakest of that Name of Iesus Christ let tihne heart grippe into Him so thy speach shal be edifying and gratious Now when he hath cleansed Him by word thereafter by deede he seekes to get him loose And it is subjoyned that Pilate sayes Ye haue a custome that I should deliuer you a prisoner loose at the Passeouer Will ye that I let loose the King of the Iewes The rest of the Euangelists Matthew 27.12 Marke 15.3 Luke 23. setteth downe another accusation that past in order before this immediatly which I shal touch shortly the High Priests seeing that they obtained nothing by the first accusation wherein they accuse Him of treason against Caesar yet they will not leaue off but delates to Pilate many things and heapes calumnie vpon calumnie and oppresses Him with accusations as for Iesus Hee made none answere Pilate seeing this he vrges Him once twise to speake He will not speake Pilate wondereth at his great silence the High Priests insist at last they accuse Him of false doctrine which He had vttered from Galile vnto Hierusalem When Pilate vnderstood that He was a Galilean he sendes Him to Herode who was Tetrarch of Galile thinking to gratifie Herode that beeing at variance friendship should haue beene made Herode rejoyced at his comming and hoped that hee should haue seene some wonders of Him for both Pilate and Herode thought to make a Iugler of Iesus but Herode gets not one word of Him much lesse a signe or a wonder then Herode beginnes to mocke Him puttes on a garment on Him in token of derision and sends Him to Pilate then Pilate the second time with his owne voyce cleanses Him Some will maruell what moued Iesus to keepe such a silence to them all
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
dash themselues on the sworde to deuoure them It is a miserable thing to want the light of the soule so the Iewes saw not with whome they had to doe they had no conscience as Pilate had and therefore beeing through malice and appetite of reuenge incensed against the Lord Iesus blindfolded they regard not what imprecations they vtter for they saw not Hell or els if these Iewes had a light of conscience they did so rashly against Iesus with knowledge which is most likely theÌ„ it followes that they were marueilous malitious as ignorance is hardie so is malitiousnesse more hardie albeit such a man should see yet against the light his malice will make him to runne ouer the bellie of his conscience Yee knowe the voyces of prophane men Ere I were not reuenged of him I had rather be in Hell this commeth of malitiousnesse to get the soule spirit within him satisfied but if thou felt one twitch of Hell thou wouldest recant these wordes for it would cause thee shoute and squeele hiddeously I incline to this judgement that this wicked action is more to be ascribed to malice than ignorance the Iewes and the High Priestes had the word of God and the Prophets whereby they might haue knowne the Messias When I read of the Prophets that speake of induration in the time of Iesus Christ I say it hath come of an hardnesse and induration of heart And when I see the wordes of the Apostles that say O stiffe necked people I thinke that they put their owne fingers in their eyes that they should not see The Lord saue vs from malitiousnesse and namely from such malitiousnesse as is not without knowledge when a man sees and will pull out his eyes Compare the Iewes with Pilate now Pilate sinneth hee kâ—lled himselfe in the end and the Lord made his owne hands to be his burrio No doubt he sinned who can excuse him he sinned malitiously he had a conscience goes against it malitiously But Brethren to speake the trueth it was not so much malice that pushed him forward as great infirmitie and feare for first he feares to be accused of treason against Cesar it was no maruell to such a man to feare who had no God but Cesar â—hen hee saw appearance of great tumult to rise amongst the Iewes What necessitie was laide on them to haue the blood of the innocent So I see nothing in them but malice if it were but in this respect that the sinne of the Iewes weigheth downe the sinne of Pilate and their damnation is a thousand times greater What had this man He had nothing but nature The contrauension of the light of nature will neuer make vp the sinne against the Holy Ghost which gets no mercie but come to them They had the light of nature and the light that commeth from Heauen they had the worde of GOD amongst them they contraueened an heauenly light that came downe from Heauen and was wrought into their heartes by the Spirit Steuen sayes in the 7. Chapter and 51. verse of the Actes of the Apostles Yee haue alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost as did your fathers so doe you that is not a naturall light but a light that came from aboue There were some of these men who sinned malitiously against the Holy Spirit What maruell was it then that they got no grace to repent for of all sinnes the sinne against the Holy Spirit is the most dangerous they that commit this sinne haue no grace to repent therefore no mercy to them the Lord strikes their soules with impenitencie so that soule is euerlastingly hardened and so beeing strucken with impenitencie they got neuer grace to say God bee mercifull to me Seeing then their sinne against Christ was so great seeing it was not so much of ignorance as of malice it was not only against the light of nature but also against the illumination of the Holy Spirit what maruell was it that such a terrible Iudgement ouertooke them as neuer lighted on any nation The Iewes found this innocent blood in experience laide to their charge Ioseph that saw all these thinges with his eyes writeth what heauie vengeance and judgement fell vpon Jerusalem the Iewes for he testifies that there was slaine at the siege of Ierusalem eleuen hundreth thousand beside ninetie thousand that were tane captiues thereafter the towne was lamentably destroyed and sacked So the blood of the innocent neuer left them these y t remaine yet feele the judgement of the blood of the innocent for according as they desired y t His blood should be vpon them their posteritie so the wrath of God came vpon them to the vttermost 1. Thess 2.16 It is a wonder that a Iew should be safe if ye heare of a Iew to be conuerted thinke it to be a great mercie Now to apply this shortly to vs if it were but this terrible example of vengeance which folowed the Iewes it should terrifie to the end of the world all soules to take on the blood of the innocent take on one take on all if thou takest on the blood of one seruant of God thou shalt take on all the innocent blood from Abel to that man whom thou hast slaine Fye vpon foule butchers who are more meete to be butchers dogges than men What care they to wash their handes in innocent blood But I say to thee if euer thou gettest grace it is a wonder fye vpon the butchers of Scotland No if the Lord would waken thy conscience to torment thee present to thee the sight of Him of whose blood thou hast shed it would bee so terrible that it would make thee to curse the time that euer thou did it one day fearefully without comfort it will torment thee when will these bloodie men leaue off y e sheading of innocent blood in this bloodie barbarous nation oâ— all nations it is the most barbarous and bloodie Aboue all things dip not thine hands in the blood of Iesus Christ Thou who sheadest innocent blood is a persecuter of the seruants of Iesus Christ and who resistest the trueth thou wilt say If thou hadst bene in Christs dayes thou wouldst not haue coÌ„sented to His death but thou who sayest so if thou hadst fallen in these dayes thou hadst malitiously bene partaker of the death of Christ hadst put handes in Him thou wantest nothing but time I will tell you who is it that sheds the blood of Iesus Christ takes His blood on them what euer he or she be that will resist this knowne trueth of Iesus Christ and persecute the professours thereof I affirme they are as guiltie of the blood of Christ as the Iewes the High Priests were and that same blood shall bee laide to their charge in the great daye of the Lord Read ye not in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 6. and 10. of them who haue repined haue begun to cast off that
the King of the Jewes to vvrite That Hee saide Hee was the King of the Iewes this declares that it vvas of the immutable decree of GOD. Pilate had no power to alter one letter of it for his life GOD ledde the pene of him so that hee had no power to doe otherwise to testifie that it vvas of that Eternall decree And this is that drecree vvhereof vvee reade PSAL. 2.7 I will declare the decree that is The Lord hath saide vnto mee Thou art my Sonne c. This decree is vnchangeable it must bee executed and it shall last to the ende of the vvorlde And I saye the LORD IESVS shall bee King in despite of the IEVVES and the High Priestes and all His enemies and that one daye vvee shall see to the full joy of our heartes To that Glorious King vvith His Father and the Holie Spirite bee Honour and Glorie for euermore Amen THE XVI LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 39 And they that passed by reuiled him wagging their heads verse 40 And saying Thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes saue thy selfe if thou bee the Sonne of God come downe from the Crosse verse 41 Likewise also the high Priesles mocking him with the Scribes and Elders and Pharises said verse 42 Hee saued others but hee cannot saue himselfe if hee bee the King of Israel let him nowe come downe from the Crosse and wee will beleeue in him verse 43 Hee trusted in God let him deliuer him now if hee will haue him for hee said I am the Sonne of God verse 44 The selfe same thing also the thieues which were crucified with him cast in his teeth MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 29 And they that went by railed on him wagging their heads and saying Hey thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three dayes verse 30 Saue thy selfe and come downe from the Crosse verse 31 Likewise also euen the high Priestes mocking saide among themselues with the Scribes Hee saued other men himselfe hee cannot saue verse 32 Let Christ the King of Israel now come downe from the Crosse that wee may see and belieue They also that were crucified with him reuiled him LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 35 And the people stood and behelde and the Rulers mocked him with them saying Hee saued others let him saue himselfe if hee be that Christ the Chosen of God verse 36 The souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vineger verse 37 And said If thou bee the King of the Iewes saue thy selfe verse 38 And a superscription was also written ouer him in Greeke letters and in Latine and in Hebrew THIS IS THAT KING OF THE IEVVES IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 23 Then the Souldiours when they had crucified Iesus tooke his garmentes and made foure partes to euerie Souldiour a part and his coat and the coat was without seame wouen from the top thorowout verse 24 Therefore they said one to another Let vs not diuide it but cast lots for it whose it shall bee This was that the Scripture might bee fulfilled which saieth They parted my garmentes among them and on my coat did they cast lottes So the Souldiours did these thinges indeede THE time that IESVS CHRIST is hanging on the Crosse Brethren and whilest Hee is in extreame paine and torment those that stand by they set themselues to doe Him all the shame they can to the ende that in that agonie Hee might haue the more annoy and griefe I cannot diuide better that shame that they did Him than from the persons who went about to shame Him the whole both Iewes and Gentiles are set to shame Him And therefore after He is condemned they take two Thieues and they crucifie them with Him the one at the one hand and the other at the other and Iesus the Innocent in the middest as if He had beene the greatest of all Then there is not a ranke of persons amongst them but euery one begins to raile vpon Him and shame Him And first to begin at Pilate hee begins and shames Him for hee writes an inscription concerning treason against the Majestie of Caesar and affixes it on the Crosse where Hee hung This is the King of the Iewes howbeit to speake the trueth Pilate sought more the shame of the Iewes who by their obstinacie compelled him to giue out the sentence of death against the Innocent than the shame of Iesus Christ and by the inscription the Lord will haue the Iewes shamed because they hanged their King But we haue spoken of Pilates part the last day therefore nowe let vs goe forward to the partes of all the rest Then after Pilate comes in the executioners who with their hands had nayled Him on the Crosse It appeares by the wordes of Iohn speaking of the diuiding of His garmentes into foure partes that there vvere foure Executioners or Hang-men So that euery one of them got a part thereof These in contempt and in despite of Him in His face whilest as Hee hanges on the Crosse they take His garmentes and diuide them in foure partes and on his coat they cast lottes Then after the Hang-men comes the people and they wagge their heads on him and in despite and bitternesse of heart they raile on him and saye Is this the man that saide hee woulde destroye the Temple and builde it vp againe Is it likelie that Hee can doe this vvho cannot saue Himselfe from the Crosse Then comes there the Princes of the IEWES the SCRIBES the High PRIESTES and PHARISES and they taunt Him also saying Thou who sauedst others saue thy selfe And after them comes in the men of vvarre the ROMANE Souldioures and they beginne to raile out also and They offered him Vineger to drinke and saide If thou bee the King of the IEVVES saue thy selfe and come downe from the Crosse And last one of the Thieues vvho vvas hanged vvith Him falles out in rayling If thou bee that CHRIST saue thy selfe and vs. But nowe wee shall speake of euerie one of these in particular as the LORD shall giue vs grace and first vvee beginne at the part of the Hang-men Then in His sight whilest hee hanges they take his garmentes and made foure partes of them that euerie one of the men might haue a part thereof and as for his coat because it had no seame and was not sowed but was a wouen coat from the toppe thorowout therefore they woulde not diuide it but woulde cast lottes for it whose it shoulde bee And all this was done that that which was prophesied by Dauid vvho vvas the figure of Christ Psal 22.19 might bee fulfilled which saieth They diuided my garmentes among them and on my coat did cast lottes Now to let you see that these Hangmen did nothing in all this action but that which from all eternitie was appointed to bee done in the councell of GOD. To examine this fact better First they doe Him vvrong in spoyling the LORD IESVS
superstition that moued them they were to celebrate the Passâ—ouer and this was the day of their preparation they were preparing them by crucifying the innocent the Lorde of glorie Was this an holy preparation This was the Fryday and the morne was the Paâ—che Iohn sayes that was an high day or a great Sabbath because they kept two holy dayes together both their owne ordinarie Sabbath and the extraordinarie Passeouer and this they did contrarie to the ordinance of GOD for they should haue celebrated the Passeouer on Thurseday as the LORD did for He celebrated it that night that He was betrayed by Iudas and led away captiue by the Iewes So they did cast in the two Holy dayes together according to their custome for when y e Passeouer fell to bee on Thurseday they vsed to delay it vntill the Satterday which was their Sabbath day lest y t if these feasts which are so neare other had bene both kept the people should haue wearied and if Christ the other had not bene taken downe thaâ— y t Holy exercise wold haue bin defiled So they thought if they had bin taken down from the crosse and put away they had bene holy eneugh And vpon that same pretence when they were to accuse Christ they would not enter in the common Hall lest they should haue beene polluted They were Hypocrites they polluted the world and defiled the earth that they tread on A polluted body who hath no sanctification in Christ there is nothing that he touches meat or drinke yea the earth he walkes on but he defiles all yet these foule Hypocrites thought that if Iesus who sanctifies the Sabbath and sanctifies the heart had beene taken away they had beene holie eneugh An Hypocrite is a foule body defiles all that he handles All his religion is outward standing in bodily exercises and when he hath polluted all yea the very earth he treades on he will say Handle not touch not taste not that will pollute thee Coloss 2.21 There is his religion When the foule body defiles the aire the earth the Heauen hee bids thee touch it not lest it defile thee when he defiles all that he touches Nowe they get the request granted them and gets a commandement of Pilate and so The men of warre came forward and brake the legges of the one first and then they came to the other and brake his also They brake both their legges with great paine and torment Now will ye see these 2 thieues they are like in their death both are crucified in end both their thighes are brokeÌ„ yet for al this the one of them is a vessell of glorie and he had a promise of glorie and an assurance of it in his heart the other had none So Brethren take heede though the death of the wicked and the godlie bee alike yet they are not alike in condition Iudge not of mens estate by the outwarde miserie measure not Heauen and Hell by the outwarde death The Elect and the wicked will be oft times alike in death and oft times the Elect will die in the greatest torments Who suffered more painefull deathes than the Martyres did Beware that thou say as the Papistes who are enemies to Christ say They teach albeit that in Iesus Christ thy sinne be forgiuen yet the paine is not forgiuen and they say that the paine that the godly suffer in death is a satisfaction for sinne They say that the paine of the penitent thiefe was the punishment of his sinne but they lie and the Lord shall justifie it The Elect suffer no paine for sinne torment them as they will burne them scalde them all is but a mercifull chastisement and death to them is a faire port to Heauen He makes darknesse to be light to His owne Well this for the execution of the two thieues They come to the Lord to see whether He was dead or not they are not rash they finde Him dead they finde no sponke of life in Him therefore they offer not to breake His thighes See how the word and prouidence of God takes effect The Lord had said One bone of Him should not be broken and therefore to preueene the breaking the Lord miraculously tooke the Spirit from His Sonne His death was miraculous as ye heard before by the strength of nature He might haue liued longer as that great and mightie voyce which he vttered last testifies and so His sudden death was a meane to performe the Lordes ordinance Hee would vse this as the ordinarie meane to execute the eternall decree of the Father It is a follie to thee to say thou wilt depend on the prouidence of God and in the meane time to leaue off meanes for by so doing thou temptest God who as He hath ordained the ende so He hath also ordained the meanes to the end As for example If thou wouldest goe to Heauen thou must vse the meanes the hearing of the word c. Yet many will contemne the meanes and yet bragge they are assured to come to Heauen they will contemne the preaching which is the instrument that God vses But I say to thee thou deceiuest thy selfe for I denounce if thou werest an Emperour thou shalt neuer see Heauen nor life who contemnest that meane and instrument which the Lord hath ordained to bee vsed to bring thee to Heauen which is the preaching of His trueth Now Brethren ye see here the testimonie of the death of Christ giuen by the buâ—rioes they preach His death as though they had said Marke all people This Iesus whom we haue crucified is dead and therefore in token that this is true wee will not breake His bones after that comes another burrio a man of warre and giues the last witnesse Hee smites Him with a speare so that out of the wound gushed out blood and water As though the knaue had said I shall let you see that Hee is dead that there is no life in Him and so hee smites Him to the heart with a speare The Lord would haue the death of the Lord testified sundrie wayes for thy comfort for the most shamefull thing that euer was is death except it be sanctified it is the greatest miserie that can come to man if thou gettest no remedie against it for that death of the body is a port to that death euerlasting It is no childrens play to haue the soule dislodged No it was an ignominie to the Lord of glorie to be holden vnder the bands of death and to be tread vnder the feete of death yet the Father will haue His death testified sundrie wayes First Hee will haue it testified with a cry when He cried with a loude voyce Father into thine hands I commend my Spirit Next Hee will haue the burrioes to testifie His death and then He will haue a speare thrust to His heart to testifie His death besides the testimonie that all the creatures gaue of His death Is this for nothing No for suppose
heades and they had more of that vvorldlie and fleshlie vvit than of that Heauenlie vvit and this drewe them to this securitie This is the nature of the Regenerate Suppose the Regenerate in this vvorlde compt in some measure of the crosse of Christ and of the power of God yet in the best of them there is some lacke some infirmities and vvantes and they will thinke sometime the preaching of the Crosse and Resurrection of Christ to bee but vanitie and a dreame of vviues as IOHN PETER MATTHEVV and the rest of the Apostles did for none of them vvoulde beleeue this That CHRIST vvas risen Wee vvill thinke that there is some great follie in these tidinges I vvill tell you my nature and the nature of the best man or vvoman but vvhen vve shall see That joyfull Morning as DAVID calles it then vvee shall saye vvith SARAH THE LORDE hath made mee nowe to laugh indeede Shee scorned vvhen shee hearde saye shee shoulde conceaue and beare a childe shee thought shee coulde not beare a childe and nowe vvhen shee sees it come to passe shee saies The LORDE makes mee to laugh indeede And so shall vvee saye one daye that thing vvhich vvee thought but jestes then wee shall saye I see this nowe that I coulde not beleeue vvell enough nowe I see it is true indeede So then in despite of all naturall vvit striue to gette an hope aboue hope and then shalt thou greatlie vvonder at that sight and maruell foreuer that there could be such a joy Now blessed is that man or that woman that gets a taste of it here for they shall be assured of it for euer But to goe forward I see that it auailes not much to speake to a sleeping person that is loadned with sin and feeles it not that is the worst estate in the worlde neuer to groane vnder this mortalitie vnder this burthen of death They can neuer say with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death And if yee speake to these persons of the Resurrection death of Christ it auaileth nothing to them What did the Apostles They thought it but a scorne if the Apostles thought so what wilt thou doe that sleepest in thy murther in thine adulterie in thy theft in thine oppression If the Apostles slept how wilt thou sleepe a sleeping sinner must bee once wakened as PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the first Chapter and eighteenth verse The wrath of God is manifest from the Heauen against all the vnrighteousnesse of men And I say the wrath and the vengeance of GOD is manifest vpon the sleeping sinner and death comes on him that neuer shall haue an end But PAVL in the Epistle to the Romanes the third CHAPTER and the twentie and one VERSE hee comes on with other tithings and sayes That the righteousnesse of GOD through faith in Jesus Christ is made manifest to them that beleeue And I will say to thee that Iesus is come into the world and died for thee if thou beleeuest thou shalt be freed of that burthen of sinne and wrath and vvhen a man heares this he will thinke it the sweetest tithings that euer he heard for the sinner will finde life in that death and that blood will sprinckle his conscience as the Apostle sayes to the Hebrewes and thou wilt finde a wonderfull joy vvhen thy sinnes are remitted in Christ of all joyes vnder the Heauen this is the greatest The preaching of Christ auailes to none but to him who findes his soule loadned with sinne Now one word and so I shall ende I see in the Apostles and in their great infirmitie the great prouidence of GOD they will neither beleeue nor misbeleeue but by His Prouidence what euer vvas their part in it the worke was good of a good purpose The LORD will not haue them to beleeue the testimonie of the first companie nor yet of the second companie of women No no He vvill not haue them to beleeue vntill they see it with their eyes and feele it with their handes and ere they passe out to others He vvill speake to them and let them see that they may be perswaded that it was true I alwayes tell you this It is not a small thing to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ to preach His Passion and Resurrection and wilt thou of a light knowledge preach it No beware thou speake this or that vpon a report Of all men that speakes in this earth or is sent with a commission a Minister hath most neede to beware what hee speakes Speake hee of the Passion or Resurrection of CHRIST ere euer hee speake let him get a sight of Him suppose not vvith the bodily eyes lay hold on Him by Faith in thine heart Thinke it not enough to be an hearing witnesse but a seeing witnesse and vvhen thou hast gotten that persvvasion with vvhat confidence vvilt thou speake of His death thou wilt speake with such euidencie that the high heartes of men shall be humbled finding such weight in thy wordes The LORD giue vs grace that vvhen vve stand vp to speake of the Resurrection of CHRIST to others vvee may haue the perswasion of it in our ovvne heartes and that vve may finde His gracious Spirit working in vs and as vvee speake of Heauen and these joyes to others so vvee may finde some joy beginne in our owne hearts heere that after this life is ended we may reigne with Him in glorie for euer with CHRIST To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXXII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 12 Then arose Peter and ranne vnto the sepulchre and looked in and sawe the linnen clothes layed by themselues and departed wondering in himselfe at that which was come to passe IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 3 Peter therefore went foorth and the other disciple and they came vnto the sepulchre verse 4 So they ranne both together but the other disciple did out-runne Peter and came first to the sepulchre verse 5 And hee stouped downe and sawe the linnen clothes lying yet went hee not in verse 6 Then came Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and sawe the linnen clothes lie verse 7 And the kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in a place by it selfe verse 8 Then went in also the other disciple who came first to the sepulchre and hee sawe it and beleeued verse 9 For as yet they knewe not the Scripture That hee must rise againe from the dead verse 10 And the disciples went awaye againe vnto their owne home WE haue heard these dayes past beloued in the Lord Iesus of the two companies of women that went out of Hierusalem towarde the graue of the Lorde early in the morning The one company that came first wherein was Marie Magd. and Marie the mother of
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
that came out last will sometimes bee first at the marke and get the crowne Marke this well it lets vs see that to be true which Paul writes in the ninth Chapter to the Romanes and the sixteenth verse It is not in the hands of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in the handes of the Lord that sheweth mercie when the Lord holdes His hande to thee thou wilt run and when Hee takes His hande from thee thou wilt stay behinde and hee that dragled behinde vvill bee before thee this is the course we keepe to that marke wee should not thinke that all men should runne alike and suppose thou seest a dragling person thinke not that person will neuer come to the marke Peter gets the sight first Iohn suppose he gote it not first yet hee gets it and it is said in the Text Hee saw and hee beleeued Marke the lesson Albeit there be many changes by the way yet hee or shee that vvill perseuere in dragling shall not vvant the crovvne as vvell as they that ranne speedily and came first It stands not so much in the fast running as in the perseuering it is not said he or shee that runnes fast shall be crowned but hee or she that continues to the end shall be crovvned looke ay thou pereseuere if thou may not runne goe yet if thou may not goe fall downe vpon thine hands and feete and creepe as it were a snaile or vvorme albeit it vvere but two foot in the day as euer thou wouldest be safe ly not still it stands thee vpon life death thou must weare away and night and day thou goest euer to this ende and if this outvvard man decay grovv in the invvard man and as thou grovvest vveake in this life striuâ— to grovv strong in that heauenly life that thou art to goe to Paul in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and the sixteenth uerse sayes As the outwarde man decayed dayly so the inward man grew dayly So to end this in a word As euer thou wouldest see Heauen goe either fast or else softly to that life Well it is saide They were ignorant of the Scripture that tolde Hee should rise againe from the dead and so because he saw hee beleeued hee should haue beleeued because he heard it for hee had the Scripture for his vvarrand hee and Peter should haue grounded their Faith on the Scripture Take heede to this The Apostle sayes Wee liue by Faith and not by sight yet hovv euer it be that man or vvoman beleeue they are blessed and blessed art thou man or vvoman that beleeuest either for hearing or seeing and suppose thou feelest him by the hands and beleeuest in Him as Thomas did that felt Him thou art blessed but that is an euill thing vvhen thou hast the vvorde and yet suspends thy faith vntill thou seest It vvas an euill thing in Peter and Iohn that they let the vvorde passe and beleeued it not it vvas an euill thing in Thomas that hee beleeued not vntill hee felt Christ and I say to thee it is a sure thing if thou refusest to beleeue vntill thou seest thou aduentourest and hazardest thy life and saluation and I say to thee if thou contemnest this word and say this I will not beleeue vntill I see Him I giue thee thy doome thou shalt neuer see Him to thy comfort nor saluation Therefore if He say to thee and if Hee promise Hee vvill giue thee Heauen beleeue it and lay holde on it although thou vverest dying and if Hee say to thee that Hee vvill giue thee life depend and sticke by His promise Thou honourest thy GOD in beleeuing and depending on His promise for thou canst not doe Him greater honour than to beleeue His promise And albeit thou see litle appearance outvvardly and if thou beleeuest the vvorde vvithout doubt thou shalt get a sight of Him one day to thy comfort and endlesse consolation Depend and waite on patiently with Abraham and euer sticke and lay holde on the promise and I promise to thee in His Name beleeue the promise of life and thou shalt see life beleeue in Him and thou shalt see Him one day Blessed are they vvho beleeue in Him and yet see Him not blessed are they who walke by Faith for one day they shall vvalke by sight Striue to beleeue in His vvord and looke on Him and Heauen and earth shall perish ere thou wantest that sight of Him one daye Yet I maye not passe by the vvordes of IOHN I see in him a wonderfull plainnesse and singlenesse of heart which of vs will bee contented that another registrate our faultes that anie other might reade them This man sinned this waye and that waye Then who will write vp his owne faultes with his owne handes as hee does Hee sayes hee was ignorant So then if there were none other argument to tell vs that this Booke is dyted by the SPIRITE of GOD and that it is the worde of GOD this singlenesse of vvryting their owne faultes without affection or selfe-loue which euer woulde entise vs to honoure our selues telles vs sufficientlie But naturallie rather than thou haddest thy Parentes or thy kinsfolke ashamed thou wouldest rather haue GODS glorie and justice smoothered and defaced But see if MOYSES spared to register the faultes of LEVI of vvhome hee was descended see if hee spared AARON See if hee spared himselfe No hee telles his owne fault hee telles his owne infidelitie And againe see if DAVID spares himselfe settes hee not downe his owne adulterie and murther IOHN registrates his owne ignorance Let GOD bee glorified and all creatures ashamed for to that ende were wee created for except Hee had respected His owne glorie wee shoulde neuer haue beene made Shoulde vvee not then seeke His glorie although it were with our owne shame IOHN learnes vs heere another good lesson howe often soeuer vvee faile through ignorance Alas vvee faile often through ignorance and misbeliefe and ignorance bringes on infidelitie And therefore vvhensoeuer vvee faile through ignorance laye not the blame of thy blindnesse vpon the Scripture In paine of thy life say not I am ignorant because the Scripture is obscure and darke as the Pope his shauelings blasphemouslie alleadge but I affirme that it is so perfect that all thinges appertaining to thy saluation are contained therein And I say in despite of the Pope thou vvho sayest it is obscure one day thou shalt not bee challenged so much for thine ignorance as for thy blasphemie against GOD when thou vvilt stande vp and saye The Scripture of GOD is not perfect but obscure and vvanting I tell you one daye these blasphemers for all their out-crying shall haue their mouthes sowed vp and they shall make an offer to speake and to saye The Scripture of God was not perfect but the conscience of them shall so strike them with feare and terrour that they shall not be able to answere one word Woe
tell my brethren Well gets a woman the commission where is Peter Iohn and Matthew and the rest of the Apostles alwaies in the beginning it is a woman that gets the commission The last day yee remember I spake of sundrie preferments of women that they gote before all men they gote the reuelation of His Resurrection before all men in the world and not by men but by glorious Angels but Marie is preferred to all men and women in this that shee first sees the Lord and then shee gets a reuelation of the Lord that the women got not she gets the reuelation of His ascension and yet there is more she got it not to her selfe alone but He sayes Tell the Apostles tell them sayes Christ I goe to my Father So this is a speciall grace that women got and especially Marie that was furthest casten downe possessed with seuen deuils What should I say The further thou be casten downe the higher shalt thou bee exalted But marke the wordes Hee sayes Tell my brethren Notwithstanding of their sluggishnesse notwithstanding they were offended in Him yet Hee sayes Tell my brethren In the 22. Psalme verse 23. DAVID sayes I shall preach to my brethren The LORD accomplished heere that prophecie heere Hee preaches to His brethren ye read in Heb. 2.11.12 Hee that sanctifies and wee which are sanctified are all of one that is wee are of one common nature and therefore He is not ashamed to call vs brethren and therefore he brings in this place of the 22. Psalme saying J will declare thy Name vnto my brethren the reason is this Hee hath a common nature vvith vs and therefore Hee is not ashamed of vs marke it well Nowe vvhen He is risen He calles them brethren and now vvhen Hee is in that passing glorie the LORD is not ashamed to call vs brethren if a man of small linage bee exalted in this world hee vvill not knovve his father or his mother But the LORD that is exalted aboue all the Angells is not the prouder Hee is also humble to His brethren as euer Hee vvas in the earth Hee is not ashamed to call vs poore wretches His brethren and sisters that are heere in the earth No if thou bee not ashamed of Him first Hee vvill neuer bee ashamed of thee Now to come to the commission He sayes Tell them I goe to my Father and to your Father and to my God and to your God Tell them this The commission that is giuen before by the Angells telles that Hee was risen but the commission that the LORD Himselfe giues to Marie is of an higher degree of glorification it is of His ascension for Tell them sayes Hee I goe to my Father and to your Father and to my God and to your God The LORD vvhen Hee comes in proper person brings euer a greater reuelation than vvas of before All the light that the Angels Prophets or IOHN the BAPTIST reueiled of Him vvas but darknesse in respect of that light that Himselfe brought Likevvise after His going to Heauen the Apostles the disciples and Ministers Ministers light to the end of the vvorlde but in that great day vvhen the LORD shall come thou shalt see a greater light thou savvest neuer light comparable to that light It is hard for thee novve to beleeue but sober thinges but then thou shalt see great things thou shalt haue no stoppe euen thinges that the eye hath not seene neither hath entered in the heart of man Yet let vs vveigh the vvordes better I goe vp to my Father I goe not dovvne let them not seeke mee in the earth I haue beene in it as PAVL sayes to the Ephesians the fourth CHAPTER and the ninth VERSE Hee descended into the lowest partes of the earth I goe nowe to the Heauen The vvorde importes that Hee vvas to leaue them and that vvorde vvas sad to them and to Marie and they tooke it heauie I goe sayes Hee to my Father and to my God Hee vvent not for His ovvne vvell to the Father that the Father might communicate His glorie to Him I goe sayes Hee to my Father and to your Father and to my God and to your God This imports that as Hee vvent to His Father for His ovvne glorie and vvel so Hee vvent for their glory and vvell and assoone as He should get that glorie He should communicate it to them and no doubt this vvorde your Father and your God raised their heartes to follow Him suppose our bodies bee heere our heartes are in the Heauen and vve are citizens there albeit thy body vvere burnt if thine heart be in the Heauen thou art vvell and if He had not gone to Heauen neither had He gotten glory neither had anie glorie beene communicated vnto vs but Hee going to that Father of glorie as the Apostle calles Him and so as the first begotten of GOD beeing filled with glorie wee are made partakers of His glorie as yee reade in the first CHAPTER of this Gospel of Iohn The oyle y t was poured down vpon the head of AARON stayed not there but ranne downe to his bearde his breast his girdle and the lowest partes of his garment So the graces that were in Iesus Christ our head stayed not there but flowed from Him euen to the meanest of all His members The Lord who is full of grace giues euery one of vs a part here and one day we shall bee all filled with grace and glory for euer and euer Marke the wordes well he calles Him first Father and then he calles Him God which imports two natures in one person The Father importes His Godhead and that he calles Him his God it imports that He is man so that these two wordes import that Christ is both God man blessed for euer But marke the order He sayes not I goe to your Father and mine No but to my Father and your Father Ere euer He be our Father He must be His Father Ere euer He be our God He must bee the God of Christ the man for if it had not bene for the bloode of Christ Hee had neuer bene thy God thou hast that bought vnto thee with the bloode of Christ wee come in vnder Christ our elder brother Nowe when Marie hath receiued the commission shee tarries no longer howbeit shee was loath to depart from Him yet because shee saw that it was His will she obeyes The godly would faine goe and dwell with the Lord Paul sayes I haue confidence in GOD and J choose rather to remooue out of this bodie and to dwell with GOD 2. Corint Chap. 5. Faine woulde the godlie soule bee with GOD and suppose it bee pressed downe with sinne yet it breaks aye vpward toward the Heauens to be with the Lord that this moâ—talitie may bee swallowed vp of Life for as long as wee lye heere vvâ—e liue vnder the burthen of sinne So faine woulde the godlie bee with Him yet seeing it is his vvill that
difference betvveene them and the vvomen when the vvomen vnderstood that Hee vvas risen they came home vvith joy the men of vvarre came home vvith sadnesse and vvith discontentment and they preach this to them that were sad to heare it and ashamed of it they preach it not to the Apostles as the vvomen did but to the High Priestes Marke this Lesson Looke how ye tell tythings there are some that will make good tithings of euill tithings and euill tithings of good as they please albeit they be neuer so good if they be not contented with them they vvill make them euill but be they neuer so euill if they be contented with them they will make them good and tell them vvith joy Bevvare hovv ye tell tithings of the Church of ENGLAND of FRANCE or of GERMANIE or of other partes Looke when thou speakest of the prosperous estate of the Church that thou speake it with joy and vvhen yee heare that the Church is troubled speake that not with joy but vvith sadnesse Thou that art not content vvith the prosperous estate of CHRISTS Church thou vvouldest haue hid CHRISTES Resurrection as the Scribes did and if thou hadst beene liuing with them So in a vvord if the Church be sad tell it vvith sadnesse and if she be joyfull tell thy tithings vvith joy if thou speakest of IESVS and His glorie speake of Him vvith joy and pleasure in thine heart Novv to goe forvvard The High Priests when they heare these newes they are nothing content therevvith but are ashamed They call a Councell of the High Priestes and the Senatours of the people The thing that they decerne is to bribe the men of vvare that vvatched the graue and to hire their tongues to lie they gaue them a great summe to say That the body of the Lord was stollen out of the graue by the disciples in the night whilst they slept and lest the men of vvarre should bee affrighted for Pilate and so refuse to lie they preuent that for say they take no thought of Pilate ye shall get no harme If hee heare of this wee will perswade him and so keepe you harmelesse Well these men were once disappointed and yet leaue they off No they will haue His glory and Resurrection smoothered and because they could not get it by violence nowe they will smoother it by craft No that thing that they cannot doe by violence they shall seeke to bring it about vvith lies No thinke yee that these Traitours and Apostate Lordes doe rest No that thing that they could not get done by violence they seeke to doe it by craft Well yee vvould maruell at this yee vvould aske Whether or not they were assured that the LORD IESVS was risen and beleeued the report of the men of warre I answere It could not bee but they beleeued that He rose by a diuine power No it could not be but they thought it and if they had thought that the disciples had stollen His body away they would haue pursued them and gotten the bodie againe Then seeing the arme of GOD raised Him vp and they knew that the Lord was risen Is not this a wonder that they repent not but will oppone them to the power of God No wonder not at it Men who haue once begunne to fight against the Holy Spirit and God Himselfe immediately can scarcely euer repent and turne backe againe but rather goes forward to fulfill their sinnes as the Apostle sayes 1. Thess 2.16 the wrath of God is come vpon them to the full This is not the first time they fought against God immediatly but they had often times done so before and beginning they leaue not off but goe forward So learne this lesson marke how dangerous a thing it is once to beginne to oppone thy selfe to God if thou beginnest once to oppone thy selfe against that Majestie the wrath of God shall so sease on thee that thou shalt not get leaue to goe backe till thou bee shut in hell So Steuen Acts 7.31 speakes of these same Iewes O stiffenecked people yee euer resist the Holy Spirit that is as yee haue begunne to sinne against that Holy Spirit so yee continue ye cannot goe backe againe So that they are set out as a spectacle of Gods judgement and it should learne vs to tremble once to thinke euill against that Holy Majestie these people may be a document to all them that oppone themselues to Him The Lord saue vs from all sinnes but namely from this sinne against the Holie Ghost that can haue no repentance Nowe to goe forwarde The souldiers against their owne conscience sell themselues miserably to lie and it was a wonder that the Iewes knew it not to be a lie the men who made this lie were prophane men of warre who commonly vse to haue litle godlinesse or religion Indeede I grant the Lord hath His owne of all sortes but seldome finde ye that men of warre are either good or godly Besides this they were Ethnikes and without God in the world in a word they were prophane hearted men then what wonder was it that they sell their tongue their conscience No if thine heart be prophane thou shalt soone sell thy tongue and thy conscience to any man and thou shalt soone sell thine hande to murther albeit it were a King as ye haue heard of sundrie Our Kings Majestie had neede to take heede to this that there bee no prophane men about Him for they will sell him his kingdome for a litle price It is said of Esau Heb. 12 16. He solde his birthright he solde Heauen he solde his part of Paradise for a messe of pottage What was the ground of all this The Apostle sayes Let no prophane man be among you as Esau prophanitie was the ground and hee brings in this as an effect following prophanitie if thou be prophane thou wilt sell thy conscience and I say this marchandise of buying and selling of consciences that is so frequent in this Lande tells that this Land is ouerspread with prophanitie The Apostle sayes It is the will of God that yee bee holy but Scotland may say farewell holinesse Alas if thou kept in thine heart holinesse thou wilt keepe thy conscience but if thou be prophane like Esau thou wilt sell thy conscience for a pennie So I direct mine exhortation to all sortes of men to Traffiquers be not prophane but keepe an holy heart and thou shalt keepe a good conscience and if thou be a Iudge if thou bee prophane thou wilt sell thy conscience for a crowne art thou a Marchand if thou wantest an holy heart thou wilt sell thy conscience a Minister if his heart be not holy hee will soone sell his tongue and his conscience So in a word Let vs striue with our conscience to haue an holy heart Alas the ground of all this mischiefe in Scotland is prophanitie of heartes When they haue sold their tongue they went and said He was stollen
from morning till euening we should vvonder at that God and his works at that mighty GOD whom the Prophet calles Deum admirabilem To goe forward The Lord who knew all things for all thinges are naked to His eyes He knew better what was done than Cleopas did yet Hee will not take vpon Him that Hee knevv He misknowes them and He askes What are these things Marke it Brethren Hee got a rough and sharpe answere before and yet Hee leaues not off Hee will not leaue them but Hee beares vvith their infirmities and novv Hee giues another pull to the heart deales againe vvith them that they should povvre out their sadnesse and griefe to Him No if thou pertainest to the Lorde Hee vvill not leaue thee for an hard meeting suppose thou dravvest abacke Hee vvill giue thee another pull Albeit wee be vnfaithfull sayes the Apostle yet the Lord abideth faithfull Change as thou wilt the Lord shall neuer change but remaine ay constant in mercie to His ovvne till they be perfected and crovvned vvith glorie Then Cleopas seeing him to bee troubled with a stranger at the last hee must tell the vvordes that he and his companion vvere speaking as they vvent on the way Marke this lesson Repine as thou vvilt when the Lord dravves thee at the last thou must yeeld But vvhat is the cause that any sinners vvill yeelde vvhen the Lord dravves Euen the secret operation of His Holy Spirit and if he that drew them by the vvorde had not a secret power and operation by His Spirit in their hearts they vvould neuer haue yeelded Albeit the LORD vvould prooue them by speech and language albeit Hee vvould exhort them admonish them threaten them yea and scourge them to come to Him and vvell is the soule albeit it be scourged yea if it vvere harled thorovv the middes of Hell if it were thorow neuer so great difficulties in the world if once it get grace to come to Him yet none outward thing will make vs to come to Him it is the inward draught of His Spirit that makes vs to come to Him and drawes vs by the eye by the eare and by the hand if He take vs not by the hand we can neuer come to Him It is saide in the 2. Chapter to the Romanes and the 4. verse Hee drawes the reprobate and calles them but all that calling is but outwarde Hee vvill scourge them and dravv them outwardly but Hee neuer puts the feeling of His holy Spirit in their heartes and so they can neuer come to Him therefore whē the Lord is outvvardly drawing and calling thee say alwayes this Lord draw thou mine heart inwardly by thine Holy Spirit or els it will bee long ere it come to thee if all the sicknesses all crosses troubles scourges judgements that can bee and all this preaching that I heare will neuer cause mee come to thee except thou draw mine heart Now to come to the vvords that Cleopas speakes there is none of them but they vvould be marked he beginnes and rehearses to Him the vvhole summe of these things that hee and his companion had bene speaking and he propones them summarily he sayes All the things we haue spoken was Concerning Iesus of Nazareth Alas fewe of vs take pleasure to talke of Him therefore when the Lord comes takes thee by the hand looke thou mayest say Lord I haue bene talking of thee in some measure for as sure as the Lord laid to His eare to heare what Cleopas and his companion talked as sure He layes to His eare to heare vvhat thou speakest Then vvhen he hath tolde the generall hee lets the stranger know what a man Iesus vvas and then he telles shortly what had befallen him these two dayes and after he speakes of the effects that it had wrought in his heart and in the heartes of His disciples to wit that He was no Redeemer This is the whole conference I shall goe thorovv this conference as God shall giue the grace and as time shall permit First in describing of Him hee calles Him Iesus of Nazareth That was the stile hee gaue Him Marke it The first thing that hee speakes to Him is an vntrueth he calles Him Iesus of Nazareth No doubt he thought He had beene borne at Nazareth suppose they had the Prophecie that Hee should be borne at Bethlehem in Iuda Micah Chapters verse 2. and that He vvas borne there The ground of this errour that vvas amongst the Iewes vvas because of Ioseph and Marie dwelt at Nazareth and Iesus was brought vp there with them that false rumor spred that Ioseph vvas His father and that He was borne there but He was not borne there I grant it is true that after His resurrection Peter in the Actes and the Apostles themselues called Him Iesus of Nazareth as Cleopas here calles Him Iesus of Nazareth Also Paul in the twentie sixe Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles and the ninth verse calles Him Iesus of Nazareth but neither Peter nor Paul spake this of ignorance as if Hee had bene borne there but because they to vvhome they spake knewe Him best vnder that name they submitted themselues to their capacitie But as for Cleopas he knevve no better for he thought indeede that Iesus had bene borne at Nazareth so the first word he speakes is plaine vntrueth so yee see what it is to judge vvith the multitude The Papists will send thee to beleeue that which the multitude beleeues and makes the multitude a token of the true Church but thou shalt be beguiled with the multitude and if thou follovvest them because they walke in the broad vvay thou shalt perish vvith them Next consider His description Hee calles Him Vir Propheta Indeede He failed not in this stile Hee was a man and was a man indeede blood and bone as we are yet there is a defect in this vvord Cleopas knewe no more but that He vvas a man hee knew not that He was GOD and man in one person It is true Peter in the 2. of the Actes calles Him Vir Propheta yet hee knew Hee was the Sonne of GOD blessed for euer so as in the first wordes there is an vntrueth so in the next wordes there is a defect I marke this to let you see the ignorance that was in them before the LORD ascended to the Heauen It was a wonder that they who walked so long with Him should haue beene so ignorant the third time he calles Him A Prophet Indeede He was such a Prophet as was neuer before nor after Him yet there is a fault here he giues Him the greatest stile he thought Hee had but Hee had farre greater stiles for Hee is not a Prophet onely but also a Mediatour King and High Priest Then hee comes on and hee telles what a Prophet Hee was saying that Hee was powerfull in word and deede Nowe would to GOD we could speake of Him in loue with this poore man
that had litle knowledge indeede in this stile hee would let vs see that there was neuer such an one in worde nor worke neuer one wrought such miracles as Hee did and neuer man spake as Hee did as His owne very enemies testified of Him Iohn Chapter 7. yet will yee measure it with the knowledge of the man there is a defect here also he thoght He had bene like the rest of the Prophets who prophecied not by their owne spirit but by the Spirit of IESVS yet was hee ignorant that IESVS spake and wrought all by His owne Spirit Why should vvee not knovve these thinges This is the difference betweene CHRIST and all the Prophets all these Prophets and Moyses himselfe were but seruants they spake neuer a vvord by their spirit but by the Spirit of CHRIST as Peter speakes in the first Epistle Spake Moses Esay or Ezechiell in their owne name Dare any Minister speake in his owne name No not vnder paine of his life but IESVS is called the LORD of the house In the Epistle to the Hebrewes the third Chapter Hee spake by His owne Spirit and these preachings were preached by His owne Spirit and He spake by His owne authoritie as yee may reade in the seuenth Chapter of Matthew An Herauld if Hee speakes in his name should be hanged but the King himselfe will speake in his owne name the LORD spake in His owne Name but the Prophets spake not in their owne name reade these Prophecies They say there Thus saith the LORD but ye shall finde thus when Christ comes Hee sayes Amen amen dico vobis Verilie verilie J say vnto you in mine owne Name and authoritie and not in my Fathers only This Cleopas knew not but counted Him a Prophet like others albeit more excellent than others Cleopas thought Hee was potent by the Spirit of GOD and so by another but hee knew not that He spake in His owne Name and by His owne authoritie beeing equall with the Father Nowe to be short hee sayes Hee was mightie before GOD and the whole people That is to say He had the approbation of the LORD from the Heauen and what euer He spake the LORD approoued it what euer Hee did His Father approoued it Then againe He did neuer an action but with the approbation of the people But it would be asked How approoued they Him seeing they persecuted Him scorned Him and crucified Him I answere Albeit that neither by word nor deede the Iewes nor the High Priestes had approoued Him yet the conscience of the same High Priests and Iewes approoued Him and bare witnesse to them that Hee was GOD so that sometimes they were compelled to say Neuer man spake as Hee did Iohn Chapter 6. verse 46. and sometimes againe since the world beganne was it not heard that anie man opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde Iohn Chapter 9. verse 32. So that all that they did to Him was against conscience I regarde not what thou doest to mee if thou be bound in conscience to testifie that that is true which I speake and that is good which I do for in that day thou who speakest against thy conscience shalt not haue one worde to speake thy conscience shall bind vp thy mouth so this is well said that Hee had the approbation both of GOD and man but hee thought Hee had this approbation as one of the Prophets suppose in a greater measure But looke the first Chapter to the Hebrewes and the fifth verse For vnto which of the Angels saide hee at anie time let bee Prophets Thou art my Sonne this daye haue I begotten thee Then hee knew not that he had that approbation of that God who dwelt in him God in him approoued him Roman Chap. 1. vers 4. it is saide Hee was declared mightilie to bee the Sonne of GOD. And 1. Timothie Chap. 3. vers 16. Hee was justified by the Spirite And againe it is saide Actes Chap. 2. vers 22. Jesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God among you with great workes and wonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you Cleopas knewe little of this Nowe Brethren wee haue examined his wordes and yee see heere a great ignorance In the first wordes an vntrueth and yee see in all the wordes following there is some want And to whome is it that hee preaches Hee preaches Christ to Christ and hee describes the Lorde to the Lorde and yet the Lorde heares him patientlie Yee will not beleeue how Hee vvill heare thy babbling if in thine heart thou haue a loue to GOD suppose thou babble Hee will heare thee and if thou speake vvith loue suppose thou canst not praye as other men and women can Babble on to Him and speake on with a good heart Hee vvill no more reject thee than Hee did Cleopas Hee is aye like to Himselfe For what is all our language to Him but a babbling yea all our knowledge is but babbling So suppose wee haue not knowledge nor a tongue to speake yet let vs not leaue off to speake in loue with our hearts and Hee shall heare vs and giue vs a comfortable answere Nowe I counted neuer so much of knowledge as of an heart which loueth God Keepe an heart to thy God come with faith and loue to thy God and thou wilt not thinke how Hee vvill delight in thee if vvee come vvith loue to the Lord then vvee come boldlie to the Throne of grace And vvhy Because vvee come not in our owne righteousnesse or in our owne perfection vvee appeare onelie in the merites of IESVS CHRIST And suppose thou babble and be ignorant yet if thou appeare in Him thou art full of knowledge for His knowledge the Lorde countes to bee thine O vvhat is it to bee in Christ Hee vvho hath Christ hath all though hee vvere neuer so vveake hee is strong in Him My power sayes the Lord is perfect in infirmitie And therefore sayes Paul I will glorie in my infirmitie that the power of God may be seene in mee 2. Cor. 12. Now a word and so I ende Cleopas beginnes to tell vvhat vvas befallen to such a personage vvho vvas mightie in vvord and deede yet for all this they handled Him most vnworthily of any man Our Priestes and rulers as PILATE first they condemned Him to the death without a cause and next they haue crucified Him if ye consider well the words yee vvill finde that Hee speakes to them with a vvonderfull indignation as if He had said albeit He was such a man and so great a man in all respects yet they condemned Him without a cause and then they crucified Him And vvhat indignitie vvas this for as the Apostle sayes Albeit He vvas the LORD of glorie yet most shamefully they crucified Him 1. Cor. Chapter second and the eight verse Well take vp this in His wordes What euer is done against Christ it is an indignitie if vve knew that Majestie wee offend
suppose thou beleeuedst not at the first and conceiuedst it not yet vvhen thou art at the brinke of desparation that shall holde thee aboue thou gettest further information Nowe goe to the rest Wee haue hearde this preaching of Cleopas to the passenger as he supposed Yee see he was carefull to teach Him and no question all that hee knew of Christ he tolde it Learne this lesson at Cleopas All that knowledge which thou hast of Christ tell it to another and if thou haue little tell it to him that hath nothing and it may be thou shalt get further information as Cleopas did for the stranger instructed him in all thinges Nowe CHRIST speakes and Hee sayes to him not letting him know that He was Christ O fooles Hee that Christ calles a foole is a foole indeede And if Hee call thee a foole thou art one And then Hee sayes Slowe of heart to beleeue concerning Christ the Messias Before I come to the words behold the clemencie mercie of the Lord These two men were rauing like fooles or as men in a feuer suppose they were His Disciples they vtter a plaine distrust and yet the Lord castes them not off Hee saw a little sparke in them Hee sawe a sponke of faith and Hee goes not to put it out So that it is true that is spoken of Him Esay Chap. 42. Hee neuer brake the bruised reede nor yet put out the smoaking slaxe but helde it in and quickened the sponkes thereof where hee founde it till it came to a perfection No Hee vvill neuer cast thee awaye for a little faith but Hee vvill entertaine it and of a sponke Hee vvill make a fire Yet to come to the wordes Hee sayes Fooles madde men vvithout anie minde And then Hee calles them dull hearted There are two thinges in man A minde to see and a vvill to embrace that which he seees As for their minde they vvere bereaued of mind as for their will they haue not a vvill nor an heart to embrace it So marke what misbeliefe is Alas it leaues not one part of the whole all the povvers of the soule are vitiate by misbeliefe Faith goes thorow all the powers of the soule it first stands in an illumination and sight of those things that concernes thy saluation it decernes of thinges heauenly and then goes downe to the heart and makes it to embrace IESVS CHRIST and His benefites euen these heauenly things that thou canst not see with the eyes of the bodie Infidelitie by the contrarie beginnes and blindes the minde of the infidell that hee sees not nor cannot see nor discerne of things heauenly and spirituall Albeit thou canst neuer discerne so vvell of policie as the Heathen could yet in heauenly things thou art but madde and out of their minds Christ would call thee vvood and madde Looke hovv Paul calles all the Philosophers 1. Rom. In a worde hee calles them fooles and then infidelitie goes from the minde and filles the heart and makes the heart astonied if thou be an Infidell thou art dull and senselesse thou mayest lay holde on the worlde but if thou gettest no better thou shalt die in thy dulnesse and senslessenesse So wouldest thou knowe whether thou art quicke or not and of a good conceiuing Trie not thy selfe by earthly things and say not I vnderstand the writing of this man or that man but if thou wouldest know whether thou werest not dull senslesse or not looke if thou seest any thing in Heauen and heauenly things and then thou art not dull and senslesse but if thou feelest not heauenly thinges albeit thou werest a King goe thy way thou art but a dull and senslesse creature the Asse or the Dogge is better than thou there the stile Hee giues them wood men and madde men without a minde These men that can compasse these thinges in the worlde thinke themselues quicke but I saye to thee in the Name of this IESVS if thou knowest not CHRIST and heauenly thinges thou art but a dull and senslesse man and seest not nor vnderstandest no more than an Asse Marke euery word that He speakes whilst He calles them slow to beleeue all that the Prophets had spoken He castes the Prophets in their teeth He calles them slow to beleeue not this thing or that thing not this man or that man but that which the Prophets had spoken It is euill not to beleeue any that speakes the trueth but it is worse not to beleeue a Prophet Any man that is sent or called of God if thou beleeuest Him not that same calling of the man augments thy judgement looke to it If ye beleeue not a man that is called that calling of his shall augment thy judgement Then Hee sayes Beleeue yee not the thinges that they haue spoken to you hearest thou many thinges and is this vvorde oft beaten in thine eares and hearest thou this daye the morne and other morne and yet wilt thou not beleeue the more heauie is thy judgement the more thou hearest if thou purposest not to beleeue the greater is thy judgement I giue thee my counsell if thou purposest not to beleeue heare not a preaching for all the preachings that thou hast heard shal aggrauate thy judgment a thousand times heauier shall thy judgement be better that thou hadst heard neuer a preaching except thou purpose to beleeue Marke this He vses a sharp forme of rebuke before He teach them He telles them not vvhat Hee vvas Hee makes as though Hee vvere a stranger and yet He calles them fooles and slovve to beleeue Take heede to this yee that vvill not suffer your selues to bee called foolish and vvill not suffer your heart to be launced but ay vvouldest haue good vvordes and that vvill not heare your selues to be called fooles there is the vvay to grace there is the order of teaching and hearing and if thou teachest call a foole foole albeit hee weâ—e a King call him madde or els thou vvilt beguile him call a slow hearted bodie foolish that is the only vvay to come to light and knovvledge Thou that vvouldest preach must doe this and thou that art an hearer First thou must get a sense of thy miserie and that thou art but foolish as euer thou vvouldest see Christ striue to get a sight of the blindnesse of thy soule and the hardnesse of thine heart and if thou seest thy blindnesse and miserie then thy desire will be vvakened and thou vvouldest giue ten thousand Kingdomes to be out of that damnable estate Now I shall bee short When Hâ—e hath begunne thus roughly vvith them and hath prepared their heartes to heare then Hee beginnes to teach Why should I call thee a foole and an hard hearted bodie except it be to teach thee So Hee beginnes and teaches them a faire preaching and no doubt Hee made a large discourse but heere it is summarilie gathered vp Hee layes downe His proposition It behooued him to suffer and to enter into
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
if it were true y t two bodies might bee in one place at one time then it would followe that one bodie at one time might be in manie places But both these assertions are directlie repugnant to the nature of a bodie whatsoeuer it bee whether it bee a glorified bodie or a bodie not glorified It is but a vaine distinction which the Papistes haue inuented betwixt a bodie glorified and a bodie not glorified for a glorified body remaines a true body the glorifying of it takes not away the nature nor the natural properties of a bodie and therefore it cannot bee at one time in manie places but onelie in one place neither can it bee in one and the selfe same place with another bodie Next others thinke That when the body of the Lord went in at the doore the body of the doore was rarified and yeelded and gaue place to the Lords body that it might enter in when it had gone in it returned to its own estate was thickned made solide as of before euen as when the Lord was walking on the sea the sea was thickned made hard solide vnder His feet y t it might beare Him aboue therafter again incontinent it returned to its own nature This opinion is more tollerable than the former because it stands well enough with the Omnipotent power of God where as y e former sentence of the Papists cannot stand with His omnipotency because it includes a manifest contradiction Thirdly some thinke That whē the Lord was entring in the dore opened to Him and after He was come in the dore incontinent most speedily closed again This opiniō semes to be most probable wee read in sundrie places the like to haue bene done as in the 5. Chapter of the Actes the Angell of the Lorde opens the doores of the Prison where the Apostles were and shuts them againe And in the 12. Chapter of the Actes when the Angell brings Peter out of prison the yron gate opened vnto them of the owne accorde And likewise in the 16. Chapter of the Actes When Paul and Silas beeing in prison prayed and sung Psalmes to God all the doores of the prison opened and euery mans bands were loosed in the which places yee see When the Lord deliuered His seruants whether by the ministerie of His Angels or without their ministerie the doores were opened But in no place of Scripture we reade of the rarifying of a bodie and much lesse any thing of that vaine opinion of the Papists That two bodies may be in one place at one time and therefore this last opinion seemes to be most likely But in this point wee insist not Only one thing we marke out of this place that the LORDS comming is very sudden and vnlooked for how so euer it be that the LORD comes vnto men vvhether it bee in mercie as Hee vses to come to His ovvne vvhether it be injustice to the vvicked His comming is euer sudden and vvithout their expectation and therefore we should not be so carefull curiously to enquire about the particular comming of the LORD as vve should be carefull to prepare our selues that vvee may bee readie vvaiting for His glorious appearing that vvhen euer Hee comes Hee may finde vs with oyle in our lampes readie to enter in with Him Watch sayes the LORD for yee knowe neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come Now to end shortly Hauing spoken already of the circumstances of the meeting of the disciples as also of the marueilous appearing of the Lord to them it followes last that we speake of His saluting of them when He comes in amongst the mids of them He is not silent but He salutes them sayes Peace be vnto you This was His cōmon salutation which they were acquainted with no question He vttered it with such a homely familiar voyce that they might easily haue known that it was He none other y t appeared spake vnto them for Hee vvent about by all meanes possible to remooue all doubting out of their heartes that so they might haue a full assurance of His Resurrection and yet for all this very hardly could they bee perswaded that it was He and therefore Marke sayes He reprooued them for their vnbeliefe hardnesse of heart because they beleeued not them which had seene him beeing risen vp againe For such is the infidelity dulnes of our hearts that al the meanes that GOD vses is litle enough to make vs to beleeue Now when the LORD sayes to His disciples Peace be vnto you wee must not thinke that this was a bare and simple vvishing and desiring of peace vnto them without any further effect No wee must not thinke so This word was powerfull this wishing of peace behooued to bee effectuall in their soules because it proceeded from Him who is the fountaine and author of all peace and who Himselfe is our peace as the Apostle sayes Ephes 2.14.17 And when the Lord who is peace Himselfe comes to preach peace How can it be possible except the heartes of men be harder than the flint or adamant but that preaching of peace must be effectuall in their soules The Lord in this wishing of peace is not like man the most that a man can doe is to wish peace and to desire peace to others No man albeit He were neuer so holy can doe more hee cannot giue his peace that he wishes he cannot make his peace effectuall But Christ when Hee wishes peace Hee giues and communicates that same peace He workes that same peace in their heartes and therefore when Hee is departing out of the world comforting His disciples Hee sayes Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giues giue I vnto you Ioh. 14.27 He sayes not only I leaue peace with you but I giue you my peace and that not as men in the world who can doe no more but wish I make my peace effectuall by giuing you peace The Lord make euery one of vs partakers of this peace that wee may euer haue matter of rejoycing in IESVS To whome with the Father and Holie Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 37 But they were abashed and afraide supposing that they had seene a spirit verse 38 Then hee saide vnto them Why are yee troubled and wherefore doe doubtes arise in your heartes verse 39 Beholde mine handes and my feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee haue verse 40 And when hee had thus spoken hee shewed them his handes and feete verse 41 And while they yet beleeued not for joye and wondered c. IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 20 And when hee had thus saide hee shewed vnto them his handes and his side Then were the Disciples gladde when they had seene the Lord.
and feele sensibly vvith mine hand a body then shall I beleeue otherwise no Papist will cause me beleeue that I eate CHRIST really and bodily with my mouth no more than the disciples would beleeue that CHRIST was a body till they felt Him and sawe Him I will be of the Faith of the disciples Beleeue them who will I shall neuer beleeue them by the grace of GOD. Let mee see a bodie not the roundnesse and whitenesse of the bread and let me feele this that CHRIST let His disciples feele if thou vvilt not let mee feele that I will neuer beleeue thee holde thee content and I am not bound to beleeue thee yea more if I beleeued thee I vvere faire in the wrong I should sinne against the LORD and against the trueth of His body Why If I beleeue thee neither seeing nor feeling such a thing then I should beleeue the body of Christ to be vnuisible and vntractable and to beleeue that is to beleeue the body of CHRIST to bee no bodie That bodie that is not seene nor handled is not a body these properties beeing taken avvay from a bodie there remaines no bodie yea sight and feeling are such vnseparable accidents of the bodie that the verie glorified bodie cannot be vvithout them The Papists cast vnto vs a friuolous distinction betwixt the glorified body of CHRIST and His vnglorified bodie No the verie glorified bodie is as vvell visible and tractable as an vnglorified bodie The godlie in the latter daye shall see whether it be visible or not Goe thy way with thy bodily presence thou debarrest thy selfe from that presence that the godlie shall see one daye to their consolation Furthermore Brethren There is another thing to be marked I see IESVS CHRIST after His glorious Resurrection to haue kept the markes of the wounds Hee shewes His handes and His wounded hands Hee shewes them His feete and His wounded feet He shewed His side to Thomas when he would not beleeue made him to put his handes in His side Yee woulde maruell that Christ rising vp in glorie shoulde haue kept the markes of infirmitie When the Lord rose it became Him to shake off all infirmitie and the markes of His woundes are a part of infirmitie See ye not howe it hath pleased the Lorde to humble Himselfe for our cause to the ende that vvee should beleeue Not onelie rose Hee and appeared vnto them but also after He rose Hee keepes the marks of His vvoundes that no vvayes they shoulde doubt but fullie beleeue that it vvas Hee and none other It is a vvonderfull thing to see the humilitie of Christ for our cause as all His life vvas but an humbling of Himselfe so after His Resurrection for thine exaltation vvhen Hee should haue gone to glorie Hee abides fourtie dayes to cause His Disciples beleeue Art not thou who art dust and ashes bound to humble thy selfe for Him seeing that Hee who is so glorious humbled Himselfe so low for thee Now whether the Lord keepe these markes or no or vvhether vve shall see Him come vvith them or no in that great day I vvill not be curious but this I knowe the fresh memorie of the vvoundes and of the Crosse shall neuer vanishe out of the hearts of the Elect and in the Heauen thou shalt remember a thousande times better than in the earth vvhen thou shalt see Him as Hee is when thou shalt beholde Him vvhom thou hast pearced thorowe thou shalt mourne sayes the Prophete Zacharie There is the remembring of the vvoundes And as that Crosse shall neuer goe out of the eye of the Father for it is as present now before the eye of the Father as it was that houre that He was crucified So vvhen thou shalt come to Heauen alwayes thou shalt haue a memorie of the Crosse And in this respect He is called an euerlasting Sacrifice and an euerlasting Priest And as the sight of that Crosse pacifies the vvrath of GOD vvere it out of the eye of the Father the flame of His vvrath vvoulde deuoure and consume thee for the pacifying of the vvrath standes in the sight of the Crosse So the joye and peace of thy conscience in Heauen shall stande in an euerlasting remembrance of the Crosse and His bloodie vvoundes There are two groundes of our Eternall joye and peace in Heauen First our joye and peace standes in the sight of that present glorie of Christ in Heauen Next after the sight of that glorie they stand on a remembrance of His by-gone Crosse These shall bee the two pillars of the euerlasting joye and happinesse vvhich the Sainctes shall haue in Heauen So Hee shall stand in as good stead to thee in the Heauen as Hee did in the earth Learne to seeke Him to embrace Him and to bee homelie with Him for in Him standes thy joye euerlastinglie and euer thou bee happie thou must bee vvith Him Now this for Christs part Hitherto hath Hee taught them by the senses and thinges sensible But looke vvhat this vvorkes in them It is saide That for joye they coulde not beleeue and they fell out in a wondring There is the effect that it vvrought There is something heere vvrought to vvit a joye and a vvondering Yet the thing that they shoulde haue is not as yet vvrought that is Faith for joye and wondring by appearance stayes their faith So harde a matter is it to cause a man to beleeue It is an easie thing to thee who knowest not what Faith is to saye I beleeue but when thou art put to the proofe thou wilt finde howe harde a thing it is to cause thee to beleeue There is as great contrarietie betwixt our nature and faith in Christ as is betwixt water and fire And if thou beleeuest there must bee as great chaunge in thy nature as to change water into fire and fire into water Nature must bee turned into grace But howe comes it to passe that joye and wondering shoulde staye Faith Consider it That which one would faine haue comming to passe yee knowe hee cannot easilie beleeue it when one telles him that it is come to passe And that which least wee woulde haue comming to passe we most easilie beleeue that it hath come to passe A man that feares euill will credite an euill report readilie but hee that earnestlie wishes a good thing will not so soone credite a good report hee will thinke it almoste impossible But yet when a man heares tell of a thing which hee would faine haue comming to passe although hee beleeue it not yet the heart will leape for joye This was the disposition of the Apostles The thing that fainest they would haue cōming to passe was a sight of IESVS And if thou were acquainted with Christ as these men were if Hee were taken out of thy sight thou wouldest gette no pleasure till that thou sawest Him as PAVL sayes I desire to be dissolued and to bee with CHRIST Hee had such a thirst to
soule and body so vvee shall keepe all the naturall povvers and faculties of them Nothing shall bee lost in the Resurrection We shall keepe all but after another manner all these povvers nowe are infirme and weake all are vile vvithout glorie then all shall bee glorified facultie of eating and drinking shall bee glorified and made spirituall Wilt thou then desire meat wilt thou hunger as thou doest now vvill thy stomacke desire meat as it does now No all thy naturall povvers shall be filled vvith GOD. 1. Cor. Chapter 15. verse 28. God shall be all in all Hee shall bee meate and drinke and all thinges to thee In the 21. Chapter of the Reuelation and the 22. verse Hee shall bee the Temple Thou shalt not neede to goe to the Church Thy God shall be a Temple Thou shalt not neede Sunne nor Moone or a lanterne or a candle Thy God shall be all in all to thee So long as we are here we hunger we thirst we haue this meat and that meat and we must haue the Sunne by day and the Moone by night and a candle all this necessitie importes an imperfection Eatest thou drinkest thou all is an argument of imperfection and albeit God filles thee in a part GOD beginnes to fill thee in this world and thou wilt feele His sweetnesse yet He giues vs heere in this life but a litle taste GOD is not all in all to vs and therefore so long as vvee are heere we must eat and drinke but after that once GOD shall fully possesse vs and replenish our soules when vve shall see our Lord againe vve shall neuer hunger nor thirst there shall neuer be want againe there shall be fulnesse not of perishing joy but a fulnesse of such glory as no tongue can expresse and all the povvers of thy soule shall be replenished with an vnspeakable pleasure the vvorlde knovves not vvhat this meanes and vvhen it is spoken to them they thinke it vanitie To enter heere curiously about this meat and to dispute What became of this meat vvhether it vvas digested and turned to nutriture and vvhether it vvas auoided againe I thinke it needlesse But to speake it in a vvorde It vvas an easie matter to the LORD IESVS CHRIST vvho made all of nothing vvho made thee of nothing vvho made thy meate and drinke of nothing vvho made that piece of fish of nothing and vvho made that honey combe of nothing to turne it into nothing againe without a concoction or digesting in the stomacke Novve to goe forvvarde to the second part of the Text and to come to His svveet Sermon No question He deliuered it at great length but Luke hath summed it shortely Heere IESVS CHRIST preaches after His glorious Resurrection yee heard many of His preachinges before His suffering in Iohn heare this now after His Resurrection The first thing Hee does He informes His Disciples of a necessitie It behooued Christ to die it behooued Him to rise againe after His buriall the third day there is a necessitie Hee prooues this What euer thing sayes Hee vvas vvritten of mee in Moyses first in the Prophets next and in the Psalmes last all behooued to bee accomplished euery jote of it of necessitie vvould the LORDE say must bee accomplished Heauen and Earth must passe avvay ere one jote of that vvhich is spoken of Mee passe avvay but all must be fulfilled To touch this Hee takes vp all the vvhole Olde Testament into three partes First the bookes of Moses Secondly the Prophetes Thirdly the Psalmes of Dauid Commonly wee vvill heare the Olde Testament diuided in two partes First the bookes of Moses Next the Prophetes novve He makes the Psalmes the third In the Psalmes vve haue continuall prophecies of CHRIST yet I thinke this is the principall cause of it because the Psalmes are songs vvhich Dauid sung vnto GOD and thereafter put in vvrite and this is the chiefe purpose of the Psalmes It is true that in the Psalmes there are Prophecies contained concerning CHRIST and therefore the Psalmes vvere before rekoned vvith the Prophecies and Dauid counted amongst the Prophets Luke Chapter 24. verse 15. Yet the chiefe purpose of the Psalmes is to sing vnto the LORD and then hee prophecies hee standes as a viue and expresse type of CHRIST wherein he differs from other Prophets vvho in their prophecying vvere no types of CHRIST But to returne What euer thing sayes CHRIST is written of Mee it behooued that to bee accomplished But so it is all these thinges haue beene vvritten and foretolde of Mee my suffering and my Resurrection Moses the Prophets and Dauid haue foretolde them Ergo of necessitie I behooued to suffer and to rise againe the third daye Yee see then vvhat Hee is doing Hee is binding the Faith of His Disciples to beleeue of Him that Hee vvas risen vrging them vvith such a necessitie that they could not escape It is not so easie a thing as the vvorlde thinkes it to beleeve Aske at a vvanton companion if Hee beleeues He vvill answere Why beleeue I not vvhen in the meane time His ovvne mouth nor His heart hath no more smell of Faith than the thing Hee touched neuer and yet the blasphemous knaue vvill say He hath Faith but to get Faith of all things thou shalt finde that it is the moste hard and difficill thing and ere euer thou beleeuest thou shalt be straitted The soule shall be so forced and constrained to beleeue that thou canst not say othervvise Well Brethren vvee haue done vvith it and vvee haue made shipvvracke of saluation if vve beleeue not this Gospell and this Historie of the death and Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST Beleeuest thou not that IESVS CHRIST hath died and hath risen againe for thee thou shalt neuer see Iesus to to thy comfort But ere euer thou or I beleeue that this is true that is written of CHRISTS suffering and His glorification ere euer thou beleeuest the Historie of the New Testament of the Passion and rising againe of Christ done and ended thou must be perswaded there is a necessitie that all these thinges that are spoken in the Olde Testament behooued to be done if then thou wouldest knovve the necessitie of these thinges cast thine eyes to the Olde Testament and cast it ouer Beginne at Moyses and then come to the Prophets and lastly to the Psalmes of Dauid Reade the Old Testament and that write shall shewe thee such a necessitie of these things that more possible had it bene that the world should haue vanished away than that these thinges should not haue come to passe and then vvhen yee take the New Testament and sees these things which are foretolde to bee accomplished yee will not beleeue with how great joy the heart will rest vpon Iesus and it will saye I vvill beleeue this that Christ hath suffered and is risen for mee then thy pleasure vvill be to turne ouer the Olde and Newe Testament that thy Faith may be the more
naturall wit thou hast if it be not sanctified the more foolish shall the Crosse of Christ and His Resurrection to glorie seeme to thee for the wisdome of the flesh is enimitie against God I tell thee thou must not bring thy naturall wit to the Scriptures Paul telles thee If thou wouldest bee wise in God thou must be a foole that thou mayest be wise Art thou wise in the world when thou commest to the Church leaue thy wisdome behinde thee art thou a Lawyer keepe it to the Session-house art thou a Mediciner Hast thou any great wisdome leaue all behind thee and come like a sillie childe that hath no wit or els the more thou hearest the greater shall bee thy blindnesse and induration Now come to the conclusion of the Argument Hee concludes That it behooued Christ to suffer and to rise againe from the dead the thirde day There is a necessitie of Christs death and Resurrection and so a necessitie that they shoulde beleeue them for to the ende that we may beleeue in the Gospell there must be a necessitie laid vpon vs to wit that wee be assured that otherwise it could not be but it behooued Christ to suffer and rise againe as the Euangell recordes Now this necessitie we shew you before We may know by the olde Testament Moses the Prophets the Psalmes for this we must lay as an infallible ground that whatsoeuer was foretold by them of necessitie it behooued to come to passe and so wee see that the Olde Testament serues greatly to strenthen our Faith for vvhen vvee see the thinges that vvere foretolde to be all fulfilled in Him all matter of occasion of doubting is taken away The Lord worke this Faith in our heartes for Christs sake To whome with the Father and Holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE XLIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 47 And that Repentance and Remission of sinnes should be preached in His Name among all Nations beginning at Hierusalem IN opening vp of the fift appearance of the Lord after His Resurrection to His Disciples conueened in Hierusalem in the night time well beloued in CHRIST we haue heard how the LORD hath trauelled by sundrie meanes to make them to knowe Him while as He appeared to them and stood vp in the middes of them suddenly He spake to them familiarly and after His owne accustomed manner yet they beleeue not nor vnderstandes Him not by His speaking but thought that He had bene a Spirit or an Angell in the likenesse of a man Then He comes nearer them and shewing out His handes and His feete and markes of the nailes wherewith Hee vvas vvounded on the Crosse He sayes to them See feele and touch mine handes and my feete with your hands see I am euen He I am not a Spirit as yee suppose I am a verie bodie a Spirit hath no flesh nor bones therefore I am no Spirit yet they beleeue not for joy sayes the Text but they stoode wondering Then Hee comes nearer them and demandes whether if they had any meate amongst them and they gaue Him a piece of rosted fish and of an hony combe Hee eates in their presence testifying to them by His action of eating Hee was no Spirit a Spirit cannot eate nor drinke yet Hee leaues them not but Hee preaches to them a sweet Sermon whereof the last day ye heard there was two partes In the first Hee propones to them a necessitie of all these thinges that befell vnto Him all behooued to come to passe He behooued to be crucified He behooued to rise againe the third day And why Because it was written First in Moses Secondly in the Prophetes and lastly in the Psalmes What euer was written all behooued to be accomplished not so much as one sillable of it might perish because whatsoeuer was written by Moses the Prophetes and Dauid all was ordained and decreed all was bound in a fast decree from all eternitie This was the first necessitie Nowe this day Brethren as God will giue the grace we shall come to the other necessitie which is of the preaching and then we shall come to the second part of His Sermon concerning a direction vnto His Disciples to goe out to the world and testifie of these thinges that they heard and saw of Him Then to come to the purpose as it behooued that all these thinges that were foretolde of Christ should come to passe so there was al 's great a necessitie that all should be preached That repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in His name among all Nations Now to speake somewhat of this necessitie of preaching Men thinke commonly all this preaching to be for a piece of policie and for the fashioun a man to stand vp preach to the rest they thinke it a piece of folie ueening to the Church to bee but for the fashion But I shall tell thee except there be preaching no saluation no life shall pertaine vnto thee except there bee preaching Christs comming into the worlde is in vaine for thee all His suffering is for nothing His Resurrection shall bee of no value to thee they will doe thee no good For to speake of the ordinance of God and of that eternall decree for as the Lord ordained from all eternitie Christ to come in the world to suffer to rise againe so He ordained preaching to be in His Name But to leaue that thinkest thou to come to Heauē without faith No thou shalt neuer see it without faith thou shalt neuer see y e face of Christ thinkest y ◠to get Faith without hearing If thou contemnest hearing thou shalt neuer get Faith in Christ But hovve canst thou heare if there bee no preaching thou must heare a voyce So vvithout the sounding of the Gospell no life Christ His suffering His rising is but dead to thee vvithout preaching That life that flovved from the Resurrection of Christ is conueyed in the soule by hearing and without hearing thou shalt ly deade and die euerlastingly Therefore Christ vvhen Hee came into the world He vvas no dumbe sufferer He preached on night and day Paul sayes Ephes 2.17 When Hee came Hee was the peacemaker and Hee preached peace And to the Romanes Chapter 15. verse 8. Hee is called a Minister of Circumcision and CHRIST knowing this necessitie of preaching vvhen He goes His vvay to Heauen leaues Hee the vvorlde vvithout preaching No Paul to the Ephesians Chapter 4. verse 11. sayes Hee gaue some to be Apostles some to be Prophetes some to be Euangelists some to be Pastours some to bee Doctours and all to the end that they might preach the Gospell of peace to His comming And Paul sayes of himselfe Woe to mee if I preach not the Gospell 1. Cor. Chapter 9. verse 16. Hee left His Spirit behind Him as yee see He promises in Iohn Chapter 14. verse 26. But marke He left His Spirit to
deserued no such thing at His hand because they were ashamed of Him and fled away at His Passion yet He honoures them with this high calling then to encourage them the more chearfully to vndertake this calling He promises to send vnto them the Holy Spirit who was before promised to them by the Father to accompanie them and their trauells And last that they might haue the greater securitie and assurance to receiue this Spirit He giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they finde His promise performed vnto them and vntill they were endued vvith power from on high Thus farre vve haue heard out of Luke of this Sermon Now in this Text that vve haue read Iohn followes out cheifly y e latter part of the Lord concerning the sending out of the Apostles and he insistes therein more largely and particularly than Luke does marking especially the things that vvere omitted by Luke for he vvrote after him First in these vvordes vve haue set downe a preface to prepare their heartes the better to receiue the vvorde which Hee vvas to speake vnto them thereafter vvee haue the preaching wherin first He sends out the Apostles to preach the Gospel Next He confirmes them partly by giuing them the Holy Spirit partly by arming them with power and authoritie But to come to the words Iohn sayes that before He sent them out He said againe to them Peace be vnto you Before at the first meeting with them this was His salutation Peace be vnto you Now He repeates these wordes againe Wherefore is this It was to prepare their heartes to receiue the more reuerently and attentiuely and with the greater comfort these things that Hee was to speake to them concerning their charge to preach in His Name to the world The man that would receiue the word of the Lord especially the Gospell of peace and consolation must haue His heart prepared with the assurance of peace for the message of peace and consolation requires First that the soule be prepared with peace to the end it may receiue the word with peace and joy for except the soule haue some perswasion of peace it can finde no comfort and if we receiue the message of peace with a perswasion of peace and vvith a joy in the soule then the more vvee heare the greater shall our comfort bee the more shall vvee drinke in that joy of the Holy Spirit The messengers of peace should follow this example of the Lord When they are to preach the Gospell of peace they should prepare their heartes that by foretelling that all their message and the worde that they are to speake tendes to peace and likewise they who come to heare shoulde haue their heartes prepared vvith some sense of peace and joye but such a joye as followes vpon sorrow for sinne and a sense of their owne miserie and vvhich euer is accompanied with true Repentance for there is no true joye of a Christian man in this life but that which is conjoyned with Repentance and sorrow for sinne Nowe vvhen the Lorde hath prepared their heartes vvith this preface of peace Hee comes to the Sermon and first Hee giues them a direction to goe out to preach the Gospell As my Father sayes he sent me so send I you Wee haue spoken some thing alreadie of this sending out of the Apostles in opening vp of the Lordes wordes as they are set downe by Luke and therefore heere I shall be the shorter in speaking of it Yee see the Lorde sets downe this sending of the Apostles by vvay of comparison with His owne sending I sent you euen as the Father sent mee This comparison importes first that the Sonne only vvas sent immediatly by the Father the Sonne only hath gotten this honour to be sent immediatly by the Father The Apostle sayes Christ tooke not this honour to Himselfe to bee High Priest but Hee that saide vnto Him Thou art My Sonne this day haue I begotten Thee gaue it Him Heb. 5.5 And the Father by sending the Sonne immediatly Himselfe gaue Him all power to send all others so that all others are sent by the Sonne albeit not all after one manner for some are sent by Him immediatly as the Prophets Apostles some mediatly as the Pastors the Teachers Indeede I grant The Prophets and Apostles were sent also by the Father but they were sent mediatly by the Father immediatly by the Sonne therefore Paul vses to call Himselfe The Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God the Father whereby he meanes that immediatly he was sent by the Sonne mediatly by the Father the Sonne sent the Prophets and Apostles immediatly therefore it is said when He ascended vp to Heauen He gaue some to be Apostles and some to be Prophets Eph. 4.11 Next this comparison importes that the office of the Apostleship is not only lawful but also that it is furnished with authority for Christ who sent His Apostles was first sent by His Father not only had Hee a lawful calling but He had it with authority euen so all true Pastors Teachers in the Church haue not only a lawful calling to preach the Gospell but also authoritie joyned with their calling because they are sent by the Sonne for it was the Sonne that gaue some to be Pastors some Teachers Eph 4.11 for albeit true Pastors in y e Church be called by y e ministerie of mē yet they are sent by the Son therfore men haue their authoritie frō Him for in a maner they represent His person as the Son represented the person of His Father was His ambassadour to the worlde so they are ambassadours of the Sonne and must represent His person Men in this Lande despise the Ministers of the Gospell and count most vilely of them in respect of the basenesse of their persons but they shoulde consider it is not with men but with God Christ Himselfe whose ambassadours they are that they haue adoe the obedience or disobedience and contempt of the Pastour redounds directly to the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne counts it to be done to Himselfe and to the Father for He sayes He that heares you heares me and he that despises you despises me and he that despises me despises Him that sent me Luke 10.15 Thirdly this comparison lets vs see who they are that haue a lawfull calling in the Church not euery one that hath a pretence and shew of outwarde calling but only they vvho are called by them vvho vvere sent themselues before And therefore these only are lawfull Pastours who haue bene called by the Presbyterie and fellowship of the Elders who themselues before had a lawfull calling The people and flocke haue no power to call a man to the Ministerie they may indeede nominate and present a man and giue their consent but the calling and admission of a man to the function of the Ministerie belonges only to the Eldership and
Pastours vvho before vvere called themselues But to goe forward When He hath charged them to goe out to preach the Gospell because it was a very weightie and painfull charge therefore He encourages and strengthenes them the more willingly to vndertake it First by bestowing vpon them the Holy Spirit and His graces Next by arming them with power and authoritie To come to the first it is said When Hee had saide this Hee breathed on them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost In giuing to them the Holy Spirit He vses an outward and visible signe Hee breathes vpon them for this breathing vpon them was not the sending and giuing of the Holy Spirit it selfe but it was an outward signe and Sacrament to represent to signifie and assure them of the giuing of the Holy Spirit the outward breathing vpon them was a signe of the inward breathing of the Holy Spirit vpon their soules and a signe verie fit and conuenient to expresse the thing signified for the wind serues very well to represent the Holy Spirit and is vsed for that same purpose by the Lorde Himselfe Ioh. 3 8. Thâ— wind blâ—wes where it listeth c. But it would be marked that the Lord vses not only the bare and naked signe No that could haue profited them very litle but to the signe He joynes words telling the meaning of it He sayes Receiue the Holy Ghost For the Lorde in all Sacraments vses commonly to joyne the word to the Sacrament As in Baptisme and the Lords Supper to the end that not only Hee may declare and open vp the meaning of the signe but also to worke and confirme Faith in mens heartes that so the Sacrament may be powerfull and effectuall in them for the outward signe alone is not able to worke Faith in the soule but it is the word chiefly that workes Faith the worde is the life of the Sacrament and therefore except the word be joyned with the outward signe it cannot bee a true and effectuall Sacrament Nowe it is to be considered that this breathing of the Lord vpon His Apostles was not a thing that Hee would haue to bee kept ordinarily in His Church but it is an extraordinarie signe vsed extraordinarily by the Lorde in the sending out of extraordinarie men the Apostles to an extraordinary calling whereby the Lord at that time endued them with extraordinarie graces necessarie for that great calling And therefore foolish and damnable is the practise of the Pope his Cardinalls and his Bishops which they vse in sending out their shauelings into the world for when they admit them with their vile and stinking mouths they breath vpon them and say Receiue the Holy Ghost filthily abusing this action of the Lord as if it lay in their hands with their breathing to giue the Holy Spirit whereas the Lord hath reserued this power to Himselfe alone and communicates it not to any man they are but counterfaiters of such things as the Lord will not haue to bee counterfeited for this His action in all pointes was extraordinarie and therefore ought not to be vsed ordinarily but I leaue them to their owne vanitie A question may bee heere mooued How agrees this doing of Christ on His Disciples and giuing them the Holy Ghost recorded here by Iohn with the wordes that we heard before out of the Gospell of Luke where the Lord sayes Beholde I doe send the promise of my Father vpon you but tarie in Ierusalem vntill ye be endued with power from on high Which wordes importe that at this fift appearing to His Disciples which is one with this that John recordes He gaue them not the Holy Ghost but only promised to send Hâ—m to them I answere Both these places agree well enough together for in Luke the Lord promised to send His Spirit with His graces in a full measure vpon them which promise indeed hee performed on the daye of the Pentecosts when they beeing gathered together there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fiâ—e and sate vpon each one of them and they were all miraculously filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 2.1 But the Lord heere only giues them the Holy Ghost and His graces in a small measure to be as it were a beginning of that full accomplishment which they were to receiue in the daye of the Pentecoste for wee may not thinke that the Holie Spirit and all His graces were giuen fully and compleetely to the Apostles at one time No but they were giuen piece and piece by degrees for first they got the fruites of the Spirit when the Lorde was conuersant with them in the flesh in the dayes of His infirmitie Next after He rose from the death they receiued them in a greater measure as we may see in this place of Iohn and last after the Lordes ascension Hee powred downe in abundance His Spirit with all His graces according as He had promised to them Luke 24.49 and was long before foretolde by Ioel Chap. 2. verse 28. But why would Hee not giue them the Holy Spirit and His graces in a full measure at the first Because there behooued to be a certaine proportion and correspondence betweene the Head and the members the Lord Iesus was their Head they were members of His body so long as He was not fully glorified Himselfe it was no reason that they should haue receiued the fulnesse of grace but when He was fully glorified He filled them abundantly with grace Ephes 4.10 The Lord now glorified in the Heauens hath store and abundance of grace to giue to His Church but our heartes are not prepared to receiue grace wee offend Him continually with our sinnes and grieue His Holy Spirit for this is the last age of the world wherein sinne aboundes and thâ—refore that vve are not so skant of grace the fault is not in the Lorde there is no scarcitie nor want of grace with Him but the fault is in our selues who entertaine sinne in our heartes whereby wee banish grace out of them and makes the Spirit who should be our Comforter to be a witnesse against vs in that great day of the Lord. Now after that the Lord hath encouraged His Apostles by giuing them His Holy Spirit and His graces in the words following to make them the more willing He armes them with power and auâ—hoâ—itie before He send them out He sayes Whosoeuer siâ—nes ye remit thâ—y are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine they are reteined As if Hee had said to them I will not send you out powerlesse with a fectlesse worde in your mouth but to the end ye may the better discharge your commission I enarme you with power I will giue you power to binde and loose to forgiue sinnes and retaine sinnes The Lord sendes none out to his warfare till first Hee furnish them with weapons and armour But what weapons are they Euen spirituall weapons Paul sayes The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through
beleeue There are two sortes of contumacie and stubburnesse in sinne and vnbeliefe the one is conditionall and such vvas the vnbeliefe of Thomas the other sort is absolute vvithout any condition vvhen in no case vpon no cause nor vvarrand vvill beleeue and of this sort vvas the sinne and vnbeliefe of the Priestes and the Pharises for vvhen the souldiers that vvere appointed to keepe and guarde the sepulchre came in to the towne and tolde them that IESVS CHRIST vvas risen out of the graue not only did they not beleeue but also they stroue to keepe themselues in such vnbeliefe and hardnes of heart that in no cace nor condition they vvould suffer themselues to bee reformed so they deteined the vvord of GOD into vnrighteousnesse There is a great difference betweene these two sortes of vnbeliefe The first sort may obtaine mercie Thomas obteined mercie the LORD pardoned his vnbeliefe The other sort verie hardly can obtaine mercie the Priestes and the Pharises found no mercie their vnbeliefe vvas laide to their charge the LORD forgaue them not but as they remained in vnbeliefe so they perished in their infidelitie The LORD saue vs from this cursed sinne of vnbeliefe and infidelitie and namely from this absolute vnbeliefe that in no cace vvill suffer reformation for through processe of time it brings on this sinne against y e Holy Ghost which neuer will be forgiuen neither in this world nor in y e world to come Now last ere I leaue these words of Thomas we may see what is y e grouÌ„d fountaine of this vnbeliefe obstinacie and pride of Thomas the grouÌ„d of all was he leaned too much to his grosse bodily senses to his seeing feeling handling he makes his eyes his hand to be y e ground of his faith Thomas indeede failed not in this that he desired to see y e Lord with his eyes to handle him with his hands for ye heard before how y e Lord by y e sight of the eyes y e feeling of Him with their hands perswaded y e Apostles of the certaintie of His ResurrectioÌ„ Luke 24.39 likewise we see that y e Lord hauing regarde to y e infirmitie of His owne pitying the weaknesse of their faith dayly in y e Sacrament teaches them by y e outward senses as by the seeing tasting handling of y e Elements But herein Thomas sailed that he addicted tied himselfe so to his senses to his sight to his handling that he affirmed professed plainly except he saw him with his eyes handled him with his hands he would neuer beleeue that y e Lord was risen againe from the death notwithstanding of the witnessing of so many so godly so faithfull persons who euery one after another testified of the Lords Resurrection Then marke it Bâ—ethren It is not vnlawfull for a man to desire to see the Lorde euen with his bodily eyes No that desire is lawfull and acceptable to God for all the Sainctes that euer haue beene since the beginning of the world desired to see our LORD face to face Manie Kings and Prophets haue desired to see Him and yet sawe Him not Luke Chapter 10. verses 23.24 Abraham the father of the faithfull desiâ—ed to see Him and olde Simeon who got a reuelation that hee should not depart while he saw the LORD earnestly waited and thirsted for to see Him Luke 2 25. So that it is a lawfull and acceptable thing to desire to see the Lord. But in desiring to see Him we must beware that our faith be not so tied to the outward senses that we refuse altogether to beleeue except wee see the Lorde with our eyes and handle Him with our hands No I say more thou must be so farre from tying thy Faith to the outward senses that thou must not tie it to the very inward feeling of the soule thou must not say except I ay feele I will no wise beleeue for albeit that at all times thou haue not a feeling findest not grace into thy soule albeit thou findest not the Holy Spirite who is the earnest pennie of thy saluation to be presently working within thee and sealing vp thine adoption yet thou art obliged to relie and depend vpon the bare word and naked promise of God and so to seale in thy soule that the Lord is true for he hath made a verie small progresse in Faith that will not trust in GOD and depend vpon His naked worde except ay hee haue some feeling of grace of joy of comfort and of the Holy Ghost The Sainctes of God many times vvhen they had no feeling depended vpon the worde of promise and waited vpon the accomplishment of it Job when he felt not the Lords fauour but conceiued that the Lord was angrie with him he sayes Although thou slayest me yet will I trust in thee Iob 13.15 And Abraham when hee saw none appearance that the Lords promise concerning his seed could be performed yet it is said of him That aboue Hope hee beleeued vnder Hope Rom. 4.18 Likewise Dauid vvhen he vvas in great danger of his enemies and sawe litle appearance of deliuerie still trusted in God and depended vpon His promise for he sayes I will reioyce in God because of His word I trust in God and will not feare what flesh can doe vnto me Psal 56.4 It may be that the Lord exercise thee with the conscience of sinne and with the terrours of His vvrath in such sort that thou findest no sense of grace nor of His fauour yet in this case despare not but by the example of the Sainctes learne to depend vpon the worde and promise of God till thou findest the performance of it to the comfort of thy soule Now to goe forwarde and to end shortly After that the Euangelist hath set downe after this manner as ye haue heard the historie of the incredulitie of Thomas hee comes to another appearing of the Lorde after His Resurrection which is the sixt in number for of fiue wee haue heard alreadie and this appearing seemes chiefly to bee for Thomas cause The time of this appearing is noted It was eight dayes after that is from that day in the which Thomas had plainely professed that hee would neuer beleeue that the Lord was risen except that both hee sawe Him and felt Him and His wounds and it was the eight day likewise after the Lords Resurrection for the former fiue appearings of the Lord whereof we haue alreadie spoken were al vpon the first day in the which the Lord rose from the dead So ye see that Thomas the space of whole eight dayes interueening remained in incredulitie vnbeliefe This example of Thomas le ts vs see what is the disposition of the soule of a man after he hath committed a sinne against the Majestie of God after he hath once sinned he is wrapped vp in a senslesse securitie hee sleepes sound in his sinne there is a vale casten ouer the
testified vnto him that the Lord was risen and had appeared vnto them that they sawe Him with their eyes heard Him with their eares and handled Him with their hands yet such was the incredulitie of Thomas that he professed plainly that in no cace he would beleeue except hee saw in His hands the print of the nailes and put his finger in the print of the nailes and put his hande into His side To remedie this incredulitie of Thomas the Lord appeares now the sixt time eight dayes after His former appearings when His disciples were met together and Thomas with them Iesus came the doores beeing shut and stood in the middes of them and saluted them after the accustomed manner saying vnto them Peace be vnto you Now in these words which we haue presently read we haue the Lordes conference with Thomas first Next in the last wordes of the Chapter the Euangelist meetes mens curiositie affirming albeit all things that Iesus did were not written in this Gospell yet it was not vnperfect because all things were written that were necessarie to life and saluation In the conference that the Lord hath with Thomas Hee meetes him not roughly and rigorously as his incredulitie had justly deserued but with lenitie and meekenesse Hee endeuoureth to make him to beleeue by granting him his desire Thomas had plainly professed that except hee sawe the print of the nailes and put his hande into His side hee would not beleeue therefore the Lord sayes nowe Thomas Put thy finger heere and see Mine handes and put foorth thine hande and put it in My side and bee no more faithlesse but faithfull See the gentlenesse of the LORD and howe louingly Hee speakes to him Thomas was not onely incredulous but also he was stubburne obstinate proud and arrogant hee counted others fooles that beleeued hee professed that in no cace hee would beleeue without seeing and feeling of the LORDES wounds Now the LORD grantes this to Thomas which he desired albeit hee was vnworthie of it yea the LORD inuites him and louingly bids him put his hande in the print of the nailes and in His side for the LORD speakes not this in bitternesse and tauntingly to Thomas for the wordes that He subjoynes Be not faithlesse but faithfull testifie that Hee spake of loue and in lenitie to Thomas to make him to beleeue It is true indeede the wordes containe a sort of reproofe and rebuking of Thomas for his incredulitie but this reproofe is so tempered and seasoned vvith such lenitie and meeknesse that scarcâ—ly can it bee perceiued and taken vp This dealing of the LORD with Thomas le ts vs see how great is the mercie gentlenesse and long suffering of the LORD IESVS towards sinners whose sinnes deserue nothing but wrath judgement such is His mercie and meeknesse towards sinners that to the end Hee might please vs Paul sayes Rom. 15.3 Hee would not please Himselfe He suffered shame ignominie for vs He suffâ—red dolour paines for vs He died for vs and after Hee rose He spared no trauell to make the Apostles belâ—eue sundrie times did He appeare to them now He appeares for Thomas cause albeit he had runne very far in the course of infidelitie stubburnesse yet He striues by granting him his desiâ—e to perswade him and make him to beleeue The Lords gentlenesse and long suffering is very great towardes all men euen the verie reprobate themselues who refuse the riches of His bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering not knowing that the bount fulnesse of GOD leadeth them to repentance Rom Châ—pter 2 verse 4. For as Paul sayes Hee suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared for destruction Rom. Chapter 9. verse 22. But it is greater towardes his owne in whome Hee sees some sponke of grace to bee for albeit Hee finde it to be very small and heauily oppressed and smoothered downe by the corruption of our flesh and of our cankred nature yet He endeuoures to cherish and intertaine it for Hee breakes not the brused reed my quench the smooking flaxe Esay 42.3 Matth. 12.20 But Brethren it serues for no purpose to speake of this gentlenesse and bountifulnesse of the Lord except wee haue a sense and feeling of it in our owne soules and except we taste how sweete and bountifull the Lord is for no wordes can expresse it no wordes can perswade a man of it except he finde the proofe and sense of it in his owne soule The Lorde worke a feeling of it in euery one of our hearts that we may speake of it with the greater assurance perswasion But there may be a question mooued heere The desire of Thomas seemes to be vnlawfull and vnreasonable why then should the Lord haue granted it to him How standes this with His Iustice How agrees this with that vnchangeable Nature of GOD in Christ To this I answere That Thomas failed not in this that he desired to see the Lord for that is the desire of all the Sainctes but in this he failed as we heard before that he tied his faith so precisely to his outwarde senses to seeing and handling that hee professed that no wise he would beleeue except hee saw the Lord and felt Him yet no question he had in the meane time some spirituall desire to see the Lord and hee had a true and sincere loue towards the Lord. This louing dealing of the Lord with Thomas teaches vs this comfortable lesson The Lord markes not narrowly the infirmities and wants that are in His owne Hee lookes not narrowly to the weaknesse of their Faith to the imperfections wants of their prayers and requests for their prayers are full of wants and imperfections but Hee passes by their imperfections Hee ouersees their infirmities and misknowes the corruption wherein their Faith their prayers and desires are inuolâ—ed and ouercled and Hee hath a regard to their Faith albeit they haue it in neuer so small a measure for the Lord knowes the meaning of His owne Spirit euen then when He is wrestling into vs against an inumerable number of our infirmities sinnes and corruptions Happie is that soule that hath a sponke of true Faith for the Lord will regarde it and ouersee many infirmities and imperfections in him Thus farre of the Lords speech to Thomas Now followes the answere of Thomas vnto the Lord Thomas meetes Him with a notable confession Thou art my Lord and my God The Text makes no particular mention vvhether or not Thomas put his finger in the print of His vvounds and his hand in His side when the Lord bade him If so hee did and vvould none otherwise beleeue then surely hee hath beene very hard of heart impudent and obstinate vvho vvould not beleeue when he saw the Lord with his eyes and heard Him speaking to him But it is more probable and I am of that judgement that so soone as Thomas sawe the Lord and heard Him speaking that he was ashamed of his incredulitie
them with the confession of their owne want thereafter He giues them the blessing Cast out the net on the right side of the shâ—p and theÌ„ He promises them a good successe for He sayes Ye shall find But what needed y â— Lord to bid theÌ„ cast out the nets that they might get fishes Might not the Lord haue giuen them fish enough without their trauell labour Might He not by His omnipotent power haue coÌ„manded the fish to haue inclosed theÌ„selues within the nets Yes no doubt without their trauell labour He might haue filled the ship abouÌ„dantly with fish yet it was His pleasure good will y t they should worke labour take paines vpon theÌ„ first before He gâ—ue them any blessing He would not blesse theÌ„ with a good successe except they laboured Further ye may see here how great pleasure and liking the Lord has to see men painful in their calling for albeit they had bin molested troubled all the night with labouring yet the Lord will haue theÌ„ to cast out their net again in the morning to the end y t He might giue a blessing to their trauels Indeed it is true that Hee desires not our labour as if it could staÌ„d Him in any stead He giues not a successe to it as if it merited any thing at His hands for Hee giues successe increase only for His own names sake and for His Christs sake without any merit of ours for if He had not respect to Himselfe His Christ if we tooke neuer so great paines we would find but a sober successe Many find by experience y t without Him if they would paine themselues from morning till euening they can find no successe Yea when the Lord withdrawes His blessing the children of God themselues finde the proofe of this Peter and the rest of the Disciples who were with him toyled and pained themselues all the night without anie successe or profite Then the cause chiefely why the Lord requires our trauell and labour is because it is an ordinarie meane appointed by Him whereby we should finde and receiue His blessing and it is a part of our seruice and duety that the Lord has appointed to vs. For when with a simple and vpright heart wee are labouring in our calling wee are seruing the Lord. Therefore Paul charges the seruants to bee obedient to their masters with singlenesse of heart as vnto Christ meaning that in their seruice done to their masters they serue not so much men as Christ Ephes 6.5 Now the Disciples obeyed this commandement of the Lord for they cast out the net and they were not able to draw it for the multitude of â—ishes This their obedience is very commendable albeit they had bene troubled and wearied all the night and had caught nothing yet at the request of a stranger a man whom they knew not whom they supposed to be no more but a common man readilie they yeeld obedience cast out the net And this their readinesse testifies that they had exceeding great patience constaÌ„cie in enduring of trauell notwithstanding of all their labour paines preceeding What was the cause of this their patience Euen partlie because their long labouring and paines that they had taken without any successe had humbled and tamed them if they got no fish they got a better benefite they were somewhat mortified and learned patience partly because they had an hope of a good successe that the Lord should blesse them at the last therefore patientlie they endure in labouring for we see commonly that hope of vantage will sustaine a man and cause him to endure much trouble labour And this hope if it bee in the Lord who neuer leaues His owne makes the patience and enduring of labour to gette a good successe So long as thou liuest cast hope neuer off if it vvere no more but because by it thou gloâ—ifiest God for by faith and hope to obtain all good things which are necessary either to soule or bodie from the handes of the Father of lightes from whome all good things descend we glorifie Him in the multitude of His mercy By the example of the Disciples let vs learne that when we haue troubled and pained our selues very long and find but sober successe of our trauels at least to be humbled and mortified and to continue constantly in labouring waiting patiently for y e Lords blessing for as y e dâ—sciples in the end found a better successe than they could haue looked for They founde the net to bee filled with such a multitude of fishes y t they were not able to draw it so shall we find in th' end y t our patient waiting for y e Lords blessing shal not be fruiâ—lesse and without successe Nowe to goe forwarde They knewe not the Lord when at His command they cast the nette into the Sea but nowe when they see such a marueâ—lous draught of fishes inclosed within their nets they beginne to conceiue that it was the Lord that spake to them The first man who discernes Him is IOHN who describes himselfe heere to bee the Disciple whome the Lord loued and commonlie he describes himselfe in the Gospell by this stile and that because hee found the loue of God spred abroade in his heart by His Holy Spirit in an exceeding great measure IOHN saide vnto PETER It is the LORD The thing that makes IOHN to knowe that it was the Lord that spake was the extraordinarie and marueilous successe that they found in their trauels for in that successe hee sawe and considered not onelie an exceeding great power but also a wonderfull bountifulnesse and liberalitie whereupon hee gathers that it was the Lord that spake vnto them and commanded them to cast out the nette and directed them in their labour and made them to gette such successe Learne then heere by IOHNS example when the Lorde bestowes His benefites and graces on thee and when thou seest His workes by His workes and benefites to ascende to God the giuer of them and in them to acknowledge Him and His essentiall properties His power His bountifulnesse His mercie His prouidence c. For if wee weigh rightlie and deepelie consider the benefites and workes of God in them wee will finde as it were a seale of the majestie of God of His power of His mercie of His liberalitie and bountifulnesse which should mooue vs to lift vp our eyes to Heauen to beholde the Lord who is the worker and giuer of all that so with chearefulnesse and pleasure wee may glorifie Him for this is our greatest happinesse and felicitie to glorifie the majestie of our God in all thinges There are manie who when as they see the wonderous workes of God and daylie receiue benefites of Him they so rest vpon the outwarde workes and benefites that they neuer ascende to God the author and giuer of them to see Him and to glorifie Him But miserable are they who so does what euer
they saw Him they worshipped Him What made them to fall downe and worship Him What sawe they into Him No question they sawe in Him a glorious Majestie By all appearance at this time He has shewed himselfe in greater glory than Hee did of before So beholding His glorie on the one part and their owne vnworthinesse on the other as Hee approaches vnto them they humblie fall downne and worship Him This their behauiour teaches vs that wheresoeuer the Lord of Glorie is present there He should be worshipped and adored His presence requires adoration Seest thou the Lord present with thee Then in humilitie fall downe and worshippe Him But thou wilt saye I cannot see Him how then can I adore Him Th'Apostles saw His glorious presence with their eyes therefore they ought to haue worshipped Him but as for vs who liue in these dayes after His ascension to Heauen we see Him not and therefore how can wee worship Him But I answere thee It is true thou seest Him not nowe vvith the eyes of thy bodie but thou seest Him with the eyes of thy soule thou seest Him with the eyes of faith thou seest Him in the vvorde and Sacraments first crucified and then glorified And if thou wilt not worship Him when thou seest Him here present in the worde and Sacraments thou wouldest not haue worshipped Him if thou haddest seene Him with the eyes of thy body face to face These profane bodies vvho vvill not vvorship Him nowe vvhen they see Him present in the mirrour of the Gospell they vvill neuer gette leaue to worship Him in the Kingdome of Heauen Thinkest thou not that the Lord is seene present in His word What meanes Paul then vvhen he sayes that an vnlearned man comming into the meetinges of the faithfull where manie are prophecying finding himselfe rebuked and judged of all and the secrets of his heart made manâ—fest that hee will fall downe on his face and worshippe GOD and saye plainlie That GOD is among them indeede 1. Corinth Chap. 14. vers 24. and 25. What sees the vnlearned man among them that makes him to fall down and giue such a confession No question but the glorious light of the GOSPELL shines into his soule and Christ offers Himselfe present to bee seene by the eye of faith The faithfull this daye by experience finde in their meetings this same presence of the Lord And therefore it becomes vs in all our meetinges euer to vvorshippe the Lord and to sit vvith feare and reuerence to heare the worde and to prepare our heartes to receiue the Holie Spirite whome the Lord promises and offers with the preaching of the worde to all His Chosen Againe this their behauiour teaches vs what force and power there is in the glorious presence of Christ Iesus His presence is powerfull to humble and bowe both the bodie and soule of the creature This made Paul to saye that at the Name of IESVS euerie knee should bowe both of thinges in Heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth Philipp chap. 2. vers 20. For that sublimitie and highnesse vvhereunto the Father hath exalted Him is so effectuall and powerfull in all creatures and of all sortes that either sweetlie willinglie it mooues them to worship Him in all humilitie or else it breakes bruises them with fearcenesse and violence and compels out perforce obedience of them The sight and sense of this sublimitie and highnesse makes the blessed Angels in Heauen in all reuerence to worshippe Him The sense of this sublimitie makes the Sainctes on earth when either they speake or heare of Him reuerentlie and in humilitie to bow both their bodies and their soules vnto Him And by the contrarie The sight and sense of this same sublimitie raises vp in the Deuill and his angelles such horroures and dread as cannot bee expressed The sense of this sublimitie makes the wicked howe proude and jollie soeuer they bee in their owne conceite oft times when they heare of Him to quake and tremble The Euangelist Matthew notes That notwithstanding of their worshipping of Him yet some of them doubted But who were these that doubted Euen some of these who before worshipped Him And what mooued them to doubt Apparantly that same that before moued them to worship Him moues them also now to doubt to wit that extraordinary vnaccustomed majesty and glory wherein Iesus appeared to them which scarcely they could haue deemed to bee so great wonderfull And certainly the glory of the Lord sitting this day in the HeaueÌ„s at the right hand of the Father is so exceeding great woÌ„derfull that if it were permitted to vs to behold it as it is with our bodily eyes such is y e corruption of our nature we could not but doubt whether He were y e Christ who vvas so far humbled abased in y e earth of whom we heard before in y e Gospel Beside this cause y e difficulty to belieue this article of the ResurrectioÌ„ of y e dead seemes likewise to haue furthered their doubting for indeed amoÌ„g al y e articles of our belief there is none more coÌ„trary to nature nor harder to belieue thaÌ„ this article of y e ResurrectioÌ„ of our bodies froÌ„ y e dead Nature can neuer be perswaded y t a dead body y t has bin a prey to worms is resolued in dust ashes can rise vp againe to life But as of all articles there is none harder to be belieued so there is none more necessary to saluatioÌ„ nor none that brings greater consolation And therefore the Lord that vve might haue the more full assurance and perswasion thereof tooke great paines vpon Himselfe and for the space of fourtie dayes Hee remained vpon the earth after His Resurrection and sundry times shewed Himselfe to His Disciples and manie other of the Faithfull that all occasion of doubting might bee remooued and so their joye and comfort might bee the greater Nowe this doubting of the Disciples lets vs see vvhat is the disposition of the heartes of the Godlie euen in their best exercises For euen their best exercises are euer accompanied vvith a piece of doubting of vvant of infirmitie c. their vvorshipping of GOD is vvith doubting their prayer is vvith infirmitie and vvauering of the minde their meditation falles from GOD and spirituall things to carnall and earthly things their hearing of the word is euer with some piece of loathing their Faith is mixed with infidelitie so that before they can come to any great measure of grace they must striue and wrestle through many infirmities and ouercome many difficulties and tentations so that the best man euen in his best workes hath no matter of rejoycing if the Lord would enter in judgement with him Yee haue heard the disciples behauiour now look how the Lord meetes them First He drawes nearer to them and then He enters in communing with them for it is said Iesus came and spake vnto them He
that is y t by baptisme they should seale vp y t Gospel which they had teached before But to whō should they go out to whō should they preach Whome should they baptize Not the Jewes only but all Nations Marke sayes Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature As if He had said My power is extended to all Nations to euery creature and therefore this my Gospell your Ministerie whereby my power is manifested and declared to all must likewise bee extended to all creatures in the world These words of the Lord furnishes vs sundrie lessons for our instruction First we may learne heere that this office of the Apostleship which the Lord committes to His Disciples is not a bare stile of honour No but it is a laborious and painefull charge and calling they are commanded to goe out into the worlde to preach diligently the Gospell to euery creature The Pope his Cardinalles and Bishops vaunt bragge that they are the successours of the Apostles they clame this as a stile of honour to themselues but in the meane time they refuse to vndertake any paines and trauell for mans saluation as the Apostles did these idle bellies liue in carnall securitie and sensualitie taking their pleasure and pastime and deceitfully gather in to themselues the substance of the world and commit the charge of Preaching to Vicares and Curates as if the Gospell were too base an exercise for them and a thing whereof they had just occasion to be ashamed and therefore let them clame what stiles they list to themselues they are nothing lesse than successours to the Apostles Next these wordes lets vs see that there are two points of y e Ministerie for y e Lord giues His Apostles commission to preach the Gospell to baptize so the Ministers haue these two things enjoyned vnto them to preach the word to minister the Sacraments we heare nothing spoken here of offering of a Sacrifice either bloody or vnbloody or of a Priesthood and no question if there had bene such a thing or at least if it had bene a matter of such importance so necessarie as the Pope his shauelings say the Lord would altogether haue misknowne it passed it ouer with silence but He would haue spoken something of it to His Apostles so it is but a follie vanitie to thinke that since Christ hath once offered Himself a propitiatory Sacrifice for y e Redemption of the world that now there remaines any propitiatory Sacrifice in the Church The Lord hath put an end to them all by His death Sacrifice there is no Priesthood cōmitted either to the Apostles before or to the Ministers now but that whereby y e preaching of y e word they offer the soules of men womē in a Sacrifice to y e Lord Away with that deuilish sacrifice of y e Masse whereby the Pope and his Clergy deceiues the world making men beleeue that daylie they offer vp Christ againe as a propitiatorie sacrifice to the Father for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead No there is no propitiatorie sacrifice nowe left to the Kirke That sacrifice which the Lord once offered vpon y e crosse is sufficient perfect enough to take away the sinnes of y e world Thirdly these words teach vs y e these two poincts of the calling of the Ministery Teaching Baptizing were not cōmitted to diuerse sundry persons but both were cōmitted to one y e selfe same person So that he who is ordained to preach is ordained to baptize and he who cānot preach has no power nor libertie granted him of the Lord to baptize and if hee baptize he does it without the Lords commandement he has no warrant of Him and therfore his doing is but a profanation of that Holie Sacramēt of Baptisme This baptizing of infants which is ministred by priuate men has no warrant nor allowāce of God much lesse that which is done by women Fourthly out of these words we may learne what order ought to be kept in the ministring of Baptisme to wit the word must be first preached the couenant of grace and the glad tidings of saluation must be first opened vp vnto vs and then Baptisme should be ministred to seale vp that same word and couenant which before was preached Wherefore serues Baptisme except first the word be preached Baptisme is a seale And what serues y e seale for if there be nothing to be sealed Wherefore can it serue if the charter of the word preceed not Therfore except the preaching of the couenant of grace preceede Baptisme is nothing but an vnprofitable ceremony and a dead element Nowe in whose name should this Sacrament of Baptisme be ministred The Lord sayes IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER AND OF THE SONNE AND OF THE HOLY GHOST That is Yee shall baptize by the authoritie power of the Father the Sonne of the Holy Ghost Whereof we haue to learne That the power efficacie of Baptisme depends neither vpon the power of the Minister who baptizes nor vpon the force nor power of the words pronounced by the Minister in Baptisme as if there were any such power or operation in the wordes as the Papists falsely attribute vnto them but all the force efficacie of Baptisme depends vpon the power of God only And therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized to lift vp his eyes his heart to Heauen and to craue the blessing efficacy thereof from God only Next it would be noeed y t He sayes not in a generall tearme Baptise in the name of God but Hee sayes distinctly Baptise in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Therefore it is the duety of him who is baptized not to content himselfe with a confused knowledge and consideration of God but hee ought to behold that glorious Majesty y t incomprehensible essence distinctly in the Trinitie of the persons that is three distinct persons in one Godhead for faith is a distinct a cleare knowledge apprehension of the Majesty of God for whosoeuer truely and sincerely beleeues puts his confidēce in God he finds sensibly by experiēce that all good things flowe first from the Father as the fountaine of all grace and goodnesse through the Sonne as Mediator by whom all grace is conueyed and cōmunicated vnto men and by the Holie Ghost who powerfully effectually works all grace in y e heart Last we see here a cleare and a plaine naming of the three distinct persons of the Godhead the Lord names distinctly The Father the Sonne the holy Ghost In all the Old Testament we will not reade so plaine cleare a distinction of y e three persons of y e Godhead Then learne here that Iesus Christ the Sonne of God brought first of all into the world a distinct knowledge of God and that He first of all distinctly named The
from the hope of the glorious returning of the Lord Iesus againe to Iudge the world There is nothing that furnishes such joy to the faithfull soule as this hope does Indeed it is true the Lord giues vs other grounds of consolation while we are heere namely He giues vs His Spirit to counsel guide vs through al the difficulties of our pilgrimage the joy that the faithfull finde in His presence is very great He giues vs Faith also to coÌ„fort vs whereby in some measure presently we feele the presence of Christ His spirituall graces in our soules but except with y e Spirit Faith we had a hope y t the Lord Iesus should returne againe in His own time in glory we could not haue solide joy consolatioÌ„ for if in this life only we hoped in Christ had no hope y t He would returne againe in glory raise our mortall bodies froÌ„ y e dead theÌ„ as y e Apostle saies of all men we were most miserable 1. Cor. 15.19 why shuld not y e hope of this returning coÌ„fort our soules make them to rejoyce for at His returning we look hope for y e glorifying of these our bodies for eternall life Paul sayes That froÌ„ the heauens we look for the Sauiour euen the Lord Iesus who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like vnto His glorious body Philip. 3.20.21 And when it shal be made manifest we shal be made like Him for we shall see Him as He is 1 Joh. 3.2 Yea we haue greater cause of joy comfort of the hope of His returning againe thaÌ„ all y e Apostles had of y e sight of His ascending to heauen in their preseÌ„ce for y e ascension of y e Lord albeit it was very glorious coÌ„fortable to theÌ„ yet it chaÌ„ged not their bodies nor made theÌ„ like His glorious body but His glorious returning again froÌ„ the heauens shall change both their bodies our vile corruptible bodies and make them conformable to His glorious body Now happie is y e man who earnestly lookes waits for the blessed glorious coÌ„ming againe of the Lord to judgement for y t hope shall comfort vphold him in all his troubles distresses Now come to y t disciples part we haue suÌ„dry things expressed what they doe y e first is after y e Angels reproued them for their standing gazing to y e heauens it is said They returned to Jerusalem with great ioy They take well with the reproofe they stay no longer gazing there but according to y e Lords directioÌ„ they go to Jerusalem to waite for y t Spirit which He promised to them they obey y e Lords coÌ„mandemeÌ„t they obey with great joy But what made them so to rejoyce This joy proceeded partly from y e sight of His glorious ascensioÌ„ into heaueÌ„ which they saw with their eyes partly froÌ„ y t which they heard by y e Angels of His glorious returning descending again out of y e heauens yet all this which both they saw heard would not haue wroght so great a joy in theÌ„ except y e Lord Iesus who was sitting in y e heauens at y e right hand of y e Father had bin effectuall in them had powerfully wroght this joy in their soules for this joy that y e holy Spirit works in y e hearts of y e Lords Elect is a sure argumeÌ„t infallible demoÌ„stratioÌ„ y t y e Lord Iesus is reigning in y e heaueÌ„s for the Kingdome of God is righteousnes ioy peace in the holy Ghâ—st Rom. 14.17 Now if ye will coÌ„pare this joy which at this time they had with all the joy y t euer they had before yea euen when y e Lord Iesus was walking with them in the flesh they enjoyed His bodily presence ye shal find y t this joy surpassed by many degrees all their preceeding joy whereby we may learne this lesson that neither y e bodily presence of y e Lord Iesus augments or perfectes y e joy of y e soule neither His bodily abseÌ„ce stayes or hinders any wise y t joy but y t all this joy which y e faithfull find proceedes from the effectual preseÌ„ce powerful operatioÌ„ of y e holy Spirit in the soule The grosse carnal Papists think they caÌ„not haue mater of rejoycing except in y e Lords Supper they haue y e body of Christ bodily locally present that is except y t with y e mouth of the body they eat deuoure swallow vp the very body flesh of Iesus Christ except that after that same manner they drinke His blood but vaine Papist thou deceiuest thy selfe for neither does the bodily presence furnish joy neither does the bodily abseÌ„ce hinder joy but all true joy that the soule finds proceedes from the effectuall presence operatioÌ„ of the Spirit Yet to speak something further of this purpose It would be narrowly considered what could be the cause ground of this joy of the Disciples for if we looke to it by the outward appearance they had litle matter or cause of rejoycing at this time when the Lord is gone froÌ„ them Indeede when the Lord Iesus was with them when He led them out into Bethania any man might thinke they had matter of rejoycing to follow such a gracious guide but now when He hath left the earth ascended to heauen left them behind Him what matter could they haue of so great joy in their returning to Jerusalem I answere notwithstanding they wanted now the bodily presence of Christ yet they wanted not matter of great joy for in stead of His bodily presence the Lord gaue them Faith Hope Faith apprehending taking holde of the Lord Iesus sitting in the heauens in glorie at the right hand of the Father Hope waiting constantly for His blessed glorious returning againe in the appointed time to Iudgement This Faith Hope that the Lord giues vs in this pilgrimage recompenses sufficiently the bodily absence of the Lord Iesus from vs if wee haue Faith Hope we haue euermore matter of rejoycing where Faith Hope is they bring euer with them patience joy euen in the mids of all afflictioÌ„s The Apostle Paul declares this by his own experience For the Gospels sake sayes he I suffer these things but I am not ashamed for I know whom I haue beleeued and I am perswaded that hee is able to keepe that which I haue coÌ„mitted to him against that day 2. Tim. 1.12 There he lets vs see what made him to bee so patient vnder afflictions to wit the sense of the power of Christ which hee founde in his soule by faith by the which power hee was perswaded that Christ was able to keepe in the heauens that life which hee had committed vnto him and the hope that hee had of His glorious returning in that great day wherin the Lord should render