because they knew it was their Master And Jesus having taken the Bread gave it them and likewise the Fish XLIX Jesus commits the care of his Sheep to St. Peter When they had eaten Jesus said to Peter Simon John 21 15-23 Son of Jonas Lovest thou me more than these do He answered him Yea Lord thou knowest I love thee Jesus saith unto him Feed my Lambs He asked him again a Second time Simon Son of Jonas Lovest thou me Yea Lord answered Peter thou knowest that I Love thee Jesus says again Feed my Lambs Jesus again the Third time put the same Question to him Peter was troubled that his Master seem'd to doubt of his Love and answered him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I Love thee Our Saviour having made him thus make some amends for his Sin in denying him Thrice by giving a Triple Testimony of his Love committed the Care of his Sheep to him i. e. the Souls of his People saying to him again Feed my Sheep He adds Verily Verily I say unto thee when thou wast Young thou girdedst thy self and went whither thou pleasest but when thou shalt be Old thou shalt stretch forth thy Hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldst not The Gospel saith that Jesus signified by these Words by what Death Peter should glorify God and they did indeed concur in the Martyrdom of this Apostle whom Tradition teacheth us to have been Crucified as his Master was Euseb Eccles Hist. lib. 2. c. 25. After this Jesus commanded Peter to follow him and Peter turning him seeth John the Beloved Disciple of Jesus following him and seeing him he saith unto Jesus Lord what shall become of this Man But Jesus checks his Curiosity by tclling him that he ought not to trouble himself with what shall befall others and orders him to mind nothing but to follow him And speaking of John he sayeth to him I will that he tarry till I come Or according to other Editions If I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee These words seemed to intimate to the Apostles that John should not dye But this Evangelist who wrote these things himself observes that Jesus did not say that he should not dye and History indeed tells us That he is Dead But the sense of these Words of the Son of God perhaps signifies that that Disciple should continue as he was to his Death i. e. he should not dye a Violent Death as Peter should or that he should Live till the Destruction of Jerusalem for these words Vntil I come may signify according to the usual Language of Scripture Vntil I come to take him out of the World by Death Or till I come to punish and Chastize this People St. John did really live till after the Destruction of Jerusalem and dyed at last of his Natural Death L. Jesus Instructed the Apostles The Son of God shewed himself several times more to his Apostles during the Forty days Matth. 28 16-20 Mark 16 15-18 Luke 24 44-49 Acts 1.3 that he abode upon Earth after his Resurrection and he appeared so often saith St. Luke to give them ample Proofs that he was alive and to talk with them of the Kingdom of God And since he had determined to call Men by Preaching to the possession of that Kingdom he gave them necessary instructions to discharge their Functions well He explained to them all that was spoken of himself in the Law of Moses and in the Books of the Prophets and in the Psalms and opened their Understandings to understand the sense of Scripture He shews them that according as it is Written Christ must suffer Death and be raised the Third day and that Repentance and remission of Sins should be preached in all Nations beginning at Jerusalem He Communicates to them the Authority which he had received of his Father and saith to them All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth Go ye therefore into all the World and Preach the Gospel and Instruct all People Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost and Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you He adds That they that believe not shall be Damned and on the contrary They that believe their Word by a lively Faith and are Baptized shall be saved and likewise shall do Miracles Casting out Devils Speaking with Tongues Drinking Poison without getting harm and Healing the Sick by laying their Hands on them Lastly since the Apostles had need of Power and Strength to exercise the Ministry which was entrusted to them he assured them of his protection telling them that he would be with them always to the End of the World and he promised them to endue them with power from above by the Holy Spirit which he would send from Heaven LI. The last Appearance of Jesus Christ Matth. 28 16-18 It is probable that Jesus gave them the greatest part of these Instructions at the Famous Apearance p. 217. The Ascension of Jesus Christ which he made to them upon the Mountain of Galilee where he appointed to meet them Here he promised them before he dyed to shew himself to them And on the day of his Resurrection the Angels and He himself commanded the Holy Women to tell his Disciples that he would meet in Galilee They went thither they saw him as he had promised and they Worshipped him 1 Cor. 15.6 It is credible that all his Disciples met him there as the Apostles and that it is of the Appearance that St. Paul speaks who saith That Jesus appeared to more than Five Hundred Brethren at once The same Apostle tells us that he also appeared to James but doth not relate in what manner Luke 24.49 Acts â—1 4-8 Lastly He shewed himself the Last time to his Apostles at Jerusalem where he commanded them to abide till they should receive the Holy Spirit which he promised them in these words John Baptized with Water but ye shall be Baptized i. e. Washed and Sanctified by the Holy Ghost not many days hence They asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom of Israel He answered them That it is not for them to know the Times and Seasons which God hath put in his own absolute Power But ye shall receive saith he to them the power of the Holy Spirit which shall come down upon you and ye shall be witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the Earth LII The Ascension of Jesus Christ These were the last Words according to S. Luke Mark 16.19 20. Luke 24 50-53 Acts 1 9-12 which Jesus spake upon the Earth if they were spoken immediately before he left his Apostles it was at Bethany whither he led them upon the Day of his Ascension or upon the Mount of Olives From which it appears he ascended as S. Luke relates He
by the Reader who will think them rather too few than too many But considering that unless we well understand the design of our Saviours coming into the World we cannot read the History of his Life with any real advantage for since he did spake and suffered nothing but with a tendency to that end we can never have a true notion of them unless we know the true motive and the end which he himself aimed at I judged it necessary to propound a short History of the Fall of Man and the Wounds which Men have received by it before I present them with the Medicine to heal them and teach them in a few words the happiness of that Estate wherein God Created them the lamentable Miseries into which they have faln by Sin and the means which Gods infinite goodness makes use of to save them The Discovery of these Miseries will make them more desirous to know what Christ hath done to deliver them and by how much they perceive themselves more obnoxious to Gods Justice by so much they will the more eagerly lay hold upon Jesus by Faith to save them from it II. Mans Creation and Fall by Sin When God created the Heaven and the Earth in six days he being desirous not only to provide a Governour for all his Corporeal Creatures but to put some other Beings into the places of the faln Angels in Heaven Created a Man and Woman whom he called Adam and Eve which signifies the Mother of all Living God formed them in his own Image i. e. gave them an Immortal Soul endowed them with abilities to know and love him which are two of the most noble Actions of the Rational Creature which make up the whole Life and happiness of God which is to know and love himself from all Eternity Wherefore he filled their Minds with Knowledge and their Will with Love He Created them perfect and upright their Souls in perfect submission to God and their Body to their Soul There was no darkness or trouble in their minds because God was their Light and Peace and nothing in there Bodies which might make them ashamed because there was nothing disorderly for which reason it is that the Holy Scripture saith That they were Naked Gen. 2.25 and were not ashamed In this Holy and Happy Estate they had a sound Judgment and perfect freedom of Will furnished with all Graces necessary to do that good which God required of them and to purchase that Glory which should be the reward of their Virtue which is to have a clear Vision of God They knew so much of God as Creatures are capable of and if they made a good use of this knowledge upon Earth they should be Translated to the full fruition of God in Heaven Their Innocency exempted them from Death and all other Evils which are the effects of Sin And their privileges were not only for themselves but their Posterity to whom they should communicate not only their Nature but Innocency and all the priviledges of it For the continuance of all these Temporal favours and obtaining that eternal happiness which he hath promised them God required nothing but an entire submission to his Will which that he might have tryal of he gave them a Command to abstain from the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil which was in the midst of Paradise threatning them with Death if they dared to Touch it Nothing was more easy than the observation of this Commandment but they kept it not long for the Devil envying their Happiness came to Eve under the Shape of a Serpent perswading her to Eat the Fruit which was forbidden and telling her that they should be so far from dying that they shall become as Gods By these promises she suffered her self to be seduced eat of the Fruit and gave it to her Husband who thro' a wicked Compliance made himself guilty of the Womans Sin As soon as they had thus broken the Command of their God they were made sensible of their Fault by the fearful Change in themselves for they perceived they were Naked and were filled with confusion because they felt in their Bodies the disorderly Motions of their Concupiscence God shewed himself to them no longer as a Father whose presence was their Joy and Happiness but as an offended Lord who reproved their disobedience and as a severe Judge to punish their Rebellion He Condemned the Man to Toil and Drudgery for his necessary Food the Woman to Pains in Child-bearing and drave them both out of the Terrestrial Paradise in which he had placed them he subjected them to all the miseries of this Life and passed the sentence of Death upon them which he had threatned condemning them not only to a Temporal Death of the Body but to the Second Death which is more terrible than the former the Death of the Soul which is to Live eternally with the Devils in Hell and be banished from the only cause and foundation of all Happiness God A just punishment saith St. Austin for their fault in disobeying so easy a Law of so great a God! All the Race of Adam being corrupted in him as in their Fountain and Root by his Sin was also lyable to the same punishment for as if he had continued in his Innocency all his Posterity had inherited it by their Birth and all the Advantages of it after the same manner since he hath sinned all Men naturally inherit his Crimes and all the Plagues which are consequent upon it This is the Sin which we call Original because we are guilty of it from our Original and Birth and this is the Sin which brings upon us all those Evils which we feel either in our Souls or Bodies for the darkness of the Understanding the corruption of the Heart the proneness of the Will to Evil and Opposition to Good the disorderly Motions of Concupiscence the turbulency of our Passions the excessive Love of our selves forgetfulness and Aversion to God all the Sins which we commit Hunger Thirst Weariness Griefs Death and Lastly Eternal Damnation are the sad Consequences and just punishments of this Sin which we come into the World with and which make us as St. Paul saith the Children of the Wrath of God Eph. 2.3 III. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ Out of the miserable condition into which Man had plunged himself and Posterity by Sin there was no way of Recovery had not God in his infinite Mercy been pleased to find out a way which none else could do He had compassion on his Creatures and contrived this means to save them the Word i. e. the Son of God the Second Person of the Holy Trinity was made Incarnate assuming a Body and Soul like us and united to his Divinity in his own person the Humane Nature which he intended to redeem He became Man still being God and took upon him all the weaknesses and Infirmities of Man Sin and Ignorance only excepted He undertook
concurring Approbation of his Father in Holy Scripture to render it credible nay certain but yet he knew that they would not be convinced by all these Proofs because they loved not God and instead of seeking that Glory which is from God they delighted in no other Persons Esteem or Approbation but what they receive one from another XIII The Jews accuse Jesus's Disciples of Sabboth Breaking Matth 12.1 8. Mark 2 23-28 Luke 6 1-5 The Jews who had charged Jesus with a Sin in healing a Man upon their Sabboth Day as having thereby broken the Law of God were not afraid to condemn him for the same Fault upon many the like occasions for as he passed along the Corn-Fields upon the Sabboth Day and his Diciples being very hungry took some Ears of Corn as they went along and rubbing them in their Hands eat them some of the Pharisees complained of it to him saying Behold thy Disciple do that which is not lawful to be done on the Sabboth Day But he demonstrates to them first of all by the Example of David who in an urgent case of Necessity had eaten of the Shew-Bread which none but the Priests might lawfully eat that Necessity may create a Dispensation of a Law Secondly by the Example of their own Priests who were not thought guilty of Sabboth-breaking notwithstanding they slay and slay their Sacrifices in the Temple upon the Sabboth Day according to the Commandment of the same Law 〈◊〉 that the Law doth not forbid all sorts of Action upon the Sabboth Day But if they pretend that the Temple justifies these sorts of Actions he might as well justifie this Action of his Disciples since He was greater than the Temple But if they had known that Mercy is more acceptable to God than Sacrifice they would not have so rashly condemned the Innocent That they inverted the Order of things in that they would have Man made for Sabboth whereas the Sabboth was made for Man And lastly That the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabboth-day and so may lawfully command or permit what he pleases to be done in it XIV Jesus Cures several sick Persons on the Sabboth On another Saturday as he taught in the Synagogue Matth. 12 10-13 Mar. 3 1-5 Lu. 6 6-10 there was a Man who had his Right Hand withered And the Lawyers and the Pharisees asked Jesus Whether it was Lawful to heal on the Sabboth day And they at the same time observed whether he would heal this Man that they might have cause of Accusation against him But Jesus knowing their thoughts bid the Man stand forth in the middle of the Assembly and asked them again Whether it be Lawful to do good and save Life on the Sabboth day And to give them an undeniable proof of the Lawfulness of it he adds What Man is there among you that shall have a Sheep which happens to fall into a Pit upon the Sabboth day will not lay hold of it and lift it out How much is a Man better than a sheep They could not answer any thing to this but they would not acknowledge the Truth so that Jesus having looked upon them with anger and being grieved for the hardness blindness of their Heart he turned himself to the Man that had the Withered Hand and said unto him Stretch out thy hand which he did and immediately his Hand was made as whole as the other Mat. 12 14-21 Mar. 3 6.-12 Lu. 6.11 The Pharisees seeing this Miracle were enraged against him and took Councel together how they might destroy Jesus Whereupon he withdrew himself with his Disciples to the Lake of Gennesareth being followed by a great number of People for the Fame of these Miracles being spread abroad throughout all Galilee Judea Idumaea and all the Country round about Jordan as far as the Mediterranean Sea to the Coasts of Tyre and Sydon they came in throngs from all these places to hear him and to be cured of their Diseases This caused him to order his Disciples to keep a small Ship there ready to go into that he might not be crowded by the People He healed all that were present of their Diseases commanding them at the same time not to discover him and silencing with threatnings the Devils who fell down before him crying out and saying Thou art the Son of God XV. Jesus Christ chooseth his Twelve Disciples and preacheth his Sermon on the Mount After these things Jesus retired into a Mountain where he continued all Night in Prayer to God Lu. 6 12.-26 Mar. 3 13.-20 Matt. 5. â—-12 And when it was day he called his Disciples and out of them he chose twelve whom he named Apostles which signifies Persons sent because he sent them to preach his Gospel with a power to heal Diseases and cast out Devils The Gospel observes that he chose whom he would and that these were the Twelve which he preferred to this Dignity viz. Simon whom he had already named Peter and Andrew his Brother the two Sons of Zebedee James and John whom he Surnamed Boanerges i. e. Sons of Thunder Philip to whom he first of all said Follovv me Bartholomew Matthew whom he took from the Custom-house Thomas also called Didimus i. e. a Twin another James the Son of Alpheus and his Brother named Judas or Thaddaeus Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot Then he came dovvn with them and remained in the Plain near the same Mountain vvhither the Multitude abovementioned vvhich came to hear him and touched him because such Virtue vvent out of him as healed all manner of Diseases flocked unto him Among them vvere many possessed vvith Devils vvhom he freed After this in the presence of all this Company he made a Discourse which contains all the Precepts of the Christian Law he spake it to his Disciples and begins it by teaching them wherein true Happiness consists saying to them Blessed are the poor in spirit that is to say those who are loose in their desires of Earthly things for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that mourn for their own and others sins hating the Carnal pleasures of this World for they shall be comforted and filled with spiritual Joy Blessed are the meek and quiet spirited for they shall inherit the Earth i. e. Paradise which is as the Fathers explain it the Land of the Living and the Heritage of such as suffer Joyfully the spoiling of their Goods which they cannot preserve without offending God Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall have their Holy desires satisfied Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are they whose hearts are clean from all Carnal Lusts for they shall see God Blessed are the peace-makers who not only love and live in peace themselves but labour to make others to be at peace for they shall be called the Children of God being as like the God of Peace as Children are to their
Hundred Thousand Men for Forty Years together with Manna that fell from Heaven Canst thou do any thing greater than Moses did Jesus answered them verily I say unto you Moses did not give you the true Bread from Heaven but 't is my Father that giveth it and this Bread is he that came down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World They said unto him Lord give us this Bread for ever He answered them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst By which words we are to understand That Jesus is the spiritual Food of those Souls that eat him believing on him by a lively Faith which works by Love and by thus eating him they obtain that happy Life with which they shall be fully and eternally satisfied Then he adds that altho' they had seen and been witnesses of so many Miracles which he had done yet they did not believe on him and by reason of their Infidelity they should lose the great advantage which all those which his Father should bring unto him should enjoy viz. to be raised up at the Last Day and inherit eternal Life Nevertheless the Jews murmured against him saying Is not this the Son of Joseph Do not we know his Father and Mother Why then doth he tell us that he came down from Heaven Jesus was so far from mollifying or recanting these Truths tho' they were offended at them that on the contrary he confirms them more strongly and having proved from Scripture that they should be taught of God that all whom his Father teacheth shall come unto him and that they themselves did not come unto him because they did not understand the Voice of him that sent him He tells them again that he is the Bread of Life that the Manna did not keep them from dying who eat of it but his flesh was the true Bread that came down from Heaven which giveth Life to all that eat of it These last words made them the more averse to him and they disputed among themselves how he could give them his Flesh to eat Nevertheless he pursued his Discourse and tells them that his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed that they have no Life in them if they eat not his Flesh and drink his Blood and that he that feeds on them shall be raised up at the Last Day and obtain eternal Life Lastly he teaches them what great effects his Body should work in the Souls of all those that receive it worthily saying to them He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and he shall live by me as I live by my Father which hath sent me These sublime Truths which he taught in the Synagogue at Capernaum offended many of the Jews yea several of his Disciples having hard them said These words are very heard and unintelligible who can patiently hear such Doctrin as this much less believe it But they understood them in a literal which were meant in a Spiritual sense only They thought saith St. Austin that if they eat his flesh they must cut it in pieces as the flesh which is sold in the Market is They were not sensible that besides the manner of eating Jesus Christ by Faith they might also really eat him in the Eucharist under the Figure of Bread a way wherein there is nothing affrighting But instead of believing all that he who was the Truth it self said unto them by attending to his Explication of what they did not understand they were offended at his Speech and withdrawing themselves from following him would be his Disciples no longer The Apostles were wiser than these deserters for Jesus having said unto them Will ye also leave me Peter answered for them all Lord to whom should we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life and we believe and know that thou art the Christ the Son of God Nevertheless among these Twelve which adhered so firmly to him there was one which should afterwards betray him which was Judas Iscariot Jesus knowing it foretold the Infidelity and Treachery of that Apostle saying Have not I chosen you Twelve And yet one of you is a Devil and a Wicked Traytor IV. The Pharisees complain that his Apostles did eat with un-washed Hands Jo. 6.4 The Passover was nigh at hand when Jesus multiplyed the Bread and made the former Discourse It appears by this Relation of St. John that he went not up to Jerusalem to Solemnize that Feast according to the Custom for that Evangelist says that after this he remained in Galilee not daring to go into Judea because the Jews sought to put him to Death Then the Scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem came unto him Matt. 1â— 1 -20. Mar. 7.1 -23. and having observed that his Disciples did not scruple to eat their Meat with unwashen Hands they complained of them to him Not that there was any commandment of the Law enjoyning them to wash their Hands before they eat but the Pharisees had annexed several Humane Traditions to the Law which they were more exact in the observance of than the Law it self For this reason it was that they said unto Jesus Why do thy Disciples break the Tradition of the Elders in not washing their Hands when they eat their Food Jesus asked them again Why do you your selves transgress the Law of the Lord by following your Traditions As for example Why do you perswade Children to think that they do a Work acceptable to God in giving him Offerings altho' they suffer their Father and Mother to be in want thus making them to prefer an Humane Tradition before the Commandment of God which injoyns Children so expresly to Honour and Support those from whom they have received Life Then he shews them that notwithstanding all their Ceremonial observances they wore the Hypocrites of whom God speaks by the Prophet Isaias This People honoureth me with their Lips Isai 29.13 but their Heart is far from me Lastly he calls to the People and saith unto them with a loud Voice Hear ye this and understand my sayings Nothing from without a Man entring into his Body can defile him but that which cometh out of the Man defileth the Man Upon this his Disciples came unto him and told him that the Pharisees were offended at his Words But he answered them Every Plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they are blind leaders of such as are as blind as themselves with whom they shall fall into the Ditch and so perish eternally together Then he went into an House and his Disciples desired him to explain to them his meaning in those Words Nothing that entreth into a Man defileth the Man but that which cometh out of the Man defileth the Man He unfolded the Parable to them and taught them that every thing that entreth into the Body
others in the middle-age of it and others shall enter at the end of the World There are some that begin to live well in their Infancy others in their Youth others in their Riper-age and some are not converted till just before their Death But so great is the Mercy and Goodness of God that they shall all go to Heaven and shall be rewarded for their Good Works which they have done since their Conversion with the Beatifick Vision of God himself But we ought well to consider upon these Words Many are called but few are chosen that we may not content our selves to be in the Church into which God hath called us but may be diligent 1 Pet. 2-10 as St. Peter teaches us To make our calling and election sure by Good Works and to fit our selves for the Kingdom promised to the Elect. XLIV Jesus raiseth Lazarus from the Dead As Jesus was thus instructing his Disciples on this side Jordan the two Sisters abovementioned John 11 1-45 Martha and Mary sent him word of the sickness of their Brother Lazarus by certain Messengers who spake to him in these words Lord He whom thou Lovest is sick for indeed he loved these Persons and therefore having heard this News he said This sickness is not unto Death but is only inflicted on him to gain Glory to God and that the Son of God may be Glorified thereby Nevertheless he tarryed two days still in the same place and then said to his Apostles Let us go into Judea for Bethany where the House of Lazarus and his two Sisters was was in Judea about two Miles distant from Jerusalem to which he must go by crossing the River Jordan The Apostles said unto him Master The Jews there were lately about to Stone thee and dost thou think of venturing among them again He answers them That he must discharge his Ministry while God gives him Time and Opportunity let what dangers will stand in the way And then he adds Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth but I will go to awake him His Disciples understanding his words literally said unto him Lord if he sleep he will grow well Then he told them plainly That Lazarus was Dead and that for the kindness he had for them he was glad that he was not present with him to prevent his Death because that which he intended to do for him would be of great use to increase and confirm their Faith Thomas one of the Twelve seeing his Master resolv'd to go into Judea said to his fellow Disciples Let us also go with him It is indeed dangerous but we ought rather to dy with him than forsake him or leave him so they accompanyed him They got not to Bethany till Lazarus had been Buryed Four Days and when they came to the House of Martha and Mary they found many Jews there which were come to comfort the two Sisters for the Death of their Brother Martha hearing that Jesus was coming went a little way out of the Town to meet him and said unto him Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not dyed But I know that even now God will grant thee whatsoever thou askest of him Jesus answered her Thy Brother shall rise again She replyed I know that he shall rise again at the last Day Jesus says again I am the Resurrection and the Life i. e. I am able to raise the Dead to Life at any time as well now as hereafter he that believeth in me as thy Brother did altho' he be dead shall if I please live again and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye if I please to preserve him Believest thou this She answered him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God which should come into the World After this Discourse she went and called her Sister to tell her privately that the Master was come and asked after her Mary arose immediately and went to Jesus out of the Town to the place where Martha met him The Jews who were with her when she arose to go to the Son of God seeing her go out so hastily followed her thinking that she went to the Grave of her Brother to Weep there As soon as she came to Jesus she fell down at his Feet and said unto him Weeping Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not Dyed Her Tears and Sorrow accompanyed with the Lamentations of the Jews that came with her affected the Son of God so that he groaned in himself and was troubled i. e. he stirred up in his own heart a Voluntary Motion of Compassion and Tenderness which appeared outwardly by the same signs which discover the involuntary passions and affections of Men. Hereupon he demanded where they had Buryed him they said unto him Lord come and see He went along with them Weeping which made some of the Jews to say See how he loved him while others said Could not this Man who openeth the Eyes of the Blind have prevented Lazarus 's Death Jesus still shewing the same disturbance of mind came to the Grave which was a Pit with a Stone lay'd at the Mouth of it He commanded them to take away the Stone but Martha told him that the Dead Man by this time stank because he had been Buryed Four Days But he answered Did not I tell you that if ye would believe ye should see the Glory of God magnified in raising him from the Dead They then removed the Stone and Jesus lifting up his Eyes to Heaven said these words Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me always As for me I know that thou always hearest me and thy Power is present with me but this I say because of the People which is about me that they may believe when they see thy Power granted to me by my Prayer that thou hast sent me Having spoken these words he cryed with a loud Voice Lazarus come forth And immediately the Dead Man came forth having his Hands and his Feet bound with grave Cloaths and his Head wrapped about with a Napkin Jesus then bid them loose him and several of the Jews who came to see the two Sisters believed on him having been Eye-witnesses of this Miracle XLV The Jews hold a Council against Jesus John 11 46-54 As soon as Jesus had wrought this Miracle some who saw it went to tell the Pharisees of it who were his Mortal Enemies Whereupon they immediately called a Council with the High-Priests and said Why do we lose time and do nothing This Man doth many Miracles and if we let him thus alone all Men will believe him to be the Messias and the Romans fearing lest he should set up for a King and withdraw the People from Obedience to them will come and destroy our City and Nation Caiphas who was High Priest that Year said unto them Ye understand nothing nor consider that it is better to put one Man to Death to secure all the People than that
to satisfie Justice for the Sin of Men and to pacifie God for the offence committed against him by suffering himself for it He condescended to be conceived by a Virgin Born in a Stable become an Infant converse with Men and live among them such a Life as we shall hereafter relate He preached did Miracles suffered Affronts and Injuries endured an Infamous and painful Death was Buryed in a Tomb rose again and Lastly ascended into Heaven After he commanded his Disciples to go and Preach in his Name thro' all the World and all this to perform and Compleat the Great Work of our Salvation Behold how great Love God hath shewed to Rebellious Man The Father hath given his only Son and this Son gave himself for them Let no Man ask the reason why God did not make choice of some easier way to save us which might cost him less It is certain that the Almighty could have found out some other means but it is also certain that we ought to look upon this which God hath made use of as the most advantageous for us and most agreeable to our needs since that God hath preferred it before all others who is not only the most Powerful but Wise Being who cannot be mistaken in the fittest means for attaining the End he aims at Let us not then examine what other ways God might have taken to effect this Great Work but let us devoutly consider how Glorious to himself and how profitable to us that way is which he hath taken And 1st God in the Incarnation of his Son hath magnified his Power and Goodness for he hath demonstrated to Man that tho' he is pleased to permit the Evils which he could hinder he can produce great good out of them and make those very Sins which dishonour him to be serviceable for his glory in it He hath shewed his Mercy and his Justice for he pardons the Guilty and at the same time he received a satisfaction equivalent to the Offence committed By it he hath discovered to us the admirable and unsearchable strength of his Wisdom which hath found out a way to satisfy at once both his Justice and his Love and hath so ordered it that the Criminal may be saved and yet God who hath been offended not be dishonoured for by the Death of Jesus Christ God is revenged and Mans Sin punished He bore our grief in his own Body and offered such a Sacrifice to his Father as could not but be accepted because it was Pure and Innocent and which payd him as great honour as he had received affront by Man's Sin for it was of infinite value being united to the God-head The perfect submission of the Son of God even to the Death of the Cross hath made sufficient amends for the Disobedience of a mere Man Men are saved because another hath undergone the punishment due to them and God hath lost nothing of his Honour since he was offended by a mere Creature but hath been infinitely Honoured by a God And as it is glorious to God so also is 2. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ as advantageous to Man by the wonderful fitness which it hath to all the defects and evils from which the Divine Wisdom hath thought fit to deliver him for Gods anger was not only to be appeased but Man who was diseased was to be cured Now as the perfection of Man consisted in knowing and loving God so the disease of Man was to be stripped of these so that he neither knew God nor loved him but laboured under blindness of Mind and corruption of Heart which Christ by his Incarnation hath removed and cured For 1. He hath restored Man to the knowledge of God He hath opened the Eyes of Man to make him know the true God for the Word who is the Light of the Soul John 1.14 was made flesh and dwelt among us The Light which we shut our Eyes against came down from Heaven to present it self to us accommodating it self to the weakness of our sight and because we were able to discern nothing but Corporeal things he cloathed himself with a Body that so by our Senses he might insinuate himself into our Souls and disperse our darkness and blindness Jesus Christ being thus become visible he conversed sometime with Men did Miracles to make them believe on him and by sensible benefits healing the Sick freeing the Possessed drawed them to him and so having insensibly link'd them to his Human Nature which he assumed to work out Salvation for them he Preached the Truth to them They heard his Word with pleasure and this Word purifying their Hearts by Faith which they had in this Man who Preached to them prepared them by little and little and at last led them insensibly to the knowledge of the-God-head which was hidden under the Vail of the Humanity 2. But since it is not enough for Man to know God unless he Love him Jesus Christ by his Incarnation hath healed our corruption of Heart and hath drawn our Affections off from the Love of the Creature to that of the Creator for being Cloathed with a Body he placed his God-head among those Objects which the Soul in the State of Corruption doth naturally fix its Love upon and by sensible benefits and kindnesses endeavoured to bring it to the Consideration and Love of Invisible and Eternal good things He shewed it what it ought to love as its true Happiness and not only raised its hopes to attain it but Taught it the proper means of arriving at it Lastly He convinced it of the great Love God had for it and consequently how much it ought to love him for what greater sign of love could he have given us than in sending his only begotten Son to Dye for us who were his Enemies And what more effectual Attracture to oblige us to love him again who hath thus loved us first What Heart is so hard as not to be melted with such immense kindness A slight reflection upon it will make us resolve with the beloved Disciple and say Let us Love God for he hath first Loved us 1 Jo. 4 19. And as the Incarnation of Christ gives us an ample proof of Gods love to us so also it shews us the greatness of the Crime with which we have offended him The greatness of the Satisfaction discovers the greatness of our Guilt Man could never have conceived the heinousness of his Sin if God had not required so great a satisfaction We usually look upon Adam's sin as a small sin and are apt to accuse God of injustice for punishing a momentary Action with eternal Torments not considering that the Person who was threatned with eternal Torments for his Rebellion might have enjoyed an eternal Happiness for his Obedience But the Incarnation of the Son of God hath justified the Justice of God for his Blood which was shed for the expiation of our Sin is a faithful Mirrour to represent the greatness of
not sufficient for us to cast our Eyes upon him who is the true Light of Men for he hath discovered the Way that leads to eternal Happiness not to those who only take some Pleasure in knowing his admirable Works but to those who follow him by a faithful Imitation of his Example Before we know what Jesus Christ hath done and taught upon Earth we are like Travellers who journey in the Night and wander they know not whither because they cannot tell their Way but by reading the Life of Christ We are like the same Travellers who as soon as Day breaks perceive their Errors and return again into the right Way He came from Heaven to shew us the way thither and to bring us out of the Paths that lead down to Hell He goes before us himself that we may not wander or lose our Way nor take any other Way but that in which he leads us He assures us that all other Ways but that in which he goes lead down to Death wherefore we must read his Life to make it a Rule and Exemplar of ours that all our Conversation being a lively Expression of his we may say with the Apostle It is not I that live Gal. 2.20 but Christ that liveth in me But it is not sufficient to read the Life of Christ if we desire to profit by it but we must meditate upon it and apply all that we read because this is the only way to make the right Use and Advantage of our Reading We need lose no part of the History of the Son of God for as he did nothing but for our Salvation so there is no circumstance of his Life which we cannot gather some Advantage to our selves from if we consider upon it with serious Attention It will then be worth our while to take every Part of it into Examination and see what Benefit we may reap from it and what Motions and Affections it may excite in us for the reading of the Life of Christ must needs sometimes instruct us sometimes shame us sometimes comfort us and sometimes encourage us and sometimes inspire us with Love Thankfulness Reverence Joy Grief Hope or Fear according to the different Objects which it presents to our Observation All the Life of Jesus Christ is made up of Miracles Discourses Actions and Sufferings He wrought so many Miracles to prove his Divinity and to relieve either the Miseries or Necessities of those who either wanted or desired his Help We may make an Advantage of these by supposing our selves to be in the Number of those who saw them and for whose sake they were done The Eye-Witnesses of them believed in him admired and adored him and became his Disciples Let us do the same when we read what they saw adore Christ acknowledge him for our God believe in his Godhead and devote our selves entirely to his Service since we can never honour him as our God but by obeying and loving him And in the same manner let us apply all the Miracles he did for the Relief of others needs He healed no bodily Diseases but what were a Figure of the Spiritual Distempers of our Souls Sin is our Leprosy our Deafness our Blindness our Palsy our Death let us do the same to obtain Health of our Souls that we read the diseased Persons did for their Bodies to obtain Cure let us present our selves before Jesus and say with the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and with the blind Man Open mine Eyes that I may see and so of others Let us think that Jesus requires the same Faith for the cure of our Souls that he did of those he healed of their Bodily Distempers and let us look upon that Thankfulness Faith Love and other Passions of those who were miraculously cured as a Pattern of those Affections which we ought to have for the Graces we have received The Discourses of Jesus Christ ought to be read with great Reverence which consists in believing and practising what he teacheth He is the Truth and nothing but Truth can save us and we shall be judged by that which he hath taught We must hear him as his Disciples and be won by his Words We must discover our Ignorance to him that he may inform us and our Ways that he may amend them This must be done in applying every Word of Jesus Christ and examining our selves by it that we may condemn our selves if we find our selves out of the Way which he hath taught and we may reform our Practice by it And if there be any thing obscure in his Discourses let us make our Prayers to him to enlighten our Understandings in the Knowledge of it if it be necessary to Salvation practising those Truths in the mean Time that are plain and worthy of our Observation To profit by the Actions of Jesus Christ we must look upon them as the Rule and Pattern of our Conversations He would have us admire his Miracles but imitate his Actions for this Reason it is that he commands us to learn of him not to cure the Blind or raise the Dead Matth. 11.30 but to be meek and lowly in Heart When he commanded the Leper to tell no Man of the Cure he had wrought on him and fled from the People who would have made him a King we should learn to avoid Vain-glory and Ambition from him We should read the Actions of the Son of God with Design of conforming our selves to them when we see him washing his Apostles Feet putting on the same Humility which we see in him and when we see him eating with Sinners learn the same Charity In fine let us study the Affections of Jesus and conform our selves to them love nothing but what he loves and contemn the same Things he despised He hated Sin he despised Riches Honour and Pleasures he loved and sought the Glory of his Father and all his Care was to obey and please him for which end he refused not to undergo Poverty Affronts Disgrace Grief Sorrow yea Death itself These are the things he would have us learn from him and this is what we should think upon and imitate Nor is the Advantage less which we may gather from reading the Sufferings of Jesus Christ We must look upon them as we have already said as voluntary and it is good to consider them with relation to the Two Ends for which he suffered 1. For our Satisfaction 2. For our Instruction 1. He suffered to satisfy Justice for our Sins and endured the Punishment of our Offences to deliver us from eternal Torments The Consideration of this Action ought to excite in us â— Love to Jesus Christ who endured so much to give us a Proof of his Love to us 2. Hatred and Abhorrence of him which could not be expected but by the Sufferings and Death of God himself with relation to the Second End for which Christ suffered which was our Instruction We ought to make
these Reflections upon it in reading them we ought to be satisfied That Sufferings are necessary to obtain Heaven considering that this is the Way our Saviour leads us and went himself When we are persecuted we ought to comfort our selves with this that it is an Honour to be treated as our Master was The Submission with which he drank the Cup which his Father gave him to drink should teach us to welcome the Crosses which God lays upon us without murmuring as Sickness loss of Goods Friends Parents c. His Patience in suffering Affronts and Abuses should quench all our passionate Resentments and Desires of Revenge which rise in our Hearts at the Sense of Wrongs In fine his exemplary Behaviour in his Sufferings should teach us to accept the Persecutions of Men as ordained by God and to adore his Justice in their most unjust Dealings with us to love our Enemies and be so far from requiting the Injuries we receive from them as to pardon them and do them good and to comfort our selves in the meek Sufferings of Evil by the Contemplation of the Glory that shall follow for as S. Cyprian Quod est Christus Cypr. de Idol van hoc erimus Christiani si Christum fuerimus imitati If we imitate Christ we shall be like him and enjoy the same Glory The last Direction which I shall give those Persons who would read the Life of Christ with Benefit to themselves is this That they would joyn Prayers with their Reading Before we begin to read we should beg of God in Prayer That he would discover to us all the imitable Parts and Circumstances of the Life of his Son and after we have done Reading we must implore his Grace to do what we have learned from thence to be our Duty Joh. 1.14 The Word was made Flesh and dwelt among us saith the Gospel being full of Grace and Truth He brought Truth to instruct us in our Duties and Grace to enable us to practise what he taught us This Truth which is intended for our Instruction is diffused through all the Circumstances of his Life but we must have Eyes able to discover it he must give us these Eyes or else his Words and Actions will be to us like an enclosed Book or as so many Riddles which we cannot understand Wherefore since he hath given us abilities to know the Truth let us pray him to embrace us with Love and give us that Grace which he hath merited for us by his Sufferings and which may make us receive his Doctrin and conform to his Example 'T is the Effusion of this which hath as I may say perfected the Mystery of the Incarnation Jesus Christ was made Man to allure the Love of Men he lived with them to teach them how he would be loved by them he ascended into Heaven and sent down the Holy Spirit from thence upon them to fill their Hearts with that Love that he requires of them This is the whole Contrivance of our Salvation let us acknowledge the Obligation which we have to love Jesus Christ and let us learn by reading his Life after what manner he would have us love him and pray for Grace to love him as we ought and enkindle in our Hearts that Fire of which he speaks Luke 12.49 I am come to send Fire on Earth and I wish it were already kindled The End of the Preface A Table of the Chapters BOOK I. Contains the History from John's Conception to the First Year of Christ's Preaching I. THE Conception of S. John p 4 II. The Conception of Jesus p 5 III. The Visitation of the Holy Virgin p 7 IV. John's Nativity p 8 V. The Revelation of Jesus Christ's Conception to Joseph p 9 VI. The Divine Generation of Jesus Christ p 1â— VII The Human Birth of Jesus Christ p 13 VIII The Circumcision of Jesus Christ. p 14 IX The Adoration of the Magi ibid. X. The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple p 16 XI Jesus 's Flight into Egypt p 18 XII Jesus is found among the Doctors p 19 XIII The Preaching of S. John p 20 XIV Jesus Christ is baptized by John p 23 XV. Jesus Christ fasts and is tempted p 24 XVI S. John gives Testimony concerning Jesus p 25 XVII Jesus Christ calls Disciples p 26 XVIII Jesus First Miracle p 27 XIX He drives the Traders out of the Temple p 28 XX. Jesus Christ's Discourse with Nicodemus p 29 XXI John's Second Testimony of Christ p 30 XXII John's Imprisonment p 31 XXIII The Samaritan Woman p 32 BOOK II. Containing an Account of what Jesus did in the first Two Years of his Ministry I. HE Preacheth in Galilee p 35 II. He calls Four Apostles p 36 III. He cures a Man possessed p 38 IV. He cures S. Peter's Mother-in-Law and several others Ibid. V. He goes thro' Galilee p 39 VI. He stills a Tempest p 41 VII He cures Two possessed p 42 VIII He heals a Man sick of the Palsy at Capernaum p 44 IX He calls a Publican to follow him p 46 X. He heals a Woman of a Bloody Flux p 47 XI He heals Two blind Men and a Dumb Man p 49 XII He heals a Man of an infirmity which he had had Thirty Years p 50 XIII His Disciples are accused of breaking the Sabboth-day 52 XIV He heals several Men on the Sabboth-day p 53 XV. He chuseth Twelve Disciples and preacheth on the Mountain p 54 XVI What are the Truths which he preached in that Sermon p 56 XVII He healeth a Leper p 60 XVIII He cures a Man sick of the Palsy Ibid. XIX He raised a Dead Man p 62 XX. John sends two of his Disciples to Jesus The answer he gave them Ibid XXI The Reproofs he gave the Jews p 64 XXII The Conversion of a Woman that was a Sinner p 65 XXIII He cures a Man possessed with a Devil blind and Dumb. p 66 XXIV The Pharisees ask him a Sign p 68 XXV He propounds many Parables p 70 XXVI Other Parables p 72 XXVII Jesus goes to Preach at Nazareth p 74 XXVIII He goes thro' Galilee and sends his Apostles to Preach p 76 XXIX Herod cuts off John Baptist's Head p 78 BOOK III. Containing what Jesus did in the Third Year of his Preaching I. HE feeds 5000 in the Desert with Five Loaves and Two Fishes p 80 II. Jesus goes upon the Water and bids Peter come to him p 82 III. Jesus shews in an excellent discourse that he is the living Bread the nourishment of Souls p 83 IV. The Pharisees complain that his Disciples eat with unclean Hands p 86 V. He cureth a Damsel possessed with a Devil p 88 VI. He heals a Man Deaf and Dumb. p 89 VII He feeds 4000 Men with 7 loaves Ibid VIII The Pharisees ask a Sign and he refuses to give them any p 90 IX He heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida p 91 X. St. Peter confesses that Jesus Christ is the Son of God p 92 XI
whence he shewed him in a moment all the Kingdoms of the World with all the Splendor and Pomp that attends them and promised him all those things if he would fall down before him and Worship him for they are given to me saith he falsly and I give them to whom I please Deut. 6.13 Then Jesus answered him Get the hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and serve none but him only The Devil having thus finished all the temptation without success departed for a time and the Angels came to Jesus Christ and readily tendred themselves to minister unto him XVI St. John's Testimony concerning Jesus Christ After these things Jesus being come out of the Wilderness went to Bethabara Jo. 1 15.-18 the place where John was Preaching and Baptizing This faithful Fore-runner when he saw him could not but bare witness of him before all that heard him and therefore cryed out with a loud voice This is He of whom I spake He that cometh after me is preferred before me for he was before me he adds We have received of his Fulness a sufficiency of all Graces for the Law was given by Moses but Jesus Christ hath brought Grace and Truth to the World and that the only begotten who is in the Bosom of the Father is come to discover God to us whom no man hath ever seen Notwithstanding John spake thus honourably Jo. 1 19.-28 and plainly of the Messias the Jews took him for the Person he spake of and therefore sent certain Priests and Levites who were Pharisees and consequently much admired by the people to enquire of him Who he was And he freely confessed and denied not but owned that he was not the Christ for so the Gospel delivers the Confession of St. John and the Testimony which he gave of Jesus to these Messengers Then they asked whether he were Elias or some other Prophet And when he had answered them that he was not They said to him Who art thou then that we may give an answer to them that sent us What sayest thou of thy self I am saith he the Voice of one Crying in the Wilderness Make strait the ways of the Lord. They urged Why then Baptizest thou if thou art not the Messias nor a Prophet He replyed It is true I Baptize with Water but there is one among you whom ye know not He it is who coming after me is preferred before me whose Shoo-strings I am not worthy to unloose The next day John seeth Jesus Christ coming unto him Jo. 1 29.-34 and being unwilling to lose so good an opportunity of discovering him he saith to them that were with him Behold the Lamb of God This is He that bears and takes away the Sins of the World He adds That this was He of whom he had spoken so much already and he assures them that he saw the spirit descending and remaining upon him in the shape of a Dove and that he had been taught by Revelation that this was He that should Baptize with the Holy Ghost XVII Jesus Christ calling Disciples Jo. 1 35.-42 The next day Jesus passed again through the same place two hours before Sun-set and St. John who was there with two of his Disciples said as soon as he saw him Behold the Lamb of God The two Disciples hearing these words followed Jesus who turning himself about demanded of them Whom seek ye They answered Master where dwellest thou he saith unto them Come and see They went with him and abode with him that day One of these two Disciples named Andrew had a Brother called Simon to whom he said We have found the Messias and he brought him to Jesus who having considered him said unto him Thou art Simon the Son of Jonas thou shalt be called Peter The day following the Son of God going into Galilee Jo. 1 43.-51 found one named Philip who was of Bethsaida of which place both Andrew and Peter were and he saith unto him follow me Philip meeteth Nathanael and tells him that they had found the Messias promised by the Law and foretold by the Prophets and that Jesus of Nazareth was he Nathanael answered Can any good thing come out of Nazareth And he followed Philip who brought him to Jesus As soon as Jesus saw him Behold an Israelite indeed without guile or deceit Nathanael astonished at his words asked him Whence knowest thou me Jesus answered Before that Philip called thee when thou wast under the fig-tree I saw thee Nathanael saith Master Thou art the Son of God thou art the King of Israel Jesus answered him Dost thou believe because I said unto thee that I saw thee under the fig-tree thou shalt see greater things Verily verily I say unto thee Hereafter thou shalt see Heaven opened and the Angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man to attend his triumphant Ascension into the Glories of his Father XVIII The first Miracle that Jesus did The third day after his departure from the River Jordan Jesus was at a Marriage in Cana of Galilee Jo. 2 1.-11 to which the Holy Virgin was also invited and his Disciples At this solemnity there being a great want of Wine the Holy Virgin pitying the unseasonable scarcity said to her Son They have no Wine But Jesus being desirous to teach us that in those Actions wherein the Service and Honour of God is concerned we ought to have no respect to Man but even our Parents themselves are to be look'd upon as Strangers saith unto his Mother What is that to you or me mine hour is not yet come The Holy Virgin was not at all disturbed or discouraged at this answer but bid them that waited to do whatsoever he commanded them Now there were six great Water-potts of Stone which were used in the Purifications which were common among the Jews The Son of God orders them to fill them with Water and when they were full he saith unto the Servants Draw out now and carry it to the Governour of the Feast Having tasted of it and perceiving it to be excellent Wine but not knowing whence it was tells the Bridegroom that he had done contrary to the Custom because he had kept the best Wine till the end of the Banquet This change of Water into VVine was the first Miracle that Jesus did and it was of great use to manifest his Glory and confirm his Disciples in their Faith in him XIX Jesus drives the Merchants out of the Temple Jo. 2.12 -25. From Cana he went with his Mother Kindred and Disciples to Caparnaum a City of the same Province of Galilee where he stayed but a little while because the Feast of the Passover being near he went up to Jerusalem Being there he found in the Temple certain Merchants who sold Oxen and Sheep and Doves and the Changers of the Mony sitting at their Tables And he immediately made a VVhip with Cords and drave them all
of the Pharisees having demanded of him whether they also were blind He answered them If ye were blind ye should have no Sin but because ye assert that ye see therefore your Sin remaineth As if he had said according to the explication of St. Austin If ye were sensible of your Blindness ye would desire Cure and he would pardon your Sins but your Sins remain because you are Wise and Holy in your own conceit and so think you have no need of any Person to Illuminate and Sanctify you XXIII Jesus proves himself the Good Shepherd John 10 1-21 Jesus having thus subdued the Vanity of those Proud Men who undertake to lead and guide others being Blind and Ignorant themselves he Propounds to them under the Parable of a Shepherd and his Sheep three different Characters of three different Persons who are engaged in the Government of Souls for he Teacheth them that there are some that instead of entring by the Door into the Sheep-fold enter in some other way like Thieves to Steal and Kill and Destroy And he explains this similitude which they did not understand by telling them that he was the Door by which we must enter upon the Government of the Flock There are others which being entred by the Door guide and rule the Flock as Mercenaries and Hirelings who forsake the Flock as soon as they see the Wolf coming because they love themselves only and not the Flock There are also the Good Shepherds who enter not of themselves into the Sheep-fold But the Porter opens to them who know the Sheep and are known of them and who love them so as to lay down their Lives for them upon Occasions Jesus then applies all the qualities of this last and proves himself to be the Good Shepherd by way of Excellence since he came to lay down his Life for the Sheep and that willingly and freely in Obedience to his Fathers Commandment For no Man can take it away from him and when he hath layd it down he can take it up again and none can hinder him Then he declares that the Jews were not the only Sheep for whom he would dye that he had other Sheep viz. the Gentiles whom he would bring into his Fold and out of both would make up one Flock consisting of such as hear his Voice of which he himself would be the Shepherd alone This Discourse raised a new difference among his Auditors some said that he was possessed with a Devil and mad others answered Men possessed can't speak such excellent things as he doth much less open the Eyes of the Blind XXIV Jesus chuseth seventy two Disciples Some time after Jesus chose him also Seventy two Disciples Luke 10.1 -24. and sent them two by two into all places whither he intended to go He gave them the same instructions which his Apostles had had before and the same power over Devils They met with good success in their Ministry and returned very Joyful saying Lord The Devils themselves are subject to us in thy Name But he teaches them not so much to rejoyce that the Devils are subject to them as that their Names are written in Heaven in the Book of Life as Heirs of Salvation In the same moment Jesus was transported with a sudden and extraordinary motion of the Spirit Matt. 11.25 -30. and addressing himself to God gave him thanks that he had revealed the great Mysteries of Heaven to Babes i. e. to the simple and mean but concealed them from the Wise Men of the World He adds That his Father had delivered all things unto him and no Man can know God but the only Son of God and he to whom the Son will reveal him Then turning to his Disciples he tells them That they were happy in seeing and beholding those things which so many Kings and Prophets have neither heard nor seen altho' they desired it greatly Lastly finding himself full of Love towards Men he cryed out Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy Laden and I will comfort you Take my Yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and humble in Heart and ye shall find rest to your Souls for my Yoke is easie and pleasant and my Burden is Light XXV Jesus teaches a Lawyer to love his Neighbour Luke 10.25 -37. Then a Doctor of the Law stood up and said unto him tempting him Master what shall I do to inherit Eternal Life Jesus having also put this Question to him What is commanded in the Law how readest thou He answered Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul with all thy strength and with all thy Mind and thy Neighbour as thy self Then Jesus reply'd Thou hast well answered This do and thou shalt Live This Scribe being desirous to appear Holy and an exact observer of the Law demanded further of him Whom he ought to account his Neighbour Jesus answered him by a Parable of a certain Jew who was robbed and so much wounded by Thieves in his Journey that he was left almost Dead A Priest and Levite passed one after another this way just by him but would give him no help but Samaritan i. e. a Stranger in respect of the Jews saw him as he passed by him and had compassion on him And came unto him and poured Oyl and Wine into his Wounds and binding them up set the Wounded Man upon his Horse and carryed him to an Inn where he committed him to the care of the Host and left him Money to provide necessaries for him Jesus desirous that the Lawyer should make Application himself asked him Which of these three Passengers was Neighbour to him that fell among the Thieves He answered He that shewed mercy on him Jesus approving his answer said unto him Go and do thou likewise XXVI Jesus Lodges at Martha's House and Teaches his Disciples to Pray Jesus then goes on his Journey with his Disciples Luke 10.38 -42. and entred into a certain Village where a Woman named Martha entertained him joyfully in her House She had a Sister Named Mary and a Brother called Lazarus of whom we shall have occasion to speak in the following part of this History While she was busy in preparing all she could for her Divine Guest her Sister sat at Jesus's Feet and heard his Word Martha complained to him that her Sister Mary suffered her to take all the trouble upon her and prayed him to command her to help her Jesus answered her Martha Martha You cumber your self and trouble your self with many Worldly cares whereas there is but one thing necessary viz. to hear and receive my Word which since Mary had chosen to do she shall enjoy the Eternal advantage and happiness of it By which words Jesus doth not condemn the Hospitality of Martha but only teaches her to do it with less care and trouble and not to prefer an Action which tho' very pious in it self is of no
and Brethren yea and his own Life also cannot be my Disciple nor whosoever doth not take up his Cross and follow me He likewise builds the Salvation of Man upon a general Abjuration of all Things for having demonstrated that he is deservedly accounted a Fool who begins to build before he hath computed whether he hath enough to finish it And that no wise or politick Prince will hazard a Battle with another Prince that comes against him with a strong Army unless he be assured that he hath sufficient Force to oppose and conquer him He then adds So likewise whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all he hath cannot be my Disciple As if he had said It is in vain for Men to engage themselves in God's and my Service if they have not so far disengaged their Love from all earthly things as that they are ready and willing to part with every thing that may stand in their Way and hinder their main and greatest Interest their Salvation XXXVI Jesus receives Sinners to Repentance Luke 15 1-3â— Among the great number of People which did ordinarily follow Jesus there were many Publicans and others of a Wicked Life who loved to hear his Sermons The Scribes and Pharisees were much offended at his condescending Goodness in admitting these sort of Men to come unto him and they murmured against him for keeping Company so freely with them and eating commonly with them Now that he might convince them that their Complaints were unreasonable and causeless he asked them Whether if a Man who hath an Hundred Sheep and one of them go astray he will not leave the Ninety and Nine and follow this Hundreth and if he finds it he brings it Home upon his Shoulders rejoycing and invites his Friends to rejoyce with him In like manner if a Woman who hath Ten Pieces of Silver lose one of them doth she not sweep all the House to find it and having found it rcjoyces with her Neighbours He then tells them That as the Sheep and Piece of Silver being found again cause greater Joy than all the rest that were not lost so there is great Joy in Heaven at the Conversion of a Sinner This Truth he further explains by another Parable saying There was a Man who had Two Sons and the Younger of them having received that Portion of his Goods which came to his share went into a far Country to spend it in Lewdness and Debauchery After he had consumed and devoured all he was forced to keep Swine to get a Livelihood and in this condition reflecting upon his Misery he resolved to return again to his Father and humbly acknowledging his Fault beg his Favour to entertain him again as a Domestick Servant As soon as his Father saw him he was affected with Joy and Compassion together and running to him fell on his Neck and kissed him while the Son not at all elevated with his Kindness under the Sense of so much Unworthiness said unto him Father I have sinned against Heaven and before thee and am not worthy to be called thy Son This humble Confession wrought an entire Reconciliation to his Father who having stripped him of his Rags and put on him a good Habit made a magnificent Feast in his House to rejoyce for his Return This Action much displeased the Elder Brother who returning out of the Field would not go into the House because his Father had done more for his Lewd Brother than he had ever done for him though he had always been very faithful in his Duty towards him This being objected to his Father he said My Son Thou art always with me and all that I have is thine but it was necessary for me to Feast and Rejoyce because this thy Brother was dead and is alive again was lost and is found The Application of this Parable is very easy by the Discontent of the Elder Son we are to understand the unjust Murmurs of the Pharisees who were very angry with Jesus for entertaining Sinners though the main End of his coming into the World was to save Sinners XXXVII Jesus commends Alms-giving and sharply reproves the Covetousness of the Pharisees Jesus Christ propounds another Parable to his Disciples and makes a Discourse Luke 16 1-31 wherein he takes occasion to reprove the Covetousness of the Pharisees as he had done their Envy and Pride before saying to his Disciples There was a certain Rich Man who had resolved to call his Steward to an account and to put him out of his Place because he had received an Accusation against him that he had embezled his Goods The Steward seeing himself in danger of being reduced to Beggery or such Labour as he could not undergo contrived this Way to make up his Loss he called all his Lord's Debtors one after another to him and discharged them of a Part of their Debts permitting him that owed an Hundred Barrels of Oyl to set down but Fifty in his Bill and him that owed an Hundred Measures to make it but Fourscore and proportionably the rest Jesus Christ teaches his Disciples not to imitate the Injustice but Craft of this Steward employing their earthly Riches to make them Friends in the Person of the Poor and by that means to be received into everlasting Habitations in Heaven and so the Children of Light may not be less prudent in things that respect their Salvation than the Children of this World are in the management of their Temporal Affairs Then he teaches them to be faithful in small things that they may be entrusted with great and not to be slaves to Mony and Riches which he calls the Mammon of Vnrighteousness and another Man's Goods either because there is nothing but Wickedness which can make them to be looked upon as substantial good Things able to make the Possessors of them happy or because nothing but Injustice makes Men to look upon them as their own for in the Sense of Scripture we are but Stewards under God and not Masters of them The covetous Pharisees heard these Truths with contempt and derided the Speaker of them but Jesus knew how to check their Scoffs by discovering the Hypocrisy of their outward Vertues for he told them That notwithstanding all their Caution to appear Righteous God knew their Hearts to whom such Things as are admired and commended by Men are hateful and abominable He then teaches them what shall be the End and Punishment of that Covetousness which makes them Deaf to his Reproof and so obdurate against the Poor by an Example of a certain Rich Man who was cloathed in Purple and fine Linen and fared sumptuously every Day without being touched with the least Compassion for those who were wholly destitute of Food for there was a Beggar named Lazarus a Man so infirm and diseased that he was covered all over with Sores this Man was laid at the Rich Man's Gate and desired only to be fed with the Scraps that came from
his Table but could not obtain that Piece of Charity from this hard-hearted Miser whose Dogs were more merciful than he for they came and licked his Sores and so by their healing Tongues did what they could to cure his Disease At length they both dyed but their End was as different as their Lives had been for the Poor Man was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom i. e. into a Place of Happiness appointed for the Souls of the Saints the Rich Man also dyed and was buried in his Body but his Soul was carried into Hell From hence he beholding the Happiness of the Beggar whom he had contemned cryed out Father Abraham have Mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water and cool my Tongue for I suffer inexpressible Torments in this Flame But the Holy Patriarch told him that it was impossible by reason of the vast distance between them to grant his Request so it was just that he who had endured so much Grief and Sorrow in his Life-time should receive Comfort and Happiness after his Death but as for himself who had surfeited with the Delights and Pleasures of this Life that he should suffer Thirst and Torments in another World The Rich Man perceiving that there was no Mercy to be hoped for for himself thought of his Five Brethren which yet lived in the same Luxury and Riot and prayed Abraham to send them Word by Lazarus of the miserable Condition he was in that by his Example they might grow wiser and repent But he answered them That they have Moses and the Prophets and if they neglected to hear them they would not give Credit to a Dead Man though raised on purpose to warn them of their Duty XXXVIII Jesus Christ shews the inseparable Conjunction of Married Persons and highly commends Virginity Matth. 19 3-12 Mar. 10 2-12 Luke 16.18 These Truths silenced but could not convert the Pharisees they still hated him and sought all occasions to ensnare him in his Talk and for this Reason they put this Question to him Is it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife for every Cause as he pleaseth Jesus answered them by propounding first another Question What did Moses in the Law command They replyed That Moses in the Law allowed them to put away their Wives giving them a Writing to testify their Divorcement But Jesus refers them to the first Institution of Marriage by God himself saying That Man and Woman are so straitly united that they ought to be looked upon as one Flesh only And then goes on and says What God hath thus joyned together let no Man put asunder They still insist upon the Permission which Moses had given them but he answered them That Moses allowed it only for the hardness of their Hearts for from the Beginning it was not so and that whosoever puts away his Wife unless in the Case of Adultery and marries another hath committed Adultery and whosoever marrieth the Woman so divorced is also guilty of Adultery His Disciples when they came into the House consulted him about the same Thing and he gave them the same Answer from whence they made this Conclusion That it is not good to marry Whereupon he says to them True it is that Virginity is the best Estate for Men but it is above the Reach of Man unless it be of some few whom either Nature hath befriended or human Force hath rendred incapable of Marriage or their ardent Desire of Heaven hath obliged to live in voluntary and entire Chastity And since all Men are not capable of so great a Vertue he concludes with these Words He that is able to receive it let him receive it i. e. He that hath this Gift of Chastity bestowed on him let him live in it XXXIX Jesus speaks of his Kingdom and of his Coming and teaches them That they must pray always Another Time the Pharisees Luke 17 20-37 who waited for the coming of the Messiah and who had drawn up a Romantick Scheme to themselves That the Messiah should reign in their Country with great Pomp and Majesty and should raise himself above all the Kings of the World demanded of him When the Kingdom of God should come He answered them That it should not appear with outward Splendor and Pomp nor be confined to any particular Place but that it was already come and was within them i. e. that his Kingdom was Spiritual and was to be set up in their Hearts by Justice and Charity From hence he takes occasion to tell his Disciples That the Time will come when they shall desire to enjoy his Presence but one Day but shall not see him more That he shall come hereafter as a Flash of Lightning i. e. suddenly and gloriously but he must first suffer many things and be rejected of the Jews And that as it was in the Days of Noah Men eat and drank and married not thinking upon the Flood which came suddenly upon them and destroyed them and as the Fire from Heaven fell unexpectedly upon the Inhabitants of Sodom so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man All our Thoughts must then be employed in contriving to save our selves without looking behind us either to pity or save others remembring Lot's Wife who looking back contrary to the Command of the Angel was changed into a Pillar of Salt Luke 18 1-8 He teaches them also at the same Time That we must not be weary of Prayer and to shew of how great Advantage it is to pray always and with Perseverance he delivers this Parable of a certain Widow who having a wicked Man for her Judge who would not do her Justice constrained him by her Importunities to vindicate her Wrongs By which Example he demonstrates to us That God who is Just will certainly revenge his Elect which cry unto him Day and Night and will deliver them soon out of the Oppression they suffer But since such a Faith as is necessary to support us continually in so excellent a Duty is very rare and unusual he adds in a kind of an Astonishment Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith upon Earth There will will be few that will hold out to the End XL. He teaches Men to be humble Jesus Luke 18 9-14 that he might shew Humility in Prayer to be as necessary as Perseverance and so instruct his more attentive Disciples as well as beat down the Pride of the Pharisees who thought themselves Righteous and being full of vain Confidence in their own false Sanctity contemned all others propounds to them this Parable Two Men went up to the Temple to pray the One a Pharisee and the Other a Publican the former stood and prayed after this manner God I thank thee that I am not as other Men are Thieves Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the Week and give Tythes of all that I
Father Jesus having given his Disciples all these Instructions John 17 1-26 lift up his Eyes to Heaven and praying to his Father said My Father the hour is come glorify thy Son that thy Son may glorify thee And as thou hast given him power over all flesh so he hath given to as many as thou hast given him Eternal Life which consists in the knowledge of thee the true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work which thou hast given me to do And now O Father glorifie me with thy self with that Glory which I had with thee before the World was He then prays for the Apostles which his Father had given him and who having received his Word had believed that he came from God and that he had sent him and since he left them in the World he commends them to his Father not to take them out of the World by Death but to preserve them from Sin He had kept them all in his Fathers Name and had lost but One viz. Judas He had separated them from the World and because they had not the Spirit of the VVorld the VVorld hated them wherefore he prays his Father to keep them and Sanctify them by his VVord which is Truth it self offering himself a Sacrifice for them that he might obtain that favour for them He also recommedns all those to God who should believe in his Name thro' the Preaching of his Apostles and prays for such an Admirable Union among them as makes all Christians One being united together in God by his Charity as the Father who is in the Son and Son who is in the Father are by one Nature O Father adds he I pray that where I am those whom thou hast given me may also be that they may behold my Glory And he concludes this Admirable Prayer with these words Holy Father the World hath not known thee but I have known thee these have known that I have sent thee I have declared unto them thy Name and will declare it that they may have that love among them with which thou hast loved me and that I may be also my self among them XXIX The Agony of Christ in the Garden upon the Mount of Olives Jesus having finished the former Prayer Matth. 26 36-46 Mark 14 26-42 Luke 22 39-46 Jo. 18.1 went on his Journey towards the Mount of Olives and passing over the Brook Cedron which runs between Jerusalem and this Mountain went with his Disciples into a Garden called Gethsemani Here he commanded them to stay till he went and Prayed a little distance from it and in the mean time to pray themselves that they be not delivered over to temptation Jesus then taking with him Peter and James and John began to be seized with fear trouble and grief and said unto them My Soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto Death tarry ye here and watch with me Then departing from them about a Stones cast he threw himself upon the Earth and as he was willing for the Consolation of his Disciples to endure all the Passions which Nature ordinarily stirs up at the approaches of Death so he was desirous by his Example to teach them what to do in that Estate Thro' the voluntary perception of the infirmities of the flesh he Prayed his Father to save him from that Hour wherein he had declared him to suffer Death but thro' the Motion of a Spirit full of Submission and Charity he corrected those first Motions and yielded entirely to the Will of his Father saying My Father My Father all things are possible with thee remove this Cup from me nevertheless not mine but thy Will be done Having thus prayed he arose and went to his Disciples whom he found asleep their Hearts being filled with sorrow wherefore speaking to Peter he reproved him Simon sleepest thou and then he said to all of them What could ye not Watch one hour with me Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation The Spirit is ready but the flesh is weak As if he had said The Spirit would not be afraid of Death and ye believe that ye have strength enough to contemn it but the weakness of the flesh makes such a strong resistance against the Spirit that it will easily conquer it unless you beg the Divine grace to support you against the fears of Death Having said thus he returned again to his Prayers and said to God My Father If this Cup may not pass from me unless I drink it Thy Will be done Then he returned again to his Disciples and finding them so sleepy that they knew not what to answer him he went again to his Prayers a Third time St. Luke tells us that there came an Angel from Heaven to him to strengthen him and that the Agony in which he was i. e. the conflict that he had in himself between the Flesh which dissuaded him from suffering and the Spirit which was willing to submit to the Will of God caused such a violent disturbance in his Body that there issued from it a Swet which fell down to the Earth like drops of Blood Then he went a Third time to find his Apostles and saying unto them by way of Reproof and Irony That they might now sleep on and take their rest because his time was come He tells them in good earnest That the time was come that the Son of Man shall be delivered into the Hands of Sinners Arise therefore saith he Let us go hence behold he that betrayeth me is at hand XXX The Apprehension of Jesus Jesus had scarcely said these words Matth. 26 47-56 Mark 14 43-52 Luke 22 47-53 John 18 2-11 but Judas Iscariot came with a Band of Soldiers and Officers which the Priests Scribes Pharisees and Rulers had sent to take him They were Armed with Swords and Staves and had Lanthorns and Torches with them because it was Night and because they knew not him whom they had Orders to Seize Judas told them That it is he whom he shall Kiss Take him and carry him away safely He then came to Jesus and saying to him Hail Master he gave him a Kiss which was the Sign he had given them to make him to be taken by them Jesus said no more to him but these words Friend why are you come hither What Judas Dost thou betray the Son of Man with a Kiss Jesus then immediately goes to the Soldiers whom Judas had brought and asked them Whom they sought They answered Jesus of Nazareth He saith to them I am He And immediately they went back and fell to the Earth Then again he asked them Whom seek ye They answered again Jesus of Nazareth he said I have told you already That I am He and if ye seek me Let these Men go which he spoke of his Disciples that he might fulfil his Words spoken in his Prayer to his Father of them which thou gavest me have I
lost none Then he resigned himself to the power of his Enemies who layd Hands on him and took him His Disciples seeing this asked him Whether they should make use of the Sword to defend him and Peter drawing his Smote Malchus one of the High-Priests Servants and cut off his right Ear. But Jesus commanded his Disciples to be quiet and Touching Malchus's Ear healed it saying to Peter Put up thy Sword into the Sheath for all that use the Sword shall perish by the Sword Shall not I drink the Cup which my Father hath given me to drink of Think ye not that I am able to pray to my Father and he shall send me immediately more than Twelve Legions of Angels But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled that so it must be Then he speaks to them who came to take him and saith Ye are come Armed with Swords and Staves to take me as if I were a Thief I conversed every day among you and taught in the Temple Why did you not apprehend me then But this is your Hour and the Power of Darkness and the Scriptures must be fulfilled Then all his Disciples forsook him and fled only one Young Man followed him having nothing but a Linnen Garment upon him but the Soldiers laying hold upon him he left his Linnen Garment and fled from them Naked XXXI Jesus is Carryed to Caiphas's Palace Matth. 26 57-68 Mark 14 53-65 Luke 22 54-65 John 18 12-14 They that had taken Jesus bound him and led him first to Annas who was Father-in-Law to Caiaphas and Annas sent him back again to Caiaphas who was High-Priest that Year and who had told the Jews that it was expedient that one Man should dye for all the People At his House all the Priests Scribes and Elders were met who asked him concerning his Disciples and his Doctrin Jesus answered them I speak publickly to all the People I always Taught in the Synagogue and in the Temple where all the Jews assemble for Worship and in secret have I said nothing Why do ye ask me Ask them that heard me they know what I have Taught At these words one of the Officers which were there smote him on the Cheek saying Answerest thou the High-Priest so Jesus replyed If I have spoken amiss shew me the Evil I have spoken but if I have spoken well why smitest thou me In the mean time the whole Council sought false Witness against Jesus to put him to Death but could find none strong enough altho' several Witnesses came and Testified several Things At last came Two who accused him for saying That he would destroy the Temple and re-build another in three Days which should not be like the First made by Mans Hands But this Testimony was not sufficient Nevertheless Caiphas rising up in the middle of the Assembly said to Jesus Answerest thou nothing to that which these Men Testify against thee But because he made no Answer to this Question he put another to him in which they all joyned If thou art the Christ tell us plainly He answered them If I tell you you will not believe and if I ask you a Question ye will not Answer me nor let me go But hereafter the Son of Man shall sit on the Right Hand of the Power of God Whereupon they replyed Art thou the Son of God And he said unto them Ye have said that I am The High-Priest himself asked him also the same Question and adjured him by the living God to tell them Whether he were the Christ the Son of God Jesus repeated the Answer Thou hast said it I am He and added That they shall one day see him coming upon the Clouds of Heaven and sitting at the Right Hand of God The High-Priest hearing this rent his Cloaths saying He hath Blasphemed what need we any further Witness Ye have heard the Blasphemy your selves what do you judge of it They answered That he is worthy of Death and they condemn'd him immediately Then they did spit in his Face Smote him in derision blinded his Eyes and some gave him blows with their Fists saying in Mockery O Christ Prophecy who it is that smote thee To these insulting Speeches they added many other abuses and Blasphemies XXXII Peter denyeth Jesus Christ Matth. 26 69-75 Mark 14 66-72 Luke 22 54-62 John 18 25-27 VVhile Jesus passed the Night with the High-Priest being Treated in so outrageous a manner the People of the House and those that took him were below in the Hall when they had made a Fire and warmed themselves Peter also warmed himself with them for following his Master afar off to see what would befal him he met with a Disciple who was known to Caiphas's Family and had desired the Maid-Servant that kept the Door to let him into the Hall A short time after coming to the place where the Servants were warming themselves the same Servant saw Peter sitting at the Fire with the other Servants and looking seriously upon him knew him and said aloud This Man was also with Jesus of Nazareth And after said to himself Art not thou one of his Disciples But he denyed before them all and answered her Woman I know him not I am none of his Disciples nor do I know what thou sayest After this he went out of the Palace into the Porch and the Cock Crew As he was going out another Servant seeing him said to those that stood by This man was also with Jesus of Nazareth Peter returned and seated himself near the Fire where some asked him If he were one of Jesus's Disciples But he denyed it a Second time and swore that he knew him not About an Hour after another Officer of the High-Priests and Malchus's Kinsman whose Ear Peter had cut off bodly asserted pointing to Peter that he was a Galilean and one of Jesus 's followers and speaking to him said Wast not thou with this Man in the Garden Others also coming in at the same instant said to him Thou art certainly one of his company for thy very speech discovers it sufficiently that thou art a Galilean Then Peter deny'd it a Third Time with cursing and swearing and said with solemn protestations I know not what thou speakest of to me nor what ye say And immediately the Cock Crow'd again a Second Time Jesus then looking upon Peter brought to his mind what he had foretold of him and presently he went out and Wept bitterly for his Sin St. Austin observes that Jesus being above Stairs bound and in the Hands of his Enemies could not with his Bodily Eyes see his Disciple who was below in the Hall so that this Aspect which the Evangelist speaks of was an Aspect of Mercy and a secret Motion of Grace which open'd St. Peters Eyes to discover his own fault and which mollified his Heart to make him atone for his Sins by his Tears XXXIII The Despair of Judas In the Morning they that had condemned Jesus to Death having
lifted up his Hands to bless his Disciples and as he blessed them he was parted from them who saw him ascend up towards Heaven till a Cloud into which he entred took him out of their Sight They still looked after him with earnestness and as soon as they had lost the Sight of him Two Men cloathed in White presented themselves to them on a suddain and said unto them Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye looking up towards Heaven This Jesus who hath left you and is gone up into Heaven shall come again in the same manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Then the Apostles ador'd him who had left the Earth to be seated in Heaven at the Right Hand of God i. e. to receive in his Sacred Humanity the Rest and Glory which was the Reward of his Labour and Sufferings They departed full of Joy from the Mount of Olives and returned to Jerusalem where Ten Days after they received the Holy Ghost Then they went and preached every where according as their Master had commanded them and the Lord confirmed the Word which he had put in their Mouth by Miracles LIII The Glorious Life of Jesus Christ in Heaven John 20.30 31. This is a full account of all the Gospel teacheth us of the Life which Jesus Christ lived upon the Earth He did indeed many other Things and wrought a great number of Miracles which are not written these that are written being sufficient for our Salvation if by reading them we believe That Jesus is the Son of God that by Faith we may have Life in his Name This is the Life which he hath promised us and into which he is entred by his Ascension for he told his Apostles That he went to prepare a Place for them John 14.3 And S. Paul assures us That he is entred into Heaven for us as our Fore-runner Heb. 6.19 20. that we may follow him now in Hope which serveth us as an Anchor sure and stedfast in the various Disturbances and Troubles of this Mortal Life As to the Life which Jesus Christ now liveth in Heaven the Gospel tells us That he sits there Mark 16.19 at the Right Hand of God He siteth i. e. is at perfect Ease and Rest having no more Trouble or Sufferings in his Sacred Humanity to which he is united for our Salvation He sitteth at the Right Hand of God i. e. is made equal with the Father being God of like Nature with him and is raised up above all Creatures This Rest Acts 7.56 which Jesus Christ enjoys for himself hinders him not from acting for us and altho he sits at the Right Hand of God S. Stephen saw him there standing indeed since he came to the Earth not only to purchase the Glorification of that Body and Soul which he assumed in the Womb of the Virgin but also to obtain Salvation for all that believe on him If he hath nothing else to do with his Sacred Humanity yet it is his business to intercede for the Salvation of his Saints till they shall come to be Partakers of his Glory He there finishes the great Work of Man's Redemption which he began upon Earth in Heaven Eph. 1.22.4.15 'T is there as Head of the Church as the Apostle calls him he governs it by his Pastors which he hath appointed enlightens it by her Doctors sanctifies it by his Sacraments protects it by the Help of his Grace and quickens it by his Spirit 'T is there that he prays without ceasing for us and we use him as our Advocate to defend our Cause before his Father as our Mediator to offer our Prayers to him and obtain the Mercies and Graces we petition as High Priest and Sacrifice by offering always the same Blood which he poured out upon the Cross once for all for the Salvation of the whole World Hence it was that S. John saw him in Heaven in the Figure of a Lamb slain and laid upon the Altar which is before the Throne of God Rev. 5.6 7. Heb. 4.16 't is there that he sits upon a Throne of Grace and Mercy where we may go in a Time of Need to obtain Pardon of our Sins before he appears upon his Throne of Justice to judge the World 1 Joh. 2.1 Lastly 't is there that he calls us and invites us to consider upon him in his Glory which he hath merited both for himself and us by the Effusion of his Blood that by the Prospect of that Eternal Happiness which he hath prepared for us he may make us contemn all earthly Things and stir us up to follow him in the Way he is gone before us i. e. to imitate the Examples he hath given us in this Mortal Life of which we have related the History in this Book For this Reason it is that S. Paul exhorts us by these Words which include all the Benefit we ought to make of all that is said of the Life of Jesus Christ Heb. 10 19-31 We have freedom to enter with Boldness into the Heavenly Sanctuary by the Blood of Jesus Christ going after him in that new Way which he hath trodden out for us in his own Flesh And since he is in Heaven an High Priest set over the House of God let us draw near to him with a truly sincere Heart and full of Faith with a Soul purified from the Filth of an Evil Conscience and a Body preserving the Purity which it hath received from the pure Water of Baptism let us remain firm and stedfast in our Faith and in the Hope of that Glory which he hath promised to us for he is faithful who hath promised And to obtain it let us provoke one another to Love and to good Works and let us encourage our selves so much the more as we see the last Day draweth nigh for if we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of Truth we must expect nothing but the terrible Judgments and the Flame of that Revenging and Rageing Fire which shall consume the Enemies of God He that despised Moses 's Law was condemned to Death without Mercy how much greater Punishment doth he deserve think ye who hath trodden under Foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant by which we are sanctified an Vnholy and Prophane Thing i. e. who hath profaned by Sin the Blood of Jesus Christ by which he hath been purified in Baptism and who hath abused and affronted the Spirit of Grace for we know him that hath said Vengeance is reserved for me and I know how to repay it It is a terrible Thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God LIV. The Conclusion This Living God which S. Paul speaks of is the very same Person which we have seen in this History dying for the Salvation of Men upon the Cross He was judged but he shall judge us and that by the Rules which he hath given us and the Examples
not believe in Jesus Christ or dare not own it 155. why 16. Gospel is glad Tidings 35. Preached by Christ 40. we must believe it 35. we must leave all for it 137. the Apostles sent to Preach the Gospel in all the World 218. H HEll is called darkness where there is nothing but wailing and gnashing of Teeth 61. the Eternal Fire of Hell 73. the Burial of the Rich Man in Hell 131. Herod The Great King of the Jews troubled at the coming of the Magi 15. pretended to Worship Jesus Ibid. killed the Children of Bethlehem 18. Herod Antipas Son of Herod the Great Marryed his Brothers Wife 31. Imprison'd John the Baptist Ibid. beheaded him 79. believes Jesus Christ to be him Ibid. Jesus calls him Fox 124. bids his Disciples take heed of the Leaven of Herod 91. is brought before him but saith nothing 196. his Officers take Jesus 162. Herodias Herods Brothers Wife hates S. John Baptist 31. made her Daughter to ask his Head of Herod 79. Honour Hypocrites Honour God only with their Lips 81. to be given to Parents 87. Jesus Christ refused Secular Honour 82. Hosanna Given to Christ 152. Humble Humility Jesus Christ is humble 113. shall be exalted 125. Jesus Christ commands it Ibid. and gives us an example of it 201. Hypocrisy Hypocrites Hypocrisy is the Leaven of the Pharisees to be avoided 118. Jesus reproves and curses Hypocrites 116. the unprofitable Servant hath his Portion with Hypocrites 120. I JAmes The greater Son of Zebedee called by Jesus Christ 36. made an Apostle 54. called Boanerges Ibid. a Witness of Christs Transfiguration 93. agony 187. reproved for his indiscreet Zeal 144. and ambition 145. asks Jesus about the Destruction of Jerusalem 166. James The Less made an Apostle 55. the Kinsman of Jesus Christ 74. Jesus Christ appeared to him after his Resurrection 166 Jairus's Daughter raised from the Dead 47. Jerusalem Troubled at the Birth of Jesus Christ 15. kills the Prophets 124. her Destruction 167. Jesus laments it 152. reproved also by him Ibid. Jesus Christ The Son of the most High his Kingdom to have no end 6. the Second Person in the Trinity 7 10. saves his People from their Sins 9. is God and Man 10. the Word of God Ibid. the Wisdom and Power of God 11 the Light and Life of Souls 18. subject to Mary and Joseph 20. encreased in Wisdom and Stature Ibid. came to save the World 29. for Sinners not the Righteous 46. fled from being made a King 87. the Carpenters Son 74. Son of God and David 161. the way to God the Truth and the Life 181. spake nothing of himself 182. is the beloved Son of God 23 94 entred into his glory by dying on the Cross 210. Imposition Of hands for curing 91. for blessing 136. Incarnation Of Jesus Christ 6. God visited Man by the Incarnation 8. Gods promises fulfilled by it 9. the benefits of this Mystery 6 8. Innocents Murdered 19. St. John the Baptist His Nativity foretold by an Angel 4. filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb Ibid. great in the sight of God Ibid. his Birth 7. Circumcision 8. a Prophet of the most High dwelt in the Desert Ibid. came to manifest the Light to Men 12. his Preaching and Baptism 20. his answer to those that were sent to him 23. his first Testimony which he gave to Jesus 25. his Second 26. Third Ibid. Fourth 30. St. John The Evangelist Son of Zebedee called by Jesus 36. made an Apostle 54. named Boanerges Ibid. a Witness of Christs Transfiguration 93. and agony in the Garden 187. is reproved for his indiscreet Zeal 144. and ambition 145. and for hindring a Man from casting out Devils in Christs Name 98. the Beloved Disciple 178. who lay on Jesus Breast at Supper and asked who should betray him Ibid. stood at the Foot of the Cross 230. Jesus commended the Holy Virgin to him Ibid. went with Peter to the Sepulchre 207. acknowledged Jesus on the Shore 213. the Apostles thought he should not die 215. Joanna One of the Women that Ministred to Jesus 76. Jonas A Figure of Christ 68. Joseph Espoused to the Virgin of the Family of David 5. 13. a Just Man 9. accounted the Father of Jesus 74. Joseph Of Arâ—mathâ—ca a Jewish Counsellor but a Disciple of Christ 205. begged his Body of Pilate Ibid. Buried it in his own new Tomb 206. Judas The Apostle called also Theudas made an Apostle 55. Brother of James the Less Ibid. asks Christ why he did not reveal himself to the World 182. Judge The Parable of the unjust Judge and Widow 134. Jesus came not to judge but to save the World 29. would not judge in Temporal affairs 118. shall come again to judge the VVorld 168. for which he hath received power of God 57. Judgment Last the Description of it 171. the Time unknown 169. must be prepared for by Watchfulness and Prayer ibid. who shall appear there with Confidence ibid. Just shall be persecuted 166. shall lift up their Heads at the last Day 168. shall shine like the Sun in Heaven 73. shall be placed at the right Hand at the Day of Judgment 171. shall be like the Angels after the Resurrection 163. L. LAw Fulfilled and perfected by Jesus Christ 67. Moses gave the Law but Jesus Christ Grace 25. the difference between the Old and New Law 36 37. all the Law is compriz'd in loving God and our Neighbour 163. the Law continued to John 63. Jesus Christ accused of breaking the Law 51. The Pharisees preferred their Traditions before the Law 154. Lazarus The Brother of Martha and Mary 115. the Friend of Jesus Christ raised from the Dead 142. sat at Table with Jesus at the Feast at Simon 's the Leper 149. the Jews would slay him 150. Lazarus The poor Man the Dogs lick his Sores 131. carried into Abraham's Bosom ibid. Legion Freed by Jesus 43. Lepers The Cure of a Leper 60. of Ten 103. Jesus sups with Simon the Leper 149. a Leper cured by Elisha 75. Life Jesus Christ is the Fountain of Life 12. the Way the Truth and Life 181. the Bread of Life 84. what we must do to obtain Eternal Life 127. Lot His Wife 134. Love of God to Men In sending his Son 29. God loves them that love Jesus Christ 21. hears their Prayers ib. he loves his Elect as Christ 187. Jesus Christ loved Lazarus and his Two Sisters 140. his Love to his Sheep 112. Love of Men to God This is the greatest Commandment 114. much is forgiven to him that loves much 66. he that loves God keeps his Commandments 116. God abides in him that loves him ibid. he that loves Christ rejoyceth in his Glory 182. Jesus's Love for his Father ibid. Love of our Neighbour Is the Second Commandment 114. equal to the First of loving God 163. which are the sum of all the Law ibid. is the Fruit which Christ would have us bear 183. he gave us an Example of
use but in this Life where we have wants and miseries to relieve and succour before an Action whose benefit is eternal which Mary was about who by hearing the Word of Jesus Christ begins to feed upon the contemplation of that God who is the nourishment of the Blessed Saints and Angels in Heaven But Jesus doth not content himself to teach us to hearken to the Word of God Luke 11.1 -13. by the example of Mary but also he directs us how to speak to God in Prayer for upon a certain day one of his Disciples seeing him at prayer after he had finished said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples Whereupon he taught them that excellent Prayer which we have set down in the Abridgment of his Sermon on the Mount and gave them those good rules for Prayer there mentioned XXVII He reproves the Pharisees and Scribes for their Sins Luke 11.27 -54. Matth. 23.4 -39. Mark 12.38 -40. Jesus on a certain day was invited by a Pharisee to Dinner and as soon as he was entred into his House set him down to Meat without washing his Hands first according to the Custom of the Pharisees His Host was much offended at his Carriage and murmured in himself at it till Jesus said unto him You Pharisees are very careful to keep the out-side of your Cups and Platters clean but your inward parts i. e. your heart is full of Rapine Wickedness and Vncleanness and at the same time he teaches them an excellent remedy to purify themselves from all their filth Give Alms and all things shall be clean unto you He objects many other Crimes to these proud Men who affected to be Honoured and Esteemed of all Men as the greatest Saints He discovers their Hypocrisy and severely censures their irregular conversation for he pronounces a Wo against them because they were very fearful of omitting small duties but were not afraid to commit great Sins like those Men who strain at a Gnat and swallow a Camel Because they were very exact in giving the Tenth of their Garden-herbs but neglected the more important Duties of the Law Justice Mercy Faith and the Love of God Because they love to have the uppermost places in all Assemblies and be saluted in the Markets Because under the pretence of their long Prayers they devoured and ruined Widows into whose Houses they insinuated themselves by that means Because they would Travel into all places to convert Infidels to the Jews Religion and afterward make them more worthy of Hell than themselves either by their wicked example teaching them to prophane the True Religion which they had brought them over to or else so scandalizing them by their sinful Lives that they chose to return to that Pagan Worship they had forsaken Because they undertake to Guide and Instruct others but are themselves so Ignorant and Blind as to teach Men that they are obliged to keep their words when they swear by the Gift bestowed upon the Temple or offered on the Altar but are not obliged when they swear by the Temple or Altar themselves He compares them therefore to those Sepulchres which have fine white out-sides but are within full of Dead-mens Bones and Rottenness The Lawyers thought that all these Reproofs equally concerned them wherefore one of them taking upon him to speak to Jesus said to him Master in thus speaking thou disgracest Vs also But he spared them no more than the former but pronounced also a Wo against them because they impose a Yoke upon others which they will not touch with the Tip of their Fingers and that they will neither enter into Heaven themselves not suffer those that would He tells them also by way of reproach that those very Magnificent Ornaments with which they adorned the Sepulchres of the Prophets as a Demonstration of their Abhorrence of the Fact of those Men who were their Murderers were contrary to their design evident Marks of their Approbation of their Crime since by Persecuting those who Preached the Truth to them they imitated their Malice so exactly that they shewed themselves the Children of those who slew the Prophets He concludes after this manner saying to them Fill ye up then the Measure of your Fathers Sin that you may have a share in their punishment And after adds this terrible Threatning Behold I will send you Prophets Wise-men and Scribes and some of them shall ye Kill and Crucify and others of them shall ye Scourge in your Synagogues and Persecute them in your Cities that all the Innocent Blood which hath been shed by your Fathers may fall upon you for I say unto you that God shall call this Nation to an account and will pour cut all this Wrath upon the Men of this Generation As he was thus speaking to them the Scribes and Pharisees began to urge him vehemently and to ensnare him by the various Objections and Questions they put to him but they could get nothing from him for which they could as they designed fix an Accusation upon him XXVIII Jesus gives several Instructions to his Disciples Luke 12.1 -53. In the mean time an Innumerable Multitude of People being gathered about him so that they trod one upon another Jesus admonished his Disciples to beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees which is Hypocrisy and not to fear the Persecutions of Men but to fear God alone and to repose a stedfast confidence in him Then did a certain Man of the Company say unto him Master speak to my Brother to divide the Inheritance fallen to Vs peaceably with me But Jesus desirous to teach Us that 't is every Mans Duty to keep within his own Calling answered him my Friend who made me a Judge or a Divider among you Then he subjoyns Take heed and beware of Covetousness and to insinuate this the more into the Hearts of his Hearers he propounded to them this Parable A certain rich Man being troubled for a place where to lay up the extraordinary plenty which his Land had produced resolved to pull down his Barns and Build bigger and when he had thus secured and layd up his Goods he said within himself that having a sufficient Provision for many Years he had nothing to do but take his ease and be merry But God said to this Man O thou Fool This Night shall thy Soul be required of thee and for whom then hast thou hoarded up these things Such is the condition saith he of him that layeth up Treasure for himself and is not Rich towards God For this reason it is that he teaches his Disciples not to be sollicitous or careful for the things of this Life but to seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof and God will give all other things to them That they should be so far from heaping up Riches that they ought to sell all that they have and give it to the Poor that they may have a Treasure in Heaven That
they are indeed but a small number but notwithstanding that they should not be afraid since it is their Fathers good will to give them the Kingdom He tells them further that they should always be in a readiness to appear before God who will come at an Hour when they least expect him as Servants who watch all Night waiting for the return of their Master from the Wedding That being made Stewards of Gods House to distribute to his People the Food of his Word they should discharge their Duty faithfully not doing as the Foolish Steward who seeing his Lord to delay his coming consumed the Goods he had been Trusted withal in Debaucheries made use of his Authority to abuse his fellow Servants and deserved for his irregular Management to be cast with Hypocrites and Unbelievers into that place of Torment where there is nothing but wailing and gnashing of Teeth That since the Son of Man will come in a Day and Hour which they know not of to require an Account of their Management they should always watch as a Master of an House would do if he knew what Night the Thief would come to Rob and Plunder his House That knowing the Will of their Master they are so much the more to blame if they do not obey it and the more they are trusted withall the greater their account will be And we see that elsewhere he gives them this important Instruction Luke 17.10 That after that they had done all that they are commanded they should be so far from being proud of it that they ought to look upon themselves as unprofitable Servants and acknowledge that they have done no more than what they are obliged to do He advises them to be very careful in discharging their Ministry faithfully because in so doing they shall be dealt well withall by all the World whereas on the contrary he came to bring division upon Earth so that the Persons of the same Family shall be at enmity with one another some desiring to follow Jesus Christ others Persecuting those that adhere to him Lastly he tells them that he came to kindle a Fire upon Earth and that he had a Baptism to be Baptized with This Baptism is no other according to the Fathers than his Death and many understand by the Fire he came to kindle in the World that Love which the Holy Spirit would infuse into Mens Souls to inflame them devoutly with the Love of God XXIX Jesus shews the necessity of Repentance At the same time came certain Persons to tell Jesus Luke 13 1-10 that Pilate the Governour of Judea had slain certain Galileans as they were sacrificing so that their Blood was mingled with their Sacrifices Whereupon Jesus asks them whether they thought that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because God had left them to suffer such cruel usage from Men He tells that it was not reasonable to think so but that the conclusion that they ought to make from that accident is this That unless they repented they should all come to as sad and untimely ends as those miserable Men. The same application he tells them they ought to make of the Death of those Eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloam fell and crushed them to Death And that he might engage them to make a good use of the time that God gives them to compleat their Repentance in for their Crimes He compares them to a barren Fig-tree which the owner of the Vineyard would have had cut down but deferred it because the Gardiner desired to try by dunging and digging of it to make it Fruitful and if it still remained barren then to cut it down XXX Jesus cureth a Woman bowed together Jesus using always to Teach in the Synagogues on the Sabboth days Luke 13 11-17 there came thither a Woman possessed with a Devil who had been afflicted so Eighteen Years and so much bowed together that she could not look up He called her and laying his Hand upon her said unto her Woman thou art freed from thy infirmity and at the same instant she was restored and glorified God for her Cure The Ruler of the Synagogue being angry that Jesus had done this Miracle on the Sabboth Day said unto the People That there are Six Days in every Week allowed by God for labour in them let them come and be healed and not on the Sabboth Day which is a Day of Rest But Jesus answering him demanded of these Hypocrites Whether it were not as lawful to deliver from the Bonds of the Devil on the Sabboth Day a Daughter of Abraham whom he had kept a Captive Eighteen Years as it was for them to unloose his Ox or his Ass upon the same Day and lead them from their Stable to Watering This silenced his Adversaries while the People were astonished at his Actions which were so wonderful and made him so glorious XXXI The Jews go about again to Stone him John 10.22.42 A little after this happened the Feast of the Dedication of the Temple which was kept in Winter Two Months after the Feast of Tabernacles and by consequent towards the Beginning of December Jesus came to Jerusalem at this Feast and walked in a Porch of the Temple called Solomon's Porch till the Jews came about him and said unto him How long wilt thou hold our Soul in Suspence by thy obscure Expressions concerning thy self If thou art the Christ tell us plainly He answered them I have already told you and ye believe not the Works which I do in my Father's Name they bear Witness of me but ye believe not because ye are not of my Sheep And to shew them how great losers they are by not being of his Sheep he adds That his Sheep hear his Voice and follow him that he will give them Eternal Life and they shall never perish because no Man can pull them out of his Father's Hands nor his because he and his Father are one Upon this the Jews went about again to stone him but Jesus aked them For which of those many good Works which they had seen him do would they use him so cruelly They answered him That they did it not for a good Work but because he being a Man made himself a God He then proves to them by their own Scriptures That Men are sometimes called Gods so that he was not guilty of Blasphemy in giving himself that Name who was the only Son of God sent by his Father which he proved by so great a Number of Miracles as God had enabled him to do among them All this did not appease their Fury and Rage against him but they sought how they might take him but he escaped out of their Hands because his Hour was not yet come and having passed over Jordan he went along the Bank of the River to Bethabara the Place where John at first baptized and there he abode Hither he was followed by a great number of People