been actually his Son as certainly he was from before the Foundations of the World Prov. 8.23 I was set up from everlasting from the Beginning or ever the Earth was 37 If I do not the works of my Father believe me not 38 But if I do though ye believe not me believe the works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him Here we have a second Argument by which our Saviour proves That it was no Blasphemy to call himself God But that he was God in very deed Namely an Argument taken from his Works If I do not the Works of my Father believe me not And the Argument runs thus If says Christ I do those miraculous Works which no Power less than a Divine Power can effect then you ought by these Works to be led to believe and acknowledge that I am truly and really God But the Works which I do are the Effect and Product of an omnipotent Power therefore ye ought to believe That I am one in Essence with the Father there being a mutual Inexistence of one Person in the other so that the Father is in me and I in him and thus I and the Father are one Learn hence That Christ never required of his Disciples and Followers an Implicite Faith or a blind Obedience but as he submitted his Doctrine to the Tryal of Reason so he submitted his Miracles to the Examination and Judgment of Sense therefore he says If I do not the Works of my Father that is Divine Works believe me not to be a Divine Person 39 Therefore they sought again to take him but he escaped out of their hand 40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized and there he abode 41 And many resorted unto him and said John did no miracle but all things that John spake of this man were true 42 And many believed on him there Observe here 1. The Violence and Fury of these unbelieving Jews against the Holy and Innocent Jesus They sought again to take him Observe 2. The prudential Care of Christ for his own Preservation his time being not yet come he withdraws from Jerusalem the Nest of his Enemies and goes beyond Jordan when Christ was persecuted in one City he fled to another he has sanctified a State of Persecution to his Ministers and Members by his own being in it 'T is no Disgrace for any of them to fly when their Captain did it and bids them do it saying When they persecute you in one City flee unto another Obs 3. The Success of Christ's Ministry beyond Jordan Many resorted to him and believed on him This Place about Jordan was the Place where John had exercised a great Part of his Ministry and now many Years after John's Death the Fruit of his Ministry appears for many believed on him there that is about Jordan where John had preached and baptized Learn thence That the Labours of faithful Ministers may seem to be lost and lye long like Seed under the Ground and yet at last by some new Watering may spring up and the Fruit appear in abundance Here John's Ministry about Jordan hath fresh Fruit upon Christ's coming long after John was dead Observe 4. The Dignity of Christ above John John did no Miracle but Christ did all The Wisdom of God so ordered it that though the Old Testament Prophets Elijah and Elisha wrought many Miracles for the Confirmation of their Divine Mission yet John the Baptist coming immediately before Christ as his Messenger and Forerunner wrought none for these three Reasons probably 1. That so the Glory of Christ in working Miracles when he came upon the Stage of his Ministry might be the more clear and evident 2. That the Evidence of Christ's being the Messias might be made the more clear by the Miracles which he wrought 3. That the Minds of the People might not be divided and distracted between John and Christ and that there might be no Pretence of Competition between them Therefore John did no Miracle but all things that John spake of Christ were true CHAP. XI 1 NOw a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany the town of Mary and her sister Martha 2 It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick 3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him saying Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick 4 When Jesus heard that he said This sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby This Chapter relates unto us the Miraculous Power of Christ in raising of dead Lazarus which as it was one of his last so was it one of the greatest Miracles which he wrought and yet we find none of the Evangelists making mention of it but only St. John the Reason supposed to be this because when the other Evangelists wrote their History Lazarus was then alive for Epiphanius says he lived thirty Years after he was raised by Christ and probably the mention of this Relation might have brought Lazarus into Danger and Trouble but St. John wrote his Gospel after Lazarus his Death This Miracle was a sufficient Demonstration of Christ's Godhead None but an Almighty Power could recal a Man four Days dead from a settled Corruption to a State of Life None but he that created Lazarus could thus make him new Here Observe 1. The Tender Sympathy of these Two endeared Sisters with their afflicted Brother they feel his Sorrows and Acquaint their Saviour with his Sufferings Lord Behold he whom thou lovest is sick They do not say our Brother that Loves thee is sick but he whom thou lovest is sick Thereby pleading not the Merit of Lazarus but the Mercy of Christ For how can the Love of Christ which is infinite and eternal have any Cause but it self Note the Person whom Christ loved is sick and dyes Learn thence That Strength of Grace and Dearness of Respect even from Christ himself cannot prevail either against Death or against Diseases Lazarus whom Christ loved is sick Obs 2. The gracious Answer which Christ sent to the Sisters Message This Sickness is not unto Death but for the Glory of God that is this Sickness shall not bring upon him such a Death as he shall remain under the Power of to the General Resurrection but is only designed to give me an Opportunity of glorifying God by exerting my miraculous Power in restoring him to Life Learn hence 1. That as God's own Glory is his supream Aim and End in all his Actions so in particular it is designed by him in sending Afflictions upon his People to glorifie his Power and Wisdom Mercy and Love in and upon them The Saints Sicknesses are all for the Glory of God 2. That God is glorified when his Son is glorified as none do honour the Father who do not honour the Son so the Father accounts
Peter went up and drew the net to land full of great fishes an hundred and fifty and three and for all there were so many yet was not the net broken Observe here 1. What was Christ's End in commanding his Disciples to bring forth the Fish which they had now taken namely That the sight of their number and bigness together with the sight of the Net remaining unbroken might confirm them in the belief of its being a real Miracle Christ had fed their Bellies before his business now is to feed their Minds with the Contemplation of the Greatness and Reality of the Miracle All Christ's Miracles were obvious to Sense and would bear the examination of the Senses not like the lying Wonders of the Church of Rome which are commonly wrought in the dark to couzen the Vulgar and are meer Cheats and Impostours Observe 2. That this full Draught of Fishes which Peter and the rest of the Disciples now had might probably presage that great and wonderful Success which he and they afterwards were to have in fishing for Men. Here we have an Hundred fifty and three great Fishes caught at one Draught but Acts 2. we find Three thousand Souls converted by St. Peter at one Sermon Oh the marvellous success of the Gospel at the first preaching and planting of it Three thousand then proselyted by one Sermon Now we have cause to fear that there are Three thousand Sermons preached and scarce one Soul savingly converted Lord Who hath believed our Report 12 Jesus saith unto them Come and dine And none of the disciples durst ask him Who art thou knowing that it was the Lord. 13 Jesus then cometh and taketh bread and giveth them and fish likewise 14 This is now the third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead A twofold Reason may be assigned why Christ did at this time invite and call his Disciples to dine with him The first and more principal Reason was to evidence to them the reality of his Resurrection and to assure them of the Truth of his Manhood that they might not think it was an Apparition only By the Miracle in catching the Fishes he proved himself to be God by his present eating of the fish he evidenced himself to be Man And consequently teacheth us That our exalted High-Priest continues our Kinsman in Heaven He is still Bone of our Bone and Flesh of our Flesh He has taken possession of Heaven in our Nature sitting there in our glorified humanity united to the glorious Deity clothed with that Body which hung in its Blood and Gore upon the Cross but now shining brighter than ten thousand Suns The second and less principal Reason why Christ called his Disciples to dine with him was this To shew his tender Care over the Bodies of his dear Disciples as being the Tabernacles of his own Spirit the Temples of the Holy Ghost Therefore Christ incourages though not to the pampering yet to the refreshing of them Jesus said unto them Come and dine And he would not confer with them till they had dined as the next Verse shews 15 ¶ So when they had dined Jesus saith to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more then these He saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my lambs 16 He saith to him again the second time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me He saith unto him Yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my sheep 17 He saith unto him the third time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time Lovest thou me And he said unto him Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Jesus saith unto him Feed my sheep Observe here 1. Christ puts Peter upon a threefold profession of his Love unto him answerable to his threefold Denial of him His threefold Denial required a threefold Confession True Repentance ought and will be as eminent in the Fruits and Effects of it as the Saints Fall hath been A threefold Denial of Christ shall be attended with a threefold profession of Love unto him Observe 2. The solemn Question put by our Saviour unto Peter Lovest thou me Lovest thou me more than these That is more than the rest of my Disciples Dost thou love me more than thou lovest them Or more than they love me If so evidence the sincerity of thy Love to me by thy Care of mine Thence Note That Ministers who are called to take Care of Christ's Flock had need of much Love to Jesus Christ and great Compassion for Souls by which they will be animated and fortified to go through with the Labours and Difficulties as well as to encounter the Dangers and Sufferings which do accompany their Calling Simon lovest thou me Feed my Flock Note farther That the surest Argument and best Evidence of a Minister's Love to Jesus Christ is his conscientious Care to Feed that is to Teach Instruct and Govern the whole Flock of Christ Lambs and Sheep weak and strong the feeblest in the Fold were purchased by the great Shepherd And if he judg'd them worth his Blood well may we judge them worth our Sweat Note Again That such as would be faithful in their Ministerial Charge ought to look upon their People as committed to them by Christ himself as loved of him and committed to their care by him and for which they must be accountable to him Christ calls them three times over His Lambs and His Sheep and as often charges Peter to feed them Observe next Peter's threefold Answer to Christ's Question Simon lovest thou me more than these Lord thou knowest that I love Where Note 1. The great Modesty of Peter in his Reply Lovest thou me more than these says Christ Peter replies Lord Thou knowest that I Love thee he doth not say Lord I Love thee above them 〈◊〉 and before them all here is no boasting now once it was said and Peter vaunted tho' all Men forsake thee yet will not I but now his Fall had taught him Humility he boasts not of his Love above others and makes no comparison with others but only ranks himself among the true lovers of Christ Lord I love thee Note 2. The Evidence that Peter gives of his sincere Love to Christ he dare appeal to Christ himself Lord thou knowest that I love thee yea thou that art Omniscient the all-knowing and Heart-searching God Thou that knowest all things knowest that I Love thee Oh! 't is a blessed thing when we can and dare Appeal to God's Knowledge and 't is matter of high consolation to know that God knoweth our sincerity and Love unto him and that he knoweth and approveth us as such Lord Thou knowest all things thou knowest that I Love thee 18 Verily verily I say unto thee When thou wast young thou girdedst thy self and walkedst whither thou wouldest
have lived awhile in this World they die and therefore Marriage is necessary to maintain a Succession of Mankind but in the other World Men shall become Immortal and live for ever and then the Reason of Marriage will wholly cease For when Men can die no more there will be no need of any new Supplies of Mankind 2. Our Saviour having got clear of the Sadducees Objection by taking away the Ground and Foundation of it he produceth an Argument for the Proof of the Soul's Immortality and the Body's Resurrection Thus Those to whom Almighty God pronounces himself a God are alive but God pronounced himself a God to Abraham Isaac and Jacob many Hundred Years after their Bodies were Dead therefore their Souls are yet alive otherwise God could not be their God for he is not the God of the Dead but of the Living From the whole Note 1. That there is no Opinion so absurd no Error so monstrous that having had a Mother will die for lack of a Nurse The beastly Opinion of the Mortality of the Soul and the Annihilation of the Body finds Sadducees to profess and propagate it Note 2. The Certainty of another Life after this in which Men shall be eternally happy or intollerably miserable according as they behave themselves here tho' some Men live like Beasts they shall not die like them nor shall their last end be like theirs Note 3. That glorified Saints in the Morning of the Resurrection shall be like unto the Glorious Angels not like them in Essence and Nature but like them in their Properties and Qualities in Holiness and Purity in Immortality and Incorruptibility and in their manner of Living they shall no more stand in need of Meat or Drink than the Angels do but shall live the same Heavenly Immortal and Incorruptible Life that the Angels live Note 4. That all those that are in Covenant with God whose God the Lord is their Souls do immediately pass into Glory and their Bodies at the Resurrection shall be Sharers in the same Happiness with their Souls If God be just the Soul must live and the Body must rise For good Men must be rewarded and wicked Men punished God will most certainly some time or other plentifully reward the Righteous and punish the evil Doers but this being not always done in this Life the Justice of God requires it to be done in the next 34 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence they were gathered together 35 Then one of them which was a lawyer asked him a question tempting him and saying 36 Master which is the great commandment in the law 37 Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all my mind 38 This is the first and great commandment 39 And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets The Sadducees being put by Christ to silence the Pharisees again encounter him they send to him a Lawyer that is one of their Interpreters and Expounders of the Law of Moses who propounds this Question to him Which is the great Commandment in the Law Our Saviour tells them It is to love the Lord with all the Heart with all the Soul and with all the Mind That is which all the Powers Faculties and Abilities of the Soul with the greatest Measure and highest Degrees of Love This is the Sum and Substance of the Duties of the first Table And the second is like unto it not equal with it but like unto it The Duties of the second Table are of the same Authority and of the same Necessity with the first As a Man cannot be saved without the Love of God so neither without the Love of his Neighbour On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets That is the whole Duty of Man required by Moses and the Prophets is comprehended in and may be reduced to these Two Heads namely The Love of God and our Neighbour From the whole Note 1. That the Fervency of all our Affections and particularly the Supremacy of our Love is required by God as his Right and Due Love must pass thro' and possess all the Powers and Faculties of the Soul the Mind must meditate upon God the Will must chuse and embrace him and the Affections must take Complacency and Delight in him the measure of loving God is to love him without measure God reckons that we love him not at all if we love him not above all Note 2. That thus to love God is the first and great Commandment Great in regard of the Object which is God the first Cause and the chief Good Great in regard of the Obligation of it To love God is so indispensible a Command that God himself cannot free us from the Obligation of it for so long as he is God and we his Creatures we shall lye under a natural and necessary Obligation to Love and serve him Great in regard of the Duration of it when Faith shall be swallowed up in Vision and Hope in Fruition Love will then be perfected in a full Enjoyment Note 3. That every Man may yea ought to love himself not his sinful self but his natural self and especially his Spiritual self the new Nature in him This it ought to be his particular Care to encrease and strengthen Indeed there is no express Command in Scripture for a Man to love himself because the Light of Nature directs and the Law of Nature binds and moves every Man so to do God has put a Principle of Self-love and of Self-preservation into all his Creatures but especially into Man Note 4. As every Man ought to love himself so 't is every Man's Duty to love his Neighbour as himself 1. Not as he does love himself but as he ought to love himself 2. Not in the same Degree and Measure that he loves himself but after the same manner and with the same kind of Love that he loves himself As we love our selves freely and readily sincerely and unfeignedly tenderly and compassionately constantly and perseveringly so should we love our Neighbour Tho' we are not commanded to love our Neighbour as much as we love our selves yet we are to love him like as we love our selves Note Lastly That the Duties of the first and second Table are inseparable The Love of God and our Neighbour must not be parted He that loveth not his Neighbour whom he hath seen never loved God whom he hath not seen A conscientious Regard to the Duties of both Tables will be an Argument of our Sincerity and an Ornament to our Profession Let it then be our Prayer and daily endeavour that we may love the Lord our God with all our Heart and our Neighbour as our selves For this is the Sum of the Law and the Substance of the Gospel 41
their Sepulchers 2. In professing great Respect to the dead Saints and at the same time persecuting the living Palpable Hypocrisie And yet as gross as it is it prevails to this Day The Church of Rome who magnifie Martyrs and canonize Saints departed have yet added to their numbers by shedding of their Blood 3. In taking false measures of their Love to the Saints departed from their building their Tombs and garnishing their Sepulchers whereas the best Evidence of our Love unto them is the imitating their Vertues and cherishing their Followers 'T is gross Hypocrisie to pay Respect to the Relicks of Saints and Veneration to their Images and at the same time to persecute and afflict their Followers Learn hence 1. That the World has all along loved dead Saints better than the living Mortui non mordent the dead Saint's Example how bright soever is not so scorching and troublesome at a distance and he himself no longer stands in other Men's Light whereas the living Saint's Example is a cutting Reproof to Sin and Vice Obs 2. That there is a certain Civility in Humane Nature which leads Men to a just Commendation of the Dead and to a due Estimation of their Worth The Pharisees here tho' they persecuted the Prophets whilst alive yet had they a mighty Veneration for their Piety and Vertue after they were dead and thought no Honour too great to be done unto them Note 3. That it is the grossest Hypocrisie to pretend to love Goodness and yet hate and persecute good Men. These Hypocritical Pharisees pretended high to Piety and Religion and at the same time killed the Prophets and stoned them that were sent unto them 4. That the highest Honour we can pay to the Saints departed is not by raising Monuments and building Tombs to their Memory but by a careful Imitation of their Piety and Virtue following the Holiness of their Lives and their Patience and Constancy at their Deaths 34 Wherefore behold I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes and some of them ye shall kill and crucifie and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city 35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias whom ye slew between the temple and the altar 36 Verily I say unto you All these things shall come upon this generation Observe here A Prophetical Prediction and a severe Denunciation 1. A Prediction foretelling what cruel Usage the Apostles should meet with from the Jews Killing and Crucifying some Scourging and Stoning others which accordingly was fulfilled in the Crucifying of St. Peter the Scourging of St. Paul in the Stoning of St. Stephen and Killing of St. James The first Planters and Propagators of the Gospel sealed their Doctrine with their Blood and the Blood of the Martyrs has all along been the Seed of the Church Obs 2. A severe Denunciation That upon you may come all the Righteous Blood shed upon the Earth from Abel to Zacharias the Son of Jehoiada 2 Chron. 24.20 who was the last Prophet whose Murder is related by Name in the Old Testament These Words are not to be understood as if the End and Intent of Christ's sending the Prophets were that the Jews might put them to Death and bring their righteous Blood upon themselves This was the Consequent and Event indeed of their sending but by no means the Design and Intent of it Learn 1. That raging Persecutors have no Regard either to the extraordinary Mission or eminent Sanctity of Persons who reprove them for their Sins I send unto you Prophets says our Saviour wise Men and Scribes and some of them ye shall Kill and Crucifie 2. That as the Piety of the Persons so neither can the Sanctity of the Place discourage and deterr bloody Persecutors from their Rage and Fury against the Prophets of God In the Temple it self in the Court of the House of the Lord even betwixt the Porch and the Altar was Zacharias slain 3. That it is a righteous Thing with God to punish the Children for the Impieties of their Parents This is to be understood 1. where the Children tread in their Father's Steps and continue in their Parents Sins which they do if they do not confess them abhor them and be humbled for them 2. This is to be understood of Temporal Evils not of Eternal Punishments No Man shall for his Father's Sins lye down in Everlasting Burnings As our Fathers Faith will not let us into Heaven so neither will their Impiety shut us into Hell At the Day of Judgment every Man shall be separately considered according to his Deeds 37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not 38 Behold your house is left unto you desolate 39 For I say unto you Ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord. Our Lord concludes this Chapter with a Pathetical Lamentation over Jerusalem His Ingemination or doubling of the Word Oh Jerusalem Jerusalem shews the Vehemency of Christ's Affection towards them and the Sincerity of his Desires for their Salvation Obs 1. The great Kindness and Compassion of Christ to the Jews in general and Jerusalem in particular set forth by a lively Metaphor and Similitude that of an Hen gathering her Chickens under her Wings As the Hen doth tenderly cherish and carefully hide and cover her Young from the Eye of the Destroyer so would Christ have shrouded and sheltered this People from all those Birds of Prey and particularly from the Roman Eagle by which they were at last devoured Again As the Hen continueth her Call to her young ones from Morning to Night and holds out her Wings for shelter to them all the Day long so did Christ wait for this Peoples Repentance and Conversion for more than Forty Years after they had killed his Prophets and murthered himself before they met with a final Overthrow Obs 2. The amazing Obstinacy and Wilfulness of this People in rejecting this Grace and Favour this Kindness and Condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ I would have gathered you but ye would not Obs 3. The Fatal Issue of this Obstinacy Behold your House is left unto you desolate Is left that is certainly and suddenly will be so The Present-Tense put for the Paulo post futurum it denotes both the Certainty and Proximity of this People's Ruin Learn 1. That the Ruin and Destruction of Sinners is wholly chargeable upon themselves that is on their own Wilfulness and Obstinacy I would have gathered you says Christ but ye would not Learn 2. How deplorably and inexcusably they will perish who perish by their own Wilfulness under the Gospel 3. That there
them Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the Kingdom of God 15 Verily I say unto you Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child he shall not enter therein 16 And he took them up in his Arms put his hands upon them and blessed them Obs here a solemn Action performed Children are brought to Christ to be blest by him Where Note 1. The Persons Brought children young children sucking Children as the Word imports St. Luke 18.15 They brought them in their Arms not led them by the Hands 2. The Person they are brought unto Jesus Christ But for what End not to Baptize them but to bless them The Parents looking upon Christ as a Prophet a great Prophet the great Prophet do bring their Infants to him that they might receive the Benefit of his Blessing and Prayers Whence Learn 1. That Infants are capable of Benefit by Jesus Christ 2. That it is the best Office that Parents can perform unto their Children to bring them unto Christ that they may be made Partakers of that Benefit 3. If Infants be capable of Benefit by Christ if capable of his Blessing on Earth and Presence in Heaven If they be Subjects of his Kingdom of Grace and Heirs of his Kingdom of Glory then may they be Baptized For they that are in Covenant have a Right to the Seal of the Covenant If Christ denies not Infants the Kingdom of Heaven which is the Greater what Reason have Ministers to deny them the Benefit of Baptism which is the Less 17 And when he was gone forth into the way there came one running and kneeled to him and asked him Good master what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life Obs Here 1. A Person addressing himself to Christ with an important Question in his Mouth This Person was a young Man a rich Man and a Ruler a young Man in the Prime of his Age a rich Man in the Fulness of his Wealth and a Ruler in the Prime of his Authority and Power From whence Learn That for young Men rich Men especially Noble Men to enquire the way to Salvation is very commendable but very rare Observe 2. As the Person addressing so the manner of the Address he came running and kneeled to Christ Where Observe his Voluntariness he came of himself not drawn by others Importunity nor drawn by his own personal Afflictions And his Readiness he came Running This shewed his Zeal and Forwardness to meet with Christ and be resolved by him And Lastly His Humility he Kneeled to him as an eminent Prophet and Teacher not knowing him to be the Son of God Obs 3. The Address it self What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life Where Note 1. He believes the Certainty of a future State 2. He professes his Desire of an Eternal Happiness in that State 3. He declares his Readiness to do some good thing in order to the obtaining of that Happiness Hence Learn That the Light of Nature or Natural Religion teaches Men that good Works are necessary to Salvation or that some good thing must be done by them who at Death expect Eternal Life It is not talking well and professing well but doing well that entitles us to Heaven and Eternal Life 18 And Jesus said unto him Why callest thou me good there is none good but one that is God As if Christ had said Why callest thou me good when thou dost not believe or own me to be God for there is none good that is essentially and originally good absolutely and immutably good but God only nor any derivatively good but he that receiveth his Goodness from God also There is no mere Man that is absolutely and perfectly good of himself but by Participation and Derivation from God only See the Note on St. Matth. 19.17 19 Thou knowest the commandments Do not commit adultery Do not kill Do not steal Do not bear false witness Defraud not Honour thy father and mother Observe here That the Duties which our Saviour instances in are the Duties of the Second Table which Hypocrites are most failing in But nothing is a better Evidence of our unfeigned Love to God than the sincere Performance of our Duty to our Neighbours Love to Man is a Fruit and Testimony of our Love to God for he that loveth not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen 1 John 4.20 Learn hence That such as are defective in the Duties of the Second Table Charity and Justice do make but a counterfeit Shew of Religion though they pretend to the highest Measures and Degrees of Love to God 20 And he answered and said unto him Master all these have I observed from my youth This Assertion of the young Man might be very true according to the Pharisees Sense and Interpretation of the Law which condemned only the gross outward Act not the inward Lust and Motion of the Heart An out-side Obedience to the Law this young Man had performed this made him think well of himself and conclude the Goodness of his own Condition Learn hence How prone Men are to think the best of themselves and to have too high an Opinion of their own Goodness and Righteousness before God All these things have I kept from my Youth It is a natural Corruption in Men to think too well of themselves and of their own Goodness and Righteousness before God but it is very dangerous and fatal so to do 21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him and said unto him One thing thou lackest go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come take up the cross and follow me 22 And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved for he had great possessions Observe here 1. Christ's Compassion towards this young Man He loved him with a Love of Pity and Compassion with a Love of Courtesy and Respect There may be some very amiable and lovely Qualities in natural and unregenerate Men and Goodness in what Kind or Degree soever it is doth attract and draw forth Christ's Love towards a Person If Christ did love Civility what Respect has he for sincere Sanctity Obs 2. Our Lord's Admonition One thing thou lackest which was true Self-denial in renouncing the Sin of Covetousness and the inordinate Love of worldly Wealth We ought upon God's Call to maintain such a readiness of Mind as to be willing to part with all for God's sake which is dear unto us in this World Obs 3. Our Lord's Injunction Sell what thou hast and give to the Poor This was not a common but a special Precept belonging particularly to this young Man it was a Commandment of Tryal given to him like that given to Abraham Gen. 22. to convince him of his corrupt Confidence in his Riches Yet is it thus far of general use to us all to teach us so
denounced against the Pharisees for cheating and deceiving the people with an outward shew and appearance of Piety and Religion They were like Graves and Sepulchres grown over with Grass which tho' they held dead mens Bones yet the putrefaction not outwardly appearing Men walked unawares over them and so were polluted by them intimating that the inward Rottenness and filthy Corruptions of the Pharisees not appearing unto Men the people were easily deceived by outward shews of Pharisaical Sanctity and so fell into a dangerous imitation of them Learn thence That the great design of Hypocrisy is to cheat the World with an empty shew of Piety the Hypocrites Ambition is to be thought good not to be so Learn 2. That nothing is more fatally dangerous to the Souls of Men and draws Persons to an admiration and imitation of hypocritical Professors like their outward shews of Sanctity and their extraordinary appearances of Devotion and Piety This it was that gained the Pharisees such a veneration and esteem among the people that it became a proverb amongst them If but two men went to Heaven the one must be a Pharisee but their counterfeit piety being double iniquity they did receive for it double Damnation 45 Then answered one of the Lawyers and said unto him Master thus saying thou reproachest us also 46 And he said Wo unto you also ye Lawyers for ye lade men with Burthens grievous to be born and ye your selves touch not the Burthens with one of your Fingers The former Woes were denounced by our Saviour against the Pharisees who had their Name from an Hebrew word which signifies to separate because they were persons separated and set apart for studying the Law of God and teaching it to others The next Wo is here denounced against the Lawyers that is the Scribes of the Law of which there were two sorts the Civil Scribe and the Ecclesiastical Scribe the Civil Scribe was a publick Notary or Register of the Synagogue employed in writing Bills of Divorce and Sentences in the Phylacteries The Ecclesiastical Scribe was an expounder of the Scripture an interpreter of the Law Men of great Learning and Knowledge whose Decrees and Interpretations the Pharisees strictly observed this Lawyer here insolently calls our Saviour's Reproof a Reproach however our Saviour who never feared the Face or regarded the person of any Man gives them their portion and lets them know wherein they were faulty as well as the Pharisees and accordingly pronounces a Wo unto them also for a threefold Crime 1. For their laying heavy Burthens upon others Shoulders which they would not touch with one of their own Fingers These Burthens in general were a rigid exaction of Obedience to the whole Ceremonial Law and in particular the Burthen of Traditions certain austerities and severities which they imposed upon the people but would not undergo any part of them themselves in vain do we hope to oblige our Hearers to follow those Rules of Life which we refuse or neglect to put in practise our selves 47 Wo unto you for ye build the Sepulchres of the Prophets and your fathers killed them 48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the Deeds of your fathers for they indeed killed them and ye build their Sepulchres 49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God I will send them Prophets and Apostles and some of them they shall slay and Persecute 50 That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the World may be required of this Generation 51 From the blood of Abel to the blood of Zacharias which perished between the Altar and the Temple Verily I say unto you it shall be required of this Generation The second Crime which Christ reproves in these Men is their grand Hypocrisy in pretending great honour to the Saints departed building their Tombs and garnishing their Sepulchres declaiming against their Fathers impiety that had they lived in their days they would not have been partakers with them in their sins Now their Hypocrisâ— appeared in three Particulars 1. In that they continued in their own wickedness and yet commended the Saints departed they magnify the Saints but multiply their sins and instead of imitating their Vertues they content themselves with garnishing their Sepulchres 2. In professing great Respect to the Dead Saints and at the same time Persecuting the Living Palpable Hypocrisy and yet as gross as it is it prevails to this day The Church of Rome who magnifies Martyrs Canonizes Saints departed have yet added to their number by shedding of their Blood 3. In taking false measures of their Love to the Saints departed from their Building their Tombs and garnishing their Sepulchres whereas the best Evidence of our Love to them is the imitating their Vertues and cherishing their Followers 'T is gross Hypocrisy to pay respect to the Relicks of Saints and Veneration to their Images and at the same time to persecute and hate their Followers From the whole Note 1. That the World has all along Loved dead Saints better than living ones Mortui non mordent the dead Saints Example how bright soever is not so scorching and troublesome at a distance and he himself stands no longer in other Mens Light whereas the Living Saints Example is a cutting Reproof to Sin and Vice Note 2. That there is a certain Civility in humane Nature which leads Men to a just Commendation of the Dead and to a due estimation of their Worth The Pharisees here tho' they persecuted the Prophets whilst alive yet did they pretend to a mighty Veneration for their Piety and Vertue after they were dead and thought no Honour too great to be done unto them Note 3. That it is the greatest Hypocrisy imaginable to pretend to love Goodness and at the same time to hate and persecute good Men. These Pharisees and Lawyers pretended high to Piety and Religion and at the same time killed the Prophets Note 4. That the highest Honour we can pay to the Saints departed is not by raising Monuments and Building Tombs to their Memory but by a careful imitation of their Piety and Vertue following the Holiness of their Lives and their Patience and Constancy at their Death Lastly Learn That it is a Righteous thing with God to punish Children for the impiety of their Parents when they walk in their ungodly Parents Footsteps upon you shall come the Blood of all the Prophets from the Blood of Abel to the Blood of Zacharias yet this must be understood of Temporal Evils not of Eternal Punishments no Man for his Fathers Sins shall lye down in Everlasting Burnings as our Fathers Faith will not let us into Heaven so neither will their Impiety shut us into Hell At the Day of Judgment every Man shall be separately considered according to his own Deeds 52 Wo unto you Lawyers for ye have taken away the Key of Knowledge ye entered not in your selves and them that were entering in ye hindered The last Wo pronounced by
that I was not there to the intent ye may believe nevertheless let us go unto him 16 Then said Thomas which is called Didymus unto his fellow-disciples Let us also go that we may die with him Observe here 1. How desirous the Disciples were that Christ should not go to Bethany where Lazarus was Bethany being within two Miles of Jerusalem where the seat of our Saviour's Enemies was But our Lord knowing his Call to be clear Resolves to go Nevertheless says Christ let us go unto him Oh Love stronger than Death the Grave cannot separate betwixt Christ and his Friends other Friends accompany us to the brink of the Grave and there they leave us to Worms and Dust for Death hath both horror and noysomness to attend it But for thee O Saviour the Grave-stone the Earth the Coffin are no Bounders of thy Dear Respects Blessed be God that neither Life nor Death can separate from the Love of Christ but even after Death and Burial he is graciously affected to those he loves Christ has a Gracious Regard to the Dust of his Saints tho' his holy ones see Corruption they shall not always lye under the power of Corruption their dead Bodies are a part of the undoubted Members of Christ's Mystical Body Blessed be God the time is coming when Christ will knock at the door of his Childrens Graves and call them up out of their Bed of Dust and they shall hear the Voice of the Son of God and Live Observe 2. The Wise and Holy design of Christ in delaying to go to Bethany till Lazarus was Dead Namely That he might at once Raise Lazarus his Dead Body and his Disciples Faith confirming them in the Belief that he was the Son of God and the true Messias But could the Faith of the Apostles want confirmation who had seen so many Miracles wrought by our Saviour and had lived under his Ministry all the time of it Yes the Faith of the most Eminent Saints even of Apostles themselves wants Confirmation in this state of Weakness and Imperfection and is capable of Growth I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent ye may Believe Observe 3. The great Passion which Thomas expresses upon the notice given by Christ of Lazarus his Death Plainly Lazarus is Dead says Christ Let us go and die with him says Thomas Oh what passionate and impatient Expressions do sometimes drop from our Mouths on the occasion of the Death of our dear Relations We are ready to be so affected with the Death of our Friends as to wish our selves out of the World that we might be with them But we must remember that it is God that appoints us our several Posts and particular Stations which we must keep till the Wisdom of God sees fit to remove us 17 Then when Jesus came he found that he had lien in the grave four days already 18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother 20 Then Martha assoon as she heard that Jesus was coming went and met him but Mary sat still in the house 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died 22 But I know that even now whatsoever thou wilt ask of God God will give it thee Observe here 1. The length of time which Christ designedly delayed before he would come to Lazarus his Grave he was not above six Miles off Bethany being within two Miles of Jerusalem and Jerusalem within four Miles of Bethabara where Christ now was and yet our Saviour comes not of four Days doubtless that the Miracle of Lazarus's Resurrection might be the more Conspicuous and remarkable Christ could as easily have cured Lazarus's being sick as have raised him being dead and as easily have raised him the first day as the fourth day but that had not carried along with it such a full conviction of Christ's Almighty Power Therefore that he might draw the eyes of their Faith more steadfastly to behold and admire his Almighty Power our Saviour defers his coming till Lazarus had been dead four Days Observe 2. The civil usage of mourning with those that mourn for the Dead Anciently they mourned Thirty Days and sometimes forty for a dear Relation Numb 20 29. During which time Neighbours and Friends came to visit and Relieve them in their sadness with such consolatory Arguments as they had Christian Religion doth not condemn natural Affection humane passions are not sinful if not excessive to be above the stroke of passions is a condition equal to Angels to be in a state of sorrow without the Sense of sorrow is a disposition beneath the Beasts but duly to regulate our sorrows and set Boundaries to our grief is the Wisdom the Duty the Interest and the Excellency of a Christian As to be above all passions will be our happiness in Heaven so to regulate and rectifie our passions is a great part of our holiness on Earth Observe 3. Although Martha was a â—rue mourner for the Death of her Brother yet she doth not so far indulge to grief but upon the first notice of Christ's approach she arises and goes forth to meet him with a mournful moan in her mouth Lord if thou hadst been here my Brother had not died Where Observe How Faith and Infirmity were mixt together Faith appeared in that him perswasion which she had of Christ's Power as if Death durst not shew its face in Christ's presence hadst thou been here my Brother had not died But then her Infirmity appeared in limiting Christ both to Time and Place to Place if thou hadst been here As if Christ could not if it had pleased him save his Life absent as well as present then to time Now he stinketh as if she had said you are come but alas too late you have stayed too long he is past Recovery the Grave has swallowed him up as if Death would not deliver up its Prisoner at the command of Christ Oh the Imperfect Composition of the Best of Saints what a mixture of Faith and Infirmity is found in the Holiest and Best of Christians This also farther appears in her next words ver 22. I know that whatsoever thou shalt ask of God he will give it thee She seems not to Believe that Christ was able to raise him by his own immediate Power but must obtain Power of God to do it as the Prophets were wont to do that raised the Dead She thought Christ a person highly in God's favour but scarce believed him able to raise Lazarus by his own Power had her Faith extended to a Belief that Christ was equal with the Father and that the fulness of the Godhead dwelt in him she would not have questioned his Power to raise him from the Grave for tho' Christ as Mediatour did apply himself by Prayer to God at the raising of Dead
by the World the World may wish Peace yet never intend it or they may wish it yet not be able to give it but Christ's Peace is real and effectual solid and substantial the World's Peace is only a freedom from outward trouble but Christ's Peace is a deliverance from inward guilt and tho' it doth not give us an exemption from outward Troubles yet it gives us a sanctified use and improvement of them and assures us of a Joyful Issue and deliverance out of them 28 Ye have heard how I said unto you I go away and come again unto you If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I said I go unto the Father for my Father is greater then I. That the Disciples of Christ might neither be overset with fears nor overwhelm'd with grief he tells them that they ought to entertain the news of his departure rather with joy and exaltation than with sorrow and dejection If ye loved me ye would rejoyce because I go to the Father True Love to Christ will make us rejoyce in his Advancement and Exaltation altho' it be to our own disadvantage Those words my Father is greater then I must be understood with reference to his Humane Nature as Mediatour for so he was the Father's Servant and the Father as God was greater than he as Man again the Father may be said to be greater than Christ in regard of his Paternity as being the fountain of the Deity the Father is of himself but the Son is begotten of the Father but being of the same Substance with the Father he is consequently God as the Father is God for the inequality arises not from the Essence but from the order and manner of Subsistence Thus the Father was greater than He. 29 And now I have told you before it come to pass that when it is come to pass ye might believe 30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you for the prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in me 31 But that the world may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me commandment even so I do Arise let us go hence The time of our Saviour's Death now nearer and nearer Approaching he prepares the expectation of his Disciples for it because evils that surprize us suddenly do sink our Spirits sadly whereas what we fear for that we prepare Accordingly our Lord arms his dear Disciples against all disquietude and over-whelming sorrow for his Departure from them I have told you before that when it comes to pass ye might believe that is be assured that I am not meer Man but truly and really God and depend upon me for Life and Salvation Observe 2. How our Saviour points out the cause of his Sufferings Namely Satan and his Instruments The Prince of this World cometh that is by Judas the Soldiers and the High Priests but he has nothing in me that is he will find no Sin or Corruption in me to side with his Temptations or no guilt upon me to give him any Advantage against me for I shall Die as a perfectly Innocent person Christ in Suffering for our Sins did not only conflict with the wrath of God but with the rage of Men and Devils yet all the power and policy all the malice and cruelty of Satan cannot prevail against Christ any further than he voluntarily yields and submits himself unto it The Prince of this World cometh but hath nothing in me Observe 3. That it was Christ's Love and Obedience to his Father that carried him forth so chearfully to the work of Sufferings supported him under it and carried him thorough it That the World may know that I love the Father and as the Father gave me Commandment even so I do True Love to God will draw Men to Obedience in the hardest Services and Sufferings the grand motive of Christ's Sufferings was Love to his Father Obedience to his Commands and a regard to his Glory Lord Let thy Love and Obedience to thy Father in all thy Sufferings be the subject of our Admiration and the matter of our Imitation also As the Father gives us Commandment so let us always do CHAP. XV. 1 I Am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit Observe here How our blessed Saviour under the Metaphor of a Vine elegantly sets forth himself in his relation to his visible Church shewing under that similitude what his Father meant to do with Judas and with all unfruitful Branches like unto him even take them away cut them off and throw them into the Fire but such as are fruitful he purges by his Word and Spirit by Ordinances and Providences by Mercies and Afflictions that they may be more aboundingly and abidingly fruitful Learn hence 1. That Jesus Christ in his offices for and relation to his People doth most fitly resemble a Vine As the Vine is weak mean and small in outward appearance not like the Cedar for heighth or like the Oak for strength so was Christ in his state of humiliation there was no beauty in him Isa 53. As the Vine is a fruitful Plant tho' it has little pomp yet has it much plenty and is only useful for fruit-bearing and brings forth both plenty and variety of sweet fruit to make glad the Heart of Man thus the fruits of Christ's Death Resurrection Ascension and Intercession are many and great delightful and sweet In a word as the fruit of the Vine is pressed that it may be Drink unto Men so Christ submitted to be Trod in the Wine-press of God's Wrath that thereby the sweetest fruit and benefit might redound to his People Finally as the Vine is the Root from which all the Branches derive their nourishment and fruitfulness in like manner is Christ the Stock into which all his Members are ingrafted the Root in which they all subsist and the fountain from whence their spiritual Life and Fruitfulness doth proceed and flow Learn 2. That as Christ is the Vine so his Father is the Husbandman he ingrafts and implants all the Branches into this Vine the Plants of Righteousness are of his own planting he takes notice what store of Fruit every Branch doth bring forth and it is his daily care to dress and dung to purge and prune to support and shelter his Vineyard that it may bring forth Fruit abundantly Learn 3. That there are two sorts of Branches in this Vnie some fruitful others unfruitful some have the visibility but not the reality of Branches some are branches only by external profession others are so by real implantation Learn 4. That the true Touchstone whereby to discern one sort of Branches from another is not by the fair Leaves of Profession but by the substantial Fruits of an Holy and Righteous Conversation Learn 5. That in the most fruitful Branches in the best
the indubitable certainty thereof I have loved you Follow me from Heaven to Earth and from Earth to Heaven again and you will find that every step I have taken hath been in love Learn 1. That the Lord Jesus Christ has given full and ample Demonstration of his great and wonderful love unto his Church and People 2. That it is the Duty and ought to be the singular care of every Christian to preserve the sweet sense and inward diffusions of Christ's love in their own Souls Continue ye in my love 10 If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love Christ had told his Disciples in the foregoing Verse That he had loved them even as the Father had loved him That is with an eternal love with a real and operative love with an immutable and constant love In this Verse he directs them how they may continue in the sense of his Love Namely By their constant Obedience to his Commands as his Obedience to his Father's Commands had secured him a continuance in his Father's Love If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love That is in the sense of my Love and under the sweet apprehensions of it Learn hence That as our Obedience to Christ is the best Evidence of our Love to him so is it the best means to preserve and keep us in the sense and assurance of his Love to us 11 These thing have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full In these words our Saviour declares the Ground and Reason why he did so vehemently press and urge the Duty of being universally fruitful upon his Disciples and that was twofold 1. That his joy might remain in them That is That the joy which he had in their Holiness and Obedience might remain with him nothing is more desired by Christ than that he may have cause continually to rejoyce in the Faith and fruitfulness of his People 2. That their joy in him might be full This latter arises from the former our joy in Christ results from Christ's joy in us his delight in us causes us abundantly to delight in him Learn hence That nothing is more desired by Christ than that the joy of his People should be a full solid constant and uninterrupted joy 2. That the only way and means in order thereunto is by an Holy fruitfulness in good works All these things have I spoken unto you that my joy may remain in you and that your joy might be full 12 This is my commandment That ye love one another as I have loved you Our Lord had often in this farewel Sermon of his to his dear Disciples pressed upon them the Duty of loving one another ch 13 and 14. And yet here he enforces it again from his own Example As I have loved you so love you one another that is as truly and as sincerely for the manner tho' not to the same proportion and degree Learn hence That for the Disciples of Christ to love one another upon such grounds and in such a way as he loved them is that which his heart greatly desires and is very much set upon 2. That Christ's love unto Believers is both an obligation unto mutual love and also a pattern and example for it This is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you 13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends Here our Saviour gives his Disciples an Evidence of the greatness of his love unto them Namely In his readiness to lay down his Life for them which is the highest expression of Love to our dearest Friends because Life is the greatest earthly blessing Learn hence That Christ's Love in laying down his Life for his People was a matchless Love for whilst they were Enemies to him he had a friendly respect for them and never ceased till he had brought them into a covenant of friendship with himself 14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you Here Christ invites his People to Obedience by the honourable title of Friends Ye are my Friends 1. Actively you will declare and manifest your selves to be my Friends 2. Passively I will declare my self to be your Friend Learn hence 1. How condescending is the Love of Christ in calling his Servants by the name of Friends 2. How glorious is the Believer's Relation to Christ in being one of his Friends 3. How grateful is Obedience to Christ seeing it dignifies the Practisers of it with the Title of his Friends 4. Our Conformity to Christ consists not so much in imitation of what he did as in Obedience to what he prescrib'd Some Actions of Christ are unimitable but all his Commands are obeyable 5. That nothing short of an humble uniform chearful and constant Obedience to the Commands of Christ will Evidence the Truth of our Relation to him and the sincerity of our friendship with him Then only are ye my friends when you do whatever I command you 15 Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you By these words Christ declares the Reason why he was pleased to change his stile and call his Disciples Friends instead of Servants Namely Because of his Communication of Secrets to them which Servants are not admitted to the knowledge of Henceforth I call you not Servants that is not meer Servants not that they were to be exempted from Obedience for that is called for in the foregoing Verse but Christ treated them now with the kindness and familiarity of Friends being about to leave them he unbosoms himself unto them saying All things that I have heard of my father I have made known unto you Not as if Christ had communicated the infinite Treasures of knowledge to them which the Father had imparted to him but he speaks here as the Prophet of his Church that as such he had revealed all things needful for them to know in order to Salvation all things belonging to their Case and State as a Counsellour doth not impart all his knowledg to his Clients but all that is necessary for his Client to understand and know that he makes known unto him relating to his own Case Learn hence 1. That all Christ's Disciples are his Servants and all his Servants are his Friends in regard of intimate Communion and tender usage Henceforth I call you not servants but friends And after his Resurrection he called them Brethren John 20.17 The Dignity of Believers is a growing Dignity the longer they follow Christ the higher priviledges are indulged to them Learn 2. That all the Fathers counsel concerning our Salvation and so far as it is needful and necessary for us to know is faithfully revealed
23 And he saith unto them Ye shall drink indeed of my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father Observe here Our Blessed Saviour's wonderful Mildness and Gentleness towards his Disciples he doth not with Passion much less with Indignation reprehend them either for their Ambition or Presumption but makes the best of their Answer and encourages their good Intentions He tells them they should have the Honour to share with him in his Sufferings to pledge him in his own Cup and after a Conformity to him in his Sufferings they might expect to be Sharers with him in his Glory Yet observe that when Christ says That to sit at his Right Hand was not his to give He means as he was Man or as he was Mediator for elsewhere as God we find him asserting his Power to dispose of the Kingdom of Heaven John 10.28 I give unto them Eternal Life 24 And when the ten heard it they were moved with indignation against the two brethren 25 But Jesus called them unto him and said Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority upon them 26 But it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you let him be your minister 27 And whosoever will be chief among you let him be your servant That Christ might effectually quench those unhappy Sparks of Ambition which were kindled in his Apostles Minds he tells them that Supremacy and Dominion belong to Secular Princes not to Evangelical Pastors who ought to carry themselves with Humility towards one another not that Christ directs to a Parity and Equality amongst all his Ministers and forbids the Preheminency of some over others but the Affectation of Superiority and the Love of Preheminency is that which our Saviour disallows Learn 1. That so far ought the Ministers of Christ to be from affecting a Domination and Superiority of Power over their Fellow-Brethren that in Imitation of Christ their Lord and Master they ought to account themselves Fellow-Servants I am amongst you saith Christ as one that serveth 2. That such Ministers as do love and affect Preheminence and Superiority are most unfit for it and they deserve it best who seek it least 3. That the Dignity and Honour which the Ministers of Christ should chiefly and only affect is in another World and the way to be greatest and highest there is to be low and humble here mean in our own Eyes and little in our own Esteem Whosoever will be chief says Christ let him be your Servant 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many To encourage his Disciples to this condescending Humility one towards another our Saviour propounds to them his own instructive Example I came not to be ministred unto says Christ but to minister to the Wants and Necessities of others both for Soul and Body Oh what a Sight will it be as if our Lord had said to behold an humble God and a proud Creature an humble Saviour and an haughty Sinner Yea our Lord urges his Example farther that as he laid down his Life for us so should we be ready to lay down our Lives for one another Did Christ lay down his Life for us and shall not we lay down a Lust for him Our Pride our Ambition our Affectation of Dignity and Superiority over others 29 And as they departed from Jericho a great multitude followed him 30 And behold two blind men sitting by the way side when they heard that Jesus passed by cried out saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou Son of David 31 And the multitude rebuked them because they should hold their peace but they cried the more saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou son of David 32 And Jesus stood still and called them and said What will ye that I shall do unto you 33 They say unto him Lord that our eyes may be opened 34 So Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes and immediately their eyes received sight and they followed him This Chapter concludes with a famous Miracle wrought by Christ upon two blind Men in the Sight of a great Multitude which followed him Where obs 1. The blind Men's Faith in acknowledging Christ to be the true Messias for so much the Title of the Son of David signifies 2. Their Fervency in crying so earnestly to Christ for Mercy and Healing Have mercy upon us thou Son of David A true Sence of Want will make us cry unto Christ for Help earnestly and with undeniable Importunity Obs 3. The great Condescension of Christ towards these poor blind Men He stood still he called them he had Compassion on them he touched their Eyes and healed them A mighty Instance of Christ's Divine Power He that can open blind Eyes with a touch of his Finger is really God His Touch is an Omnipotent Touch. Obs 4. Altho' Christ well knew the Condition of these blind Men yet before he will restore them to sight they must sensibly complain of the want of Sight and cry unto him for Mercy and Healing Learn thence That altho' Christ perfectly knows all our Wants yet he takes no notice of them till we make them known to him by Prayer Obs 5. The best Way and Course which the blind Men took to express their Thankfulness to Christ for recovered Sight they followed him Learn thence That Mercy from Christ is then rightly improved when it engages us to follow Christ This should be the effect of all Salvations wrought for us He praiseth God best that serveth and obeyeth him most the Life of Thankfulness consists in the Thankfulness of the Life CHAP. XXI 1 AND when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem and were come to Bethphage unto the mount of Olives then sent Jesus two disciples 2 Saying unto them Go into the village over against you and straightway ye shall find an ass tied and a colt with her loose them and bring them unto me 3 And if any man say ought unto you ye shall say The Lord hath need of them and straightway he will send them The former part of this Chapter gives us an Account of our Saviour's Solemn and Triumphant Riding into the City of Jerusalem Where Observe That in all our Saviour's Journeys and Travails from Place to Place he constantly went like a poor Man on foot without Noise and without Train now he goes up to Jerusalem to die for Sinners he rides to shew his great Chearfulness in that Service and his Forwardness to lay down his Life for us But what doth he ride upon An Ass according to the manner of great Persons amongst the Jews but especially to fulfill the Prophecy Zach. 9.9 that the
and vindicates the Honour and Reputation of his Father's House Learn hence That there is a Reverence due to God's House for the Owner's sake and for the Service sake Nothing but Holiness can become that Place where God is worshipped in the Beauty of Holiness Observe Lastly The Reason which our Saviour gives for this Act of his for says he It is written my House shall be called an House of Prayer Whereby Prayer is to be understood the whole Worship and Service of Almighty God of which Prayer is an eminent and principal Part That which gives Denomination to an House is certainly the chief Work to be done in that House Now God's House being called an House of Prayer certainly implies that Prayer is the chief and principal Work to be performed in his House yet must we take heed that we set not the Ordinances of God at Variance one with another we must not idolize one Ordinance and villifie another but pay an awful Respect and Regard to all the Institutions of our Maker 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple and he healed them 15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did and the children crying in the temple and saying Hosanna to the Son of David they were sore displeased 16 And said unto him Hearest thou what these say And Jesus saith unto them Yea have ye never read Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise Observe here 1. That our Blessed Saviour works his Miracles not secretly in a Corner but openly in the Temple and submits them to the Examination of all Persons Senses A Miracle is a supernatural Action which is obvious to Sense Popish Miracles are talk'd of by many but seen by none Obs 2. That Christ's Enemies are never more incensed than when his Divine Power is most exerted and his Divine Nature owned and acknowledged When the chief Priests saw the Miracles which Jesus did and heard the Children crying Hosanna to the Son of David they were displeased Obs 3. That Christ can glorifie himself by the Mouth of Babes and Sucklings he can form and fit up what Instruments he pleases to shew forth his Excellencies and celebrate his Praises Out of the Mouths of Babes and Sucklings thou hast perfected Praise 17 And he left them and went out of the city into Bethany and he lodged there 18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city he hungered 19 And when he saw a fig-tree in the way he came to it and found nothing thereon but leaves only and said unto it Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever And presently the fig-tree withered away Our Blessed Saviour having driven the Buyers and Sellers out of the temple lodges not that Night in Jerusalem but withdraws to Bethany a Place of Retirement from the Noise and Tumult of the City Where Note Our Lord's Love of Solitude and Retiredness How delightful is it to a good Man to dwell sometimes within himself to take the Wings of a Dove and fly away and be at rest Yet the next Morning our Lord returns to the City he knew when to be solitary and when to be sociable when to be alone and when to converse in Company In his Passage to the City he espies a Fig-tree and being an hungry to shew the Truth of his Humanity he goes to the Fig-tree and finds it full of Leaves but without any Fruit. Displeased with this Disappointment he curses the Tree which had deceived his Expectation This Action of our Saviour in cursing the barren Fig-tree was Typical an Emblem of the Destruction of Jerusalem in general and of every Person in particular that satisfies himself with a withered Profession bearing Leaves only but no Fruit. As this Fig-tree was so are they nigh unto cursing Learn thence That such as content themselves with a Fruitless Profession of Religion are in great danger of having God's Blasting added to their Barrenness 20 And when the disciples saw it they marvelled saying how soon is the fig-tree withered away 21 Jesus answered and said unto them Verily I say unto you If ye have faith and doubt not ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree but also if ye shall say unto this mountain Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea it shall be done 22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer believving ye shall receive The Disciples being filled with Admiration at the sudden withering of the Fig-tree thereupon our Saviour exhorts them to have Faith in God That is firmly to rely upon the Power of God whereby he is able upon the Goodness of God whereby he is willing to fulfil his Promises to us Learn 1. That Faith is a necessary Ingredient in Prayer Praying without Faith is like shooting without Bullet it makes a noise but doth no Execution 2. That whatsoever good thing God has made the Matter of a Promise shall be given to good Men praying in Faith Whatsoever ye ask in Prayer believing ye shall receive 23 And when he was come into the temple the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching and said By what authority dost thou these things and who gave thee this authority 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them I also will ask you one thing which if ye tell me likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things 25 The baptism of John whence was it from heaven or of men and they reasoned with themselves saying If we shall say From heaven he will say unto us Why did ye not then believe him 26 But if we shall say Of men we fear the people for all hold John as a prophet 27 And they answered Jesus and said We cannot tell And he said unto them Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things The Pharisees having often question'd our Saviour's Doctrine before they call in question his Mission and Authority now Altho' they might easily have understood his Divine Mission by his Divine Miracles Almighty God never impowered any to work Miracles that were not sent by him when the Adversaries of Christ can object nothing against his Doctrine they then quarrel with him about his Commission and Calling and demand by what Authority he doth teach and work Miracles Our Blessed Saviour well understanding their Drift and Design answers them one Question by asking them another The Baptism of John was it from Heaven or of Men Was it of Divine Institution or of Humane Invention Implying that the calling of such as call themselves the Ministers of God ought to be from God No Man ought to take this Honour upon himself but he that is called of God as was Aaron Heb. 5.4 The Pharisees reply they could not tell whence John had his Mission and Authority this was a manifest Untruth by refusing to tell the Truth they fall into a Lie
not long hold burning without a Stock of Oil to feed it so a Profession of Religion tho' never so glorious will not be lasting nor persevering without a Principle of Faith and Love in the Heart to support and maintain it Learn hence That the true Wisdom of a Christian consists in this to take care that not only the Lamp of his Life may shine by outward Profession but that the Vessel of his Heart may be furnished with the Graces of the Holy Spirit as a prevailing and abiding Principle 5 While the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept That is while Christ delays his coming to Persons by Death and Judgment they are not so diligent as they ought to prepare themselves for Death and Judgment Instead of being upon their Watch and Guard they slumbered and slept Note That not only visible Professors but the holiest and best of Christians are very prone to Spiritual Slumber Whilst the Bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept Spiritual Slumber consists in this When Graces are not lively and kept in exercise particularly Faith Hope and Love when there is an Abatement of our Love and Zeal an Intermission of our Care and Watchfulness this is a degree of Spiritual Slumber yet the Saints Slumber is not a prevailing Slumber 't is nor an Universal Slumber 't is not in all the Faculties of the Soul if there be Deadness in the Affections yet is there not Searedness in the Conscience I sleep says the Church but my Heart awaketh Cant. 5.2 Still there is a Principle in the Soul which takes God's part and the Christian groans under the Burthen of his dull and drowsie State But the greatest Wisdom is to maintain a constant Watch that we may at no time be surprized by the Bridegroom 's coming or be in a Confusion when Death and Judgment shall overtake us Blessed are those Virgins whose Lamps always burn bright 6 And at midnight there was a cry made Behold the bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him At Midnight that is at the most dismal and unseasonable time when all the Virgins were fast asleep and when awaked in great Affrightment could not on a sudden consider what to do Such is the Case of those who put off their Repentance and Preparation for another World till they are surprized by Death and Judgment Lord how will the Midnight Cry of the Bridegroom 's coming terrifie and amaze the unprepared Soul What a surprizing Word will this be Behold the Bridegroom cometh Learn hence That the Bridegroom will certainly come tho' at his own time and then all shall be called upon both prepared and unprepared to go forth to meet him Reason says he may come because there is a just God that will render to every one according to his Deeds and reward both Body and Soul for all the Services they have done for God The Body shall not always remain like a solitary Widow in the Dust but shall meet its old Companion the Soul again And as Reason says he may come Faith says he will come and argues from the Promise of Christ John 14.3 and from the Purchase of Christ from Christ's Affection to us and from our Affection to him Faith has seen him upon the Cross and determines she shall see him in the Clouds The Bridegroom will certainly come at his own time happy they that are ready to go forth to meet him 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps 8 And the foolish said unto the wise Give us of your oil for our lamps are gone out The Virgins arising and trimming their Lamps doth denote their actual Preparation for Christ's Coming and Appearance and their putting themselves into a Posture of Readiness to receive him Thence Learn That a believing Apprehension of the Certainty and Suddenness of our Lord 's Coming and Approach will rouze us out of our Spiritual Slumber and prepare us to meet him with Joy and Assurance Then they arose and trimmed their Lamps And the foolish said to the wise give us of your Oil for our Lamps are gone out Observe here 1. A Request made Give us of your Oil. There is a time when the Neglecters of Grace will be made sensible of the Worth of Grace by the want of it Such as now undervalue yea villifie the Grace of God will be heard to say Oh give us of your Oil. Obs 2. The Reason of the Request For our Lamps are gone out Thence Learn That the Lamp of Profession will certainly go out which has not a Stock of Grace to feed and maintain it 9 But the wise answered saying Not so lest there be not enough for us and you but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for your selves Observe here 1. The wise Virgins Denial Not so They will part with no Oil. Learn thence That it must be the Care of every one to get Grace of his own otherwise the Grace of others will do him no Good 'T is not what others have done nay not what Christ himself has done that will save us without our own Endeavours Obs 2. The Reason of their Denial Lest there be not enough for us and you Thence Note That such Christians as have most Grace or the largest Stock of Grace have none to spare none to spare in regard of their Occasions for Grace on Earth and in regard of their Expectations of Glory in Heaven Obs 3. The Advice and Counsel given Go to them that sell and buy for your selves Some take this for an Exhortation others for a mocking Derision Go to them that sell That is say some to the Shops of the Ordinances where it may be had Thence Note That such as would have Grace must have timely Recourse to the Ordinances and Means of Grace Go to them that sell Others understand the Words ironically and as spoken by way of Derision Go to them that sell If you know where to find them and either buy or borrow for your selves Learn thence That it is the greatest Folly in the World to have Oil to buy when we should have Oil to burn To have our Grace to seek when we should have it to exert and exercise It is no time to get Grace when the Bridegroom is come and the Day of Grace is past and over 10 And while they went to buy the bridegroom came and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut Observe here 1. Christ will come at the great Day to his People as a Bridegroom and to the wicked as a Judge The Relation now begun betwixt Christ and his Church shall then be publickly solemniz'd Obs 2. The Qualification of the Persons who shall enter with the Bridegroom into Heaven Such as are ready went in with him This Readiness is twofold Habitual and Actual Habitual Readiness consists in the State of the Person justified and pardoned in the Frame of the Heart sanctified and renewed and in the Course
Light of Nature must give an Account for that One Talent as well as Christians that have Five must account for Five Obs 2. The slothful Servant's Allegation I knew thee to be an hard man and I was afraid Where Note His Prejudice against his Master and the effect of that Prejudice he was afraid and the Fruit of his Fear He hid his Talent in the Earth Learn hence That Sinners entertain in their Minds very hard and unkind Thoughts of God they look upon him as an hard Master rigorous in his Commands and difficult to be pleased Learn 2. That such hard Thoughts of God do naturally occasion slavish Fear which is a great Hinderance to the faithful Discharge of our Duty to God Obs 3. The Master's Reply to the slothful Servant's Allegation which contains an Exprobation or upbraiding of him for his Sloth and Negligence Thou wicked and slothful Servant Where Note 1. That the slothful Servant is a wicked Servant as well as the unfaithful Servant 2. That wicked and slothful Servants to excuse themselves will not stick to charge their Miscarriages upon God himself Thou wert an hard Man 3. That no Excuses whatsoever shall serve either the slothful or unfaithful Servant at the Bar of Christ 28 Take therefore the talent from him and give it unto him which hath ten talents 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given and he shall have abundance but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth These Words contain the Sentence denounced by Christ upon the slothful Servant his Punishment is first a Punishment of Loss Take the Talent from him Learn thence That not improving the Gifts of God given as Talents to us provokes God to take them from us as well as mis-improving From him that hath not that is from him that improveth not shall be taken from him that which he hath 2. Follows the Punishment of Sense Cast him into utter Darkness where is weeping and gnashing of Teeth Learn thence That Hell is a Place and State of inexpressible Misery and Torment A dismal Place as being deprived of the Sight and Enjoyment of God of Christ of Saints and Angels A doleful Place full of overwhelming Sorrow and despairing Grief The gnashing of their Teeth signifies their being full of Rage and Indignation against God against the Saints and against themselves 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on the left From hence to the end of the Chapter we have a Draught and Scheme of the general Judgment Where Observe the Person judging the Son of Man the Persons judged Good and Bad the one called Sheep for their Innocency and Meekness the other Goats for their Unruliness and Uncleanness Observe also the manner of his coming to Judgment most August and Glorious Glorious in his Person glorious in his Attendants Learn That Christ's Appearance at the great Day to the judging of the World it will be a splendid and a glorious Appearance He will come with Power and in great Glory in regard of the Dignity of his Person and the Quality of his Office and the Greatness of his Work He will appear as a King in the midst of his Nobles to take off the Scandal and Ignominy of the Cross and as a Recompence for his Abasement and Humiliation To strike the Hearts of his Enemies with Dread and Fear and to fill the Souls of his People with Joy and Confidence Let us therefore propound it to our Faith to believe it to our Fear to tremble at the Thoughts of it to our Hope and Love that we may expect and wait look and long for it Observe farther the Work of this Judge first to congregate secondly to segregate He shall first gather all Nations Learn That at the general Judgment all that have lived shall be summoned to the Bar of Christ Persons of all Sexes of all Ages of all Nations of all Conditions having gathered them together he shall next segregate and separate them as a Shepherd his Sheep Thence Learn That tho' there be a Mixture and Confusion of the Godly and the Wicked here yet at the Day of Judgment there will be a Separation made betwixt them and they shall never come together more 34 Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Here follows the Sentence which Christ will pronounce upon the Righteous and the Wicked at the great Day first the Sentence of Absolution upon the Righteous then the Sentence of Condemnation upon the Wicked Learn thence That at the Day of Judgment the Godly shall be absolved before the Wicked are condemned The Reasons are because 't is more delightful to God to reward than to punish to save than to destroy because 't is suitable to Christ's Love to begin with his Saints and to be admired by them Also to put his Saints out of Fear as to their Eternal Condition and to bring them near to himself and to set them upon the Throne with himself as Assessors and Judges of the wicked World 1 Cor. 6.3 Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World Lastly With respect to the Wicked that they may be the more affected with their Loss and have a vexatious and tormenting Sense of that Happiness which they have refused Observe next the joyful Sentence pronounced Come ye Blessed of my Father Where Note 1. The joyful Compellation Ye Blessed Which Term is opposed to these Two Things 1. To the Worlds Judgment of them which accounts them vile and accursed Here is an Absolution from their unjust Censures 2. To the Sentence of the Law which pronounces all its Transgressors accursed Gal. 3.10 but says Christ I that have redeemed you from the Curse of the Law pronounce you Blessed But why Blessed of my Father 1. To point out the Fontal Cause of all our Happiness the Love of the Father This prepared the Kingdom 2. This Expression shews how the Divine Persons glorifie one another As the Spirit glorifies the Son so the Son glorifies the Father and referrs all to him Therefore Christ says not Come my redeemed ones but Come ye blesled ones not Come you that were redeemed by me but Come ye blessed of my Fathee 't is his good Pleasure to give you the Kingdom Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ at his second Coming will adjudge all his People unto a State of glorious and everlasting Happiness which his Father has prepared and
let us be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Length Depth and Heighth and let us know the Love of Christ which in suffering for us passeth Knowledge So infinite every way were the Dimensions of it 37 And set up over his head his accusation written THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS It was the manner of the Romans when they crucified any Man to publish the Cause of his Death in Capital Letters placed over the Head of the Person Now see how the Wisdom and Providence of God powerfully over-ruled the Heart and Pen of Pilate to draw this Title which was truly honourable and fix it to his Cross Pilate is Christ's Herald and proclaims him King of the Jews Learn hence That the Regal Dignity of Christ was proclaimed by an Enemy and that in a time of his greatest Sufferings and Reproaches Pilate did Christ a special Honour and an eminent piece of Service he did that for Christ which none of his own Disciples durst do but he did it not designedly for his Glory but from the special over-ruling Power of Divine Providence But the highest Services performed to Christ undesignedly shall never be accepted nor rewarded by God 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him one on the right hand and another on the left 39 And they that passed by reviled him wagging their heads 40 And saying Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days save thy self if thou be the Son of God come down from the cross 41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him with the scribes and elders said 42 He saved others himself he cannot save if he be the king of Israel let him now come down from the cross and we will believe him 43 He trusted in God let him deliver him now if he will have him for he said I am the Son of God 44 The thieves also which were crucified with him cast the same in his teeth Here we have several Aggravations of our Lord's Sufferings upon the Ctoss 1. From the Company he suffer'd with Two Thieves It had been Disparagement enough to our Blessed Saviour to have been sorted with the Best of Men but to be numbered with the Scum of Mankind is such an Indignity as confounds our Thoughts This was intended by the Jews to dishonour him the more and to perswade the World that he was the greatest of Offenders but God over-ruled this that the Scripture might be fulfilled He was numbered with the Transgressors 2. Another Aggravation of our Lord's Sufferings on the Cross was the Scorn and mocking Derision which he met with in his dying Moments from the common People from the chief Priests and from the Thieves that suffer'd with him The common People both in Words and Actions expressed Scorn and Detestation against him They reviled him wagging their Heads The chief Priests tho' Men of Age and Gravity not only barbarously mock him in his extreamest Misery whom Humanity obliged them to Pity but they scoff Atheistically and Prophanely jeering at his Faith and Affiance in God tauntingly saying He trusted in God that he would deliver him now let him deliver him if he will have him Where Observe That Persecutors are generally Atheists tho' they make a Profession of Religion The chief Priests and Elders here tho' learned and knowing Men yet they blaspheme God and mock at his Power deride his Providence which was as bad as to deny his Being Hence we may gather that those who administer to God in Holy Things by way of Office if they be not the best they are the worst of Men. No such bitter Enemies to the Power of Godliness as the Ministers of Religion who were never acquainted with the Efficacy and Power of it in their own Hearts and Lives A Third Aggravation of our Lord's Sufferings on the Cross was That the Thief 's that suffered with him reviled him with the rest That is one of them as St. Luke has it or perhaps both of them might do it at first Which if so encreases the Wonder of the penitent Thieves Conversion From the Thief 's Impenitency we Learn That neither Shame nor Pain will change the Mind of a resolute Sinner but even then when he is in the very Suburbs of Hell will he blaspheme 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice saying Eli Eli Lamasabachthani that is to say My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 47 Some of them that stood there when they heard that said This man calleth for Elias 48 And straightway one of them run and took a spunge and filled it with vinegar and put it on a reed and gave him to drink 49 The rest said Let be let us see whether Elias will come to save him 50 Jesus when he had cried again with a loud voice yeilded up the ghost Observe here 1. How the Rays of Christ's Divinity and the Glory of his Godhead breaks out and shines forth in the midst of that Infirmity which his Humane Nature laboured under He shews himself to be the God of Nature by altering the Course of Nature The Sun is eclipsed and Darkness overspreads the Earth for Three Hours namely from Twelve a Clock to Three Thus the Sun in the Firmament becomes close Mourner at our Lord's Death and the whole Frame of Nature puts it self into a Funeral Habit. Obs 2. That the Soul of Christ's Sufferings consisted in the Sufferings of his Soul the Distress of his Spirit was more intolerable than the Torments of his Body as appears by his mournful Complaint My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Being the first Words of the 22d Psalm and some conceive that he repeated that whole Psalm it being an admirable Narrative of the Dolours of his Passion Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ when suffering for our Sins was really deserted for a Time and left destitute of all sensible Consolation Why hast thou forsaken me Learn farther That under this Desertion Christ despaired not but still retain'd a firm Perswasion of God's Love unto him and experienced necessary Supports from him My God my God These are Words of Faith and Affiance striving under Temptation Christ was thus forsaken for us that we might never be forsaken by God yet by God's forsaking of Christ is not to be understood any Abatement of Divine Love but only a Withdrawing from the Humane Nature the Sense of hiâ— Love and a letting out upon his Soul a deep afflicting Sense of his Displeasure against Sin There is a total and eternal Desertion by which God utterly forsakes a Man both as to Grace and Glory being wholly cast out of God's Presence and adjudged to Eternal Torments this was not compatible to Christ nor agreeable to the Dignity of his Person But these is a Partial and Temporary Desertion when God for a little Moment hides his
yet such weak Christians perhaps when a Trial comes shall stand their Ground when stronger run away We read of none of the Apostles at Christ's Funeral Fear had chased them away tho' they profess'd a Readiness to die with Christ But Joseph and Nicodemus appear boldly for him Let it be a Caution to strong Christians neither to glory in themselves nor to glory over the weak If God desert the strong and assist the weak the feeble shall be as David and the strong as Tow. Obs 3. The Mourners that followed the Hearse namely the Women that follow'd him out of Galilee and particularly the Two Maries a very poor Train of Mourners a few sorrowful Women Others are attended to their Graves by their Relations and Friends but Christ's Disciples were all scattered and afraid to own him either dying or dead Our Blessed Lord affected no Pomp or Gallantry in his Life and it was no ways suitable either to the End or Manner of his Death Humiliation was designed in his Death and his Burial was the lowest degree of his Humiliation Obs 4. The Grave or Sepulchre in which they buried him it was in a Garden As by the Sin of the first Adam we were driven out of the Garden of Pleasure the Earthly Paradice so by the Sufferings of the second Adam who lay buried in a Garden we may hope for an Entrance into the Heavenly Paradice It was in a Sepulchre hew'd out of a Rock that so his Enemies might have no Occasion to cavil and say that his Disciples stole him away by secret Holes or unseen Passages under Ground And it was in a new Sepulchre in which never any Man was laid lest his Adversaries should say it was some other that was risen or that he rose from the Dead by touching some other Corps Obs 5. The Manner of our Lord's Funeral hastily openly decently It was done in haste by reason of the Streights of Time the Preparation for the Passover caused them to be very expeditious the Sabbath was approaching and they lay all Business aside to prepare for that Learn thence How much it is our Duty to dispatch our Worldly Business as early as we can towards the end of the Week that we may be the better prepared to sanctifie the Lord's Day if we live to enjoy it We ought to remember that Day before it come and to sanctifie it when it is come Again our Lord was buried openly as well as hastily all Persons had Liberty to be Spectators that none might object there was any Fraud or Deceit used in or about his Burial He was also interr'd decently his Body wrapt in fine Linnen and perfum'd with Odours according to the Jewish Custom which used not to unbowel but embalm their Dead Obs 6. The Reason why our Lord was buried seeing he was to rise again in as short a time as other Men lye by the Walls and had his dead Body remain'd a Thousand Years unburied it could have seen no Corruption having never been tainted with Sin Sin is the Cause of the Body's Corruption 't is Sin that makes our Body stink worse than Carrion when they are dead A Funeral then was not necessary for Christ's Body upon the same Accounts that it is necessary for ours But 1. He was buried to declare the Certainty of his Death and the Reality of his Resurrection and for this Reason did God's Providence order it that he should be embalm'd to cut off all Pretensions For in this kind of embalming his Mouth his Ears and his Nostrils were all fill'd with Spices and Odours so that there could be no Latent Principle of Life in him being thus buried then declares him to be certainly dead 2. He was buried to fulfill the Types and Prophecies that went before concerning him Jonas being Three Days and Three Nights in the Belly of the Whale was a Type of Christ's being Three Days and Three Nights in the Heart of the Earth and the Prophet Esay 53.9 had declar'd the manner of his Funeral long before he was born He made his Grave with the Wicked and with the Rich in his Death Pointing by that Expression at this Tomb of Joseph's who was a rich Man and the Scriptures cannot be broken 3. He was buried to compleat his Humiliation They have brought me to the Dust of Death says David a Type of Christ This was the lowest Step he could possibly descend in his abased state lower he could not be laid and so low his blessed Head must be laid else he had not been humbled to the lowest 4. He went into the Grave that he might conquer Death in its own Territories and Dominions Christ's Victory over the Grave causes his Saints to triumph and sing Oh Grave where is thy Destruction Our blessed Lord has perfum'd the Bed of the Grave by his own lying in it so that a Pillow of Down is not so soft to a Believer's Head as a Pillow of Dust Observe Lastly what Use the Doctrine of our Lord's Burial may be unto us 1. For Instruction here we see the amazing Depths of our Lord's Humiliation From what to what his Love brought him even from the Bosom of his Father to the Bosom of the Grave Now the Depth of his Humiliation shews us the Fulness and Sufficiency of his Satisfaction as well as the Heinousness of our Transgression 2. For Consolation against the Fears of Death and the Grave The Grave received Christ but could not retain him Death swallow'd him up as the Fish did Jonas but quickly vomitted him up again so shall it fare with Christ mystical as it did with Christ Personal the Grave could not long keep him it shall not for ever keep us as his Body rested in Hope so shall ours also and tho' they see Corruption which he did not yet shall they not always lye under the Power of Corruption In a Word Christ's lying in the Grave has chang'd and alter'd the Nature of the Grave it was a Prison before a Bed of Rest now a loathsome Grave before a perfumed Bed now He whose Head is in Heaven need not fear to put his Foot into the Grave Awake and sing thou that dwellest in the Dust for the Enmity of the Grave is slain by Christ 3. For Imitation let us study and endeavour to be buried with Christ in respect of our Sins I mean Rom. 6.4 Buried with him into Death Our Sins should be as a dead Body in several Respects Are dead Bodies removed out of the Society of Men so should our Sins be removed far from us Do dead Bodies in the Grave spend and consume away by little and little So should our Sins daily Will dead Bodies grow every Day more and more loathsome to others So should our Sins be to our selves Do dead Bodies wax out of Memory and are quite forgotten So should our Sins in respect of any Delight that we take in remembring of them We should always remember our Sins to our Humiliation
but never think or speak of them with the least Delight or Satisfaction for this in God's Account is a new Commission of them and lays under an Additional Guilt 62 Now the next day that followed the day of the preparation the chief Priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate 63 Saying Sir we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive After three days I will rise again 64 Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day lest his disciples come by night and steal him away and say unto the people he is risen from the dead so the last errour shall be worse than the first 65 Pilate said unto them Ye have a watch go your way make it as sure as you can 66 So they went and made the sepulchre sure sealing the stone and setting a watch This last Paragraph of the Chapter acquaints us with the Endeavours that the Murtherers of Christ used to prevent his foretold Resurrection They ask and obtain of Pilate that his Sepulchre may be strongly guarded till the Third Day was past and over when probably they intended to have exposed his dead Body to the view of the People and accordingly a threefold Guard is set about the Grave the Stone the Seal and the Watch concluding that Christ was safe enough either for rising or stealing The Stone making the Grave sure the Seal making the Stone sure and the Watch or Band of Soldiers making all sure The Stone being sealed with the publick Seal no Person might meddle with it upon pain of Death Where Note 1. The wonderful Wisdom the over-ruling Power and Providence of God by this excessive Care and extraordinary Diligence the High Priests hoped to prevent our Saviour's Resurrection but the Truth and Belief of it was hereby confirmed to all the World How much Evidence had Christ's Resurrection wanted if the High Priests and Elders had not been thus maliciously industrious to prevent his rising Learn 2. That the Endeavours used to obstruct our Lord's Resurrection have render'd it more certain and undoubted had not all this Care and Caution been used by his Enemies the Grounds of our Faith had not been so strong so evident and so clear It was very happy that the Jews were thus jealous and suspicious thus careful and distrustful for otherwise the World had never received so full and perfect an Evidence of Christ's Resurrection as now whereon all our Comfort and Salvation doth depend Verily their solicitous Care to suppress our Redeemer's Resurrection has render'd it more conspicuous and freed it from all Suspicion of Forgery CHAP. XXVIII This last Chapter of St. Matthew contains the History of our Saviour's Resurrection and gives us an Account of what he did on Earth between the time of his Triumphant Resurrection and his Glorious Ascension 1 IN the end of the sabbath as it began to dawn towards the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre The Lord of Life was buried upon the Friday in the Evening of that Day on which he was crucified and his holy Body rested in the silent Grave the next Day and a part of the Morning the Day following Thus he arose again the Third Day neither sooner nor later not sooner lest the Truth of his Death should have been question'd that he did not die at all and not later lest the Faith of his Disciples should have fail'd And accordingly when the Sabbath was past and it dawned towards the first Day of the Week in the Morning very early before Day Mary Magdalen and other devout Women go to visit the holy Sepulchre intending with their Spices and Odours farther to imbalm our Lord's Body But Observe Altho' the Hearts of these good Women did burn with an Ardent Love and Zeal to their Crucified Lord yet the commanded Duties of the Sabbath are not omitted by them they stay till the Sabbath is ended and then early in the Morning they go with Odours in their Hands to perfume his Sacred Corps fearing neither the Darkness of the Night nor the Presence of the Watchmen How great a Tribute of Respect and Honour is due and payable to these Women for their Magnanimity and Courage They follow'd Christ when his Disciples left him they accompanied him to his Cross and follow'd his Hearse to the Grave when none of his Disciples durst appear Learn hence That Courage is the special and peculiar Gift of God and where God gives Courage it is not in Man to make afraid 2 And behold there was a great earthquake for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat upon it 3 His countenance was like lightning and his raiment white as snow 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake and became as dead men Observe here 1. With what Pomp and Triumph doth our Lord arise The Earth that quaked before at his Crucifixion quakes now again at his Resurrection it quak'd then at the Dissolution now at the Reunion of his Humane Nature to tell the World that the God of Nature then suffer'd and now conquer'd Observe 2. How an Angel is imploy'd in Christ's Resurrection He rolls away the Stone But could not Christ have risen then without the Angel's Help Yes sure he that raised himself surely could have removed the Stone But God thinks fit to send an Officer from Heaven to open the Prison Door of the Grave and by setting our Surety at Liberty proclaims our Debt to the Divine Justice fully satisfied Besides it was fit that the Angels who had been Witnesses of our Saviour's Passion should also be Witnesses of his Resurrection Observe 3. How unable the Keepers of the Grave were to bear the Sight and Presence of the Angel they shake for Fear and became as dead Men. Angels being pure and perfect Spirits Man is not able to bear the Sight of an Angel no not in Humane Shape without Terror and Affrightment and if the Sight of an Angel be so dreadful what is the Sight of God himself 5 And the angel answered and said unto the women Fear not ye for I know that ye seek Jesus which was crucified 6 He is not here for he is risen as he said come see the place where the Lord lay 7 And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead and behold he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him lo I have told you Observe here 1. Our Lord's Resurrection asserted and declar'd He is risen God never intended that the darling of his Soul should be lost in an obscure Sepulchre he is not here says the Angel that is in the Grave where you laid him where you left him Death has lost its Prey and the Grave has lost her Guest Observe 2. It is not said He is not here for he is raised but he is risen The Word imports the active Power of
Diet but both by their Habit and Diet set an Example of Gravity and Sobriety before their People being in these as well as in other things an Example unto their Flocks 7 And preached saying There cometh one mightier then I after me the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose Observe here 1. The high Opinion that the Baptist had of Christ he is mightier than I That is a Person of greater Dignity and Excellency by far than my self whence may be gathered that tho' Christ was Man he was not meer Man but more than Man even very God equal with the Father for John Baptist was the greatest of them that were born of Women Matth. 11.11 yet says he Christ is mightier or greater than I. How so but in regard of the Dignity of his Person being both God and Man in two distinct Natures and one Person Observe 2. The humble and low Estimation that the Baptist had of himself His Shoe-latchet I am not worthy to unloose A proverbial Speech implying that he was unworthy to do the basest and meanest Service for Christ Oh how well doth Humility of Mind an humble Apprehension a low Esteem and Opinion of themselves and their own Gifts and Abilities become the Messengers and Ministers of Christ John was a Man of eminent Abilities yet of Exemplary Humility he thought himself unworthy to unloose Christ's Shoe or do the meanest Office for him 8 I indeed have baptized you with water but he shall baptize you with the holy Ghost John shewed the Dignity of Christ's Person above his own in the former Verse in this he declares the Excellency of Christ's Office and the meanness of his own I wash the Body with Water but Christ cleanses the Soul by the Operation of his Holy Spirit Thence Learn That tho' the Ministers of Christ do by Christ's Command dispence the Outward Ordinance of Baptism yet it is Christ himself that by the Inward Work of his Spirit doth make it effectual to such as receive it I Baptize with Water but he with the Holy Ghost 9 And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized of John in Jordan 10 And straightway coming up out of the water he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him 11 And there came a voice from heaven saying Thou art my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased See the Note on Matth. 3.13 Observe here 1. The great Condescention of Christ in seeking and submitting to the Baptism of John Christ tho' he was John's Lord and Master yea Lord of Heaven and Earth yet cometh to hear John Preach and will be Baptized of his Messenger Thence Learn That the greatest Persons should neither think themselves too great nor too good to come unto the Ministers of God to hear the Word from his Mouth or to receive the Sacrament at his Hand Christ the Son of God was content to be Baptized of John a mean Person in Comparison of himself How dare then the greatest upon Earth despise the Ministry of Man being appointed by God Observe 2. The solemn investing of Christ into the Office of a Mediator by a threefold Miracle namely the opening of the Heavens the Descent of the Holy Ghost and God the Father's Voice or Testimony concerning his Son The Heavens were opened to shew that Heaven which was closed and shut against us for our Sins is now opened to us by Christ's undertaking for us As Christ opened Heaven by his meritorious Passion so he keeps it open by his prevailing Intercession Next The Holy Ghost descends like a Dove upon our Saviour Here we have a Proof and Evidence of the Blessed Trinity The Father speaks from Heaven the Son comes out of the Water and the Holy Ghost descends in the Likeness of a Dove But why did the Holy Ghost now descend upon Christ First For the Designation of his Person to shew that he was the Person set apart for the Work and Office of a Mediator Secondly For the Sanctification of his Person for the Performance of that Office This was Christ's Unction the Day in which he was Anointed above his Fellows to be the King Priest and Prophet of his Church Isa 61. v. 1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me he hath anointed me c. Observe 3. The Voice of God the Father pronouncing 1. The Nearness of Christ's Relation to himself This is my Son 2. The Endearedness of his Person This is my Beloved Son 3. The Fruit and Benefit of this near and dear Relation unto us In him I am well pleased Hence Learn 1. That there is no Possibility for any Person to please God out of Christ neither our Persons nor our Performances can find Acceptance but thro' him and for his sake 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the Ground and Cause of all that Love which God the Father sheweth to the Sons of Men In Christ God is well pleased with us as a reconciled Father out of him a consuming Fire 12 And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness 13 And he was there in the wilderness forty days tempted of Satan and was with the wild beasts and the Angels ministred unto him Immediately That is 1. After his Baptism Christ is no sooner out of the Water of Baptism but he is in the Fire of Temptation Such as are Baptized with Christ and entered into the Profession of Christianity they must look to be assaulted with Satan's Temptations Again Immediately that is 2. After the Father had declared his Complacency in him and being well pleased with him Learn thence That great Manifestations of Love from God are usually followed with great Temptations from Satan The Spirit driveth him That is the Holy Spirit of God For the Devil is seldom if ever called the Spirit but usually some Brand of Reproach is annexed as the evil Spirit or the unclean Spirit and the like Christ was led by the Spirit says St. Matthew 4.1 He was driven by the Spirit says St. Mark that is He was carried by a strong Impulse of the Spirit of God to be tempted by Satan and did not go of his own private Motion to enter the Lists with Satan Teaching us our Duty not to run into or rush upon Temptations without a Warrant and Call from God Observe next the Place where Satan assaulted Christ with his Temptations it was a solitary Wilderness No Place can priviledge us from Temptations or be a Sanctuary from Satan's Assaults The solitary Wilderness has a Tempter in it yea Satan oft-times makes use of Men's Solitariness to farther his Temptations and such as separate themselves from Humane Society and give themselves up to Solitude and Retirement they give great Advantage to the Tempter to tempt them Observe next the Time and Continuance of our Holy Lord's Temptations not for an Hour a Day a Week or a Month but for Forty Days
his Ministry and is the Occasion of his own Contempt Obs 5. How this People's Contempt of Christ's Person and Unbelief of this Doctrine did hinder Christ from working Miracles amongst them He could do no mighty Works there Not because he was unable but they were unwilling This Inability proceeded from no Deficiency in Christ's Power but from a Defect in their Faith He could not because he would not and he would not because it was not fit for him so to do Altho' Christ be Omnipotent and has all Power in his Hand yet Unbelief binds his Hands and hinders him in the Execution of that Power Unbelief is such a Sin as keeps Men from being Partakers of the Benefits of Christ Obs 6. How the Incredulity and Unbelief of this People was so great that Christ wondred at it He marvelled because of their Vnbelief Not because he was ignorant of the Cause of it but because he had used such marvellous Means for the curing them of their Unbelief Learn hence That Unbelief is a great Sin at all times but when Marvels are wrought for the cure and healing of it and it remains uncured it is a marvellous Sin and justly causes Admiration and Wonder in Christ himself He marvelled because of their Vnbelief 7 And he calleth unto him the twelve and began to send them forth by two and two and gave them power over unclean spirits 8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey save a staff only no scrip no bread no money in their purse 9 But be shod with sandals and not put on two coats 10 And he said unto them In what place soever ye enter into an house there abide till ye depart from that place 11 And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you when ye depart thence shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for that city 12 And they went out and preached that men should repent 13 And they cast out many devils and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them We heard before Chap. 3. of our Saviour's solemn calling his Apostles to their Work and Office now he sends them forth to execute their Office Where Observe 1. The Person that sends them forth Christ. Learn thence That none ought to take upon them the Office of Preaching or any other Ministerial Function in the Church till thereunto lawfully called by Christ himself The Apostles were immediately called and sent forth by Christ himself and received the Doctrine which they taught immediately from Christ's own Mouth His Ministers now are called mediately they receive their Authority from Christ by the Hands of the Governours of his Church Obs 2. The manner of their sending by Two and Two in a Company partly to make their Message of more Authority partly to testifie their mutual Consent in the Doctrine which they taught and partly to comfort and encourage to help and strengthen to assist and support each other in Imitation of this Example the Jesuits send forth their Emissaries by Pairs Learn hence That the Ministers of the Word do stand in great need of the mutual Help and Comfort of the united Assistance and Encouragement of each other in the weighty Duties of their Calling and Function like Labourers in the Harvest-Field they should help one another the strong endeavouring to strengthen the Hands of the Weak But Lord what Tears are sufficient to bewail the Want of Love and Unity yea the Prevalency of that Envy and Malignity which is found too often amongst the Ministers of the Gospel so that instead of going forth Two by Two happy is he that is alone in a Place Well might Melancthon bless God when he lay a dying that he was going to a Place where he should be free from the implacable Hatred of Divines This is and ought to be for a Lamentation Obs 3. The Power given by Christ to work Miracles for confirming the Doctrine of the Gospel which his Apostles preached he gave them Power over unclean Spirits and they cast out Devils and anointed with Oil them that were sick and healed them This Power to work Miracles was necessary for the Apostles partly to procure Reverence to their Persons being poor and unlearned Men but principally to gain Credit and Authority to their Doctrine for the Doctrine of Faith in the Messiah as now come and exhibited in the Flesh being a strange and new Doctrine to the Jews the Truth and Certainty of it was to be extraordinarily ratified by Christ and his Apostles Miracles Some of which were casting out of Devils and by anointing with Oil to heal and recover sick Persons This Gift of healing remained some time in the Church as appears from St. James 5.14 Is any sick anoint him with Oil in the Name of the Lord Where observe that the Apostles did not use Oil as the Instrument and Means of healing for then the Cure had not been miraculous but only as a Symbol of the Cure or as an outward Sign and Testimony of miraculous healing which outward Sign was for the strengthning of the Faith of such as were healed assuring them that as certainly as their Bodies were anointed so certainly should their Health and Strength be restored The Papists upon this ground their Sacrament of Extream Vnction but very vainly for the Apostles anointed those that were sick as a Sign of their Recovery but the Papists anoint those that have the Pangs of Death upon them that their Sins may be blotted out and the Snares of the Devil avoided Obs 4. The Charge given by Christ to his Apostles at the time of their sending out This is threefold First Touching their Preparation for their Journey he bids them not take much Care nor spend much Time in furnishing themselves with Victuals Money Apparel Weapons of Defence and the like only take a Walking-Staff in their Hands because they were to finish their Journey speedily and to return again to Christ This Command of our Saviour to his Apostles not to incumber themselves when going forth to preach the Gospel Teaches his Ministers their Duty to free themselves as much as possibly they can from Worldly Incumbrances which may hinder them in the Performance of their Office and Function 2 Tim. 2.4 No Man that warreth intangleth himself with the Affairs of this Life Secondly Touching their Lodging in their Journey Our Saviour advises them not to change it during their stay in one Place but into whatsoever House they first entred they should there continue till they departed out of that place That so they might avoid all shew of Lightness and Inconstancy and testifie all Gravity and Stayedness in their Behaviour This being a special Means to win Authority to their Persons and Ministry Thirdly Christ gives a Charge to his Apostles touching their Carriage towards such as should refuse to
that the Doctrine of the Cross be often preached to us that so being armed with Expectation of Sufferings before they come we may be the less dismayed and disheartned when they come Our Lord 's forewarning his Disciples so frequently of his Death and Sufferings was to fore-arm them with Expectation of his Sufferings and with Preparation for their own Observe farther Who were the Persons that were the instrumental Causes of our Saviour's Death they were both Jews and Gentiles The Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief Priests and they shall deliver him to the Gentiles Learn hence That as both Jews and Gentiles had a hand in the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ so are they by Faith capable of an Interest in the Merit of his Death and in the Virtue and Efficacy of his Sufferings Christ offered up his Blood to God on the Behalf of them that shed it 35 And James and John the sons of Zebedee came unto him saying Master we would that thou shouldst do for us whatsoever we shall desire 36 And he said unto them What would ye that I should do for you 37 They said unto him Grant unto us that we may sit one on thy right hand and the other on thy left hand in thy glory 38 But Jesus said unto them Ye know not what ye ask can ye drink of the cup that I drink of and be baptized with the baptism that I am paptized with 39 And they said unto him We can And Jesus said unto them Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized 40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared 41 And when the ten heard it they began to be much displeased with James and John Observe here 1. The ambitious Suit and Request of the Two Apostles James and John for Dignity and Superiority Grant that we may sit one on thy right hand and the other on thy left hand in thy Glory or in thy Kingdom Where Observe That by Christ's Kingdom and Glory they understood an Earthly Temporal Kingdom for of that sort the Jews did expect the Kingdom of the Messiah should be and the Disciples themselves were tainted with the common Errors Learn hence That Ambition and inordinate Desire of worldly Honour and Dignity is a Sin very natural and incident to the best of Men Who can wonder to see some Sparks of Ambition in the holiest of God's Ministers when Christ's own Apostles were not free from aspiring Thoughts even when they lay in the Bosom of our Saviour Obs 2. Both the Unseasonabless and Unreasonableness of this Request made by James and John Christ speaks of his Sufferings to them and they sue for Dignity and great Places from him In optimis nonnihil est pessimè The Holiest the Wisest and the Best of Men are not wholly free from passionate Infirmities Who could have thought that when our Saviour had been preaching the Doctrine of the Cross to his Disciples that they should at the same time be seeking and suing to him for Secular Dignity and Honour Preheminence and Power But the best of Men are but Men at the best none are in a State of Perfection on this side Heaven Obs 3. Our Saviour's Answer to the Disciple's ambitious Request and the course which he takes to cool their Ambition he tells them they must expect here not Crowns on their Heads but a Cross on their Backs they must first taste of his Sufferings before they partake of his Glory and those that suffer most for Christ shall partake of the highest Dignity and Glory from him Obs 4. The presumptuous Confidence which the Apostles had of their own Strength and Ability for Sufferings Are ye able says Christ to drink of my Cup We are able say the Disciples Alas poor Men when it came to the Trial they all cowardly forsook him and fled Those that are least acquainted with Sufferings are usually the most confident Undertakers See on Matth. 20.22 23. 42 But Jesus calleth them unto him and saith unto them Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them and their great ones exercise authority upon them 43 But so shall it not be amongst you but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister 44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest shall be servant of all 45 For even the son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many To the end that our Blessed Saviour might effectually quench those unhappy Sparks of Ambition which were kindled in his Apostles Minds He tells them That Supremacy and Dominion belong to secular Princes not to Gospel Ministers who ought to carry themselves with Humility and Condescention one towards another Not that Christ directs to a Parity and Equality amongst his Ministers But only condemns the Affectation of Superiority and the Love of Preheminency Learn hence 1. That the Ministers of Christ ought to be so far from affecting a Domination and Superiority over their Brethren that in Imitation of their Lord and Master they ought to account themselves Fellow-Servants The Son of Man came not to be ministred unto but to minister Obs 2. That such Ministers as do love and affect Preheminence and Superiority are most unfit for it and they deserve it best who seek it least 3. That the Dignity and Honour which the Ministers of Christ should chiefly yea only affect is in another World and the way to be greatest and highest there is to be low and humble mean in our own Eyes and little in our own Esteem See Note on Matth. 20.28 46 And they came to Jericho and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people blind Bartimeus the Son of Timeus sat by the high way side begging 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth he began to cry out and say Jesus thou son of David have Mercy on me 48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace but he cried the more a great deal Thou Son of David have mercy on me 49 And Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called and they call the blind man saying unto him Be of good comfort rise he calleth thee 50 And he cast away his garment rose and came to Jesus 51 And Jesus answered and said unto him what wilt thou that I should do unto thee The blind Man said unto him Lord that I might receive my sight 52 And Jesus said unto him Go thy way thy faith hath made thee whole And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus in the way This Chapter concludes with the recital of a famous Miracle wrought by our Blessed Saviour upon Blind Bartimeus in the sight of
said by the Holy Ghost the 〈◊〉 sâ—id to my Lord sit thou on my right hand till I make thine Enemies thy footstool 37 Dâ—vid therefore himself calleth him Lord and whence is he then his Son and the common people heard him gladly The Pharisees had often put forth several questions malitiously unto Christ and now Christ puts forth one question innocently unto them namely What they thought of the Messiah whom they expected They reply that he was to be the Son of David that is a secular Prince descending from David who should deliver them from the power of the Romans and restore them to their Civil Rights This was the Notion they had of the Messiah that he should be a meer Man the Son of David according to the flesh and nothing more Our Saviour replys Whence is it then that David calls the Messiah Lord Psalm 110. v. 1. The Lord said unto my Lord sit thou on my right hand how could he be both David's Lord and David's Son No Son being Lord to his own Father therefore if Christ were David s Soveraign he must be more than Man more then David's Son as Man so he was David's Son as God-man so he was David's Lord. Note hence 1. That although Christ was truly and really Man yet he was more then a bare Man he was Lord unto and the Salvation of his own Fore-fathers Note 2. That the only way to reconcile the Scriptures which speak concerning Christ is to believe and acknowledge him to be God and Man in one Preson the Messiah as Man was to come forth out of David's Loyns but as God-man he was David's Soveraign and Saviour As Man he was his Fathers Son as God he was Lord to his own Father 38 And he said unto them in his Doctrine beware of the Scribes which love to go in long cloathing and love Salutations in the market place 39 And the chief seats in the Synagogues and the uppermost rooms at feasts 40 Which devour widows houses and for a pretence make long prayers these shall receive greater Damnation Observe here What it is that our Saviour condemns not civil Salutations in the Market place not the chief seats in Synagogues not the uppermost Rooms at Feasts but their fond Affecting of these things and their Ambitious aspiring after them It was not their taking but their loving the uppermost Rooms at Feasts which Christ condemns Observe 2. How our Saviour condemns the Pharisees for their gross Hypocrisy in colouring over their Covetousness with a pretence of Religion making long Prayers in the Temple and Synagogues for Widows and thereupon perswading them to give bountifully to Corban that is the common Treasury for the Temple some part of which was imployed for their maintenance whence we learn that it is no new thing for designing Hypocrites to cover the fowlest Transgression with the cloak of Religion The Pharisees made long Prayers a cloak and cover for their Covetousness 41 And Jesus sat over against the Treasury and beheld how the people cast money into the Treasury and many that were rich cast in much 42 And there came a certain poor widow and she threw in two mites which makes a farthing 43 And he called unto him his Disciciples and saith unto them verily I say unto you that this poor Widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the Treasury 44. For all they did cast in of their abundance but she of her want did cast in all that she had even all her living As our blessed Saviour sat over against the Treasury that is that part of the Court of the Temple where the Corban or Chests for receiving the Peoples Offerings and Gifts were set he observed and took notice of those that offered their Oblations and some that were rich offered very liberally but a certain poor Widow came and offered two Mites Our Saviour hereupon takes occasion to instruct his Disciples in this comfortable Truth namely that Almighty God accepts the will of those that give chearfully though they cannot give largely This poor Woman cast in more in respect of the inward affection of her heart and in proportion to her estate then all those that were Rich and Wealthy that had cast in before her a mite to her being more then a pound to them From the whole Note 1. That the poorer yea the poorest sort of People are not exempted from good works even they must exercise charity according to their Abilities Learn 2. That in all works of pious charity which we perform God looks at the heart the will and the affection of the Giver more then at the largeness and liberality of the Gift if there be a willing mind says the Apostle 2 Câ—r 8.12 It is accepted according to what a man hath and not according to what he hath not CHAP. XIII 1 AND as he went out of the Temple one of his Disciples saith unto him Master see what manner of stones and what buildings are here 2 And Jesus answering said unto him seest thou these great buildings there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down Our blessed Saviour being now ready to depart from the Temple never more after this entring into it and his Disciples shewing him with wonder and admiration the magnificient Structures and Buildings thereof apprehending that in regard of its invincible strength it could not be destroyed or that at least in regard of its incredible magnificence it was great pitty it should be destroyed They say to Christ Master behold what Buildings are here not considering how sin will undermine and blow up the most famous Structures Sin brings Cities and Kingdoms as well as particular persons to their end not one stone of this magnificent Structure says Christ shall remain unpulled down which threatning was exactly fulfilled after Christ's Death when Titus the Roman Emperor destroâ—ed the City burnt the Temple and Turnus Rufus the General of his Army ploughed up the very foundation on which the Temple stood Thus was the threatning of God fulfilled Jer. 26.18 Zion shall be ploughed as a Field and Jerusalem shall becâ—me an heap Learn hence 1. That sin has laid the foundation of ruin in the most flourishing Cities and Kingdom 2. That the threatnings of God are to be feared and shall be fulfilled whatever appearing improbabilities there may be to the contrary 'T is neither the Temples strength nor beauty that can oppose or withstand God's Power 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the Temple Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately 4 Tell us when shall these things be and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled A double question is here propounded to our Saviour by his Disciples namely When the Destruction of Jerusalem shall be and what should be the signs of that Destruction See here what an itching curiosity there is in the best of Men to know
heart towards Christ nothing is adjudged too dear for him neither will it suffer it self to be out sâ—ined by any Examples the weakest Woman that strongly Lâ—ves her Saviour will piously strive with the greatest Apostle to express the fervour of her affection towards him Observe 2 How this Action was resented and reflected upon by Judas and some other Disciples whom he had influenced they had indignation within themselves and said to what purpose is this waste Oh! how doth a covetous heart think every thing too good for Christ Happy was it for this poor Woman that she had a more righteous judge to pass sentence upon her Action then murmuring Judas Observe 3. How readily our Holy Lord vindicates this good Woman she says nothing for her selâ— nor need she having so good an Advocate First he rebukes Judas let her alone why trouble ye the Woman Next he justifies the Action she hath wrought a good Work because it flow'd from a principle oâ— Love to Christ and lastly he gives the Reason oâ— her Action she did it for my Buryal As Kings and great Persons were wont in those Eastern Countries at their Funerals to be Embalm'd with Odours and sweet Perfumes so says our Saviour This Woman to declare her Faith in me as her King and Lord doth with this Box of Ointment as it were before hand Embalm my Body for its Burial True Faith puts honour upon a Crucified as well as Glorified Saviour This holy Woman accounts Christ worthy of all honour in his Death believing it would be a sweet smelling Sacrifice unto God and the Saviour of Life unto his People Observe 4. Our Saviour doth not only justify and defend the Action of this holy Woman but magnifies and extolls it declaring that she should be rewarded for it with an honourable Memorial in all ages of the Church wherever this Gospel is preached this shall be spoken of for a Memorial of her Note hence the care which Christ takes to have the good Deeds of his Children not buried in the dust with them but had in everlasting remembrance Though sin causes men to rot above Ground to stink alive and when they are dead leaves an Ignominy upon their Graves yet will the Actions of the just smell sweet and Blossom in the Dust 10 And Judas Iscariot one of the twelve went unto the chief Priests to betray him unto them 11 And when they heard it they were glad and promised to give him money And he sought how he might conveniently betray him Observe here 1. The Person betraying our blessed Redeemer Judas Judas a Professor Judas a Preacher Judas an Apostle and one of the Twelve whom Christ had chosen out of all the world to be his dearest Friends his Family and Houshold shall we wonder to find Friends unfriendly or unfaithful to us when our Saviour had a Traitor in his own Family Obseâ—ve 2. The heinous nature of Judas his sin he betrayed Jesus Jesus his Maker Jesus his Master it is no strange or uncommon thing for the vilest of sins and most horrid impiâ—ties to be acted by such persons as make the most eminent profession of Holiness and Religion Observe 3. What was the occasion that led Judas to the commission of this sin It was his inordinate Love of Money I do not find that Judas had any particular Malice Spight or ill Will against our Saviour but a base and unworthy Spirit of Covetousness possest him and this made him sell his Master Covetousness is the root-sin an eager and insatiable Thirst after the world is the parent of the most monstrous and unnatural sins for which reason our Saviour doubles his caution Luke 12.15 Take heed and beware of Covetousness it shews us both the danger of the sin and the great care we ought to take to preserve our selves from it 12 And the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the passover his Disciples said unto him where wilt thou that we go and prepare that we may eat the passover 13 And he sendeth forth two of his Disciples and said unto them go ye into the City and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of Water follow him 14 And wheresoever he shall go in say ye to the good man of the house the Master saith where is the Guess-chamber where I shall eat the passover with my Disciples 15 And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared there make ready for us 16 And his Disciples went forth and came into the City and found as he had said unto them and they made ready the passover The time for the Celebration of the Passover being now at hand Christ sends two of his Disciples to Jerusalem to prepare things necessary in order thereunto And here we have Observable 1. An eminent proof of Christ's Divine Nature in telling them all the particulars which they should meet with in the City as a Man bearing a pitcher of Water c. 2. How readily the heart of this House-holder was disposed to receive our Saviour and his Disciples and to accommodate them with all things needful upon this occasion Our Blessed Saviour had not a Lamb of his own and peradventure no Money wherewith to buy one yet he finds as excellent Accommodation in this poor Man's House as if he had dwelt in Ahab's Ivory Palace and had the Provisions of Solomon's Table When Christ has a Passover to Celebrate he will dispose the Heart to a free Reception of himself The Room which Christ will enter into must be a large Room an upper Room a Room furnished and prepared a large Room is an enlarged Heart enlarged with Love and Thankfulness an upper Room is an Heart Exalted not puft up with Pride but lift up by Heavenly Mindedness a Room furnished is a Soul adorned with the Graces of the Holy Spirit into such an Heart and such only will Christ enter 17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve 18 And as they sat and did eat Jesus said verily I say unto you one of you which eateth with me shall betray me 19 And they began to be sorrowful and say unto him one by one is it I and another said is it I 20 And he answered and said unto them it is one of the twelve that dippeth with me in the dish 21 The Son of man indeed goeth as it is written of him but wo to that man by whom the son of man is betrayed good were it for that man if he had never been born Observe here 1. The unexampled Boldness of this impudent Traitor Judas he presumed as soon as he had sold his Master to sit down at the Table with him and eat the Pass-over with the Disciples had the presence of Judas polluted this Ordinance to any but himself doubtless our Saviour would never have suffered him to approach unto it But hence we Learn 1. That nothing is more ordinary then for unholy persons to press in unto
he cast himself sometimes Kneeling sometimes lying prostrate upon his Face he lies in the very Dust and lower he cannot lye and his Heart was as low as his Body 3. It was a vehement fervent and most importunate Prayer such was the fervour of our Lord's Spirit that he Prayed himself into an Agony Oh let us blush to think how unlike we are to Christ in Prayer as to our praying-frame of Spirit Lord what deadness and drowsiness what stupidity and formality what dulness and Laziness is found in our Prayers How often do our Lips move when our Hearts stand still 4. It was a Re-iterated and Repeated Prayer he Prayed the first second and third time for the passing of the Cup from him he returns upon God over and over again resolving to take no Denyal Let us not be Discouraged though we have sought God often for a particular Mercy and yet no Answer has been given in unto us Our Prayers may be answered though their Answer for the present is suspended A Prayer put up in Faith according to the Will of God though it may be delayed it shall not be lost Our Saviour Prayed the first second and third Time for the passing of the Cup and altho' he was not heard as to Exemption from Suffering yet he was heard as to Support under Suffering Observe 5. The Posture the Disciples were found in when our Lord was in this Agony Praying to his Father They were fast asleep Good God! Could they possibly sleep at such a time as that was when Christ's Soul was exceeding Sorrowful Could their Eyes be thus heavy Learn thence That the best of Christ's Disciples may be and oft-times are over-taken with Infirmities with great Infirmities when the most important Duties are performing He cometh to his Disciples and finds them sleeping Observe 6. The mild and gentle Reproof which he gives the Disciples for their sleeping Could ye not watch with me one hour Could you not Watch when your Master is in such Danger Could you not Watch with me when I am going to deliver up my Life for you What not one Hour and that the parting Hour too After his Reprehension he Subjoyns an Exhortation Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation and super-adds a forcible Reason for though the Spirit be willing yet the flesh is weak Thence Learn That the Holiest and best Resolved Christians who have willing Spirits for Christ and his Service yet in regard of the Weakness of the Flesh or frailty of Humane Nature it is their Duty to Watch and Pray and thereby guard themselves against Temptation Watch and Pray that ye enter not into Temptation for though the Spirit is willing yet the flesh is weak 43 And immediately while he yet spake cometh Judas one of the Twelve and with him a great Multitude with Swords and Staves from the Chief Priests and Scribes and Elders 44 And he that Betrayed him had given him a Token saying whomsoever I shall kiss that same is he Take him and lead him away safely 45 And as soon as he was come he goeth straightway to him and saith Master Master and kissed him 46 And they laid their hands on him and took him 47 And one of them that stood by dreâ— a Sword and smote a Servant of the High-priests and cut off his Ear. 48 And Jesus answered and said unto them Are ye come out as against a Thief with Swords and with Staves to take me 49 I was daily with you in the Temple Teaching and ye took me not but the Scriptures must be Fulfilled 50 And they all forsook him and fled The Hour is now almost come even that Hour of Sorrow which Christ had so often spoken of yet a little while and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of Sinners for while he yet spake cometh Judas with a Band of Soldiers to apprehend him it was the Lot and Portion of our Dear Redeemer to be Betrayed into the hands of his Mortal Enemies by the Treachery of a false and dissembling Friend Here we have Observable 1. The Traitor 2. The Treason 3. The Manner how 4. The Time when this Treasonable Design was Executed Observe 1. The Traitor Judas All the Evangelists carefully describe him by his Name Judas by his sir-name Judas Iscariot lest he should be mistaken for Jude the Brother of James Almighty God takes great care to preserve the Names of his upright-hearted Servants he is further described by his Office One of the Twelve The Eminency of his Place and Station was an high aggravation of his Transgression Learn hence That the greatest Professors had need be very jealous of themselves and suspicious of their own Hearts and look well to the Grounds and Principles of their Profession for a Profession begun in Hypocrisy will certainly end in Apostacy Learn farther That Persons are never in such eminent Danger as when they meet with Temptations exactly suited to their Master Lusts Covetousness was Judas his Master-sin the Love of the World made him a Slave to Satan and the Devil lays a Temptation before him exactly suited to his Temper and Inclination and it instantly over-comes him Oh pray we that we may be kept from a strong and suitable Temptation a Temptation suited to our inclination and predominant Lust and Corruption Observe 2. The Treason of this Traitor Judas he led on an Armed Multitude to the place where Christ was gave them a Signal to discover him by and bids them lay Hands upon him and hold him fast This Treason of Judas is attended with these Hellish Aggravations He had been a Witness to the Miracles which our Saviour had wrought by his Divine Power and therefore could not sin out of Ignorance What he did was not at the sollicitation and perswasion of others but he was a Voluntier in this Service the High-priests did not send to him but he went to them offering his Assistance No doubt it was matter of Surprize to the Chief Priests to find one of Christ's own Disciples at the head of a Conspiracy against him Lord How dangerous is it to allow our selves in any one secret or open Sin None can say how far that one Sin may in time lead us Should any have told Judas that his Love of Money would at last make him sell his Saviour he would have said with Hasael is thy Servant a Dog that he should do this thing That Soul can never be safe that Harbours one sin within its Breast Observe 3. The manner how this Hellish Plot was Executed partly by Force and partly by Fraud by Force in that Judas came with a Multitude Armed with Swords and Staves and by Fraud giving a kiss and saying Hail Master Here was Honey in the Lips but Poyson in the Heart Observe 4. The Time when the Place where and the Work which our Saviour was about when this Treasonable Design was Executed he was in the Garden with his Disciples exhorting them to Prayer
spit upon him and bowing their Knees worshipped him 20 And when they had mocked him they took off the Purple from him and put his own Cloaths on him and led him out to Crucify him The next part of our Saviour's Sufferings consisted of Cruel Mockings he had owned himself to be the King of the Jews that is a Spiritual King in and over his Church but the Jews expecting that the Messiah should have appeared in the Pomp of an Earthly Prince and finding themselves disappointed of their Expectation in our Saviour they look upon him as a Deceiver and Impostor and accordingly treat him as a mock-King with all the marks of Derision and Scorn for first they put a Crown upon his Head but a very ignominious and painful one a Crown of Thorns they place a Scepter in his hand but that of a Reed a Robe of Scarlet or Purple upon his Body and then bowed their Knees unto him as they were wont to do before their Princes crying Hail King Thus were all the marks of Scorn imaginable put upon our Dear Redeemer Yet what they did in Jest God permitted to be done in Earnest for all these things were Signs and Marks of Sovereignty and Almighty God caused the Regal Dignity of his Son to shine forth even in the midst of his greatest Abasement Whence was all this Jearing and Sport but to flout Majesty and why did Christ undergo all this ignominy disgrace and shame but to shew what was due unto us for our sins as also to give us an Example to bear all the Scorn Reproach and Shame imaginable for his sake who for the joy that was set before him despised the shame as well as endured the Cross 21 And they compel one Symon a Cyrenian who passed by coming out of the Country the Father of Alexander and Rufus to bear his Cross 22 And they bring him unto the place Golgotha which is being Interpreted the place of a Skull 23 And they gave him to drink Wine mingled with Myrrh but he received it not 24 And when they had Crucified him they parted his Garments casting Lots upon them what every Man should take 25 And it was the third Hour and they Crucified him 26 And the Superscription of his Accusation was written over The King of the Jews 27 And with him they Crucify two Thieves the one on his Right hand the other on his Left 28 And the Scripture was Fulfilled which saith And he was numbred with the Transgressors 29 And they that passed by railed on him wagging their heads and saying Ah thou that destroyest the Temple and buildest it in three days 30 Save thy self and come down from the Cross 31 Likewise also the chief Priests mocking said among themselves with the Scribes He saved others himself he cannot save 32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the Cross that we may see and believe and they that were Crucified with him reviled him 33 And when the sixth hour was come there was Darkness over the whole Land until the ninth hour 34 And at the ninth Hour Jesus cryed with a loud Voice saying Eloi Eloi lamasabachthani which is being Interpreted My God my God Why hast thou forsaken me 35 And some of them that stood by said when they heard it behold he calleth Elias 36 And one ran and filled a Sponge of Vinegar and put it on a Reed and gave him to drink saying let alone Let us see whether Elias will come to take him down 37 And Jesus cryed with a loud Voice and gave up the Ghost The Sentence of Death being past by Pilate who can with dry Eyes behold the sad Pomp of our Saviour's Bloody Execution forth-comes the Blessed Jesus out of Pilate's Gate bearing that Cross which soon after was to bear him with his Cross on his Shoulder he marches towards Golgotha and when they see he can go no faster they force Symon the Cyrenian not out of Compassion but Indignation to be the Porter of his Cross This Cyrenian being a Gentile not a Jew that bare our Saviour's Cross thereby might be signified that the Gentiles should have a part in Christ as well as the Jews and be sharers with them in the Benefits of the Cross At length our Holy Lord comes to Golgotha the place of his bitter and bloody Execution here in a publick place with infamous Company betwixt two Thieves is he Crucified that is fastned to a great Cross of Wood his Hands stretched forth abroad and his Feet closed together and both Hands and Feet fastned with Nails his Naked Body was lifted up in the open Air hanging betwixt Heaven and Earth signifying thereby that the Crucified Person deserved to live in neither This shameful painful and accursed death did the holy and innocent Jesus suffer and undergo for shameless Sinners Some Observe all the Dimensions of Length breadth and Depth and Height in our Saviour's Sufferings for Length his Passion was several Hours long from Twelve to Three exposed all that Time both to Hunger and Cold The Thieves that were Crucified with him endured only Personal Pains but he underwent the Miseries of all Mankind As to its Breadth his Passion extended over all the Powers and Parts of his Soul and Body no part free but his Tongue which was at Liberty to pray for his Enemies His sight was tormented with the scornful Gestures of those who passed by wagging their Heads his Hearing grieved with the Taunts and Jears of the Priests and People his Smelling offended with noysom Savours in the place of Skulls his Taste with the Gall and Vinegar given him to Drink his Feeling was wonderfully affected by the Nails which pierced his tender Nerves with a Multiplicity of Wounds And for the Depth of his Passion it was as deep as Hell it self enduring Tortures in his Soul as well as Torments in his Body groaning under the Burthen of Desertion and crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Lastly for the Heighth of his Passion his Sufferings were as high as Heaven his Person being infinite as well as innocent no less then the Son of God which adds infinite worth and value to his sufferings Lord Let us be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length depth and heighth of our Saviour's Love in suffering for us and let us know that Love of his which passeth knowledge Observe next the Inscription wrote by Pilate over our suffering Saviour This is Jesus the King of the Jews it was the manner of the Romans when they crucified a Malefactor to publish the cause of his Death in Capital Letters placed over the head of the Person Now it is observable how wonderfully the wisdom of God over-ruled the heart and pen of Pilate to draw his Title which was truly Honourable and fix it to his Cross Pilate is Christ's Herald and proclaims him King of the Jews Learn hence that the regal dignity of Christ was proclaimed by
an Enemy and that in a time of his greatest Sufferings and Reproaches Pilate without his own Knowledge did our Saviour an Eminent piece of service he did that for Christ which none of his own Disciples durst do not that he did it designedly but from the special over-ruling providence of God no thanks to Pilate for all this because the highest services performed to Christ undesignedly shall neither be accepted nor rewarded by God Observe farther the several Aggravations of our Lord's Sufferings upon the Cross 1. From the company he suffered with two Thieves it had been a sufficient Disparagement to our Blessed Saviour to have been sorted with the best of Men but to be numbered with the scum of Mankind is such an indignity as confounds our thoughts This was designed by the Jews to dishonour and disgrace our Saviour the more and to perswade the world that he was the greatest of Offenders but God over ruled this also for fulfilling an ancient Prophecy concerning the Messiah Isa 53. last v. and he was numbred with the Transgressors 2. Another Aggravation of our Lord's sufferings upon the Cross was the scorn and mocking derision which he met with in his dying moments both from the common People from the chief Priests and from the Thieves that suffered with him The common People reviled him wagging their heads the chief Priests though men of Age and Gravity yet barbarously mock him in his misery and not only so but they Atheistically scoff and jear at his Faith and Affiance in God saying He trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him if he would have him Where Note That persecutors are generally Atheistical Scoffers the chief Priests and Elders though knowing Men yet they Blaspheme God They mock at his Power and deride his Providence which is as bad as to deny his being so that from hence we may gather that those who administer to God in holy things by way of Office if they be not the best they are the worst of Men. No such bitter Enemies to the power of Godliness as the Ministers of Religion who were never acquainted with the Efficacy and Power of it upon their own hearts and lives A third Aggravation of our Lord's sufferings upon the Cross was this that the Thieves that suffered with him reviled him with the rest that is one of them as St. Luke has it or perhaps both of them might do it at first which if so encreases the wonder of the penitent Thiefs Conversion From the impenitent Thiefs Reviling Christ we learn That neither shame nor pain will change the mind of a resolute Sinner but even then when he is in the suburbs of Hell will he Blaspheme They that were crucified with him reviled him but the most aggravating circumstance of all the Rest in our Lord's Sufferings was this that he was forsaken of his Father my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Thence Learn That the Lord Jesus Christ when suffering for our sins was really deserted and forsaken by his Father and left destitute of all sensible Consolation why hast thou forsaken me Learn farther that under this desertion Christ despaired not but still retained a firm persuasion of God's Love unto him and experienced necessary supports from him My God my God these are words of Affiance and Faith Christ was thus forsaken for us that we might never be forsaken by God yet by God's forsaking of Christ we are not to understand any abatement of Divine Love but only a withdrawing from the humane Nature the sense of his Love and a letting out upon his Soul a deep afflicting sense of his Displeasure against Sin There is a Two-fold desertion the one total final and eternal by which God utterly forsakes a person both as to Grace and Glory being for sin wholly cast out of God's presence and adjudged to eternal Torments This Christ was not capable of nor could the Dignity of his person admit it The other is a partial Temporary desertion when God for a little moment hides his face from his Children Now this was both agreeable to Christ's Nature and also suitable to his Office who was to satisfie the justice of God for our forsaking of him and to bring us back again to God that we might be received for ever Observe lastly what a miraculous Evidence Christ gave of his God-head instantly before he gave up the Ghost he cryed with a loud Voice This shews that he did not die according to the ordinary course of Nature gradually drawing on as we express it but his Life was whole in him to the last and Nature as strong as it was at first Other men die by degrees and towards their end their sense of pain is much blunted but Christ stood under the pains of death in his full strength and his Life was whole and entire in him to the very last moment This was evident by the mighty out-cry he made when he gave up the Ghost contrary to the sense and experience of all persons now he that could cry with such a loud voice as he did in Articulo mortis could have kept himself from dying if he would Hence we learn That when Christ died he rather conquered Death then was conquered by it he must voluntarily and freely lay down his life before Death could come at him 38 And the vail of the Temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom 39 And when the Centurion which stood over against him saw that he so cryed out and gave up the Ghost he said truly this man was the Son of God 40 There were also women looking on afar off among whom was Mary Magdalen and Mary the mother of James the less and Joses and Salome 41. Who also when he was in Galilee followed him and ministred unto him and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem Three circumstances are here Observable 1. A stupendious prodigy hapning upon the death of our Saviour the vail of the Temple was rent in twain from top to bottom there was a two-fold vail of the Temple one inward the other outward the inward vail was an hanging which parted the most holy place from the other part of the Temple the outward vail was the partition wall of Stone between the Sanctuary and the outer Court By the rending of one of these vails God testified his Wrath against the Jews and that he was now about to forsake his Temple that the Ceremonial Law was now abolished by the Death of Christ and that by the Blood of Jesus we have access unto God and may enter into the Holy of Holies the Partition-wall 'twixt Jew and Gentile being pulled down Observe 2. What influence the Manner and Circumstances of our Saviour's Death had upon the Centurion and the Soldiers with him they cry out Verily this was the Son of God Where Observe That the Heathen Soldiers are sooner convinced of the Divinity of our Saviour then the unbelieving
yea the Prophet Isa Chap. 53.9 Declared our Lord's Funeral and the Manner of it long before he was born he made his Grave with the wicked and with the Rich in his Death pointing by that Expression at this Tomb of Joseph's who was a Rich Man and laid him in the Tomb designed for himself 3. He was Buryed to compleat his Humiliation They have brought me to the Dust of Death says David a Type of Christ This was the lowest step he could possibly descend in his abased State lower he could not be laid and so low his blessed Head must be laid else he had not been Humbled to the lowest degree of Humiliation 4. Christ went into the Grave that he might Conquer Death in its own Territories and Dominions His Victory over the Grave causes his Saints to Triumph and Sing Oh Grave where is thy Destruction Our dear Redeemer has perfumed the Bed of the Grave by his own lying in it so that a Pillow of down is not so soft to a Believer's Head as a pillow of Dust Observe Lastly Of what use the Doctrine of our Lord's Buryal may be unto us his Disciples and Followers 1. For Instruction Here we see the amazing Depths of our Lord's Humiliation from what and to what his Love brought him even from the Bosom of his Father to the Bosom of the Grave Oh how doth the depth of his Humiliation shew us the Sufficiency of his Satisfaction and therewith the Heinousness of our Transgression 2. For Consolation against the fears of Death and the Grave the Grave Received Christ but could not Retain him Death swallowed him up as the Fish did Jonas but quickly Vomited him up again and so shall it fare with Christ Mystical as it did with Christ Personal as it was done to the Head so shall it be done to the Members the Grave could not long keep him it shall not always keep us as his Body Rested in Hope so shall ours also and although we see Corruption yet shall we not always lye under the Power of Corruption in short Christ's lying in the Grave has Changed and Alter'd the Nature of the Grave it was a Prison before a Bed of Rest now a Loathsom Grave before a perfumed Bed now he whose Head is in Heaven need not fear to put his Feet into the Grave Awake and sing thou that dwellest in the Dust for the enmity of the Grave is slain by Christ 3. For our imitation Let us study and endeavour to be Buryed with Christ in respect of our sins I mean Rom. 6.4 Buryed with him into Death Our sins should be as a dead Body in several Respects Are dead Bodies removed out of the Society of Men so should our sins be removed far from us Do dead Bodies in the Grave spend and consume by Degrees so should our sins daily Will Dead Bodies grow every day more and more Loathsome to others so should our sins be to our selves Do dead Bodies wax out of Memory and are quite Forgotten so should our sins also in respect of any delight that we take in the remembring of them we should always Remember our Sins to our Humiliation but never think or speak of them with the least Delight or Satisfaction for this in God's Account is a new Commission of them and lays us under an aggravated Guilt and Condemnation CHAP. XVI This last Chapter of St. Mark 's Gospel contains the History of our Saviours Resurrection and gives us an Account of what he did upon Earth between the Time of his Triumphant Resurrection and his Glorious Ascension 1 AND when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene and Mary the Mother of James and Salome had brought sweet Spices that they might come and anoint him 2 And very early in the Morning in the first day of the week they came unto the Sepulchre at the Rising of the Sun The Lord of Life was Buryed on the Fryday in the Evening of that Day on which he was Crucified and his Holy Body Rested in the silent Grave all the next day and some part of the day following Thus rose he again the third day neither sooner nor later not sooner lest the truth of his Death should have been questioned that he did not dye at all and not later lest the Faith of his Disciples should have failed Accordingly when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene getting the other Women together she and they set out before day to visit the Holy Sepulchre and about Sun-rising they get to it intending with their Spices and Odours farther to Embalm their Lord's Body Here Observe 1. That although the Hearts of these Holy Women did burn with an ardent Zeal and Affection to their Crucified Lord yet the Commanded Duties of the Sabbath are not omitted by them they keep close and silently spend that Holy Day in a Mixture of Grief and Hope A good Pattern of Sabbath-Sanctification and worthy of our Christian imitation Observe 2. These Holy Women go but not empty-handed She that had bestowed a costly Alabaster upon Christ whilst alive has prepared no less precious Odours for him now dead thereby paying their last Homage to our Saviour's Corpse But what need of Odours to Persume a Body which could not see Corruption True his Holy Body did not want them but the Love and Affection of his Friends could not with-hold them Observe 3. How great a Tribute of Respect and Honour is due and payable to the Memory of these Holy Women for their great Magnanimity and Courage They followed Christ when his Cowardly Disciples left him they accompanied him to his Cross they followed his Hearse to the Grave when his Disciples durst not appear and now very early in the Morning they go to Visit his Sepulchre fearing neither the Darkness of the Night nor the presence of the Watch-men Learn hence That Courage is the special Gift of God and if he gives it to the feebler Sex even to Timorous and fearful Women it is not in the power of Men to make them afraid 3 And they said among themselves Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the Sepulchre 4 And when they looked they saw that the Stone was Rolled away for it was very great 5 And entring into the Sepulchre they saw a young Man sitting on the right side cloathed in a long white Garment and they were afraid 6 And he saith unto them Be not affrighted ye seek Jesus of Nazareth which was Crucified he is Risen he is not here behold the place where they laid him 7 But go your way tell his Disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee there shall ye see him as he said unto you 8 And they went out quickly and fled from the Sepulchre for they trembled and were amazed neither said they any thing to any Man for they were afraid Observe here 1. With what Pomp and Triumph doth our Lord Arise An Angel is sent from Heaven to roll away the Stone But
2. The Name is given or at least declared at the time of the Child's Circumcising and that by its Parents His Mother said he shall be called John But how did his Mother know That when her Husband was dumb Answ 'T is like her Husband Zachary had by Writing informed his Wife concerning the whole Vision and what Name was imposed upon him by the Angel therefore she says he shall be called John and Zachary ratifies it his name is John The Nomination was originally from the Angel the Imposition of the Name is now at Circumcision from the Parents Obs 3. How Ancient a Custom it has been to give Names to Children according to the Names of their Fathers or Kindred There is none of thy Kindred of this name say they The Jews made it a part of Religion to give suitable Names to their Children and significant Names Accordingly they either gave them Names to put them in remembrance of God's Mercy to them or of their Duty to him Thus Zachary signifies the Remembrance of God which name points at God's Mercy in remembring him and his Duty in remembring God Well then is it usual and useful for Parents to give significant Names to their Children then let Children have a Holy Ambition to make good the Signification of their Names Thus John signifies the Grace of God but how will that Gracious Name rise up in Judgment against that Child that is Graceless Obs 4. How Zachary's Speech is immediately restored to him upon the naming of his Child The Angel v. 20. told him he should be dumb till the things he told him should be performed and now that they were performed his Tongue is loosed and he praises God in a most Thankful manner Obs 5. The effect which all this had upon the Neighbourhood fear came upon all that dwelt round about them that is an awful and Religious fear of God occasioned by these miraculous operations and they laid up these sayings in their hearts that is considered of them and pondered upon them It argues a very vain Spirit and temper of Mind when we pass over the Observation of God's wonderful Acts with a slight Regard The true Reason why we do so little admire the wonderful Works of God is because we consider so little of them Obs 6. The special favour vouchsafed by God to this Child John The hand of the Lord was with him that is God was in a special manner present with him to direct and assist him to protect and prosper him The hand of God in Scripture signifies the help of God the strength and assistance of God The hand of Man is a weak and impotent hand a short and ineffectual hand but the hand of God is a strong hand an Almighty hand able to assist and help able to protect and preserve The hand of the Lord was with him that is the heart of God and the help of God the Love and Favour of God to support him and the Power and Providence of God to protect and preserve him Lord let our Hearts be with thee and then thy Heart and thy helping hand will be with us 67 And his Father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophecied saying 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people 69 And hath raised up an horn of Salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets which have been since the world began 71 That we should be saved from our Enemies and from the hand of all that hate us 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fore-fathers and to remember his holy Covenant 73 The Oath which he sware to our father Abraham 74 That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear 75 In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life 76 And thou child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his way 77 To give knowledge of Salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins 78 Through the tender mercies of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us 79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death and to guide our feet in the way of peace Here observe 1. That no sooner was Zachary recovered and restored to his Speech but he sings the Praises of his Redeemer and offers up a Thanksgiving to God The best Return we can make to God for the use of our Tongue for the giving or restoring of our Speech is to publish our Creator's Praise to plead his Cause and vindicate his Honour Obs 2. What it is that Zachary makes the subject matter of his Song What is the particular and special Mercy which he praises and blesses God for It is not for his own particular and private Mercy namely the Recovery of his Speech tho' undoubtedly he was very thankful to God for that Mercy but he Blesses and praises God for Catholick and Universal Mercies bestowed upon his Church and People He doth not say Blessed be the Lord God of Israel that hath visited me in Mercy that hath once more loosed my Tongue and restored my Speech but Blessed be God that has visited and redeemed his people Whence Learn that it is both the Duty and Disposition of a gracious Soul to abound in Praise and Thankfulness to God more for Catholick and Universal Mercies towards the Church of God then for any particular and private Mercies how great soever towards himself Blessed be God for visiting and redeeming his people Obs 3. In this Evangelical Hymn there is a Prophetical Prediction both concerning Christ and concerning John Concerning Christ he declares that God the Father had sent him of his free mercy and rich Grace yet in performance of his Truth and Faithfulness and according to his promise and Oath which he had made to Abraham and the Fathers of the Old Testament Where Note 1. he blesses God for the Comprehensive blessing of the Messiah Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath visited his people namely in his Son's Incarnation The Lord Jesus Christ in the Fulness of Time made such a visit to this sinful World as Men and Angels admired at and will admire to all Eternity Note 2. The special fruit and benefit of this gracious and merciful Visitation and that was the Redemption of a lost World he hath visited and redeemed his People This implies that miserable Thraldom and Bondage which we were under to Sin and Satan and expresses the stupendious Love of Christ in buying our Lives with his dearest Blood and both by price and power rescuing us out of the hands of our Spiritual Enemies Note 3. The Character given of This Saviour and Redeemer he is an Horn of Salvation that is a Royal and Glorious a Strong
Saviour which is Christ the Lord. 13 And suddenly there was with the Angels a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying 14 Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace good will towards Men. Although the Birth of our Blessed Saviour was published by one Angel yet is it Celebrated by an Host of Angels the whole Quire of Angels chaunt forth the Praises of Almighty God upon this great and joyful Occasion Here Observe 1. the Singers 2. the Song it self The Singers of this Heavenly Anthem are the holy Angels called an Host partly for their number partly for their Order where Learn 1. The goodness and sweet disposition of these Blessed Spirits in whose Bosoms that Cankered passion of Envy has no place if it had there was never such an occasion to stir it up as now But Heaven admits of no such Passion Envy is a Native of Hell 't is the smoke of the Bottomless Pit the character and temper of the Apostate spirits these grieve at the Happiness of Man as much as the Angels rejoyce O ye Blessed Angels what did these Tidings concern you that ruin'd Mankind should be taken again into favour whereas those of your own Host which fell likewise remained still in that gulph of Perdition into which their Sin had plung'd them without either hope of Mercy or possibility of Recovery The less we repine at the Good and the more we rejoyce at the Happiness of others the more like we are to the Holy Angels yea the more we resemble God himself Learn 2. Did the Angels thus joy and rejoice for us then what joy ought we to express for our selves Had we the Tongue of Angels we could not sufficiently chaunt forth the Praises of our Redeemer Eternity it self it will be too short to spend in the Rapturous Contemplation of Redeeming Mercy Obs 2. The Anthem or Song it self which begins with a Doxology Glory be to God in the Highest that is let God in the highest Heavens be glorified by the Angels that dwell on high The Angelical Quire excite themselves and all the Host of Angels to give glory to God for these wonderful Tidings as if they had said let the Power the Wisdom the Goodness and Mercy of God be acknowledged and revered by all the Host of Heaven for ever and ever Next to the Doxology follows a Gratulation Glory be to God in the Highest for there is peace on earth and good will towards men The Birth of Christ has brought a peace of Reconciliation betwixt GOD and Man upon Earth and also a peace of amity and concord betwixt man and man and is therefore to be Celebrated with Acclamations of joy 15 And it came to pass as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven the Shepherds said one to another let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass which the Lord hath made known unto us 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the babe lying in a manger 17 And when they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the Shepherds 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart Several particulars are here observeable as 1. That the Shepherds no sooner hear the News of a Saviour but they run to Bethlehem to seek him And tho' it was at Midnight yet they delayed not to go Those that lest their Beds to attend their Flocks now leave their Flocks to enquire after their Saviour Learn thence That a gracious Soul no sooner hears where Christ is but instantly makes out after him and judges no earthly Comfort too dear to be left and forsaken for him These Shepherds shew That they preferred their Saviour before their Sheep Obs 2. These Shepherds having found Christ themselves do make him known to others v. 17. When they had seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child Learn That such as have found Christ to their comfort and tasted that the Lord is Gracious themselves cannot but recommend him to the love and admiration of others Obs 3. What effect this relation had upon the generality of people that heard it It wrought in them amazement and astonishment but not Faith The people wondered but not Believed 'T is not the hearing of Christ with the hearing of the Ear nor the seeing of Christ with the sight of the outward Eye neither the hearing of his Doctrine nor the sight of his Miracles will work divine Faith in the Soul without the concurring Operation of the holy Spirit the one may make us marvel but the other makes us Believe All that heard it wondered at these things Lastly Note The effect which these things had upon Mary quite different from what they had upon the common people they wondered she pondered the things that affected their Heads influenced her Heart she kept all these things and pondered them in her heart 21 And when eight days were accomplished for the Circumcision of the child his name was called Jesus which was so named of the Angel before he was conceived in the womb Two things are here Observable our Saviour's Circumcision and the name given him at his Circumcision There was no impurity in the Son of God and yet is he Circumcised and Baptised also tho' he had neither filth nor foreskin which wanted either the Circumcising Knife or the Baptismal Water yet he condescends to be both Circumcised and Baptized thereby shewing that as he was made of a Woman so he would be made under the Law which he punctually observed to a tittle And accordingly he was not only Circumcised but Circumcised the eighth day as the ceremonial Law required and thus our Lord fulfilled all Righteousness St. Matth. 3.15 Obs 2. The Name given at our Saviour's Circumcision his name was called Jesus that is a Saviour he being to save his people from their sins St. Matth. 1.21 The great End of Christ's coming into the World was to save Persons from the punishment and power of their Sins Had not he saved us from our Sins we must have dyed in our Sins and dyed for our Sins and that Eternally Never let us then sit down desponding either under the Guilt or under the power of our Sins and conclude that they are either so great that they cannot be forgiven or so strong that they can never be overcome 22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished they brought him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 As it is written in the Law of the Lord every male that openeth the womb shall be called Holy to the Lord. 24 And to offer a Sacrifice according to that which is said in the Law of the Lord a pair of Turtle Doves or two young Pidgeons A Twofold
sanctify the Ordinance of baptism unto us 3. That thereby he might fulfil the Righteousness of the Ceremonial Law which required the washing of the Priests in Water before they entered upon their Office as appears Exod. 29.4 Obs 3. How the Duty of Prayer accompanieth the Ordinance of Baptism Jesus being Baptized and Praying Teaching us by his example to Sanctify every Ordinance and every Action with Prayer Christ when he was Baptized he Prayed when he was Tempted he Prayed when he brake Bread he Prayed when he wrought Miracles he Prayed in his Agony in the Garden he prayed when he Suffered on the Cross he Prayed what was the subject matter of our Lord's Prayer at this time is not exprest but by what followed namely the Heavens opening and the Holy Ghost descending it is probably conjectured that he prayed for some Testimony to be given from Heaven concerning himself for it immediately follows 22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a Bodily shape like a dove upon him and a voice came from Heaven which said Thou art my beloved Son in thee I am well pleased Observe here the solemn investing of Christ into his Office as Mediator is attended with a threefold Miracle namely the opening of the Heavens the Descending of the Holy Ghost and God the Father's voice concerning his Son the Heavens were opened to shew that Heaven which was closed and shut against us for our Sins is now opened to us by Christ's Undertaking for us Next the Holy Ghost descends like a Dove upon our Saviour here we have a proof and evidence of the Blessed Trinity the Father speaks from Heaven the Son comes out of the Water and the Holy Ghost descends in the likeness of a Dove But why did the Holy Ghost now descend upon Christ first for the Designation of his Person to shew that he was the Person set apart for the Work and Office of a Mediator Secondly for the Unction and Sanctification of his Person for the performance of that Office Now was he anointed to be the King Priest and Prophet of his Church Lastly we have here the voice of God the Father pronouncing 1. The nearness of Christ's Relation This is my Son 2. The endearedness of his Person This is my Beloved Son 3. The fruit and benefit of this near Relation unto us In thee I am well pleased Hence Learn 1. That there is no possibility for any Person to please God out of Christ neither our Persons nor our Performances can find Acceptance with God but only in and through him and for his sake 2. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the ground and cause of all that Love and Good Will which God the Father sheweth to the Sons of Men. In Christ God is well pleased with us as a Reconciled Father out of him a consuming Fire Thou art my beloved Son in thee I am well pleased 23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age being as was supposed the son of Joseph which was the son of Eli. At Thirty years of Age the Priests under the Law entered upon their publick Office accordingly Christ stays the full time prescribed by the Law before he undertakes his publick Ministry and he gives the reason for it Mat. 3.15 that he might fulfil all Rightousness that is the Righteousness of the ceremonial Law which required Persons to be of that Age before they entered that Office and also injoyned them to be Baptized or washt in Water when they undertook their Office See Exod. 29.4 Learn hence that whatever the Law required in order to perfect Righteousness That Christ fulfilled in most absolute Perfection both in his own Person and also in the name of all Believers Observe farther the Title given to Joseph here he is called the supposed Father of Christ Joseph was not his natural Father tho' so supposed by the Jews but he was his Legal Father being Married to the Virgin when our Saviour was Born and he was his nursing Father that took care of him and provided for him tho' Christ sometimes shewed both his Parents that if he pleased he could live without any dependance upon their care See Luke 2.49 24 Which was the son of Matthat which was the son of Levi which was the son of Melchi which was the son of Janna which was the son of Joseph 25 Which was the son of Mattathias which was the son of Amos which was the son of Naum which was the son of Esly which was the son of Nagge 26 Which was the son of Maath which was the son of Mattathias which was the son of Semei which was the son of Joseph which was the son of Judah 27 Which was the son of Joanna which was the son of Resa which was the son of Zorobabel which was the son of Salathiel which was the son of Neri 28 Which was the son of Melchi which was the son of Addi which was the son of Cosam which was the son of Elmodam which was the son of Er. 29 Which was the son of Jose which was the son of Eliezer which was the son of Jorim which was the son of Matthat which was the son of Levi. 30 Which was the son of Simeon which was the son of Juda which was the son of Joseph which was the son of Jonan which was the son of Eliakin 31 Which was the son of Melea which was the son of Menan which was the son of Mattatha which was the son of Nathan which was the son of David 32 Which was the son of Jesse which was the son of Obed which was the son of Booz which was the son of Salmon which was the son of Naasson 33 Which was the son of Aminadab which was the son of Aram which was the son of Esrom which was the son of Phares which was the son of Juda. 34 Which was the son of Jacob which was the son of Isaac which was the son of Abraham which was the son of Thara which was the son of Nachor 35 Which was the son of Saruch which was the son of Ragau which was the son of Phaleg which was the son of Heber which was the son of Sala 36 Which was the son of Cainan which was the son of Arphaxad which was the son of Sem which was the son of Noah which was the son of Lamech 37 Which was the son of Mathusala which was the son of Enoch which was the son of Jared which was the son of Maleleel which was the son of Cainan 38 Which was the son of Enos which was the son of Seth which was the son of Adam which was the son of God We find the Genealogy of our Blessed Saviour Recorded by two Evangelists St. Matthew and St. Luke his Pedegree is set forth by St. Matthew from his Father Joseph by St. Luke from his Mother Mary the design of both is to prove him lineally descended from Abraham and David and consequently the true and promised Messias St. Matthew intending
but they have broken the yoke and burst the bonds Obs 3. The miraculous Success which St. Peter had when at Christ's Command he let down the Net They inclosed such a multitude of Fishes that their Net brake Two things our Saviour aimed at in this Miracle 1. To manifest to his Disciples the power of his Godhead that they might not be offended at the poverty and meanness of his Manhood 2. To assure them of the great Success which his Apostles and their Successors might expect in planting and propagating of the Gospel If the Ministers of Christ whom he calls Fishers of Men be Faithful in the cast his Power shall be magnified in the Draught Some of our Fish will cleave Eternally to the Rocks others play upon the Sands more will wallow in the Mud and continue all their days in the filth of sin if our Master at whose Command we let down the Net doth not inclose them in it as well as assist us in the casting of it Observe 4. What influence the sight of this Miracle had upon St. Peter it occasioned fear and amazement and caused him to adore Christ and declare himself unworthy of his presence Depart from me for I am a sinful Man O Lord not that the good man was weary of Christ's Presence but acknowledged himself unworthy of it 'T is a great Discovery of our Holiness to revere God and fear before him when he doth wonderful things before us tho' they be wonders of Love and Mercy here was a wonderful appearance of Christ's Power and Mercy to St. Peter But it affects him with reverential fear and awful Astonishment Observe 5. How St. Peter and the rest of the Apostles at Christ's Call forsook all and followed him they left Father and Friends Ship and Nets and followed Jesus whom Christ Calls he calls effectually he draws whom he calls and works their Hearts to a ready Compliance with their Duty And altho' when they were first called to be Disciples they followed their Trades of Fishing for a time yet upon their second call to the Apostleship they left off their Trade and forsook all to follow the Ministry Teaching the Ministers of the Gospel that it is their Duty to give themselves wholly up to their great Work and not to incumber themselves with secular Affairs and worldly Business nothing but an indispensible Necessity in providing for a Family can excuse a Ministers incumbring himself with Worldly Concerns and Business They forsook all and followed Jesus 12 And it came to pass when he was in a certain place behold a man full of Leprosy who seeing Jesus fell on his face and besought him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean 13 And he put forth his hand and touched him saying I will be thou clean and immediately the Leprosy departed from him 14 And he charged him to tell no man but go and shew thy self to the Priest and offer for thy cleansing according as Moses commanded for a Testimony unto them 15 But so much the more went there a fame abroad of him and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by him of their Infirmities Observe here 1. the Petitioner that in a very humble and submissive manner sues unto Christ for Cure and Healing A Leper fell on his Face and besought him saying Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean he doth not question Christ's Power but distrusts his willingness to help and heal him Christ's Divine Power must be fully assented to and firmly Believed by all those that expect benefit by him and healing from him Obs 2. The great readiness of Christ to help and heal this distressed Person Jesus touching him saying I will be thou clean By the Ceremonial Law the Leper was forbidden to be touched therefore Christ's touching this Leper shews himself to be above the Law that he was the Lord of it and might dispense with it and his healing this Leper by the word of his Mouth and the touch of his Hand shewed him to be truly and really God for Leprosy among the Jews was accounted an incurable Distemper called the Finger of God a Disease of his sending and of his removing Our Saviour therefore as a proof of his being the Messias tells John's Disciples Matth. 11.5 That the Lepers were cleansed and the Dead raised by him which two being joined together do imply that the cleansing of the Lepers is as much an act of Divine Power as the raising of the Dead and accordingly 2 Kings 5.8 it is said Am I God that this man sends unto me to cure a person of his Leprosy Obs 3. The certainty and suddenness of the Cure was a farther proof of Christ's Divine Power Immediately the Leprosy departed Christ not only Cured him immediately but instantaneously not only without Means but without the ordinary time required for such a Cure Thus Christ shewed both Power and will to Cure him Miraculously who Believed his Power but questioned his willingness Obs 4. A Twofold Charge and Command given by Christ to the Leper 1. To tell it to no Man where the great Modesty Piety and Humility of Our Saviour is discovered together with the prudent care he took of his own Safety his modesty in concealing his own Praises his Humility in shunning all vain-glorious Applause and Commendation his Piety in referring all the Honour and Glory to God his Father and the Care of his own Safety appeared lest the publishing of his Miracles should create untimely Danger from the Pharisees 2. The next part of the Charge given to the Recovered Leper is to go and shew himself to the Priest and to offer the Gift which Moses Commanded for a Testimony unto them that is to testify to the Jews that he did not oppose the Ceremonial Law which required a Thank-offering at his Hand and also that the Miracle might testify that he was the true and promised Messiah Learn hence that our Blessed Saviour would have the Ceremonial Law punctually observed so long as the time for its continuance did endure tho' he came to destroy that Law yet whilst it stood he would have it exactly observed 16 And he withdrew himself into the Wilderness and prayed The Duty of private and solitary Prayer is not more strictly injoined by our Saviour's Command then it is recommended to us by his Example Observe 1. The Duty which our Holy Lord performed Prayer we have much more business with God in Prayer than Christ had he had no sins to be humbled for nor beg pardon of no need to pray for any sanctifying habits of Grace the Holy Spirit being given to him without measure yet did our Holy Lord spend much of his time in Prayer he took delight in paying this Homage to his Heavenly Father Obs 2. What kind of Prayer our Lord did eminently delight in it was solitary and private Prayer He often went alone even out of the Hearing of his own Disciples The Company of
Love and Service to Man must be preferred before our Duty to God to whom we owe our first and chief Obedience 2. That lawful and decent Offices become sinful when they hinder greater Duties 3. That such as are called by Christ to preach the Gospel must mind that alone and leave inferiour Duties to inferiour Persons as if Christ had said others will serve well enough to bury the Dead but thou that art called to Minister unto God must do that unto which thou art called under the Law the Priests might not come near a dead Corpse nor meddle with the Interment of their own Parents unto which our Saviour here probably alludes 61 And another also said Lord I will follow thee but let me first go bid them farewel which are at home at my house 62 And Jesus said unto him No man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God Here we have another Person that promised to follow Christ but desireth leave first to settle the affairs of his Family and to take leave of his Friends our Saviour tells him if he would be one of his Ministers he must be like a Ploughman who looks forward and not backward otherwise he will never make his Furrows right they will either be too deep or too narrow he must mind his Plough and nothing else Thus must they that are called to the Work of the Ministry mind it wholly attend to that alone their whole time their whole strength must be devoted to it The things of the World are things behind them they must not look back upon them nothing can justify a Minister concerning himself with rhe incumbrances of Worldly Business but only perfect Necessity for the Support of himself and his Family CHAP. X. 1 AFter these things the Lord appointed other seventy also and sent them Two and Two before his face into every city and place whither he himself would come The Captain General of our Salvation Christ Jesus having called commissioned and sent forth his Twelve Apostles as great Commanders to subdue his Native Kingdom of Israel to himself at the sixth Chapter of this Gospel In this Chapter he sendeth after them a Band of Seventy Auxiliary Forces to Aid and Assist them After these things the Lord appointed other Seventy Disciples and sent them two by two before his Face Where Note 1. The Person Commissioning and Sending them forth Christ himself Thence Learn That none ought to take upon them the Office of Preaching or other Ministerial Function in the Church till thereunto called by Christ himself The Twelve Apostles and Seventy Disciples had an immediate Mission from Christ himself All his Ministers now are called mediately and receive their Authority from Christ by the hands of the Governours of his Church Note 2. The manner of their sending two by two in a company partly to make their Message of more Authority partly to testify their mutual consent in the Doctrine they taught and partly to comfort and encourage to help and strengthen to assist and support each other In imitation of this Example the Jesuits send forth their Emissaries by pairs Jesuitae semper sunt Bini c. Learn hence That the Ministers of the Gospel do stand in great need of the mutual help and comfort of the united assistance and encouragement of each other in the weighty Duties of their Calling and Function Our Saviour in the next Verse compares his Ministers to Harvest Labourers who are to help and assist one another the strong endeavouring to strengthen the hands of the weak But Lord What Tears are sufficient to bewail the want of Love and Unity yea the prevalency of that Envy and malignity which is found too often amongst the Ministers of the Gospel so that instead of going forth two by two happy is he that is alone in a place Well might Melanchton bless God when he lay a dying that he was going to a place where he should be freed from the implacable hatred of Divines this is and ought to be for a Lamentation 2 Therefore said he unto them the Harvest truly is great but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send forth Labourers into his Harvest Note here 1. That God's Church is an Harvest Field 2. That the Ministers of God are Labourers in his Harvest under God the Lord of the Harvest 3. That to God alone doth it belong to send forth Labourers into his Harvest and none must thrust themselves in till God sends them forth Pray ye the Lord of the Harvest that he send forth Labourers 4. That the number of Faithful Labourers is comparatively small and few the Scribes and Pharisees in the Jewish Harvest-field are many yet says Christ The Labourers are few 5. That it is the Churches Duty to pray and that earnestly and incessantly to God the Lord of the Harvest to encrease the number of Faithful Labourers and to send forth more Labourers into his Harvest 3 Go your ways Behold I send ye forth as Lambs amongst Wolves 4 Carry neither Purse nor Scrip nor Shoes nor Salute any man by the way Our Saviour 1. Arms his Disciples against the difficulties dangers and discouragements which they might meet with in the Course of their Ministry by telling them that he sent them forth as Lambs among Wolves thereby intimating that the Enemies of the Gospel have as great an Inclination from their malicious Nature to devour and destroy the Ministers of Christ as Wolves have from their natural temper to devour Lambs Behold I send you forth as Lambs among Wolves 2. Our Saviour directs them in this their first Expedition to preach the Gospel to commit themselves to the gracious care and good providence of God both for Provision and Protection carry neither purse nor scrip nor staff says St. Matthew as if he had said Trust God with the care of your Lives rely upon his Providence both for Protection and Provision yet must we take notice that this was only a temporary command given to the Disciples for this particular Journey which they were quickly to Dispatch for in the General Christ allows his Ministers as well as others to exercise a prudent and provident care for themselves and their Families And as it is the Ministers Duty to trust God in the use of prudential Means for their Maintenance so it is the Peoples Duty to take care for their Ministers comfortable Subsistence The Workman is worthy of his meat says our Saviour that is of all necessary Supplies he is worthy of a comfortable Subsistence and where it may be had of an honourable maintenance 5 And into whatsoever house ye enter first say peace be to this house 6 And if the son of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turn to you again Here our Blessed Saviour directs his Disciples how to manage themselves in the executing of their Office
seem to thank God that he was not so bad as the Publican when indeed he was glad that the Publican was not so good as himself Observe 3. The Publicans Behaviour in an humble sight and sense of his own sinfulness and unworthiness He stood afar off probably in the Court of the Gentiles where all sorts of Sinners might come acknowledging thereby that he was unworthy to come near the Holy Majesty of God not presuming to lift up his eyes to Heaven That place of perfect Holiness and Purity but like a true self-condemned Penitent smote upon his Breast and in bitter Remorse of Soul said God be merciful to me a sinner Hence Learn That a truly humble temper of mind well becomes us in all our Approaches and Addresses to God and is more acceptable to him than all pompous Performances whatsoever For Observe Lastly The Publican being thus condemned of himself departs Justified by God He went down to his house justified rather than the Pharisee the Pharisee justified himself the Publican was justified by God Thence Learn That a Penitent Sinner who is indeed poor in Spirit is far more esteemed of God than he that makes long Prayers fasts often Tythes all his Substance and prides himself in all this Without Humility all is vain Glory and Hypocrisy and the Seemingly most Sanctified Person that has it not is like a painted Sepulchre Beautiful without but full of rottenness within 15 And they brought unto him Infants that he would touch them but when his Disciples saw it they rebuked them 16 But Jesus called them unto him and said Suffer little Children to come unto me and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God 17 Verily I say unto you whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall in no wise enter therein Observe here 1. A solemn Action performed Children Infants sucking Children as the word signifies are brought to Christ that he might bless them the Parents looking up-Christ as a Prophet as a great and extraordinary Prophet perswaded themselves that by his Prayers and laying his Hands on their Children they should be preserved from Bodily Diseases and from Satan's Power and that he would confer upon them all needful Blessings Learn 1. That Infants are capable of Benefit by Jesus Chrst 2. That it is the best Office that Parents can perform unto their Children to bring them unto Christ that they may be made partakers of that Benefit 3. That if Infants are capable of Benefit by Christ if capable of his Blessing on Earth and Presence in Heaven if they be Subjects of his Kingdom of Grace and Heirs of his Kingdom of Glory then may they be Baptized for they that are within the Covenant Acts 2.39 have a Right to the Priviledges of the Covenant and to Baptism the Seal of the Covenant And if Christ denies not Infants the Kingdom of Heaven which is the greater What Reason have his Ministers to deny them the Benefit of Baptism which is the less Learn 4. That Christ will have all his Disciples and Followers to resemble little Children in such Properties wherein they may be patterns to them viz. in Humility and Innocency in freedom from Malice and Revenge in Docibility and Teachableness in Cleaving to and Depending upon their Parents and in Contentedness with their Condition Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little Child shall in no wise enter therein 18. And a certain Ruler asked him saying Good Master What shall I do to inherit Eternal Life We have here a considerable Person a Ruler coming to Christ with an important question in his Mouth What must I do to inherit eternal Life Where Note 1. He believes the certainty of future State 2. He professes a desire of an Eternal Happiness in that State 3. He declares his readiness and willingness to do some good thing in order to the obtaining of that Happiness Hence Learn 1. That the Light of Nature or Natural Religion teaches Men that good Works are necessary to Salvation or that some good thing must be done by them who at Death expect Eternal Life it is not Talking well and Professing well but Living well that Entitles us to Heaven and Eternal Life 19 And Jesus said unto him Why callest thou me Good None is good save one that is God Our Saviour here reproves this Person for calling him Good when he did not own to be God saying There is none good that is Essentially and Originally Good absolutely and immutably Good but God only nor any derivatively Good but he that receives his Goodness from God also 20 Thou knowest the Commandments Do not commit Adultery Do not Kill Do not Steal Do not bear false Witness Honour thy Father and thy Mother Note here that the Duties Directed to by our Saviour are the Duties of the Second Table nothing being a better Evidence of our unfeigned Love to God than a sincere Performance of our Duty to our Neighbour Love to Man is a Fruit and Testimony of our Love to God Learn thence That such as are defective in the Duties of the Second Table Charity and Justice towards Man do make but a Counterfeit shew of Religion tho' they pretend to the highest Degrees of Love to God 21 And he said all these things have I kept from my Youth up This Assertion might be very true according to the Pharisees sense and interpretation of the Law which Condemned only the gross outward Act not the inward Lusts and Motions of the Heart An external Obedience to the Letter of the Law this Man might possibly have performed this made him think well of himself and conclude the goodness of his own Condition Learn hence How prone Men are to think the best of themselves and to have too high an Opinion of their own Goodness and Righteousness before God this is very natural but dangerous and fatal 22 Now when Jesus heard these things he said unto him Yet lackest thou one thing Sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the Poor and thou shalt have Treasure in Heaven and come and follow me Here Observe 1. Our Lord's Admonition Yet lackest thou one thing which was true Self-denial in renouncing the Sin of Covetousness and the inordinate Love of Worldly Wealth We ought in the midst of our abundance to maintain a readiness of Disposition to part with all for God's sake that is dear unto us in this World Observe 2. Our Lord's Injunction Sell all that thou hast and give to the poor This was not a Common but a special Precept given particularly to this Rich Man for Tryal like that given to Abraham Gen. 22. and to convince him of his corrupt Confidence in Riches yet is the Precept thus far of general use to us all to teach us so to contemn Worldly Possessions as to be willing to part with them all at God's Pleasure and when they prejudice our Salvation 23 And when he heard
up your Heads for your Redemption draweth nigh The sense is this As soon as ye shall see the Roman Army appear before the City of Jerusalem called by St. Matthew and St. Mark The abomination of Desolation that is the Army which is such an abomination to you and the occasion of such Desolation wherever it goes then let every one that values his own Safety fly as far and as fast as he can as Lot fled from the Flames of Sodom and be glad if by flight he can save his Life tho' he loses all besides Learn thence That when Almighty God is pouring forth his Fury upon a sinful People it is both lawful and a necessary Duty by flight to endeavour to shelter our selves from the approaching Calamity and Desolation When ye see Jerusalem compassed with Armies flee to the Mountains Observe farther the dreadful Relation that our Saviour here gives of those Desolating Calamities which were coming upon Jerusalem partly from the Roman Army without and partly from the Seditions and Factions of the Zealots within who committed such outrages and slaughters that there were no less than an Hundred thousand Jews slain and Ninety seven thousand taken Prisoners They that bought our Saviour for Thirty Pence were now themselves sold Thirty for a Penny Now did the Temple it self become a Sacrifice a whole Burnt-offering and was consumed to Ashes Observe Lastly What Encouragement Christ gives to all his Faithful Disciples and Followers he bids them look up and lift up their Heads when these Calamities came upon others look up with Confidence and Joy for your Redemption Salvation and Deliverance then approacheth God had a Remnant which he designed should survive that Destruction to be an Holy Seed these are called upon to look up with chearfulness and joy when the hearts of others were failing them for fear And thus shall it be at the General Day of Judgment of which Jerusalem's Visitation was a Type Lord how will the Glory and Terror of that Day dazzle the Eyes and terrify the Hearts of all the Enemies of Christ but delight the Eyes and rejoyce the Heart of all that love and fear him that serve and obey him then may the friends of Christ look up and lift up their heads for their full Redemption draweth nigh 29 And he spake to them a Parable Behold the Fig-tree and all the Trees 30 When they now shoot forth ye see and know of your selves that Summer is now nigh at hand 31 So likewise ye when ye see these things come to pass know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand 32 Verily I say unto you This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled 33 Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away In these words our Saviour declares the certainty of his Coming to visit Jerusalem for all her barbarous and bloody Cruelty towards himself his Prophets and Apostles he is pleased to set forth this by the Similitude of the Fig-Tree whose beginning to bud declares the Summer at hand thus our Saviour tells them that when they should see the Fore-mentioned Signs they might conclude the Destruction of their City and Temple to be nigh at hand and accordingly some of that Generation then Living did see these Predictions Fulfilled Learn that God is no less punctual in the Execution of his Threatnings upon Incorrigible Sinners then he is faithful in the performance of his promises towards his own People The Truth and Veracity of God is as much concerned to execute his Threatnings as it is to fulfil his Promises 34 And take heed to your selves lest at any time your Hearts be over-charged with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and the cares of this Life and so that day come upon you unawares 35 For as a snare it shall come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole Earth 36 Watch ye therefore and pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Here our Lord cautions his Disciples against such a Distemper and Indisposition of Mind as may render them unfit and unready for his Coming and Appearance and to take heed of two dangerous Sins namely Voluptuousness and Earthly-mindedness which above any other Sins will indispose us for the Duty of Watchfulness There is a three-fold Reason why our Saviour fore-warns us of these Sins with Reference to the Day of Judgment 1. Because they are peccata praecurrentia certain prognosticks of the Day of Judgment approaching as it was in the Days of Noah so shall the coming of the Son of Man be 2. Because they are peccata Accelerantia they do not only fore-tell but hasten the Coming of Christ to see the World drowned in voluptuousness and earthly-mindedness in security and sensuality is not only a Sign to fore-tell but a sin that hastens Judgment and pulls down Vengeance upon a wicked World 3 Christ bids us beware of these Sins with reference to the Day of Judgment because these Sins they are derisioria judicii they beget in Men a prophane Spirit of Scoffing and Deriding at the Notices of Christ's appearing to Judgment 2 Pet. 3.3 In the last days there shall come Scoffers walking after their own Lusts and saying where is the promise of his coming Our Saviour having thus warn'd them of these Sins he next exhorts them to Watchfulness Watch ye therefore for as a snare that day will come upon you that is very suddenly and very unexpectedly a snare has a threefold Property to catch suddenly to hold surely to destroy certainly Our Lord 's coming to Jerusalem was very unexpected and his coming to us by Death and Judgment will steal upon us if we be not watchful Watch we then for our Lord will come at what hour he will come cannot certainly be known there is no time in which we can promise or assure our selves that our Lord will not come the time of our whole Life is little enough to prepare for his Coming Our Preparation for will be no acceleration or hastning of our Lord 's Coming And oh how dreadful will his Coming be if we be found off our Watch and altogether unready for his Appearance Appear we must in Judgment but shall not be able to stand in the Judgment see Christ we shall as a Judge but not behold him as a Redeemer 37 And in the day-time he was Teaching in the Temple and at Night he went out and abode in the Mount called the Mount of Olives 38 And all the people came early in the Morning to him in the Temple for to hear him Our Lord had exhorted his Disciples in the fore-going Verses to Diligence and Prayer here he sets an Example of both before them Busying himself in God's Service all the day and at Night spending much time in Prayer in the Day-time he was in the Temple Preaching in the Evening he was on the Mount of
That so far ought the Ministers of Christ to be from affecting a Domination and Superiority of Power over their Fellow Brethren that in imitation of Christ their Lord and Master they ought to account themselves Fellow-Servants I am among you as one that serveth 2. That such Ministers as do Love and Affect Preheminency and Superiority are most unfit for it and they deserve it best which seek it least 3. That the Dignity and Honour which the Ministers of Christ should chiefly and only affect is in another World and the way to be greatest and highest there is to be low and humble here mean in our own Eyes and little in our own esteem Whosoever is chief says Christ let him be your Servant 28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my Temptations 29 And I appoint unto you a Kingdom as my Father hath appointed unto me 30 That ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel Observe here What an Honourable Acknowledgment Christ makes of the Constancy of his Disciples Love and Affection towards him Ye are they that have continued with me in my Temptations that is in my Afflictions Tryals and Sufferings It is an easy matter to abide with Christ in days of Peace in times of Consolation but when we are under Afflictions Temptations and Troubles then to abide and keep close to Christ this is the proof of Love and Friendship And as Christ makes an honourable mention of their constancy towards him so he presently assures them of an honourable Reward I appoint unto you a Kingdom Learn hence That such as are Sharers with Christ in his Sufferings shall certainly Communicate with him in his Glory If we Suffer with him we shall Reign with him And whereas our Saviour promises his Apostles To sit upon Thrones with him judging the twelve Tribes of Israel we may gather That such Ministers as do most Service for Christ and forsake most to follow him and continue in Temptation and Tribulation with him shall in his Kingdom partake of most Honour and Dignity with him and from him You shall eat and drink in my Kingdom and sit on Thrones judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel possibly the Apostles and all the Zealous Faithful and Laborious Ministers of Jesus Christ shall be nearer his Throne in Heaven than either Saints or Angels nearer than the Angels because by Christ's assuming the Humane Nature they are more nearly allyed to him he is their Friend but our Brother and nearer than other Saints as having done more eminent Service for Christ and brought more Honour and Glory to him by a Laborious Diligence in their Place and Station Dan. 12.3 They that turn many to Righteousness shall shine c. 31 And the Lord said Simon Simon Behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as Wheat 32 But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not and when thou art Converted strengthen thy Brethren Here I shall give 1. The general sense of the words 2. The particular Matters contained in them 3. The special Observations from them The Sense of the Words is this As for you my Disciples in general and for thee Peter in particular I must tell thee that Satan hath accused you all before God and desired that he may have the sifting of you all by his winnowing Winds of Temptation and Persecution that he may shake your Faith and weaken your Confidence But I have prayed for you all and particularly for thy self who art in greatest danger of falling because so confident of thine own Strength and Standing that thy Faith tho severely shaken may not utterly fail and when by Repentance thou art Recovered from thy Fall be careful to confirm and strengthen others that they fall not in like manner The particular matters contained in these words are three a Christians Danger a Christians Safety and a Christians Duty 1. a Christians Danger Satan hath desired to sift you Where Observe 1. The Person particularly warned of the Danger Simon Simon the Doubling of the Word doubtless carries a special intimation with it it denotes the greatness and nearness of Peter's Danger his own security and insensibleness of that danger and the great affection of Christ his Monitors to give him warning of his Danger Observe 2. The warning it self and that is of a Devilish Conspiracy against himself and all the Apostles Satan hath desired to have you to have you for his own if it might be to have you as Believers rather then other Men to have you as eminent Believers rather than other Christians and to have you as Apostles and Ministers rather than other eminent Believers And as Satan has desired to have you so to sift you too to winnow you as Wheat Here Note That Satan has his Winnowing Winds of Temptation and his Tempestuous Winds of Persecution for the sifting of God's Children Note further That it is the Wheat the good Corn that Satan Winnows not Chaff not Dross Sinners that are all Chaff and nothing but Dross Satan will not be at the pains to sift and winnow them But what is this Sifting Answer in sifting two things are performed 1. The agitation shaking and tossing of the Corn from side to side 2. The Separation of the Corn from the Chaff and Dust Satan intends the former GOD effects the latter Cribratione non perditur sed purgatur frumentum The Corn is improved not impaired by Winnowing The Saints of God shall be no losers in the end by Satans Temptations how many and strong soever they may be in the way Observe 2. The Christians Safety But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not Where Note 1. The Care that Christ had of Peter and in him of all Believers I have prayed for thee for thee as a Believing Christian and for thee as a Tempted Christian and it is not said I will pray for thee but I have Prayed for thee Christ prayed for Peter before Peter understood that he had need of Christ's Prayer Christ Prayed for Peter as soon as ever Satan desired to sift Peter Our Intercessor is full as nimble and speedy in his Suit for us as Satan is in his Accusations against us he has desired but I have prayed he is a potent Assailant but thou hast a powerful Assistant Observe 2. The Subject Matter Prayed for That thy Faith fail not not that thy Faith be not assaulted not that thy Faith be not shaken but that thy Faith may not fail by an absolute and total deficiency The third Particular is the Christians Duty When thou art Converted strengthen thy Brethren When Converted that is when Recovered from thy Fall when Restored upon thy Repentance to the Divine Favour This Conversion is not from a State of Sin Peter was so Converted before but it was from an Act of Sin into which he should Lapse and Relapse Strengthen thy Brethren that
intimate Friend he has in the World should be with him to hear what passes in Secret betwixt him and his God Again 2. it was an humble Prayer that appears by the Postures in which he cast himself sometimes kneeling sometimes lying Prostrate upon his Face he lyes in the very Dust and lower he could not lye and his Heart was as low as his Body 3. It was a vehement fervent and importunate Prayer Such was the Fervour of his Spirit that he Prayed himself into an Agony Oh let us blush to think how unlike our Praying-frame of Spirit is to Christ's Lord What Coldness Deadness Drowsiness Formality and Laziness is found in our Prayers how often do our Lips move when our Hearts stand still Observe 4. The Posture which the Disciples were found in when our Lord was Praying in his Agony they were fast asleep Good God! Could they possibly sleep at such a time as this When Christ's Soul was exceeding sorrowful could their Eyes be thus heavy Learn thence That the very best of Christ's Disciples may be and oft-times are overtaken with great Infirmities when the most important Duties are performing Then cometh he to his Disciples and findâ— them Sleeping Observe 5. The Mild Meek and Gentle Rebuke which he gives his Disciples for their Sleeping he said unto them Why sleep ye could you not Watch with me one hour What not Watch when your Master was in such Danger Could you not Watch with me when I am going to lay down my Life for you What not one hour and that the parting Hour too Learn hence That the holiest and best Resolved Christians who have willing Spirits for Christ and his Service yet in regard of the Weakness of the Flesh and frailty of Humane Nature it is their Duty to Watch and Pray and thereby Guard themselves against Temptations Rise and pray lest ye enter into c. 47 While he yet spake Behold a Multitude and he that was called Judas one of the Twelve went before them and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him 48 But Jesus said unto him Judas Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a Kiss 49 When they which were about him saw what would follow they said unto him Lord Shall we smite with the Sword 50 And one of them smote the Servant of the High-priest and cut off his right Ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said Suffer ye thus far and he touched his ear and healed him 52 Then Jesus said unto the Chief Priests and Captains of the Temple and the Elders which were come to him Be ye come out as against a Thief with Swords and Staves 53 When I was daily with you in the Temple ye stretched forth no hands against me But this is your Hour and the Power of Darkness It was the Lot and Portion of our Blessed Redeemer here we find to be Betrayed into the hands of his Mortal Enemies by the Treachery of a false and dissembling Friend And in this sad Relation before us we have Observable The Traitor the Treason the Manner how and the Time when this Treasonable Design was Executed Observe 1. The Traitor Judas all the Evangelists carefully Describe him by his Name Judas Judas Iscariot lest he should be mistaken for Jude the Brother of James and by his Office one of the Twelve Lord How ought the greatest Professors to look well to themselves and to the Grounds and Principles of their Profession For a Profession begun in Hypocrisy will certainly end in Apostacy Observe 2. The occasion of the Treason Covetousness or the inordinate Love of Worldly Wealth and accordingly the Devil lays a Temptation before him exactly suited to his Temper and Inclination and it instantly over-came him Learn hence That Persons are never in such imminent danger of falling into Sin as when they meet with Temptations exactly suited to their Master Lusts Oh pray we That God would keep us from a Temptation suited to our predominant Lust and Corruption Observe 3. The Treason of Judas He led on an armed Multitude to the place where Christ was gave them a signal to discover him by and bids them lay hands upon him and hold him fast Which Treason of Judas was attended with these black and hellish Aggravations He had been a Witness of our Saviour's Miracles an Hearer of our Holy Lord's Doctrine What he did was not by Sollicitation the Chief Priests did not send to him but he went to them Lord How dangerous is it to allow our selves in any Secret Sin none can say how far that one Sin may in time lead us Should any one have told Judas that his Covetousness would at last make him deny his Master and Sell his Saviour he would have said with Hazael Is thy Servant a Dog that I should do this thing Observe 4. The Endeavours used by the Disciples for their Master's Rescue One of them St. Matthew says it was Peter drew a Sword and cut off the Ear of Malchus But why not the Ear of Judas rather Because though Judas was most Faulty yet Malchus might be most forward to Arrest and carry off our Saviour Oh how does a pious Breast boyl with Indignation at the sight of any open Affront offered to its Saviour Yet tho' St. Peter's Heart was sincere his hand was too rash good Intentions are no warrant for irregular Actions and accordingly Christ who accepted the Affection reproved the Action To resist Authority even in Christ's own Defence is rash Zeal and discountenanced by the Gospel Peter did well to ask his Master If he should smite with the Sword but he ought to have stayed his hand till Christ had given him his Answer 54 Then took they him and led him and brought him into the High-priests House and Peter followed afar off 55 And when they had kindled a Fire in the midst of the Hall and were set down together Peter sate down amongst them 56 But a certain Maid beheld him as he sate by the fire and earnestly looked upon him and said This Man was also with him 57 And he denied him saying Woman I know him not 58 And after a little while another saw him and said Thou art also of them And Peter said Man I am not 59 And about the space of an hour after Another confidently affirmed saying Of a truth that fellow also was with him 60 And Peter said Man I know not what thou sayest and immediately the Cock Crew while he yet spake 61 And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter And Peter remembred the word of the Lord how he said unto him before the Cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice 62 And Peter went out and wept bitterly This Paragraph of the Chapter gives us an account of the Fall and Rising of Peter of his Sin in denying his Master and of his Recovery by Repentance both must be considered distinctly First touching his Sin and Fall there are Four Particulars Observable relating thereunto namely the Sin it self the Occasion
46 And when Jesus had cryed with a loud Voice he said Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit And having said thus he gave up the Ghost 47 Now when the Centurion saw what was done he Glorified God saying Certainly this was a Righteous Man 48 And all the People that came together to that sight beholding the things which were done smote their Breasts and Returned 49 And all his Acquaintance and the Women that followed him from Galilee stood afar off beholding these things Observe here 1. What Prodigies in Nature happened and fell out at the Crucifixion of our Saviour The Sun was Darkened at the Setting of the Son of Righteousness And the Veil of the Temple was Rent signifying That God was now about to Forsake his Temple that the Ceremonial Law was now Abolishing and the Partition-Wall betwixt Jew and Gentile being now pulled down all may have Access to God through the Blood of a Mediator Observe 2. The last Prayer of our Saviour before his Death Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit They are words full of Faith and Comfort fit to be the last Breathings of every Gracious Soul in this World Learn hence That Dying Believers are both Warranted and Encouraged by Christ's Example Believingly to Commend their precious Souls into the Hands of God as a Gracious Father Father into thy Hands Observe 3. What influence our Saviour's Death had upon the Centurion He Glorified God saying Verily this was a Righteous Man Here Note That Christ had a Testimony of his Innocency and Righteousness given unto him from all sorts of Persons whatsoever Pilate and Herod pronounced him Innocent Pilate's Wife proclaimed him a Righteous Person Judas the Traitor declared it was innocent Blood the Thief on the Cross affirmed he had done nothing amiss and the Centurion owned him to be a Righteous Man yea the Son of God Mark 15.39 only the Pharisees and Chief Priests which were Teachers of others not Ignorance but Obstinacy and Malice Blinded and Hardned them to their Ruine and Destruction instead of Owning and Receiving him for their Saviour they Ignominiously put him to Death as the vilest Impostor 50 And behold there was a Man Named Joseph a Counsellor and he was a good Man and a just 51 The same had not consented to the Counsel and Deed of them he was of Arimathea a City of the Jews who also himself waited for rhe Kingdom of God 52 This Man went unto Pilate and begged the Body of Jesus 53 And he took it down and wrapped it in Linnen and laid it in a Sepulchre that was hewn in Stone wherein never Man before was laid 54 And that Day was the Preparation and the Sabbath drew on 55 And the Women also which came with him from Galilee followed after and beheld the Sepulchre and how his Body was laid 56 And they Returned and prepared Spices and Oyntments and rested the Sabbath-day according to the Commandment The Circumstances of our Lord's Funeral and Honourable Interrment are here Recorded by our Evangelist such a Funeral as never was since Graves were first Digg'd Where Observe 1. Our Lord's Body must be Begg'd before it could be Bury'd The Dead Bodies of Malefactors being in the Power and at the Disposal of the Judge that Condemns them Observe 2. The Person that Begg'd this Body and bestowed a Decent and Honourable Buryal upon it Joseph of Arimathea a worthy though a close Disciple Grace doth not always make a publick and open Shew where it is But as there is much secret Riches in the Bowels of the Earth though unseen so is there much Grace in the Hearts of some Saints which the World takes little Notice of Observe 3. The Mourners that followed our Saviour's Hearse to the Grave The Women which came out of Galilee a poor Train of Mourners The Apostles who should have been most officious to bear his Holy Body to the Ground were sometime since all Scattered afraid to own their Master either Dying or Dead Funeral Pomo had been no way suitable either to the End or Manner of our Lord's Death and accordingly here is is nothing like Observe 4. The Grave or Sepulchre in which our Holy Lord lay it was in a Sepulchre Hewn out of a Rock That so his Enemies might have no occasion to say that his Disciples stole him away by secret Holes and unseen Passages under Ground It was in a New Sepulchre Wherein never Man was laid before lest his Adversaries should say it was another that was Risen who was Bury'd there before him And has Buryed in a Garden As by the Sin of the first Adam we were driven out of the Garden of Pleasure the Earthly Paradise so by the Sufferings of the Second Adam who lay Buryed in a Garden we may hope for Entrance into the Heavenly Paradise Observe 5. The manner of our Lord's Funeral it was Hasty Open and Decent Hasty because of the Preparation for the Sabbath Open that all Persons might be Spectators and none might say He was Buryed before he was Dead Decent being wrapt in fine Linnen and Perfumed with Spices Observe 6. The Reasons why our Lord was thus Buryed Seeing he was to Rise again in as short a Time as other Men lye by the Walls doubtless it was to declare the Certainty of his Death to Fulfil the Types and Prophecies which went before of him As Jonas being Three days and three nights in the Whales Belly He was also Bury'd to Compleat his Humiliation This was the lowest step to which he could Descend in his Abased State In a word Christ went into the Grave that he might Conquer Death in its own Territories and Dominions Observe 7. Of what Use our Lord's Buryal is to us his Followers it shews us the amazing Depths of his Humiliation from what and to what his Love brought him even from the Bosom of his Father to the Bosom of the Grave It may Comfort us against the fears of Death and the Terrors of the Grave The Grave could not long keep Christ it shall not always keep Christians It was a Loathsome Prison before it is a Persumed Bed now He whose Head is in Heaven need not fear to put his Feet into the Grave Awake and Sing thou that dwellest in the Dust for the Enmity of the Grave is slain by Christ CHAP. XXIV This Last Chapter of St. Luke's Gospel contains the History of our Saviour's Resurrection and gives us an Account of what he did upon Earth between the Time of his glorious Resurrection and Triumphant Ascension 1 NOW upon the first day of the Week very early in the Morning they came unto the Sepulchre bringing the Spices which they had prepared and certain others with them 2 And they found the Stone Rolled away from Sepulchre 3 And they entered in and found not the Body of our Lord Jesus 4 And it came to pass as they were much perplexed thereabout Behold Two Men stood by them in shining Garments 5 And
and Nature and yet blind as a Mole in the things of God 2. That Ignorance in the Fundamentals of Religion especially is very culpable and shameful in any that enjoy the means of Knowledge but especially in those that undertake to teach and instruct others Art thou a Teacher thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things Next our Saviour upbraids him for his Infidelity v. 12. If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not This Infidelity received its Aggravation from the Facility and Perspicuity of our Saviour's Doctrine I have told you earthly Things that is I have set forth Spiritual Things by Earthly Similitudes not in a Stile suitable to the Sublimity of their own Nature Let the Ministers of Christ learn from their Master's Example in all their Discoures to accommodate themselves and descend as low as may be to the Capacities of their People I have told you earthly things 2. That even Spiritual Things when they are shadowed forth by earthly Similitudes and brought down in the plainest manner to the Capacities of our People yet are they very slow to understand them and very backward to believe them I have told you of earthly things and ye believe them not 13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven even the son of man which is in heaven Here our Saviour declares to Nicodemus that none ever ascended up into Heaven to fetch down from thence the Knowledge of Divine Mysteries And to reveal the Way of Life and Salvation to Mankind by a Mediator but only Christ himself who tho' he took upon him the human Nature and was then Man upon Earth yet was he at the same time in his Divine Nature actually in heaven as God This Text evidently proves two distinct Natures in Christ namely a Divine Nature as he was God and an Humane Nature as Man In his Humane Nature he was then upon Earth when he spake these Words in his Divine Nature he was at that Instant in Heaven Here observe That the Son of God hath taken the Humane Nature into so close and intimate an Union with his God-head that what is proper to either Nature is ascribed unto the Person of our Saviour The same Person who was on Earth as the Son of Man was then in Heaven as God and yet but one Person still Lord what Love hast thou shewen to our Humane Nature that under that Name thou ascribest to thy self what is proper to thy God-head The Son of Man which is in Heaven 14 ¶ And as Moses lifted up the Serpent in the wilderness even so must the son of man be lifted up 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life Christ having instructed Nicodemus in the Doctrine of Regeneration in the former Verses here he instructs him in the Death of the Messiah and in the Necessity of Faith in his Death The Son of Man must be lifted up that is upon his Cross and dye that whosoever believeth in him should not perish Observe here 1. An Old Testament Type which our Saviour refers to and that is the Brazen Serpent in the Wilderness the History of which is recorded Numb 21.7 8. Observe 2. The Antitype or the Substance of what that Type did shadow forth the Brazen Serpent's lifting up upon the Pole prefiguring Christ's Exaltation or lifting up upon his Cross So must the Son of Man be lifted up Learn hence That the Lord Jesus Christ is of the same Use and Office to a Sin-stung Soul which the Brazen Serpent was of old to a Serpent-stung Israelite Here observe First Wherein the Brazen Serpent and Christ do agree And Secondly Wherein they differ They agree thus In the Occasion of their Institution they were both appointed for Cure and Healing Were they Serpent-stung We are Sin-stung Devil-bitten Was the Sting of the fiery Serpents inflaming Was it spreading Was it killing So is sin which is the Venom and Poison of the old Serpent They agree in this that they both must be lifted up before Cure could be obtained the Brazen Serpent upon the Pole Christ upon his Cross They both must be lookt unto before Cure could be obtained The looking up of the Israelite was as necessary unto Healing as the lifting up of the Serpent Faith is as necessary to Salvation as the Death of Christ The one rendered God reconcilable unto Sinners the other renders him actually reconciled Again did the Brazen Serpent heal All that lookt upon it and lookt up unto it though all had not Eyes alike some with a weak others with a stronger Eye In like manner doth Christ justifie and save All that with a sincere Faith though weak do rely upon him for Salvation Whoever believeth in him shall not perish Further the Brazen Serpent was effectual for Israel's Cure after many Stingings if after they were healed they were stung afresh and did look up to it they were healed by it Thus the Merit of Christ's Death is not only effectual for our Cure and Healing at our first Conversion but after involuntary Relapses and Backslidings if by Faith we have recourse to the Blood of Christ we shall find it efficacious for our farther Benefit and future Healing In a Word as the Brazen Serpent had the Likeness of a Serpent the Form the Figure the Name the Colour of a Serpent but nothing of the Venom and Poison of the Serpent in it Thus Christ did take upon him our Natures but sin the Venom and Poison of our Natures he had nothing to do with though Christ loved Souls with an invincible and insuperable Love yet he would not sin to save a Soul This was the Similitude and Resemblance between Christ and the Brazen Serpent The Disparity or Dissimilitude follows The Brazen Serpent had no Power in its self or of its self to heal and cure but Christ has a Power inherent in himself for the Cure and Healing of all that do believe in him Again the Brazen Serpent cured only one particular Nation and People Jews only Christ is for the healing of all Nations and his Salvation is to the ends of the Earth Farther the Brazen Serpent cured only one particular Disease namely the Stingings of the fiery Serpents had a Person been sick of the Plague or Leprosie he might have died for all the Brazen Serpent But Christ pardons all the Iniquities and heals all the Diseases of his People Psal 103.3 Yet again though the Brazen Serpent healed all that lookt up unto it yet it gave an Eye to none to look up unto it Whereas Christ doth not only heal those that look up to him but bestows the Eye of Faith upon them to enable them to look unto him that they may be saved In a Word the Brazen Serpent did not always retain its healing Virtue but in time lost it and was it self destroyed 2 Kings 18.4 But now the healing Vertue and Efficacy of Christ's Blood is
poor VVoman Obs 2. The Carriage and Behaviour of the Disciples upon their return to Christ Finding him preaching a Sermon to a single VVoman they marvelled but yet were silent Learn 1. That the Humility and Condescension of the Lord Jesus Christ in treating poor penitent and humbled sinners is matter of wonder and admiration even to Disciples themselves Oh blessed Saviour there was more Kindness and Condescension more Love and Compassion more Meekness and Humility in thy self alone than in all thy Disciples and Followers put together Yet Observe 2. Tho' they marvelled they were silent No Man said Why talkest thou with her Thence Note That such Reverence is due to Christ in all his Dispensations and Actions that when we can see no reason for what he doth it is not for us to inquire much less to quarrel But we must awfully admire what we cannot comprehend Observe 3. the Behaviour of this VVoman after the Conference was over she leaves her VVater-Pot and makes haste to invite and call her Neighbours to Christ whose Grace and Kindness she had experienced Learn thence That such as truly know Christ have tasted Sweetness in him and derived Comfort and Satisfaction from him will be forward to invite and industrious to draw others to a saving Acquaintance with him Come with me and see a Man that told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ Learn farther from the Woman's leaving her Water-Pot behind her and hastening to the City That when once a Soul has tasted the Sweetness and Excellency that is in Jesus Christ those things which were highly esteemed before will be little regarded then The poor Woman came to draw Water and thought much and spake much of the Water of that Well which was before her but meeting with Jesus Christ and tasting of his Grace she forgets both Water and Water-Pot and away she goes to fetch in all her Acquaintance to Christ 31 ¶ In the mean while his disciples prayed him saying Master eat 32 But he said unto them I have meat to eat that ye know not of 33 Therefore said the Disciples one to another Hath any man brought him ought to eat 34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work Observe here The fit and seasonable Motion which our Saviour's Disciples make to him Master eat Learn from thence That though a Person 's chief Care should be for his own Soul and for improving all Opportunities for doing good to the Souls of others yet the Bodies of Men must not be neglected but supported by Meat and Drink especially theirs whose Health and Strength may be of greater Use and Service to God and his Church The Body is the Servant of the Soul the Instrument whereby it worketh and therefore to neglect the Body is to disable and unfit the Soul for Service to hinder the Functions and Operations of it The sixth Commandment which forbids us to kill requires us to use all Means for the Preservation of Life both in our selves and others Observe next our Saviour's Answer to the Disciples Motion Master eat say they I have Meat to eat that ye know not of says he for my Meat is to do the Will of him that sent me Not that our Saviour did not want Meat at this time for he was both hungry and thirsty as appears by his asking Water of the Woman to drink and by his sending his Disciples into the City to buy Meat But our Lord was more intent upon doing his Father's Work than upon satisfying his own hunger Christ hungred more after an Opportunity of doing good to the Souls of Men than he did after Meat and Drink to satisfie his hunger Lord Let us thy Ministers learn of thee to prefer the Spiritual Welfare of our People before any temporal Advantages whatsoever 35 Say not ye There are yet four months and then cometh harvest Behold I say unto you Lift up your eyes and look on the fields for they are white already to harvest 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoyce together 37 And herein is that saying true One soweth and another reapeth 38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour other men laboured and ye are entred into their labours Our Blessed Saviour having in the former Verses given a most plain and evident Demonstration of his fervent desire to bring Souls home unto God doth in these Verses labor to stir up and kindle the like Affections in his Disciples and this he doth by three very effectual Arguments The first Argument is drawn from the Ripeness of the People and their Willingness to hear and their Readiness to be reaped and gathered by the Gospel whereof there was a present instance in the Samaritans who were now coming forth in multitudes to Christ which opportunity was therefore to be improved Lift up your Eyes and look on the Fields for they are white already for Harvest Learn hence That as a People is sometimes ripe for the Ministry of the Word as Corn is ripe and ready for the Reapers Hand so it is the Duty of the Ministers of Christ to lay hold upon such Opportunities with as much desire and delight as the Harvest-Man doth upon a reaping Season The second Argument to stir up the Disciples Diligence in preaching the Gospel is drawn from the great Reward they should receive for this their Work He that reapeth receiveth Wages The Harvest Man's Wages is double to what other Labourers receive The Ministers of God shall receive good Wages at his Hand how ill soever they are requited and rewarded by an unkind World And as a farther Encouragement it follows He that soweth and he that reapeth shall rejoice together that is the Prophets who took much pains in sowing the Seed of the Gospel and particularly John the Baptist and you my Apostles which succeed them and reap the Fruit of what they did sow shall have the same Reward in Glory and rejoyce together Learn hence That not only the Successful but the Faithful Labourer in God's Harvest shall be rewarded not only those which see the Fruit of their Ministry in the Conversion of Sinners but such as are faithful Seeds-Men Though the Seed doth not come up till we are in our Graves nay though it rots under the Clods and does not come up at all yet shall the faithful Seeds-Man be rewarded according to his Labour not according to his Success The third Argument to quicken the Disciples Diligence is drawn from the Easiness and Facility of that Labour which God required of them Others have laboured and you are entred into their Labours that is the Prophets and John the Baptist have prepared the Ground and sown the Seed and made ready a People for the Lord and now you enter into their Labours by forming and gathering them into a Gospel-Church
sufficient both for their Conviction and Condemnation The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day Observe 4. The Argument and Reason which our Saviour produces to prove that the Word of God and the Doctrine of the Gospel slighted and rejected should condemn Sinners at the great Day Namely From the Divine Authority of his Doctrine for albeit his Doctrine was his own as he was true God yet as Man and as Mediatour it was not his own but the Father's which sent him so that his Word and Doctrine being Divine and the Father 's as well as his for he did not speak of himself that is of himself alone and without the Father it is sufficient to Judge and Condemn all the rejecters and despisers of it Learn hence 1. That tho' the Doctrine of the Gospel be Christ's own as he is truly and really God yet it was not his own as meer Man exclusive of the Father who is one God with him and who gave him a Commission and Instructions as Mediatour to Preach and Publish the glad tidings of the Gospel for says he I have not spoken of my self but the Father which sent me gave me a Commandment 2. That the Doctrine which Christ delivered by command from the Father doth point out the way to Eternal Life and will bring lost Sinners thereunto if they sincerely believe it and obey it I know that his Commandment is Life everlasting 3. That therefore Sinners who reject the Doctrine of Christ contained in the Gospel do highly Dishonour Offend and Affront both the Father and Son and bring upon themselves a just and righteous judgment and expose themselves to unutterable and inevitable condemnation The word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last Day CHAP. XIII 1 NOW before the feast of the passover when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father having loved his own which were in the world he loved them unto the end 2 And supper being ended the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot Simons son to betray him 3 Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands and that he was come from God and went to God In this Chapter is Recorded the History of our Saviour's washing his Disciples Feet an Action full of Humility and Condescension and propounded to his followers Imitation The Circumstance of Time is here noted when this Act was done Namely At the Feast of the Passover when the time of our Saviour's departure was at hand and having constantly and immutably loved his own he expresses the permanency of his Love towards them to the end by this Action of his in washing their Feet Here Note How Christ chose the Time of the Jewish Passover to suffer in that he might prove himself to be the substance of that Type that he was the true Pascal Lamb who by the Sacrifice of his Death did attone Divine displeasure and taketh away the Sins of the World Observe 2. The means which the Wisdom of God permitted to bring the Lord of Life to his Ignominious Death And that was the Treason and perfidiousness of one of his own Disciples Judas Iscariot Where Observe 1. The person betraying Judas Judas a Professor Judas a Preacher Judas an Apostle being one of the Twelve whom Christ had chosen out of all the World to be his dearest Friend Can we wonder to find Friends unfriendly or unfaithful towards us when our Saviour had a Traytor in his own House Observe 2. The heinousness of Judas Sin in betraying Christ he betrayed Christ Jesus a Man Christ Jesus his Master Christ Jesus his Maker the first was Murther the second Treason Lord It is no strange or uncommon thing for the vilest of Sins and most horrid impieties to be acted by persons making the most eminent profession of thy holy Religion Observe 3. What hand the Devil had in the Sufferings of our Saviour He put it into Judas's heart to betray Christ that is he did suggest and inject such thoughts into his mind which Judas instantly closed with The Devil being a Spirit has a quick access to our Spirits and can instill his suggestions into them as Christ did breath upon his Disciples and they received the Holy Ghost and were filled with the Spirit so Satan breaths filthy suggestions into the Spirits of Men and fills them with all manner of wickedness even with the Spirit of Hell it self The Devil put it into Judas heart to betray him 4 He riseth from supper and laid aside his garments and took a towel and girded himself 5 After that he poureth water into a bason and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded Observe here The admirable humility and great self-denial of our Lord and Master he arises from Supper whilst his Disciples sate still and he that came in the form of a Servant performs all the offices of the meanest Servant to his Disciples he lays aside his upper Garments he girds himself with a Towel pours Water into a Bason and begins to wash and wipe their Feet which lay out behind them as they leaned at the Table all which was a most servile imployment Learn hence That the wonderful humility of Jesus Christ inclined him to do the meanest offices of Service unto his People even to become a Servant to them in the Day of his Humiliation and tho' now glorified in Heaven he retains the same Compassionate Heart towards them as when here on Earth 6 Then cometh he to Simon Peter and Peter saith unto him Lord dost thou wash my feet 7 Jesus answered and said unto him What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter 8 Peter saith unto him Thou shalt never wash my feet Jesus answered him If I wash thee not thou hast no part with me 9 Simon Peter saith unto him Lord not my feet onely but also my hands and my head 10 Jesus saith to him He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet but is clean every whit and ye are clean but not all 11 For he knew who should betray him therefore said he ye are not all clean Observe here 1. How Simon Peter refuses to admit of such a condescending act from Christ his Lord and Master as the washing of his Feet Lord Thou shalt never wash my Feet it is a sinful humility to refuse the offered favours of Christ because we are unworthy to receive them Tho' we are not worthy of Christ and of his Love yet Christ is worthy of us and of our Faith Observe 2. Our Saviour's Reply to Peter's refusal 1. He tells him that there was more in it than the bare act of washing did at first sight import and that he should know hereafter what he did not understand now What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter
understand these things clearly 21 He that hath my commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him Our Blessed Saviour in these words repeats what he had before injoined at Verse 15. Namely to evidence the sincerity of our Love to him by the Universality of our Obedience to his Commands He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Where Note 1. The Necessity of Knowledge in order unto Practice 2. The Necessity of Practice in order unto Happiness we must first have Christ's Commandments before we can keep them we must have them in our Understandings and Judgments in our Wills and Affections not have them only in our Eyes to read in our Ears to hear or in our Mouths to talk of them but to hide them in our Hearts that we may not Sin against Christ in the wilful violation of them Farther we must keep as well as have these Commandments This denotes an universal diligent and persevering Obedience to them Hence Learn That altho' many loose Professors pretend love to Christ because they hear read know and can talk of his Commandments yet in Christ's Account none do truly love him but those who make Conscience of their Obedience to him He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them he it is that loveth me Observe next The gracious Promise of Christ to such as thus express their Love unto him 1. He shall be loved of my Father and of my self And shall he not be loved of the Holy Ghost too Yes no doubt But why is not he named then Because the Son dwelleth in us by the Spirit and sheds his Love abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost 2. I will manifest my self unto him that is such Obedient Christians shall not only injoy the Fruit and Benefit of my Love but they shall injoy the Sense of my Love and experience the sensible manifestations and inward diffusions of my Love in their own Souls Learn hence That the only way to have Christ Love us and to let out his Love upon us and to know that he Loves us is to look diligently to our Obediential walking with him and before him We may as rationally think to nourish our Bodies with Poison as to injoy the manifestations of Christ's Love in a way of Sin 22 Judas saith unto him not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the world Some understand these words of a Temporal manifestation and think that Judas the Brother of James who spake them still expected that Christ should be a Temporal Prince and have such a Kingdom as should be Conspicuous to all the World and therefore puts the question how he could possibly shew himself to his Disciples and the World not see him Others understand it of a Spiritual manifestation as if he had said Lord who or what are we thy Disciples that we should enjoy more special manifestations of thy Love to us than to the rest of the World why should we be dignified with such distinguishing favours above others Learn thence 1. That there is a real difference put by Christ betwixt his own Children and the World in the matter of special Manifestations 2. That there being no cause from the Creature why Christ should make this difference his discriminating Grace is matter of just and great Admiration well might the Apostle out of a deep Admiration say Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self to us and not unto the World 23 Jesus answered and said unto him If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings and the word which you hear is not mine but the Fathers which sent me Observe here How our Saviour still goes on to direct and encourage his Disciples to evidence the sincerity of their Love to his Person by the universality of their Obedience to his Commands and tells them how great their Advantage would be by so doing For First the Father will love them that is manifest his favour to them in farther dispensations of Grace and Comfort Learn thence That all the Manifestations of Divine Love to the Souls of Believers depend upon their close walking with God in the paths of Holiness and strict Obedience Secondly We will make our abode with him He shall have Father and Son's Company an Allusion to a Parent that has many Children he will be sure to live with them that are most Dutiful to him and most observant of him The expression of making their abode with us denotes that sweet and intimate fellowship which shall be betwixt God and us and the perpetuity and constancy of it at all times till we are taken up by him into Heaven he will make his abode with us by the indwelling presence of his Holy Spirit the Graces and Comforts whereof shall abide with us for ever 25 These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you 26 But the Comforter which is the holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my name he shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you Here we have a repeated Promise of the Mission of the Holy Ghost called the Comforter and his special Office declared Namely To teach and to bring to remembrance what Christ had taught He shall teach you all things As the Spirit of God is the great Comforter so he is the special Teacher of his Children he Teacheth condescendingly stooping to the meanest capacities he Teacheth efficaciously inclining the Heart to receive Instruction as well as opening the Ear to hear it he Teacheth plainly and â—learly unerringly and infallibly he is Truth it self and therefore his teachings are most True And as the Holy Spirit is the Saints Teacher so is he also their Remembrancer He shall bring all things to your Remembrance that is all Truths needful to be known and necessary to Salvation Here Note That the Holy Spirit Teaches nothing but what Christ himself Taught the Spirit Teaches in the word and by the word but never Teaches any thing contrary to the word He shall Teach and bring to Remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you 27 Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you Let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid As if our Lord had said Whatever outward Trouble the World gives you be not afraid of it before it comes nor troubled at it when it is come for I will give you inward Peace in the midst of all your outward Troubles Not as the world giveth give I unto you Where Note That Christ's Peace is vastly different from that Peace which is given or enjoyed
by Christ to his Church he being constituted by God the Father to be the great Prophet and Instructer of it All things that I have heard of the Father I have made known unto you 16 Ye have not chosen me but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name he may give it you Here our Saviour gives another Instance and Evidence of his Love to his Disciples He tells them that his mercy and free goodness had prevented them in their election to Eternal Salvation and in their vocation unto the Office of Apostleship Ye have not chosen me to be your Master and Lord but I have chosen you to be my Disciples Friends and Servants 2. He acquaints them with the end design and intention of his in chusing of them Namely That they bring forth fruit and persevere therein even in all the Fruits of Holiness and Obedience which are to the Praise and Glory of God by Jesus Christ I have ordained you that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should Remain 3. He directs them that in order to their being fruitful they should have access to the Father through him for whatever they wanted and stood in need of Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Learn hence That all those whom God hath chosen and called to the knowledge and Service of Jesus Christ do and will make it their chief care and endeavours to bring forth Fruit and to persevere therein to their Lives end I have chosen you that you should bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain 17 These things I command you that ye love one another 18 If the world hate you ye know that it hated me before it hated you 19 If ye were of the world the world would love his own but because ye are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you 20 Remember the word that I said unto you The servant is not greater then the lord If they have persecuted me they will also persecute you if they have kept my saying they will keep yours also 21 But all these things will they do unto you for my names sake because they know not him that sent me Observe here 1. With what frequency and importunity our Lord inculcates and presses the Duty of mutual Love upon his Disciples I command you to love one another It denotes the great importance of the Duty and the great aversness and backwardness of our Hearts to the performance of it And if we consider the Disciples as Apostles and Ministers of the Gospel it intimates to us the necessity of mutual Love amongst the dispensers of the Gospel as conducing exceedingly to the welfare and benefit of the Church of God over which he hath set them Observe 2. The Argument which our Saviour makes use of to press his Disciples in general and his Ministers and Ambassadours in particular to love each other and that is because the World would certainly hate them Learn hence That the World's hatred of the Members and Ministers of Christ is and ought to be esteemed by them a strong Argument to excite and persuade them to Love one another for this is subjoined as an Argument to press mutual Love that we are sure to meet with the World's hatred Observe 3. The several Arguments by way of encouragement which Christ propounds to Comfort his Members and Ministers against the World's hatred 1. Argument is taken from his own Lot and usage when here in the World he met with the very same before them The World hated me before it hated you Learn hence That Hatred and Persecution from the World need not seem hard to the Saints if they consider what a shock Christ before them had upon him he is the prime Object of the World's Hatred and they who hate his Members much do hate him more because of their likeness to him and resemblance of him A second Argument of Comfort under the World's Hatred is this That it will evidence they are not of the World but chosen out of the World v. 19. Because ye are not of the World but I have chosen you out of the World therefore the World hates you Hence learn 1. That the Children of God though in the World yet they are not of the World they have not the Spirit of the World in them nor is the Conversation of the World led by them 2. That the difference betwixt them that are of the World and those that are chosen out of the World is of God's making I have chosen you out of the World 3. That such Christians as are separated from the World in Judgment Affection and Practice must for that reason expect to be Hated and Persecuted by the World Because ye are not of the World therefore the World hates you The Third Argument for Consolation and Support under the World's hatred is taken from our Relation to Christ as Servants to a Master v. 20. Remember the Servant is not greater than his Lord. As if Christ had said is it equal That you should expect better Treatment than my self either as to your Persons or Ministry or that you should expect that the World should better Receive your Doctrine than it did mine before you Learn hence That neither the Members nor Ministers of Christ can nor ought to expect better Entertainment in and from the World than he their Master found before them The Servant is not above his Master nor greater than his Lord. A Fourth Argument to support them under the Burthen of the World's Hatred is taken from the goodness of the Cause for which they were to Suffer Namely For Christ's Name sake v. 21. All these things will they do unto you for my name sake Hence learn 1. That it is the Duty of all but especially the Ministers of Christ to own the Name of Christ to stand up in defence of his Name and Truth his Glory and Honour what opposition soever they meet with for the same Learn 2. That the great quarrel of the World against the Disciples of Christ is for the Name of Christ whatever may be pretended this is the ground of the quarrel 22 If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin but now they have no cloke for their sin These Words are not to be understood Absolutely but Comparatively as if Christ had said had not I come amongst them in my Incarnation and Preached personally to them the Doctrine of Salvation and confirmed that Doctrine by miraculous operations they might have pleaded Ignorance in some measure and they had not had sin that is they had not had the Sin of Unbelief and Gospel-Contempt to Answer for or had not had so great a measure of any kind of Sin to Answer for as now
manner of our Lord's Funeral it was hasty publick and decent it was hasty by reason of the streights of Time the Sabbath was approaching and all Business is laid aside to prepare for that Teaching us how much it is our Duty to dispatch our Worldly business early in the Evening of the Lord's Day that we may be the better prepared to Sanctifie that Day Again our Lord's Funeral was publick and open all Persons that would might be Spectators to cut off occasion from any to object that there was deceit and fraud used in or about our Lord's Burial yet was he also Interr'd decently his Holy Body being wrapt in fine Linen and perfum'd with Spices according to the Jewish Custom Observe 5. The Reasons why our Lord was thus buried seeing he was to Rise again in as short a time as other Men lie by the Walls doubtless it was to declare the certainty of his Death and the reality of his Resurrection to fulfill the Types and Prophesies which went before of him As Jonas being three Days and three Nights in the Whale's Belly he was also buried to compleat his Humiliation this being the lowest step to which he could descend in his abased State Finally he went into the Grave that he might conquer Death in its own Territories Observe Lastly Of what use our Lord's Burial is to us his followers It shews us the amazing depths of his Humiliation from what and to what his Love brought him even from the Bosom of his Father to the Bosom of the Grave It may also comfort us against the fears of Death the Grave could not long keep Christ it shall not always keep us it was a loathsome Prison before it is a perfum'd Bed now he whose Head is in Heaven need not fear to put his Feet into the Grave Awake and Sing thou that dwellest in the Dust for the Enmity of the Grave is slain by Christ CHAP. XX. This and the following Chapter gives us an Account of our Saviour's Exaltation and Victorious Triumph over all his Enemies by his powerful Resurrection All the four Evangelists do confirm the Truth of it by recording the several steps and degrees of the manifestation of it In this Chapter Christ's Resurrection is confirmed first to Mary Magdalene next to Peter and John then to all the Disciples except Thomas 1 THe first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early when it was yet dark unto the sepulchre and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre In this Verse is Recorded how Mary Magdalene came early to the Sepulchre on the first Day of the Week to Anoint the Dead Body of our Lord Jesus Where Note That tho' her Heart did burn with an ardent Zeal and Affection to her Crucified Lord yet the commanded Duties of the Sabbath were not omitted by her she kept close and silently spent that Holy Day in a mixture of Grief and Hope her Example is a good Pattern of Sabbath-Sanctification and worthy of our Christian Imitation Note 2. What magnanimity and courage is found in this weak Woman she followed Christ Couragiously when his Disciples left him Cowardly she accompanied him to his Cross she followed his Hearse to the Grave when his Disciples durst not appear and now very early in the Morning she goes to visit his Sepulchre fearing neither the Darkness of the Night nor the presence of the Watch-men Learn thence That Courage is the special gift of God and if he gives it to the feebler Sex even to timerous and fearful Women it is not in the Power of Man to make them afraid 2 Then she runneth and cometh to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved and saith unto them They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre and we know not where they have laid him It was a great Honour that God put upon this poor Woman Mary Magdalene that she has the first Notice of our Saviour's Resurrection and is the first that discovers it to the Apostles But why had not the Virgin Mary his Disconsolate Mother this Priviledge conferr'd on her rather than Mary Magdalene who had been a grievous Sinner Doubtless this was for the Comfort of all True Pentitents and Administers great Consolation to them As the Angels in Heaven Rejoyce much more doth Christ Joy in the Recovery of one repenting Sinner than in multitudes of Holy and Just Persons such was the blessed Virgin who need no Repentance 3 Peter therefore went forth and that other disciple and came to the sepulchre 4 So they ran both together and the other disciple did outrun Peter and came first to the sepulchre 5 And he stouping down and looking in saw the linen clothes lying yet went he not in 6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him and went into the sepulchre and seeth the linen clothes lie 7 And the napkin that was about his head not lying with the linen clothes but wrapped together in a place by it self 8 Then went in also that other disciple which came first to the sepulchre and he saw and believed 9 For as yet they knew not the scripture that he must rise again from the dead Here observe 1. How Peter and John moved with Mary Magdalens words They have taken away the Lord c. do run to the Sepulchre to satisfie themselves in the Truth of it Such as sincerely Love Christ upon the least intimation that he is missing bestir themselves with great Activity and Diligence that they may see him or hear of him Peter and John run to the Sepulchre to see what was become of their Holy Master Observe 2. That there were such clear Evidences about Christ's Grave as made it apparent that he was indeed Risen from the Dead and not conveighed away either by Friends or Foes It cannot be supposed that any of his Friends could they have come at it would have so handled his Holy Body as to carry it away naked and for his Foes had they Stole away the Body they would never have left the Fine Linnen behind them Observe 3. That when Christ arose from the Grave he left his Grave Cloaths behind him whereas when Lazarus arose he came forth with his Grave Cloaths about him it Teaches us that Christ Rose never to Die more but to Live and Reign for ever therefore he left his Grave Cloaths in the Grave as never to make use of them more But Lazarus was to Die again Death was once more to have Dominion over him he therefore came forth with his Grave Cloaths about him Observe Lastly How ignorant the Apostles were of the Doctrine of Christ's Resurrection and of the Holy Scriptures which declared he was to Rise again from the Dead They knew not the Scriptures That is They did not heed and regard them ponder them in their Hearts and feed upon them by Faith 10 Then the disciples went away again unto their own home 11 ¶ But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping and as
she wept she stouped down and looked into the sepulchre 12 And seeth two angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had layen Here we have a Description of the great Love of Mary Magdalene which she expressed towards Christ after his Resurrection she went to his Sepulchre early when it was yet dark she hastily calls the Disciples Peter and John to the Sepulchre And she stays behind weeping at the Sepulchre when they were gone away to their own home And as Mary first sought him and longest sought him so she first finds him Here Note 1. Mary's carriage and behaviour towards her Saviour this is discovered by her patient attendance She stood without at the Sepulchre by her passionate mourning she stood at the Sepulchre weeping by her unwearied diligence she stooped down and looked into the Sepulchre here was great Love indeed in this poor Woman a Love stronger than Death a Love which did out-strip and go beyond the greatest Apostles Learn thence 1. That true Love to Christ suffers not it self to be stinted or limited no not by the greatest Examples the weakest Woman that truly Loves Christ may piously strive with the greatest Apostle in this point though he be Learneder Wiser more Useful and more Eminent than any of us yet it is Holy and Wise not to suffer our selves to be exceeded by any in our Love to Christ every Christian may strive to exceed any one in Grace and to attain the highest place in the Kingdom of Heaven Learn 2. That strong Love is valiant and undaunted it will grapple and encounter with the strongest opposition Mary fears nothing in seeking of her Lord neither the darkness of the Night nor the terror of the Soldiers nor the malice of the Jews Love is strong as Death and the Flames thereof are vehement Note farther The success of Mary Magdalen's Love to Christ and unwearied Attendance on his Sepulchre she found not the Dead Body of Christ and it was well she did not for if Death could have held him it would not have let us go But though she found not her Lord in the Grave she found two of his Servants there two Angels of all things in the World one would least have expected to find an Angel in a Grave Spirits in the place of Dead Bodies and Immortality in the place of Corruption But from hence we Learn That such as sincerely seek the Lord shall certainly find if not the very thing which they seek yet that which is much fitter and better for them Mary did not find Christ's Dead Body but she finds that which was more comfortable for her to find Namely Two Angels to testifie that he was Risen Where Note The posture of these Angels described the one sitting at the Head the other at the Feet It is matter of Comfort to the Members of Christ that Angels do not wait upon the Head only but upon the Feet also And it ought to be matter of imitation also Let us imitate our blessed Saviour in having an Angel not at our Head only but at our Feet also many have an Ambition to have an Angel at their Head a great measure of Light and Knowledge there but they care not for an Angel at their Feet they delight not to walk answerably to their Light and Knowledge they have an Angelical Understanding and a Diabolical Conversation it is sad for a Man to have all his Religion in his Brain and Tongue and nothing in his Heart and Life 13 And they say unto her Woman why weepest thou She saith unto them because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him 14 And when she had thus said she turned her self back and saw Jesus standing and knew not that it was Jesus 15 Jesus saith unto her Woman Why weepest thou Whom seekest thou she supposing him to be the gardner saith unto him Sir if thou have born him hence tell me where thou hast laid him and I will take him away Observe here 1. That the best company in the World will not satisfie or content such as are seeking for Jesus Christ when they find not him whom their Souls seek Mary now enjoyed the Presence and Company of two Angels but this did not satisfie her in the Absence of Christ himself Observe 2. How Passionately did Mary mourn for the Loss and want of Christ's Bodily Presence thereby giving Testimony of her great Affection towards him but truly our Love to Christ is best shewn not by our Passionate desires for his Bodily Presence but by our Holy longings after his Spiritual Presence in his Word and Ordinances here on Earth and his blessed and immediate Presence in Heaven Observe 3. How Christ may be present with and very near unto his People and yet not be presently discerned by them Jesus stood by Mary but she knew not that it was Jesus her not expecting a living Christ was one cause why she did not discern him Observe 4. How exceedingly Mary's thoughts were taken up with Christ she saith to the Gardiner If thou hast born him hence What Him She doth not say whom but her Heart was so taken up with Christ and her Mind so full of him that she concluded every body would understand whom she meant though she did not say whom she meant Hence Note That the Soul of a sincere Believer is full of earnest and longing desires after Jesus Christ 2. That such a Soul is yet sometimes at a loss for Christ and cannot tell where to find him 3. That whilst the Soul is at a loss for Christ its desires are often quicker and more stirring after Christ This was the case of Mary here with the Spouse by Night on her Bed and early in the Morning she sought him whom her Soul loved 16 Jesus saith unto her Mary She turned her self and saith unto him Raboni which is to say Master 17 Jesus saith unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my Father but go to my brethren and say unto them I ascend unto my Father and your Father and to my God and your God In the former of these Verses Christ makes himself known to Mary and calleth her by her Name In the latter he gives her a Prohibition and an Injunction Observe 1. The Prohibition Touch me not together with the Reason of it for I am not yet ascended to my Father It is concluded by Interpreters that Mary Magdalene was now fallen at Christ's Feet and embraced them that having found him whom her Soul loveth she hugs him now and hangs about him but Christ forbids any farther embracing and rejects such Testimonies of her Love as if he had said Although I will allow you as much familiarity as shall satisfactorily Convince you of the verity of my Resurrection yet you must not expect to converse with me in that carnal manner which you did before my Death for I
order to our Improvement in Faith and Holiness If then after all the Revelation and Discovery which God has made of his Son Christ Jesus and of the Way that leads to eternal Salvation by him Persons remain willingly ignorant of him and their Duty to him Where shall they appear And how shall they escape Revel 1. Verse 5 6. Now unto him that loved us and washed us from our Sins in his own Blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father To Him be Glory and Dominion for ever and ever Amen The CLOSE THE design of the foregoing Notes upon the Holy Evangelists being to recommend the Instructive Life of our blessed Redeemer to our Observation and Imitation Altho' I have upon all occasions propounded his Example to be followed by us in all the steps of an Imitable Vertue as the matter every where occur'd yet adjudging it may be profitable to sum up together the several Graces and Vertues which were so Orient in the Life of Christ that having them daily before our Eyes we may be continually correcting and reforming of our Lives by that blessed Pattern I shall therefore briefly offer at it Because Nothing is so proper to form us to Holiness as the Example of the Mediatour it being absolutely perfect and thoroughly Accommodate to our present state there is no Example of any meer Man that is to be followed without limitation But the Life of Christ was as the purest Gold without the least Allay His conversation was a living Law and Christianity which is the Best and Holiest Institution in the World is nothing else but a Conformity to his Precepts and Pattern The Universal Command of the whole Gospel is this To walk as Christ walked This denotes a sincere intention design and endeavour to imitate and follow him in all the paths of Holiness and Obedience Particularly let us imitate Jesus I. IN his early Piety We find him at Twelve Years Old about his Father's Business sitting in the midst of the Doctors both hearing and asking them Questions See on St. Luke 2.46.47 An early Piety gives both the Person and the Service a peculiar preheminency no Comfort in Life no Happiness in Death like the Happiness and Comfort of being good betimes II. In his Obedience to his Earthly Parents See on St. Luke 2.51 He went down to Nazareth and was subject to them He paid Homage to the Womb that bare him and to his supposed and reputed Father that provided for him let a Person be never so high above others he is still below his Parents if the Highest upon Earth think their Parents beneath them and themselves above their Parents Commands Our Saviour did not so what shall we think of those Monsters of Ingratitude the Reproach of Humane Nature who are ashamed to own their Parents because of their Poverty or despise them because of the Infirmities of their Age. Prov. 23.22 Hearken to thy Father that begat thee and despise not thy Mother when she is old III. In his unwearied Diligence in doing Good Acts 10.38 Who went about doing good This was his Meat and Drink by Day his Rest and Sleep by Night He fed the Hungry cloathed the naked visited the Sick was Eyes to the Blind Feet to the Lame and Administred to such as were in Necessities and Streights And he has declared that he will Judg us at the great Day according to our imitation of him in doing good to all Mankind See the Notes on S. Math. 25. Ten last Verses IV. In his Humility and lowliness of Mind Math. 11.29 Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in Heart witness his stooping to the meanest Office even that of washing his Disciples Feet S. John 13.5 He that came in the form of a Servant performs the Office of the meanest Servant to his Disciples And all this was to set us an Example of mutual Condescension each to other if I your Lord and Master have washed your Feet you ought also to wash one anothers Feet which Precept tho' it doth not bind us to the same Action yet it obliges us to the same Condescension Namely to think no Office of Love beneath us which the necessities of our Brother call for from us V. In the Vnblameableness and Inoffensiveness of his Life and Actions He injured none and justly offended none but was Harmless as well as Holy he wrought a Miracle to pay Tribute Money rather than give occasion of Offence to the Government See on Math. 19.27 Accordingly let us be Harmless and Blameless Wise as Serpents and Innocent as Doves Piety without Policy is too simple to be safe Policy without Piety is too subtile to be good VI. In his Eminent Self-Denial He emptied himself and became poor when he was Rich as God from all Eternity He impoverish'd himself by becoming Man Oh! what did he not deny when he left the Bosom of his Father with the ineffable Delights and Pleasures which he there enjoyed from all Eternity And instead thereof to Drink the Cup the Bitter Cup of his Father's wrath for our sake Lord how can we enough abase our selves for thee who thus deniedst thy self for us VII In his contentment in a low and mean Condition in this World Yea in a Suffering and Afflicted Condition he would not honour the World so far as to have any part of it in his own hand was therefore of himself less provided of comfortable accommodations than the Birds of the Air or the Beasts of the Field See Luke 9.58 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the Air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head Let us learn from him to manage an afflicted Condition with a contented Spirit let there be no murmurings complaints or foolish chargings of God heard from us whatever straits or Troubles we may be brought into but in whatsoever state we are let us be therewith content Phil. 4.11 VIII In his frequent performance of the Duty of private Prayer and Fasting he sometimes spent a whole Night in Prayer Luke 6.12 He went into a Mountain to Pray and continued all Night in Prayer to God And Mark 1.35 In the morning rising up a great while before Day he went into a solitary place and prayed It is certain we have much more business with Almighty God in Prayer than Christ had he had no Sins to Confess no wants of Grace to make known yet did he delight with frequency and fervency to perform this Homage to his Heavenly Father Lord how doth thy Zeal and forwardness condemn our remisness and lukewarmness in praying to our heavenly Father IX In his Affectionate performance of the Duty of Praise and Thanksgiving Our blessed Saviour was a great Pattern of Thankfulness Matth. 11.25 I thank thee Oh Father Lord of Heaven and Earth c. John 11.41 Father I thank thee that thou hast heard me when he was to eat common Bread he received it with Thanksgiving What
That is Thou sparest none but tellest all Men of their Faults XIX In his Vniversal Obedience to his Father's Will and chearful Submission to his Father's Pleasure He obeyed the Will of his Father Universally Voluntarily Sincerely and with a single Eye at his Glory perseveringly and to the End and as he was so must we be faithful to the Death if ever we expect the Crown of Life And in like manner did he submit to the Will of his Providence Father not as I will but as thou wilt not my will but thine be done O let us keep this Example continually before us and every day obey the will of God's Precept universally And submit to the Will of his Providence very chearfully this is Heaven on Earth XX. In his Love and Practice of Universal Holiness both in Heart and Life He was Holy in his Nature Holy in his Principle and Motives Holy in his Aim and Ends he was perfectly Holy precisely Holy uniformly Holy exemplarily Holy he delighted only in holy Persons and holy Things it concerns us to imitate him herein if ever we expect to be where he is Heaven is the habitation of Holiness the company is Holy the imployment Holy the enjoyments Holy no unclean Thing can enter into Heaven or could be Happy in Heaven Heaven is rather a Nature than a place 'T is not the place of Heaven can make us Happy but the Disposition and Temper of our Minds in Heaven without Conformity to the Nature of God there can be no Communion with him nor Delight in him what a discourteous Courtesie would it be to turn a filthy Swine into a Garden of curious Flowers to lodge it in a Bed of sweet Perfumes to bath it in a clear and Crystal Fountain Alas its unclean Temper and sordid Inclinations would rather choose to lie down in a Kennel and to wallow in the Mire its proper Element Thus unsuitable would Heaven be that place of greatest Happiness be the greatest Vneasiness to an unholy Heart Let us then Pray and Endeavour that the Temper of our Minds and the Actions of our Lives may be a lively Transcript of the Mind and Life of the Holy Jesus that we may be like him in Purity and Holiness in Justice and Righteousness in Patience and Meekness in Charity and Universal Goodness That as he was we may be in the World Holy Humble Harmless Heavenly Minded glorifying God on Earth that we may be glorified with him and by him in his Eternal Kingdom Yet before I close this Exhortation to an Imitation of Jesus I must subjoin this cautionary Direction Take heed that you do not so imitate Christ for your Pattern as to disown him for your Priest This is the dangerous Error of those who affirm that the great End of Christ's Death was to give the World an Example of Patience Humility Meekness and the fore-mentioned Christian Graces and that his Sufferings were Exemplary but not properly Satisfactory We acknowledge that Christ's giving us an Example was one End of his coming into the World and Dying for us but not the great End A Subordinate End but not the Vltimate God preserve us from the Contagion of this growing Error other Errors only scratch the Face but this stabs the Heart of the Christian Religion in that it deprives us of the choicest Benefit of Christ's Death namely The Expiation of Sin by a proper Satisfaction to the Justice of God But blessed be God we have not so learned Christ as we are Taught so we Believe that the Holy Jesus by the Sacrifice of his Death has Redeemed us from Death and Hell and Saved us from Wrath to come by a full and adequate payment to Divine Justice and by the Redundancy of his Merit has purchased an Eternal Inheritance for us and as we are Taught and Believe so we Pray Almighty God who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a Sacrifice for Sin and also an Example of Godly Life Give us Grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable Benefit and also daily endeavour our selves to follow the blessed Steps of his most Holy Life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Almighty and everlasting God who of thy tender Love towards Mankind hast sent thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to take upon him our Flesh and to suffer Death upon the Cross that all Mankind should follow the Example of his great Humility Mercifully grant that we may both follow the Example of his Patience and also be made Partakers of his Resurrection through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS Advertisements BOOKS published by Mr. WILLIAM BURKITT and printed for Thomas Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside THE Poor Man's Help and Young Man's Guide Containing I. Doctrinal Instructions for the right Informing of his Judgment II. Practical Directions for the General Course of his Life III. Particular Advices for the Well-managing of every Day With reference to his 1. Natural Actions 2. Civil Imployments 3. Necessary Recreations 4. Religious Duties Particularly I. Prayer Publick in the Congregation Private in the Family Secret in the Closet II. Reading the Holy Scriptures III. Hearing of the Word Preached IV. Receiving of the Lord's Supper Unto which is added An Earnest Exhortation unto all Christians to the Love and Practice of Universal Holiness The Fourth Edition An Argumentative and Practical Discourse of Infant-Baptism In which I. The Lawfulness of Infant-Baptism is Demonstrated II. The Objections against Infant-Baptism are Answered III. The Usefulness of the Ordinance is Asserted IV. The Sinfulness of Re-baptizing Manifested V. The Non-necessity of Dipping Evidenced VI. The Practical Use of Infant-Baptism Urged and Inforced The Second Edition A Sermon at the Funeral of the Reverend Mr. William Gurnall THE Works of the late Reverend and Learned William Bates D. D. In one large Volume in Folio Viz. 1. Of the Existence of God the Immortality of the Soul and the Divinity of the Christian Religion 2. The Harmony of the Divine Attributes 3. The Great Duty of Resignation 4. The Danger of Prosperity 5. Sermons of the Forgiveness of Sins 6. The Sure Trial of Uprightness 7. The Four Last Things viz. Death Judgment Heaven and Hell In which his Book called The Final Happiness of Man is included 8. Of Spiritual Perfection 9. Eleven Sermons on several Occasions 10. A Sermon upon the Death of Queen Mary 11. A Funeral Sermon on Dr. Manton 12. A Funeral Sermon on Dr. Jacomb 13. A Funeral Sermon on Mr. Baxter With his Life 14. A Funeral Sermon on Mr. Clarkson 15. A Funeral Sermon on Mr. Benjamin Ashurst To which are added Two Discourses never before publish'd being exactly taken in Short-hand and Approv'd by the Author in his Life-time viz. 16. A Discourse on Divine Meditation 17. A Discourse on the Fear of God c. With an Alphabetical Table to the Whole As likewise The Author's Effigies curiously Engrav'd by Mr. Robert White from an Original of Sir Godfrey Kneller And some Account of his Life and Character in a Funeral Sermon preach'd by the Reverend Mr. Howe Printed for Johnathan Robinson at the Golden-Lyon in St. Paul's Church-Yard There will be speedily publish'd A Catechetical Course of Sermons for the whole Year Being an Explanation of the Church-Catechism in Fifty Two Distinct Discourses on so many several Texts of Scripture Wherein are Briefly contained the most Necessary Points of Christian Doctrine in Two Volumes in Octavo With an Alphabetical Index to each Volume Recommended Especially for the Use of Families By Peter Newcome M. A. and Vicar of Aldenham in Hertford-shire Printed for John Wyat at the Rose in St. Paul's Church-Yard
put up as a direful Imprecation we may with a pious Mind offer up to God as an humble Petition Lord let thy Son's Blood not in the Guilt and Punishment but in the Efficacy and Merit of it be upon us and upon our Posterity after us for evermore 26 Then released he Barabbas unto them and when he had scourged Jesus he delivered him to be crucified As the Death of the Cross was a Roman Punishment so it was the manner of the Romans first to scourge and whip their Malefactors and then deliver them to be crucified Now the manner of the Roman scourging is said to be thus They stript the condemned Person and bound him to a Post Two strong Men first scourged him with Rods of Thorns Then Two others scourged him with Whips of Cords full of Knots and lastly Two more with Whips of Wyre and therewith tore off the very Flesh and Skin from the Persons Back and Sides That our Saviour was thus cruelly scourged seems to some not improbable from that of the Psalmist Psal 129.3 The Ploughers ploughed upon my Back and made long Furrows Which if spoken Prophetically of Christ was Literally fulfilled in the Day of his Scourging But why was the precious Body of our Blessed Lord thus galled and torn with Scourgings Doubtless to fulfil that Prophecy I gave my Back to the Smiters and my Cheeks to them that plucked off the Hair That by his Stripes we might be healed And to Learn us Patience from his Example why should we think it strange to be scourged either with the Tongue or the Hand or with both when we see our dear Redeemer bleeding by Stripes and Scourges before our Eyes 27 Then the soldiers of the governour took Jesus into the common hall and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers 28 And they stripped him and put on him a scarlet robe 29 And when they had platted a crown of thorns they put it upon his head and a reed in his right hand and they bowed the knee before him and mocked him saying Hail king of the Jews 30 And they spit upon him and took the reed and smote him on the head 31 And after that they had mocked him they took the robe off from him and put his own raiment on him and led him away to crucifie him The next part of our Lord's Sufferings consisted of cruel Mockings our blessed Sâ—viour had said that he was the King of the Jews not a Temporal King to rule over them with Pomp and Power but a Spiritual King to rule in the Hearts of his People but the Jews missing of their Expectation of a Temporal King in Christ look upon him as an Impostor and accordingly they treat him as a mock King putting a Crown upon his Head but a very ignominious and painful one A Crown of Thorns a Scepter in his Hand but it was of a Reed and a Robe of Purple or Scarlet both which were used by Princes and bowed the Knee before him as they were wont to do to Princes Thus all the Marks of Scorn imaginable are put upon our Blessed Redeemer yet that which they did in jest God did in earnest for all these things were Ensigns and Marks of Soveraignty and Almighty God caused the Regal Dignity of his Son to appear and shine forth even in the midst of his greatest Abasement Whence was all this Jearing and Sport but to flout Majesty And why did Christ undergo all this Ignominy Disgrace and Shame but to shew us what was due unto us for our Sins and to give us an Example to bear all the Scorn Reproach and Shame imaginable for his sake Who for the Joy that was set before him endured the Cross and despised the Shame 32 And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene Simon by name him they compelled to bear his cross 33 And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha that is to say a place of a scull 34 They gave him vinegâ—r to drink mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drink 35 And they crucified him and parted his garments casting lots that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet They parted my garments among them and upon my vesture did they cast lots 36 And sitting down they watched him there The Sentence of Death being past by Pilate who can with dry Eyes behold the sad Pomp of our Saviour's bloody Execution Forth comes the Blessed Jesus out of Pilate's Gates bearing that Cross which soon after was to bear him With his Cross on his Shoulder he marches towards Golgotha and when they see he can go no faster they force Simon the Cyrenian not out of Compassion but from Indignation to be the Porter of his Cross This Cyrenian being a Gentile not a Jew who bare our Saviour's Cross might signifâ—e and shew that the Gentiles should have a part in Christ and be Sharers with the Jews in the Benefits of his Cross At length Christ comes to the Place of Execution Golgotha or Mount Calvary Here in a publick Place with infamous Company betwixt Two Thieves he is Crucified that is fastned to a great Cross of Wood his Hands stretched forth abroad and his Feet closed together and both Hands and Feet fastned with Nails his naked Body was lifted up in the open Air hanging betwixt Heaven and Earth thereby intimating that the crucified Person was fit to live in neither This shameful painful and accursed Death did the holy and innocent Jesus undergo for Sinners Some observe all the Dimensions of Length Breadth Depth and Height in our Saviour's Sufferings for Length his Passion was several Hours long from Twelve to Three exposed all that time both to Hunger and Cold the Thieves crucified with him were not dead so soon they enduring but personal Pain he undergoing the Miseries of all Mankind But what his Passion wanted in Length it had in Breadth extending over all the Parts and Powers of his Soul and Body no part free but his Tongue which was at Liberty to pray for his Enemies His Sight was tormented with the scornful Gestures of such as passed by wagging their Heads His Hearing grieved with the Taunts and Jears of Priests and People his Smelling offended with noisome Savours in the Place of Skulls his Taste with the Gall and Vinegar given him to drink his Feeling was wonderfully affected by the Nails which pierced his Hand and Feet and the Crown of Thorns which pierced his tender Temples with a Multiplicity of Wounds And for the Depth of his Passion it was as deep as Hell it self enduring Tortures in his Soul as well as Torments in his Body groaning under the Burthen of Desertion and crying out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Lastly For the Height of his Sufferings they were as high as Heaven his Person being innocent and infinite no less than the Son of God which adds infinite Worth and Value to his Sufferings Lord
Original or Parentage Art thou a Divine Person or not our blessed Saviour being unwilling to obstruct his own Sufferings or to discover any thing that might hinder Pilate from proceeding against him would give him no Answer having before made a reasonable and sufficient Defence Oh how ready was Christ to lay down his Life for Sinners and how willing to pay that Ransome for his People which the Justice of God required 10 Then saith Pilate unto him Speakest thou not unto me knowest thou not that I have power to crucifie thee and have power to release thee 11 Jesus answered Thou couldest have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin Observe here 1. How offended Pilate was at Christ's silence and how unreasonably he boasts of his Power and Authority Have not I Power to Crucifie thee and Power to Release thee It is the great Sin and snare of Men in Power to forget from whom they derive their Power and to think that they may employ their Power as they please Observe 2. The Piety and meekness of our Saviour's Answer Thou couldst have no Power against me except it were given thee from above That is Thou hast no Power over me nor couldst thou inflict any punishment upon me were it not that my Father had in his great Wisdom Divine Counsel and for glorious Ends permitted it so to be Learn That Christ's being under the Power of any Man how great and eminent soever did flow from the peculiar Dispensation of God who in his wise and wonderful Counsel so ordered it and ordained it for the Redemption and Salvation of his People he was above all Humane Power as God and no ways obnoxious to Pilate's Power being a perfectly Innocent Man Observe 3. How Christ charges his Death more upon Judas and the Jews than upon Pilate and the Gentiles They that delivered me unto thee have the greater Sin Not that Pilate was excused from Sin in delivering Christ to be Crucified he sinned heinously in abusing his Power but Judas sinned more in delivering him up to the Chief Priests and the Chief Priests in delivering him up to Pilate than Pilate himself whom they made a Tool to serve their Malice and Revenge they had better means of Knowledge than he and so sinned against more Light than he and consequently their Guilt was greater and their Condemnation heavier than his Learn thence That the greater means of Light and Knowledge Persons Sin against the more aggravated is their Guilt and the more heigthned will be their Condemnation He that delivered me unto thee hath the greater Sin 12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him but the Jews cried out saying If thou let this man go thou art not Cesars friend whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Cesar 13 ¶ When Pilate therefore heard that saying he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment-seat in a place that is called the Pavement but in the Hebrew Gabbatha Still Observe How unwilling Pilate was to put Christ to Death Conscience bids him spare Popularity bids him Kill how frequently and how fervently did he contend with the Jews till they make it a State-case and Tacitly Accuse him for a Traitour to the Roman Emperor if he released him If thou let this Man go thou art not Cesar's friend When Pilate heard that he delivers up the Innocent Jesus to be Crucified Learn hence That the Natural Consciences of Men and the Innate notions of Good and Evil may carry Men on a great way in opposing that which is a bare-faced Iniquity but at last either fear or shame will over-rule if there be not a Superiour and more noble Principle Though Pilate's Conscience acquitted Christ and his Mouth had declared that he found no fault at all in him yet fear of Cesar's displeasure causes him to deliver up to Death the Holiest and best of Men against his Judgment and his Conscience When Pilate heard that he brought Jesus forth unto them 14 And it was the preparation of the passover and about the sixth hour and he saith unto the Jews Behold your king 15 But they cried out Away with him away with him crucifie him Pilate saith unto them Shall I crucifie your king The chief priests answered We have no king but Cesar 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified Observe here How careful the Holy Ghost is to Record and set down the Time when Pilate gave Sentence against Christ In general it was on the Day of the preparation for the Passover that is the Day immediately before it when they prepared every thing needful for the Solemnization and in particular it was about the sixth hour of that Day St. Mark calls it the third hour St. John the sixth but this is easily reconciled thus the Jews divided the Day into four quarters which they called hours the first was called the third hour which answers our ninth the second called the sixth hour answering our twelfth the third called the ninth hour answering our three in the Afternoon the fourth called the twelfth hour which was the time of their Retirement from Labour and beginning of the first Night watch Now the whole time from the third hour to the sixth that is from Nine to Twelve was called the Third Hour and the whole intervening time from the Sixth to the Ninth that is from Twelve to Three is called the Sixth Hour and so of the rest Now when St. John says it was about the Sixth Hour when Christ was condemned by Pilate and led away to be Crucified and St. Mark says it was the Third Hour we are to understand that St. Mark takes in the whole time of the Third Hour from Nine to Twelve and St. John saying it was about the sixth Hour implies that it was near Twelve so that between the Hours of Nine and Twelve our Lord was Sentenced and led away to his Cross about Twelve fastned to his Cross upon which he hung till the Ninth Hour that is till about Three in the Afternoon during which time there was such an Eclipse of the Sun as did occasion darkness over all the Earth Learn hence The great Love and Condescension of Jesus Christ in stooping so low to have his Sufferings lengthned out upon our accounts to expiate our Guilt which deserveth Eternal Sufferings that he might by his Example warn us to prepare for Trials of long continuance and Sanctifie a state of continual Affliction to us Behold the Son of God harassed all Night before he suffered hurried from place to place posted backward and forward from Pilate to Herod and from Herod to Pilate wearied scourged buffetted crowned with Thorns at last nailed to his Cross and hanging thereupon from about Twelve to Three in exquisit Torture of Body and under the sense of his Father's wrath in his Soul Oh Lord Thy kindness towards us is matchless
and inimitable never was Love like thine 16 And they took Jesus and led him away 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a scull which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha 18 Where they crucified him and two other with him on either side one and Jesus in the midst Here Observe 1. That it was a Custom among the Romans to cause the Person condemned to crucifying to carry his own Cross accordingly our Saviour bare his own Cross part of the way till fainting under the burthen of it they laid it upon another not out of Mercy but Malice reserving him for a more publick Death They were loth he should go away in a fainting Fit But why could not Christ bear his own Cross who was able to bear the Sins of the whole World when hanging upon the Cross Answer 1. Probably the Jews Malice provided for him a Cross of extraordinary greatness proportionable to the Crimes they charged him with 2. He was much debilitated and weakned with his long watching and sweating the Night before 3. The sharp edges of the Cross grating his late whipped and galled Shoulders might occasion the fresh bleeding of his wounds and his weakning thereby 4. Hereby he gave the World a Demonstration of the Truth of his Humanity that he was in all things like unto us with respect to his Humane Nature and the common Infirmities of that Nature Observe 2. The Infamous Company which our Holy Lord suffered with two Thieves on either side one and himself in the midst it had been a sufficient disparagement to our blessed Redeemer to be sorted with the best of Men but to be numbred with the Scum of Mankind is such an Indignity as confounds our Thoughts This was designed by the Jews to dishonour and disgrace our Saviour the more and to perswade the World that he was the greatest of Offenders But God over-ruled this for fulfilling an Ancient Prophesie concerning the Messias Isaiah 53. last And he was numbered with the Transgressors 19 ¶ And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS 20 This title then read many of the Jews for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city and it was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latine 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate Write not The king of the Jews but that he said I am king of the Jews 22 Pilate answered What I have written I have written Observe here 1. The Inscription wrote by Pilate over our suffering Saviour This is Jesus of Nazareth the King of the Jews It was the manner of the Romans when they crucified a Malefactor to publish the Cause of his Death in Capital Letters over his Head that so the Equity of their Proceedings might more clearly appear to the People Now it is Observable how wonderfully the Wisdom of God over-ruled the Heart and Pen of Pilate to draw this Title which was truly Honourable and fix it to his Cross Pilate who was before his Judge and pronounced him Innocent is now his Herald to proclaim his Glory Learn hence That the Regal Dignity of Christ was openly proclaimed by an Enemy and that in the time of his greatest Reproaches and Sufferings Pilate without his own knowledge did our Saviour an eminent piece of Service he did that for Christ which none of his own Disciples durst do not designedly but from the special Over-ruling Providence of God No Thanks to Pilate for all this Because the highest Services performed to Christ undesignedly shall neither be accepted nor rewarded by God Observe 2. How the Jews endeavour to alter this Write not The King of the Jews but that he said I am the King of the Jews The Jews thought it would be a disgrace to them that Christ should be reported abroad to have been their King therefore they desire an alteration of the Writing But Pilate that wrote in Honour of Christ stifly defends what he had done To all their Importunity he returns this resolute Answer What I have written I have written Surely the Constancy of Pilate at this time must be attributed to special Divine Providence How wonderful was it that he who before was as inconstant as a Reed should now be as fixed as a Pillar of Brass Whence is this but from the God of Spirits moving upon his Spirit to write and to defend what was written The Providence of God hath a Prospect beyond the Understanding of all Creatures 23 ¶ Then the souldiers when they had crucified Jesus took his garments and made four parts to every souldier a part and also his coat now the coat was without seam woven from the top throughout 24 They said therefore among themselves Let us not rent it but cast lots for it whose it shall be that the scripture might be fulfilled which saith They parted my raiment among them and for my vesture they did cast lots These things therefore the souldiers did Here we have recorded our Saviour's Sufferings from the Soldiers they strip him of his Garments before they fastned him to his Cross and divide those Garments which could be parted amongst them and cast Lots for his woven Coat which could not be divided Little did these vile Soldiers think that they were now fulfilling a Scripture-Prophecy Yet so it was this Action of theirs being foretold Psalm 22.18 They part my Garments amongst them and cast lots upon my Vesture Not that the Prophesie made them do it but was fulfilled by their doing of it From hence we may gather That Christ suffered naked upon the Cross as naked say some as he came into the World We had made our selves naked to our shame and Christ became naked to cover our shame If sensible of our own Nakedness and Shame we flee unto him by Faith we shall be cloathed upon with Robes of Righteousness and Garments of everlasting Praise 25 ¶ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother and his mothers sister Mary the wife of Cleophas and Mary Magdalene 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother and the disciple standing by whom he loved he saith unto his mother Woman behold thy son 27 Then saith he to the disciple Behold thy mother And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home These Words contain our Saviour's affectionate Recommendation of his distressed Mother to the Care of a dear Disciple It was an Argument of Christ's wonderful Love to her that when he was nailed to the Cross and ready to die he was more concern'd for his Mothers Sorrows than for his own Sufferings Now was Simeon's Prophesie fulfilled Luke 2.35 A Sword shall pass through thine own Soul also Her Soul was pierced for him both as his natural Mother and also as a mystical Member of him her Head therefore Christ applies these comfortable Words as a Salve to her Wounds even whilst his own were bleeding unto