to satisfie Justice for the Sin of Men and to pacifie God for the offence committed against him by suffering himself for it He condescended to be conceived by a Virgin Born in a Stable become an Infant converse with Men and live among them such a Life as we shall hereafter relate He preached did Miracles suffered Affronts and Injuries endured an Infamous and painful Death was Buryed in a Tomb rose again and Lastly ascended into Heaven After he commanded his Disciples to go and Preach in his Name thro' all the World and all this to perform and Compleat the Great Work of our Salvation Behold how great Love God hath shewed to Rebellious Man The Father hath given his only Son and this Son gave himself for them Let no Man ask the reason why God did not make choice of some easier way to save us which might cost him less It is certain that the Almighty could have found out some other means but it is also certain that we ought to look upon this which God hath made use of as the most advantageous for us and most agreeable to our needs since that God hath preferred it before all others who is not only the most Powerful but Wise Being who cannot be mistaken in the fittest means for attaining the End he aims at Let us not then examine what other ways God might have taken to effect this Great Work but let us devoutly consider how Glorious to himself and how profitable to us that way is which he hath taken And 1st God in the Incarnation of his Son hath magnified his Power and Goodness for he hath demonstrated to Man that tho' he is pleased to permit the Evils which he could hinder he can produce great good out of them and make those very Sins which dishonour him to be serviceable for his glory in it He hath shewed his Mercy and his Justice for he pardons the Guilty and at the same time he received a satisfaction equivalent to the Offence committed By it he hath discovered to us the admirable and unsearchable strength of his Wisdom which hath found out a way to satisfy at once both his Justice and his Love and hath so ordered it that the Criminal may be saved and yet God who hath been offended not be dishonoured for by the Death of Jesus Christ God is revenged and Mans Sin punished He bore our grief in his own Body and offered such a Sacrifice to his Father as could not but be accepted because it was Pure and Innocent and which payd him as great honour as he had received affront by Man's Sin for it was of infinite value being united to the God-head The perfect submission of the Son of God even to the Death of the Cross hath made sufficient amends for the Disobedience of a mere Man Men are saved because another hath undergone the punishment due to them and God hath lost nothing of his Honour since he was offended by a mere Creature but hath been infinitely Honoured by a God And as it is glorious to God so also is 2. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ as advantageous to Man by the wonderful fitness which it hath to all the defects and evils from which the Divine Wisdom hath thought fit to deliver him for Gods anger was not only to be appeased but Man who was diseased was to be cured Now as the perfection of Man consisted in knowing and loving God so the disease of Man was to be stripped of these so that he neither knew God nor loved him but laboured under blindness of Mind and corruption of Heart which Christ by his Incarnation hath removed and cured For 1. He hath restored Man to the knowledge of God He hath opened the Eyes of Man to make him know the true God for the Word who is the Light of the Soul John 1.14 was made flesh and dwelt among us The Light which we shut our Eyes against came down from Heaven to present it self to us accommodating it self to the weakness of our sight and because we were able to discern nothing but Corporeal things he cloathed himself with a Body that so by our Senses he might insinuate himself into our Souls and disperse our darkness and blindness Jesus Christ being thus become visible he conversed sometime with Men did Miracles to make them believe on him and by sensible benefits healing the Sick freeing the Possessed drawed them to him and so having insensibly link'd them to his Human Nature which he assumed to work out Salvation for them he Preached the Truth to them They heard his Word with pleasure and this Word purifying their Hearts by Faith which they had in this Man who Preached to them prepared them by little and little and at last led them insensibly to the knowledge of the-God-head which was hidden under the Vail of the Humanity 2. But since it is not enough for Man to know God unless he Love him Jesus Christ by his Incarnation hath healed our corruption of Heart and hath drawn our Affections off from the Love of the Creature to that of the Creator for being Cloathed with a Body he placed his God-head among those Objects which the Soul in the State of Corruption doth naturally fix its Love upon and by sensible benefits and kindnesses endeavoured to bring it to the Consideration and Love of Invisible and Eternal good things He shewed it what it ought to love as its true Happiness and not only raised its hopes to attain it but Taught it the proper means of arriving at it Lastly He convinced it of the great Love God had for it and consequently how much it ought to love him for what greater sign of love could he have given us than in sending his only begotten Son to Dye for us who were his Enemies And what more effectual Attracture to oblige us to love him again who hath thus loved us first What Heart is so hard as not to be melted with such immense kindness A slight reflection upon it will make us resolve with the beloved Disciple and say Let us Love God for he hath first Loved us 1 Jo. 4 19. And as the Incarnation of Christ gives us an ample proof of Gods love to us so also it shews us the greatness of the Crime with which we have offended him The greatness of the Satisfaction discovers the greatness of our Guilt Man could never have conceived the heinousness of his Sin if God had not required so great a satisfaction We usually look upon Adam's sin as a small sin and are apt to accuse God of injustice for punishing a momentary Action with eternal Torments not considering that the Person who was threatned with eternal Torments for his Rebellion might have enjoyed an eternal Happiness for his Obedience But the Incarnation of the Son of God hath justified the Justice of God for his Blood which was shed for the expiation of our Sin is a faithful Mirrour to represent the greatness of
by the Reader who will think them rather too few than too many But considering that unless we well understand the design of our Saviours coming into the World we cannot read the History of his Life with any real advantage for since he did spake and suffered nothing but with a tendency to that end we can never have a true notion of them unless we know the true motive and the end which he himself aimed at I judged it necessary to propound a short History of the Fall of Man and the Wounds which Men have received by it before I present them with the Medicine to heal them and teach them in a few words the happiness of that Estate wherein God Created them the lamentable Miseries into which they have faln by Sin and the means which Gods infinite goodness makes use of to save them The Discovery of these Miseries will make them more desirous to know what Christ hath done to deliver them and by how much they perceive themselves more obnoxious to Gods Justice by so much they will the more eagerly lay hold upon Jesus by Faith to save them from it II. Mans Creation and Fall by Sin When God created the Heaven and the Earth in six days he being desirous not only to provide a Governour for all his Corporeal Creatures but to put some other Beings into the places of the faln Angels in Heaven Created a Man and Woman whom he called Adam and Eve which signifies the Mother of all Living God formed them in his own Image i. e. gave them an Immortal Soul endowed them with abilities to know and love him which are two of the most noble Actions of the Rational Creature which make up the whole Life and happiness of God which is to know and love himself from all Eternity Wherefore he filled their Minds with Knowledge and their Will with Love He Created them perfect and upright their Souls in perfect submission to God and their Body to their Soul There was no darkness or trouble in their minds because God was their Light and Peace and nothing in there Bodies which might make them ashamed because there was nothing disorderly for which reason it is that the Holy Scripture saith That they were Naked Gen. 2.25 and were not ashamed In this Holy and Happy Estate they had a sound Judgment and perfect freedom of Will furnished with all Graces necessary to do that good which God required of them and to purchase that Glory which should be the reward of their Virtue which is to have a clear Vision of God They knew so much of God as Creatures are capable of and if they made a good use of this knowledge upon Earth they should be Translated to the full fruition of God in Heaven Their Innocency exempted them from Death and all other Evils which are the effects of Sin And their privileges were not only for themselves but their Posterity to whom they should communicate not only their Nature but Innocency and all the priviledges of it For the continuance of all these Temporal favours and obtaining that eternal happiness which he hath promised them God required nothing but an entire submission to his Will which that he might have tryal of he gave them a Command to abstain from the Tree of knowledge of Good and Evil which was in the midst of Paradise threatning them with Death if they dared to Touch it Nothing was more easy than the observation of this Commandment but they kept it not long for the Devil envying their Happiness came to Eve under the Shape of a Serpent perswading her to Eat the Fruit which was forbidden and telling her that they should be so far from dying that they shall become as Gods By these promises she suffered her self to be seduced eat of the Fruit and gave it to her Husband who thro' a wicked Compliance made himself guilty of the Womans Sin As soon as they had thus broken the Command of their God they were made sensible of their Fault by the fearful Change in themselves for they perceived they were Naked and were filled with confusion because they felt in their Bodies the disorderly Motions of their Concupiscence God shewed himself to them no longer as a Father whose presence was their Joy and Happiness but as an offended Lord who reproved their disobedience and as a severe Judge to punish their Rebellion He Condemned the Man to Toil and Drudgery for his necessary Food the Woman to Pains in Child-bearing and drave them both out of the Terrestrial Paradise in which he had placed them he subjected them to all the miseries of this Life and passed the sentence of Death upon them which he had threatned condemning them not only to a Temporal Death of the Body but to the Second Death which is more terrible than the former the Death of the Soul which is to Live eternally with the Devils in Hell and be banished from the only cause and foundation of all Happiness God A just punishment saith St. Austin for their fault in disobeying so easy a Law of so great a God! All the Race of Adam being corrupted in him as in their Fountain and Root by his Sin was also lyable to the same punishment for as if he had continued in his Innocency all his Posterity had inherited it by their Birth and all the Advantages of it after the same manner since he hath sinned all Men naturally inherit his Crimes and all the Plagues which are consequent upon it This is the Sin which we call Original because we are guilty of it from our Original and Birth and this is the Sin which brings upon us all those Evils which we feel either in our Souls or Bodies for the darkness of the Understanding the corruption of the Heart the proneness of the Will to Evil and Opposition to Good the disorderly Motions of Concupiscence the turbulency of our Passions the excessive Love of our selves forgetfulness and Aversion to God all the Sins which we commit Hunger Thirst Weariness Griefs Death and Lastly Eternal Damnation are the sad Consequences and just punishments of this Sin which we come into the World with and which make us as St. Paul saith the Children of the Wrath of God Eph. 2.3 III. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ Out of the miserable condition into which Man had plunged himself and Posterity by Sin there was no way of Recovery had not God in his infinite Mercy been pleased to find out a way which none else could do He had compassion on his Creatures and contrived this means to save them the Word i. e. the Son of God the Second Person of the Holy Trinity was made Incarnate assuming a Body and Soul like us and united to his Divinity in his own person the Humane Nature which he intended to redeem He became Man still being God and took upon him all the weaknesses and Infirmities of Man Sin and Ignorance only excepted He undertook
Hundred Thousand Men for Forty Years together with Manna that fell from Heaven Canst thou do any thing greater than Moses did Jesus answered them verily I say unto you Moses did not give you the true Bread from Heaven but 't is my Father that giveth it and this Bread is he that came down from Heaven and giveth Life unto the World They said unto him Lord give us this Bread for ever He answered them I am the Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst By which words we are to understand That Jesus is the spiritual Food of those Souls that eat him believing on him by a lively Faith which works by Love and by thus eating him they obtain that happy Life with which they shall be fully and eternally satisfied Then he adds that altho' they had seen and been witnesses of so many Miracles which he had done yet they did not believe on him and by reason of their Infidelity they should lose the great advantage which all those which his Father should bring unto him should enjoy viz. to be raised up at the Last Day and inherit eternal Life Nevertheless the Jews murmured against him saying Is not this the Son of Joseph Do not we know his Father and Mother Why then doth he tell us that he came down from Heaven Jesus was so far from mollifying or recanting these Truths tho' they were offended at them that on the contrary he confirms them more strongly and having proved from Scripture that they should be taught of God that all whom his Father teacheth shall come unto him and that they themselves did not come unto him because they did not understand the Voice of him that sent him He tells them again that he is the Bread of Life that the Manna did not keep them from dying who eat of it but his flesh was the true Bread that came down from Heaven which giveth Life to all that eat of it These last words made them the more averse to him and they disputed among themselves how he could give them his Flesh to eat Nevertheless he pursued his Discourse and tells them that his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed that they have no Life in them if they eat not his Flesh and drink his Blood and that he that feeds on them shall be raised up at the Last Day and obtain eternal Life Lastly he teaches them what great effects his Body should work in the Souls of all those that receive it worthily saying to them He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood dwelleth in me and I in him and he shall live by me as I live by my Father which hath sent me These sublime Truths which he taught in the Synagogue at Capernaum offended many of the Jews yea several of his Disciples having hard them said These words are very heard and unintelligible who can patiently hear such Doctrin as this much less believe it But they understood them in a literal which were meant in a Spiritual sense only They thought saith St. Austin that if they eat his flesh they must cut it in pieces as the flesh which is sold in the Market is They were not sensible that besides the manner of eating Jesus Christ by Faith they might also really eat him in the Eucharist under the Figure of Bread a way wherein there is nothing affrighting But instead of believing all that he who was the Truth it self said unto them by attending to his Explication of what they did not understand they were offended at his Speech and withdrawing themselves from following him would be his Disciples no longer The Apostles were wiser than these deserters for Jesus having said unto them Will ye also leave me Peter answered for them all Lord to whom should we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life and we believe and know that thou art the Christ the Son of God Nevertheless among these Twelve which adhered so firmly to him there was one which should afterwards betray him which was Judas Iscariot Jesus knowing it foretold the Infidelity and Treachery of that Apostle saying Have not I chosen you Twelve And yet one of you is a Devil and a Wicked Traytor IV. The Pharisees complain that his Apostles did eat with un-washed Hands Jo. 6.4 The Passover was nigh at hand when Jesus multiplyed the Bread and made the former Discourse It appears by this Relation of St. John that he went not up to Jerusalem to Solemnize that Feast according to the Custom for that Evangelist says that after this he remained in Galilee not daring to go into Judea because the Jews sought to put him to Death Then the Scribes and Pharisees which were of Jerusalem came unto him Matt. 1â— 1 -20. Mar. 7.1 -23. and having observed that his Disciples did not scruple to eat their Meat with unwashen Hands they complained of them to him Not that there was any commandment of the Law enjoyning them to wash their Hands before they eat but the Pharisees had annexed several Humane Traditions to the Law which they were more exact in the observance of than the Law it self For this reason it was that they said unto Jesus Why do thy Disciples break the Tradition of the Elders in not washing their Hands when they eat their Food Jesus asked them again Why do you your selves transgress the Law of the Lord by following your Traditions As for example Why do you perswade Children to think that they do a Work acceptable to God in giving him Offerings altho' they suffer their Father and Mother to be in want thus making them to prefer an Humane Tradition before the Commandment of God which injoyns Children so expresly to Honour and Support those from whom they have received Life Then he shews them that notwithstanding all their Ceremonial observances they wore the Hypocrites of whom God speaks by the Prophet Isaias This People honoureth me with their Lips Isai 29.13 but their Heart is far from me Lastly he calls to the People and saith unto them with a loud Voice Hear ye this and understand my sayings Nothing from without a Man entring into his Body can defile him but that which cometh out of the Man defileth the Man Upon this his Disciples came unto him and told him that the Pharisees were offended at his Words But he answered them Every Plant that my Heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up Let them alone they are blind leaders of such as are as blind as themselves with whom they shall fall into the Ditch and so perish eternally together Then he went into an House and his Disciples desired him to explain to them his meaning in those Words Nothing that entreth into a Man defileth the Man but that which cometh out of the Man defileth the Man He unfolded the Parable to them and taught them that every thing that entreth into the Body
is an Hebrew and Christ a Greek Word and signify both of them Anointed the Jews calling him so because they expected He should be a great King consecrated to God by a special Unction of which the Anointing of their Kings and Prophets was but a Figure Four thousand Years being at last expired and spent in waiting for him the Time appointed by God and foretold by the Prophets for the Deliverance of Mankind came The Roman Empire enjoyed a profound Peace under the Reign of Augustus and the Jews were governed by Herod whom the Romans had made King over them being some Years before become subject to their Power This Government by a Foreign Prince was an Evident Sign that the Coming of the Messiah drew near according to the Prophesy of Jacob Gen. 49.10 The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his Feet until Shiloh he that is sent do come This was the Time which God from all Eternity had prefixed for the Execution of his gracious Design That Jesus Christ the Saviour both of the Jews and Gentiles should be born in Judea and by him hath he accomplish'd the great Work of Man's Salvation in such a manner as the Gospel relates and which we are about to give an account of in this History of which I shall make Four Parts containing so many Periods of our Saviour's Life and shew what passed I. From the Conception of John the Baptist to his entrance upon his Ministry II. In the first Two Years of his Preaching III. In the Third Year of his Ministry IV. From his triumphant going up to Jerusalem to his Ascension into Heaven BOOK I. An Account of what passed from the Conception of John the Baptist to the Entrance of Jesus Christ upon his Ministerial Function I. The Conception of S. John the Baptist Book I. Luke 1 5-22 THere was among the Jews a certain Priest named Zacharias who with his Wife Elizabeth kept all the Commandments of the Lord blameless They were both of them very old and God that he might at length reward their Patience and contentedness in a signal manner having given them no Child but laid upon them the Disgrace of Barrenness which at that Time was accounted a great Curse inflicted by God It came to pass as Zachary ministred in the Temple according to his Course and offered the Incense commanded by the Law to God the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and told him from God That he should have a Son whom he should call John That this his Son should be great in the Sight of God and be filled with the Holy Spirit from his Mother's Womb That he should convert many Israelites from their Sins and should go before the Lord in the Spirit and Power of Elias preparing his Ways for him and disposing p. 5 The Anunciation of the Blessed Virgin Men to receive him Zachary doubting of the Truth of these Promises answered the Angel How shall I be assured of the Truth of thy Words for I am Old and my Wife is well stricken in Years The Angel reproving his Unbelief told him That from that Moment he should be dumb and not be able to speak till the Things which he had spoken of should come to pass And in that very instant he lost his Speech and the People who could not understand him but by Signs perceived by his Silence that he had seen a Vision The Days of his Ministration being accomplish'd he returned to his own House at Hebron Luke 1 23-25 a City in the Tribe of Judah and God performed that which he had foretold by the Angel for Elizabeth conceived and hid her self Five Months that she might between God and herself raise in her Heart a more perfect Sense of his Favour in taking away from her the Reproach of Barrenness and giving her a Son of whom she might hope for so great things II. The Conception of Jesus Christ. Six Months after the Conception of Elizabeth the same Angel Luke 1 26-38 which had foretold the Birth of S. John to Zachary was sent by God into a City of Galilee called Nazareth to foretel the Nativity of Jesus Christ to her who was chosen from all Eternity to be his Mother It was an Holy Virgin of the House of David named Mary who was espoused to a Man of the same Family called Joseph and living in perfect Chastity had her Spouse for a faithful Witness and Guardian of her Purity The Angel being come to her said Hail O thou that art highly favoured the Lord is with thee blessed art thou among Women Her Modesty raised in her a great Disturbance at the unusual Appearance of the Angel and she was surprized at this kind of Salutation But the Angel bid her not be troubled telling her That she should have a Son who should be great and be called the Son of the Most High to whom God would give the Throne of his Father David i. e. an Eternal Kingdom and that she should call his Name Jesus which signifies a Saviour She reflecting upon her way of living with Holy Joseph and not understanding how she could preserve her Virginity and yet become a Mother said unto the Angel How shall this be seeing I know not a Man The Angel answered her That this Holy Child which shall be called the Son of God shall be born by the invisible Operation of the Holy Ghost and to shew her that God to whom nothing is impossible would work this great Miracle in her by his Almighty Power he tells her what had befallen her Cousin Elizabeth who having been barren for many Years was Six Months since with Child Being satisfied by this Instance that she might bear a Child and yet continue a Virgin she humbly submitted her self to the appointment of God and said to the Angel Behold the Handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy Word Then the Angel departed from her but the Holy Spirit wrought this great Mystery in her for which she had been fitted and disposed a great while before by the plentiful effusion of his Graces She conceived the Son of God the Second Person of the Holy Trinity who was incarnate i. e. became Man by taking on him a Body and Soul like us in the Womb of this chast and humble Virgin III. The Visitation of the Holy Virgin As soon as Mary had heard that her Cousin was with Child she went with haste to see her Luke 1. 39-55 and entring into her House saluted her which when Elizabeth heard she felt the Infant leaping in her Womb for Joy and being filled with the Holy Ghost she spake out with a loud Voice and said Blessed art thou among Women and blessed is the Fruit of thy Womb How great a Felicity is this to me that the Mother of my Lord should come unto me And having inform'd the Virgin That her Child leaped in her Womb she added Blessed art thou because thou
Parents Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake for their is the Kingdom of Heaven He adds further to his Disciples Blessed are ye when Men shall hate you and persecute you for my sake and load you with Injuries and Reproaches Rejoyce then for great is your reward reserved in Heaven And after he hath thus shewn that there is no happiness in this Life but in the contempt of Riches Honour and Pleasures and in the love of Religion Peace and Mercy Purity of heart and Patience by which we may render our selves worthy of that Eternal Life which God hath reserved in Heaven for us He pronounces a Wo against Riches against those who live in Plenty Mirth and Worldly Honours because they that place their Happiness in all these things shall one day find that their Pleasures Honours Comforts and Plenty shall end in Eternal Wailing and Sorrow XVI What are the Truths which Jesus Christ teacheth in this Sermon upon the Mount Matt. 5 13-48 Lu. 16 27-36 He next teacheth his Apostles that they were the Salt and Light of the World to reform their corrupt Manners and to illuminate their darkneâ— Minds that they ought therefore to be Pure and Holy themselves and not to omit any occasion of dispersing the Light of their Doctrin because they are set on a Candlestick i. e. preferred to the Ministry of the Gospel for that end That he came not to destroy the Law of Moses but to fulfil it and to bring it to its utmost perfection by teaching his Disciples a Righteousness far more compleat and excellent than that of the Scribes and Pharisees and without which no Man can be saved Indeed the Old Law forbids several Sins and regulated the exterior Actions But the New Law which Jesus Christ gives in this Discourse aims at the Reformation of the Heart and to suppress Sin in its very Source and Original For it was said to the Jews in the Law Thou shalt not kill But Jesus Christ commands every Man to curb in his Anger and not to utter the least affront or abuse of his Brother and if there be any differences not to offer any Sacrifice to God before they are reconciled The Law forbids Adultery Jesus forbids with the same strictness all Lascivious Glances and commands Men to pluck out the right Eye in which they are i. e. to deprive themselves of that pleasure of the Sight which excites irregular desires in the Heart The Law commands us to avoid Perjury Jesus Christ will not allow us to Swear at all and Teaches us that when we are obliged to confirm our Words with an Oath that very Oath tho' not sinful in it self yet proceeds from a bad Cause viz. as St. Austin says from the Custom of Lying and dealing falsly so much used among Men that they dare not trust to their bare Words The Law regulates Revenge and requires that the punishment do not exceed the Offence on which it is inflicted But Jesus Christ is so far from allowing us to revenge our selves that on the contrary he teacheth us not to resist evil not to go to Law but to give to those that ask and to yield our Cheek to those that smite us i. e. to bear all things rather than lose Charity The Jews believed that the Obligation we have to Love our Neighbour did hinder us from hating our Enemies But Jesus Christ will have us to love those that Hate us and to do good to those that Persecute us that we may excell the Heathens in well-doing and imitate Himself who makes his Sun to rise upon the Evil as well as upon the Good and so deserve the Honourable Title of the Children of God From Sins he passes to Good actions and to make them pure Mat. 6 1-34 he teacheth us to purify the Motives and causes of them shewing us that the Intention is such to the outward Actions as the Eye is to the whole Body and that they are pure or sinful according as the Intention is good or Evil after the same manner as the Body is either Light or in Darkness as the Eye is either Clear or Blind Wherefore he teaches us that we must not perform our good Works as Alms Prayers or Fasting that we may be praised of Men but of God who will reward them He lays down rules for Prayer that it should be made with a full Trust in the Divine Bounty with perseverance and with a mind full of Peace and Love to our Brethren knowing that he that will neither give to nor pardon others deserves neither the Mercies nor Pardon he petitions of God He makes the force and excellency of a Prayer not to consist in a multitude of Words as if God had need of our Words to manifest our Wants to him and that we may know what we may desire and request of God he hath taught us to pray after this manner Our Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily Bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and Lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evil Amen In the next place he endeavours to make the Souls of his Disciples contemn the good things of this World by teaching them not to lay up Treasures upon Earth but in Heaven where neither Thief nor any other danger is to be feared that they cannot love God and Mamon i. e. Riches at the same time and that instead of being sollicitous for the necessaries of this Life since God who nourisheth the Fowls and adorns the Lillies will not cease to take care of Man who is far more precious in his sight than Flowers or Beasts We should first seek the Kingdom of God and the Righteousness thereof above all other things and then we may hope that God will give us all other things as an Overplus of favour to us He forbids rash Censures and Judgments Matt. 7 1-29 Lu. 6 37-42 and condemns those Hypocrites who cannot see the Beam which groweth in their own Eyes but would cast out the Mote out of their Brothers Eye He teaches them to distribute Holy things prudently saying We must not cast Pearl before Swine He summs up our whole Duty to our Neighbours in this short Precept Whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you do ye even so to them He assures us That the way which leads to Life is streight but that which leads to Hell is bread and many there be that go in it He teacheth us to beware of false Prophets who come in sheeps-cloathing yet are ravening Wolves That we must not Judge of them by their Words but by their Works And altho' they may do some Miracles yet God will reject them one day as a People he never knew In the same manner will he also treat all those who content themselves to say Lord
hear let him hear i. e. let him understand the Sense and Meaning of what I say The Apostles themselves did understand it no more than others and therefore when they were alone with him they prayed him to tell them why he spoke to the People in Parables and to explain what he had already propounded to them In answer to the First Question he tells them How great an Happiness they enjoyed in being with him because they saw and heard those Things which many Righteous Men and Prophets desired to see and hear but could not obtain it And because he made them understand clearly those great Mysteries which he propounded to others in dark Similitudes and Parables only to punish the Blindness and Obstinacy of their Hearts which makes them unworthy and incapable of knowing the Truth Then he teaches them That by the Seed he spoke of he understood the Word of God They that after they have heard regard it not but immediately let themselves loose to their Sins are like the High-Way The Devil is figured by the Birds who are ready to take the Word out of their Hearts lest they believe and be saved Those that receive the Word with Joy but the first Temptation spoils all the Fruit because the Word has had no deep Root in the Soul are the Rock Others that choke the Word with Avarice love of Pleasures and other Passions are the Thorns which must be pulled up if we will have the heavenly Seed to thrive in our Hearts Lastly the good Ground signifies those well-disposed Souls which receive and retain faithfully the Word of God and through Patience and Constancy bring forth as much Fruit as they are able XXVI Other Parables Matth. 13 24.-35 Mark 4 26-34 Luke 13 18-30 He propounded also several other Parables He compares the World to a Field in which the Owner sowed good Seed but afterward discerned it to be mixed with Darnel which his Enemy had sown in the Night his Servants as soon as they saw it would have weeded it up but he hindred them lest they should root up the Corn with it and bad them let it grow with the Corn till the Harvest when he would have it separated from the Corn and burnt but gather the Corn into his Barn He compares the Kingdom of God to Seed which being cast into the Ground springs up and grows the Sower knows not how without any further Care Then to Mustard-Seed which being a very small Seed less than any other becomes the biggest among Herbs Lastly to Leaven which is put into the Dough till the whole is Leaven'd When he had spoken these things he sent the People away and returned to the House with his Disciples who prayed him to declare to them the Meaning of the Parable of the Darnel He tells them That it signifies That the Good ought to tolerate the Wicked with whom they are mixed till God shall separate them the one from the other at the End of the World for then the Sinners shall be cast into Hell-Fire and the Good shall shine as the Sun in the Kingdom of God He teaches them also the same Truth under the Parable of the Fishermen who catch all sorts of Fish in their Nets promiscuously but sitting upon the Bank separate the Good which they carry away and cast away the Bad. Lastly he makes them sensible that we ought to part with any thing to purchase Heaven by the Comparison of a Man who sold all he had to buy a Pearl of great Price or the Field in which he knew there was a great Treasure The Gospel gives us the Explication of none of the other Parables that by an Attentive Consideration of those which are explained we may find out the Sense of those that are not our selves having first begged of God that Spirit of Understanding which Jesus Christ requires of his Auditors when he says He that hath Ears to hear let him hear The Ignorant and Simple who have not Abilities to find out the Signification of those Parables which the Son of God hath not unfolded and who may justly fear mistaking by following their own Sense ought to consult their Pastors about such difficult Places and while we wait for the Resolution of what we demand practising the Truths they know which it is easy for an humble and teachable Soul to understand And for the help of these sort of Persons it is that I composed this Work chiefly and therefore shall give you the Sense of the Three following Parables to that of the Darnel out of the Fathers and Doctors of the Church All Three of them may signify the Preaching of the Gospel The Preacher disperses the Seed of the Word and this Seed groweth by little and little by the secret Operation of God's Grace in the Heart of him 1 Cor. 3.6 that receives it for the Preacher Soweth Planteth and Watereth There was nothing more contemned at first than the Doctrin of the Gospel but like a Grain of Mustard-Seed it hath grown and filled the whole Earth Lastly we must carefully keep and preserve the Word of the Gospel in our Hearts that the Sacred Leaven may leaven the whole Lump and by its secret Vertue reform all the Thoughts Desires and Actions of Man XXVII Jesus Christ goes to Preach at Nazareth Matth. 13 54-58 Mark 6 1-6 Luke 4 16-30 The Son of God after he had finished these Parables went to Preach in the City of Nazareth where he had been conceived and brought up His Disciples were also with him According to his usual Custom he went into the Synagogue on the Sabboth Day where standing up to read they gave him the Book of the Prophet Isaias He opened it and found the Place where the Prophet speaking of the Messias Isai 61.1 says That he was consecrated and sent by the Spirit of God to preach the Gospel to the Poor to heal the Sick to publish the Day of Grace from the Lord and declare the Day of Judgment When he had read this Text he shut the Book and gave it to the Minister Then sitting down he explained this Prophecy and shews that it was accomplished in himself All that were in the Synagogue fixed their Eyes on him while he spake and wondred so much at the gracious Words that proceeded out of his Mouth that they demanded one of another Whence hath this Man this great Wisdom which he shews Is not this the Son of the Carpenter called Joseph the Son of Mary and are not his Brethren i. e. Cousins James and Joses and Simon and Judas and are not his Kindred with us Whence then hath this Man all these thing The Gospel observes That he was not only a Subject of Astonishment but also of Scandal Whereupon Jesus knowing their Thoughts saith unto them Ye will surely apply this Proverb to me Physitian Heal thy self as a Reproach to him that he would not do as great Miracles in his own Country as he
had done at Capernaum But he assures them That a Prophet that is well received and honoured everywhere else is neither received nor honoured in his own Country This he proves by Two Examples the first of Elias who in a Famine was not sent by God to the Widows of his own Country but to a Widow of another Country to receive Relief in his need And the other of Elisha who cured a strange Lord of a Leprosy when there were many Lepers in Israel who would not desire a Cure from him These Truths much incensed all those that were in the Synagogue and they arose in their Fury and led him out of the City to the Top of a Mountain to cast him down from it But because he could only dye at the Time and in the manner he himself pleased he withdrew himself from the Fury of these wretched Men and passing through the midst of them he retreated from Nazareth The Gospel observes That he did but very few Miracles and healed a very small Number of Sick People then only by laying Hands on them the Infidelity of his hardned City rendring it unworthy of his Presence and good Deeds XXVIII Jesus goeth about Galilee again and sends his Apostles to preach Matth. 9 35-38 Luke 8 1-3 Jesus being departed from Nazareth went again throughout all Galilee going into every City and every Village teaching in their Synagogues preaching the Gospel and healing every Sickness and every Disease And the Twelve Apostles were with him to whom also were joyned certain Women who had been freed from Evil Spirits and cured of their Distempers Among whom were Mary Magdalen out of whom went Seven Devils and Joanna the Wife of Chuza Herod's Steward and Susanna and several others who ministred to him of their Substance In this Journey he looked upon this great Multitude to whom he was about to preach the Gospel as so many fainting and scattered Sheep which have no Shepherd to look after them and being moved with Compassion he said to his Disciples The Harvest indeed is great but the Labourers are few pray ye therefore the Lord of the Harvest that he would send Labourers into it Since he himself was Lord of this Harvest and his Apostles were the Labourers Matth 10 1-42 Mark 6 7-13 Luke 9 1-9 whom he had designed for that Work long before He called them gave them Power to cure Diseases and cast out Devils and sent them Two and Two to preach the Kingdom of God having first given them such Rules as he would have them observe in the Exercise of their Ministry He ordered them to preach to the Jews only and make this the Subject of all their Sermons The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand To use that Power freely that has been given freely not to incumber themselves with Mony or variety of Cloaths that they may be the more free to discharge their Office because they must receive a necessary Maintenance from those to whom they Preach To chuse their Abode in all Places with Honest Good Men To say when they go into their Houses Peace be to this House to stay there so long as they continue in the Place And to shake off the Dust off their Feet against those who will neither receive nor hear them He then tells them That he sends them as Sheep among Wolves and that they ought to live among those Sinners whom they labour to convert with Simplicity and Caution That notwithstanding all their Wariness they shall be persecuted that the only way to escape is to fly and if they are taken and carried before Tribunals they should not trouble themselves how to answer their Judges because the Holy Spirit shall supply them with an Answer That they should only take Care not to be discouraged with Fear and that they should not fear Men who have Power over the Body only but fear God who can destroy both the Body and Soul eternally That if they disown him before Men he will disown them before God at they Day of Judgment but on the contrary he will acknowledge them for his who are not ashamed to confess his Name Lastly to encourage them in suffering the greatest Torments rather than be wanting of their Duty he assures them That nothing should befal them but by the Order of God who counteth all the Hairs of their Heads and by losing their Lives for him in this World they should save it to all Eternity That they could not be his Disciples unless they took up their Cross and follow him and that they ought not to expect better Usage than their Master whom they had seen themselves to be called a Samaritan that had a Devil even by those Men whom he came to save He concludes this Discourse with Rewards that they shall have who hear their Word and furnish them with Things necessary saying Whosoever shall give you but a Cup of cold Water to drink in my Name verily I say unto you he shall have his Reward The Apostles having received these Instructions went throughout all the Country preaching to the People That they should repent and God confirmed their Discourses with Miracles for they cast out many Devils and by Anointing many that were Sick with Oil cured them XXIX Herod beheads John the Baptist Matth. 14 1-12 Mar. 6 14-30 The Fame of Jesus's Miracles spreading more and more in Galilee came at last to Herod's Court Every Man almost was guessing who this Man was that did such great Miracles some said he was Elias others one of the Old Prophets who appeared a-new others among whom was Herod himself suspected That it was John the Baptist risen from the Dead for not long before Herodias who had caused this Holy Forerunner of Christ to be imprisoned had found out a way to satiate her Malice which she had conceived against him by procuring his Death The Occasion was this Herod making a magnificent Feast upon his Birth Day for all his Court the Daughter of Herodias came in and danced before them and so pleased all the Company that the King bid her ask what Favour she would have and promised with an Oath That he would grant it her to the half of his Kingdom She immediately went and consulted with her Mother what she should ask And her Mother bid her ask the Head of John the Baptist She returned in haste to the King and prayed him to give her by and by the Head of John the Baptist in a Charger Herod was much disturbed at this Request but a false Respect to Men hindred him from denying her and not being willing to be accused of being worse than his Word by those who had been Witnesses of his Oath he sent and cut off John Baptist's Head in the Prison gave it to the Damosel who carried it to her Mother The Disciples of John hearing of the Death of their Master buried his Body and laid it in a Tomb and went to Jesus to tell him the
his Table but could not obtain that Piece of Charity from this hard-hearted Miser whose Dogs were more merciful than he for they came and licked his Sores and so by their healing Tongues did what they could to cure his Disease At length they both dyed but their End was as different as their Lives had been for the Poor Man was carried by the Angels into Abraham's Bosom i. e. into a Place of Happiness appointed for the Souls of the Saints the Rich Man also dyed and was buried in his Body but his Soul was carried into Hell From hence he beholding the Happiness of the Beggar whom he had contemned cryed out Father Abraham have Mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the Tip of his Finger in Water and cool my Tongue for I suffer inexpressible Torments in this Flame But the Holy Patriarch told him that it was impossible by reason of the vast distance between them to grant his Request so it was just that he who had endured so much Grief and Sorrow in his Life-time should receive Comfort and Happiness after his Death but as for himself who had surfeited with the Delights and Pleasures of this Life that he should suffer Thirst and Torments in another World The Rich Man perceiving that there was no Mercy to be hoped for for himself thought of his Five Brethren which yet lived in the same Luxury and Riot and prayed Abraham to send them Word by Lazarus of the miserable Condition he was in that by his Example they might grow wiser and repent But he answered them That they have Moses and the Prophets and if they neglected to hear them they would not give Credit to a Dead Man though raised on purpose to warn them of their Duty XXXVIII Jesus Christ shews the inseparable Conjunction of Married Persons and highly commends Virginity Matth. 19 3-12 Mar. 10 2-12 Luke 16.18 These Truths silenced but could not convert the Pharisees they still hated him and sought all occasions to ensnare him in his Talk and for this Reason they put this Question to him Is it lawful for a Man to put away his Wife for every Cause as he pleaseth Jesus answered them by propounding first another Question What did Moses in the Law command They replyed That Moses in the Law allowed them to put away their Wives giving them a Writing to testify their Divorcement But Jesus refers them to the first Institution of Marriage by God himself saying That Man and Woman are so straitly united that they ought to be looked upon as one Flesh only And then goes on and says What God hath thus joyned together let no Man put asunder They still insist upon the Permission which Moses had given them but he answered them That Moses allowed it only for the hardness of their Hearts for from the Beginning it was not so and that whosoever puts away his Wife unless in the Case of Adultery and marries another hath committed Adultery and whosoever marrieth the Woman so divorced is also guilty of Adultery His Disciples when they came into the House consulted him about the same Thing and he gave them the same Answer from whence they made this Conclusion That it is not good to marry Whereupon he says to them True it is that Virginity is the best Estate for Men but it is above the Reach of Man unless it be of some few whom either Nature hath befriended or human Force hath rendred incapable of Marriage or their ardent Desire of Heaven hath obliged to live in voluntary and entire Chastity And since all Men are not capable of so great a Vertue he concludes with these Words He that is able to receive it let him receive it i. e. He that hath this Gift of Chastity bestowed on him let him live in it XXXIX Jesus speaks of his Kingdom and of his Coming and teaches them That they must pray always Another Time the Pharisees Luke 17 20-37 who waited for the coming of the Messiah and who had drawn up a Romantick Scheme to themselves That the Messiah should reign in their Country with great Pomp and Majesty and should raise himself above all the Kings of the World demanded of him When the Kingdom of God should come He answered them That it should not appear with outward Splendor and Pomp nor be confined to any particular Place but that it was already come and was within them i. e. that his Kingdom was Spiritual and was to be set up in their Hearts by Justice and Charity From hence he takes occasion to tell his Disciples That the Time will come when they shall desire to enjoy his Presence but one Day but shall not see him more That he shall come hereafter as a Flash of Lightning i. e. suddenly and gloriously but he must first suffer many things and be rejected of the Jews And that as it was in the Days of Noah Men eat and drank and married not thinking upon the Flood which came suddenly upon them and destroyed them and as the Fire from Heaven fell unexpectedly upon the Inhabitants of Sodom so shall it be at the coming of the Son of Man All our Thoughts must then be employed in contriving to save our selves without looking behind us either to pity or save others remembring Lot's Wife who looking back contrary to the Command of the Angel was changed into a Pillar of Salt Luke 18 1-8 He teaches them also at the same Time That we must not be weary of Prayer and to shew of how great Advantage it is to pray always and with Perseverance he delivers this Parable of a certain Widow who having a wicked Man for her Judge who would not do her Justice constrained him by her Importunities to vindicate her Wrongs By which Example he demonstrates to us That God who is Just will certainly revenge his Elect which cry unto him Day and Night and will deliver them soon out of the Oppression they suffer But since such a Faith as is necessary to support us continually in so excellent a Duty is very rare and unusual he adds in a kind of an Astonishment Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh shall he find Faith upon Earth There will will be few that will hold out to the End XL. He teaches Men to be humble Jesus Luke 18 9-14 that he might shew Humility in Prayer to be as necessary as Perseverance and so instruct his more attentive Disciples as well as beat down the Pride of the Pharisees who thought themselves Righteous and being full of vain Confidence in their own false Sanctity contemned all others propounds to them this Parable Two Men went up to the Temple to pray the One a Pharisee and the Other a Publican the former stood and prayed after this manner God I thank thee that I am not as other Men are Thieves Vnjust Adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice in the Week and give Tythes of all that I
lifted up his Hands to bless his Disciples and as he blessed them he was parted from them who saw him ascend up towards Heaven till a Cloud into which he entred took him out of their Sight They still looked after him with earnestness and as soon as they had lost the Sight of him Two Men cloathed in White presented themselves to them on a suddain and said unto them Ye Men of Galilee why stand ye looking up towards Heaven This Jesus who hath left you and is gone up into Heaven shall come again in the same manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven Then the Apostles ador'd him who had left the Earth to be seated in Heaven at the Right Hand of God i. e. to receive in his Sacred Humanity the Rest and Glory which was the Reward of his Labour and Sufferings They departed full of Joy from the Mount of Olives and returned to Jerusalem where Ten Days after they received the Holy Ghost Then they went and preached every where according as their Master had commanded them and the Lord confirmed the Word which he had put in their Mouth by Miracles LIII The Glorious Life of Jesus Christ in Heaven John 20.30 31. This is a full account of all the Gospel teacheth us of the Life which Jesus Christ lived upon the Earth He did indeed many other Things and wrought a great number of Miracles which are not written these that are written being sufficient for our Salvation if by reading them we believe That Jesus is the Son of God that by Faith we may have Life in his Name This is the Life which he hath promised us and into which he is entred by his Ascension for he told his Apostles That he went to prepare a Place for them John 14.3 And S. Paul assures us That he is entred into Heaven for us as our Fore-runner Heb. 6.19 20. that we may follow him now in Hope which serveth us as an Anchor sure and stedfast in the various Disturbances and Troubles of this Mortal Life As to the Life which Jesus Christ now liveth in Heaven the Gospel tells us That he sits there Mark 16.19 at the Right Hand of God He siteth i. e. is at perfect Ease and Rest having no more Trouble or Sufferings in his Sacred Humanity to which he is united for our Salvation He sitteth at the Right Hand of God i. e. is made equal with the Father being God of like Nature with him and is raised up above all Creatures This Rest Acts 7.56 which Jesus Christ enjoys for himself hinders him not from acting for us and altho he sits at the Right Hand of God S. Stephen saw him there standing indeed since he came to the Earth not only to purchase the Glorification of that Body and Soul which he assumed in the Womb of the Virgin but also to obtain Salvation for all that believe on him If he hath nothing else to do with his Sacred Humanity yet it is his business to intercede for the Salvation of his Saints till they shall come to be Partakers of his Glory He there finishes the great Work of Man's Redemption which he began upon Earth in Heaven Eph. 1.22.4.15 'T is there as Head of the Church as the Apostle calls him he governs it by his Pastors which he hath appointed enlightens it by her Doctors sanctifies it by his Sacraments protects it by the Help of his Grace and quickens it by his Spirit 'T is there that he prays without ceasing for us and we use him as our Advocate to defend our Cause before his Father as our Mediator to offer our Prayers to him and obtain the Mercies and Graces we petition as High Priest and Sacrifice by offering always the same Blood which he poured out upon the Cross once for all for the Salvation of the whole World Hence it was that S. John saw him in Heaven in the Figure of a Lamb slain and laid upon the Altar which is before the Throne of God Rev. 5.6 7. Heb. 4.16 't is there that he sits upon a Throne of Grace and Mercy where we may go in a Time of Need to obtain Pardon of our Sins before he appears upon his Throne of Justice to judge the World 1 Joh. 2.1 Lastly 't is there that he calls us and invites us to consider upon him in his Glory which he hath merited both for himself and us by the Effusion of his Blood that by the Prospect of that Eternal Happiness which he hath prepared for us he may make us contemn all earthly Things and stir us up to follow him in the Way he is gone before us i. e. to imitate the Examples he hath given us in this Mortal Life of which we have related the History in this Book For this Reason it is that S. Paul exhorts us by these Words which include all the Benefit we ought to make of all that is said of the Life of Jesus Christ Heb. 10 19-31 We have freedom to enter with Boldness into the Heavenly Sanctuary by the Blood of Jesus Christ going after him in that new Way which he hath trodden out for us in his own Flesh And since he is in Heaven an High Priest set over the House of God let us draw near to him with a truly sincere Heart and full of Faith with a Soul purified from the Filth of an Evil Conscience and a Body preserving the Purity which it hath received from the pure Water of Baptism let us remain firm and stedfast in our Faith and in the Hope of that Glory which he hath promised to us for he is faithful who hath promised And to obtain it let us provoke one another to Love and to good Works and let us encourage our selves so much the more as we see the last Day draweth nigh for if we sin wilfully after we have received the Knowledge of Truth we must expect nothing but the terrible Judgments and the Flame of that Revenging and Rageing Fire which shall consume the Enemies of God He that despised Moses 's Law was condemned to Death without Mercy how much greater Punishment doth he deserve think ye who hath trodden under Foot the Son of God and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant by which we are sanctified an Vnholy and Prophane Thing i. e. who hath profaned by Sin the Blood of Jesus Christ by which he hath been purified in Baptism and who hath abused and affronted the Spirit of Grace for we know him that hath said Vengeance is reserved for me and I know how to repay it It is a terrible Thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God LIV. The Conclusion This Living God which S. Paul speaks of is the very same Person which we have seen in this History dying for the Salvation of Men upon the Cross He was judged but he shall judge us and that by the Rules which he hath given us and the Examples