liuing GOD for Hee sayes vnto him Blessed art thou Simon the sonne of Iona for neither flesh nor blood hath reueiled that vnto thee but my Father which is in Heauen Matth. Chapter 16. verse 17. And therefore we must craue continually of the LORD that Hee would vouchsafe His Spirite on vs to worke Faith in our soules that beleeuing in IESVS CHRIST wee may get life and Saluation through Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour and praise for euermore AMEN THE XLVIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XXI AFter these thinges Jesus shewed Himselfe againe to His Disciples at the sea of Tiberias and thus shewed He Himselfe verse 2 There were together Simon Peter and Thomas which is called Didymus and Nathanael of Cana in Galile and the sonnes of Zebedeus and two other of His disciples verse 3 Simon Peter saide vnto Him I goe a fishing They saide vnto him Wee also will goe with thee They went their way and entred into a shippe straightway and that night caught they nothing verse 4 But when the morning was nowe come Iesus stood on the shore neuerthelesse the Disciples knew not that it was Jesus verse 5 Iesus then saide vnto them Sirs haue yee any meate They answered Him No. verse 6 Then Hee saide vnto them Cast out the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall finde So they cast out and they were not able at all to draw it for the multitude of fishes verse 7 Therefore saide the Disciple whome Iesus loued vnto Peter It is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord hee girded his coate to him for he was naked and cast himselfe into the sea WEE continue as yet Brethren Beloued in Christ in the Historie of Christs appearings after His Resurrection whereof this which we haue set downe in the beginning of the 21. Chapter of Iohn is the seuenth if wee reckone precisely all the particular appearings whereof any mention is made in the Gospel But if we count only the appearings vnto His Apostles assembled together this is the third in number as the Euangelist himselfe hereafter telles In the first two appearings He manifested Himselfe vnto the eleuen beeing assembled together in an house the doores beeing closed only Thomas was absent in the first appearing nowe heere Hee appeares only vnto seuen beeing together not in an house but without at the fishing As concerning the particular time of this appearing what day it was from the first daye of His Resurrection or howe many dayes it was from His last appearing vnto them it is not particularly set downe and therefore we will passe by it but the Euangelist markes particularly the place of this appearing for he sayes Iesus shewed Himselfe againe at the sea of Tiberias which sea is otherwise called the sea of Gennesareth for according to the accustomable forme of speaking among the Iewes a lake is called the Sea Before wee come to the rest of the circumstances of this appearing it is expedient that we answere to a question that may bee mooued It may bee asked What is the cause that the Lord appeared so oft times vnto His Disciples and so many wayes Had it not bene enough that He had appeared to them once or twise What needed there any moe appearings To this answere There are many great and weightie causes wherefore the Lord so oft times appeared and first because Faith in the Resurrection from the dead is a thing very hardly and with great difficultie is obtained for among all the Articles of Faith there is none more contrarie to Nature none appeares to be more vncredible therefore the Lord that He might assure them that He was risen and that they who are in Him one day shall rise againe Hee appeared so oft times after His Resurrection Next Hee appeared so ofâ— to His Disciples because they were to be the first witnesses of His Resurrection to the worlde and therefore they needed oft times to see the Lorde to haue heard to haue handled Him and beene conuersant with Him they needed all sortes of helpes to their Faith that they might haue full assurance themselues that the Lorde was risen to the ende that with the greater assurance and with a full perswasion as the Apostle speakes of himselfe 1. Thess 1.5 They might testifie of that Resurrection both by viue voyce and by writting vnto others euen to the comming of the Lord Himselfe indeede so it came to passe for because Hee appeared and reueiled Himselfe so oft times to them therefore they had exceeding great libertie and boldnesse both in their speaking and writting for the frequent seeing of Him hearing of Him speaking and conuersing with Him made them to haue a full perswasion and this full perswasion made them to haue great libertie freedome for he that hath not a full perswasion in his owne heart should not take vpon him to be a witnesse and preacher of the graces and benefites of God to others neither will he euer be able to speake of them with freedome to mooue others to beleeue Thirdly He appeared so oft vnto His Apostles not for their causâ— only but for our cause also who should liue in the ages to come Hee had respect vnto the weaknesse of our Faith for euery particular appearing of Christ serues to helpe and further something our Faith our Faith degree by degree is helped by euery one of them and all His appearings beeing joyned together are a sure and stedfast ground to our Faith to repose vpon they serue to consummate our Faith and to bring it to a full perfection for when wee heare or reade that our Lord appeared at any time to His Disciples wee should thinke and settle this in our minde that when Hee appeared vnto them Hee appeared vnto vs when they saw Him we saw Him when vvee reade that the Lord appeared vnto Peter I should thinke that He appeared vnto mee vvhen Iohn and the rest of the Apostles sawe Him vvith their eyes I should so esteeme that I sawe Him vvith mine eyes and whensoeuer they sawe Him I should lay my count that I saw Him for vvhen that Peter sayes That with his eyes he saw His Maiestie 2. Pet. 1.16 hee pointes out Christ as it were with his finger to bee seene with mine eyes When Paul sayes That the Lord was seene of him after His Resurrection 1. Cor. 15.8 hee pointes out the Lord to be seene by me When Iohn sayes Wee declare vnto you that which wee haue heard which we haue seene with these our eyes which we haue looked vpon these handes of ours haue handled of that worde of life 1. Ioh. 1.1 hee sets the Lord as it were before my face that I may see Him with mine eyes I may heare Him with mine eares and may handle Him vvith mine handes To the end that my ioy may be full as he speakes there verse 4. And therefore thou
hee can contemne Baptisme And if a man contemne Baptisme let him boast of his faith as hee pleases that contempt is a sure token that he had neuer faith neither shall he get eternall life So Baptisme in some respect is necessarie to saluation that is it must not be contemned or neglected for if a man contemne or neglect it he cannot get saluation but it is not simplie and absolutelie necessary to saluation that is incase a man contemne it not nor neglect it he may be saued without it It is the contempt and not the want of it that hurtes man for a man may bee ingraffed in Christ by Faith and may bee saued by Christ vvithout the seale of Baptisme for the grace of God is not so bound and tyed to th' ordinarie meanes and outwarde helpes but that the Lord may vvorke without them when and where Hee pleases And the Lord Iesus as apparantly importes no lesse in these vvordes than that Baptisme is not absolutelie necessarie to saluation for vvhen after the promise He settes downe the cause of damnation Hee speakes not a vvorde of Baptisme for Hee sayes onelie Hee that beleeues not shall bee damned of sette purpose He leaues out Baptisme And if it had beene absolutelie necessarie to saluation no question Hee vvoulde not haue misknowne it and passed it by Now last marke the meaning of these wordes Hee that beleeues not This negation and vvant of faith comprehendes first all sinne vvhatsoeuer against the morall Law whether it be originall sinne wherein we are conceiued and borne or actuall sinne proceeding from originall sinne for if we haue not Faith in the Lord Iesus all these sinnes whatsoeuer will be laid to our charge will bring vs to damnation Next this negation and want of Faith comprehends that infidelitie rebellion stubburnesse whereby men disdainfully refuse reject that grace which the Lord offers freely in Iesus Christ to sinners this sinne of infidelitie of all sinnes is the greatest most detestable and therefore procures most speedie fearfull heauie judgement and therefore Christ sayes He that beleeues not is condemned alreadie Joh. 3 18. These wordes importr that there is no delay of judgement to him who disdainfully rejects grace but the judgement is present and alreadie past against him and hee giues a reason taken from that rebellion and repining against the Majestie of the only begotten Sonne of God hee is condemned alreadie sayes he Because hee hath not beleeued in the Name of that only begotten Sonne of God The Lord saue vs from this cursed sinne of infidelitie for where it is all other sinnes are laid to mens charge it drawes out most speedily most fearfull judgements Now it followes that we speake of the second promise to them that beleeue These tokens shall follow them that beleeue in my Name they shall cast out deuills and shall speake with new tongues and shall take away serpents and if they shall drinke any deadly thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their hands on the sicke and they shall recouer The former promise was of life eternall to them who beleeue this promise is of the gift of working miracles He promises that the Holy Spirit should giue to them that beleeue a power gift to worke miracles We may not thinke that this power is common to all that euery particular Christian who beleeues should haue this gift neither must we thinke that it should be extended to all times and ages But this promise is to be restrained to a certaine number of particular persons on whome it shall please the Lord to bestowe this gift of working of miracles and it is to be restrained bounded within a certaine time it must bee restrained to that first age and infancie of the Church to the first time that the Gospell beganne to be preached for then it was expedient and necessarie that the Gospell which was vnknowne and not heard of before to the world should be confirmed by miracles and therefore we ought not to looke for new miracles in this age wherein we liue because the Gospell is alreadie sufficiently confirmed by the miracles wrought in that first age of the Church by Christ and His Apostles and them that immediatly succeeded The Papistes indeede bragge much of miracles that are dayly wrought in their Church but their miracles are such as Christ foretold that false Christs and false Apostles should worke and that the Antichrist should worke at his comming Matth. 24.24 And they are these which Paul calles lying signes and wonders which notwithstanding hee sayes are effectuall in them who perish because they receiued not the loue of the trueth Now yee see here there is a promise of sundrie great and excellent things to be wrought by some of the faithfull in the first age of the Church as namely casting out of Deuils of speaking with newe tongues taking away serpents the drinking of deadly and poysonable things without harme the healing of sicke folkes by laying on of their hands wherein I purpose not particularly to insist but onely to marke some thinges generally for our edification Consider first the order of these promises which the Lord makes to them which beleeue First Hee promises life Saluation thereafter He promises working of miracles the promise of life is a promise of the greatest miracle that euer was wrought in the world as for other miracles they are but workes signes and tokens of that life Saluation that was to be wrought which farre surpasses all other miracles The Lord Himselfe testifies vnto vs that all the miracles which were wrought in the first age of the Church were counted but like as many fignes and tokens of life and Saluation to be wrought by Him When He sayes Matth. 9.6 That ye may know that the Sonne of man hath authoritie on earth to forgiue sinnes I will restore to health this man that is sicke of the Palsey then He sayes to the sicke man Arise take vp thy bed and goe to thine house Where He lets vs see that the miracle of bodily health was a signe token of a greater grace miracle euē of Remissiō of sins life euerlasting Whereupō we marke this lesson That Faith is neuer vvithout some miracle it hath euer one miracle or other following vpon it Indeede it hath not alwayes with it such miracles as were wrought in the first age of the Church as casting out of deuils healing of diseases yet it neuer vvants that greatest miracle of all the miracle of Regeneration of life and Saluation vvhich Christ Himselfe lets vs see is more to be marueiled at than all the miracles heere promised for vvhen the seuentie disciples who were sent out with power to worke miracles returned rejoycing that they had wrought such great things that they had cast out deuils and healed diseases He said vnto them Albeit I haue giuen you power to cast out deuils to tread on serpents and
powerfull let vs seeke from Him with this assurance that Hee can giue all thinges which either wee can seeke or can conceiue and that according to His effectuall power working in vs. Now I end with this History of the Thiefe I come to the other History concerning that recommendation that Iesus makes of His Mother Marie to John His Disciple whom Hee loued The Lord Iesus hanging on the Crosse in extreame torment paine He is not only a sufferer howbeit indeed He sufferes all extreamitie but in suffering Hee does manie workes First Hee does like a King in giuing life and glorie to the Thiefe All the Kinges in the Earth in their Royall Robes shall not doe so much as Hee did on that vile Crosse Nowe next Hee vtters a verie naturall and louing affection to His Mother who bare Him when He is to depart out of this life and to be taken away hastily He is carefull how shee shall liue when Hee is gone from her To come to the Historie Wee haue first the occasion that bringes on this and secondly the commendation it selfe and thirdly how Ihon accepts of her As concerning the occasion There standes by the Crosse a man and three women whilest the LORD is hanging quicke in extreame torment Hee spyes out these foure persons MARIE His Mother and MARIE His Mothers Sister that is her kinswoman according to ther HEBREVV phrase who was either the Wise or the Daughter of Cleopas and MARIE MAGDALENE a kinde vvoman out of vvhom He had casten seuen deuils kindnesse meetes kindnesse Their heartes vvere vvith Him howbeit Hee vvas hanging vpon the Crosse Then if thou canst doe no more vnto Him yet follow Him with these women to the death of the Crosse There are three Maries better Maries were neuer in the world and Iohn whom here he calles the disciple whō Jesus loued this stile he gets in y e Gospel because as Iesus loued him entirely so hee findes this loue deeply setled in his soule well is he that finds that the Lord loues him All the Kingdoms in the Earth are nothing in respect of that sense Well These are the foure that are standing by the Crosse together As for Iohn I see now certainely this doing of his in the following of the Lord this standing by the Crosse shewes albeit that Faith in Iesus Christ in the heart of Iohn and all the rest was wonderfully smoothered for all were offended in Him that night yet that Faith in his heart was not altogether quenched No it was not quenched in one of the Apostles nor in Peter who denied Him To speake of Iohn Thinke ye that except hee had had Faith that euer hee would haue followed Him to the Crosse and except hee had beleeued that Iesus after such a death should haue risen againe in glorie except he had looked for a glorious resurrection that euer hee could haue beholden such a miserable spectacle Faith gaue him boldnesse to follow Christ to the Crosse Hope furnished him comfort when he beheld Him in ignominie and paine These three women vtters a tender and louing heart towards Him Brethren if there had bene no more but this naturall loue that a mother beares to the sonne Marie would neuer haue followed her Sonne to such a vile death if shee had not beleeued that death should haue turned into such a glorious Life Would she haue stood beside her Sonne and seene Him torne and rent quicke in such torments What mother would haue done it 1. Thess 4.13 ye read what Paul writes to them I would not haue you ignorant that yee mourne not for them which are asleepe as the Gentiles who are desperat in their displeasure If thou haue but a naturall loue in thine heart when thou seest him or her whom thou louest depart that loue shall worke but impatiencie in thee a desperate displeasure that is if with that loue thou haue no hope of a glorious resurrection desperate shall be thy dolour and it were better for thee to want thy naturall affection Indeede it is true our Faith and Hope of glorie after this life will not extinguish the naturall loue neither puts it away the dolour that one should haue I desire not that a man should bee senslesse without loue and I count more of a stone than of one without loue and better were it that that person were a stone So I say Faith and Hope will not extinguish displeasure but it will mitigate it so that in a wonderfull heauinesse it will finde joy and thou wilt say albeit wee sunder nowe the day will come wherein wee shall haue a joyfull meeting Come yet to these women They may teach all men and women to the end of the worlde Thinke yee not that they should haue bene terrified at such a Crosse and that Marie should haue thought shame of her Sonne so shamefully tormented and railed out on by all men Well then if these women by the sight of that shameful death of Iesus Christ on the Crosse are not terrified nor diuerted from following albeit they saw His glorie to come but very obscurely and if their hearts were knit with Him whilst as Hee hang on the Crosse and there was neuer a band so surely knit as their hearts were with Him Fye on all men and women after these women who will thinke shame of the Crosse of Christ albeit they haue greater presence and sight of the glorie of Iesus Christ than these women had Shall a sillie worde shall the sword shall the fire terrifie thee And if it bee so these same women shall stand vp and condemne thee in that great day Now let vs consider these wordes whereby He recommends His mother to Iohn The Lord as He is looking from Him He sees these foure standing together for wicked scorners stood together so the godly who mourne for Christ drew together and Hee directs His speech to two of them First to Marie and next to Iohn Woman He sayes Beholde thy sonne poynting to Iohn not to Himselfe This stile that He giues her would not be passed by He calls her not mother but Woman and this is the common stile which Iesus gaue her whilst as He was in the world it lets vs see whilst Iesus was in the worlde as at all times so especially at the houre of death whilst Hee is liuing in the world He had His eyes raised vp from all earthly and carnall things which men in this life count much of as are mother sonne daughter husband wife kinred Countrie And by His example Hee would teach vs when we are here to know none according to the flesh No not Christ Himselfe for in Heauens there shall bee neither father nor mother nor husband nor wife but we shall be all olde things which accompanie the olde creature beeing abolished like Angels in Heauen Therefore Iesus as a patterne teaches vs this to turne away the eye piece and piece from this Earth all that is in
the Lord Iesus had bene crucified taunted and scorned and suffered all the ignominie that euer could haue bene and yet had bene taken downe quicke and the nailes loosed gotten His wounds healed thou hadst not beene sâ—uâ—d thy saluation had not beene wrought Our sinnes had neuer bene forgiuen vs for without shedding of blood and death there had bene no remission of sinnes except I know beside all the paine the Lord suffered that He suffered the death also I would neuer beleeue to get life to be saued Now to end in a word Looke to the witnesses the burrioes they were euill witnesses for themselues but good witnesses for vs for their witnessing testifies to our wâ—ll that the Lord was dead and so these burrioes haue done a notable good worke to vs but not to themselues because they were His enemies It is as tâ—ue this day as it was that day there is and shall be witnesses preaching the death of CHRIST crying That CHRIST died for the redemption of the vvorlde and teaching saluation by CHRIST to others and others shall gette good by them yet they shall gette no good themselues Why Because they are enemies to the Crosse of CHRIST An enemie to His death can preach His death vvell enough All Preachers of the death of IESVS CHRIST ought to take heede to this That vvhen they preach to others as the Apostle saieth they be not reprobate themselues Woe to the man who preaches saluation to others if in the meane time hee bee a reprobate himselfe I must bee as carefull for mine owne saluation as for the saluation of others And therefore if thou speakest of the death of CHRIST to thy Neighbour striue to bee assured that thou thy selfe art partaker of that saluation through IESVS To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour Praise and Glorie for euermore Amen THE XXIV LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 34 But one of the Souldiours with a Speare pearced his side and foorthwith came there out blood and water verse 35 And hee that sawe it bare recorde and his recorde is true and hee knoweth that hee saieth true that yee might beleeue it verse 36 For these thinges were done that the Scripture should bee fulfilled Not a bone of him shall bee broken verse 37 And againe another Scripture saieth They shall see him whome they haue thrust thorow THE last day beloued Brethren in Christ we entered into the History of the taking of the Lord from the Crosse before Hee was buried The taking of Him from the Crosse it came by a request The Iewes His enemies made request to Pilate the Romane deputy and Iudge for the time The summe of the request was that the thies of the crucified men might bee broken and so they might bee taken from the Crosse Pilate the Iudge yeelded to the request gaue commandement to the souldiers to the burreo to execute slay them that afterward they might be buried The souldiers came first to the one thief broke his thies theÌ„ they came to the other thief broke his thies also and last they came to Iesus and finding Him already dead and to haue giuen vp â—he spirit they would not breake His legges Yet to put the matter out of doubt one of the souldiers came with a speare and pearced the Lords side thorow y e heart out of the wound there gushâ—d blood and water Nowe Brethren this day as the Lord shall giue vs grace we shal follow out this History and we shall speake of three things First of the effusion gushing out of the blood the water out of the side of the Lord. Then we shâ—ll speake of that graue testimonie that Iohn the writer of this Gospel gaue to the History narration that the bones of the Lord were not broken and that His side was pearced and that thereafter the bloode and the water gushed out Last we shall speake of the end wherfore these things came to passe There was not one bone of Him brokeÌ„ His side was pearced to the end that the word of the Lord long time spoken of before might be accoÌ„plished And he brings in two Scriptures the one coÌ„cerning that His bones shuld not be brokeÌ„ the other coÌ„cerning the pearcing of His side with the speare Now come to y e first of these heads I leaue the vaine dreame of the papistes for all their religion is but dreames fantasies I passe their dreame coÌ„cerning this souldier y t pierced the side of the Lord with a speare how they say y t the Griek worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies a speare was the name of the man that pearced Christes side and how they saye that this man was a Centurion an olde Captaine who was blind after he had pearced the Lords side hee washed his eyes with the blood that issued out got his sight theâ—eafter in an instant was conuerted became a Christian man and a Martyre and this is he whom they worship and whose bones are kept as a relict and he is called Sainct Longimus I leaue the spirit of vanities fie on them they fill the hearts of the people of God with such vanities and therefore shame and confusion shall come vpoÌ„ them in the end Now Brethren to speake of that which is more profitable Of the gushing out of the blood and water out of the side of the Lord. IOHN saies that one of the souldiours with a speare pearced his side and foorthwith came there out blood and water No doubt this effusion of the blood and water in a part was naturall and ordinarie for they who haue skill in the things which concerne the bodie of man and knowe the Anatomie they knowe that the heart of man is a receptacle of bloode and in the heart is the cleannest and finest blood The vitall blood is fined in the heart of man and the bloode there is finer than in the rest of the bodie Yee heare commonlie that the heart blood is the finest blood and moste precious Ye know likewise that there is a fliece which compasseth and goes about the heart which is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in it there is some liquor and water wherewith the heat in the heart is cooled and refreshed Then to come to the purpose The Lord being pearced thorow the sidâ— and in thorow the heart it was no wonder that that bloode in the heart and that water in the fliece should haue gushed out especiallie seeing that Hee had but newlie giuen vp the ghoste and Hee was yet warme so that this blood and this water coulde not bee yet much altered by reason of the shortnesse of time But Brethren when I weigh this matter more deepelie and consider that this bloode and this vvater gushes out in such aboundance and so distinctlie that the one is so seuered from the other that they who stoode beside might discerne verie
that came out last will sometimes bee first at the marke and get the crowne Marke this well it lets vs see that to be true which Paul writes in the ninth Chapter to the Romanes and the sixteenth verse It is not in the hands of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in the handes of the Lord that sheweth mercie when the Lord holdes His hande to thee thou wilt run and when Hee takes His hande from thee thou wilt stay behinde and hee that dragled behinde vvill bee before thee this is the course we keepe to that marke wee should not thinke that all men should runne alike and suppose thou seest a dragling person thinke not that person will neuer come to the marke Peter gets the sight first Iohn suppose he gote it not first yet hee gets it and it is said in the Text Hee saw and hee beleeued Marke the lesson Albeit there be many changes by the way yet hee or shee that vvill perseuere in dragling shall not vvant the crovvne as vvell as they that ranne speedily and came first It stands not so much in the fast running as in the perseuering it is not said he or shee that runnes fast shall be crowned but hee or she that continues to the end shall be crovvned looke ay thou pereseuere if thou may not runne goe yet if thou may not goe fall downe vpon thine hands and feete and creepe as it were a snaile or vvorme albeit it vvere but two foot in the day as euer thou wouldest be safe ly not still it stands thee vpon life death thou must weare away and night and day thou goest euer to this ende and if this outvvard man decay grovv in the invvard man and as thou grovvest vveake in this life striuâ— to grovv strong in that heauenly life that thou art to goe to Paul in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and the sixteenth uerse sayes As the outwarde man decayed dayly so the inward man grew dayly So to end this in a word As euer thou wouldest see Heauen goe either fast or else softly to that life Well it is saide They were ignorant of the Scripture that tolde Hee should rise againe from the dead and so because he saw hee beleeued hee should haue beleeued because he heard it for hee had the Scripture for his vvarrand hee and Peter should haue grounded their Faith on the Scripture Take heede to this The Apostle sayes Wee liue by Faith and not by sight yet hovv euer it be that man or vvoman beleeue they are blessed and blessed art thou man or vvoman that beleeuest either for hearing or seeing and suppose thou feelest him by the hands and beleeuest in Him as Thomas did that felt Him thou art blessed but that is an euill thing vvhen thou hast the vvorde and yet suspends thy faith vntill thou seest It vvas an euill thing in Peter and Iohn that they let the vvorde passe and beleeued it not it vvas an euill thing in Thomas that hee beleeued not vntill hee felt Christ and I say to thee it is a sure thing if thou refusest to beleeue vntill thou seest thou aduentourest and hazardest thy life and saluation and I say to thee if thou contemnest this word and say this I will not beleeue vntill I see Him I giue thee thy doome thou shalt neuer see Him to thy comfort nor saluation Therefore if He say to thee and if Hee promise Hee vvill giue thee Heauen beleeue it and lay holde on it although thou vverest dying and if Hee say to thee that Hee vvill giue thee life depend and sticke by His promise Thou honourest thy GOD in beleeuing and depending on His promise for thou canst not doe Him greater honour than to beleeue His promise And albeit thou see litle appearance outvvardly and if thou beleeuest the vvorde vvithout doubt thou shalt get a sight of Him one day to thy comfort and endlesse consolation Depend and waite on patiently with Abraham and euer sticke and lay holde on the promise and I promise to thee in His Name beleeue the promise of life and thou shalt see life beleeue in Him and thou shalt see Him one day Blessed are they vvho beleeue in Him and yet see Him not blessed are they who walke by Faith for one day they shall vvalke by sight Striue to beleeue in His vvord and looke on Him and Heauen and earth shall perish ere thou wantest that sight of Him one daye Yet I maye not passe by the vvordes of IOHN I see in him a wonderfull plainnesse and singlenesse of heart which of vs will bee contented that another registrate our faultes that anie other might reade them This man sinned this waye and that waye Then who will write vp his owne faultes with his owne handes as hee does Hee sayes hee was ignorant So then if there were none other argument to tell vs that this Booke is dyted by the SPIRITE of GOD and that it is the worde of GOD this singlenesse of vvryting their owne faultes without affection or selfe-loue which euer woulde entise vs to honoure our selues telles vs sufficientlie But naturallie rather than thou haddest thy Parentes or thy kinsfolke ashamed thou wouldest rather haue GODS glorie and justice smoothered and defaced But see if MOYSES spared to register the faultes of LEVI of vvhome hee was descended see if hee spared AARON See if hee spared himselfe No hee telles his owne fault hee telles his owne infidelitie And againe see if DAVID spares himselfe settes hee not downe his owne adulterie and murther IOHN registrates his owne ignorance Let GOD bee glorified and all creatures ashamed for to that ende were wee created for except Hee had respected His owne glorie wee shoulde neuer haue beene made Shoulde vvee not then seeke His glorie although it were with our owne shame IOHN learnes vs heere another good lesson howe often soeuer vvee faile through ignorance Alas vvee faile often through ignorance and misbeliefe and ignorance bringes on infidelitie And therefore vvhensoeuer vvee faile through ignorance laye not the blame of thy blindnesse vpon the Scripture In paine of thy life say not I am ignorant because the Scripture is obscure and darke as the Pope his shauelings blasphemouslie alleadge but I affirme that it is so perfect that all thinges appertaining to thy saluation are contained therein And I say in despite of the Pope thou vvho sayest it is obscure one day thou shalt not bee challenged so much for thine ignorance as for thy blasphemie against GOD when thou vvilt stande vp and saye The Scripture of GOD is not perfect but obscure and vvanting I tell you one daye these blasphemers for all their out-crying shall haue their mouthes sowed vp and they shall make an offer to speake and to saye The Scripture of God was not perfect but the conscience of them shall so strike them with feare and terrour that they shall not be able to answere one word Woe
thou wilt and as long as thou wilt neuer shalt thou get any other true miracle from God except only this miraculous and wonderfull effect that the Gospell workes in bringing foorth in our heartes this true and justifying Faith in renewing vs and in beginning that life eternall in our soules for the faithfull finde by experience that this Gospell of Christ is the power of God vnto saluation to them that beleeue If thou be not content with this marueilous effect but wilt goe on to seeke outwaâ—d signes and miracles thou declarest plainely to the worlde that thou neuer didst finde this powerfull effect of the Gospell into thy soule and if thou findest not this powerfull effect to bee wrought into thy soule by the preaching of the word and by the miracles that were wrought by the Lord Iesus and His Apostles thou wilt neuer beleeue albeit thou sawest ten thousand new miracles wrought before thine eyes Now we tolde you before that both the worde and doctrine and likewise the miracles were written by the speciall will direction of Christ but there is a difference betweene their writting for all the doctrine of Christ that is necessarie to life and saluation in substance not so much as a sentence excepted is set downe in write the Holy Spirit He omitted nothing But all the miracles that the Lord wrought are not set downe in write for it was necessarie for our Faith that y e substance of the whole doctrine should be set down in write but it was not necessary for our Faith that all y e miracles which He wrought should be writteÌ„ Our Faith required the one but our Faith required not the other for the Lord in writting and registrating of His word and miracles had not respect vnto the curiositie of vaine man which is vnsatiable and can neuer be satisfied but Hee had regarde to the Faith and Saluation of man and therefore Hee set downe these things in write which were sufficient and necessarie for Faith and Saluation Our Faith and Saluation was the rule and measure of the Lords reuelation and not the curiositie of vaine man Now if all things are written that are necessarie to life and Saluation then thou who is not content with these thinges but seekest other thinges and claimes vnto vnwritten verities which are the fantasies of mens braine and cry for new miracles What can any man thinke that that thou art doing but seeking something aboue and beyond eternall Life and Saluation thou seekest but fantasies that thine owne head conceiteth Indeede vaine Papist if thine vnderstanding were capable and if thy faith were able to comprehend all these thinges all the doctrine and miracles that are written in the Olde and New Testament thou wouldest haue some shew of reason to require more to clame to vnwritten verities and to desire moe miracles and I would the more willingly giue thee leaue to require them But seeing such is the weaknesse and infirmitie of thy Faith and vnderstanding that thou art not able to comprehend these same things that are written which farre surpasses the capacitie and vnderstanding of man why shouldest thou miserable wretch deuise other thinges to thy selfe Why goest thou about to clout and clamp to the word of God which so long as we liue in this worlde we are not able fully to attaine to the dreames and fantasies which thou hast forged in thine owne braine Now to end shortly The Euangelist in setting downe the ende wherefore these miracles were left in write which is that we might beleeue in Christ and get life through Him lets vs see what are the things that chiefly we ought to beleeue of Christ These things sayes he are written that yee might beleeue that Christ is that Sonne of God These wordes comprehend summarily the substance of all these things that are necessarie to be beleeued of Iesus we must beleeue in Iesus euen that Iesus who was borne of the Virgine Marie who walked in Iudea and was conuersant among the Jewes And what must we beleeue of Him These words tell vs we must beleeue two thinges of Him First that Hee is That Christ Next that Hee is That Sonne of God The first respecteth His office the next respecteth His person By reason of His office Hee is called That Christ because He is annointed of God the Father to bee our King Priest and Prophet for these three sortes of persons Kings Priestes and Prophets vsed to bee annointed in the Olde Testament In respect of His person wee must beleeue that He is That Sonne of God for as Christ is GOD and the Sonne of GOD properly Hee is a person euen the second person of the Trinitie The nature of man that Hee assumed makes not vp a part of His person but was only assumed to the diuine person and was so straitly conjoyned and vnited to the person of the Sonne that whole Christ GOD and man is called but one person Now looke what benefit we receiue by beleeuing these things of Iesus He sayes In beleuing we haue life through His Name How comes this that Faith in Iesus we get life First we flie as it were mount aboue while wee come vnto CHRIST and take holde of Him For where the Carioun is thither will the Eagles resort Next when wee haue honoured Him so that wee count nothing of our selues while we rest in Him by Faith then through our Faith as a conduit He conuoyes life into our soules and that not an euanishing life but Eternall life and this life is the life of God So this life thâ—t we liue here by Faith flowes first from the Sonne of God and from Iesus as He is God then it comes to vs from the Sonne of God as He is Christ and annointed our King Priest and Prophet for first as He was annointed to be our Priest by His death and sacrifice vpon the Crosse Hee merited life vnto vs thereafter as Hee was annointed to be our King and Prophet Hee applies powerfully and effectually vnto vs the benefites which as our Priest Hee merited vnto vs by His death for as He is our Prophet He applies them to vs by His teaching as He is our King He appliets them to vs by working powerfully and effectually into vs by His Spirit Now we see what we ought to beleeue of Iesus what gaine we receiue by this Faith the gaine is very great but the meanes to come by it lyes not in our hands wee are not able by our owne free will or by the strength of Nature to beleeue flesh and blood cannot teach vs this Faith for as it is true which Paul sayes No man can say that Iesus is the Lord but by the Holy Ghost 1. Cor. Chapter 12. verse 3. So none can beleeue that Iesus is that Christ and that Sonne of GOD but by the same Holy Ghost as the LORDE Himselfe tolde Peter after that Hee had confessed that Hee was the CHRIST the Sonne of the
Prophetes and Apostles vvhich containe exactly the doctrine of Christ necessarie to saluation Nowe let vs consider in order the promises vvhich the Lord joynes vvith this commission that He giues to His Apostles the first two are set downe in Marke the third in Matthew the first promise is of euerlasting life and saluation to all that beleeue by their Ministerie and are baptized by them Hee that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued This promise of life and saluation that Hee subjoynes to the preaching and baptizing of the Apostles was no doubt to mooue and allure men vpon the consideration of so faire and great benefiâ—es that they should receiue them the more willingly to beleeue in the Lord Iesus With this promise to them that beleeue He joynes a denunciation of judgement against all those who would not beleeue by their Ministerie He denounces eternall death and damnation against them Hee that will not beleeue sayes Hee shall be condemned So that as on the one part He promises a faire reward to mooue men to beleeue so on the other part Hee threatens a fearfull judgement against them that beleeue not but despises the Apostles doctrine to make men to abhorre and detest that abhominable sinne of infidelitie Vpon this promise of reward and threatning of judgement first we learne this lesson The Ministerie of the Gospell is euer effectuall and powerfull in men either one way or other for seeing this Ministerie of the Gospell which from the Apostles dayes continues and shall continue to the ende of the world is grounded vpon that incomprehensible power that filles both heauen and earth howe is it possible but it must bee mightie and powerfull It must be powerfull either to life and saluation or els to death and damnation to life to them that beleeue to death to them that beleeue not Therefore Paul sayes that alwayes they triumphed and were victorious in Christ and that they were a fauour to God both in them that are saued and in them who perish In them who are saued they vvere the sauour of life vnto life but in them who perish they were the sauour of death vnto death 2. Cor. 2.14 The Apostle in these wordes le ts vs see that the preaching of the Gospell is euer powerfull and effectuall in all sorts of men Alas men count too lightly yea despise contemne and scorne this preaching as if it were a matter of none effect and the worde of man and not of God but take heede how thou hearest the Gospell for thou shalt finde it to be the most powerfull thing that euer was and if it bee not powerfull to worke life and saluation it shall worke death and damnation in thee Next we learne out of these wordes that Faith Righteousnesse Saluation and all spirituall graces are so tied and bound to this Ministerie of the Gospell that whosoeuer submits himselfe to this Ministerie and conformes himselfe to the Gospell hee shall attaine to Faith Righteousnesse Life and Saluation and by the contrarie whosoeuer contemnes this Ministerie hee shall neuer get any spirituall grace no Faith no Righteousnesse no Life no Saluation but by this Gospell But yee will say We should not tie nor binde the grace of God to those externall things Wee should not restraine Gods working to the outward Ministerie Indeede I grant the grace of GOD is not so tied to these ordinarie meanes and outward helpes which are dayly vsed in the Church but that yee may worke without them and that ye may worke immediatly by His owne Spirit in whome and when He pleases but it is as true that whosoeuer contemnes those outwarde ordinarie meanes which the LORD hath ordained to bee vsed he shall be depriued of all spirituall grace of Faith of Righteousnesse of Saluation For Faith sayes Paul is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God preached Rom. Chapter 10. verse 17. Many foolish men with-draw themselues from the outwarde Ministerie from the meanes of grace and are exercised in pastime in drinking in harlotrie and yet they will say they will come to Heauen as soone as the best of them but they deceiue themselues for if thou contemnest these outwarde meanes which the LORD hath ordained thou shalt neuer get no grace the gates of Heauen shall be closed on thee thy portion shall bee with the Deuill and His Angels Thirdly we may marke out of this promise an excellent and worthie effect of Faith to wit Saluation and eternall life for Hee sayes Hee that beleeueth shall be saued But we may not thinke that this effect proceedes from the force power worthinesse and merites of Faith No but this effect of life and Saluation proceedes only from the vertue power and merite of Christ which the soule apprehendes for this Life and Saluation stayes and abides so plenteously and in such abundance in Christ that as soone as wee put out the hand of Faith and takes holde of Him so soone will we finde that life of CHRIST conueyed into our soules His life is made ours by Faith In Christ there dwelles such a marueilous and glorious light that when wee approach to Him by Faith by the beames of His brightnesse He shines in our hearts that we may get the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus 2. Cor. Chapter 4. verse 6. By Faith His light is made ours in Christ there is such a wonderfull and incomprehensible glorie that as soone as with open face with the eye of Faith we beholde Him in the mirrour of the Gospell as soone are we transformed in the same Image from glorie to glorie 2 Cor. 3.18 by Faith His glorie is made ours when wee shall see Him face to face wheÌ„ Faith shall be turned into sight He shall perfect our glorie Hee shall change our vile bodies that they may bee fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things to himselfe Philip. chap. 3. vers 21. Seeing then so excellent and worthie are th'effectes of faith wee ought both carefullie to vse th' ordinarie meanes vvhereby faith is vvrought and also pray earnestlie that the Lord vvould giue a blessing to them and by them vvorke faith in our heartes that so vvee may enjoye all these graces and benefites Fourthlie vvee see in this promise of life and saluation that the Lord joynes Baptisme with faith in Christ For sayes Hee hee that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saued Wee may not vnderstand this so as if Baptisme vvere eyther simplie a cause or an halfe cause of saluation No it has no respect of a cause in the saluation of man but it is joyned to Faith as a signe and an outwarde marke to testifie and beare vvitnesse of the cause to wit Faith in Iesus Christ and in such sorte it must followe vpon Faith and bee conjoyned vvith it that hee vvho beleeues vvould vvishe to bee baptized it is not possible that
LECTVRES VPON THE HISTORY OF THE PASSION RESVRRECTION AND ASCENSION OF OVR LORD IESVS CHRIST Beginning at the eighteenth Chapter of the Gospell according to S. IOHN and from the 16. verse of the 19. Chapter thereof containing a perfect Harmonie of all the foure Euangelists for the better vnderstanding of all the Circumstances of the LORDS death and Resurrection PREACHED BY THAT reuerend and faithfull seruant of God M r. ROBERT ROLLOCKE sometime Minister of the Euangell of IESVS CHRIST and Rector of the Colledge of EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO HART ANNO 1616. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THEIR MOST LOVING FREIND IN THE LORD MASTER WILLIAM SCOT OF ELI Grace in this life and Euerlasting Glorie in the life to come RIght worshipfull albeit that the true knowledge of Christ crucified of all other be the most worthie and excellent albeit that in him be the only and full matter of mans gloriation yet few there be who striue to know him as they should and to make him the matter of their reioycing For to speake nothing of the Gentiles who count the preaching of Christ crucified to be foolishnesse or of the Iewes who count it a stumbling blocke 1. Cor. 1 23. or of the Turkes who will not acknowledge him to be their Redeemer euen they who haue bene baptized in Christ professe outwardly his word true doctrine if they remaine in nature be not preuēted by the spirit of adoption whereby they may see their owne miserie their sinnes the terrours of the wrath of God for sinne in the meane time that they professe Christ they in heart scorne the Crosse of Christ his woundes and his blood they account the knowledge thereof of litle value yea they will preferre to it the knowledge of any thing here beneath and they will seeke the matter of their gloriatiō not in it but either in themselues or els into the creatures of God which in themselues are but transitorious shadowes The naturall man will neuer thinke that he can finde greater things in Christ crucified than he will finde if he obtaine the obiect which most he desires likes and longs for The ambitious man will not thinke that he can get greater honour than to be called the sonne of a King or Emperour he will not refuse with Moses to be called the sonne of Pharaoes daughter that he may be called the sonne of God Heb. 11.24 The sensuall man cannot thinke that he can find any greater pleasure than in his sinfull lust he will neuer chuse rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne The couetous man can neuer thinke that any greater happines can be than here on earth to haue gold siluer and treasures he will neuer with Moses esteeme the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Only that man whom God preuents by his Spirit and calles effectually frō the kingdome of darknes to the kingdome of light wil account duely of the Crosse of Christ will say with the Apostle God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 and I decreed not to know any thing saue Iesus Christ him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 that man will call it the supereminent knowledge of Iesus Christ Philip. 3.8 he only will make Christ crucified to be the matter of his gloriation for he will see that God in him as in a store-house hath placed all treasures that in him dwells the fulnesse of the Godhead bodely Col. 2.9 he will thirst to be woompled in the wounds of Iesus and washed in the blood of Iesus yea that man will see that God hath manifested in Christ our Sauiour and in his death and resurrection his glorious properties more clearly than in the worke of our creation or any other of his workes whatsouer for he is called the brightnesse of the glorie the engraued forme of the person of the Father the Image of the inuisible God Heb. 1.3 and that man will see that there is nothing which the soule of man inlakes stands in neede of or can desire but he will finde it in Christ. Wouldst thou see the glorious properties of God consider first his power albeit in the worke of creation his power appeared to be incomprehensible omnipotent when by his word he formed all things of nothing called these things that are not and made them to be yet in the worke of the Redemptiō he manifested greater power for notwithstanding Sathan the power of darknesse the sinnes of the Elect which Iesus bare death and the graue were against him yet powerfully he raised Iesus from death Eph. 1.19 there is a great power and whereas in the Creation he formed to Adam a spous out of his owne ribbe in the Redemption he formed the Church of God out of the blood of Christ there he gaue life in commanding that to be which was not here he giues life not by life but by death by the death euen of his owne Sonne Albeit in the worke of Creation great and more than wonderfull doth his wisdome appeare in making this glorious and beautifull fabricke in making all things euen contraries to agree in such an harmonie yet in the worke of Redemption God by finding out a way which no creature neither man nor Angell could inuent how that iustice and mercie could stand together hath shewed greater wisdome his wisdome is such that the Angels admires and desires to looke in it 1. Pet. 1.22 Albeit great anger wrath did the Lord vtter many times against sinners as in the olde world by the Flood and on Sodome Gomorrhe by raining from heauen brimstone and fire he destroyed man woman young olde rich and poore without exception yet more clearely was his anger against sinne seene when for the sinnes of the Elect he spared not his own wel beloued Son on whō they were laid but made his wrath so fearfully to pursue him that he cried My soule is very heauie euē vnto the death Marc. 14.34 and My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matt. 27.46 And albeit great loue did the Lord shew toward men gaue many testimonies therof in giuing them life breath all things Act. 17.25 in making his sun to shine on them his raine to fal on them giuing them fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food gladnesse Act. 14.17 yet neuer such loue shewed he as when he sent the Son of God to be the Sonne of man that the sonnes of mē might be made the sonnes of God againe and when he made him to die that men might liue Herein sayes Ioh. 4.10 is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes here only is an incontrollable testimonie of an undoubted loue and if ye will duly consider all the rest of Gods glorious properties ye shall
finde them all most clearly manifested in the person of Iesus Christ Now wouldst thou know that in him thou shalt find all things that the soule of man stands in neede of can require What can the soule of man require Desirest thou honour If thou beleeuest in him he shall grant thee that power prerogatiue that thou shalt be the Sonne of God Ioh. 1.12 Desirest thou riches He was made poore that thou through his pouertie mightest be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 not with transitorie and corruptible riches but with riches and treasures incorruptible permanent desirest thou food meat drinke to thy soule He is that bread of life he is that water of life desirest thou wisdome sanctification and redemption Christ is all these vnto thee 1. Cor. 1.29 Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou light He is the light of the world Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou life He is thy life Col. 3.4 What euer he suffered it was for thee for by his stripes we are healed Esai 53.5 He was burthened with shame that he might redeeme thee from shame and cloth thee with glory he was taken and bound to set thee at libertie who was bound with Sathan and sinne he was mocked and was dumbe before the earthly Iudge that thou whose mouth before was closed through the guilt of sinne before God might haue boldnesse peartnesse in thy prayers supplications he suffered-anguish and griefe that thou mightst finde comfort ioy he dranke the gall that thou mightst drinke of a sweet and ioyfull cuppe he was naked that thou mightst be clothed and if thou wilt goe through all the points of his suffering and apply them to thy broken and casten downe soule thou shalt finde that euery one of them shall furnish comfort vnto thee yea if thou be a true penitent sinner beleeuest in him thou shalt find all these miracles to be wrought and performed in thy soule which euer the Lord in the dayes of his humiliy wrought on the body of any thou shalt finde life to thy dead soule eyes to thy blind soule eares to thy deafe soule limbes to thy lame soule a new tongue to thy dumbe soule c. Therefore as we should take pleasure delite in reading the whole parts of the Scripture for it is all by diuine inspiration is profitable to teach to cōuince to correct to instruct in righteousnes 2. Tim. 3.16 so chiefly that part which cōtaines the historie of the passion resurrection of Christ for of all there is none more profitable none more necessarie none more easie to be vnderstood by the simple none more easie to be kept in memorie none more forcible to mooue the affections either to admire the incomprehensible and infinite loue of God toward sinners or the fiercenes of his wrath for sinne or the seueritie of his iustice in seeking such exact satisfactiō or to moue to detest abhorre sin which made the Sonne of God to be made so vnworthily alwayes handled at last to be so shamefully crucified or to reioyce for these incomprehensible benefits that Christ hath acquired to vs our effectuall calling frō the kingdome of darknes to his marueilous light our iustification in pacifying the wrath of God in satisfying for sinne in absoluing vs from guiltines in dying that we might liue in bringing peace ioy to the conscience c. our sanctificatiō whereby we are repaired to his owne Image Nothing serues more for the mortificatiō nor when we consider how Christ hang vpon the Crosse for sin nothing will moue vs more effectually to cōforme our selues to him as an ensample in his humility patience obediēce loue finally in offering our selues to him as he offered himselfe for vs nor when by faith we beholde Christ on the Crosse crucified for vs. Now this history of the death resurrectiō of Christ haue many worthy men learnedly cōfortably handled exponed with great painfulnes no lesse cōmendatiō amōgst the rest that reuerent faithful man of God M. Robert Rollocke of blessed memory for his learned iudicious expositiō thereof for his manifold other graces which God vouchsafed on him deserues with the first to be cōmēnded for God in him as in a vine ensample gaue vs a shew of such qualities cōditiōs as are required to be in a Bishop of Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 3. In him learning godlines stroue together knowledge consciēce art nature a professiō an answerable conuersatiō he was faithfull painfull in his calling his calling did he decore with an holy harmlesse life for betweene these two there was such an harmony cōsent that in reading his writtings any man might see the maner of his life in seeing his life he might also therein read his writtings for his life spake what his pen wrote his person was a patterne of his writtē precepts he was neuer idle but euer doing the office of a Minister of Iesus either did he read meditate pray comfort preach or write no trauell did he refuse that he might glorifie God who sent him enlarge the kingdome of Iesus Christ acquire miserable soules from misery to felicity from darknes to light from death to life that so at last he might finish his course with ioy that was his meat his drink the delite pleasure of his soule Great graces did the Lord bestow vpō him excellēt knowledge great humility feruēt zeale charitable interpreting of all mēs doings compassiō toward all sorts of sinners Who in cōceiuing was more quick in iudgmēt more solide in memory more stedfast sure in deliuery more pithy in conuincing more powerful who with learning had greater facility easines in declaring his mind resoluing y e text of Scripture greater clearnes in raising y e grounds of doctrine greater power in applying greater wisdome in furnishing cōsolation greater dexterity in loosing of things obscure doubtsome In one word we may be bold to say of him that which Nazianzene spake of Athanasius that his life was a good definition of a true Minister preacher of the Gospell But we need not to insist in praysing him seeing so many euen all that knew him by face or heard him doe praise him for the singulare excellēt vertues graces that God bestowed on him yea they who neuer knew him by face but by his learned iudicious writtings dwelling afarre off haue highly commēded him the posteritie whose profite so much hee regarded in his labours wee doubt not shall know praise him and we had rather be silent than to speake too litle Now Sir because we thought that these Lectures on this history of the passion resurrectiō of Christ in it selfe for the matter so mouing alluring would profite edifie many if not of the most learned at least of the simple sort that other Sermons that were deliuered by him and set out by vs of before were well
it that we count not much of them but that â—e behold that heauenly life Paul 2. Cor. 5.16 When he was speaking of the redemption that the Lord bought with His precious blood sayes From henceforth I will knowe no man according to the flesh and if I did know Jesus sometimes according to the flesh now I will not know Him hee giues a reason Who euer is in Christ let him bee a newe creature the olde creatures are past away behold all things are made new Fye on thee that hast thine heart fixed on these earthly thinges and forgettest Heauen This for the stile that He giues her Come to the words He sayes Behold thy sonne As if He had said Woman I am to depart this life and I put Iohn in my stead and I ordaine him to take the protection of thee and to doe the dutie of a sonne to thee in my steade then Hee turnes Him to Iohn and Hee sayes Beholde thy mother As if Hee had said I goe out of the world and I leaue my mother to thee and I ordaine that thou be a sonne to her and she a mother to thee and that thou keepe her and intertaine her so long as thou and she liue together It may be asked The LORD IESVS CHRIST going to Heauen might Hee not from the Heauen haue kept His owne mother might Hee not haue taken the defence of His owne mother might He not haue preserued Her from all dangers No question He might haue kept her well eneugh yet He committes her to Iohn whom Hee loues because He loues His mother well Hee commends her to a man whom He loued intierely He will not contemne the ordinarie meanes and manner of doing this same Hee does dayly the LORD IESVS hath power to saue His Church and all the members of the same to protect and defend them but He will not contemne these ordinarie meanes He will haue euery one to keepe another as Hee commended His mother to Iohn to bee kept And woe bee to thee who may if thou keepe none And namely the LORD hath a care of that infirme sexe that women bee kept by the protection of men who are faithfull She who is kept vnder the protection of any in the worlde let her giue CHRIST glorie for it for it is by His direction as Marie was directed to Iohn Consider heere further The LORD at this time is in the seruice of His heauenly Father and there was neuer a man so occupied in His life as He was at this houre and He was neuer so occupied all His time as now and Hee was now occupied chiefly in suffering It is an easie thing to bee occupied in performing duties of the seruice of GOD in respect of suffering it is a sore thing to suffer as to be cast in a fire to bee nailed on a Crosse yet in suffering albeit He is occupied so that He forgets His owne selfe yet when Hee sees His mother Hee forgets not her I would all men should marke this lesson The malediction of GOD shall fall on these that deserue the curse of their mother who glorie in it let them glorie in it as they will our dutie to GOD prejudges nothing our dutie to father or mother thou was neuer so occupied in the seruice of GOD as was Iesus Christ at this houre who in the middest of all this did His dutie to His mother and Christ will let vs see that our dutie to our GOD stands well with our duetie to man Wilt thou pull the first and the second Table asunder the one from the other Wilt thou say that the first prejudges the second thou doest lie But looke the order That CHRIST keepes in these duties doth He first His dutie to His mother No first He doth His dutie to His Father Hee is obedient to His Father to the death and in the middest of that obedience to the Father Hee doth His dutie to His mother Beginne at thy GOD if thou wouldest doe thy dutie and next come to man and if thou passest by GOD to doe thy dutie to man thou shalt doe nothing of loue nor of sinceritie Fye on thee and that loue and that dutie thou vtterest to man followe not on that loue thou bearest to GOD and wilt thou say this I see my dutie to the King and to my father bindes me I will doe my dutie to them and last I will serue GOD any thing will serue Him wilt thou jest so with the LORD I say to thee if thou beginnest at man euen at the King or at thy father or mother and postpone the LORD I say to thee the LORD will haue none of thy seruice And if thou hatest not sayes CHRIST father and mother for my cause thou art not worthie of mee Luke 14.26 Then what shall become of them who preferre father and mother to GOD he is but a knaue that will take on him the name of a Christian and will serue men before GOD No that name shall turne to thy shame Therefore vnder the paine of thy life doe thy dutie first to GOD and then for GODS cause doe thy dutie to man that GOD may haue the glorie of it Further there are some in the houre of death that will take so litle care of the worlde and of them whome they leaue behinde them that they are destitute of naturall affection that they regard not if they die though all the world should fall in one moment for men wanting that naturall affection will say What care I if once I bee gone from the world Nowe there are others albeit they loose not altogether that naturall affection who haue their senses so occupied and exercised about the present paine that they will not know their parents kinsfolks or any that appertaine vnto them Who was euer in such a paine as Iesus was And yet out of the middest of torment of blasphemies of wrastling with death euerlasting with the wrath of the Father and with all the Infernall powers Hee is carefull of His Mother No man was euer borne that had such a naturall affection as Hee no sonne in this worlde euer loued his mother so well as Hee And except thou be in Iesus Christ and He sanctifie thy affections that in the houre of death thou mayest sleepe in Him sweetly either thou shalt loose altogether this naturall affection or else it shall bee suffocate that albeit thy Parentes and all thy kinred were about thee thou shalt haue no care of them No thou shalt not once by thine head and countenance vtter anie meaning that thou hast a care of their weale IESVS CHRIST honoured His Mother beyonde anie man euen on the Crosse in such a paine and such a displeasure And this testifies that naturall affection was greater in Iesus than in anie man Further Seeing Iesus from the Crosse in shame in torment in that fearefull battell c. commendes His Mother to Iohn it telles vs that the duety which wee owe to
was but for a time but no escaping for thee if thou be thrust into hell thou shalt neuer get out and shalt find nothing but bitternes aime here or there all shal be in vaine euerlasting bitternes shal be casten in thy teeth and compasse thee on all sides that is a sore word An euerlasting bitternes neuer to haue an ende So blessed is that soule for euer who in that Day shal be found in Christ to get a part of that passioÌ„ y t He suffred the Lord giue euery one of vs grace now while we haue time to know Him to seek to be fouÌ„d in Him for wo to y t soule y t shal be fouÌ„d out of Him in y e great day Now I come â—o y e voyces first to that fourth voyce y t the Lord vttered wheÌ„ He said I thirst When vttered He it When He knew that all â—hinges were ended To the ende that the prophesie might bee fulfiâ—led that was spoken of Him before Hee saide I thirst A voyce of sadnessâ— comming from an extreame drought of bodie The Lord Iesus as He tooâ—e our nature vpon Him so He tooke on all our infirmities sinne exâ—epted Many times was Hee hungry and thirsty but chiefely whâ—n He hanges on the Crosse in that extreame heat of His soule and His body The soule was burnt vp with wrath and all the moysture of the bodie likewise dryed vp with wrath at this time the Lord had such a thirst that the tongue of man cannot expresse it thou sufferedst neuer such a thirst in any Feuer or disease as the Lord Iesus suffered for thee on the Crosse And no doubt beside other paines this exceeding thirst was a part of His paine and a part of that ransome that He payed to the Father for our redemption Yee see when a man is in a Feuer the thirst will bee a speciall part of the paine that hee hath Therefore albeit the thirst that the Lord sâ—ffered on the Crosse was an exceeding great paine yet He will not vtter His voyce I thirst till the ransome was payed Hee would not seeke to quench that thirst till that wrath of the Father was satisfied The drought was insatiable for the infinite wrath of God thirsted after the blood of the Mediator bearing our sins and was not quenched till the blood of the Mediator was drunken vp No quenching of sin but by the blood of the Mediator if thou bee not in Him the wrath of God will thirst for thy blood After this followes that bodily thirst The soule is dried vp the moysture of the body is clung vp the wrath suckes all vp On this rises the thirst of the body for except the Lorde had had a spirituall thirst and a pleasure to obey His Father to the death to saue thy soule from Hell it had beene vnpossible for Him to haue suffered that bodily thirst so long Learne this lesson at the Lorde Iesus and followe His example wee should suffer patiently all paine that it pleases the Lord to lay on body and soule knowing that it is according to His will and that by thy suffering thy obedience to Him is tryed And as we should suffer patiently all paineâ— so wee learne at Christ to abide patiently this bodily thirst in sicknes or Feuers knowing well that the Lord layes it on vs to trie our obedience patience But wilt thou know how thou shouldest abide it patieÌ„tly The Lord Iesus had a spirituall thirst to obey His HeaueÌ„ly Father for thy saluation that swallowed vp that bodily thirst Gette thee an earnest thirst to obey thy God it will bee a wondrous thing how patientlie thou wilt suffer whatsoeuer God wil lay on thee Therfore BrethreÌ„ in all things we should set our hearts to obey God and winke and close thy eyes at all dangers yea if thou be in extreame thirst and going to die say Lord I wil obey thee if thou get thy heart thus resolued and humbled vnder the hand of thy God howbeit thou be in pain for a time thou shalt see a faire end The Lord Iesus after this thirst and after death saw a glorious end So no question wilt thou leane on thy God as He did abide His will patiently thou shalt see the joyfullest most glorious end that euer was The Lord giue vs grace to obey God and to say Cast me here or there lay on me what thou wilt I shall obey thee though thou shouldest slay mee I will trust in thee This is an happy râ—solution We shall speake of the end wherefore the Lord vttered this voyce To the ende saies Iohn that the Scripture might be fulfilled In the 5. of Matt. the Lord saies J come not to dissolue the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill the Lawe and to fulfill euerie jote of that Lawe Heauen and Earth shall perish ere one jote of that Lawe shall passe away Now among all the prophesies that Christ fulfilled there is one here made mention of in the 69. Psalme Jn my meat they gaue mee bitternesse and in my drinke they gaue mee gâ—ll to drinke Nowe this prophesie is accomplished Dauid spake this in his owne person typically but the veriâ—y thereof was fulfilled in Christ Dauid got no vineger to drinke but Iesus Christ drunke vineger When the Lord came into the world wrought the worke of our redemption there was not so much as a title that was foretold of Him but He fulfilled it there was not a circumstance of His death but it was fore-tolde That nayling was fore-tolde where it is said They pearced mine hands and my feete The hanging of Him betwixt two Thieues was fore-tolde They reckon me saies the Prophet amoâ—g the vnjust The diuiding of His garmentes was fore-spoken They diuidâ—d my garmentes among them and cast lottes for my coat Looke the XXII and IXVI. PSALMES and the LIII CHAPTER of ESAY So this drinking of vineger was foretolde Nowe what learnes this vnto vs Was there euer any man whose death was pointed out this waye No neuer any one All the Kinges nor all the Emperoures had neuer such a particular pointing out of their death This lets vs see that the Father had a more speciall care of the death of IESVS than of the death of anie man that euer vvas and consequentlie it lets vs see that there vvas neuer such a vvorthie personage in the vvorlde as IESVS and that there was neuer such excellencie in the death of any as in the death of Iesus in it stood the life of the world Let men make pompes of the death of Emperours the Lord had neuer such an eye to the death of any as to the death of His onely well beloued Sonne and all the predictions of His death are to this end that wee comparing the issue of His death with the predictions wee might beleeue that Iesus was sent to bee the onely Sauiour of the world When I thinke on this I wonder at the
Father so did it cast a sweeter smell in the nose of the godlie than euer they founde and they thought it had such a fragrant odour and such a sweet smell vnto them that they thought ere they had beene separated from Him in His death they had rather chosen to haue dyed a thousande deathes for as the Lord saies Wheresoeuer the carion is there must the Eagles resort Well is the man who in his death findes the sweete smell of y e death of Iesus Christ I haue no more to say of this matter but if this acquaintance of Iesus for the time tooke such a pleasure in His death beeing shamefull that they could not bee separated from Him it is a shame to vs to draw so far backe from Him not now hanging in ignominie on the crosse but most glorious in the Heauens Fye on this dull headed and dead world that hath no sense of that glorie and is not allured by that vnspeakable glorie rather to suffer a thou and deathes albeit it were the sword the fire and all torments than to be separated from this Iesus Christ But the womens part is more particularly to bee considered Let all women take heede it is saide Many women were there Moe of them haue followed the Lord to the crosse than men that I may speake to the glorie of GOD and shame of men As for men I finde nothing but this generall In Luke a companie of men and women but in Matthew and Marke I finde of women especially they are looking on Him with sadnesse mixed with joy And from whence came they It is said that They came out of Galile following on Him they neuer left Him they wearied not to follow such a guide they ministred to Him on their owne charge As they were fedde with that bread of life that came out of His mouth so they spared not freely and liberally to communicate all that they had to Him And happie is the man who so findes the effect of the word of life in his heart that hee would bestowe againe all that he hath for the loue of that word Brethren yee know what is in hand presently many words neede not seeing this diuision of the towne in competent Congregations intended is to feede your soules with the word of life spare not for goods to get that word of life Nowe I see beside the multitude mention made of three women Marie Magdalene then Marie the mother of Iames the lesse and of Ioses and Salome the mother of the two sonnes of Zebedeus No question these women mentioned here haue borne a tender affection to the Lord forgets the Lord that loue they bare to Him in all times before in following Him from Galile to Ierusalem and from Ierusalem vnto the ignominious death of the crosse and there staying with the Lord and not leauing Him but ministring to Him forgets the Lord this No but He remembers vpon it thou shalt neuer doe a good deede to IESVS CHRIST but Hee shall meete thee they loue Him and Hee honours them they neuer left Him they shamed the men yea His disciples yea euen the very Apostles for we read not of any of all His Apostles that any of them was there present except Iohn Peter had taken him to a backe side for all his stoutnesse before the rest were offended in Him These women did cleaue to Him through the band of loue forgets the Lord this No as they loue Him beyond His Apostles so the Lord honoures them aboue the Apostles It is no small thing to get the honour to be an eye witnes of the death and resurrection of IESVS CHRIST it is greater honour than all the honour in the world No doubt the LORD made these women in their turning backe preachers to the Apostles themselues they tolde Peter Iames and Matthew what they had seene there is none end of honour when the Lord begins to honour as He honours them to be witnesses of His death and preachers of it to others so Hee will haue the names of some of them to bee registrate to the posteritie And it is the will of IESVS CHRIST that this day I promulgate the names of these women in your audience to their honour after so many hundreth yeeres and their names shall be registrate perpetually to their euerlasting honour whilst IESVS CHRIST come againe yea their names shall bee written in the Heauens euerlastingly Neuer one repents the gratitude done to IESVS CHRIST thou shalt get two good deedes for one Againe the LORD will let vs see in the example of these women that oft times in women there will be a more tender loue to the Lord IESVS than in men who are the stronger sexe ye will see the weaker and simpler that the sexe bee and the lesse worldly wit that it haue the more spiritually it is disposed the more affectionate it is to heauenly thinges the greater heauenly wisdome it hath If any man sayes PAVL seeme to bee wise in this world let him bee a foole that hee may bee wise that is truâ—ly wise wise in GOD 1. Cor. 3.18 And as their loue is great so the Lord will honour them to the shame of men and whereas men should preach CHRIST Hee will make women to preach IESVS CHRIST to men to the shame of men and His owne glorie All tends to this that as men and women doe desire to bee honoured of God so all men and women should striue continually to loue and glorifie GOD. GOD loues none nor honoures none but only those who loue and honour the Lord Iesus Christ if thou louest not the Lord Iesus Christ thou shalt get no loue nor honour of God yet further this is not to be passed by the world vvonders novv that Hee had such an eye to these three vvomen There were many hundreth men but how many of their names were registrate to their honour Hee had such a respect to them that He espied them out beside the rest of thousands that were there and by His Holy Spirit caused registrate them This registrating of them came not rashly but from an ordinance of God and His especiall Prouidence There is not a publike conuention albeit it were a man hanged where multitudes of men and women run together to heare see but the all-seeing eye of the Lord is vpon euery person in particular man woman ladde or lasse Neuer an head there great or small poore or rich noble or ignoble but the eye of the Lord is on them yea it goes downe to the inward affections to rippe and search them to see of what disposition euery soule is As for example we are all met together here sundry men and women some greater some smaller some younger some older yet there is not one of vs on whome the Lord hath not His eye We are met to see Iesus Christ crucified on mount Caluarie there is not one of our hearts but the eye of the Lord sees it and Hee
superstition that moued them they were to celebrate the Passâ—ouer and this was the day of their preparation they were preparing them by crucifying the innocent the Lorde of glorie Was this an holy preparation This was the Fryday and the morne was the Paâ—che Iohn sayes that was an high day or a great Sabbath because they kept two holy dayes together both their owne ordinarie Sabbath and the extraordinarie Passeouer and this they did contrarie to the ordinance of GOD for they should haue celebrated the Passeouer on Thurseday as the LORD did for He celebrated it that night that He was betrayed by Iudas and led away captiue by the Iewes So they did cast in the two Holy dayes together according to their custome for when y e Passeouer fell to bee on Thurseday they vsed to delay it vntill the Satterday which was their Sabbath day lest y t if these feasts which are so neare other had bene both kept the people should haue wearied and if Christ the other had not bene taken downe thaâ— y t Holy exercise wold haue bin defiled So they thought if they had bin taken down from the crosse and put away they had bene holy eneugh And vpon that same pretence when they were to accuse Christ they would not enter in the common Hall lest they should haue beene polluted They were Hypocrites they polluted the world and defiled the earth that they tread on A polluted body who hath no sanctification in Christ there is nothing that he touches meat or drinke yea the earth he walkes on but he defiles all yet these foule Hypocrites thought that if Iesus who sanctifies the Sabbath and sanctifies the heart had beene taken away they had beene holie eneugh An Hypocrite is a foule body defiles all that he handles All his religion is outward standing in bodily exercises and when he hath polluted all yea the very earth he treades on he will say Handle not touch not taste not that will pollute thee Coloss 2.21 There is his religion When the foule body defiles the aire the earth the Heauen hee bids thee touch it not lest it defile thee when he defiles all that he touches Nowe they get the request granted them and gets a commandement of Pilate and so The men of warre came forward and brake the legges of the one first and then they came to the other and brake his also They brake both their legges with great paine and torment Now will ye see these 2 thieues they are like in their death both are crucified in end both their thighes are brokeÌ„ yet for al this the one of them is a vessell of glorie and he had a promise of glorie and an assurance of it in his heart the other had none So Brethren take heede though the death of the wicked and the godlie bee alike yet they are not alike in condition Iudge not of mens estate by the outwarde miserie measure not Heauen and Hell by the outwarde death The Elect and the wicked will be oft times alike in death and oft times the Elect will die in the greatest torments Who suffered more painefull deathes than the Martyres did Beware that thou say as the Papistes who are enemies to Christ say They teach albeit that in Iesus Christ thy sinne be forgiuen yet the paine is not forgiuen and they say that the paine that the godly suffer in death is a satisfaction for sinne They say that the paine of the penitent thiefe was the punishment of his sinne but they lie and the Lord shall justifie it The Elect suffer no paine for sinne torment them as they will burne them scalde them all is but a mercifull chastisement and death to them is a faire port to Heauen He makes darknesse to be light to His owne Well this for the execution of the two thieues They come to the Lord to see whether He was dead or not they are not rash they finde Him dead they finde no sponke of life in Him therefore they offer not to breake His thighes See how the word and prouidence of God takes effect The Lord had said One bone of Him should not be broken and therefore to preueene the breaking the Lord miraculously tooke the Spirit from His Sonne His death was miraculous as ye heard before by the strength of nature He might haue liued longer as that great and mightie voyce which he vttered last testifies and so His sudden death was a meane to performe the Lordes ordinance Hee would vse this as the ordinarie meane to execute the eternall decree of the Father It is a follie to thee to say thou wilt depend on the prouidence of God and in the meane time to leaue off meanes for by so doing thou temptest God who as He hath ordained the ende so He hath also ordained the meanes to the end As for example If thou wouldest goe to Heauen thou must vse the meanes the hearing of the word c. Yet many will contemne the meanes and yet bragge they are assured to come to Heauen they will contemne the preaching which is the instrument that God vses But I say to thee thou deceiuest thy selfe for I denounce if thou werest an Emperour thou shalt neuer see Heauen nor life who contemnest that meane and instrument which the Lord hath ordained to bee vsed to bring thee to Heauen which is the preaching of His trueth Now Brethren ye see here the testimonie of the death of Christ giuen by the buâ—rioes they preach His death as though they had said Marke all people This Iesus whom we haue crucified is dead and therefore in token that this is true wee will not breake His bones after that comes another burrio a man of warre and giues the last witnesse Hee smites Him with a speare so that out of the wound gushed out blood and water As though the knaue had said I shall let you see that Hee is dead that there is no life in Him and so hee smites Him to the heart with a speare The Lord would haue the death of the Lord testified sundrie wayes for thy comfort for the most shamefull thing that euer was is death except it be sanctified it is the greatest miserie that can come to man if thou gettest no remedie against it for that death of the body is a port to that death euerlasting It is no childrens play to haue the soule dislodged No it was an ignominie to the Lord of glorie to be holden vnder the bands of death and to be tread vnder the feete of death yet the Father will haue His death testified sundrie wayes First Hee will haue it testified with a cry when He cried with a loude voyce Father into thine hands I commend my Spirit Next Hee will haue the burrioes to testifie His death and then He will haue a speare thrust to His heart to testifie His death besides the testimonie that all the creatures gaue of His death Is this for nothing No for suppose
with great weight and manie graue wordes Wee haue hearde before sundrie testimonies of His death The Lord in the last wordes Hee testifies of His owne death when Hee cryes Father into thine handes I commende my spirite All those wonders from the Heauen testified that the Lorde had giuen vp the ghoste His Heauenlie Father made the Burreoes and the men of warre to testifie that Hee was dead and to preach it to all the people about Now IOHN comes in last and with many words and wordes of great weight testifies that the Lorde gaue vp the ghoste What meanes all this Ye see there is not any thing in all the historie testified by so many testimonies The Spirit of God labours not to perswade vs of any thing in all His Passion so much as that He died and to certifie this that Hee was pearced with a speare To leaue the Heresies which fell in the worlde concerning the death of Christ for it was much to perswade the world of it they would not beleeue that IESVS died truelie All these testimonies lets vs see such a necessitie to bee in the death of IESVS that except the LORD had died as truelie as euer man died Hee coulde not haue beene our Redeemer And except Hee had died truelie wee coulde neuer haue beleeued to haue beene saued by Him Except I knowe as truelie as euer I knewe any thing in the worlde that my Redeemer died for mee I woulde neuer goe seeke life out of His death Indeed a wanton sinner who is ladeÌ„ with sin feeles not the weight thereof so loÌ„g as his coÌ„science is sleeping that he feeles not y e burreo sees not y t fearfull wrath that caÌ„not be quenched without bloode that terrible justice of God y t cannot be satisfied but by death will count little of the death of Christ It is alike to him whether He had died or no so loÌ„g as thou sleepest al is alike but after the coÌ„scieÌ„ce is wakened the Lord once let thee feele the weight of thy sinnes wherewith thou art ladned No if thou diddest but feele the weight of an euill thought thou wouldest groane as fast as if the mountaines and rockes were tumbled on thee and then thou wouldâ—st thinke no life nor saluation for thee but Hell and damnation if thou gottest not a Sauiour for thee and if thou feelest that Iustice of God and the terrours of Hell before thee the sight of the death of Iesus would be the most joyfull and comfortable sight that euer thou sawest and all thy joy glorie would be in that death of Christ Paul sayes Gal. 6.14 Far be it from me that I should reâ—oyce in any thing but in the death of Christ he fouÌ„d all his life to be in that death 1. Cor. 2.2 he sayes When I came amongst you to speake of the death of Christ to you who knew not what it meant a vaine companie they were who delited in vaine oratorie I would not begin to clawe your itching eares but I decreed to know nothing but Iesus Christ and Him crucified Nowe Brethren besides this In these wordes that IOHN sets downe and 〈◊〉 the which hee aggreadges his testimonie marke another lesson Will ye see from whence our Faith comes from whence comes our Faith from whence flowes it IOHN sayes And he that saw it bare record and his recorde is true and he knoweth that hee saith true that they should beleeue From whence then comes Faith in this death it comes by hearing Faith is of hearing of a testimonie and recorde and if thou hearest not a record thou shalt not beleeue and if thou beleeuest not thou shalt neuer see Heauen And if thou contemnest the recorde I giue thee this doome thou shalt neuer see Heauen with thine eyes if thou werest a King So Faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit by a recorde and witnesse bearing So ere thou gettest Faith some witnesse must stand vp and beare recorde The Lord must send out some witnesse to cry and preach but what witnesses must these be IOHN sayes He that saw these things hath testified of them The witnesses must be seeing witnesses it must be Iohn and such as saw Him and felt Him with their handes Then who must bee the witnesses They must be the Apostles that were conuersant in this world with Iesus Christ who heard Him preach and saw Him vvorke vvonders and savv Him dead and savv Him crucified and savve Him pierced thorovv the side They must be the first witnesses But more Brethren Is it enough that they savve Him with their bodily eye No Iohn addes more that hee vvas persvvaded that his testimonie was true The vvitnesses as they testifie that vvhich they savve so they must beleeue it vvith their heartes There were great multitudes hundreths thousands vvho heard Him touched Him and savv Him crucified and some of them crucified Him too yet none of these are made vvitnesses to preach to the vvorld but the Apostles vvho savv and beleeued these are set vp as witnâ—sses in y e world that all should beleeue TheÌ„ the first ground of thy Faith is the very eye of the Apostles their sight and sense The next ground is Faith in the heartes of the Apostles And if yee will say to me Why beleeue ye the Gospell of Iohn and the Gospell of Matthew and the Epistles of Paul c. I answere because these were men who heard and saw Christ and I will say more I beleeue them because they beleeued in their heartes that thing which they saw and goe before not onely by sight of the body but also by Faith in the heart When yee heare these recordes albeit the men be not liuing yet we haue that same thing that they wrote and that which they themselues beleeued I beseech you consider them and passe not ouer lightly when yee reade of Iohn or Paul or the rest I beseech you passe not lightly seeing the ground of thy Faith is not onely their sight but the sense of their heartes and Faith ye who would read with judgement trauell to goe into the heart to seeke that Faith into the heart and that joy and that sadnesse that they felt and pray LORD seeing these men vtter a feeling of these things that they saw and which they wrote touch mine heart and giue me thine Holy Spirit that I may attaine to the sense and feeling of these things If ye would haue a testimonie of this beholde what PAVL sayes in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and fourteenth verse I beleeue that I my selfe shall gloriously rise and then he brings in Dauids wordes J beleeued and therefore I spake Alwayes looke that in reading we striue to haue a feeling and sense in our heart of that which we read otherwise we make no fruit of our reading we speake like parrats wee know not what we speake I say to thee if the word of grace rise not from the
deepe perswasion of thine heart thou speakest like a Parrat thou prophanest that Holy word and knowest not what thou speakest Now all the Apostles are away yet their testimonie remaines this is that blessed Gospell that wee haue this day yet the Lord leaues not the world destitute of witnesses who haue liuelie voyces who will preach like the Apostles indeede their record should bee beleeued if thou beleeuedst neuer a preaching I say thou hast no Faith thou shalt neuer see Heauen Indeede we are not Apostles but sinfull men yet if thou beleeuest vs not thou shalt die as well as they who would not beleeue the Apostles I bid no man nor woman beleeue vs simply but only so farre as our record agrees vvith the recorde of the Apostles We may not compare with the Apostles we haue not seene Him we haue not heard Him as they did they had a greater measure of perswasion of Faith and of feeling than any Preacher hath nowe yet the Lord hath giuen His measure to euery one therefore we desire not that yee should beleeue vs simply to beleeue euery thing that we say as the Pope and that soule crue will bid you beleeue all that they affirme No if he were the best Minister that euer preached beleeue his recorde if it agree not with the writting of the Apostles They haue set downe the ground and they who teach any other thing but that which is written by the Apostles or els that follow on their writes by a necessarie consequence I pronounce a vengeance and a curse shall be on them Woe to deceiuers who poyson soules dayly by their vengeance and poyson Now to come to the last heade Iohn layes downe the ende wherefore His thighes were not broken and by piercing of His side These thinges were set downe that the Scripture might bee fulfilled and he cites two testimonies The first is out of the twelfth Chapter of Exodus Not one bone of Him shall be broken The next is out of the twelfth Chapter of Zacharie They shall see Him whome they haue pierced Some will maruell that it is said oft times in the Gospell this was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled Some would thinke that this had bene but a light cause that the thighes of Christ and the bones were not broken Wherefore That the Scripture might be fulfilled the side was pierced that the Scripture might be fulfilled Men would count this but light but wilt thou count that light that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled Thinkest thou it a light thing that that thing that the Lord spake long time before should come to passe and the LORD should be glorified in His Trueth Thinkest thou it a light thing that the Lord should bee found a lyer No ere He be a lyer and ere a jote or title that Hee hath spoken should passe away vnfâ—lfilled it is better that Heauen and Earth men and Angels and all the creatures should vanish to nothing The Lord speakes none idle talke as man will doe but what thing so euer that Hee speakes Hee speakes it of set purpose to the glorie of God and to the well of His Church and therefore it is very requisite both for His owne glorie and for the well of His Church that His word be accomplished Would to God we could consider how highly we sould regarde the glory of God in beleeuing of His promises of mercie and His threatnings of Iustice Well the end of these thinges was that GOD should be glorified in the trueth of His word There is nothing the Lord seekes more than to be knowne in the trueth of His worde and therefore looke what He will doe to bee knowne to be true in His promise rather than His promise be not performed Hee will inuert the course of nature the thing that the Lord hath once spoken it shall be performed albeit all the world should say the contrarie It is said Numb 23.19 God is not as man that He should lie neither as the sonne of man that Hee should repent hath Hee said it and shall Hee not doe it and hath Hee spoken and shall Hee not accomplish it Men may lie but God cannot lie ere Hee bring not about the thing that Hee hath spoken Hee will mixe the Heauen and the Earth together He will bring things about against all the meanes in the worlde not onely by and aboue nature but also contrarie and against nature As Hee brought the promise made to Abraham to passe Nature can be no impediment to the LORD albeit a creature can doe nothing against Nature Looke then what a Faith wee should haue Wee should beleeue His promise albeit it were neuer so vnpossible to Nature Thou must not only glorifie God when thou seest His promise come to passe but also thou must also glorifie Him by depending and hanging on His worde ere euer thou see it accomplished It is an easie thing when thou seest the Lordes promise come to passe to say Glorified bee GOD in the trueth of His promise but except thou glorifie Him by Faith in His worde ere euer thou see the promise effectuate thou doest nothing worthie of praise beleeâ—e His word let neuer death nor life nor power in Heauen or iâ— Earth or the Deuils separate thee from that Faith in His worde No I say further thou must so glorifie God by Faith in His word that albeit thou savvest all things threaten the contrarie yet notwâ—thstanding thou feelest in thine heart that God is true this was a fined and purified Faith Such was the Faith of Abraham who aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that hee should haue a seede not considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie nor the deadnesse of Saraes vvombe hee beleeued in despite of nature and all ordinarie meanes and therefore worthilie hee is called The Father of the Faithfull Then wouldest thou haue such a faith as the Lord commendes beleeue in His promise though all the thinges in the worlde shoulde threaten the contrarie Hath Hee promised to thee Heauen and Life and albeit thou sawe nothing but Hell and Death yet beleeue Him for there is nothing more contrarie to Life than Death And yet albeit thine owne heart woulde make opposition and saye vnto thee It cannot bee that euer thou canst get Life and Heauen for what seest thou but Death and Hell Yet thou wouldest glorifie God by beleeuing His promise in despight of Hell and Death Notwithstanding thou seest the Deuill man Death and Hell threatning that thou shalt not get life yet beleeue the Lordes promise And if in this case thou beleeuest thou hast a fined faith fined and made more precious than Golde in the fornace And except thou bee tried by such temptations thou knowest not what faith meanes Faith must bee tried by temptations by troubles and afflictions Our Christians woulde passe thorowe the worlde with ease and rest they will beleeue but howe In peace and rest they cannot abide to
I thinke no man nor woman should doubt why these women preached this Resurrection The LORD giues them a spâ—ciall direction first from GOD then from His Angell and this commission might satisfie so that the Apostles were bound to receiue this commission that vvas ordained by the LORD of Heauen I marke this lesson There is neither man nor woman can speake in the Name of the Lord except they be sent So sayes Paul to the Romanes tenth Chapter and fifteenth verse None can preach except he be sent How can one preach CHRIST and if hee be not sent by CHRIST daâ—e a knaue stand vp in the middest of a cittie or towne and make a proclamation in the name of the Prince and not haue a warrand and darest thou stand vp and speake in the Name of the great GOD of Heauen and haue no warrand Indeede it is the LORD who knowes who is sent if thou werest neuer so admitted and warranded by the Church the Lord in that great day shall neuer count of thy preaching except thou haue a vvarrand in thy conscience Will Hee put His worde in the mouth of euery knaue No that is a grace to call IESVS the LORD No thou canst not call IESVS the Lord except thou haue the Spirit of Iesus as the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth Chapter and third verse So whether wee bee Ministers or others who speake of IESVS we should looke that that Spirit be in the heart to direct vs when we speake I marke next it was not enough to haue seene this resurrection and neuer to haue spoken one worde of it No Hee commands them to testifie to the Apostles and the Apostles got this commandement to preach it againe for the Gospell is not a candle to put vnder a bushell but to holde it vp and shewe it to the worlde for it is the life and the light of the worlde PAVL sayes to Timothie in his second Epistle the second Chapter first verse That that thou hast heard of mee before many witnesses the same deliuer thou to faithfull men which shall be able to teach others also No it is not to be concredite to euery knaue it is too precious a jewell to deliuer to knaues let them deliuer it to them that are able to teach others let the first deliuer to the second and the second to the third and the third to the fourth and the fourth to the fifth and so let it euer sound in the world Woe to that soule that impedes the course of the glorious Gospell for what can there be vvhere it is not teached but death No this Gospell is a stumbling blocke to the world Tell them sayes the Angell Hee vvill meete them in Galile for Iurie denied mee No would CHRIST say I will not appoint to meete with them in Ierusalem for Ierusalem is not worthie of mee but I will meete them in Galile and so they met with Him as ye shall see hereafter by Gods grace Then I see that all these tithings that tell vs of things that are not seene hath euery one of them a promise joyned with them y t we shall see them come to passe Beleeue thou that He hath suffered and thou shalt see that He hath suffered and beleeue that He is in glorie thou shalt see Him in glorie We savv Him not vvith our bodily eyes but we haue that blessing which the LORD pronounced to Thomas Iohn Chapter 20. verse 29. Blessed are they which neuer saw mee and yet doe beleeue in mee Now blessed for euer shall that soule be that neuer savv the LORD and yet beleeues in Him and I speake to thee a sore vvorde if thou beleeuest not vntill thou see Him thou shalt neuer see Him if thou beleeuest not that He died vntill thou see that Hee died thou shalt nâ—uer see Him but to thy damnation Hope vnder hope and against Hope Brethren many are the impediments that will stay vs so that wee will say I vvill neuer see Him I heare much speaking of Heauen but alas I feare I shall neuer see it I heare much spoken of life but alas I feare I shall neuer see life And these are the tentations of the most godly men and women of this vvorld yet against all these tentations beleeue Gods promises and hope for life for PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the fifth Chapter and the fifth verse Faith brings foorth experience and Hope makes not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts aboundantly by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. No let none of these tentations hinder vs that thing that holdes backe the infidels shall worke for the best to thee that fearest the Lord if thou fearest the Lord I promise thee in y e name of GOD all these tentations shall further thee and thou shalt bee partaker of Life Now a word and I shall ende He signets seales vp that which he hath told I haue tolde you it saies he as he would say It is true that I haue tolde you and I vvill seale it to be true and ye shâ—ll find it to be true therefore doubt not So our lesson is this WheÌ„soeuer thou commest to testifie to the people of God in paine of thy life looke thou speake nothing but that which God biddes thee speake and that thou mayest saye in conclusion This is true that I haue saide and that this is true I vvill byde by it and seale it vp vvith my blood The Angell had no blood but if thou be not of that minde to shedde thy blood thou art but a deceiuer This is a great boldnesse to seale to seale it vp with thy blood but if thou haue it not sealed vp in thine heart thou shalt neuer seale it vp with thy blood and vvhen it comes to the sealing thou shalt steale away No it is a great vvord to say vvith the Prophet Dauid I beleeued and therefore I spake Looke thou speake nothing to the people of God but that which thou striuest to beleeue Howe is this assurance gotten And vvill euerie vvanton man get this assurance to stande and seale it vp vvith his blood No except thou striue night and day to get the Lorde in thy presence and not to haue anie joye but in His presence thou shalt neuer haue this assurance Then howe is it kept The Lord hath appointed reading Take heede to thy reading saies Paul to Timothie in his first Epistle the fourth CHAPTER and 13. vers and giue thy selfe to meditation and shâ—we thy knowledge in that that thou hast read and get not a knowledge onelie but a sense to speake to others Reading bringes knowledge and meditation bringes feeling and last is prayer And if it bee the duetie of all men to praye then especiallie the Minister is bounde to praye both for himselfe and for them also to vvhome hee is sent So in a vvorde Reade meditate and
heades and they had more of that vvorldlie and fleshlie vvit than of that Heauenlie vvit and this drewe them to this securitie This is the nature of the Regenerate Suppose the Regenerate in this vvorlde compt in some measure of the crosse of Christ and of the power of God yet in the best of them there is some lacke some infirmities and vvantes and they will thinke sometime the preaching of the Crosse and Resurrection of Christ to bee but vanitie and a dreame of vviues as IOHN PETER MATTHEVV and the rest of the Apostles did for none of them vvoulde beleeue this That CHRIST vvas risen Wee vvill thinke that there is some great follie in these tidinges I vvill tell you my nature and the nature of the best man or vvoman but vvhen vve shall see That joyfull Morning as DAVID calles it then vvee shall saye vvith SARAH THE LORDE hath made mee nowe to laugh indeede Shee scorned vvhen shee hearde saye shee shoulde conceaue and beare a childe shee thought shee coulde not beare a childe and nowe vvhen shee sees it come to passe shee saies The LORDE makes mee to laugh indeede And so shall vvee saye one daye that thing vvhich vvee thought but jestes then wee shall saye I see this nowe that I coulde not beleeue vvell enough nowe I see it is true indeede So then in despite of all naturall vvit striue to gette an hope aboue hope and then shalt thou greatlie vvonder at that sight and maruell foreuer that there could be such a joy Now blessed is that man or that woman that gets a taste of it here for they shall be assured of it for euer But to goe forward I see that it auailes not much to speake to a sleeping person that is loadned with sin and feeles it not that is the worst estate in the worlde neuer to groane vnder this mortalitie vnder this burthen of death They can neuer say with the Apostle Miserable man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death And if yee speake to these persons of the Resurrection death of Christ it auaileth nothing to them What did the Apostles They thought it but a scorne if the Apostles thought so what wilt thou doe that sleepest in thy murther in thine adulterie in thy theft in thine oppression If the Apostles slept how wilt thou sleepe a sleeping sinner must bee once wakened as PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the first Chapter and eighteenth verse The wrath of God is manifest from the Heauen against all the vnrighteousnesse of men And I say the wrath and the vengeance of GOD is manifest vpon the sleeping sinner and death comes on him that neuer shall haue an end But PAVL in the Epistle to the Romanes the third CHAPTER and the twentie and one VERSE hee comes on with other tithings and sayes That the righteousnesse of GOD through faith in Jesus Christ is made manifest to them that beleeue And I will say to thee that Iesus is come into the world and died for thee if thou beleeuest thou shalt be freed of that burthen of sinne and wrath and vvhen a man heares this he will thinke it the sweetest tithings that euer he heard for the sinner will finde life in that death and that blood will sprinckle his conscience as the Apostle sayes to the Hebrewes and thou wilt finde a wonderfull joy vvhen thy sinnes are remitted in Christ of all joyes vnder the Heauen this is the greatest The preaching of Christ auailes to none but to him who findes his soule loadned with sinne Now one word and so I shall ende I see in the Apostles and in their great infirmitie the great prouidence of GOD they will neither beleeue nor misbeleeue but by His Prouidence what euer vvas their part in it the worke was good of a good purpose The LORD will not haue them to beleeue the testimonie of the first companie nor yet of the second companie of women No no He vvill not haue them to beleeue vntill they see it with their eyes and feele it with their handes and ere they passe out to others He vvill speake to them and let them see that they may be perswaded that it was true I alwayes tell you this It is not a small thing to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ to preach His Passion and Resurrection and wilt thou of a light knowledge preach it No beware thou speake this or that vpon a report Of all men that speakes in this earth or is sent with a commission a Minister hath most neede to beware what hee speakes Speake hee of the Passion or Resurrection of CHRIST ere euer hee speake let him get a sight of Him suppose not vvith the bodily eyes lay hold on Him by Faith in thine heart Thinke it not enough to be an hearing witnesse but a seeing witnesse and vvhen thou hast gotten that persvvasion with vvhat confidence vvilt thou speake of His death thou wilt speake with such euidencie that the high heartes of men shall be humbled finding such weight in thy wordes The LORD giue vs grace that vvhen vve stand vp to speake of the Resurrection of CHRIST to others vvee may haue the perswasion of it in our ovvne heartes and that vve may finde His gracious Spirit working in vs and as vvee speake of Heauen and these joyes to others so vvee may finde some joy beginne in our owne hearts heere that after this life is ended we may reigne with Him in glorie for euer with CHRIST To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXXII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 12 Then arose Peter and ranne vnto the sepulchre and looked in and sawe the linnen clothes layed by themselues and departed wondering in himselfe at that which was come to passe IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 3 Peter therefore went foorth and the other disciple and they came vnto the sepulchre verse 4 So they ranne both together but the other disciple did out-runne Peter and came first to the sepulchre verse 5 And hee stouped downe and sawe the linnen clothes lying yet went hee not in verse 6 Then came Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and sawe the linnen clothes lie verse 7 And the kerchiefe that was vpon his head not lying with the linnen clothes but wrapped together in a place by it selfe verse 8 Then went in also the other disciple who came first to the sepulchre and hee sawe it and beleeued verse 9 For as yet they knewe not the Scripture That hee must rise againe from the dead verse 10 And the disciples went awaye againe vnto their owne home WE haue heard these dayes past beloued in the Lord Iesus of the two companies of women that went out of Hierusalem towarde the graue of the Lorde early in the morning The one company that came first wherein was Marie Magd. and Marie the mother of
vvee bee Pilgrimes heere a vvhile that our joye maye bee the greater vvhen vvee meeâ—e vvith the LORDE vvhome vvee haue longed for vvee are contented for a time Now when Marie departs what does shee She tolde the Dâ—sciples that shee had seene the LORDE Shee is preaching and telling The LORD is going to heauen to your Father and your GOD. Nowe Brethren seeing vvee are Pilgrimes let vs take heede vvee bee well occupied and looke wee discharge our commission for there is no man nor woman but they haue a commission Thou that art a Preacher preache both in time and out of time to His glorie and if thou discharge thy commission faithfullie in thy calling then euen as Marie was welcome vnto Him againe so shalt thou bee also welcome when thou shalt meete with the LORD and Hee shall accept well of thee The LORDE enable vs to take heede to this that seeing wee must remaine absent from our LORDE for a time heere wee maye euer cast vs to bee vvell occupied and walke carefullie in that calling that Hee hath placed vs in And then when that the LORDE of Glorie shall appeare whome wee haue serued in this life our soules and bodies shall enjoye the full fruition of His presence in Heauen To whome be glorie for euermore Amen THE XXXV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 9 And as they went to tell his disciples beholde Jesus also met them saying God saue you And they came and tooke him by the feete and worshipped him verse 10 Then saide Iesus vnto them Bee not afraide Goe and tell my Brethren that they goe into Galile and there shall yee see mee MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 10 And shee went and tolde them that had beene with him who mourned and wept verse 11 And when they hearde that hee was aliue and had appeared to her they beleeued it not BELOVED BRETHREN these dayes past vvee haue heard first the Historie of Marie Magdalene how shee returned home and how shee came againe to the graue of her LORD and of her mourning and weeping at the graue of her looking againe in to the graue of the sight of th'Angels meeting with her of Christes wordes vnto her first Hee spake aloofe and afarre off vnto her Woman why weepest thou whome seekest thou Then Hee speakes homelie vnto her calling her by her name and sayes Marie Shee answeres Him Rabboni as Hee had named her homelie so shee answered Him homelie Hee named her like a Master and shee answered Him like a reuerende Disciple Hee calles her as a Sheepehearde and shee answeres Him as one of His flocke knowing Him by His voyce shee offers to embrace Him but Hee preuentes her and sayes vnto her Touch mee not for I am not ascended to my Father perceiuing her to bee ouer much addicted to His bodilie presence before Hee will permit her to touch Him Hee will haue her first to beleeue in Him and to touch Him in glorie by the hande of faith Then Hee sendes her in commission Goe to my Brethren so calling His Disciples A louing stile Tell them of other tidinges than euer they haue hearde yet They hearde of my Resurrection but they beleeued not but nowe I goe to the Heauens to my Father and to your Father to my GOD and to your GOD And this is the commission Marie receiuing it shee executes it and runnes to the Disciples to tell them and as Iohn sayes she preaches to them the thing that shee had heard of the LORDE MARKE sayes that when shee came to them shee founde them weeping This was a weeping time but shortlie after followed a time of joye This change of courses yee see in the worlde for though thou bee wanton and laugh heere neuer so much yet thou wilt weepe soone after But wilt thou weepe and mourne heere for a while when there is matter of mourning thou shalt laugh and rejoyce shortlie afterwarde Nowe when Marie findes the Apostles weeping and mourning shee telles them that the LORD is aliue shee confirmes it that Hee spake and sayes shee sawe Him with her eyes But howe takes the Apostles with this commission They remaine faithlesse for all that she could say they would not beleeue her No it is an hard matter to beleeue the Article of the Resurrection That a man that is dead can rise againe and take life fleshe and blood will neuer dite this vnto thee that one that is dead can liue againe The women vvho vvere more simple and not so vvise in vvorldlie vvit as the Apostles vvere are more readie to credite the Resurrection than the Apostles vvho vvere strong according to the fleshe The Resurrection is harde to be beleeued of anie man but this is sure The Resurrection is hardest to bee beleeued of them vvho are vvisest in this vvorlde No hee that hath this worldlie vvisedome hee countes these Heauenlie and Spirituall thinges but follie till hee bee made a foole that hee maye bee made wise as the Apostle PAVL speakes 1. CORIN CHAP. 3. VERS 18. That is till hee renounce this worldlie wisedome hee shall neuer beleeue these Spirituall thinges When I consider the wordes of MARKE I finde manie faultes in the Disciples They were lying mourning this vvas a vaine mourning What cause had they of mourning for Him whome they thought vvas dead but yet vvas aliue So they had matter of joye and not of mourning And from vvhence proceeded this mourning First they vvere ignorant of the Scriptures which had foretolde that he shoulde rise againe Then they had forgotten the vvorde vvhich the LORDE had spoken vnto them That hee shoulde die and rise againe the thirde daye Yet there is vvorse in them than this The first companie of vvomen vvho tolde them of CHRISTES Resurrection they woulde not beleeue them Then the next companie comes neither woulde they beleeue them one vvorde And last MARIE came vvho not onelie met vvith the Angels but also vvith the LORDE and receiued a commission and yet they vvoulde not beleeue her notwithstanding shee tolde them that she had seene Him So there is not onelie an vnbeliefe but a stiffenesse in them So that if yee will count these faultes their dolour is first without comfort and secondlie an ignorance of the Scriptures and thirdly a forgetfulnesse of the worde of the LORDE and last there is an infidelitie that they would neither beleeue the women who came from the Angels nor MARIE that came from the LORDE and sawe Him and spake with Him So that they are as new to enter to learn as though they had neuer seen nor known Christ Yet there was some good thing in them for certainly howbeit the dolour came of ignorance forgetfulnesse and incredulitie yet I am sure of this that the loue which they carried towardes CHRIST caused them to mourne for if they had not loued Him they had not mourned for Him No there was none of the High Priestes that wet their cheekes for His death So
and feele sensibly vvith mine hand a body then shall I beleeue otherwise no Papist will cause me beleeue that I eate CHRIST really and bodily with my mouth no more than the disciples would beleeue that CHRIST was a body till they felt Him and sawe Him I will be of the Faith of the disciples Beleeue them who will I shall neuer beleeue them by the grace of GOD. Let mee see a bodie not the roundnesse and whitenesse of the bread and let me feele this that CHRIST let His disciples feele if thou vvilt not let mee feele that I will neuer beleeue thee holde thee content and I am not bound to beleeue thee yea more if I beleeued thee I vvere faire in the wrong I should sinne against the LORD and against the trueth of His body Why If I beleeue thee neither seeing nor feeling such a thing then I should beleeue the body of Christ to be vnuisible and vntractable and to beleeue that is to beleeue the body of CHRIST to bee no bodie That bodie that is not seene nor handled is not a body these properties beeing taken avvay from a bodie there remaines no bodie yea sight and feeling are such vnseparable accidents of the bodie that the verie glorified bodie cannot be vvithout them The Papists cast vnto vs a friuolous distinction betwixt the glorified body of CHRIST and His vnglorified bodie No the verie glorified bodie is as vvell visible and tractable as an vnglorified bodie The godlie in the latter daye shall see whether it be visible or not Goe thy way with thy bodily presence thou debarrest thy selfe from that presence that the godlie shall see one daye to their consolation Furthermore Brethren There is another thing to be marked I see IESVS CHRIST after His glorious Resurrection to haue kept the markes of the wounds Hee shewes His handes and His wounded hands Hee shewes them His feete and His wounded feet He shewed His side to Thomas when he would not beleeue made him to put his handes in His side Yee woulde maruell that Christ rising vp in glorie shoulde haue kept the markes of infirmitie When the Lord rose it became Him to shake off all infirmitie and the markes of His woundes are a part of infirmitie See ye not howe it hath pleased the Lorde to humble Himselfe for our cause to the ende that vvee should beleeue Not onelie rose Hee and appeared vnto them but also after He rose Hee keepes the marks of His vvoundes that no vvayes they shoulde doubt but fullie beleeue that it vvas Hee and none other It is a vvonderfull thing to see the humilitie of Christ for our cause as all His life vvas but an humbling of Himselfe so after His Resurrection for thine exaltation vvhen Hee should haue gone to glorie Hee abides fourtie dayes to cause His Disciples beleeue Art not thou who art dust and ashes bound to humble thy selfe for Him seeing that Hee who is so glorious humbled Himselfe so low for thee Now whether the Lord keepe these markes or no or vvhether vve shall see Him come vvith them or no in that great day I vvill not be curious but this I knowe the fresh memorie of the vvoundes and of the Crosse shall neuer vanishe out of the hearts of the Elect and in the Heauen thou shalt remember a thousande times better than in the earth vvhen thou shalt see Him as Hee is when thou shalt beholde Him vvhom thou hast pearced thorowe thou shalt mourne sayes the Prophete Zacharie There is the remembring of the vvoundes And as that Crosse shall neuer goe out of the eye of the Father for it is as present now before the eye of the Father as it was that houre that He was crucified So vvhen thou shalt come to Heauen alwayes thou shalt haue a memorie of the Crosse And in this respect He is called an euerlasting Sacrifice and an euerlasting Priest And as the sight of that Crosse pacifies the vvrath of GOD vvere it out of the eye of the Father the flame of His vvrath vvoulde deuoure and consume thee for the pacifying of the vvrath standes in the sight of the Crosse So the joye and peace of thy conscience in Heauen shall stande in an euerlasting remembrance of the Crosse and His bloodie vvoundes There are two groundes of our Eternall joye and peace in Heauen First our joye and peace standes in the sight of that present glorie of Christ in Heauen Next after the sight of that glorie they stand on a remembrance of His by-gone Crosse These shall bee the two pillars of the euerlasting joye and happinesse vvhich the Sainctes shall haue in Heauen So Hee shall stand in as good stead to thee in the Heauen as Hee did in the earth Learne to seeke Him to embrace Him and to bee homelie with Him for in Him standes thy joye euerlastinglie and euer thou bee happie thou must bee vvith Him Now this for Christs part Hitherto hath Hee taught them by the senses and thinges sensible But looke vvhat this vvorkes in them It is saide That for joye they coulde not beleeue and they fell out in a wondring There is the effect that it vvrought There is something heere vvrought to vvit a joye and a vvondering Yet the thing that they shoulde haue is not as yet vvrought that is Faith for joye and wondring by appearance stayes their faith So harde a matter is it to cause a man to beleeue It is an easie thing to thee who knowest not what Faith is to saye I beleeue but when thou art put to the proofe thou wilt finde howe harde a thing it is to cause thee to beleeue There is as great contrarietie betwixt our nature and faith in Christ as is betwixt water and fire And if thou beleeuest there must bee as great chaunge in thy nature as to change water into fire and fire into water Nature must bee turned into grace But howe comes it to passe that joye and wondering shoulde staye Faith Consider it That which one would faine haue comming to passe yee knowe hee cannot easilie beleeue it when one telles him that it is come to passe And that which least wee woulde haue comming to passe we most easilie beleeue that it hath come to passe A man that feares euill will credite an euill report readilie but hee that earnestlie wishes a good thing will not so soone credite a good report hee will thinke it almoste impossible But yet when a man heares tell of a thing which hee would faine haue comming to passe although hee beleeue it not yet the heart will leape for joye This was the disposition of the Apostles The thing that fainest they would haue cōming to passe was a sight of IESVS And if thou were acquainted with Christ as these men were if Hee were taken out of thy sight thou wouldest gette no pleasure till that thou sawest Him as PAVL sayes I desire to be dissolued and to bee with CHRIST Hee had such a thirst to
thou restrainest that grace that should bring poore soules to Heauen and saluation But to goe forward We haue heard the necessitie of preaching in whose name we should preach what we should preach and last to whome it should be preached to all Nations euen to the Gentiles O! if we Gentiles should not rejoyce that mercie and grace is preached vnto vs who were aliants from the grace of GOD. Now albeit this grace bee extended to all yet there is a difference in order of preaching for the Lorde sayes Beginning at Hierusalem As He would say this preaching must first be preached at Hierusalem and beginne there and before grace bee offered to the Gentiles grace first of all must be offered to the Iewes Grace pertaines first to the Iewes they were the people of God of olde and therefore they must haue their owne right and then when grace is offered to the Iewes grace is extended and runnes abroade ouer all the earth Paul sayes to y e Iewes It was necessary that the word of God should first haue beene spoken vnto you Actes 13.46 There is the order yet the Lorde loues Hierusalem forgets it not Hierusalem that crucified the Lord the Lord forgets it not the Lord will not cast it away but will send His Apostles to preach there first O how loth was He to cast away that Nation that He had chosen of olde from among all Nations a people that He hath once begunne with O how loth will He be to cast away that people Scotland hath a proofe of this I dare say it had not bene the patience that the Lord beares vnto this Land He had not spared vs so long because of the great contempt and disdaining of the Gospell But aboue all the rest that Nation which the Lorde hath chosen from among the rest to be a peculiar people to Himselfe He will offer grace to it first therefore the Iewes got this honour first to haue grace offered to them And as grace in this life is offered to the Iew so shall the Iew get first glorie in Heauen Paul Rom. 2.10 sayes Glorie and honour and peace shall be to euery man that doeth good to the Iew first and also to the Grecian And as the glorie shall belong vnto the faithfull Iew first so by the contrarie the vnfaithfull Jew shall first bee dishonoured for the Apostle sayes in the words immediatly preceeding Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon the soule of euery one that doeth euill of the Iewe first and next of the Grecian But to ende heere I beseech you to striue vnto vnfained Repentance and to get an assurance of the remission of thy sinnes here if thou wilt be honoured in this life by grace and in the life to come by glorie in Heauen for neither grace nor glorie pertaines vnto impennitent sinners who lye like swine in sinne and delite in sinne But only to all penitent sinners where sinne aboundes grace and mercie superaboundes and that in the blood of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XLIV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 48 Now yee are witnesses of these things verse 49 And behold I doe send the promise of the Father vpon you but tarie yee in the citie of Hierusalem vntill yee be endued with power from high AFTER that the Lord belooued Brethren in Christ in His fift appearing after His Resurrection by sundrie euidences hath gone about to perswade His Disciples that it was Hee Hee vtters a sweete Sermon for their instruction wherein first Hee instructes and informes them in two necessities the first is that all thinges that befell to Him as His Passion and Resurrection behooued to befell vnto Him the second is that as these things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie these things behoued to be preached in the world Next Hee giues them a direction to goe out and to preach this Gospell to the worlde We haue heard alreadie of the two necessities First that it behooued Him to suffer the death and to rise againe from death because these things were foretold of Him in Moyses and the Prophets and the Psalmes therefore of necessitie they behooued to come to passe We heard thereafter of the necessitie of the preaching of these thinges Profane men thinke preaching is for the fashion but they deceiue themselues for if there be a necessitie that thou shouldest beleeue that thou mayst be saued there is as great a necessitie that there should be preaching of the word for Faith is by hearing and without hearing no Faith no life no saluation In opening vp of this necessitie of preaching we marked vnto you the particular circumstances that are set downe in the Text Namely first in whose name this preaching behooued to be to wit in the Name of IESVS CHRIST Next whereof it behooued this preaching to bee to wit of Repentance and Remission of sinnes for that is the summe of the Gospel Thirdly to whome this behooued to be preached not to the Iewes only but to all Nations and last in what order this doctrine should be preached first to the Iewes beginning at Ierusalem and thereafter to the Gentiles Now in the Text that we haue presently read the Lord comes to the second part of His Sermon wherein Hee giues direction to the Apostles to bee Preachers and witnesses to the world of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which Hee had promised to them before His suffering and that they might haue the greater securitie Hee giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they were endued with power and vertue out of Heauen But to come to the wordes after that Hee hath set downe the necessitie of preaching Hee giues them a direction and charge to bee preachers of these thinges vnto the worlde Now sayes Hee yee are witnesses of these things that is These things that yee haue heard and seene come to passe according as they vvere foretolde yee must not keepe them close and secret with your selues but yee must declare preach and testifie them vnto the world Nowe it is not without great cause that the Lord directes and sendes them out to preach for looke how necessarie it is that the word bee preached as necessarie it is that some bee directed and sent out by the Lorde to preach for How shall they preach sayes Paul except they be sent Rom. Chapter 10. verse 15. A man must not runne vnsent but before hee preach hee must haue a commission from God If we will enter in a particular consideration marke all things set downe in this Sermon we will finde there is nothing either concerning Christ Himselfe His suffering and rising againe or concerning the Gospell of Christ and preaching of it or concerning the Ministers Preachers of the Gospell falles out rashly or by fortoun chance but that all things come to passe by the
he hath a speciall warrand from the Iudge otherwise hee cannot haue a good conscience in his intimation then how shall the Pastour knowe Gods sentence pronounced in Heauen that hee may haue a good conscience in his proceeding To this I answere It is true indeede the Pastour hath none extraordinarie reuelation of that sentence vvhich is past in Heauen but all the warrand that the Pastour hath is ordinary wrought by the Spirit accompanying His own word vvhich He left in vvrite vnto vs and the Pastour gets this vvarrand out of the vvord by the applying of the generall sentences of the vvorde to particular persons according as they finde their disposition and behauiour and by this meanes gets such a sufficient warrand out of the vvorde as his conscience may rest vpon As for example to speake first of the sentence of the Remission of sinnes Before the Pastour absolue a man and remit his sinnes he lookes first to the generall sentences set downe in the worde that may be his warrand as namely that sentence which the LORD Himselfe vtters Ioh. 3.13 Whosoeuer beleeues in the Sonne of God shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Nowe to Faith in Christ joyne Repentance for the Gospell joynes Repentance and Remission of sinnes together Luke 24.47 and sayes Whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be safe To this generall proposition the Pastour will assume particularly This sinner repents and beleeues whereupon he concludes declaring the sentence that is alreadie past of Him in the Heauen therefore this sinner hath his sinnes forgiuen him and he shall be saued Againe before the Pastour binde a man and retaine his sinnes hee lookes to this generall sentence of the worde Hee that beleeues not and repents not is alreadie condemned Ioh. 3.18 Then he assumes particularly But this sinner beleeues not neither repents whereupon hee concludes the declaration of the sentence which is alreadie past in Heauen Therefore this sinner is condemned and is bound in Heauen The Lord worke in our heartes true repentance and Faith in the Lorde Iesus that not only wee may heare the voyce of the Pastour absoluing vs but likewise our owne consciences may assure vs of the Remission of our sinnes through the mercie of God in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLVI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XX. verse 24 But Thomas one of the twelue called Didimus was not with them when Iesus came verse 25 The other Disciples therefore saide vnto him Wee haue seene the Lord but hee saide vnto them Except I see in His handes the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put mine hand into His side I will not beleeue it verse 26 And eight dayes after againe His Disciples were within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus when the doores were shut and stood in the middes and saide Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard hitherto Welbeloued in Christ of fiue sundrie appearings of our Lord after His Resurrection The first was to Marie Magdalene The second was to other women The third was to two Disciples as they were going from Jerusalem to Emmaus The fourth was to Simon Peter The fift was to the eleuen assembled together in one place In this fift appearance the Lord hath a Sermon to His Disciples wherein first He lets them see the necessitie that He should suffer and rise againe and that these thinges behooued to be preached to the world and thereafter giues them a direction to goe out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to the worlde in His Name and to the end He may encourage them the more willingly to vndertake this charge Hee promises to giue them the Holy Spirit with His graces y t was promised before for their further assurance He enters them presently in some measure in possession of the Spirit for Iohn sayes Hee breathed vpon them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost and then Hee enarmes them with authoritie and power to forgiue and retaine sinnes And Hee sayes Whosoâ—uer sinâ—es ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine thâ—y are retained Now in the words that we haue presently read out of the Gospell of Iohn wee haue set downe a particular Hâ—storie concerning Thomas and his incredulitie this Thomas is he who is also called Didymus we read of him first that he was called and receiued to be one of the twelue Apostles Matth. 10 3. Next we â—ead that hee was offended that the Lord purposed to returne againe to Iudea beeing requestâ—d by Martha and Marie to come to Lazâ—rus their brother and that he burst out in words full of anger aâ—d iâ—dâ—gnation saying Let vs goe also that we may die with Lazarus Ioh 11.16 And last wee haue in this place set downe the Historie not only of his great incredulitie but also of his stubburnesse and wilfulnesse therein for neither did hee beleeue neither had hee a will or purpose to beleeue Of this doing of Thomas we may learne that by nature there was no difference betweene y e Apostles of the Lord Iesus other men albeit moste vile most vnworthie but grace made the difference they were as incredulous as stubburne as hard hearted as any other by nature while it pleased God of His mercie to open their heâ—rtes to make them to bâ—leeue And therefore the Lord Iesus when He calles them to be Apostles and ordaines them to preach the exceeding gâ—eatnesse of His mercy to others He makes them to stand for eâ—samples of that same mercie that they preach to others that they might y e more easily perswade others make them to come to seeke mercie in Iesus This was the ende why the Apostle Paul sayes The Lord shewed mercy on him who was a mâ—serable wreth and had called him to bee an Apost Iesus Christ saies he shâ—wed on me all long suffeâ—ing vnto the ensample of them which shall in time to come beleeue in Him vnto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 Thus much concerning the person of Thomas we come next to the Historie of his incredulitie first to the occasion of it the rest of y e Apostles Disciples who were assembled together in one to whom the Lord Iesus had manifested Himselfe declares preaches to Thomas y e ResurrectioÌ„ of Christ y e cause of their preaching thereof to him was because Thomas was absent when the Lord appeared to the rest What was the cause of his absence it is vncertaine neither will we curiously inquire what it was It may be that after Christ His Master was apprehended he kept himselfe close lurked secretly for feare of danger through the malice of the Iewes and durst not manifest himselfe so soone as the rest or it may be that he was entangled with his owne priuate affaires at that time when the rest met together and were speaking of
eyes of his soule that he cannot see sinne in its own colour hee cannot consider the way wherein hee is walking nor the judgement which he is drawing on his own head Whereupon it falles out that he proceedes from sinne to sinne and either hee falles ouer againe in that same sinne which before hee hath committed or in some other sinne Wee haue a proofe of this in the person of Peter for after that once he had denied his Master hee slept in a senslesse securitie he made litle account of the great sinne hee had committed whereupon it came to passe that soone after he falles ouer againe in the same sinne of denying of the Lord and alitle after being demanded he denies Him the third time and if he had bene oftener demanded no doubt but he would haue denied Him oftener if the Lorde had not looked vpon him fauourably The like also wee see in Dauid albeit otherwise a man after Gods owne heart after that he had committed that foule adultery with Bathsheba the wife of Vriah hee is twitched with a griefe or remorse but lyes still sleeping securely in sinne and so from adulterie with Bathsheba hee falles in abhominable murther of Vriah her husband and after this hee continued for a long season as it were benummed and without a sense of his sinne or feare of judgement and as all sortes of sinne leaue some senslessenesse and induration in the heart so chiefly stubburnesse and contumacie in not beleeuing the knowne trueth of God brings greatest senselessenesse and induration An example of this Paul lets vs see in the Gentiles who followed not that light that the Lord had left in nature and which the Lord shew to them in the workes of His creation that they might glorifie God but repined against it and therefore sayes the Apostle As they regarded not to acknowledge God euen so God deliuered them vp vnto a reprobate minde to doe those thinges which were not conuenient Rom. 1.28 Because they would not glorifie God as became them to doe there was such a dimnesse in their eyes such senslessenesse and blindnesse ouertooke them that they regarded not to doe the thinges that were most vnnaturall They past all feeling and gaue themselues ouer vnto wantonnesse to worke all vncleannesse euen with greedines Eph. 4.19 And they had their consciences burned as it were with an hote iron 1. Timoth. 4.2 It is a dangerous thing once to fall in sinne for if the Lord leaue thee to thy selfe thou shalt neuer stay while thou râ—nne headlong to destruction Therefore pray continually that the Lord would looke fauourably vpon thee and that He would lay holde on thee that thou fall not away from Him and if thou haue fallen that Hee would put out His hand and draw thee to Him againe that thou mayest returne and be saued Thus for the time of the sixt appearing of the Lord now He appeares after y e same maner that He had appeared to the Disciples before For the Disciples beeing within and Thomas with them Iesus came the doores beeing shut and stood in the middes Of this manner of appearing we haue spoken at length before therefore we will speake no more of it When He is come in among them He vses that same forme of salutation which He vsed before for He said Peace be vnto you We passe by this salutation also because wee haue spoken of it already No question it was a very effectuall powerfull salutation because Hee that wished peace vnto them was the author of peace Only one thing I shall marke and so I shall ende I see there is nothing that is able to waken the soule of a sinner that is lying sleeping in sinne and wrapped vp in a senslâ—sse securitie but only the gracious presence of the Lord Iesus What was it that wakened Peter when he had thrise denied his Master It is said The Lord turned backe and looked vpon Peter whereupon immediatly his heart smote him and hee went out and wept bitterly Luke 22.61 62. How was Dauid wakened when he had long lien in his sinne without any remorse How but by the fauour of Iesus Christ the Sonne of God who pitied Him and sent His Prophet Nathan vnto him for this yee must vnderstand that all the Prophets which spake of olde to the Fathers were sent immediatly by Iesus Christ and spake by His Spirit 1. Pet. 1.11 and 3.19 And what was it that wakened Thomas out of his securitie What mooued him that was so obstinate in his incredulitie to beleeue What but the gracious presence of Christ for except that mercie of God in Iesus Christ waken vs out of securitie all the Iudgements of God that euer He hath powred out vpon any from the beginning will not mooue vs the most fearfull and terrible examples of His wrath vpoÌ„ others will not waken vs. Iudas lets vs see the proofe of this in his Epistle when he tells that they who turned the grace of God into wantonnes were not mooued to absteine from sinne by the example of that fearfull and terrible Iudgement of God which ouertooke Sodome and Gomorrhe and the cities about them but that they likewise notwithstanding of these great Iudgements continued in the like sinnes and defiled the flesh Iude 7 8. Then seeing we are naturally sleeping in sinne and none outward thing in the worlde no judgement neither temporall nor spirituall seazing on vs in neuer so high a measure can bee able to waken vs. Let vs pray earnestly that the LORD would preuent vs with His owne gracious presence that wee sleepe not while death oppresse vs. The Lord make euery one of vs to finde this presence of the LORD Iesus To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLVII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 27 After said He to Thomas Put thy finger here and see Mine hands and put foorth thine hande and put it into my side and be not faithlesse but faithfull verse 28 Then Thomas saide vnto Him Thou art my Lord and my God verse 29 Iesus saide vnto him Thomas because thou hast seene me thou beleeuest blessed are they that haue not seene and haue beleeued verse 30 And many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of His Disciples which are not written in this booke verse 31 But these thinges are written that ye might beleeue that Iesus is that Christ that Sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through His Name AFTER that we had spoken at length Well beloued in Christ of the first fiue appearings of the Lord after His Resurrection wee beganne the last day to speake of this sixt appearing the occasion whereof was premitted by y e Euangelist John to wit the absence of Thomas from the rest of the Apostles when the Lord appeared vnto them and his great incredulitie when they tolde him for notwithstanding that many faithfull witnesses
he came to himselfe bethought himselfe for it is a wonder to see howe soone the soule of the most obstinate and indured man will be turned when it pleases the Lord to be effectuall in it by His presence The rest of the Apostles beleeued not so soone as they sawe the Lord heard His voyce albeit their incredulitie was not so great as was the incredulitie of Thomas yet when it pleased the Lord to open their eyes and to illuminate their vnderstanding they beleeued And Thomas vvho by many degrees surpassed all the rest in incredulitie after that once he saw the Lord and heard Him incontinently he beleeued and gaue a notable confession of Him Then marke it Brethren Faith dependes not on our selues on the strength of our nature on the free wil of man or vpon such such disposition of the soule but it dependes vpon the free mercie and good pleasure of God It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in GOD that sheweth mercie Rom. Chapter 9. verse 16. Therefore when wee see any beliefe in CHRIST let vs euer giue the praise thereof to GOD and not to the man as if it were of his naturall strength power and inclination But let vs consider this confession of Thomas and the grounds vvhereupon it arises he sayes Thou art my LORD and my GOD. This confession that hee giues of the LORD proceedes from a cleare light whereby his minde was suddenly illuminated and that by the powerfull and effectuall presence of the LORD his minde was first illuminated to see CHRIST to be the LORD as He is man for CHRIST as Hee is man is LORD ouer all thereafter to see Christ as He is GOD for by the vaile of the flesh and of the nature of man Hee is led in and gets accesse to see the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily Next this confession proceedes frō the apprehension of the heart whereby it felt the Lord and tooke holde of Him for as that cleare light shined in his minde so also the heart of Thomas was opened to embrace the Lord and to draw Him in to himselfe and therefore hee calles Him not simply Lord but my Lord he stiles Him not simply God but my God For no question this plaine and cleare confession testifies that there was a cleare illumination in the minde and a full perswasion in the heart of Thomas of that which he confessed If wee compare Thomas with the rest of the Apostles wee will finde that as he surpassed them farre in vnbeliefe so he surpasses them farre in beleeuing and confessing of the LORD for such a confession hath not beene hitherto vttered by any of the Disciples so that in this example we may see verified that common saying The last shall be first and the first shall be last The rest of the Apostles were before Thomas in Faith they beleeued before him but nowe Thomas by a suddaine change runnes out before them hee hath a clearer sight and a greater measure of Faith than they had The rest of the Apostles had the Holy Spirit giuen them and that strengthened their Faith but Thomas who then was absent after that once hee see and heare the Lord he findes such a cleare and marueilous light in his soule that hee vtters a more glorious and notable confession than any of the rest had done before And this likewise teaches vs to ascribe the praise of all the benefites and graces that is in man to the grace and mercie of GOD who distributes to euery man according to the good pleasure of His will that which Hee thinkes meete for as was said before It is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie This sudden change and notable confession which Thomas giues of the LORD teaches vs yet further that there was some sponkes of grace and of spirituall desire left into the soule of Thomas to see the LORD and to enjoy His presence for except there had bene some piece of desire to haue seene Him how could hee vpon a suddaintie haue embraced Him so willingly and joyfully as one long desired and looked for For the wordes of Thomas importe first that hee had great sorrowe and sadnesse in His soule because as hee thought hee had lost the LORD Next that hee had a desire to finde Him and to see Him againe And thirdly that hee had an exceeding great joy when he found Him and by his expectation saw Him and enjoyed His presence This serues for thy comfort who hast gotten a measure of grace albeit the corruptions and infirmities of the flesh striue to drowne and smoother and suffocate it yet neuer shall it altogether be abolished and extinguished but at last it shall wrestle out and preuaile and ouercome the corruption Now to come forward to the LORDES replie to Thomas Hee answeres him Thomas because thou hast seene thou beleeuest blessed are they which haue not seene and haue beleeued Hee sayes not because thou hast touched Mee but because thou hast seene Me. So in my judgement Thomas touched not the Lord but contented himselfe with the seeing of the LORD and hearing of His voyce Hee acknowledges the Faith of Thomas but Hee extetenuates it in comparison of others Hee praises not Thomas for His Faith because hee tied his faith to his senses Hee beleeued because hee sawe Him but Hee praises and commends the Faith of others who no counting of the outwarde sense should beleeue in Him albeit they saw Him not Albeit Hee acknowledges the Faith of Thomas Hee calles him not blessed for it but Hee pronounces them to be blessed who haue not seene Him and yet doe beleeue These wordes of the LORD to Thomas le ts vs see that the case and condition of them who beleeue without seeing is nothing worse nor inferiour to the case and condition of them who haue not seene the LORD and vpon sight haue beleeued We this day who haue not seene the LORD face to face but only haue heard His worde and beleeue are nothing inferiour to them who sawe Him and beleeued and namely to Thomas who would not beleeue except he saw the LORD and if there were no more to assure thee who hast not seene the LORD IESVS and yet beleeuest that thou art blessed this joy that thou shalt finde in the middes of thy greatest sorrow and affliction might be a sufficient argument to perswade thee for Peter sayes The Godly in the middes of their affliction beleeuing in Christ whome they haue not seene reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. Chapter 1. verse 8. Indeede in this life the blessed estate of them who beleeue in Christ is neither clearly seene by others neither is it throughly felt by themselues for it is not seene what wee shall be and heere only haue wee the first fruites of the Spirite and a foretasting of these things that shall bee reueiled but in that
great daye when our LORD shall appeare then shall it bee seene how blessed the estate of them shall be who beleeued for then when wee see Him as He is we shall be like to Him in glorie The world countes them who beleeue in Christ Iesus to be vile and contemptible bodies but one day they shall see their happinesse their glorie to their shame and confusion But heere it may be asked What mooues the Lord so highly to commend the Faith of them who beleeue and yet see not What can be the cause of this I answere The reason is because Faith without sight is more hardly obtained than Faith by sight The man that beleeues without sight he must ouercome many moe impediments and tentations than the other who beleeues that which he sees and this is commonly true that which is obtained most hardly and acquired with greatest difficultie is most precious most excellent and most worthie of praise and so this Faith that wants sight is farre to be preferred more praise worthie than the other for it is sundrie wayes tried and fined before it appeare 1. Pet. 1.7 Now to goe forward The Euangelist in the end of the Chapter by the way meetes some things which curious men might haue objected First they might haue asked Whether if all the miracles which the Lord Iesus wrought while Hee was in the world were set downe in write and extant in the Gospell written by him Iohn answeres No they are not all written for he sayes Many other signes also did Iesus in the presence of His Disciples which are not written in this Booke They might haue saide againe to Iohn then by appearance this Euangell that thou hast written is not perfect but vnperfect To this hee answeres My Gospell is perfect enough because all things are written that are necessarie to Faith and Saluation These words are casten in only by the way in this Historie of the Resurrection for albeit hee seemes to breake off the Historie of the Resurrection of CHRIST and to conclude in a manner the whole Gospell yet he returnes againe to the same Historie of the Resurrection in the Chapter following and in the ende thereof hee concludes the whole Gospell almost in these same words that are set downe heere But to returne and to speake of the miracles whereof Iohn speakes heere hee sayes Many other signes and Miracles wrought the LORD which are not written in this booke Then it may be asked Wherefore are they not written Were they vnprofitable Serues the knowledge of them to no vse To this I answere That these miracles were profitable and steadable to confirme and strengthen the faith of them who liued in that age and sawe them done yea further they are also steadable to the faith of them who liued in the ages following for when we read and heare that there was such a great multitude of miracles wrought by the Lord albeit wee know not distinctly and particularly what they were that serues very much to strengthen and confirme our Faith so that wee see these miracles which are not written are not left out of write as though they were vnprofitable and as though they serued for no vse or were vnworthie to be remembred No they were profitable and worthie but they are left out because the miracles set downe in write by Iohn and the rest of the Euangelists which indeed are very many are sufficient to Faith and Saluation But because the Euangelist sets downe in this place the ende of the miracles that the Lorde wrought therefore we shall speake more largely of them CHRIST when Hee came into the worlde was many wayes marueilous and therefore amongst many other glorious stiles Hee gets this also to bee called wonderfull Isaiah Chapter 9. verse 6. For first if wee looke to His person Hee was wonderfull for He was GOD and man in one person the like whereof neuer was nor neuer shall bee Next if we looke to the doctrine which Hee brought out of Heauen and to the worde which Hee preached to the worlde Hee was wonderfull for wonderfull was the light of His doctrine whereby Hee brought a marueilous light to the darke worlde and this made the officers to say to the High Priestes Neuer man spake like this man Ioh. Chapter 7. verse 46. and in the 7. Chapter of the Euangell of Matth. verse 29. Hee teached them as one hauing authoritie and not as the Scribes Last if we consider the things that Hee did and the wonders that Hee wrought in the world He was wonderful for they declared plainly that He was not only a man a creature but that He was God the great Creator and that Eternall IEHOVAH And these miracles serued to confirme His doctrine for the doctrine and the word of the Gospell preached by CHRIST serued to worke and beget Faith in the heart but the miracles serued to confirme the doctrine the word which He preached for they were steadable either to prepare the hearts of men to receiue the word and doctrine of the Lord or els to confirme them in that word which they had reeceiued alreadie Now both the word and doctrine of Christ and also His Miracles are set downe and left in register to vs by the speciall will direction of Christ to the well of them that were to liue in the ages to come that they might beleeue get life and saluation and therefore this written word doctrine should be receiued by vs as the viue voyce of Christ Himselfe and wee should count no lesse of it than if wee heard Christ Himselfe speaking to vs with His owne mouth and likewise wee shoulde count of the miracles written in the Gospell as if wee had seene the Lord Iesus working them before our eyes and therefore nowe in our age we neede not any new miracles to confirme of new againe the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles Indeede miracles were very necessarie to them that liued in the Primitiue Church when the Gospell was first preached and when it appeared vnto the world to be a new doctrine when the Church was in her infancie then miracles were very needfull but now seeing the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles is sufficiently confirmed alreadie by all these miracles that were wrought in these dayes by Christ His Apostles we need no miracles Why should we desire them except we thought that the doctrine is not yet sufficiently confirmed and as yet is but a new doctrine If we thinke that it is the same doctrine which Christ and His Apostles taught it needes no new confirmation Many vaine and fantasticke men but especially the Papistes this daye are not content with the Miracles that haue bene wrought by the Lord Iesus His Apostles to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell but they craue new miracles to confirme the doctrine of the Gospell as if it were not sufficiently confirmed alreadie But I say vnto thee Vaine man goe seeke miracles as
these His vvonderous workes bare witnesse that the Godhead dwelt in Him bodily Iohn sayes We saw His glorie as the glory of the only begotten Sonne of God Ioh. 1.14 How saw we this glorie How discerned he it Euen by these many other such wondrous works indeed it had done them litle good to haue knowen that Christ was risen againe except they had beene assured that He who rose vvas God the Sonne of God if they had not knowen this the knowledge of His Resurrection had not bene steadable to Saluation Nowe it vvould bee marked that he sayes when they come to land They saw fish laide on the coales and bread This was for their sustentation So the Lord manifested not only His power in the miracle but likewise His loue in feeding of them to the end that they should not rest coÌ„tent themselues with marueiling at His power but that vpon thâ— consideration of His gâ—eat loue they should be mooued to loue Him againe intierely to put their trust in Him Indeede vve ought to vvonder at the gloriousnesse of the person the Lord and at His extraordinarie and maruellous power for He is as the Prophet Esay 9.6 calles Him Wonderfull but vve should so maruell at His power that in y e meane time vve endâ—uoure to haue a sense of His loue that vve may loue Him againe put our trust in Him for without the sense of His loue our maruelling vvondering at Him vvill doe vs litle good Now let vs come to the Lords conference vvith the Disciples Iesus saide vnto them Bring of the fishes which yee haue nowe caught The Lord breakes off first the conference for they carried such a reuerence to the Lord that they vvould not presume once to speake for as the presence of the Lord vvorketh Faith and loue in the soule so it vvorkes feare and reuerence of His Majestie if thou vvantest feare and reuerence to His Majestie thou neuer foundest His presence in thy soule Now vvhen Hee bids them Bring of the fishes which they had caught He demands an accompt of the benefite vvhich He had bestowed on them and so Hee shewes that it vvas not His vvill that rashly vnaduisedly they should haue cast away the benefite vvherewith He had blessed them albeit it vvas but an earthly blessing and hereby vve may see that the fact of Iohn and the other Disciples vvas vvorthie of praise vvho left not the fishes behind them but drew the net full of fishes to the land Againe it is worthie to be marked that he ascribeth the taking of the fishes which Hee had enclosed in the net and freely giuen them to their trauels labours for He sayes Bring of the fâ—shes which ye haue now caught This forme of speaking lets vs see how well the Lord likes how highly He counts of the labours which His own Children vndertake at His coÌ„mandement for albeit we be altogether vnprofitable seruants when we haue done all that we can do Luke 17.10 and all our labours be not steadable to Him nor profitable in theÌ„â—elues yet such is His loue fauour towards His own that both He commends them as profitable seruants allowes of their workes as steadable and this He does to the end He may encourage vs as His children not to wearie but to goe forward in well doing for it is necessarie that we be exercised in well doing go forward in good works for God hath ordained that we should walke in them Ephes 2.10 that without them it is vnpossible to attaine vnto eternalâ— life In like maner when freely He crownes His grace into vs Hee calles that crowne a reward as if we had dâ—serued it by our labours for the Lorde vses to deale with vs as a louing father deales vvith His Children the father will make much of his sonne allure him promise him an hyre to moue him to do that thing that he is obliged to do of duty so the Lord dates and allures vs and calles the thing which Hee giues vs freelie an hyre and rewarde to the ende that Hee may encourage vs to goe forwardes in vvell-doing Likewise in that perfect forme of prayer vvhich the Lord hath taught vs Hee calles that bread which Hee biddes vs craue from GOD our bread as though GOD vvere indebted to giue it vnto vs and as if vve had a right vnto it vvhich neuerthelesse vve craue from God as appertaining to Him not to vs yet He teaches vs to call it our bread albeit vve haue no right to it to testifie His fatherly loue fauour towardes vs. When the Papists heare any thing ascribed to our laboures vvhen they heare a rewarde named in the Scriptures then incontinent they conclude That vvee merite it at GODS hand But they deceaue themselues for as the Lord ascribes heere the taking of the fishe vvhich vvas His benefite and blessing vnto their laboures vvhich they vndertooke at His commandement So after this same manner and no otherwise Hee vses to call that a rewarde vvhich Hee giues vs freelie to the ende Hee may encourage vs vvith the greater pleasure to doe His vvill Nowe let vs come to the obedience to this coÌ„mandement of the Lord. As soone as Peter heares the Lord bidding them bring of the fishes which they had caught incontinent hee stepped foorth and drewe the nette to land full of great fishes an hundreth fiftâ—e and three Hee is verie readie to obeye Before vvhen first hee vnderstoode that it vvas the LORDE hee vvas carried vvith such a feruent zeale to meete vvith the LORDE that hee left the nette fishes and all behinde him Nowe vvhen hee heares the LORD commanding to bring the fishes there is none of them so bent and readie to obeye Which lettes vs see that vvhen PETER left all and cast himselfe into the Sea to meete the LORDE hee despised not neither misregarded the benefite of the fishes vvhich the LORDE gaue the DISCIPLES So learne in this example of PETER vvhat is the disposition and behauiour of a sanctified and holie person for a season hee vvill bee rauished and as it vvere transported aboue all the pleasures and outwarde comfortes of the vvorlde and he vvill bee so sette vpon the meditation and thinking of those thinges vvhich are spirituall and to enjoye the presence of the LORD that scarcelie vvill hee once so much as haue any thought of them because he countes himselfe to be a Citizen of the Kingdome of Heauen Againe when hee knowes that it is the Lords will that he should be exercised the time of his pilgrimage heere in some earthly calling hee is content to returne backe againe and to put his hand to worke exercising him in his owne calling yet in the meane time when his hande is working his heart is in Heauen where his treasure is when he is exercised in his calling his conuersation is aboue and as Paul speakes of him Hee vses the world as though hee
it not saide The violent take the Kingdome of Heauen by force Matth. Chap. 11. vers 12. And doth not the Lord recommend importunitie and earnestnesse in crauing by the Parable of the widowe who importunated the vnrighteous Iudge To this I answere It is lawfull indeede to seeke continually the increase and growth of knowledge as well as of all other spirituall graces yea it is a thing that the Lord recommends vnto vs commands But of what knowledge should we seeke the increase Only the knowledge of these thinges that are reueiled and set downe in the Olde and New Testament it is the Lords will that wee euer grow in knowledge of these thinges and that we goe from knowledge to knowledge But this increase of knowledge is farre different from curiositie in seeking new reuelations besides the thinges that are reueiled in the writes of the Prophets and the Apostles The Lord likes well growth of knowledge but Hee mislikes curiositie yea I say to thee if thou seekest a clearer and more ample reuelation than that which is alreadie set downe in the Olde and New Testament thou offendest highly the Majestie of God for by so doing thou deniest that Christ when Hee came into the world brought with Him a full and perfect reuelation of all things necessarie Read what the Apostle Paul sayes Rom. 10.6 Now to end shortly In the last wordes of our Text wee haue set downe the Conclusion of this appearing of Christ whereof we haue spoken wherein hee telles that it was the third in number for hee sayes This nowe is the third time that Iesus shewed Himselfe vnto His Disciples after He was raised againe from the dead I thinke he calles it the third in number not absolutely but in respect of the Disciples and so the words import for it is said This is the third time that He shewed Himselfe vnto His Disciples for if we number precisely the particular appearing of Christ after His Resurrection vnto this time whereof wee haue any mention made in the Scripture we will finde that this is the eight in number He shewed Himselfe first to Marie Magdalene Next to other certaine women Thirdly to the two Apostles who were going to Emmaus Fourthly to Simon Peter Fifthly to lames as we may read 1. Cor. 15.6 Sixtly to the Disciples assembled together in Ierusalem Thomas only being absent Seuenthly to the same Disciples assembled together Thomas beeing present with them Eightly He appeared vnto these sâ—uen at this time when they were fishing Nowe it was not without cause that the Lord reueiled Himselfe so oft after Hee rose againe No question Hee did it not onely to confirme the Disciples of the trueth of His Resurrection but also for our cause that wee might haue stedfast faith and full assurance that Hee is risen againe for our comfort And it is the Lords will that when wee reade that there were so many that saw Him with their eyes heard Him spake with Him handeled Him and haunted with Him wee should bee fully perswaded and assured of His Resurrection But I will not insist in this matter because I haue spoken of it alreadie Nowe seeing the Lord has had such a great care of our faith that by beleeuing we might haue comfort seeing so oft times and to so manie Hee appeared the LORD make these meanes effectuall to worke and to encrease faith in vs that both in our life and especiallie in the houre of death wee may haue matter of rejoycing in Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all praise and honour AMEN THE L. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XXI verse 15 So when they had dined Iesus said to Simon Peter Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me more than these He said vnto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He said vnto him Feede my lambes verse 16 He said to him againe the second time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me He said vnto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He said vnto him Feede my sheepe verse 17 He said vnto him the third time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me Peter was sorie because hee said to him the third time Louest thou mee and said vnto him Lord thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee Iesus said to him Feede my sheepe WEE haue hearde these dayes past Beloued in the Lord Iesus of the third generall appearance of the Lord Iesus after His glorious Resurrection The place we heard was by the Sea of Tiberias The persons to whom He appeared we heard were seuen in number The manner how He appeared was by miracle by wonderfull working He shewes a miracle in the Sea by taking of many great fishes there Then by land by the extraordinary preparation of meat fire to His disciples comming off the sea to the land To this He joyned y e third miracle in keeping whole the net so that there was not a threed broken notwithstanding of the great number of fishes taken therein Thereafter as He manifested Himselfe in His Godhead diuine power in working of miracles so He comes on more familiarly manifestes Himselfe in His humane nature lets theÌ„ see y t He was a maÌ„ ate drunk with theÌ„ as other men therfore He sits down dines with them Hee eates Himself giues them to eat also Then hauing dined He enters in conference with Peter which conference we haue to entreat of this day as God wil giue vs grace The end of His conference with Peter was not to make him an Vniuersall Bishop His Vicar here on y e earth as the Papists speake that is to say To make vp a Popedome for the Papists make these words relatiue to that promise which they saye He made to Peter before Matth. 16.18 I say vnto thee Thou art Peter vpon this Rocke I will build my Kirke That was not the end but y e end of it was to restore him again to his own rowm of th'Apostleship from the which he fell for Peter had made a foule defection froÌ„ his Lord he denied Him thrise so by this defection threefold denial he depriued himselfe of his rowm of th'Apostleship wherunto he was called Looke how verily Judas fell by his traitorie as verilie did Peter fall for he that denies the Lord Iesus vnto the time he bee restored againe he cannot be a Christian man let bee an Apostle or Minister So in a word the ende of this conference was to restore Peter again by taking out of his own mouth a threefold confession of his loue to the Lord of the hatred of that foule sin which hee committed by denying of the Lord. Indeed it is true at Christs first meeting with His disciples at HierusaleÌ„ in a maÌ„ner he was restored because he got a dâ—rection with the rest to go foorth preach the Gospel where Christ sayes As my Father sends me so send J
Apostles which sets out vnto vs the glorious Majestie of God and His properties His power His mercie His Iustice His wisdome c. is by infinite degrees inferior to the Majestie which it describes vnto vs that the Spirit of God paintes Him not throughly fully in His essence nature and in His owne perfection as He is No but in painting Him out Hee attempers His stile to our infirmitie weaknesse that we may vnderstand beleeue for there can be no words so high so sublime so glorious inuented or deuised by any that can bee sufficient to expresse that Majestie which is incōprehensible infinite Alwayes seeing the Holy Spirit hath set down so much in the Scripture concerning that glorious incomprehensible Majestie of God His worship as is sufficient for our Saluation let vs therewith be content and not curiously seeke for any more and while we read or heare the Scriptures let vs earnestly craue at God that He would worke faith in our soules that we may beleeue that Iesus is that Christ the Sonne of God that in beleeuing we may haue life Saluation through Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE LIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 16 Then the eleuen disciples went into Galile into a mountaine where Jesus had appointed them verse 17 And when they sawe Him they worshipped Him but some doubted verse 18 And Jesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is giuen vnto Me in heauen and in earth verse 19 Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 15 And Hee saide vnto them Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature WELBELOVED Brethren these dayes bypast we followed out the Historie of the Resurrection of the Lord and of His manifolde appearings vnto sundrie but especially vnto His Disciples as they are set down by the Euangelist John who insists more largely in describing His appearings to His Disciples than any of y e rest as God gaue the grace the last day wee ended his Gospell spake last of the conclusion thereof now it rests that we follow out so much as remaines of the Historie of the resurrectiō as it is set down by y e rest of y e Euangelists for Iohn wrote his Euāgel after all y e rest omitted purposely such things as were written by y e rest willing vs to addresse our selues to y e rest of y e Euangelists that there we might read follow out y e rest of y e Historie of CHRIST vvhich hee left off And so vvee are this day to enter into the description of another appearing of CHRIST after His Resurrection as it is set downe by Matthew Marke This appearing of the Lord seemes to be the ninth in number for the first was to Marie Magdalene The second to other women The thirde to two disciples as they wēt to Emmaus The fourth was to Simō Peter The fift to Iames Then three seuerall times Hee appeared to His disciples being gathered together as ye heard out of Iohn So this is y e ninth appearing wherin it is likely that He shewes Himselfe not only to the eleuen disciples being met together but also to a great number of brethren being together with them For this seemes to be y t appearing wherof th'Apostle Paul makes mention 1. Cor. 15 6. where he says Hee was seene of more than fiue hundreth brethren at once In this appearing there are sundry thinges to bee considered As the circumstances of time and place the disciples worshipping of Him when they sawe Him the doubting of some of them His communicatiō with the disciples sending them out with a commission to preach to all Nations Appearantly this is that meeting which the Lord in His appearing to the women enjoyned to the Apostles for by the women Hee gaue th'Apostles a direction to meete Him in Galilie Matth. chap. 28. vers 10. According to this direction it is said The eleuen disciples went into Galilie vnto a Mountaine where Iesus had appointed them So the place vvas in that Mountaine of Galilie wherein the Lord had appointed them to meete The time is not particularly mentioned yet it is likelie that as the Lord gaue a direction concerning the place so did Hee also concerning the time of their meeting Then this whole meeting the time the place and all is according to the direction and appointment of the Lord. Now as they keep this meeting vpō hope to see the Lord according to His promise so they are not disappointed of their hope The Lord is as good as His promise He shewes Himselfe present vnto thē Marke the lesson The Lord who has appointed ordained y e meetings assemblies of His owne has promised to be amongst them when they are gathered together He disappoints thē not of His promise but shewes Himselfe to be present with thē This y e disciples foūd by experience whē they met together by His appointment y e Lord shewes Himselfe present vnto thē This same haue al y e godly foūd in al ages y e faithful find it this day in their meetings for albeit He shew not Himselfe present after a bodilie manner as here He did to His disciples yet He is present yea no lesse present with His owne now than He was then but He is now present after a spirituall manner and the faithfull find His presence to be no lesse powerfull effectuall now than it was then for frō whence comes this vnspeakeable joy comfort and peace of conscience which the faithfull find in their meetings but from the presence of Iesus for except the Lord Iesus were present in our soules by His Spirite it were not possible that wee could finde such a powerfull working and such sweete motions and alterations in them Vaine and foolish men who are touched with no sense of sin disdaines scornes the meetings of the Saincts they thinke them all to be but fectlesse for y e feshiō they think they feed vpō fantasies But y e faithful find by experience that the presence of Christ in their meetinges is so powerfull comfortable as no tongue can vtter nor the heart of man is able to conceiue And thou y t contemnest and scornest these meetings thou shalt find one day by sorrowful experiēce of how great comforts thou hast depriued thy selfe And if thy conscience were once wakened with the sense of sinne thou wouldest finde that there were no joy nor comfort to thy soule but by these meetings Then thou wouldest haue greater pleasure to frequēt these meetings thā euer thou hadst to eat or drink when thou werest hungry and drie Now when y e Lord appeares to them what doe they what is their behauiour It is saide When
they saw Him they worshipped Him What made them to fall downe and worship Him What sawe they into Him No question they sawe in Him a glorious Majestie By all appearance at this time He has shewed himselfe in greater glory than Hee did of before So beholding His glorie on the one part and their owne vnworthinesse on the other as Hee approaches vnto them they humblie fall downne and worship Him This their behauiour teaches vs that wheresoeuer the Lord of Glorie is present there He should be worshipped and adored His presence requires adoration Seest thou the Lord present with thee Then in humilitie fall downe and worshippe Him But thou wilt saye I cannot see Him how then can I adore Him Th'Apostles saw His glorious presence with their eyes therefore they ought to haue worshipped Him but as for vs who liue in these dayes after His ascension to Heauen we see Him not and therefore how can wee worship Him But I answere thee It is true thou seest Him not nowe vvith the eyes of thy bodie but thou seest Him with the eyes of thy soule thou seest Him with the eyes of faith thou seest Him in the vvorde and Sacraments first crucified and then glorified And if thou wilt not worship Him when thou seest Him here present in the worde and Sacraments thou wouldest not haue worshipped Him if thou haddest seene Him with the eyes of thy body face to face These profane bodies vvho vvill not vvorship Him nowe vvhen they see Him present in the mirrour of the Gospell they vvill neuer gette leaue to worship Him in the Kingdome of Heauen Thinkest thou not that the Lord is seene present in His word What meanes Paul then vvhen he sayes that an vnlearned man comming into the meetinges of the faithfull where manie are prophecying finding himselfe rebuked and judged of all and the secrets of his heart made manâ—fest that hee will fall downe on his face and worshippe GOD and saye plainlie That GOD is among them indeede 1. Corinth Chap. 14. vers 24. and 25. What sees the vnlearned man among them that makes him to fall down and giue such a confession No question but the glorious light of the GOSPELL shines into his soule and Christ offers Himselfe present to bee seene by the eye of faith The faithfull this daye by experience finde in their meetings this same presence of the Lord And therefore it becomes vs in all our meetinges euer to vvorshippe the Lord and to sit vvith feare and reuerence to heare the worde and to prepare our heartes to receiue the Holie Spirite whome the Lord promises and offers with the preaching of the worde to all His Chosen Againe this their behauiour teaches vs what force and power there is in the glorious presence of Christ Iesus His presence is powerfull to humble and bowe both the bodie and soule of the creature This made Paul to saye that at the Name of IESVS euerie knee should bowe both of thinges in Heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth Philipp chap. 2. vers 20. For that sublimitie and highnesse vvhereunto the Father hath exalted Him is so effectuall and powerfull in all creatures and of all sortes that either sweetlie willinglie it mooues them to worship Him in all humilitie or else it breakes bruises them with fearcenesse and violence and compels out perforce obedience of them The sight and sense of this sublimitie and highnesse makes the blessed Angels in Heauen in all reuerence to worshippe Him The sense of this sublimitie makes the Sainctes on earth when either they speake or heare of Him reuerentlie and in humilitie to bow both their bodies and their soules vnto Him And by the contrarie The sight and sense of this same sublimitie raises vp in the Deuill and his angelles such horroures and dread as cannot bee expressed The sense of this sublimitie makes the wicked howe proude and jollie soeuer they bee in their owne conceite oft times when they heare of Him to quake and tremble The Euangelist Matthew notes That notwithstanding of their worshipping of Him yet some of them doubted But who were these that doubted Euen some of these who before worshipped Him And what mooued them to doubt Apparantly that same that before moued them to worship Him moues them also now to doubt to wit that extraordinary vnaccustomed majesty and glory wherein Iesus appeared to them which scarcely they could haue deemed to bee so great wonderfull And certainly the glory of the Lord sitting this day in the HeaueÌ„s at the right hand of the Father is so exceeding great woÌ„derfull that if it were permitted to vs to behold it as it is with our bodily eyes such is y e corruption of our nature we could not but doubt whether He were y e Christ who vvas so far humbled abased in y e earth of whom we heard before in y e Gospel Beside this cause y e difficulty to belieue this article of the ResurrectioÌ„ of y e dead seemes likewise to haue furthered their doubting for indeed amoÌ„g al y e articles of our belief there is none more coÌ„trary to nature nor harder to belieue thaÌ„ this article of y e ResurrectioÌ„ of our bodies froÌ„ y e dead Nature can neuer be perswaded y t a dead body y t has bin a prey to worms is resolued in dust ashes can rise vp againe to life But as of all articles there is none harder to be belieued so there is none more necessary to saluatioÌ„ nor none that brings greater consolation And therefore the Lord that vve might haue the more full assurance and perswasion thereof tooke great paines vpon Himselfe and for the space of fourtie dayes Hee remained vpon the earth after His Resurrection and sundry times shewed Himselfe to His Disciples and manie other of the Faithfull that all occasion of doubting might bee remooued and so their joye and comfort might bee the greater Nowe this doubting of the Disciples lets vs see vvhat is the disposition of the heartes of the Godlie euen in their best exercises For euen their best exercises are euer accompanied vvith a piece of doubting of vvant of infirmitie c. their vvorshipping of GOD is vvith doubting their prayer is vvith infirmitie and vvauering of the minde their meditation falles from GOD and spirituall things to carnall and earthly things their hearing of the word is euer with some piece of loathing their Faith is mixed with infidelitie so that before they can come to any great measure of grace they must striue and wrestle through many infirmities and ouercome many difficulties and tentations so that the best man euen in his best workes hath no matter of rejoycing if the Lord would enter in judgement with him Yee haue heard the disciples behauiour now look how the Lord meetes them First He drawes nearer to them and then He enters in communing with them for it is said Iesus came and spake vnto them He