condition that separated Souls are in after Death Thus the Miracles of Christ drew many followers after his Person who were never converted by his Doctrine It was the Sin of many when Christ was here upon Earth that they flock'd after him rather out of Curiosity than out of Conscience and chose rather to gaze upon his Works than to fall in Love with the Worker The Multitude here came to Bethany Not for Jesus's sake onely but that they might see Lazarus also 10 ¶ But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death 11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus Observe here 1. The unreasonableness of that Rage and Madness which was found in the chief Priests against Lazarus They consulted together how they might put Lazarus to Death But supposing that Christ had spoken Blasphemy in making himself equal with God or supposing that he had broken the Sabbath by curing the Man that was Born Blind on that Day yet what had Lazarus done that he must be put to Death But from hence we learn That such as have received special Mercy and Favours from Christ or are made the Instruments of his Glory must expect to be made the Mark and Butt of malicious Enemies Christ had highly honoured Lazarus by raising him from the Grave and here there is a Resolution against his Life whom Christ had thus highly Honoured The chief Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to Death also Observe 2. The cause why the Chief Priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to Death Namely Because that by Reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed on Jesus That is many of the Jews seeing the Miracle of Christ's raising Lazarus from the Grave were drawn thereby to Believe in Jesus Christ and this so inraged the Chief Priests against Lazarus that they sought to put him to Death Learn hence That nothing so much enrages the Enemies of Christ as the enlargement of his Kingdom and the sight of the number of Believers daily encreasing This provokes the Devil's wrath and his Servants rage 12 ¶ On the next day much people that were come to the Feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem 13 Took branches of palm-trees and went forth to meet him and cried Hosanna blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord. 14 And Jesus when he had found a young ass sat thereon as it is written 15 Fear not daughter of Sion behold thy King cometh fitting on an asses colt 16 These things understood not his disciples at the first but when Jesus was glorified then remembred they that these things were written of him and that they had done these things unto him Here we have Recorded the carriage of the Multitude towards our Saviour when he came near the City of Jerusalem They take Palms in their Hands and go forth to meet him and cast their Garments on the Ground before him to Ride upon yea they do not only Disrobe their Backs but expend their Breath in joyful Acclamations and loud Hosannahs wishing all manner of Prosperity to their meek but mighty King In this Prince-like yet Poor and Despicable Pomp doth our Saviour enter the Famous City of Jerusalem Lord How far wert thou from affecting Worldly Greatness and Grandeur Thou despisest that Glory which our Hearts fondly Admire Yet because Christ was a King he would be proclaimed such and have his Kingdom confest and applauded and blest Yet that it might appear that his Kingdom was not of this World he abandons all Worldly magnificence Oh Glorious yet homely Pomp Oh meek but mighty Prince 17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead bare record 18 For this cause the people also met him for that they heard that he had done this miracle 19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing behold the world is gone after him 20 ¶ And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast 21 The same came therefore to Philip which was of Bethsaida of Galilee and desired him saying Sir we would see Jesus 22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew and again Andrew and Philip told Jesus Observe here 1. How the Multitude at Jerusalem came forth to meet Christ when he was making his publick entry into the City hearing the fame of his Miracles For this cause the People also met him for that they had heard that he had done this Miracle Observe 2. How amongst others who came forth to meet our Saviour certain Greeks or Gentile Proselytes who came up to worship in the outward Court of the Temple apply themselves to Philip that he would help them to a sight of Jesus Sir we would see Jesus It is probable that this desire to see Christ in these persons proceeded from Curiosity only But if it did produce true Faith in them we may thence infer That a spiritual sight of Christ by the discerning Eye of a Believer's Faith it is the most glorious and consequently the most desirable sight in all the World and so must needs be for it is a Soul-Ravishing a Soul-Satisfying a Soul-Transforming and a Soul-Saving sight This sight of Christ by Faith will constrain a Soul highly to admire and greatly to commend him It will incline a Soul to chuse him and cleave unto him and will set the Soul a longing for the full fruition and final injoyment of him Luke 2.29 Mine eyes have seen thy Salvation now let thy Servant depart Observe lastly How the Envious Pharisees were galled and cut to the Heart to see such a Multitude both of Jews and Greeks crouding out of the City to meet Jesus in his Triumphant entrance into the City The Pharisees said Behold the World is gone after him Learn hence That in the day of Christ's greatest Solemnity and Triumph there will not be wanting some persons of such a canker'd disposition that they will neither rejoyce themselves nor can they endure that others should This was the case of the wicked Pharisees here 23 ¶ And Jesus answered them saying The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified 24 Verily verily I say unto you Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die it abideth alone but if it die it bringeth forth much fruit 25 He that loveth his life shall lose it and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal Observe here 1. How our blessed Saviour entertains his followers with a Discourse concerning his approaching Death and Sufferings The hour is coming that the Son of Man shall be glorified Observe 2. How he Arms his Disciples against the scandal of the Cross by shewing them the great Benefit that would redound by his Death unto all Mankind and this by a Similitude taken from Grain Except
had alledged Scripture before to Satan here Satan retorts Scripture back again to Christ It is written says Christ It is written says Satan Learn thence That it is no wonder to hear Hereticks and Hypocrites quote Scripture when Satan himself durst recite them He that had prophanely toucht the Sacred Body of Christ with his Hand sticks not presumptuously to handle the Holy Scriptures of God with his Tongue Yet Observe How wretchedly the Devil wrests perverts and misapplies the Scriptures When God promises his Angels shall keep us it is in Viis non in Praecipitiis 't is in all God's Ways not in any of our own crooked Paths Note here That altho' the Children of God have the Promise of the Guardianship of Holy Angels yet then only may they expect their Protection when they are walking in the Way of their Duty 7 Jesus said unto him It is written again Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God Observe here Tho' the Devil had wrested and abused Scripture yet still Christ alledges Scripture The Abuse of the Holy Scriptures by Hereticks and Seducers is no Argument against the Use of them As Christ here compares Scripture with Scripture so should we in order to the finding out the true Sence and Meaning of it 8 Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them 9 And saith unto him All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me The next Sin which Satan tempts our Saviour to is the Sin of Idolatry even to Worship the Devil himself Oh thou Impudent and Foul Spirit To desire thy Creator to Adore thee an Apostate-Creature Surely there can be no Sin so black and foul so gross and monstrous but that the Christian may be tempted to it when Christ himself was tempted to Worship the Tempter St. Matthew reads the Words If thou wilt fall down and Worship me St. Luke If thou wilt Worship before me Whence we may gather That if to Worship before the Devil be to Worship the Devil then to Worship before an Image is to Worship the Image Obs 2. The Bait which Satan makes use of to allure our Saviour to the Sin of Idolatry and that was in representing to his Eye and View all the Glories of the World in the most inviting manner and that in a Moment of Time to the intent it might affect him the more and prevail the sooner Learn thence That the Pomp and Greatness the Glory and Grandeur of this World is made use of by Satan as a dangerous Snare to draw Men to a Compliance with him in his Temptations unto Sin 10 Then saith Jesus unto him Get thee hence Satan for it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Observe here 1. With what Zeal and Indignation of Spirit our Blessed Saviour repells and beats back this Temptation of Satan Get thee hence Note thence That the greater the Sins are which the Devil tempts us to the greater our Zeal and Indignation ought to be in opposing and resisting of the Temptation to them A great Temptation must be withstood with great Resolution Observe 2. The Weapon with which he repells and beats back the Fiery Dart of Satan's Temptation and that is with the Shield of Scripture It is written Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God Learn thence That GOD is the Sole Object of all Religious Worship it is so peculiarly the Creator's Due that to give it to any Creature is gross Idolatry and repugnant to the Scriptures 11 Then the devil leaveth him and behold angels came and ministred unto him Observe here 1. The Issue of this Combat Satan is conquered and quits the Field Then the Devil leaveth him Teaching us That nothing like a vigorous Resistance of Temptation causes the Tempter to flee from us Resist the Devil and be will flee from you Observe 2. Our Lord's Triumph over his Enemy Behold Angels came and ministred unto him Food to his hungry Body and Comfort to his tempted Soul Learn thence That those who in the Hour of Temptation do hold out in resisting Satan shall find the Power and Faithfulness of God will not be wanting to them to send in Succour and Relief in the End 12 Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison he departed into Galilee 13 And leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum which is upon the sea-coast in the borders of Zebulon and Nephthalim 14 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet saying 15 The land of Zabulon and the land of Nephthalim by the way of the sea beyond Jordan Galilee of the Gentiles 16 The people which sat in darkness saw great light and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up Observe here 1. Our Saviour hearing of John's Imprisonment provides for his own Safety by departing into Galilee As our Holy Lord avoided Persecution so may we Observe 2. The Place in Galilee he comes to Capernaum Christ had three Cities which he called his own Nazareth where he was Bred Bethlehem where he was Born and Capernaum where he dwelt this was a Sea-coast Town in the Borders of Zebulon and Nephthali Observe 3. The Special Providence of God in this Change of our Saviour's Habitation for by that means the Prophecy Isa 9.1 was fulfilled which declares that in that dark part of the Country the Messiah the True Light should shine forth Learn hence 1. That a People destitute of the Saving Knowledge of the Gospel are in great Darkness how great soever the Light of their Outward Comforts may be This People had Natural Light enough and Civil Light enough they had an Abundance of Wealth and Riches Peace and Plenty but they wanted the Light of Christ and his Gospel and therefore are said to sit in Darkness 2. That where-ever the Gospel is Preached amongst a People it is as a Light springing up and shining forth amongst them quickning and enlivening reviving and chearing the Souls of those that entertain it how great soever their outward Darkness and Distress may be The People that sate in Darkness saw great Light and to them which sate in the Region and Shadow of Death Light is sprung up c. 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand Here our Saviour begins to enter upon his Prophetick Office and by Preaching to make known the Will of God to Mankind and Observe The Doctrine which he Preached is the same that John the Baptist did Preach namely the Doctrine of Repentance Repent ye and the Argument is the same also For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand that is now is the so much expected Time of the Appearing of the promised Messiah Learn hence That the Doctrine of Christ and his Ambassadors is alike and the same
them to Marry to any other or for others knowingly to Marry to them 33 Again ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time Thou shalt not forswear thy self but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths 34 But I say unto you Swear nor at all neither by heaven for it is God's throne 35 Nor by the earth for it is his footstool neither by Jerusalem for it is the city of the great king 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black The next Commandment which our Saviour Expounds and Vindicates is the Third which requires a Reverent Use of God's Name Now the Pharisees taught that Perjury was the only Breach of this Commandment and that Swearing was nothing if they did not Forswear themselves And that Persons were only obliged to Swear by the Name of God in Publick Courts of Justice but in their ordinary and common Discourse they might Swear by any of the Creatures Now in opposition to these Wicked Principles and Practices Christ says Swear not at all That is 1. Swear not Prophanely in your ordinary Discourse 2. Swear not Unduly by any of the Creatures for that is to ascribe a Deity to them 3. Swear not Lightly upon any Trifling or Frivolous Occasion for Oaths upon small Occasions are great Sins So that an Oath is not here forbidden by our Saviour but restrained Learn That tho' light and needless common and ordinary Swearing be a very great Sin yet to take an Oath upon a Solemn Occasion when Lawfully called thereunto is a Christian and Necessary Duty 37 But let your communication be yea yea nay nay for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil Here our Lord prescribes a proper Means and Remedy for shunning the Occasion and Danger of Rash Swearing and that is by using and accustoming our selves in Conversation to a true Simplicity and constant Plainess of Speech either Affirming or Denying according to the Nature of the Thing letting Oaths alone till we are called to them upon great Occasions for ending Strife between Man and Man Learn That the great End of Speech being to Communicate the Sense of our Minds each to other we ought to use such Plainess and Simplicity in Speaking that we may believe one another without Oaths or more Solemn and Religious Asseverations 38 Ye have heard that it hath been said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth 39 But I say unto you That ye resist not evil but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek turn to him the other also 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat let him have thy cloak also 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile go with him twain Our Saviour here Vindicates the Sixth Commandment which obliges us to do no Wrong to the Body of our Neighbour God had given a Law to the Publick Magistrate to require an Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth when a Person was wronged Hereupon the Pharisees taught That a private Person wronged by another might exact Satisfaction from him to the same degree in which he had been Wronged by him if he had lost an Eye by another he might revenge it by taking away the Eye of another But says Christ I say unto you Resist not Evil that is seek not private Revenge but leave the Avenging of Injuries to God and the Magistrate Teaching us That Christians ought rather to suffer a double Wrong than to seek a private Revenge Christianity obliges us to bear many Injuries patiently rather than to avenge one privately 42 Give to him that asketh thee and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away Our Saviour here presses the Law of Charity upon his Disciples This is Twofold a Charity in Giving to them that Beg and a Charity in Lending to them that desire to Borrow Christianity obliges all those which have Ability to abound in Works of Charity of all sorts and kinds whatsoever He that is truly Charitable doth not only Give but Lend yea sometimes Lends looking for nothing again It is not enough to act Charity of one sort but we must be ready to act it in every kind and to the highest Degree that our Circumstances and Abilities will admit 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy 44 But I say unto you Love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you Another corrupt Gloss which the Pharisees had put upon the Law of God our Saviour here takes notice of The Law said Thou shalt love thy Neighbour Levit. 19.18 this they interpreted to relate only to their own Country-men the Jews concluding that they might hate all the Uncircumcised Nations as Enemies But saith our Saviour I require you to love all Men for if Enemies must not be shut out of our Love none must Love your Enemies here the inward Affection is required Bless them that curse you there outward Civility and Affability is required Do good to them that hate you here real Acts of Kindness and Charity are commanded to be done by us to our bitterest and most malicious Enemies Pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you These are the highest Expressions of Enmity that can be Calumny and Cruelty yet are we commanded to Pray for those that touch us in these two tenderest Points our Reputation and our Life Learn That Christianity obliges us to bear a sincere Affection towards our most malicious Enemies to be ready upon all Occasions to do Good unto them and to Pray for them 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust To encourage us to the foregoing Duty of Loving our Enemies our Saviour propounds the Example of God himself to our Imitation That you may be the Children of your Father that is that you may be known to be the Children of your Father which is in Heaven by your likeness to him and imitation of him Note That the best Evidence we can have of our Divine Sonship is our Conformity to the Divine Nature especially in those Excellent Properties of Goodness and Forgiveness 46 For if ye love them which love you what reward have ye do not even the publicans the same 47 And if ye salute your brethren only what do you more than others do not even the publicans so Yet farther to encourage us to this Duty of Loving our Enemies Christ assures his Disciples that he expects more from them than from others more than common Humanity and civil Courtesie towards Friends for even Heathens by the Light of Nature were taught to love those that love them But he expected that
us from evil For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever Amen The Sence and Signification of this best of Prayers is this Oh thou our Father in Jesus Christ who remainest in thy Throne in Heaven and art there perpetually Praised and perfectly Obeyed by Glorious Angels and Glorified Saints Grant that Thy Name may be Glorified Thy Throne Acknowledged and Thy Holy Will Obeyed here on Earth below by us thy Sons and Servants most sincerely and readily and in some proportion to what is done in Heaven And because by reason of the Frailty of our Natures we cannot subsist without the Comforts and Supports of Life We crave That such a Proportion of the Good Things of this Life may be given in unto us as may be sufficient for us and that we may be content with our Allowance And knowing that thy Holiness and Justice obliges thee to punish Sin and Sinners we Plead with thee for the sake of thy Son's Satisfaction to Pardon to us our daily Trespasses which we are guilty of in this State of Imperfection as we do freely and heartily Forgive others that have offended and wronged us And seeing that by reason of the Frailty of our Natures we are prone to rush upon and run into Temptation we crave That by the Power of thy Omnipotent Grace we may be kept from Satan's Temptations from the World's Allurements from our own Evil Inclinations and be preserved unblamable to thine Everlasting Kingdom which is exalted over all Persons over all Places over all Things in all Times past present and to come And accordingly in Testimony of our Desires and in Assurance to be Heard and Answered we say Amen So be it So let it be Even so O Lord let it be for ever 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly father will also forgive you 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses There being no Duty to which our corrupt Natures are more backward than this of Forgiving Injuries our Saviour repeats that Duty over and over and frequently inculcates it in the Holy Gospels Assuring us That Forgiving others is the indispensible Condition upon which we are to expect Forgiveness from God Learn thence That every time we go to God in Prayer and beg Forgiveness of him as we Forgive others if we do not Forgive them heartily and sincerely fully and freely readily and willingly we Lie in the Face of GOD and our Prayers are a sort of Imprecations against our Selves 16 Moreover when ye fast be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance for they disfigure their faces that they may appear unto men to fast Verily I say unto you they have their reward 17 But thou when thou fastest anoint thine head and wash thy face 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast but unto thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly The next Duty which our Saviour instructs his Disciples in is that of Religious Fasting which is a Devoting of the whole Man Soul and Body to a Solemn and Extraordinary Attendance upon GOD in a particular Time set apart for that purpose in order to the Deprecating of his Displeasure and for the Supplicating of his Favour accompanied with an Abstinence from Bodily Food and Sensual Delights and from all Secular Affairs and Worldly Business Now our Saviour's Direction as to this Duty of Fasting is double 1. He cautions us to beware of an Abuse in Fasting Be not as the Hypocrites are of a sad Countenance that is Do not affect a sullen Sadness Ghastliness and Unpleasantness of Countenance like the Hypocritical Pharisees who vitiate and discolour their Faces do marr and abolish their Native Complexion Hypocrisie can paint the Face Black and Sable as well as Pride with Red and White 2. He counsels us to take the right way in Fasting To Anoint the Head and Wash the Face That is to look as at other times using our ordinary Garb and Attire and not to affect any thing that may make us look like Mourners when really we are not so Where we may Note That tho' Hypocrites by their Dejected Countenances and Mortified Habits do seek to gain an Extraordinary Reputation for Piety and Devotion yet the sincere Christian is to be abundantly satisfied with God's Approbation of his Services and with the silent Applause of his own Conscience 19 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal 20 But lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal 21 For where your treasure is there will your heart be also Observe here 1. Something implied namely That every Man has his Treasure and whatsoever or wheresoever that Treasure is it is attractive and draws the Heart of Man unto it For every Man's Treasure is his Cbief Good 2. Something permitted namely the Getting Possessing and Enjoying of Earthly Treasure as an Instrument enabling us to do much Good 3. Something prohibited and that is the Treasuring up of Worldly Wealth as our Chief Treasure Lay not up Treasures on Earth that is Take heed of an Inordinate Affection to of an excessive Pursuit after of a vain Confidence and Trust in any Earthly Comfort as your Chief Treasure 4. Here is something commanded But lay up for your selves Treasures in Heaven Treasure up those Habits of Grace which will bring you to an Inheritance in Glory Be Fruitful in Good Works Laying up in store for your selves a good Foundation against the time to come that ye may lay hold of Eternal Life Obs 5. The Reasons assigned 1. Why we should not lay up our Treasure on Earth because all Earthly Treasures are of a perishing and uncertain nature they are subject to Moth and Rust to Robbery and Theft the perishing Nature of Earthly Things ought to be improved by us as an Argument to sit loose in our Affections towards them 2. The Reason assigned why we should lay up our Treasure in Heaven is this Because Heavenly Treasures are subject to no such Accidents and Casualties as Earthly Treasures are but are durable and lasting The things that are not seen are eternal The Treasures of Heaven are inviolable incorruptible and everlasting Now we may know whether we have chosen these Things for our Treasure by our high Estimation of the Worth of them by our sensible Apprehension of the Want of them by the Torrent and Tendency of our Affection towards them and by our laborious Diligence and Endeavours in the Pursuit after them Where the Treasure is there will the Heart be also 22 The light of the body is the eye if therefore thine eye be single thy whole body shall be full of light 23 But if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darkness If therefore
a contrary Effect this Miracle which Christ wrought had upon these People Instead of Believing on him for his Miraculous Cure of the Possessed the Loss of their Swine enrages them and makes them desire Christ to depart from them Temporal Losses are so great in Worldly Mens Estimation that Spiritual Advantages are nothing esteemed Carnal Hearts prefer their Swine before their Saviour and had rather lose Christ's Presence than their Worldly Profit Obs 2. How Unanimous and Importunate these Gadarens were to get rid of Christ the whole City came out and are not only willing with his Departure but they beseech him to depart out of their Coasts Learn hence That deplorably sad is the Condition of such from whom Christ departs more deplorably sad their State who say unto Christ depart but most deplorably sad is the Case of them that intreat and beseech Christ to depart from them Thus did these Gadarens and accordingly Christ took Ship and departed from them and we never read of his return more unto them CHAP. IX 1 AND he entred into a ship and passed over and came into his own city In the last Verse of the foregoing Chapter the Gadarens with one Consent desire CHRIST to depart out of their Coasts â—here we find our Saviour according to their desire departing from them into his own City which was Capernaum for Bethlehem brought him forth Nazareth brought him up and Capernaum was his Dwelling-place From their Desire of Christ's Departure and from Christ's departing according to their Desire we Learn That the Blessed Jesus will not long trouble that People with his Presence who are weary of his Company and desirous of his Departure 2 And behold they brought to him a man sick of the palsie lying on a bed and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsie Son be of good cheer thy sins be forgiven thee Observe 1. The Patient One sick of the Palsie which being a Resolution of the Nerves weakens the Joints and confines the Person to his Bed or Couch As a Demonstration of Christ's Divine Power he was pleased to single out some Incurable Diseases as the World accounts them to work a Cure upon as the Leprosie and Palsie 2. The Physician Jesus Christ he alone is that Wise Faithful and Compassionate Physician that can and doth Cure both Soul and Body Obs 3. The Moving or Impulsive Cause of this Cure Jesus seeing their Faith that is their firm Perswasion that he was cloathed with a Divine Power and able to help together with their Confidence in his Goodness that he was as willing as he was able and no sooner did they exercise their Faith in Believing but Christ did exert his Divine Power in Healing Obs 4. The marvelous Efficacy and Power of Faith it obtained not only what was desired but more than was expected they desired only the Healing of the Body but Jesus seeing their Faith Heals Body and Soul too saying Be of good cheer thy Sins are forgiven thee 3 And behold certain of the scribes said within themselves This man blasphemeth See here how the best of Men are sometimes charged with saying and doing the worst of things to Do well and Hear ill was the Portion of Christ himself and may be the Portion of the holiest of those that belong to Christ The Innocent Jesus was accused of Blasphemy of Sorcery and of the blackest Crimes Innocency it self can protect no Man from Slander and False Accusations 4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts 5 For whether is easier to say Thy sins be forgiven thee or to say Arise and walk 6 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins then saith he to the sick of the palsie Arise take up thy bed and go unto thine house Our Saviour here gives the Pharisees a Twofold Demonstration of his Godhead First By letting them understand that he knew their Thoughts for to search the Hearts and to know the Thoughts of the Children of Men is not in the Power either of Angels or Men but the Prerogative of God only Secondly By assuming to himself a Power to Forgive Sins the Son of Man hath Power to Forgive Sins Our Saviour here by Forgiving Sins in his own Name and by his own Authority doth give the World an undeniable Proof and convincing Evidence of his Godhead for Who can Forgive Sins but GOD only 7 And he arose and departed to his house 8 But when the multitude saw it they marvelled and glorified God which had given such power unto men Note here The Multitude marvelled but not believed they admire our Saviour for an Extraordinary Man but did not believe in him as the Son of God They praise God for giving such Power to Heal the Bodies of Men but not for sending his Son into the World to Save the Souls of Men. Learn hence That the sight of Christ's Miracles is not sufficient to work Faith in the Soul but requires the concurring Operation of the Holy Spirit the one may make us marvel the other must make us believe 9 And as Jesus passed forth from thence he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the receit of custom and he saith unto him Follow me And he arose and followed him Obs here The Number of our Lord's Apostles not being filled up what a strange Election and Choice he makes Matthew a grinding Publican is the Man Learn Such is the Freeness of God's Grace that it chuses and such is the Efficacy of it that it over-powers and brings in the worst of Sinners unto God Matthew a Publican Zaccheus an Extortioner Manasseh a Murderer Paul a Persecutor all these are brought home to God by the Power of Converting Grace Obs 2. Matthew's ready Compliance with God's Call He arose and followed Christ When the Inward Call of the Spirit accompanies the Outward Call of the Word the Soul readily complies and presently yields Obedience to the Voice of God Christ oft-times speaks by his Word to our Ear and we hear not we stir not but when he speaks by his Spirit to our Hearts Satan shall not hold us down the World shall not keep us back but we shall arise and follow our Lord and Master 10 And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house behold many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples Observe here Christ invited Matthew to a Discipleship Matthew invites Christ to a Feast the Servant invites his Master a Sinner invites his Saviour We do not find where ever Christ was invited to any Table that he refused to go if a Pharisee if a Publican invited he constantly went not for the Pleasure of Eating but for the Opportunity of Conversing and doing Good Christ feasts us when we feast him From Matthew's Example Learn That new Converts are full of Affection towards Christ and very expressive of their Love unto him Such
as before Conversion Disesteemed him do afterwards kindly and respectfully Entertain him Matthew toucht with a sense of Christ's Rich Love makes him a Royal Feast Obs farther How at this Feast many Publicanes and Sinners were present of Matthew's Acquaintance no doubt and probably invited by him that they might also see Christ and be Partakers of the same Grace with him Whence we Learn That Grace teaches a Man to desire and seek the Conversion of others and such as are truly brought home to Christ themselves will study and endeavour to bring in all their Acquaintance to Christ also 11 And when the Pharisees saw it they said unto his disciples Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners See here what a Grief it is to Wicked Men to see others brought in to Christ the Wicked Pharisees murmur repine and envy instead of admiring Christ's Condescension and adoring his Divine Goodness They censure him for conversing with Sinners but Christ tells them in the following Verses that he converst with them as their Physician not as their Companion 12 But when Jesus heard that he said unto them They that be whole need not a physician but they that are sick 13 But go ye and learn what that meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice for I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance As if our Lord had said With whom should the Physician converse but with his Sick Patients Now I am come into the World to do the Office of a kind Physician unto Men surely then I am to take all Opportunities to Help and Heal them They that are Sick need the Physician but for you Pharisees who are whole and well in your own Opinion and swell'd with a Conceit of your own Righteousness I have no Hopes of doing any Good upon you for such as think themselves whole desire no Physician 's Help Learn hence 1. That Sin is the Soul's Malady its Spiritual Disease and Sickness 2. That Christ is the Physician appointed by God for the Cure and Healing of this Disease and Malady 3. That there are Multitudes Spiritually Sick who yet think themselves sound and whole 4. That only such as are sensible of their Spiritual Sickness are Subjects capable of Cure and the Persons whom Christ is an Healing Physician to They that are whole need not the Physician but they that are sick 14 Then came to him the disciples of John saying Why do we and the Pharisees fast oft but thy disciples fast not 15 And Jesus said unto them Can the children of the bride-chamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them but the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them and then shall they fast 16 No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment and the rent is made worse 17 Neither do men put new wine into old bottles else the bottles break and the wine runneth out and the bottles perish but they put new wine into new bottles and both are preserved The Pharisees themselves had a Contention with our Saviour in the foregoing Verses here they set on the Disciples of John to contend with him about Fasting alledging that the Disciples of John fasted often Christ's Disciples not at all Our Saviour owns it that his Disciples did not fast at present for two Reasons 1. Because it was Vnsuitable to them 2. Because it was Intolerable for them It was Vnsuitable to them because of Christ's Bodily Presence with them this made it a time of Joy and Feasting not of Mourning and Fasting While Christ the Bridegroom is with them they must feast and rejoyce when removed from them there will be Cause enough to fast and mourn Christ is the Bridegroom and his Church the Bride which he has Espoused and Married to himself and whilest his Spouse did enjoy his Bodily Presence with her it was a Day of Joy and Rejoycing to her and Mourning and Fasting was improper for her Again This Discipline of Fasting was at present Intolerable for the Disciples for they were raw green and tender and could no more bear the Severities of Religion at present than an old Garment could bear a piece of new stiff Cloth to be set into it which will make the Rent worse if the Garment comes to a stretch or no more than old Bottles can keep new Wine Thus says Christ My Disciples are young and green tender and weak newly converted they cannot bear the Severer Exercises of Religion presently but when I am ascended into Heaven I will send down my Holy Spirit which shall enable them to all the Duties which the Gospel injoyns Hence we may Gather That Young Converts till grown up to some Consistency in Grace must not be put upon the Severer Exercises of Religion but handled with that Tenderness and Gentleness which becomes the mild and merciful Dispensation of the Gospel Our Saviour here commends Prudence to his Ministers that they put not their People upon Duties beyond their Strength but consult their Progress in Christianity and the Proficiency they have made in Religion and treat them accordingly 18 While he spake these things unto them behold there came a certain ruler and worshipped him saying My daughter is even now dead but come and lay thy hand upon her and she shall live 19 And Jesus arose and followed him and so did his disciples The humble Posture in which this Man came unto Christ namely falling at his Foot and worshipping him which was not only a Sign of tender Affection towards his Daughter but an Evidence of his Faith in our Blessed Saviour yet his confining Christ's Power to his Bodily Presence and to the Touch of his Hand was a Token of the Weakness of his Faith Come says he and lay thy Hand upon her and she shall live As if Christ could not have Cured her without either coming to her or laying his Hand upon her Note here That altho' all that come to Christ are not alike strong in Faith yet our Blessed Redeemer refuses none that come unto him with a sincere Faith tho' in much weakness of Faith Jesus arose and followed him 20 And behold a woman which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years came behind him and touched the hem of his garment 21 For she said within her self If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole 22 But Jesus turned him about and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole from that hour Whilst Christ is on his way to the Ruler's House a diseased Woman comes behind him touches his Garment and is instantly Healed The Virtue lay not in her Finger but in her Faith or rather in Christ which her Faith Instrumentally drew forth Obs here How Faith oft-times meets with a sweeter Welcom than it could expect This
the Truth and desire to obey it the Spirit gives you an Affective Operative and Experimental Knowledge not barely to know these things but to believe them and feel the Power of them in and upon your own Hearts But the Generality of Hearers do satisfie and content themselves with a bare Notional Knowledge of what they hear a Parable therefore is well enough for them Learn 1. That the Doctrines of the Gospel are Mysteries 2. That it is a matchless and unvaluable Priviledge practically and savingly to understand and know Gospel-Mysteries 3. That this Priviledge all are not Sharers in nor Partakers of but only those to whom it is given Vnto you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom but to them it is not given 12 For whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath That is whosoever improves the Measures of Grace received shall obtain farther Measures and Degrees of it But from him that doth not improve what he has already received shall be taken away that which to himself or others he seemeth to have his Common Gifts and Moral Endowments Learn That where there are Beginnings of True Grace and a right and wise Improvement of it God will make rich Additions of more Grace to the present Stock which we have received 13 Therefore speak I to them in parables because they seeing see not and hearing they hear not neither do they understand 14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias which saith by hearing ye shall hear and shall not understand and seeing ye shall see and shall not perceive 15 For this peoples heart is waxed gross and their ears are dull of hearing and their eyes they have closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart and should be converted and I should heal them These Words of our Blessed Saviour as I conceive have a peculiar Reference and Relation to the Pharisees who attended upon Christ's Ministry not with an honest simplicity of Mind to be instructed by it but to carp and cavil at it Our Saviour tells them he had formerly spoken things very plainly and clearly to them and also wrought Miracles before them to convince them of the Divinity of his Person and of the Verity of his Doctrine But they would not believe either his Person or his Doctrine to be from God and therefore he would now speak to them in dark Parables that they may be Judicially Blinded they shut their Eyes against the clearest Light and said they would not see and now Christ closes their Eyes and says they shall not see Learn hence To acknowledge the Divine Justice which speaks darkly to them that despise the Light Such who see and yet see not they shall see the Shell but not the Kernel they shall hear the Parable but not understand the Spiritual Sence and Meaning of it When wilful Blindness of Mind is added to Natural Blindness it is a just and righteous thing with God to superadd Judicial Blindness and to give them Obstinacy of Heart His Curse unto them 16 But blessed are your eyes for they see and your ears for they hear 17 For verily I say unto you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them and to hear those things which ye hear and have not heard them Here our Saviour pronounces such of his Disciples and Followers Blessed who received the Truths of the Gospel so far as they were already taught them he assures them that they shall receive farther Light and fuller Measures of Spiritual Illumination Blessed are your Eyes for they see Learn That such as have received the least Measures of Spiritual Knowledge and Saving Illumination and do improve it they are in an happy and blessed Condition for as they are capable of farther Measures of Divine Knowledge so shall they be Partakers of them 18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower 19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom and understandeth it not then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart this is he which received seed by the way-side 20 But he that received the seed into stony places the same is he that heareth it and anon with joy receiveth it 21 Yet hath he not root in himself but dureth for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by he is offended 22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choak the word and he becometh unfruitful 23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word and understandeth it which also beareth fruit and bringeth forth some an hundred fold some sixty some thirty As if our Lord had said You my Disciples who are not satisfied with a Sound of Words I will explain to you the Sence and Signification of this Parable The Scope of which is to shew the different Effects which the Word of God has upon Mens Hearts and the Reason of that Difference The Seed is the Word the Sower is the Preacher the Soil is the Heart and Soul of Man Now our Saviour assures us that the Hearts of some Hearers are like Highway-Ground in which the Seed is not covered with the Harrow of Meditation others are like Stony-Ground in which the Word has no Root no Root in their Understandings Memories Conscience Will or Affections But They are offended either at the Depth and Profoundness of the Word or at the Sanctity and Strictness of it or at the Plainess and Simplicity of it Again some Hearers our Lord compares to Thorny-Ground Thorns are Covetous Desires which choak the good Seed shadow the Blade when sprung up keep off the Influences of the Sun and draw away the Fatness of the Soil from the Seed All these Effects have Thorns in and among the Seed And the like Effects have Worldly Affections and Covetous Desires in the Heart of Man rendring the Word unfruitful and unprofitable But the good Christian hears the Word attentively keeps it retentively believes it stedfastly applies it particularly practises it universally and brings forth Fruit with Patience and Perseverance Fruit that will redound to his Account in the Great Day of Account Learn 1. That no Hearers are in Christ's Account Good Hearers of the Word but such as bring forth the Fruits of an holy humble and peaceable Conversation 2. That a Person may be a good Hearer of the Word if he brings forth the best Fruit he can tho' it be not in so great a Proportion as others do As some Ground brings forth Thirty some Sixty and some an Hundred-fold In like manner do all the sincere Hearers of the Word they all
Works of the Law only must keep the whole Law or Covenant of Works perfectly and exactly Learn 2. That the best way to prâ—pare Men for Jesus Christ is to let them see their own Impotency to keep and fulfil the Covenant of Works 18 He saith unto him Which Jesus said Thou shalt do no murder Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not steal Thou shalt not bear false witness 19 Honour thy father and thy mother and Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 20 The young man saith unto him All these things have I kept from my youth up what lack I yet Observe here That the Duties our Saviour instances in are the Duties of the second Table which Hypocrites are most failing in but the sincere Practice of our Duty to our Neighbour is a singular Evidence of our Love to God These Duties of the second Table the young Man says he had kept from his Youth and perhaps might say it truly according to the Pharisees Interpretation which condemned only the gross outward Act not the inward Lust and Motion of the Heart Learn hence How apt Men are to think well of themselves and to have too high an Opinion of their own Goodness and Righteousness before God All these have I kept from my Youth 21 Jesus said unto him If thou wilt be perfect go and sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow me That is Thou that hast been all thy Days a Pharisee if now thou wilt be a Christian thou must maintain a Readiness and Disposition of Mind to part with all that thou hast in this World at my Call and at my Command and follow after me Learn That such as enter themselves Disciples of Christ must be ready at Christ's Call to part with all for Christ's sake that they have in this World 2. All that profess themselves to be Christ's Disciples must be his Followers that is They must obey his Doctrine and imitate his Example his Holiness his Humility his Heavenly mindedness his Patience and Meekness his Readiness to forgive Injuries and the same Mind must be in us which was in Christ Jesus 22 But when the young man heard that saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions This parting with all for Christ seemed so hard a Condition to the young Man that he went away sorrowful from Christ Whence Learn 1. That a Man wedded to the World will renounce Christ rather than the World when both stand in Competition 2. That Unregenerate and Carnal Men are exceeding sorrowful and sadly concern'd when they cannot have Heaven upon their own Terms and win it in their own way The young Man went away sorrowful 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven Our Blessed Saviour takes occasion from what had past to discourse with his Disciples concerning the Danger of Riches and the Difficulty that attends rich Men in their way to Salvation A rich Man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of God Whence Note 1. That rich Men do certainly meet with more Difficulties in their Way to Heaven than other Men 'T is difficult to withdraw their Affections from Riches to place their Supreme Love upon God in the midst of their Abundance 'T is difficult to depend upon God in a rich Condition The Poor committeth himself to God but a Rich Man's Wealth is his strong Tower 2. That yet the Fault lyes not in Riches but in Rich Men who by placing their Trust and putting their Confidence in Riches do render themselves uncapable of the Kingdom of God 24 And again I say unto you It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God These Words were a Proverbial Speech among the Jews to signifie a thing of great Difficulty next to an Impossibility And they import thus much that it is not only a very great Difficulty but an Impossibility for such as abound in Worldly Wealth to be saved without an extraordinary Grace and Assistance from God 'T is hard for God to make a Rich Man happy because he thinks himself happy without God 25 When his disciples heard it they were exceedingly amazed saying Who then can be saved The Disciples understanding how naturally and strongly Men love the World and how Idolatrously and Inordinately their Hearts run out upon it they say unto Christ Lord who can be saved Learn 1. That when the general Difficulties which lye in the Way of Salvation are laid forth and sufficiently understood we may justly wonder that any are or shall be saved 2. That such are the special and peculiar Difficulties in the rich Man's Way to Heaven that his Salvation is Matter of Wonder and great Admiration to the Disciples of Christ When the Disciples heard this they were exceedingly amazed saying Who then can be saved 26 But Jesus beheld them and said unto them With men this is unpossible but with God all things are possible As if Christ had said Were all Men left to themselves no Man either Poor or Rich would be saved but God can bring Men to Heaven by the mighty Power of his Grace he can make the Rich in Estate Poor in Spirit and them that are Poor in this World Rich in Grace Learn 1. That it is impossible for any Man Rich or Poor by his own natural Strength to get to Heaven 2. That when we are discouraged with the Sense of our own Impotency we should consider the Power of God and act our Faith upon it With God all things are possible 27 Then answered Peter and said unto him Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee what shall we have therefore 28 And Jesus said unto them Verily I say unto you that ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel The Apostles having heard our Saviour's Command to the young Man to sell all and give to the Poor St. Peter in the Name of the rest tells Christ that they had left all and followed him Behold we have forsaken all Where Note how Peter magnifies that little which he had left for Christ and ushers it in with a Note of Observation and Admiration also Behold we have forsaken all what shall we have then Learn thence That altho' it be very little that we suffer for Christ and less that we have to forsake upon his Account yet we are apt to magnifie and extol it as if it were some great matter Lord we have left all What all His tatter'd Fisher-Boat and his ragged Nets a great all next to nothing at all scarce worthy to be mentioned Yet how is it magnified Behold Lord we have left all But observe our Lord 's
23 And he saith unto them Ye shall drink indeed of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Observe here Our Blessed Saviour's wonderful Mildness and Gentleness towards his Disciples he doth not with Passion much less with Indignation reprehend them either for their Ambition or Presumption but makes the best of their Answer and encourages their good Intentions He tells them they should have the Honour to share with him in his Sufferings to pledge him in his own Cup and after a Conformity to him in his Sufferings they might expect to be Sharers with him in his Glory Yet observe that when Christ says That to sit at his Right Hand was not his to give He means as he was Man or as he was Mediator for elsewhere as God we find him asserting his Power to dispose of the Kingdom of Heaven John 10.28 I give unto them Eternal Life 24 And when the ten heard it they were moved with indignation against the two brethren 25 But Jesus called them unto him and said Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them 26 But it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister 27 And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant That Christ might effectually quench those unhappy Sparks of Ambition which were kindled in his Apostles Minds he tells them that Supremacy and Dominion belong to Secular Princes not to Evangelical Pastors who ought to carry themselves with Humility towards one another not that Christ directs to a Parity and Equality amongst all his Ministers and forbids the Preheminency of some over others but the Affectation of Superiority and the Love of Preheminency is that which our Saviour disallows Learn 1. That so far ought the Ministers of Christ to be from affecting a Domination and Superiority of Power over their Fellow-Brethren that in Imitation of Christ their Lord and Master they ought to account themselves Fellow-Servants I am amongst you saith Christ as one that serveth 2. That such Ministers as do love and affect Preheminence and Superiority are most unfit for it and they deserve it best who seek it least 3. That the Dignity and Honour which the Ministers of Christ should chiefly and only affect is in another World and the way to be greatest and highest there is to be low and humble here mean in our own Eyes and little in our own Esteem Whosoever will be chief says Christ let him be your Servant 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many To encourage his Disciples to this condescending Humility one towards another our Saviour propounds to them his own instructive Example I came not to be ministred unto says Christ but to minister to the Wants and Necessities of others both for Soul and Body Oh what a Sight will it be as if our Lord had said to behold an humble God and a proud Creature an humble Saviour and an haughty Sinner Yea our Lord urges his Example farther that as he laid down his Life for us so should we be ready to lay down our Lives for one another Did Christ lay down his Life for us and shall not we lay down a Lust for him Our Pride our Ambition our Affectation of Dignity and Superiority over others 29 And as they departed from Jericho a great multitude followed him 30 And behold two blind men sitting by the way side when they heard that Jesus passed by cried out saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David 31 And the multitude rebuked them because they should hold their peace but they cried the more saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou son of David 32 And Jesus stood still and called them and said What will ye that I shall do unto you 33 They say unto him Lord that our eyes may be opened 34 So Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight and they followed him This Chapter concludes with a famous Miracle wrought by Christ upon two blind Men in the Sight of a great Multitude which followed him Where obs 1. The blind Men's Faith in acknowledging Christ to be the true Messias for so much the Title of the Son of David signifies 2. Their Fervency in crying so earnestly to Christ for Mercy and Healing Have mercy upon us thou Son of David A true Sence of Want will make us cry unto Christ for Help earnestly and with undeniable Importunity Obs 3. The great Condescension of Christ towards these poor blind Men He stood still he called them he had Compassion on them he touched their Eyes and healed them A mighty Instance of Christ's Divine Power He that can open blind Eyes with a touch of his Finger is really God His Touch is an Omnipotent Touch. Obs 4. Altho' Christ well knew the Condition of these blind Men yet before he will restore them to sight they must sensibly complain of the want of Sight and cry unto him for Mercy and Healing Learn thence That altho' Christ perfectly knows all our Wants yet he takes no notice of them till we make them known to him by Prayer Obs 5. The best Way and Course which the blind Men took to express their Thankfulness to Christ for recovered Sight they followed him Learn thence That Mercy from Christ is then rightly improved when it engages us to follow Christ This should be the effect of all Salvations wrought for us He praiseth God best that serveth and obeyeth him most the Life of Thankfulness consists in the Thankfulness of the Life CHAP. XXI 1 AND when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem and were come to Bethphage unto the mount of Olives then sent Jesus two disciples 2 Saying unto them Go into the village over against you and straightway ye shall find an ass tied and a colt with her loose them and bring them unto me 3 And if any man say ought unto you ye shall say The Lord hath need of them and straightway he will send them The former part of this Chapter gives us an Account of our Saviour's Solemn and Triumphant Riding into the City of Jerusalem Where Observe That in all our Saviour's Journeys and Travails from Place to Place he constantly went like a poor Man on foot without Noise and without Train now he goes up to Jerusalem to die for Sinners he rides to shew his great Chearfulness in that Service and his Forwardness to lay down his Life for us But what doth he ride upon An Ass according to the manner of great Persons amongst the Jews but especially to fulfill the Prophecy Zach. 9.9 that the
Messias a King of the Jews should come riding upon an Ass But this Ass was a Colt the Foal of an Ass on which never Man had rode before says St. Mark Ch. 11. 12. signifying thereby that the most unruly and untamed Creatures become obedient and obsequious to him and upon a borrowed Ass the use of which he demands thereby manifesting his Soveraign Right to all the Creatures and accordingly he bids his Disciples tell the Owner of the Ass that the Lord had need of him not our Lord but the Lord that is he that is the Lord of all whose are the Cattel upon a Thousand Hills he that is Lord of all the Beasts and the Owners too Observe farther That notwithstanding Christ's supream Right to the Ass and the Colt he will have neither of them taken without the Owner's Knowledge or against his Will but the Disciples must acquaint him with it and by a double Argument move him to it 1. Christ's Right of Dominion and Soveraignty over them he is the Lord that sends for them 2. His present Occasion for them the Lord has need of them Obs lastly What a clear and full Demonstration Christ here gave of his Divine Nature by his Omnisciency in foreseeing and foretelling the Event by his Omnipotency in inclining the Heart and over-ruling the Will of the Owner to let the Colt go and by an Act of Soveraignty as he was Lord of the Creatures to command and call for their Service when he needed them 4 All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet saying 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion Behold thy king cometh unto thee meek and sitting upon an ass and a colt the foal of an ass Here the Reason is assigned why Christ rode upon the Ass into Jerusalem it was to fulfil an ancient Prophecy that the Messias or King of the Jews should come riding upon that Beast into Jerusalem There was not any Prophecy of Christ more plainly fulfilled than this The Prophecy alluded to is Zach. 9.9 Rejoice greatly oh Daughter of Zion shout oh Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh unto thee he is just and having Salvation lowly and riding upon an Ass and upon a Colt the Foal of an Ass Where Note the Character given of the Messias he is the Supream King and Governour of his Church thy King cometh The Errand that he comes upon Bringing Salvation and the Entertainment which his Church was to give him Namely To receive him with Triumphs of Joy and Universal Acclamations Rejoice oh Daughter of Zion and shout oh Jerusalem for Joy 6 And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them 7 And brought the ass and the colt and put on them their cloaths and they set him thereon 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way others cut down branches from the trees and strawed them in the way 9 And the multitudes that went before and that followed cried saying Hosanna to the Son of David Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest Observe here 1. The Obedience of the Disciples and the Motions of the Multitude the Disciples never dispute their Lord's Commands nor raise Objections nor are afraid of Dangers but speedily execute their Lord's Pleasure and find every thing according to their Lord's Prediction When our Call is clear our Obedience must be speedy What God commands we are not to dispute but to obey The Disciples did as Jesus commanded them Obs 2. The Actions of the Multitude in acknowledging Christ to be their King They cast their Garments on the Ground for him to ride upon according to the Custom of Princes when they ride in State and they do not only disrobe their Backs but expend their Breath in joyful Acclamations and loud Hosanna's wishing all manner of Prosperity to this meek but mighty King In this princely yet poor and despicable Pomp doth our Saviour enter into the famous City of Jerusalem Oh how far was our Holy Lord from affecting Worldly Greatness and Grandeur He despised that Glory which Worldly Hearts fondly admire yet because he was a King he would be proclaimed such and have his Kingdom confest applauded and blest But that it might appear his Kingdom was not of this World he abandons all Worldly Magnificence Oh glorious yet homely Pomp Oh meek but mighty Prince 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem all the city was moved saying Who is this 11 And the multitude said This is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee This is not the first or only time that Jerusalem was moved and troubled at the Appearance of Christ at his Birth Matth. 2. we read all Jerusalem was troubled together with Herod and now he that rides into Jerusalem tho' in so mean a Port yet there is a new Commotion Jerusalem instead of being thankful for his Company is troubled at his Presence Thence Learn That such Persons and Places aâ— have the greatest Helps and Priviledges afforded to them are not always the most answerable in their Returns of Thankfulness 'T is not Christ's Presence with us but his Welcome to us that makes us happy Christ is daily taught in our Synagogues and preached in our Streets yet alas Multitudes are ignorant of him and say with the Men of Jerusalem when Christ was before their Eyes Who is this 12 And Jesus went into the temple of God and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables of the money-changers and the seats of them that sold doves 13 And said unto them It is written my house shall be called the house of Prayer but ye have made it a den of thieves Our Blessed Saviour having entered Jerusalem Observe his first Walk was not to the Palace but to the Temple and his Work there was to purge and reform All Reformation of Manners must begin first at the House of God Our Lords Business was to reform the Temple not to ruin it Places dedicated to publick Worship if prophaned and polluted ought to be purged from their Abuses not pull'd down and destroy'd because they have been abused But what was the Prophanation of the Temple which so offended our Saviour Answ Within the third or outward Court of the Temple there was a publick Mart or Market held where were sold Oxen Sheep and Doves and such things as were needful for Sacrifice many of the Jews coming an Hundred Miles to the Temple it was burthensome to bring their Sacrifices so far with them Wherefore order was taken by the Priests that Sheep and Oxen Meal and Oil and all other Requisites for Sacrifice should be had for Money close by the Altar to the great ease of the Offerer Nothing could be more plausible than this Plea But the fairest Pretences cannot bear out a Sin with God therefore our Blessed Saviour in Indignation at so foul an Abuse whips out these Chapmen casts down their Tables
have lived awhile in this World they die and therefore Marriage is necessary to maintain a Succession of Mankind but in the other World Men shall become Immortal and live for ever and then the Reason of Marriage will wholly cease For when Men can die no more there will be no need of any new Supplies of Mankind 2. Our Saviour having got clear of the Sadducees Objection by taking away the Ground and Foundation of it he produceth an Argument for the Proof of the Soul's Immortality and the Body's Resurrection Thus Those to whom Almighty God pronounces himself a God are alive but God pronounced himself a God to Abraham Isaac and Jacob many Hundred Years after their Bodies were Dead therefore their Souls are yet alive otherwise God could not be their God for he is not the God of the Dead but of the Living From the whole Note 1. That there is no Opinion so absurd no Error so monstrous that having had a Mother will die for lack of a Nurse The beastly Opinion of the Mortality of the Soul and the Annihilation of the Body finds Sadducees to profess and propagate it Note 2. The Certainty of another Life after this in which Men shall be eternally happy or intollerably miserable according as they behave themselves here tho' some Men live like Beasts they shall not die like them nor shall their last end be like theirs Note 3. That glorified Saints in the Morning of the Resurrection shall be like unto the Glorious Angels not like them in Essence and Nature but like them in their Properties and Qualities in Holiness and Purity in Immortality and Incorruptibility and in their manner of Living they shall no more stand in need of Meat or Drink than the Angels do but shall live the same Heavenly Immortal and Incorruptible Life that the Angels live Note 4. That all those that are in Covenant with God whose God the Lord is their Souls do immediately pass into Glory and their Bodies at the Resurrection shall be Sharers in the same Happiness with their Souls If God be just the Soul must live and the Body must rise For good Men must be rewarded and wicked Men punished God will most certainly some time or other plentifully reward the Righteous and punish the evil Doers but this being not always done in this Life the Justice of God requires it to be done in the next 34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence they were gathered together 35 Then one of them which was a lawyer asked him a question tempting him and saying 36 Master which is the great commandment in the law 37 Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all my mind 38 This is the first and great commandment 39 And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets The Sadducees being put by Christ to silence the Pharisees again encounter him they send to him a Lawyer that is one of their Interpreters and Expounders of the Law of Moses who propounds this Question to him Which is the great Commandment in the Law Our Saviour tells them It is to love the Lord with all the Heart with all the Soul and with all the Mind That is which all the Powers Faculties and Abilities of the Soul with the greatest Measure and highest Degrees of Love This is the Sum and Substance of the Duties of the first Table And the second is like unto it not equal with it but like unto it The Duties of the second Table are of the same Authority and of the same Necessity with the first As a Man cannot be saved without the Love of God so neither without the Love of his Neighbour On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets That is the whole Duty of Man required by Moses and the Prophets is comprehended in and may be reduced to these Two Heads namely The Love of God and our Neighbour From the whole Note 1. That the Fervency of all our Affections and particularly the Supremacy of our Love is required by God as his Right and Due Love must pass thro' and possess all the Powers and Faculties of the Soul the Mind must meditate upon God the Will must chuse and embrace him and the Affections must take Complacency and Delight in him the measure of loving God is to love him without measure God reckons that we love him not at all if we love him not above all Note 2. That thus to love God is the first and great Commandment Great in regard of the Object which is God the first Cause and the chief Good Great in regard of the Obligation of it To love God is so indispensible a Command that God himself cannot free us from the Obligation of it for so long as he is God and we his Creatures we shall lye under a natural and necessary Obligation to Love and serve him Great in regard of the Duration of it when Faith shall be swallowed up in Vision and Hope in Fruition Love will then be perfected in a full Enjoyment Note 3. That every Man may yea ought to love himself not his sinful self but his natural self and especially his Spiritual self the new Nature in him This it ought to be his particular Care to encrease and strengthen Indeed there is no express Command in Scripture for a Man to love himself because the Light of Nature directs and the Law of Nature binds and moves every Man so to do God has put a Principle of Self-love and of Self-preservation into all his Creatures but especially into Man Note 4. As every Man ought to love himself so 't is every Man's Duty to love his Neighbour as himself 1. Not as he does love himself but as he ought to love himself 2. Not in the same Degree and Measure that he loves himself but after the same manner and with the same kind of Love that he loves himself As we love our selves freely and readily sincerely and unfeignedly tenderly and compassionately constantly and perseveringly so should we love our Neighbour Tho' we are not commanded to love our Neighbour as much as we love our selves yet we are to love him like as we love our selves Note Lastly That the Duties of the first and second Table are inseparable The Love of God and our Neighbour must not be parted He that loveth not his Neighbour whom he hath seen never loved God whom he hath not seen A conscientious Regard to the Duties of both Tables will be an Argument of our Sincerity and an Ornament to our Profession Let it then be our Prayer and daily endeavour that we may love the Lord our God with all our Heart and our Neighbour as our selves For this is the Sum of the Law and the Substance of the Gospel 41
us to bear Reproach and direct us to give Reproof he that is silent cannot be innocent Reprove we must or we cannot be faithful but prudently or we cannot be successful 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart My lord delayeth his coming 49 And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants and to eat and drink with the drunken 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him and in an hour that he is not aware of 51 And shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocries there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Our Lord in these Verses describes an unfaithful and negligent Steward and denounces the dreadful Sentence of Wrath hanging over him he is described 1. By the Character of Infidelity he believeth not Christ's coming to Judgment tho' he preaches it to others he saith in his Heart My Lord delayeth his coming 2. He is described by his Hatred Envy and Malignity against his Fellow-servants that were more painful and faithful than himself He begins to smite at least with the Virulence of his Tongue if not with the Violence of his Hand 3. By his associating with the wicked and strengthening their Hands by his ill Example He eateth and drinketh with the Drunken That is as their Associate and Fellow-Companion Thus the unfaithful Servant is described next his Judgment and Sentence is declared Obs 2. The tremendous Judgment that shall come upon unfaithful Stewards 1. Christ will surprize them in their Sin and Security by coming in an Hour when they look'd not for him 2. He will execute Temporal Vengeance upon them He will cut them asunder or hew them in pieces as the Jews did their Sacrifices That is separate his Soul from his Body by untimely Death Hence some Observe That God seldom suffers slothful sensual wicked and debauch'd Ministers to live out half their Days 3. Christ will punish them with Eternal Destruction also Appointing them their Portion with Hypocrites That is with the worst of Sinners they shall have a double Damnation As the Hypocrite has a double Heart a double Tongue and is a double Sinner so shall he undergo a double Damnation Learn hence That such Ministers as neglect the Service of God and the Souls of their People as they are ranked amongst the worst sort of Sinners in this Life so shall they be punished with them in the severest manner in the next When Satan destroys the Souls of Men he shall answer for it as a Murtherer only not as an Officer that was intrusted with the Care of Souls But if the Steward doth not provide if the Shepherd doth not feed if the Watchman doth not warn they shall answer not only for the Souls that have miscarried but for an Office neglected for a Talent hidden and for a Stewardship unfaithfully administred Wo unto us if at the great Day we hear distressed Souls roaring out their Complaints and howling forth that doleful Accusation against us Lord Our Stewards have defrauded us our Watchmen have betrayed us our Guides have misled us CHAP. XXV Our blessed Saviour in the Close of the foregoing Chapter had exhorted all Christians to the great Duty of Watchfulness and to be in a Posture of Readiness against his coming Which Duty he is pleased to inculcate again in this Chapter and accordingly he urges the Necessity of it from two eminent Parables the former Of the Ten Virgins v. 1. and the latter Of a Man travelling into a far Country v. 14. 1 THen shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom 2 And five of them were wise and five were foolish By the Kingdom of Heaven here is meant the State of the visible Church here on Earth it cannot be understood of the Kingdom of Glory for there are no foolish Virgins in that Kingdom nor yet of the invisible Kingdom of Grace for therein are no foolish Virgins neither But in the visible Church here on Earth there ever has been a Mixture of wise and unwise of Saints and Hypocrites Five of these Virgins were wise and five were foolish Where Observe our Lord 's great Charity in supposing and hoping that amongst the Professors of the Gospel the number of sincere Christians is equal with Hypocritical Professors Five were wise and Five foolish Teaching us that we should not confine the Church of Christ within a narrow Compass nor confine our Charity to a few and think none shall go to Heaven but those of our own Party and Perswasion but to extend our Charity to all Christians that hold the Foundation with us and to hope well of them Lord let me rather err on the charitable Hand than be found on the censorious and damning side this is to imitate my Saviour whose Charity supposed as many wise as foolish Virgins as many Saints as Hypocrites in the Church All these Virgins are said to take their Lamps and go forth to meet the Bridegroom For understanding which we must know that our Saviour alludes to the ancient Custom of Marriages which were celebrated in the Night when usually Ten young Men attended the Bridegroom and as many Virgins attended the Bride with Lamps in their Hands the Bridegroom leading home his Bride by the Light of those Lamps By these Virgins are shadowed forth the Professors of Christianity The foolish Virgins are such as satisfie themselves with a bare Profession without bringing forth Fruits answerable thereunto The wise Virgins are such as walk'd answerable to their Profession persevered and continued stedfast therein and abounded in the Graces and Virtues of a good Life They are called Virgins for the Purity of their Faith for the Purity of their Worship and for the Purity of their Conversations 3 They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps By the Lamps are meant an outward Profession of Faith and Holiness By Oil in their Lamps is to be understood that solemn Profession of Repentance and Faith which all Christians make in Baptism By Oil in the Vessels is meant the Sanctifying and Saving Graces of the Holy Spirit the Growth and Improvement of them with Constancy and Perseverance in them Observe here wherein the wise and foolish Virgins agreed and wherein they differed They agreed thus far that both took their Lamps both lighted them they both had Oil in their Lamps the difference was not that the wise had Oil and the foolish had none but in this that the wise took care for a future Supply of Oil to feed their Lamp When the first Oil was spent some Professors like foolish Virgins content themselves with a blazing Lamp of an outward Profession without concerning themselves to secure an inward Principle of Grace and Love which should maintain that Profession as the Oil maintains the Lamp As the Lamp will
of the Life universally and perceivingly Holy and Righteous consists our Actual Preparation Obs 3. The doleful Condition of such as were unready The Door is shut against them the Door of Repentance the Door of Hope the Door of Salvation all shut eternally shut and by him that shutteth and none can open Learn hence The utter Impossibility of ever getting our Condition altered by us when the Day of Grace and Salvation is once over with us Wo to such Souls who by the Folly of their own Delays have caused the Door of Conversion and Remission to be everlastingly shut against their own Souls 11 Afterward came also the other virgins saying Lord Lord open to us 12 But he answered and said Verily I say unto you I know you not Observe here The Virgin 's Petition and the Bridegroom's Reply The Petition Lord Lord open to us Learn thence That how negligent soever Men are of Heaven and Salvation here there are none but will desire it earnestly and importunately hereafter Afterwards that is when too late Observe farther the Bridegroom's Reply I know you not that is I own and approve you not There is a twofold Knowledge that Christ has a Knowledge of simple Intuition and a Knowledge of special Approbation the former Knowledge Christ has of all Men the latter only of good Men. Learn hence That it will be a dreadful Misery for any Persons but especially for such as have been eminent Professors to be disowned by Christ at his coming to hear that dreadful Word from the Mouth of Christ Verily I know you not 13 Watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh Here we have our Lord's Application of the foregoing Parable to be always upon our Watch continually upon our Guard to meet the Bridegroom in Death and Judgment because we know not the time of his Coming and Approach Learn hence That Watchfulness and a prepared Readiness is a great Duty that lyes upon all those who believe and look for Christ's Coming and Appearance Happy Souls who are found in a Posture of Readiness at the Bridegroom's Approach standing with Lamps trimmed Loins girded Lights burning that is improving and exercising their Graces abounding in all the Fruits of the Spirit and in all the substantial Virtues of a good Life Such and only such shall have an Entrance abundantly administered unto them into the everlasting Kingdom 14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods 15 And unto one he gave five talents to another two and to another one to every man according to his several ability and straightway took his journey Observe here The Person intrusting Christ the Persons intrusted all Christians The Talents they are intrusted with Goods that is Goods of Providence Riches and Honours Gifts of Mind Wisdom Parts and Learning Gifts of Grace all these Goods Christ dispenses variously more to some fewer to others but with Expectation of Improvement from all Learn 1. That Christ is the great Lord of the Universe and Owner of all his Servant's Goods and Talents 2. That every Talent is given us by our Lord to improve and imploy for our Master's Use and Service 3. That it pleases the Lord to dispence his Gifts variously amongst his Servants to some he commits more to others fewer Talents 4. That to this Lord of ours every one of us must be accountable and responsible for every Talent committed to us and intrusted with us 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same and made them other five talents 17 And likewise he that had received two he also gained other two 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth and hid his lord's money The former Verses gave an Account of the Lord 's Distribution these acquaint us with the Servants Negotiation Some traded with and made Improvement of their Talents others traded not at all yet is it not said that they did imbezzle the Talent but not improve it Learn It is not sufficient to justifie us that we do not abuse our Talents 't is Fault enough to hide them and not improve them the slothful Servant shall no more escape Punishment than the wasteful Servant 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth with them 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents saying Lord thou delivered'st unto me five talents behold I have gained besides them five talents mo 21 His Lord said unto him Well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy lord 22 He also that had received two talents came and said Lord thou delivered'st unto me two talents behold I have gained two other talents besides them 23 His lord said unto him Well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy lord Note here 1. That the Wisdom of God dispences his Gifts and Graces variously as so many Talents to his Servants to be imployed and improved for his own Glory and his Churches Good 2. That all such Servants as have received any Talents must look to reckon and account for them and this Account must be particular personal exact and impartial 3. That all such Servants as have been faithful in improving their Talents at Christ's coming shall be both commended and rewarded also Well done good and faithful Servant enter into the Joy of thy Lord. Where Obs 1. That the State of the Blessed is a State of Joy 2. That the Joy which the Blessed partake of is the Joy of their Lord that is the Joy which he provides and which he possesses 3. That the way after which the Saints partake of this Joy is by entring into it which denotes the highest and the fullest Participation of it The Joy is too great to enter into them they must enter into that Enter thou into the Joy of thy Lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said Lord I knew thee that thou art an hard man reaping where thou hast not sowen and gathering where thou hast not strawed 25 And I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth lo there thou hast that is thine 26 His lord answered and said unto him Thou wicked and slothful servant thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not and gather where I have not strawed 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury Observe here 1. That he that received but One Talent is called to an Account as well as he that received Five Heathens that have but One Talent namely the
rest in preaching and did with greater Zeal and Power sound forth the Doctrine of the Gospel like Thunder 20 And the multitude cometh together again so that they could not so much as eat bread 21 And when his friends heard of it they went out to lay hold on him for they said He is beside himself 22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said He hath Beelzebub and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils 23 And he called them unto him and said unto them in parables How can Satan cast out Satan 24 And if a kingdom be divided against it self that kingdom cannot stand 25 And if a house be divided against it self that house cannot stand 26 And if Satan rise up against himself and be divided he cannot stand but hath an end 27 No man can enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods except he will first bind the strong man and then he will spoil his house 28 Verily I say unto you All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the holy Ghost hath never forgiveness but is in danger of eternal damnation 30 Because they said He hath an unclean spirit Observe here 1. How truly our Lord's Word was verified John 4.34 My Meat is to do the Will of him that sent me for he and his Apostles going into an House to refresh themselves in their Hunger the People press'd upon him so fast to hear the Word that he regards not the satisfying of his Hunger but applies himself to instruct the People Lord how exemplary was thy Zeal and Diligence in preaching the everlasting Gospel to a lost World As it is instructive to may it be imitated and followed by all thy Ambassadors Obs 2. The rash Censure of our Saviour's Friends that is his Kinsmen concerning this Action in neglecting to eat Bread and suffering the Multitude thus unseasonably to press upon him They conclude he is besides himself Out of his right Mind and accordingly went out to lay hold upon him Learn hence 1. That the forward Zeal and Diligence of Christ and his Ministers in preaching the Gospel is accounted Madness and Frenzy by a Blind World But they may say with the Apostle 2 Cor. 5.13 If we be besides our selves it is unto God But who were the Persons that thus look'd upon our Saviour as besides himself Verily his own Kindred and Relations according to the Flesh Learn thence That oft-times the Servants of God meet with the strongest Temptations from and are most discouraged and molested by such as are their nearest Relations by Blood or Alliance This is a great Trial to find our Relations setting us back instead of helping us forward in the ways of Religion but we must bear it patiently knowing that not only others of God's Children but Jesus Christ his own and only Son did experience this Trial. Observe 3. The malicious and wicked Slander which the Scribes endeavoured to fix upon our Blessed Saviour namely That he was possest of the Devil and by Familiarity with him and Help from him cast forth Devils out of others Good God! how was thine own and only Son the Holy and Innocent Jesus censured slandered and falsly accused of the worst of Crimes of Gluttony of Blasphemy of Sorcery Can any of thy Children expect Freedom from the Persecution of the Tongue when Innocency it self could not protect thy Holy Son from Slander and false Accusation Obs 4. Our Saviour's Answer and just Apology for himself in which are contained 1. A Confutation of their Calumny and Slander 2. A Reprehension of the Scribes for the same 1. To confute this Slander our Saviour by several Arguments shews how absurd and unlikely it is that the Devil should cast out himself and any ways oppose or seek to destroy his own Kingdom As if our Saviour had said Is it likely that Satan would â—end me his Power to use it against himself Surely Satan will do nothing to weaken his own Interest or shake the Pillars of his own Kingdom Now if I have received my Power from Satan for destroying him and his Kingdom Then is Satan like a Family divided within it self and like a Kingdom divided against it self which can never stand but be brought to Desolation Our Saviour having sufficiently shewn that he did not work his Miracles by the Power of the Devil he next informs them from whence he had that Power even from God himself and accordingly he compares Satan to a strong Man well-armed with Weapons to defend his House and he compares himself clothed with Divine Power to one that is stronger than the strong Man So that the Argument runs thus The Devil is very strong and powerful and there is no Power but God's only that is stronger than his If then says Christ I were not assisted with a Divine Power I could never cast out this strong Man who reigns in the Bodies and Souls of Men as in his House for it must be a stronger than the strong Man that shall bind Satan and who is he but the God of Strength Learn hence That Christ's Divine Power is only Superiour to Satan's Strength He only can vanquish and over-rule him at his Pleasure and drive him out of that Possession which he holds either in the Bodies or in the Souls of Men. Obs 5. The Charge which our Saviour brings against the Scribes and Pharisees for Blaspheming his Divine Power in working Miracles He charges them with sinning the unpardonable Sin against the Holy Ghost All Sin and Blasphemy shall be forgiven but he that shall Blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never Forgiveness As if Christ had said All the Reproaches which you cast upon me as Man are pardonable as when you check me with the Poverty and Meaness of my Birth when you censure me for a Wine-bibber a Glutton a Friend and Companion of Sinners and the like unjust Crimes But when you Blaspheme that Divine Power by which all my Miracles are wrought and contrary to the Convictions of your own enlightned Minds maliciously ascribe all my Miracles to the Power of the Devil which were wrought indeed by the Power of the Holy Ghost this makes your Condition not only dangerous but desperate because you resist the last Remedy and oppose the best Means for your Conviction For what can be done more to convince you that I am the true and promised Messiah than to work so many Miracles before your Eyes to that Purpose Now if when you see these you will say it is not the Spirit of God that works these but the Power of the Devil as if Satan would conspire against himself and seek the Ruin of his own Kingdom there is no Way or Means left to convince you but you will continue in your Obstinacy and malicious Opposition to Truth to your unutterable and inevitable Condemnation 31 There came then his
the extream Malice and Cruelty of the Devil against Mankindâ— in that so many evil Spirits did at once afflict and torment a single Person even a Legion many Thousands of them Observe also The Unity and Agreement which is amongst these evil Spirits in doing Mischief tho' there was a Legion of them in this one Person yet they have all but one Name Learn That the very Devils have a sort of Unity amongst themselves and in their Malice and mischievous Designs against Mankind they are as one How happy were it if good Men were as much united in Designs and Endeavours for the Glory of God as Devils conspire and combine against it Note 7. The Outcry which the Devil makes at the Appearance and Approach of Christ Art thou come to torment us before the time From thence Learn 1. That there are Tortures appointed to the Spiritual Natures of evil Angels 2. That the Devils are not so full of Torment as they shall be Altho' they are as full of Discontent as they can be there will be a Time when their Torments shall be encreased when they shall have their Fill of torment This they know and accordingly thus they pray Torment us not before our Time That is encrease not our Torments before the appointed time of their Encrease Note 8. The Devils Request for Permission and Leave to go into the Herd of Swine Where Observe First The Devil's Malice he will hurt the poor Beasts rather than not hurt at all Secondly His powerful Restraint he cannot hurt a Pig without a Permission Suffer us to enter Satan's Malice indeed is infinite but his Power is bounded it is Potestas sub potestate A Power under a Power If he could not hurt the Swine much less can he afflict the Body or Soul of Man without Leave and Licence Note 9. How Satan's Request is yeilded to by our Saviour he permits the Devils to enter into the Swine not to satisfie their Desire in doing Mischief But First To shew his Power over the Devils that they could do nothing without his Permission Next To shew how great the Power and Malice of the Devil would be if not restrained and Lastly That the Miracle of casting out such a Multitude of Devils might appear to be the greater Learn hence That sometimes Almighty God for wise Ends and just Causes doth suffer the Devil to enjoy his Desire in doing Hurt and Mischief unto the Creatures Jesus said unto them Go. Note 10. What a contrary Effect this Miracle which Christ wrought had upon these People instead of believing his Divine Power upon the Sight of his miraculous healing the possessed the Loss of their Swine enrages them and makes them desire Christ to depart from them Carnal Hearts preferr their Swine before their Saviour and had rather lose Christ's Presence than their Worldly Profit So desirous were these Gadarens to get rid of our Saviour's Company that they pray and beseech him to depart out of their Coasts Learn hence Sad is the Condition of such from whom Christ departs more sad the Condition of such who say unto Christ Depart but most sad the Case of them who pray and beseech Christ to depart from them Thus did these Gadarens desire and beseech Christ to depart from them which accordingly he did and we read no more of his Return to them Note lastly How desirous the possessed Man was to continue with Christ after he was come to himself He prayed that he might be with him This he might desire partly to testifie his Thankfulness to Christ partly out of fear of being repossess'd again by Satan or perhaps to have the Opportunity of hearing Christ's Doctrine and seeing his Miracles For such as have once tasted that the Lord is gracious and experienced the Pleasure and Profit of Christ's Company are very desirous of the Continuance of it and exceeding loth to part with it However our Saviour at this time did not think fit to suffer him knowing that more Glory would redound to God by publishing this Miracle to his Friends Christ expects after eminent Deliverances wrought for us that we should be the Publishers of his Praises and declare to all far and near the great things which God hath done for us 21 And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side much people gathered unto him and he was nigh unto the sea 22 And behold there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue Jairus by name and when he saw him he fell at his feet 23 And besought him greatly saying My little daughter lieth at the point of death I pray thee come and lay thy hands on her that she may be healed and she shall live 24 And Jesus went with him and much people followed him and thronged him Obs here 1. The Person who came to Christ on Behalf of his sick Daughter described by his Name Jairus by his Office a Ruler of the Synagogue by his Gesture he fell down at Jesus Feet and worshipped him This Gesture of his was not only a Sign of tender Affection in him towards his Daughter but also an Evidence of his Faith in our Blessed Saviour yet his confining Christ's Power to his bodily Presence and to the Touch of his Hand was a Token of the Weakness of his Faith Come says he and lay thine hand upon her and she shall live As if Christ could not have cured her without either coming to her or laying his Hand upon her Note All that come to Christ are not alike strong in Faith yet our blessed Redeemer refuses none who come to him with a smeere Faith tho' in much Weakness of Faith Obs 2. How readily our Saviour complies with Jairus's Request Jesus went with him Altho' his Faith was but weak yet our Saviour doth not reject him or deny his Sute but readily goes with him Learn hence How ready we should be to go to Christ in all our Distresses Afflictions and Necessities who is so ready to hear and so forward to help us if we seek him in Sincerity tho' our Faith be feeble Obs 3. The great Humility of our Blessed Saviour in suffering himself to be thronged by poor People Much People followed him and thronged him Oh humble and lowly Saviour How free was thy Conversation from Pride and Haughtiness How willing to converse with the meanest of the People for their Advantage Our Lord did not only suffer them to come near him but even to throng him What an Example is here for the greatest Persons upon Earth to imitate and follow not to despise the Persons nor disdain the Presence of the meanest and poorest of the People but to look upon some with an Eye of Favour upon others with an Eye of Pity upon none with an Eye of Contempt 25 And a certain woman which had an issue of blood twelve years 26 And had suffered many things of many physicians and had spent all that she had and was nothing bettered but
give Entertainment to them and their Doctrine They were to denounce the Judgments of God against such Contemners by shaking off the Dust of their Feet for a Testimony against them Thence Learn That the Contempt of God's Ministers and especially of their Ministry and Doctrine is an odious and execrable Sin detested by God and which ought to be abhorred by Man Shake off the Dust of your Feet This Action was Emblematical signifying that Almighty God would in like manner shake them off as the vilest Dust Learn 2dly That where-ever the Word is preached it is for a Testimony either a Testimony for or against a People For if the Dust of a Minister's Feet bear Witness against the Despisers of the Gospel their Sermons much more Observe Lastly The dreadful Judgment denounced by our Saviour against the Contemners of the Apostle's Doctrine Verily it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that City Where Note 1. That there shall be a Day of Judgment 2. That in the Day of Judgment some Sinners shall fare worse than others 3. That of all Sinners the Condition of such will be saddest at the Day of Judgment who having lived under the Gospel have died after all in Impenitency and Infidelity Verily I say unto you it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than c. 14 And king Herod heard of him for his name was spread abroad and he said That John the Baptist was risen from the dead and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him 15 Others said That it is Elias And others said That it is a prophet or as one of the prophets 16 But when Herod heard thereof he said It is John whom I beheaded he is risen from the dead 17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John and bound him in prison for Herodias sake his brother Philip's wife for he had married her 18 For John had said unto Herod It is not lawful for thee to have thy brothers wife 19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have killed him but she could not 20 For Herod feared John knowing that he was a just man and an holy and observed him and when he heard him he did many things and heard him gladly 21 And when a convenient day was come that Herod on his birth day made a supper to his lords high captains and chief estates of Galilee 22 And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced and pleased Herod and them that sat with him the king said unto the damsel Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt and I will give it thee 23 And he sware unto her Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me I will give it thee unto the half of my kingdom 24 And she went forth and said unto her mother What shall I ask And she said The head of John the Baptist 25 And she came in straightway with haste unto the king and asked saying I will that thou give me by and by in a charger the head of John the Baptist 26 And the king was exceeding sorry yet for his oaths sake and for their sakes which sat with him he would not reject her 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought and he went and beheaded him in the prison 28 And brought his head in a charger and gave it to the damsel and the damsel gave it to her mother 29 And when his disciples heard of it they came and took up his corps and laid it in a tomb The History of John the Baptist's Death is here recorded by this Evangelist as St. Matthew had done before Ch. 14.1 2. here we have these Particulars farther observable 1. The Character and Description of a zealous and faithful Minister He is one that deals plainly and durst tell the greatest Persons of their Faults Herod tho' a King is reproved by the Baptist for his Incest in taking his Brother's Wife The Crown and Scepter of Herod could not daunt the faithful Messenger of God There ought to meet in the Ministers of God both Courage and Impartiality Courage in fearing no Faces Impartiality in sparing no Sins Obs 2. Who it was that commanded the Baptist to be beheaded It was Herod the King whom he had reproved How sad is it when Kings who should be Nursing-fathers to the Church do prove the bloody Butchers of the Prophets of God The severest Persecutions which the Prophets of God have fallen under are usually occasioned by their telling great Men of their Crimes Men in Power are impatient of Reproof and imagine that their Authority gives them a License to transgress Obs 3. The time of the Baptist's Death It was upon Herod 's Birth-Day It was an ancient Custom among the Eastern Kings to celebrate their Birth Days Pharaoh did so Gen. 40. and Herod here but both with Blood yet these personal Stains do not make the Practice unlawful when we solemnize our Birth-Days with Thankfulness to our Creator and Preserver and recommend our selves by Prayer to his Gracious Providence and Protection for the Remainder of our Days This is an Act of Piety and Religion But Herod's Birth-Day was kept with Revelling with Feasting with Musick and Dancing All which were made sinful to him by the Circumstances which did attend it Great Men's Feasts and Frolicks are too often the Season and Occasion of much Sin Obs 4. The Instigators and Promoters of the Holy Baptist's Death Herodias and her Daughter Lord How deadly is the Malice of Soulâ— debauched with Lust Imprisonment would not satisfie them they must have his Blood Resolute Sinners who are mad upon their Lusts run furiously upon their Opposers and resolve to bear down all Opposition they meet with in the Gratification of their unlawful Desires Obs 5. With what great Reluctancy Herod consented to this Villany The King was exceeding sorry Wicked Men oft-times sin with a troubled and disturbeâ— Conscience there is a mighty Struggle betwixt their Reason and their Lusts but at last they master their Consciences and choose rather to gratifie their Lusts than to obey their Reason So did Herod here for notwithstanding his Sorrow he commands the Fact he sent and beheaded John in the Prison Obs 6. The Motives and Inducements which prevail'd with Herod to behead this Holy Man 1. The Conscience of his Oath Nevertheless for his Oath sake See his Hypocrisie he made Scruple of a rash Oath who made no Scruple of real Murther See here not only the Folly but great Impiety of rash Vows especially in ignorant Persons who think themselves obliged by them Whereas it is their Duty first to repent of them and then to break them as fast as they can St. Chrysostom says Herod might have spared the Baptist's Head and yet have kept his Oath to Herodias for he sware to give her only half of his Kingdom and his Head was worth more than his
incorruptible life that the Angels live Note 4. That all those who are in Covenant with God whose God the Lord is their Souls do immediately pass into Glory and their Bodies at the Resurrectson shall be sharers in the same happiness with their Souls if God be just the Soul must live and the body must rise for good men must be Rewarded and wicked men Punished somewhere either in this life or in another God will most certainly at one time or other plentifully Reward the Righteous and punish the wicked doers But this being not always done in this life the justice of God requires that it be done in the next 28 And one of the Scribes came and having heard them reasoning together and perceiving that he had answered them well asked him which is the first Commandment of all 29 And Jesus answered him the first of all the Commandments is this Hear O Israel the Lord our God is one Lord. 30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind and with all thy strength this is the first Commandment 31 And the sâ—cond is like namely this Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self there is none other Commandment greater then these 32 And the Scribes said unto him well Master thou hast said the truth for there is one God and there is none other but he 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the soul and with all the strength and to love his Neighbour as himself is more then all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly he said unto him Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God And no man after that durst ask him any question Observe here 1. A Question propounded to our Blessed Saviour and his answer thereunto the Question propounded is this Which is the first and great Commandment Our Saviours tells them it is to love God with all their heart and soul with all their mind and strength that is with all the powers faculties and abilities of the Soul with the highest measures and most intent degrees of Love this is the sum of the Duties of the first Table this is the first and great Commandment and the second is like unto it he doth not say equal with it Although the duties of the second Table are of the same Authority and of the same necessity with the first as no man can be saved without the Love of God so neither without the love of his Neighbour Whence Note 1. That the fervency of all our Affections and particularly the supremacy of our Love is required by God as his right and due Love must pass thorough and possess all the powers and faculties of our Souls the mind must meditate 〈◊〉 God the Will must chose and embrace him and the Affections must delight in him the measure of loving God is to love him without measure God reckons that we love him not all if we love him not above all Note 2. That thus to love God is the first great Commandment Great in regard of its Object which is God the first cause and the chief good Great in regard of the Obligation of it To love God iâ— so indispensable a Duty that God himself cannot free us from the obligation of it for so long as he is God and we his Creatures we shall lye under a natural and necessary oblâ—â—â—ation to love and serve him Great also is this Command and Duty in regard of the Duration and Câ—ntinuance of it when Faith shall be swallowed up in visâ—on and hope in â—â—â—ition Love will then be perfected in a full Enjoyment Note 3. That every man may yea ought to love himsâ—lf not his sinful self but his natural self especially his spiritual sâ—â—â— the new nature in him Thus it ought to be his particular care to strengthen and encrease indeed there is no express command in Scripture for a Man to love himself because the Light of Nature directs and the Law of Nature binds â—very man so to do God has put a principle of self-love and of self-preservation into all his Creatures but espâ—câ—ally into Man Note 4. That aâ— every man ouâ—ht to love himself so is it every Man's duty to love his Neighbour as himself not as he doth love himself but as he ought to love himself yet not in the same deâ—ree that he loves himself but after the same manner and with the same kind of love that he loves himself As we love our selves freely and readily sincerely and unfeignedly tenderly and compassionately constantly and continually so should we love our Neighbour also though we love him not as much as we love our selves yet must we love him as truly as we love our sâ—lves Nâ—te lastly That the Duties of the first and second Table â—re iâ— seperable namely love to God and love to our Neighbour these two must not be separated he that loveth not his Neighbour whom he hath seen never loved God whom he hath not seen A conscientious regard to the Duties of both Tables will be an Argument of our Sincerity and an Ornament to our Profession Observe lastly The favourable censure which our Saviour passes upon this Scribe he 〈…〉 he was not far from the Kingdâ—m of God Nâ—te here 1. Some persons may be said to be far and farther then others thâ—m the Kingdom of Heaven some are farther in reâ—ard of the means they want the Ordinances the Dispensation of the Word and Sacraments others are far from the Kingdom of God in regard of qualifications and dispâ—sitions of the former sort are all Heathens without the pale of the Church they are afar off as the Apostle expresses it Eph. 2.13 of the latter sort are all gross and close Hypocrites within the Church who whilst they continue such shall not inherit the Kingdom of God Note 2. As some Persons may be sâ—â—d to be far from the Kingdom of God so are there otherâ— which may be said not to be far such who have escaped the pâ—llutions of the World abstained from open and scandalous Sins are less wicked then multitudes are but are strangers to an inward thorough and prevailing change in the frame of their Hearts and course of their Lives they have often said I would be but they never said I will be the Lords When the work of Regeneration is brought to the Birth after all it proves an abortion Lord what a disappointment will this be to perish within sight of the promisâ—d Land to bâ— near Heaven in our expectation and yet never the nearer in the Issue and Event Wo unto us if this be the Câ—â—â—â—â—â—n of any of us who have all our days sat under the D 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on of thy Gospel 35 And Jesus answered and said while he taught in the Temple how sâ—y the Scribes that Christ is the Son of David 36 For David himself
he cast himself sometimes Kneeling sometimes lying prostrate upon his Face he lies in the very Dust and lower he cannot lye and his Heart was as low as his Body 3. It was a vehement fervent and most importunate Prayer such was the fervour of our Lord's Spirit that he Prayed himself into an Agony Oh let us blush to think how unlike we are to Christ in Prayer as to our praying-frame of Spirit Lord what deadness and drowsiness what stupidity and formality what dulness and Laziness is found in our Prayers How often do our Lips move when our Hearts stand still 4. It was a Re-iterated and Repeated Prayer he Prayed the first second and third time for the passing of the Cup from him he returns upon God over and over again resolving to take no Denyal Let us not be Discouraged though we have sought God often for a particular Mercy and yet no Answer has been given in unto us Our Prayers may be answered though their Answer for the present is suspended A Prayer put up in Faith according to the Will of God though it may be delayed it shall not be lost Our Saviour Prayed the first second and third Time for the passing of the Cup and altho' he was not heard as to Exemption from Suffering yet he was heard as to Support under Suffering Observe 5. The Posture the Disciples were found in when our Lord was in this Agony Praying to his Father They were fast asleep Good God! Could they possibly sleep at such a time as that was when Christ's Soul was exceeding Sorrowful Could their Eyes be thus heavy Learn thence That the best of Christ's Disciples may be and oft-times are over-taken with Infirmities with great Infirmities when the most important Duties are performing He cometh to his Disciples and finds them sleeping Observe 6. The mild and gentle Reproof which he gives the Disciples for their sleeping Could ye not watch with me one hour Could you not Watch when your Master is in such Danger Could you not Watch with me when I am going to deliver up my Life for you What not one Hour and that the parting Hour too After his Reprehension he Subjoyns an Exhortation Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation and super-adds a forcible Reason for though the Spirit be willing yet the flesh is weak Thence Learn That the Holiest and best Resolved Christians who have willing Spirits for Christ and his Service yet in regard of the Weakness of the Flesh or frailty of Humane Nature it is their Duty to Watch and Pray and thereby guard themselves against Temptation Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation for though the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak 43 And immediately while he yet spake cometh Judas one of the Twelve and with him a great Multitude with Swords and Staves from the Chief Priests and Scribes and Elders 44 And he that Betrayed him had given him a Token saying whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he Take him and lead him away safely 45 And as soon as he was come he goeth straightway to him and saith Master Master and kissed him 46 And they laid their hands on him and took him 47 And one of them that stood by dreâ— a Sword and smote a Servant of the High-priests and cut off his Ear. 48 And Jesus answered and said unto them Are ye come out as against a Thief with Swords and with Staves to take me 49 I was daily with you in the Temple Teaching and ye took me not but the Scriptures must be Fulfilled 50 And they all forsook him and fled The Hour is now almost come even that Hour of Sorrow which Christ had so often spoken of yet a little while and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of Sinners for while he yet spake cometh Judas with a Band of Soldiers to apprehend him it was the Lot and Portion of our Dear Redeemer to be Betrayed into the hands of his Mortal Enemies by the Treachery of a false and dissembling Friend Here we have Observable 1. The Traitor 2. The Treason 3. The Manner how 4. The Time when this Treasonable Design was Executed Observe 1. The Traitor Judas All the Evangelists carefully describe him by his Name Judas by his sir-name Judas Iscariot lest he should be mistaken for Jude the Brother of James Almighty God takes great care to preserve the Names of his upright-hearted Servants he is further described by his Office One of the Twelve The Eminency of his Place and Station was an high aggravation of his Transgression Learn hence That the greatest Professors had need be very jealous of themselves and suspicious of their own Hearts and look well to the Grounds and Principles of their Profession for a Profession begun in Hypocrisy will certainly end in Apostacy Learn farther That Persons are never in such eminent Danger as when they meet with Temptations exactly suited to their Master Lusts Covetousness was Judas his Master-sin the Love of the World made him a Slave to Satan and the Devil lays a Temptation before him exactly suited to his Temper and Inclination and it instantly over-comes him Oh pray we that we may be kept from a strong and suitable Temptation a Temptation suited to our inclination and predominant Lust and Corruption Observe 2. The Treason of this Traitor Judas he led on an Armed Multitude to the place where Christ was gave them a Signal to discover him by and bids them lay Hands upon him and hold him fast This Treason of Judas is attended with these Hellish Aggravations He had been a Witness to the Miracles which our Saviour had wrought by his Divine Power and therefore could not sin out of Ignorance What he did was not at the sollicitation and perswasion of others but he was a Voluntier in this Service the High-priests did not send to him but he went to them offering his Assistance No doubt it was matter of Surprize to the Chief Priests to find one of Christ's own Disciples at the head of a Conspiracy against him Lord How dangerous is it to allow our selves in any one secret or open Sin None can say how far that one Sin may in time lead us Should any have told Judas that his Love of Money would at last make him sell his Saviour he would have said with Hasael is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this thing That Soul can never be safe that Harbours one sin within its Breast Observe 3. The manner how this Hellish Plot was Executed partly by Force and partly by Fraud by Force in that Judas came with a Multitude Armed with Swords and Staves and by Fraud giving a kiss and saying Hail Master Here was Honey in the Lips but Poyson in the Heart Observe 4. The Time when the Place where and the Work which our Saviour was about when this Treasonable Design was Executed he was in the Garden with his Disciples exhorting them to Prayer
is a Priest to God and may enter the Holy of Holies by the Blood of Jesus But Lord What are we the better for this Great and Gracious freedom of Access to Thee if we want Hearts to prize and to improve our Priviledge 11 And there appeared unto him an Angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the Altar of Incense Whilst Zachary was praying to God an Angel appears to Zachary when we are nearest God the Good Angels are nighest us they are most with us when we are most with him The presence of Angels with us is no Novelty but their Apparition to us is so They are always with us but rarely seen by us Let our Faith see them whom our Senses cannot discern Their assumed Shapes do not make them more present but only more visible Obs 2. The place as well as the time where the Angel appeared in the Temple and at the Altar and on the right side of the Altar of Incense As the Holy Angels are always present with us in our Devotions so especially in Religious Assemblies as in all places so most of all in God's House They rejoyce to be with us whilst we are with God but they turn their Faces from us when we go about our Sins 12 And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled and fear fell upon him It was partly the suddenness partly the unexpectedness and partly the Glory of the Apparition that affrighted this Good Man Glorious and sudden Apparations do affright even the holiest and best of Men. We cannot bear the sight and presence of an Angel without Consternation and Fear in this our frail and sinful State Oh happy hour when mortality and Sin being taken out of our Natures we shall not only behold the Glorified Angels without fear but the Glorious God with Delight and Love Lord let me now see Thee by Faith hereafter by sight Sit in alio Seculo non in Hoc visio tua merces mea 13 But the Angel said unto him fear not Zacharias for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son and thou shalt call his name John Observe here 1. How Apprehensive this good Angel was of Zachary's Surprizing fear and encourages him against it The Holy Angels tho' they do not express it in words yet they pity our frailties and suggest Comfort to us The Evil Angels if they might would kill us with Terrour The good Angels labour altogether for our Tranquility and cheerfulness The Angel said unto him fear not Obs 2. the Comfortable words spoken by the Angel to Zacharias Thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a Son No doubt Zachary and Elizabeth had often prayed for a Child and now God sends them one when they least expected it Learn hence That sometimes God gives in a Mercy to us when we least expect it yea when we have given over looking for it No doubt this was the Case here Zachary and Elizabeth being both well stricken in Age. Obs 3. the Name which the Angel directs Zachary to give his Son Thou shalt call his name John which signifies Gracious because he was to open the Kingdom of Grace and to preach the Grace of the Gospel through Jesus Christ The giving of significant names to Children has been an ancient and pious practice Names which either carried a Remembrance of Duty or of Mercy 14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness and many shall rejoice at his birth 15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mothers womb 16 And many of the Children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. Here the Angel declares to Zachary what kind of Son should be born unto him even one of eminent Endowments and designed for extraordinary Services The proof of Children makes them either the Blessings or Crosses of their parents What greater comfort could Zachary desire in a child then is here promised to him 1. he hears of a Son that should bring joy to himself and many others even to all that did expect the coming of the Messias whose fore-runner the Baptist was 2. That he should be great in the sight of the Lord that is a Person of great Eminency and great Usefulness in the Church A Person of great Riches and Reputation is great in the sight of Men but the Man of great ability and usefulness the Man of great Integrity and Serviceableness he is truly great in the sight of the Lord. They are little Men in the sight of the Lord that live in the World to little purposes who do little Service for God and bring little Honour and Glory to him But the Man that does all the possible Service he can for God and the utmost Good that he is capable of doing to all Mankind he is a person great in the sight of the Lord and such was the Holy Baptist 3. It is foretold that he should drink neither Wine nor strong drink that is that he should be a very Temperate and Abstemious Person living after the manner of the Nazarites tho' he was not separated by any Vow of his own or his Parents but by the special designation and appointment of God only It was forbidden the Priests under the Law to drink either Wine or strong Drink upon pain of Death during the time of their Ministration Levit. 10.9 And the Ministers of Christ under the Gospel are forbidden to be lovers of Wine 1 Tim. 3.3 4. He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb That is he shall be furnished abundantly with the extraordinary Gifts and sanctifying Graces of the Holy Spirit which shall very early appear to be in him and upon him 5. His High and Honourable Office is declared That he should go before the Messiah as his Harbinger and Fore-runner with the same Spirit of Zeal and Courage against Sin which was found in the old Prophet Elias whom he did so nearly resemble 6. The great Success of his Ministry is foretold namely That he should turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just That is the Hearts of the Jews to the Gentiles say some that he should bring Men say others even the most disobedient and rebellious Pharisees and Sadduces Publicans and Sinners unto Repentance and to the minding of Justice and Righteousness and all moral duties and thus he made ready a people for the Lord. By fitting men to receive Christ upon his own Terms and Conditions namely Faith and Repentance From the whole Note That those whom Almighty God designs for eminent Usefulness in
with an eye of Regard by him that dwells in the highest Heavens Where Note That as God magnified her she magnified him ascribing all Honour and Glory to him that had thus dignified and exalted her He that is mighty hath done for me great things and glorified be his name Obs 4. She thankfully takes notice that it was not only an high Honour but a lasting Honour which was conferred upon her All Generations shall call me Blessed She beholds an infinite lasting Honour prepared for her as being the Mother of an Universal and Everlasting Blessing which all former Ages had desired and all succeeding Ages should rejoyce in and proclaim her Happy for being the Instrument of Obs 5. How the Holy Virgin passes from the Consideration of her Personal Priviledges to the universal Goodness of God shewing us that the Mercies and favours of God were not confined and limited to her self but his mercy is on all them that fear him throughout all Generations She declares the General Providence of God towards all Persons his mercy to the pious his mercy is on all them that fear him his justice on the proud he has put down the mighty from their Seat and scattered the proud in the imagination of their Hearts his Bounty to the poor he fills the hungry with good things Learn hence the excellency and advantagious usefulness of the Grace of Humility how good it is to be meek and lowly in Heart This will render us lovely in God's Eye and tho' the World trample upon us he will exalt us to the admiration of our selves and the envy of our despisers Obs Lastly How she magnifies the special Grace of God in our Redemption he hath holpen his Servant Israel that is Blest them with a Saviour who lived in the Faith Hope and Expectation of the promised Messiah and this Blessing she declares was 1. the Result of Great Mercy he remembring his mercy hath holpen his Servant Israel 2. The effect of his Truth and Faithfulness in his Promises as he promised to our Fore-fathers Abraham and his Seed for ever Learn thence that the appearance of the promised Messiah in the Fulness of time in order to the Redemption and Salvation of a lost World it was the Fruit of God's tender Love and the effect of his Faithfulness in the promises made of Old to his Church and Children he hath holpen his Servant Israel in remembrance of his Mercy as he spake to our Forefathers to Abraham and to his Seed for ever 56 And Mary abode with her about three months and returned to her own house 57 Now Elizabeths full time came that she should be delivered and she brought forth her Son 58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her and they rejoyced with her Two things are here Observable 1. The civil courtesy of the Virgin Mary towards her Cousin Elizabeth She stays with her three Months probably till she was Delivered and brought to Bed not leaving her just at the time of her Travel for the Angel told Mary v. 36. That it was then the sixth Month with Elizabeth after which Mary stays with her three Months which made up the full time To visit and accompany our Friends in the time of their Distress is not only an act of Civil Courtesy but of Religion and Piety not a Matter of Indifferency but of Duty James 1.27 Pure Religion and undefiled is this to visit in affliction that is this is an eminent act and exercise of Religion the Evidence and fruit of Sincere Religion and the Virgins doing this was an act and instance of her Piety as well as of her civil Courtesy Obs 2. The Religious joy and Spiritual rejoycing which the Neighbours and Kindred express at the lying in of Elizabeth they did not meet together upon that great occasion only to eat and drink and make merry but they rejoyced that the Lord had shewn great mercy upon her oh how rarely is this Example followed in our Age At the Delivery of the Mother and at the Birth of the Child how little is God taken Notice of How little is his power magnified and his Goodness Celebrated in opening the Womb in giving strength to bring forth And how rarely is this the Subject of Discourse at the Woman's Labours verily if the mercy of a Child and the safe Delivery of the Mother be not the first and principal things taken notice of at such Rejoycing Meetings they look more like Pagan then Christian Rejoycings 59 And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child and they called him Zacharias after the name of his father 60 And his mother answered and said not so but he shall be called John 61 And they said unto her there is none of thy kindred that is called by this name 62 And they made signs to his Father how he would have him called and he asked for a writing Table and wrote saying his name is John and they marvelled all 64 And his mouth was opened immediately and his tongue loosed and he spake and praised God 65 And fear came on all them that dwelt round about and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the Hill Country of Judea 66 And all they that had heard them laid them up in their hearts saying what manner of child shall this be and the hand of the Lord was with him Observe here 1. The Circumcision of the Child at eight days old according to the Commandment Gen. 17. where Note First the Act Circumcising Secondly the Time at eight days old God Commanded every Male Child to be Circumcised because the Males by the Fore-skin propagate Sin and convey Original Impurity By this Ordinance God gave his People to understand the exceeding filthiness of Sin and that Man brings something into the World with him which ought presently to be cut off Note also the time of Circumcising the Child at eight days old not before least the Child should be too weak to bear the pain and must not be deferred longer least God interprets the delay to be a Contempt of the Ordinance Hence by the way we may Learn that God did not tye Salvation to the outward Sacrament for if the Child had perisht that dyed uncircumcised it had been an hard thing to defer Circumcision eight Hours 'T is not the want but the Contempt and Neglect of the Sacraments that damns It came to pass on the eighth day they came to circumcise the Child we find in Scripture the Ordinance appointed and the time limited but neither the person nor the place declared Moses's Wife circumcised the Child and that in an Inn Ex. 4. A Duty is sometimes positively injoined in the Scriptures when the Circumstances belonging to the Duty are undetermined Thus the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper is appointed by Christ but the time the place the gesture not positively commanded but to be prudentially determined Obs
but they have broken the yoke and burst the bonds Obs 3. The miraculous Success which St. Peter had when at Christ's Command he let down the Net They inclosed such a multitude of Fishes that their Net brake Two things our Saviour aimed at in this Miracle 1. To manifest to his Disciples the power of his Godhead that they might not be offended at the poverty and meanness of his Manhood 2. To assure them of the great Success which his Apostles and their Successors might expect in planting and propagating of the Gospel If the Ministers of Christ whom he calls Fishers of Men be Faithful in the cast his Power shall be magnified in the Draught Some of our Fish will cleave Eternally to the Rocks others play upon the Sands more will wallow in the Mud and continue all their days in the filth of sin if our Master at whose Command we let down the Net doth not inclose them in it as well as assist us in the casting of it Observe 4. What influence the sight of this Miracle had upon St. Peter it occasioned fear and amazement and caused him to adore Christ and declare himself unworthy of his presence Depart from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord not that the good man was weary of Christ's Presence but acknowledged himself unworthy of it 'T is a great Discovery of our Holiness to revere God and fear before him when he doth wonderful things before us tho' they be wonders of Love and Mercy here was a wonderful appearance of Christ's Power and Mercy to St. Peter But it affects him with reverential fear and awful Astonishment Observe 5. How St. Peter and the rest of the Apostles at Christ's Call forsook all and followed him they left Father and Friends Ship and Nets and followed Jesus whom Christ Calls he calls effectually he draws whom he calls and works their Hearts to a ready Compliance with their Duty And altho' when they were first called to be Disciples they followed their Trades of Fishing for a time yet upon their second call to the Apostleship they left off their Trade and forsook all to follow the Ministry Teaching the Ministers of the Gospel that it is their Duty to give themselves wholly up to their great Work and not to incumber themselves with secular Affairs and worldly Business nothing but an indispensible Necessity in providing for a Family can excuse a Ministers incumbring himself with Worldly Concerns and Business They forsook all and followed Jesus 12 And it came to pass when he was in a certain place behold a man full of Leprosy who seeing Jesus fell on his face and besought him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 13 And he put forth his hand and touched him saying I will be thou clean and immediately the Leprosy departed from him 14 And he charged him to tell no man but go and shew thy self to the Priest and offer for thy cleansing according as Moses commanded for a Testimony unto them 15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their Infirmities Observe here 1. the Petitioner that in a very humble and submissive manner sues unto Christ for Cure and Healing A Leper fell on his Face and besought him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean he doth not question Christ's Power but distrusts his willingness to help and heal him Christ's Divine Power must be fully assented to and firmly Believed by all those that expect benefit by him and healing from him Obs 2. The great readiness of Christ to help and heal this distressed Person Jesus touching him saying I will be thou clean By the Ceremonial Law the Leper was forbidden to be touched therefore Christ's touching this Leper shews himself to be above the Law that he was the Lord of it and might dispense with it and his healing this Leper by the word of his Mouth and the touch of his Hand shewed him to be truly and really God for Leprosy among the Jews was accounted an incurable Distemper called the Finger of God a Disease of his sending and of his removing Our Saviour therefore as a proof of his being the Messias tells John's Disciples Matth. 11.5 That the Lepers were cleansed and the Dead raised by him which two being joined together do imply that the cleansing of the Lepers is as much an act of Divine Power as the raising of the Dead and accordingly 2 Kings 5.8 it is said Am I God that this man sends unto me to cure a person of his Leprosy Obs 3. The certainty and suddenness of the Cure was a farther proof of Christ's Divine Power Immediately the Leprosy departed Christ not only Cured him immediately but instantaneously not only without Means but without the ordinary time required for such a Cure Thus Christ shewed both Power and will to Cure him Miraculously who Believed his Power but questioned his willingness Obs 4. A Twofold Charge and Command given by Christ to the Leper 1. To tell it to no Man where the great Modesty Piety and Humility of Our Saviour is discovered together with the prudent care he took of his own Safety his modesty in concealing his own Praises his Humility in shunning all vain-glorious Applause and Commendation his Piety in referring all the Honour and Glory to God his Father and the Care of his own Safety appeared lest the publishing of his Miracles should create untimely Danger from the Pharisees 2. The next part of the Charge given to the Recovered Leper is to go and shew himself to the Priest and to offer the Gift which Moses Commanded for a Testimony unto them that is to testify to the Jews that he did not oppose the Ceremonial Law which required a Thank-offering at his Hand and also that the Miracle might testify that he was the true and promised Messiah Learn hence that our Blessed Saviour would have the Ceremonial Law punctually observed so long as the time for its continuance did endure tho' he came to destroy that Law yet whilst it stood he would have it exactly observed 16 And he withdrew himself into the Wilderness and prayed The Duty of private and solitary Prayer is not more strictly injoined by our Saviour's Command then it is recommended to us by his Example Observe 1. The Duty which our Holy Lord performed Prayer we have much more business with God in Prayer than Christ had he had no sins to be humbled for nor beg pardon of no need to pray for any sanctifying habits of Grace the Holy Spirit being given to him without measure yet did our Holy Lord spend much of his time in Prayer he took delight in paying this Homage to his Heavenly Father Obs 2. What kind of Prayer our Lord did eminently delight in it was solitary and private Prayer He often went alone even out of the Hearing of his own Disciples The Company of
our Best friends is not always seasonable nor acceptable There are Times and Seasons when a Christian would not be willing that his Dearest Relations upon Earth should hear that Intercourse which passes betwixt him and his God Observe 3. The place our Lord withdraws to for private Prayer it is the desert he withdrew into the Wilderness and Prayed both to avoid Ostentation and also to enjoy Communion with his Father The modest Bridegroom of his Church says St. Bernard will not impart himself so freely to his Spouse before Company St. Mark 1.35 adds That our Saviour rose up a great while before day and went into this desert place to pray Teaching us that the Morning is the fit Season yea the best of Seasons for private Duties now are our Spirits freshest and our minds freest before the Distractions of the day break in upon us It is certainly much better to go from Prayer to business then from business to Prayer Note lastly that our Blessed Saviour had no idle hours here in the World his time did not lye upon his hand as ours do he was always either Preaching or Praying or working Miracles either paying Homage to God or doing good to man Lord help us to imitate this thy instructive Example by imbracing all opportunities of Glorifying God and doing good to one another 17 And it came to pass on a certain day as he was teaching that there were Pharisees and Doctors of the Law sitting by which were come out of every Town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and the power of the Lord was present to heal them 18 And behold men brought in a Bed a man which was taken with the palsey and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before them 19 And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in because of the multitude they went upon the house-top and let him down through the Tiling with his Couch into the midst before Jesus 20 And when he saw their faith he said unto him Man thy sins are forgiven thee 21 And the Scribes and the Pharisees began to reason saying Who is this which speaketh Blasphemies who can forgive Sins but God alone 22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts he answering said unto them what reason ye in your hearts 23 Whither is easier to say Thy sins be forgiven thee or to say Rise up and walk 24 But that ye may know that the son of man hath power on earth to forgive Sins he said unto the sick of the Palsy I say unto thee Arise and take up thy Couch and go into thy house 25 And immediately he rose up before them and took up that whereon he lay and departed to his own house glorifying God 26 And they were all amazed and they glorified God and were filled with fear saying We have seen strange things this day As the great End of our Saviours Miracles was to confirm his Doctrine so commonly after his Preaching he wrought his Miracles The Scribes and Pharisees tho' they had no love for our Saviour's person nor value for his Ministry yet they frequently accompanied him wherever he went partly to cavil at his Doctrine and partly out of Curiosity to see his Miracles but Observe the gracious Condescension of our Saviour altho' he well knew that the Pharisees at this time attended upon him with no good intention yet he puts forth his Divine Power in working Miracles before them the power of the Lord was present to heal Not that Christ's Power was at any time absent but it is said now to be present because it was now exerted and put forth at his Will and Pleasure And accordingly at this time before the Pharisees Eyes he Miraculously Cures a Person sick of the Palsy as the Paragraph before us does inform us Wherein Observe 1. The Diseased and Distressed Person one sick of the Palsy which being a Resolution and weakness of the Nerves enfeebles the Joynts and confines a Person to his Bed or Couch As a Demonstration of Christ's Divine Power he was pleased to single out the Palsy and Leprosy incurable Diseases to work a Cure upon Now this Person was so great a Cripple by reason of the Palsy that he could not go nor be led but was carried in his Bed or Couch Observe 2. As the grievousness of the Disease so the greatness of the Peoples Faith The Man and his friends had a firm and full perswasion that Christ was cloathed with a Divine Power and able to help him and they hope in his Goodness that he was willing as well as able And accordingly the Roof of the Jewish Houses being flat they uncover some part of it and let the Bed down with the sick Man in it and lay him at the foot of Christ in hopes of help and healing Observe 3. That no sooner did they exercise their Faith in Believing but Christ exerts his Divine Power in healing yet the Object of their Faith probably was not Christ's Divine Power as God but they look upon him as an extraordinary Prophet to whom God had Communicated such a Divine power as Elijah and Elisha had before him Yet see the marvellous efficacy even of this Faith which obtained not only what was desired but more then was expected They desired only the healing of the Body but Christ heals Body and Soul too saying Son be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee Thereby our Saviour signifies to them that sin is the meritorious Cause of Sickness and consequently that in Sickness the best way to find ease and deliverance from pain is first to seek for pardon for the sense of pardon will in some degree take away the sense of pain Obs 4. The Exception which the Pharisees take against our Saviour for pronouncing that this Man's Sins were forgiven him they charge him with Blasphemy urging that it is God's peculiar Prerogative to pardon sin indeed their proposition was true but their application was false Nothing more true then that it is the highest Blasphemy for any meer Man to arrogate and assume to himself the incommunicable property of God absolutely and authoritatively to forgive sin But then their denying this power to Christ of Forgiving sins which he had as God from all Eternity and as Mediator GOD and Man in one Person when here on Earth this was Blasphemy in them but the assuming and challenging of it none in him Observe 5. To Cure if possible the obstinacy and blindness of the Pharisees our Saviour gives them a Two-fold Demonstration of his Godhead 1. By letting them understand that he knew their thoughts Jesus perceived their thoughts v. 22. to know the thoughts to search the Hearts and understand the reasonings of Men is not in the power of Angels or Men but the Prerogative of God only 2. By assuming to himself a power to forgive Sins for our Saviour here by taking upon him to forgive sins in his own name and by his own
hand stand forth to shew that he was resolved to heal him notwithstanding their malicious Purpose to accuse him for it as a Breaker of the Sabbath Opposition met with in doing our Duty must not discourage us from doing good if we will follow the example of our Blessed Redeemer Observe 2. The influence and effect which this miracle had upon the wicked Pharisees they were filled with madness and took counsel to kill him instead of being convinced by this Miracle they conspire against him for it The Enemies of Christ and his Holy Religion when Arguments fail fall to Violence It is a certain Sign of a weak cause that must be supported by Passion which is all Tongue and no Ear. 12 And it came to pass in those days that he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night in prayer to God Observe here 1. The Duty which our Holy Lord performed the Duty of Prayer We have much more Business with God in Prayer then Christ had he had no sins to confess no want of Grace to make known yet did our Lord spend much time even a whole Night in this Duty Lord what delight didst thou take in paying this Homage to thy Heavenly Father Oh how doth thy zeal and forwardness condemn our remisness and luke-warmness Observe 2. It was solitary Prayer that our Lord did so exceedingly delight in He went into the mountain alone to pray not suffering his very Disciples to be with him There are Times and Seasons when a Christian would not be willing that his dearest Relations upon earth should hear that intercourse which passes betwixt him and his God Observe 3. The place which our Lord withdraws to for privacy in Prayer He went into a Mountain as a place of Retiredness God delights to meet his children alone The modest Bridegroom of the Church says St. Bernard will not impart himself to his Spouse before Company Observe 4. The Time when Christ retired into this Mountain to pray and spent a whole Night in Prayer to God If we look back to the former part of the chapter we shall find that it was at a time when the Pharisees were filled with rage and madness against him and conspired to take away his Life Thence Learn That it is our duty at such times especially when Enemiâ—s lie in wait to do us hurt to give our selves much unto Prayer Again if we look forward the next Verse tells us that our Saviour was now about to send forth his Twelve Apostles to preach and propagate the Gospel Christ thought so great a work was not to be done without solemn and extraordinary Prayer Accordingly he spends an whole Night in Prayer to God upon that occasion leaving herein a most instructive Example to his Church to continue in Prayer at all times but then especially to abound in it when Persons are to be set apart for the momentous work of the Ministry that they may enterprize it with extraordinary dread and caution not with aspiring but tremendous Thoughts for who is sufficient for these things 13 And when it was day he called unto him his Disciples and of them he chose twelve whom also he named Apostles 14 Simon whom he also named Peter and Andrew his Brother James and John Philip and Bartholomew 15 Matthew and Thomas James the son of Alpheus and Simon called Zelotes 16 And Judas the brother of James and Judas Iscariot which was also the Traitor As the Jewish Church arose from Twelve Patriarchs so the Christian Church became planted by Twelve Apostles The Person sending them forth was Christ none may undertake the work and calling of the Ministry but those whom Christ appoints and calls not immediately by himself but mediately by the Governours of his Church The Persons Commissioned were Disciples before they were Apostles to Teach us That Christ will have such as preach the Gospel to be Disciples before they are Ministers Trained up in the Faith and Doctrine of the Gospel before they undertake a publick charge Observe next how carefully the names of the Twelve Apostles those Laborious persons in the service of Souls are Recorded and transmitted with honour to Posterity God will signally honour those who singularly honour him and are the special Instruments of his Glory Of the Twelve Apostles Peter is named first and Judas last Peter is first named because probably elder then the rest or because for order-sake he might speak before the rest from whence may be inferred a Primacy but no Supremacy a priority of Order but no Superiority of Degree as the Fore-man of a Grand-Jury has a precedency but no preheminency he is first in order before the rest but has no Authority over the rest neither did St. Peter ever assume to himself a power of deciding Controversies but we find St. James in that first General Council mentioned Acts 15.13 speaking somewhat definitively Thus I judge or determine the matter and yet St. Peter was then and there present Had the champions of the Church of Rome such a passage in all the Scripture for St. Peter's Authority it would make a louder noise then Pasce Oves Feed my Sheep St. John 21.16 Again as St. Peter is named first so Judas is mentioned last with a Brand of Infamy upon him the Traditor the Person that Betrayed his Lord and Master From whence we may gather that tho' the Truth of Grace be absolutely necessary to a Ministers Salvation yet the want of it doth not disanul his Office nor hinder the lawfulness of his ministry Judas tho' a Traitor was yet a lawful Minister an Heart-hypocrite is no hypocrite in foro Ecclesiae before the Church tho' he shall be damn'd for his Hypocrisy before God 17 And he came down with them and stood in the plain and the company of his Disciples and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon which came to hear him and to be healed of their Diseases 18 And they that were vexed with unclean Spirits and they were healed 19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him for there went vertue out of him and he healed them all Observe here 1. The great zeal and forwardness of the People in attending upon our Saviour's Ministry he had newly begun to preach in this place and the people flock after him from all parts from Judea from Jerusalem from Tyre and Sidon to hear his Doctrine and see his Miracles When our Saviour first began to Preach the people came unto him from every quarter His Ministers find it thus at our first coming among a people our Labours are most acceptable and they do most good Our peoples affections are then warmest and perhaps our own too Obs 2. What sort of People they were who attended thus zealously on our Saviour's Ministry they were the common and ordinary People the poor received the Gospel the learned Scribes the knowing Pharisees those wise men after the
tells us that John had two sorts of Hearers 1. the common People and Publicans 2. The Pharisees and Lawyers and declares that different effect which John's Ministry had upon these two different sorts of Persons As to the former the common People and the Publicans the common People were accounted by the Jewish Doctors as the Dregs of Mankind an ignorant and rude Mob the Publicans were esteemed notoriously wicked guilty of great Injustice Oppression and Extortion yet these vile Persons were converted sooner then the Knowing Men of the Time the Self-justifying Pharisees and Lawyers for it is said The Publicans were baptized of John and justified God that is they look'd upon John as a Prophet sent of God they owned his Ministry received his Message and submitted to his Baptism Those which believe the Message that God sendeth and obey it they justify God They that do not believe and obey accuse and condemn God But of the others it is said namely of the Pharisees and Lawyers That they rejected the Counsel of God against themselves that is the revealed Will of God refusing to be Baptized of him this rejecting the Counsel of God we are guilty of when we have low and undervaluing thoughts of Christ and his Gospel when we are ashamed in times of Persecution to own and profess him when we stop our Ears to the voice of his Ministers and Messengers when we submit not our selves to the reasonable Laws and Commands of Christ and this Rejection of Christ at the Great Day will render our Condition worse then the Condition of Heathens that never heard of a Saviour then the Condition of Jews which Crucified their Saviour yea then the Condition of Devils for whom a Saviour was never intended Lord Where shall we appear if we either Reject or Neglect thy great Salvation 31 And the Lord said whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation and to what are they like 32 They are like unto children sitting in the market-place and calling one to another and saying we have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned to you and ye have not wept 33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drining wine and ye say he hath a Devil 34 The Son of man is come eating and drinking and ye say behold a gluttonous man and a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and Sinners 35 But wisdom is justified all of her children Our Blessed Saviour in these words describes the perverse Humour of the Pharisees whom nothing could allure to the embracing of the Gospel neither John's Ministry nor Christ's This our Saviour sets forth two ways allegorically and properly by way of Allegory he compares them to sullen Children whom nothing would please neither Mirth nor Mourning if their fellows piped before them they would not Dance if they sang mournful Songs to them they would not lament that is the Pharisees were of such a censorious and capricious humour that God himself could not please them altho' he used variety of Means and Methods in order to that end Next our Lord plainly interprets this Allegory by telling them that John came to them neither eating nor drinking that is not so freely and plentifully as other Men being a very austere and mortified man both in his Dyet and Habit all which was designed by God to bring the Pharisees to Repentance and Amendment of Life But instead of this they Censure him for having a Devil because he delighted in Solitude and was not so free in Conversation as some Men according to the ancient Observation that he that delighteth in Solitude is either an Angel or a Devil either a wild Beast or a God John being thus rejected Christ himself comes to them who being of a free and familiar Conversation not shunning the Society of the worst of men no not of the Pharisees themselves but complying with their Customs and accompanying them innocently at their Feasts yet the freedom of our Saviour's Conversation displeas'd them as much as John's reservedness of Temper for they cry Behold a man gluttonous a friend of Publicans and Sinners Christ's Affability towards Sinners they account an Approbation of their Sins and his Sociable Disposition Looseness and Luxury Learn hence That the Faithful and Zealous Ministers of Christ let their Temper and Converse be what it will cannot please the Enemies of Religion and the haters of the Power of Godliness neither John's Austerity nor Christ's familiarity could gain upon the Pharisees It is the Duty of the Minister's of God in the course of their Ministry to seek to please all Men for their good But after all our endeavours to please all if we strenuously oppose the Errors and Vices of the Times we shall please but very few But if God and Conscience be of the number of those few we are Safe and Happy Observe 2. that it has been the old Policy of the Devil that he might hinder the Success of the Gospel to fill the minds of Persons with an invincible Prejudice against the Ministers and Dispensers of the Gospel Here the Pharisees are prejudiced unreasonably both against John and against Christ that the Success of both their Ministry might be frustrated and disappointed Observe 3. That after all the scandalous Reproaches cast upon the Christian Religion and the Ministers and Professors of it such as are Wisdoms Children wise and good men will justify Religion that is approve it in their judgments honour it in their Discourses and adorn it in their Lives Wisdom is justified of all her Children 36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him and he went into the Pharisees house and sate down to meat 37 And behold a woman in the city which was a sinner when she knew that Jesus sate at meat in the Pharisees house brought an Alablaster Box of Oyntment 38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with Tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the Oyntment Observe here 1. The Pharisees Civility and our Saviour's Courtesy the Pharisee invites Christ to eat with him Christ readily accepts the invitation never refusing any opportunity for doing good There is a Duty of Civil Courtesy which we owe to the worst of Men none are so bad but we may soberly eat and drink with them only let us take care that if our Converse do not make them better their Example may not make us worse Observe 2. What an opportunity our Saviour lays hold upon in the Pharisees House of doing good to a sinful Woman who coming to Christ bowed down in a sorrowful sight and sense of her Sins finds an hearty welcome to him and is dismissed with comfort from him The History runs thus Behold a Woman in the City which was a sinner that is a Gentile say some a remarkable notorious and infamous Sinner say others probably a lewd unclean woman
we see the very Devils have a sort of unity amongst themselves and in their malicious and mischievous Designs against Mankind they are as one Oh how happy were it if good Men were as united in their Designs and endeavours for the Glory of God and the good of one another as Devils conspire and contrive against them Observe 6. The request which the Devils make to Christ we beseech thee torment us not From whence we may gather 1. That there are Torments appointed to the Spiritual Nature of Evil Angels 2. That the Evil Angels or Devils are not so full of Torment as they shall be altho' they are as full of sin and discontent as they can be there will be a time when their Torments shall be encreased therefore they pray Torment us not before the time that is do not encrease our Torments before the appointed time of their Encrease Observe 7. The Devils Request for Permission and Leave to go into the Herd of Swine Where Note 1. The Devils malice he will hurt the poor Beasts rather then not hurt at all 2. his powerful Restraint he cannot hurt a poor Pig without a Permission Suffer us to enter Satan's malice indeed is infinite but his power is bounded it is potestas sub potestate a power under a power if he could not hurt the Swine much less can he afflict the children of Men without Leave Obs 8. How Satans request is yielded to by our Saviour He suffered them to go into the Swine not to gratify their desire in doing mischief but first hereby Christ shewed his Power over the Devils that they could not Act without his Permission and Leave next to shew how great the malice and power of the Devil is if not restrained and Lastly That the Miracle of casting out so many Devils might appear to be the greater Learn hence That sometimes Almighty God for wise Ends and just Causes doth suffer the Devil to enjoy his Desire in doing mischief unto the Creatures Jesus said unto them go Observe 9. What a bad effect this Miracle had upon the Minds of the Gadarens instead of Believing and owning Christ's Divine Power the loss of their Swine enrages them and makes them desire Christ's departure from them Learn That Carnal Hearts prefer their Swine before their Saviour and had rather lose Christ's Presence then their Worldly Profit They besought him to depart from them Sad is the condition of those from whom Christ departs more sad the Condition of such who say unto Christ depart but most sad the condition of them who beseech and intreat Christ to depart from them thus did the Gadarens here and we do not read that ever Christ returned more to them Observe 10. How desirous the possessed Man was to continue with Christ after he was come to himself He prayed that he might be with him This he might desire partly to testify his Thankfulness to Christ partly out of fear of being Repossessed again by Satan or perhaps to have the opportunity of hearing Christ's Doctrine and seeing his Miracles for such as have once tasted that the Lord is Gracious and experienced the pleasure and profit of Christ's Company are very desirous of the continuance of it and exceeding loth to part with it However our Saviour at this time did not think fit to suffer him knowing that more Glory would redound to God by publishing this Miracle to his Friends Christ expects after eminent Deliverances wrought for us that we should be the publishers of his Praises and declare to all far and near the great and wonderful things which he has done for us 41 And behold there came a man named Jairus and he was a Ruler of the Synagogue and he fell down at Jesus Feet and besought him that he would come into his house 42 For he had one only Daughter about twelve years of Age and she lay a dying but as he went the People thronged him Obs here 1. The Person described who came to Christ on behalf of his sick Daughter by his Name Jairus by his office a Ruler of the Synagogue by his Gesture he fell down at Jesus Feet this Gesture of his was not only a Sign of tender affection in him towards his Daughter but also an evidence of his Faith in our Blessed Saviour He believed him either to be God or an extraordinary Man who had a miraculous power of healing Observe 2. How readily Christ complies with Jairus his Request Jesus went with him Altho' his Faith was but weak yet our Saviour doth not reject him or deny his Suit Oh how ready should we be to go to Christ in all our Distresses who is so ready to hear and so forward to help us if we seek him in Sincerity tho our Faith be weak and feeble Observe 3. The great Humility of our Blessed Saviour in suffering himself to be thronged by poor People much people followed him and thronged him Oh humble and lowly Saviour how free was thy Conversation from Pride and Haughtiness how willing to converse with the meanest of the People for their advantage Christ did not only suffer them to come near him but even to throng him Let not then the greatest Persons upon Earth despise or disdain the poorest of the People but look upon some with an eye of favour upon others with an eye of pity upon none with an eye of Contempt 43 And a woman having an issue of Blood twelve years which had spent all her Living upon Physicians neither could be healed of any 44 Came behind him and touched the Border of his Garment and immediately her Issue of blood stenched 45 And Jesus said who touched me when all deny'd Peter and they that were with him said Master the multitude throng thee and press thee and sayest thou who touched me 46 And Jesus said some body hath touched me for I perceive that vertue is gone out of me 47 And when the Woman saw that she was not hid she came trembling and falling down before him she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately 48 And he said unto her Daughter be of good comfort thy Faith hath made thee whole go in peace As our Saviour was on his way to Jairus his House a Diseased Woman cometh behind him toucheth his Cloaths and is presently healed The virtue lay not in her Finger but in her Faith or rather in Christ which her Faith instrumentally drew forth Observe 1. The Diseased Woman one with a bloody Flux let Women here take Notice of the Miseries which the sin of the first Woman brought upon all Women amongst which this is one that it has made their Bodies subject to preternatural Issues and Fluxes of Blood Observe 2. The long continuance of this Disease Twelve years it pleases God to lay long and tedious Afflictions upon some of his Children in this Life and particularly to keep some of them a very
sate at Jesus feet and heard his words Observe 1. Both these Sisters were Holy and Devout Women both had an Honour and Reverence for Christ and both are forward to entertain him these were Sisters by Grace as well as by Nature yea they both for a time attended upon Christ's Preaching Mary also sat at Jesus Feet implying that Martha sat there too till Houshold occasions called her away Oh how happy is that Family where all Parties are agreed to receive and entertain the Lord Jesus Christ Observe 2. No sooner is Christ entered into Martha's House but he falls a Preaching whilst they provide Bodily Food for him he prepares spiritual Bread for them oh that in our place and measure we might all imitate Christ in this Can we come into any House or Company and find nothing to say or do for God Observe 3. The Holy and Humble Deportment of Mary upon this occasion she sate at Jesus Feet and heard his words When Christ was speaking Mary was hearing and little things could not take her off Lord how carefully should we take the present opportunity for our Souls to hear and learn of thee as Mary did She was not sure of another opportunity therefore hears humbly attentively affectionately as if it were her last hearing Season 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving and came to him and said Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone Bid her therefore that she help me Observe here 1. Martha's Behaviour She was cumbered about much serving that is much taken up with providing for the Entertainment of Christ and his Friends all which considered in it self was no miscarriage but a token of Martha's endeared respect to her best Friend A Person that sincerely loves Christ as Martha did thinks it can never shew enough of respect unto him Martha having such a Guest to Honour her House puts forth her self all she can yea more then she was able to give him Entertainment She was cumbered about much serving Observe 2. Martha's complaint to Christ concerning her Sisters not joyning with her in the Work that lay so hard upon her Lord dost thou nâ—t care that my Sister hath left me to serve alone bid her therefore that she help me as if Martha had said is it a fit thing that both thy self and all this Company should be unprovided for or is it reasonable that the whole Burthen should lye upon me whilst Mâ—ry fits still and doth not touch the least houshold Business with one of her Fingers Lord What infirmity and weakness intermixes and mingles with the Vertues and Graces of the best of thy Servants especially when they give way to their distempered Passions This good Woman at this time did not attend upon Christ's Preaching her self but interrupts him witâ— a â—rivolous Complaint about her Sister Bid her that she help me But why did not Martha speak to her Sister her self and whisper in her Ear and acquaint her how she wanted her help but makes her moâ—n to Christ Answer 'T is like she thought her Sister was so tyed by the Ear with those Aâ—â—mantine Chains of Christ's heavenly Doctrine that until Christ was silent she had no Power to stir doubtless she believed that Mary would not move unless Christ spake to her so to do Obs 3. That all this while Mary speaks not one word for her self no doubt it troubled her good Woman to hear her Sister complain of her to Christ and to find her self blam'd for her Piety and implicitly condemn'd for lâ—â—inâ— hold upon such a sweet opportunity of hearing the Beloved of her Soul whose Lips dropt as the Honey-comb However she speaks not a word in her own Vindication but leaves her Answer to her Saviour Learn thence That when we are complain'd of for well-doing it is our Duty and may be our Prudence to Seal up our Lips in Silence and to expect our Vindication from above Mary says nothing but Christ speaks for her in the next Verses 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her Martha Martha Thou art careful and troubled about many things 42 But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her As if Christ had said Martha Martha I well know thou dost all this in Love to me and it is no more then what is thy Duty in its proper Season but thou hadst now an opportunity to hear my Word which thou canst not have every daâ— and it would have pleased me better to whom it is Meat and Drink to feed Souls if I had seen thee fitting with thy dear Sister at my Feet and yielding an aâ—tentive Regard to my Holy Doctrine then to find thee performing a necessary Civility to my Person Thou hast not made a bad Choice but Mary has made a Better she has laid all aside to attend upon my Ministry and the fruit of it will continue with her to all Eternity It is that good part which shall never be taken away from her Note here 1. The unexpectedness of our Saviour's Answer to Martha how contrary it was to her Expectation she thought that her Sister should have been sent away with a check and her self with thanks but she is quite mistaken for all her good cheer that she had provided for Christ he spares not to tell her of her fault Martha Martha thou art troubled about many things Learn thence That no Obligations to any particular Person should so enthral us but that our Tongues should be at Liberty to reprove the Faults of our best Friends wherever we find them Martha tho' a pious and good Woman tho' a friendly and kind Woman tho' a Woman greatly Beloved of Christ yet is she reproved by Christ Note 2. The Reproof given to Martha Thou art troubled about many things where Christ condemns not her Hospitality but her sollicitude and superfluity her distraction and perplexity oh how prone are we to exceed in things Lawful and necessary and to go beyond our Bounds in them when we are satisfied in the matter we are prone to exceed in the measure Martha's Entertainment of Christ was a noble Service but she was too anxious and sollicitous about it she was cumbered she was careful she was troubled Note 3. Our Saviour's Admonition But one thing is needful that is there is one thing which ought first and principally to be regarded by us and is of the greatest Concernment to us namely the Business of Religion and the Care of our Souls Salvation Learn thence That the care of Religion and our Souls Salvation is the One Thing Necessary and that which every Man is concerned in the first place and above all other things to regard and mind Note 4. Our Saviour's justification of Marys choice Mary hath chosen that good part Non Tu malam sed illa meliorem Christ did not tell Martha she had chosen a Bad part but her Sister had chosen the Better Martha's
Entertainment of Christ was good but Marys Attendance upon Christ's Ministry was better and more pleasing unto Christ Christ was better pleased to see Mary in the Chapel than Martha in the Kitchin tho' he doth not condemn the one yet he extols the other Mary hath chosen the good part Learn hence That Religion and the Service of God must be the matter our Election and Choice we must choose the good part and it being once chosen by us it shall never be taken away from us One thing is needful and Mary hath chosen the good part which shall never be taken away from her CHAP. XI 1 AND it came to pass that as he was praying in a certain place when he ceased one of his Disciples said unto him Lord teach us to pray as John also taught his Disciples The Learned Mr. Mede upon this place apprehends that it was the custom of the Jewish Doctors to deliver some certain Form of Prayer to their Disciples to use at least that John Baptist had done so to his Disciples Thereupon our Saviour's Disciples besought him that he also would give them in like manner some Form of his own composing that they might pray with their Masters Spirit as John's Disciples did with his Accordingly our Saviour gives them here a Form of his own and commands them when they pray to use it Indeed he had given them this Prayer about a year and half before in his Sermon upon the Mount Matth. 6.9 After this manner pray ye where it is probable that the Disciples look'd upon it only as a pattern of Prayer and not as a Form for had they thought that Christ had given them a Form of Prayer before they had not asked him for one now Therefore says Christ When ye pray say Certainly this gives us to understand that our Saviour intended and commended it for a set Form of Prayer unto his Church Learn hence That the Lords Prayer is both a Pattern and Platform according to which all our Prayers ought to be framed and also an exact Form of Prayer which ought to be used by us in our Addresses to the Throne of Grace After this manner pray ye says St. Matthew When ye pray say says St. Luke 2 And he said unto them When ye pray say Observe here the favour which Christ does us in prescribing a Form of Prayer to us a great Favour no doubt tho' the World grows weary of it we know not Alas what to ask but he himself teaches us and frames our Supplication for us that it may be accepted Should a King's Son draw a Petition for a poor Subject to be put up to his Father what a ground of hope would there be that whatever is desired would be obtained if any of us then think meanly of our Lord's Prayer oh how meanly may he think of us and of our Prayers 2 Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done As in Heaven So in Earth 3 Give us day by day our daily Bread 4 And forgive us our sins For we also forgive every one that is indebted to us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from Evil. The Sense and Signification of this Best of Prayers is this O thou our Father in Jesus Christ who remainest in thy Throne in Heaven and art there perpetually praised and perfectly obey'd by Glorious Angels and Glorified Saints Grant that thy Name may be Glorified thy Throne Acknowledged and thy Holy Will Obey'd here on Earth below by us thy Sons and Servants as readily as cheerfully and sincerely and in some degree of Proportion to what is done in Heaven above And because by reason of the Frailty of our Natures we cannot subsist without the Comforts and Supports of Life we crave our daily Bread at thy Bountiful hand even such a proportion of the good things of this Life as thy Wisdom shall see convenient for us And knowing that thy Holiness and Justice doth oblige thee to punish Sin and Sinners we plead with thee for the sake of thy Son's Satisfaction to forgive us our daily Trespasses for it is our desire and endeavour heartily to forgive those that have offended us And seeing this wicked World wherein we live is so full of Snares and Temptations of all sorts we pray that by the Power of thy Grace and the Concurrence of our own careful endeavours we may be kept from Satans Temptations from the World's Allurements and from our own Evil Inclinations and be preserved unblamable to thine Everlasting Kingdom and in Testimony of our Desires and Assurance to be heard we say Amen so be it so let it be even so oh Lord let it be for ever Learn 1. That God is the Father of all his People as a Father he knows all his children he loves them and takes care of them As his Children it is our Duty to Honour him to Obey him to imitate him to cast our care upon him and to long for the Enjoyment of him 2. From the Word Our Learn That it is our Duty to pray for others as well as for our selves we cannot pray acceptably for our selves if we pray only for our selves 3. That the Hallowing Honouring and Sanctifying of God's Name as it is the first thing we are to pray for so it ought to be preferred before all other things whatsoever we pray for it before we pray for our own Salvation we say Hallowed be thy Name before we say Forgive us our Debts 4. Learn That Sins are Debts and Sinners indebted to Divine Justice Sin it is an infinite Debt a multiplied Debt an inexcusable Debt and if not discharged by our Surety we must ly in Prison to all Eternity for Non-payment of this Debt 5. That God has made our Forgiveness of others the Condition of his Forgiving us The word As is not a Note of Equality but of Similitude we cannot equal God in Forgiving but we must imitate him 6. No sooner is Sin pardoned but Satan will be busy with his Temptation forgive us our sins and lead us not into Temptation 7. That it is a greater Mercy to be Delivered from the Evil of Temptation then from Temptations to Evil. The Evil of Temptations is the Evil of Sin but Temptations to Evil is at most but the Evil of Punishment Lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from Evil Suffer us not to be led into Temptation or if so leave us not when we are Tempted 5 And he said unto them which of you shall have a friend and shall go unto him at mid-night and say unto him friend lend me three loaves 6 For a friend of mine in his Journey is come unto me and I have nothing to set before him 7 And he from within shall answer and say Trouble me not the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed I cannot rise and give thee 8 I say unto you tho' he will not rise and
of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will ask the more Our Lord in these Verses describes a negligent and unfaithful Steward of his Houshold and then declares that dreadful Sentence of Wrath which hangs over him The unfaithful Steward or negligent Minister of the Gospel is described 1. by his infidelity he believeth not Christ's Coming to Judgment tho' he preaches it to others he saith in his heart my Lord delayeth his coming 2. He is described by his hatred envy and malignity against his Fellow Servants that were more faithful than himself He begins to smite them at least with the virulence of his Tongue if not with the violence of his hand 3. He is farther described by his Associating with the wicked and strengthning their hands by his ill example He eateth and drinketh with the drunken that is as their Associate and Fellow Companion Thus the negligent Steward and unfaithful Minister is described Next his Sentence is declared 1. Christ will surprize him in his sin and security by coming in an hour when he lookt not for him 2. He will execute temporal Vengeance upon him He will cut him in pieces as the Jews did their Sacrifices dividing them into two parts Hence some Observe That God seldom suffers slothful sensual Ministers to Live out half their days 3. Christ will punish them with Eternal Destruction also appoint them their portion with unbelievers Teaching us That such Ministers as neglect the Service of God and the Souls of their People as they are ranked amongst the worst sort of Sinners in this Life so shall they be punished with them in the severest manner in the next When Satan destroys the Souls of Men he shall answer for it as a Murtherer only not as an Officer that was intrusted with the Care of Souls But if the Steward doth not provide if the Shepherd doth not feed if the Watchman doth not warn they shall answer not only for the Souls that have miscarried but for an Officâ— neglected for a Tallent hidden and for a Stewardship unfaithfully managed Wo unto us if at the Great day we hear distressed Souls roaring out their Complaints and howling forth that doleful accusation against us saying Lord Our Stewards have defrauded us our Watchmen have betrayed us our Guides have misled us 48 For unto whomsoever much is given of him shall be much required and to whom men have committed much of him they will ask the more Here we Learn 1. That whatever we receive from God is both a Gift and a Talent 2. That every one has some Gift or Talent from God to be improved for God 3. That God's Gifts or Talents are not given to all in the same measure 4. That whether we receive little or much all is in order to an Account 5. That answerable to our present Talents will be our future Accounts If thy Gifts be mean the less thou hast to Account for if greater then others God expects thou shouldest do more good than others For where much is given much will be required 49 I am come to send fire on the earth and what will I if it be already kindled 50 But I have a Baptism to be Baptized with and how am I streightned till it be accomplished 51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on the earth I tell you nay but rather division 52 For from henceforth there shall be two in one house divided against three and three against two 53 The father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law and the danghter-in-law against the mother-in-law Our Saviour in these Verses declares what will be the accidental Event and effect but not the natural tendency of his Religion so that we must distinguish between the intentional Aim of Christ's Coming and the Accidental Event of it Christ's intentional aim was to plant propagate and promote Peace in the World but thro' the Lusts and Corruptions of Mens Natures the issue and event of his Coming is War and Division not that these are the genuine and natural Fruits of the Gospel but occasional and accidental only Hence Learn That the preaching of the Gospel and setting up the Kingdom of Christ tho' it be not the Genuine and Natural Cause yet is it the accidental occasion of all that War and Tumult of all that Dissention and Division of all that Distraction and Confusion which the World abounds with I am come to send fire on the earth He is said to send the fire of Dissention because he foresaw this would be the certain Consequence tho' not the proper and natural Effect of the Preaching of the Gospel There was another Fire of Christ's sending the Holy Spirit this was a fire to warm not to burn or if so not mens Persons but Corruptions but that seems not to be intended in this place 54 And he said also to the people when ye see a cloud rise out of the West streightway ye say there cometh a shower and so it is 55 And when ye see the South wind blow ye say there will be heat and it cometh to pass 56 Ye hypocrites ye can discern the Face of the Sky and of the Earth but how is it that ye do not discern this time 57 Yea and why even of your selves judge ye not what is right Our Saviour in these words does at once upbraid the stupid ignorance of the Jews in General and the obstinate infidelity of the Pharisees in particular in that they could make a judgment of the Weather by the sight of the Sky by the appearance of the Heavens and the motions of the Winds but could not discern this Time of the Messias tho' they had so many miraculous Signs and Evidences of it and for this he upbraids them with Hypocrisy Ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the sky but ye do not discern this time Learn thence That to pretend either more Ignorance or greater uncertainty in discerning the Signs of Gospel Times the time of our gracious Visitation than the Signs of the weather is great Hypocrisy Ye hypocrites can ye not discern this time Observe farther That Christ doth not here condemn the study of Nature or making Observation of the State of the Weather from the Face of the Sky For Almighty God by natural Signs gives us warning of a Change in Natural things and in like manner by his Providential Dispensations he gives us warning of a Change in Civil things He that is wise will observe both and by their Observation will come to understand the pleasure of the Lord. 58 When thou goest with thine Adversary to the Magistrate as thou art in the way give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him lest he hale thee to the Judge and the Judge deliver thee to the Officer and the Officer cast thee
the greatest Hardships and Difficulties before they will leave their sins and return home to their Heavenly Father He joined himself to a Citizen of that Country and went into the Fields to feed Swine he chooses rather to feed at the Hogs Trough then to Feast in his Fathers House 5. Observe at last the happy Fruits of a Sanctified Affliction they put the prodigal upon serious Consideration he came to himself upon wise Consultation I perish for hunger and upon a fixed Resolution I will arise and go to my Father serious Consideration and solid Resolution are great steps to a sound Conversion and thorough Reformation Observe 6. The affectionate tenderness and compassion of the Father towards the returning Prodigal tho' he had deserved to be sharply reproved severely Corrected and finally rejected and shut out of doors yet the Fathers Compassion is above his Anger not a word of his miscarriages drops from the Fathers Mouth but as soon as ever the Son looks back mercy looks out and the Father expresses 1. His speedy readiness to receive his son he ran unto him the Son did only arise and go but the Father made haste and ran Mercy has not only a quick eye to spy out a Penitent but a swift Foot it runs to embrace a Penitent 2. Wonderful Tenderness he fell upon his neck it had been much to have looked upon him with the Eye more to have taken him by the hand but most of all to fall upon his Neck Divine Mercy will not only meet a Penitent but embrace him also 3. Strong Affectionateness he kissed him giving him thereby a pledge and assurance of perfect Friendship and Reconciliation with him Learn hence That God is not only ready to give Demonstrations of his Mercy to penitent sinners but also to give the Seals and Tokens of his special Reconciled Favour to them they shall now have the kisses of his Lips who formerly deserved the blows of his Hand The Father ran unto him fell on his Neck and kissed him Observe Lastly The great joy that appeared in the whole House as well as in the Fathers Heart upon this great occasion the prodigal Sons returning They all began to be merry there was Musick and Dancing Learn hence That sincere Conversion brings the Soul into a joyful into a very joyful State and Condition The joy that Conversion brings is an holy and spiritual joy a solid and substantial joy a wonderful and transcendent joy an encreasing and never fading joy our joy on Earth is an earnest of the joys of Heaven where there will be Rejoycing in the presence of our Heavenly Father and his Holy Angels to all Eternity Because we were dead but are now alive again we were lost but are found 25 Now his elder son was in the field and as he came and drew nigh to the house he heard Musick and Dancing 26 And he called one of the Servants and asked what these things meant 27 And he said unto him Thy Brother is come and thy Father hath killed the fatted Calf because he hath received him safe and sound 28 And he was angry and would not go in therefore came his Father out and entreated him 29 And he answering said to his Father Lo these many years do I serve thee neither transgressed I at any time thy Commandment and yet thou never gavest me a kid that I might make merry with my Friends 30 But as soon as this thy son was come which hath devoured thy Living with Harlots thou hast killed for him the fatted Calf 31 And he said unto him Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine 32 It was meet that we should make merry and be glad For this thy Brother was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found By the murmurings of the Elder Son at the Prodigals Returning to and Reception with his Father some think the Jews in general are to be understood whose peevishness to the Gentiles and their Repinings at the offer of Salvation made unto them by the Gospel is very evident from many places of Scripture others understand it of the Scribes and Pharisees in particular who presuming on their own Righteousness as if they had never transgressed God's Commandments at any time murmured at our Saviour for Conversing with Sinners tho' it were in order to the bringing of them to Repentance which instead of being frowardly discontented at they ought to have rejoyced in Learn hence There is such an envious Spirit in Men yea even in the best of Men as inclineth them to repine at such Dispensations of Divine Grace and Favour â—s others receive aâ—d they want 2. That to indulge such a Spirit and Temper in our selves argues great sin and great solly great sin in being dissatisfied with God's Dispensations and affronting his Wisdom and Justice and great Folly in making anothers Good our Grief as if we had less because another has more The elder Son was angry and would not go in it follows therefore came the Father out and entreated him This shews the meekness of God in dealing with us under our frowardness and the high satisfaction he takes in a Sinners Converâ—ion and Returning to his Duty Lastly This points out unto us our Duty to imitate God and be Followers of him as dear Children Doth he Reioyce at a Sâ—nners Return to his Duty so should we 'T is the Devil's Temper to regret and envy the Good and Happiness of others he gnashes his Teeth when the Prey he thought himself sure of is snatched out of his Jaws But to God and all his Holy Angels nothing is so agreeable as the Repentance and Conversion of a Sinner from the Error of his ways and the saving of a Soul from death this is look'd upon as a Resurrection from the Dead and a ground of the greatest Joy and Rejoycing It was meet that we should make merry and be glad For this thy Brother was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found CHAP. XVI 1 AND he said also unto his Disciples There was a certain rich Man which had a Steward and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his Goods 2 And he called him and said unto him How is it that I hear this of thee Give an account of thy Stewardship for thou mayest be no longer Steward 3 Then the Steward said within himself what shall I do For my Lord taketh away from me the Stewardship I cannot dig to beg I am ashamed 4 I am resolved what to do That when I am put out of the Stewardship they may receive me into their Houses 5 So he called every one of the Lord's Debtors unto him and said unto him first How much owest thou unto my Lord 6 And he said an hundred measures of Oyl and he said unto him Take thy Bill and set down quickly and write fifty 7 Then said he to another And how much owest thou and he said an hundred
seem to thank God that he was not so bad as the Publican when indeed he was glad that the Publican was not so good as himself Observe 3. The Publicans Behaviour in an humble sight and sense of his own sinfulness and unworthiness He stood afar off probably in the Court of the Gentiles where all sorts of Sinners might come acknowledging thereby that he was unworthy to come near the Holy Majesty of God not presuming to lift up his eyes to Heaven That place of perfect Holiness and Purity but like a true self-condemned Penitent smote upon his Breast and in bitter Remorse of Soul said God be merciful to me a sinner Hence Learn That a truly humble temper of mind well becomes us in all our Approaches and Addresses to God and is more acceptable to him than all pompous Performances whatsoever For Observe Lastly The Publican being thus condemned of himself departs Justified by God He went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee the Pharisee justified himself the Publican was justified by God Thence Learn That a Penitent Sinner who is indeed poor in Spirit is far more esteemed of God than he that makes long Prayers fasts often Tythes all his Substance and prides himself in all this Without Humility all is vain Glory and Hypocrisy and the Seemingly most Sanctified Person that has it not is like a painted Sepulchre Beautiful without but full of rottenness within 15 And they brought unto him Infants that he would touch them but when his Disciples saw it they rebuked them 16 But Jesus called them unto him and said Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God 17 Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall in no wise enter therein Observe here 1. A solemn Action performed Children Infants sucking Children as the word signifies are brought to Christ that he might bless them the Parents looking up-Christ as a Prophet as a great and extraordinary Prophet perswaded themselves that by his Prayers and laying his Hands on their Children they should be preserved from Bodily Diseases and from Satan's Power and that he would confer upon them all needful Blessings Learn 1. That Infants are capable of Benefit by Jesus Chrst 2. That it is the best Office that Parents can perform unto their Children to bring them unto Christ that they may be made partakers of that Benefit 3. That if Infants are capable of Benefit by Christ if capable of his Blessing on Earth and Presence in Heaven if they be Subjects of his Kingdom of Grace and Heirs of his Kingdom of Glory then may they be Baptized for they that are within the Covenant Acts 2.39 have a Right to the Priviledges of the Covenant and to Baptism the Seal of the Covenant And if Christ denies not Infants the Kingdom of Heaven which is the greater What Reason have his Ministers to deny them the Benefit of Baptism which is the less Learn 4. That Christ will have all his Disciples and Followers to resemble little Children in such Properties wherein they may be patterns to them viz. in Humility and Innocency in freedom from Malice and Revenge in Docibility and Teachableness in Cleaving to and Depending upon their Parents and in Contentedness with their Condition Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall in no wise enter therein 18. And a certain Ruler asked him saying Good Master What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life We have here a considerable Person a Ruler coming to Christ with an important question in his Mouth What must I do to inherit eternal Life Where Note 1. He believes the certainty of future State 2. He professes a desire of an Eternal Happiness in that State 3. He declares his readiness and willingness to do some good thing in order to the obtaining of that Happiness Hence Learn 1. That the Light of Nature or Natural Religion teaches Men that good Works are necessary to Salvation or that some good thing must be done by them who at Death expect Eternal Life it is not Talking well and Professing well but Living well that Entitles us to Heaven and Eternal Life 19 And Jesus said unto him Why callest thou me Good None is good save one that is God Our Saviour here reproves this Person for calling him Good when he did not own to be God saying There is none good that is Essentially and Originally Good absolutely and immutably Good but God only nor any derivatively Good but he that receives his Goodness from God also 20 Thou knowest the Commandments Do not commit Adultery Do not Kill Do not Steal Do not bear false Witness Honour thy Father and thy Mother Note here that the Duties Directed to by our Saviour are the Duties of the Second Table nothing being a better Evidence of our unfeigned Love to God than a sincere Performance of our Duty to our Neighbour Love to Man is a Fruit and Testimony of our Love to God Learn thence That such as are defective in the Duties of the Second Table Charity and Justice towards Man do make but a Counterfeit shew of Religion tho' they pretend to the highest Degrees of Love to God 21 And he said all these things have I kept from my Youth up This Assertion might be very true according to the Pharisees sense and interpretation of the Law which Condemned only the gross outward Act not the inward Lusts and Motions of the Heart An external Obedience to the Letter of the Law this Man might possibly have performed this made him think well of himself and conclude the goodness of his own Condition Learn hence How prone Men are to think the best of themselves and to have too high an Opinion of their own Goodness and Righteousness before God this is very natural but dangerous and fatal 22 Now when Jesus heard these things he said unto him Yet lackest thou one thing Sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come and follow me Here Observe 1. Our Lord's Admonition Yet lackest thou one thing which was true Self-denial in renouncing the Sin of Covetousness and the inordinate Love of Worldly Wealth We ought in the midst of our abundance to maintain a readiness of Disposition to part with all for God's sake that is dear unto us in this World Observe 2. Our Lord's Injunction Sell all that thou hast and give to the poor This was not a Common but a special Precept given particularly to this Rich Man for Tryal like that given to Abraham Gen. 22. and to convince him of his corrupt Confidence in Riches yet is the Precept thus far of general use to us all to teach us so to contemn Worldly Possessions as to be willing to part with them all at God's Pleasure and when they prejudice our Salvation 23 And when he heard
this he was sorrowful for he was very rich Here Note the Effect which our Saviour's Admonition had upon this Person He was sorrowful Learn thence That Carnal Men are exceeding sorrowful when they cannot win Heaven in their own way 2. That such as are wedded to the World will renounce Christ rather than the World when the World and Christ stand in Competition he went away sorrowful St. Mark 10.22 for he was very rich 24 And when Jesus saw he was very sorrowful he said How hardly shall they that have Riches enter into the Kingdom of God 25 For it is easier for a Camel to go thorough a Needle 's eye then for a rich Man to enter into the kingdom of God 26 And they that heard it said Who then can be saved 27 And he said the things which are impossible with men are possible with God Our Holy Lord takes occasion from the rich Man's Departure from him to discourse concerning the danger of Riches and the Difficulties that attend Rich Men in their way to Heaven From whence we may collect and gather 1. That Rich Men do certainly meet with more Difficulties in their way to Heaven then other Men 't is difficult to withdraw their Affections from Riches to place their supreme Love upon God in the midst of their Riches and to depend entirely upon God in a rich Condition For the rich mans wealth is his strong Tower 2. That yet the fault lies not in Riches but in rich Men who by placing their Trust and reposing their Confidence in Riches do render their Salvation difficult if not impossible 3. Our Saviour's proverbial Speech of a Camels going thorough the eye of a Needle implies thus much That it is not only a great Difficulty but an utter impossibility for such as abound in Worldly Wealth and place their Confidence therein to be Saved without an extraordinary Grace and Assistance from God 'T is hard for God to make a Rich Man Happy because he thinks himself Happy without God 4. That as difficult and impossible this may seem to Men yet nothing is impossible with GOD he can change the Heart of the Rich by the rich and powerful Influences of his Holy Spirit That which is impossible with Men is possible with God 28 Then Peter said Lo we have left all and followed thee It was well done and wisely done of Peter to leave all and follow Christ it was the best Bargain he ever made in all his Life But Observe how he magnifies that little he had left for Christ and ushers it in with a Note of Admiration Lo we have left all and followed thee Learn hence That tho' it be very little that we Suffer for Christ and have to forsake upon his Account yet we are prone to magnify and admire it as if it were some great matter Lord says Peter We have left all What all Man hadst thou to leave a few ragged Nets and a Tatter'd Fisherboat a great All indeed next to nothing at all scarce worth mentioning and yet how is it magnified Behold we have left all and followed thee 29 And he said unto them Verily I say unto you There is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the kingdom of God's sake 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time and in the world to come Eternal Life Observe here the Lenity and Kindness of our Lord 's Gracious Answer he tells his Disciples That they who had left all and followed him should be no losers by him that in this World they should receive many fold St. Mark 10.30 says an hundred fold but how so Non formaliter sed eminenter non in specie sed in valore Not in Kind but in Equivalency not an hundred Brethren and Sisters and Possessions in Kind but he shall enjoy all that in God which all Creatures would be to him if they were multiplied an hundred times Oh the Sanctifying Gifts and Saving Graces the supporting Comforts and ravishing Consolations of the Holy Spirit are a sufficient Compensation for any thing for all yea for more than all that we can part with for the sake of Christ 31 Then he took unto him the Twelve and said unto them behold we go up to Jerusalem and all things that are written by the Prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished 32 For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles and shall be mocked and spitefully entreated and spit upon 33 And they shall Scourge him and put him to Death and the third day he shall rise again 34 And they understood none of these things and this saying was hid from them neither knew they the things which were spoken We find our Blessed Saviour very frequently acquainting his Disciples with his approaching Sufferings to prevent the Offence that they might take at them when the Providence of God brought them forth his Design was to arm them with expectation of his Sufferings and to quicken them to Preparation for their own yet is it here said That the Disciples understood none of these sayings Why so were not the words easy enough to be understood yes but they could not reconcile them to the Notion of the Messiah which they had drank in they concluded he should be a Temporal Prince and subdue their Temporal Enemies but could not conceive how he that should redeem Israel should dye and be thus barbarously used we had great need to consider well what Notions we have concerning the things of God before we entertain them for false Notions once taken up are not without great difficulty laid down 35 And it came to pass that as he was come nigh unto Jericho a certain blind man sate by the way-side begging 36 And hearing the multitude pass by he asked what it meant 37 And they told him That Jesus of Nazareth passeth by 38 And he cryed saying Jesus thou Son of David have mercy on me 39 And they which went before rebuked him that he should hold his peace and he cryed so much the more Thou Son of David have mercy on me 40 And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto him and when he was come near he asked him 41 Saying What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee and he said Lord that I may receive my sight 42 And Jesus said unto him Receive thy sight thy Faith hath saved thee 43 And immediately he received his sight and followed him glorifying God and all the people when they saw it gave praise unto God This Chapter concludes with the recital of a famous Miracle wrought by our Saviour upon a Blind Man whom St. Mark calls Bartimeus Where we have Observable 1. The Blind Man's Faith in Acknowledging Christ to be the Messiah for so much the Title of Son of David did import 2. Observe his Fervency as well as his Faith he cryed to Christ for the Mercy of Healing Have mercy on me thou Son of David
up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh The sense is this As soon as ye shall see the Roman Army appear before the City of Jerusalem called by St. Matthew and St. Mark The abomination of Desolation that is the Army which is such an abomination to you and the occasion of such Desolation wherever it goes then let every one that values his own Safety fly as far and as fast as he can as Lot fled from the Flames of Sodom and be glad if by flight he can save his Life tho' he loses all besides Learn thence That when Almighty God is pouring forth his Fury upon a sinful People it is both lawful and a necessary Duty by flight to endeavour to shelter our selves from the approaching Calamity and Desolation When ye see Jerusalem compassed with Armies flee to the Mountains Observe farther the dreadful Relation that our Saviour here gives of those Desolating Calamities which were coming upon Jerusalem partly from the Roman Army without and partly from the Seditions and Factions of the Zealots within who committed such outrages and slaughters that there were no less than an Hundred thousand Jews slain and Ninety seven thousand taken Prisoners They that bought our Saviour for Thirty Pence were now themselves sold Thirty for a Penny Now did the Temple it self become a Sacrifice a whole Burnt-offering and was consumed to Ashes Observe Lastly What Encouragement Christ gives to all his Faithful Disciples and Followers he bids them look up and lift up their Heads when these Calamities came upon others look up with Confidence and Joy for your Redemption Salvation and Deliverance then approacheth God had a Remnant which he designed should survive that Destruction to be an Holy Seed these are called upon to look up with chearfulness and joy when the hearts of others were failing them for fear And thus shall it be at the General Day of Judgment of which Jerusalem's Visitation was a Type Lord how will the Glory and Terror of that Day dazzle the Eyes and terrify the Hearts of all the Enemies of Christ but delight the Eyes and rejoyce the Heart of all that love and fear him that serve and obey him then may the friends of Christ look up and lift up their heads for their full Redemption draweth nigh 29 And he spake to them a Parable Behold the Fig-tree and all the Trees 30 When they now shoot forth ye see and know of your selves that Summer is now nigh at hand 31 So likewise ye when ye see these things come to pass know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand 32 Verily I say unto you This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled 33 Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away In these words our Saviour declares the certainty of his Coming to visit Jerusalem for all her barbarous and bloody Cruelty towards himself his Prophets and Apostles he is pleased to set forth this by the Similitude of the Fig-Tree whose beginning to bud declares the Summer at hand thus our Saviour tells them that when they should see the Fore-mentioned Signs they might conclude the Destruction of their City and Temple to be nigh at hand and accordingly some of that Generation then Living did see these Predictions Fulfilled Learn that God is no less punctual in the Execution of his Threatnings upon Incorrigible Sinners then he is faithful in the performance of his promises towards his own People The Truth and Veracity of God is as much concerned to execute his Threatnings as it is to fulfil his Promises 34 And take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and the cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares 35 For as a snare it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole Earth 36 Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Here our Lord cautions his Disciples against such a Distemper and Indisposition of Mind as may render them unfit and unready for his Coming and Appearance and to take heed of two dangerous Sins namely Voluptuousness and Earthly-mindedness which above any other Sins will indispose us for the Duty of Watchfulness There is a three-fold Reason why our Saviour fore-warns us of these Sins with Reference to the Day of Judgment 1. Because they are peccata praecurrentia certain prognosticks of the Day of Judgment approaching as it was in the Days of Noah so shall the coming of the Son of Man be 2. Because they are peccata Accelerantia they do not only fore-tell but hasten the Coming of Christ to see the World drowned in voluptuousness and earthly-mindedness in security and sensuality is not only a Sign to fore-tell but a sin that hastens Judgment and pulls down Vengeance upon a wicked World 3 Christ bids us beware of these Sins with reference to the Day of Judgment because these Sins they are derisioria judicii they beget in Men a prophane Spirit of Scoffing and Deriding at the Notices of Christ's appearing to Judgment 2 Pet. 3.3 In the last days there shall come Scoffers walking after their own Lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming Our Saviour having thus warn'd them of these Sins he next exhorts them to Watchfulness Watch ye therefore for as a snare that day will come upon you that is very suddenly and very unexpectedly a snare has a threefold Property to catch suddenly to hold surely to destroy certainly Our Lord 's coming to Jerusalem was very unexpected and his coming to us by Death and Judgment will steal upon us if we be not watchful Watch we then for our Lord will come at what hour he will come cannot certainly be known there is no time in which we can promise or assure our selves that our Lord will not come the time of our whole Life is little enough to prepare for his Coming Our Preparation for will be no acceleration or hastning of our Lord 's Coming And oh how dreadful will his Coming be if we be found off our Watch and altogether unready for his Appearance Appear we must in Judgment but shall not be able to stand in the Judgment see Christ we shall as a Judge but not behold him as a Redeemer 37 And in the day-time he was Teaching in the Temple and at Night he went out and abode in the Mount called the Mount of Olives 38 And all the people came early in the Morning to him in the Temple for to hear him Our Lord had exhorted his Disciples in the fore-going Verses to Diligence and Prayer here he sets an Example of both before them Busying himself in God's Service all the day and at Night spending much time in Prayer in the Day-time he was in the Temple Preaching in the Evening he was on the Mount of
the Wings of the Cock to rouze up himself from Drowsiness and Security and to awaken others to a sense of their Duty He must have the Watchfulness of the Cock to be ever ready to discover and fore-warn Danger He must have the voice of the Cock to cry aloud to tell Israel of their Sin to terrify the Roaring Lyon of Hell and make him Tremble as they say the natural Lyon does in a word he must observe the Hours of the Cock to Crow at all Seasons to Preach the Word in Season and out of Season Again 2. The more principal Means of St. Peter's Recovery were Christ's looking upon Peter and Peter's remembring the word of Christ 1. Christ's looking upon Peter our Saviour look'd upon Peter before either Peter look'd upon our Saviour or upon himself Oh wonderful Act of Love and Grace towards this fallen Disciple Christ was now upon his Tryal for his Life a time when our Thoughts would have been wholly taken up about our selves but even then did Christ find Leisure to think upon Peter to Remember his Disconsolate Disciple to turn himself about and give him a pittiful but piercing Look even a Look that melted and dissolved him into Tears We never begin to lament our Sins but we are first Lamented by our Saviour Jesus looked upon Peter that was the first more principal Means of his Repentance But 2. the other Means was Peter remembring of the word of the Lord Before the Câ—ck Crow thou shalt deny me Now this Remembrance was an Applicative and Feeling Remembrance he Remembred the Prediction of Christ and apply'd it sensibly to himself Teaching us That the efficacy of Christ's Word in order to a sound Repentance depends not upon the Historical Remembrance of it but upon the close Application thereof to every Man's Conscience Observe 3. The Manner of St. Peter's Repentance it was Secret it was Sincere it was Lasting and Abibiding 1. It was secret He went out and wept Verè dolet qui sine Teste dolet He sought a place of Retirement where he might mourn in Secret Solitariness is most agreeable to an afflicted Spirit Yet must I add that as St. Peter's Sorrow so probably his Shame might cause him to go forth and weep Christ looked upon him and how ashamed must he be to look upon Christ seeing he had so lately denied that he had ever seen him 2. St. Peter's Repentance was Sincere He wept bitterly His Grief was extraordinary and his Tears abundant There is always a weeping that must follow Sin Sin must cost the Soul Sorrow either here or in Hell We must now either Mourn a while or Lament for ever Doubtless with Peter's Tears there was joined hearty Confession of Sin to God and smart Reflections upon himself after this manner Lord What have I done I a Disciple I an Apostle I that did so lately acknowledge my Master to be Christ the Lord I that spoke with so much Assurance Though all Men deny thee yet will not I I that promised to lay down my Life for his sake yet have I denied him yet have I with Oaths and Imprecations Disowned him and this at the Voice of a Damsel not at the sight of a Drawn Sword presented at my Breast Lord What weakness what wickedness what unfaithfulness have I been guilty of Oh that my Head were Waters and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears that I might weep all my days for the Fault of this one Night Thus may we suppose our Lapsed Apostle to have bemoaned himself And happy was it for him that he did so for Blessed are the Tears of a Converted Revolter and happy is the Misery of a Mourning Offender Observe 3. St. Peter's Repentance was not only Secret and Sincere but Lasting and Abiding He retained a very quick Sense and lively Remembrance of this Sin upon his Mind all his Life after Ecclesiastical History Reports that ever after when St. Peter heard the Crowing of the Cock he fell upon his Knees and wept Others say That he was wont to rise at Mid-night and spend the Time in Prayer and Humiliation between Cock-Crowing and Day-light And the Papists who delight to turn every thing into Folly and Superstition first began that Practice of setting up what we call Weather-Cocks upon Towers and Steeples to put People in mind of St. Peter's Fall and Repentance by that Signal Lastly St. Peter's Repentance was attended with an extraordinary Zeal and Forwardness for the Service of Christ to the end of his Days He had a burning Love towards the Holy Jesus ever after which is now improved into a Seraphick Flame Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee says himself John 21.17 And as an Evidence of it he fed Christ's Sheep For in the Acts of the Apostles we read of his Extraordinary Diligence to spread the Gospel and his Travels in order thereunto are Computed by some to be Nine hundred and Fifty Miles To end all have any of us fallen with Peter though not with a formal Abjuration yet by a Practical denying of him let us go forth and weep with him let us be more vigilant and watchful over our selves for the time to come let us express more fervent Love and Zeal for Christ more diligence in his Service more Concernedness for his Honour and Glory This would be an Happy Improvement of this Example God grant it may have that Blessed Effect 63 And the Men that held Jesus mocked him and smote him 64 And when they had Blind-folded him they stroke him on the Face and asked him saying Prophecy who he is that smote thee 65 And many other things blasphemously spake they against him Observe here The vile Affronts the horrid Abuses the Injuries and Indignities which were put upon the Holy and Innocent Jesus in the day of his Sufferings the rude Officers and Servants spit in his Face Blind-fold his Eyes smite him with their Hands and in Contempt and Scorn bid him Prophecy who it was that smote him Verily There is no degree of Contempt no mark of Shame no kind of Suffering which we ought to Decline for Christ's sake who hid not his Face from Shame and Spitting upon our Account 66 And as soon as it was day the Elders of the people and the Chief Priests and Scribes came together and led him into their Council 67 Saying Art thou the Christ Tell us And he said If I tell you you will not believe 68 And if I also ask you you will not answer me nor let me go 69 Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the Right Hand of the power of God 70 Then said they all Art thou then the Son of God And he said unto them Ye say that I am 71 And they said What need we any farther Witness for we our selves have heard of his own Mouth Our Lord is now Arraigned by the Chief Priests and Observe the Indictment of Blasphemy is brought in against him What need we any
little time in the Wilderness Christ nourishes the Soul the Souls of all Believers be they Jew or Gentile Bond or Free and this not for time but for Eternity the Bread of God is he which cometh down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World 34 Then said they unto him Lord evermore give us this bread 35 And Jesus said unto them I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst 36 But I said unto you that ye also have seen me and believe not Observe here 1. How the carnal Jews hearing the Bread which Christ had commended so highly and conceiving of it carnally desire they may partake of it constantly Lord evermore give us of this Bread The Commendation of Spiritual Things may move the Affections and quicken the Desires of Natural Persons but if their Desires be not Spiritual and Serious Diligent and Laborious Constant and Abiding they are no Evidence of the Truth of Grace Obs 2. Christ discovers another excellent Effect of this Bread of Life which he had been recommending that such as feed of it shall never hunger more that is inordinately after the perishing Satisfactions of this World but shall find an All-sufficient Fulness in him and compleat Refreshment from him for the preserving and perpetuating of their Spiritual Life He that cometh unto me shall never hunger c. Obs 3. How justly Christ upbraids the Jews for their obstinate Infidelity Ye have seen me says our Saviour yet ye believe not Ye have seen me in the Flesh you have heard my Doctrine you have seen my Miracles I have done amongst you those Works which never any Man did to convince you that I am the Messiah yet you will not own me to be such nor believe on me Oh the Strength of Infidelity and Unbelief The Devil has as great an Advantage upon Men by making them strong in Unbelief as God hath by making his People strong in Faith 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Our Blessed Saviour having lamented the obstinate Infidelity of the Jews in the foregoing Verse who though they had seen him would not believe on him he doth in this Verse comfort himself with the assured Expectation that there would be a number which should certainly and infallibly come unto him All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me c. Here observe 1. An Account of the Persons that shall come to Christ All that the Father hath given him There is a double Gift of us to Christ 1. In God's Eternal Purpose and Counsel 2. In our Effectual Vocation and Calling When our Hearts are by the Holy Spirit of God perswaded and enabled to accept of Christ as he is freely tendred to us in the Gospel Obs 2. The gracious Entertainment which Christ gives to those that come unto him He will in no wise cast them out where the Positive is included in the Negative I will not cast them out that is I will kindly receive and graciously entertain them Learn hence 1. That both God the Father and Christ his Son are unfeignedly willing and cordially desirous of the Salvation of lost Sinners That federal Transaction which was betwixt the Father and the Son from everlasting about the Salvation of lost Sinners evidently declares this Learn 2. That the merciful and compassionate Jesus will in no wise cast out or reject but kindly entertain and receive every penitent Sinner that doth believingly apply unto him for Pardon of Sin and Eternal Life I will in no wise cast out that is I will not cast them out of my Pity and Compassion out of my Love and Affection out of my Prayer and Intercession out of my Care and Protection I will not cast them out of my Covenant I will never cast them out of my Kingdom for my Nature inclines me my Promise binds me and my Office as Mediator engages me to the contrary 38 For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me 39 And this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day 40 And this is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day In these Words our Saviour gives us the Confirmation of the foregoing Promise That he will in no wise cast out those that come unto him by assuring us that it was the great End for which he came into the World His Father sent him to do his Will and not his own that is not to do his own Will without his Father's but to do his own Will and his Father's For Christ as God had a co-ordinate Will with his Father's and as Man a Will subordinate to the Will of his Father Now it was the Will both of Father and Son that such as Believe in him should be preserved from perishing and be raised up by Christ at the last Day Hence Learn 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ stands not only inclined by his own Mercy and Goodness to Save Repenting and Believing Sinners but doth also stand obliged thereunto by vertue of a Trust committed to him from the Father Therefore Christ mentions the Will of him that sent him as a Reason of his Fidelity in this matter Learn 2. That the Father's Will and good pleasure is the original Source the Fountain and first Spring from whence the Salvation of Believers doth proceed and flow It is the Fathers Will that sent me that every one that seeth the Son and Believeth on him may have Everlasting Life Learn 3. That such as are given to Christ by the Father and put as his Trust into his Keeping he looks upon them as his Charge and stands engaged for the Preservation of them This is my Father's Will that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing Yet has the Father so committed the Care of Believers to his Son as that he keeps them still in his own hand John 10.28 29. My Father which gave them to me is greater than all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers Hand Learn 4. From those words I will Raise him up at the last Day That the Lord Jesus Christ is Truly Essentially and Really God That person who can by his own Almighty Power raise the Dead must certainly be God but this Christ had He raised others from the Dead and his own Dead Body from the Grave also by his own Power And therefore Christ says I am the Resurrection and the Life and I will raise him up at the last day Doubtless he that spake these words and made those promises knew his own Power to perform them and
God heareth not Sinners that is such as love and delight in Sin such as are in a State of Sin and go on in a Course of Sin God will not hear such or answer the Prayers of such Indeed God sometimes hears a Sinners Prayers in Wrath and refuses to hear a Saints Prayers in Mercy But he never denies a Saints Prayers in wrath or hears a Sinners Prayers in mercy The Proposition laid down is an eternal Truth God heareth not Sinners that is so long as they purpose to continue sinners and go on in a Course of Sin and remain bold and presumptuous Sinners Learn hence That none that live in a Course of Sin can reasonably expect that God should hear them and give in an Answer of Prayer to them God heareth not Sinners But if any Man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him he heareth that is If a Man feareth God and worketh Righteousness him the Lord accepteth heareth and answereth Learn thence 1. That such as would be heard of God and accepted with him must be devout Worshippers of him 2. That it is not enough to prove Men Religious and Accepted with God that they are devout Worshippers of him unless they walk in Obedience to him and do his Will If any Man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him he heareth Observe 3. How the blind Man goes on to prove that Christ had a special Authority from God and an extraordinary Presence of God with him in what he did because he had done such a Work as was never done by Moses or by any of the Prophets or by any Person whatsoever since the Creation of the World From whence he wisely and well infers that Christ was a Person authorized by and sent of God Learn hence 1. That Christ having done that which was never done before namely to give Sight to one that was born blind was an Evidence of his Omnipotency 2. That this Act of Omnipotency proved him to be God Whatever Miracles the Prophets wrought they wrought them by Christ's Power but Christ wrought this and all other Miracles by his own Power 34 They answered and said unto him Thou wast altogether born in sins and dost thou teach us And they call him out 35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out and when he had found him he said unto him Dost thou believe on the Son of God 36 He answered and said Who is he Lord that I might believe on hâ—m 37 And Jesus said unto him Thou hast both seen him and it is he that talketh with thee 38 And he said Lord I believe And he worshipped him Observe here 1. A special Instance of Pharisaical Pride they account this poor Man a vile Person whom Heaven had marked by his Native Blindess for some extraordinary Wickedness How prone are we to judge them the greatest Sinners whom we observe to be the greatest Sufferers Obs 2. From reviling they proceed to excommunicating They cast him out that is out of Communion with the Jewish Church Oh happy Man who having lost a Synagogue hast found Heaven Behold this blind Man and admire him for a resolute Confessor stoutly defending the Gracious Author of his Cure against the Cavils of the Pharisees and maintaining the Innocence and Honour of so blessed a Benefactor Obs 3. Our Saviour's Regard to this blind Man whom the Pharisees had set at naught and excommunicated He finds him out reveals himself more fully to him and directs him to believe in him Where observe That the Miracle which Christ had wrought upon the blind Man did not convert him and work Faith in him till Christ revealed himself unto him and enabled him to discern the Truth of what he revealed Learn thence That Miracles confirm Faith but Miracles alone cannot work Faith The blind Man had experienced a Miracle wrought upon him yet remains an Unbeliever till Christ said I am he Obs 4. How readily the Man receives the Lord Jesus Christ by Faith upon the forementioned Revelation of himself unto him He instantly said Lord I believe and in Testimony thereof worships him that is as God incarnate as God manifested in the Flesh Thence learn That true Knowledge of the Son of God will beget Faith in him and true Faith in him will be productive of Homage and Adoration of Obedience and Subjection to him He that knows Christ aright will believe and he that believes will worship and obey He said Lord I believe and he worshipped him 39 ¶ And Jesus said For judgment I am come into this world that they which see not might see and that they which see might be made blind In these words our Saviour declares not the Intentional design but the Accidental event of his coming into the World Namely 1. That those who were Blind might receive Sight 2. That those who presume they see and know more than others for their despising the Gospel and shutting their Eyes against the light of it should be left in darkness and by the just judgment of God be more and more blinded Those who shut their Eyes willfully against the clearest light and say they will not see it is just with God to close their Eyes judicially and say they shall not see 40 And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words and said unto him Are we blind also 41 Jesus said unto them If ye were blind ye should have no sin but now ye say We see therefore your sin remaineth Observe here 1. How the Pharisees who watched all opportunities to insnare our Saviour look upon these last words as reflecting upon them as if Christ did insinuate that they were blind Are we blind also They that shut their Eyes and will not see the light which Christ offers to them are the worst of blind ones Observe 2. Our Saviour's Reply to the Pharisees Question If ye were Blind that is simply ignorant of your Duty and without the means of Knowledge and Instruction you should have no sin that is comparatively to what you now have you should not have had so much sin and guilt upon you as now you have by shutting your Eyes against the Light But now you say we see that is being puft up with the Knowledge which you have as if you were the only Men that saw this proud conceit of yours renders your condition incurable and your sin remaineth unpardonable Learn hence 1. That it is a far greater sin to contemn the known Laws of God than to be Ignorant of them Pride is a greater hinderance of Knowledge than Ignorance because the proud Man thinks he wants no Knowledge 2. That the most exalted Knowledge is insufficient to Salvation without a suitable and correspondent practice The Pharisees had the Key of Knowledge at their Girdle yet our Saviour tells them of a double Damnation Lord How sad is it so to know Christ in this World as that he will be ashamed to know us in another World CHAP.
Jews round about him and said unto him How long dost thou make us to doubt If thou be the Christ tell us plainly 25 Jesus answered them I told you and ye believed not the works that I do in my Fathers name they bear witness of me 26 But ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you In these Verses we have Recorded a new and fresh Debate betwixt our Saviour and the Jews and therein we have observable 1. The time of this Debate vâ—r 22. It was at the Feast of Dedication in the Winter Our Saviour taking that opportunity to publish his Doctrine when a concourse of People were gathered together at that Solemnity Observe 2. The place of this Debate in Solomon's-Porch Altho' the Temple and Porch buâ—h by Solomon was destroyed by the Babylonians yet when the Temple was rebuilt there was one like it which retained the Ancient name Observe 3. The Debate it self If thou be the Christ tell us plainly Not that they affected the Knowledge of the Truth but only designed to insnare him for if he had affirmed himself to be the Messias he had brought himself in danger of the Roman Governour because the Jews expected the Messias to be a Temporal Prince that should deliver them from the Roman Power Now if Christ had declared himself such a Messias as the Jews expected it might have cost him his Life Therefore his hour not being yet come he answers with his usual Prudence and wariness to their insnaring question Learn hence That Christ's Enemies are full of subtil policies and can turn themselves into all shapes that if possible they may intrap and ensnare him and accordingly they pretend here great earnestness of desire to be satisfied whether he were indeed the true and promised Messias when in truth they had another design Observe 4. The Wisdom and Caution of our Saviour's Answer he refers them to his Miracles The works that I do in my Father's Name they bare witness of me Our Saviour's miraculous works were sufficient for the Jews to have grounded and bottomed their Faith upon and to have confirm'd them in the belief that he was the promised and expected Messias had not Prejudice Obstinacy and Malice blinded their Eyes that they could neither see nor consider Observe Lastly How Christ points out to these Jews the true cause of their Infidelity which was not the obscurity of his Doctrine but their not being of his Sheep that is not as yet converted they not having the Properties of his Sheep which he sets down in the following Verses Learn hence That Mens final unbelief under the means of Faith is a clear Evidence of their being in a lost and perishing condition Infidelity is the Sin that doth consign a Man over to Damnation and to such as set under the Gospel doth not only procure Damnation but no Damnation like it 27 My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Here observe 1. That all sincere and faithful Christians are Christ's Sheep and he is their great and good Shepherd This Relation implies tender Affection powerful Protection plentiful Provision The tenderness of Christ's Affection towards his Sheep appears by pitying their Infirmities by having a Fellow-feeling with them in their Sufferings by suiting their Temptations to the Degrees of their Graces His Care in providing for them appears in affording to them the Holy Scriptures the Ministry of the Word the Administration of the Sacraments and the Operation of his Holy Spirit to make all efficacious and effectual to them His Protection of them discovers it self by preparing them for Tryals by supporting them under them and by delivering them out of them and by sanctifying all to them causing them to work together in subserviency to his own Glory and his People's Good Observe 2. That Christ's Sheep hear Christ's Voice and answer the Call of their great Shepherd They hear the Voice of Christ speaking to them in the Scriptures in the Ministry of the Word in their own Consciences in Providences and they hear Christ's Voice speaking to them in and by his Holy Spirit and as they hear Christ's Voice so do they answer his Call now the right Answer to the Call of Christ in the Gospel is a present Answer a willing Answer and an abiding Answer Obs 3. That all Christ's Sheep do follow him their Shepherd They follow him 1. In his Doctrine And 2. In his Example In his Contempt of the World in his Freedom in reproving Sin in the Holyness and heavenly-mindedness of his Conversation in his Meekness and Patience in Charity and Universal Goodness and as he was a mighty Pattern of Prayer Observe 4. That Christ the great and good Shepherd knows all his Sheep My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them He knows them so as to distinguish them so as to observe and take Notice of them so as to own and approve them so as to take Care of them and provide for them And as the Lord knoweth who are his so he knoweth who are not his too As he knows his Sheep so he knows the Goats also and their Place will be at his left Hand My Sheep hear my Voice and I know them 28 And I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand 29 My Father which gave them me is greater than all and none is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Observe here 1. The Promise made by Christ unto his Sheep namely the Promise of Eternal Life and of Perseverance in Grace till they come to the full Fruition of it in Glory I give unto them eternal Life and none shall pluck them out of my Hand Obs 2. The Confirmation he gives of this from his own and his Father's power which is employed engaged and concerned for them and for their perseverance and preservation notwithstanding all Opposition to the contrary My Father which gave them me is greater than all and no Man is able to pluck them out of my Father's Hand Learn 1. That eternal Life is the portion of Christ's Sheep 2. That eternal Life is the Gift of Christ 3. That eternal Life is now given to Christ's Sheep they have it now in the purchase in the promise and in the first Fruits 4. That all Christ's Sheep are put by God the Father into Christ's Hand for Security My Father hath given them me 5. The Father doth so intrust Christ with his Sheep as yet to take Care of them himself they are in the Father's Hand as well as in the Sons and their being in the Hands of both doth assure them of the certainty of their Perseverance None shall pluck them out of my Hand None shall be able to pluck them out of my Father's Hand implying that there are many that would pluck them out of their Hands Sin Satan the World c. but They shall be kept by the Almighty
that I was not there to the intent ye may believe nevertheless let us go unto him 16 Then said Thomas which is called Didymus unto his fellow-disciples Let us also go that we may die with him Observe here 1. How desirous the Disciples were that Christ should not go to Bethany where Lazarus was Bethany being within two Miles of Jerusalem where the seat of our Saviour's Enemies was But our Lord knowing his Call to be clear Resolves to go Nevertheless says Christ let us go unto him Oh Love stronger than Death the Grave cannot separate betwixt Christ and his Friends other Friends accompany us to the brink of the Grave and there they leave us to Worms and Dust for Death hath both horror and noysomness to attend it But for thee O Saviour the Grave-stone the Earth the Coffin are no Bounders of thy Dear Respects Blessed be God that neither Life nor Death can separate from the Love of Christ but even after Death and Burial he is graciously affected to those he loves Christ has a Gracious Regard to the Dust of his Saints tho' his holy ones see Corruption they shall not always lye under the power of Corruption their dead Bodies are a part of the undoubted Members of Christ's Mystical Body Blessed be God the time is coming when Christ will knock at the door of his Childrens Graves and call them up out of their Bed of Dust and they shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and Live Observe 2. The Wise and Holy design of Christ in delaying to go to Bethany till Lazarus was Dead Namely That he might at once Raise Lazarus his Dead Body and his Disciples Faith confirming them in the Belief that he was the Son of God and the true Messias But could the Faith of the Apostles want confirmation who had seen so many Miracles wrought by our Saviour and had lived under his Ministry all the time of it Yes the Faith of the most Eminent Saints even of Apostles themselves wants Confirmation in this state of Weakness and Imperfection and is capable of Growth I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent ye may Believe Observe 3. The great Passion which Thomas expresses upon the notice given by Christ of Lazarus his Death Plainly Lazarus is Dead says Christ Let us go and die with him says Thomas Oh what passionate and impatient Expressions do sometimes drop from our Mouths on the occasion of the Death of our dear Relations We are ready to be so affected with the Death of our Friends as to wish our selves out of the World that we might be with them But we must remember that it is God that appoints us our several Posts and particular Stations which we must keep till the Wisdom of God sees fit to remove us 17 Then when Jesus came he found that he had lien in the grave four days already 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother 20 Then Martha assoon as she heard that Jesus was coming went and met him but Mary sat still in the house 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died 22 But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God will give it thee Observe here 1. The length of time which Christ designedly delayed before he would come to Lazarus his Grave he was not above six Miles off Bethany being within two Miles of Jerusalem and Jerusalem within four Miles of Bethabara where Christ now was and yet our Saviour comes not of four Days doubtless that the Miracle of Lazarus's Resurrection might be the more Conspicuous and remarkable Christ could as easily have cured Lazarus's being sick as have raised him being dead and as easily have raised him the first day as the fourth day but that had not carried along with it such a full conviction of Christ's Almighty Power Therefore that he might draw the eyes of their Faith more steadfastly to behold and admire his Almighty Power our Saviour defers his coming till Lazarus had been dead four Days Observe 2. The civil usage of mourning with those that mourn for the Dead Anciently they mourned Thirty Days and sometimes forty for a dear Relation Numb 20 29. During which time Neighbours and Friends came to visit and Relieve them in their sadness with such consolatory Arguments as they had Christian Religion doth not condemn natural Affection humane passions are not sinful if not excessive to be above the stroke of passions is a condition equal to Angels to be in a state of sorrow without the Sense of sorrow is a disposition beneath the Beasts but duly to regulate our sorrows and set Boundaries to our grief is the Wisdom the Duty the Interest and the Excellency of a Christian As to be above all passions will be our happiness in Heaven so to regulate and rectifie our passions is a great part of our holiness on Earth Observe 3. Although Martha was a â—rue mourner for the Death of her Brother yet she doth not so far indulge to grief but upon the first notice of Christ's approach she arises and goes forth to meet him with a mournful moan in her mouth Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Where Observe How Faith and Infirmity were mixt together Faith appeared in that him perswasion which she had of Christ's Power as if Death durst not shew its face in Christ's presence hadst thou been here my Brother had not died But then her Infirmity appeared in limiting Christ both to Time and Place to Place if thou hadst been here As if Christ could not if it had pleased him save his Life absent as well as present then to time Now he stinketh as if she had said you are come but alas too late you have stayed too long he is past Recovery the Grave has swallowed him up as if Death would not deliver up its Prisoner at the command of Christ Oh the Imperfect Composition of the Best of Saints what a mixture of Faith and Infirmity is found in the Holiest and Best of Christians This also farther appears in her next words ver 22. I know that whatsoever thou shalt ask of God he will give it thee She seems not to Believe that Christ was able to raise him by his own immediate Power but must obtain Power of God to do it as the Prophets were wont to do that raised the Dead She thought Christ a person highly in God's favour but scarce believed him able to raise Lazarus by his own Power had her Faith extended to a Belief that Christ was equal with the Father and that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him she would not have questioned his Power to raise him from the Grave for tho' Christ as Mediatour did apply himself by Prayer to God at the raising of Dead
Lazarus ver 41 42. Yet as God he had a Power of himself to raise Lazarus an Almighty Power communicated with his Essence from the Father by an Eternal and ineffable Generation 23 Jesus saith unto her Thy brother shall rise again 24 Martha saith unto him I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day 25 Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die Believest thou this Here Observe 1. Christ's meek Answer to Martha's passionate Discourse he takes no notice of the forementioned failings but comforts her with a promise of her Brother's Resurrection Thy Brother shall rise again Thence learn That the Knowledge and Belief of the General Resurrection is and ought to be a sufficient support under the Loss of our endeared Friends ' who die in the Lord. Observe 2. That the Doctrine of the General Resurrection was no new Doctrine Job believed it ch 19.26 Daniel publish'd it ch 12.1 The Pharisees had a Notion of it but Martha here makes it an Article of her Faith I know he shall rise again in the Resurrection at the last Day Observe 3. How Christ particularly Instructs Martha in the cause of the Resurrection acquainting her that he himself is the Author and efficient cause of it I am the Resurrection and the Life That is I am the Author and principal efficient cause of the Resurrection And this with respect to both Natures 1. His Divine Nature is the efficient cause of the Resurrection he shall Raise our Bodies out of the Dust by the Power of his Godhead 2. His Humane Nature is the exemplary cause or pattern of the Resurrection For which Reason Christ is called the first Born from the Dead For tho' some were raised before him Yet was his Resurrection the cause of their Resurrection Hence St. Paul argues from Christ's Resurrection the certainty of the Resurrection of his Members Christ and Believers are one Mystical Body therefore is not Christ perfectly Risen till all his Members are Risen with him Indeed Christ's personal Resurrection was perfect when he arose and all Believers arose Representatively in him Yet till all Believers arise personally the Resurrection of Christ has not received its utmost perfection but there is somewhat behind of the Resurrection of Christ Most fitly then might our Saviour assert I am the Resurrection and the Life Observe 4. That Christ not only asserts himself to be the Resurrection but also the Life I am the Resurrection and the Life that is I am the cause of Life Natural Spiritual and Eternal and Whosoever Liveth and Believeth in Me shall never Die. That is eternally tho' his Body shall die because of Sin yet his Spirit shall live because of Righteousness 27 She saith unto him Yea Lord I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the world 28 And when she had so said she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying The Master is come and calleth for thee 29 Assoon as she heard that she arose quickly and came unto him 30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town but was in that place where Martha met him 31 The Jews then which were with her in the house and comforted her when they saw Mary that she rose up hastily and went out followed her saying She goeth unto the grave to weep there 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was and saw him she fell down at his feet saying unto him Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died Observe here 1. The full confession which Martha makes of her Faith in Christ as God Thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World A confession which comes nearest to that of St. Peter Math. 16.16 of any that we meet with in Scripture Nay it seems more full than Peter's Confession for those additional words which should come into the World are not in his Confession the Summ is She believed Christ to be the very Messias who was Typified and prefigured Prophesied of and promised to the Old Testament Saints as the person that in the fulness of time should come into the World for the Redemption and Salvation of it Thou art the Christ the Son of God which should come into the World Thence Learn That Christ is never rightly believed in nor regularly depended upon for Salvation except he be owned and acknowledged to be the Eternal Son of God Martha was now fully perswaded of Christ's Divine Nature of which the best of the Disciples till after our Saviour's Resurrection had but a faint and uncertain perswasion Observe 2. How earnest and intent our Saviour was to dispatch the errand he came upon Namely to raise Lazarus from the Grave and to comfort the Two mournful Sisters he would not so much as enter the House till he had effected his work and therefore he goes strait to the Grave which probably was the place where Mary met him Lord it was thy Meat and Drink to do the Will of thy Father it was thy Meat and Drink by Day thy Rest and Repose by Night How unlike are we to thy self if we suffer either our Pleasures or our Profits to divert us from our Duty Observe 3. What haste and speed Mary makes to attend upon her Saviour she arose quickly and came unto him Mary's Love added Wings to her motion The Jews observing her hasty motion have a loving suspicion that she is gone to the Grave to weep there but their Thoughts were too low for whilst they supposed that she went to a dead Brother she was waiting upon a living Saviour And she that used to sit at Jesus feet now falls at his feet in an awful veneration the very gesture was supplicatory And her humble prostration was seconded with a doleful Lamentation Lord If thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Where Observe A mixture of Faith with humane infirmity Here was strength of Faith in ascribing so much Power to Christ that his presence could preserve from Death but here was Infirmity in supposing the necessity of Christ's presence for this purpose Certainly he that did raise him from Death being present could have preserved him from dying being absent had he pleased This was Mary's moan Lord hadst thou been here our Brother had not died full of Affection but not from frailty and infirmity However Christ takes no notice of her errors and infirmity but all the reply we hear of is a Compassionate Groan which the following Verses acquaint us with 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her he groned in the spirit and was troubled 34 And said Where have ye laid him They say unto him Lord come and see 35 Jesus wept 36 Then said the Jews Behold how he loved him 37
follow me afterwards 37 Peter said unto him Lord Why cannot I follow thee now I will lay down my life for thy sake 38 Jesus answered him Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake Verily verily I say unto thee the cock shall no crow till thou hast denied me thrice Here we find Peter reflecting upon what our Saviour had said just before v. 33. Whither I go ye cannot come he is inquisitive to know of Christ whither he went Our Lord tells him that for the present he could not follow him but should hereafter he was not as yet strong enough to suffer for him as he should and did afterwards St. Peter grieved at this rashly resolves to follow him tho' he should die for his sake Christ advises him not to be over-confident of his own strength and standing for he should deny him Thrice within the Time of Cock-crowing Observe here 1. How that fond Conceit which our Lord's Disciples had of his Temporal Kingdom here in this World did abide and continue with them to the very last for when Christ spake of leaving them by Ascending into Heaven Peter understands him of a removal that was Earthly from one place to another whereas Christ intended it of a removal from Earth to Heaven The Opinion that the Messiah was to be a Temporal Prince and that his Kingdom should be of this World was so deeply rooted in the Minds of the Jews that they stumbled at it fatally and Christ's own Disciples had so drunk in the notion that they wonder to hear Christ say that he is going from them and that whither he goes they cannot come Observe 2. That Christ's Disciples shall certainly follow their Master afterwards and be for ever with the Lord but they must wait their Lord's time and finish their Lord's work they must patiently wait for their Change and not peevishly wish for it for tho' they do not follow Christ presently to Heaven they shall follow him afterwards Observe 3. The greatness of St. Peters's self-confidence I will lay down my Life for thy sake Good Man He resolved honestly but too too much in his own strength Little Oh little did he think what a Feather he should be in the wind of Temptation if once God left him to the power and prevalency of his own fears The holiest of Men knows not his own strength till Temptation brings him to the Trial. Observe Lastly How detestable St. Peters's Presumption and Self-Confidence was to Christ and how fatal and pernicious to himself Wilt thou lay down thy Life for my sake As if Christ had said Peter Thou sayest more than thou can'st do Thine own strength will fail thee and thy Self-Confidence deceive thee I know thy Heart better than thou dost thy self and I foresee that before the Cock crows thou wilt deny me thrice Thence Learn That none are so near falling as those that are most confident of their own standing CHAP. XIV 1 LEt not your heart be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me 2 In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there ye may be also 4 And whither I go ye know and the way ye know Our blessed Saviour in the foregoing Chapter having acquainted his Disciples with his approaching Death by the Treachery of Judas their Hearts were thereupon over-whelmed with Grief and Trouble Accordingly in this Chapter by sundry Arguments he comforts his Disciples against the perplexity of their fears and sorrows 1. Observe How Christ addresses himself to his Disciples in a very endearing and Affectionate manner Let not your hearts be troubled Whence learn 1. That the Best and Holiest of God's Children and Servants whilest here in an imperfect state are subject to desponding disquieting and distrustful fears 2. That no work is more delightful to our Saviour than to comfort the troubled and perplexed Spirits of his Servants Observe 2. The Remedy which Christ prescribes for the calming their present fears and for arming them against future troubles and that is Faith in the Father and himself Ye believe in God believe also in me Here learn 1. That God is the supream object of Faith his unchangeable love and faithfulness with his infinite Power in the accomplishing of his promises is the security of Believers Learn 2. That Christ as Mediatour between God and guilty Creatures is the immediate object of our Faith Learn 3. That Christ being the true and proper object of our Faith is a proof of his being truly and really God Christ doth here assert his own Deity in the substance of the Command in making himself an object of Faith in Conjunction with God the Father Ye believe in God believe also in me Observe Next the Arguments of Consolation which Christ propounds for the support of his Disciples under the sorrow which they had conceived for his approaching departure 1. He tells them That Heaven whither he was now going was his Father's House a place of happiness not designed for himself alone but for many more to enjoy a perpetual rest and abode in as in everlasting Mansions in my Father's House are many mansions Heaven is God's House in which he will freely converse with his Domesticks his Children and Servants and they shall enjoy full glory there as in a quiet and capacious habitation A second ground of Comfort is that he assures them he will come again and receive them to himself that they may live together with him in the Heavenly Mansions This promise Christ makes good to his Saints partly at the day of their Death and perfectly at the day of Judgment when he shall make one errand for all and take up all his Children to himself and make them compleatly happy both in Soul and Body with himself Learn hence That tho' Christ has removed his Bodily presence from his Friends on Earth yet his love to them is not ceased nor will he rest satisfied till he and they meet again Eternally to solace themselves in each others Company I will come again and receive you to my self that where I am there you may be also A Third Argument for Consolation is That notwithstanding Christ was to leave them yet they knew whither he went Namely To Heaven and which was the way thither Whither I go ye know and the way ye know It contributes much to the Comfort of Believers as to know God and Heaven so to know the way that leads thither that so they may be armed against all the difficulties of that way 5 Thomas saith unto him Lord we know not whither thou goest and how can we know the way 6 Jesus saith unto him I am the way and the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me Observe here 1. How Thomas and probably
Son of God and that believing ye might have life through his Name Observe here 2. The true End for which the Miracles of Christ were so carefully recorded namely that we might believe By believing that Christ is the Son of God we have Life and by the Evidence of his Miracles we know and believe him to have been the Son of God The Miracles which Christ wrought were the best external Evidence of his Mission Observe 1. That all Christ's Miracles both before his Passion and after his Resurrection were not recorded by the Evangelists Observe 2. The great Point concerning Christ to be known and believed from the Scriptures is this That Jesus the Son of the Virgin is the promised Messiah the anointed of the Father he in whom all the Types and Shadows of the Law are accomplished and that this Jesus is for Nature Co-essential for Dignity Co-equal and for Time Co-eternal with the Father One in Essence equal in Power and Glory Thus believing that Jesus is the Son of God and accompanying that Belief with a holy Life if we believe well and live well we shall have Life through his Name CHAP. XXI AFter these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples at the sea of Tiberias and on this wise shewed he himself The foregoing Chapter acquainted us with several Appearances of Christ to his Disciples after his Resurrection All which were in Jerusalem This Chapter acquaints us with his appearing to his Disciples in Galilee whither he had ordered his Disciples to go promising there to meet them Jerusalem now becomes a forsaken Place a People abandoned to destruction Christ will not shew himself openly to them but Gallilee was a Place where Christ's Ministry had found better acceptance to Galilee therefore doth he go Such Places wherein Christ is most welcome to preach shall be most honoured with his Presence Jesus shewed himself to his Disciples at the Sea of Tiberias called elsewhere the Sea of Galilee 2 There were together Simon Peter and Thomas called Didymus and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee and the sons of Zebedee and two other of his disciples 3 Simon Peter saith unto them I go a fishing They say unto him We also go with thee They went forth and entred into a ship immediately and that night they caught nothing Observe here That after Christ was crucified the Disciples returned for a time to their Trade and Employment of Fishing tho' they were called to be Fishers of Men yet Churches not being gathered and constituted at present nor able to maintain them they labour with their Hands to supply their present Necessities Afterwards when at the Feast of Pentecost they had received those visible Gifts of the Holy Ghost which did furnish them for preaching the Gospel to all Nations and they went forth to plant and propagate the Gospel we may believe they then gave over the Labours of their Secular Calling and applied themselves wholly to the Work of the Ministry That may be done in Ecclesiâ Constituendâ in a Churc◠which is constituting or about to be constituted which is not convenient to be done in a Church already constituted Observe farther How Peter with the rest toil all night and catch nothing but no sooner is Christ come among them but they inclose a multitude of Fishes Thereby teaching us That all human Labours and Endeavours are in vain unless Christ by his Presence and Blessing crown them with success 4 But when the morning was now come Jesus stood on the shoar but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus 5 Then Jesus saith unto them Children have ye any meat They answered him No. 6 And he said unto them Cast the net on the right side of the ship and ye shall find They cast therefore and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes Observe here 1. Christ was near very near to his Disciples but they perceive it not Jesus stood on the shoar but they knew not that it was Jesus Learn Christ is not always discerned by us when he is present with us it is a double Mercy to enjoy his Company and to know indeed that it is he Observe 2. Altho' they had laboured all the Night in vain yet at Christ's Command they go to Work again and with great success they were not able to draw the Net for the multitude of Fishes When Christ is about to do great things for his People yet will he have them exert all possible Endeavours of their own and the want of former Success must not discourage from future Endeavours Observe 3. What a Proof Christ here gives of his Divinity and Godhead How were all the Fish in the Sea at his Pleasure and obedient to his Command He knew where they swim and brings them from one part of the Lake to the other where the Disciples had toil'd all night and caught nothing Christ our Mediator is true God and as such has a Sovereign Power and Providence over all the Creatures the Cattel on a thousand Hills and all the Fish swimming in the Sea are obedient to his Power and observant of his Commands 7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord he girt his fishers coat unto him for he was naked and did cast himself into the sea 8 And the other disciples came in a little ship for they were not far from land but as it were two hundred cubits dragging the net with fishes 9 Assoon then as they were come to land they saw a fire of coals there and fish laid thereon and bread Observe here 1. The great Zeal and Forwardness of Peter hearing that it was Christ he leaps into the Sea to get to him Oh how inviting attractive and alluring is a sight of Christ It will make those that know him break thro' all Difficulties to come unto him It is not a Sea of Water no not Seas of Blood that can keep a zealous Soul at a distance from Christ When Peter heard that it was the Lord he girt his Coat and cast himself into the Sea Observe 2. What a Complication of Miracles here were as soon as they came to Land they discerned another Miracle viz. A Fire of Coals and Fish laid on and Bread all created and produced by Christ out of nothing at this time as an Evidence of his Divine Power for before they could get the Fish to shoar they saw Fish broiling upon Coals which makes it evident that these were none of the Fish which they had catch'd Christ when he pleases for the Benefit and Comfort of his People will work Miracle upon Miracle Mercy upon Mercy one Wonder upon the head of another For here after a Miracle at Sea they meet with another Miracle at Land As soon as they came to Land they saw a Fire 10 Jesus saith unto them Bring of the fish which ye have now caught 11 Simon
That is Thou sparest none but tellest all Men of their Faults XIX In his Vniversal Obedience to his Father's Will and chearful Submission to his Father's Pleasure He obeyed the Will of his Father Universally Voluntarily Sincerely and with a single Eye at his Glory perseveringly and to the End and as he was so must we be faithful to the Death if ever we expect the Crown of Life And in like manner did he submit to the Will of his Providence Father not as I will but as thou wilt not my will but thine be done O let us keep this Example continually before us and every day obey the will of God's Precept universally And submit to the Will of his Providence very chearfully this is Heaven on Earth XX. In his Love and Practice of Universal Holiness both in Heart and Life He was Holy in his Nature Holy in his Principle and Motives Holy in his Aim and Ends he was perfectly Holy precisely Holy uniformly Holy exemplarily Holy he delighted only in holy Persons and holy Things it concerns us to imitate him herein if ever we expect to be where he is Heaven is the habitation of Holiness the company is Holy the imployment Holy the enjoyments Holy no unclean Thing can enter into Heaven or could be Happy in Heaven Heaven is rather a Nature than a place 'T is not the place of Heaven can make us Happy but the Disposition and Temper of our Minds in Heaven without Conformity to the Nature of God there can be no Communion with him nor Delight in him what a discourteous Courtesie would it be to turn a filthy Swine into a Garden of curious Flowers to lodge it in a Bed of sweet Perfumes to bath it in a clear and Crystal Fountain Alas its unclean Temper and sordid Inclinations would rather choose to lie down in a Kennel and to wallow in the Mire its proper Element Thus unsuitable would Heaven be that place of greatest Happiness be the greatest Vneasiness to an unholy Heart Let us then Pray and Endeavour that the Temper of our Minds and the Actions of our Lives may be a lively Transcript of the Mind and Life of the Holy Jesus that we may be like him in Purity and Holiness in Justice and Righteousness in Patience and Meekness in Charity and Universal Goodness That as he was we may be in the World Holy Humble Harmless Heavenly Minded glorifying God on Earth that we may be glorified with him and by him in his Eternal Kingdom Yet before I close this Exhortation to an Imitation of Jesus I must subjoin this cautionary Direction Take heed that you do not so imitate Christ for your Pattern as to disown him for your Priest This is the dangerous Error of those who affirm that the great End of Christ's Death was to give the World an Example of Patience Humility Meekness and the fore-mentioned Christian Graces and that his Sufferings were Exemplary but not properly Satisfactory We acknowledge that Christ's giving us an Example was one End of his coming into the World and Dying for us but not the great End A Subordinate End but not the Vltimate God preserve us from the Contagion of this growing Error other Errors only scratch the Face but this stabs the Heart of the Christian Religion in that it deprives us of the choicest Benefit of Christ's Death namely The Expiation of Sin by a proper Satisfaction to the Justice of God But blessed be God we have not so learned Christ as we are Taught so we Believe that the Holy Jesus by the Sacrifice of his Death has Redeemed us from Death and Hell and Saved us from Wrath to come by a full and adequate payment to Divine Justice and by the Redundancy of his Merit has purchased an Eternal Inheritance for us and as we are Taught and Believe so we Pray Almighty God who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Example of Godly Life Give us Grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour our selves to follow the blessed Steps of his most Holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Almighty and everlasting God who of thy tender Love towards Mankind hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our Flesh and to suffer Death upon the Cross that all Mankind should follow the Example of his great Humility Mercifully grant that we may both follow the Example of his Patience and also be made Partakers of his Resurrection through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS Advertisements BOOKS published by Mr. WILLIAM BURKITT and printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside THE Poor Man's Help and Young Man's Guide Containing I. Doctrinal Instructions for the right Informing of his Judgment II. Practical Directions for the General Course of his Life III. Particular Advices for the Well-managing of every Day With reference to his 1. Natural Actions 2. Civil Imployments 3. Necessary Recreations 4. Religious Duties Particularly I. Prayer Publick in the Congregation Private in the Family Secret in the Closet II. Reading the Holy Scriptures III. Hearing of the Word Preached IV. Receiving of the Lord's Supper Unto which is added An Earnest Exhortation unto all Christians to the Love and Practice of Universal Holiness The Fourth Edition An Argumentative and Practical Discourse of Infant-Baptism In which I. The Lawfulness of Infant-Baptism is Demonstrated II. The Objections against Infant-Baptism are Answered III. The Usefulness of the Ordinance is Asserted IV. The Sinfulness of Re-baptizing Manifested V. The Non-necessity of Dipping Evidenced VI. The Practical Use of Infant-Baptism Urged and Inforced The Second Edition A Sermon at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. William Gurnall THE Works of the late Reverend and Learned William Bates D. D. In one large Volume in Folio Viz. 1. Of the Existence of God the Immortality of the Soul and the Divinity of the Christian Religion 2. The Harmony of the Divine Attributes 3. The Great Duty of Resignation 4. The Danger of Prosperity 5. Sermons of the Forgiveness of Sins 6. The Sure Trial of Uprightness 7. The Four Last Things viz. Death Judgment Heaven and Hell In which his Book called The Final Happiness of Man is included 8. Of Spiritual Perfection 9. Eleven Sermons on several Occasions 10. A Sermon upon the Death of Queen Mary 11. A Funeral Sermon on Dr. Manton 12. A Funeral Sermon on Dr. Jacomb 13. A Funeral Sermon on Mr. Baxter With his Life 14. A Funeral Sermon on Mr. Clarkson 15. A Funeral Sermon on Mr. Benjamin Ashurst To which are added Two Discourses never before publish'd being exactly taken in Short-hand and Approv'd by the Author in his Life-time viz. 16. A Discourse on Divine Meditation 17. A Discourse on the Fear of God c. With an Alphabetical Table to the Whole As likewise The Author's Effigies curiously Engrav'd by Mr. Robert White from an Original of Sir Godfrey Kneller And some Account of his Life and Character in a Funeral Sermon preach'd by the Reverend Mr. Howe Printed for Johnathan Robinson at the Golden-Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard There will be speedily publish'd A Catechetical Course of Sermons for the whole Year Being an Explanation of the Church-Catechism in Fifty Two Distinct Discourses on so many several Texts of Scripture Wherein are Briefly contained the most Necessary Points of Christian Doctrine in Two Volumes in Octavo With an Alphabetical Index to each Volume Recommended Especially for the Use of Families By Peter Newcome M. A. and Vicar of Aldenham in Hertford-shire Printed for John Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard