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
I thinke no man nor woman should doubt why these women preached this Resurrection The LORD giues them a spâ—ciall direction first from GOD then from His Angell and this commission might satisfie so that the Apostles were bound to receiue this commission that vvas ordained by the LORD of Heauen I marke this lesson There is neither man nor woman can speake in the Name of the Lord except they be sent So sayes Paul to the Romanes tenth Chapter and fifteenth verse None can preach except he be sent How can one preach CHRIST and if hee be not sent by CHRIST daâ—e a knaue stand vp in the middest of a cittie or towne and make a proclamation in the name of the Prince and not haue a warrand and darest thou stand vp and speake in the Name of the great GOD of Heauen and haue no warrand Indeede it is the LORD who knowes who is sent if thou werest neuer so admitted and warranded by the Church the Lord in that great day shall neuer count of thy preaching except thou haue a vvarrand in thy conscience Will Hee put His worde in the mouth of euery knaue No that is a grace to call IESVS the LORD No thou canst not call IESVS the Lord except thou haue the Spirit of Iesus as the Apostle sayes in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the twelfth Chapter and third verse So whether wee bee Ministers or others who speake of IESVS we should looke that that Spirit be in the heart to direct vs when we speake I marke next it was not enough to haue seene this resurrection and neuer to haue spoken one worde of it No Hee commands them to testifie to the Apostles and the Apostles got this commandement to preach it againe for the Gospell is not a candle to put vnder a bushell but to holde it vp and shewe it to the worlde for it is the life and the light of the worlde PAVL sayes to Timothie in his second Epistle the second Chapter first verse That that thou hast heard of mee before many witnesses the same deliuer thou to faithfull men which shall be able to teach others also No it is not to be concredite to euery knaue it is too precious a jewell to deliuer to knaues let them deliuer it to them that are able to teach others let the first deliuer to the second and the second to the third and the third to the fourth and the fourth to the fifth and so let it euer sound in the world Woe to that soule that impedes the course of the glorious Gospell for what can there be vvhere it is not teached but death No this Gospell is a stumbling blocke to the world Tell them sayes the Angell Hee vvill meete them in Galile for Iurie denied mee No would CHRIST say I will not appoint to meete with them in Ierusalem for Ierusalem is not worthie of mee but I will meete them in Galile and so they met with Him as ye shall see hereafter by Gods grace Then I see that all these tithings that tell vs of things that are not seene hath euery one of them a promise joyned with them y t we shall see them come to passe Beleeue thou that He hath suffered and thou shalt see that He hath suffered and beleeue that He is in glorie thou shalt see Him in glorie We savv Him not vvith our bodily eyes but we haue that blessing which the LORD pronounced to Thomas Iohn Chapter 20. verse 29. Blessed are they which neuer saw mee and yet doe beleeue in mee Now blessed for euer shall that soule be that neuer savv the LORD and yet beleeues in Him and I speake to thee a sore vvorde if thou beleeuest not vntill thou see Him thou shalt neuer see Him if thou beleeuest not that He died vntill thou see that Hee died thou shalt nâ—uer see Him but to thy damnation Hope vnder hope and against Hope Brethren many are the impediments that will stay vs so that wee will say I vvill neuer see Him I heare much speaking of Heauen but alas I feare I shall neuer see it I heare much spoken of life but alas I feare I shall neuer see life And these are the tentations of the most godly men and women of this vvorld yet against all these tentations beleeue Gods promises and hope for life for PAVL sayes in the Epistle to the Romanes the fifth Chapter and the fifth verse Faith brings foorth experience and Hope makes not ashamed because the loue of God is shed abroad in our hearts aboundantly by the holy Ghost which is giuen vnto vs. No let none of these tentations hinder vs that thing that holdes backe the infidels shall worke for the best to thee that fearest the Lord if thou fearest the Lord I promise thee in y e name of GOD all these tentations shall further thee and thou shalt bee partaker of Life Now a word and I shall ende He signets seales vp that which he hath told I haue tolde you it saies he as he would say It is true that I haue tolde you and I vvill seale it to be true and ye shâ—ll find it to be true therefore doubt not So our lesson is this WheÌ„soeuer thou commest to testifie to the people of God in paine of thy life looke thou speake nothing but that which God biddes thee speake and that thou mayest saye in conclusion This is true that I haue saide and that this is true I vvill byde by it and seale it vp vvith my blood The Angell had no blood but if thou be not of that minde to shedde thy blood thou art but a deceiuer This is a great boldnesse to seale to seale it vp with thy blood but if thou haue it not sealed vp in thine heart thou shalt neuer seale it vp with thy blood and vvhen it comes to the sealing thou shalt steale away No it is a great vvord to say vvith the Prophet Dauid I beleeued and therefore I spake Looke thou speake nothing to the people of God but that which thou striuest to beleeue Howe is this assurance gotten And vvill euerie vvanton man get this assurance to stande and seale it vp vvith his blood No except thou striue night and day to get the Lorde in thy presence and not to haue anie joye but in His presence thou shalt neuer haue this assurance Then howe is it kept The Lord hath appointed reading Take heede to thy reading saies Paul to Timothie in his first Epistle the fourth CHAPTER and 13. vers and giue thy selfe to meditation and shâ—we thy knowledge in that that thou hast read and get not a knowledge onelie but a sense to speake to others Reading bringes knowledge and meditation bringes feeling and last is prayer And if it bee the duetie of all men to praye then especiallie the Minister is bounde to praye both for himselfe and for them also to vvhome hee is sent So in a vvorde Reade meditate and
and quicknesse of his wit may doe some things without the speciall assistance of the Spirit of Christ but in the Church no man can doe any thing without the presence of the Spirit the man that hath not the Spirit and His graces in some measure is altogether vnprofitable and vnmeete for the Lordes worke for this cause the Lorde makes a speciall promise of this Spirit to them whome He places in His seruice because their calling and function in all respects is spirituall Looke to experience and ye will finde the trueth of this promise There is not a faithfull Minister but in some measure hee hath the Spirit of God to bee powerfull with him in his calling in such sort that not himselfe only but others also who see and heare him will sensiblie perceiue and take it vp The Apostle Paul found sensibly the Spirit of God to be powerfull with him in his labouring in the Ministerie when hee sayes It was not I that laboured but the grace of God which is with me 1 Cor. Chapter 15. verse 10. And againe when he sayes That hee laboured and stroue according to His working which worketh in him mightily Col. Chapter 1. verse 29. And on the other part when hee sayes to the Corinthians Yee see the experience of Christ that speakes in me which toward you is not weake but is mightie in you 2 Cor. Chap. 13. verse 3. he importes that as he himselfe found the power of the Spirit within him so they to whome he preached found it by His Spirit But I insist not to bring in particular places for if we consider well the Epistles of Paul vvee will finde many sentences testifying to vs that not only he himselfe found the power of the Spirit in his Ministerie and the life of Iesus working mightely in him in the middes of his infirmities yea euen in death it selfe 2. Cor. Chapter 4. verse 8. but also that same power was manifest vnto them that heard him Naturall men thinke all is but scorne that is spoken of the Spirit and of His power in the preaching of the Gospell they laugh at it as if there were no such thing but the faithfull man findes that it is not for nought that Christ promised His Spirit to them whom Hee sends as also that vvithout that Spirit no grace could haue bene wrought in their soules Now in the last wordes of this Text to assure them the more that they should receiue this Holy Spirit that was promised the Lord commands them That they goe not out of Ierusalem but that they tarie there vntill they be endued with power from on high that is Vntill they haue receiued this Spirit that He promised to send vnto them So in a manner for their further assurance He prescribes to them a particular time within the which they should receiue the Holie Ghost The Lord commonly when Hee makes a promise of anie thing to His owne Hee will giue them some waâ—rand to confirme and assure them vntill Hee fullie performe His promise for because He knowes our weaknesse and infirmitie He giues vs as it were an earnest pennie to strengthen our Faith and Hope vntill He pay the whole summe to vs for such is our weaknâ—sse that albeit vve haue no more wee cannot bee able long to depend vpon His naked word It is true indeede that the Lord sometime for the triall of the Faith of His owne will charge them to rest vpon His bare and naked word only to beleeue His promise Hee will giue no furâ—her assurance as likewise for a season it may bee that they depend vpon His bare word but it is as true that this cannot continue long for except as by Faith they depend vpon the worde so also they haue some feeling and foretasting of the thing promised and some earnestpennie and securitie to assure them of the obtaining of the promise their Faith will faile and decay So weake are we in Faith so ready are we to mistrust that we cannot stand nor continue except wee bee vnderpropped and vpholden by some speciall warrand from God Now to end One thing further may be marked in these words The Lorde discharges the Apostles to goe out of Ierusalem vntill they haue gotten tâ—is Holy Spirite that Hee promised them The lesson is A Minister should not couet to goe to the worlde to preach the Gospell vntill the time hee bee assured that the Holie Spirit accompanies him and his trauells for if the Apostles themselues might not goe out to preach vntill the Spirit were sent vnto them it is a foolish thing for any man after them to presume to doe it But alas it is a thing greatly to be lamented in this age that there are so fewe that waite vntill they be accompanied with the Holy Spirit in their Ministerie and that so many goe rashly to vndertake such an high calling Many vpon a conceite that they haue of their naturall giftes their wisdome their quicknesse ingine memorie eloquence and such other giftes will start vp to the pulpet and preach confidently to the people in the Name of Iesus But the Lorde in His just Iudgement not only withdrawes all blessing from their labours but also heapâ—s shame and ignominie vpon them and makes it manifest to the world that He sent them not but they ranne vnsent But thou who wouldest haue a good conscience who wouldest haue the Lord to blesse thy trauells in His Ministerie presume not too farre of thy naturall giftes how great so euer they be but waite vpon the Lordes leasure vntill Hee preuent thee with His Spirit and endue thee with power from on hie and in the meane time be crying earnestly for the presence of that Spirit who when Hee comes will open thine heart and loose thy mouth to speake with boldnesse and freedome in the Name of Iesus To whome with the Father and that blessed Spirit be all praise and honour for euermore AMEN THE XLV LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XX. verse 21 Then said Iesus to them againe Peace be vnto you as my Father sent me so send â— you verse 22 And when He had saide that He breathed on them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost verse 23 Whosoeuer sinnnes ye remit they are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye reteine they are reteined HITHERTO beloued Brethren in Christ wee haue insisted in the opening vp of that Sermon that the Lorde vttered to His Apostles in His fift appearing after His Resurrection as it is set down by the Euangelist Luke wherein first He lets them see that it behooued Him to suffer and to rise againe from the death because it was so foretolde of Him and that it behooued Repentance Remission of sinnes to be preached in His Name to all Nations beginning at Jerusalem Next He giues them a direction to goe out to the world to be witnesses and preachers of these things albeit they were altogether vnmeet and vnsufficient and had
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
voyces vvere of joye for it appeares well that before the Lord gaue vp the ghost comfort and joye returned to Him againe And I am of this mind that there are none who are Gods owne but before their departure out of this life sooner or later they will get a sense of that joye which they are to passe vnto immediatelie The first voyce of joye was All is ended As though Hee vvoulde saye This wâ—â—ke is done and ended and nowe the ransome of the redemption of man is payed to the least farthing Nowe the last voyce vvas vvhen Hee vvas immediatelie readie to render vp His spirite into the handes of the Father sayes with a feeling of joy in the heart Into thine hands Father J commend my Spirit Now this day we haue to speake by His grace First of His death and the yeelding vp of His Spirit Next of those wonders that fell out immediatly after the Lord had rendered the Spirit and thirdly we haue to speake how the multitude were mooued when they sawe these wonders Novve as concerning His death the words are but few Iohn sayes When Hee had spoken and cried with a loude voyce Hee bowed downe His head and He rendered His Spirit The wordes are to be marked Hee renders His Spirit first as it were Hee tooke His soule in His owne Hande and deliuered it in the handes of the Father desiring Him to keepe it well to the day of His glorious resurrection for Brethren this is the difference betweene the godly vngodly in their death as they differ and are vnlike to other in their life so especially in their death The vngodly cast away the soule and life and cares not where it goes but woe is to them that doe so they will neuer take vp such a life againe when they haue cast it awaye not regarding where it goes to but thinking lightly of it No let no man nor woman cast away this life or dislodge this soule lightly if the soule goe from thee lightly and thou carest not for it better it were for thee neuer to haue had a life a soule or a body But againe Brethren The Lord Iesus as all His lifetime Hee is carefull for the soule that is lodged in an earthly tabernacle so chiefly in the moment when it is to fllit The godly they will not let the soule flit out of the body vntill they know that the hand of the Lord is sweetly loosing the soule to keepe it vntill the day of their glorious resurrection Brethren it would be well marked There is not one of the foure Euangelists Matthew Marke Luke or Iohn but they note very precisely the death of the Lord and the yeelding vp of His Spirit As for the circumstances that fell out in His Passion some will note one thing and leaue another As for example These voyces that He vtters on the Crosse not one of the Euangelists hath them all some hath one and some another But when it comes to the yeelding of the Spirit they all in one harmonie note The Lord gaue vp the Spirit This is a thing not to be passed by nor to be lightly looked on and it lets vs see the death of our Sauiour the separation of His soule from His body is so substantiall and so needfull a thing both to Him to haue suffered and vs to knowe that except the Lord had suffered the death all the crucifying of Him inwardly outwardly all the rest of His suffering had auailed vs nothing the ransome of our sinnes had not bene payed for that was the curse that was laide vpon vs to pull our soule from our bodie and as it was needfull that He should suffer the death for vs so it is needfull to euery one of vs to knowe this that my Sauiour died and His soule was really separated from His body it is needfull that thou haue euermore the Lord Iesus crucified before thee and know that the soule was separated from His blessed body for grace and remission of sinnes is conquered thorow the death of the Mediatour if thou hast not Faith of the death of the Mediatour it is vnpossible that thou canst beleeue that thy soule shall come to Heauen The Apost Heb. 9. hath a notable comparison hee sayes When a man hath made a Testament and his legacie wherein hee leaues such inheritance to any man his Testament can neuer bee sure nor ratified before the man be dead and if he ratifie not the Testament with his death it cannot bee sure for the man in this life may alter the Testament But after that once he die there it stands it cannot be reuoked Euen so sayes the Apostle The Heire of the world Iesus Christ hath made a Testament and such one as neuer man made leauing such goods and heritage to His Saints as neuer man left euen that heauenly Heritage that exceeding Glorie Now sayes the Apostle If the Heire of the World Iesus Christ had not sealed vp His Testament by His blood it had neuer beene sure but His death interueening and closing it then the Testament is sure all the world is not able to alter one jote of it to adde or diminish it Woe be to him that will adde any thing to the Testament of Iesus Christ he is counted a villaine who will adde to a mans Testament Wilt thou adde or diminish any thing at thy pleasure from the Testament of Iesus Christ This Newe Testament is the best Testament that euer was Let Worldlings bee content with the Testaments of their forefathers yet count thou nothing at all except thou get a part of the legacie left in His Testament Woe bee to thee albeit thou get Eaâ—ledomes and Kingdomes and great possessions left to thee by the Testament of thy forefathers if thou gettest not this Testament Well Brethren this Testament can not be ratified but by the blood of the Testator How can I beleeue it except I know that He died and that the soule was as verily separated from the body as euer the soule of man was so when I consider the death of my Sauiour who hath made such a Testament I am so farre from that to bee offended at that shamefull death that the death is the ground of my saluation and that in His death is all my glorie the assurance of my life is in the assurance of His death and His ignominie and shame is my glorie Now thus farre for the death of the Lord Iesus Now come to the consideration of these wonders that fell out immediately as He gaue vp the Ghost The Vaile of the Temple rent asunder from the toppe to the bottome The earth quaked Such things neuer fell out in all the deathes of men in the world No not in the deathes of all the Kings in the world The stones were clouen the graues of the dead did open These are the foure wonders that are noted to haue fallen out immediatly when the Lord gaue vp the Ghost Brethren
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
that had litle knowledge indeede in this stile hee would let vs see that there was neuer such an one in worde nor worke neuer one wrought such miracles as Hee did and neuer man spake as Hee did as His owne very enemies testified of Him Iohn Chapter 7. yet will yee measure it with the knowledge of the man there is a defect here also he thoght He had bene like the rest of the Prophets who prophecied not by their owne spirit but by the Spirit of IESVS yet was hee ignorant that IESVS spake and wrought all by His owne Spirit Why should vvee not knovve these thinges This is the difference betweene CHRIST and all the Prophets all these Prophets and Moyses himselfe were but seruants they spake neuer a vvord by their spirit but by the Spirit of CHRIST as Peter speakes in the first Epistle Spake Moses Esay or Ezechiell in their owne name Dare any Minister speake in his owne name No not vnder paine of his life but IESVS is called the LORD of the house In the Epistle to the Hebrewes the third Chapter Hee spake by His owne Spirit and these preachings were preached by His owne Spirit and He spake by His owne authoritie as yee may reade in the seuenth Chapter of Matthew An Herauld if Hee speakes in his name should be hanged but the King himselfe will speake in his owne name the LORD spake in His owne Name but the Prophets spake not in their owne name reade these Prophecies They say there Thus saith the LORD but ye shall finde thus when Christ comes Hee sayes Amen amen dico vobis Verilie verilie J say vnto you in mine owne Name and authoritie and not in my Fathers only This Cleopas knew not but counted Him a Prophet like others albeit more excellent than others Cleopas thought Hee was potent by the Spirit of GOD and so by another but hee knew not that He spake in His owne Name and by His owne authoritie beeing equall with the Father Nowe to be short hee sayes Hee was mightie before GOD and the whole people That is to say He had the approbation of the LORD from the Heauen and what euer He spake the LORD approoued it what euer Hee did His Father approoued it Then againe He did neuer an action but with the approbation of the people But it would be asked How approoued they Him seeing they persecuted Him scorned Him and crucified Him I answere Albeit that neither by word nor deede the Iewes nor the High Priestes had approoued Him yet the conscience of the same High Priests and Iewes approoued Him and bare witnesse to them that Hee was GOD so that sometimes they were compelled to say Neuer man spake as Hee did Iohn Chapter 6. verse 46. and sometimes againe since the world beganne was it not heard that anie man opened the eyes of one that was borne blinde Iohn Chapter 9. verse 32. So that all that they did to Him was against conscience I regarde not what thou doest to mee if thou be bound in conscience to testifie that that is true which I speake and that is good which I do for in that day thou who speakest against thy conscience shalt not haue one worde to speake thy conscience shall bind vp thy mouth so this is well said that Hee had the approbation both of GOD and man but hee thought Hee had this approbation as one of the Prophets suppose in a greater measure But looke the first Chapter to the Hebrewes and the fifth verse For vnto which of the Angels saide hee at anie time let bee Prophets Thou art my Sonne this daye haue I begotten thee Then hee knew not that he had that approbation of that God who dwelt in him God in him approoued him Roman Chap. 1. vers 4. it is saide Hee was declared mightilie to bee the Sonne of GOD. And 1. Timothie Chap. 3. vers 16. Hee was justified by the Spirite And againe it is saide Actes Chap. 2. vers 22. Jesus of Nazareth a man approoued of God among you with great workes and wonders and signes which God did by him in the middest of you Cleopas knewe little of this Nowe Brethren wee haue examined his wordes and yee see heere a great ignorance In the first wordes an vntrueth and yee see in all the wordes following there is some want And to whome is it that hee preaches Hee preaches Christ to Christ and hee describes the Lorde to the Lorde and yet the Lorde heares him patientlie Yee will not beleeue how Hee vvill heare thy babbling if in thine heart thou haue a loue to GOD suppose thou babble Hee will heare thee and if thou speake vvith loue suppose thou canst not praye as other men and women can Babble on to Him and speake on with a good heart Hee vvill no more reject thee than Hee did Cleopas Hee is aye like to Himselfe For what is all our language to Him but a babbling yea all our knowledge is but babbling So suppose wee haue not knowledge nor a tongue to speake yet let vs not leaue off to speake in loue with our hearts and Hee shall heare vs and giue vs a comfortable answere Nowe I counted neuer so much of knowledge as of an heart which loueth God Keepe an heart to thy God come with faith and loue to thy God and thou wilt not thinke how Hee vvill delight in thee if vvee come vvith loue to the Lord then vvee come boldlie to the Throne of grace And vvhy Because vvee come not in our owne righteousnesse or in our owne perfection vvee appeare onelie in the merites of IESVS CHRIST And suppose thou babble and be ignorant yet if thou appeare in Him thou art full of knowledge for His knowledge the Lorde countes to bee thine O vvhat is it to bee in Christ Hee vvho hath Christ hath all though hee vvere neuer so vveake hee is strong in Him My power sayes the Lord is perfect in infirmitie And therefore sayes Paul I will glorie in my infirmitie that the power of God may be seene in mee 2. Cor. 12. Now a word and so I ende Cleopas beginnes to tell vvhat vvas befallen to such a personage vvho vvas mightie in vvord and deede yet for all this they handled Him most vnworthily of any man Our Priestes and rulers as PILATE first they condemned Him to the death without a cause and next they haue crucified Him if ye consider well the words yee vvill finde that Hee speakes to them with a vvonderfull indignation as if He had said albeit He was such a man and so great a man in all respects yet they condemned Him without a cause and then they crucified Him And vvhat indignitie vvas this for as the Apostle sayes Albeit He vvas the LORD of glorie yet most shamefully they crucified Him 1. Cor. Chapter second and the eight verse Well take vp this in His wordes What euer is done against Christ it is an indignitie if vve knew that Majestie wee offend
preaching No not an Angell hath power to set thine heart on fire So thou that hast this burning thou mayest saye that the Lorde Iesus is present in thine heart But marke this We see in these men that our eyes are so blind that we cannot discerne the Lord so long as we liue here we cannot get full sight but we are in a strife if the heart shall say The Lord is here the flesh will say He is not here so that we hing here betwixt hope and despaire But when Hee once manifestes Himselfe in glorie then that burning which we felt in this life that sense which we then felt shall bee brought to our remembrance Thinke not that thou shalt loose that sense No Thou shalt take it vp with thee to the Heauen and we shall say one to another Remember yee not what burning wee had when wee spake and hearde of CHRIST in the earth Then it behooued this LORDE to haue beene then with vs in the earth So the remembrance of that joye which thou felt in the vvorlde shall bee a part of thy joye which thou shalt haue in the Heauens in the life to come Therefore get much joye here and laye it vp in store in thine heart goe on in feeling and I promise thee in the Name of GOD it shall neuer depart but it shall euer augment and enlarge thy joye and glorie in the life to come No as the worde of GOD which is the immortall seede of GOD euanishes not so neither shall the effect of the worde euer euanish Then euer striue to get a sense of the working of this worde in thine heart Nowe a worde and so I shall ende Yee woulde thinke this a sober conclusion As wee walked by the waye when hee spâ—â—e to vs our hearts burned therefore it was he that spake with vs So they concluded that it must bee his Spirit onelie which settes the heart on fire May we not in like manner conclude At the preaching of Paule the Spirite settes the heart on fire therefore Paul is Christ This is a false conclusion And I answere to this That if these men had felt no more but a common feeling in an ordinarie measure their argument had not beene good But they had another feeling than can be at the preaching of a man for no doubt vvith the vvorde Hee sent His Spirite to vvorke in them extraordinarilie And I put it out of question They had such a vvonderfull feeling as they coulde neuer haue had at the preaching of anie man vvhosoeuer So their conclusion is sure Seeing as Hee spake Hee breathed His Spirite vpon vs Hee must bee CHRIST It is a vvonder of them vvho haue gotten GODS SPIRITE howe they vvill discerne of GODS SPIRITE in others And manie are beguiled for fault of this SPIRITE There is verie much spoken of our feeling at the PREACHING And vvhat serues all They call it a fire for the Spirite which raises that feeling is like a fire and therefore He is compared to a fire Matth. 3.11 And a fire hath euer an vp-burning and if thou haue true feeling thine heart shall bee set on fire that fire is mightie will burne vp the drosse of thy saluation which is in thy foule heart No speake not of feeling except thou be regenerate Thou that art an Harlot speake not of feeling except thou feele it burne vp thine harlotrie And thou that art a murtherer saye not that thou hast a feeling and if it burne not vp thy bloodie heart So I charge thee before God heare not one worde except thou findest that Spirit to burne vp thy corruption thou tellest mee that thou feelest and yet thou remainest an harlot fye vpon thine harlotrie let not that word come out of thy mouth Againe as the fire of Gods Spirit burnes vp the drosse of thy corruption so it will inflame thy loue to God it will inflame thine heart and all the power of the soule to the loue of GOD and righteousnesse so that it vvill binde thine heart to God as the Apostle sayes The loue of God constraineth me so that thou wouldest bee content to die to liue with Him and to pleasure Him thou wouldest not care to liue or to die and what more as a fire is nourished with some matter that is meete for burning so this fire once kindled in our soules is nourished and fed by the continuall presence of GOD in IESVS CHRIST and that precious oyle of the Holy Spirit Further a flame tendes alwayes vpward and it will lift an heauie thing that falles downe vpon it ye see a traine of powder will blow vp an house Wee are heauie by nature and loadned with sinne yet that fire of loue will raise thee vp and place thee with the Lord whom thou louest and thine heart will bee lifted vp to Him There is neuer one that loues IESVS in the Earth but they are dwelling with Him in the Heauen and shall enjoy that presence euerlastingly So yee see what it is to haue the heart set on fire till we meete with our LORD and then our heartes shall haue the full fruition of His presence for euer To this IESVS with the Father and Holy Spirit be glorie for euermore AMEN THE XL. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 13 And they went and tolde it to the remnant neither beleeued they them verse 14 Finally hee appeared vnto the eleuen as they sate together and reproched them for their vnbeliefe and hardnesse of heart because they beleeued not them which had seene Him beeing risen vp againe LVKE CHAP. XXIII verse 33 And they rose up the same houre and returned to Ierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and them that were with them verse 34 Which saide The Lord is risen indeede and hath appeared to Simon verse 35 Then they tolde what things were done in the way and how Hee was knowen of them in breaking of bread verse 36 And as they spake these things Iesus Himselfe stood in the middes of them and said vnto them Peace be to you IHON CHAP. XX. verse 19 The same day then at night which was the first day of the weeke and when the doores were shut where the disciples were assembled for feare of the Iewes came Iesus and stood in the middes and said to them Peace be vnto you WEE haue heard Beloued in Christ these dayes past of the conference which was betwixt Christ and these two Disciples who were going to Emmaus Christ reproued theÌ„ sharplie because they thought that Christ being crucified all hope of Redemption was past Next He instructed them affirming that it behooued Him to suffer and by suffering to enter into His glorie This His doctrine which Hee prooued by manie Testimonies of Scripture beginning at Moses and from Moses Hee comes to the Prophets interpreting vnto them what they had spoken concerning Christ concerning His Passion and concerning His glorie after His Passion for the preaching of
this was a very good preparation going before the Lords comming appearing to them yea no question it was wrought by the force and power of the Lord Himselfe when He was approaching and drawing neare to them for when the Lord is drawing neare approaching to vs then that Holy Spirit who dwelles in our heartes beginnes to moue and vtter Himselfe He wakens vp joy in our heartes Hee opens our mouth to speake with freedome and libertie and to entertaine purpose of spirituall and heauenlie thinges for that Spirit in our soules hath a forecast and feeling before hand of the LORDS comming this is it that shall mooue the godly in that great day when they shall see the tokens of the comming of the LORD to looke vp and lift vp their heades knowing that their redemption dravves neare Luke 21.28 for except the Lord did send before a ligt to shine in their soules as a messenger going before Him to tell Him that the Lorde is comming they would neuer lift vp their heads and therefore when the Lord commands His disciples to looke vp and to lift vp their heades before His comming it is as much as if He had saide to them that Hee will furnish them strength at His comming to lift vp their heades and to be waiting for Him Nowe followes the third circumstance concerning the time of this meeting Iohn in setting it downe is more particular than any of the rest of the Euangelists He sayes It was the same day at night which was the first day of the weeke That is it was the same day that He rose which for that same cause is called the Lords day and it was in the Euening after Sunne-setting when it began to be darke night for it was after the returning of the disciples from Emmaus and they returned not to Ierusalem vntill it was very late for wee heard before it was towards night when they desired the Lorde to stay with them and they returned from Emmaus to Ierusalem after the Lord had stayed some space with them and had eaten and manifested Himselfe to them in the breaking of bread Luke 24.29.30 Iohn telles the cause why they assembled in the night rather than in the daye For feare of the Iewes who as they were malicious against the Lord Himselfe so would they haue vttered their malice against His disciples and all them that loued Him so they make a choyse of a time that was least dangerous for Brethren it is the Lordes will that His children make a choyse of the time that is most conuenient which may serue most for their safetie in their assemblies and meetings it makes not at what times meetings be kept whether in the daye or in the night if so be that they who assemble and meete together be holy for all times are sanctified to the faithfull and them who are holie themselues for it is true that Paul sayes To the pure all things are pure Tit. 1.15 Likewise Christ Himselfe shewes His presence to His own indifferently at any time when they are met together whether it be day or night it is not these outward things that Christ chiefly respects neither the time nor the place nor no such outward circumstaÌ„ce but Christ lookes chiefly to the persons that meete together to their disposition whether they be holy or not the outward things sanctifie not the person but the person sanctifies the outward things manie thinke thâ—t if they come to the Church on the Lordes daye because both time and place is holy that they are holy enough but if thou hast no holinesse in thine heart all thinges are polluted vnto thee the time is polluted the place is polluted the exercise of the word is polluted For vnto them that are defiled and vnbeleeuing nothing is pure but euen their mindes and consciences are defiled Tit. 1.16 The last circumstance is of the place The Euangelists make no particular mention of a speciall place wherein they did meet only Iohn markes That the doores were shut and therefore that they kept themselues close and quiet and in this their meeting exercise they were secret so that the Iewes knew not either where they were or what they were doing Iohn sayes it was for feare of the Iewes that the doores were shut As they had holy wisdome in choosing of the time so they had holy wisdome in choosing of the place God will haue His children to be wise in all things and when Christ sendes out His Apostles He exhortes them To be wise as serpents Matth. 10.16 The faithfull are compassed about with many perills and dangers on all sides which hardly they will eschew except they haue holy wisdome Now it was not only the feare of danger from the Iewes that made them shut the doores but likewise that they might be secret for when the Sainctes are exercised in godly conference and in spirituall and heauenly exercises and when they are handling secret and hid mysteries of saluation then they should bee separated from the worlde and from the societie of prophane men prophane men should be debarred from such holy exercises and from the meetings of the Sainctes and one day they shall be fully debarred and put out of their companie for when they shall be gathered vnto the Lorde Iesus to enjoy His glorious presence in the Heauens the wicked shall get none entrance there to trouble them any more with their prophanitie Thus farre wee haue spoken shortly of the circumstances of the disciples meeting Now it followes we should speake of the appearing it selfe Whilst the disciples thus gathered were speaking one to another of the Resurrection of Christ in the meane time Iesus himselfe comes stands vp in the mids of them He presentes Himselfe to them when the doore were shut after an extraordinarie manner a marueilous manner and verie suddenly for a glorified bodie hath a very swift and speedie motion Iohn lets vs see that His appearing and comming to the house to them was miraculous for hee sayes Hee came when the doores were shut but the particular â—â—nner of His entering in by what way Hee came into the house is not expresselie set downe by anie of the Euangelists and therefore sundrie men haue sundry opinions of the manner of His comming in euerie one farre different from another First The Papistes affirme That the bodie of our Sauiour pearced thorow the doore the substance and bodie of the doore remaining whole vnbroken vnaltered in anie part so that both the bodie of the LORDE and the bodie of the doore at one time vvere in one place And this they affirme that they may haue some appearance of a grounde to establishe that vaine and foolishe dreame and fantasie of the bodily and locall presence of the bodie of our Lorde in the Sacrament of the Supper Of the which doctrine of necessitie it must follow That one and that selfe same bodie may be in manie places at one time for
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
be ministred by preaching thou who contemnest this preaching I denounce to thee thou shalt neuer taste of that Spirit thou vvho vvilt stand vp and saye I haue the Spirit and then contemnest the Ministerie I say thou liest albeit thou vverest the Emperour of the vvorld Now to goe forwarde there is a great necessitie of preaching But take heede to this preaching He describes this preaching by sundrie circumstances First it must bee in some name and in some authoritie a man that standes vp and preaches to the people hee must preach to the people in some name an Herauld vvill stande vp at the market crosse and make his proclamation it must bee in some name for if hee stande vp and proclame in his owne name he is but a knaue deserues to be hanged So vvhosoeuer stands vp to preach looke that hee preach neuer a vvorde in his owne name CHRIST sayes there must be preaching in my Name Looke that all preaching be in the Name of Iesus Christ Nowe vvhat is the name of CHRIST The Name of CHRIST is His power O that passing power His authoritie What power Euen that power that Hee speakes of in the last Chapter of Matthew All power in Heauen and Earth is Mine Then in the second Chapter to the Philippians and the ninth verse Wherefore GOD also hath highly exalted Him and giuen Him a Name aboue euery name He is exalted in a wonderfull sublimenesse O that high sublimenesse that the Lord hath receiued Hee hath gotten a Name aboue all names and a power aboue all powers and none shall haue such a power then he sets out this power All knees must bowe at the Name of IESVS all powers must bow to that power and all knees must bee folded before it bowe thy knee before that power or els thou shalt be thrust in Hell all knees shall be bowed before that Tribunall that Name vvill cause all the Deuils in Hell bow and stoupe It is written in the 4. Chapter of the Actes There is none other Name vnder Heauen able to saue men but the Name of Iesus Christ thou shalt neuer see life but by this power and this Name Marke it No life I vvill tell againe No saluation to man or vvoman in the vvorld but by the Name of Iesus and His power and therefore how great shall the power of this His Name as yee may well see by the word vvhich sets it out euen the Gospell The Euangel that speakes of the Name of Iesus Paul calles it to the Romanes Chapter 1. verse 16. The power of God vnto saluation Speake of Caesar and this Kingdome or that Kingdome will it be powerfull vnto life Will all the speaking of all the creatures in the world bee powerfull vnto life Speake of the Crosse of CHRIST what seemes to bee more base yet it is the power of God and the vvisdome of God vnto saluation So the power must be wonderfull when a word will haue such a power that it will saue a soule The LORD when Hee was in the worlde Hee preached in His owne Name and the Iewes marked that He preached with authoritie and Hee sayes Amen Amen I say vnto you That is in mine owne Name As for all other teachers all their preaching must be in the Name and authoritie of Iesus and not in a creatures name When a man hath this LORD in His eye without regard of himselfe when hee goes to set out that Name ye will not beleeue how the LORD will be with him and how He will make his authoritie to be seene But by the contrarie if a man haue no sinceritie and haue not the authoritie and Name of IESVS before him but seeke himselfe in his preaching hee will haue no spirit no grace none authoritie his language will be vnsauourie his preaching will be of litle value Paul because He preached Christ and Him crucified therefore sayes Hee that his preaching was with euidencie and demonstration of the Spirit on the other part because the Corinthian Doctours had themselues not Christ before their eyes therefore hee sayes that they preached with ostentation and humane eloquence all their preaching was but winde The Philosophers of old spake much of matters of vertue but because they neuer spake one worde in the Name of Christ therefore all their speaking was but babling neither were they changed themselues nor yet changed they others they might teach men to bee Hypocrites and to couer their vices but they could not bee instruments of Regeneration because they spake not in that powerfull Name of Iesus Christ I put the Papists in this same rancke that vvill speake in the Popes name I say all their doctrine and their speaking of saluation is more in the name of man nor in the Name of Iesus Christe and therefore it may well worke errour and hypocrisie in thee but no saluation thou mayest well thinke that thou hast something but in effect thou hast nothing Then we see of necessitie there must be preaching but whereof must this preaching be The LORD sayes it behooued that preaching bee in my Name Of repentance and remission of sinnes There is the summe of the Gospell Would yee knowe the effect of all preaching The whole Gospell is summed vp in those two Heades Repentance and Remission of sinnes It is not my purpose to insist largely in these pointes but I shall speake of them shortly Repentance is none other thing but a preparation to the soule Whereto To receiue grace to receiue remission of sinnes saluation and life euerlasting It is but a making straight the wayes of the Lord who is comming with grace and mercie to the soule This Repentance is wrought partly by the Law and partly by the Gospell The Law sayes Cursed be he that continueth not in all which is written in the booke of the Law to doe them and because the conscience of all flesh accuses them as guiltie of the transgression of the Lawe therefore there arises in the soule horrours and terrours vnspeakable Then the Gospell comes in to comfort the casten downe soule and it sayes Whosoeuer beleeues in Iesus he shall be saued for this is the summe of the Gospell When the soule heares this it conceiues an vnspeakable sorrowe and sadnesse for the offending of so mercifull and louing a Father and this the Apostle calles a godly sorrow 2. Cor. Chapter 7. verses 9. and 10. Now it is this godly sorrow properly which workes repentance and turnes the heart to God that before was farre away from Him The other sorrow that is by the Lawe properly is not the cause of repentance but it prepares the heart thereunto Therefore seeing this godly sorrowe turnes the heart to God of necessitie it must be accompanied with faith for without Faith there is no conuersion to God The preaching of Iohn Baptist telles vs how necessarie the doctrine of the Gospell is to worke repentance for He sayes Repent for the Kingdome of God is at hande
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
deserued no such thing at His hand because they were ashamed of Him and fled away at His Passion yet He honoures them with this high calling then to encourage them the more chearfully to vndertake this calling He promises to send vnto them the Holy Spirit who was before promised to them by the Father to accompanie them and their trauells And last that they might haue the greater securitie and assurance to receiue this Spirit He giues them a commandement not to depart from Ierusalem vntill they finde His promise performed vnto them and vntill they were endued vvith power from on high Thus farre vve haue heard out of Luke of this Sermon Now in this Text that vve haue read Iohn followes out cheifly y e latter part of the Lord concerning the sending out of the Apostles and he insistes therein more largely and particularly than Luke does marking especially the things that vvere omitted by Luke for he vvrote after him First in these vvordes vve haue set downe a preface to prepare their heartes the better to receiue the vvorde which Hee vvas to speake vnto them thereafter vvee haue the preaching wherin first He sends out the Apostles to preach the Gospel Next He confirmes them partly by giuing them the Holy Spirit partly by arming them with power and authoritie But to come to the words Iohn sayes that before He sent them out He said againe to them Peace be vnto you Before at the first meeting with them this was His salutation Peace be vnto you Now He repeates these wordes againe Wherefore is this It was to prepare their heartes to receiue the more reuerently and attentiuely and with the greater comfort these things that Hee was to speake to them concerning their charge to preach in His Name to the world The man that would receiue the word of the Lord especially the Gospell of peace and consolation must haue His heart prepared with the assurance of peace for the message of peace and consolation requires First that the soule be prepared with peace to the end it may receiue the word with peace and joy for except the soule haue some perswasion of peace it can finde no comfort and if we receiue the message of peace with a perswasion of peace and vvith a joy in the soule then the more vvee heare the greater shall our comfort bee the more shall vvee drinke in that joy of the Holy Spirit The messengers of peace should follow this example of the Lord When they are to preach the Gospell of peace they should prepare their heartes that by foretelling that all their message and the worde that they are to speake tendes to peace and likewise they who come to heare shoulde haue their heartes prepared vvith some sense of peace and joye but such a joye as followes vpon sorrow for sinne and a sense of their owne miserie and vvhich euer is accompanied with true Repentance for there is no true joye of a Christian man in this life but that which is conjoyned with Repentance and sorrow for sinne Nowe vvhen the Lorde hath prepared their heartes vvith this preface of peace Hee comes to the Sermon and first Hee giues them a direction to goe out to preach the Gospell As my Father sayes he sent me so send I you Wee haue spoken some thing alreadie of this sending out of the Apostles in opening vp of the Lordes wordes as they are set downe by Luke and therefore heere I shall be the shorter in speaking of it Yee see the Lorde sets downe this sending of the Apostles by vvay of comparison with His owne sending I sent you euen as the Father sent mee This comparison importes first that the Sonne only vvas sent immediatly by the Father the Sonne only hath gotten this honour to be sent immediatly by the Father The Apostle sayes Christ tooke not this honour to Himselfe to bee High Priest but Hee that saide vnto Him Thou art My Sonne this day haue I begotten Thee gaue it Him Heb. 5.5 And the Father by sending the Sonne immediatly Himselfe gaue Him all power to send all others so that all others are sent by the Sonne albeit not all after one manner for some are sent by Him immediatly as the Prophets Apostles some mediatly as the Pastors the Teachers Indeede I grant The Prophets and Apostles were sent also by the Father but they were sent mediatly by the Father immediatly by the Sonne therefore Paul vses to call Himselfe The Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God the Father whereby he meanes that immediatly he was sent by the Sonne mediatly by the Father the Sonne sent the Prophets and Apostles immediatly therefore it is said when He ascended vp to Heauen He gaue some to be Apostles and some to be Prophets Eph. 4.11 Next this comparison importes that the office of the Apostleship is not only lawful but also that it is furnished with authority for Christ who sent His Apostles was first sent by His Father not only had Hee a lawful calling but He had it with authority euen so all true Pastors Teachers in the Church haue not only a lawful calling to preach the Gospell but also authoritie joyned with their calling because they are sent by the Sonne for it was the Sonne that gaue some to be Pastors some Teachers Eph 4.11 for albeit true Pastors in y e Church be called by y e ministerie of mē yet they are sent by the Son therfore men haue their authoritie frō Him for in a maner they represent His person as the Son represented the person of His Father was His ambassadour to the worlde so they are ambassadours of the Sonne and must represent His person Men in this Lande despise the Ministers of the Gospell and count most vilely of them in respect of the basenesse of their persons but they shoulde consider it is not with men but with God Christ Himselfe whose ambassadours they are that they haue adoe the obedience or disobedience and contempt of the Pastour redounds directly to the Sonne and the Father and the Sonne counts it to be done to Himselfe and to the Father for He sayes He that heares you heares me and he that despises you despises me and he that despises me despises Him that sent me Luke 10.15 Thirdly this comparison lets vs see who they are that haue a lawfull calling in the Church not euery one that hath a pretence and shew of outwarde calling but only they vvho are called by them vvho vvere sent themselues before And therefore these only are lawfull Pastours who haue bene called by the Presbyterie and fellowship of the Elders who themselues before had a lawfull calling The people and flocke haue no power to call a man to the Ministerie they may indeede nominate and present a man and giue their consent but the calling and admission of a man to the function of the Ministerie belonges only to the Eldership and
Pastours vvho before vvere called themselues But to goe forward When He hath charged them to goe out to preach the Gospell because it was a very weightie and painfull charge therefore He encourages and strengthenes them the more willingly to vndertake it First by bestowing vpon them the Holy Spirit and His graces Next by arming them with power and authoritie To come to the first it is said When Hee had saide this Hee breathed on them and saide vnto them Receiue the Holy Ghost In giuing to them the Holy Spirit He vses an outward and visible signe Hee breathes vpon them for this breathing vpon them was not the sending and giuing of the Holy Spirit it selfe but it was an outward signe and Sacrament to represent to signifie and assure them of the giuing of the Holy Spirit the outward breathing vpon them was a signe of the inward breathing of the Holy Spirit vpon their soules and a signe verie fit and conuenient to expresse the thing signified for the wind serues very well to represent the Holy Spirit and is vsed for that same purpose by the Lorde Himselfe Ioh. 3 8. Thâ— wind blâ—wes where it listeth c. But it would be marked that the Lord vses not only the bare and naked signe No that could haue profited them very litle but to the signe He joynes words telling the meaning of it He sayes Receiue the Holy Ghost For the Lorde in all Sacraments vses commonly to joyne the word to the Sacrament As in Baptisme and the Lords Supper to the end that not only Hee may declare and open vp the meaning of the signe but also to worke and confirme Faith in mens heartes that so the Sacrament may be powerfull and effectuall in them for the outward signe alone is not able to worke Faith in the soule but it is the word chiefly that workes Faith the worde is the life of the Sacrament and therefore except the word be joyned with the outward signe it cannot bee a true and effectuall Sacrament Nowe it is to be considered that this breathing of the Lord vpon His Apostles was not a thing that Hee would haue to bee kept ordinarily in His Church but it is an extraordinarie signe vsed extraordinarily by the Lorde in the sending out of extraordinarie men the Apostles to an extraordinary calling whereby the Lord at that time endued them with extraordinarie graces necessarie for that great calling And therefore foolish and damnable is the practise of the Pope his Cardinalls and his Bishops which they vse in sending out their shauelings into the world for when they admit them with their vile and stinking mouths they breath vpon them and say Receiue the Holy Ghost filthily abusing this action of the Lord as if it lay in their hands with their breathing to giue the Holy Spirit whereas the Lord hath reserued this power to Himselfe alone and communicates it not to any man they are but counterfaiters of such things as the Lord will not haue to bee counterfeited for this His action in all pointes was extraordinarie and therefore ought not to be vsed ordinarily but I leaue them to their owne vanitie A question may bee heere mooued How agrees this doing of Christ on His Disciples and giuing them the Holy Ghost recorded here by Iohn with the wordes that we heard before out of the Gospell of Luke where the Lord sayes Beholde I doe send the promise of my Father vpon you but tarie in Ierusalem vntill ye be endued with power from on high Which wordes importe that at this fift appearing to His Disciples which is one with this that John recordes He gaue them not the Holy Ghost but only promised to send Hâ—m to them I answere Both these places agree well enough together for in Luke the Lord promised to send His Spirit with His graces in a full measure vpon them which promise indeed hee performed on the daye of the Pentecosts when they beeing gathered together there appeared vnto them clouen tongues like fiâ—e and sate vpon each one of them and they were all miraculously filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 2.1 But the Lord heere only giues them the Holy Ghost and His graces in a small measure to be as it were a beginning of that full accomplishment which they were to receiue in the daye of the Pentecoste for wee may not thinke that the Holie Spirit and all His graces were giuen fully and compleetely to the Apostles at one time No but they were giuen piece and piece by degrees for first they got the fruites of the Spirit when the Lorde was conuersant with them in the flesh in the dayes of His infirmitie Next after He rose from the death they receiued them in a greater measure as we may see in this place of Iohn and last after the Lordes ascension Hee powred downe in abundance His Spirit with all His graces according as He had promised to them Luke 24.49 and was long before foretolde by Ioel Chap. 2. verse 28. But why would Hee not giue them the Holy Spirit and His graces in a full measure at the first Because there behooued to be a certaine proportion and correspondence betweene the Head and the members the Lord Iesus was their Head they were members of His body so long as He was not fully glorified Himselfe it was no reason that they should haue receiued the fulnesse of grace but when He was fully glorified He filled them abundantly with grace Ephes 4.10 The Lord now glorified in the Heauens hath store and abundance of grace to giue to His Church but our heartes are not prepared to receiue grace wee offend Him continually with our sinnes and grieue His Holy Spirit for this is the last age of the world wherein sinne aboundes and thâ—refore that vve are not so skant of grace the fault is not in the Lorde there is no scarcitie nor want of grace with Him but the fault is in our selues who entertaine sinne in our heartes whereby wee banish grace out of them and makes the Spirit who should be our Comforter to be a witnesse against vs in that great day of the Lord. Now after that the Lord hath encouraged His Apostles by giuing them His Holy Spirit and His graces in the words following to make them the more willing He armes them with power and auâ—hoâ—itie before He send them out He sayes Whosoeuer siâ—nes ye remit thâ—y are remitted vnto them and whosoeuer sinnes ye retaine they are reteined As if Hee had said to them I will not send you out powerlesse with a fectlesse worde in your mouth but to the end ye may the better discharge your commission I enarme you with power I will giue you power to binde and loose to forgiue sinnes and retaine sinnes The Lord sendes none out to his warfare till first Hee furnish them with weapons and armour But what weapons are they Euen spirituall weapons Paul sayes The weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mightie through
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
hurt him not which are done by the hands of the Emperour Who executes them in the Inquisition The Kinges the Popes holy hāds are cleane of all Excuse as they will I pronounce and the Lord shall ratifie it in that Great day that they are greater murtherers than the secular power Away with their vaine excuses When they haue murthered the man they will put the fault in the Magistrate Wil God accept such excuses In the next vers Iohn subjoynes wherfore y e Iewes would not take vpon them to judge of y e life or death of Iesus Christ and saies that they answered so that that might be fulfilled that the Lord spake signifying what death he should die When He was conuersant with His Disciples He fore-told them that He should die vpon the Crosse Now the Iewes will not take vpon them the right of the judging Him that these words might be fulfilled If the Iewes had taken it vpon them they would not haue crucified him because it was not vsuall among the Iewes they vsed to stone a deceiuer or blasphemer to the death according to the lawe as they did Steuen afterwards This death of the Crosse was familiar and vsuall among the Romanes Then Brethrē we see here the God of Heauen is the disposer of the whole action of the persecution passion of Christ what euer be mans part There is not a word vttered nor an action done either by Pilate or any of the Iewes which the Lord did not dispose All that Pilate did all that the Iewes did as that spitting and buffeting of Christ were all disposed by the Lord And this is it that ye reade in that prayer in y e Acts of the Apostles cap. 4. vers 28. The princes of the earth are gathered against thine anointed Herode Pilate and the Gentiles Whereto That they should doe that thing that thine hand and thy councell hath ordained Neither Herode Pilate nor any of the Iewes or Gentiles did anie thing in this execution but that vvhich God appointed The vnderstanding herof serues to this that there was nothing done to our Redeamer but that which His father appointed they were but persecuters appointed by God euen as the hang-man the Iewes Pilate Herod were like as many hangmen to execute that decree of God This would seeme a very light word that the Iewes say We haue no power to sit ouer the life or death of men yet this is a meane whereby the Lord bringes to passe that forme of Cursed death Brethren we may speake as lightly of thinges as wee please and many times to little purpose but there is nothing that passes GODS decree Looke to that prouidence that GOD hath in His creatures The LORD disposes the lightest wordes that thou speakest He rules thine hand so that whatsoeuer thou doest He makes al to effectuate produce that which He hath decerned the thing that thou wilt speake or doe it will serue for some purpose to Him how beit little for thee In the meane time let no man thinke that when men speake or doe euill that they shall bee the more excusable for if there were no more but this it shall make thee vnexcusable because in speaking euill and in doing euill thou hast not the LORD before thine eyes Thou doest it not for obedience to His vvill Take this lesson Let euerie man and vvoman take good heede that they bee vvell exercised and if our GOD employe vs let vs take good heede that vvee bee in a good seruice in speaking good and doing good Lende not thine heart thine hande nor thy tongue to the Deuill in vnrighteousnesse And seeing thou canst not sleepe from morning to euening but must bee speaking and doing praye that the LORD maye employe thee to doe vvell and to speake vvell and saye LORD let mee bee an instrument to doe well And more in doing vvell bee not content of the outwarde face of the action but in doing vvhether it bee little or much goe euer to the heart and see the disposition thereof and looke thou doe it in sinceritie hauing regarde to GOD. Thinke it not enough and if the LORD vvorke a good vvorke by thee as an instrument but looke still that Hee vvorke in thee that thou mayest finde a good motion in thine heart For alas vvhat auaileth the outwarde action if the heart bee foule vvhich defileth all Indeed vvee maye not thinke that there is anie perfection in vs or in our actions in this life but this is the perfect ground that makes that action to smell sweetelie in the sight of GOD to vvit Faith in IESVS CHRIST If that thou findest that thou hast IESVS CHRIST in thine heart by Faith albeit vvith great vveakenesse in thy selfe yet in CHRIST all the imperfection and vveakenesse is hidden and vvhen the action commeth before the LORD it is pleasant and acceptable to Him All thinges are pleasant that come to the Father thorowe the Sonne there is the grounde of all grace and acceptation Sticke to the LORD IESVS and haue Him not in thy mouth onelie as the Hypocrites doe but let Him also bee inclosed in thine heart and dwell therein for then thou shalt bee acceptable to GOD through Him To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holie Spirit bee all Praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer vvorlde vvithout ende AMEN THE SIXT LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST IHON CHAP. XVIII verse 33 So Pilate entered into the common Hall againe and called IESVS and saide vnto him Art thou the King of the Iewes verse 34 IESVS answered him Sayest thou that of thy selfe or did other tell it thee of mee verse 35 Pilate answered Am I a Iew Thine owne nation and the high Priests haue deliuered thee vnto mee What hast thou done verse 36 IESVS answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world my seruants would surely fight that I should not bee deliuered to the Iewes but nowe is my Kingdome not from hence verse 37 Pilate then saide vnto him Art thou a King then IESVS answered Thou sayest that I am a King for this cause am I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare witnesse vnto the trueth euerie one that is of the trueth heareth my voyce THE last day Brethren we entered into the suffering of Christ vnder Pontius Pilate the Romane Gouernour Ciuill Iudge in Iudeae for the time Iesus is led into the Common Hall to the House of Iustice as ye heard where Pilate sate Now Pilate is not rash in judging but before he sit downe to judge hee will haue an inditement and will see what things the Iewes haue to lay to the charge of the Lord He saw the accusers of Him the Iewes in multitudes he saw no accusation therefore he goes out vnto them because they would not come to him and asketh what accusation haue they against Him hee receiueth little answere or at least little
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
shall rehearse vnto you the vvhole Passion of IESVS CHRIST in as fewe vvordes as I can Then the whole life of Iesus Christ whilest Hee was in this vvorlde vvas a continuall suffering of the burthen of our sinnes that Hee bare and that obedience to His Father required that not onely in His life-time shoulde Hee doe for our saluation but chiefely it required that the Mediator shoulde die All that Hee did had beene nothing worth to vs and if Hee had not died for as the Apostle sayeth HEBR. CHAP. IX VERS XXII No remission of sinnes without blood Thinke not that euer thy sinnes shall bee forgiuen thee without the shedding of the blood of Iesus Christ And either thou must die or haue part in the death of the Mediator The ende of His suffering was the perfect abolishing and vndoing of the sinnes of the Elect as yee may reade in the ninth CHAPTER to the HEBREVVES Now marke againe This perfect abolishing and vndoing of our sinnes required a perfect passion and suffering of the Mediator Whether ye looke to the time it required a perfect time or will yee looke to the greatnesse of it it required an infinite quantitie of greatnesse for if it had not bene perfect in time and quantitie thou hadst neuer beene redeamed Brethren that yee maye the better vnderstande the vvhole Passion of IESVS CHRIST I shall point out vnto you the vvhole manner of His sufferinges For why shoulde vvee not knowe this Our life standes in His death Hee suffered all for vs. And I see thorowe out the Scripture the vvhole sufferinges of Christ maye bee drawne to these three sortes The first is The Lord Iesus suffered temptations Secondlie The Lord Iesus suffered shame and ignominie the GOD of glorie suffered shame Howe agree these two together Shame and Glorie The thirde the LORD IESVS suffered paine and that verie grieuous paine in soule and bodie I shall goe thorowe all these three kinds of suffering shortlie and so I shall make an ende And first to speake of these temptations shortlie I call the temptations that the LORD suffered those tryalles of Him by the Deuill His enemie for hee let Him neuer rest and woefull was that battell that Hee had with him on the Crosse and His temptations by the ministers of the Deuill in the worlde who solicitated Him to leaue His GOD euen such temptations as wee are subject to in this worlde onelie except sinne for Hee knewe no sinne there vvas not one spotte of sinne in that holie One and so Hee was not subject to these foule motions inwarde temptations as we are who dare not face the Sunne nor the Moone And wherefore suffered Hee all these temptations Euen for thy cause the ende of all His suffering was that Hee might succour all them who were tempted either in bodie or soule HEBR. Chap. 2. vers 18. Art thou tempted if thou canst haue recourse to Him who was tempted for thy sake Hee will pittie thee As Hee suffered and was tempted so by His suffering Hee hath learned to pittie thee Hee who neuer hath tasted of miserie hee cannot pittie the miserable bodie And therefore when thou art tempted goe to CHRIST and saye LORD thou wast tempted as I am therefore now helpe and succour mee Thus farre for the first sort of Christes sufferinges The seconde sort was His shame and ignominie that open ignominie that He suffered especiallie on the Crosse Whether ye looke to His accusation they accused that most innocent One as a vile sinner or whether ye looke to all these false Testimonies that were brought against Him or yet whether yee looke to the tauntes and mockinges that Hee suffered and to that spitting on His face and blasphemies vpon the Crosse In all these yee shall sâ—e that shame He suffered for our sinnes The Apostle ROMAN Chap. 15. vers 3. saies Iesus Christ when hee was in the worlde hee spared not nor hee pleased not himselfe as wee doe but as it is written The rebukes of them which rebuke thee fell on me All these despites thou shouldest haue suffered but the LORDE Hee translated them vpon Himselfe O the shame that the sinner shoulde haue suffered and if the LORD IESVS had not taken it off the backe of the sinner and laid it on His owne backe Come to the last sort Thou who wouldest bee freed of paine either in bodie or soule Marke the paine of the Lord lay holde on it and apply it to thy soule for otherwise Nothing shall remaine for thee but paine euerlastingly all the kingdomes of the worlde shall not saue thee Then the last sort was paine and dolour in body and paine and dolour in soule but in the soule chiefly Looke to the time of it from His first conception to His last breath scarcely was the Lord well borne when thorow the persecution of Herode the Tyranne His mother was compelled to flee with Him to Egypt from that time He was vnder continuall affliction whilst as Hee entered into the thirtie yeere of His age when Hee takes vpon Him the part of a Mediator for mankinde from this foorth for Hee liued after this space three yeeres and an halfe His paine grew and increased in body and soule and ay nearer the last houre His displeasure and paine grew the more Now Brethren we shall speake shortly of these paines and dolours that the Lord suffered in the time of these three yeeres and an halfe for the Gospell makes mention of that suffering during this space the Lord Iesus is in continuall paine both of body and soule not in body onely but chiefly in the soule His paine during this time is chiefly that inwarde anguish all His paine was for our sinnes if yee compare the soule and the body together the soule is ten times worse and more sinfull than the bodie the soule is nothing but a sinke of sinne all sinne proceedes out of that stinking puddle of the soule The body hath no life in it but that which it hath of the soule and therefore seeing the Lord offered Him to suffer for our sinnes Hee behooued to suffer chiefly in the soule What shall I say of the impudent Papists who maintaine this doctrine that the Lord suffered not that inward paine of the soule O! that they dare be so bolde as to auouch such doctrine against the manifest wordes of the Holy Spirit They knowe not what sinne is They knowe not what is the greatnesse of the euill of sinne or the Iustice of GOD and lastly they know not what is the mercie of IESVS CHRIST In a worde I proclaime both before GOD and His Angels the Pope and his shauelings are open enemies to the Crosse of CHRIST if it were but in this that they take away the chiefe part of His suffering Bee thou a Papist if thou continuest in that fantasie thou shalt neuer haue no part nor portion of His suffering Concerning the suffering of His bodie and of that ignominious death of
the Crosse wee haue bene speaking Only nowe I shall point out the ground whereupon the sufferings of the LORD arises First they rise of that naturall infirmitie He was an infirme man without sinne He hungred as we doe He thirsted as we and through trauelling Hee rested neuer daye nor night and sojourned through the world Hee wearied as we doe Then another ground was that sadnesse and heauinesse of the soule Hee was in a continuall sadnesse there was neuer so sad a man as He was we read that He did weepe but we neuer read that Hee did laugh And thinke not that when the soule is in heauinesse that the bodie can bee well And last His suffering proceeded of a violent dealing against Him and nayling Him on the Crosse vvho vvas so violently handled as the LORD of glory was I leaue this and vve vvill speake of the dolours which Hee suffered in His soule First the LORD IESVS whilst as Hee trauelled vp and downe amongst His people Hee vvas in a continuall displeasure When Hee looked vpon that obstinate people Hee was sad vvhen Hee entred in Ierusalem Hee vvepes and sayes Ierusalem Ierusalem faine would J haue gathered you as a henne gathereth her birdes vnder her wings but thou wouldest not The moste speciall griefe that the LORD suffered in His soule was that vvhich Luke in his tvventieth tvvo Chapter names an agonie that is an anguish in the soule and an heauie paine proceeding from a battell that Hee had in His soule it proceeded from the wrestling with the wrath of GOD and infinite wrath vvith Hell and the povvers of it vvith death not temporall but euerlastingly Novve this agonie Hee vtters in the Garden when Hee sayes My soule is heauie on all sides euen to the death That vvorde was expressed out of that bitter anguish that Hee had in His soule whilst He spake so To speake of the time of it I am of that minde that it vvas not only when Hee vvas in the Garden but before in the twelfth Chapter of Iohn vvhen Hee vvas speaking to His disciples Hee sayes My soule is troubled And Hee turnes Him to His Father and Hee sayes Father saue mee from this houre yet the nearer He drew to death it grew greater and greater it was greater in the Garden than it was of before but now on the Crosse when Hee saide My God my God why hast thou forsaken Mee it was the greatest of all I will speake something of this I will certifie you the speciall vnderstanding of the suffering of Iesus Christ stands in the knowing of this inward agonie which IESVS CHRIST had in His soule and if yee knovve not this yee know nothing of His suffering it is true that no tongue is able to tell it No all the tongues of Angels the heart of man nor Angell is not able to conceiue the greatnesse of it The wordes of the Scriptures expresse not the greatnesse of the anguish but so far foorth as the LORD will giue mee the grace I will speake somewhat of it In the wordes that the Spirit vses in the Scripture yee shall finde this The LORD suffers a torment in His soule then yee shall see in the wordes an exceeding greatnesse of the anguish in the soule and lastly yee shall see in the wordes of the Spirit not only that He suffered anguish in the soule and the greatnesse of it but the very degrees and partes of it particularly First goe to the olde Testament in the fiftieth and third Chapter and fifth verse of the prophecie of Esay hath these wordes It pleased the LORD IEHOVAH to breake Him the wordes importes not only the breaking of the body but also of the soule Then in the hundreth and sixteene Psalme and at the fifth verse Dauid who was a type of CHRIST sayes The sorrowes of death haue compassed Mee and the anguish of Hell hath ouertaken Mee These wordes importe not onely a bodily suffering but they importe an anguish in the soule Come to the Newe Testament Matthew in his twentieth and sixt Chapter My soule is heauie and compassed to the death Wouldest thou haue the greatnesse of it Hee sayes On all sides And whereto Euen to the death not of the temporall death but euen to the death of the soule Then Luke in his twentieth and two Chapter sayes Hee was in an agonie Hee was in anguish Hee was wrestling With whome was this His disciples were away from Him There vvas no man vvith Him It vvas vvith the wrath of the Father from Heauen with a vvrath vnspeakable Peter 2. Actes sayes GOD raysed Him vp from death and raysed Him the doloures of death beeing loosed He could not bee retained vvith them The vvordes in their owne language is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies extreame dolour like as a woman hath in bearing her birth The Spirite of GOD vseth to expresse the paine of the Hell in the soule by a similitude of a vvoman vvho trauelleth in birth for of all paines in the bodie it is the greatest and sorest and yee that haue felt it yee knowe that yee could not liue if it continued with you 1. THESSALON CHAP. 5. VERS 3. Hee settes downe the paine of Hell by that similitude When they shall saye Peace then shall come the suddaine doloure vpon them like a woman trauelling then shall they not escape And MARKE CHAP. 14. VERS 33. comes on more particularlie and saies Not onelie hee had a paine in the soule but also hee settes downe the degrees of the paine The natiue Language is moste proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Hee beganne to bee astonished and then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee beganne to bee in a grieuous and extreame anguishe When the vvrath beganne to presse downe the soule then the anguishe arose and the extreamitie of paine But I leaue the opening vp of all thess vvordes vntill the next occasion and so to ende As vvee speake of the suffering of CHRIST So I beseech GOD to open our soules and our heartes to feele it For there is no life but in His suffering And the LORDE giue vs grace that our heartes maye take fast holde of his sadnesse and dolour to our joye euerlasting To this LORDE bee Honour and Praise for euermore AMEN THE XX. LECTVRE OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVII verse 46 And about the ninth houre IESVS cryed with a loude voyce saying ELI ELI LAMASABACHTHANI that is My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee THE last daye welbeloued in Christ vpon occasion offered in this place wee began to rehearse ouer all the whole Passion of Christ and vvee brought the matter to that agonie and that inwarde anguish of the soule which the Lord suffered beside all the outward passions of His bodie especially during the time of three yeeres and an halfe to wit the time in the which Hee bare openly the office of a Mediator betwixt God and man Nowe as the Lord will giue vs grace by
blindnesse of y e Iewes y t cannot know Him to be the Mediator but after that once a man be giuen to a reprobate sense he will say the Sun in y e noone-tide is but darknes The Gospel is hid sayes Paul 2. Cor. 4.4 to them who perish if thou see not beleeue not y e Gospell thou hast an earnest pennie in thy bosome y t thy damnatioÌ„ is sealed vp Thus farre for His thirst they gaue Him a drinke There is a vessell full of vineger This was a custome that they vsed they had a drinke beside them who were crucified Some thinke it was for this end that the paine might be stanched There is a drinke of vineger standing beside the Lord but I knowe not if they gaue such a sowre drinke to the thieues So this vessell standing beside one of them steps to it in scorne and takes a water sponge and puts it on a reede and puts it to His head he got litle thanke for his worke I take this giuing of this drinke to the Lord at this time to haue proceeded from bitter malice The wrath of His Father was begun to be asswaged yet the wrath of the Iewes could not be asswaged There is none end of the malice of the Iewes so long as breath is in Him they neuer cease to rage against Him WheÌ„ He was dead they persecute Him wheÌ„ He was in glorie they thought to shame Him WheÌ„ y e Lord looses y e raines of y e deuill of wicked men to chastise his own they run headlongs to wracke His Church y e Lord seekes but chastisemeÌ„t they seek wrack of body soule he y t knowes not this he knowes nothing if these persecuters got their will they would not only seeke y e wracke of y e body but also of y e soule What doth y e Lord for this when y e Lord hath pulled in their raines Hee takes y e scourge casts it in y e fire because they run far beyond their coÌ„mission This shal be y e end of their miserable soules O y t damnation y t shal ouertake them when y e Lord hath chastened vs by them they shal be cast in y e fire for euer Refuses y e Lord y e drinke indeede before He was raised vp on y e Crosse He tasted of this but would not drinke but He beeing on the Crosse it is said He dranke it It may by that after such a troublesome labour that His drought was so great that Hee was glad to drinke any liquour Alwayes this I know except the Lord had had a thirst of thy saluation Hee had not drunken it The thirst of thy saluation made Him as Hee dranke out the cuppe of the wrath of His Father So to drinke out this bitter cuppe that was propined to Him out of the bitternesse of their heartes Hee dranke out the wrath of God and the wrath of man that thou shouldest drinke the water of Life I say remember vpon that drinke that Iesus dranke when thou drinkest delicious drinkes it is not thy money that buyes the wine except it be bought with the precious blood of Iesus not a piece of bread or any thing pertaines to thee if it bee not bought with the blood of Iesus to them who are sanctified all thing is sanctified if thou be not in Him thou shalt bee accused as a violent possessour of all things in y t great day Now I goe to the next voyce when He hath drunkeÌ„ He saies Jt is sinished that is y t wearisome worke is now put to an end now the ransom is payed now the work of RedemptioÌ„ is ended Brethren that yee may vnderstand this The Lord when He was in the Garden had two workes The first was to buy Heauen to conquere life to vs The second to put vs in possession of it The first worke He beganne it in the first moment of His conception and continues still from that time to that moment He gaue vp the Spirit to the Father Now that worke beeing ended He proclaimes on the Crosse cries out in the audience of them all Consummatum est it is finished Now that wearisome worke is ended the deare worke is ended Heauen and life and righteousnesse is conquered to the worlde for euer This is the summe of the Gospel the worke of our Redemption is ended this is all our preaching Heauen life glorie is conquered againe to the lost world Thou needest not to giue one pennie out of thy purse for Heauen Cursed are they from the High Heauen to the low Hell that open their mouth to say Thou must pay some of that ransom out of thy purse Woe to the Papistes who will stand vp say Thou must pay some part of that ransome wo to that foule mouth that dare be so bold to open it and say pay thou a part of that ransome with thy money seeing that Iesus Christ hath proclaimed that all is finished bought by His blood woe vengeance and euerlasting damnation shall light on the Pope and all the Papistes that dare open their mouthes to speake such presumptuous wordes Yet there is another worke remaining which is to put vs in possession of Heauen and He began this at His resurrection and He holdes it on yâ—t and shall continue it vnto His comming againe And at that day of His comming yee shall heare Him crying All is ended not on His Crosse but in glory and all the Angels and all the Sainctes shall crie All is ended Glorie to him who hath ended all no more shall bee Looke downe to His heart and to the sense from whence this voyce arose wheÌ„ He saies this ye shall find that Iesus felt the wrath of His Father asswaged Before Hee was in an agony now Hee feeles the agony to cease where before He fouÌ„d no joy now joy returnes On the sense of all these thinges falles out this voyce All is ended WheÌ„ I looke to this I thinke I see y e image of a godly Sainct dying for the godly are like to him in death and life Before the last moment they are in a battell and suddenly they will say I haue gotten the victorie in Iesus and theÌ„ last they will yeeld vp the spirit Come to the last voyce It is a voyce of joy I am of that opinion that before the Lord yeelded vp the ghost the agony left him and that joy that had left him returned againe and made him to vtter joyfull words The Euangelists say He cryed with a loud voyce What voyce this is Luke expresses Father into thine hands I recommend my spirit All that were standing about might haue heard him vttering this powerfull voyce Now ye would wonder that a man immediatly yeelding vp his spirit should haue such a strong voyce Ye see men and women in death their voyce will faile them some will not haue any voyce and some not any signe some if they get that grace to speake
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
with great weight and manie graue wordes Wee haue hearde before sundrie testimonies of His death The Lord in the last wordes Hee testifies of His owne death when Hee cryes Father into thine handes I commende my spirite All those wonders from the Heauen testified that the Lorde had giuen vp the ghoste His Heauenlie Father made the Burreoes and the men of warre to testifie that Hee was dead and to preach it to all the people about Now IOHN comes in last and with many words and wordes of great weight testifies that the Lorde gaue vp the ghoste What meanes all this Ye see there is not any thing in all the historie testified by so many testimonies The Spirit of God labours not to perswade vs of any thing in all His Passion so much as that He died and to certifie this that Hee was pearced with a speare To leaue the Heresies which fell in the worlde concerning the death of Christ for it was much to perswade the world of it they would not beleeue that IESVS died truelie All these testimonies lets vs see such a necessitie to bee in the death of IESVS that except the LORD had died as truelie as euer man died Hee coulde not haue beene our Redeemer And except Hee had died truelie wee coulde neuer haue beleeued to haue beene saued by Him Except I knowe as truelie as euer I knewe any thing in the worlde that my Redeemer died for mee I woulde neuer goe seeke life out of His death Indeed a wanton sinner who is ladeÌ„ with sin feeles not the weight thereof so loÌ„g as his coÌ„science is sleeping that he feeles not y e burreo sees not y t fearfull wrath that caÌ„not be quenched without bloode that terrible justice of God y t cannot be satisfied but by death will count little of the death of Christ It is alike to him whether He had died or no so loÌ„g as thou sleepest al is alike but after the coÌ„scieÌ„ce is wakened the Lord once let thee feele the weight of thy sinnes wherewith thou art ladned No if thou diddest but feele the weight of an euill thought thou wouldest groane as fast as if the mountaines and rockes were tumbled on thee and then thou wouldâ—st thinke no life nor saluation for thee but Hell and damnation if thou gottest not a Sauiour for thee and if thou feelest that Iustice of God and the terrours of Hell before thee the sight of the death of Iesus would be the most joyfull and comfortable sight that euer thou sawest and all thy joy glorie would be in that death of Christ Paul sayes Gal. 6.14 Far be it from me that I should reâ—oyce in any thing but in the death of Christ he fouÌ„d all his life to be in that death 1. Cor. 2.2 he sayes When I came amongst you to speake of the death of Christ to you who knew not what it meant a vaine companie they were who delited in vaine oratorie I would not begin to clawe your itching eares but I decreed to know nothing but Iesus Christ and Him crucified Nowe Brethren besides this In these wordes that IOHN sets downe and 〈◊〉 the which hee aggreadges his testimonie marke another lesson Will ye see from whence our Faith comes from whence comes our Faith from whence flowes it IOHN sayes And he that saw it bare record and his recorde is true and he knoweth that hee saith true that they should beleeue From whence then comes Faith in this death it comes by hearing Faith is of hearing of a testimonie and recorde and if thou hearest not a record thou shalt not beleeue and if thou beleeuest not thou shalt neuer see Heauen And if thou contemnest the recorde I giue thee this doome thou shalt neuer see Heauen with thine eyes if thou werest a King So Faith is wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit by a recorde and witnesse bearing So ere thou gettest Faith some witnesse must stand vp and beare recorde The Lord must send out some witnesse to cry and preach but what witnesses must these be IOHN sayes He that saw these things hath testified of them The witnesses must be seeing witnesses it must be Iohn and such as saw Him and felt Him with their handes Then who must bee the witnesses They must be the Apostles that were conuersant in this world with Iesus Christ who heard Him preach and saw Him vvorke vvonders and savv Him dead and savv Him crucified and savve Him pierced thorovv the side They must be the first witnesses But more Brethren Is it enough that they savve Him with their bodily eye No Iohn addes more that hee vvas persvvaded that his testimonie was true The vvitnesses as they testifie that vvhich they savve so they must beleeue it vvith their heartes There were great multitudes hundreths thousands vvho heard Him touched Him and savv Him crucified and some of them crucified Him too yet none of these are made vvitnesses to preach to the vvorld but the Apostles vvho savv and beleeued these are set vp as witnâ—sses in y e world that all should beleeue TheÌ„ the first ground of thy Faith is the very eye of the Apostles their sight and sense The next ground is Faith in the heartes of the Apostles And if yee will say to me Why beleeue ye the Gospell of Iohn and the Gospell of Matthew and the Epistles of Paul c. I answere because these were men who heard and saw Christ and I will say more I beleeue them because they beleeued in their heartes that thing which they saw and goe before not onely by sight of the body but also by Faith in the heart When yee heare these recordes albeit the men be not liuing yet we haue that same thing that they wrote and that which they themselues beleeued I beseech you consider them and passe not ouer lightly when yee reade of Iohn or Paul or the rest I beseech you passe not lightly seeing the ground of thy Faith is not onely their sight but the sense of their heartes and Faith ye who would read with judgement trauell to goe into the heart to seeke that Faith into the heart and that joy and that sadnesse that they felt and pray LORD seeing these men vtter a feeling of these things that they saw and which they wrote touch mine heart and giue me thine Holy Spirit that I may attaine to the sense and feeling of these things If ye would haue a testimonie of this beholde what PAVL sayes in the second Epistle to the Corinthians the fourth Chapter and fourteenth verse I beleeue that I my selfe shall gloriously rise and then he brings in Dauids wordes J beleeued and therefore I spake Alwayes looke that in reading we striue to haue a feeling and sense in our heart of that which we read otherwise we make no fruit of our reading we speake like parrats wee know not what we speake I say to thee if the word of grace rise not from the
the pointes of his Iustice it behoued Him to suffer all the points of Iustice vnder the earthly judge Pontius Pilate in His condemnation in His taking from the crosse in His burial this was all to the intent that thou mightest be fully freed from all the points of the Iustice of GOD for whatsoeuer thing He either did or suffered it was for thy cause There is another thing here that would not be passed by There is no question but it comes of the Prouidence of God that this body is neither reaued away by violence nor stollen away by slight but the taking away comes of a speciall request◠no question this matter was so dispensed that the death of Iesus should bee made notable and come to the eares of Pilate and all other men the death was to be made notable to the world likewise the buriall was to be made notable to the end that His glorious resurrection might be made knowne to the world These are the two pillars of our Faith the death of Christ and His resurrection these are the two points that the deuill and the Heretiques haue from time to time striuen to hew and cut downe that they should not appeare to the world because they are the chiefe pillars of our Faith but honour glory be to the Lord who of His grace hath kept these pillars constantly in His Church in despite of the deuill all his instrumēts Now the God of Heauen grant vs grace to take holde on His death and glorious resurrection that through His death and resurrection we may bee raised from death to newnesse of life here that hereafter wee may reigne in glory with Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all honour praise and glorie world without end AMEN THE XXVI LECTVRE OF THE BVRIALL OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XV. verse 44 And Pilate marueiled if hee were alreadie dead and called vnto him the Centurion and asked of him whether hee had beene any while dead verse 45 And when hee know the trueth of the Centurion hee gaue the bodie to Ioseph verse 46 Who bought a linnen cloth and tooke him downe and wrapped him in the linnen cloth c. IOHN CHAP. XIX verse 38 And after these things Ioseph of Arimathea who was a disciple of Iesus but secretly for feare of the Iewes besought Pilate that hee might take downe the body of Iesus And Pilate gaue him licence Hee came then and tooke Iesus bodie verse 39 And there came also Nicodemus who first came to Iesus by night and brought of myrrhe and aloes mingled together about an hundreth pound verse 40 Then tooke they the bodie of Iesus and wrapped it in linnen clothes with the odours as the manner of the Iewes is to burie THE last day welbeloued in Iesus Christ wee entered into the History of the Buriall of the Lord Iesus and wee hearde that the Buriall came by a request made to Pilate the Romane Deputie for the time The request maker was one IOSEPH Hee is set down and described by all the foure EVANGELISTES in all his properties Hee was a man of ARIMATHEA a Towne in IVRIE Hee vvas a rich man and also an honourable and graue Counseller Then as concerning the qualities of his person Hee was a good and an vpright man who liued vprightlie in the worlde and yet hee had a further respect than vnto this life for he waited constantlie for the Kingdome of God And therefore when Christ came into the worlde and tooke vpon Him that great office of the Mediator betwixt GOD and man hee enters into His schoole and became His Disciple howbeit for feare of the IEVVES hee durst not manifest himselfe but lurked secretlie for a time euen to this time that it came to the Buriall of the bodie of Iesus and then hee shewes himselfe to bee a Disciple of Christ In that Councell which was against the Lorde hee vvas a Counseller but hee vvoulde neither giue counsell nor consent to the condemning and slaying of CHRIST Thus much yee hearde before concerning this man and his properties Then wee hearde howe hee goes forwarde boldlie to Pilate to seeke the Lordes bodie Hee lurked before so long as Iesus was in the worlde working such wonders as neuer man wrought speaking with such a grace as neuer man spake with But nowe when Hee is dead hee comes out boldlie and goes to Pilate and hee manifestes himselfe To let vs see that IESVS in His death had greater force to drawe the soules of men vnto Him than Hee had in His life for from that death there came so sweete and sensible a smell to the soules of sinners that it drewe the soules of sinners vnto Him Namelie the heart of this man IOSEPH So that hee comes out boldlie as saide is and hee goes to PILATE and requestes him to giue him the bodie of IESVS to bee buried Thus farre vvee hearde the last daye Nowe this daye wee haue PILATES answere to IOSEPHS request PILATE wonders that He was dead so soone and for the more certaintie hee calles a Centurion and askes him if Hee was dead alreadie The Centurion affirmes that Hee was dead alreadie PILATE grantes the request After this we come to the maner of His Buriall Wee shall goe forward as time shall suffer God shall giue vs grace Pilate wonders that hee was so soone dead This wondering of Pilate no question imports that the death of Iesus was extraordinary It was not after the common fashion of men y t were crucified for men who were crucified they vsed to hing long on the Crosse before they yeelded the spirit dayes nights and in end ere they yeelded the spirite the life was taken from them by violence They were broken on the Crosse So Pilate hearing that the Lorde was so soone dead hee wondered as at an extraordinarie thing There are sundrie thinges that testifie that death of Iesus to haue beene extraordinary as first That mighty and loude voyce crying which the Lord vttered on the Crosse immediately before He yeelded the spirit for who will giue a loud crie at the yeelding of his spirit for at the poinct of death when nature failes it is a rare thing to finde a man to haue a voyce or a word Next The yeelding of His spirit so suddenly whē by the power of nature He might haue liued longer Last This wondering of Pilate testifies That His death was extraordinarie that there was a power in Iesus which controlled nature When nature would haue kept life the diuine power puts it out In a word This wondering testifies That the death of Iesus was the death of God the death of a man but God in the man glorious and blessed for euermore Now it is said Pilate vnderstood of the Centurion that Iesus was dead when hee granted the request of Ioseph and gaue the bodie to him to bee buried First I see Pilate is a good Iustitier the Romane Iustice was
good many suters to crucifie Him many suters to breake Him many suters to hold Him down in the graue ye read of none but of one Ioseph vvho makes sute to get the dead body of Iesus buried Read all the Ecclesiasticall Histories and ye shall finde these same things that fell out in Christ to haue fallen out in His members when a godly man hath beene drawen out before the ciuile Iudge or to martyrdome there hath bene sundrie suters for him some suters good some euill yet euer moe euill than good Therefore a Pâ—ince or Magistrate was neuer in such danger in any judgement as wheÌ„ he gets a good man fallen in his hands Pilate was neuer in such danger as he was into through this action for it lost him his life present the life to come When the action of a thiefe or a murtherer comes before a King there is no such danger but when a godly man is brought before him for the cause of CHRIST then he should take good heede where he shall get one to giue him a good counsell he shall get many to giue him euill counsell many shal crie crucifie Him woe to him if he assent as Pilate did for he shall inuolue himself in that same guiltines with them that cried crucifie him It is true indeede that Pilate granted a good suite hee gaue leaue to Ioseph to burie the body of Christ yet did this any good to Pilate saued it him No Thinkest thou when thou hast executed an innocent that thou doest enough when thou hast giuen His bodie to bee buried No that shall not excuse thee nor free thee from guiltinesse O how gâ—eat and weightie is the burthen of Magistrates Therefore they had neede euer to haue good men about them and we should pray the Lord earnestly to guide them and direct them in judgement This much for the suters now come to the sute the wordes are these The deceiuer said whilst as He was aliue that within three dayes He should rise command therefore that the sepulchre bee made sure vntill the third day lest His disciples come by night and steale Him away and say to the people that He is risen froÌ„ the dead so shall the last eâ—rour be worse than the first In effect this is as much as if they had said these wordes this man said that He should rise the third day therefore appoint Him a guard to testify of His glorious resurrectioÌ„ y e Lord so directed their words albeit their meaning was flat contrarie Marke therefore a good lesson euer more the Lord hâ—th snared the reprobate in their wicked deuises hath euer turned them from that mischieuous end they aymed them to the manifestation of His owne glory The Priests Pharises thought to obscure y e glorie of Christs resurrection if it had lyen in their hands to hold Him by force in the graue but the Lord who workes light out of darknesse makes their sute to serue for the clearer manifestation of His resurrection for they could haue done no more for the manifestation of His resurrection if they had bene hired for that purpose so looke what interprise wicked men will deuise to dishonour Him I say the Lord shall turne it in end to His glory but to their destruction I will say further it may seeme marueilous peruerse deuises of the wicked often times do serue more to His glory than the good purposes deedes of the godly for it is not a greater glory to GOD to bring light out of darknes than to bring light out of light the Lord is a most skilfull and mightie workeman Hee makes His glory to appeare by bringing light out of darknesse by bringing life out of death and by calling the thinges that are not as if they were all the deuises of the wicked are darknesse the doings of the godly are light so the Lord will sometimes bee more woÌ„derfully glorified in the doings of the wicked than in the doings of the godly But this doth y e wicked no good nor it serues nothing for their benefite for in y e meane time they are more malicious against y e Lord than euer they were they call Him a deceiuer this is a wonderfull thing they saw the Lords povver in obscuring of the sun in renting of the rockes in opening of the graues they saw His great glory shine in all these wonders yet such is the maliciousnes of these wicked men they call y e Lord of glory a deceiuer in so doing not onely they oppone themselues against God but also they doe so far as in them lay as to haue spitted in the face of God yet these miserable creatures I meane the Scribes Pharises came not on a suddaintie to this extreame maliciousnes but they shew some meane small beginnings of it wheÌ„ Christ first manifested Himselfe began to preach amongst them then they proceeded froÌ„ worse to worse continually all the time He was conuersant amongst them thereafter in His Crosse death they taunted mocked Him put Him to the most shameful death they could deuise now when He is buried laid in y e graue they vtter more maliciousnesse than euer they did they come to the extremitie of maliciousnes and induration they call the Lord a deceiuer Cursed be y t mouth that calles the Lord a deceiuer as Paul sayes He that loueth not the Lord Iesus Christ let him be anathema maranatha 1. Cor. 16.22 This lets vs see the nature of their sinne it was a sinne against the Holy Spirit and this is the nature of that sinne when once thou shalt enter in it thou vvilt hardly get backe againe vntill thou commest to extreame excecation and induration to thine euerlasting destruction My lesson is this If the Lord giue vs grace to learne it When it pleases the Lord to shine vnto thee albeit thou vverest a King or Earle or Lord looke as thou vvould eschevv Hâ—ll damnation that thou repine not to this light but greedily embrace it and vvalke in it for if thou step forvvard in repining thou shalt haue an hard backe-comming againe and thou shalt come from excecation to excecation vntill thou come to vtter destruction Novv I doubt not but ye are sorrovvfull vvhen ye heare the Lord a deceiuer yee are sorrovvfull to heare light called darknesse but comfort our selues vvith this the Lord vvho vvas free of all guile and deceit suffers Himselfe to bee called a deceiuer to purge vs from guile and deceit for it might seeme marueilous that the Spirite of God shoulde register this name of a deceiuer suppose they called Him a deceiuer for this name defiles the aire to call the Lord of Trueth a deceiuer Yet no question the Spirite hath left it in register to bee hearde and read of all Christians to the ende of the worlde that thou mayest knowe what the Lorde hath suffered for thee And doubtlesse this name was heauier to Him
first witnesse of His Resurrection Hee will not haue a man to be witnesse but an Angell Then He is carefull to whome this Angel should tell His Resurrection He will not haue him testifying it to the men of warre He wil not haue pearles casten before svvine but to the vvomen The LORD is carefull of the place vvhere His doctrine should be taught He vvill haue the vvomen to goe to the graue to the ende they should receiue the doctrine of Resurrection the better that by the emptinesse of the graue the Angell might the better demonstrate that the LORD was risen Thinke yee novv that the LORD hath casten off that care He had then That care He had of the person of the Preacher of the person to vvhome He sends Him of the place of preaching No that same LORD hath the same care yet and He vvill loue them vvell to vvhome He concredites His glorious Euangell He loues them vvell vvhom He lets attentiuely and carefully heare His glorious Gospell and the LORD hath a care vvhere a man may most commodiously speake for edification and vvhere men vvomen may heare Christ pointed out commodiously This for the thing they savv vvhat follovves The sillie vvomen are terrified as the guard of the men of vvarre vvere terrified I see then in the person of these vvomen the presence of GOD is terrible to the godly and more I see vvhen men and vvomen are seeking Iesus Christ the first sight they get of Him is terrible The ground of this is not only that terrible Majestie that no creature can bee able to looke on and why should not all flesh stoupe at the presence of that glorious GOD but this is not the onely ground but because in the most godly man or vvoman there is a remanent corruption therefore they are afraide at the presence of GOD. Feelest thou it not now thou shalt feele it ere thou go This remanent corruption can not abide the sight of that glory a spot of vncleannesse cannot stand in the presence of that Holy Majestie yet I see a greater difference betweene the women and the guard for the men of warre vvere terrified to the death but so vvere not the vvomē Where fro came this difference betweene the vvomen and the Guarde That Guarde vvas but a companie of prophane bodies vvithout God vvithout grace vvithout faith vvithout hope vvithout loue vvas full of sinne of an euill conscience But the vvomen suppose they were sinfull had partly an euill conscience for where sin is there is part of an euill cōscience yet in a part they were purged frō sin thorow the death of Iesus Christ they had their conscience sprinkled with His blood as that euill cōscience terrified them so that good consciēce held them vp Suppose so long as we remain in this body we cānot be quit free of sin corruption ye well is y e soule y t in the blood of Iesus findes their sins forgiuen them for suppose it be terrified yet it wil not despaire Now I come to the speach of the Angell to the women The Angell seeing thē terrified he speaks and encourages them first and saies to them Feare yee not and then he begins to testifie of the Resurrection of Christ last he giues them a commandement to tell the Disciples First hee saies to the women Feare not He spake not such a word to the Guarde but let them lye still till they gathered their spirites and rose vp and ran home for for all the world they durst not tarrie there There is another difference betweene the godlie and the wicked When the Lorde hath casten the wicked down He will not giue them a word to comfort them but will let them lye still Woe to them nothing within them to raise them vp no faith no hope no part of good consciēce they are full of sin nothing without them no the Lord shall not vouchsafe a good word on them He will neither giue thē an inward nor an outward comfort and at the latter day the Lord shall speak one joyfull word to them but He will say Goe your way ye cursed companie to be tormented with the Deuill and his angels Woe to the estate of them y t shal be foūd out of Iesus Christ Albeit y t now these things sound not in thy eares now thinkest Heauē Hell to be but matters of jests yet one day though thou be a king thou shalt find these things to be earnest thou shalt wish whē thou wast made a mā or a womā thou hadst bin made a stock or stone But by the contrary The Lord holds vp y e godly not only inwardly by a piece of good cōscience but also by outward means He speaks comfortablie to them And He will say to them by His Ministers Feare not Marke further He will not only holde them vp but that same thing y t terrified the wicked He will make it to cōfort them He makes this same Angell that terrified the men of vvarre to comfort and encourage them More than this Hee will not onely free and relieue them from terrour but He will poure in joye And no question this worde had a powerfull force to raise them vp comfort thē And then besides this He ministers joye by telling them of y t glorious resurrection So not only feare is put away but the glorious Resurrection of Iesus Christ is tolde them whereof there arises an vnspeakeable joye Well Brethren albeit we feele not this joy for the present yet hold still thy eare heare on continually howbeit with pain for it thou get grace to hold still thy eare heare I promise thee in the name of God thou shalt get such a joye in the ende as shall make thee to thinke all thy paine to be nothing Now one word ere I end Mark how the Lord prepares His own to heare these tidings He will not haue them to come with a light disposition of heart as wee vse to doe without any sight premeditation of sin misery Thou wilt come in not once think thou hast neede of the preaching of the glorious Resurrection of Christ But look the preparation of these women Ere euer the Lord will haue the Angel speaking one word Hee will haue them terrified no question they were exceedinglie affraid As euer thou wouldest look for joy thine heart must be prepared with terrour in some measure castē down ere euer the Lord speake one cōfortable word to thee And therfore let no man take hardily with the terrours of the word This is the first Thē the next poinct of preparation is Whē thou art casten downe ere He begin to speak to thee the glad tidings of saluation He will raise thee vp He will say to thee who art casten down thorow the sense of thy sin Be not terrified but be of good comfort And if the Lords spirit accōpany this word it will
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
praye night and daye so farre as is possible to thee to doe And if thou doe these thinges thou shalt seale it vp vvith the effusion of thy bloode and thou shalt haue more joye in thy death than euer thou hadst in thy life So that thy death shall bee the beginning of thy life and of that fullnesse of joye which thou shalt possâ—sse vvith Him in the Heauens for euer To Him therefore vvith the Father and His blessed Spirit be all Praise and Honour for euer AMEN THE XXXI LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 8 So they departed quicklie from the sepulchre with feare and great joye and did runne to bring his disciples word MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 8 And they went out quicklie and fledde from the sepulchre for they trembled and were amazed neither saide they anie thing to anie man for they were afraide LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 1 NOw the first day of the weeke earlie in the morning they came vnto the sepulchre and brought the odours which they had prepared and certaine women with them verse 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre verse 3 And went in but found not the bodie of the Lord Jesus verse 4 And it came to passe that as they were amazed thereat beholde two men suddenlie stoode by them in shining vestures verse 5 And as they were afraide and bowed downe their faces to the earth they saide to them Why seeke yee him that liueth among the dead verse 6 Hee is not heere but is risen remember howe hee spake vnto you when hee was yet in Galile verse 7 Saying that the Sonne of man must bee deliuered into the handes of sinfull men and bee crucified and the third day rise againe verse 8 And they remembred his wordes verse 9 And returned from the sepulchre and tolde all these thinges vnto the eleuen and to all the remnant verse 10 Nowe it was Marie Magdalene and Ioanna and Marie the mother of Iames and other women with them who tolde these thinges vnto the Apostles verse 11 But their wordes seemed vnto them as a fained thing neither beleeued they them I Shewed you from the beginning vvelbeloued in the Lord Iesus that there vvere two compainies of vvomen that came out of Hierusalem to the graue of the Lord First one company in the vvhich vvas Mary Magdalene Mary the mother of James Solome with some others TheÌ„ soone after that there came out another company of vvomen vvhose names vve finde not registrated Wee haue hearde alreadie of the Historie of the first vvomen vvee hearde of their outcomming vvee hearde vvhat they saw and vvhat they hearde vvhen they came to the graue of the Lord. Now this daye vvee haue the returning of the first companie home to Hierusalem set downe in few vvords Then we shall goe to the Historie of the second company of vvomen vvherein first vve haue their outcomming Secondlie vvhat they heare and see and thirdly their tidinges to the Apostles vvhat they had hearde and seene And this Historie concerning the seconde companie is written by Luke Chap. 24. vers 2. Matthew writes concerning the first companie and Marke also Iohn speakes onelie of Marie Magdalene Luke sets downe the whole seconde companie But nowe to returne to the home-comming of the first companie of women It is written by MATTHEVV and MARKE that when they had receiued direction of the Angell They returned home with feare and great joye to tell the eleuen Apostles for IVDAS was fallen awaye what they had heard and seene I note shortlie these three thinges in these women First I see that there was a feare in them Next I see that they had an exceeding joye And last of all I see in them obedience to the voyce of the Angell with all expedition The feare was because of the presence of that glorious Angell The joye because of the joyfull newes to wit That the LORDE was risen The obedience was because of the commaundement of the Angell to runne home and tell the APOSTLES All these three thinges are to bee commended in them And they teach vs this lesson howe wee shoulde depart from the presence of our GOD when wee meete to heare these glorious tidinges without the which there is no life and without the hearing whereof thou shalt neuer see Heauen Let no man deceiue himselfe they teach vs howe wee should depart from the worde Depart with feare and reuerence that is the first Then depart with joye that is the seconde And thirdly depart with a minde to obeye that which thou hast heard and this is the last Wee shoulde feare in respect of the presence of the Lord whereat all the Angels were afraid and where two or three are gathered together in His Name there is His presence And if thou seest not His presence in the Congregation it were better for thee that thou presentedst not thy selfe in the Congregation The joye shoulde bee of the hearing of these tidinges Thou delitest to heare tidinges but all the tidinges of the worlde is nothing to these to wit That Iesus is come into the world and hath died for thee And last of all Depart with obedience for thou gettest this commandement When thou goest home communicate these tidinges to others that thy joye may bee encreased The light of the Gospell requires holinesse and a godlie conuersation that thou liue soberlie in thine owne person justlie with thy neighbour and godly with thy God When the daye breakes out and when the Sunne rises the light of the daye is not for nothing it cryes vpon thee to thy labours to fall to an honest conuersation Then much more the Sunne of righteousnesse that light of lightes that LORDE vvhen Hee shines and cryes Shake off the vvorkes of darkenesse and put on the armour of light Shake off thy murther thy adulterie and oppression in paine of thy life Thou wilt come out and sticke and slaye a man in sight of the Sunne No that murther shall not so much bee layed to thy charge as the contemning of GOD vvho shined before thee vvhen as thou slewest that man Wee are fallen nowe to such a shamefull murther as vvas neuer heard of among the TVRKES What will become of this Kingdome Suppose there vvere none other sinne but this sinne of blood O it cryes for a vengeance Marke this sie vpon thee that in such a light and in the sight of that great GOD thou shouldest commit such villanie But I goe forwarde and I enter to the Historie of the seconde companie of women who went out to the graue of the Lord. The first company sawe but one Angell but this sawe two Angels and therefore they are diuerse The Historie is very plaine and there can be no other thing almost marked than that which is already touched and therefore I shall goe thorow it shortly as God shall giue the grace This second companie came out shortly after the first companie they draw neare
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
away and the Euangelists note it That that fame remaines amongst them vnto this day I thinke ye should maruell that such a false fame should haue preuailed God disappointed them before but now He permits them to get the victorie Woe to that victorie that is gotten against God woe to that man that goes against God if an euill action prosper with him it is a token that he shall be thrust in Hell This was but a small victorie for no doubt all that He appointed for life and saluation beleeued that He rose Nowe Brethren when they are away the true perswasion remaines in our heartes that the LORD rose so that euer trueth in the end gets the victorie Ye would maruell that the people should credite that His body was stollen out of the graue for if it was stollen by whome was it stollen They say by His disciples Is it likely that they who were a companie of timorous and abashed persons durst haue come out without armour against Pilates guarde They say whilst they were asleepe they tooke it away then they slept very sound that they could not heare such an hudge stone taken away and if they were sleeping when it was taken away Why followed they not when they wakened and no doubt if it had beene true they would haue followed and haue brought the disciples and executed them Yee would wonder now vvhy these people should not haue beleeued I ansvvere These people were appointed for damnation and they hated the light and therefore a lie gets soone place in their heartes they that hate the trueth the Deuill cannot make such a lie but they will easily beleeue it What is the cause that the people beleeue the Pope and that crue of the Antichristian kingdome The cause is this They hate the light and therefore as the Apostle sayes Because they beleeued not the trueth the Lord makes them to beleeue lies So our lesson is this in a word loue the trueth and thou shalt hate lies they hate the trueth and their heartes drinke in lies The Lord set our heartes vpon Him and make vs to beleeue the trueth This for the first we goe to the second and we shall enter in it and leaue the rest till the next day because the time is almost spent alreadie Wee come againe to better and more holy witnesses There are two of the disciples of Christ the name of the one is Cleopas and the name of the other is not expressed these were not two of the eleuen disciples but two of the common rancke of disciples that vsed to follow the Lord. The same day sayes the Text to wit the same day that Hee rose the same day that the women went out and did meete Him and that same day that these women returned and preached to the Apostles These two disciples went on their iourney about threescore furlongs which is seuen mile of ours or thereabout from Ierusalem They are not going to seeke Christ but they leaue Him and as it were in a manner they despared that euer they should see Him they were thinking all that time that they had spent with Him was lost yet suppose they were leauing Him He leaues not them These women sought Him and they found Him but these two disciples leaue Him but yet the Lord castes Him in their way Well Brethren who euer findes the Lord man or woman it is of grace if thou hast found the Lord thou hast gotten mercie thou hast found mercie for if thou findest Him thou hast found Him ere euer thou hast sought Him or els if thou hast sought Him thou hast not sought Him as thou oughtest for Marie sought Him not as she should haue done and therefore the Angell said Why seekest thou the liuing amongst the dead So thou that seekest Him not and findest Him thanke GOD and thou that seekest Him and seekest Him not as thou oughtest to haue sought Him if thou finde Him thanke Him for it is of grace that thou findest Him for if Hee looked howe thou soughtest Him thou wouldest neuer finde Him Wee faile often in seeking of Him either wee seeke Him not with that measure of desire that wee ought alas the best of vs all in this world cannot seeke Him with halfe a great desire or if wee seeke Him wee faile as the women did And last of all wee seeke Him not for that ende wee should seeke Him Wee should seeke Him for that life and that grace that is in Him that we might bee like Him and partakers of that life But all men for the most part seeke Him for some worldlie respect as for a deliuerance out of miserie and if thou be sicke thou vvilt crie for thy health if thou be poore thou vvilt crie for riches and if thou bee hungrie thou wilt crie for meate So that the seeking of Him is either for the bellie or some other worldlie thing scarcelie one among an hundreth will seeke the Lorde for himselfe for Heauen and glorie and if one can come thus farre to get a grone for Heauen that vvill bee in a sober measure and with a great imperfection Wee are by nature addicted to the thinges that are on the earth and for them doe wee seeke them but Heauenlie thinges that cannot bee seene wee seeke them not vvee thinke them but follie So I saye if wee get a desire wee get it with such an imperfection that it is a wonder The thing that thou and I shoulde moste seeke for is that seconde comming of CHRIST to put an ende to this miserie that is vvithin vs and vvithout vs so that this shoulde bee our saying Come LORDE IESVS and put an ende to this miserie But who cryes for this comming Yea rather I heare men saye God keepe me from that daye Alas knowest thou not that thy miserie shall neuer haue an ende vntill that daye The Apostle PAVL sayes Wee that haue gotten the first fruites of the Spirite wee sigh in our selues wayting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies Roman Chapt. 8. vers 23. Wee are nowe the Sonnes of GOD but it appeares not vvhat shall bee but then it shall appeare vvhat thou art Nowe the Godlyest is in moste miserie And alas it appeares that the best of vs hath that SPIRITE but soberlie and not in that measure that wee shoulde haue And if wee had it wee woulde sigh and crie Come LORD IESVS come that word would neuer goe out of our mouthes and our eyes would neuer be from the Heauens to looke when our Lord would come and breake their cloudes and these visible Heauens and then take thee to Himselfe out of this vaile of miserie to that endlesse joy So to come to our purpose Whether vve see Him first or last it is of grace that all glorie may redound to Him Well as they are journeying betvvixt Ierusalem and Emmaus they are talking as tvvo men vse to talke together and all their talke vvas of CHRIST and His crucifying
the eye of the soule for the eye of our soule is but bleered there vvas neuer such a bleered eye in the body as in the soule the fault then is in the canker and vile disposition of the soule of man This is their change at the sight of Christ they are blinded in minde and troubled in heart What does the Lorde Le ts Hee them be le ts Hee them ly in that blindnesse and terrour No He departs not but trauells to change them ouer againe in mind heart and affection it is the worde of Iesus onely that is able to alter and change the heart of man and that euill disposition and blindnesse which is there when all the affections of the heart are out of order it is the worde of Christ onely that hath povver to change them all the Angells in Heauen and all the men in the Earth vvill not bee able to put thine heart in order if it bee troubled Therefore he or she that hath blind terrours let them resort to the hearing of the word of God I saye to thee if thou disdainest this worde and if thou seekest to this man or seekest to that man or seekest to Angels thou shalt neuer get rest nor reliefe in thy trouble So it is the word of Iesus Christ that must giue light and consolation But what sort of word must this be Must it be a soft a gentle and calme vvord to the eare No vvhen the minde hath blinded it selfe and vvhen the affections are out of order shee must bee tamed the affections are hammered and throwne downe because the pride of the soule reaches vp to Heauen to reason against God 2. Epistle to the Corinthians Chapter 10. verse 4 5. Therefore she must be subdued by sharpe threatning and sad speeches to hammer her downe So the Lord sayes Why are yee troubled Why let yee vaine fantasies arise in your heartes No doubt these words had power to represse and hammer dovvne the misordered vanities in their heartes then the disordered affections must be compelled to bee in order not by faire vvords but by threatning and saying away to your order they must bee beaten and strucken downe Let no man deceiue himselfe thinking that he should alwayes heare soft and gentle words No that vvill neuer make a change in the soule Come to the words Wherefore doe doubts arise in your heartes In the vvordes the Lord lets you see how the minde blindes her selfe when a spirituall object is set before it the vvord Ascending that is vsed lets vs see that first of all a small cogitation enters in and then it growes to a mountaine When she sees an heauenly object God or the word or Christ in the which God or Christ is seene assoone as this heauenly object is laid before the eye of the minde she begins to reason she gets not the blenck so soone but assoone she reasones and the discourse arises vp like a mountaine so that the light of the Spirit shall bee taken out of her eye and shall make such conclusions that shall rise vp and stand like mountaines and blinde her and if shee hath any sight pull it out of her as yee see sometimes when the Sunne vvill be shining bright vvithin a short time a cloude vvill arise from belovv and vvill take away the light of the Sunne Euen so from the reason of man arise doubtes like a foome all thy reason is but stinking foome and it will stand vp like a foule blacke smooke betvvixt thee and God Rom. 1.21 Reade yee not what the Apostle sayes The Gentiles and Philosophers beginning at reason put out the blencke that they had of God and in their wisdome they became madde fooles This day the Papists and their Doctours haue blinded themselues vvith vaine Philosophie and vvith their thornie questions they haue drowned Christ and so obscured Him that Hee could not bee seene to the worlde and they drowne themselues in their ovvne dung Let all men then take this lesson When the vvorde of the LORD is offered to thee Bee not too curious Bevvare of thy learning beware of thy reasoning leane not too much to it that it stand not vp betweene thee and GOD and blinde thee let not cogitations arise When it comes to the Scripture reason Why not but with sobernesse with a soule desirous to learne with prayer with calling on that Spirit No light in that word but by that Spirit of light who dited the Scriptures If thou gettest that Spirit then light shall be offered and giuen to thee but if thou vanishest in thy minde and followest thy wit except thou castest away thy reasoning reade not one worde I forbid thee to reade one worde of the Scriptures lest thou aggreadge thy damnation Now I goe forward When thus way by checking Hee hath beaten downe the imaginations reasonings and cogitations that sublimely rose out of the minde and when by an angrie worde Hee hath beaten downe the affections which were out of order nowe in gentlenesse Hee beginnes to teach and instruct them and He teaches them two things First that He is a bodie Secondly that He is not a Spirit and that He is that same CHRIST that same man that same bodie and none other that before His Passion haunted with them teached them and wrought miracles in their presence Hee teaches them by a familiar argument First by the sight Beholde sayes He mine hands and my feete He holdes vp His handes not His handes onely but also the markes of the wounds of His hands He lets them see His feete and the print of the nailes Next Handle Mee sayes He if ye will not see feele What better argument would yee haue than to feele flesh blood and bones Next Hee prooues that Hee was no Spirit but a man with the body of a man A spirit or an Angell hath not body flesh and bones but so it is I haue them Ergo I am no spirit This is a sensible argument and see how Hee dimittes that glorious body to their eyes and to their hands to bee seene to bee touched that He might make them to beleeue albeit Faith be a spirituall worke in the soule yet it is wrought and confirmed in the soule by the eye by sight by the hand by touching This place lets vs see how damnable is the doctrine of the Papistes who would haue vs to beleeue that in the Supper of IESVS CHRIST there is a locall and bodily presence of CHRISTS body and that the whole bodie is there and that the blood is there drunken by thee and the body is eaten by thee after a bodily manner with the mouth of thy bodie and not sacramentally and spiritually How dare these deceiuers of the world these vile knaues affirme that they eate the body of IESVS CHRIST and puts it in their vile mouthes What reasonable man can be perswaded of it Will they teach me as CHRIST teached His disciples will they let mee see visibly vvith mine eye
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
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
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
who art a faithfull Christian hast cause to rejoyce that the LORD so oft times appeared to His Disciples for it was for thy cause for the helping and confirming of thy weake Faith that Hee appeared so oft that so thy joye may bee the more full Now I goe forward vnto the circumstance of the persons to vvhom the Lord appeared There vvere seuen of the Disciples gathered together for hee sayes There were together Simon Peter and Thomas who was called Didimus and Nathanael of Cana in Galilie and the two sonnes of Zebedeus and two other Disciples No question it vvas not by fortune or chance or rashly that so manie of the Disciples met together at this time but it vvas by the determinate counsell and prouidence of GOD that they vvere assembled together to the ende that hee might manifâ—st and exhibite himselfe vnto them beeing assembled together When the Lord hath a purpose to communicate his graces and benefites in a great measure hee vses commonlie to call together a number of his owne in one place that hee may communicate his graces the more liberally vnto them beeing assembled together for he giues not his great graces nor vouchsafeth not his glorious presence so much to priuate persons alone as hee does to a companie of the Sainctes assembled together it is to them chiefelie that hee manifestes himselfe When the Lord was purposed to bestowe the holie Spirite what does hee hee gathers the whole number of the Apostles together in one place vpon the daye of the Pentecoste and then hee sendes vpon them all the holie Spirite in the forme of fierie and clouen tongues as wee reade in the seconde Chapter of the Actes and the thirde verse Our owne experience may bee a sufficient proofe vnto vs of this for when finde we the Spirit of God to worke moste powerfullie and the graces of God moste aboundantlie to bee bestowed vpon vs not when wee are our selfe alone but when we are assembled together with y e Saincts to exercise the meanes of grace to heare the worde to offer vp our prayers together vnto God and to be partakers of the SacrameÌ„ts And therefore if thou wouldest haue the Spirite of GOD present with thee and looke for anie grace despise not the fellowship contemne not the assemblie of the Lordes Sainctes Now amongst the rest that are here counted out we see Thomas is reckoned to be one The first time that the Lord appeared to his Disciples assembled together the doore beeing shut THOMAS was not present but the seconde time that the LORD appeared vnto them hee vvas present vvith them Now in this thirde appearing of the Lord to his Disciples he is also present vvith them This example of THOMAS letteth vs see that a man vvho is gone astraye and hath wandred out of the way after that once the Lord mercifully takes him by the hand and sets him in the way of grace that he will be carefull constantly to walke into that way with the rest of the faithfull who are walking in that way he will be loath to separate himselfe from their societie after that once the Lord beginnes freely to giue grace He ceases neuer to heape grace vpon grace while grace be crowned with glorie for it is true that the Apostle sayes That Hee who hath begunne the good worke in vs will performe it vnto the day of Jesus Christ Phil. 1.6 And our Sauiour sayes To euery man that hath it shall be giuen and he shall haue abundance So happie is the man in whom the Lord hath once begunne to worke for He will neuer leaue him while He performe His worke in him Now when they are met together what is their exercise They goe to the fishing the occasion of this exercise comes of Peter hee purposed to separate himselfe from the rest and therefore hee sayes vnto them J goe a fishing The rest cannot bee content to sunder from him but they offer their companie to him and they say We also will goe with thee What made Thomas and the rest of the Disciples so vnwillingly to sunder from Peter and what made euery one of them so desirous to enjoye the companie of another Was this by chance or fortoun No but it was by the speciall prouidence of GOD that same prouidence that before gathered them together now keepes and retaines them together in such sort that albeit some of them were of purpose to haue sundred themselues from the rest yet the rest will not sunder from them The Lord will keepe them together that Hee may communicate vnto them such grace as Hee would not bestowe vpon them beeing sundered one from another He shewes Himselfe He vouchsafes His presence in them to their exceeding joy and comfort beeing now together whereas if they had bene separated if Peter had gone one way Thomas another and the rest the third it is not likely that the Lord would haue manifested Himselfe vnto them But how is this that the Disciples of the Lord who were ordained and appointed by the Lorde Himselfe to an higher calling to the Apostleship to be witnesses and preachers to the world of these things which they saw and heard of Him goe to the fishing Might they leaue that high calling and take themselues to so base and contemptible an exercise I answere that heerein they doe nothing amisse for albeit they were appointed and designed by the Lord to be Apostles yet in effect they were not as yet Apostles they had not entered to that calling neither were they meete for it vntill the time that they were endued with power from on high and before they had receiued the Holy Spirit in the forme of firie and clouen tongues in the day of the Pentecoste And further what fault was it albeit they had entred to their office of the Apostleship that they should bee exercised in an honest and lawfull occupation and should worke with their handes as we read of the Apostle Paul vvho in sundrie places professes that he laboured with his owne hands for his liuing Read 1. Cor. 4.12 1. Thess 2.9 2 Thess 3.8 Now when they agree to remaine together They went their way and entred into a ship straightway and they goe to take fish and to seeke bodily food for themselues but the Lord in the meane time is calling them to a better thing euen to see the Lord and to enjoy His gracious presence which was a great deale better than all their fishing and all that they could haue gained by that exercise and Peter after that once he knew that it was the LORD which spake to them counted more of His presence than of all the huge and great number of fishes that were inclosed within the nette for hee leaues them all after that once he knew that it was the Lord that spake and shewed Himselfe present vnto them yea he castes himselfe into the Sea and hazardes his life to the end he may come speedily and soone vnto the Lord.
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
the time of thy life but chiefly in the houre of death as Paul sayes of himselfe Philip. 1.21 Now Brethren take heede all these earthly things as liberties riches nobilitie kinred glory honour of the worlde and fauour of men these thinges can stand thee in stead only so long as thou leauest thy riches thy nobilitie albeit thou wert come of Kings can be steadable no longer but if thou bee laide on thy backe on thy death bed at the houre of thy death what will they helpe thee then Nothing but thou wilt disdain them al No they shal not hold thy life one houre thē all these aduantages in earth cānot be aduātage in y e houre of death in heauē or earth no aduātage to any in y e hour of death but Iesus who has ouercome death if y u haue Iesus ô y t joy y u shalt find in death by the contrarie How terrible a departure will they find that haue not Christ Iesus This miserable generatiō will not know this vntill they feele it by sad experience There were two thieues hanged with Christ but both got Him not to bee aduantage in death therefore let men whē they are liuing wholest haue Christ before their eyes seeke to be acquainted w t Him in their life that they may haue Him to be aduantage in their death Yet one thing further ere I leaue these things I thinke all yōg men y t haue health habilitie strength of body to run ride rash here there that haue libertie to passe repasse at their pleasure may learne a lessō at Peter Peter when hee was young hee might haue done what hee pleased he thought hee was a happie man for the word importes when hee makes mention of his former condition which hee had before he knew Christ for when he was young and had libertie he was free from Christ for he knew not Christ before Christ knew him so Peter in his youth a free man a young strong man he was also free from Christ foolish vaine young men esteeme themselues to be happie if they haue health strength habilitie freedome to liue as they please albeit they bee without God and free of Iesus Christ alas that is a miserable freedome when thou art free heere in earth if thou be free from Christ also that is miserable for if thou be not a bond-seruant to Christ albeit thou wert a King a Cesar thou art but a seruant to sinne a slaue to the deuill Paul Rom. 6.20 sayes When ye were the seruants of sinne ye were freed from righteousnesse if thou be not the seruant of Christ thou art a slaue to the Deuill and sinne for of need force thou shalt either be the seruant of Christ or els thou shalt be a greater slaue than a horserubber Let neuer a man glorie in a libertie that he may runne or ride doe this or that except that with that freedome he find himselfe bound as a seruant to Christ except he can say in his heart albeit I be free yet Lord Iesus I am thy bond-seruant for Peters condition when hee was in the chaines and bands led out to die the death for Christ was better than when he was a yong man following his owne lust pleasure there is no happinesse but in Iesus Christ all these earthly liberties will not make thee happy if thou be not boūd to Christ in his seruice they only are truely free whō the Sonne makes free Ioh. 8.36 And the Apostle sayes Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is libertie 2. Cor. 3.17 But I goe forwarde Hee sayes Thou shalt bee ledde whither thou wouldest not This is a marueilous thing These wordes would import that hee died not willingly for the Lord but he vvas drawne contrary his will to the tormēt How can this be The vvords may import a comparison to vvit That one shall leade thee not so much where thou wilt as where he will for thy will shal be subject to the will of the persecuter tormēter I answere Indeed it is true when Peter suffered for his Lords sake he suffered not so vvilingly but in the meane time for there was a battell vvithin him he found somthing that made resistance to y t obediēce first there vvas nature vvhich naturally abhors death there is nothing more terrible to nature than this dissolution parting seuering of the soule body therfore Christ Himself who set Himselfe in all respects to be obedient to y e Father hauing our nature abhorred death prayed saying Take this cup frō me So I say it was no maruel y t nature in Peter abhorred frō death vvold haue declined y t death in some measure There vvas another cause more in Peter than was in Christ Christ had nature but it was holy Peter beside this common nature had some remaining corruption And whosoeuer has it as all men sauing Christ Iesus has it they will find that whē they are bent to giue obedience to God in any thing it vvill rebell and make some resistance when thou fainest vvould obey Him lay downe thy necke to die for Christ it will draw thee aback Againe the best y t liues vvill vtter the vvords of th'Apostle I doe not the good thing which I would but the euill which I would not that I doe Rom. 7.19 Therefore Brethren learne this lesson at Peter All the godly from the beginning all the Holy Martyres what euer they haue bene that haue died for the Name of the Lord Iesus their obedience has not beene altogether perfect No it is a vanitie to thinke that the Martyres died vvithout all feare I say The best of them in their death found some horrour and infirmitie And I saye The victorie that they got vvas by an inwarde battell in their soule and as they vvere victorious by yeelding themselues outwardly to the death so they vvere victorious in their soules This is comfortable When thou seest that the Saincts feared abhorred death if thou findest the like feare in thee yet bee not ouer much casten downe Thou wilt say Shall I suffer death in the fire shall I bee burnt quicke and bee dammed as the Martyres haue beene vvith sundry sortes of tortures Alas I am not able to abide it And no question there will be an horrour in thine heart when thou thinkest of this but especially when thou commest to the act of suffering then all such infirmitie such feare dread shall rise and get vp in thy soule But let this be thy comfort in the Lord vvhē thou findest this that this feare shall not hinder thine obedience and say There is nothing that befalles to me but that which befalles to the best seruants of God I am not alone such infirmitie such dread and feare as I haue Peter had and the best Saincts of God had and howbeit they had them yet their obedience was not hindered thereby And so as
Apostles which sets out vnto vs the glorious Majestie of God and His properties His power His mercie His Iustice His wisdome c. is by infinite degrees inferior to the Majestie which it describes vnto vs that the Spirit of God paintes Him not throughly fully in His essence nature and in His owne perfection as He is No but in painting Him out Hee attempers His stile to our infirmitie weaknesse that we may vnderstand beleeue for there can be no words so high so sublime so glorious inuented or deuised by any that can bee sufficient to expresse that Majestie which is incōprehensible infinite Alwayes seeing the Holy Spirit hath set down so much in the Scripture concerning that glorious incomprehensible Majestie of God His worship as is sufficient for our Saluation let vs therewith be content and not curiously seeke for any more and while we read or heare the Scriptures let vs earnestly craue at God that He would worke faith in our soules that we may beleeue that Iesus is that Christ the Sonne of God that in beleeuing we may haue life Saluation through Him To whome with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise honour and glory for euermore AMEN THE LIII LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 16 Then the eleuen disciples went into Galile into a mountaine where Jesus had appointed them verse 17 And when they sawe Him they worshipped Him but some doubted verse 18 And Jesus came and spake vnto them saying All power is giuen vnto Me in heauen and in earth verse 19 Goe therefore and teach all nations baptizing them in the Name of the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 15 And Hee saide vnto them Goe yee into all the world and preach the Gospell to euery creature WELBELOVED Brethren these dayes bypast we followed out the Historie of the Resurrection of the Lord and of His manifolde appearings vnto sundrie but especially vnto His Disciples as they are set down by the Euangelist John who insists more largely in describing His appearings to His Disciples than any of y e rest as God gaue the grace the last day wee ended his Gospell spake last of the conclusion thereof now it rests that we follow out so much as remaines of the Historie of the resurrectiō as it is set down by y e rest of y e Euangelists for Iohn wrote his Euāgel after all y e rest omitted purposely such things as were written by y e rest willing vs to addresse our selues to y e rest of y e Euangelists that there we might read follow out y e rest of y e Historie of CHRIST vvhich hee left off And so vvee are this day to enter into the description of another appearing of CHRIST after His Resurrection as it is set downe by Matthew Marke This appearing of the Lord seemes to be the ninth in number for the first was to Marie Magdalene The second to other women The thirde to two disciples as they wēt to Emmaus The fourth was to Simō Peter The fift to Iames Then three seuerall times Hee appeared to His disciples being gathered together as ye heard out of Iohn So this is y e ninth appearing wherin it is likely that He shewes Himselfe not only to the eleuen disciples being met together but also to a great number of brethren being together with them For this seemes to be y t appearing wherof th'Apostle Paul makes mention 1. Cor. 15 6. where he says Hee was seene of more than fiue hundreth brethren at once In this appearing there are sundry thinges to bee considered As the circumstances of time and place the disciples worshipping of Him when they sawe Him the doubting of some of them His communicatiō with the disciples sending them out with a commission to preach to all Nations Appearantly this is that meeting which the Lord in His appearing to the women enjoyned to the Apostles for by the women Hee gaue th'Apostles a direction to meete Him in Galilie Matth. chap. 28. vers 10. According to this direction it is said The eleuen disciples went into Galilie vnto a Mountaine where Iesus had appointed them So the place vvas in that Mountaine of Galilie wherein the Lord had appointed them to meete The time is not particularly mentioned yet it is likelie that as the Lord gaue a direction concerning the place so did Hee also concerning the time of their meeting Then this whole meeting the time the place and all is according to the direction and appointment of the Lord. Now as they keep this meeting vpō hope to see the Lord according to His promise so they are not disappointed of their hope The Lord is as good as His promise He shewes Himselfe present vnto thē Marke the lesson The Lord who has appointed ordained y e meetings assemblies of His owne has promised to be amongst them when they are gathered together He disappoints thē not of His promise but shewes Himselfe to be present with thē This y e disciples foūd by experience whē they met together by His appointment y e Lord shewes Himselfe present vnto thē This same haue al y e godly foūd in al ages y e faithful find it this day in their meetings for albeit He shew not Himselfe present after a bodilie manner as here He did to His disciples yet He is present yea no lesse present with His owne now than He was then but He is now present after a spirituall manner and the faithfull find His presence to be no lesse powerfull effectuall now than it was then for frō whence comes this vnspeakeable joy comfort and peace of conscience which the faithfull find in their meetings but from the presence of Iesus for except the Lord Iesus were present in our soules by His Spirite it were not possible that wee could finde such a powerfull working and such sweete motions and alterations in them Vaine and foolish men who are touched with no sense of sin disdaines scornes the meetings of the Saincts they thinke them all to be but fectlesse for y e feshiō they think they feed vpō fantasies But y e faithful find by experience that the presence of Christ in their meetinges is so powerfull comfortable as no tongue can vtter nor the heart of man is able to conceiue And thou y t contemnest and scornest these meetings thou shalt find one day by sorrowful experiēce of how great comforts thou hast depriued thy selfe And if thy conscience were once wakened with the sense of sinne thou wouldest finde that there were no joy nor comfort to thy soule but by these meetings Then thou wouldest haue greater pleasure to frequēt these meetings thā euer thou hadst to eat or drink when thou werest hungry and drie Now when y e Lord appeares to them what doe they what is their behauiour It is saide When
they saw Him they worshipped Him What made them to fall downe and worship Him What sawe they into Him No question they sawe in Him a glorious Majestie By all appearance at this time He has shewed himselfe in greater glory than Hee did of before So beholding His glorie on the one part and their owne vnworthinesse on the other as Hee approaches vnto them they humblie fall downne and worship Him This their behauiour teaches vs that wheresoeuer the Lord of Glorie is present there He should be worshipped and adored His presence requires adoration Seest thou the Lord present with thee Then in humilitie fall downe and worshippe Him But thou wilt saye I cannot see Him how then can I adore Him Th'Apostles saw His glorious presence with their eyes therefore they ought to haue worshipped Him but as for vs who liue in these dayes after His ascension to Heauen we see Him not and therefore how can wee worship Him But I answere thee It is true thou seest Him not nowe vvith the eyes of thy bodie but thou seest Him with the eyes of thy soule thou seest Him with the eyes of faith thou seest Him in the vvorde and Sacraments first crucified and then glorified And if thou wilt not worship Him when thou seest Him here present in the worde and Sacraments thou wouldest not haue worshipped Him if thou haddest seene Him with the eyes of thy body face to face These profane bodies vvho vvill not vvorship Him nowe vvhen they see Him present in the mirrour of the Gospell they vvill neuer gette leaue to worship Him in the Kingdome of Heauen Thinkest thou not that the Lord is seene present in His word What meanes Paul then vvhen he sayes that an vnlearned man comming into the meetinges of the faithfull where manie are prophecying finding himselfe rebuked and judged of all and the secrets of his heart made manâ—fest that hee will fall downe on his face and worshippe GOD and saye plainlie That GOD is among them indeede 1. Corinth Chap. 14. vers 24. and 25. What sees the vnlearned man among them that makes him to fall down and giue such a confession No question but the glorious light of the GOSPELL shines into his soule and Christ offers Himselfe present to bee seene by the eye of faith The faithfull this daye by experience finde in their meetings this same presence of the Lord And therefore it becomes vs in all our meetinges euer to vvorshippe the Lord and to sit vvith feare and reuerence to heare the worde and to prepare our heartes to receiue the Holie Spirite whome the Lord promises and offers with the preaching of the worde to all His Chosen Againe this their behauiour teaches vs what force and power there is in the glorious presence of Christ Iesus His presence is powerfull to humble and bowe both the bodie and soule of the creature This made Paul to saye that at the Name of IESVS euerie knee should bowe both of thinges in Heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth Philipp chap. 2. vers 20. For that sublimitie and highnesse vvhereunto the Father hath exalted Him is so effectuall and powerfull in all creatures and of all sortes that either sweetlie willinglie it mooues them to worship Him in all humilitie or else it breakes bruises them with fearcenesse and violence and compels out perforce obedience of them The sight and sense of this sublimitie and highnesse makes the blessed Angels in Heauen in all reuerence to worshippe Him The sense of this sublimitie makes the Sainctes on earth when either they speake or heare of Him reuerentlie and in humilitie to bow both their bodies and their soules vnto Him And by the contrarie The sight and sense of this same sublimitie raises vp in the Deuill and his angelles such horroures and dread as cannot bee expressed The sense of this sublimitie makes the wicked howe proude and jollie soeuer they bee in their owne conceite oft times when they heare of Him to quake and tremble The Euangelist Matthew notes That notwithstanding of their worshipping of Him yet some of them doubted But who were these that doubted Euen some of these who before worshipped Him And what mooued them to doubt Apparantly that same that before moued them to worship Him moues them also now to doubt to wit that extraordinary vnaccustomed majesty and glory wherein Iesus appeared to them which scarcely they could haue deemed to bee so great wonderfull And certainly the glory of the Lord sitting this day in the HeaueÌ„s at the right hand of the Father is so exceeding great woÌ„derfull that if it were permitted to vs to behold it as it is with our bodily eyes such is y e corruption of our nature we could not but doubt whether He were y e Christ who vvas so far humbled abased in y e earth of whom we heard before in y e Gospel Beside this cause y e difficulty to belieue this article of the ResurrectioÌ„ of y e dead seemes likewise to haue furthered their doubting for indeed amoÌ„g al y e articles of our belief there is none more coÌ„trary to nature nor harder to belieue thaÌ„ this article of y e ResurrectioÌ„ of our bodies froÌ„ y e dead Nature can neuer be perswaded y t a dead body y t has bin a prey to worms is resolued in dust ashes can rise vp againe to life But as of all articles there is none harder to be belieued so there is none more necessary to saluatioÌ„ nor none that brings greater consolation And therefore the Lord that vve might haue the more full assurance and perswasion thereof tooke great paines vpon Himselfe and for the space of fourtie dayes Hee remained vpon the earth after His Resurrection and sundry times shewed Himselfe to His Disciples and manie other of the Faithfull that all occasion of doubting might bee remooued and so their joye and comfort might bee the greater Nowe this doubting of the Disciples lets vs see vvhat is the disposition of the heartes of the Godlie euen in their best exercises For euen their best exercises are euer accompanied vvith a piece of doubting of vvant of infirmitie c. their vvorshipping of GOD is vvith doubting their prayer is vvith infirmitie and vvauering of the minde their meditation falles from GOD and spirituall things to carnall and earthly things their hearing of the word is euer with some piece of loathing their Faith is mixed with infidelitie so that before they can come to any great measure of grace they must striue and wrestle through many infirmities and ouercome many difficulties and tentations so that the best man euen in his best workes hath no matter of rejoycing if the Lord would enter in judgement with him Yee haue heard the disciples behauiour now look how the Lord meetes them First He drawes nearer to them and then He enters in communing with them for it is said Iesus came and spake vnto them He
approached to them partly that Hee might take away all occasion of doubting from them partly that with the greater profite and commoditie He might instruct them and that His teaching might be the more powerfull and fruitfull for no question while He drawes nearer to them with His body offers Himselfe to be seene more clearly with y e bodily eyes in y e meane time He drawes nearer to them inwardly joynes Himselfe by His Spirit more powerfully and familiarly to their soules for this is the accustomed dealing of the Lord when by the word He is purposed to be effectuall and powerfull in the soule of any man He drawes neare them by His Spirit whereas by the contrarie when Hee is not of purpose to be effectuall by his word in the heart He approaches not inwardly to the soule but He holds Himselfe a farre off and giues them only a shew of His power and glory outwardly a farre off Now followes the Lords cōmuning with His Disciples wherein He giues them a commission to goe out and preach to the world baptizing them that beleeue But before He giues them this commission by way of preface He sets down the ground of this commission to wit that power and authoritie which He had for sayes He All power is giuen vnto me in heauen and in earth for it was necessary that the Apostles should be enformed of this His power and authoritie which He had giuen Him to the end that knowing that infinite power whereupon their commission and Apostleship was grounded they might the more chearefully and willingly with free heartes and open mouthes discharge their commission message beeing assured that they had Him who was Lord of Heauen and Earth to be their protectour maintainer Marke this Brethren This Ministerie of the Gospell albeit it be but a sort of seruice in the Church of God it is no Lordship and albeit men count very basely of it and esteeme it of all callings in the world to be the most vile and contemptible yet it is grounded vpon such a power as farre surpasses all the power of all the Kings and Monarches of the earth and it is the Lordes will that both the Ministers themselues and likewise the people that heares them haue their eyes fixed and be exercised continually in the contemplation and consideration of that incomprehensible and infinite power whereupon this Ministrie is grounded to the end that both the Ministers may the more chearfully and couragiously discharge their calling and also the people that heare them be not offended nor stumble at the basenesse of this outward forme of the ministerie not measuring the Majestie and glory of the Gospell preached vnto them by the outward shew and forme which they see but by the infinite and incomprehensible power of the Lord whereupon it is grounded Next it is to bee marked that Hee sayes All power is giuen me not in heauen only but also in earth He joynes them both together and that for the comfort of His Apostles whom Hee was to send out and of the Ministers who were to follow them to the end of the world for when He sayes that all power was giuen to Him in the earth it serues to encourage the Apostles and all Ministers in the Church faithfully and chearefully to discharge their calling so long as they remaine heere in the earth and grounding and anchoring themselues vpon that infinite power which the Lord Iesus hath vpon the earth to striue and fight couragiously and boldly against the assaults of Sathan against the allurements of sinne against the feare and terrour of trouble and persecution against the manners and behauiour of this vnthankfull world as assured that His almightie power in the earth shall guarde defend them in their calling so long as the Lord hath a worke adoe with them Againe when Hee sayes that all power was giuen to Him in Heauen it serues to comfort the Apostles Ministers vpon the hope of a reward that after they haue discharged their dutie in their calling after they haue striuen against all difficulties hath ouercome all tentations at last they should waite for the Kingdome of Heauen where they shall rest from their labours enjoy the presence of their Lord King for euer 1 Cor. 15.19 Jf in this life only we haue hope in Christ of all men we are the most miserable By the which words He meanes if the power of Iesus Christ whereupon wee repose anchore our selues extended no further than within the bounds of this present life then our estate condition of all men were most miserable yet ere we leaue these words it is to be considered what maner of power this is whereof he speakes whereupon their Apostleship is groūded that ye may vnderstand this the better ye must consider that there is a twofold power in the Lord Iesus the Sonne of God the first is heritably the other purchased The first He hath as the Sonne of God equall with the Father before the foundations of the world were laide of this He speakes in His Prayer to His Father before His Passion Father glorifie me with thine owne selfe with that glory which I had with thee before the world was Ioh. 17.5 The other the Sonne of God Iesus Christ purchased to Himselfe for our cause when Hee made Himselfe of no reputation and tooke on Him the forme of a seruant humbled Himselfe and became obedient to the death euen to the death of the Crosse for the Lord then exalted Him highly and gaue Him a Name aboue euery Name that at the Name of Iesus euery knee should bow both of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth Philip. 2.6 Heere the Apostle speakes of that power which Hee as a Mediatour acquired by His perfect obedience in all things and of this acquired power it is which the Lord speakes in this place for frō this power which He purchased to Himselfe by His obedience in our flesh proceedes the Gospel from this power proceedes the Ministerie in the Church from this power proceedes Saluation to the world for that heritāble power which the Sonne of God had with the Father from all eternitie without the manhead of Christ and His acquired power by His obedience would neuer serue to bring life Saluation to sinners Nowe to come to the sending out of the Apostles Hee sayes Goe therefore and teach all Nations baptizing them In these wordes Hee giues them their commission and committes vnto them the Ministerie and office of the Apostleship commanding them to goe foorth to all Nations to teach and baptize them for the Lord sets downe here distinctly three points of their calling First y t they should goe foorth to all Nations of the world not holding themselues within y e narrow boūds of y e land of Iudea as they did before Next y t they should preach y e Gospel thirdly y t they should baptize
Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Indeed it is true that God was knowne in the Trinitie of persons in some sorte by the Fathers who liued vnder the Old Testament before Christs manifestation in the fleshe but the knowledge which they had was obscure and confused in respect of that knowledge which IESVS brought into the worlde at His comming but chiefely this distinct knowledge of the three persons of the Godhead was manifested after Christes Resurrection from the dead and His Glorification for Christ glorified is chiefely the image of the vnuisible God and the brightnesse of His glorie and the engrauen forme of His person And from Christ glorified especially proceedes th' effectuall operation of the Holy Spirit in the soules of His Elect. All tendes to this To let you see that the cleare and distinct knowledge of the Godhead in the Trinitie of the persons proceeded chiefely from the Kingdome of Christ and from His glory Nowe to this God one in essence in three persons The Father the Sonne and the Holie Spirit be all praise honour and glorie for euermore Amen THE LIV. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST MATTH CHAP. XXVIII verse 20 Teaching them to obserue all things whatsoeuer I haue commanded you and loe I am with you alway vntill the ende of the world Amen MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 16 He that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saued but hee that will not beleeue shall bee damned verse 17 And these tokens shall follow them that beleeue In my Name they shall cast out deuils and shall speake with new tongues verse 18 And shall take away serpentes and if they shall drinke anie deadlie thing it shall not hurt them they shall lay their handes on the sicke and they shall recouer THE last daye Welbeloued Brethren in Christ we began to speake of the nine appearings of the Lord to the Disciples as it is set downe by Matthew and Marke Hee appeared to them in a Mountaine of Galilie vvhere Hee had appointed them to meete Him Wee hearde vvhat vvas the Disciples behauiour The sight of that glorious Majestie made them to fall downe and worship Him yet in the meane time some of them doubted and therefore the LORDE to confirme them drawes neare vnto them and enters into communication with them and in His communing first Hee telles what power and authoritie was giuen Him both in Heauen and earth to the ende Hee might mooue them the more willinglie and chearefullie to vndertake the office of the Apostleship Then when Hee has layed downe this power as a ground of their office and Ministerie Hee sendes them out in the worlde charging them first to goe to all Nations Next to preach to euery creature And thirdly To baptize in the Name and authority of the Father the Sonne and the Holy Spirit Nowe in these wordes first Hee telles them what doctrine they shoulde teach to the worlde then hee makes them a threefolde promise The first is of life and saluation to then that beleeue and are baptised The seconde is a promise of th'extraordinarie and miraculous giftes of the Holie Spirite The thirde is a promise of His owne glorious and powerfull presence with them in discharging of their calling that not for a season but to continue to th' ende of the vvorlde Then in the first wordes which vve haue read He telles them what they should teach not al things not euery thing that they pleased themselues but He sayes Teach them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer J haue commanded you So Hee restraines the doctrine that they should teach vnto the world vnto that doctrine which Hee Himselfe first had taught them In the 14. Chapter of John vers 26. after Hee has first promised the Holie Spirit to teach His Apostles all thinges then Hee telles vvhat Hee meanes by All these thinges which His Spirite should teach and Hee boundes them and restraines them to that doctrine which Hee Himselfe had taught them before For sayes Hee hee shall bring all thinges to your remembrance which I haue tolde you Euen so here Hee restraines the preaching of th'Apostles to these thinges vvhich Hee Himselfe had taught them So marke this lesson The doctrine of Iesus Christ which Hee deliuered the time that Hee liued in the vvorlde and had His conuersation among men is the grounde the rule and the measure of all true doctrine The Spirit of the Lord Iesus vvhome Hee left behinde Him to bee His vicegerent in th' earth kept preciselie this rule Hee taught not so much as one sentence in substance but that vvhich CHRIST had taught before Th'Apostles vvhome Hee sent out into the worlde declined not one jote from this rule for they taught the vvorlde nothing but that vvhich the Holie Spirite had furnished and suggested vnto them before and that Spirite taught them nothing but that vvhich IESVS had taught them before So that the doctrine of the H. Spirit th'Apostles come all wholly from Iesus as th' only doctor teacher of His Kirke of whom the Father said in His baptisme trāsfiguratiō Heare him So it should be w t ministers and Teachers of the Church to the end of the world they should make Christes doctrine to bee the rule of all their doctrine they should teach nothing but that which Christ teached before them the faithfull Ministers of Christ in all ages haue striuen to doe so they confirmed all their doctrine so farre as they could to the doctrine of Christ Indeede it is true through processe of time corrupt men entred in the Church who respected not God nor His glory nor the well and saluation of men but their owne honour their owne lusts and their bellie who taught the world not the doctrine of Christ the way of life but their own fantasies dreames and traditions Wee may see this lamentable experience this day in the kingdome of the Antichrist What teaches the Pope and his Clergie to the world Not the word of God Not the doctrine of Christ Not that doctrine which the Holy Spirit furnished to the Apostles not that vvhich the Apostles haue left in register this day they make not that to be the rule of their preaching but they teach their owne vanities deuised by themselues they teach mens traditions they teach vnwritten verities as they call them vvhich are for the moste parte altogether repugnant to the doctrine of Christ The Lord saue vs from their doctrine vvherewith they poyson the world and bring men to perdition Now as the Pastors are obliged to teach nothing but the doctrine of Christ so are the people bound to heare and receiue none other doctrine but the doctrine of Christ and for this cause they shoulde pray earnestly for the Holy Spirit who is promised to His owne to illuminate their mindes and to giue them the gift of discretion to discerne spirits as also they should be diligently exercised in reading and considering the Olde and New Testament the writtings of the
Prophetes and Apostles vvhich containe exactly the doctrine of Christ necessarie to saluation Nowe let vs consider in order the promises vvhich the Lord joynes vvith this commission that He giues to His Apostles the first two are set downe in Marke the third in Matthew the first promise is of euerlasting life and saluation to all that beleeue by their Ministerie and are baptized by them Hee that shall beleeue and be baptized shall be saued This promise of life and saluation that Hee subjoynes to the preaching and baptizing of the Apostles was no doubt to mooue and allure men vpon the consideration of so faire and great benefiâ—es that they should receiue them the more willingly to beleeue in the Lord Iesus With this promise to them that beleeue He joynes a denunciation of judgement against all those who would not beleeue by their Ministerie He denounces eternall death and damnation against them Hee that will not beleeue sayes Hee shall be condemned So that as on the one part He promises a faire reward to mooue men to beleeue so on the other part Hee threatens a fearfull judgement against them that beleeue not but despises the Apostles doctrine to make men to abhorre and detest that abhominable sinne of infidelitie Vpon this promise of reward and threatning of judgement first we learne this lesson The Ministerie of the Gospell is euer effectuall and powerfull in men either one way or other for seeing this Ministerie of the Gospell which from the Apostles dayes continues and shall continue to the ende of the world is grounded vpon that incomprehensible power that filles both heauen and earth howe is it possible but it must bee mightie and powerfull It must be powerfull either to life and saluation or els to death and damnation to life to them that beleeue to death to them that beleeue not Therefore Paul sayes that alwayes they triumphed and were victorious in Christ and that they were a fauour to God both in them that are saued and in them who perish In them who are saued they vvere the sauour of life vnto life but in them who perish they were the sauour of death vnto death 2. Cor. 2.14 The Apostle in these wordes le ts vs see that the preaching of the Gospell is euer powerfull and effectuall in all sorts of men Alas men count too lightly yea despise contemne and scorne this preaching as if it were a matter of none effect and the worde of man and not of God but take heede how thou hearest the Gospell for thou shalt finde it to be the most powerfull thing that euer was and if it bee not powerfull to worke life and saluation it shall worke death and damnation in thee Next we learne out of these wordes that Faith Righteousnesse Saluation and all spirituall graces are so tied and bound to this Ministerie of the Gospell that whosoeuer submits himselfe to this Ministerie and conformes himselfe to the Gospell hee shall attaine to Faith Righteousnesse Life and Saluation and by the contrarie whosoeuer contemnes this Ministerie hee shall neuer get any spirituall grace no Faith no Righteousnesse no Life no Saluation but by this Gospell But yee will say We should not tie nor binde the grace of God to those externall things Wee should not restraine Gods working to the outward Ministerie Indeede I grant the grace of GOD is not so tied to these ordinarie meanes and outward helpes which are dayly vsed in the Church but that yee may worke without them and that ye may worke immediatly by His owne Spirit in whome and when He pleases but it is as true that whosoeuer contemnes those outwarde ordinarie meanes which the LORD hath ordained to bee vsed he shall be depriued of all spirituall grace of Faith of Righteousnesse of Saluation For Faith sayes Paul is by hearing and hearing by the worde of God preached Rom. Chapter 10. verse 17. Many foolish men with-draw themselues from the outwarde Ministerie from the meanes of grace and are exercised in pastime in drinking in harlotrie and yet they will say they will come to Heauen as soone as the best of them but they deceiue themselues for if thou contemnest these outwarde meanes which the LORD hath ordained thou shalt neuer get no grace the gates of Heauen shall be closed on thee thy portion shall bee with the Deuill and His Angels Thirdly we may marke out of this promise an excellent and worthie effect of Faith to wit Saluation and eternall life for Hee sayes Hee that beleeueth shall be saued But we may not thinke that this effect proceedes from the force power worthinesse and merites of Faith No but this effect of life and Saluation proceedes only from the vertue power and merite of Christ which the soule apprehendes for this Life and Saluation stayes and abides so plenteously and in such abundance in Christ that as soone as wee put out the hand of Faith and takes holde of Him so soone will we finde that life of CHRIST conueyed into our soules His life is made ours by Faith In Christ there dwelles such a marueilous and glorious light that when wee approach to Him by Faith by the beames of His brightnesse He shines in our hearts that we may get the light of the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus 2. Cor. Chapter 4. verse 6. By Faith His light is made ours in Christ there is such a wonderfull and incomprehensible glorie that as soone as with open face with the eye of Faith we beholde Him in the mirrour of the Gospell as soone are we transformed in the same Image from glorie to glorie 2 Cor. 3.18 by Faith His glorie is made ours when wee shall see Him face to face wheÌ„ Faith shall be turned into sight He shall perfect our glorie Hee shall change our vile bodies that they may bee fashioned like vnto his glorious bodie according to the working whereby hee is able to subdue all things to himselfe Philip. chap. 3. vers 21. Seeing then so excellent and worthie are th'effectes of faith wee ought both carefullie to vse th' ordinarie meanes vvhereby faith is vvrought and also pray earnestlie that the Lord vvould giue a blessing to them and by them vvorke faith in our heartes that so vvee may enjoye all these graces and benefites Fourthlie vvee see in this promise of life and saluation that the Lord joynes Baptisme with faith in Christ For sayes Hee hee that shall beleeue and bee baptized shall bee saued Wee may not vnderstand this so as if Baptisme vvere eyther simplie a cause or an halfe cause of saluation No it has no respect of a cause in the saluation of man but it is joyned to Faith as a signe and an outwarde marke to testifie and beare vvitnesse of the cause to wit Faith in Iesus Christ and in such sorte it must followe vpon Faith and bee conjoyned vvith it that hee vvho beleeues vvould vvishe to bee baptized it is not possible that
behoued to be in a greater humility w t greater reuereÌ„ce w t greater feruency thaÌ„ euer it was before Indeed they worshipped Him before knowing Him to be the Messias but their knowledge was but very mean sober but now they see know perfectly that He is the Lord of glory the glorious judge of the world therefore the worshipping of Him at this time behoued to be in greater reuereÌ„ce with greater perswasion boldnes than euer it was before The sight of that glorious majesty makes euer the creature in reuereÌ„ce to worship God the greater sight the greater reuerence The faithfull while they liue here in th' earth because by th' eye of faith in the mirrour of the Gospel they see the glory of the Lord therfore in humility they worship His majesty but because they see Him not clearly as He is but darkly and obscurely therfore their worshipping here is not like that worshipping y t shal be when they shal see Him face to face for when we shal see him as he is we shal worship Him with greater reuerence confideÌ„ce boldnes liberty than euer we did before for then vve shall be made like vnto Him that is vve shall bee made conformable to the image of His glory and vve shall shake off all this mortality corruption vvherewith th'Apostles vvere clad at this time vvheÌ„ they worshipped Him ascending to HeaueÌ„ So that that vvorshipping adoring of the Lord which the faithful shal giue Him in that great day wheÌ„ He desceÌ„ds from the HeaueÌ„s to judge the world shall surpasse exceedingly by many degrees that worship which the Apostleâ— gaue Him wheÌ„ they saw Him asceÌ„d into HeaueÌ„ for theÌ„ there shal be nothing to hinder them Now in the meane time while the Lord is ascending to Heauen as they worship Him so likewise they followe Him vvith their eyes and looked stedfastly toward heauen vvhere they saw Him ascending vvhich testifies plainly that their hearts were lifted vp to the Heauens together vvith Christ as Christ ascended so their hearts ascended vvere lifted vp to Heauen by the power veâ—tue of that same Ascention glorie of Christ in vvhome they beleeued for they that beleeue in Christ and are conjoyned to Him by faith of necessity must by that bâ—nd of faith be lifted vp together vvith Him to the Heauens for that soule that is linked to Him by faith caÌ„not be seuered from Him but it must follow Him vvhersoeuer He goes Mark this lesson wheÌ„ y e heart is lifted vp to Heauen it vvill lift y e eye of y e bodie to Heauen also y e sight sense of y e Ascension of Christ liftes vp the heart to Heauen for where there is in y e heart a sense feeling of y e power of Christs AscensioÌ„ of necessity both the soule th' eyes of the body must be lifted vp to Heauen And this lifting vp of th' eyes of the body proceeding froÌ„ the lifting vp of y e heart to Heauen this lifting vp of y e heart proceeding froÌ„ y e feeling of y e power of th'AsceÌ„sioÌ„ of Iesus which now y e faithfull find is a sure argumeÌ„t vndoubted warraÌ„â— to y e faithful y t one day th' eye y e heart y e soule y e body yea y e whole man shal be lifted vp to heaueÌ„ both soule body in y t great day wheÌ„ y e Lord appeares to judgemeÌ„t shal enjoy His glorious preseÌ„ce therfore y e godly haue great cause continually to be waiting looking for y t glorious apppearing of Christ happy art thou who art euer waiting for it for at y t glorious appearing thou shâ—lt be partaker of glory w t him to whoÌ„ with y e Father H. Spirit be all praise honor glory Amen THE LVI LECTVRE OF THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST MARKE CHAP. XVI verse 20 And they went foorth and preached euerie where And the Lord wrought with them and confirmed the word with signes that followed Amen LVKE CHAP. XXIIII verse 52 And they Worshipped him returned to HierusaleÌ„ with great ioye verse 53 And were continuallie in the Temple praising and lauding GOD Amen ACTS CHAP. I. verse 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heauen as hee went beholde two men stood by them in white apparell verse 11 Which also said Yee men of Galile why stand yee gazing into heauen This Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen shall so come as yee haue seene him goe into heauen verse 12 Then returned they vnto Hierusalem from the mount that is called the mount of Oliues which is neare to Hierusalem beeing from it a Sabbath dayes journey verse 13 And when they were come in they went vp into an vpper chamber where abode both Peter and Iames and Iohn and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartlemew and Matthew James the sonne of Alpheus and Simon Zelotes and Iudas Iames brother verse 14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplications with the women and Marie the mother of Iesus and with his brethren THE last day welbeloued BrethreÌ„ in Christ we entred into the history of Christs ascension to heauen We heard of the circuÌ„staÌ„ces of it The Lord led them out to Bethania to the mount of Oliues from the which place He asceÌ„ded vnto heaueÌ„ we heard of the coÌ„muning y t was betwixt Christ his disciples who asked of him Lord wilt thou at this time restore the kingdome to Jsrael The Lord reproues this their curiosity It is not for you to know the times the seasons which the Father has put in his owne power And then he tels what they ought to doe First they shuld be mindfull of the promise of y e H. Spirit Next they shuld look to their own calling to beare witnesse of him to the world Wee heard how before his Ascension he blessed them we heard of the manner of his Ascension it was very sensible and visible He went a little space from them and was taken vp and receiued in a cloude hee was taken out of their sight and carried vp to heauen This was done the â—oth th'Apostle themselues might be perswaded and also with greater boldnesse assurance perswade others of His Ascension We heard that wheÌ„ He was taken out of their sight He was placed at the right hand of God and exalted to that sublimitie of glory that all the creatures in heauen and earth are subdued to him And last wee hearde what was the behauiour of th'Apostles In the meane time they worshipped him and looked stedfastly to â—he heauens This day by Gods grace wee shall follow out put an end to this history In the words which wee haue read we wil sâ—e what falles out While the disciples are looking vp to the heauens two Angels are sent to them by Christ who partly reproues them and partlie comforts them We will see likewise what the disciples doe after this They
Hierusalem according to the Lords coÌ„mandemeÌ„t til they got that promised Spirit with His graces Then assoone aâ— they haue receiued the H. Spirit with His graces and were sufficienly furnishâ—d theÌ„selues they goe out to coÌ„municate that grâ—ce to the world wherewith they themselues were replenished beginning at Hierusaâ—eÌ„ then going throughout all Judea then to Samaria last to the vtmost parts of th' earth This doing of the disciples serues to teach these who intende to entâ—r into that holy calling of the ministery how they ought to behaue theÌ„sâ—lues They must not suddeÌ„ly rashly goe out to preach the Gospel before they bee well furnished themselues but they should keepe themselues close vsing holy meanes and exercises till they find themselues to be furnished with grace in some measure but being once furnished with grace it is the Lordes will that they keepe themselues no more close but that they goe out and communicate that same grace vnto others for the Lord giues them no spirituall graces to keepe to themselues but to th' end that they may employ them to the weale edification of others Men should beware of these two extremities first that they presume not to goe out to preach to others till they bee first well furnished themselues next when they are furnished with grace that they let not Gods graces rest within themselues but that they vse them chearfully for the benefite of the Kirke But if we consider more narrowly this going out of the disciples we wil find it to be extraordinarie and miraculous it fell out altogether vnexspected of the Iewes no the Iewes neuer thought that thinges should haue fallen out so either concerning Christ Himselfe or His disciples for as coÌ„cerning Christ they thought they should neuer haue heard any more of Him except cursed and detestable speaches of Him for they had nowe handeled Him shamefully they had railed on Him and crucified Him putting Him to an ignominious death and after Hee was buried and risen they perswaded the guarde y t watched the sepulchre to noise abroad that his discipleâ— had come by night stollen him away so they thought there should haue bene no more of Him But beholde vpon a suddaine the Lord vnexspected of them by His powerfull prouidence makes His glory to be sounded throughout the whole world and whereas they thought He should haue bene buried for euer in shame Hee is exalted to a wonderfull glory And as concerning the disciples The Iewes thought they durst neuer haue presumed to haue opened their mouthes againe to speake of the Name of Christ for they thought they were all but sillie based bodies who sled away when their Master was taken and were offended at His ignominious death and terrified and astonished with that sorrowfull spectacle that they saw when He hung vpon the crosse neither durst they presume to meete together againe openly for feare of their liues But while the Iewes are thus thinking and beleeue that there shall neuer be any moâ—e worde of Christ behold vpon a suddain when they thinke nothing lesse His disciples come out publickly in their presence and before the whole world holding out bearing before them y t crucifiâ—d man boldly charging the worlde to beleeue in Him From whence comes this that they vvho before vvere so dâ—shed and based that sledde away before durst nowe meet together so openly and preach with such boldnesse and libertie Him of vvhome before they vvere ashamed Euen from that incomprehensible vvonderfull power of Christ their King who was now sitting in the Heauens in glory vvho according to His promise sent vpon them His holy Spirit and indued them vvith power froÌ„ an hight Now the last thing is the successe that the Lord giues vnto their preaching He saies The Lord wrought with them and confirmed the worde with signes that followed If ye reade th' Acts of th'Apostles ye vvill see the successe has bene marueilous for within a short space by their Ministery they brought gâ—eat multitudes not onely of the Jewes but also of the Gentiles to th' obedience of Christ and by them suddenly the face of the world was changed The cause of this great successe th'Euangelist marks to be the Lords vvorking vvith them confirming the vvord that they preached vvith signes and vvonders When it is said that the Lord wrought with them we may not thinke that they vvere the chiefe workers and the Lord but an helper to them No the Lord is euer the chiefe worker and His faithfull seruantes but worke together with Him in the building of that spirituall house vnto the Lord He being the chiefe builder and His seruantes but worke with Him So Paul calles them workers together with God 2. Cor. 6.1 All the successe of the Gospel is His His seruantes are only instruments vsing the meanes Paul plants Apollo waters but God giues th' increase 1. Cor. 3.6.9 Now as we saw in their going out to the worlde in their preaching with boldnesse that Christes power was wonderfully manifested euen so in this great and glorious successe that they haue in their preaching that same power of Christ is as wondefully manifested If we compare this successe which the Gospel had in that first age of the Kirke of Christ with that successe which it hath now adayes we will find a great difference Many more were called then than there are nowe for then at one preaching thousandes were conuerted but nowe at many preachings scarcely will one be conuerted And what meanes this seeing the Gospel is taught nowe in that same sinceritie that it was then Euen this that by all appearance the Lord hath gathered in alreadie the most part of them who are to bee saued and the number of these that rest to be called and saued is few in these dayes in respect of that great multitude of them who were called and saued in the dayes of th'Apostles The great haruest is gathered in already onely glaininges now remaine And on the other part it importes that there is a great number ordained to wrath and destruction and therfore they are not conuerted by the preaching of the Gospel If our Gospel saith Paul bee hidden it is hidden to them that perish 2. Cor. 4.3 Now to end here Seeing all the successe of the Gospel proceedes from the powerfull presence of Christ by His Spirit the Lord grant that so long as He giues vs liberty to vse these outward meanes He would make vs find the powerfull working of the Spirit concurring with the meanes that wee may turne to Christ and so bee assured that wee shall bee saued from that wrath which is to come in that great day of the appearing of the LORD IESVS To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit bee all praise Honour and Glorie for euer and euer AMEN FINIS