with a glorious pompe the Iewes would haue had this worke wrought gloriously and would haue had the Sauiour a glorious King and therefore they stumbled at this at the ignominious Crosse of Iesus Yee see by the plaine contrarie that there cannot be a greater paine nor shame We are not bought by glorie nor pompe wee are redeemed from death and shame by death and shame such a redemption cannot stand with His Iustice His Iustice requires blood Heb. 9.22 Noremission of sinnes without blood Then euery one of vs who would attaine to saluation we must not looke to Heauen first to get it in IESVS glorified but we must looke to Hierusalem and to Golgotha first To see Him there hanging and crucified spare not to kisse Him on the Crosse and to bathe thy selfe in His blood and if thou takest offence at His Crosse thou shalt neuer see Him in glorie but to thy shame No by the contrarie take on persecution with Him that in that great day thou mayest be glorified with Him To goe forward Luke in his 23. Chapter verse 34. markes a circumstance which is not marked by the rest to wit that IESVS prayed to His Father for His persecuters This prayer apparantlie hath beene either at this time when they were striking the nailes thorow Him or els very soone thereafter howsoeuer He is hanging on the Crosse at that time The words are Father forgiue them for they know not what they do 1. Pet. Chap. 2. ver 23 sayes of Him When He was reuiled Hee reuiled not againe He rendred none euill words againe when He suffered Hee threatned not againe but committed it to Him who judges righteouslie When they were nailing Him on the Crosse and scorning Him on it Hee shew not an angrie countenance Hee committed the vengeance to GOD. In these wordes hee would let you see a marueilous meeknesse and patience in IESVS CHRIST and therefore by the Prophets Hee was compared to a Lambe No neuer a Lambe suffered with such mildnesse as IESVS did But now in this Historie he goes somewhat further hee lets vs see that the LORD IEnot onely recompensed euill with euill but Hee rewarded good for euill whilst they torment Him he conceiues a feruent prayer for them and this lets vs see not onely a wonderfull patience but also a great loue and pitie He bare to His enemies It is a wonderfull thing to see any in torment to bee patient toward the tormenter but it is greater in the torment both to be patient to pray to GOD for him who torments him and this is the greatest of all to suffer for the tormenter This loue properly pertain es to IESVS CHRIST onely The Martyres haue prayed for them who persecuted them as STEVEN did Act Chapter 7. verse 60. LORD lay not this sinne to their change but neither STEVEN nor any other Martyre in the earth suffered extreame torment for the tormenter Neuer a man had such a loue to suffer for his tormenter No this loue is proper only to IESVS CHRIST and in the Scripture it is ascribed vnto IESVS CHRIST that Hee died for His enemies His tormenters These last wordes of that place of Peter where hee sayes Hee committed vengeance to Him who iudges righteously are worthie of consideration for there hee will let vs see the ground of patience in suffering His eye was on His Father and Hee sawe his Father to bee a just Iudge and to take vengeance on them who persecuted them Wouldest thou bee patient in suffering goe not to reuenge but put the reuenge in the hand of the Iudge except a man haue this consideration it is impossible for him to suffer a wrong patiently And it is as true that these men of this Lande who in no measure are patient but are ay reuenging those who will doe two wrongs for one hee will glorie that hee hath slaine two for one and hee will bragge of his foule murther and say I haue one slaine he hath two he hath better than his owne It is impossible I say that these men cannot haue GOD before their eyes they looke not to GOD because in suffering injuries they leaue not the reuenge to GOD and so their damnation shall not bee so much for the wrongs as because they vsurped the office of the Iudge and gaue him not vengeance to whome it belongeth Some of you may aske how can this be that Peter sayes The LORD committed vengeance to His Father stand with this that Luke sayes Hee prayed for them howe can these two stand To commit the vengeance to God and to pray for thine enemies I answere These things are different To commit vengeance to GOD to commit a wicked man to his owne Iudge and to begge a vengeance to a wicked man IESVS gaue them ouer to their owne Iudge and gaue the Iudgement to GOD hee begged not vengeance on them hee prayes for them to his Father that hee would forgiue them To speake my minde heere This Prayer that the LORD made vpon the Crosse I take it not so much to be for the malitious Scribes Pharises and Priestes who did this not so much of ignorance as of malice For in the 17. Chapter and 9. verse hee sayes I pray not for the worlde but for them that thou hast giuen mee As for the poore multitude of the Jewes and the men of warre and for the ignorant Gentiles who were there The effect declares the force and power of this Prayer for by one preaching of Peter there were three thousand soules cōuerted of the enemies of Christ Act. Chapter 2. verse 41. No question this hastie conuersion of so many came of the effectualnesse of the Prayer that hee made to the Father on the Crosse yea by appearance the force of that Prayer vttered it selfe then when the multitude came from the spectacle of the Crosse home againe knocking on their breasts But consider the forme of the Prayer hee sayes Father forgiue them the reason is They know not what they doe But they are sillie blinded people Paul 2. Cor. 2. Chapter verse 8. sayes If they had knowne what Hee was they would not haue crucified the LORD of Glorie Yee shall euer marke Brethren two series of sinners and two sorts of sinning There are some malitious sinners woe to those Some are ignorant some sinnes of knowledge yea the malice of the heart drawes them to a mischiefe and some because they know no better beeing wrong informed No doubt many of this multitude thought they were doing good seruice to GOD Malice in sinning makes a man inexcusable and closes his mouth before that Iudge yee shall see this one day The malicious sinners when the sentence shall bee pronounced against them shall not whisper once againe But ignorance albeit it makes not a man inexcusable it will neuer excuse thee before that great Iudge Beguile not thy selfe thou shalt not once open thy mouth and say LORD the thing that I did I did it of ignorance
Christ I goe to the second testimonie Zacharie 12.10 prophecies that the Iewes that pierced thorovv Christ should see Him and vvhen they see Him they should vveepe for Him as for their only begotten sonne It is a prophecie of the repentance of the Jewes vvho had crucified Christ pierced Him thorovv a promise of their repentance for that vvofull deede they did This same thing came to passe in the 2. of the Acts vvhen Peter in his preaching laide to their charge that wicked deede that they had crucified the Lord of glorie had put hand into the Lord of life at his preaching their hearts were pricked pierced thorow with bitternesse they demand of Peter the rest What shall they doe to be safe it is said three thousand of them repented beleeued at that one preaching The words wold be marked How is this that They pierced Iesus They pierced Him first with their sins it was the Jewes sins chiefly that procured the death of Christ Next they pierced Him when they persecuted Him when they crucified Him blasphemed Him and rayled on Him hanging on the crosse last they pierced Him when by the speare in the handes of a souldier they thrust Him thorow and pierced His side And who is this that pierced Him It was not so much the Ethnicke man that did this as the Iewes for whose sinnes Hee came to die for they were the occasion of all this wickednes If we will marke narrowly and will weigh narrowly this matter aright we will see great wickednesse malice and vnthankfulnesse to haue bene in this people The Lord came to die for them And who are these that slay Him Euen these for whome He came to die Was not this a mischieuous deede Who will not abhorre and detest such a villanie and malice Alas should I who am a sinner when an innocent man comes to die for my sinnes slay that man and be a burrio to Him Lord saue mee from such wickednesse and let neuer mine hands be a slayer of that man and yet this was the malice of the vngratefull Iewes Againe will ye consider the wonderfull loue that Christ caried to this people when they deserued nothing at His hands but death He dies for them when they were His enemies He shed His blood sor them thereafter when they executed Him and crucified Him beholde His wonderfull loue Hee brings them to repentance His mercie ouercomes their malice so that in them ye see that which is said to be verified Where sinne aboundes grace and mercie superabounds ROM 5.20 There is no comparison betweene the loue of Iesus and the sinnes of men Albeit thy sinnes were neuer so great and hainous yet the loue mercie of Christ will compasse them and goe round about them all so that no sinner hath occasion to despare of mercie and of grace I doubt not there is none of vs all but we will condemne the Jewes and will finde fault with the malice of this people but looke to thy selfe whilst as thou condemnest them that thou disfigure thine owne face and condemne thine owne selfe Are there none in this land that haue put hand in Iesus that died for them as surely as euer the Iewes did Who dare cleanse themselues Thou darest not say but thou hast pierced the Lord either one way or other There is not a sinne that thou committest but therewith thou hast pierced the Lord. Hast thou opponed thy selfe to the Trueth and persecuted the Gospell then thou hast pierced Christ Hast thou persecuted the Church of Christ and troubled His members on the earth thou hast pierced the Lord for Hee cries out Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee 〈◊〉 Hast thou beene giuen ouer to thy lustes and led a wicked life I say if thou bee in any of these rankes if thou gaine standest His Trueth persecutest Him in His members or by thy euill life Protest as thou wilt thou hast pierced Him as well as the Iewes and thou shalt bee as guiltie of His death as they were and as Pilate Herode Iudas and Caiaphas were challenged for His death so shalt thou except the Lord of His mercie grant thee grace to repent The Lord giue euery one of vs grace in time to repent IOH. REVEL 1.7 drawes this Scripture to the second comming of Christ in the cloudes for hee sayes They shall see Him whom they haue pierced and all the Tribes of the earth shall mourne before Him Of the which wee may gather that in the latter daye the very Elect when they shall rise and see the Lord when they shall see these handes and these seete and that side which by their sinnes they haue pierced thorow their first meeting shall bee with bitter mourning they shall mourne as a man will doe for His onely begotten sonne but immediatly that weeping shall be turned into joy and the Lord shall wipe away all teares from their eyes so that they shall neuer mourne nor sorrow any more but they shall be with the Lord and rejoyce with a solide joy for euer more Now I come to the buriall of that blessed body As the downe taking from the crosse came by a request so this buriall also comes by request But who requests for His buriall Not the Iewes that requested for His downe taking but good Ioseph of Arâ—mathea requests for the buriall The Iewes requested not for any loue they bare to Him but Joseph that worthy disciple of Christ requests vpon loue Then the thinges that we shall speake of the buriall this day are these First by the conference of the foure Euangelists wee haue a faire description of this man Ioseph Next we haue especially in the Gospell of Luke how boldly he comes to Pilate thirdly we haue the suite it selfe then the good and humane answere that he receiues out of the mouth of Pilate Then looke how this man is pointed out First he is described by his name his name is Ioseph Next hee is described by his countrey he vvas of Arimathea a tovvne in Iudea Thirdly he vvas described from his substance Hee was a rich and wealthie man and vvhat more What matter of all outvvard things of our birth of the place of it or all the riches and substance in the vvorld if there be no more Fourthly he is described from his office He was a wise and graue Senator and apparantly hee was in that Councell of the IEVVES which was called SANEDRIM yea apparantly he was on PILATES couÌ„sell because he was a wise and potent man But all these are outwarde thinges therefore the Spirit afterward paints him out by his inward qualities for if thou haue no good properties I will not giue a pennie for all thy calling thy substance and all outwarde thinges Hee is painted out in these qualities which concerne this life his behauior toward meÌ„ he is called a good vpright maÌ„ in his life But what helpe all these ciuill and morall vertues
it not saide The violent take the Kingdome of Heauen by force Matth. Chap. 11. vers 12. And doth not the Lord recommend importunitie and earnestnesse in crauing by the Parable of the widowe who importunated the vnrighteous Iudge To this I answere It is lawfull indeede to seeke continually the increase and growth of knowledge as well as of all other spirituall graces yea it is a thing that the Lord recommends vnto vs commands But of what knowledge should we seeke the increase Only the knowledge of these thinges that are reueiled and set downe in the Olde and New Testament it is the Lords will that wee euer grow in knowledge of these thinges and that we goe from knowledge to knowledge But this increase of knowledge is farre different from curiositie in seeking new reuelations besides the thinges that are reueiled in the writes of the Prophets and the Apostles The Lord likes well growth of knowledge but Hee mislikes curiositie yea I say to thee if thou seekest a clearer and more ample reuelation than that which is alreadie set downe in the Olde and New Testament thou offendest highly the Majestie of God for by so doing thou deniest that Christ when Hee came into the world brought with Him a full and perfect reuelation of all things necessarie Read what the Apostle Paul sayes Rom. 10.6 Now to end shortly In the last wordes of our Text wee haue set downe the Conclusion of this appearing of Christ whereof we haue spoken wherein hee telles that it was the third in number for hee sayes This nowe is the third time that Iesus shewed Himselfe vnto His Disciples after He was raised againe from the dead I thinke he calles it the third in number not absolutely but in respect of the Disciples and so the words import for it is said This is the third time that He shewed Himselfe vnto His Disciples for if we number precisely the particular appearing of Christ after His Resurrection vnto this time whereof wee haue any mention made in the Scripture we will finde that this is the eight in number He shewed Himselfe first to Marie Magdalene Next to other certaine women Thirdly to the two Apostles who were going to Emmaus Fourthly to Simon Peter Fifthly to lames as we may read 1. Cor. 15.6 Sixtly to the Disciples assembled together in Ierusalem Thomas only being absent Seuenthly to the same Disciples assembled together Thomas beeing present with them Eightly He appeared vnto these sâ—uen at this time when they were fishing Nowe it was not without cause that the Lord reueiled Himselfe so oft after Hee rose againe No question Hee did it not onely to confirme the Disciples of the trueth of His Resurrection but also for our cause that wee might haue stedfast faith and full assurance that Hee is risen againe for our comfort And it is the Lords will that when wee reade that there were so many that saw Him with their eyes heard Him spake with Him handeled Him and haunted with Him wee should bee fully perswaded and assured of His Resurrection But I will not insist in this matter because I haue spoken of it alreadie Nowe seeing the Lord has had such a great care of our faith that by beleeuing we might haue comfort seeing so oft times and to so manie Hee appeared the LORD make these meanes effectuall to worke and to encrease faith in vs that both in our life and especiallie in the houre of death wee may haue matter of rejoycing in Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all praise and honour AMEN THE L. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XXI verse 15 So when they had dined Iesus said to Simon Peter Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me more than these He said vnto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He said vnto him Feede my lambes verse 16 He said to him againe the second time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me He said vnto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I loue thee He said vnto him Feede my sheepe verse 17 He said vnto him the third time Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me Peter was sorie because hee said to him the third time Louest thou mee and said vnto him Lord thou knowest all thinges thou knowest that I loue thee Iesus said to him Feede my sheepe WEE haue hearde these dayes past Beloued in the Lord Iesus of the third generall appearance of the Lord Iesus after His glorious Resurrection The place we heard was by the Sea of Tiberias The persons to whom He appeared we heard were seuen in number The manner how He appeared was by miracle by wonderfull working He shewes a miracle in the Sea by taking of many great fishes there Then by land by the extraordinary preparation of meat fire to His disciples comming off the sea to the land To this He joyned y e third miracle in keeping whole the net so that there was not a threed broken notwithstanding of the great number of fishes taken therein Thereafter as He manifested Himselfe in His Godhead diuine power in working of miracles so He comes on more familiarly manifestes Himselfe in His humane nature lets theÌ„ see y t He was a maÌ„ ate drunk with theÌ„ as other men therfore He sits down dines with them Hee eates Himself giues them to eat also Then hauing dined He enters in conference with Peter which conference we haue to entreat of this day as God wil giue vs grace The end of His conference with Peter was not to make him an Vniuersall Bishop His Vicar here on y e earth as the Papists speake that is to say To make vp a Popedome for the Papists make these words relatiue to that promise which they saye He made to Peter before Matth. 16.18 I say vnto thee Thou art Peter vpon this Rocke I will build my Kirke That was not the end but y e end of it was to restore him again to his own rowm of th'Apostleship from the which he fell for Peter had made a foule defection froÌ„ his Lord he denied Him thrise so by this defection threefold denial he depriued himselfe of his rowm of th'Apostleship wherunto he was called Looke how verily Judas fell by his traitorie as verilie did Peter fall for he that denies the Lord Iesus vnto the time he bee restored againe he cannot be a Christian man let bee an Apostle or Minister So in a word the ende of this conference was to restore Peter again by taking out of his own mouth a threefold confession of his loue to the Lord of the hatred of that foule sin which hee committed by denying of the Lord. Indeed it is true at Christs first meeting with His disciples at HierusaleÌ„ in a maÌ„ner he was restored because he got a dâ—rection with the rest to go foorth preach the Gospel where Christ sayes As my Father sends me so send J
Christ that thou mayest haue a continuall remorse for in the bitternesse of sinne is the sweetnesse of joy Nowe to make an ende and shortly to examine this fall of Peters Certainely there are many faults in this fall First he is caried away with a vaine confidence of flesh and blood he will take vp his crosse and follow the Lord albeit that the Lord aduertised him that hee was not able and then the doore was shut vpon him to aduertise him and put him in minde yet he would not stay then when he is let in alas he denies his Lord once he denies Him twise thrise till the LORD did staye him I dare not say but all this time Peter caried a good heart towards his Lord a spunke of faith a spunke of loue in the heart albeit his faith loue were choked it was suppressed with infirmities of the flesh namely with feare then when he is entered in and come vnto the fire side if that faith and loue was suppressed before with his nature then it was farre more suppressed this litle spunke of loue in the man was smoothered there falles such a weight of infirmitie on it that it was pressed downe vnder the burthen of corruption and vnder securitie if thou be sleeping in securitie albeit thou haue a spunke of loue it will be smoothered and this is most true that this spunke of loue was so smoothered yea I say more it was pressed that except the Lord had looked ouer his shoulder with the eye of his mercie and wakened that spunke of loue it had died out In Peter we haue a cleare example of the weaknesse of the godly men into this life albeit we haue faith and loue yet in the example of Peter we see that the spunke of grace will be choaked with corruption infirmitie and then will ye come to God Peter is one of the chiefe examples of the mercie of God in Iesus Christ Paul to Timothie countes that he was one of the greatest examples of mercie in the world but if yee looke to the sinne of Peter ye will finde that it was greater than the sinne of Paul for Paul did all of ignorance and so if Paul as hee sayes was made an example of the mercie of God to sinners surely this example of Peter ought much more to bee an example to all sinners let no sinner that lookes to him despaire of mercie how burthened so euer hee be with sinne for that same Iesus Christ who was mercifull to Peter hath store of mercie for all them that it pleaseth him mercifully to looke vpon To Him therefore with the Father and holy Spirit be all honour and glorie AMEN THE FIFT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 28 Then led they IESVS from Caiaphas into the common Hall Now it was morning and they themselues went not into the common Hall lest they should bee defiled but that they might eate the Passeouer verse 29 Pilate then went out vnto them and said What accusation bring you against this man verse 30 They answered and said vnto him If he were not an euill doer we would not haue deliuered him vnto thee verse 31 Then saide Pilate vnto them Take yee him and judge him after your owne Lawe Then the Iewes saide vnto him It is not lawfull for vs to put anie man to death verse 32 It was that the word of IESVS might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should die IN the eighteenth and nineteenth Chapters of this Gospell Brethren is contained the History of the Passion of the Lord Iesus Christ and it is diuided in these parts The first is the suffering of the Lord in the Garden The next is the suffering of the Lord vnder the High Priest Caiaphas the Ecclesiâ—sticall Iudge The third is the suffering of the Lord vnder Pontius Pilate the Ciuill and Romane Magistrate The fourth is the suffering of the Lord in the place of Execution The last in the sepulchre Wee haue spoken of y e first part of His suffering in the Garden besides the inward coÌ„flict He had with y e wrath of His Father for y e sins of y e elect which Hee did beare vpon Him The Lord is taken like a thiefe or vagabond and bound led to Hierusalem We heard also the suffering of the Lord in y e Hall of the High Priest whose name was Caiaphas When the High Priests Elders are set down in couÌ„cell He is brought in before them and being brought they haue not a word to say against Him howbeit they bound Him brought Him to judgemeÌ„t This was an vnformall dealing therfore the hie priest demands of Him His doctrine of His disciples to catch a word out of His mouth wherupoÌ„ he might make his accusatioÌ„ wheÌ„ they preuaile not this way the rest of the EuaÌ„gelists note that they begin to suborne false witnes but they get no vantage that way neither for they caÌ„not agree together TheÌ„ the hie priest begins in wrath to adjure Him to tell him whether he be that Christ or no The Lord denies it not but saies Thou hast said it He giues him a faire testimony of this after this Hee saies Yee shall see the sonne of man sitting at the right haÌ„d of the power of God come in the clouds of heaueÌ„ Then the high priest rent his clothes as though He had blasphemed said What haue we more need of witnes behold now ye heard His blasphemy what think ye Then he the rest of the councell coÌ„cluded y t the Lord was worthy of death so the couÌ„cel departed In the meane time the Lord is kept still in the Hall of the hie priest the officers are al about Him working all kind of injury against Him y e rebukes y t shuld haue befalleÌ„ to vs are laide on Him as the prophet said of Him Psal 69.10 Some spitted on Him some put a vaile on His face smote Him saying in scorn Prophesie Christ who it is that striketh thee nothing in the Lord but patieÌ„ce He spake nothing He made no more resistaÌ„ce than a silly laÌ„be before the shearer wheÌ„ it is begun to become light in the morning the Priests Elders begin to sit down in councell the hie priest asked of Him the same again whether he was that Christ or no He answereth If I should tell you ye will not belieue mee what auailes it to speak to an indured heart He testifies again Thou hast said it he giues an argumeÌ„t of this hereafter shall the son of man sit at the right haÌ„d of the power of God Then the hie priest and the Elders the second time concludes Him to be worthie of death adjudges Him to die theÌ„ the councell arises the first thing they doe they lead Him to Pontius Pilate the Romane deputie to the judgemeÌ„t Hall to him to execute y t sentence they had
in the Lord Cursed are they vvho die not in the Lord let them be hanged beheaded or die in their bed terrible shall be that death that followes after this death The death that He died vvas a sore odious kinde of death to a man to be taken quicke and nailed quicke on the Crosse and no doubt Hee hang for the space of three houres so as y e death of those vvho are not in Christ is accursed so it is sore He suffered not only this paine in body No the chiefe torment vvas in y e soule it vvas tormented vvith that bitter sense of the vvrath of the Father It is not a death of the body that sinne brings on it brings an extreame bitter paine to the soule The Lord dies not in a moment hee is dying and not dead a viue image of the death of hell thou shalt die in the paine of hell and neuer get an end Those vvho die in Christ die vvhat death they will bee they beheaded or hanged or drawne in raxes or burnt they shall neuer die a cursed death their death is a sweete death and all the joyes that euer was shall issue of their death It must be so What makes a cursed death but sinne and if thou be in Him as IESVS was crucified so thy sinne is nailed vpon His backe and therefore beeing taken away what must followe but that thou must be glorified And either thou shalt bee crucified thy selfe No not in the Earth but in the Hells euerlastingly or els thou must haue thy sinnes crucified on the Crosse of IESVS CHRIST and be partaker of his death and therefore if any of vs would die a blessed death it is certaine that wee must die let vs see whether our sinne was crucified with Christ or not Shall I haue no warrand of the death of sinne in mee and that I was crucified with IESVS CHRIST and am freed of all paine eternallie thorowe His Crosse Will yee that I shall tell you howe yee shall get the certaintie of this Looke if thou findest a continuall death of sinne looke if thou findest this regeneration and a newe life and loue of GOD and a delite to serue Him in some measure then assure thy selfe that thy sinne was crucified on the Crosse with IESVS CHRIST and if thou liuest in wantonnesse and gettest no mortification thou shalt bee crucified in the Hell yea though thou were a King Our lordes and gentlemen will passe their time but I denounce albeit thou bee an Emperour thou shalt bee tormented and consumed awaye by that eternall vvrath of GOD in Hell Goe on thy vvayes O the vvorlde is sleeping Shall they neuer knowe vvhat they are adoing What are these oppressors doing these murtherers doing these adulterers and fornicators doing Is there anie care of Heauen in them Is Heauen or Hell but tales No no it shall bee the terriblest sight that euer thou sawe It is not as men saye to wit Hell is but a boggarde to scarre children onelie No thy miserable soule shall finde in wofull experience the dolour and woe of that place Nowe it restes that I speake about the houre in the which Hee vvas crucified Onelie Sainct MARKE calles it About the thirde houre Then apparentlie the LORD IESVS vvas nayled on the Crosse betwixt eleuen and twelue of the clocke And a little before twelue Hee vvas mounted vp vpon the Crosse for betwixt the sentence of Condemnation and Execution there passed not an houre For there vvas a malicious earnestnesse to hasten Him to the Crosse neither vvoulde they giue Him leasure to drawe His breath This lets vs see the fearcenesse of the vvrath of the Father vvhen Hee judges sinne After that Hee vvas once condemned Hee gotte no rest but vvas hastened to the place of Execution to suffer paine and shame Looke still to the grounde This judgement is the type of the latter judgement if the sentence of condemnation bee passed immediatelie thou shalt bee pulled awaye looke to it as yee vvill to euerlasting torment Therefore blessed is that soule that hath part of the suffering of IESVS CHRIST To Him therefore vvho once vvas ignominious and now is glorious bee all Honour for euermore AMEN THE XV. LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 35 And when they had crucified him they parted his garmentes and did cast lots that it might bee fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet They diuided my garmentes among them and vpon my vesture did cast lots verse 36 And they sate and watched him there verse 37 They set vp also ouer his head his cause written THIS IS IESVS THE KING OF THE IEVVES verse 38 And there were two thickes crucified with him one on the right hand and another on the left MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 24 And when they had crucified him they parted his garments casting lottes for them what euerie man should haue verse 25 And it was the thirde houre when they crucified him verse 26 And the title of his cause was written aboue THAT KING OF THE IEVVES verse 27 They crucified also with him two thieues the one on the right hand and the other on his left verse 28 Thus the Scripture was fulfilled which saieth And hee was counted among the wicked LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 33 And when they were come to the place which is called Caluarie there they crucified him and the euill doers one at the right hand and the other at the left verse 34 Then said IESVS Father forgiue them for they knowe not what they doe And they parted his raiment and cast lottes verse 35 And the people stood and behelde and the Rulers mocked him with them saying Hee saued others let him saued himselfe if hee be that Christ the Chosen of God verse 36 The souldiers also mocked him and came and offered him vineger verse 37 And said If thou bee the King of the Iewes saue thy selfe verse 38 And a superscription was also written ouer him in Greeke letters and in Latine and in Hebrew THIS IS THAT KING OF THE IEVVES IHON CHAP. XIX verse 18 Where they crucified him and two other with him on either side one and IESVS in the mids verse 19 And Pilate wrote also a title and put it on the Crosse and it was written IESVS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE IEVVES verse 20 This title then read manie of the Iewes for the place where IESVS was crucified was neare to the Citie it was written in Hebrew Greeke and Latine verse 21 Then said the hie Priests of the Iewes to Pilate Write not The King of the Iewes but that he said I am King of the Iewes verse 20 Pilate answered What I haue written I haue written IN these dayes past beloued in the LORD IESVS wee haue brought this Historie of the Passion of Iesus Christ to the verie act it selfe to the crucifying of Him vpon the Crosse The last daye we spake something of His crucifying and last wee spake of the houre of
Father so did it cast a sweeter smell in the nose of the godlie than euer they founde and they thought it had such a fragrant odour and such a sweet smell vnto them that they thought ere they had beene separated from Him in His death they had rather chosen to haue dyed a thousande deathes for as the Lord saies Wheresoeuer the carion is there must the Eagles resort Well is the man who in his death findes the sweete smell of y e death of Iesus Christ I haue no more to say of this matter but if this acquaintance of Iesus for the time tooke such a pleasure in His death beeing shamefull that they could not bee separated from Him it is a shame to vs to draw so far backe from Him not now hanging in ignominie on the crosse but most glorious in the Heauens Fye on this dull headed and dead world that hath no sense of that glorie and is not allured by that vnspeakable glorie rather to suffer a thou and deathes albeit it were the sword the fire and all torments than to be separated from this Iesus Christ But the womens part is more particularly to bee considered Let all women take heede it is saide Many women were there Moe of them haue followed the Lord to the crosse than men that I may speake to the glorie of GOD and shame of men As for men I finde nothing but this generall In Luke a companie of men and women but in Matthew and Marke I finde of women especially they are looking on Him with sadnesse mixed with joy And from whence came they It is said that They came out of Galile following on Him they neuer left Him they wearied not to follow such a guide they ministred to Him on their owne charge As they were fedde with that bread of life that came out of His mouth so they spared not freely and liberally to communicate all that they had to Him And happie is the man who so findes the effect of the word of life in his heart that hee would bestowe againe all that he hath for the loue of that word Brethren yee know what is in hand presently many words neede not seeing this diuision of the towne in competent Congregations intended is to feede your soules with the word of life spare not for goods to get that word of life Nowe I see beside the multitude mention made of three women Marie Magdalene then Marie the mother of Iames the lesse and of Ioses and Salome the mother of the two sonnes of Zebedeus No question these women mentioned here haue borne a tender affection to the Lord forgets the Lord that loue they bare to Him in all times before in following Him from Galile to Ierusalem and from Ierusalem vnto the ignominious death of the crosse and there staying with the Lord and not leauing Him but ministring to Him forgets the Lord this No but He remembers vpon it thou shalt neuer doe a good deede to IESVS CHRIST but Hee shall meete thee they loue Him and Hee honours them they neuer left Him they shamed the men yea His disciples yea euen the very Apostles for we read not of any of all His Apostles that any of them was there present except Iohn Peter had taken him to a backe side for all his stoutnesse before the rest were offended in Him These women did cleaue to Him through the band of loue forgets the Lord this No as they loue Him beyond His Apostles so the Lord honoures them aboue the Apostles It is no small thing to get the honour to be an eye witnes of the death and resurrection of IESVS CHRIST it is greater honour than all the honour in the world No doubt the LORD made these women in their turning backe preachers to the Apostles themselues they tolde Peter Iames and Matthew what they had seene there is none end of honour when the Lord begins to honour as He honours them to be witnesses of His death and preachers of it to others so Hee will haue the names of some of them to bee registrate to the posteritie And it is the will of IESVS CHRIST that this day I promulgate the names of these women in your audience to their honour after so many hundreth yeeres and their names shall be registrate perpetually to their euerlasting honour whilst IESVS CHRIST come againe yea their names shall bee written in the Heauens euerlastingly Neuer one repents the gratitude done to IESVS CHRIST thou shalt get two good deedes for one Againe the LORD will let vs see in the example of these women that oft times in women there will be a more tender loue to the Lord IESVS than in men who are the stronger sexe ye will see the weaker and simpler that the sexe bee and the lesse worldly wit that it haue the more spiritually it is disposed the more affectionate it is to heauenly thinges the greater heauenly wisdome it hath If any man sayes PAVL seeme to bee wise in this world let him bee a foole that hee may bee wise that is truâ—ly wise wise in GOD 1. Cor. 3.18 And as their loue is great so the Lord will honour them to the shame of men and whereas men should preach CHRIST Hee will make women to preach IESVS CHRIST to men to the shame of men and His owne glorie All tends to this that as men and women doe desire to bee honoured of God so all men and women should striue continually to loue and glorifie GOD. GOD loues none nor honoures none but only those who loue and honour the Lord Iesus Christ if thou louest not the Lord Iesus Christ thou shalt get no loue nor honour of God yet further this is not to be passed by the world vvonders novv that Hee had such an eye to these three vvomen There were many hundreth men but how many of their names were registrate to their honour Hee had such a respect to them that He espied them out beside the rest of thousands that were there and by His Holy Spirit caused registrate them This registrating of them came not rashly but from an ordinance of God and His especiall Prouidence There is not a publike conuention albeit it were a man hanged where multitudes of men and women run together to heare see but the all-seeing eye of the Lord is vpon euery person in particular man woman ladde or lasse Neuer an head there great or small poore or rich noble or ignoble but the eye of the Lord is on them yea it goes downe to the inward affections to rippe and search them to see of what disposition euery soule is As for example we are all met together here sundry men and women some greater some smaller some younger some older yet there is not one of vs on whome the Lord hath not His eye We are met to see Iesus Christ crucified on mount Caluarie there is not one of our hearts but the eye of the Lord sees it and Hee
particularly because she preuented the other and came first to the graue shee vvas a woman who loued the Lord marueilously and waited continuallie vpon Him As touching the occasion MARKE saies that when the Sabbath day was past Marie Magdalene Marie the mother of Iames and Salome bought sweet ointments that they might come and anoint him that is the dead bodie of the Lord which as they supponed laye in the graue Note the time well It was after the Sabbath was past for after they had seene the Lord layed in the graue by Ioseph and Nicodemus they returned home to the Preparation of the Passeouer which was as we compt on the Friday at euen when the Sun was gone downe On the morrow after which was their Sabbath they celebrated the Passeouer and they rested all that day vntill the euening Then vpon their Sabbath at euen which is our Saturdaye at euen when the Sunne was gone downe their Sabbath being ended they remember their purpose and buye sweet odours that on the morrowe earlie they might embaulme the dead bodie of the Lord. Nowe Brethren surely the loue and affection of these women cānot be passed by They take a purpose to honor the Lord by embaulming His bodie They rest on the Sabbath day a day a night interuenes yet this time stayes not their purpose I shall cause one night interuening put a good purpose out of our heads Indeed we will keep an euill purpose long in our mind But if we haue a good purpose at euen wee will forget it ere the morne it will bee buried with vs as if wee had neuer thought it But this purpose of these holy women would bee better examined that wee may see wherein they are to be commended they buy and prepare sweete smelling odours to annoynt the body of the LORD the LORD was risen at this time the LORD had foretolde them oftener than once or twise that He was after His death to rise on the third day yet they go out of very purpose that same day this cannot be commendable in them As for the loue that was in the hearts of these women it cannot but be cōmended to all posterities to the end of the world would to GOD the like loue zeale to God were in the hearts of men women in these dayes but certainly the deed it selfe seeing they had the word of God in y e contrarie is not commendable But looke againe in all this doing the Lord takes more heed to y e heart than to y e deed not only forgiues He the sin but also He workes out of it not only His owne glory but y e well of y e womē they went out of set purpose to embalme Him y e Lord turnes this so about y t He makes them to be witnesses of His glorious resurrectiō Now well is them y t loues y e Lord for to them all thinges works for y e best out of their sins He workes their saluation out of darknes light But to come forward to the next head The sweet odours beeing bought confected prepared y e women go toward the graue the time is very precisely noted by all y e foure Euangelists Matthew calles it the end of the Sabbath when the first day in the weeke began to dawne It was in y e dawning before the Lords day so called in remēbrance of His glorious resurrectiō which we vse to call our Sunday Marke sayes it was the first day of the Sabbath early in the morning in the beginning of the weeke as he would say Sunday early in the morning before y e rising of y e sun Luke sayes y e same Iohn sayes early the first day of the weeke when it was darke in a world it was on Sunday in y e morning at y e very point of time whē y e sun rose Now y e purpose of these women was not to be witnesses of y e resurrectiō of y e Lord but to embalme His body which as they thought was lying in the graue but y e Lord turnes y e matter so about y t He makes them to be witnesses of Christs resurrectiō this was no smal honor He makes women witnesses of y e resurrectiō euen to y e shame of men yea euen to y e shame of His Apostles for they rose early in y e morning but His Apostles lay lurking still goe not out So in the example of these women wee may see that to bee true which Paul sayes 1. Cor. 1.27 The Lord hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise and God hath chosen the weake things of the world to confound the mightie things that all glorie might redound to Him Another thing vve see in their example that vvhich the Apostle sayes 1. Cor. 3.18 If any man seeme to be wise in this world let him be a foole that he may be wise The LORD in this doing vvill haue His disciples to sit dovvn in the schoole of vvomen to learne of them that glorious resurrection He vvil make them to be fooles y t they may be made vvise and Hee vvill haue the vvomen to bee their teachers and if thou acceptest not of the testimonie of these vvomen become not as a foole albeit thou vverest neuer so vvise thou shalt neuer get a part of the resurrection of Iesus Christ Novv I goe forvvarde to the third thing vvee haue here set dovvne It is an incident that falles out vvhilst as the vvomen is on their journey going to the graue for as they are going to the graue there falles out sayes Matthew a great earthquake the cause is noted for as they were going to the graue the Lord of glory sends an Angell to tell the resurrection of the Lord to these women so in very deed the Angell is a witnesse before the women but the women before the men Alwayes the Angel that comes from Heauen he is a honorable ambassadour the blessed Angels are very glorious no question the Lord would haue His resurrection first witnessed by so glorious an ambassadour He would not haue man to testifie first of it but He would haue a glorious Angell from Heauen to tell proclaime the Lord of glorie was risen and that He had broken the bands of death risen vp in despite of the Deuill death that to our well y t both we may rise to a newnesse of life y t we may be assured that they who sleepe in Him as Paul sayes and lies in the gaue shall be raised with Him at that great day in glory An Angell a glorious creature honoures the message but yet I say the message and commission honoures the Angel more than the Angell does the message yea if it were all the Angels in Heauen they get more honour by it than they can giue to it Well if the preaching of y e Gospel the testifying of Iesus His resurrection honoures the Angels shall we
Him wheÌ„ He was dead in y e graue alas she had another kind of loue to Him thaÌ„ we haue now but now albeit He be now glorified in y e Heauens we will suffer our selfe easily to sunder froÌ„ Him without a coÌ„plaint or mone but if we fouÌ„d either y e force of His death or yet the force of His life glory we would neuer be glad vntill we were joyned w t Him Now when she sayes they had taken away y e Lord albeit she speakes not y e trueth yet I will not say she made a lie but she failed in ignorance she spake as she thought but she knew not y t the Lord was risen IgnoraÌ„ce is a sore thing for wheÌ„ once any maÌ„ coÌ„mits a sin through ignorance he goes forvvard froÌ„ one sin to another so she makes an euil report to y e Apostles striue therefore to get this misty cloud of ignorance remoued froÌ„ thee for if thou takest pleasure to ly in it y e end of it shall be vtter darknes BrethreÌ„ marke y e mercy of God y e Lord layes not this to her charge it is said commonly loue hides a multitude of sins y e Lord vvhen He loues a person He casts y e mantle of His mercy ouer his sins hides them He vvill be loth to reuile them vvhom He loues a man vvil not shame another whoÌ„ he loues vvel much lesse will y e Lord doe it No He vvill cast y e cloak of His mercy vpoÌ„ them y t they appeare not before y e judgemeÌ„t seat of His Father Now I see further albeit those things were not true yet by them y e Lord brings good to y e disciples for they were lying in sluggishnes so wakens them so He works light out of darknes yet y t is no vvarrand for thee to do euill Let no man doe euill that good may come of it Rom. 3.8 Marke last coÌ„cerning this womaÌ„ Marie I see she comes to y e knovvledge of y e resurrectioÌ„ of Iesus with great paine for she waked y e night before w t care she comes out early in y e morning to y e graue goes home w t great care heauines It is not a litle thing to come to Christ in His glory thinkest y u to step in at the first to see God in His glory thou vvilt not get leaue to see y e glory of a King at y e first thinkest y u to come to Christ at the first No y u must come to Christ y e sight of His glory vvith many teares great paine But what if thou shouldst paine thy selfe all thy lifetime if thou get a sight of this resurrection in glory if thou gettest a blencke of y t countenance if it vvere at thy last end it shall svvallovv vp in a moment all thy displeasure paine if thou shouldest suffer martyrdome yet y t sight of His glory shall furnish such joy as shall swallovv vp all displeasure the sight of that eternall weight of glory makes vs to count all the afflictions of this present life to be but light and momentanean when we looke not to the things that are seene but to the things that are vnseene Thou thinkest the time here to be longsome but once thou gettest a sight of that glory thou shalt think it but a moment Novv leauing Marie Magdalene I come to the rest of the vvomen y t were at y e graue of whoÌ„ we haue these four things shortly first what they do they enter into y e graue of y e Lord for it was large not an hole surely they behoued to loue Him well in whose graue they went Next wheÌ„ they enter in the graue we haue set down what they see they see an Angell in the shape of a young man clothed in a faire white robe sitting in the graue thirdly we haue how they are terrified and lastly wee haue the speech of the Angell to the women Then first comming to the graue they runne not away as Marie Magdalene did but enter in the graue seeking the LORD and in this point they goe beyond Marie she went backe but they goe forward otherwise she went beyond them for loue zeale and faith in Christ No not one of the disciples surpast Marie Magdalene in loue faith and zeale yet they surpasse her in this point and as they excell her in going forward they get sure information of the resurrection of Iesus Christ for their reward Marke the lesson they who are inferiour in spirituall graces in some duties will excell them who are superiour and when the superiour falles backe they will goe forward and this lets vs see that it is the LORD who makes the difference Hast thou moe graces than thy companion Hee that preferred thee at one time will plucke His hand from thee another time and put them before thee and to this end that thou who gloriest in thy graces may glorie in the Lord for thy grace is not in thy selfe but in His Hand This for the first thing followes the next What see they They see in the shape of a young man an Angell cled with a long robe from top to toe I take this Angel to be y e same of whoÌ„ we spake y e last day who first remoued away the stone and then sate downe on it his eyes burning like lightening and cled in white rayment Novve this Angell withdravves himselfe and hides him in the graue vvhen hee savv the vvomen comming neere lest he should haue frighted them away he goes in the graue but he sate on the stone first to terrifie the men of warre lest they should trouble the women besides this there is another cause why hee goes in the graue beeing to testifie the Resurrection he chuses the commodity of the place that when he should get the women in the graue that the Lord was riseÌ„ in the graue he might instruct them better by the emptinesse and roomenesse of the graue that the Lord was risen from the dead Well that same Lord that terrifies the wicked with His looke that same GOD is mercifull to His owne and that Angell that terrifies the men of warre he is a minister of mercie to the godly women I say more at that same time whilst as He chases away the wicked in doing of that He shewes mercie to the godly and He terrifies the wicked that they should not bee a stoppe or terrour to the godly all the terrours and judgements of the wicked as they serue to the glorie of God so they serue for the well of His owne for the LORD hath not only His owne glory before His eyes but also of the â—ell of His owne Then consider againe the circumstance of the place wherein the Angell teaches these women the resurrection of Iesus Christ The Father of Heauen is very carefull of euery circumstance that serues for the testimonie of Christs Resurrection first Hee is carefull of the
that as those things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie those things behooued to be preached to the world So He instructes them in these two necessities Then Hee comes on in the second part of His preaching and giues direction to them to be preachers and witnesses to the worlde of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which He had promised them before His Passion and that they should haue the greater securitie He giues them commandement not to depart out of Ierusalem vntill they were endued with vertue out of Heauen this is the effect To come to the first part When they heard Him speake with a voyce familiar wherewith they had beene acquainted and that homely salutation Peace bee vnto you yet they would not knowe Him when they had seene His hands and feete yet they beleeued not that it was He when they had handled Him and felt Him yet they beleeued Him not for all this they were rauished with joy yet they beleeued not The Lorde will not leaue them in this vnbeliefe but He will let them vnderstand that it was He He teaches them by the sight of a bodily action Hee askes if they had aâ—y meâ—t They present to Him A piece of rosted fish and that was all the delicate they gaue Him and with it A piece of hony combe Hee takes and eates in their sight Hee eates the piece of the rosted fish and the hony combe Not that the Lord after His Resurrection had any need to eate any of their meat Hee who nowe vvas immortall after His Resurrection that was glorious and that vvas full of God and had all the powers of His soule filled with God What needed He their piece of fish or their hony combe to eate So it was not for any need He had that Hee eated but that He eated in their sight that they should beleeue that the Lord was a body a Spirit eates not neither drinkes The Lord therefore shewes them that He vvas no Spirit In doing this Brethren no question He humbled Himselfe beeing now immortall and glorious and full of God Was not this a humbling of Him an immortall bodie to take that mortall bread It is a wonderfull thing to see how Iesus Christ humbled Himselfe ay whilst He vvas yet still in this vvorld Beeing sayes Paul Philip in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God He made Himselfe of no reputation taking on Him the shape of a seruant That is the nature of man in the nature of man became obedient to the Father for vs to the death to a vile death euen to the death of the Crosse a foule deâ—th and a sore death Then vvhen after He vvas once â—â—ade and risen againe â—nd should haue entred to His glory and haue passed to Heauen immâ—diately after His Resurrection to sit at the right hande of that Majestie Hee would not immediatly doe so but did deferre and delay it the space of fourtie dayes and all this time humbling Himselfe it was a small thing that when He was mortall to humble Himselfe but when He was immortall that Hee should haue continued so long humbling Himselfe for the cause of man it is a wonder amongst all the partes of His humiliation this is one part that He ate this mortall food And thou when thou shalt be glorified thou shalt not bee so farre humbled as to eate any food of this world thou shalt not be so farre humbled as IESVS CHRIST was humbled Was this Brethren for the Apostles cause only Was it for Peters cause Iohn Iames and the rests cause No Paul sayes All is yours speaking to the Church whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas or thinges present or things to come or life or death all is yours and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods 1. Epist to the Corinthians the 3. Chapter and the 21. and 22. verses So all the Apostles themselues were for the Churches cause I speake to you Paul Iohn Iames c. were for your cause and all this homelinesse of Christ with them was for your cause as they were for your cause so seeing the LORD hath so farre and so many wayes humbled Himselfe consider if wee haue not great cause to meete Him or not If any will bowe so lowe as to take thee by the hand wilt thou not put out thine hande againe and meete Him and thinke ye that this humbling of the LORD of glorie hath taken an ende it endes not so long as this Ministerie continues Know yee what this Ministerie and this preaching is It is but an humbling of GOD from Heauen and that for thy cause looke what Paul sayes in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. Chapter and the 20. verse We are Ambassadours for Christ as though GOD did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God There ye see that by this Ministerie GOD humbles Himselfe to pray thee to be reconciled with Him is not this an humbling of God euen that He should pray thee to be reconciled with Him He becomes a suter and solister for thy cause sayes the Apostle We pray you that yâ— should be reconciled to Him what is it to God to humble Himselfe if not this when He beseeches and requests vs by His Messengers and Ambassadours that wee bee reconciled to Him This exceeding humbling of the LORD as it lets vs see His loue vnspeakable towardes vs so it requires a meeting on our partes as wee would eschew fearfull judgements If the first humbling of GOD when He humbled Himselfe in our nature will not mooue thee to make Him a meeting it shall bring on a judgement If the second wherein He humbled Himselfe after His Resurrection so many wayes will not mooue thee it shall double thy judgement if the third humbling of Him now in the Ministerie will not mooue thee if thou contemnest the word and the Ministerie it shall triple the judgement albeit thou werest the King of the world O that judgement and wrath that shall bee heaped vpon thee thou shalt be thrust downe and plunged in Hel to be tormented for euermore Can GOD humble Himselfe for nothing No either shall it be for passing mercie or els for a passing judgement to thee for euer more Then Brethren yee shall marke in this place and I shall onely touch it by the way The Lord after His glorious Resurrection eated the meate they gaue Him Hereof it followes That after His glorious Resurrection Hee kept these naturall powers as eating and drinking if Hee kept them not how could Hee eate at this time if there was not a power attractiue in His stomacke how could the meat goe ouer to His stomacke This I speake to let you see when we shall rise be glorified and see our Lord vvhen this humbled bodie shall be translated to the likenesse of His glorious body as vvee shall keepe the same
LECTVRES VPON THE HISTORY OF THE PASSION RESVRRECTION AND ASCENSION OF OVR LORD IESVS CHRIST Beginning at the eighteenth Chapter of the Gospell according to S. IOHN and from the 16. verse of the 19. Chapter thereof containing a perfect Harmonie of all the foure Euangelists for the better vnderstanding of all the Circumstances of the LORDS death and Resurrection PREACHED BY THAT reuerend and faithfull seruant of God M r. ROBERT ROLLOCKE sometime Minister of the Euangell of IESVS CHRIST and Rector of the Colledge of EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO HART ANNO 1616. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THEIR MOST LOVING FREIND IN THE LORD MASTER WILLIAM SCOT OF ELI Grace in this life and Euerlasting Glorie in the life to come RIght worshipfull albeit that the true knowledge of Christ crucified of all other be the most worthie and excellent albeit that in him be the only and full matter of mans gloriation yet few there be who striue to know him as they should and to make him the matter of their reioycing For to speake nothing of the Gentiles who count the preaching of Christ crucified to be foolishnesse or of the Iewes who count it a stumbling blocke 1. Cor. 1 23. or of the Turkes who will not acknowledge him to be their Redeemer euen they who haue bene baptized in Christ professe outwardly his word true doctrine if they remaine in nature be not preuēted by the spirit of adoption whereby they may see their owne miserie their sinnes the terrours of the wrath of God for sinne in the meane time that they professe Christ they in heart scorne the Crosse of Christ his woundes and his blood they account the knowledge thereof of litle value yea they will preferre to it the knowledge of any thing here beneath and they will seeke the matter of their gloriatiō not in it but either in themselues or els into the creatures of God which in themselues are but transitorious shadowes The naturall man will neuer thinke that he can finde greater things in Christ crucified than he will finde if he obtaine the obiect which most he desires likes and longs for The ambitious man will not thinke that he can get greater honour than to be called the sonne of a King or Emperour he will not refuse with Moses to be called the sonne of Pharaoes daughter that he may be called the sonne of God Heb. 11.24 The sensuall man cannot thinke that he can find any greater pleasure than in his sinfull lust he will neuer chuse rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne The couetous man can neuer thinke that any greater happines can be than here on earth to haue gold siluer and treasures he will neuer with Moses esteeme the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Only that man whom God preuents by his Spirit and calles effectually frō the kingdome of darknes to the kingdome of light wil account duely of the Crosse of Christ will say with the Apostle God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 and I decreed not to know any thing saue Iesus Christ him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 that man will call it the supereminent knowledge of Iesus Christ Philip. 3.8 he only will make Christ crucified to be the matter of his gloriation for he will see that God in him as in a store-house hath placed all treasures that in him dwells the fulnesse of the Godhead bodely Col. 2.9 he will thirst to be woompled in the wounds of Iesus and washed in the blood of Iesus yea that man will see that God hath manifested in Christ our Sauiour and in his death and resurrection his glorious properties more clearly than in the worke of our creation or any other of his workes whatsouer for he is called the brightnesse of the glorie the engraued forme of the person of the Father the Image of the inuisible God Heb. 1.3 and that man will see that there is nothing which the soule of man inlakes stands in neede of or can desire but he will finde it in Christ. Wouldst thou see the glorious properties of God consider first his power albeit in the worke of creation his power appeared to be incomprehensible omnipotent when by his word he formed all things of nothing called these things that are not and made them to be yet in the worke of the Redemptiō he manifested greater power for notwithstanding Sathan the power of darknesse the sinnes of the Elect which Iesus bare death and the graue were against him yet powerfully he raised Iesus from death Eph. 1.19 there is a great power and whereas in the Creation he formed to Adam a spous out of his owne ribbe in the Redemption he formed the Church of God out of the blood of Christ there he gaue life in commanding that to be which was not here he giues life not by life but by death by the death euen of his owne Sonne Albeit in the worke of Creation great and more than wonderfull doth his wisdome appeare in making this glorious and beautifull fabricke in making all things euen contraries to agree in such an harmonie yet in the worke of Redemption God by finding out a way which no creature neither man nor Angell could inuent how that iustice and mercie could stand together hath shewed greater wisdome his wisdome is such that the Angels admires and desires to looke in it 1. Pet. 1.22 Albeit great anger wrath did the Lord vtter many times against sinners as in the olde world by the Flood and on Sodome Gomorrhe by raining from heauen brimstone and fire he destroyed man woman young olde rich and poore without exception yet more clearely was his anger against sinne seene when for the sinnes of the Elect he spared not his own wel beloued Son on whō they were laid but made his wrath so fearfully to pursue him that he cried My soule is very heauie euē vnto the death Marc. 14.34 and My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matt. 27.46 And albeit great loue did the Lord shew toward men gaue many testimonies therof in giuing them life breath all things Act. 17.25 in making his sun to shine on them his raine to fal on them giuing them fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food gladnesse Act. 14.17 yet neuer such loue shewed he as when he sent the Son of God to be the Sonne of man that the sonnes of mē might be made the sonnes of God againe and when he made him to die that men might liue Herein sayes Ioh. 4.10 is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes here only is an incontrollable testimonie of an undoubted loue and if ye will duly consider all the rest of Gods glorious properties ye shall
finde them all most clearly manifested in the person of Iesus Christ Now wouldst thou know that in him thou shalt find all things that the soule of man stands in neede of can require What can the soule of man require Desirest thou honour If thou beleeuest in him he shall grant thee that power prerogatiue that thou shalt be the Sonne of God Ioh. 1.12 Desirest thou riches He was made poore that thou through his pouertie mightest be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 not with transitorie and corruptible riches but with riches and treasures incorruptible permanent desirest thou food meat drinke to thy soule He is that bread of life he is that water of life desirest thou wisdome sanctification and redemption Christ is all these vnto thee 1. Cor. 1.29 Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou light He is the light of the world Ioh. 8.12 Desirest thou life He is thy life Col. 3.4 What euer he suffered it was for thee for by his stripes we are healed Esai 53.5 He was burthened with shame that he might redeeme thee from shame and cloth thee with glory he was taken and bound to set thee at libertie who was bound with Sathan and sinne he was mocked and was dumbe before the earthly Iudge that thou whose mouth before was closed through the guilt of sinne before God might haue boldnesse peartnesse in thy prayers supplications he suffered-anguish and griefe that thou mightst finde comfort ioy he dranke the gall that thou mightst drinke of a sweet and ioyfull cuppe he was naked that thou mightst be clothed and if thou wilt goe through all the points of his suffering and apply them to thy broken and casten downe soule thou shalt finde that euery one of them shall furnish comfort vnto thee yea if thou be a true penitent sinner beleeuest in him thou shalt find all these miracles to be wrought and performed in thy soule which euer the Lord in the dayes of his humiliy wrought on the body of any thou shalt finde life to thy dead soule eyes to thy blind soule eares to thy deafe soule limbes to thy lame soule a new tongue to thy dumbe soule c. Therefore as we should take pleasure delite in reading the whole parts of the Scripture for it is all by diuine inspiration is profitable to teach to cōuince to correct to instruct in righteousnes 2. Tim. 3.16 so chiefly that part which cōtaines the historie of the passion resurrection of Christ for of all there is none more profitable none more necessarie none more easie to be vnderstood by the simple none more easie to be kept in memorie none more forcible to mooue the affections either to admire the incomprehensible and infinite loue of God toward sinners or the fiercenes of his wrath for sinne or the seueritie of his iustice in seeking such exact satisfactiō or to moue to detest abhorre sin which made the Sonne of God to be made so vnworthily alwayes handled at last to be so shamefully crucified or to reioyce for these incomprehensible benefits that Christ hath acquired to vs our effectuall calling frō the kingdome of darknes to his marueilous light our iustification in pacifying the wrath of God in satisfying for sinne in absoluing vs from guiltines in dying that we might liue in bringing peace ioy to the conscience c. our sanctificatiō whereby we are repaired to his owne Image Nothing serues more for the mortificatiō nor when we consider how Christ hang vpon the Crosse for sin nothing will moue vs more effectually to cōforme our selues to him as an ensample in his humility patience obediēce loue finally in offering our selues to him as he offered himselfe for vs nor when by faith we beholde Christ on the Crosse crucified for vs. Now this history of the death resurrectiō of Christ haue many worthy men learnedly cōfortably handled exponed with great painfulnes no lesse cōmendatiō amōgst the rest that reuerent faithful man of God M. Robert Rollocke of blessed memory for his learned iudicious expositiō thereof for his manifold other graces which God vouchsafed on him deserues with the first to be cōmēnded for God in him as in a vine ensample gaue vs a shew of such qualities cōditiōs as are required to be in a Bishop of Iesus Christ 1. Tim. 3. In him learning godlines stroue together knowledge consciēce art nature a professiō an answerable conuersatiō he was faithfull painfull in his calling his calling did he decore with an holy harmlesse life for betweene these two there was such an harmony cōsent that in reading his writtings any man might see the maner of his life in seeing his life he might also therein read his writtings for his life spake what his pen wrote his person was a patterne of his writtē precepts he was neuer idle but euer doing the office of a Minister of Iesus either did he read meditate pray comfort preach or write no trauell did he refuse that he might glorifie God who sent him enlarge the kingdome of Iesus Christ acquire miserable soules from misery to felicity from darknes to light from death to life that so at last he might finish his course with ioy that was his meat his drink the delite pleasure of his soule Great graces did the Lord bestow vpō him excellēt knowledge great humility feruēt zeale charitable interpreting of all mēs doings compassiō toward all sorts of sinners Who in cōceiuing was more quick in iudgmēt more solide in memory more stedfast sure in deliuery more pithy in conuincing more powerful who with learning had greater facility easines in declaring his mind resoluing y e text of Scripture greater clearnes in raising y e grounds of doctrine greater power in applying greater wisdome in furnishing cōsolation greater dexterity in loosing of things obscure doubtsome In one word we may be bold to say of him that which Nazianzene spake of Athanasius that his life was a good definition of a true Minister preacher of the Gospell But we need not to insist in praysing him seeing so many euen all that knew him by face or heard him doe praise him for the singulare excellēt vertues graces that God bestowed on him yea they who neuer knew him by face but by his learned iudicious writtings dwelling afarre off haue highly commēded him the posteritie whose profite so much hee regarded in his labours wee doubt not shall know praise him and we had rather be silent than to speake too litle Now Sir because we thought that these Lectures on this history of the passion resurrectiō of Christ in it selfe for the matter so mouing alluring would profite edifie many if not of the most learned at least of the simple sort that other Sermons that were deliuered by him and set out by vs of before were well
of the bodie they are most occupied with businesse and most troubled in making their Testament and I know not what Now make thy Testament before hand and discharge thee of all thinges and denude thine hand of all worldly affaires that in that houre thy soule may rest on God and bee delited on heuenly thinges and on that life which thou art going vnto by death But to come forwards It is said He went ouer the Brooke Cedron with his Disciples This Brooke Cedron was a water which ranne betweene Hierusalem and the Mount of Oliues in a little and lowe valley Luke 2. Sam. 15.23 and it was a little streape that ran when it was raine but in time of drought it was drie Nowe heere was a Garden into the which the Lord entered with his Disciples to the ende that euen as in the Garden to wit the Garden of Paradise the saluation of mankinde was lost through the fall of Adam and Eue Euen so in a Garden the saluation of mankinde should begin to bee recouered Christ began his agonie and passion in this Garden There are sundrie thinges concerning the suffering of Christ in this Garden of purpose omitted and left out by Iohn which is mentioned and set downe at large by the rest of the Euangelists by Matt. in his 26. chap. 36. vers Mark 14.37 Luk. 22.9 Onely Iohn speaketh of his taking and binding in the Garden the rest speake of that agonie and conflict that hee had with the wrath of his Father in the Garden They who are desirous to haue these things more at large let them reade the rest of the Euangelists only I shall touch that battell agonie that Christ had in his soule with the terrible wrath of his Father before any laide handes vpon him When he entereth into the gardē the first thing he doth he choosed out three of his disciples Peter Iohn Iames he calleth them aside from the rest to the end that as these thre were witnesses of his glorie in that his glorious Transfiguration vpon Mount Tabor when Moses and Helias appeared vnto him Matt. 17.1 Euen so the same three should be witnesses of his humiliation and that dejection in the Garden and hee commandeth the rest to sit downe together So these he calleth apart Peter Iohn and Iames by name and in their sight first he beginneth to enter into that combate and he beginneth to shiner and quake to be exceedingly heauy and he crieth out with a loude voyce in their audience My soule is heauie on all sides to the death There beginneth he his agonie and conflict with the wrath of the Father for our sins wherewith he was burthened After that he went from these disciples about a stone cast and hee prayed to the Father with a loud voyce saying Father if it be possible remoue from me this cup that is this cup of wrath death but not my will but thy will be done Thirdly he goeth forward in that conflict battell with the wrath of his Father he feeleth the wrath of God to increase he crieth againe that they might heare Father if it be possible remoue from me this cup. Then againe the battell increaseth the agonie groweth then the third time he prayeth the same words Father take this cup frō me that is the cup of the heauy wrath of God at the which time an Angell came from heauen comforteth him Yet the battell holdeth on and he is in a greater agony with his Father than euer he was in before he prayeth at greater length and more ardently vehemently than euer he did of before So that in his agony the drops of purple blood fell downe from his face to the grounde such a thing was neuer seene nor neuer befell vnto anie man since the beginning of the worlde as to sweate blood no man was euer vnder such a terrible and horrible wrath of God as Christ was for our sinnes and for the sinnes of the whole world Now in all this meane time he is not forgetfull of his disciples whō he brought with him to be witnesses of his suffering he is ay going to them from them to hold them waking doe what he could doe they are ay sleeping the Deuill is busie with them that in the suffering of CHRIST they beeing then sleeping they should beare no witnes of the suffering of Christ the Deuill was as busie to cast them in a sleepe as the Lord was busie to hold them waking to beare witnesse of that agonie conflict I will not insist in this matter reade thereof in Matth. 26. in Luke 22. in Marc. 14. and yee shall get this Historie at large only we haue thus farre of the suffering of Iesus Christ in the garden first how heauie ◠weightie a thing sinne is all this was not for his sinne but for our sinnes for the sinnes of the world Next ye see how heauie a thing the wrath of God is that followeth on sinne for as Iesus Christ tooke on his backe the burthen of our sinnes so did he also the weight of the wrath of God and the punishment that followeth vpon sinne if ye know not this ye know nothing of Christ Thirdly yee see the greatnesse of the loue of CHRIST to man that first tooke on his backe so heauie a burthen of sinne and secondly so heauie a burthen of wrath and all for mankinde If CHRIST had not suffered neuer a man had beene safe but these burthens had pressed them downe to hell neuer a soule had beene saued from Adam to the end of the worlde Looke then what loue hee hath shewed to vs and last this agonie suffering in the garden letteth vs see that the Sonne of God as he is verie God so he is very man also and that he hath the body of a man the soule of a man for this suffering in the garden was especially in the soule in this battell the soule of Iesus Christ was especially set on by the wrath of the Father There was none touching the body of the Lord at this time but the wrath of the Father was fighting with the soule But to leaue this and to marke the purpose of IOHN his purpose is onely to let you see that when Iesus Christ died he died with a great willingnesse and readinesse that willinglie hee goeth to death and is not drawen out against his will but knowing that IVDAS would come with a companie of men of warre to that place where hee was wont to walke and pray of set purpose that hee should be taken hee resorted thither So this is the purpose of IOHN to let vs see that IESVS CHRIST offered vp a voluntarie Sacrifice for the sinnes of the world for except He had offered vp a voluntarie sacrifice His suffering had not bene obedience to the Father He had not bene as is said Phil. 2.8 obedient to the Father So the Lord died and hee died to
put in execution namely a wicked mā if he giue coūsell he wold gladly haue it put in executiō albeit it were neuer so wicked if he shuld do it himself he had rather hang himselfe than it went backe as ye may see in Achitophell Iohn the writer of this historie leaues Christ and hee returnes to Peter and makes rehearsall of a thing that befell to Peter in the meane time of that foule fall of Peter vvho boasted so fast of his strength to bee an example to the vvhole posteritie neuer to trust in the power of man he got a vvorse fall thā any of the rest of the disciples for he denied the Lord vvith an execration the rest fled only In this fact of Peters vve haue first how he tempts God then next because he tempted the Lord the Lord tempts him againe he who tempts God God will tempt him thirdly we haue the foule deniall of Peter by a light temptation Then Peter first tempts the Lord for when as they led away the Lord to the Hall of the High Priest there followed him Peter albeit the Lord had fore-warned him of his weakenesse but afarre off as Matt. 26.58 Marke 14.54 and Luke 22. 54. doe note and another disciple What this disciple was his name is not mentioned some thinke it was Iohn for Iohn when hee speakes of himselfe he vses cōmonly to suppresse his name as ye see often in this book Others think it was not Iohn nor any of the twelue but some other godly man who loued the Lord Iesus well to see what issue should follow vpon that taking and this is more prooueable for I thinke Iohn had not such an acquaintance and court with the High Priest being but a simple mā a poore fisher namely a disciple of Iesus Christ but whosoeuer it was it is not much to the purpose When they come to Caiaphas Hall the Lord is taken in amongst the rest this other disciple getteth in because saies Iohn he was knowne to the High Priest As for Peter because he was not knowne hee standes at the doore which was straitly kept at this time The other disciple pitties Peters case and estate but it was a preposterous pittie And hee entreateth the doore-keeper to let in Peter Take heede to friendship and looke that in pleasuring thy friende thou bee not an instrument of his destruction Nowe Peter commeth in and warmeth himselfe amongst the rest This for Peters tempting of GOD Nowe let vs examine heere what is commendable and what is not Indeede there is no man that will not like of this loue which Peter did beare towardes his Master CHRIST IESVS and of this zeale and of this his vnwillingnesse to depart from his Master for hee loued Him so well that hee would followe Him to the death and would to God in this cold age there were but a piece of this zeale in vs that Peter had wee haue no zeale and if it were but this incōsideratiue zeale yet it is better to haue it than no zeale So this loue is cōmendable for albeit he did wel to loue his master yet he faileth in this that in receiuing aduertisement out of the mouth of the Lord that he was not able to suffer for Him yet he would go forward when Iesus said to His takers If ye seeke me let these goe their way Peter might haue perceiued by this that he was not able to suffer hee might haue retired to some priuate place with prayer mourning but he would step forward would not accept of that that the Lord said to him thou art not able so he falleth here very farre We all haue our lesson here the day of our trial may come let vs therefore euer haue our eye on the will of God that which He will haue thee to doe that doe thou what the Lord requireth not of vs that doe not Thou canst doe nothing better than this to take vp thy Crosse and to followe Christ but if the Lord bid thee not doe it doe it not if hee require not at thine hand that thou suffer enter not to suffer if he forewarne thee that thou art not able to suffer the fire go thy way step aside and let it bee But one will say How can I get aduertisement Peter had the mouth of the Lord how shall wee be aduertised by God whether we shall offer our selues to the fire or not Iesus Christ is not amongst vs now face to face I answere The only way to know this is this Ere any man offer to put his hand to the Crosse of Christ look what he is able to beare looke what strength of God he hath if thou werest like a Giant thou wilt not beare the Crosse of Christ with mans strength if thou findest in triall y t thou hast not strength enough take it for a warning from heauen draw thy selfe away to prayer meditatiō then being furnished with strength come out and suffer then if thou hast strength step forward suffer Another fault in Peter when he commeth to the doore of the high Priest finding it shut yet hee standeth whereas by the shutting of the doore he was commanded to leaue off at least to try whether the deede in hand was lawfull or no. It was by the prouidence of God that the doore was shut he got a warning there to leaue off yet hee would not These impediments that are casten in when we are of purpose to effectuat or do any thing should not be idlely looked on but they should make vs to enter into a carefull and earnest triall of that deede to see whether it be lawfull or not for nothing is without the prouidence of God when thou hast considered the worke findest it a good worke conformable to Gods will that thou art able to doe it then goe forward in despite of the Deuill and the world but if thou findest after triall otherwise either that it is an euill vvorke or else a good vvorke and yet that thou art not able to doe it then staye and leaue off for if thou doest not thou shalt thinke shame in the ende as Peter did Therefore let no man looke lightlie to such impediments as they shall finde to bee casten in in doing anie thing Well yee see Peters fall in these two poincts First he will not receiue aduertisment Secondlie hee will not goe from the doore till he get in Search the grounde of his doing and ye shall see that albeit Peter was a verie weake man yet he saw not his owne infirmitie and when he thought himselfe strong enough in his vaine conciet he was blinded hee saw not his owne infirmitie this is the ground of his fall It was the strength of fleshe and blood that was in Peter and an humane spirite such a courage as the Romane vvarriours had This courage of fleshe and blood will carry men a good piece forwarde in the cause of
conscience and getting litle blenckes immediately he goes in againe to the common Hall and takes in Iesus Christ and he sayes to Iesus Whence art thou Art thou the Sonne of God hee had no certaintie of this this is worthie of commendation that hee getting a blencke hee will follow it out who vvill say but this was worthie of commendation in an Ethnicke If it shall please GOD to giue vs a blencke any time let vs striue to follow it foorth and let that glimmering mooue thee to follow it out further for all the joy in the worlde is in the sight of GOD thou neuer knewest what joy is who hast not tasted of the pleasure of Heauen fye on thee who hast not tasted of this joy So if it shall please the Lord to giue vs a glance of Iesus Christ Pilate learnes vs to followe it albeit it goe out of thine eyes for a time rest neuer till thou gettest it againe although men would giue thee all the pleasures in the world Now Brethren we must not thinke that it was the loue of the trueth that mooued Pilate to aske this No it vvas rather the feare of danger that mooued him to aske it for hee feared some danger to come vnto himselfe when hee heard that hee vvas the Sonne of God therefore partly for this cause and partly because Christ knew that Pilate disdained Him and all spirituall graces in Him Hee gaue him none ansvvere But let vs follovv out the knowledge of CHRIST once begunne vpon the loue of the trueth then vvee may bee assured that according to His promise Hee vvill heare vs for Hee saies Verily verily whatsoeuer ye shall aske the Father in my name that shall hee giue you IOH. XVI 23. Thou vvho hast that sweet promise Knocke and it shall bee opened shouldest thou not bee instant to make inquirie of IESVS vvho offereth Himselfe so vvillingly and saies I am the Light of the worlde and Come to Mee to get the water of Life Alas that thou shouldest perishe for default of seeking of grace Yee vvoulde maruell that IESVS answered not a vvorde I spake of this somewhat before I shall saye onely this for the present The Lord Hee knewe His houre vvas comming that Hee shoulde die and Hee knewe it vvas His Fathers vvill therefore Hee vvould not vtter so much as a vvorde to staye and holde backe His death If Hee had giuen Pilate euident and sure information vvhat manner of person Hee vvas then happily Hee vvoulde haue stayed and vvoulde haue proceeded no further and vvoulde not haue slaine Him but hee knewe not vvith vvhome hee dealt vvhen hee gaue out the sentence of death against Him But it maye bee asked vvith reuerence vvee speake it Was not this an harde matter that Christ vvould not doe so much as to tell Pilate that this vvas Gods vvorke and that Hee Himselfe vvas the Sonne of God vvas it not an hard matter so to hinder this mans saluation But I saye What reckoning is to bee made of Pilate and all the creatures in the vvorlde Angels and men so that God bee glorified We are all made to glorifie Him and except He had a respect to His owne glorie in the creature He would neuer haue made man nor Angell If it please the Lord to be glorified in thy damnation holde thee content Hath not the Potter saies Paul power of the claye to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour Roman 9.21 I saye more God in that his great sa nilie hath some vessels of honour and some of dishonour 2. Timâ—th 2.20 If that thou finde thy selfe to bee one of the vessels of honour thou hast no cause to complaine and to saye Wherefore was this man made to shame for thou hast enough if thou hast gotten mercie thanke GOD that of His free will He hath put a difference betwixt thee and him There are none who are ordained to be vessels of honour but they wil seeke the honour of God eueÌ„ suppose it were by their own destructioÌ„ as ye may read of Moses This is the nature of all them who haue gotten some assurance of GODS fauour in IESVS and if thou haue this assurance in thine heart certainly thou art an instrument of glorie Now to ende Yee see Brethren in this whole action the pittifull estate of Pilate he is tossed to and fro betwixt two parties his own conscience on the one part vrges and forces him to stand and pleade for Christ and on the other part the desire that he hath to pleasure the vnportunate Iewes and the feare that he hath to offend Cesar moues him to goe on in that processe against Christ till at last he pronounces sentence against Him Iudges by his example are to take good heed to their proceedinges in judgement and to keepe their hands from euill and that they sit not in a wicked judgemeÌ„t Be not Iudge against the innocent Pilate sate in judgement doing wickedly pronouÌ„cing sentence against the Lord of Glorie If thou sit in judgement pronounce not sentence against y e innocent either leaue that judgement or then absolue the innocent in despite of the worlde It is no small matter to pronounce sentence of damnation The Lord grant vs this conscience that whensoeuer wee shall be employed we may be employed in doing of good deedes and in glorifying God that wee may haue that assurance of grace in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and Holy Spirit bee all Honour and Praise for euer Amen THE TENTH LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XIX verse 10 Then saide Pilate vnto him Speakest thou not vnto mee Knowest thou not that I haue power to crucifie thee and haue power to loose thee verse 11 IESVS answered Thou couldest haue no power at all against mee except it were giuen thee from aboue therefore hee that deliuered mee vnto thee hath the greater sinne IN this whole Historie of the suffering of IESVS CHRIST vnder Pontius Pilate we see a continuall strife betwixt the Iudge Pilate and the accusers Pilate laboures by all meanes to get the innocent set free The Hie Priests be y e contrary endeuour themselues to get Iesus Christ crucified Pilate seekes if it had beene possible to followe his conscience they seeke by all meanes the contrarie to harden the heart of Pilate The last words as yee heard the Iewes rose and saide Wee haue a law by the which hee ought to die because hee made himselfe the Sonne of God These wordes of theirs are so farre from that that they take away the conscience of Pilate that by the contrarie by these words the conscience of Pilate is more wakened than before and he begins to feare IESVS CHRIST and humbles himselfe more than euer hee did yea in such sort that when as hee heares tell that IESVS was the Sonne of GOD hee demaundes of Him Whether Hee was the Sonne of GOD or no but hee receiues no answere for the LORD
first witnesse of His Resurrection Hee will not haue a man to be witnesse but an Angell Then He is carefull to whome this Angel should tell His Resurrection He will not haue him testifying it to the men of warre He wil not haue pearles casten before svvine but to the vvomen The LORD is carefull of the place vvhere His doctrine should be taught He vvill haue the vvomen to goe to the graue to the ende they should receiue the doctrine of Resurrection the better that by the emptinesse of the graue the Angell might the better demonstrate that the LORD was risen Thinke yee novv that the LORD hath casten off that care He had then That care He had of the person of the Preacher of the person to vvhome He sends Him of the place of preaching No that same LORD hath the same care yet and He vvill loue them vvell to vvhome He concredites His glorious Euangell He loues them vvell vvhom He lets attentiuely and carefully heare His glorious Gospell and the LORD hath a care vvhere a man may most commodiously speake for edification and vvhere men vvomen may heare Christ pointed out commodiously This for the thing they savv vvhat follovves The sillie vvomen are terrified as the guard of the men of vvarre vvere terrified I see then in the person of these vvomen the presence of GOD is terrible to the godly and more I see vvhen men and vvomen are seeking Iesus Christ the first sight they get of Him is terrible The ground of this is not only that terrible Majestie that no creature can bee able to looke on and why should not all flesh stoupe at the presence of that glorious GOD but this is not the onely ground but because in the most godly man or vvoman there is a remanent corruption therefore they are afraide at the presence of GOD. Feelest thou it not now thou shalt feele it ere thou go This remanent corruption can not abide the sight of that glory a spot of vncleannesse cannot stand in the presence of that Holy Majestie yet I see a greater difference betweene the women and the guard for the men of warre vvere terrified to the death but so vvere not the vvomē Where fro came this difference betweene the vvomen and the Guarde That Guarde vvas but a companie of prophane bodies vvithout God vvithout grace vvithout faith vvithout hope vvithout loue vvas full of sinne of an euill conscience But the vvomen suppose they were sinfull had partly an euill conscience for where sin is there is part of an euill cōscience yet in a part they were purged frō sin thorow the death of Iesus Christ they had their conscience sprinkled with His blood as that euill cōscience terrified them so that good consciēce held them vp Suppose so long as we remain in this body we cānot be quit free of sin corruption ye well is y e soule y t in the blood of Iesus findes their sins forgiuen them for suppose it be terrified yet it wil not despaire Now I come to the speach of the Angell to the women The Angell seeing thē terrified he speaks and encourages them first and saies to them Feare yee not and then he begins to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ last he giues them a commandement to tell the Disciples First hee saies to the women Feare not He spake not such a word to the Guarde but let them lye still till they gathered their spirites and rose vp and ran home for for all the world they durst not tarrie there There is another difference betweene the godlie and the wicked When the Lorde hath casten the wicked down He will not giue them a word to comfort them but will let them lye still Woe to them nothing within them to raise them vp no faith no hope no part of good consciēce they are full of sin nothing without them no the Lord shall not vouchsafe a good word on them He will neither giue thē an inward nor an outward comfort and at the latter day the Lord shall speak one joyfull word to them but He will say Goe your way ye cursed companie to be tormented with the Deuill and his angels Woe to the estate of them y t shal be foūd out of Iesus Christ Albeit y t now these things sound not in thy eares now thinkest Heauē Hell to be but matters of jests yet one day though thou be a king thou shalt find these things to be earnest thou shalt wish whē thou wast made a mā or a womā thou hadst bin made a stock or stone But by the contrary The Lord holds vp y e godly not only inwardly by a piece of good cōscience but also by outward means He speaks comfortablie to them And He will say to them by His Ministers Feare not Marke further He will not only holde them vp but that same thing y t terrified the wicked He will make it to cōfort them He makes this same Angell that terrified the men of vvarre to comfort and encourage them More than this Hee will not onely free and relieue them from terrour but He will poure in joye And no question this worde had a powerfull force to raise them vp comfort thē And then besides this He ministers joye by telling them of y t glorious resurrection So not only feare is put away but the glorious Resurrection of Iesus Christ is tolde them whereof there arises an vnspeakeable joye Well Brethren albeit we feele not this joy for the present yet hold still thy eare heare on continually howbeit with pain for it thou get grace to hold still thy eare heare I promise thee in the name of God thou shalt get such a joye in the ende as shall make thee to thinke all thy paine to be nothing Now one word ere I end Mark how the Lord prepares His own to heare these tidings He will not haue them to come with a light disposition of heart as wee vse to doe without any sight premeditation of sin misery Thou wilt come in not once think thou hast neede of the preaching of the glorious Resurrection of Christ But look the preparation of these women Ere euer the Lord will haue the Angel speaking one word Hee will haue them terrified no question they were exceedinglie affraid As euer thou wouldest look for joy thine heart must be prepared with terrour in some measure castē down ere euer the Lord speake one cōfortable word to thee And therfore let no man take hardily with the terrours of the word This is the first Thē the next poinct of preparation is Whē thou art casten downe ere He begin to speak to thee the glad tidings of saluation He will raise thee vp He will say to thee who art casten down thorow the sense of thy sin Be not terrified but be of good comfort And if the Lords spirit accōpany this word it will
woman can doe ought except He preuent them with grace if He loue thee not first thou wilt neuer loue Him 1. Iohn 4. and if Hee know not thee first thou shalt neuer know Him No neuer a man will know the Lord except He know them first Hee sayes in the 4. Chapter to the Galathians verse 9. Now seeing ye knowe God then bethinking himselfe hee sayes yea rather are knowne of God and therefore thou shouldest say Lord loue mee that I may loue thee Lord know me that I may know thee c. Now I go forward When she hath vttered this word Rabboni she goes forwarde to haue embraced Him in her armes Hee meetes her and sayes Touch mee not for I am not yet ascended to my Father Some would maruell what mooued the Lord Iesus to stay that woman that loued Him so intirely to touch Him Wee will heare hereafter how a whole companie tooke Him by the feete and adored Him as ye may reade Matth. 28 8. and the disciples touched Him as ye may read in the 24. of Luke and the 39. verse Thomas put his handes in His side in this same Chapter and it cannot bee saide that these touched Him after that Hee ascended vp to Heauen that could not be possible it is a maruell then that Hee should be so strange to MARIE I ansvvere to this and I take mine ansvvere first out of the reason and next out of the commission Hee giues to Marie for first when Hee sayes to her I am not gone vp to my Father and therefore touch me not now the meaning is this in effect it is not time for thee to touch mee nowe till that time I bee in glorie and then touch mee by the armes of Faith as much as thou canst or mayest yee must consider that shee vvas too much addicted to His bodily presence and shee thought that Hee should haue remained and dvvelt with her on earth as Hee did before and therefore Hee vvould not let her come neare Him vntill Hee instructed her of a spirituall touching that He was not to stay here but to dwel with His Father in the Heauens but after He hath instructed her He lets her the other vvomen touch Him as much as they vvould This is the first answere The other I take it out of the commission He giues her the commission was to tell the disciples and Hee vvilles her to tell hastely and therefore Hee will not let her come neare to touch Him vntill she haue done her commission Now let vs marke somethings in Marie Magdalene Yee read in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fifth Chapter and the fourteenth verse PAVL sayes The loue of God constraines mee that is the loue of GOD binds vp mine heart and hand and all my senses Novv vvould to GOD we could loue Him halfe so well as he did hee giues the reason because Hee loued me and died and gaue His life for me I vvill consecrate me to His seruice it is litle enough thou shouldest doe so seeing Hee hath bought thee and then He defines the seruice hee sayes now I will know no man after the flesh that is for carnall respects as for Countrie land kinred or parentage But I acknowledge them as new creatures I will looke to the grace of regeneration this is the seruice of Christ if I haue knowne CHRIST Himselfe after the flesh yet I know Him no more so Hee had His friends His kinred and His Countrey as other men had but since Hee is exalted aboue the Heauens I will knowe Him no more so I will compare Marie with Paul a godlie man with a godlie woman she is like Him in this that she loued the Lord exceeding well He died to redeeme Paul therefore Hee loued Him exceeding well shee loued Him because Hee died for her but when it comes to the seruice Marie is not well learned Paul touches Him by Faith in the Heauens Marie lookes not to the Heauens but she goes to embrace Him in her bodily armes in this shee is behind but she got better instruction hereafter Marke this lesson There are some men that will loue the Lord intirely and yet when they come to His seruice they will faile for such is the grossenes of our nature that we cannot incline to that spirituall seruice which He chiefly requires Papistâ—ie is full of this grossenes they can doe nothing if they want His carnall presence either in Himselfe or in a stocke or a stone or in a piece of bread and therefore they dreame a bodily presence of Him in the Sacrament all their Religion is earthly no Spirit no grace in it But accepted the Lord of that grosse seruice of Marie that she offered I am certaine He loued Marie better than the Pope all his shauelings yet for as well as He liked Marie Hee likes not this her seruice Hee sayes to her Touch me not then how will he like of that person that Hee loues not so well that delites in grosse and wilfull ignorance The LORD keepe vs from such grosse seruice and make vs to touch Him by Faith Another thing here He will not suffer her to touch Him before that she had gotten commission to her brethren This lets vs see if the LORD haue giuen vs a commission He will haue vs doing it with speed not beeing intangled with any thing Paul sayes in the second Epistle to Timothie the second Chapter and the fourth verse No man that warreth intangleth himselfe with the affaires of this life because hee would please him that hath chosen him to be a souldiour if the embracing of a person may hinder thee doe it not if the saluting of a person in the journey may hinder thee doe it not Yee read in 2. Kings Chapter 4. verse 29 Where the Prophet Elisha sends his seruant Gehazi to the Shunnamite he sayes Make haste Salute no man by the way and if any salute thee answere him not and when Christ sends out His disciples He bids them make hasle and salute no man by the way LVKE CHAPTER 10. VERSE 4. The LORD will not haue vs to decline neither to the right hand nor to the left if it were but a looke if it may hinder thee in the Lords worke doe it not Paul receiued a commission as yee may reade Philip. Chapter 3. verse 13. he ranne so that he neuer looked ouer his shoulder but that hee forgot that which was behinde and endeuoured to that which was before till he had ended his course Yee remember of the wife of Lot how she was forbidden by the Lord to looke backe to Sodome she would not goe forward in her journey but shee would looke backe againe and therefore the Lord turned her in a pillar of salt Hee would haue them speedie in His worke and Woe is them that doe the worke of the Lord negligently Ierem. 48.10 Nowe let vs come to the commission He sayes to her Marie Goe and
that had litle knowledge indeede in this stile hee would let vs see that there was neuer such an one in worde nor worke neuer one wrought such miracles as Hee did and neuer man spake as Hee did as His owne very enemies testified of Him Iohn Chapter 7. yet will yee measure it with the knowledge of the man there is a defect here also he thoght He had bene like the rest of the Prophets who prophecied not by their owne spirit but by the Spirit of IESVS yet was hee ignorant that IESVS spake and wrought all by His owne Spirit Why should vvee not knovve these thinges This is the difference betweene CHRIST and all the Prophets all these Prophets and Moyses himselfe were but seruants they spake neuer a vvord by their spirit but by the Spirit of CHRIST as Peter speakes in the first Epistle Spake Moses Esay or Ezechiell in their owne name Dare any Minister speake in his owne name No not vnder paine of his life but IESVS is called the LORD of the house In the Epistle to the Hebrewes the third Chapter Hee spake by His owne Spirit and these preachings were preached by His owne Spirit and He spake by His owne authoritie as yee may reade in the seuenth Chapter of Matthew An Herauld if Hee speakes in his name should be hanged but the King himselfe will speake in his owne name the LORD spake in His owne Name but the Prophets spake not in their owne name reade these Prophecies They say there Thus saith the LORD but ye shall finde thus when Christ comes Hee sayes Amen amen dico vobis Verilie verilie J say vnto you in mine owne Name and authoritie and not in my Fathers only This Cleopas knew not but counted Him a Prophet like others albeit more excellent than others Cleopas thought Hee was potent by the Spirit of GOD and so by another but hee knew not that He spake in His owne Name and by His owne authoritie beeing equall with the Father Nowe to be short hee sayes Hee was mightie before GOD and the whole people That is to say He had the approbation of the LORD from the Heauen and what euer He spake the LORD approoued it what euer Hee did His Father approoued it Then againe He did neuer an action but with the approbation of the people But it would be asked How approoued they Him seeing they persecuted Him scorned Him and crucified Him I answere Albeit that neither by word nor deede the Iewes nor the High Priestes had approoued Him yet the conscience of the same High Priests and Iewes approoued Him and bare witnesse to them that Hee was GOD so that sometimes they were compelled to say Neuer man spake as Hee did Iohn Chapter 6. verse 46. and sometimes againe since the world beganne was it not heard that anie man opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde Iohn Chapter 9. verse 32. So that all that they did to Him was against conscience I regarde not what thou doest to mee if thou be bound in conscience to testifie that that is true which I speake and that is good which I do for in that day thou who speakest against thy conscience shalt not haue one worde to speake thy conscience shall bind vp thy mouth so this is well said that Hee had the approbation both of GOD and man but hee thought Hee had this approbation as one of the Prophets suppose in a greater measure But looke the first Chapter to the Hebrewes and the fifth verse For vnto which of the Angels saide hee at anie time let bee Prophets Thou art my Sonne this daye haue I begotten thee Then hee knew not that he had that approbation of that God who dwelt in him God in him approoued him Roman Chap. 1. vers 4. it is saide Hee was declared mightilie to bee the Sonne of GOD. And 1. Timothie Chap. 3. vers 16. Hee was justified by the Spirite And againe it is saide Actes Chap. 2. vers 22. Jesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God among you with great workes and wonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you Cleopas knewe little of this Nowe Brethren wee haue examined his wordes and yee see heere a great ignorance In the first wordes an vntrueth and yee see in all the wordes following there is some want And to whome is it that hee preaches Hee preaches Christ to Christ and hee describes the Lorde to the Lorde and yet the Lorde heares him patientlie Yee will not beleeue how Hee vvill heare thy babbling if in thine heart thou haue a loue to GOD suppose thou babble Hee will heare thee and if thou speake vvith loue suppose thou canst not praye as other men and women can Babble on to Him and speake on with a good heart Hee vvill no more reject thee than Hee did Cleopas Hee is aye like to Himselfe For what is all our language to Him but a babbling yea all our knowledge is but babbling So suppose wee haue not knowledge nor a tongue to speake yet let vs not leaue off to speake in loue with our hearts and Hee shall heare vs and giue vs a comfortable answere Nowe I counted neuer so much of knowledge as of an heart which loueth God Keepe an heart to thy God come with faith and loue to thy God and thou wilt not thinke how Hee vvill delight in thee if vvee come vvith loue to the Lord then vvee come boldlie to the Throne of grace And vvhy Because vvee come not in our owne righteousnesse or in our owne perfection vvee appeare onelie in the merites of IESVS CHRIST And suppose thou babble and be ignorant yet if thou appeare in Him thou art full of knowledge for His knowledge the Lorde countes to bee thine O vvhat is it to bee in Christ Hee vvho hath Christ hath all though hee vvere neuer so vveake hee is strong in Him My power sayes the Lord is perfect in infirmitie And therefore sayes Paul I will glorie in my infirmitie that the power of God may be seene in mee 2. Cor. 12. Now a word and so I ende Cleopas beginnes to tell vvhat vvas befallen to such a personage vvho vvas mightie in vvord and deede yet for all this they handled Him most vnworthily of any man Our Priestes and rulers as PILATE first they condemned Him to the death without a cause and next they haue crucified Him if ye consider well the words yee vvill finde that Hee speakes to them with a vvonderfull indignation as if He had said albeit He was such a man and so great a man in all respects yet they condemned Him without a cause and then they crucified Him And vvhat indignitie vvas this for as the Apostle sayes Albeit He vvas the LORD of glorie yet most shamefully they crucified Him 1. Cor. Chapter second and the eight verse Well take vp this in His wordes What euer is done against Christ it is an indignitie if vve knew that Majestie wee offend
preaching No not an Angell hath power to set thine heart on fire So thou that hast this burning thou mayest saye that the Lorde Iesus is present in thine heart But marke this We see in these men that our eyes are so blind that we cannot discerne the Lord so long as we liue here we cannot get full sight but we are in a strife if the heart shall say The Lord is here the flesh will say He is not here so that we hing here betwixt hope and despaire But when Hee once manifestes Himselfe in glorie then that burning which we felt in this life that sense which we then felt shall bee brought to our remembrance Thinke not that thou shalt loose that sense No Thou shalt take it vp with thee to the Heauen and we shall say one to another Remember yee not what burning wee had when wee spake and hearde of CHRIST in the earth Then it behooued this LORDE to haue beene then with vs in the earth So the remembrance of that joye which thou felt in the vvorlde shall bee a part of thy joye which thou shalt haue in the Heauens in the life to come Therefore get much joye here and laye it vp in store in thine heart goe on in feeling and I promise thee in the Name of GOD it shall neuer depart but it shall euer augment and enlarge thy joye and glorie in the life to come No as the worde of GOD which is the immortall seede of GOD euanishes not so neither shall the effect of the worde euer euanish Then euer striue to get a sense of the working of this worde in thine heart Nowe a worde and so I shall ende Yee woulde thinke this a sober conclusion As wee walked by the waye when hee spâ—â—e to vs our hearts burned therefore it was he that spake with vs So they concluded that it must bee his Spirit onelie which settes the heart on fire May we not in like manner conclude At the preaching of Paule the Spirite settes the heart on fire therefore Paul is Christ This is a false conclusion And I answere to this That if these men had felt no more but a common feeling in an ordinarie measure their argument had not beene good But they had another feeling than can be at the preaching of a man for no doubt vvith the vvorde Hee sent His Spirite to vvorke in them extraordinarilie And I put it out of question They had such a vvonderfull feeling as they coulde neuer haue had at the preaching of anie man vvhosoeuer So their conclusion is sure Seeing as Hee spake Hee breathed His Spirite vpon vs Hee must bee CHRIST It is a vvonder of them vvho haue gotten GODS SPIRITE howe they vvill discerne of GODS SPIRITE in others And manie are beguiled for fault of this SPIRITE There is verie much spoken of our feeling at the PREACHING And vvhat serues all They call it a fire for the Spirite which raises that feeling is like a fire and therefore He is compared to a fire Matth. 3.11 And a fire hath euer an vp-burning and if thou haue true feeling thine heart shall bee set on fire that fire is mightie will burne vp the drosse of thy saluation which is in thy foule heart No speake not of feeling except thou be regenerate Thou that art an Harlot speake not of feeling except thou feele it burne vp thine harlotrie And thou that art a murtherer saye not that thou hast a feeling and if it burne not vp thy bloodie heart So I charge thee before God heare not one worde except thou findest that Spirit to burne vp thy corruption thou tellest mee that thou feelest and yet thou remainest an harlot fye vpon thine harlotrie let not that word come out of thy mouth Againe as the fire of Gods Spirit burnes vp the drosse of thy corruption so it will inflame thy loue to God it will inflame thine heart and all the power of the soule to the loue of GOD and righteousnesse so that it vvill binde thine heart to God as the Apostle sayes The loue of God constraineth me so that thou wouldest bee content to die to liue with Him and to pleasure Him thou wouldest not care to liue or to die and what more as a fire is nourished with some matter that is meete for burning so this fire once kindled in our soules is nourished and fed by the continuall presence of GOD in IESVS CHRIST and that precious oyle of the Holy Spirit Further a flame tendes alwayes vpward and it will lift an heauie thing that falles downe vpon it ye see a traine of powder will blow vp an house Wee are heauie by nature and loadned with sinne yet that fire of loue will raise thee vp and place thee with the Lord whom thou louest and thine heart will bee lifted vp to Him There is neuer one that loues IESVS in the Earth but they are dwelling with Him in the Heauen and shall enjoy that presence euerlastingly So yee see what it is to haue the heart set on fire till we meete with our LORD and then our heartes shall haue the full fruition of His presence for euer To this IESVS with the Father and Holy Spirit be glorie for euermore AMEN THE XL. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 13 And they went and tolde it to the remnant neither beleeued they them verse 14 Finally hee appeared vnto the eleuen as they sate together and reproched them for their vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart because they beleeued not them which had seene Him beeing risen vp againe LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 33 And they rose up the same houre and returned to Ierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and them that were with them verse 34 Which saide The Lord is risen indeede and hath appeared to Simon verse 35 Then they tolde what things were done in the way and how Hee was knowen of them in breaking of bread verse 36 And as they spake these things Iesus Himselfe stood in the middes of them and said vnto them Peace be to you IHON CHAP. XX. verse 19 The same day then at night which was the first day of the weeke and when the doores were shut where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stood in the middes and said to them Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard Beloued in Christ these dayes past of the conference which was betwixt Christ and these two Disciples who were going to Emmaus Christ reproued theÌ„ sharplie because they thought that Christ being crucified all hope of Redemption was past Next He instructed them affirming that it behooued Him to suffer and by suffering to enter into His glorie This His doctrine which Hee prooued by manie Testimonies of Scripture beginning at Moses and from Moses Hee comes to the Prophets interpreting vnto them what they had spoken concerning Christ concerning His Passion and concerning His glorie after His Passion for the preaching of
you Joh. 20.31 Yet because this was generall therfore now to take all grudges and doubts out of the heart of Peter the rest of th'Apostles he has a particular dealing with him here in this place this he does in presence of so many disciples for the greater confiâ—mation of his restoring and herein the Lord vrges him thrise that He might draw out of him a threefold confession answerable to his thrâ—efold deniall It may bee likewise that in this conference the Lord had a great respect to recommend the caâ—e of His Kirke which He was to leaue behind Him to Peter to the rest of th'Apostles for in the person of Peter Hee speakes to all the rest Vpon this conference marke this generally First that the Lord will not refuse repentance and pardon to him who has denied Him if his deniall come of infirmitie Next That it is the Lord only who prouokes and allures a man to repentance and who preuents him if he be careles of his sinne We saw before that the Lord looked vpon Peter after he had denied Him in the Hall of Caiaphas made him to weepe Now He accomplishes brings to perfection y t worke which He began He vrges a threefold coÌ„fession But to come to y e matter The Lord begins to commune with him these are the words Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me better than these pointing out the rest of th'apostles that is more than the rest loues me This the Lord demands of Peter not that He was ignorant of the loue of Peter towarde Him for Peter testifies this in his answere when hee sayes to the Lord Thou knowest that I loue thee The Lord knew th' inward affection of Peter as well as himselfe did So as for Himselfe He ned not this confession nor to speak one word for He knew his heart yet He vrges the confession of the mouth that that loue which he baâ—e in his heart hee should professe with his mouth wherefore in demanding He calles first of all Peter to remembrance of his bragging that he vsed a little before His Passion when Peâ—er stood vp saide Though all should be offended by thee yet will I neuer be offended Matth. 26.33 As though he should say Though all should leaue thee I shall not leaue thee I shall bee readie to goe to prison and to death with thee Therefore the Lord sayes Louest thou me more than these TheÌ„ with this he calles to remeÌ„brance that foule defection for all his craking as if Hee vvould saye For all thy boasting PETER remember thee of thy deniâ—ll So in one vvorde Hee prickes his conscience Hee rebukâ—s him both for his arrogant vanting also for his foule defectioÌ„ This He does in effect but if ye mark y e words ye shal see y e pricking of him to be joyned w t such sweetnes in speaking as is woÌ„derful to be so seasoned w t loue as is marueilous for Hee sayes in effect as much as this Howbeit Peter thou hast fallen in thy bragging vanting and also hast made foule defection from me yet if thou repent thee and turne to me and if thou loue me there is place of pardon forgiuenesse So ye see two contrary thinges joyned together asperitie and lenitie sourenesse and sweetnesse rebuke and consolation casting downe and raising vp wounding and healing in one sentence The Lord in one sentence in one demaunde at one time yea at a poinct of time He could wound a man and heale him Some might thinke seeing that this was the first conference that Christ had with Peter after his denyall and that there should haue beene another kind of meeting and more sharpe beginning with a run-a-gate who had denyed his Maister thrise ye may thinke Hee should haue vpbraided him and said Run-a-gate why deniedst thou mee so mischieuouslie Why against thy conscience sinnedst thou so hainously But He sayes not so but these are all the words Simon the sonne of Jona louest thou me The Lord was not a flyter a chyder an vpbraider a cryer c. Therfore it was prophecied of him My seruant shall not crie nor make his voyce to be heard in the streete nor quench the smoaking flaxe nor breake the bruised reed Esay 42.2 Matth. 12.19.20 The ground was That exceeding loue to Simon Peter the passing loue to sinners especially to the secret ones whom He had chosen that loue hid all their sinnes as Peter speakes in his first Epist and 4. chap. So that if He spake an angry word to any His anger was so tempered with loue that scarcely did it appeare So learne this lesson Rebukers should be louers if thou rebuke a man loue him otherwise speake not to him but close thy mouth for if thou season not thy rebuke with loue then that which should haue bene a medicine wil be turned into poyson They that should be instructers and admonishers should be louers Wherfore whatsoeuer thou doest doe it in lenity meeknesse and not in bitternesse A bitter teacher is not vvorth a pennie And this is it that Paul requires 2. Timoth. 2.24 where he sayes The seruant of the Lord must not striue but must be gentle towards all men All should be in lenitie teaching in lenitie admonitioÌ„ in lenity Wherfore Because if lenitie be lacking there will be no edificatioÌ„ no coÌ„forting no instruction If that which thou speakest be smoothed ouer and mixed with a gall of bitternesse it will poyson the man Therefore whatsoeuer thou be whether Minister or other looke that thou hast loue and it will make thee to discharge all the pointes of thy duetie with lenitie Now the Lord is not contented to demand this once onelie Simon the sonne of Iona louest thou me but once twise thrise What needed this yee will aske was it not sufficient to aske this once What behoued this doubling trepling Brethren this was not only y t he might make a threefold coÌ„fession answerable to his threefolde deniall that so he might be restored but also because his threefolde deniall procured that he should not be so soone and easilie credited They that haue made a foule defection as Peter did certainlie they would be tried ere they bee trusted And Christ this day would learne vs that Apostates would be well tried and their hearts would be sounded and ripped vp from the ground A slender answere should not content vs wee may not settle vpon the swarfe of the heart but the heart must bee pricked with manie interrogations it must be lanced deepely that if there be a spunke of sinceritie loue it may be raised vp appeare for ye wil not thinke what deepnes of deceitfulnes lies in the heart of man as Ierem. 17.9 sayes The heart is deceitfull wicked aboue al things who can know it It is hard to thee to get thine owne heart souÌ„ded tried go thy way assay it thou shalt find it to be true thou shalt bee
I should doe would doe Well if the Lord seeke a confession of thee He will pricke thee till He get a sad confession of thee Now it may be asked What ned this confession once twise thrise to be repeated What needed Peter thrise to say I loue thee I answere what needed Pâ—ter to denie Him thrise Now certainly that threefold deniall requires this threefold confession if hee had denied Him but once it might haue bene Hee would haue asked but once if thou goest downe to Hell by degrees wilt thou leape vp to Heauen without any degrees at an instant No no looke by how many degrees thou hast gone down from God toward Hell by as many degrees must thou approach to Him againe for when thou hast committed a great sinne thou canst not repent enough for it albeit thou shouldest weepe and mourne many dayes and yeeres all is too litle Many a time must thou coÌ„fesse thy sinne which if thou doest thou shalt both thereby glorifie God and also obtaine a fuller assurance of the remission of thy sinnes for the more thou repentest the more thou coÌ„fessest thy sinnes thou wilt get the fuller perswasion greater assurance that thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Now I go forward The Lord meetes Peter againe when he hath professed that he loued Him Hee sayes Fâ—ede my Lambes againe Feede my sheepe the third time Feed my sheepe Peter seeing thou hast confessed that thou louest me here I absolute thee the Lord sayes in effect I restore thee to thine office againe be thou an Apostle be thou a feeder of my sheepe be a Pastor to me this is the principall purpose so that y e loue of Iesus restores a sinner it is this loue that restores thee to the roome thou hast beene in But I insist not heere in this answere to Peter ye see how the Lord will haue thy faith thy loue to be manifested No y e coÌ„fession of faith of loue must be manifested in actioÌ„ according to the calling the Lord hath placed euery one into hath the Lord called thee to be a king Hee wil say vnto thee feed my people as thou wouldest loue me the Lord grant y e Kings may take heed to this especially our King y t as he professes a loue to Christ so he wold feed His people the Lord giue him this coÌ„sideration art thou a Minister sayest thou louest the Lord well the Lord will say to thee againe feede my lambes I neede none of thy feeding thy loue and well doing cannot extend the selfe to me but do good to others who carie my Image for my cause A profane maÌ„ or womaÌ„ w t a shameles face wil say I loue God the greatest knaue of them all wil say so but if it manifest not in an actioÌ„ thou art but a lyar thou louest Him not faith loue must euer vtter theÌ„selues in good actioÌ„s hast y u gotteÌ„ a heart hands feet do some good otherwise if y u dost neuer a good deed thy profession of faith loue is but vain Look 1. Ioh. 2.4 He that sayes I know God keepes not His commandements he is a lyar the trueth is not in him If a maÌ„ sayes I loue God hates his neighbour he is a lyar so y t he shal be punished not only because he did no good but because he was a lyar there are many lying Protestants in this Land they will protest they loue God but when it comes to the trial the world sees y t they haue only a shew of religioÌ„ not y e power therof there is anotâ—er thing here yet to be marked vntil Peter had professed he loued Christ He bids him not feed His lambs but looke how the one followes the other therefore it must follow y t feeding of the lambes of the Lord must come of the loue of y e Lord. If Peter had said I loue thee not Christ could not theÌ„ haue said to him feed my lambes theÌ„ the lessoÌ„ is cleare a maÌ„ caÌ„not be a Pastor a feeder of the sheepe of Christ except he loue Christ No there is none in any calling y t can do any good deed except y e welspring of loue be in his heart if y t be not he shall neuer do any good deed all shal be sinne thou mayest well flatter thy sâ—lfe others may flatter thee say all is well but if loue be not how faire glansing so euer thy worke be God couÌ„nts not of it No King in his calling shall euer doe a good deed except he do it for loue he beares to y e Lord therefore seeing a Pastor should learne all other folke to do their dutie yea y e King himselfe how much more is that loue required to be in him if hee would do rightly sincerely earnestly as for his feeding it is more poysoning than fâ—eding if he haue not loue to Christ the Pastor is not worth a penny y t striues not to get a sense of y t loue of Christ in his heart Theâ—e are so many difficulties impediments cast in to a Pastor wheÌ„ he is about to discharge his duty which he can neuer be able to ouercome except he both loue y e Lord be sensible of the Lords loue towards him the life of a Pastor is a thornie lâ—fe and the more faithfull y e man be y e moe vexatioÌ„s troubles will he vnderly what is his life but a coÌ„tinuall tâ—ouble with whoÌ„ hath he to do with a flock for a Pastor a flock are relatiue what a flock some are so dull that teach he neuer so much carefulâ—y they remaine rude and vncapable many of this towne are guiltie of this and if there bee any capable they are so vaine so wanton light headed y t they vanish away in their own cogitatioÌ„s againe some are so infirm y t euery thing almost is a stuÌ„bling block suppose y t meÌ„ giue no offeÌ„ce yet wil they tak offeÌ„ce some so malicious indured that the more the Pastor cry the more endure they their heartes and rejects all wholesome admonition some will be sitting vp before the Pastor and mocking him when hee is preaching and when the Pastor hath done all the pointes of his calling faithfully he needes not to looke for any thing but vnthankfull meeting in the end No the more faithfull a man be in his calling the moe tentations shall hee bee subject to to make him the more weake and feeble If ye would have the proofe of this looke 1. Cor. 4.9 What are we sayes Paul God hath set vs vp to be a mocking stocke a â—azing to the world to the Angels and to men what are we the ofscouring of the world that is sweeped out to be cast to the backe-side Then what held him vp and what held vp Peter and the rest of the Apostles and Martyres What but the loue of Iesus if they had not