and in publick collecting of almes the world must needs be open 6. Alms given in a right manner that is in obedience to God and in love of the poor is a secret work for the main substance of it is only seen of God therefore it is said That thy almes may be in secret 7. What good work wee take least notice of what wee make least esteem of and do carry most quietly between God and us of that doth God take special notice for of such a work it is said the Father seeth in secret 8. Whatsoever good work is done of secret intention to obey and glorifie God shall be made open by him in due time to our praise and shall be rewarded in open to our profit for beside the sweet testimony of the conscience following it it is promised Thy Father himself shall reward thee openly Ver. 5. And when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward The next Doctrine concerns the right manner of prayer Doct. 1. In prayer all hypocriticall oftentation must be eschewed such as the Pharisees used who in the congregation and in the Street carried themselves so as they might be taken notice of and accounted to be devout men for it is reproved here They love to pray standing that they may be seen of men 2. Persons who are vain glorious in their prayers have no profit of their prayers save the wind of some witlesse mens approbations for They have their reward 3. Howsoever men may think it hard that prayers for this fault should be lost yet so it shall be found for Christ saith Verily I say unto you they have their reward Vers. 6. But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closeâ— and when thou hast thus thy door pray to thy Father which is in secret and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Christ doth not forbid publick praying before others in the Congregation nor in a Familie for this is a part of Gods due worship and of our confessing of his name neither doth he retrinch all our secret prayers to a chamber but the meaning is that we should in all our prayers be far from ostentation Doct. 1. In prayer we should regard only Gods eye and seek only his approbation and beside all our praying with or before others we should pray also when no man knoweth of it and whensoever we pray whether in private or publick we should be as far from vain oftentation as if we were in a private chamber alone with doors shut for this is it that he saith When thou prayest shut thy door c. 2. Our prayer must be from the inward of our spirit directed with confidence to the invisible God for Pray saith he to thy Father 3. In prayer God doth take notice specially of the uprightnesse of the heart and of that which is hid from men for he saith Thy Father seeth in secret 4. The sincere and secret prayer is followed with an evident blessing in the answer for He shall reward thee openly saith Christ. 5. The rewards of God must needs be full of Grace when he promiseth to reward praying and begging both in this world and at the day of judgment saying of secret prayer Thy Father shall reward thee openly Verse 7. But when you pray use not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking 8. Be ye not therfore like unto them for your Father knoweth what thing ye have need of before ye ask him The second fault in prayer is idle multiplying of words which is discharged for three reasons which are so many doctrines 1. Idle multiplying of words is the sin of the heathen who are destitute of the saving knowledge of God for Christ saith Use not vain repetitions as the heathen do Idle repititions of words presupposeth and proceedeth from â— base misconception of God as if he could be moved by multitude of words as men are moved for They think saith he to be heard by their much speaking but do ye not so The third reason is Because Christs Disciples when in obedience of Gods command they come to worship God and to edifie themselves in prayer need neither to inform God what they would have for He knoweth saith Christ what things you have need of before you ask nor need they to move or perswade God for He is your Father saith he and therefore we should not nor need not use vain repetitions mean time let us remember that when the Saints insist in prayer affectionately avowing the truth and mercy of God and striving to strengthen their own faith in prayer that is not a vain repetition or that much speaking which is here forbidden Ver. 9. After this manner therfore pray ye Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy name For helping of this and other faults about prayer our Lord giveth us the example of a formed Prayer which is ready and fit to be made use of expresly as a Prayer whensoever we should joyn in one body with all true Christians militant in the World in all common and necessary desires which also is to be made use of as a Pattern and Platform for imitation when we are to pray for any one or more things more particularly concerning our self or any part of the militant Church Now as this Prayer is a Pattern for any desires more special then these which are here exprest we are taught hereby 1. To pray only for things allowed and promised in Gods word for such are all things in the Pattern 2. To pray to God only who only hears at all times for We must pray to our heavenly Father only 3. To pray in a known language according as Christ did deliver this form of prayer to his Disciples 4. To pray without vain repetition or idle multiplying of words for this prayer is given for example of such a prayer as hath no vain repetition 5. To pray with more respect to Gods glory then to our own particular good for the order of prayer teacheth so much 6. To pray with a hearty and spirituall disposition in fear and reverence towards God as being above us in Heaven there to receive hear and answer our prayers from the holy sanctuary of Christs body through which vail we get accesse unto the fulnesse of the God-head which dwelleth in Christ who is in Heaven and without whom we cannot find God reconciled 7. To pray with love toward God and confidence in him as in our Father in Christ for Christ giveth warrant to call God Father 8. To pray with affection and love to all Saints militant on earth as children of the same heavenly Father theirs and ours Father to the weak no lesse then to the stronger for Christ will have us
do appâ—ove for so Christ reckoneth saying That on you may come all the blood whom ye slew c. 5. The sufferers for righteousnesse from the beginning of the world are all in the rank of Martyrs and their sufferings are kept in fresh remembrance From righteous Abel unto Zacharias the son of Iehojada otherwise called Barachias of whose slaughter is spoken 2 Chron. 24.21 as here appeareth 6. Raging persecuters look neither to place nor person nor consequence of thâ—ir cruelty but as blind beasts do follow forth their own fury for Betwixt the porâ—h and the altar was Zacharias slain Ver. 36. Verily I say unto you all these things shall come upon this generation Now he foretelleth the ruine of Jerusalem and giveth them over till the day of judgement at what time they should know who was the Christ for whom they pretended to be preparing the song which is foretold in the Psalm 118.26 As if he had said I foretell you that Jerusalem and this Nation shall be destroyed and after you have killed me you shal not see me till the day of judgement when you shall be forced to acknowledge me to be the blessed Messiah come in the Name of the Lord which for the present ye will not do Doct. 1. The destruction of Jerusalem and rejection of the Jews was foretold by Christ sundry times ere it came for here he saith O Ierusalem your house is left desolate unto you 2. It is a speciall motive unto repentance to tell men of the propinquity of judgment therefore saith he All these things shall come on this generation Ver. 37. O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not In this lamentation our Lord is not to shew what power is in mens wicked nature to convert themselves or to make use of the means of conversion nor what power there is in corrupt nature to oppose that power which God putteth forth in conversion of soules neither is he lamenting their case as one unable to obtain his own desired end in the salvation of such as he intended to save for no reason can extract these conclusions necessarily from these speeches the true sense of them is obtained without any such inferences for our Lord as man and a kindly Minister of the circumcision moved with humane compassion of the miseries of his native Countreymen letteth forth his love in this lamentation and weeping while he beholdeth the desperate obstinacy of the multitude running to perdition thereby intending to make the reprobate who should hear of his tender bowels inexcusable and to move the Elect unto repentance by this means Doct. 1. Our Lord as man in the bowels of compassion was moved in the dayes of his flesh with the misery of the most wicked as this lamentation sheweth 2. When Christ was most moved with the provocations of the wicked there was no sinfull perturbation in him to make him forget to fulfill the law of love unto his most desperate enemies therefore he lamenteth thus Ierusalem Ierusalem 3. As oft as the Lord sendeth forth his Ministers with offers of mercy to sinfull people so oft is he lovingly calling them to come in unto him so saith he As a hen gathereth her chickens how oft would I have gathered thee 4. When the Lord is about to save his own Elect children in the visible church the body or the greatest part of his people may oppose the work and nill the work which he willeth and albeit they be not able to impede his effectuall gathering of so many as he intendeth to save yeâ— may they make themselves guilty of impeding and resisting the will of God which they cannot overcome therfore saith he to this sense O Ierusalem how oft was I about to convert thy children so many as I had elected by the offers of mercy which my servants made unto thee the visible Kirk their Mother And thou wouldst not but opposed my work so far as thou couldst in slaying the Prophets and stoning them who were sent unto thee for the Elects cause who were in the midst of thee 5. The Lord will pursue his purpose and renew messages till he both gain his own and also make the reprobate inexcusable to the ful for how oft saith he Would I have gathered thy children and ye would not Ver. 38. Behold your house is left unto you desolate Having told the sin of the visible Kirk there he telleth them now of their judgement Doct. When mercy hath been often offered unto a visible church and â—hath been rejected or opposed it is righteousnesse with God to remove his dwelling from that place and to take away the face of a church from it therefore saith he Thy house shall be left desolate unto thee even the most glorious place shall not be spared but when mercy findeth no place judgement shall have place Verse 39. For I say unto you ye shall not see me henceforth till ye shall say Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. Here our Lord smiteth these desperate enemies with irrevocable blindnesse that from that time forward they should never get grace to acknowledge him to be the Messiah till at the day of Judgement they should be forced to confesse him to be the true Christ prophesied of in the 118. Psalm Doct. 1. It is righteousnesse with Christ to smite them with judicial blindnesse who refuse obstinately to acknowledge him when he offers himselfe unto them as here he saith Ye shall not see me henceforth that is You shall not perceive me to be the Messiah for otherwise bodily they did see him and did crucifie him but they saw not who he was for had they known they would not have crucified the God of glory 2. At last Christ's most cruell enemies shall see and know and acknowledge him to be that blessed Messiah for all knees shall bow to him and all tongues shal confess to him and his adversaries among the rest shall say Now we see that Jesus is the blessed Son of God and the true Lambe of God Hils and Mountaines fall on us and hide us from the wrath of the Lamb yonder is the blessed Saviour Who came in the name of the Lord. CHAP. XXIV Our Lord having told that the Temple shall be destroyed the disciples aske of the time therof and of the signes of his coming to vers 4. For answer He forewarneth them of trial and persecution wherein all his disciples had need to beware least they should be deceived and sheweth the signes of the utter destruction of Jerusalem to vers 23. and again teacheth them that the chief care of his disciples should be that they be not deceived with false Religion and false Christs wherin the danger was to be great even untill his second coming when he should gather all his
hurt and must be discreetly entertained so doth the scope of the similitudes import 2. When christians are grown up so some strength and have their senses exercised they must be put to answerable paines and exercise in Religion for this is To put new wine in new bottles that both might be preserved 3. If discretion be not used in proportioning the burden of outward exercises of religion unto the capacity and strength of the Disciples both the exercise is lost and the Disciples are hurt for this is the meaning of the hole of the garment is made more the new wine and the old bottle both are lost Ver. 18. While the spake these things unto them behold there came a certain ruler and worshipped him saying My daughter is even now dead but come and lay thine hand upon her and she shall live 19. And Iesus arose and followed him and so did his disciples The dispute is broken off by the coming of a ruler praying that his daughter might be raised from death In the coming of this ruler unto Christ We learn 1. That Christ can find out means in his providence to honour himself in the midst of all controversies and disputations for A certain Ruler a man of place cometh and worshippeth him while he is speaking and so breaketh off the dispute 2. Christ can find an errand for the man whom he will draw unto him as here by a daughters death so by some like trouble on a man or on his family he can draw the Parents unto himself 3. All that come to Christ are not alike strong in faith This ruler of the Synagogue requireth both Christs Presence and the touch of his hand that his daughter may be raised from dead Come saith he and lay thy hand on her 4. Our gentle Lord refuseth no man putteth no man away that come unto him He arose and followed him Ver. 20. And behold a woman which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve yeers came behind him and touched the bâ—mme of his garment 21. For she said within her self If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole While Christ is on his way a sick woman through faith is healed Doct. 1. Poor and rich are alike welcome to Christ for here while he is going with the Ruler he neglecteth not this poor sick man 2. That which doth separate us from the society of the Holy must not separate us from Christ but rather drive us unto him for this woman legally polluted and so separate from the Temple and all clean Persons draweth near Christ to touch him 3. Though all remedies do fail and our evil be of long endurance yet Christ must be run unto for this woman is diseased twelve years yet cometh with hope of help in Christ. 4. Albeit Christ seem to take no notice of us but to be about the helping of others only yet must we take notice of him and draw in to him upon all occasions offered As this woman cometh to Christ in his way to the Rulers house while grace is in dealing we must have our share of it 5. None can come to Christ rightly but such as beleeve to be the better of him and such as come may be perswaded of help by him as this woman assured her self of health If she might but touch his garment Verse 22. But Iesus turned him about and when he saw her he said Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole And the woman was made whole from that houre Christ will not have this work to be hid but brought to light for good use Doct. 1. Though modest soules resolve quietly to creep to heaven unknown of others yet God will have his work in them brought to light for his own glory Therefore Iesus turneth about and draweth her forth before the multitude 2. Faith in Christ gets a sweeter welcome then it can expectâ—â— it may come trembling but shall find joy ere it go as this woman is made whole and is declared to be a Daughter begotten by the word of the Gospel and adopted among Christs children and is comforted and commended for her faith in the midst of her fears 3. Our Lord will not suffer any mean of our devising to take the room from the mean appointed by himselfe Therefore Christ doth not say thy Touching my garment but Thy faith hath made thee whole Ver. 23. And when Iesus came unto the rulers house and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise 24. He said unto them Give place for the maid is not dead but sleepeth And they laughed him to scorne Christ goeth on to the Rulers house and doth not forget his errand Doct. 1. Christ may give grace to another before thee but if thou be seeking him the helping of another shall not hinder thee but help thee rather as the womans healing helped the Rulers faith and so Christ goeth on where he is invited to come 2. Christ will have nothing counted desperate which he takes in hand yea he wil have death it self esteemed but as a sleep in comparison of his divine power nothing is too hard for him in which sense he saith here The Maid is not dead but sleepeth 3. To speak of Christs power to a misbeleever is but a jest Therefore these misbeleevers laughed him to scorne Ver. 25. But when the people were put forth he went in and took her by the hand and the maid arose Verse 26. And the fame thereof went abroad into all lands In the raising of the Damosel and consequent of it Learn 1. That Christ is the life and resurrection and that his power can easily raise the deadâ— for here he took the dead Maid by the hand and she arose 2. The offer of Christs mercy to one should make his name famous among all as here his fame for this One work went abroad in all that land Ver. 27. And when Iesus departed thence two blind men followed him crying and saying Thou son of David have mercy on us In the healing of these two blind men Learn 1. That our Lord wearies not to do good the more he is imployed the more good he worketh When Christ departed from the rulers house Two blind men follow him 2. When others get almes and mercy from Christ it should allure more to come to his deal as these blinde men hearing of many helped by Christ do come and cry Have mercy on us 3. Such as seek good of Christ must look on him as he is described in Scripture as he is the promised Messiah the native King of Israel Son of David say they have mercy on us 4. Such as beleeve to get good of Christ will find a way to follow him and come at him albeit they were blinde for these blinde men follow and cry 5. More persons in the sense of one need may joyn in one fute unto Christ for these two blind men do joyn in one cry saying Have mercy on us
where he â—new the traitour with the enemies should shortly come to apprehend him and acquainteth his Disciples with his puâ—pose of going apart to prepare himself by prayer for suffering Doc. 1. As the truth of the Gospel so the right way of suffering for the truth must be learned from Christ Therfore our Lord takâ—th with him his disciples unto Gethsemane a Garden and place where he is to begin his last sufferings that they might see how voluntarily and holily he addressed himself unto that service 2. As we should not make oftentation of going to private prayer so neither need we scrupulously to conceal our purpose when it may edifie for Christ saith here Sit you here till I go and pray yonder Ver. 37. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy 38. Then saith he unto them My soul is exceeding sorrowful evenn unto death tarry ye here and watch with me Out of the eleven Disciples He chooseth three to be witnesses of the hardest parts of his sufferings even the same who were lately witnesses of his glorious transfiguration Doc. 1. Albeit al the redeemed be alike dear to Christ yet wil he acquaint some with more deep passages of his sufferings then others and readily such as he hath acquainted before with clearer sight of his Glory as here He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee 2. Our Lord suffered for our sins not only in his body but also in his soul dolour and heaviness in a measure unspeakable My soul saith he is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death 3. Our Lord kept back from his own humane nature the consolations of the personal union thereof with the Divine nature so far that he as Man did not despise the smallest mean of ease or relaxtion that could be but calleth for the company of his slippery disciples and hereby doth teach us in our sad perplexities to take the company of some of the Saints to whom we may reveal our mind for Tarry ye here and watch with me saith he to them Ver. 39. And he went a little further and fel on his face and prayed saying O my Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me nevertheless not as I wil but as thou wilt Albeit their company could be of some use yet but of smal use to him therfore he goeth on and prayeth Doc. 1. There is no ease to a perplexed soul under the sense of wrath till it be alone with God there it may sigh groan utter broken words keep silence or freely expresse it selfe as it pleaseth without misconstruction Therfore He goeth a little from them and fell on his face and prayed 2. The sense of the wrath of God felt by Christ and the weight of the curse due to our sins laid upon him was so horrible that his holy nature looking upon it simply as it tendeth to the destruction of the creatures could not but abhor it and so wish to be rid of it if it had been possible therfore doth holy nature say My Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me 3. The love that our Lord hath to our redemption and his special covenant made with the Father for the paying of our ransome made him to subject his holy nature and Wil to that which otherwise is abhorred therfore looking to the Fathers will thus to expiate the sinnes of the Redeemed he saith Neverthelesse not as I will in an holy naturall choise but as thou wilt let it be I voluntarily do choose it that is according to the condition past between us for redemption of the Elect Let me drink this cup and here the merit of sin thâ— strictnesse of Divine Justice the horrour of the wrath of God with the weight of the curse the mercy of God towards sinners and the unspeakable love both of God and Christ toward the Elect is to be seen lively set forth before us in our Lords passion Ver. 40. And he cometh unto his disciples and findeth them asleep and saith unto Peter What could ye not watch with me one hour 41. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak Here is a short breathing time after his wrastling wherein he cometh to his Disciples whom no trouble could make him forget because for them and for the rest of his own people these sufferings were sustained and finding them asleep he gently reproveth them and exhorteth them to watch and pray by three reasons The first is joyned with a reproof It is but an hour you have to watch til you be yoked with a temptation by occasion of my sufferings approaching Therfore why do you not watch this one hour with me The second reason Except you watch and pray you may readily come under the power of temptation Therfore watch and pray lest you enter into or begin to come under the power of temptation The third reason is Albeit the spirit or your renewed part be ready and willing to resist and oppose temptations yet the flesh your natural and unrenewed part is weak and ready to be overcome Therefore watch and pray Doc. 1. When we are in greatest danger and matters most concerning us are in hand when God calleth most for our service and we have most need to watch then are we readily most secure as it fares with these disciples whom Christ called to watch with him and now findeth them asleep 2. Seeing we have no strength of our own to overcome temptations the only way to prevail is to watch and pray to God for assistance therefore Christ saith Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation 3. Seeing the godly are in great part flesh and unrenewed and so are easily insnared by temptations the spirit and renewed part hath so much more need of the help of spiritual exercises for therfore Christ bids them watch and pray upon this reason that howsoever the spirit be willing yet the flesh is weak Ver 42. He went away again the second time and prayed saying O my Father if this cup may not passe away from me except I drink it thy wil be done 43. And he came and found them asleep again for their eys were heavy 44. And he left them and went away again and prayed the third time saying the same words Our Lord's Agony under the sense of wrath and weight of the curse due to our sins is renewed again and again while he is coming and going between his Father and his slippery Disciples praâ—ing to the Father the second and third time in the same worâ— for understanding whereof let us consider that it standeth with the holinesse of humane Nature so well to be naturally and necessarily sensible of pain and griefe as to be voluntarily patient under it so well to tremble and be feared for the wrath of the Creatour as to love to have his consolation and to have