An Historical Narration OF THE LIFE and DEATH OF OUR Lord Jesus Christ IN TWO PARTS Printed at the Theater in Oxford 1685. A brief account of what is contained IN THE FIRST PART of The History of our SAVIOURS LIFE § 1 OUR Saviour came about the year of the world 4000 § 2 when the Scepter of Judah was in the hand of Herod a stranger § 3 S. John Baptist being sent before § 4 an extraordinary person both as to his birth and manner of living § 5 but especially as to his preaching § 6 Virtues actions § 7 and sufferings § 8 Our Saviours conception in Galilee § 9 Of a most pure and holy Virgin § 12 of mean condition § 13 espoused to an husband § 14 and informed by an Angel of this great favour intended her by God § 15 whereupon she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth mother of the Baptist § 16 conversing with her § 17 three months § 18 Whence she with some apprehensions returned to her husband § 19 but he being a very discreet righteous and holy person whilst he was thinking of dismissing her privatly § 20 was admonished by an Angel not to do it because that her conception was by the Holy Ghost § 21 to whom Joseph most readily obeyed and continued to cohabit with her § 22 at Nazareth till the time of her delivery drew neer which was § 23 to be at Bethlehem § 24 whither an Edict of Augustus forced them to go § 25 and there they were necessitated to lodg very meanly § 27 in a Stable § 28 where our Saviour was born § 29 A great exaninition and humiliation of the Son of God! § 31 his parents onely being present and adoring him § 33 Mean-while an Angel published this birth to certain Shepheards there in the field watching their flocks § 35 and was seconded by many more § 36 who glorified God for this birth in a song § 36 as all the host of Heaven rejoyced for and in it § 38 The Shepheards immediatly came to Bethlehem to see and worship this new-born child § 39 Gods great wisdom in thus ordering these affairs § 41 The shepheards relation was a great consolation to both the Parents § 42 But his Mother especially kept this and such other favours of God to her self and pondered them in her heart § 43 our Lord was Circumcised § 46 to 55 A Digression concerning circumcision the nature and effects of it § 55 to 61. Of the giving him the name Jesus and his saving his people from their sins § 61 to 71. The history of the coming of the Wise men § 71 to 77 Of the presentation of him in the Temple § 77 to 80 whom Simeon took up in his arms and openly confessed § 80 as did also Anna a Prophetess § 81 Which publick testimonies alarmed Herod § 82 wherefore the Parents being returned to Bethlehem with him § 83 the Angel of the Lord warned Joseph to flee with them into Egypt § 84 to 89 which they did immediatly and 89 to 94 whilst Herod out of great fury slew all the children in Bethlehem hoping thereby to have slain our Lord himself § 94 they arrived safe in Egypt § 95 where they staied not long till § 96 to 100 Herod miserably died and 100 Joseph was commanded to return into his own countrey § 101 Who hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea durst not go thither but retired into Galilee to his own city Nazareth § 102 Which seems foretold by the Prophets § 103 and prefigured by Samson § 104 Little written of his life or actions there till 30 years old § 105 Tho he was then also filled with all wisdom and knowledg § 108 onely at 12 years old he went up to Jerusalem where he § 109 staied after his Parents were gone away § 112 For supposing him in the company they went homeward without him but returning § 113 to Jerusalem found him among the Doctors § 114 Whereat his mother wondring demanded why he had so used his Parents to whom he answered that he must be about his Fathers business § 115 which answer they seemed not fully to comprehend but his mother § 116 laid this up in her heart where the Doctors and learned men seemed to take notice of his great wisdom After this he went § 117 to Nazareth with his Parents was obedient to them and increased in wisdom but the entire history of his life and actions from this his return to Nazareth till his baptism is not written by the Evangelists § 118 yet by some passages in scriptures divers particulars may be collected § 126 In that time seems to have happened the death of S. Joseph § 127 Our Lord being shortly to manifest himself and enter upon the exercise of his calling John Baptist was sent whose mission and preaching in described § 137 our Lord being to enter upon his ministery went to John to be baptized of him § 139 thence immediatly retiring to prayer the Father gave testimony to him by a visible descent of the Holy Ghost in the resemblance of a Dove and by an audible voice from heaven § 141 Which voice was afterwards several times reiterated and § 142 himself often urgeth it in his preaching § 143 But our Lord in the vehemency of the same spirit newly received departed immediatly into the wilderness where he remained in fasting prayer and other spiritual exercises till § 150 The Devil came to tempt him which he failed not to do divers waies till being foiled in all he departed and § 163 John continuing his preaching and openly testifying of our Saviour § 165 our Lord returned out of the wilderness § 166 shewed himself unto John and § 167 the next day entertained two of Johns Disciples one of them S. Andrew § 168 who brought in his brother Simon and § 170 shortly after our Lord himself called S. Philip and he Nathanael § 172 to whom our Lord forerepresented his future glory § 173 Our Savour going thence to Galilee arrived at Cana § 174 where he wrought the first miracle of changing water into wine § 176 thence to 〈…〉 § 177 with his Mother brethren and Disciples § 178 some whereof also were women § 179 Thence he went up to Jerusalem § 180 Where he first clensed the Temple and afterwards preached to the people § 181 Some of whom desired of him a sign for the confirmation of his authority § 182 But he onely told them that if they destroyed the temple of his body he would raise it again in three daies § 183 Yet some did believe in him § 184 particularly Nicodemus a Ruler with whom our Lord held a long discourse § 186. After the Paschal feast our Lord not trusting to the Hierosolymites went and preached in the countrey of Judea § 187 and ordered his converts to be baptized § 188 Whereupon John withdrew further towards Herods Jurisdiction § 189 Meanwhile there growing a little emulation of some of Johns Disciples seeing
and words comp Mat. 3.2 with 4.17 declaring unto them a Kingdom in Heaven which the Lord that followed him would confer on the worthy and the everlasting torments of Hell-fire which he would inflict on the rebellious telling them of a kingdom of God to be erected not abroad but within them and of the Holy Spirit which this King would baptize them with upon their repentance preached by Him freeing them from the thraldom not of the Romans but of sin nor from their servitude under Herod or Tiberius but under the great Prince of all this lower world Satan their spiritual and only dangerous enemy whose captives and children and not Abrahams they unknowingly were till by this Prince delivered This was the great deliverance to come by Jesus which both Holy Zachary spake of in his Benedictus Luk. ◠77 To give knowledg of Salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins and the Angel in his message to Joseph telling him why he should be called Jesus or Savior Matt. 1.21 because he should save his people from their sins Such punishments and rewards liberty and royalty as the Baptist preached being the only that were here worth the speaking of or looking after Thus was the Baptist appointed to be the beginner of the Gospel and the first open promulgator of this new Spiritual Kingdom The Prophets saith our Savior Mat. 11.12 13. prophecied until John 1. of such a thing to come but from the daies of John the kingdom of heaven began to suffer violence people by troopes now pressing into it and every one striving to gain for himself a share thereof whilst they crowded in such multitudes to Johns Mat. 3.5 and our Saviors baptisms Joh. 3 26. Only John began the publishing of this Gospel afar off as it were not coming into the Temple or the cheif Cities to preach it but staying a loof off in the Wilderness and near Jordan leaving these honors to the Lord who followed Him by whom the Gospel was brought still nearer till it visited at last every small Town and Village § 6 And as John preceded our Savior in his new and Spiritual doctrine so he resembled him much what in his Heroical vertues Both in his magnanimity and courage and in his mansuetude and clemency and in his humility and self-denial which was never in any man so great as in our Savior 1 Using the same boldness toward Herod Luk. 3.19 20 as our Savior afterwards did Luk. 13.32 reproving him for all the evil he had done saith the Evangelist Luke 3.19 and particularly concerning his Wife not fearing the implacable wrath of a woman and a Queen tho this cost him his life Again treating the Scribes the Pharisees and Sadduces whose manners he knew by the Spirit and Revelation not having learnt them by experience at the first sight roughly and severely as their incorrigible Hypocrisy and malice deserv'd reproving them in the very same terms as our Savior comp Mat. 3.7 with 23.33 and calling them Generation of Vipers or Serpents they being the brood of the old Serpent the Devil in the resemblance of their manners see Jo. 8.44 in opposition to their boasting of their being Abrahams seed to whom they were nothing like in their lives 2 Meanwhile toward the soldiers the publicans and others notorious but relenting sinners using the same mansuetude as Christ teaching them their duty for the future without upbraiding their former faults This great Saint not bred in the Court or in ceremonial Society but in retiredness and solitude neither reverencing the secular porte and state of the Pharisee nor despising the meanness and low esteem of the Publican Only in general the Baptist seems to personate a greater austerity then our Lord both in his conversation and his preaching pressing mainly the discipline of repentance and threatning much the wrath to come hell-fire and damnation to the disobedient having something more herein of the Spirit of his type Elias whereas our Saviors language was more benign and indulgent publishing remission of sin and promising a Kingdom to the obedient and also telling his Disciples that the Spirit of Elias did not so well befit them Yet were both our Saviors and Johns dispensations suitable to their seasons the one answering to the beginning of an holy life the other to the end and consummation thereof the one laying the foundation with threats and terrors the other building it up with consolations and mercies the Lord doing the rough part by his servant the gentle and mild by himself 3 Again much resembling our Savior also in his great humility accompanied with such eminency of Sanctity He that was so far above the Prophets yet when the Jews sent to him and asked him whether he was Elias or whether he was a Prophet which is to be understood here as in Mat. 16.14 the Jews then holding a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He answered No without telling them that he was that typified Elias which was for to come or that he was more then a Prophet and expressed himself meanwhile by the most diminutive term that could be thought on that he was only Vox clamantis c. before a greater Person that was then coming after him He stood exceedingly upon his guard of lowliness and disparaged himself upon all occasions as the Jews and his Disciples magnifyed him Being conjectured by them for the Messias he nourished not the mistake for his own honor but saith the Evangelist Jo. 1.20 he confessed and denied not i. e. to speak this truth against his own reputation but confessed that he was not He. And Jo. 3.28 he takes solemn witness of such his confession In comparing himself with him he useth an expression to debase himself beneath the lowest of his servants that he was not worthy stooping to untie the latchet of his shoe Mar. 1.7 and Jo. 3.31 he saith that he being earthly did but loqui de terra speak of the Earth i. e. low and mean rudiments for which S. John useth this phrase see Jo. 3. v. 12. in comparison of Jesus who coming from Heaven above spoke of the greater misteries which he had there heard and seen He every where gave place to our Savior left Bethabara in Judea the more publick place of concourse for our Saviors disciples some of whom had formerly bin his to baptize in and retired himself North-ward toward Galilee to Enon near to Salim Jo. 3.23 He transmitted his Disciples to him Jo. 1.35 and resign'd his former Auditors and the multitudes to his conduct and when the people so soon as they saw his great Miracles and heard his divine words now admired and flockt after Jesus much more then they did after John He rejoiced to hear it with an humble acknowledgment Oportet illum crescere me minui and when his ambitious disciples made a complaint to him of it he answered them that he was but a waiter on this Bridegroome of the Church and his joy was
all hereby the more to exalt himself § 137 After that these Preparations were made and Our Lord now also had compleated the thirtieth year of his age at which age the Priests as hath bin said and Levits were admitted to administer in the Sanctuary Numb 4.3 23 and at which age his Father David was installed in the Kingdom of Israel and Joseph advanced to the government of Egypt Types of our Lord Now was the full time come that he should throw off his long disguise and manifest himself And herein should first receive in publick before John and all the people a Commission from his Father speaking to the world from Heaven and a Solemn Vnction to his Office from the Holy Ghost He then to whom also and to his Holy Mother all these things done by John were related by their neighbours that he might fulfil all righteousness and shew obedience to all ordinances instituted by his Father Johns Baptism being from heaven and not of men as he argues against the Pharisees Mat. 21.25 as also that he might give good example to other Galileans for which see what he did Mat. 17.27 ut non scandalizemus eos in doing any thing that lookedlike disobedience not many daies after 30 years old went up as many others from Galilee and humbly presented himself among the other multitude to receive Baptism from John as a penitent so habited so mortified with grief and confusion remembring the burden he had taken upon him for our sakes of the sins of the whole world and compleating the Confession and Contrition of all those poor sinners that stood with him desirous of the same Absolution and among the rest even those of the Baptist himself The place of our Lords Baptism probably from John 1.28 was Bethabara viz. where the waters being divided the people of Israel passed over Jordan with Joshua into the land of promise and whither our Lord also coming out of the Desart returned to John And it seems by S. Lukes words chap. 3.21 in which all the people were baptized c that there was a great conflux of people to John at that very time For indeed one end of John's baptizing was that our Lord should be made manifest to Israel Jo. 1.31 § 138 The Baptist tho living in the same house for three Months with him before they were born had never before seen this sacred person whom he was sent to proclame the Divine Providence for avoiding any suspition of fraud or compact so ordering that they should be educated in two remote and opposite corners of Palestine yet presently upon his appearance by the Spirit knew him to be Christ our Lord. For S. Jonn's Non noveram c. Jo. 1.33 as S. Chrysostome and others is to be understood more largely Viz. of the time before our Lords coming from Galilee and before the solemnity of the Baptism in which solemnity because the most evident testimony was the Holy Ghosts descent and sitting upon our Lord therefore it is instanced in by the Baptist as if he had said I knew him not at all formerly till the time when he came to be baptized and the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove visible to all sate upon his Head The Baptist then presently knew him and much astonished at his great humility in offering himself to receive this Baptism of sinners with a like humility prostrated himself before him and telling him that himself had need to be baptized of him desired to be excused from so great a presumption whose shoos-latchet he had formerly told the people Jo. 1.27 he was not worthy to untie But our Lord now no way disguising or concealing himself to John with a word that so he ought to fulfil all righteousness removed his fear and scruple and so in all humble obedience to his good pleasure John performed this Office to him § 139 Our Holy Lord so soon as he ascended out of the water without any entertaining himself with his Cosin and servant the Baptist though this was their first interview immediatly put himself upon the banck of Jordan in the posture of praier wherein we may presume he offered himself according to his words in the Psalme Lo I come as in the volume of this book it is written of me to do thy will O my God to all those hard services and sufferings for the redemption of mankind which his heavenly Father expected from him as we find he did a little before his passion Jo 12.17 desiring him to glorify his name at which time also his Father spake to him Jo 12. being in great desolation from heaven in the hearing of all the people Whilst our Lord was thus praying and the Baptist who had had a preindication from God that he should discern his Son by the visible descent upon him at his Baptism of the Holy Ghost and also the people who could not but observe the extraordinary reverence S. John gave to him or also some of them hear his words had fixed their eies upon him Behold the Heavens were opened and first descended from them with a stream of light the Holy Ghost in the appearance of a Dove the innocency and harmless simplicity of which gaulless peaceful and mourning creature Our Lord recommends Mat. 10.16 and several qualities in it observed to resemble those of the Holy Spirit are mentioned by the Apostle Gal. 5.22 1 Cor. 13.4 which streaming Dove rested or sate upon him as was presignified by God to John and probably remained so according to Jo. 1.33 till hasting toward the Desart he was carried out of their sight § 140 This appearance again was seconded with a Voice from the opened heaven and from the Divine Majesty there declaring to the world This person to be his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased The words as also the descent of the Holy Spirit upon him are pre-related in the Prophet Esay 42.1 and cited also by the Evangelist Mat. 12.18 and do reveal to the world this joyful news as if he had said This is my Son the long expected Messias the new and perfect Legislator that declares all my will that is the Compleatment of all the Prophecies the only Mediator between me and sinners the Redeemer and Reconciler of the world unto me and my meek Lamb that takes away the sins thereof the only Holy and Eternal High Priest Lastly the King and Lord of the Universe In whom nothing at all displeaseth me and in whom I have bin pleased from all Eternity and except in whom none other pleaseth me and in whom all others may please me but unless through him I cannot love sinful man concerning whom the time was that it repented me at heart that I had made him Gen. 6.6 but which grief this my Son hath removed and again reconciled all things to me § 141 The same with which words were spoken a second time in the Holy Mount out of a bright cloud nearer hand when this
that use the world as tho they did not use it and tho they be as big as Camels yet they must become as small as a thred to get into this Kingdom Mat. 19.16 21 23 24 26. which only admits the small things of this world Which thing since it is so hard to do tho possible therefore hath voluntary secular poverty ever since the times of the coming of this Prince bin had in such esteem because the poor only in spirit that remain still rich in Fortunes are forced to bear one heavy Cross more than any other poor which many of them sink and miscarry under and are not able to go through with it namely the trouble and anxiety of a prudent dispensing those goods and revenues of which God hath made them only his Stewards not Masters and by possessing living in a continual Temptation from them Now since this Kingdom hath such an Antipathy to this present world First none surely are more fit to entertain or be entertained by this King then those who have least of it Like adheres to its like and had the Great ones bin sent to the Stable to worship this Prince lying amongst their horses instead of the Shepheards likely their knees would have bin more stiffe and they that asked Can such a Prince come out of Galilee or Nazareth would much more Can such a Prince come out of a Stable and scorning to be subject to one so far below them would have become Traitors to Him as Great Herod was sooner then Disciples 2ly None so fit also to preach such a Kingdom to the world as the poor and those who were not themselves full of the possession of those things the contempt whereof they counselled to others § 41 Now to return to the Blessed Virgin and her husband We see how the same night that was so full of straits the joyful Shepheards coming in and relating see Luk. 2.19 as an occasion of their coming their vision the message and song of Angels revives their spirits and recreats their affliction Their heaviness endured not all the night but joy overtook it before the morning and the scandal of the Stable was removed by the glorious appearance in the feild whilst the child despised by earth was magnified by heaven And we may observe that this great humiliation of the Son of God was every where mingled with some state state beyond all other sons of men When conceived a great Angel of presence is sent before with the news of it the Virgin going to Elizabeth She inspired from heaven falls a-magnifying him and his Mother return'd to Joseph an Angel declares to Him the Holy Conception and greatness of this Prince Born in so mean a roome at Bethleem Angels appearing in the Air discover it to the Jews and sing a Gloria in excelsis to Him to counterpoise that ignominy in infimis And a new Star appearing in the heavens at the same time manifests it to the Gentiles And so hereafter when presented in the Temple Holy Simeon and Anna proclaim him The Infants life conspired against by Herod an Angel discovers the plot and afterward in Egypt reveals to them the death of his enemy Baptized by John the Holy Ghost in the shape of a Dove comes down and fits on his head Upon his fasting and humiliation in the Wilderness Angels come and Minister unto him Before his going up to Jerusalem to suffer Moses and Elias in great glory visit him In his greatest agony and faintings in the Garden an Angel is sent to restore strength to him And to shew the common intercourse he had with Angels and how he had these subjects of heaven continually at his beck and service see what he saith to Nathaniel Jo. 1.51 and to Peter Mat 26.53 Lastly when murthered by the Jews the Sun loseth its light and the earth so trembleth that the Rocks of it rent in peices when his body buried Angels sit at the Head and feet of his Grave After so shameful a death followed so glorious a resurrection and ascension into Heaven in a bright cloud of Angels Thus to great humiliations God not only giveth afterward after a resurrection or so but presently intermingleth great honours and like exaltations and hath given an example thereof in this Head that the same might be securely expected by the members § 42 Now whilst these honours were done Mary's Blessed Infant from on high in which honours of their children Mothers use to glory more then in their own the Evangelist noting the modest and silent behaviour of the Virgin saith that whilst all that heard wondred at and magnified these things she kept and pondered them in her heart Luk. 2.18 19. took great notice without much talk tho her glorying in Him had bin a right glorying being glorying in the Lord. 1 Cor. 1.31 covering all these things that had happened for the present with great taciturnity and humility and perhaps not without some presage of the hatred and envy which her Son was afterward to suffer which things in due time after our Saviours humiliation and resurrection was passed she revealed to the Apostles and other disciples from whom this Evangelist received them Luk. 1.1 Meanwhile we may imagine how these strange accidents still increased if capable of increase the silent and reverent deportment both of Joseph and Mary toward the child Jesus whilst the little Babe in the cratch by the secret influence of his divine power guided all these occurrences and made these persons so near him to do only such things as done might be acceptable to Him § 43 A compleat week was now passed over and the eighth day the number for all perfection was now come at which time the law required Circumcision of all male children Lev. 12.3 so to enroll them into the family of Gods Church and render them heirs of the Covenant made with faithful Abraham of redemption benediction and an eternal inheritance thro his seed that was to come our Lord Christ Of which Covenant Circumcision was from Abrahams time appointed in Gods Church as a Sacrament and seal Gen. 17. The Blessed Virgin therefore and her most â—â—us husband diligently performed to this Holy Babe the solemnities thereof Of which solemnity if we may make where the Law is silent any conjecture of the Ancient from the modern rites the manner of later times is that it may be done by any person even the Father of the Child and we see Moses his Sons were circumcised by their Mother Exod. 4.24 but yet is usually procured to be done by some person well experienced in the practice thereof may be done also in any place either more solemnly in their School or Synagogue or more privatly in their own house Two of the kindred or near relation are as it were a God-Father and God-Mother to the Child the woman bringing the Infant to the place of Circumcision The man sitting down and holding it in the Circumcision after which done with a
six or seven miles distant from Jerusalem 't is no way imaginable that these Strangers in the Country travelled thither by night And now the Star became their Guide and went before them till they coming near our Lords secret Hermitage the Stable where He lay which poorer lodging now had its conveniencies the Enrolment perhaps being not yet finished in the better securing of his life it descended lower and stood just over it Which thing as it was necessary for the transaction of this visit with the more privacy and happily prevented their asking again the same question at Bethleem as they did at Jerusalem which might have discovered this Infant to some who might have told Herod so the Glory and splendor it cast upon this Grot served well to remove any scandal they might receive from the poverty of the persons they found within it And probably all this passed without the unworthy Bethleemite's either seeing the Star like the cloudy pillar in die wilderness that was darkness to the Egyptians whilst light to the Israelites or taking any notice of the new and strange habited Guests Which Bethleemites also before this had bin as stupid to the Relations of the good Shepheards as the Hierosolymites were but now to these Sages § 66 The Magi having entred the Grot what now might seem mean and vile to them of or in the house was abundantly recompensed in the sanctity and innocency of the persons they saw in it not like to other Mortals And so strong in faith and filled by their near approach to this Infant God with his Holy Spirit and struck with a due fear and reverence and spiritual discovery and Revelation of his Majesty they presently fell prostrat on the Ground Mat. 2.11 before the Babe held in his Mother's Armes and after worshipping for some time opened their Treasures and made their Presents to Him full of silence and respect and testifying their duty more in their actions and humble postures than in their words Behaving themselves rather as in a Temple than in a lodging § 67 The Gifts they presented were Gold Frankincense and Mirrhe the most precious things of their Country and usually offered to great persons see Gen. 37.25 and 43.11 But as is observed more especially proper offerings to this Person Aurum regi Thus Deo Myrrha morituro It being as of a fragrant smell so very exficcative and preservative from Putrefaction and hence much used in the embalming of the Dead Of which mingled with Aloes another Gumm very odoriferous an hundred pound weight was bestowed by Nicodemus on our Lord at his burial with which the linnen cloths wherein his Body was wrapped were besmeared And one of the principal Ingredients this was of the Holy ointment appointed for anointing the Priests and Sanctuary Exod. 30.23 Thy Garments smell of Mirrhe Aloes and Cassia saith the Psalmist of our Lord. And A bundle of Mirrhe is my well-beloved unto me saith the Spouse in the Canticles chap. 1. v. 13. of the same person Such Presents these great Persons for such both their Gifts and their Title of Magi intimate them to be This being a science studied only by the Nobility in those Countries and the skill thereof rewarded with the highest Honours brought to this Infant-Prince as the first Tribute of the Gentiles And so begun to be fulfilled those Prophecies which have not as yet received their compleat accomplishment in Psal 71. Coram Illo procedent Aethiopes inimici ejus terram lingent Reges Tharsis Insulae munera offerent Reges Arabum Saba dona adducent Et adorabunt eum omnes Reges omnes Gentes servient ei And in Esai 60. Surge Illuminare Jerusalem quia venit lumen tuum Et ambulabunt Gentes in lumine tuo Reges in splendore ortus tui Inundatio Camelorum operiet Te Dromedarri Madian Epha Omnes de Saba venient Aurum Thus deferentes laudem Deo annunciantes Madian and Sheba being in Arabia Felix East from Jerusalem from which Sheba came the Queen with such presents to King Salomon and the Sabeans that took away Jobs Cattel Job 1.15 And so was the title of Ethiopia common also to Arabia Numb 12.1 as well as to the Ethiopia lying West of it and further off § 68 Their gifts accepted with smiles after some further devotions and Contemplation made on their knees whilst their hearts were filled and ravished with a supernatural joy or perhaps Extasie they received a smile and Benediction from this Omnipotent Babe and so retired Infinitly satisfied for the long journey they had taken and their illuminated Reason nothing a mated but much edifyed with the mean accomodations they had seen and the humble entrance of this Lord of the Universe into the World to cure its Pride and lastly ready now to invite Herod and all the Jewish Nobility to the enjoyment of that spiritual and sublime Happiness of which they had the honour to be the first tasters not to be found in the Pallaces of Kings § 69 And now whilst they take their rest that night in the Town and are thinking of communicating to the World and especially to the pious King Herod as they had promised the happy success of their journey and the celestial Treasure they had found fit to be removed presently by Him from so mean a lodging into the sumptuous Temple he had newly built for Him Behold in their sleep the 〈◊〉 Lord that had thus far discovered his Son unto them further commands that they should by no means return to Herod as was purposed whose Counsels were treacherous but secretly and speedily depart to their own Country another way which also they successfully performed § 70 Meanwhile what great Consolation may we imagine did the neglected Virgin Mother and her devout Husband receive next to the enjoyment of our Lord in such their desolate lodging from the unexpected appearance of these Royal Guests from a forraign land conducted to that obscure place by a light from Heaven from their suddain prostration and Adoration in their first approach as subjects also of this new-born Prince and from those rich presents an opportune supply of their poverty What admiration and praise of the infinite bowels of the Divine mercy when enlightned with the Holy Spirit of Jesus they understood by this homage paid by these Gentile-Princes that this Babe was to be King of and rule over not only Israel but the whole earth Which thing also they heard afterward from Simeon at his Presentation in the Temple Lumen ad Revelationem gentium as if he had known of this meeting and the Star So God is wont still to mix hardships with Favours and recompence any sufferings of his Saints with double Consolations But in this present satisfaction and repose little did they know that their poor Babe so meanly lodged was the talk of all Jerusalem and envy of Herod or foresee the terrible storm that would shortly arise from thence §
sumptuously rebuilt by Herod as it were for the more solemn reception and honour of this Lord thereof though intended by Herod for his own Begun to be rebuilt by him in the 21 year of his Reign and in some Eight years finished and Dedicated as to the chief Body of the house but all the outworks and buildings not finished till 46 years afterwards and about the time when our Lord receiving Baptism from John began his predication See John 2.20 § 77 Here whilst our Lord as it were took possession of his Fathers house and whilst these Ceremonies were performed by the Priest And the blessed Virgin and S. Joseph who further considered whose Son it was and to whom offered were continuing their devotions and infinit thanks to God for this new-born Saviour of man-kind and the honour he had done the humility of his hand-maid chosen for his Mother and were reflecting also on the strange things spoken to them of this Divine off-spring by the Angel Gabriel and others by S. Elizabeth by the Shepheards and on the Homage of the Sages there came at the same instant into the Temple tho holy old man Simeon uncertain whether a Priest but conjectured rather none from the Evangelist's silence herein who enlightned by the prophecies and the common expectation that was in those daies see Luk. 2.38 of this new King for this Nation by the Divine Providence had bin detained ever after the Babylonian Captivity less or more under the servitude of forraign Nations and of the great Empires of the world to cause in them a more ardent desire and dependance upon the promised Messias for freeing Israel as they imagined from the Roman heavy-yoke but Simeon with more spiritual eyes expelling it for freeing the world from the servitude of sin and Satan who I say had for many years longed-after and prayed-for the comming of this Messias and the Redemption of all Mankind For to this devout person we may imagine his seeing the world so over-run with sin and held captive by Satan caused much grief for the offending of God and loss of so many souls and that he often brake out into the like passion with the. Prophet Esaiah chap. 62. 1. For Sion's sake I will not hold my peace and for Jerusalems sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness and the salvation thereof as a Lamp that burneth And vers 6 11. I will not hold my peace day nor night I will give him no rest till he establish till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth till the salvation of Sion cometh and his reward is with him and his recompence before him And upon such fervent supplications of his the Holy Ghost for his consolation revealed unto him that notwithstanding his old age and small distance from the Grave yet he should not dy before he had seen the Lords Christ And at this time the same Holy Spirit again gave him notice of our Load 's being then in the Temple a small infant in the arms of a poor Virgin § 78 Upon which coming in thither at this Instant with great Devotion and Humility he took this Divine Child out of his Mother's Armes being herein a representative of the Church accepting from God's hands this her Redeemer and in the embracing of him filled with the Holy Ghost as Elizabeth was before Luk. 1.41 and lifting up his eies to Heaven joyfully sung before the company there assembled his Nunc dimittis servum tuum in pace secundum verbum tuum blessing God for the salvation he had prepared not only for the Jewish Nation but all the world and for this childs being as the glory of Israel so the light of the Gentiles This suddain action and prophecy of this reverend old Man putting our Blessed Lady and S. Joseph into a new joyful wonder after all those other testimonies concerning the child heard before and adding still more matter to the Holy Virgins treasure out of which all these things came to the knowledg of Posterity § 79 After this he delivered the Holy Infant again to his Mother And in giving as an old Man if not also a Priest his Benediction to the thrice happy-parents and by the revelation of the same Holy Ghost foreseeing also the great sufferings of our Lord that were to follow and the oppositions that would be made to his new Kingdom of which sufferings one heavy one was then immediatly to break forth he made his more particular addresses to the Mother of our Lord for S. Joseph before those saddest times was to be at rest and told her That as the child was born for the advancement as he had already said of many in Gods people Israel such as should yeild to his Scepter so also for the fall and utter ruine of many others such as should not believe and acknowledg him and those secularly Great and that this age should throughly discover the goodness or wickedness of mens hearts And that he should be set up as a sign to all the world that should be much contradicted and spoken against by the great ones thereof as more especially he was at his death being lifted up on high on the pole of the Cross and all the people about him blaspheming See Psal 105.18 After and for which followed also the destruction of Jerusalem and the dispersion and Captivity of that Nation until this day When also as it were a sharp sword should pierce her Soul out of Maternal compassion towards him whilst she should stand by and behold such things done to the innocency of the Holy One of God After which words spoken by him much what in the expressions of the ancient Prophets See Esay 8.14,15 42.6 49.6 52.10 11.10 65.2 as we usually find those later in the new Testament to deliver their predictions in the language of the Old both coming from the same Dictator and he receiving again from the Infant the Benediction he bestowed on the parents he now joyfully retired waiting and preparing himself for his near approaching death and dissolution from the many infirmities of his old age § 80 No sooner had he finished his discourse causing much admiration in the hearers but that this first Divine testimony concerning our Lord now openly given in the Temple might be celebrated and ratified by two witnesses and those of both Sexes as both were equally concerned in this happy news a woman also of a great age Anna a Prophetess too detained in this life as Simeon was for her beholding the Lord Christ came in at the same time and seconded Simeon in the like Relation concerning this child his being the new-born Messias and Saviour of the world To which the Holiness of her person and severity and sequestration of her life from common converse somewhat like that of the Baptist added very much Whom the Evangelist thus sets forth That she had lived in perpetual widowhood from her youth after only having seven years enjoyed
to qualify and lessen the great and suddain fame that might be of him which also was done for our example from that publick testimony they saw given by the other persons of the Trinity the Father and the Holy Ghost as also in the rest of his life he used frequent concealments of himself and enjoyned others silence for the non-preventing his future sufferings that so his six weeks absence and non-appearance might a little remit the former expectation and the Baptists immediatly sending all men after him whose manifestation was only to be discovered by certain degrees and therefore when returning from the Desart his stay with the Baptist much proclaiming him was only for two or three daies § 150 After his forty daies abode in this desolate place prostrated as Moses in his Fast before the Divine Majesty in praiers and intercessions and such Contemplations of God as his types Moses and Elias had formerly enjoyed and probably accompanied as they with a suspension of his natural faculties and a perpetual fast our Lord began when such his Devotions were ended and nature returned to its ordinary functions to be vehemently an hungred The Devil even the Prince of them as may appear from Matt. 25.41 Apoc. 12.9 who had narrowly watched Him hitherto and looked upon him with such an envious eye as he did on our first parents in their Innocency but could not attack him whilst in praier when this was ended and he saw also so great an hunger to pinch our Lord which our first parents had not when he prevailed with them to eat forbidden meats had entertained hence some hopes of prevailing upon his infirm humanity as he did on theirs viz. not to wait for his Fathers Provision for him in due time of such food as was necessary but with a power of Miracles presently in an extraordinary manner after such a meritorious Act of forty daies fast to supply himself with it In which Temptation also he hoped to make some advantage in reminding him of the dignity of his person and suggesting unto him that he was the Son of God Especially at this time the honour done him lately not only by the Baptist but from God himself both the Father and the Holy Ghost from heaven and now also the great Change of his life entring upon the office of the Messias might seem to have elevated his thoughts and ambitions above the temper of his former meanly entertained condition For tho the Devil had heard those glorious words pronounced from Heaven but lately at his Baptism and in his ranging every where for prey probably was well acquainted also with all the former miraculous passages of his life lead also hitherto without all sin and with all the prophecies concerning our Lord if we see how readily he afterwards quotes Scripture to him and how in his first accosting of him he pressed his being the Son of God yet since our Lord was also clothed with our infirm flesh he might not so perfectly discern the Hypostatical Vnion of such his lately assumed Humanity with the Deity nor how far it might be invested or assisted therewith and its weakness receive influences from it For this General enemy of mankind saw this his human nature clothed with all the infirmities as here in suffering hungar and passions or affections of it Whereby his flesh or sensitive appetite at that of others did naturally desire things delectable to it as meat drink rest sleep c. But yet these desires were alwaies such as were perfectly subjected to the guidance of right reason and wholly ordered and moderated by it and such wherein he had hitherto never sinned though it is most likely that Satan had not forborn before to tempt him as others to some exorbitancy therein even from his child-hood and again were such wherein he was also by reason of the Hypostatical Union of this nature to the Deity and perfect sanctification thereof by it utterly impeccable though this not known to the Devil Our Lord saith the Apostle not only felt our infirmities Heb. 4.15 but was in all points tempted like as we are i. e. by external objects occurring and inviting his nature to the use of them but without sin this sensitive nature was ever so overruled by reason as never by the least consent of his will to proceed to any excess beyond the bounds set by the Divine Commands Poterat quidem anima Christi saith S. Thomas 3. Q. 15. Art 4. resistere passionibus ut ei non supervenirent praesertim virtute divina sed propria voluntate se passionibus subjiciebat And In nobis quandoque hujusmodi motus non sistunt in appetitu sensitivo sed trahunt rationem quod in Christo non fuit quia motus naturaliter humanae carni convenientes sic ex ejus dispositione in appetitu sensitivo manebant quod ratio ex his nullo modo impediebatur facere quae conveniebant § 151 Therefore from this his liability to passions and the new change of his life Satan conjectured a fair opportunity for begetting in his humanity in his former life hitherto so poorly treated some Elation of mind and vain ostentation of its transcendent dignity and present advancement Or supposing Satan knew such an Union of this his humanity to the Deity as that our Lord could not possibly commit the least sin and that his present temptations were but in vain as all his former had bin yet was his malice to him so extream as it could not let him rest so far as God permitted and he rejoyced to give him some molestation though with a greater mischief to himself a quality we observe also in the Devil's children malicious men who do not forbear to afflict their neighbors in their own suffering much greater dammage § 152 He then as soon as God had relaxed his chain invades our Lord and probably appears to him in some comely and Glorious shape as we may conjecture from his last temptation wherein he desires Adoration from him Or as some think to be more sutable to the place shewed himself in the habit of some religious Hermite Or perhaps not disguising at all who he was which also was well known to our Lord subtilly desired some evidence of the supereminent Dignity of our Lords person as it were for his own satisfaction and that he might know his due subjection to him His request therefore was that if he were the very Son of God as he was lately proclaimed from heaven to be he would for the honour also of his human nature hitherto so meanly treated now shew an act of his Divine omnipotency and taking some pitty of its present necessities command those Stones that lay before him to become so many loaves of bread especially since in that desart place he could expect no other ordinary supply As indeed long ago in the like necessity the same Lord out of the stony Rock in the Desart brought forth water And the more kind
16. chap. saying Rabbi thou art the Son of God for so the Baptist also before had several times stiled him thou art the King of Israel that hath bin so long expected by this Nation § 171 Our Lord upon Nathaniels mentioning his Kingship answered that they should hereafter see much greater Confirmation of this their faith and that the time should be when they should behold the Heavens opened and Angels ascending and descending upon the Son of man for so our Lord usually out of humility shall I say or rather a strong love to his Creature man stiled himself ascending and descending upon him as he being alwaies in Heaven as well as on Earth and the sole Mediator between Earth and Heaven who also only had traffick with Heaven and knew all his Fathers secrets there and again when they should see infinite numbers of them attending on him in his appearing at the last day in the full Glory of that his Kingdom which Nathaniel now confessed alluding in all this to the Honour that was done to their fore-father Jacob after his lying in the field alone so desolate and forsaken As also but a little before when our Lord was in the Desart the Angels had descended and ministred unto him In the same manner after this when his Judges asked concerning his being the Son of God he answered them that hereafter they should see the Son of Man coming in the Clouds of Heaven i. e Clouds of Angels flying and waving about him Mat. 26.64 Jo. 6.58 62. And elsewhere some of his followers wondring at his speech of his feeding them with bread which came down from Heaven What and if saith he ye shall see the Son of man ascend up into Heaven where he was before And so his young Schollar Nicodemus wondring at his Sermon of mans being born again of the spirit he tells him of things of greater wonder Viz. of the Son of Mans ascending up into Heaven again as he had descended from Heaven Jo. 3.9 44. and also was then in Heaven § 172 Thus our Lord often represented to his Disciples and others his future Glory his Resurrection Ascension Coming in great Majesty to Judgment and that their faith in him might not languish from the mean appearance of things present And also this suddain and resolute Confession of Nathaniel who but now disputed the matter must needs be a great corroboration and consolation to the four former Discipies gathered to our Lord. All these five being persons of much zeal and piety tho most of them not wealthy had left their daily imployments and trade for a season to come and hear the Sermons of John receive as his penitents baptism from him and some of them at least were admitted into some more familiar acquaintance with him and by this had more notice of our Lord and God looking upon such their sincerity conferred on them the honour after thus prepared by John to be the first Disciples and Attendants on his Son § 173 In this our Lords journey into Galilee he arrived at Cana Nathaniels Town not far distant from Nazareth and about a daies journey from Capernaum as may be gathered from Jo. 4.47 compared with vers 52. which Cana also our Lord took in his way in the second journey he made from Jerusalem into Galilee See John 4.46 Now so it fell out that on this day he came thither was solemnized a Marriage and hither also were assembled our Lords Mother and his Brethren invited to this wedding probably of some of their near kindred the care our Lords Mother had concerning the Wine and her colloquy with the Servants shewing she had some particular interest therein Hither therefore our Lord coming with his new chosen Disciples they were also invited to the marriage And all this seems punctually so ordered by the Divine Providence that whereas our Lord had led his former life so obscurely Now the dignity of his person and Mission from Heaven and his Father there might be manifested in the first place to these his nearer Relations according to the flesh for the rectifying any their former misapprehensions and their believing on this common Saviour and being made partakers of so great a joy and that also his inauguration into and entrance upon his Office might be celebrated with a festival and this marriage signify that which he was one day to consummate with his Spouse the Church and therefore is he very Emphatically by the Baptist stiled the Bridegroome on whom himself attended Jo. 3.29 that whereas John came with fasting he might enter upon his Office with a feast and the children of the Bride-chamber rejoyce with him therefore also his Miracle here was corresponding changing water and penance into Wine and mirth answerable to Johns baptizing with water and he with the Holy Spirit § 174 To give an occasion to our Lord's first Miracle whereby in this publick meeting he was to manifest who he was whether by the multitude of Guests more than were expected among which was our Lord and his company or by some other disappointment for there being a Governor of the feast besides the Bridegroom and a good attendance of Servants and Wine supplyed in so great a quantity for the Guests are signs that that the Married were no very poor or mean persons it happened so that at the end of the feast there wanted Wine Our Lords Mother perceiving it and solicitous of their credit to whom she had so near relation presently told our Lord of it expecting he should relieve them herein either from his doing formerly some such domestick and private miracles upon some necessity in his youth at Nazareth or from the Holy Virgin 's having some prerevelation concerning this future fact By our Lords reply we may conjecture that this was spoken by his Mother before some of his Disciples or Kindred and perhaps in the midst of some Discourse when as our Blessed Lady imagined some urgent necessity thereof Hereupon our Lord for their Edification returned this answer to her What is it to me and thee woman in this matter my Hour or time is not yet Signifying his already well fore-knowing by his omniscience this want or wine and the due time of supplying it and that he was not to be sweyed in his actions by any human relations or respects how near soever but must act all things only according to the will of his Heavenly Father And thus frequently he takes occasion to Vindicate his Divinity and heavenly Original to beget early in his followers a right apprehension of his person and authority and omniscient conduct Some such answer as here he gives also to his Kindred Jo. 7.6 when they minding him of going up to Jerusalem at the feast and shewing his strange works there saying my time is not yet come So after his desputing with the Doctors he answered his Mother when she told him that they had sought him sorrowing why did they so since he was
reward promised there to them we may also gather the generality of this their fact § 209 With them then he returned into Capernaum and there on the next Sabbath day according to his custome wherever he was see Luke 4.31 he entred into the Synagogue and there taught the people In which Synagogues or Jewish Churches built in all places even in Jerusalem were exercised first the Reading of Moses and the Prophets Acts 15.21 Luk. 4.16 Then an expounding of them and Sermons of exhortation by the learned the Priests Scribes Lawyers c. See Act. l3. 14 15 16. Luk. 4.20 1 Cor. 14.31 In these also were used Praier Hymns and Psalms some entiteled pro Sabbato Collections also for the poor Only no sacrificing save at the Temple in Jerusalem Here as our Lord taught the people saith the Evangelist were astonished at his doctrine for that his words were with power and he taught them as one that had authority Mark 1.22 Luk. 4.32 and not as the Scribes authority both internally with more satisfaction and conviction and power over mens spirits by the Holy Ghost at the same time working in their understandings and hearts enlightening subduing enflaming and setting them on fire and externally also with more assurance and asseveration Amen Amen dico vobis Qui habet aures audiendi audiat Quodscimus loquimur telling them who sent him and strengthening such testimony with miracles and doing these also commandingly and with authority with authority commanding the evil Spirits saith the Evangelist Mark. 1.27 Luk. 4.36 Increpans rebuking the diseases the Seas the Winds all done with great Majesty This teaching with authority is in the Gospel frequently noted of our Lord Mat. 7.29 after his long Sermon in the Mountain This made the High Priests Officers in hearing him say Never man spake like this man and the woman in his Sermon cry out Blessed is the womb that bare thee and the brethren going to Emaus reflect afterwards upon it that whilst he spake their hearts burned within them And the men of Nazareth that had so much prejudice against him there meanly and illiteratly educated Luk. 4.22 are said to have wondred at the words of grace that proceeded out of his mouth And many times his Adversaries were so a mated with his speeches Psal 45.2 that they would not reply one word to him All this according to the prophecy Diffusa est Gratia in labiis â—uis and Esay 49.2 Os meum quafi gladius acutus And this Power and Spirit he communicated also to his Apostles whence S. Paul 1 Cor. 2.4 My preaching was in demonstration of the Spirit and of power And 1 Thes 1.5 out Gospel came to you in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance and so he directs Titus Chap. 2.15 Loquere exhortare argue cum omni imperio Now if the Holy Spirit such in the servants what was it in the Lord § 210 As he was speaking thus in the Synagogue to the people a man that was possest with an unclean Spirit all Devils being ordinarily called thus because delighting in all impurity therefore they desired rather to enter into Swine standing amongst them all possessed not being continually agitated or molested by the evil Spirits but by fits perhaps when the disposition of the Body the humours at such times do also concur with it The Devil that was within him either not able to endure the presence of our Lord or also having received some secret command already from him as those Mark 5.7 8. to quit his prey or terrified with his words speaking of the destruction of the Kingdom of Satan cryed out desiring that he would let him or them alone and not destroy them sometimes speaking in the singular number and sometimes in the plural the like request to which we find elsewhere Mat. 8.29 and Luk. 8.31 and Mark â— 10 where in Matthew the Devils beseech him that he would not torment them before their time and in Luke that he would not send them into the Abysse and in Mark that not send them out of the country We find also several other passages in Scripture that may further explicate the present condition of these miserable and cursed creatures unto us As their being said by S. Peter 2 Pet. 2.4 Jude 6. and S. Jude to be reserved in chains under darkness or as S. Peter to be cast down to hell unto or until the judgment of the great day Eph. 2.2 6 12. and S. Pauls calling Satan the Prince of the power of the Air and these evil Spirits the Rulers of the darkness of this lower world and Satan being said that He goeth about here seeking whom he may be permitted to devour 1 Pet. 5.8 and the like is said in Job 1.7 and the evil Spirit cast out of a man his being said to walk in dry and defart places and so finds no rest there Mat. 12.45 till permitted to return to his former lodging by new finning better prepared for him their crowding also so many of them as they get leave into one person and so much more mischevous there than a single one could have bin as we hear of seven cast out of Mary Magdalen and of the Spirit returning with seven more worse and fiercer than himself and of a Legion in the furious Gadaren and we have them answering our Lord sometimes in the singular sometimes in the plural number by what is spoken Apoc. 20.3 Of a closer imprisonment of Satan and so of his Regiment of evil spirits that shall be before the worlds end than is yet for the present § 211 Now I say by all these well considered it seems first That the evil Angels suffer not such torments now as they shall hereafter when they shall be judged at the last day by our Lord and also by his Saints 1 Cor. 6.3 Apoc. 20.10 compare 3.7 And 2ly that Though they are cast down to hell or the inner bowels of the earth full of darkness as their proper Prison and place of present sufferings whither also the souls of wicked men descend and are tormented with them yet both they and the chief Prince of them are permitted by God to come forth of this lower prison upon the earth such of them and for such duration of time and extension of place as the Divine Majesty pleaseth for the greater exercise and trial of the just here and for the afflicting and executing of Gods justice on the obstinatly wicked sometimes even to the possessing and inhabiting them even many of these evil Spirits in one man After the same manner as the good Angels descend from heaven their place of Bliss for the Protection of the just and regular government of this lower world against the malice of these malign Spirits Which evagation of evil Spirits and their inhabiting here a less darkness and especially the hurt they can do to any men seems by some of the former expressions to afford some solace
Kingdom of heaven which law also he told them he came not to destroy or to relax as he was traduced but to fulfil and vindicate even to the least tittle thereof Lastly He instructs them in their behaviour and in the right performance of the three great Christian Duties of Praier Almes and Fasting § 257 Concerning Beatitude thus he teacheth them that as to this present life It consisted 1 In Poverty poverty either outwardly in their Estate and temporal fortunes or at least in Spirit and without having joy and consolation in wealth and riches possessed which hath made many having in the reaping no benefit to quit also the trouble of them and to make his Disciples and other Auditors happy in this way tend those Counsels of his following in Mat. c. 6.11 19 24. c. to the end and chap. 7.11 The Beatitude of which poor he declares to be their enjoying hereafter a Kingdom in heaven 2 Again consisted in weeping and mourning for the present a beatitude opposed to sensual pleasures and delights as poverty is to riches the frequent occasion of which mourning in this world our Lord shews in his Relation of the eighth Beatitude because men good and virtuous and lovers of him the world will certainly hate and a thousand waies molest them and so for the prefent Job 16 20. Mundus gaudebit saith our Lord vos autem contristabimini And Omnis disciplina with which God exerciseth here his Servants in praesenti quidem saith the Apostle videtur non esse gaudii sed maeroris and lastly All being sinners it must be a continued penitential sorrow here Heb. 12 11. that shall attain Bliss hereafter Now the felicity of these present mourners is promised hereafter to be perpetual Consolations 3ly Consisted in Meekness humility and lowliness of mind a sure companion of poverty and mourning To which meekness appertain those lessons and Counsels of our Lord following in Mat. chap. 5. from vers 21. to 27. and from vers 38. to the end of that chapter and chap. 6.12.14 and chap. 7.1 the observance of these Counsels being an effect of lowliness of heart And as the reward in the other Beatitudes is said to be the Kingdom of heaven so of this the inheritance of the earth alluding to Psalm 36.11 Mansueti haereditabunt terram perhaps partly because the good things thereof are seldom gotten or at least not long preserved or quietly possessed by turbulent contentious and litigious spirits But the ultimate and eternal inheritance of these meek souls is the new Heaven and Earth spoken of Apoc. 21.1 2. to which this promise relates 4ly Consisted in hungring and thirsting after and pursuing with our whole design the Kingdom of God righteousness and Holiness Lessons and advices tending to the which happiness are those following chap. 6.19 c. and from vers 24. to the end of the Chapter and chap. 7.11 But yet by the woe in S. Luke that is opposed to this Blessed here Woe unto you that are full for ye shall hunger and thirst this beatitude like the former seems to include also a great temperance and abstinence and the not satiating themselves with or having any thirst after secular pleasures and contents These two hungers after earthly and after heavenly things not consisting well together For which see what our Lord saith Mat. 6.24 33. Now to this present hunger and thirst the felicity promised hereafter is a full satiety of all good things § 258 From these our Lord passeth to the Beatitudes attainable here in our behaviour toward our Neighbours and placeth the fifth Beatitude in shewing all mercifulness charity and compassion toward them in all their necessities further explained in his Lessons following in chap 5.44 -6.12 14. -7.1 12. viz. in performing such mercy to them as we in our needs would desire from them freely forgiving without wrath and expostulating which is a degree of revenge all their faults and trespasses toward us Nay even loving them when they hate us blessing when they curse us doing good to them when they evil to us The reward of which our mercy to others is promised hereafter Gods like mercy to us in pardoning all our trespasses against him that excludes us from his friendship and from Glory § 259 The sixth Beatitude consisteth in cleanness and purity not only of our actions abstaining from any wicked deeds against our Neighbour but also in heart opposed to the Pharisees munditia carnis abstaining from Lust and concupiscence and irregular passions there towards him explained in these following Lessons in his Sermon chap. 5.19 observing the little commandments again vers 22 28 29. chap. 6.22 -7.1 2 21. Keeping not only our hands from killing but hearts from any passion of anger against our neighbour not only from committing adultery or fornication with but lusting after a woman not only from accusing our neighbour falsly but making any sinister judgment in our hearts of him wherefore think ye evil in your hearts said our Lord to the Pharisees Mat. 9.3 4. when they said none of him And out of the heart proceed the things which defile us Mat. 15.18 19. For out of the heart saith he proceed because in the heart they are transacted murthers adulteries fornications thefts false-witness blasphemies and out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh and how can ye being evil speak good things Mat. 12.34 and there begining every evil and good work And therefore it is on this part that God chiefly casts his eye 1 Sam 16.7 and there sees the breaches of both tables and the beauty or deformity of the soul And the happiness promised hereafter to such purity of heart is their eternal seeing and beholding of God according to Apoc. 22.4 for without such purity none may see him Heb. 12.14 Apoc. 21.27 And an extraordinary fruition and sense of his Divine presence in such pure hearts also here in this present life Jo. 14.23 § 260 The seventh is placed in the zeal on all occasions of making and preserving peace amongst all first negociating the peace of all men with God which was the Apostles employment 2 Cor. 5.10 to reconcile men to God and especially our own peace with him keeping all quiet and in due subordination within our selves in the obedience of the flesh and inferiour appetites to the Spirit 2ly Again procuring by all means the peace of men among themselves where either they have given us or we them any offence endeavouring a speedy reconcilement contributing here even so far as not to resist the evil received from them patiently to put-up quarrels and endure affronts suffer wrong from rather than go to law with them 1 Cor. 6.7 Taking all things said or done in good part and the best sense See 1 Cor. 7.15 Rom. 12.18 the likelyest waies surely to gain every ones peace with us and lastly making them also friends as much as we can one with another as Christ came down from heaven and shed
meo custodiam cum consisteret Peccator adversum me Psal 37.13 Opprobrium insipienti dedisti me And obmutui non aperui os meum quia tu fecifti Qui inquirebant mala mihi locuti sunt vanitates dolos c. Ego autem tanquam surdus non audiebam sicut mutus non aperiens os suum And Factus sum sicut homo non audiens non habens in ore suo redargutiones Ego in flagella paratus sum dolor meus in conspectu meo Quoniam iniquitatem meam That of the whole world taken upon me annuntiabo cogitabo pro peccato meo i.e. meorum § 34 This silence as the High Priest much wondred at so he little imagined the reason of it seeing the great advantages he had of a Reply And convinced already without his Plea of the vanity and contradiction of the accusation deviseth another way that might succeed better and being the main matter upon the stage that had bin many times undoubtedly heard from him and which either affirmed or denyed must equally ruin him And that he might no way be defeated by his silence he solemnly adjures him by the living God a custome amongst the Jews in their Courts where wanting some other Evidence see 1 Kings 8.31.32 Numb 5.19 1 Thess 5.27 to declare then openly whether indeed he was the Messias and the Son of God Which if he now denyed having before professed it he might pass for a grand Impostor and Deceiver formerly or if he confessed it with the Court it amounted to blasphemy and the punishment thereof Death and which the divine Wisdom then so ordered That what our Lord had so often declared in his life and confirmed with Miracles he might also witness before all the world at his Death and seal this great truth with his blood for the greater confirming of true Believers and greater conviction of all Opposers at the day of Judgment § 35 Thus therefore our Lord presently confessed openly what he was without those qualifications with which formerly he was wont sometimes to veil it thereby not to prevent or anticipate his sufferings His answer there Thou sayest that I am being amongst the Jews a modest way of Asseveration concerning a thing that includes some self-dignity or commendation Thou sayest that I am being as much as thou sayest that which I am See the same language used by our Lord before to Judas Mat. 26.25 and the High Priest his renting his clothes for Blasphemy shews our Lords Answer to be understood as a clear confession Therefore S. Mark puts instead of it more breifly I am And it may be here observed that when as he said the same thing often in his life time and they upon it had charged him with blasphemy and so went about to stone and kill him see Jo. 5.18 Jo. 10.32 c. He there confuted them and stopped their mouths by many proofs that this was no falshood or blasphemy viz. by his so many miraculous works by the Testimony of the Holy Baptist by the immediate testimony of his Father from heaven lastly by the infallible Scriptures calling those Gods to whom God had given some extraordinary commission or authority whereas himself had received beyond them such a Plenitude of Sanctification appearing by the Descent of the Holy Ghost upon him at his Baptism by the Purity of his life and Doctrine and mighty works see Jo. 5.20 21 33 37. the 10.33 37 yet here at their crying Blasphemy he repeats no such defence notwithstanding all the Nation could witness the truth of it but retireth again to his former silence as loath to disappoint their purpose now his hour was come § 36 Only in great pity and charity to his impious oppressors and to remove the scandal taken at that which ought to be infinitely admired his present voluntarily-assumed humiliation he modestly tells them that although these titles he owned might seem somewhat disfutable to his present low condition yet one day their eyes should behold this now so mean a Son of man exalted to sit on the right hand of Power as David had foretold of the Messias Psal 109.1 which Messias his sitting on the right hand of Power and so being Davids Lord the Pharisees could not reconcile with the Messias being also Davids Son when our Lord asked them this question Mat. 22.44 No more than they could now his bonds with it and that they should also see him come in the clouds of heaven as Daniel had foretold of the Messias Dan. 7.13 to judg the world and even them his then Judges Of which he had also in his preaching told his auditory many times before see Mat. 16.27 Where advising them not to mind the gain of this world but to save their poor Souls in the next he tells them that the Son of man for so he stiles himself also there shall come in the glory of his Father which shewed him the Son to another higher than man with his Angels and then reward every one according to his works And this his premonition here given to his unjust Judges shall again bear witness against them in that his day of Judgment when saith the Prophet Zachary chap. 12. Aspicient in eum quem transfixerunt And Ecce venit in nubibus videbit eum omnis oculus qui eum pupugerunt saith S. John Apoc. 1.7 Nay a-modo saith S. Matthew chap. 26.64 very suddenly within three daies after his saying this they should see the beginning of this his Exaltation and Glory He being exalted by the right hand of God saith S. Peter Acts 2.33 after his Resurrection and Ascension hath shewed forth this ye now see and hear In which speech of our Lord thus standing at the bar we may observe that his singular modesty was accompanied with a great freedom Authority and Majesty Nor had their treatment any way daunted him or remitted the resolution and courage belonging to an innocent person to the dignity of his office and to the necessary confession of truth as appears in his whole carriage at his apprehension Are ye come out as against a Theif c. I sate with you teaching in the Temple c. And here at his appearance before the High Priests and Jewish Courts Askest thou me ask them that heard me And afterwards before the Roman Governor sayest thou this of thy self c. And for this cause come I into the world c. And every one that is of the Truth heareth my voice And Thou couldest have no Power against me but what is given thee from above Jo. 19.11 § 37 But this forewarning them of his Exaltation and judgment to come which should have struck some fear into them and in which his Servant S. Paul had better success Acts 24.25 their malice made also ill use of and improved it so much more to compleat his blasphemy And presently the High Priest fell a rending his clothes as it was the manner
Elias was yet alive in his body and was to return among them to rectify all things before the coming of the Messias the darkning of the Sun also filled them full of wonder and expectation of some other strange things their hearts also now being somewhat mollified and beginning to entertain another opinion of our Lord than not long before § 103 After this our Lord entring into his last Agony said I thirst as if it were to accomplish the drinking up the last dregs and portion that remained of the cup of Gods wrath against sinners remembring the words that follow in the same prophetick Psalm vers 16. Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea lingua mea adhaesit faucibus meis in pulverem mortis c. and Psalm 68.22 potaverunt me aceto And there being a vessel of vinegar or small sour Wine with which mingled with water the Soldiers and common people used to quench their thirst one of the By-standers running and drenching a sponge in it put this upon the top of a long reed and so applied it to our Lords mouth the darkness now diminishing to refresh him and prolong his life a little in expectation of what perhaps Elias would do for him whether he would come at last and take his Fellow-prophet down from the Cross After our Lord had received the Vinegar which was as it were the last dregs of the bitter cup prepared for him by his heavenly Father to drink he said those precious words so full of consolation to poor sinners consummatum est that all was finished a Passiones consummavi now as he said an opus consummavi before he entred on his passion Jo. 17. All the prophecies being now fulfilled the Sacrifice offered and the Ransome of mankind from Gods wrath and the Prince of Darkness and from eternal Death fully paid And so with another loud and strong voice like the former recommending his now departing Spirit into the hands of his celestial Father in the words again of the Psalmist changing Domine there into Pater and exhibiting this as the last act of his dutiful submission to all his Will he pronounced those last words of his on the Cross In manus tuas Pater commendo spiritum meum Psal 30 And so meekly bowing down his head which perhaps hitherto was held erected towards heaven in prayer see Heb. 5.7 gave up the Ghost not when the torments of death forced it away but when he pleased seeing all now fulfilled voluntarily to regive it Shewing in his strong out-cries his miraculous power and strength to have kept it longer in being about the ninth hour the time of offering up the Evening Sacrifice and in the end of the sixth day of the week as entring into his Sabboath of rest The two Malefactors that suffered with him being both yet alive not that our Lord any way abbreviated for himself the torments of this cruel death but that the barbarous usage of him all that day and the night precedent without any sustenance refreshment or repose and the loss of so much blood under his coronation and scourging had so debilitated and exhausted him which was also seen in his fainting under the Cross that these his last torments on the Cross must needs have a speedier period unless he should have continued his life by miracle § 104 All the passions of our Lord thus at last come to an End and his bloody Sacrifice for our redemption finished the Sun which seemed this while to have sympathized with his sufferings began to recover its strength and now the infernal powers of darkness their hour expired to quake and tremble and with them the Earth also to shake in such a manner that the Rocks were rent asunder with it and particularly that of Mount Calvary where our Lord suffered cleft asunder some two or three foot from the hole wherein our Lords Cross was fastned from one side of the Hill to the other to be seen at this day gaping about an hand breath and the depth of it not to be sounded Yet the infinit mercy and long-suffering of God who to shew his displeasure rent the rocks forbare to take present vengeance on the Murderers of our Lord giving them longer time to repent as some of them also did The veil of the Temple also remote from this place and standing at the other side of the City was rent in two saith the Evangelist from the top to the bottom Which veil divided the Sanctum Sanctorum where was the Ark the symbol of Gods presence from the outer Temple and into which the High Priest entred only once every year carrying in thither the blood of the Sacrifice to sprinkle it before the Ark on the solemn day of Expiation The renting of which Veil at this time was very significative of the effects of our Lords passion 1. To shew now an end and consummation and so Abolishment of all the former Typical Ceremonies of the Mosaical Law this new High Priest succeeding and abrogating now the former Aaronical Priesthood who having offered the only pleasing Sacrifice to God on the Altar of the Cross was to enter with the blood of it into the celestial Sanctum Sanctorum and there with it sprinkled before God's Throne to make an atonement for the sins of the whole world Who saith the Apostle much prosecuting this matter in his Epistle to the Hebrews took away the first covenant that he might establish another following and dedicated to us a new and living way of access to the throne of Grace and entrance into the Holy of Holies through the veil of his Deity that is his Flesh which veil also was rent on the Cross the members of the body rent first and at last his soul also rent from the Body And chap. 9.11 c. Who saith he an High Priest of good things to come by the Holy Ghost offered himself unspotted to God and so by or through a more ample and more perfect Tabernacle not made with hands i. e. the Heavens vers 24. nor by or with the blood of Goats or Calves but by his own blood entred into the Holies eternal redemption being thus found and effected 2. Again to shew that the Partition was now taken away between Jew and Gentile and his service no longer confined to his Temple at Jerusalem but that it was to be every where equally accepted of him and his Church to be spread over the whole world and a general and free access admitted for all people to God the Father and to the Divinity through this veil of our Lords humanity Neither Jew nor Greek saith the Apostle Gal. 3.28 neither bond nor free c. now But all one in Christ Wherefore our Lord foretold to the Samaritan woman Jo. 4. That the time was coming when they should neither in that Mount of Samaria the Temple of Garizim nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father but the true worshippers should worship him every where not with
what they were afterwards to instruct the Jews and all other Nations expounding to them the Law and the Prophets shewing them the many predictions concerning the Messias his Sufferings Resurrection and so entrance into his Glory a many of which they mentioned afterward in their Sermons in the Acts opening their understandings to understand the Scriptures § 128 Afterward more particularly addressing himself to his Apostles he told them in this and several other apparitions made to them before his Ascension that he was very shortly to go into Heaven to his Father and leave them here behind him That all power both in Heaven and Earth was given to him that therefore by this his Authority he also sent them to preach the Gospel to all Nations and witness to them the things they had seen and heard from him but beginning their predication first at Jerusalem and to Gods former people the Jews That they should preach to them repentance and remission of sin thro his name and also the observation of all those things which he had commanded them And that they should also Baptize them In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost instructing them that who so believed in him and were baptized which was the Sacrament instituted for washing away their sins for conferring on them the Spirit of regeneration and for initiating them into his Church should be saved and the unbelieving damned And that great signs also should follow them that believed and were of the Christian profession which signs should bear witness to the truth of their faith and Religion That in his name they should speak strange languages cure the sick cast out Devils and have a special command over all the powers of the Enemy as they are called Luk. 10.19 in taking up or treading on Serpents or in hapning to drink any poison not to receive any hurt from them Not that all Believers should do such Miracles but that these should still remain in the Church or Congregation of true Believers Testimonies and Evidences of Gods special favours to and presence with them § 129 At last he proceeded to their solemn Ordination wherein after he had pronounced a second Pax vobis and a sicut misit me Pater ego mitto vos He breathed upon them with his most Sacred mouth and said these words used ever since by them and their Successors in the ordination of others Receive ye the Holy Ghost whose sins ye shall forgive i. e. by Baptism or for those committed afterwards by Absolution upon confession and repentance or penance they are forgiven them and whose sins ye shall retain i. e. by not baptizing or absolving or further binding with Church-censures the impenitent and obstinat they are retained And so solemnly promised to be with them and their Successors with his power and protection till the end of the world and the time of his return to judg it § 130 This said he disappeared also to them as he had done several times already to the other which caused in them now less wonder at the former leaving their hearts replenished with great consolation After this done on the second day of the Feast and the first of his Resurrection he absented himself from them till the Eighth when that solemn Festivals Octave was fully ended and the people were upon their return to their own countreyes and habitations Where for this time our Lords glorious Person was together with those other Saints whose Bodyes were raised with him till his Ascension would be too much curiosity to inquire It seems he was pleased to observe the fixed laws of the Divine wisdom for Souls or Persons already translated to the next life viz. to have no more familiar or long-during converse with those of this for so neither did Elias and Moses make any long stay with our Lord in the Holy Mount. As for other good ends so perhaps for this the greater merit of our faith here concerning the life and affairs of the world to come § 131 S. Thomas one of the eleven was absent when our Lord thus appeared where some imagine from the fear he formerly bewrayed John 11.5 that he might not be as yet returned to the Society since their dispersion on Thursday night at our Lords apprehension and so might not have heard as the rest of our Lord 's former appearings at all to the women and to Peter c He whether the same night or afterwards being come to them and informed of their having seen our Lord yet for a greater manifestation still of our Lords Resurrection and for begetting in this Apostle more humility continued in the same incredulity as to their relations though so many as they had done to the other likely perswaded by the Circumstances of his appearing in the night coming through Doors shut and making scarse any stay at all with persons to whom he had formerly shewed so much affection but suddainly vanishing again that it might be some airy spirit subject in his motions to the order of a Superior power And though they related to him also their having seen his scars and touched his body or at least invited to do it yet he fancied that this was not done to purpose but ought to be better examined and that if he had bin there he would have thrust his hand into the Gash in our Lords side and his fingers into the holes made by the nails c Notwithstanding that this person besides his hearing our Lords many predictions to them of his Resurrection was present with the rest at our Lords raising from death after laid upon the Bier the widdows son at Naim and again at his raising of Lazarus out of his Sepulcher when he had lain longer time there than our Lord had done But this too-much suspicious and despondent inclination of his had appeared also several times formerly that we may see what materials our Lords Grace wrought upon and not to be discouraged as in those words of his at our persecuted Lords return into Judea for the raising of Lazarus Jo. 11 16. He then presently resolving that there our Lord and they must lose their lives and in his words again John 14.5 where our Lord telling his Disciples of his departure shortly and that they knew the place and the way whither he went Thomas dejectedly replied that they knew not whither he went and how could they know the way thither To whom our Lord answered that his Journey was a Return to Heaven to his Father whence he came and that He himself believed-in was the way thither Yet after the descent and renovation of the Holy Spirit this Apostle especially was made choice of to be a most eminent Assertor of the same Resurrection and Propagator of the Gospel throughout India and the remotest Nations of the East fulfilling our Lords words Acts 1.8 Et usque ad ultimum terrae and there at last laid down his life for it § 132 Our Lord then
therefore He was ordered to appear not in feasting or in glorious array or in some rich and stately Court or populous City or Pallace but in that most rigid fasting and in rough apparel and in an uncultivated desert Thus was he sent before to baptize and clense the whole Nation and to purge them from their former sins by repentance that they might be rendred a people fit to entertain so Holy a Prince and capable to receive the large effusions of his Spirit And so we find Mat. 3.7 the whole Nation as it were upon his appearing and telling them that One followed who brought his Faun in his hand to purge his Floor and who would burn the chaff with fire unquenchable Mat. 3.11 12. flocking unto him confessing sins especially the meaner people Publicanes Soldiers and such as had no high opinion of their own righteousness and receiving baptism and inquiring of him concerning their several duty and amendment of life See Luk. 3.10 c. 7.29 And among others we find also repairing to this forerunner out of the remoter parts of Galilee several of those whom our Lord afterward entertained for his Disciples learning as it were their first rudiments from this Baptist As Andrew John Peter Philip Nathanaiel Jo. 1. c. and not unlikely Matthew also amongst other Publicans Luk. 7.29 Only the Pharisees and Lawyers much conceited of their own Holiness frustrated the Counsel of God against themselves and would not come to confession to or receive baptism from Him Luk. 7.30 and as they first refused John's principles and discipline so afterward they profitted as little under that of the Messias 3. Lastly this Sacred person was ordained to proclaim and bear witness of the Messias before his face to all the people so soon as he should appear and with his finger to point out unto them his very Person Jo. 1.26 Only because he came so near the time of our Lord no miracles were to be wrought by him lest he should turn mens eyes upon himself from him that followed Him to whom these were reserved as a Royal prerogative and therefore our Savior enumerated these to Johns Disciples questioning who he was Mat. 11.5 6. to shew them that he was the Messias and a greater Person then their Master See Mat. 11.5 § 4 St. John Baptist being designed to so high an imployment all things suitably in him were very extraordinary and transcending the common condition of other men His Parents were chosen by God persons eminently holy and near akin to the Mother of the Messias Luke 1.6 36. He was conceived miraculously as Isaac had bin formerly when concupiscence and lust was now ceased in his Parents being very old and past procreation of children as if he was not to be a child of the flesh but of the Spirit Gal. 4.29 He was sanctified and filled with the Holy Ghost even in the womb leaping there for joy saith S. Luke 1. c. 44. v. three Months before his Nativity at the approach of our Saviors presence as it were indicating thus early the Messias to his Mother His conception was first foretold to his parents by an Angel and that the same Angel Gabriel who six Months after annunciated our Lords conception to the blessed Virgin and who being singularly admitted into the secrets of God and one of the Angels of special presence Luk. 1.19 had long before those times revealed to the greatly beloved Daniel the punctual time of our Lords coming â—an 9.24 24. The Baptist thus miraculously entred into the world lived also such a life here as never any man lived before him after his infancy as one who was not like other Prophets taken for Gods service from leading a common life but from the womb filled with the Spirit He left his Fathers house who lived in a City in the Mountains of Judah and retired into the Wilderness was never corrupted with any acquaintance with men nor interessed in any affairs of human life nor learned at all the sinfully-compliant acts of ordinary society that so he might afterward as an equal stranger to all and independent on any for the necessaries of his life more freely reprehend the faults of every one whilst none could tax any in himself He lived in a remote Desert where doubtless he had much converse with God and holy Angels for what can we less imagine of him who was from the womb so singularly sanctified He used not at all the ordinary food of men at least after his sojourning in the Wilderness neither eating any Bread nor drinking any Wine so that the Jews seeing such abstinence affirmed he was possessed See Luk. 7.33 His raiment rough and suitable to his diet and such as he might receive from any dead beast for it was but Leather and woven Hair Of both which his diet and his Apparel our Savior pleased to take particular notice to the people as betokening an extraordinary person Mat. 11.8 Luk. 7.33 from whose unerring mouth he received such a testimony as never any had the like See Mat. 11.9 11 14. where tho the 11th verse there seems to intimate that the least of our Saviors disciples or followers should be made greater than he 1. in some sort more happy in hearing and seeing our Saviors words and works in enjoying clearer manifestations of the Gospel lastly in doing greater things than he namely all sorts of Miracles by the power of our Lord yet might they be notwithstanding and were most of them much inferior to him in the eminency of a continued Sanctity from his birth and the dignity of his office Who was chosen to be the first Minister of the Gospel and whose hallowed Tongue first shewed to the world the person of the Messias and whose Sacred hands baptized Him Elias the most eminent of all the Prophets as I said was his Type who prefigured him in his rough apparel and solitary abode and silvestrian fare living for the most part in the Forrest of Mount-Carmel as may be gathered from 1 King 18.19 42. comp 2 King 4.25 the habitation of his successor Elisha fed by Ravens in solitude and drinking of the Brook fasting beyond all others save Moses and Jesus typifying in his passing thro the divided waters of Jordan the baptism there of this his successor Bold in rebuking vice in Ahab as John in Herod and persecuted by Jezebel as he by Herodias § 5 And as the great Elias was the type of John so was John Baptist the most express and near Pattern and Semplar of the Messias both in the course of his life and in the manner of his doctrine and in his sufferings and death Miraculously conceiv'd in one kind as our Savior was in another and both foretold by the same Angel reserved in privacy and solitude all his younger years tho full of the Holy Ghost till about the 30th year of his age then beginning to preach and baptize as afterward did our Savior and preaching in the same new manner