one gets the conscience of their merite and feeles that they deserue death ten wants it It is a pitie to see how many dies without sense like dogges and then if it fall so that one get the conscience of sinne in the houre of death it falles out ofttimes that they get not the sense of mercie It may bee that thou get the sense of sinne and be stricken with a feare but with a desperate feare for with the sense and feeling of sinne if there bee not also a sense of mercie there is nothing but terrour and a seruile feare So thou shalt die like a vile slaue in damnation So the conscience of this thiefes merite makes him to feare God no doubt hee hath had a sweet sense of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ But who made this difference It was the Lord It was a happie thing for this thiefe to be crucified with IESVS CHRIST for all this slowed out of the Crosse of IESVS CHRIST Therefore take vp the lesson Thinke not that in the houre of death thou shalt bee twitched as thou shouldest either with the feeling of thy sinne and miserie or yet of mercie except that thou sweetely turne thee to the Crosse of CHRIST and say LORD I feele neither sense of my merite and what my sinnes deserues nor of mercie LORD therefore giue mee it then the sweetnesse of that sense shall swallow vp that paine No comfort in death but in IESVS CHRIST except thine eyes be set on that Crosse Woe is to thee and woe to thee againe and better for thee if thou hadst neuer come in the world Thou and I sayes hee suffer iustly This confession witnesses the inward conuersion to IESVS CHRIST for when the heart of a sinner is turned to IESVS CHRIST it will taste a such sweetnesse that the creature will not care by that it bee shamed so it can get that LORD in whome it feeles such a sweetnesse glorified it is a sure token that these shamelesse sinners these men who will not shame themselues in the sight of the worlde but will stand in their pointes of honour with GOD these miserable soules these bloodie murtherers these adulterers tasted neuer of that mercie in IESVS CHRIST If thou wouldest haue thy sinnes hid from the eyes of GOD that terrible Iudge then open them to the world that the LORD may be glorified and if thou hidest thy sinnes the LORD shall rippe vp thy brest in that great daye and let all the world see the most hid and secret corner of thine heart to thy shame and confusion Nowe come to the thirde argument of reproofe and it is taken from the innocencie of Iesus This is an innocent and iust man Fearest thou not GOD to raile on the innocent if He were guiltie as thou and I am thy railing were more tollerable but howe canst thou raile on this just man The lesson is Iust ones who suffer innocently should not be railed vpon the LORD keepe our mouthes from railing on them if thy conscience tell thee of their innocency reuile them not a man who suffers may be innocent two manner of wayes for either hee is innocent in himselfe and not guiltie of that for which hee suffers or els if hee bee a malefactour and guiltie he may be innocent through Faith and repentance through the blood of Iesus Christ as this thiefe was innocent in Christ Now if a man be innocent of that crime for which hee suffers raile not on him on paine of thy life and if thou findest him innocent in the blood of Iesus Christ and findest him to haue true and vnfained repentance in Him albeit he bee neuer so wicked let him die and suffer these paines hee should suffer for repentance should not exeeme and free him from ciuile punishment but beware thou raile on him surely thy mouth should be stopped to raile out on him God forbid that an euill word be spoken out against him as a reprobate whom the LORD Iesus countes innocent in His blood for this railing testifies that thou counts that man as a reprobate and that is too sore a judgement thou takes to thee I see heere further the LORD neuer leaues His Sonne without a testimonie of His innocencie Pilate euer on testified His innocencie before hee condemned Him and said once twise thrise I finde nothing worthie of death in Him No Pilate was neuer brought to say that Christ was guiltie suppose he condemned Him but euer preached and proclaimed His innocencie Then when Hee is comming to suffer the poore women followes and testifies and now the poore penitent thiefe testifies the innocencie of Christ and lastly the men of warre were compelled to say Of a trueth this is the Sonne of God And if ye consider well yee shall see two thinges very contrarie that of all men that suffered He was both the most just and the most vnjust He was innocent in Himselfe and Hee was guiltie in vs and this for our consolation for this lets vs seee how meete a Mediatour He was for vs my Sauiour must be innocent in Himselfe Heb. 7.26 and He must bee guiltie in me Thus farre this thiefe hath vttered that inward repentance in rebuking the other for his blasphemie and sinne and in confessing his sinnes before the other thiefe and those that stood by now followes the third effect he turnes him to the Lord and in all humilitie seeking remission grace and life and sayes Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome Prayer should follow vpon confession of sinnes but marke the word hee calls Him Lord albeit he saw Him hanging on the tree there like a vile slaue yet he acknowledges Him to be a King when he ascribeth a Kingdome to Him albeit he sees Him hanging there like a slaue yet he askes life of Him albeit he saw Him in weaknesse in torment and at the point of death All these things are marueilous and ye shall see them the more marueilous if ye will consider well the person of him who prayes what a man before this time he was and then what is his estate present and last the person of Him to whom he directs his Prayer This his conuersion was marueilous if this man had beene trained vp in the schoole of Christ any space of time it had beene lesse marueilous but beeing trained vp in a denne of thieues where hee had lost all kinde of equitie and naturalitie where hee had liued like a beast like a lyon liuing by cutting of throates theft and by the bloode of men this man to be turned from such an foule heart to get faith and seeke mercie so suddenly in a moment such sudden mutation is more than marueilous aad wonderfull Then will yee looke to his present estate if he had bene free in the body without paine so that he had gotten leasure and licence to looke thorow that body to His Kingdome and to that eternall Life then this doing had beene lesse marueilous
vvith one voyce saye Why weepest thou When the LORDE beginnes once to bowe the heart Hee vvill let thee see grace yea Hee vvill not let thee see onelie but Hee vvill also let thee heare Hee woulde not onelie let her see dumme Angels but Hee woulde haue them also to speake vnto her that shee might heare joyfullie When Hee hath once begunne ere Hee leaue Hee vvill fill all the senses vvith grace Hee shall fill the eye with sight the eare with hearing and in the ende Hee shall fill thine heart fullie with grace and mercie Nowe what heares Marie The Angels saye vnto her Woman why mournest thou For as shee looked in to the graue shee vvept bitterlie the teares went neuer from her eyes nor the sadnesse from her heart till the LORDE Himselfe saide MARIE why weepest thou Marke the vvordes The Angell no doubt rejectes her because shee wept without measure and in vaine because shee thought that the bodie of the LORDE had beene stollen awaye shee wept for Him who was liuing But as the Angell reprooues her so hee pitties her Then if thou weepe for the LORD Hee shall cause the Angels of Heauen to pittie thee Yet againe What saye the Angels They saye not Woman feare not as they did to the rest of the women that came before And why saye they not Feare not Shee was so ouer-come with displeasure and so sadde hearted that shee was not afraide of the Angels and was not astonied as the other women for they had not so sad an heart as shee had for her heart was so filled with sadnesse and displeasure that feare coulde not get place The Angell sayes Woman why mournest thou because it was mourning that ailed her The LORD giues alwayes medicine according to the sore If thou bee sad Hee will saye Why mournest thou The Angell applies the medicine and stilles her A mourning bodie for CHRIST woulde bee stilled If thou weepest for CHRIST suppose thou passe bounds yet thou shalt not want stilling though He should send his Angels to still thee No there was neuer any y t mourned for Christ that wanted stilling Nor there was neuer anie childe that got so sweete wordes to still them as thou shalt get who mournest for CHRIST Then Blessed are they sayes CHRIST that mourne for they shall receiue consolation Matth. 5.4 If thou mourne for the loue of the LORDE thou shalt bee stilled and comforted and blessed shalt thou bee one daye Alas this is a laughing worlâ—â—-woe vnto it few men or women are nowe mourning wiâ—◠〈◊〉 Magdalene alas vvhat neede haue vvee of stilling No vvee are laughing notvvithstanding of all thâ—se judgements that approach fast and are neare at hand they vvill cause vs all mourne one day But vvhat sayes the Angells to her Say they in an anger Why seeke yee the liuing amongst the deade Beholde the mercie of GOD to His children she merited if yee looke to her fault to haue beene reprooued more sharply shee forgot the vvord of our Sauiour and she vvould not looke in to the graue yet he reprooues her not hee sayes not to her Why seeke yee Him that is liuing amongst the dead as the Angell spake to the other vvomen This is our lesson in a vvorde The LORD lookes not vvhat thou meritest but He lookes vvhat thou needest Hee vvill not speake according to thy merite but according to thy neede and necessitie for if thou mournest for the LORD Hee vvill minister comfort to thee No He wil not make a sorrowful heart more sorrowfull he is a cruel person that vvil do so no the Lord wil not do so He will not bruâ—se the brokâ—n reede neither will He quench the smoaking flaxe as it vvas prophecied of Him long before Esay Chapter 42. and the third verse But if thou bee sad Hee vvill raise thee vp vvith such comfort as cannot be tolde Novve to goe forvvarde When they haue demanded Why vveepest thou â—hee ansvveres without any feare as their sight terrifies her not so neither is she terrified vvith their voyce What vvas the cause that shee feared not and that at the voyce of the terrible Angâ—lls shee is not mooued Euen because her heart vvas ouercome and loadned vvith dolour and sadnesse that there could be no place almost left to feare She sayes They haue stollen away the body of the Lord and I knowe not where they haue laid Him What could she doe vvith it wherefore vvas shee so carefull Shee tells vvhat shee vvould doe vvith it shâ—e sayes to Himselfe I would burie it nowe all this came of a suâ—passing loue and therefore looke not so much to her doing as to her loue Learne at Marie Magdalene to loue the LORD and shee may learne all the world This loue and zeale of GOD is almost out of the heartes of men and vvomen and when I consider her great loue I find it is more than any naturall affection as father to sonne or man to woman 〈◊〉 â—â—cept there had come a force vertue out of that body she could neuer haue loued the Lord so well No except He loose our heartes with that loue hee beares to vs wee cannot loue Him but when once Hee looses thine heart thou wilt hate thy selfe to loue Him so what euer I discommend in her I discommend not her loue No I shall neuer discommend loue nor zeale in any person Alas we haue too litle of it to discommend it and I doubt not but all these imperfections that vvere in her were couered by the LORD IESVS whome shee loued Our comfort is this if we loue the LORD our GOD well albeit wee had a thousand imperfections they shall be couered with the mantle of the righteousnes of IESVS yea He shall meete thy loue vvith vnspeakable loue Thus farre for the sight and hearing of the Angels The Text sayes assoone as shee had spoken She turnes her about againe Men would thinke this an vndiscreet behauiour to stand and heare two Angels and then like a vaine person to turne her about I will not excuse this altogether but I impute this to the exceeding dolour and sadnesse wherewith their soule was loadned there must be many faultes ouerseene in a sad person I had rather beare with twentie faultes in such a person as to beare with one in a vaine person Now as she is speaking to the Angels so the LORD comes neare toward her backe and ere euer He came or shee savv Him He touches her with a secret and powerfull presence of His Spirit for I doubt not as Hee came neare her but His Spirit both turnes her about and closes the mouth of the Angels for He is the LORD both of man and Angell and if He come His presence must turne thee and when Hee comes to speake all the Angels must holde their tongue and be dumbe Yee knowe that IOHN the BAPTIST vvas a great light before the LORD came and many followed him but vvhen CHRIST comes IOHN closes his mouth
suppose thou beleeuedst not at the first and conceiuedst it not yet vvhen thou art at the brinke of desparation that shall holde thee aboue thou gettest further information Nowe goe to the rest Wee haue hearde this preaching of Cleopas to the passenger as he supposed Yee see he was carefull to teach Him and no question all that hee knew of Christ he tolde it Learne this lesson at Cleopas All that knowledge which thou hast of Christ tell it to another and if thou haue little tell it to him that hath nothing and it may be thou shalt get further information as Cleopas did for the stranger instructed him in all thinges Nowe CHRIST speakes and Hee sayes to him not letting him know that He was Christ O fooles Hee that Christ calles a foole is a foole indeede And if Hee call thee a foole thou art one And then Hee sayes Slowe of heart to beleeue concerning Christ the Messias Before I come to the words behold the clemencie mercie of the Lord These two men were rauing like fooles or as men in a feuer suppose they were His Disciples they vtter a plaine distrust and yet the Lord castes them not off Hee saw a little sparke in them Hee sawe a sponke of faith and Hee goes not to put it out So that it is true that is spoken of Him Esay Chap. 42. Hee neuer brake the bruised reede nor yet put out the smoaking slaxe but helde it in and quickened the sponkes thereof where hee founde it till it came to a perfection No Hee vvill neuer cast thee awaye for a little faith but Hee vvill entertaine it and of a sponke Hee vvill make a fire Yet to come to the wordes Hee sayes Fooles madde men vvithout anie minde And then Hee calles them dull hearted There are two thinges in man A minde to see and a vvill to embrace that which he seees As for their minde they vvere bereaued of mind as for their will they haue not a vvill nor an heart to embrace it So marke what misbeliefe is Alas it leaues not one part of the whole all the povvers of the soule are vitiate by misbeliefe Faith goes thorow all the powers of the soule it first stands in an illumination and sight of those things that concernes thy saluation it decernes of thinges heauenly and then goes downe to the heart and makes it to embrace IESVS CHRIST and His benefites euen these heauenly things that thou canst not see with the eyes of the bodie Infidelitie by the contrarie beginnes and blindes the minde of the infidell that hee sees not nor cannot see nor discerne of things heauenly and spirituall Albeit thou canst neuer discerne so vvell of policie as the Heathen could yet in heauenly things thou art but madde and out of their minds Christ would call thee vvood and madde Looke hovv Paul calles all the Philosophers 1. Rom. In a worde hee calles them fooles and then infidelitie goes from the minde and filles the heart and makes the heart astonied if thou be an Infidell thou art dull and senselesse thou mayest lay holde on the worlde but if thou gettest no better thou shalt die in thy dulnesse and senslessenesse So wouldest thou knowe whether thou art quicke or not and of a good conceiuing Trie not thy selfe by earthly things and say not I vnderstand the writing of this man or that man but if thou wouldest know whether thou werest not dull senslesse or not looke if thou seest any thing in Heauen and heauenly things and then thou art not dull and senslesse but if thou feelest not heauenly thinges albeit thou werest a King goe thy way thou art but a dull and senslesse creature the Asse or the Dogge is better than thou there the stile Hee giues them wood men and madde men without a minde These men that can compasse these thinges in the worlde thinke themselues quicke but I saye to thee in the Name of this IESVS if thou knowest not CHRIST and heauenly thinges thou art but a dull and senslesse man and seest not nor vnderstandest no more than an Asse Marke euery word that He speakes whilst He calles them slow to beleeue all that the Prophets had spoken He castes the Prophets in their teeth He calles them slow to beleeue not this thing or that thing not this man or that man but that which the Prophets had spoken It is euill not to beleeue any that speakes the trueth but it is worse not to beleeue a Prophet Any man that is sent or called of God if thou beleeuest Him not that same calling of the man augments thy judgement looke to it If ye beleeue not a man that is called that calling of his shall augment thy judgement Then Hee sayes Beleeue yee not the thinges that they haue spoken to you hearest thou many thinges and is this vvorde oft beaten in thine eares and hearest thou this daye the morne and other morne and yet wilt thou not beleeue the more heauie is thy judgement the more thou hearest if thou purposest not to beleeue the greater is thy judgement I giue thee my counsell if thou purposest not to beleeue heare not a preaching for all the preachings that thou hast heard shal aggrauate thy judgment a thousand times heauier shall thy judgement be better that thou hadst heard neuer a preaching except thou purpose to beleeue Marke this He vses a sharp forme of rebuke before He teach them He telles them not vvhat Hee vvas Hee makes as though Hee vvere a stranger and yet He calles them fooles and slovve to beleeue Take heede to this yee that vvill not suffer your selues to bee called foolish and vvill not suffer your heart to be launced but ay vvouldest haue good vvordes and that vvill not heare your selues to be called fooles there is the vvay to grace there is the order of teaching and hearing and if thou teachest call a foole foole albeit hee weâ—e a King call him madde or els thou vvilt beguile him call a slow hearted bodie foolish that is the only vvay to come to light and knovvledge Thou that vvouldest preach must doe this and thou that art an hearer First thou must get a sense of thy miserie and that thou art but foolish as euer thou vvouldest see Christ striue to get a sight of the blindnesse of thy soule and the hardnesse of thine heart and if thou seest thy blindnesse and miserie then thy desire will be vvakened and thou vvouldest giue ten thousand Kingdomes to be out of that damnable estate Now I shall bee short When Hâ—e hath begunne thus roughly vvith them and hath prepared their heartes to heare then Hee beginnes to teach Why should I call thee a foole and an hard hearted bodie except it be to teach thee So Hee beginnes and teaches them a faire preaching and no doubt Hee made a large discourse but heere it is summarilie gathered vp Hee layes downe His proposition It behooued him to suffer and to enter into
anie further to let vs see how wittingly and willingly how joyfullie and gladly and howe patiently hee offereth himselfe vnto death for our sinnes Now he hath no sooner spoken this one worde I am he which is a gentle worde but assoone they start backwardes and fall to the grounde whereby the Lord woulde testifie vnto them that they had no power to take his life from him as hee said before himselfe he had both his life and his death in his owne handes all the power in heauen and in earth was not able to cause him to die if he had pleased to haue liued But to come to this Text When hee hath strucken them to the ground they leaue not off but when they are risen they are as bent as they were before It is a marueilous thing for if it had beene his will hee might not onely haue strucken them to the grounde but hee might haue strucken them thorow the earth into hell yet he letteth them rise againe but they are all senselesse of that diuine power wherewith they are strucken The Lord beginneth the speach and he saith Whom seeke ye They answere not knowing him IESVS of Nazareth He replieth againe I said vnto you that I am hee hee denieth not himselfe but in a manner prouoketh them to dispatch that businesse which they were about yet he entereth into a condition with them Take not these that are with mee stirre not my Disciples he giueth them a charge that they stirre them not and indeed none of that whole companie had anie power to lift vp their hand against them The words are plaine ye may easily perceiue the note that riseth of this It is a marueilous thing that a naked and a simple man who was baser than the King of Glorie was in the earth a man naked without armour hee is standing before them who are like as many Tyrants or tygers and yet none of them had power to lay handes vpon him till hee giue them power and more hee will not let them stirre him till hee make a condition with them That they handle not his disciples He imponeth lawes vnto them and without this law that they meddle not with his Disciples he will not yeelde himselfe vnto them So Brethren this is to let you see first that diuine power which was in the Lord Iesus Beholde it for it is a comfortable thing for Christians to knowe that diuine power that is in Iesus Christ for although hee neuer touched one of them yet that diuine power did so binde fast their hands and so restrained that pride of their heartes that they had no power once to moue against him Next behold a miserable senselessenesse in them for it is a wonderfull thing that they cannot perceiue nor feele this power that was in him If they had had anie sight of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily would they not haue ceassed from such a wicked enterprise Brethren it is an hard matter for any man or woman once to bee giuen ouer vnto a reprobate sense and to be strucken with blindnesse and hardnesse of heart And if God in his just judgement giue thee to blindnesse and hardnesse of soule albeit hee woulde make judgement after judgement to ceasse vpon thee and albeit he would strike thee and beate thee vpon thy backe thou wilt not bee the better but thou wilt get vp againe like a drunken man and if thou bee once giuen ouer to thine owne selfe it is as sure a thing as is in the worlde that except the Lord let thee see with his power a sight of mercy thou shalt euer become worse and worse and except the face of Iesus shine into thy soule all afflictions shall harden thee like yron that is often strucken vpon and the greater the afflictions bee except that mercy shine into thine heart thou wilt bee the more indured Paul saieth When the heart is conuerted to the Lord the vaile is taken away 2. Corinth 3.16 Without conuersion of the heart to the face of IESVS that that mercifull face may shine into the heart all the thinges in the world will not be able to mollifie thine heart Therefore whensoeuer the Lord afflicteth thee pray for mercy that as the power striketh thee so the mercie may be powerfull to conuert thee Yea crie aye for the mercy or else the power shall worke a further induration in thee and make thee worse To goe forward Yee see how carefull He is of his disciples men would thinke that He being so hard straited so neare the death should haue forgotten his Disciples for this is our fashion but the Lord doeth not so And Brethren this is a true note and token of a true Shepheard hee will forget himselfe and his life and hee will remember his flocke and when he is adying hee will be carefull of his flocke and when the Wolfe is worrying him yet hee will doe what lyeth in him that his flocke and euery sheepe thereof may escape and he will giue his life for the safetie of his flocke This is a good pastor So wee see the viue image of a faithfull Pastor in the Lord Iesus he will giue his life for his sheepe as hee saith himselfe Hee is but an hyreling that will not for the loue of his sheepe laye downe his life And this is the thing that I note chiefely here When the Lord becommeth weake in himselfe thorow infirmitie yea voluntarie infirmitie hee needed not to bee infirme what need had the God of glorie to bee infirme hee suffereth himselfe to bee bound till he become infirme In the meane time he is strong and powerfull in his Disciples to their safetie for although these that were in the Garden would neuer so faine yet they could not gette their hands laide vpon his Disciples The Lord Iesus when he was hanging vpon the Crosse the Iewes scorned him and tauntinglie saide vnto him Thou who sauedst others come downe and saue thy selfe meaning he could not saue himself because he was crucified as if he had no power but they are deceiued for that same houre that the Lord was vpon the Crosse and that same verie time that thorowe infirmitie he died and when he was hanging dead vpon the Crosse that power went out from him that kept his Dâ—sciples and all the faithfull in the worlde For except that the Lord had kept them then when he was hanging dead they had beene a preye to the Deuill For this is our nature and infirmitie wee cannot stand a moment in this world except it be by the power of Iesus Christ Well then Brethren if Christ Iesus crucified and crucified as the Apostle speaketh 2. Cor. 13.4 thorow infirmitie and so weake in himselfe in his humane nature had so great a power to saue his Church what shall wee say then What a power is that which proceedeth from Iesus Christ glorified and commeth downe nowe from the Heauen and who liueth nowe as the Apostle sayeth there by the
euen in respect of the place they shall be glorious That Heauenlie Hierusalem is the pleasandest place that euer was and those that shall come to Heauen beside all that glorie that they shall haue therein they shall haue glorie in the verie place for Christ suffered in a place foule vile and ignominious that they might dwell for euer most glorious in that glorious place that Heauenlie Paradise Nowe to come to the third vvhich is that drinke vvhich is propined vnto CHRIST when He comes to that place no question He was verie thirstie beside the paine He had an extreame thirst and beeing thirstie Hee desired to drinke Hee vvas a vvearied man for He vvas holden all the vvhole night ouer vvithout either meate drinke or sleepe yea and all the next daye also beside the feare of death and therefore it vvas no maruell that Hee desired to drinke And MATTHEVV saies that they gaue Him Vineger to drinke mixed with Gall Then both soure and bitter vvas His drinke Now it is true that Sainct MARKE saies that it vvas Wine mixed with Myrrhe All is alike for Myrrhe hath the bitternesse of the gall There are sundrie opinions about this drinke which they gaue Him Some thinkes that this was a delicious drinke and that it was caried there and offered by the women who followed Him weeping to the end He might feele the lesse paine so long as Hee vnderlay so longsome and cruell death There are others who thinke that this drinke serued to hasten the death because the death was painfull for they count Myrrhe to be of this force that it will cast out blood at any wound So when the LORD had drunke they thought that the blood should haue springed out at the wounds and should haue most hastely procured His death But I leaue these opinions and I thinke that this was no delicious drinke and I thinke againe that this drinke was not giuen to hasten His death I think that this sowre bitter drinke was offered in derision and scorne by the Iewes and souldiers who had no pitie nor compassion vpon Him and that of the bitter malice of their heartes they offered it to Him No mercie for Christ now but all extremitie and to thinke so I am partly moued by that Prophecie which is contained in the 62. Psalme and 22. verse wherein the LORD is brought in complaining and saying In my thirst they gaue mee vineger to drinke and partly by the Historie following wherein it is saide Then they brought Him in derision a sponge with vineger and put it to His mouth and this His drinke is to bee counted a part of His Passion Of this we haue this lesson alwayes keeping this ground That this Iudgement is a type of the latter Iudgement Amongst all the paines that they shall suffer who shall not bee found in IESVS CHRIST they shall thirst to death both of soule and bodie as the LORD thirsted who was counted as a reprobate so the reprobate shall thirst exceedingly And as the LORD got not so much as a drinke of water to quench His thirst no more shalt thou As the rich Glutton when hee was in Hell could not get one droppe of water to coole his tongue that was so sore burning in torment no more shalt thou bee quenched of that eternall wrath for sinne brings the most terrible drowght and hotnesse in the soule and body that euer was Thou shalt drinke the cuppe of the bitter wrath of God for euer euer Blessed are they who hunger thirstes for righteousnesse they shall be filled sayes Christ They who shall bee saued in Iesus Christ shall neuer thirst for they shall haue in their bellies the fountaine of liuing water Iesus Christ when this drinke is propined Hee tastes it and would haue no more of it because as Iesus Christ bare the nature of man so Hee had this naturall taste and nature abhorred this drinke And albeit that patiently He suffered all injuries of others yet Hee would not vse violence against nature to His owne selfe let one suffer violence of others but doe no violence to thine owne selfe Yet we see that albeit He knew well eneugh both the bitternesse and sowrenesse of it yet Hee tasted it This learnes vs that there was no bitternesse nor sowrnesse but the LORD would taste it that thou shouldest not onely taste but also drinke yea quaffe all delicious and sweet drinke euermore yea not only of the water of life but euen the delicious drinke of this worlde for refreshment of our bodie Then when thou art drinking a sweet drinke remember that Iesus Christ dranke a bitter drinke that thou shouldest drinke a sweete drinke Otherwise I tell thee drinke on and pamper thy belly as thou wilt thy sweete drinke shall become a bitter curse vnto thee Now we come to the very action of crucifying Hee is thirstie He cannot get the thirst quenched He must suffer the death with an extreame thirst there is not a thiefe but hee will get a drinke The men of warre come to the execution and first they stripped the LORD of glorie They take His garments off Him So the LORD before Hee was mounted vpon the Crosse Hee was stripped naked and then beeing starke naked they mount and spread out that glorious bodie on the Crosse And nailes Him with nailes and this is complained of before They pierced through mine hands and my feete Psalme 22.17 And now beeing nailed on the Crosse it commeth to passe as Paul sayes in the Epistle to the Galathians Chap. 3. verse 13 14 Hee is become a curse for vs that wee should become the blessing of God in Him Not that Iesus beganne then to be accursed of the Father when He hang vpon the Crosse No from the time of His conception euen all the time that Hee was in the world As our sinnes were laide vpon Him so the curse of God was on Him pursuing our sinne All these three and thirtie yeeres that Hee liued in the worlde the curse of God goes neuer off Him for the curse of God neuer leaues sinne A wicked man will seeme to bee blessed and to prosper and who will sit at such ease as he will play him and blesse himselfe in his owne heart but vvhen hee comes to a miserable ende and dies a miserable death when the miserable death appeares then the world sees that that man was cursed It appeared not that Iesus Christ vvas cursed till He vvas dying and going to be nailed on the Crosse then all the vvorld sees that Hee is cursed beside all the things that sinne brings on a man to it shall bring thee to a shamefull death and if thou bee not found in Iesus Christ and bee not couered with His Crosse then thou shalt die in the ende a cursed death although thou be in thy bed and thy Wife thy friends and all thy children about thee the death that thou shalt die shall be accursed Blessed are they who die
Wherin stands y e knowledge of the resurrection of Christ It is not eneugh to know it only The knowledge stands in a feâ—ling of the force of the glorious resurrection in thine heart and thou shalt feele the olde canker of sinne mortified and thee to bee quickned with a new life to liue to God And likewise wherein stands the knowledge of His suffering It stands of the feeling in thine heart of the mortification of sinne Thou must feele a regeneration in thee or else thou feelest nothing and thy soule shall get no life howbeit thou knewest all the Bible All this knowledge of Christ is but a dreame without a feeling and thou art but sleeping except thou findest a vertue proceeding from His suffering to thy soule to reforme it But to speake of that feeling-knowledge of Iesus Christ vvho died for our sinnes Howe shalt thou find and feele in thine heart that Hee suffâ—red anguishe for thy sinnes not onely in bodie but also in soule I thinke there shoulde bee no bodie but they should bee meditating on an answere I shall tell you how I and thou and euerie one of vs shall feele that curse and malediction that Iesus suffered and that was layde on Him for our sinnes If I finde in my soule in some measure that wrath for my sinnes which Iesus felt in full measure Lord saue vs from that measure if I taste and get a proouing of that bitter cuppe of the wrath of God that Iesus dranke the dregges of and all for my sinnes if I taste of it and put it to my mouth vvhen I feele this vvaye and taste I vvill begin and reason If I finde my sinnes and the burthen thereof so heauie that I can scarcely beare one sinne among a thousand yea though it were but an euill thought If I finde the burthen of my sinnes so heauie who am but a man O howe heauie must all the sinnes of the Elect bee that Iesus bare on His backe Looke how I come to His feeling from the other Then I vvill saye O howe heauie vvere the sinnes that IESVS bare on His backe And then I shall saye If once I can but taste one droppe of that wrath that followes my sinnes and findes it to bee so bitter Let them taste of that cuppe vvho will they neuer tasted of so bitter a thing Then vvill I saye O howe bitter vvas that full cuppe of vvrath vvhereof IESVS dranke out the dregges and all seeing one droppe of it is so bitter in my soule There vvee come in some measure to the feeling of that bitter vvrath that IESVS felt Beholde the dealing of GOD vvith His owne for although He loued them neuer so vvell yet Hee vvill let them feele the burthen of their owne sinnes in some measure He vvill tye the burthen of them on their owne backes whilest they grone and peach and He will touch them with the sense of wrath from heauen and that to let them vnderstand howe sadde and heauie a wrath it was that Iesus suffered for our redemption And when wee feele anie burthen for sinne let vs runne to meditate on the sore burthen of IESVS CHRIST or else thy sicknesse and thy trouble is not sanctified to thee if thou feelest not that Iesus Christ hath borne the burthen of thy sinne Well Brethren this is a vvay vvhereby vvee come to the feeling knowledge of the paine that CHRIST suffered and this is bitter But there is a sweeter manner If I feele that sweete mercie of GOD in mine heart and that peace of conscience in my soule I will beginne and reason with my selfe after this manner This mercie that I taste of this peace of conscience that I haue this joy and gladnesse that I taste it behooued to proceede out of the malediction and out of the wrath that lighted on my Mediator it had beene vnpossible for mee to taste of mercie if my Redeemer had not drunken out that full cuppe of wrath And I saye indeede to thee if the Lord Iesus Christ had not drunken out that cuppe of the wrath of God there had neuer beene such a thing as any joy or any piece of conscience in this worlde nor in the worlde to come if it had not beene ransomed with the precious blood of Iesus Christ there is not one droppe of grace peace or joy but that which is bought and which the blood of Iesus Christ hath payed for Alas if the world could vnderstand howe deare one drop of grace is No ere one drop of grace came it behoued the Lord to be taken put in the winepresse of Hell tread on tramped on with the feete of the wrath of God for this Iustice of God who was offended should neuer haue suffered one droppe of grace to come if it had not beene satisfied by the blood of the mediatour Now to ende this purpose I know perfectly that all this speech of the Crosse is but foolishnesse to the wise of the world These wise Heades who compasse the Worlde with wisdome all is but foolishnesse to them It is foolishnesse to them who perish as Paul sayes 2. Cor. 4.4 If thou findest the Crosse of Iesus but foolishnesse take thee a doome thou shalt perish all the world shall not saue thee againe by the contrary sayes Paul The speech of the Crosse is the wisdome of God the power of God to them who are saued All is but foolishnesse in respect of the Crosse all the strength might of the world things vnder Heauen is but weaknesse in respect of Iesus Christ and His strength If thou countest the speech of the Crosse to be power vvisdome assure thy selfe thou hast an earnest pennie that thou shalt get life blessed is that soule that delites to heare of y e Crosse of Christ counts it to be the povver wisdome of God which shines wonderfully in this base Crosse y e wisdome of GOD shined neuer so in the creation of the Heauens and of the worlde as in the vile and abject Crosse of IESVS CHRIST The power of GOD shined not so much in creating thee of nothing as it shines in thy redemption The more foolishe that this meane is that the LORD vses in redemption to wit a sillie Crosse the more base it appeares to bee the greater is the glorie of the wisedome of GOD who wrought such a great worke of redemption thorow such base meanes I say the more infirme that this meane is for what is more infirme than a sillie poore man or a vile Crosse the power of GOD appeares y e greater who hath wrought such a glorious worke out of such a base meane And I saye if thy redemption had beene wrought with a glorie as the Iewes and the Gentiles imagined if GOD had yeelded to their fantasie and wrought our redemption by a glorious meane that glorie of GOD had beene obscured and the meane had gotten all the glorie But it hath pleased the LORD
the Lord is remembring His mercie and teaches them by wonders to looke yet if they will take a lesson to repent of all the indignitie that they had done Hee threatens them with the one hand and offers mercie with the other to see if they will repent This is the dealing of the Lord Hee warnes them and He sayes Yet I will not swallow thee vp with the earth and I will not let the rockes tumble downe on thee to deuoure thee yet repent for there is gâ—ace for thee if thou turnest Brethren no man shall goe to Hell without aduertisement to stand to the end that if thou wilt not repent when the Lord begins to put hand in thee and to rent thee thy mouth may be closed that thou canst not say Lord I got no warning all excuses shall be put away Alas will not men learne for all this shaking of the mountaines Lord shake these hearts of ours the Lord be merciful to all sinful soules to senslesse creatures lest wheÌ„ they shall cry Peace all things are sure enough theÌ„ sudden iudgement approach the wrath come ouertake them Now come to y e last thing I shall end Are there none y t are moued at all at these wonders Amongst so many hundreths thousands is there not one moued yes there are some moued who are these are the high Priests moued No not a whit is there any of y e rest of y e order of y e Priests moued Not They continue blinde and dumbe Are the Pharises and the Scribes or the Elders mooued No They are not mooued but the more they heare their heartes are the more hardened Who are then mooued at these vvonders It is an Ethnicke bodie a Captaine of men of vvarre vnder PILATE and a Pagane vvho neuer once knewe GOD yet vvhen hee sees this and hearde the voyces hee saies Of a suretie this man was just And more hee saies Truely this was the Sonne of GOD. Is there anie moe Yes A bande of men of vvarre Not of the IEVVES but such as had liued on robberie vvithout the feare of GOD they feared greatly and saide also Truely this man was the Son of GOD. Who of the IEVVES is mooued Not the Scribes and the Pharises and the rest of the Order they are nothing moued but the sillie multitude vvho cryed before Crucifie him nowe they goe home smiting on their breastes and crying vvoe to them for that dayes labour but there vvas neuer a motion in the Priestes or in anie of the Princes or Pharises or Scribes It is a vvonderfull thing to see that they vvho had judgement and vnderstanding and who had read all the prophecies of the MESSIAS to come gotte no sense yet a sillie multitude gettes some sight and sense Woulde yee knowe and poinct out a senselesse creature vvho vvill not bee mooued neither by vvorke nor vvorde It is such a man as hath this vvorldly wisedome Such a man as hath knowledge and yet does against his knowledge and conscience for all that these Priestes and Pharises did vvas both against knowledge and conscience They repined against the Holy Spirit and against their conscience they crucifie Iesus Whosoeuer thou art who opponest thee to the brightnes of the Gospell thou crucifiest the Lord of glory and as it shal be layed to the charge of the high Priests and Pharises and of Pilate and Herode in that Great daye that they crucified IESVS CHRIST So it shall bee layed to thy charge and thou shalt bee as guiltie of His blood as they Woe to that soule which vvill resist that word and the Holy Spirite Woe shall bee to the great men in this land vvho against conscience conspires against CHRIST Religion and their natiue Countrey for vvrath and vengeance remaineth for them if they leaue not off this vnhappie course The King of SPAINE and all their associates shall not bee able to holde vengeance off them that shall one daye bee heaped vpon their heads The LORD saue vs from induration and neuer suffer vs to repine against Light nor to scrape it out of our soule and conscience I see heere further The LORD gettes moe friendes in His death than in His life The Centurion and the men of vvarre they curse the time that euer they vvere employed in that seruice The multitude vvho bad crucifie Him thorowe blindnesse and ignorance nowe they repent the time that euer they did it and they returne homewardes knocking vpon their breastes That immaculate Lambe that precious Sacrifice hanging thus on the Crosse Hee cast such a sweete smell on the earth and on the people that they vvho vvere His enemies goe awaye mourning This falles out often times in the Martyres for some people goes out with them who woulde eate them and yet the LORD IESVS makes their death to cast such a sweete smell that it is effectuall to mooue manie thousandes to mourne and to bee conuerted So that it is founde to bee true that the bloode of the Martyres is the seede of the Kirke And they who woulde haue swallowed them before in their death pitties them and become their friendes thorowe the sweete smell which they felt comming from their death and would goe home mourning that euer they were enemies vnto them and were instrumentes of their death Therefore let the enemies of the trueth persecute the Sainctes of GOD and His Trueth with Fire and Sworde as they please They shall gette no vantage and they shall not gette this Light quenched for there shall such a sweete smell arise out of the ashes of the Sainctes which in despight of the enemies farre moe shall bee wonne to IESVS CHRIST by their death than euer was wonne to Him by their life To Him therefore vvith the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour Praise and Glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXIII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 55 And many women were there beholding him afarre off who had followed Iesus from Galile ministring vnto him verse 56 Among whom was Marie Magdalene and Marie the Mother of Iames and Ioses and the mother of Zebedeus sonnes MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 40 There were also women who behelde afarre off among whome was Marie Magdalene and Marie the Mother of James the lesse and of Ioses and Salome verse 41 Who also when Hee was in Galile followed Him and ministred vnto Him and manie other women who came vp with Him vnto Hierusalem LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 49 And all his acquaintance stoode afarre off and the women that followed him from Galile beholding these thinges IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 31 The Iewes then because it was the Preparation that the bodies shoulde not remaine vpon the Crosse on the Sabbath daye for that Sabbath was an high dayâ— besought Pilate that their legges might bee broken and that they might bee taken downe WEE haue heard these dayes past beloued Brethren in Christ what was the part of the whole
and predictions which are foretolde of Christ are much worth for they haue this vse When thou readest them in that olde Testament they seale vp the worde of the Gospell of the manifestation of Christ in the flesh of His suffering and glorification that that report of olde is fulfilled But before I leaue this I see the Lord will not let His owne forget His vvorde which He hath once tolde them suppose they would forget it yet the Lorde will haue it called to their remembrance These vvomen woulde haue forgotten that which the chiefe Priestes remembred when they sought a guarde of Pilate to watch the sepulchre Sometimes it comes to passe that the godlie remembers not so much as the wicked who heares the worde to their destruction but if thou bee one of His Hee will haue it called to thy memorie but if thou bee none of His Hee vvill not regarde that vvhen thou hearest thou let it goe in at thine one eare and out at the other Great grace they gette vvho are in Him Well is that soule for euer that is in Him A man vvill thinke it a great thing that a king vvill speake vnto him but it is a farre greater thing that the King of Heauen vvill speake to thee There is some proportion betwixt the king and his subject betwixt the king and the begger but there is no proportion betwixt GOD and thee So then this is a great mercie that He will bring that word that thou hast contemned to thy remembrance and ere thou remember it not Hee will send downe an Angell from the Heauen to call it to thy remembrāce We haue not Angels now as these women had then but I say to thee as many true and faithfull Ministers are as like many Angels take away these men that preach the Gospell indeede I grant properly this to call all things spoken to remembrance pertaines to the Holy Spirit Iohn 14.26 thou shalt forget the word of God that is preached and thou shalt grow more blockish than a stocke or a stone and they that will not heare this word He makes them like stones and well were it to thee albeit thou werest a King if thou hearest not this word that thou werest a stone But marke the time when Hee brings it to their remembrance when the Lord is risen this tenour of time is not ay kept but sometimes ere the thing be done He calls it to remembrance for that is a part of our felicitie euer to be holden in memorie of grace Woe to thee that is not holden in memory of it but indeed it is more joyfull to remember after it is done and therefore at that great day when wee shall see all thinges fulfilled which were foretolde our joy shall be perfected I grant that Hope hath joy yet it hath heauinesse joyned with it but sight hath perfect joy without any heauinesse and when wee shall see all these thinges that were foretolde vs vvhen vve shall see that glorious God when vve shall see euery word that euer we read in the Gospell to be fulfilled we shall remember them all with such joy as no tongue can tell Wee glorie here vnder Hope but then our glorie shall bee in sight and vve shall haue it in our hand and as vvee shall rejoyce then we shall also glorifie GOD perfectly all manner of wayes novv vve doe it with great infirmitie but vvhen vve shall see Him vvee shall glorifie Him euerlastingly and this shall be a part of our song Glorie for euer be to that true GOD Hee promised me much and novve I see Hee hath fulfilled it and so vvee see there is neuer one vvord that vvee haue heard but that Holy and true GOD shall bring it to our memorie with such a joy as cannot be spoken This for the first argument nowe followes the second argument The Angell vses to confirme his speech Come hither and see sayes the Angell The LORD is not heere if yee vvill not credite my vvorde beleeue your ovvne eyes and see it is not this a great mercie when thou wilt not beleeue His word the Lord will let thee see the Lord is not contented to let thee heare these glad tythings but He will bring them before thine eyes What meanes these visible Sacraments but to helpe the infirmitie of the weake Faith besides the Sacraments this word of God is not like the vvord of man or of an Oratour like Demosthenes or Cicero or any man in this world No that word in y e gospel in great simplicitie hath a great Majestie shining in it yea it is visible as the Apostle sayes in the first to the Corinthians 2.4 It hath an ocular demonstration and vvhen it speakes to thee of Heauen it will drawe thine eye to Heauen and when it speakes to thee of the Crosse it vvill let thee see Christ crucified and if it speake to thee of His glory it shall let thee see Him in glory and that is it vvhich Paul sayes in the Epistle to the Galathians Chapter 3. verse 1. Hee preaches Christ so to them that he made them see Christ crucified before their eyes Novve I come to the thirde part it containes a commandement that he giues to the vvomen Tithings haue euer some commandement joyned with them and commandement requires euer obedience so when euer thou gettest tithings thou gettest a commandement doe this or thou shalt neuer get part nor portion of the tithings No Brethren a Christian life is not an idle life but practicke if euer thou vvouldest be partaker of these good tithings looke that thou striue to doe that vvhich Hee bids thee Ruane sayes the Angell home this haue I told you Preach ye to the Apostles Goe tell the disciples that He is risen Goe your way hastely to testifie the Resurrection This glorious Resurrection requires an hastie preaching and I saye to you that testimonie that is giuen of Christ requires expedition and therefore if thou aymest to testifie of the Lord doe it hastely the glory Hee gets vvould not be delayed The next part of the direction the Angell giues them is that they tell the Apostles that they goe to Galile because Christ would be before them there The Papistes thinke that they haue gotten a great vantage of this that Peters name was expressed and not the rest This speciall direction that is sent to Peter imports no supremacie but rather if ye consider well that hee was inferiour to them all It importes this plainely that Peter had done a great fault by the threefold deniall of the Lord. Alas in this action he had an euill conscience and if there had not beene a particular direction to Him hee durst not for his life haue come to CHRIST Thinke ye that a man that hath denied GOD dare come to Him except He be preuented No Peter durst not for his life haue looked to the LORD so this is their supremacie that they marke of Peter aboue the rest Now one thing
it The word of a King is much and of great might then how weightie is the word that comes from the King of kings Heauen and earth shall perish ere one jote of that worde perish or fall to the ground and as Hee forgets not so Hee will haue it called to the remembrance not only of the godly but also of the wicked but marke the difference When Hee brings it to the Elects memorie Hâ—e brings it euer with great joy as He did to these women But as to the wicked it is euer a dolefull and wofull remembrance with paine and griefe and this is no small part and cause of the paine of Hell that all the words which God spake to them whilst they liued and which they contemned shall bee brought to their memorie that booke of remembrance shall bee holden euer before their eyes that there they may see and reade all the wicked workes that they haue done in their life yea the least euill worde shall bee laide to their charge and then the conscience shall stand vp and accuse them euerlastingly No if thou bee out with Christ I say to thee terrible shall that sight bee that thou shalt see for the least euill thought shall bee laide to thy charge let be euill deedes and that forgetfulnesse of the worde of God whilst thou liuedst shall be a great parte of thy paine and griefe but the forgetfulnesse of the godly shall bee hid as all the rest of their sinnes shall be hidde in Him and in that blood they shall bee counted as cleane as if they had neuer sinned nor had forgotten Gods word Thus farre for the part of the Angell Now I returne to the women When the Angell hath spoken and informed them of the Resurrection They returne and tell to the Apostles what they had heard and seene Marke this lesson They cannot keepe it within their brest but they will communicate it to others they will tell the Apostles Brethren after that once a man or a woman hath conceiued that spirituall joy all the worlde will not holde their tongue put them in a fire they cannot but speake of it Many Martyres haue proued this to be true if it were but a woman she must preach it to others I say more if thou hast not pleasure one time or other to speake with joy of Christ to others to speake of His Passion and Resurrection thou neuer heardest with joy We all haue pleasure enough to talke with joy of vaine and prophane tales but of that pleasure of pleasures litle or no delite haue vve to speake I condemne not only the world but also the children of GOD and my selfe with the first Alas too litle pleasure haue wee in our heartes to speake of Christ and His Resurrection But to whome go they Goe they to tell the wicked people No that people was not worthie of it they steale in to the Apostles and them who loued Christ who were lurking in Ierusalem So the lesson is this A man that findes joy will not communicate it to the prophane man he will knowe well that he communicates it to such one as will haue joy with him if any man bee sad yee see they will not communicate it but to them that will bee sad with them so it is with joy they will not tell to euery man the joy but to such as wil haue joy with them Looke the twelfth Chapter to the Romanes and the fifteenth verse hee wishes them To reioyce with them that rejoyce and to bee sadde with them who are sadde Marke this thing also Is not this joye a precious thing Nothing so precious in the worlde as joye and maruell yee not that they shoulde bee so liberall of it And if thou hadst all the worlde it is nothing in respect of this joye and yet they are liberall of it Paul Rom. chap. 1. vers 11. hee answeres to this J long saies hee to come to you to impart some spirituall gift to strengthen you No this hurt not him for hee expones himselfe saying That I might bee comforted together with you through our mutuall faith both yours and mine So when hee commeth to giue grace hee gotte grace No it is a vvonderfull thing vvhen two holie bodies meete what joye the one vvill poure into the heart of the other Put all the Infideles together they cannot minister this joye one to another So in a word Communication of joye shall not empaire but it shall enlarge the joye in thee Whereto shoulde one stande vp to preach CHRIST but that by his joye hee maye minister joye to them that heare him Nowe the LORD graunt that both Preachers and hearers may finde in their heartes this joye which is in CHRIST Nowe I goe forwarde As they goe in the part where the Apostles lurked they finde before them that first companie of vvomen who had returned from the sepulchre Marie Magdalene and Marie the mother of Iames and Salome and as they enter in they finde them telling these same newes to the eleuen Apostles So that the eleuen Apostles wanted not witnesses women after women testifying that the Lord was risen Will yee consider this well and ye shall see that it imports a deadlie securitie in the Apostles alas it should haue beene they who shoulde haue come to the women to haue tolde them of the Resurrection of Christ When Hee sendes so vvomen after women it testifies that they were in a dead securitie and so it testifies a great mercie of the LORDE vvho vvill not let them sleepe in that carnall securitie Brethren this same mercie of God towardes His owne abideth as yet for in vs is nothing but sleeping and if thou feelest it not thou feelest nothing Pastors people and all sleepes in securitie as the Apostles did And I saye to thee that if the LORDE vvoulde let thee alone and vvoulde sende to thee no vvitnesses to vvaken thee and to saye to thee Sinner vvake and arise No there is none of vs but wee woulde sleepe to death So looke to the LORDS mercy in this thy miserie He sendes men to thee He sendes crosses and troubles to vvaken thee Take men awaye take awaye these cloudes of vvickednesse take awaye câ—osses I giue the vvorlde their doome no exception from the King to the Begger and if thou vvantest vvitnessing that CHRIST died and rose againe thou shalt sleepe to destruction Thou thinkest that this needes not to bee preached but thou shalt see one daye that there vvas neuer anie thing so needefull in the earth as this preaching and thou shalt curse the time that euer thou vvast sette in the vvorlde except thou compt this preaching the greatest earnest that euer was So this is a token of great mercie towardes them and yee will vvonder that they shoulde bee so sluggishe vvho hearde him so long and that nowe they cannot bee vvakened Alas they were not as yet so vvell skilled that Heauenlie vvit vvas not as yet in their
he hath a speciall warrand from the Iudge otherwise hee cannot haue a good conscience in his intimation then how shall the Pastour knowe Gods sentence pronounced in Heauen that hee may haue a good conscience in his proceeding To this I answere It is true indeede the Pastour hath none extraordinarie reuelation of that sentence vvhich is past in Heauen but all the warrand that the Pastour hath is ordinary wrought by the Spirit accompanying His own word vvhich He left in vvrite vnto vs and the Pastour gets this vvarrand out of the vvord by the applying of the generall sentences of the vvorde to particular persons according as they finde their disposition and behauiour and by this meanes gets such a sufficient warrand out of the vvorde as his conscience may rest vpon As for example to speake first of the sentence of the Remission of sinnes Before the Pastour absolue a man and remit his sinnes he lookes first to the generall sentences set downe in the worde that may be his warrand as namely that sentence which the LORD Himselfe vtters Ioh. 3.13 Whosoeuer beleeues in the Sonne of God shall not perish but haue euerlasting life Nowe to Faith in Christ joyne Repentance for the Gospell joynes Repentance and Remission of sinnes together Luke 24.47 and sayes Whosoeuer beleeues and repents shall be safe To this generall proposition the Pastour will assume particularly This sinner repents and beleeues whereupon he concludes declaring the sentence that is alreadie past of Him in the Heauen therefore this sinner hath his sinnes forgiuen him and he shall be saued Againe before the Pastour binde a man and retaine his sinnes hee lookes to this generall sentence of the worde Hee that beleeues not and repents not is alreadie condemned Ioh. 3.18 Then he assumes particularly But this sinner beleeues not neither repents whereupon hee concludes the declaration of the sentence which is alreadie past in Heauen Therefore this sinner is condemned and is bound in Heauen The Lord worke in our heartes true repentance and Faith in the Lorde Iesus that not only wee may heare the voyce of the Pastour absoluing vs but likewise our owne consciences may assure vs of the Remission of our sinnes through the mercie of God in Iesus Christ To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLVI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XX. verse 24 But Thomas one of the twelue called Didimus was not with them when Iesus came verse 25 The other Disciples therefore saide vnto him Wee haue seene the Lord but hee saide vnto them Except I see in His handes the print of the nayles and put my finger into the print of the nayles and put mine hand into His side I will not beleeue it verse 26 And eight dayes after againe His Disciples were within and Thomas with them Then came Iesus when the doores were shut and stood in the middes and saide Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard hitherto Welbeloued in Christ of fiue sundrie appearings of our Lord after His Resurrection The first was to Marie Magdalene The second was to other women The third was to two Disciples as they were going from Jerusalem to Emmaus The fourth was to Simon Peter The fift was to the eleuen assembled together in one place In this fift appearance the Lord hath a Sermon to His Disciples wherein first He lets them see the necessitie that He should suffer and rise againe and that these thinges behooued to be preached to the world and thereafter giues them a direction to goe out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to the worlde in His Name and to the end He may encourage them the more willingly to vndertake this charge Hee promises to giue them the Holy Spirit with His graces y t was promised before for their further assurance He enters them presently in some measure in possession of the Spirit for Iohn sayes Hee breathed vpon them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost and then Hee enarmes them with authoritie and power to forgiue and retaine sinnes And Hee sayes Whosoâ—uer sinâ—es ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine thâ—y are retained Now in the words that we haue presently read out of the Gospell of Iohn wee haue set downe a particular Hâ—storie concerning Thomas and his incredulitie this Thomas is he who is also called Didymus we read of him first that he was called and receiued to be one of the twelue Apostles Matth. 10 3. Next we â—ead that hee was offended that the Lord purposed to returne againe to Iudea beeing requestâ—d by Martha and Marie to come to Lazâ—rus their brother and that he burst out in words full of anger aâ—d iâ—dâ—gnation saying Let vs goe also that we may die with Lazarus Ioh 11.16 And last wee haue in this place set downe the Historie not only of his great incredulitie but also of his stubburnesse and wilfulnesse therein for neither did hee beleeue neither had hee a will or purpose to beleeue Of this doing of Thomas we may learne that by nature there was no difference betweene y e Apostles of the Lord Iesus other men albeit moste vile most vnworthie but grace made the difference they were as incredulous as stubburne as hard hearted as any other by nature while it pleased God of His mercie to open their heâ—rtes to make them to bâ—leeue And therefore the Lord Iesus when He calles them to be Apostles and ordaines them to preach the exceeding gâ—eatnesse of His mercy to others He makes them to stand for eâ—samples of that same mercie that they preach to others that they might y e more easily perswade others make them to come to seeke mercie in Iesus This was the ende why the Apostle Paul sayes The Lord shewed mercy on him who was a mâ—serable wreth and had called him to bee an Apost Iesus Christ saies he shâ—wed on me all long suffeâ—ing vnto the ensample of them which shall in time to come beleeue in Him vnto eternall life 1 Tim. 1.16 Thus much concerning the person of Thomas we come next to the Historie of his incredulitie first to the occasion of it the rest of y e Apostles Disciples who were assembled together in one to whom the Lord Iesus had manifested Himselfe declares preaches to Thomas y e ResurrectioÌ„ of Christ y e cause of their preaching thereof to him was because Thomas was absent when the Lord appeared to the rest What was the cause of his absence it is vncertaine neither will we curiously inquire what it was It may be that after Christ His Master was apprehended he kept himselfe close lurked secretly for feare of danger through the malice of the Iewes and durst not manifest himselfe so soone as the rest or it may be that he was entangled with his owne priuate affaires at that time when the rest met together and were speaking of
that we ought to beleeue that the Scripture is the word of God and that this or that is the true interpretation thereof because the Church sayes so so they make the testimonie of the Church to bee the chiefe and almost the only Argument that should mooue men to beleeue that the Scripture is authenticke and the word of God and that this or that is the true and proper interpretation of any place of Scripture for these are their common speeches The Church is aboue the Scripture the Church is of greater authority than the Scripture without the authority of y e Church no man is obliged to beleeue that y e Scripture is thâ— word of God the Church is y e supreme Iudge of y e right interpretation of the Scripture many such others But by the contrarie Wee affirme that the chiefe and principall Iudge and witnesse both of the Scripture that is the worde of God and also of the true interpretation of the Scripture is the Holy Spirit because He only is able to perswade mens heartes He only is able so to testifie that He can mooue them to beleeue Hee only is able to open the vnderstanding of men to make them to vnderstand and take vp the right meaning of the Scripture Then will the Papist object Yee make the Spirit that is giuen to a priuate man to be the Iudge and witnesse of the authentike Scripture and the interpretation thereof and it is an absurde thing to preferre the Spirit speaking by the authoritie of any priuate man to the authoritie of the Church I answere It followes not that we make the Spirit of a priuate man to bee Iudge either of the one or of the other because we affirme that the Spirit who is Iudge speakes in the Scripture and by the Scripture and by the Scripture as by the moste powerfull and effectuall meane mooues men to beleeue and therefore that this Spirit who is Iudge is not the Spirit of a priuate man but the Spirit of the Scripture it selfe for this Spirit by the Scripture teaches vs that the Scripture is auâ—henticke and that it is the worde of God and againe this same Spirit by the Scripture teaches vs that this or that is the proper meaning of the Scripture for the principall voyce of the Holy Spirit whereby He speakes to vs is the Scripture which this day is to vs in stead of the vine voyce of God Himselfe and ought to bee esteemed and embraced of vs as if God Himselfe spake to vs out of Heauen As for the voyce of the Church when I speake of the Church I meane not the Romane Church for she is but an adulterous Church and falsely clames to her selfe the name of a Church but I speake of the true Church militant it is not the chiefe meane whereby the Holy Spirit vses to perswade men but it is an inferiour meane of lesse importance than the Scripture neither hath it that force to make men to beleeue that the Scripture hath But to leaue this and to returne to the incredulitie of Thomas not only he beleeues not but hee vtters great stubburnesse in refusing to beleeue not only was hee incredulous but also malitious neither did hee beleeue neither was he willing to beleeue for he sayes Except I see in His handes the print of the nailes and put my finger in the print of the nailes and put mine hande into His side I will not beleeue it he would not beleeue except hee sawe Him except hee saw His hands and His feete except hee saw the print of the nailes where with His hands and His feete were pierced and except he had put his hand in the wound of His side which one of the souldiers had pierced with a speare We may heere see his stubburnesse and obstinacie that was joyned with his incredulitie incredulitie is commonly accompanied with obstinacie and stubburnesse in such sort that when the way is laide before vs and the doore opened whereby vvâ—e may escape out of this bondage of sinne and thraldome of darknesse wherein wee are kept captiues yet wee refuse to goe out of that bondage and rather striues more and more to thrall our selues to sinne and to holde our selues in the bands of darknesse This contumacie and stubburnesse in sinne is that poyson and that gall of bitternesse that Sathan hath spued into the heartes of all the children of Adam and this is that band of iniquitie whereby as by a strong chaine we are ledde boâ—nd as miserable catiues vnto eternall condemnation except we be relieued from it by the mercie of God in Iesus Christ Peter perceiuing the impietie and deuilish practises of Simon Magus he takes vp this to be the ground and fountaine of all when he sayes I see that thou art in the gall of bitternesse and in the bands of iniquitie The Lord saue vs and free vs from this miserable bondage wherein we are by nature yet if we consider more narrowly the wordes of Thomas we shall finde that not only was hee incredulous not only was hee stubburne but also proud and arrogant and contemned and despised all the rest in respect of himselfe esteeming himselfe onely to bee wise and the rest to be fooles scorning their witnessing and report as a fable not worthie of credite and a vaine dreame An incredulous man that beleeueth not the trueth is not only stubburne and obstinate in his incredulitie but also he swelles in pride and seemes in his owne conceite to be only wise contemning others as fooles hee will count the preaching of the Crosse of Christ and of His Resurrection to bee but plaine follie hee will count them that beleeue the doctrine of the Crosse and Resurrection of Christ to be fantasticke and doated fooles and yet in very deede of all the fooles of the worlde they themselues are the greatest although they bee counted wonders in the worlde for their naturall wisdome Therefore the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the third Chapter and the eighteenth verse If any man amongst you seeme to bee wise in this world let him bee a foole that hee may be wise hee sayes not if any man among you be wise for he that hath not the wisdome of God and is not wise in Christ he hath no wisdome he is but a very foole but hee sayes If any man seeme to bee wise in this worlde let him bee a foole that hee may be wise that is let him renounce and forsake all carnall and worldly wisdome which is enimitie against God Rom. Chapter 8. verse 7. and can no more stand with the wisdome of GOD than darknesse with light yet it would be marked that Thomas sayes not simply and absolutely that in no câ—ce he would beleeue that Christ was risen againe but hee sayes Except I see in His handes the print of the nailes c. The wordes are conditionall importing that in some cace and vpon some conditions hee would
beleeue There are two sortes of contumacie and stubburnesse in sinne and vnbeliefe the one is conditionall and such vvas the vnbeliefe of Thomas the other sort is absolute vvithout any condition vvhen in no case vpon no cause nor vvarrand vvill beleeue and of this sort vvas the sinne and vnbeliefe of the Priestes and the Pharises for vvhen the souldiers that vvere appointed to keepe and guarde the sepulchre came in to the towne and tolde them that IESVS CHRIST vvas risen out of the graue not only did they not beleeue but also they stroue to keepe themselues in such vnbeliefe and hardnes of heart that in no cace nor condition they vvould suffer themselues to bee reformed so they deteined the vvord of GOD into vnrighteousnesse There is a great difference betweene these two sortes of vnbeliefe The first sort may obtaine mercie Thomas obteined mercie the LORD pardoned his vnbeliefe The other sort verie hardly can obtaine mercie the Priestes and the Pharises found no mercie their vnbeliefe vvas laide to their charge the LORD forgaue them not but as they remained in vnbeliefe so they perished in their infidelitie The LORD saue vs from this cursed sinne of vnbeliefe and infidelitie and namely from this absolute vnbeliefe that in no cace vvill suffer reformation for through processe of time it brings on this sinne against y e Holy Ghost which neuer will be forgiuen neither in this world nor in y e world to come Now last ere I leaue these words of Thomas we may see what is y e grouÌ„d fountaine of this vnbeliefe obstinacie and pride of Thomas the grouÌ„d of all was he leaned too much to his grosse bodily senses to his seeing feeling handling he makes his eyes his hand to be y e ground of his faith Thomas indeede failed not in this that he desired to see y e Lord with his eyes to handle him with his hands for ye heard before how y e Lord by y e sight of the eyes y e feeling of Him with their hands perswaded y e Apostles of the certaintie of His ResurrectioÌ„ Luke 24.39 likewise we see that y e Lord hauing regarde to y e infirmitie of His owne pitying the weaknesse of their faith dayly in y e Sacrament teaches them by y e outward senses as by the seeing tasting handling of y e Elements But herein Thomas sailed that he addicted tied himselfe so to his senses to his sight to his handling that he affirmed professed plainly except he saw him with his eyes handled him with his hands he would neuer beleeue that y e Lord was risen againe from the death notwithstanding of the witnessing of so many so godly so faithfull persons who euery one after another testified of the Lords Resurrection Then marke it Bâ—ethren It is not vnlawfull for a man to desire to see the Lorde euen with his bodily eyes No that desire is lawfull and acceptable to God for all the Sainctes that euer haue beene since the beginning of the world desired to see our LORD face to face Manie Kings and Prophets haue desired to see Him and yet sawe Him not Luke Chapter 10. verses 23.24 Abraham the father of the faithfull desiâ—ed to see Him and olde Simeon who got a reuelation that hee should not depart while he saw the LORD earnestly waited and thirsted for to see Him Luke 2 25. So that it is a lawfull and acceptable thing to desire to see the Lord. But in desiring to see Him we must beware that our faith be not so tied to the outward senses that we refuse altogether to beleeue except wee see the Lorde with our eyes and handle Him with our hands No I say more thou must be so farre from tying thy Faith to the outward senses that thou must not tie it to the very inward feeling of the soule thou must not say except I ay feele I will no wise beleeue for albeit that at all times thou haue not a feeling findest not grace into thy soule albeit thou findest not the Holy Spirite who is the earnest pennie of thy saluation to be presently working within thee and sealing vp thine adoption yet thou art obliged to relie and depend vpon the bare word and naked promise of God and so to seale in thy soule that the Lord is true for he hath made a verie small progresse in Faith that will not trust in GOD and depend vpon His naked worde except ay hee haue some feeling of grace of joy of comfort and of the Holy Ghost The Sainctes of God many times vvhen they had no feeling depended vpon the worde of promise and waited vpon the accomplishment of it Job when he felt not the Lords fauour but conceiued that the Lord was angrie with him he sayes Although thou slayest me yet will I trust in thee Iob 13.15 And Abraham when hee saw none appearance that the Lords promise concerning his seed could be performed yet it is said of him That aboue Hope hee beleeued vnder Hope Rom. 4.18 Likewise Dauid vvhen he vvas in great danger of his enemies and sawe litle appearance of deliuerie still trusted in God and depended vpon His promise for he sayes I will reioyce in God because of His word I trust in God and will not feare what flesh can doe vnto me Psal 56.4 It may be that the Lord exercise thee with the conscience of sinne and with the terrours of His vvrath in such sort that thou findest no sense of grace nor of His fauour yet in this case despare not but by the example of the Sainctes learne to depend vpon the worde and promise of God till thou findest the performance of it to the comfort of thy soule Now to goe forwarde and to end shortly After that the Euangelist hath set downe after this manner as ye haue heard the historie of the incredulitie of Thomas hee comes to another appearing of the Lorde after His Resurrection which is the sixt in number for of fiue wee haue heard alreadie and this appearing seemes chiefly to bee for Thomas cause The time of this appearing is noted It was eight dayes after that is from that day in the which Thomas had plainely professed that hee would neuer beleeue that the Lord was risen except that both hee sawe Him and felt Him and His wounds and it was the eight day likewise after the Lords Resurrection for the former fiue appearings of the Lord whereof we haue alreadie spoken were al vpon the first day in the which the Lord rose from the dead So ye see that Thomas the space of whole eight dayes interueening remained in incredulitie vnbeliefe This example of Thomas le ts vs see what is the disposition of the soule of a man after he hath committed a sinne against the Majestie of God after he hath once sinned he is wrapped vp in a senslesse securitie hee sleepes sound in his sinne there is a vale casten ouer the
them with the confession of their owne want thereafter He giues them the blessing Cast out the net on the right side of the shâ—p and theÌ„ He promises them a good successe for He sayes Ye shall find But what needed y â— Lord to bid theÌ„ cast out the nets that they might get fishes Might not the Lord haue giuen them fish enough without their trauell labour Might He not by His omnipotent power haue coÌ„manded the fish to haue inclosed theÌ„selues within the nets Yes no doubt without their trauell labour He might haue filled the ship abouÌ„dantly with fish yet it was His pleasure good will y t they should worke labour take paines vpon theÌ„ first before He gâ—ue them any blessing He would not blesse theÌ„ with a good successe except they laboured Further ye may see here how great pleasure and liking the Lord has to see men painful in their calling for albeit they had bin molested troubled all the night with labouring yet the Lord will haue theÌ„ to cast out their net again in the morning to the end y t He might giue a blessing to their trauels Indeed it is true that Hee desires not our labour as if it could staÌ„d Him in any stead He giues not a successe to it as if it merited any thing at His hands for Hee giues successe increase only for His own names sake and for His Christs sake without any merit of ours for if He had not respect to Himselfe His Christ if we tooke neuer so great paines we would find but a sober successe Many find by experience y t without Him if they would paine themselues from morning till euening they can find no successe Yea when the Lord withdrawes His blessing the children of God themselues finde the proofe of this Peter and the rest of the Disciples who were with him toyled and pained themselues all the night without anie successe or profite Then the cause chiefely why the Lord requires our trauell and labour is because it is an ordinarie meane appointed by Him whereby we should finde and receiue His blessing and it is a part of our seruice and duety that the Lord has appointed to vs. For when with a simple and vpright heart wee are labouring in our calling wee are seruing the Lord. Therefore Paul charges the seruants to bee obedient to their masters with singlenesse of heart as vnto Christ meaning that in their seruice done to their masters they serue not so much men as Christ Ephes 6.5 Now the Disciples obeyed this commandement of the Lord for they cast out the net and they were not able to draw it for the multitude of â—ishes This their obedience is very commendable albeit they had bene troubled and wearied all the night and had caught nothing yet at the request of a stranger a man whom they knew not whom they supposed to be no more but a common man readilie they yeeld obedience cast out the net And this their readinesse testifies that they had exceeding great patience constaÌ„cie in enduring of trauell notwithstanding of all their labour paines preceeding What was the cause of this their patience Euen partlie because their long labouring and paines that they had taken without any successe had humbled and tamed them if they got no fish they got a better benefite they were somewhat mortified and learned patience partly because they had an hope of a good successe that the Lord should blesse them at the last therefore patientlie they endure in labouring for we see commonly that hope of vantage will sustaine a man and cause him to endure much trouble labour And this hope if it bee in the Lord who neuer leaues His owne makes the patience and enduring of labour to gette a good successe So long as thou liuest cast hope neuer off if it vvere no more but because by it thou gloâ—ifiest God for by faith and hope to obtain all good things which are necessary either to soule or bodie from the handes of the Father of lightes from whome all good things descend we glorifie Him in the multitude of His mercy By the example of the Disciples let vs learne that when we haue troubled and pained our selues very long and find but sober successe of our trauels at least to be humbled and mortified and to continue constantly in labouring waiting patiently for y e Lords blessing for as y e dâ—sciples in the end found a better successe than they could haue looked for They founde the net to bee filled with such a multitude of fishes y t they were not able to draw it so shall we find in th' end y t our patient waiting for y e Lords blessing shal not be fruiâ—lesse and without successe Nowe to goe forwarde They knewe not the Lord when at His command they cast the nette into the Sea but nowe when they see such a marueâ—lous draught of fishes inclosed within their nets they beginne to conceiue that it was the Lord that spake to them The first man who discernes Him is IOHN who describes himselfe heere to bee the Disciple whome the Lord loued and commonlie he describes himselfe in the Gospell by this stile and that because hee found the loue of God spred abroade in his heart by His Holy Spirit in an exceeding great measure IOHN saide vnto PETER It is the LORD The thing that makes IOHN to knowe that it was the Lord that spake was the extraordinarie and marueilous successe that they found in their trauels for in that successe hee sawe and considered not onelie an exceeding great power but also a wonderfull bountifulnesse and liberalitie whereupon hee gathers that it was the Lord that spake vnto them and commanded them to cast out the nette and directed them in their labour and made them to gette such successe Learne then heere by IOHNS example when the Lorde bestowes His benefites and graces on thee and when thou seest His workes by His workes and benefites to ascende to God the giuer of them and in them to acknowledge Him and His essentiall properties His power His bountifulnesse His mercie His prouidence c. For if wee weigh rightlie and deepelie consider the benefites and workes of God in them wee will finde as it were a seale of the majestie of God of His power of His mercie of His liberalitie and bountifulnesse which should mooue vs to lift vp our eyes to Heauen to beholde the Lord who is the worker and giuer of all that so with chearefulnesse and pleasure wee may glorifie Him for this is our greatest happinesse and felicitie to glorifie the majestie of our God in all thinges There are manie who when as they see the wonderous workes of God and daylie receiue benefites of Him they so rest vpon the outwarde workes and benefites that they neuer ascende to God the author and giuer of them to see Him and to glorifie Him But miserable are they who so does what euer
LECTVRES VPON THE HISTORY OF THE PASSION RESVRRECTION AND ASCENSION OF OVR LORD IESVS CHRIST Beginning at the eighteenth Chapter of the Gospell according to S. IOHN and from the 16. verse of the 19. Chapter thereof containing a perfect Harmonie of all the foure Euangelists for the better vnderstanding of all the Circumstances of the LORDS death and Resurrection PREACHED BY THAT reuerend and faithfull seruant of God M r. ROBERT ROLLOCKE sometime Minister of the Euangell of IESVS CHRIST and Rector of the Colledge of EDINBVRGH EDINBVRGH Printed by ANDRO HART ANNO 1616. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THEIR MOST LOVING FREIND IN THE LORD MASTER WILLIAM SCOT OF ELI Grace in this life and Euerlasting Glorie in the life to come RIght worshipfull albeit that the true knowledge of Christ crucified of all other be the most worthie and excellent albeit that in him be the only and full matter of mans gloriation yet few there be who striue to know him as they should and to make him the matter of their reioycing For to speake nothing of the Gentiles who count the preaching of Christ crucified to be foolishnesse or of the Iewes who count it a stumbling blocke 1. Cor. 1 23. or of the Turkes who will not acknowledge him to be their Redeemer euen they who haue bene baptized in Christ professe outwardly his word true doctrine if they remaine in nature be not preuēted by the spirit of adoption whereby they may see their owne miserie their sinnes the terrours of the wrath of God for sinne in the meane time that they professe Christ they in heart scorne the Crosse of Christ his woundes and his blood they account the knowledge thereof of litle value yea they will preferre to it the knowledge of any thing here beneath and they will seeke the matter of their gloriatiō not in it but either in themselues or els into the creatures of God which in themselues are but transitorious shadowes The naturall man will neuer thinke that he can finde greater things in Christ crucified than he will finde if he obtaine the obiect which most he desires likes and longs for The ambitious man will not thinke that he can get greater honour than to be called the sonne of a King or Emperour he will not refuse with Moses to be called the sonne of Pharaoes daughter that he may be called the sonne of God Heb. 11.24 The sensuall man cannot thinke that he can find any greater pleasure than in his sinfull lust he will neuer chuse rather to suffer aduersitie with the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne The couetous man can neuer thinke that any greater happines can be than here on earth to haue gold siluer and treasures he will neuer with Moses esteeme the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt Only that man whom God preuents by his Spirit and calles effectually frō the kingdome of darknes to the kingdome of light wil account duely of the Crosse of Christ will say with the Apostle God forbid that I should reioyce but in the crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ Gal. 6.14 and I decreed not to know any thing saue Iesus Christ him crucified 1. Cor. 2.2 that man will call it the supereminent knowledge of Iesus Christ Philip. 3.8 he only will make Christ crucified to be the matter of his gloriation for he will see that God in him as in a store-house hath placed all treasures that in him dwells the fulnesse of the Godhead bodely Col. 2.9 he will thirst to be woompled in the wounds of Iesus and washed in the blood of Iesus yea that man will see that God hath manifested in Christ our Sauiour and in his death and resurrection his glorious properties more clearly than in the worke of our creation or any other of his workes whatsouer for he is called the brightnesse of the glorie the engraued forme of the person of the Father the Image of the inuisible God Heb. 1.3 and that man will see that there is nothing which the soule of man inlakes stands in neede of or can desire but he will finde it in Christ. Wouldst thou see the glorious properties of God consider first his power albeit in the worke of creation his power appeared to be incomprehensible omnipotent when by his word he formed all things of nothing called these things that are not and made them to be yet in the worke of the Redemptiō he manifested greater power for notwithstanding Sathan the power of darknesse the sinnes of the Elect which Iesus bare death and the graue were against him yet powerfully he raised Iesus from death Eph. 1.19 there is a great power and whereas in the Creation he formed to Adam a spous out of his owne ribbe in the Redemption he formed the Church of God out of the blood of Christ there he gaue life in commanding that to be which was not here he giues life not by life but by death by the death euen of his owne Sonne Albeit in the worke of Creation great and more than wonderfull doth his wisdome appeare in making this glorious and beautifull fabricke in making all things euen contraries to agree in such an harmonie yet in the worke of Redemption God by finding out a way which no creature neither man nor Angell could inuent how that iustice and mercie could stand together hath shewed greater wisdome his wisdome is such that the Angels admires and desires to looke in it 1. Pet. 1.22 Albeit great anger wrath did the Lord vtter many times against sinners as in the olde world by the Flood and on Sodome Gomorrhe by raining from heauen brimstone and fire he destroyed man woman young olde rich and poore without exception yet more clearely was his anger against sinne seene when for the sinnes of the Elect he spared not his own wel beloued Son on whō they were laid but made his wrath so fearfully to pursue him that he cried My soule is very heauie euē vnto the death Marc. 14.34 and My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matt. 27.46 And albeit great loue did the Lord shew toward men gaue many testimonies therof in giuing them life breath all things Act. 17.25 in making his sun to shine on them his raine to fal on them giuing them fruitfull seasons filling their hearts with food gladnesse Act. 14.17 yet neuer such loue shewed he as when he sent the Son of God to be the Sonne of man that the sonnes of mē might be made the sonnes of God againe and when he made him to die that men might liue Herein sayes Ioh. 4.10 is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes here only is an incontrollable testimonie of an undoubted loue and if ye will duly consider all the rest of Gods glorious properties ye shall
and Pastors heere in this vvorld shall bee effectuall either to thy life or to thy death and as certainelie the same vvorde shall haue effect to driue the vvicked men vpon their backes as Zacharie saieth Chap. 1. vers 4.5.6 When the men are dead that haue spoken that vvorde after it hath beene spoken it shall bee founde liuing and that same voyce shall haue effect vvhen vvee are dead It is true sayeth the LORD my Prophets died with your fathers but my voyce which I put into their mouthes died not with them and your fathers knewe that that worde which I did put into their mouthes was liuing and neuer left them vntill it brought on judgement vpon them The LORD graunt that euerie soule may reuerence the vvorde of IESVS CHRIST for it shall bee founde that either it vvas spoken to thy saluation or to thy damnation And Heauen and Earth shall vanishe awaye before one jote of that Worde passe awaye vvithout its owne effect But nowe let vs see vvhat they doe after they are fallen downe vpon the grounde Leaue they off No no they rise againe and the LORD IESVS standeth still and letteth them rise againe and vvhen they are risen they speake nothing but Hee speaketh first and Hee saieth Whome seeke yee and they saye IESVS of NAZARETH And Hee answereth I am hee Nowe this is a strange thing Who can thinke that these men vvho founde so great a power proceeding out of the mouth of the LORD IESVS CHRIST finding such force shoulde haue medled with Him againe But left they Him for all this No but they get vp againe and pursue Him and take Him and binde Him It is an hard matter to bee giuen ouer to a reprobate sense that is to want feeling when the Lord taketh out of the soule in His judgement all sight sense that person is miserable and if thou be once strucken with that senselesnesse of the soule albeit thou be throwne downe vpon thy backe thou shalt get vp againe like a drunken man and fight against the Lord and that man is worse than any beast horse or mule for once strike a Horse downe he hath a feeling therof and he will beware of the like perill againe But a man who should haue reason after that the Lord hath once strucken him with senselessenesse there is no beast so senselesse as he is and as hee is senselesse so he shall not leaue off from euill doing and hee shall compt no more of the power of God than of a flee for they feele not the hand of God they are so astonished and they will vp againe after they are casten downe and they will assaye His power againe and will not leaue off till His wrath destroy him Striue therefore euer to keepe the soule in a sense and feeling and let not that miserable scroofe to goe ouer thy soule but haue still a feeling of the power of God and mercy of God in thy soule and alwayes haue a wakened conscience for if thine heart come to that extreame senselessenesse thy soule shall ouer-grow with such a fatnesse that thou shalt haue no more sense than a dead stocke and thou shalt bee like an Oxe fedde to destruction thou shalt neither haue feeling of mercie nor of judgement To ende with this ye see that Iesus Christ albeit he was but himselfe alone a simple man to looke to and without armour yet Hee prouoketh them and speaketh to them first Hee dischargeth them to stirre Him vntill first they entered into a conditiō with Him That His disciples should passe free there is not such a thing that one of them could haue power to put out their hand to take Him And if there were no more but this that they had no power to stirre him they might see more in Iesus Christ than in a common man they might see power in Him to keepe Himselfe yet their senselessenesse is so great that they cannot see this The Lord keepe vs in sense and feeling of Him that when He hath adoe with vs wee may feele Him and see Him that our conscience may bee wakened and our hearts mollified through Iesus Christ to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE SECOND LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 7 Then he asked them againe Whom seeke yee And they said IESVS of Nazareth verse 8 IESVS answered I saide vnto you that I am hee therefore if ye seeke me let these goe their way verse 9 This was that the word might bee fulfilled which hee spake Of them which thou gauest mee haue I lost none verse 10 Then Simon Peter hauing a sword drew it and smote the high Priestes seruant and cut off his right eare Now the seruants name was Malchus verse 11 Then saide IESVS vnto Peter Put vp thy sworde into the sheath shall I not drinke of the cuppe which my Father hath giuen mee verse 12 Then the band and the captaine and the officers of the Iewes tooke IESVS and bound him THE last day beloued in the LORD IESVS wee diuided the whole Historie of the Passion and suffering of Iesus Christ which is contained in these two CHAPTERS to wit the XVIII and XIX of this Gospell in these parts First wee haue his suffering in the Garden Then wee haue his suffering in the Hall of the high Priest Thirdly we haue his suffering before the Iudge Pontius Pilate Fourthly wee haue his suffering in the place of Execution in Caluaria otherwise GOLGOTHA And last we haue the last part of his suffering which is his Buriall The last day wee entered into the first part of his suffering which IOHN in this Chapter setteth downe to bee this The Lord Iesus beeing in the Garden is taken captiue and bounde John passeth by all that agonie and conflict that the Lord had before his taking in the Garden with the heauie wrath of his Father for our sinne which hee did beare As concerning his taking we haue first the part of Iesus who of purpose wittingly and willingly came to this Garden to be taken which Garden was knowne to Judas the Traitor Then wee haue the part of Iudas he knowing the Garden commeth forward because the Lord vsed with his Disciples to resort thither accompanied with a band of men of warre with the officers and seruants of the high Priest to take and apprehende the Lord. In the third place wee haue the communing that fell out betwixt Christ and them that came to take him he knowing all things that should come vnto him hee taketh not the flight nor seeketh not to goe his way as he might haue done because it was night but hee commeth out vnsought and beginneth the speach and saieth Whome seeke yee They not knowing him by face answered IESVS of Nazareth He answered againe not denying himselfe I am he as he would say in plaine wordes I am the man whom yee seeke why seeke yee
power of GOD and liueth nowe in glorie at the right hande of the Father How great a power must this bee that proceedeth out from Christ glorified Alas if the worlde saw this if the blinde men saw the thousand part of that terrible power that commeth from Iesus Christ glorified thinke ye that for all the world they durst confederate with the King of Spaine the Pope and his power and enterprise anie thing against Christ and his Church but alas this blindnesse and induration letteth them not see nor feele but in the ende they shall feele it if the Lord in mercie conuert them not to their euerlasting shame confusion Well to goe forward IOHN to this purpose alleadgeth an olde prophecie which was prophecied before of Iesus Christ long before hee came into the world and this is the prophecie Of them which thou gauest me haue I lost none Nowe Iohn draweth this prophecie to the preseruation of Christes disciples at this time because the disciples that were concredite vnto him escaped at this time Marke Brethren It is true indeed that the prophecie properly is to be vnderstood not so much of a safetie in this life presently as of a spirituall safetie to life euerlasting this is the meaning Yet it hath pleased the Spirit of God to apply this prophecie to this bodily preseruation the cause is this At this time the bodily safetie of his disciples importeth that spirituall safetie the life to come as by the contrarie the indangering of the present life indangered the life to come If the disciples had bene taken at this time to haue suffered with their Master they had all reuolted and denied their Master Wee may see the proofe of this in Peter and so they had hazarded not onely this life but also the life to come because that the disciples were as yet but children in Iesus Christ and were not strengthened enough with the power of Christ and woe is to that soule that will denie Iesus Christ and chiefly in death There is not one who will suffer their litle finger only to be burnt for the cause of Christ except he be strengthened with the power of Iesus Christ and there is not one that will now suffer affliction but they who are guarded with the power of God and therefore yee see heere Gods mercie towardes his disciples This is the mercifull dealing of God with his owne hee will neuer let one of his owne bee tempted but hee will giue them power to beare out the temptation and Hee will neuer suffer them to be tempted till He giue them abilitie and when Hee hath giuen them strength then the LORD will lay on the burthen It is a wonderfull thing the heauier the burthen be that the Lord layes on his owne the greater strength Hee giues them to sustaine it The world hath wondered at the Martyres of God who had so great comfort in the time of their burning in the fire and how in suffering they would sing Psalmes vnto their latter breath The world wondereth at this The heauier that the death hath bene the greater hath the power of God bene and the greater hath the life of Iesus beene in the Martyres And these disciples whom he spared now when He saw that they were ripe Spared He them then No no what was the whole lifetime of the disciples after that Christ departed out of this world but a perpetuall suffering till the life was taken from them they died all by persecution and then by the lossing of this life they got life euerlasting in dying they died not but in dying they entered into a more glorious life So this is that mercifull power of God It appeares that in this countrey there is litle ripenesse because of this litle suffering and therefore the Lord hath dealt mercifully with vs and in great mercie hath holden mens handes off vs therefore wee should pray if it shall please him to bring any to the triall to suffer for his glorious Names sake Lord I am not able to behold the sight of the fire much lesse to suffer the crueltie of the fire therefore if thou wilt haue mee to suffer giue me strength whereby I may bee able to suffer Now I goe to Peters part he setteth downe his action certainly it is worth nothing albeit it seemeth to bee verie zealous What doeth hee hee hath a sword about him he seeing them rush on his Master shevveth his manhood And he striketh the seruant of the high Priest whose name was Malchus and he cut off his right eare The rest of the Euangelists Mat 26. Marke 14. Luke 22 speake of some thing that was done before this When the Lord was communing vvith them that tooke Him then comes the traitour Iudas to the Lord and cryes Rabbi Rabbi Master Master with that he kisseth Him now this was a signe that hee had giuen vnto his companie that that man whome hee should kisse was the man that they should take Now what doth the Lord He makes no signe of anger and there is none of vs but wee thinke that He should haue vttered great anger to the traitour fie on thee traitour for of all men he is most detestable but the Lord in mildnes meeknes of Spirit for all this whole time He takes purpose to suffer patiently as Esay sayeth Hee was as a Lambe before the shearer as a sheepe led to the slaughter openeth not his mouth He sayes friend betrayest thou the Sonne of man with a kisse He assayeth if the conscience will bee brought to remorse There is a wonderfull patience of God to the most vile sinner whē he hath giuen them a signe the whole companie russhed vpon Him Then the disciples said Master shal we defend thee by the sword but Peter not staying vpō an answere he was hardie striketh off the eare of Malchus the high Priests seruant Nowe Brethren albeit that this Malchus the high Priests seruant deserued that not only his eare should be cut off but also that the head the life should be taken from him for he was in a very euill action indeed he was cled with authority but with an euill authoritie if thou hadst the authoritie of all the kings in the world it wil neuer excuse thee before God if thou shouldest get a subscriptiō to do euil against an innocent man the Lord shall not alow thee but His judgmēt shal ouertake thee whether Peter did this of zeale for no doubt he loued his Master exceeding well he would haue had his Master out of his hands yet for all this the Lordes owne wordes testifie that this fact of Peter is to be condemned If ye will examine the zeale it is a very preposterous and vnskilfull zeale the zeale is nothing worth if a man go beyond the boundes of his calling What was Peter but a priuate man this cōpany being sent by the Magistrats superior power Peter ought not
dash themselues on the sworde to deuoure them It is a miserable thing to want the light of the soule so the Iewes saw not with whome they had to doe they had no conscience as Pilate had and therefore beeing through malice and appetite of reuenge incensed against the Lord Iesus blindfolded they regard not what imprecations they vtter for they saw not Hell or els if these Iewes had a light of conscience they did so rashly against Iesus with knowledge which is most likely theÌ„ it followes that they were marueilous malitious as ignorance is hardie so is malitiousnesse more hardie albeit such a man should see yet against the light his malice will make him to runne ouer the bellie of his conscience Yee knowe the voyces of prophane men Ere I were not reuenged of him I had rather be in Hell this commeth of malitiousnesse to get the soule spirit within him satisfied but if thou felt one twitch of Hell thou wouldest recant these wordes for it would cause thee shoute and squeele hiddeously I incline to this judgement that this wicked action is more to be ascribed to malice than ignorance the Iewes and the High Priestes had the word of God and the Prophets whereby they might haue knowne the Messias When I read of the Prophets that speake of induration in the time of Iesus Christ I say it hath come of an hardnesse and induration of heart And when I see the wordes of the Apostles that say O stiffe necked people I thinke that they put their owne fingers in their eyes that they should not see The Lord saue vs from malitiousnesse and namely from such malitiousnesse as is not without knowledge when a man sees and will pull out his eyes Compare the Iewes with Pilate now Pilate sinneth hee kâ—lled himselfe in the end and the Lord made his owne hands to be his burrio No doubt he sinned who can excuse him he sinned malitiously he had a conscience goes against it malitiously But Brethren to speake the trueth it was not so much malice that pushed him forward as great infirmitie and feare for first he feares to be accused of treason against Cesar it was no maruell to such a man to feare who had no God but Cesar â—hen hee saw appearance of great tumult to rise amongst the Iewes What necessitie was laide on them to haue the blood of the innocent So I see nothing in them but malice if it were but in this respect that the sinne of the Iewes weigheth downe the sinne of Pilate and their damnation is a thousand times greater What had this man He had nothing but nature The contrauension of the light of nature will neuer make vp the sinne against the Holy Ghost which gets no mercie but come to them They had the light of nature and the light that commeth from Heauen they had the worde of GOD amongst them they contraueened an heauenly light that came downe from Heauen and was wrought into their heartes by the Spirit Steuen sayes in the 7. Chapter and 51. verse of the Actes of the Apostles Yee haue alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost as did your fathers so doe you that is not a naturall light but a light that came from aboue There were some of these men who sinned malitiously against the Holy Spirit What maruell was it then that they got no grace to repent for of all sinnes the sinne against the Holy Spirit is the most dangerous they that commit this sinne haue no grace to repent therefore no mercy to them the Lord strikes their soules with impenitencie so that soule is euerlastingly hardened and so beeing strucken with impenitencie they got neuer grace to say God bee mercifull to me Seeing then their sinne against Christ was so great seeing it was not so much of ignorance as of malice it was not only against the light of nature but also against the illumination of the Holy Spirit what maruell was it that such a terrible Iudgement ouertooke them as neuer lighted on any nation The Iewes found this innocent blood in experience laide to their charge Ioseph that saw all these thinges with his eyes writeth what heauie vengeance and judgement fell vpon Jerusalem the Iewes for he testifies that there was slaine at the siege of Ierusalem eleuen hundreth thousand beside ninetie thousand that were tane captiues thereafter the towne was lamentably destroyed and sacked So the blood of the innocent neuer left them these y t remaine yet feele the judgement of the blood of the innocent for according as they desired y t His blood should be vpon them their posteritie so the wrath of God came vpon them to the vttermost 1. Thess 2.16 It is a wonder that a Iew should be safe if ye heare of a Iew to be conuerted thinke it to be a great mercie Now to apply this shortly to vs if it were but this terrible example of vengeance which folowed the Iewes it should terrifie to the end of the world all soules to take on the blood of the innocent take on one take on all if thou takest on the blood of one seruant of God thou shalt take on all the innocent blood from Abel to that man whom thou hast slaine Fye vpon foule butchers who are more meete to be butchers dogges than men What care they to wash their handes in innocent blood But I say to thee if euer thou gettest grace it is a wonder fye vpon the butchers of Scotland No if the Lord would waken thy conscience to torment thee present to thee the sight of Him of whose blood thou hast shed it would bee so terrible that it would make thee to curse the time that euer thou did it one day fearefully without comfort it will torment thee when will these bloodie men leaue off y e sheading of innocent blood in this bloodie barbarous nation oâ— all nations it is the most barbarous and bloodie Aboue all things dip not thine hands in the blood of Iesus Christ Thou who sheadest innocent blood is a persecuter of the seruants of Iesus Christ and who resistest the trueth thou wilt say If thou hadst bene in Christs dayes thou wouldst not haue coÌ„sented to His death but thou who sayest so if thou hadst fallen in these dayes thou hadst malitiously bene partaker of the death of Christ hadst put handes in Him thou wantest nothing but time I will tell you who is it that sheds the blood of Iesus Christ takes His blood on them what euer he or she be that will resist this knowne trueth of Iesus Christ and persecute the professours thereof I affirme they are as guiltie of the blood of Christ as the Iewes the High Priests were and that same blood shall bee laide to their charge in the great daye of the Lord Read ye not in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Chap. 6. and 10. of them who haue repined haue begun to cast off that
heauenly power so goe like dogges to their vomite spues out the light they had receiued they are as guiltie of the blood of Christ as Pilate trampe the blood of the Couenant vnder their feete Woe to them that resist the Gospell woe to the apostate Lordes of this Land for thus resisting the light there is no light but this to leade thee to heauen I denounce woe to them if they continue the treasure of wrath and woe shall bee heaped on them they shall be as guiltie as Iudas or Pilate or the Iewes hastie sudden shall be their judgement except the Lord preuent them with repentance they their posteritie shall be cursed vnderly a terrible vengeance Woe to their friends who will joyne with them Separate thee frō them as thou wouldest see saluation Away out of Babylon Yee would thinke this a light worde Let his blood bee vpon our head As they wish the blood of the innocent to light on them so it neuer leaues them nor shall neuer leaue so many of them as repented not the blood of the innocent shall lye vpon their backes euerlastingly This should learne vs to take good heed to our wordes it was but a worde to cast off the God of glorie and to take on a Tyrant They got Caesar to be their King and he spoyled them Take good heede to thy words for thou who vsest against thy selfe imprecations and cursings and wilt say God plague mee Gods vengeance light vpon mee I giue my soule to the Deuill if this or that be not Well hast thou giuen thy soule to the Deuill he shall get it hast thou taken a curse vpon thy selfe thou shalt bee cursed it is a wonder that the earth should not open to swallowe such men The Lord makes these thinges to come to passe nowe and then Hee makes the cursed creature that vses such speaches to bee a terrible example And if thou be a prophane person who wilt say I giue my soule to the Deuill I saye and if the Deuill get thee not then and thou be not thrust into Hell but gettest repentance it is a wonder Such is the judgement of God that oft times He will let no reuersion be except that earnestly thou seeke for grace and mercie the Lord I say shall make that worde which thou sakest to haue no reuersion wilt thou or wilt thou not but like as thy foule mouth spake it so thou shalt bee giuen to the Deuill for there is nothing more effectuall to a mans destruction than the wordes which proceede out of his owne mouth Well Pilate is lying in securitie and hee thinkes himselfe well enough when he hath once disburthened himselfe he sits downe and giues out sentence and absolues a seditious vagabonde He letteth Barabbas loose vnto them Woe to them who will absolue a seditious lowne and a murtherer The next thing is more woefull he begins to giue out the sentence against the innocent he comes on and strikes Him hee scourges Him this is the seconde time and when hee hath done hee giueth Him into the handes of the Jewes to satisfie their wicked appetite As long as thou hast a wakened conscience and so long as it telles thee This is good and this is euill thou wilt not goe so boldly and forwardly in euill Well is that bodie who hath a wakened conscience suppose it terrifie thee and holde thee waking But after it bee once lulled in a sleepe and securitie then thou runnest on as the arrowe doeth out of the bow to a mischife there is nothing to holde thee but thou runnest swiftly to mischiefe Ephes 4.19 After they once lost feeling they ranne out to all wantonnesse commiting all vncleannesse with griedinesse There was neuer any creature so griedy of any thing in the world as men who liue without conscience will be of filthinesse As thou wouldest keepe thy selfe so keepe feeling in thy conscience count it more precious than all thinges in the worlde Nothing can guarde thy soule from Sathan but the approbation of a feeling conscience Thou wilt come out with thy Pearles and with decked cloathing but if thou want this conscience thou art a preye to the Deuill Fy on these men who lye in such a senselesnesse shame and confusion shall light vpon them Was there euer such a dead and senselesse Generation as this It is a token that Hell is ouer-taking them seeing they lye all in such a senselesse securitie Marke notes a word here that would bee considered Chap. 15. vers 15. Pilate did this to gratifie an euill people hee would not displease the Jewes This is the common fashion of Princes to seeke to be populare to seeke the fauour of the people Looke that a Prince seeke not by euill meanes the fauour of the people for he will hang an innocent man and let a murtherer goe free for the fauour of the people thou buyest it too deare with the losse of the fauour of God Woe be vnto the man though he were a King that mischieuously falles abacke from the Trueth and so looses the fauour of God for the fauour of Idolaters But will yee come on yet Got Pilate the fauour of the people No they persecuted him to the death they delated him to the Emperour and hee was banished and for feare of greater shame hee put handes in himselfe and slew himselfe Yea if he were all the kings in the world who seekes to gratifie a wicked people in an euill cause namely in Idolatrie and if the LORD haue not mercy on him that same people shall be his destruction The Lord graunt Kinges and Princes to see that howbeit they haue the fauour of the people by vnlawfull meanes and want the fauour of God that all the fauour of the people that they can haue without Gods fauour is nothing that they may seeke Gods fauour aboue all things And the Lord be mercifull to our King for Christes sake To whom be all Honour and Glory foreuermore AMEN THE XIII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 27 Then the Souldiers of the Gouernour tooke IESVS into the common hall and gathered about him the whole bande verse 28 And they stripped him and put about him a skarlet robe verse 29 And platted a crowne of thornes and put it vpon his head and a reede in his right hand and bowed their knees before him and mocked him saying God saue thee King of the Jewes verse 30 And spitted vpon him and tooke a reede and smote him on the head verse 31 Thus when they had mocked him they tooke the robe from him and put his owne rayment on him and led him away to crucifie him verse 32 And as they came out they found a man of Cyrene named Simon him they compelled to beare his Crosse MARC CHAP. XV. verse 16 Then the souldiers led him away into the hall which is the common hall and called together the whole band verse 17 And clad
for the first incident There is another thing that falles out whereof wee read in the 23 Chapter Luke as He goes to the place of execution it is said that the multitude followed Him This multitude was not onely of the Iewes but also of all Nations who resorted to Hierusalem at the time of the Passeouer Nowe this multitude followed to see what should become of Him as men who are inclined to see wonders Sâ—e on what minde thou followest a man to death these spectacles are spectacles of thy miserie they followe to see the fashion but surely this following of Christ and this going of Christ to His suffering with such a multitude learneth vs a lesson it pleased the Father that Iesus Christ should suffer an open shame He would not haue Him stollen down or secretly executed in the night He would haue Him accused publikly before the great Iudge who represented Cesars person Then as Hee went out He would haue all the worlde to see Him and then Hee would haue Him mounted vp and nailed vpon the Crosse in the face of the world in a worde the Father would haue the Sonne who became suretie for vs to die and not onely to die but also to be pined and not onely pined but also to bee pined shamefully There is not a sinne in the worlde let wanton men take their pastime in sinne albeit it were done neuer so secretly goe to thy chamber doe it doe it in the night goe to holes and most secret places and commit wickednesse but the end thereof how secret so euer it was shall bee with open shame I denounce against secret sinnes against God thy secret sinnes shall bring an open shame to thee if thou haue not recourse to the shame of Iesus either of necessitie thou must suffer in thy person eternally and drinke out the full cuppe of the wrath of God or els thou must haue recourse to the shame of Iesus Christ and this is our comfort that wee haue Wilt thou first of all repent thee an impenitent man will neuer get the cloake of Christs righteousnesse to couer his shame and turne and beleeue in Iesus Christ Wilt thou haue recourse to Him and loure vnder His Passion I promise thee that thou shalt neuer come to an open shame it my bee that men come to an open shame for sinne in this worlde but in the worlde to come I promise thee thou shalt not suffer any shame in that daye thy sinnes shall not come to the light neither man nor Angell shall see them But if thou haue not recourse to Iesus thou shalt bee rooâ—ed out like a thiefe out of a hoale before millions of millions of Angels and before all the worlde and the secrets of thine heart shall bee reueiled and heapes of the wrath of God shall bee powred on thy miserable head Hell stands not only in paine but in shame and confusion thou shalt goe downe to Hell with a fearefull shoute from the sight of this world at that judgement Now to come to these women amongst the rest there followes Him certaine women out of Hierusalem there is a great difference betweene them and the multitude women oft times shames men The souldiers pities Him not their pleasure is in His miserie wee see not heere that any of the multitude mournes but it is saide that the women of Hierusalem that followed Him wept for Him This was done of the Father to testifie His innocencie the Father at all times will haue the innocencie of His Sonne witnessed during the time of His accusation the Iudge preached His innocency as he was giuing out the senteÌ„ce against Him he both by deed in washing of his hands word testifies His innocencie And now whilst He goes out Hee makes these women to bewaile Him No question all this was done by the Lords prouidence Iesus the innocent Hee was lamented for Wilt thou bee innocent like to Him thou shalt not want bewailing ye see this if he be a thiefe and hee bee penitent and haue recourse to Iesus and seeke to be innocent with that innocencie of Iesus Christ men will pitie him but especially in that great daye if thou appearest innocent in the innocencie of Iesus Christ thou shalt get such pittying of God and of all the Angels that thou shalt neuer die but shalt be receiued to glorie and if thou appearest before Him without this innocencie thou shalt not be bewailed none shall pitie thee neither God nor Angell but thou shalt goe to destruction and when thou art going to Hell thy father nor thy mother shall not weepe nor lament for it but shall rejoyce approue Gods judgement Yee see then howe good a thing it is to be innocent in the innocencie of Iesus Christ albeit wee be not innocent but guiltie in ourselues When Christ heares the lamentation and mourning of the women Hee lookes ouer His shoulder And beholding them He standes and speakes Daughters of Hierusalem weepe not for mee but for your selues and for your children and He giues the reason wherefore they should weepe so because of that fearce terrible judgement which should ouer-take Hierusalem and all for this innoceÌ„t blood and for the refusall of that innocent One For beholde the dayes will come saies Hee when men will say Blessed are the barren and the wombes that neuer bare and the pappes that neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaines Fall on vs and to the hilles Couer vs. And vnâ—er the destruction of Hierusalem Hee vnderstands adumbrates that terrible judgement wrath in the latter day that great destruction that remaines for the wicked He confirmes this judgemeÌ„t which He threatens by an argument taken from the greatest to the smallest If they doe so to a griene tree what shall they doe to a withered what shall they doe to you By the greene tree Hee meanes Himselfe who in Himselfe was freshe sappie greene and fruitfull albeit for vs Hee was like a drie tree because Hee was guiltie for vs. And by the drie tree Hee meanes vs who are vnfruitfull in our selues and meete for nothing but for confusion to be casten into the fire Marke heere shortly of this It is the sense of misery that makes any bodie to weepe No doubt when one weepes sore the heart hath a sense of misery and this sense is either of a mans owne misery or for a sympathie of the miserie of another They who haue a sense of the miserie of others they will mourne I see fewe of this sort in these dayes There are few now that will weepe for the misery of another All sympathie is out of the world and the pleasure of men is in the pleasure of others Indeede I thinke that Iesus condemned not this compassion Certainely compassion vpon the estate of another is good Away with a pittilesse heart for it hath not felt the mercie of God and bowels of His compassion But this is
it is impossible that that body can attaine to glory They thinke him as an out-cast and will scorne his profession They will saye Are these your Christians of all men they are the moste miserable if that be the waye to Heauen I will renounce to goe that way this is rather the waye to goe to Hell This is the voyce of the worlde And the cause is because miserable catiues know not what sinne is which at that time behooued to bee purged by the Crosse for the justice and Majestie of GOD beeing offended required that it shoulde bee so and nowe in vs sinne thorowe manifolde crosses and afflictions must bee mortified Let the vvorlde thinke and speake as it pleases the onely waye whereby thou shalt come to life is suffering and affliction and thou must thinke this that wee must bee racked thorowe Hell ere wee come to Heauen Our redemption is wrought by the Crosse thou shalt not come to Heauen but by the Crosse The ground of all is sinne But alas the world sees it not The word will teach thee that there is no other vvay to come to Heauen but by affliction and it will thee that if thou bee not purged and changed by trouble and affliction thou shalt neuer see Heauen Alas that wee coulde once grone vnder sinne And blessed is the soule that hath a sight of the weight of sinne and vvoe to that soule that hath no sight of sinne To goe forwarde I see in this Thiefe vvho rayles on Christ some speciall thing hee hath a particular of his owne hee is in torment and therefore hee saies Jf thou bee that CHRIST saue thy selfe and vs. Brethren a torment vvhatsoeuer it bee if it bee not the better sanctified it vvill mooue the creature to fall out in blasphemie thou vvilt blaspheme both in heart and mouth and thou vvilt saye that there is no power in GOD to saue thee And the Thiefe in effect saide this There is no power in thee to saue mee I renounce thee as a Sauiour and if thou confesse His power thou wilt denie His mercie and vvilt saye GOD is but a Tyrant And if thou vvilt saye Hee is mercifull bee mercifull to vvhome Hee vvill Hee cannot bee mercifull vnto mee This last distrusting of mercie to thy selfe is a great sinne And that to saye altogether that there is no mercie in GOD it is a plaine blasphemie And last to saye there is no power in GOD it is to denie GOD to bee GOD For howe can Hee bee GOD if Hee vvant power So I thinke that this catiue hath beene a great blasphemer of that Majestie and vvhen I looke on it I see in him the image of the death of the reprobate vvhen they are dying and changing this life The Lord giue vs grace to die well The reprobate shall thinke that in their doing God hath no power to saue them for of all men in the worlde the reprobate is the most Ioath to die for either they shall thinke that God is not mercifull at all or else at least that there is no mercie in Him for them and so the miserable creature will turne his backe on GOD and immediately shall cast himselfe into Hell and damnation Wee reade of Sidrach Mesach and Abednego that they were so farre from this blasphemie that when the Tyrant falles out in blasphemie they meete him and saye Our GOD is Almightie and Hee hath power to deliuer vs if Hee please Neuer come thou to despaire though thou shouldest die tenne thousande deathes but sleepe in His bosome hang on Him and saue His honour and thinke not that which maye derogate His honour and saye Though thou shouldest slaye mee LORD yet will I trust in thee and so die sweetlie resting in His armes Well I see this hath beene a miserable bodie and hath died miserablie blaspheming the God of Glorie and this is euen as the reprobate shall doe at the latter Iudgement And yet when I compare him with the Pharises and Priests I find their blasphemie greater than his Well shall it bee to the Thiefe in respect of them for they had knowledge and hee wanted Who shoulde haue had knowledge but they They had no torment hee had sore torment What neede had they to blaspheme Therefore their condemnation shall bee greater than his And vvhen I compare this blasphemie of the Thiefe with the blasphemie of some men in these dayes vvho when anie crosse falles vpon them without their expectation vvill saye What can GOD doe more vnto mee so in effect denying power to bee in GOD and in IESVS CHRIST I count the blasphemie of these men to bee greater than his vvas For nowe IESVS is in Glorie and the Thiefe saw Him on the Crosse in miserie vvith himselfe If thou now blasphemest Him so it were well done that thy mouth were sowed vp that thou neuer spakest a vvorde Nowe to ende vvith this The LORD giue vs grace that neither in thought nor in vvorde vvee dishonour that MAIESTIE but maye acknowledge His mercie and power towardes vs in IESVS CHRIST To vvhome bee all Honour Glorie Praise Power and Dominion both nowe and euermore Worlde vvithout ende AMEN THE XVII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 40 But the other answered and rebuked him saying Fearest thou not GOD seeing thou art in the same condemnation verse 41 We are indeede righteously heere for wee receiue things worthie of that we haue done but this man hath done nothing amisse verse 42 And hee saide vnto Iesus Lord remember me when thou commest into thy Kingdome WEE heard the last day Brethren of all these railings and blasphemies that the Lord Iesus suffered of all rankes and estates of persons whilest Hee hang on the Crosse naked liuing in torment Pilate began fixed on the Crosse an ignominious inscription That Iesus was a Traitor against Caesar and that He suffered death for His treason Then the Hang-men foure in number in despite and in His sight tooke his garmentes and diuided them in foure partes and because his coate had no seame but was wouen thorowout therefore they cast lottes for it who shoulde haue it whole Then comes on the people with their part and raile vpon Him and blaspheme Him saying Nowe if thou bee that Christ come downe and saue thy selfe Then followe the high Priestes the Scribes and the Elders who raile on Him and saye Is this hee who will saue others let see if hee can bee able to saue himselfe Then the men of warre and Gentiles beginne to raile if thou bee the King of the Iewes saue thy selfe and come downe from the Crosse And then one of the Thieues railes out on Him If thou be that Christ saue thy selfe and vs both but nowe so like as thou art the Christ thou art adying as vvell as vvee and art neither able to sâ—ue thy selfe nor vs and therefore thou art not a King Nowe Brethren yee maye perceiue that it was no prayer that
but beeing nailed quicke on the Crosse in such extreame paine that might haue occupied and exercised all his senses and when he is looking and waiting for the hand of the hangman to breake him quicke on the Crosse to this man to haue driuen his senses and to haue set them on a better life from that hell hee was in to that heauenly Life it was more than wonderfull and I say it was as wonderfull as if he had leapt out of the lowest hell to the highest heauen Then come to the person of him to whome he prayes if hee had seene Iesus Christ standing before him like a glorious King it had beene lesse to haue beene wondered at but hee is hanging in that shamefull death and in greater shame than he for they railed not on him as they did on Christ which no question was more grieuous than all torments as if Hee had beene a reprobate from GOD So if he had seene Him in glorie it had bene no maruell but to seeke life in a man who was dying ignominiously and who was hanging in a worse estate than Himselfe and to haue pierced thorow and seene thorow such a cloud of ignominie such a faire Life and glorie I say it was more than wonderfull Further if he had seene Him before and bene familiar with Him heard Him teach and had seene His wonders as the Apostles did it had not bene much to maruell at but this beeing the first meeting the first acquaintance and neuer to haue spoken with Him before they met in an ignominious Crosse together then to seeke in such a death such a life in such ignominie such glorie it is a thing more than marueilous Came anie of the Iewes then and prayed vnto Him Yea came anie of the Apostles Came anie of His Disciples Came either Peter or Iohn or Matthew No all were offended with Him I saye of this man to the glorie of God that hee shamed all that stood by hee shamed the Apostles and made them to cast downe their faces And I saye hee shames all men and women who will not beleeue when they see Him not crucified as hee sawe but glorified nowe in the Heauens sitting at the right hande of that Majestie shame shall light on thee and this Thiefe shall bee sette vp in glorie to testifie against thee and to condemne thee 1. COR. 1.27 Paul saies GOD will raise vp thinges naughtie to shame thinges high in the worlde and to humble the pride of the fleshe If euer this was practised it is practised in this Thiefe Therefore in time learne thy lesson at this Thiefe for if hee doe thee no good hee shall doe thee euill and this same preaching shall doe thee euill if it doe thee no good The LORD raised him vp vpon a Gallowes to bee a Teacher of Faith and Repentance of Hope of Patience of Loue and of all graces and thinke no shame to learne at him for if thou thinkest shame of the Thiefe to bee thy master hee shall giue out a testimonie to aggreadge thy damnation and hee shall saye I went to teach the Infideles on the Crosse with Thee and they hearde it and beleeued not Lord let their damnation bee aggreadged All this that I speake tendes to this That hee who glories maye glorie in the Lord And they who woulde maruell let them maruell at the Lord. I speake not these thinges that yee shoulde wonder at the Thiefe that sillie creature But all this is That yee shoulde wonder at Iesus Christ who wrought such a wonder at this time and shewed such a power when Hee was weakened It is a wonder to shewe such power in His humiliation and such mercy on such a vile sinner who was not worthie that the earth shoulde beare him let bee to dwell in Heauen Wonder at Him who is so mercifull and gracious to poore sinners To Him therefore bee praise for euermore AMEN THE XVIII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 43 Then Iesus said vnto him Verely J say vnto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 25 Then stood by the crosse of Iesus his mother and his mothers sister Marie the wife of Cleopas and Marie Magdalene verse 26 And when Iesus saw his mother and the disciples standing by whome he loued He said vnto his mother woman beholde thy sonne verse 27 Then said He to the disciple behold thy mother and from that houre the disciple tooke her home vnto him WEE heard the last day Beloued in Iesus of the repentance of one of the Thieues that hung on the Crosse with Christ in a moment wonderfully hee begins to be penitent for all his misdeedes and former life and hee vtters his penitencie and the displeasure that was in his heart for sinne in sundry effectes First hee rebukes bitterlie that blasphemie that the other Thiefe speakes out against the Lord and saies Fearest thou not God seeing thou art in the same damnation Thou and I suffer justly for we haue demerited all this but this man pointing out Christ hath done nothing amisse When hee hath thus rebuked the Thiefe hee turnes him about to Iesus Christ who hung in the middest and hee directs his prayer to Him and saies Lord remember mee when thou commest to thy Kingdome The other the blasphemer would faine haue liued in the vvorlde And therefore because hee sawe that IESVS had no power to giue him this earthlie life therefore hee blasphemeth CHRIST in His face But the penitent Thiefe seekes not this present life but desires that hee may gette entrie in to that Heauenly Kingdome The last day I spake concerning the petition of the penitent Thiefe I repeate nothing Onely wonder not at the Thiefe or at such an earnest repentance in him suddenly bâ—â— wonder at Iesus Christ vvho in such vveaknesse hanging so shamefully vpon the Crosse yet vttered such mercie and such infinite power yea one of the moste miserable catiues that euer was in the vvorlde I goe forwarde and first I shall shewe you of the answere that the Lord giues to the penitent Thiefe and then I shall come to the earnest recommendation that Iesus made of His Mother MARIE vnto IOHN The Lord answeres him Verily I say vnto thee this day thou shalt be with me in Paradise The answere containes a promise and the thing that the Lord promises is Thou shalt bee vvith mee thou seekest to bee vvith mee in my Kingdome thou shalt bee vvith mee and thou shalt bee a subject vvith mee and more a follower and vvhereas thou werest a vile Thiefe I shall make thee a glorious King in the Heauen And when shall this bee Without delay it shall not be to morrowe or other morrowe but this same day immediately thou shalt bee transported to that vnspeakeable glorie And where shall this bee It shall bee in Paradise Thou shalt not goe to Purgatorie but into Celestiâ—ll Paradise Of this worde Paradise wee reade in sundrie
places of the Newe Testament as namely 2. COR. 12.4 where PAVL speakes of his rauishing to Paradise and also REVEL 2.7 But to leaue the vvordes and to come to the meaning This Paradise signifies none other thing but that House of the Father in the which is manie mansions as wee saide in the foureteenth Chapter Nowe woulde yee knowe the place of it PAVL saies It is farre aboue these visible heauens where Christ himselfe ascended EPHES. 4.10 It is the place of the Throne of that Majestie of that Glorie and of that euerlasting rest of the Kirke of Iesus Christ and of His Sainctes where they shall rest in a wonderfull glorie euerlastinglie The vvorde is borrowed from that Paradise that Parke of pleasure in the vvhich ADAM and EVAH vvere planted to liue in a vvonderfull pleasure for euer if they had stoode vvithout sinne But to come to the matter First in this answere that the Lord makes to the penitent Thiefe yee may see a vvonderfull readinesse in Christ to heare the petition of a miserable sinner for hee hath scarcely spoken the worde when the Lord makes an answere and no maruell for Hee that preuentes thee with grace ere thou thinkest of grace Hee will followe after with grace Hee who giues grace to begge grace Hee will giue a gracious answere ROMAN 8.26 The Spirite of GOD interceadeth for vs with sighes vnspeakeable That is the first grace Then hee subjoynes The Lord who searcheth the heart knoweth the sense and meaning of his owne Spirite There is the seconde grace Thou shalt not so soone open thy mouth to speake to Him with the Spirite but Hee shall as soone heare thy vvorde thou shalt not so soone haue a meaning but it shall as soone touch the heart of the Lorde as it touches thine heart because it is not thy spirite but the Lordes Spirite who speakes in thee So all the difficultie and hardnesse is to gette the first grace to praye there is no difficultie of the next And there are wonderous fewe vvho gettes this grace to begge to sigh to sobb c. yea where one hath it ten wantes it and when this is once gotten the other followes of its owne will for if thou askest spirituall graces of necessitie thou shalt gette thy petition graunted And if wee aske earthly thinges either shall wee gette our petition or else the Lord once shall shewe vs why Hee will not graunt it and so wee shall haue contentment to vndertake His will and shall heartily thanke Him There is more yet in this answere Besides this easinesse to heare marke an abounding mercie and exceeding liberalitie of the Lord passing aboue the petition The Thiefe onely prayed the Lord to remember him when He came in His Kingdome The Lord aunsweres Beholde euen I giue thee more than thou requirest for thou shalt be with me this day in Paradise so thou needest not to feare that I forget thee The Thiefe seekes but a little thing the Lord giues him more than hee can seeke the hande of the Lorde is not so scarce Wilt thou seeke a litle thing the Lord shall giue a thousand times more than thou canst seeke the Lord hath neither scant nor want Brethren the glory which we shall finde one day shall bee greater than we can looke or hope for in this world No things Heauenlie which He shall giue surmountes further aboue our capacitie than the Heauen does aboue the Earth Yea if thou speakest of earthlie things findes not many by experiēce that they get such an estate in the world as they would neuer haue looked or hoped for I sought but life saies Dauid Psal 21. 5 yet the Lord gaue me to be a king that is He gaue me not only a priuate obscure life but a glorious life in the sight of the people Besides this easinesse and liberalitie of the Lord to grant to a poore man aboue that that he durst presume He prescribes no time but this same day I know not if he durst haue bene so bold as to haue sought such a time that same day Marke further here a wonderfull power in the Lord at that time when Hee was in a most vile and ignominious death which was the image of Hell to pull a man quicke on the Crosse to breake Him on a Crosse The Lord is weakned the Iewes thought more of the dirt they trode on than of Iesus yet ye see what a wonderfull power which strikes out from Him to the thiefe this is the power of a King This day thou shalt be with Me in Paradise What Emperour durst speake this Yea He vtters the power of GOD Himselfe This promise is proper to GOD only to promise participation of that heauenly Kingdome What Angell durst doe this None but the eternall and immortall GOD. It is true the LORD Iesus whilst as Hee hang vpon the Crosse was wonderfully weakned and that glorious Godhead that dwelt in the humane Nature kept it selfe closse for a time and held in the beames of His glorie for a time within that vaile of His bodie for if Hee had not kept closse that Glorie of His Godhead the world could not haue crucified Him yet He kept Him not so closse but in the Crosse Hee manifests Himselfe Hee does the part of a King and fought a fiercer battell than all the Kings in the world Hee fought against all the enemies and in the ende Hee triumphes in that Crosse as in a Chariote and leades them all as thieues before Him And if there were no more to shewe that Hee was a King than this hastie conuersion of the thiefe it may tell you if Christ had such a power whilst as Hee hang in such weaknesse on the Crosse What power hath He now when He is in the Heauen exalted in the Throne of glorie If it bee so that wee feele not CHRIST powerfull in vs to life as the thiefe felt Blame not IESVS as if Hee wanted power sufficient nowe in glorie who had such power in His humilitie but blame thy selfe Thou wants that which the thiefe had thou wants Faith in Christ glorified the thiefe may shame thee who beleeued in Him whē He was in extreame ignominie Then to end all this y t hath bin spokē of this answere in a word Seeing y e Lord of lords y e Lord Iesus is so readie Neuer was there King so ready to heare a subject as Iesus is if thou werest the vilest bodie that goes a Thiefe a Harlot c. yet if thou wilt saye this Lord remember on mee and giue mee a part of thy Kingdome if thou prayest to Him from a penitent heart with confidence and assurance I promise vnto thee Heauen and Earth shall goe together ere thou vvantest thine asking Seeing our Lord Iesus is so liberall then seeke more than enough more than a Kingdome and thou shalt get more The only cause why we want is in vs we haue no hearts to seeke it And last Seeing He is so
fourth part they called the ninth houre This much for the diuision of the daye and night after the fashion of the Iewes To apply this to our purpose In this Historie of the Passion of Iesus Christ yee shall finde mention of all these foure partes of the first the third sixt and ninth In the first houre or in the morning the LORD IESVS was led into the Common-Hall to Pilate to bee accused His accusation continued the first three houres and much of the third houre or second quarter as wee counted it His accusation continued about the space of fiue houres Then alitle after the sixt houre in the ende of the thirde houre as IOHN in his nineteene Chapter sayes The doome and sentence of damnation was giuen out against the Lord In the same third houre as MARKE in his fourteenth Chapter sayes The Lord Iesus was crucified so that He was both condemned crucified in the end of the third houre So betweene eleuen and twelue a short space passed betweene the sentence of damnation and the execution In the sixt houre which was the thirde part of their day yee see there falles out a fearfull and terrible darknesse on the face of the earth and according to our account the darknesse remaines from twelue houres to three in the afternoone the space of three houres for so long hang the Lord vpon the Crosse Then yee haue mention here of the ninth houre the fourth part of their day The Lord then vttered His complaint to His Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee This is according to our account when it was three after noone and hastily after this Hee yeeldes His blessed Spirit in the hands of His Father So the Lord Iesus died and yeelded the Spirit betweene three and foure houres afternoone Now this shortly for the better vnderstanding of the Historie Nowe to speake of this wonder and darknesse His heauenly Father would testifie by this darknesse that whilst His glorious Son was humbled on that vile ignominious Crosse as Paul to the Philippians 2. sayes Whilst as He was weakned and made of no reputation at this time His Father would testifie not onely of His innocencie as Hee was man but also of His glorie as He was God In humbling of Him the Father would glorifie Him But will yee looke to the Sunne and the senslesse creatures of Heauen and Earth the very Sunne and senslesse creatures would testifie that they were addebted vnto that glorious Creator they would testifie that sorrowe that they had that the Lord of glorie should suffer such an ignominious death The senslesse creatures were moued the Sunne gloomes hides his face at that wicked action the earth shiuers and quakes readie to swallow vp and deuoure those miserable persons and the Sunne and the senslesse creatures beginne to teach that senslesse and hardened people with whom they had to doe Not with a man but with the Lord of glorie but teach what they would teach heere is a miserable example of induration this miserable people for all this darknesse was not moued they would not turne So Brethren see what it is once to be giuen to a reprobate sense if the LORD giue thee vp to a reprobate sense the earth shall not be so senslesse as thou and though the earth should stand vp and teach thee thou shalt not heare nor see what it sayes Of all judgements that falles on the soule this reprobate sense is the heauiest and most dangerous and if thou continuest in it it were a thousand times better for thee when thou werest made a man or a woman to haue bene made a stocke or a stone for if there be not a wakning in time out of so dead a sleepe ere euer thou beware the wrath of God from Heâ—uen shall ouertake thee when thou criest peace then shall the wrath come thou shalt not get leasure to thinke of mercie The Lord waken this senslesse generation for there was neuer a generation more senslesse than this generation is notwithstanding of so many voyces sounding not only voyces of men but of the heauen the earth and senslesse creatures I will speake sparingly of this darkning and as the Philosopher calles it the ecclipse of the Sunne for it serues not much to edification Onely thus far that yee may see the greatnesse of the wonder and that ye may wonder at the Lord Iesus hanging on the Crosse This Ecclipse was not naturall for the naturall Ecclipse of the Sunne falles out when the Moone is in the changing at the which time there is a concurse and conjunction betweene the two Planets the Sunne and the Moone The Moone goes vnder the Sunne and takes away a great part of the light of the Sunne from the Earth But this Ecclipse falles out in the full moone The Law commanded the Passeouer to be celebrate in the moneth of March the fourteenth day of their moneth in the which time the Sunne and the Moone are as far asunder as they can be the one beeing in the one side of the Heauen the other on the other side so that betweene them the whole Globe of the Earth is cast in But in this Ecclipse against Nature the Moone which was now opposite to the Sunne turnes her suddenly about and comes vnder the Sunne and hides the sight thereof and brings on a terrible darknesse on the world So that as yee will read in prophane writings during that darknesse the starres were seene at the Noonetide as at Midnight And to be short it is written that the Philosophers in Athens marking this Ecclipse endeuoured to search the cause of it could not finde out the naturall cause and one Dionisius Areopagita saide It behooued to be that either the God of Nature suffered or els the worlde should suddenly be dissolued and be lied not The Lord Iesus the GOD of Nature suffered and they raised vp an Altar then and wrote on it To the vnknowne God whereof ye read in the Actes 17. This for the wonder Nowe let vs come to that that fell out in the ninth houre that is our three houres afternoone Marke This serues for our edification ye heard the Lord Iesus was in extreame agonie and anguishe in His soule and also Hee suffered great paine in His bodie yet all was nothing to that extreame bitternesse that Hee felt in His soule when as Hee hung on the Crosse Nowe in this agonie Hee vtters this voyce with a crie Eli Eli lamasabachthani that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee These are the first wordes of the XXII PSALME for Dauid beeing the Type of Christ and feeling that vexation of spirit in some measure which Christ felt out of measure hee cryes out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me This place these words minister occasion vnto vs to speake of the inward conflict passion that Iesus had in His soule And that yee maye vnderstande this matter the better I
to worke this worke of redemption and saluation by base and naughty meanes that the world respects no more of than the dirt which they treade on Looke what is the difference betwixt the wisedome of GOD and the wisedome of man Will yee looke to the cause of our redemption to IESVS CHRIST or to the Professors and to Ministers they are the foolishest in the vvorlde sillie bodies and compare them vvith potent men they are but contemptible and of no valour and compare them with wise men they are but fooles So looke to the Crosse and to the Ministerie thereof whereby wee are saued all is weake base and contemptible and all to this ende that the LORD onelie maye gette the glorie and as the APOSTLE saies He that glorieth may onlie glory in the LORD And let euerie one of vs giue glorie to that LORD of Glorie To whome with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour and Praise for euermore AMEN THE XXI LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 47 And some of them that stood there when they heard it saide This man calleth Elias verse 48 And straightway one of them ranne and tooke a spunge and filled it with vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to driâ—ke verse 49 Other said Let be let vs see if Elias will come and saue him verse 50 Then Iesus cryed againe with a loude voyce yeelded vp the ghost MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 35 And some of them that stood by when they heard it said Beholde hee calleth Elias verse 36 And one ranne and filled a spunge full of vineger and put it on a reede and gaue him to drinke saying Let him alone let vs see if Elias will come and take him downe verse 37 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and gaue vp the ghost LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 46 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and saide Father into thine handes I commende my spirite And when hee had thus said hee gaue vp the ghost IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 28 After when Iesus knewe that all thinges were performed that the Scripture might bee fulfilled hee saide I thirst verse 29 And there was set a vessell full of vineger and they filled a spunge with vineger and put it about an hyssope stalke and put it to his mouth verse 30 Now when Iesus had receiued of the vineger hee said It is finished and bowed his head and gaue vp the ghost DVRING the time that the LORD IESVS hung quicke on the Crosse which was three houres and large more yee may reade well-beloued in Christ sundrie voyces that He vttered When I looke thorowe the foure Euangelistes I finde in number sixe sundrie voyces and euery one of them is well to be marked for at that time Hee vttered nothing in vaine The first voyce wee reade of was a voyce of diuine power together vvith mercy when one of the Thieues who hung at His right hand said to Him Lord remember me when thou commest to thy Kingdome The Lord answered him like a King and like a powerfull and mercifull God Verily J say vnto thee this day thou shalt bee with mee in Paradise The next voyce was a voyce of humane pittie and naturall affection toward His Mother she being by the Crosse with Iohn and other women He recommendes her to the custodie of His wâ—ll beloued Disciple The thirde voyce wee reade of was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from an heart that was sadde on euery side to the death and from that agonie on the Crosse My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The fourth voyce in like manner was a voyce of sadnesse proceeding from a wonderfull heate in the soule and body I thirst The fifth voyce by all appearance was a voyce of joye seeing the worke of Redemption to bee wrought and the wrath of His Father to be asswaged He saies after He had drunken the vineger Jt is finished The sixt and last voyce in like manner was a voyce of joye for finding Hee was to giue vp the ghoste immediately and finding His Father sweetly to loose His soule from His bodie He saies Father into thine hands I commend my spirit Now Brethren all thâ—se foresaid voyces the Lord vttered during the time that He hung quick on y e Crosse Of these we haue heard the first the second the third which was that heauie complaint that Hee made to His Father My God my God c. This daye as God shall giue vs grace wee shall speake of the three other voyces one of them of sadnesse and the other two of joye But before wee come to these voyces which are the three lâ—st voyces wee haue to speake something of the misconstruing of the complaint of the Lord vttered to His God Nowe the Iewes that stood by Him and heard Him crie Eli Eli for Hee cryed aloude of maliciousnesse not of mistaking Him they begin to calumniate and to misconstrue His wordes because the worde Eli which is My God sounded like Elias Therefore they said Hee cryed for Elias when Hee cryed on His God Let vs see if Elias will come and take Him downe In the which wordes wee may see clearely that they sought not onelie to destroy His bodie but the Deuill in them sought to sunder and seuer Him both in soule and bodie from His God they woulde not heare Him crye vpon His God but they sought to destroy His bodie and His soule such was the insatiable malice of the hearts of these Iewes against Iesus Christ This is the common dealing of the Deuill and his instruments with the godly and chiefely in that last houre when the separation of the soule from the body is to follow Not only to get the body dead but the soule God separated if thou beginnest to pray call on God they will scorne thy prayer seeke to cut thee froÌ„ God all hope of life But to leaue them their bitter maliciousnes As in all the poinctes of the suffering of Christ I looke more to the disposition of His Father than to the Iewes to the deuil or his instrumeÌ„ts So I doe in this No question as His Father exercises Him inwardly with a bitter wrath eueÌ„ so wheÌ„ as the Lord by making an heauy mone seekes an outgaet cries My God my God c Hee will haue Him met outwardly with bitternes Aime where He wil He meetes Him with nothing but bitternes wrath inwardly outwardly hell inward outward no refuge nor escaping till y t ransome be payed to the least farthing Wel BrethreÌ„ if ye would see an image of hell see it here The Lord Iesus was for a time fealt nothing but extreame bitternes But the reprobate after they be once casten into hell there is nothing for them but bitternes let theÌ„ aime here there to escape houle cry they shal be met wiâ—h bitternes What if it were but for a time The Lord escaped His suffering
yet it will be a weake voyce because the strength of nature failes Yet Iesus all the day before vttered not so shrill a voyce So it must follow that naturall strength was not failed in Iesus Christ and that by the strength of nature hee might haue liued long for the other two liued long and were not dead till they came and brake their legges Iesus died against nature neither was hee broken as they were What followes of this Iesus Christ in that same moment that he yeelded the spirit hee had a power aboue nature and a diuine power against nature which puts out the life and if he had power against nature to put out his life hee vttered before the Iewes that they had no power to put out his life and that hee had a power to keepe his life if it had pleased him And that is it which he saies None takes my life from mee but I laye it downe and I take it vp againe Yee will heare that when worde came to Pilate that IESVS was dead hee wondered and all the world wondered at this yeelding vp of the spirit And by this the Lord would shewe that hee was not a common man hee would shewe that he was God either to keepe his life or to put it out at his pleasure Hee saies Father into thine handes I commende my spirite These wordes are farre from this My God my God why hast c. for those words proceeded of great sadnesse mixed with confidence but of no joye but these wordes Father into thine handes c. as they proceeded of confidence so they proceeded of a wonderfull joye No doubt at this time hee feeles that sweete hande of the Father dealing with him moste sweetelie not as the reprobate Alas the hande of the Lorde in justice striking the soule of the reprobate looses it from the bodie with the sense of extreame wrath But the Lord feeles the hande of the Father loosing his soule from the bodie with sweetnesse And all they who die in CHRIST will feele the Father loosing the soule with sweetnesse as these last wordes vtter Looke to the Martyres they neuer vtter the first voyce My God my God c. No but the second Father into thine handes I commende my spirite because they find joye in torment Steuen the first Martyr vttered the second voyce ACTS CHAP. VII VERS 59. And the rest of the Martyres followed him which testifies plainelie that this was a voyce of joye that IESVS vttered But marke the wordes of CHRIST yee see that euerie man and vvoman beside the bodie they haue a spirite and more beautifull and farre more precious of substance than the bodie and yet it lodges in an house of claye and in an earthlie Tabernacle Next there will bee a separation of the soule and the bodie Thou thinkest euer to liue but whether thou wilt or thou wilt not thy soule shall bee separate from the bodie and then the bodie shall die Shall thy soule die No if thou bee in CHRIST the Father shall take thy soule Nowe againe Brethren see how carefull the Lord is of his soule at the poinct of death If Iesus who had no sinne is so carefull of his soule I pray thee who art a sinfull bodie how carefull shouldest thou bee thereof It must liue either in Heauen or in Hell if the Lord cryed so loude that the earth quaked again till the Temple rent asunder wilt not thou a sinfull creature bee carefull of thy soule A man should haue care of the soule at all times but chiefly at the houre of the separation for at that time the Deuill is busie to deuour thee and the golfe of Hell to swallowe thee vp Then looke how carefull thou shouldest be in following the example of Iesus to recommend the soule into the handes of the Father and looke how carefull thou art to render the soule into the handes of the Father the Father shall be as carefull to loose the soule if thou bee in Iesus Christ to conuoy it with Him to rest for euermore in His blessed bosome The LORD giue vs grace to commende our soules into the hands of that faithfull keeper in the houre of death and that wee maye finde Him readie to receiue and conuoye them with Him to that euerlasting rest purchased to vs through Christ To whom with the Father and the blessed Spirit be praise for euermore AMEN THE XXII LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 50 Then Jesus cryed againe with a loud voyce and yeelded vp the ghost verse 51 And beholde the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen verse 52 And the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saincts which slept arose verse 53 And came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holie Citie and appeared vnto manie verse 54 When the Centurion and they that were with him watching Iesus saw the earthquake and the things that were done they feared greatly saying Truely this was the Sonne of God MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 37 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and gaue vp the ghost verse 38 And the vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome verse 39 Now when the Centurion who stood ouer against him saw that he thus crying gaue vp the ghost he said Truely this man was the Son of God LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 46 And Iesus cryed with a loude voyce and saide Father into thine handes I commende my spirite And when hee had thus said hee gaue vp the ghost verse 47 Now when the Centurion sawe what was done hee glorified God saying Of a suretie this man was just verse 48 And all the people that came together to that sight beholding the things that were done smote their breasts and returned IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 30 Now when Iesus had receiued of the vineger hee said It is finished and bowed his head and gaue vp the ghost WEE heard the last daye vvelbeloued Brethren the sundrie voyces and speaches vvhich Iesus Christ vvhilest Hee hung quicke on the Crosse and vvas nayled thorow handes and feete vttered in the audience of the vvhole people The first two voyces vvere the voyces of pittie and mercie The one of mercie to one of the Thieues that vvas crucified vvith Him Verily saies the Lord this day shalt thou bee with mee in Paradise The other of pittie to His owne Mother vvho stood by looking on Him when as Hee hung vpon the Crosse in extreame paine recommending her to IOHN His welbeloued Disciple Other two voyces were voyces of sadnesse and heauinesse of heart The one an heauie complaint to His Father My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee The other proceeding from an extreame drought that came of that sense of wrath and paine which Hee felt during the time that Hee hung vpon the Crosse I thirst The last two
deepe perswasion of thine heart thou speakest like a Parrat thou prophanest that Holy word and knowest not what thou speakest Now all the Apostles are away yet their testimonie remaines this is that blessed Gospell that wee haue this day yet the Lord leaues not the world destitute of witnesses who haue liuelie voyces who will preach like the Apostles indeede their record should bee beleeued if thou beleeuedst neuer a preaching I say thou hast no Faith thou shalt neuer see Heauen Indeede we are not Apostles but sinfull men yet if thou beleeuest vs not thou shalt die as well as they who would not beleeue the Apostles I bid no man nor woman beleeue vs simply but only so farre as our record agrees vvith the recorde of the Apostles We may not compare with the Apostles we haue not seene Him we haue not heard Him as they did they had a greater measure of perswasion of Faith and of feeling than any Preacher hath nowe yet the Lord hath giuen His measure to euery one therefore we desire not that yee should beleeue vs simply to beleeue euery thing that we say as the Pope and that soule crue will bid you beleeue all that they affirme No if he were the best Minister that euer preached beleeue his recorde if it agree not with the writting of the Apostles They haue set downe the ground and they who teach any other thing but that which is written by the Apostles or els that follow on their writes by a necessarie consequence I pronounce a vengeance and a curse shall be on them Woe to deceiuers who poyson soules dayly by their vengeance and poyson Now to come to the last heade Iohn layes downe the ende wherefore His thighes were not broken and by piercing of His side These thinges were set downe that the Scripture might bee fulfilled and he cites two testimonies The first is out of the twelfth Chapter of Exodus Not one bone of Him shall be broken The next is out of the twelfth Chapter of Zacharie They shall see Him whome they haue pierced Some will maruell that it is said oft times in the Gospell this was done that the Scripture might be fulfilled Some would thinke that this had bene but a light cause that the thighes of Christ and the bones were not broken Wherefore That the Scripture might be fulfilled the side was pierced that the Scripture might be fulfilled Men would count this but light but wilt thou count that light that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled Thinkest thou it a light thing that that thing that the Lord spake long time before should come to passe and the LORD should be glorified in His Trueth Thinkest thou it a light thing that the Lord should bee found a lyer No ere He be a lyer and ere a jote or title that Hee hath spoken should passe away vnfâ—lfilled it is better that Heauen and Earth men and Angels and all the creatures should vanish to nothing The Lord speakes none idle talke as man will doe but what thing so euer that Hee speakes Hee speakes it of set purpose to the glorie of God and to the well of His Church and therefore it is very requisite both for His owne glorie and for the well of His Church that His word be accomplished Would to God we could consider how highly we sould regarde the glory of God in beleeuing of His promises of mercie and His threatnings of Iustice Well the end of these thinges was that GOD should be glorified in the trueth of His word There is nothing the Lord seekes more than to be knowne in the trueth of His worde and therefore looke what He will doe to bee knowne to be true in His promise rather than His promise be not performed Hee will inuert the course of nature the thing that the Lord hath once spoken it shall be performed albeit all the world should say the contrarie It is said Numb 23.19 God is not as man that He should lie neither as the sonne of man that Hee should repent hath Hee said it and shall Hee not doe it and hath Hee spoken and shall Hee not accomplish it Men may lie but God cannot lie ere Hee bring not about the thing that Hee hath spoken Hee will mixe the Heauen and the Earth together He will bring things about against all the meanes in the worlde not onely by and aboue nature but also contrarie and against nature As Hee brought the promise made to Abraham to passe Nature can be no impediment to the LORD albeit a creature can doe nothing against Nature Looke then what a Faith wee should haue Wee should beleeue His promise albeit it were neuer so vnpossible to Nature Thou must not only glorifie God when thou seest His promise come to passe but also thou must also glorifie Him by depending and hanging on His worde ere euer thou see it accomplished It is an easie thing when thou seest the Lordes promise come to passe to say Glorified bee GOD in the trueth of His promise but except thou glorifie Him by Faith in His worde ere euer thou see the promise effectuate thou doest nothing worthie of praise beleeâ—e His word let neuer death nor life nor power in Heauen or iâ— Earth or the Deuils separate thee from that Faith in His worde No I say further thou must so glorifie God by Faith in His word that albeit thou savvest all things threaten the contrarie yet notwâ—thstanding thou feelest in thine heart that God is true this was a fined and purified Faith Such was the Faith of Abraham who aboue hope beleeued vnder hope that hee should haue a seede not considering the deadnesse of his owne bodie nor the deadnesse of Saraes vvombe hee beleeued in despite of nature and all ordinarie meanes and therefore worthilie hee is called The Father of the Faithfull Then wouldest thou haue such a faith as the Lord commendes beleeue in His promise though all the thinges in the worlde shoulde threaten the contrarie Hath Hee promised to thee Heauen and Life and albeit thou sawe nothing but Hell and Death yet beleeue Him for there is nothing more contrarie to Life than Death And yet albeit thine owne heart woulde make opposition and saye vnto thee It cannot bee that euer thou canst get Life and Heauen for what seest thou but Death and Hell Yet thou wouldest glorifie God by beleeuing His promise in despight of Hell and Death Notwithstanding thou seest the Deuill man Death and Hell threatning that thou shalt not get life yet beleeue the Lordes promise And if in this case thou beleeuest thou hast a fined faith fined and made more precious than Golde in the fornace And except thou bee tried by such temptations thou knowest not what faith meanes Faith must bee tried by temptations by troubles and afflictions Our Christians woulde passe thorowe the worlde with ease and rest they will beleeue but howe In peace and rest they cannot abide to
Christ I goe to the second testimonie Zacharie 12.10 prophecies that the Iewes that pierced thorovv Christ should see Him and vvhen they see Him they should vveepe for Him as for their only begotten sonne It is a prophecie of the repentance of the Jewes vvho had crucified Christ pierced Him thorovv a promise of their repentance for that vvofull deede they did This same thing came to passe in the 2. of the Acts vvhen Peter in his preaching laide to their charge that wicked deede that they had crucified the Lord of glorie had put hand into the Lord of life at his preaching their hearts were pricked pierced thorow with bitternesse they demand of Peter the rest What shall they doe to be safe it is said three thousand of them repented beleeued at that one preaching The words wold be marked How is this that They pierced Iesus They pierced Him first with their sins it was the Jewes sins chiefly that procured the death of Christ Next they pierced Him when they persecuted Him when they crucified Him blasphemed Him and rayled on Him hanging on the crosse last they pierced Him when by the speare in the handes of a souldier they thrust Him thorow and pierced His side And who is this that pierced Him It was not so much the Ethnicke man that did this as the Iewes for whose sinnes Hee came to die for they were the occasion of all this wickednes If we will marke narrowly and will weigh narrowly this matter aright we will see great wickednesse malice and vnthankfulnesse to haue bene in this people The Lord came to die for them And who are these that slay Him Euen these for whome He came to die Was not this a mischieuous deede Who will not abhorre and detest such a villanie and malice Alas should I who am a sinner when an innocent man comes to die for my sinnes slay that man and be a burrio to Him Lord saue mee from such wickednesse and let neuer mine hands be a slayer of that man and yet this was the malice of the vngratefull Iewes Againe will ye consider the wonderfull loue that Christ caried to this people when they deserued nothing at His hands but death He dies for them when they were His enemies He shed His blood sor them thereafter when they executed Him and crucified Him beholde His wonderfull loue Hee brings them to repentance His mercie ouercomes their malice so that in them ye see that which is said to be verified Where sinne aboundes grace and mercie superabounds ROM 5.20 There is no comparison betweene the loue of Iesus and the sinnes of men Albeit thy sinnes were neuer so great and hainous yet the loue mercie of Christ will compasse them and goe round about them all so that no sinner hath occasion to despare of mercie and of grace I doubt not there is none of vs all but we will condemne the Jewes and will finde fault with the malice of this people but looke to thy selfe whilst as thou condemnest them that thou disfigure thine owne face and condemne thine owne selfe Are there none in this land that haue put hand in Iesus that died for them as surely as euer the Iewes did Who dare cleanse themselues Thou darest not say but thou hast pierced the Lord either one way or other There is not a sinne that thou committest but therewith thou hast pierced the Lord. Hast thou opponed thy selfe to the Trueth and persecuted the Gospell then thou hast pierced Christ Hast thou persecuted the Church of Christ and troubled His members on the earth thou hast pierced the Lord for Hee cries out Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee 〈◊〉 Hast thou beene giuen ouer to thy lustes and led a wicked life I say if thou bee in any of these rankes if thou gaine standest His Trueth persecutest Him in His members or by thy euill life Protest as thou wilt thou hast pierced Him as well as the Iewes and thou shalt bee as guiltie of His death as they were and as Pilate Herode Iudas and Caiaphas were challenged for His death so shalt thou except the Lord of His mercie grant thee grace to repent The Lord giue euery one of vs grace in time to repent IOH. REVEL 1.7 drawes this Scripture to the second comming of Christ in the cloudes for hee sayes They shall see Him whom they haue pierced and all the Tribes of the earth shall mourne before Him Of the which wee may gather that in the latter daye the very Elect when they shall rise and see the Lord when they shall see these handes and these seete and that side which by their sinnes they haue pierced thorow their first meeting shall bee with bitter mourning they shall mourne as a man will doe for His onely begotten sonne but immediatly that weeping shall be turned into joy and the Lord shall wipe away all teares from their eyes so that they shall neuer mourne nor sorrow any more but they shall be with the Lord and rejoyce with a solide joy for euer more Now I come to the buriall of that blessed body As the downe taking from the crosse came by a request so this buriall also comes by request But who requests for His buriall Not the Iewes that requested for His downe taking but good Ioseph of Arâ—mathea requests for the buriall The Iewes requested not for any loue they bare to Him but Joseph that worthy disciple of Christ requests vpon loue Then the thinges that we shall speake of the buriall this day are these First by the conference of the foure Euangelists wee haue a faire description of this man Ioseph Next we haue especially in the Gospell of Luke how boldly he comes to Pilate thirdly we haue the suite it selfe then the good and humane answere that he receiues out of the mouth of Pilate Then looke how this man is pointed out First he is described by his name his name is Ioseph Next hee is described by his countrey he vvas of Arimathea a tovvne in Iudea Thirdly he vvas described from his substance Hee was a rich and wealthie man and vvhat more What matter of all outvvard things of our birth of the place of it or all the riches and substance in the vvorld if there be no more Fourthly he is described from his office He was a wise and graue Senator and apparantly hee was in that Councell of the IEVVES which was called SANEDRIM yea apparantly he was on PILATES couÌ„sell because he was a wise and potent man But all these are outwarde thinges therefore the Spirit afterward paints him out by his inward qualities for if thou haue no good properties I will not giue a pennie for all thy calling thy substance and all outwarde thinges Hee is painted out in these qualities which concerne this life his behauior toward meÌ„ he is called a good vpright maÌ„ in his life But what helpe all these ciuill and morall vertues
Him wheÌ„ He was dead in y e graue alas she had another kind of loue to Him thaÌ„ we haue now but now albeit He be now glorified in y e Heauens we will suffer our selfe easily to sunder froÌ„ Him without a coÌ„plaint or mone but if we fouÌ„d either y e force of His death or yet the force of His life glory we would neuer be glad vntill we were joyned w t Him Now when she sayes they had taken away y e Lord albeit she speakes not y e trueth yet I will not say she made a lie but she failed in ignorance she spake as she thought but she knew not y t the Lord was risen IgnoraÌ„ce is a sore thing for wheÌ„ once any maÌ„ coÌ„mits a sin through ignorance he goes forvvard froÌ„ one sin to another so she makes an euil report to y e Apostles striue therefore to get this misty cloud of ignorance remoued froÌ„ thee for if thou takest pleasure to ly in it y e end of it shall be vtter darknes BrethreÌ„ marke y e mercy of God y e Lord layes not this to her charge it is said commonly loue hides a multitude of sins y e Lord vvhen He loues a person He casts y e mantle of His mercy ouer his sins hides them He vvill be loth to reuile them vvhom He loues a man vvil not shame another whoÌ„ he loues vvel much lesse will y e Lord doe it No He vvill cast y e cloak of His mercy vpoÌ„ them y t they appeare not before y e judgemeÌ„t seat of His Father Now I see further albeit those things were not true yet by them y e Lord brings good to y e disciples for they were lying in sluggishnes so wakens them so He works light out of darknes yet y t is no vvarrand for thee to do euill Let no man doe euill that good may come of it Rom. 3.8 Marke last coÌ„cerning this womaÌ„ Marie I see she comes to y e knovvledge of y e resurrectioÌ„ of Iesus with great paine for she waked y e night before w t care she comes out early in y e morning to y e graue goes home w t great care heauines It is not a litle thing to come to Christ in His glory thinkest y u to step in at the first to see God in His glory thou vvilt not get leaue to see y e glory of a King at y e first thinkest y u to come to Christ at the first No y u must come to Christ y e sight of His glory vvith many teares great paine But what if thou shouldst paine thy selfe all thy lifetime if thou get a sight of this resurrection in glory if thou gettest a blencke of y t countenance if it vvere at thy last end it shall svvallovv vp in a moment all thy displeasure paine if thou shouldest suffer martyrdome yet y t sight of His glory shall furnish such joy as shall swallovv vp all displeasure the sight of that eternall weight of glory makes vs to count all the afflictions of this present life to be but light and momentanean when we looke not to the things that are seene but to the things that are vnseene Thou thinkest the time here to be longsome but once thou gettest a sight of that glory thou shalt think it but a moment Novv leauing Marie Magdalene I come to the rest of the vvomen y t were at y e graue of whoÌ„ we haue these four things shortly first what they do they enter into y e graue of y e Lord for it was large not an hole surely they behoued to loue Him well in whose graue they went Next wheÌ„ they enter in the graue we haue set down what they see they see an Angell in the shape of a young man clothed in a faire white robe sitting in the graue thirdly we haue how they are terrified and lastly wee haue the speech of the Angell to the women Then first comming to the graue they runne not away as Marie Magdalene did but enter in the graue seeking the LORD and in this point they goe beyond Marie she went backe but they goe forward otherwise she went beyond them for loue zeale and faith in Christ No not one of the disciples surpast Marie Magdalene in loue faith and zeale yet they surpasse her in this point and as they excell her in going forward they get sure information of the resurrection of Iesus Christ for their reward Marke the lesson they who are inferiour in spirituall graces in some duties will excell them who are superiour and when the superiour falles backe they will goe forward and this lets vs see that it is the LORD who makes the difference Hast thou moe graces than thy companion Hee that preferred thee at one time will plucke His hand from thee another time and put them before thee and to this end that thou who gloriest in thy graces may glorie in the Lord for thy grace is not in thy selfe but in His Hand This for the first thing followes the next What see they They see in the shape of a young man an Angell cled with a long robe from top to toe I take this Angel to be y e same of whoÌ„ we spake y e last day who first remoued away the stone and then sate downe on it his eyes burning like lightening and cled in white rayment Novve this Angell withdravves himselfe and hides him in the graue vvhen hee savv the vvomen comming neere lest he should haue frighted them away he goes in the graue but he sate on the stone first to terrifie the men of warre lest they should trouble the women besides this there is another cause why hee goes in the graue beeing to testifie the Resurrection he chuses the commodity of the place that when he should get the women in the graue that the Lord was riseÌ„ in the graue he might instruct them better by the emptinesse and roomenesse of the graue that the Lord was risen from the dead Well that same Lord that terrifies the wicked with His looke that same GOD is mercifull to His owne and that Angell that terrifies the men of warre he is a minister of mercie to the godly women I say more at that same time whilst as He chases away the wicked in doing of that He shewes mercie to the godly and He terrifies the wicked that they should not bee a stoppe or terrour to the godly all the terrours and judgements of the wicked as they serue to the glorie of God so they serue for the well of His owne for the LORD hath not only His owne glory before His eyes but also of the â—ell of His owne Then consider againe the circumstance of the place wherein the Angell teaches these women the resurrection of Iesus Christ The Father of Heauen is very carefull of euery circumstance that serues for the testimonie of Christs Resurrection first Hee is carefull of the
They saw the stone away froâ— the sepulchre as the first did And they enter into the graue as the first â—id But they found not the body of the Lord Iesus and they are very sad and heauie supposing it had bene stollen away they see two Angels whom they supposed to be two men fearfull to looke on the first companie see but one Angell these see two and the earthly witnesses grow in number so the heauenly growe there was but one Angell only who appeared to the first companie now this companie see two Angels and all this was for the greater certaintie of the matter and resurrection of Iesus Christ they seeing two Angels are afraide therefore the Angells begin and comfort the women by telling that Christ was risen and bids them goe tell the Apostles Nowe wee shall marke something of the part of the women and then we shall come to the part of the Angels As this carefulnesse of the Lord that was in these women was worthie of praise so the Apostles carelessenesse of their Lord cannot be praised for it became them to haue come out first as the couragiousnesse of these women is to be commended so the Apostles cowardnesse merites no commendation and the moe women testifie of His Resurrection that same brings the greater shâ—â—c to the Apostles When thou art a man and hast a calling and wilâ— let a Wife goe before thee it shames thee and no doubt the force of His Resurrection was more powerfull in the poore women than it was in the very Apostles for all this spirituall courage flowes from the life of Christ for except He had risen from the death and that vve got life thorovv His life vvee vvould neuer haue life yea all the spirituall life and quicknesse that vvas in the fathers of olde vvas by the vertue of Christes Resurrection to come and all this quicknes of ours is by the vertue of His Resurrection already past if thou haue that life begunne it shall be a sure earnestpennie that thou shalt rise in glorie and liue a life like to the glorious life of thy glorious Head and Sauiour Iesus Christ Then I marke another thing in these women They are subject to diuerse perturbations of minde they come out with sadnesse and when they found not the body of the Lord Iesus their dolour is increased then when they see and heare the Angels they are terrified and last of all they finde joy Wilt thou compare the godlie vvith the vngodlie yee shall finde sometimes in the heartes of the vngodly greater peace than in the heartes of the godlie no paine nor vexation in them but they say peace peace as the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians the fifth Chapter and the thirde verse but beholde the end when they haue cried Peace then a sudden destruction from the Heauen shall ouertake them and their peace shall end in disquietnesse for euer The trouble of the godly endes in endlesse joy the godly beginnes in sadnesse goes forward in sadnesse but euer in the ende they finde joy and the greater trouble thou bee in in the ende thou shalt finde greater joy and vvhen thou shalt attaine to that joy the verie remembrance of that trouble that thou haddest in this life shall augment thy joy and thou shalt rejoyce that euer thou hadst trouble here if thou hadst bene euen burnt or martyred for CHRISTS sake and by the contrarie The wicked that haue liued heere in securitie vvhen they are thrust in Hell in endlesse paine and displeasure shall finde that the remembrance of the joy that they had in this life shall augment their paine and they shall curse the time that euer they liued here in such pleasure and had this false peace on earth This Historie is plaine and therefore I goe forvvarde I come to the part of the Angell the first speech is somewhat rough Why doe yee seeke the liuing amongst the dead Why doe yee this Then Hee comes on and sayes Hee is not heere Hee is risen Then he confirmes it by a reason Remember women what Hee said to you when Hee was with you in Galile Saide Hee not that Hee behooued to bee deliuered into the hands of sinfull men and bee crucified and to rise againe the third day This is the meaning in effect Then vvhere Hee beginnes with a reproofe there must bee a fault in them No the LORD vvill not reprooue thee for nothing I take their fault to be obliuion for so the wordes of the Angell import they had forgot that Hee should rise the thirde daye suppose He had told them Well Brethren I see this It is the vvill of God that vve neuer forget His word more I see If thou lettest it slip out of thy mind as we doe too readily the Lord will reproue thee but in His reprouing in His anger He neuer forgets mercy lenitie in reprouing of the women Hee makes the Angell to instruct and tell them that Hee vvas risen so in reproouing of thee Hee will teach thee and it learnes vs this lesson Alwayes in all reproofes teach them whom thou reprouest if thou reprooue them without a care to instruct them thy reproofe auailes nothing at all Then looke so soone as his anger goes away and when he hath spoken two wordes thereafter hee sayes Hee is not heere Hee is risen Remember He said to you He behooued to suffer and die and rise the third day So we learne this at the Angell It may be that God speake a word of anger but it will soone goe away and the mercy remaines for euer and when Hee hath laide His anger aside Hee teaches in mercie and I speake this to the childe of God Manie faults in vs all and nowe and then He speakes in anger that His owne perish not with the wicked world Hee will waken them with some angrie word and thinke as thou wilt and if thou be not wakened with some angrie worde thou shalt die in thy stincke and canker of thy corrupt nature and so long as we are here there is euer some matter of anger so that now and then Hee will speake to thee in anger for wee are as foolish children thinking and speaking as children and therefore haue need to be chastised but when wee are perfect men neuer an angrie worde nor a gloome shall be but alwayes mercie and pleasure for euer Then I marke another thing in the Angell Remember sayes he that the Sonne of man must bee deliuered into the handes of sinfull men and to die and the third day to rise againe as Hee shewed to you Well then I see the Lord He forgets not His owne worde that He speakes suppose the women had forgotten it No the Lord that speakes it thinkes neuer so light of it as thou doest Thou wilt forget soone and thou takest no thought of it but that word that He speakes either by Himselfe or by His Ministers He will neuer forget
that came out last will sometimes bee first at the marke and get the crowne Marke this well it lets vs see that to be true which Paul writes in the ninth Chapter to the Romanes and the sixteenth verse It is not in the hands of him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in the handes of the Lord that sheweth mercie when the Lord holdes His hande to thee thou wilt run and when Hee takes His hande from thee thou wilt stay behinde and hee that dragled behinde vvill bee before thee this is the course we keepe to that marke wee should not thinke that all men should runne alike and suppose thou seest a dragling person thinke not that person will neuer come to the marke Peter gets the sight first Iohn suppose he gote it not first yet hee gets it and it is said in the Text Hee saw and hee beleeued Marke the lesson Albeit there be many changes by the way yet hee or shee that vvill perseuere in dragling shall not vvant the crovvne as vvell as they that ranne speedily and came first It stands not so much in the fast running as in the perseuering it is not said he or shee that runnes fast shall be crowned but hee or she that continues to the end shall be crovvned looke ay thou pereseuere if thou may not runne goe yet if thou may not goe fall downe vpon thine hands and feete and creepe as it were a snaile or vvorme albeit it vvere but two foot in the day as euer thou wouldest be safe ly not still it stands thee vpon life death thou must weare away and night and day thou goest euer to this ende and if this outvvard man decay grovv in the invvard man and as thou grovvest vveake in this life striuâ— to grovv strong in that heauenly life that thou art to goe to Paul in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and the sixteenth uerse sayes As the outwarde man decayed dayly so the inward man grew dayly So to end this in a word As euer thou wouldest see Heauen goe either fast or else softly to that life Well it is saide They were ignorant of the Scripture that tolde Hee should rise againe from the dead and so because he saw hee beleeued hee should haue beleeued because he heard it for hee had the Scripture for his vvarrand hee and Peter should haue grounded their Faith on the Scripture Take heede to this The Apostle sayes Wee liue by Faith and not by sight yet hovv euer it be that man or vvoman beleeue they are blessed and blessed art thou man or vvoman that beleeuest either for hearing or seeing and suppose thou feelest him by the hands and beleeuest in Him as Thomas did that felt Him thou art blessed but that is an euill thing vvhen thou hast the vvorde and yet suspends thy faith vntill thou seest It vvas an euill thing in Peter and Iohn that they let the vvorde passe and beleeued it not it vvas an euill thing in Thomas that hee beleeued not vntill hee felt Christ and I say to thee it is a sure thing if thou refusest to beleeue vntill thou seest thou aduentourest and hazardest thy life and saluation and I say to thee if thou contemnest this word and say this I will not beleeue vntill I see Him I giue thee thy doome thou shalt neuer see Him to thy comfort nor saluation Therefore if He say to thee and if Hee promise Hee vvill giue thee Heauen beleeue it and lay holde on it although thou vverest dying and if Hee say to thee that Hee vvill giue thee life depend and sticke by His promise Thou honourest thy GOD in beleeuing and depending on His promise for thou canst not doe Him greater honour than to beleeue His promise And albeit thou see litle appearance outvvardly and if thou beleeuest the vvorde vvithout doubt thou shalt get a sight of Him one day to thy comfort and endlesse consolation Depend and waite on patiently with Abraham and euer sticke and lay holde on the promise and I promise to thee in His Name beleeue the promise of life and thou shalt see life beleeue in Him and thou shalt see Him one day Blessed are they vvho beleeue in Him and yet see Him not blessed are they who walke by Faith for one day they shall vvalke by sight Striue to beleeue in His vvord and looke on Him and Heauen and earth shall perish ere thou wantest that sight of Him one daye Yet I maye not passe by the vvordes of IOHN I see in him a wonderfull plainnesse and singlenesse of heart which of vs will bee contented that another registrate our faultes that anie other might reade them This man sinned this waye and that waye Then who will write vp his owne faultes with his owne handes as hee does Hee sayes hee was ignorant So then if there were none other argument to tell vs that this Booke is dyted by the SPIRITE of GOD and that it is the worde of GOD this singlenesse of vvryting their owne faultes without affection or selfe-loue which euer woulde entise vs to honoure our selues telles vs sufficientlie But naturallie rather than thou haddest thy Parentes or thy kinsfolke ashamed thou wouldest rather haue GODS glorie and justice smoothered and defaced But see if MOYSES spared to register the faultes of LEVI of vvhome hee was descended see if hee spared AARON See if hee spared himselfe No hee telles his owne fault hee telles his owne infidelitie And againe see if DAVID spares himselfe settes hee not downe his owne adulterie and murther IOHN registrates his owne ignorance Let GOD bee glorified and all creatures ashamed for to that ende were wee created for except Hee had respected His owne glorie wee shoulde neuer haue beene made Shoulde vvee not then seeke His glorie although it were with our owne shame IOHN learnes vs heere another good lesson howe often soeuer vvee faile through ignorance Alas vvee faile often through ignorance and misbeliefe and ignorance bringes on infidelitie And therefore vvhensoeuer vvee faile through ignorance laye not the blame of thy blindnesse vpon the Scripture In paine of thy life say not I am ignorant because the Scripture is obscure and darke as the Pope his shauelings blasphemouslie alleadge but I affirme that it is so perfect that all thinges appertaining to thy saluation are contained therein And I say in despite of the Pope thou vvho sayest it is obscure one day thou shalt not bee challenged so much for thine ignorance as for thy blasphemie against GOD when thou vvilt stande vp and saye The Scripture of GOD is not perfect but obscure and vvanting I tell you one daye these blasphemers for all their out-crying shall haue their mouthes sowed vp and they shall make an offer to speake and to saye The Scripture of God was not perfect but the conscience of them shall so strike them with feare and terrour that they shall not be able to answere one word Woe
to them that impaire the authoritie of the Scripture wee may pingle with them a while here but wee remit them to that great day that the Iudge appeare and then they shall receiue their reward for their blasphemie But to leaue them What are these Scriptures that preach CHRISTS Resurrection from the dead In what part is His Resurrection foretolde In the 13. of the Actes Paul preaching of Christ he confirmes it by the olde Scriptures The first Scripture is out of the 55 of Esay verse 3.24 Where He sayes Hee will make an euerlasting couenant with you of the sure mercies of Dauid Then he concludes Therefore it behooued the Lord to rise from death Marke the consequent No there is not such a thing as that euer mercie had continued if Christ had not risen The Apostle sayes in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the first CHAPTER and the 20. VERSE In Him are all the promises of God Yea and Amen No thou or I should neuer haue had Faith nor any spirituall grace if Christ had not risen So so oft as euer thou feelest a sponke or motion of that spirituall life within thee thou mayest say I am sure that Iesus is risen from the death for this is sure all grace and life flowes from the life of Iesus So if Hee had not risen thou shouldest haue had no life He hath another Scripture out of the sixteenth Psalme at the tenth verse Thou wilt not leaue my soule in the graue neither wilt suffer thine Holy One to see corruption Then hee concludes therefore Hee is risen How followes this It followes well enough for if He had not risen His body behoued to rot and to be corrupted as ours rotte And Peter in the second Chapter of the Actes and verse 31. vses the same testimonie Likewise in the fiftie three Chapter of Esay and the 8. verse where he prophecies of Christ he sayes And who is able to count His generation for all His death He is that euerlasting Essence meaning that albeit Hee died Hee shall rise to life without end There is another Scripture Then they should haue beleeued without sight But alas who is carefull to get this knowledge of this Resurrection and if we had a care to seeke Christ wee would turne ouer these olde Scriptures to see the prophecies of Christ to come then we would come to the New Testament to see these things accomplished so wold meditate in y e Scriptures night day to cōfirme our faith to get our hearts set stablished on the LORD for it is a matter of great difficultie to get the heart established with grace and if thine heart bee not established and filled with that worde thou wilt neuer see CHRIST nor gette anie grace in Him So to ende this I beseech you as euer yee woulde see CHRIST bee diligent to seeke the Scriptures that yee maye settle your heartes heere vpon Him and beleeue in Him that heereafter yee maye see Him to your comfort and consolation at His seconde comming when Hee shall appeare in the cloudes with the millions of Angels To Him bee glorie for euer Amen THE XXXIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 9 And when Iesus was risen againe earlie the first day of the weeke hee appeared first to Marie Magdalene out of whome hee cast seuen deuils IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 11 But Marie stoode without at the sepulchre weeping and as shee wept shee bowed her selfe into the sepulchre verse 12 And sawe two Angels in white sitting the one at the head and the other at the feete where the bodie of Iesus had layen verse 13 And they saide vnto her Woman why weepest thou Shee said vnto them They haue taken away my Lord and I knowe not where they haue layed him verse 14 When shee had thus saide shee turned her selfe backe and sawe Iesus standing and knewe not that it was Iesus verse 15 Iesus saieth vnto her Woman why weepest thou whome seekest thou Shee supposing that hee had beene the Gardener saide vnto him Sir if thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast layed him and I will take him away WEE haue heard Brethren before first of the out-comming of the first companie of women to the graue of the Lorde and of their returning home againe Secondlie vve heard of the out-comming of the second companie of women and their returning home againe Thirdlie and last of all we heard how Peter and John beeing wakened with the tidinges which the women tolde them of His Resurrection came out to the graue to see if it was so as the women had reported They ranne and in running they striue who shall bee first Iohn out runnes Peter whether it was because hee was younger and more able in his person or whether hee had greater joye in his minde I leaue that to anie man to judge and comes first to the graue and lookes in and goes backe againe Peter comes after him and lookes better about him and seeing the winding-sheete in one part of the graue and the linnen cloth wherewith the Lordes head was wrapped to bee in another part hee wonders at it and thereafter goes into the graue Then came IOHN againe who afore onely looked in and nowe the seconde time enters in and when hee sawe hee beleeued and went his waye Thus farre wee hearde the last daye Nowe in this Text ye will see MARIE MAGDALENE of whom yee hearde before who came to the graue of the LORD with the first company and drawing neare to the graue saw that great stone remooued who hastilie ranne home thinking verilie that the bodie of the Lord had beene stollen awaye and wist not where it vvas layed This same MARIE as appeares hath followed after Peter and Iohn suppose shee ranne not with them yet shee came soone after but before shee came they had gotten the sight of the graue and went awaye shee comming to it goes not in but stands without at the graue vveeping So this daye vvee returne to the Historie of MARIE MAGDALENE and first vve shall speake of her mourning And secondly wee shall speake of these thinges which shee sawe in the graue and about the graue and how shee met with the LORD for whom she mourned and last wee shall speake of the effect that followed vpon these sights as GOD shall giue the grace and as the time shall permit Then to beginne at the first it is saide in the Text Marie Magdalene stood without weeping when she came to the graue She enters not in the graue nor lookes not into it but abode in that opinion that the body of the Lord was stollen away she stands without weeping and mourning Nowe certainely I must ascribe this to a wonderfull loue of this woman there is no man that can expresse sufficiently this loue that she bare to Christ No well were wee if wee could loue Him halfe so well as she did Yet in this mourning shee sinneth
for all her loue her mourning passed measure No yee will not finde scarcely in all the Scripture such a mourning as was in this woman she mournes too much almost desperately for the body of the Lord she mournes in vaine where there was no cause of mourning but cause of joy The ground of all this mourning was ignorance and forgetfulnes she had forgotten that which He had tolde her that He should rise againe the third day shee remembred not but the third daye missing the body she thinkes it to be stollen away Marke this The godly when they thinke they doe best they are oft miscaried with their owne affections they are mourning for Christ and also louing Christ and yet in the meane time they are sinning against Him The ground of this in them is ignorance and forgetfulnes of the promises of the Lorde so that if yee would looke into that word ye need not be ignorant concerning God if thou mournest for ignorance blame thy selfe thou lookest not to the worde for if thou lookest into this word and mournest thou hast forgot as Marie Magdalene did and therefore thou deseruest to be casten in a perplexitie Yet to consider this somewhat better First when she came out to the graue shee ranne home and seeing the stone rolled away she tells false tithings and shee once conceiues a false opinion Novv she stands and abides in this opinion and vvill not goe in to the graue but stands without the graue and mournes desperately for a time Well Brethren after that once a vvrong opinion conceit enter into the head of any it is not lightly remoued againe thou mayest conceiue it lightly as Marie Magdalene did but thou shalt not lay it downe so lightly Beware of opinions concerning God religion ere euer thou suffer an opinion to enter into thine head consider it in the beginning had she considered it well shee had not beene ouer-come with it nowe Therefore let not opinions concerning GOD Religion and that Life to come lightlie enter into your heades Nowe at last she bowes her bodie goes in to the graue When she hath gone forwarde for a season in this vaine displeasure at the last the Lorde bowes her heart for if she had not bowed her heart she should neuer haue bowed her bodie to haue looked in to the graue Marke the goodnesse of the LORDE towardes His owne when they haue gone forwarde a while in their owne perplexitie the LORDE lookes vnto them and will not let them goe on so desparatelie to destruction but Hee wiil bowe thine heart first The first grace is not the giuing to thee the thing thou seekest but the moouing of thine heart to seeke is the first No Hee will not present Himselfe at the first before thee but Hee will haue thee to bowe thy selfe to seeke Him And it lyes not in the handes of anie bodie to bowe himselfe to seeke Him No as life is of mercie so seeking of life is of mercie And if thou gettest an inclination to seeke Christ and Heauen that is the first grace and He that hath gâ—uen thee the fiâ—st grace to seeke without doubt Hee will also giue thee the seconde to finde Him Nowe shee lookes in to the graue and her looking in is not in vaine for looking in shee seekes and seeking shee findes And marke what shee findes she findes not a dead bodie as she thought shee woulde haue beene glad to haue founde it but shee sees two gloriouâ— Angels sitting in the graue clothed in bright rayment the one where His head had layen and the other where His feete had layen So our lesson is this Bowe thy bodie and thou shalt see seeke and thou shalt finde yea I sâ—y to thee if thou wilt bowe thy bodie to seeke thou shalt get greater thinges than thou seekest MARIE sought but Christes deade bodie and shee findes Angels bearing witnesse that Hee was risen So in a worde Seeke and thou shalt finde greater thinges than euer thou soughtest Alas wee wâ—nt grace for fault of seeking And I testifie this that the worlde wantes grace and saluation for fault of seeking for their heaâ—te cannot bowe downe to seeke Nowe what sees shee Shee sawe Angels Peter and John saw something also but what sawe they when they went to the graue They sawe but a winding-sheete lying in one place of the graue and a kerchiefe in another but MARIE sawe not this onelie which might haue witnessâ—d that the LORD vvas risen and not stollen awaye for if Hee had beene stollen they vvoulde haue stollen the vvinding-sheete and the kerchiefe also Shee sees a fairer sight than IOHN and PETER did MARIE that vvas a vvoman sees a more glorious sight than two Apostles sawe they see but linnen clothes Marie sees two Angels and in this shee is preferred to the two Apostles That vvhich I saye of her I saye of all these vvomen that they vvere preferred aboue the Apostles Marke this yee that are vvomen All your sâ—xe is honoured in these vvomen The first and the seconde companie got the sight of Angels which none of the Apostles got And vvhen I consider this their preferment I finde it standes in these two poincts chiefelie First they get the first reuelation it is first tolde to them and secondlie it is not tolde to them by men but by Angels In both these the Apostles are postponed they get it tolde them by vvomen and then they get it tolde them in the seconde rowme So that all vvomen haue a prerogatiue in these vvomen In this That the LORDE giues this prerogatiue to this infirme sexe Hee shames the Apostles and that to this ende that all glorie maye be giuen to GOD. Yet I vvill not passe by the sitting of the two Angels Nothing heere fell out rashlie all vvas ordained hee that vvas appointed to sit at the head of the graue hee sate at the head and hee that vvas appointed to sit at the feete sate at the feete So the LORDE appointed that not onelie they shoulde speake vvith their tongue but also by their placing tell that Hee was risen And the Angell of GOD that sate at the head vvoulde saye Magdalene heere is the place where his head laye hee is risen And the other that sate at the feete vvoulde saye Heere is the place where his feete laye hee is risen It is euen so yet in the vvorld they whom Hee sendes to teache Hee disposes them so that by their sitting their going and standing Hee will preach and Hee vvill make their sitting to informe them that Hee ordained to life and saluation The Lorde vvorkes all for the weale of His Elect yea the least circumstance is for the weale and saluation of His owne Nowe to goe forwarde Marie hath seene a faire sight but stayes the grace heere and thinkes the LORDE Hee hath done enough because Hee hath let her see such a glorious sight No He will haue them also to speake They both
Woe to vs if Hee saye once Goe not to EDINBVRGH Woe is them and woe to that Towne where the Lorde forbiddes His Messengers to goe Beware of this that the Lorde saye not to His Messenger Goe to the North or South but goe not to EDINBVRGH for then shall wrath and destruction light vpon it What confusion and destruction lighted vpon Hierusalem after that the Lord had once turned His backe vpon it Yet sayes the Lorde Bid them goe to Galile and there they shall seeme They beleeued not others who tolde them of mee but there I shall speake vnto them mine owne selfe This is the great mercie of the LORDE towardes His Disciples vpon whome the LORDE shoulde neuer haue looked if Hee had respected their infidelitie but albeit they were vnfaithfull yet Hee remained faithfull and mercifull for Hee coulde not denie Himselfe but where there sinnes abounded there His grace surmounted aboue them all for as the APOSTLE sayes Where sinne abounded there grace abounded much more Now al the world was full of sinne when Christ came yet grace superabounded Now this was a meeke dealing with them that they shoulde see mercie aboue their sinnes to this ende that they shoulde by experience teach others for hee that feeles both miserie and mercie is the best teacher in in the worlde So beeing to sende them to teach others Hee lets them finde grace to superabounde PAVL Roman 5.20 sayes Where sinne abounded there grace superabounded Reade the first Epistle to Timothie Chap. 1. vers 13. there the Apostle sayes J was a blasphemer and an euill liuer and a persecuter this was his miserie and if the LORDE had neuer looked to him hee had neuer beene an Apostle nor a Christian man But what sayes hee thereafter The grace of the LORDE IESVS superabounded and for as high and weightie as my sinne was yet His mercie was greater and it weighed it downe So then yee see the LORDE cares for them that lye in miserie to tell them of it I tell you this daye yee are lying in miserie and Hee is carefull that the Preacher haue a sense both of miserie and of mercie to tell of the wrath of GOD which is manifest from the Heauen vpon all impenitent sinners And if thou wilt repent thee I assure thee though thou vvere the greatest sinner that euer was thou shalt haue mercie and therefore if thou hast gone long on in sinne yet euen for GODS cause at last take vp thy selfe and I promise thee exceeding mercie in that bloodie Sacrifice of our LORDE and SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST who hath died both for thee and mee and all penitent sinners To Him therefore with the Father and Holie Spirit bee all Honour and Glorie for euermore AMEN THE XXXVI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 11 Nowe when they were gone beholde some of the watch came into the Citie and shewed vnto the High Priestes all the thinges that were done verse 12 And they gathered them together with the Elders and tooke counsell and gaue large money vnto the Souldiours verse 13 Saying Saye His Disciples came by night and stole him awaye while wee slept verse 14 And if this matter come before the Gouernour to bee hearde we will perswade him and so vse the matter that yee shall not neede to care verse 15 So they tooke the money and did as they were taught and this saying is noysed among the Iewes vnto this day MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 12 After that hee appeared vnto two of them in another forme as they walked and went into the countrey LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 13 And beholde two of them went that same daye to a towne which was from Hierusalem about threescore furlonges called EMMAVS verse 14 And they talked together of all these thinges that were done verse 15 And it came to passe as they communed together and reasoned that Iesus himselfe drewe neare and went with them verse 16 But their eyes were holden that they could not know him WEE hearde hitherto in the Historie of the Resurrection of IESVS CHRIST Beloued in Him of sundrie vvitnesses of His Resurrection First Angels and next vvomen Namelie MARIE MAGDALENE vvas the first that gotte the sight of Him after His Resurrection and after her other vvomen gotte a sight of Him also and a direction to His Disciples to assure them that Hee vvas risen againe Nowe in this TEXT vvhich vvee haue read out of the Gospell of MATTHEVV vve haue a piece of Historie of another sorte of vvitnesses that testified of the Resurrection of IESVS euen of the men of vvarre who were sent out to watch the graue they came not to the Disciples but to the High Priestes and tâ—ey testifie vnto them of the Resurrection of IESVS Then in the Historie vvritten by MARKE and LVKE vvee returne to the true vvitnesses to vvit two of them that vvere His Disciples Hee meetes with them as they vvere journeying from Ierusalem to Emaus and thereafter these two tell the rest that the Lord vvas risen Now to goe thorow these two pieces of Historie shortly as God shall giue the grace and as time shall permit When the vvomen that had met with Iesus had returned Some of the souldiours that had watched the graue returnes home to Ierusalem to tell the things that had fallen out but they came not to the place where the Apostles vvere but to the place where the High Priests vvere from whome they vvere sent and they tell the Lord was risen The Historie is plaine these witnesses are the souldiours that vvatched the graue they haue not such a commission as the other witnesses had they are not sent by CHRIST nor by His Angels but runne of their owne accorde but yet they runne by the speciall prouidence of GOD No doubt His prouidence directed them to the High Priestes and not so much to instruct them for they vvere hardened as to let them see that they vvere disappointed of their expectation They obtained of Pilate to let men goe out and to keepe Him in the graue and to haue smoothered His Resurrection that it had neuer come to light and yet the LORD sendes these same men to Ierusalem as witnesses of that resurrection that they would haue smoothered as if they had bene sent out by the High Priestes to this ende that they should be witnesses they could testifie no better of it the LORD turnes it about so that they could doe no better if the High Priests had hired and waged them to be witnesses of His Resurrection It is a vaine thing to striue with GOD and to hide that thing that Hee will haue brought to light for hide it as thou vvilt in despite of thee He shall bring it to light to thy shame that Hee may bee glorified Novve to speake what they testified they testified the same thing that the vvomen had testified they testified the trueth they testified All that was done that IESVS vvas risen yet there is a great
and Hee bindes vp their eyes so that they could not knowe nor discerne Him suppose they had followed Him and had beene with Him long time before Thus farre wee hearde the last daye Nowe wee followe out the rest of this Historie and in this Text which presentlie wee haue read wee haue the communication which was betwixt the Lorde and them while they vvent out the waye they knewe Him not and Hee makes Him not to knowe them so each one of them is a stranger to others The Lord beginnes the conference and Hee demaundes of them first What manner of communication it was that they had while as they were in the waye And next seeing their countenance sadde Hee demaundes of them Wherefore they were so sadde These are the two things which Hee demaunded of them Nowe to note something of them As they walked out the waye yee see they haue beene sadde and their speach and communication by appearance hath beene a monefull complaint which they made concerning CHRIST Not vaine and ydle talke nor rejoycing in the tidinges but all their talke and speach came from sadde and heauie heartes But whilest they are sadde the LORD comes to them and Hee comes to comfort them Well is that soule that is sadde and mournes for Christ and His Kirke for that soule shall get consolation out of Christes mouth But if where there is matter of mourning thou be merrie then the Lord will not come to comfort thee It is true these men were sadde for Christ without a cause for that was the moste joyefull daye that euer was and therefore they shoulde especiallie haue beene joyefull that daye yet suppose they were sadde without a cause the Lord comes comforts them No it is better thou bee sadde for Christ for a matter that is joyfull than to bee gladde in a sadde matter choose rather to bee sadde for Christ than to bee merrie or ouer wanton And if thou bee sadde albeit there be no matter the LORD will pittie thee but if thou laugh rejoyce and take thy pastime the LORDE will let thee laugh on for a time but He will leaue thee destitute of all consolation when thou hast neede of it I tell you this aye There is no matter of laughing in this miserable Lande it were better for vs to mourne and to bee sadde for sinne that wee might gette comfort from GOD. Nowe to come forwarde CHRIST perceiuing these men to bee sadde Hâ—e drawes neare vnto them and Hee askes the cause of their heauinesse and what mooued them to bee so sadde and Hee desires them to reueile their mone and care vnto Him Suppose Hee makes Himselfe vnknowne vnto them and speakes to them as though Hee had no care yet no question this is His vvill that they shoulde reueale the cause of their care and sadnesse vnto Him that they might finde comfort in Him Brethren are yee sinners are your heartes filled vvith care it is the will of thy GOD and Sauiour IESVS CHRIST that thou poure out thine heart to Him let Him see thy sadnes Mark this It is no small matter to knowe GODS will vvee are slowe and sloathfull to turne vs wee will consume our selues and pine awaye in our sorrowe and griefe ere wee make our complaint and mone vnto Him who onelie maye furnishe vs with consolation and Hee knowes vs well enough and therefore Hee awaites not till we first reueale our griefes vnto Him and poure them into His bosome but Hee prouokes vs first and Hee will enter in and seeke them out as yee will heare He sought them out of these men with great difficultie Come yee to mee sayes Christ Matth. 11.28 all yee that are wearie and I shall refrâ—sh you I here is His will If thou be wearied come to Him and get rest and ease to thy soule If thou goe not to Him thou shalt neuer get rest nor ease whether thy trouble bee within thee or without thee Yea not onelie by word inuites and prouokes Hee vs but also by His doing Hee drawes vs Ioh. Chap. 6. vers 44. there Hee sayes No man can come to mee except the Father drawe him It is His will that thou shouldest come vnto Him but if Hee put not out His hande and drawe thee thou vvilt neuer come to Him in all thy life time And therefore vvhensoeuer yee heare this voyce Sinner come vnto mee then saye this againe vnto the LORDE LORDE drawe mee put thine hande to mine heart and drawe mee or else J cannot come to thee No except the Lord put out His hand and draw thine heart to Him thou art not come All the Kinges in the worlde are not able to drawe a sinner except GOD onelie Nowe consider their answere and see this communing The one named Cleopas takes the speach in hand the other disciple is silent and he answeres the Lorde verie roughlie not knowing with whom hee had to doe thinking Him to haue beene a passenger and stranger walking out of the waye hee sayes vnto Him Art thou a stranger in Hierusalem and hast not knowne the thinges which haue fallen out within these fewe dayes In these wordes because hee tooke the Lorde to bee a stranger and passenger going out of the waye yee cannot blame him in making such an answere And as he tooke him to bee a stranger he answeres well for when such wonderfull workes fall out in anie Countreye it becomes no man to bee ignorant of the wonderfull workes of GOD and if euer there was a wonderfull worke that worke of the Crucifying of the Lorde was moste wonderfull And if thou bee ignorant of the wonderfull workes of GOD thou merites a rebuke And as Cleopas marueiled so will the godlie maruell at thee who canst neither bee seeing nor hearing nor consider the wonderfull workes of GOD. It is a wonder to see the illumination of a sinner and the conuersion of the heart of a man to GOD and to see a regenerate man yea the raising of a deade man to life is not so marueilous as is the quickening of thee who art deade in sinne and trespasses as the Apostle PAVLE sayes to the EPHES. Chap. 1. vers 21. And as the quikening and illumination of a sinner is a wonder so also the blinding of a sinner is a wonder Is it not marueilous that though thou crie to him as thou wilt and albeit heauen and earth shoulde goe together hee will neither heare nor see As the Lorde is more than wonderfull to his owne in mercie to cause them to heere and see thou wonderest liâ—tle at his mercie but all the Angels wonder at it euen so in blinding and hardening of the wicked the LORDE is wonderfull Sittest thou heere nowe and seest not nor hearest not the LORDE All the world maye wonder at thee So the LORDE maye bee vvondered at either in mercy to his own or in justice to the wicked as th'Apostle speaking in the eleuenth Chap. to the Romanes hee wonders at it and
from morning till euening we should vvonder at that God and his works at that mighty GOD whom the Prophet calles Deum admirabilem To goe forward The Lord who knew all things for all thinges are naked to His eyes He knew better what was done than Cleopas did yet Hee will not take vpon Him that Hee knevv He misknowes them and He askes What are these things Marke it Brethren Hee got a rough and sharpe answere before and yet Hee leaues not off Hee will not leaue them but Hee beares vvith their infirmities and novv Hee giues another pull to the heart deales againe vvith them that they should povvre out their sadnesse and griefe to Him No if thou pertainest to the Lorde Hee vvill not leaue thee for an hard meeting suppose thou dravvest abacke Hee vvill giue thee another pull Albeit wee be vnfaithfull sayes the Apostle yet the Lord abideth faithfull Change as thou wilt the Lord shall neuer change but remaine ay constant in mercie to His ovvne till they be perfected and crovvned vvith glorie Then Cleopas seeing him to bee troubled with a stranger at the last hee must tell the vvordes that he and his companion vvere speaking as they vvent on the way Marke this lesson Repine as thou vvilt when the Lord dravves thee at the last thou must yeeld But vvhat is the cause that any sinners vvill yeelde vvhen the Lord dravves Euen the secret operation of His Holy Spirit and if he that drew them by the vvorde had not a secret power and operation by His Spirit in their hearts they vvould neuer haue yeelded Albeit the LORD vvould prooue them by speech and language albeit Hee vvould exhort them admonish them threaten them yea and scourge them to come to Him and vvell is the soule albeit it be scourged yea if it vvere harled thorovv the middes of Hell if it were thorow neuer so great difficulties in the world if once it get grace to come to Him yet none outward thing will make vs to come to Him it is the inward draught of His Spirit that makes vs to come to Him and drawes vs by the eye by the eare and by the hand if He take vs not by the hand we can neuer come to Him It is saide in the 2. Chapter to the Romanes and the 4. verse Hee drawes the reprobate and calles them but all that calling is but outwarde Hee vvill scourge them and dravv them outwardly but Hee neuer puts the feeling of His holy Spirit in their heartes and so they can neuer come to Him therefore whē the Lord is outvvardly drawing and calling thee say alwayes this Lord draw thou mine heart inwardly by thine Holy Spirit or els it will bee long ere it come to thee if all the sicknesses all crosses troubles scourges judgements that can bee and all this preaching that I heare will neuer cause mee come to thee except thou draw mine heart Now to come to the vvords that Cleopas speakes there is none of them but they vvould be marked he beginnes and rehearses to Him the vvhole summe of these things that hee and his companion had bene speaking and he propones them summarily he sayes All the things we haue spoken was Concerning Iesus of Nazareth Alas fewe of vs take pleasure to talke of Him therefore when the Lord comes takes thee by the hand looke thou mayest say Lord I haue bene talking of thee in some measure for as sure as the Lord laid to His eare to heare what Cleopas and his companion talked as sure He layes to His eare to heare vvhat thou speakest Then vvhen he hath tolde the generall hee lets the stranger know what a man Iesus vvas and then he telles shortly what had befallen him these two dayes and after he speakes of the effects that it had wrought in his heart and in the heartes of His disciples to wit that He was no Redeemer This is the whole conference I shall goe thorovv this conference as God shall giue the grace and as time shall permit First in describing of Him hee calles Him Iesus of Nazareth That was the stile hee gaue Him Marke it The first thing that hee speakes to Him is an vntrueth he calles Him Iesus of Nazareth No doubt he thought He had beene borne at Nazareth suppose they had the Prophecie that Hee should be borne at Bethlehem in Iuda Micah Chapters verse 2. and that He vvas borne there The ground of this errour that vvas amongst the Iewes vvas because of Ioseph and Marie dwelt at Nazareth and Iesus was brought vp there with them that false rumor spred that Ioseph vvas His father and that He was borne there but He was not borne there I grant it is true that after His resurrection Peter in the Actes and the Apostles themselues called Him Iesus of Nazareth as Cleopas here calles Him Iesus of Nazareth Also Paul in the twentie sixe Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles and the ninth verse calles Him Iesus of Nazareth but neither Peter nor Paul spake this of ignorance as if Hee had bene borne there but because they to vvhome they spake knewe Him best vnder that name they submitted themselues to their capacitie But as for Cleopas he knevve no better for he thought indeede that Iesus had bene borne at Nazareth so the first word he speakes is plaine vntrueth so yee see what it is to judge vvith the multitude The Papists will send thee to beleeue that which the multitude beleeues and makes the multitude a token of the true Church but thou shalt be beguiled with the multitude and if thou follovvest them because they walke in the broad vvay thou shalt perish vvith them Next consider His description Hee calles Him Vir Propheta Indeede He failed not in this stile Hee was a man and was a man indeede blood and bone as we are yet there is a defect in this vvord Cleopas knewe no more but that He vvas a man hee knew not that He was GOD and man in one person It is true Peter in the 2. of the Actes calles Him Vir Propheta yet hee knew Hee was the Sonne of GOD blessed for euer so as in the first wordes there is an vntrueth so in the next wordes there is a defect I marke this to let you see the ignorance that was in them before the LORD ascended to the Heauen It was a wonder that they who walked so long with Him should haue beene so ignorant the third time he calles Him A Prophet Indeede He was such a Prophet as was neuer before nor after Him yet there is a fault here he giues Him the greatest stile he thought Hee had but Hee had farre greater stiles for Hee is not a Prophet onely but also a Mediatour King and High Priest Then hee comes on and hee telles what a Prophet Hee was saying that Hee was powerfull in word and deede Nowe would to GOD we could speake of Him in loue with this poore man
if it were true y t two bodies might bee in one place at one time then it would followe that one bodie at one time might be in manie places But both these assertions are directlie repugnant to the nature of a bodie whatsoeuer it bee whether it bee a glorified bodie or a bodie not glorified It is but a vaine distinction which the Papistes haue inuented betwixt a bodie glorified and a bodie not glorified for a glorified body remaines a true body the glorifying of it takes not away the nature nor the natural properties of a bodie and therefore it cannot bee at one time in manie places but onelie in one place neither can it bee in one and the selfe same place with another bodie Next others thinke That when the body of the Lord went in at the doore the body of the doore was rarified and yeelded and gaue place to the Lords body that it might enter in when it had gone in it returned to its own estate was thickned made solide as of before euen as when the Lord was walking on the sea the sea was thickned made hard solide vnder His feet y t it might beare Him aboue therafter again incontinent it returned to its own nature This opinion is more tollerable than the former because it stands well enough with the Omnipotent power of God where as y e former sentence of the Papists cannot stand with His omnipotency because it includes a manifest contradiction Thirdly some thinke That whē the Lord was entring in the dore opened to Him and after He was come in the dore incontinent most speedily closed again This opiniō semes to be most probable wee read in sundrie places the like to haue bene done as in the 5. Chapter of the Actes the Angell of the Lorde opens the doores of the Prison where the Apostles were and shuts them againe And in the 12. Chapter of the Actes when the Angell brings Peter out of prison the yron gate opened vnto them of the owne accorde And likewise in the 16. Chapter of the Actes When Paul and Silas beeing in prison prayed and sung Psalmes to God all the doores of the prison opened and euery mans bands were loosed in the which places yee see When the Lord deliuered His seruants whether by the ministerie of His Angels or without their ministerie the doores were opened But in no place of Scripture we reade of the rarifying of a bodie and much lesse any thing of that vaine opinion of the Papists That two bodies may be in one place at one time and therefore this last opinion seemes to be most likely But in this point wee insist not Only one thing we marke out of this place that the LORDS comming is very sudden and vnlooked for how so euer it be that the LORD comes vnto men vvhether it bee in mercie as Hee vses to come to His ovvne vvhether it be injustice to the vvicked His comming is euer sudden and vvithout their expectation and therefore we should not be so carefull curiously to enquire about the particular comming of the LORD as vve should be carefull to prepare our selues that vvee may bee readie vvaiting for His glorious appearing that vvhen euer Hee comes Hee may finde vs with oyle in our lampes readie to enter in with Him Watch sayes the LORD for yee knowe neither the day nor the houre when the Sonne of man will come Now to end shortly Hauing spoken already of the circumstances of the meeting of the disciples as also of the marueilous appearing of the Lord to them it followes last that we speake of His saluting of them when He comes in amongst the mids of them He is not silent but He salutes them sayes Peace be vnto you This was His cōmon salutation which they were acquainted with no question He vttered it with such a homely familiar voyce that they might easily haue known that it was He none other y t appeared spake vnto them for Hee vvent about by all meanes possible to remooue all doubting out of their heartes that so they might haue a full assurance of His Resurrection and yet for all this very hardly could they bee perswaded that it was He and therefore Marke sayes He reprooued them for their vnbeliefe hardnesse of heart because they beleeued not them which had seene him beeing risen vp againe For such is the infidelity dulnes of our hearts that al the meanes that GOD vses is litle enough to make vs to beleeue Now when the LORD sayes to His disciples Peace be vnto you wee must not thinke that this was a bare and simple vvishing and desiring of peace vnto them without any further effect No wee must not thinke so This word was powerfull this wishing of peace behooued to bee effectuall in their soules because it proceeded from Him who is the fountaine and author of all peace and who Himselfe is our peace as the Apostle sayes Ephes 2.14.17 And when the Lord who is peace Himselfe comes to preach peace How can it be possible except the heartes of men be harder than the flint or adamant but that preaching of peace must be effectuall in their soules The Lord in this wishing of peace is not like man the most that a man can doe is to wish peace and to desire peace to others No man albeit He were neuer so holy can doe more hee cannot giue his peace that he wishes he cannot make his peace effectuall But Christ when Hee wishes peace Hee giues and communicates that same peace He workes that same peace in their heartes and therefore when Hee is departing out of the world comforting His disciples Hee sayes Peace I leaue with you my peace I giue vnto you not as the world giues giue I vnto you Ioh. 14.27 He sayes not only I leaue peace with you but I giue you my peace and that not as men in the world who can doe no more but wish I make my peace effectuall by giuing you peace The Lord make euery one of vs partakers of this peace that wee may euer haue matter of rejoycing in IESVS To whome with the Father and Holie Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 37 But they were abashed and afraide supposing that they had seene a spirit verse 38 Then hee saide vnto them Why are yee troubled and wherefore doe doubtes arise in your heartes verse 39 Beholde mine handes and my feete for it is I my selfe handle mee and see for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee haue verse 40 And when hee had thus spoken hee shewed them his handes and feete verse 41 And while they yet beleeued not for joye and wondered c. IOHN CHAP. XX. verse 20 And when hee had thus saide hee shewed vnto them his handes and his side Then were the Disciples gladde when they had seene the Lord.
that as those things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie those things behooued to be preached to the world So He instructes them in these two necessities Then Hee comes on in the second part of His preaching and giues direction to them to be preachers and witnesses to the worlde of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which He had promised them before His Passion and that they should haue the greater securitie He giues them commandement not to depart out of Ierusalem vntill they were endued with vertue out of Heauen this is the effect To come to the first part When they heard Him speake with a voyce familiar wherewith they had beene acquainted and that homely salutation Peace bee vnto you yet they would not knowe Him when they had seene His hands and feete yet they beleeued not that it was He when they had handled Him and felt Him yet they beleeued Him not for all this they were rauished with joy yet they beleeued not The Lorde will not leaue them in this vnbeliefe but He will let them vnderstand that it was He He teaches them by the sight of a bodily action Hee askes if they had aâ—y meâ—t They present to Him A piece of rosted fish and that was all the delicate they gaue Him and with it A piece of hony combe Hee takes and eates in their sight Hee eates the piece of the rosted fish and the hony combe Not that the Lord after His Resurrection had any need to eate any of their meat Hee who nowe vvas immortall after His Resurrection that was glorious and that vvas full of God and had all the powers of His soule filled with God What needed He their piece of fish or their hony combe to eate So it was not for any need He had that Hee eated but that He eated in their sight that they should beleeue that the Lord was a body a Spirit eates not neither drinkes The Lord therefore shewes them that He vvas no Spirit In doing this Brethren no question He humbled Himselfe beeing now immortall and glorious and full of God Was not this a humbling of Him an immortall bodie to take that mortall bread It is a wonderfull thing to see how Iesus Christ humbled Himselfe ay whilst He vvas yet still in this vvorld Beeing sayes Paul Philip in the forme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God He made Himselfe of no reputation taking on Him the shape of a seruant That is the nature of man in the nature of man became obedient to the Father for vs to the death to a vile death euen to the death of the Crosse a foule deâ—th and a sore death Then vvhen after He vvas once â—â—ade and risen againe â—nd should haue entred to His glory and haue passed to Heauen immâ—diately after His Resurrection to sit at the right hande of that Majestie Hee would not immediatly doe so but did deferre and delay it the space of fourtie dayes and all this time humbling Himselfe it was a small thing that when He was mortall to humble Himselfe but when He was immortall that Hee should haue continued so long humbling Himselfe for the cause of man it is a wonder amongst all the partes of His humiliation this is one part that He ate this mortall food And thou when thou shalt be glorified thou shalt not bee so farre humbled as to eate any food of this world thou shalt not be so farre humbled as IESVS CHRIST was humbled Was this Brethren for the Apostles cause only Was it for Peters cause Iohn Iames and the rests cause No Paul sayes All is yours speaking to the Church whether it be Paul or Apollo or Cephas or thinges present or things to come or life or death all is yours and ye are Christes and Christ is Gods 1. Epist to the Corinthians the 3. Chapter and the 21. and 22. verses So all the Apostles themselues were for the Churches cause I speake to you Paul Iohn Iames c. were for your cause and all this homelinesse of Christ with them was for your cause as they were for your cause so seeing the LORD hath so farre and so many wayes humbled Himselfe consider if wee haue not great cause to meete Him or not If any will bowe so lowe as to take thee by the hand wilt thou not put out thine hande againe and meete Him and thinke ye that this humbling of the LORD of glorie hath taken an ende it endes not so long as this Ministerie continues Know yee what this Ministerie and this preaching is It is but an humbling of GOD from Heauen and that for thy cause looke what Paul sayes in the 2. Epistle to the Corinthians the 5. Chapter and the 20. verse We are Ambassadours for Christ as though GOD did beseech you through vs we pray you in Christs stead that ye be reconciled to God There ye see that by this Ministerie GOD humbles Himselfe to pray thee to be reconciled with Him is not this an humbling of God euen that He should pray thee to be reconciled with Him He becomes a suter and solister for thy cause sayes the Apostle We pray you that yâ— should be reconciled to Him what is it to God to humble Himselfe if not this when He beseeches and requests vs by His Messengers and Ambassadours that wee bee reconciled to Him This exceeding humbling of the LORD as it lets vs see His loue vnspeakable towardes vs so it requires a meeting on our partes as wee would eschew fearfull judgements If the first humbling of GOD when He humbled Himselfe in our nature will not mooue thee to make Him a meeting it shall bring on a judgement If the second wherein He humbled Himselfe after His Resurrection so many wayes will not mooue thee it shall double thy judgement if the third humbling of Him now in the Ministerie will not mooue thee if thou contemnest the word and the Ministerie it shall triple the judgement albeit thou werest the King of the world O that judgement and wrath that shall bee heaped vpon thee thou shalt be thrust downe and plunged in Hel to be tormented for euermore Can GOD humble Himselfe for nothing No either shall it be for passing mercie or els for a passing judgement to thee for euer more Then Brethren yee shall marke in this place and I shall onely touch it by the way The Lord after His glorious Resurrection eated the meate they gaue Him Hereof it followes That after His glorious Resurrection Hee kept these naturall powers as eating and drinking if Hee kept them not how could Hee eate at this time if there was not a power attractiue in His stomacke how could the meat goe ouer to His stomacke This I speake to let you see when we shall rise be glorified and see our Lord vvhen this humbled bodie shall be translated to the likenesse of His glorious body as vvee shall keepe the same
confirmed To goe forwarde with the proposition of the argument vvhen He sayes It behoued all these things to come to passe He propones it not simply but whilst He telles it He secretly rebukes them Heard ye not of this before Are not these the words which I spake to you while I was yet with you Why haue ye novv forgote them seeing not long since I tolde you them I finde in the disciples of Christ a very great ignorance at the first Thinke ye that any of them knew one word of this notwithstanding they vvere foretolde in Moses in the Prophets and in the Psalmes No not a worde then vvith this ignorance I see a great forgetfulnesse albeit they knew not should they not haue remembred what their Lorde saide to them before His Passion and yet when they see Him suffer and see His Resurrection this cannot waken their memorie to say My Lord tolde me this therefore I will beleeue in them thou mayest see thy nature howe ignorant and forgetfull thou art by nature let thee ly still albeit thou werest Peter or Paul or the best of them let thee sleeepe on thou shalt die sleeping if these disciples had not beene wakened they had died this is the great and speciall mercie of God that He shewes to His own He wil let them fall in a slumber ly a while in ignorance but incontinently He will come giue them a putte with sharpnesse mercie waken them Thou who refusest sharpnes O that sharpe wakening that shall abide thee Therefore assoone as the Minister of God cries vnto thee O Catiue sleepest thou death and damnation abides thee if thou wakenest not but if thou wilt waken in time thou shalt finde mercy pray vnto the Lord that thou mayest be wakened for if thou wakenest not in time heauie shall the judgement be that shall ouertake thee wofull shall thy wakening be and the dolour that shall come on thee as the paine of a woman in trauell Our men for all our crying will not bee wakened but if they continue sleeping they shall goe to Hell Nowe to come to the assumption These things are written of mee that I should die and rise againe and no doubt when Hee telles this to them He falles out in a discourse of the Scriptures alleadging testimonies out of Moses the Prophets the Psalmes as the words following declare But to proceed Is the Lord content to alleadge the Scriptures simply Does He no more Marke it well as Hee alleadges and opened the Scriptures vnto them So Hee opens their minde and vnderstanding that they might vnderstand the Scriptures Would ye haue an effectuall preaching there is an effectuall preaching when these two goe together when the Scriptures are opened and the Lord puts in His hande and opens the heart and the dead soule that is sleeping to vnderstand that piece of Scripture which is opened Would yee haue the difference betweene the preaching of Christe and the preaching of His seruants all their preaching is nothing in respect of His Moses the Prophets and all the Apostles are nothing to Him when He preached that same LORD that spake had power in His owne hande and made His owne Spirite to open the heart neuer a preacher had that that the Lord Iesus had He had His owne Spirit to giue vnto His owne when Hee spake His owne word the preachers haue not that Spirit to giue but referres it vnto the Lord 1. Cor. 13.5.6.7 Paul sayes to the Corinthians who esteemed much of Paul O vaine men Paul is nothing he only plants Apollos is nothing he wateres but it is God that giues the increase if he blessed not the labour of Paul or of any other preacher all were lost labour if the Lord giue not His Spirit with the word man teaches in vaine In the 16. of the Actes verse 14. When Paul is preaching we read not that any are conuerted for all his preaching but only one woman Lydia happie Lydia When Paul preached it is not said that Paul opened her heart but that the Lorde opened her heart Paul deliuered the doctrine but the Lorde and not Paul had the Spirite to giue vvith the preaching therefore vvhen yee heare and come to heare euer crie Lorde open mine heart No creature no Minister none Angell yea all the Angels of Heauen will not open the heart of a sinner Crie for that Spirite that He would open thine heart that thou mayest feede vpon that food of life Nowe consider at what time it is that the mindes of the disciples are opened to vnderstand It was euen when Hee is exponing the Scriptures then their mindes are opened and at none other time to let you see in despite of the worlde that there is none opening of the heart none illumination of the Spirit but by this word by the hearing and by the reading of this worde Away with these fantasticke reuelations of the Anabaptistes awaye with the Pope and the crue of His shauelings who affirme that the Spirit will be effectuall at the preaching of his vnwritten verities at the dreames and fantasies of men which is not only not found in the Scripture but also is altogether contrarie and repugnant to the Scripture I pronounce let them heare albeit it were a thousand yeere the Spirite of Iesus shall abhorre that trash and peltrie Set me vp the Pope to preach these vanities to thee I denounce thy minde shall not be opened that Spirit shal neuer come to open the mindes neither of them who preach nor yet their mindes who heare them Goe vnto Rome sit and heare and lend thine eare to a flattering societie of their Clergie heare them on thy soule shall the more be blinded the more thou hearest the Spirit of Christ will only accompanie His owne word Looke what is our nature in the Disciples of CHRIST knowest thou it not their mindes were blinded sound sleeping while the Lord opened them They knew not what Moyses said or what the Prophets spake of Christ while the Lord opened their vnderstanding Nothing in nature but euill nothing but blindnesse in the mind Away with the Papist and his freewill fye on thee that thinkest thy selfe better than thou art fye on thee that knowest not thy naturall blindnesse and deadnesse thou wilt come and speake of thy Free-will and of the light of thy minde thou wilt saye that thou hast a Free-will to encline to heauenly things be not deceiued with the conceite of this engine naturall quicknesse Indeede in humane thinges a man will haue a great quicknesse and sharpnesse but bring him to the Scriptures of God to Moyses to the Prophets Apostles he is as blind as a Moldewarpe as fond as a foole the greater naturall wit and quicknesse that thou hast a sore thing the greater excecation and foolishnesse in spirituall things speake to the naturall man of the Scripture of all the fooles in this world he is the greatest the more
thou restrainest that grace that should bring poore soules to Heauen and saluation But to goe forward We haue heard the necessitie of preaching in whose name we should preach what we should preach and last to whome it should be preached to all Nations euen to the Gentiles O! if we Gentiles should not rejoyce that mercie and grace is preached vnto vs who were aliants from the grace of GOD. Now albeit this grace bee extended to all yet there is a difference in order of preaching for the Lorde sayes Beginning at Hierusalem As He would say this preaching must first be preached at Hierusalem and beginne there and before grace bee offered to the Gentiles grace first of all must be offered to the Iewes Grace pertaines first to the Iewes they were the people of God of olde and therefore they must haue their owne right and then when grace is offered to the Iewes grace is extended and runnes abroade ouer all the earth Paul sayes to y e Iewes It was necessary that the word of God should first haue beene spoken vnto you Actes 13.46 There is the order yet the Lorde loues Hierusalem forgets it not Hierusalem that crucified the Lord the Lord forgets it not the Lord will not cast it away but will send His Apostles to preach there first O how loth was He to cast away that Nation that He had chosen of olde from among all Nations a people that He hath once begunne with O how loth will He be to cast away that people Scotland hath a proofe of this I dare say it had not bene the patience that the Lord beares vnto this Land He had not spared vs so long because of the great contempt and disdaining of the Gospell But aboue all the rest that Nation which the Lorde hath chosen from among the rest to be a peculiar people to Himselfe He will offer grace to it first therefore the Iewes got this honour first to haue grace offered to them And as grace in this life is offered to the Iew so shall the Iew get first glorie in Heauen Paul Rom. 2.10 sayes Glorie and honour and peace shall be to euery man that doeth good to the Iew first and also to the Grecian And as the glorie shall belong vnto the faithfull Iew first so by the contrarie the vnfaithfull Jew shall first bee dishonoured for the Apostle sayes in the words immediatly preceeding Tribulation and anguish shall bee vpon the soule of euery one that doeth euill of the Iewe first and next of the Grecian But to ende heere I beseech you to striue vnto vnfained Repentance and to get an assurance of the remission of thy sinnes here if thou wilt be honoured in this life by grace and in the life to come by glorie in Heauen for neither grace nor glorie pertaines vnto impennitent sinners who lye like swine in sinne and delite in sinne But only to all penitent sinners where sinne aboundes grace and mercie superaboundes and that in the blood of Iesus Christ To whom with the Father and Holy Spirit be all honour and glorie for euermore AMEN THE XLIV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 48 Now yee are witnesses of these things verse 49 And behold I doe send the promise of the Father vpon you but tarie yee in the citie of Hierusalem vntill yee be endued with power from high AFTER that the Lord belooued Brethren in Christ in His fift appearing after His Resurrection by sundrie euidences hath gone about to perswade His Disciples that it was Hee Hee vtters a sweete Sermon for their instruction wherein first Hee instructes and informes them in two necessities the first is that all thinges that befell to Him as His Passion and Resurrection behooued to befell vnto Him the second is that as these things befell to Him of necessitie so of necessitie these things behoued to be preached in the world Next Hee giues them a direction to goe out and to preach this Gospell to the worlde We haue heard alreadie of the two necessities First that it behooued Him to suffer the death and to rise againe from death because these things were foretold of Him in Moyses and the Prophets and the Psalmes therefore of necessitie they behooued to come to passe We heard thereafter of the necessitie of the preaching of these thinges Profane men thinke preaching is for the fashion but they deceiue themselues for if there be a necessitie that thou shouldest beleeue that thou mayst be saued there is as great a necessitie that there should be preaching of the word for Faith is by hearing and without hearing no Faith no life no saluation In opening vp of this necessitie of preaching we marked vnto you the particular circumstances that are set downe in the Text Namely first in whose name this preaching behooued to be to wit in the Name of IESVS CHRIST Next whereof it behooued this preaching to bee to wit of Repentance and Remission of sinnes for that is the summe of the Gospel Thirdly to whome this behooued to be preached not to the Iewes only but to all Nations and last in what order this doctrine should be preached first to the Iewes beginning at Ierusalem and thereafter to the Gentiles Now in the Text that we haue presently read the Lord comes to the second part of His Sermon wherein Hee giues direction to the Apostles to bee Preachers and witnesses to the world of all these thinges promising againe to them that Spirit which Hee had promised to them before His suffering and that they might haue the greater securitie Hee giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they were endued with power and vertue out of Heauen But to come to the wordes after that Hee hath set downe the necessitie of preaching Hee giues them a direction and charge to bee preachers of these thinges vnto the worlde Now sayes Hee yee are witnesses of these things that is These things that yee haue heard and seene come to passe according as they vvere foretolde yee must not keepe them close and secret with your selues but yee must declare preach and testifie them vnto the world Nowe it is not without great cause that the Lord directes and sendes them out to preach for looke how necessarie it is that the word bee preached as necessarie it is that some bee directed and sent out by the Lorde to preach for How shall they preach sayes Paul except they be sent Rom. Chapter 10. verse 15. A man must not runne vnsent but before hee preach hee must haue a commission from God If we will enter in a particular consideration marke all things set downe in this Sermon we will finde there is nothing either concerning Christ Himselfe His suffering and rising againe or concerning the Gospell of Christ and preaching of it or concerning the Ministers Preachers of the Gospell falles out rashly or by fortoun chance but that all things come to passe by the
and how farre his nature is repugnant to that calling wee will thinke that of all things in the world it is most hard and most painefull It is an hard thing indeede to bring a man out of nature and make him a Christian but it is farre harder to make a man a teacher of Christians and a disposer of the treasures of grace and of the secrets of God Nowe when I beginne to consider what should haue mooued the Lord to haue chosen such persons and so vnmeete for such an high calling I thinke this chiefly hath beene it that when the Apostles went out to preach Repentance and Remission of sinnes to others and to exhort all persons howe grieuouslie so euer they had sinned to come and to seeke mercie in Christ they might propone themselues as examples of the superaboundant mercie of God and that they in their Ministerie might declare and make manifest the gentlenesse and long suffering of God towardes all men euen the greatest sinners in the worlde and that by the proofe and experience that they found in their owne person of the mercie of God in calling them and placing them in that high calling who before vvere so miserable wretches and so vpon their owne experience they might the more easily perswade euen the most miserable sinners to seeke for mercie and grace in Christ When Paul preaches Where sinne aboundes there grace and mercie superaboundes if hee had not found this by experience and had not stoode for example hereof hee would not so easily haue perswaded sinners of the exceeding greatnesse of the mercie of God But to goe forward Because this direction that He giues them and this Ministerie He calles them to was very painfull and troublesome and so they might haue taken hardly with it therefore in the words following the Lord goes about to encourage them to vndertake it and to discharge it chearfully the Argument is of great force Beholde sayes He I will send the promise of my Father vpon you that is I will send vnto you the Holy Spirit Himselfe with Him His extraordinarie giftes and graces as the gift of prophecie of working of miracles of tongues and such other that ye may bee the more able to discharge this calling and to performe the worke I send you for Hee calles this the promise of His Father because the Father long before by His Prophetes promised at the comming of the Messias to send His Spirite in great abundance vpon them that beleeue Yee may read this promise in sundrie places of the Olde Testament but chiefly in the 2. Chapter of the prophecie of Ioel and the 28. verse In the last dayes I will powre out my Spirit vpon all flesh and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie your olde men shall dreame dreames and your young men shall see visions and also vpon the seruants and vpon the maides will I powre my Spirit c. And of the accomplishment of this promise ye may read in the 2. Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles Out of this place wee may marke first That the things which the Father promised of olde to His Church the Sonne in the appointed time accomplished them the Father promised of olde the Spirit and His graces the Sonne in the fulnesse of time sendes the Spirit and His graces and giues them to His Church and for this cause the Spirit and His giftes that is giuen to euery faithfull man is called the measure of the gife of Christ Ephes Chapter 4. verse 7. And thereafter in that same Chapter ver 11. the Apostle sayes That Christ to the end He might fill all things Hee gaue some to bee Apostles some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastours and Teachers that is He gaue all sorts of gifts vnto His Church that He might fulfill the promise of His Father and all these giftes and graces that we see are now in the Church from whome came they but only from the Lord Iesus This leadeâ— vs to an higher ground that the Sonne hath receiued of the Father all graces and all the giftes of the Holy Spirit together with the Holy Spirit Himselfe the Father hath giuen all first to the Sonne and not to vs for the Father loues the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into His hand Ioh. 3.35 And In Him are hid all the treasures of wisdome knowledge Coloss Chapter 2. verse 3. Yet there is an higher cause of this to wit that the Sonne only hath merited the Holy Spirit with the fulnesse of all His graces No man euer merited any of them for who can merite them but hee who first receiued them The Lord Iesus receiued them first wee haue none but as He giues vs Hee merited and purchased them to vs with no lesse price than with the ransome of His owne blood Now wouldest thou know how all these graces that the Lord hath boughâ— with such a deare price are communicated to thee and made thine I will tell thee Not by any merite of thine own for thou couldest merite nothing at the Lordes handes but Hell and damnation but it is of the free grace and liberalitie of the Father and the Sonne that they are made thine it is of this grace that out of His fulnesse we receiue grace for grace When the Apostle Coloss Chapter 2. verse 9. hath saide In Him dwelles all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily thereafter he subjoynes And ye are compleete in Him as if hee had saide All this fulnesse is made yours of free grace whilst as by Faith yee take holde of Him Consider the wonderfull bountifulnesse and liberalitie of the Sonne to thee who giues thee these graces freely that Hee bought so dearely and purchased with such a worthie price Yee know sayes the Apostle the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that He beeing rich for your sakes became poore that ye through His pouertie might be made rich 2. Cor. 8.9 Now ere I go forward I marke another lesson that the Spirit of God pointes out clearely in these words for our instruction for when the Lord sayes I will send you the promise of my Father vpon you that is the Holy Spirit with His graces He lets vs see that without His Spirit His presence and assistance a Minister cannot be able to doe any thing well in His calling but that in the discharge of euery part of His calling hee must bee assisted by the Spirit The Apostle Paul when hee is telling what good successe his preaching had among the Gentiles he takes not the praise thereof to himselfe but he ascribes all to the presence of Christ by His Spirit I dare not sayes he speake of any thing which Christe hath not wrought by mee to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deede Rom. 15.18 It is not with a Minister as it is with a man in the ciuile policie No there is a great difference for in the ciuile policie a man by his naturall giftes by his wisdome
testified vnto him that the Lord was risen and had appeared vnto them that they sawe Him with their eyes heard Him with their eares and handled Him with their hands yet such was the incredulitie of Thomas that he professed plainly that in no cace he would beleeue except hee saw in His hands the print of the nailes and put his finger in the print of the nailes and put his hande into His side To remedie this incredulitie of Thomas the Lord appeares now the sixt time eight dayes after His former appearings when His disciples were met together and Thomas with them Iesus came the doores beeing shut and stood in the middes of them and saluted them after the accustomed manner saying vnto them Peace be vnto you Now in these words which we haue presently read we haue the Lordes conference with Thomas first Next in the last wordes of the Chapter the Euangelist meetes mens curiositie affirming albeit all things that Iesus did were not written in this Gospell yet it was not vnperfect because all things were written that were necessarie to life and saluation In the conference that the Lord hath with Thomas Hee meetes him not roughly and rigorously as his incredulitie had justly deserued but with lenitie and meekenesse Hee endeuoureth to make him to beleeue by granting him his desire Thomas had plainly professed that except hee sawe the print of the nailes and put his hande into His side hee would not beleeue therefore the Lord sayes nowe Thomas Put thy finger heere and see Mine handes and put foorth thine hande and put it in My side and bee no more faithlesse but faithfull See the gentlenesse of the LORD and howe louingly Hee speakes to him Thomas was not onely incredulous but also he was stubburne obstinate proud and arrogant hee counted others fooles that beleeued hee professed that in no cace hee would beleeue without seeing and feeling of the LORDES wounds Now the LORD grantes this to Thomas which he desired albeit hee was vnworthie of it yea the LORD inuites him and louingly bids him put his hande in the print of the nailes and in His side for the LORD speakes not this in bitternesse and tauntingly to Thomas for the wordes that He subjoynes Be not faithlesse but faithfull testifie that Hee spake of loue and in lenitie to Thomas to make him to beleeue It is true indeede the wordes containe a sort of reproofe and rebuking of Thomas for his incredulitie but this reproofe is so tempered and seasoned vvith such lenitie and meeknesse that scarcâ—ly can it bee perceiued and taken vp This dealing of the LORD with Thomas le ts vs see how great is the mercie gentlenesse and long suffering of the LORD IESVS towards sinners whose sinnes deserue nothing but wrath judgement such is His mercie and meeknesse towards sinners that to the end Hee might please vs Paul sayes Rom. 15.3 Hee would not please Himselfe He suffered shame ignominie for vs He suffâ—red dolour paines for vs He died for vs and after Hee rose He spared no trauell to make the Apostles belâ—eue sundrie times did He appeare to them now He appeares for Thomas cause albeit he had runne very far in the course of infidelitie stubburnesse yet He striues by granting him his desiâ—e to perswade him and make him to beleeue The Lords gentlenesse and long suffering is very great towardes all men euen the verie reprobate themselues who refuse the riches of His bountifulnesse and patience and long suffering not knowing that the bount fulnesse of GOD leadeth them to repentance Rom Châ—pter 2 verse 4. For as Paul sayes Hee suffereth with long patience the vessells of wrath prepared for destruction Rom. Chapter 9. verse 22. But it is greater towardes his owne in whome Hee sees some sponke of grace to bee for albeit Hee finde it to be very small and heauily oppressed and smoothered downe by the corruption of our flesh and of our cankred nature yet He endeuoures to cherish and intertaine it for Hee breakes not the brused reed my quench the smooking flaxe Esay 42.3 Matth. 12.20 But Brethren it serues for no purpose to speake of this gentlenesse and bountifulnesse of the Lord except wee haue a sense and feeling of it in our owne soules and except we taste how sweete and bountifull the Lord is for no wordes can expresse it no wordes can perswade a man of it except he finde the proofe and sense of it in his owne soule The Lorde worke a feeling of it in euery one of our hearts that we may speake of it with the greater assurance perswasion But there may be a question mooued heere The desire of Thomas seemes to be vnlawfull and vnreasonable why then should the Lord haue granted it to him How standes this with His Iustice How agrees this with that vnchangeable Nature of GOD in Christ To this I answere That Thomas failed not in this that he desired to see the Lord for that is the desire of all the Sainctes but in this he failed as we heard before that he tied his faith so precisely to his outwarde senses to seeing and handling that hee professed that no wise he would beleeue except hee saw the Lord and felt Him yet no question he had in the meane time some spirituall desire to see the Lord and hee had a true and sincere loue towards the Lord. This louing dealing of the Lord with Thomas teaches vs this comfortable lesson The Lord markes not narrowly the infirmities and wants that are in His owne Hee lookes not narrowly to the weaknesse of their Faith to the imperfections wants of their prayers and requests for their prayers are full of wants and imperfections but Hee passes by their imperfections Hee ouersees their infirmities and misknowes the corruption wherein their Faith their prayers and desires are inuolâ—ed and ouercled and Hee hath a regard to their Faith albeit they haue it in neuer so small a measure for the Lord knowes the meaning of His owne Spirit euen then when He is wrestling into vs against an inumerable number of our infirmities sinnes and corruptions Happie is that soule that hath a sponke of true Faith for the Lord will regarde it and ouersee many infirmities and imperfections in him Thus farre of the Lords speech to Thomas Now followes the answere of Thomas vnto the Lord Thomas meetes Him with a notable confession Thou art my Lord and my God The Text makes no particular mention vvhether or not Thomas put his finger in the print of His vvounds and his hand in His side when the Lord bade him If so hee did and vvould none otherwise beleeue then surely hee hath beene very hard of heart impudent and obstinate vvho vvould not beleeue when he saw the Lord with his eyes and heard Him speaking to him But it is more probable and I am of that judgement that so soone as Thomas sawe the Lord and heard Him speaking that he was ashamed of his incredulitie
he came to himselfe bethought himselfe for it is a wonder to see howe soone the soule of the most obstinate and indured man will be turned when it pleases the Lord to be effectuall in it by His presence The rest of the Apostles beleeued not so soone as they sawe the Lord heard His voyce albeit their incredulitie was not so great as was the incredulitie of Thomas yet when it pleased the Lord to open their eyes and to illuminate their vnderstanding they beleeued And Thomas vvho by many degrees surpassed all the rest in incredulitie after that once he saw the Lord and heard Him incontinently he beleeued and gaue a notable confession of Him Then marke it Brethren Faith dependes not on our selues on the strength of our nature on the free wil of man or vpon such such disposition of the soule but it dependes vpon the free mercie and good pleasure of God It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in GOD that sheweth mercie Rom. Chapter 9. verse 16. Therefore when wee see any beliefe in CHRIST let vs euer giue the praise thereof to GOD and not to the man as if it were of his naturall strength power and inclination But let vs consider this confession of Thomas and the grounds vvhereupon it arises he sayes Thou art my LORD and my GOD. This confession that hee giues of the LORD proceedes from a cleare light whereby his minde was suddenly illuminated and that by the powerfull and effectuall presence of the LORD his minde was first illuminated to see CHRIST to be the LORD as He is man for CHRIST as Hee is man is LORD ouer all thereafter to see Christ as He is GOD for by the vaile of the flesh and of the nature of man Hee is led in and gets accesse to see the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in Him bodily Next this confession proceedes frō the apprehension of the heart whereby it felt the Lord and tooke holde of Him for as that cleare light shined in his minde so also the heart of Thomas was opened to embrace the Lord and to draw Him in to himselfe and therefore hee calles Him not simply Lord but my Lord he stiles Him not simply God but my God For no question this plaine and cleare confession testifies that there was a cleare illumination in the minde and a full perswasion in the heart of Thomas of that which he confessed If wee compare Thomas with the rest of the Apostles wee will finde that as he surpassed them farre in vnbeliefe so he surpasses them farre in beleeuing and confessing of the LORD for such a confession hath not beene hitherto vttered by any of the Disciples so that in this example we may see verified that common saying The last shall be first and the first shall be last The rest of the Apostles were before Thomas in Faith they beleeued before him but nowe Thomas by a suddaine change runnes out before them hee hath a clearer sight and a greater measure of Faith than they had The rest of the Apostles had the Holy Spirit giuen them and that strengthened their Faith but Thomas who then was absent after that once hee see and heare the Lord he findes such a cleare and marueilous light in his soule that hee vtters a more glorious and notable confession than any of the rest had done before And this likewise teaches vs to ascribe the praise of all the benefites and graces that is in man to the grace and mercie of GOD who distributes to euery man according to the good pleasure of His will that which Hee thinkes meete for as was said before It is not in him that runneth nor in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercie This sudden change and notable confession which Thomas giues of the LORD teaches vs yet further that there was some sponkes of grace and of spirituall desire left into the soule of Thomas to see the LORD and to enjoy His presence for except there had bene some piece of desire to haue seene Him how could hee vpon a suddaintie haue embraced Him so willingly and joyfully as one long desired and looked for For the wordes of Thomas importe first that hee had great sorrowe and sadnesse in His soule because as hee thought hee had lost the LORD Next that hee had a desire to finde Him and to see Him againe And thirdly that hee had an exceeding great joy when he found Him and by his expectation saw Him and enjoyed His presence This serues for thy comfort who hast gotten a measure of grace albeit the corruptions and infirmities of the flesh striue to drowne and smoother and suffocate it yet neuer shall it altogether be abolished and extinguished but at last it shall wrestle out and preuaile and ouercome the corruption Now to come forward to the LORDES replie to Thomas Hee answeres him Thomas because thou hast seene thou beleeuest blessed are they which haue not seene and haue beleeued Hee sayes not because thou hast touched Mee but because thou hast seene Me. So in my judgement Thomas touched not the Lord but contented himselfe with the seeing of the LORD and hearing of His voyce Hee acknowledges the Faith of Thomas but Hee extetenuates it in comparison of others Hee praises not Thomas for His Faith because hee tied his faith to his senses Hee beleeued because hee sawe Him but Hee praises and commends the Faith of others who no counting of the outwarde sense should beleeue in Him albeit they saw Him not Albeit Hee acknowledges the Faith of Thomas Hee calles him not blessed for it but Hee pronounces them to be blessed who haue not seene Him and yet doe beleeue These wordes of the LORD to Thomas le ts vs see that the case and condition of them who beleeue without seeing is nothing worse nor inferiour to the case and condition of them who haue not seene the LORD and vpon sight haue beleeued We this day who haue not seene the LORD face to face but only haue heard His worde and beleeue are nothing inferiour to them who sawe Him and beleeued and namely to Thomas who would not beleeue except he saw the LORD and if there were no more to assure thee who hast not seene the LORD IESVS and yet beleeuest that thou art blessed this joy that thou shalt finde in the middes of thy greatest sorrow and affliction might be a sufficient argument to perswade thee for Peter sayes The Godly in the middes of their affliction beleeuing in Christ whome they haue not seene reioyce with a ioy vnspeakable and glorious 1. Pet. Chapter 1. verse 8. Indeede in this life the blessed estate of them who beleeue in Christ is neither clearly seene by others neither is it throughly felt by themselues for it is not seene what wee shall be and heere only haue wee the first fruites of the Spirite and a foretasting of these things that shall bee reueiled but in that
loued Iesus and that exceedingly they would soone haue fainted we want the tenth part of that loue to Iesus that they had alas all is vanished away Would Peter or Paul or any of them haue borne out these things if they had wanted the loue of Christ if it had not constrained them No 2 Cor. 5 14. he sayes We are fooles but for Christs sake for that loue of Christ constraineth me that is the loue of Iesus occcupies so all my senses that it beares mee out thereafter he resolues that loue which he caried to Christ into the owne cause where he subjoynes Bâ—cause we know that if â—ne be dead for all then were we all dead the ground of His loue was because Christ loued him and this loue is the cause that makes His owne to doe all to suffer all for Christs sake to liue to Him to die to Him looke if thou findest that Christ loues thee then thou wilt loue Him so that thou wilt not refuse if it were a thousand deaths for His cause O the loue of Christ is a great gulfe No it will drowne greater persecutions than the Sea will Pray therefore that the loue of the Lord Iesus may be in thine heart that thou mayest loue Him againe Now againe if the faithful dischaâ—ge of the dutie of a Pastor must proceede of necessitie from the loue of Christ as the effect froÌ„ the cause Then marke how ye shall know whether a man loue Christ or not a King a Minister euery Professor whosoeuer Would ye haue a token looke if he be faithfull in his calling if this be a necessâ—ry effect then marke their works by their works thou shalt know them the loue cannot be seene with the eye it is vttered by a marke by the life wheÌ„ thou seest a man well occupied in his own calling the King ministring Iustice the Pastor feeding his people certainly thou mayest say Yone man loues Christ but if the action be inlacking what warrand haue I that a man loues God I haue none The Apostle Paul by the confusions and perturbations which he saw to be in the Church of Corinthus gathers that the false teachers these deceiuers loue not y e Lord Iesus therefore he denounces a judgment against them saying If any man loue not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be had in execratioÌ„ yea excoÌ„municated to death 1. Cor. 16.22 I say an vnfaithful Pastor who feedes his own bâ—lly not Christs sheepe is accuâ—sed not only because he spoiles y e Church of Christ but also because he loues not y e Lord Iesus Woe shall be to him one day by y e contrarie a faithfull Pastor ô what honour glory shal he be exalted vnto Yet againe these words would be considered the word of feeding would be looked to it is a borrowed word to speake properly a Minister feedes not it is an Heard that feedes neat and sheepe the Scripture applies not this word only to Ministers but to Kings for looke how busie as an Heard is going about feeding his flock as busie should a King be in his calling a King is but an Heard set ouer to feed y e people of God but the Scripture commonly in the New Testament applies it to Ministers because in a Minister there should be as great diligence painfulnes carefulnes toward y e people as in y e Heard toward y e flocke if there were no more to teach this this threefold so earnest coÌ„mendation to Peter the rest were sufficient It is true that y e Lord Iesus Himself is the Prince of y e Pastors yea properly He is only Pastor He is the Heard therefore He clamâ—s this stile to Him Job 10 1. For why the flock is His not y e Ministers therfore He sayes Feed my lambes then ye are his flocke He is your Pastor properly Againe it is His food that y e flock is fed with all y e store of y e fodder of grace is out of His barne If a Minister minister to you y e smallest portion of food which is not taken out of y e barneyard of Iesus it is poyson he giues you Knaues haue deceiued y e world long the Pope his shauelings haue propined poyson to y e people haue made many thousands goe to Hell giue Christs flocke Christs food But notwithstanding that Christ properly is y e only true Pastor yet louingly he coÌ„muninicates this His stile to them whoÌ„ He employes in His seruice of y e Ministerie Thou y t art a Minister He cals thee a Pastor but thou art but as a seruant laid vnder y e chiefe shephâ—ard they are not Lords of y e flock No not the best of them No not Lords but dispensators so they are not propeâ—ly Pastors Seeing then such is the mercy of the Lord that He so honours them that Hee coÌ„municates His stile to y e Ministers therfore they should striue to shew theÌ„selues worthy of that stile by y e faithfull discharge of their calling in feeding of y e flock But who are they that should be fed Christ sayes first Feed my lambes then He sayes twise Feed my sheepe all is one for y e Kirke is compared to a folde full of sheepe He sayes not Goe feed tygres lions wolues but lambes sheepe Who are these then By these lambes sheep the Lord vnderstands His Chosen Blessed is hee that is chosen in Christ for great is the number of them that perishes a very haÌ„dfull shall be saued they must be more tame ones sillie simple ones like sheep Ye see y e sheep euer receiuing hurt neuer noysom nor hurtfull to any other Any beast will ouercome a sheep but it wil ouercome none so it is silly simple ones y t are Christs sheep Now I mean not y t all th'Elect are at y e first hand as silly as sheepe no but y t they who were before like wolues lions tygres by y e Spirit through the preaching of y e word by processe of time are tamed and made like sheep No no wheÌ„ Peter went out to feed theÌ„ they were like tygres raging in their lusts No the chosen by nature before they be tamed called they are nothing differeÌ„t froÌ„ y e reprobate they rampe and roare like lioÌ„s albeit in y e secret couÌ„sel of God His decree of predestinatioÌ„ by His grace there be a great differeÌ„ce betwixt y e one y e other for God only makes a differeÌ„ce betwixt His Elâ—ct the reprobate What was Paul himselfe or any other before they were called but wolues tygres TheÌ„ y e Pastor albeit he find men as wolues tygers yet he should not stay froÌ„ feeding of theÌ„ no he must preach y e Gospel y t therby he may make of wolues tygres lambes and sheepe for many of them that were like tygres after they had once hearde the voyce of the Apostles became simple as sheepe Nowe it may bee
curiositie First hee forgets his owne calling Secondly hee is too curious in his brothers calling Lastly hee does an injurie to Christ makes an eruption vpon Christes office to spoyle Him of His authoritie and power to call all and thinke ye not albeit the Lord now adayes as Hee did Peter then but He lookes with an angrie eye vpon curious men This rebuke is registrated to rebuke thee if thou be giuen to curiositie But it would bee marked that albeit the Lord be angrie with Peter yet neuerthelesse He forgets not His mercie When He found him to linger in his course the Lord leaues him not but He puts out His hand and takes holde of him therefore He sayes Follow thou me This is the mercie of the Lord towards His owne that when He rebukes them He leaues them not there but He will put out His hand and pull them in againe to Him No neuer one of vs would goe forward except by a new grace pulled vs forward except the Lord led vs by the hand there could not be such a thing as a man could be saued There is such a stumbling and wauering in our nature therefore Paul saide I striue by all meanes to attaine to the Resurrection of the dead Yea rather sayes he I am comprehended of Christ Jesus Phil. 3.11 12. Therefore ay cry for grace after grace otherwise thou canst not goe one foot right forwarde much lesse perseuere to the end Ye will aske a question Should neuer one of vs be carefull of our brother in his calling Humanitie required that Peter should bee carefull of John is this the thing the Lord reprooues and forbids I answere there is a great difference betweene carefulnesse and curiositie it is not carefulnesse Hee findes fault with Woe to him that cares for himselfe only for why should not euery one of vs be helping one another be carefull to bring forward the stragling body But it is curiositie that the Lord reprooues Then the lesson is this shortly Take heede that by thy doing men should be very wise thou hinderest not thy selfe more by thy curiositie when thou enterest into the affaires of thy brother than thou profitest him by thy care when thou beginnest to care for him beware thou fall not in curiositie passe neuer the bounds of thy calling for there is none that hath a calling but it is joyned with care of his brother the higher calling the greater care The Kings calling requires a great care of others in the Policie Such like the Ministers calling is joyned vvith a care for the people not to feed himself but to feed the people It is joyned with a speciall and wonderfull care so that night and day his eye should not bee off his flocke Yet men should beware that their care turne not to curiositie Curiositie is very dangerous A curious man has no loue to thee for he takes pleasure in the hurt euill that falles to thee and it is his meat drinke hee feedes vpon the euill report of others Iohn subjoynes that when the Disciples hearde of these words of Christ they giue them a strange glosse They say Iohn should not die A faire glosse a faire commentarie Iohn sayes This was not the meaning of the Lord He spake not such a thing He saide not to him hee should not die and that was not His minde Hee tolde not whether hee should liue or die But Hee saide If I will hee tarrie till I come what is that to thee Yee see howe readie men are to misconstrue and peruert the one-folde meaning of the LORD If the Disciples vvho heard His owne liuelie voyce vvere so readie to giue a false and a lying glosse to His vvorde vvhich they hearde Him speake I pray you vvhat maruell is it albeit men daylie misconstrue the vvritten vvorde of GOD and neuer leaue off to father lies vpon the Scriptures Yee vvonder at the Papistes I vvonder not Looke the whole Scriptures these Traitors conclude euer a lye vpon the trueth Looke the Rhemish newe Testament and the rest of their vvrittes I vvonder not at them but I vvonder at this Considering this grossenesse of ignorance and the propension of men naturallie to misconstrue GODS Worde and Will that there is so much as one to open the trueth and to vnderstand the right meaning of the vvorde The cause of this misconstruing is not of the Scripture as if it vvere doubtsome harde obscure or as a nose of vvaxe as they blaspheme but the fault is partlie in the blindnesse of the minde of man and partlie in the peruersitie and frowardnesse of the vvill and malice of the heart for it falles out that either such is the blindnesse of man by nature they knowe not the minde of the LORDE or else if they knowe His minde yet vvillinglie they desire not to knowe it but to remaine ignorant for it is true that the Apostle PETER sayes They that are vnlearned and vnstable wreast the SCRIPTVRES to their owne destruction 2 Pet. Chap. 3. vers 16. And PAVL sayes Jf our GOSPELL bee hidden it is hidden to them who perishes whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded 2. Cor. 4.34 Againe we may perceiue that a lye ran speedily abroad and was easily receiued got soone place in the hearts of th'Apostles wherof we may learn that the multitude commonly drinkes in lyes vanities fables and Heresies very suddenly because naturally they are very bent thereunto Yet this errour remained not long vvith th'Apostles for after that according to the Lordes promise extraordinarily in the day of the PENTECOSTE they vvere illuminated and after the Holie Spirite vvas giuen them vvho called all thinges to remembrance which the Lord had spoken vnto them when Hee was present with them and gaue them the true meaning and vnderstanding of all these thinges as CHRIST sayes Joh. chap. 14. vers 26. This lye concerning IOHN euanished then all the Disciples knewe the LORDES meaning when Hee spake these wordes to Peter of Iohn If I will that hee tarrie till I come what is that to thee But the Papishe Kirke and that Antichristian Kingdome this day makes it plaine enough vnto vs howe bent men are by nature to receiue maintaine and entertaine lyes and vanities for in that Kingdome not onelie is this fable of IOHN retained but also an hudge multitude of lyes and of the vanities and fantasies of the braine of man which were deuised by the GENTILES are allowed and receiued for almoste all the Religion of the Papistes like a Beggers cloake is clouted and patched together partlie of the fables and superstitions of the GENTILES and partlie of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Iewes vvhich vvere abolished by the comming of CHRIST If anie vvould knowe what fables they maintaine and giue out concerning Iohn let them reade their golden Legende Nowe in the last two verses of this Euangell the Apostle concludes his GOSPELL and in the conclusion hee telles vs vvho
faith y t coms by hearing thoÌ„ of that faith y t proceeds of seeing for He sayes to Thomas Because thou hast seene mee thou beleeuest but blessed are these that haue not seene and haue beleeued Joh. 20.29 Marke a manifest difference betwixt y e suffering crucifying of the Lord His Resurrection Ascension When y e Lord was crucified al sort of people beheld Him there were gathered a great multitude not of the Iewes only but also of the GeÌ„tiles out of many natioÌ„s for it was a solemne time the time of y e Passâ—ouer but there were not so many y t beheld His Resurrection nor Ascension for it was His pleasure to manifest Himself after His Resurrection to a small number of His own familiars namely His disciples Apostles likewise it was His pleasure to make choise but of a few of that same sort to be eye-witnesses of His glorious AsceÌ„sion for He wold haue His glory to be made manifest to y e world rather by the preaching of y e Gospel than by the sight of the eyes Of this difference we learne this lesson for our instruction That the shame ignominy of Christ is offred to be seene of all sorts of meÌ„ but His glory is manifested only to a small number euen to those who are saued by His bloode The shame ignominy of Christ in His meÌ„bers is laid to th' eyes of all sorts of men there are none who sees not how vile contemptible the faithfull are vnder the crosse but the glory of the faithfull is seene but of a few eueÌ„ only of those who are ordained to be partakers of that same glory For albeit saies Iohn that now we are the sons of God yet it is not made manifest what we shall be 1. Epist 3.2 And as th'Apostle Paul saies of y â— Iewes Jf they had known the Lord of glory they would not haue crucified him 1. Cor. 2.8 So say we of the wicked of the world If they knew that glory of the children of God they would not so contemne them despise persecute theÌ„ The place y t He leades theÌ„ to is said to be Bethania and Act. 1.12 it is said They returned to JerusaleÌ„ from the mount that is called the mount of Oliues neare vnto which mouÌ„t was Bethania both were neare to Ierusalem about 15. furlonges or a Sabbath dayes journey about 2. miles Ioh. 11.18 The Lord of set purpose chose this place to manifest His glory wherin before He suffred ignominy It was in this place that He wrastled with the feare of death finding the terrours of the wrath of God ceazing on His soule when He said his soule was heauie vnto the death It was in this place that the bande of men of warre came and tooke him It was in this place that they bound him and led him away to that shamefull death of the crosse Therefore in this place the Lord makes a shew of His glory in this same place He addresses Himself to triumph from this same place ascends He to His Heauenly Throne Marke the lesson in a worde The Lord of necessitie must be glorified in that same place where before He was dishonored He must be honoured either in mercy by y e conuersion of a sinner who has despised Him or els by the executing of judgemeÌ„t pouring forth of vengeance vpon th'obstinate stubborne contemners But to goe forward to the coÌ„ference coÌ„munication that was betwixt the Lord His Apostles alittle before He asceÌ„ded to HeaueÌ„ This coÌ„fereÌ„ce is set down Act. 1.6 For after the disciples were come together to the mount of Oliues they asked him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome of Israel Th' occasion of this their question is not set down here but it is likely that the Lord at this time has bin speaking something of that Heauenly Kingdome that vpon His speach they haue taken occasion to aske this question of th' earthly kingdome In demanding of this question they faile many wayes First they faile in curiosity being too curious as the Lordes answere imports Next they faile in this that as yet they thinke y t He should haue bene an earthly king that His kingdome should bee of this world Thirdly they faile in this that they desired to reign triuÌ„ph before they had foughten sufficiently ended their warfare This might seeme strange that they profited so litle in so long time hauing such faire occasion Their ignorance cannot be excused for by the space of 3. yeeres more they were coÌ„uersant with the Lord hearing Him preach saw Him worke miracles after His resurrectioÌ„ sundry times He appeared to them spake to theÌ„ in this same time they saw in Him a majesty they saw Him clad inuested with HeaueÌ„ly glory yet for all this they are earthly minded and think of nothing but of an earthly kingdome In this example of y e disciples we may perceiue how dull we are by nature vncapable of spirituall HeaueÌ„ly things All th' outward meanes of y e worlde will not profit vs if there be no more albeit we heard al HeaueÌ„ly spirituall things neuer so loÌ„g albeit we saw all things neuer so loÌ„g we will neuer be a haire the better except y t wee be taught of God except our minds be illuminate our hearts be opened by the H. Spirit Therfore when we vse th' outward meanes we should pray coÌ„tinually y t the Lord wold send His H. Spirit to instruct vs inwardly and to joyne His blessing with them Now to come to the Lords answere first He reproues them for their curiosity he said vnto them Jt is not for you to know the times the seasons He giues them a good reason because the Father has put them in his owne power Men in all ages haue bin too curious to inquire the things which belong not vnto them Th'Apostles here began curiously to inquire of the time of the restoring of the kingdome to Israel euer since men haue coÌ„tinued curiously to inquire the times seasons namely the particular time of the Lordes coÌ„ming to judgement But the Lord here snibs represses this curiosity in th'apostles for what had they adoe to search out the things y t the Lord kept secret to Himselfe It is not y e Lords will that men at any time should be curious to inquire the particular times which He keepes close to Himself namely the particular diet period of Christs coÌ„ming to judgement for of that day houre knowes no maÌ„ no not th'Angels which are in heaueÌ„ Mark 13.32 Next in the answere He calles them to remembrance of y t promise which He made to theÌ„ before of y e sending of y e H. Spirit induing them with power froÌ„ an high But saies He yee shall receiue power of the holie Ghost when he shall come on you This putting them in remeÌ„brance
Christes will that the ground of their lameÌ„tation shuld not be so much His suffring for them as the sense of their owne misery sinne which brought Him to such a misery The Lord would haue the women considering the greatnesse of their owne misery which made Christ for their cause to bee so miserable that should haue beene chiefelie the cause of their mourning that shoulde haue beene the cause of their dolour for as Iohn saies out of Zacharie They shall see Him whome they pearced Our sinnes haue pearced Him The godly in the latter daye when they shall see Him they shall mourne It was not so much the Souldiours that pearced Him as thy sinnes Haue not therefore thine eye so much on Pilate Herode or the Iewes or on the men of warre or Hang-man as on thy selfe and on thine owne sinnes for it was thy sinnes that pearced Him thorowe and in the latter day when the godly shall see Him whome they haue pearced they shall weepe Turne thine eyes on thy selfe and let the ground of thy weeping bee for thine owne sinne that pearced the Innocent There is another thing heere worthie to bee considered I see it is a good thing to bee in heauinesse and yee see that the LORD speakes nothing to the men of warre nor to anie others in the way but onely to the poore women who were weeping Hee comfortes them and instructes them Hee leades them to the grounde of their weeping to the ende that they shoulde repent and haue recourse vnto Him The best estate of men and women is to bee sadde in heart and mourning either for their owne misery or the misery of others for the Lord saies Blessed are they that mourne for they shall bee comforted And GOD dwelles in a coutrite heart ESAY CHAP. 66. VERS 2. PSAL. 51. VERS 19. Thou who laughest thou needest no comfort Thou who art mourning for thy sinnes and the sinnes of the worlde the Lord Hee shall speake to thee and giue thee consolation with His owne mouth Nothing becommeth a Christian better than sadnesse and to haue his sinnes before his eyes and to bee sadde both at noone and at Euen for all this joye that a true Christian hath is sadnesse Awaye with wantonnesse mocking and jesting there is no true joye there and the Lord vses not to comfort such nor speake to such for they neede it not I fore-warne thee that thou shalt neuer gette the taste of that joye but in teares and then vvhen the heart is broken and casten downe then the LORD is mighty to raise thee vp and to comfort thee The Lord therefore giue vs grace when wee looke to the death and passion of CHRIST that wee maye gette a sense of our owne miserie and that wee maye bee in sadnesse and mourne that our sinnes pearced the sides of the innocent vvho vvas the GOD of Glorie and that vvee maye haue recourse to this suffering and gette grace in our LORD To vvhom with the Father and the Holie Spirite bee all Honour Praise and Glorie for euer and euer AMEN THE XIV LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 33 And when they came vnto the place called Golgotha that is to say the place of dead mens skulles verse 34 They gaue him vineger to drinke mingled with gall and when he had tasted thereof he would not drinke MARKE 15. verse 22 And they brought him to a place named Golgotha which is by interpretation the place of dead mens skulles verse 23 And they gaue hâ—m to drinke wine mingled with myrrhe but he receiued it not LVKE XXIII verse 32 And there were two others which were euill doers led with him to be slaine IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 17 And hee bare his owne crosse and came into a place named of dead mens skulles which is called in Hebrewe Golgotha NOwe ye haue heard Brethren of the accusation of CHRIST before the Iudge Pontius Pilate and of His condemnation out of the mouth of the Iudge Pilate and then wee heard that after the sentence of damnation was pronounced he deliuered Him into the handes of the Iewes to bee crucified they take Him and first of all they leade Him in againe to a moste secret part of the Common Hall and there they handeled Him more freely yea more vilely than euer before seeing Hee was a condemned man and when they had vsed whatsoeuer indignitie they pleased against Him they leade Him to the place where Hee should be executed In the Historie wee haue marked three or foure things that fell out in the way First how the Lord is bearing His owne Crosse to the place of execution Next Hee beeing wearied vnder the burthen one Simon of Cyrene comming from the Countrey to the towne is compelled to take vp one ende of the Crosse to helpe him So Iesus goes before and beares the one end of the Crosse Simon of Cyrene followes bearing the other end thereof The third thing the multitude followes men of all countreyes that were conueened and come out of Ierusalem at such a solemne time at the Passeouer Amongst the rest there were women of Ierusalem better than the rest of the multitude who followed him and wept for him Wee haue heard what answere the Lord gaue them and how he instructed them in the right cause of their weeping Now the last thing that is marked it is this that we haue read out of the Gospel of Luke there were led out two thieues with him Then in this dayes exercise we shall heare of these points The first concerning the two thieues that were led out with him The next is concerning the place The third is concerning the sowre bitter drinke that they gaue him to drinke The fourth concerning the act of the suffering and fiftly concerning the houre To returne to the first As hee goes out to the place where hee should suffer There are ledde out with Him two thieues to suffer with him in that same place Iesus is ledde out to the place of execution like a thiefe beeing innocent and ledde out with thieues to suffer with thieues Amongst all the rest of the things that Iesus Christ suffered beside the paine that he suffered in soule and bodie he suffered extreame shame as we say hee was shamed and shent I shewed to you that shame followed alwayes vpon sinne Iesus Christ tooke vpon him the sinnes of the world and therefore hee behooued to suffer shame before the worlde The Lord Iesus Christ was ignominious in respect of the painfull and ignominious death for hee was mounted vp vpon the Crosse in presence of them all and in respect of the multitude all the worlde was gazing vpon him and in this respect when hee goes out to suffer hee is counted a thiefe among the thieues and the Lord was also ignominious in respect of the place Brethren in this matter I looke not so much to the Iewes or to the souldiers as I looke to his Father in heauen