Looking Unto Jesus

SECT. IV. Of the Arguments of Christ 's Resurrection.

CHrist after his passion shown himself alive by many infallible proofs. And so he had need to persuade men into the faith of so strange a truth; if we consult with antiquity, or novelty, with primitive times, or later times, never was matter carried on with more scruple, and slowness of belief, with more doubts and difficulties than was this truth of Christ's resurrection. Mary Magdalene saw it first, and reported it. But they believed her not, Mark 16.10. the two Disciples that went to Emmaus, they saw it also, and reported it, but they believed them not, Luke 24.37. divers women together saw him, and came and told the Disciples, but their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not, Luke 24.11. They all saw him, and even seeing him, Yet they believed not for joy, but wondered, Luke 24.41. When the wonder was over, and the rest told it but to one that happened to be absent, you know how peremptory he was, Not he, except he saw in his hands the print of the nails, and put his fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust his hands into his side, he would not believe, John 20.25.—In after-times the whole world stopped their ears at this report of the resurrection of Christ, it was with the Grecians at Athens a very scorn; When they heard of the Resurrection of the dead, some mocked, Acts 17.32. It was with Festus, the great Roman, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a sickness of the brain, a plain frenzy; Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art besides thyself, much learning doth make thee mad, Acts 28.24.—But come we to our own times, the resurrection of Christ is to this day as much opposed by Jews, and Atheists, as any one Article of our Creed. And surely we had need to look to it, for if Christ be not risen (as the Apostle argues) then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain, 1 Cor. 15.14. If Christ be not risen, ye are yet in your sins; and they which are fallen asleep in Christ, are perished, 1 Cor. 15.17, 18. Of all the precious truths in the Book of God, we had need to preserve this truth, and to be well skilled in the defending of this truth of the resurrection of Christ. Some talk of a toleration of all Religions, and some desire that the Jews may have free commerce amongst us; it will then be time, as I think, to be well armed at this point. Let the ordinary Professors of our times, who are of weak judgments, and fiery Spirits, look to this point, least as now, when they cannot answer a Separatist, they turn Separatists, and when they cannot answer an Antinomian, they turn Antinomians, and when they cannot answer a Seeker, Quaker, Blasphemer, they turn to them, so when they cannot answer the subtle Arguments of a Jew, they should as easily turn Jews, and deny Christ, and the resurrection of Christ.

I mean not to enter into controversies; only I shall declare from what heads, Arguments of this nature may be drawn. As—

1. More generally from Gentiles grants; Jews concessions, typical instructions, prophetical predictions.

2. More specially from these clear demonstrations, that circumstantially and substantially do prove this Christ to have risen again.

1. the Arguments in general are—

1. From Gentiles grants: Pilate that condemned Christ, testified in a letter to Tiberius Caesar, that Christ was risen again; and therefore Tiberius desired the Senate to admit Christ into the number of their gods, which when they refused, Tiberius was incensed, and gave free leave to all Christians to profess Christianity. And to the Gentiles, Sybylla left written these very words, He shall end the necessity of death by three days sleep, and then returning from death to life again, he shall be the first that shall show the beginning of resurrection to his chosen, for that by conquering death, he shall bring us life.

2. For the Jews concessions; Josephus, the most learned amongst the latter Jews acknowledgeth, that after Pilate had crucified him, he appeared unto his followers the third day, accordingly as the Prophets had foretold. The Scribes and Pharisees being astonished with the sudden news of his rising again, confirmed by the Soldiers whom they set to watch, found no other way to resist the same, but only by saying (as all the Jews do unto this day) that his Disciples came by night, and stole away his body, whiles the Soldiers slept: O strange! if they were asleep, how know they that his Disciples stole away his body? and if they were not asl • ep, how could a few weak fishers take away his body from a band of armed Soldiers?

3. From typical instructions; such was Adam 's sleep, Isaac 's laying upon the Altar, Joseph 's imprisonment, Sampson 's breaking of the gates of Gaza, David 's escaping out of Saul 's hands, Jeremy 's deliverance out of the pit, the raising of the Shunamites child, of the widow of Sarephtahs son, of the Temple of Solomon, of Jonah from the deep; a thousand of these types might be produced, which relate to this antitype, Christ's resurrection.

4. From prophetical predictions, Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption, Psal. 16.10. After two days he will revive us, in the third day he will raise us up, Hosea 6.2. he will raise us up (i.e.) his Son united to us, or our flesh assumed by his Son, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, Psal. 2.7. Acts 13.33. I laid me down and slept, I waked, for the Lord sustained me, Psal. 3 5. Above all, how plain was the prophesy of Christ himself, that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the Elders, and chief Priests, and Scribes, and be killed, and be ra • sed again the third day, Matth. 16.21?

2. The special Arguments are exceeding many, as 1. The Angels Assertion, He is not here for he is ris • n, as he said, come see the place where the Lord lay, Matth. 28.6. 2. The great Earthquake, And behold there was a great earthquake, for the Angel of the Lord •• cended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, Matth. 28.2.

3. The Apparitions of raised bodies, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of Saints which s •• pt arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy City, and appeared unto many, Matth. 27.52, 53.

4. The sudden courage of the Apostles; whereas a little before they durst not peep out of doors, they presently after compassed the whole world, and confidently taught, that there was no other name given under heaven, whereby men may be saved, but the Name of • esus, Act. 4.12. 5. The Martyrs sufferings even for this truth. 6. The Adversaries conf • ssions even to this truth. 7. The Jews punishments even to this day, for not believing this saving truth. There is one Rabbi Samuel, who six hundred years since writ a Tract in form of an Epistle to Rabbi Isaac, Master of the Synagogue of the Jews; wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of their long captivity, and extreme misery: And after that he had proved it was inflicted for some grievous sin; he showeth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of, For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they sold the righteous for silver, Amos 2.6. the selling of Joseph he makes the first sin; the worshipping of the Calf in Horeb the second sin; the abusing and killing of God's Prophets the third sin; and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin. For the first, They served four hundred years in Egypt; for the second, They wandered forty years in the wilderness; for the third, They were captives seventy years in Babylon; and for the fourth, They are held in pitiful captivity even till this day. 8. The last Argument on which only I shall insist, it is the several Apparitions that Christ made to others after his Resurrection, some reckon them ten times, others eleven times, and others twelve times, according to the number of his twelve Apostles.

1. He appeared unto Mary Magdalene apart. As a woman was the first instrument of death, so was a woman the first Messenger of Life; she brought the first tidings of the Resurrection of Christ, which is the surest Argument of man's Salvation.

2. He appeared to all the Mary's together, as they returned homewards from the Sepulcher, never any truly sought for Christ, but with these women they were sure to find Christ.

3 He appeared to Simon Peter alone; he was the first among men to whom he appeared, he first went into the Sepulcher, and he first saw him that was raised thence: he was called first, and he confessed Christ to be the Son of God, and therefore Christ appears first to him; the Angel bade the women to tell his Disciples and Peter (that is to say, and Peter especially) that he was risen, and gone before them into Galilee. Of this speaks Paul, He was first seen of Cephas, and then of the Twelve.

4. He appeared to the two Disciples journeying towards Emmaus; the name of the one was Cleophas, and probable it is, the other was Luke, who out of his modesty concealed his own name, saith Theophilact.

5. He appeared unto the ten Apostles, when the doors were shut. Some controversy there is in this, because the Evangelist saith expressly, that the eleven Disciples were gathered together—and as they spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them. Now Judas was hanged, and Matthias was not elected, and Thomas Didimus was not with them when Jesus came: how then could he appear to eleven Apostles, considering at at this time there were but eleven in all?—Some say it is a certain number put for an uncertain. Others say, that the eleven might be together when the two Disciples came, and when Jesus came, Thomas might be absent, and gone from amongst them. And if the Text be viewed well, there is no contradiction in this saying, But I must not dwell on controversial points.

6. He appeared to all the Disciples, and Thomas was with them; and then he shown them his wounds, to strengthen the weak faith of his wavering servants. Thomas would not have believed unless he had seen, and therefore Christ shows him the wounds of his body, that he might cure the wounds of Thomas 's unbelieving soul.

7. He appeared to Peter, and John, and James, and Nathaniel, and Didimus, and two other Disciples, when they were a fishing at the sea of Tiberias; there he proved the verity of his Deity by that miracle of the fishes, and the verity of his humanity by eating meat with them. And this was the third time that he shown himself publicly and solemnly unto all, or to the most part of his Disciples.

8. He appeared unto more than five hundred brethren at once; of this we read not in the Evangelists, but the Apostle Paul records it, after that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

9. He appeared unto James the Brother of the Lord: (i.e.) the Cozen-german of Christ according to the Flesh; he was called James the just in regard of his upright and innocent life. Jerome in his Book De viris illustribus tells us, that afore Christ's death this James made a vow, that he would eat no bread till Christ were risen again from the dead; and now Christ appearing to him, he commanded Bread and Meat to be set on the table; saying to James, O my brother, now rise and eat, for now I am risen again from the dead. Of this Apparition Paul makes mention: After that he was seen of James.

10. He appeared to the eleven Disciples, on Mount Tabor in Galilee. And this Matthew intimates, when Jesus bade the woman tell his Brethren that he was risen, and that they should go into Galilee, and there they should see him; and accordingly in that Mountain where Jesus had appointed them, they saw him, and worshipped him.

11. He appeared to all his Apostles and Disciples upon Mount Olivet by Jerusalem, when in the presence of them all he ascended up into Heaven. This mountain is expressed by Luke, when after Christ's ascension it is said, that the Disciples returned back to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet.

12. He appeared unto Paul travelling unto Damascus. This indeed was after his forty days abode upon the earth. And yet this Paul mentions amongst the rest of his apparitions, and last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

My meaning is not to speak of all these Apparitions in order; for of some of them we are neither assured of the order, nor of the time. But of the most considerable, and most edifying we shall treat.

SECT. V. Of Christ's Apparition to Mary Magdalene.

ON the first day were many Apparitions; But I shall speak only to one, or two, as related by the Evangelist John.

1. Christ appeared unto Mary Magdalene apart; The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the Sepulcher, and seeth the stone taken away from the Sepulcher; she came whiles it was yet dark; she departed from home before day, and by that time she came to the Sepulcher the Sun was about to rise; thither come, she finds the stone rolled away, and the body of Jesus gone; upon this she runs to Peter, and John, and tells them, they have taken away the Lord out of the Sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid him. Then Peter and John ran as fast as they could to see, they looked into the Sepulcher, and not finding the body there, they presently returned. By this time Mary Magdalene was come back, and howsoever the Disciples woul • not stay, yet she was resolved to abide by it, and to see the issue.

We find this apparition for our further assurance, compassed, and set about with each needful circumstance; here's the time when, the place where, the persons to whom the manner how • e appeared, together with the consequents after his apparition.

1. For the time when he appeared; Now upon the first day of the week very early in the morning It was the first day of the week, the next day to their Sabbath; I shall speak more particularly to this in the next apparition; and it was very early in the morning; the app • rition was early, but Mary's seeking Christ was so early that it was yet dark; she's going to the grave, when by course of nature she should have been in her bed; she sought him early whom she loved entirely: giving us to learn that we should seek Christ betimes, even in the days of our youth; that in these first days of the week, we should ri • e up early to inquire after Christ; they that will not seek Christ until they have given over seeking other things, may justly fear to miss Christ. First seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and then (saith Christ) all other things shall be added unto you.

2. For the place where he appeared, it was in the garden, where Christ was buried; in a garden Adam first sinned, in a garden Christ first appeared; in a garden death first was threatened and deserved, and in a garden life is restored, and conferred upon us; Christ makes choice of a garden both for his grave, and resurrection, and first apparition, to tell us where we might seek him, if we have lost him, My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies, that is, Jesus Christ is to be sought and found in the particular assemblies of his people; they are the garden of his pleasure, wherein are varieties of all the beds of renewed souls, there he walks, and there he feeds, and there he solaceth himself with those fruits of righteousness, and new obedience, which they are able to bring forth to him. O there let us seek him, and we shall find him.

3. Eor the Person to whom he appeared; it was Mary Magdalene; she that sometimes lived a sinful life, that was no better than a common Curtizan, now is first up to seek her Savior. Let never any despair of mercy, that but hears of the conversion of Mary Magdalene. Dionisius tells us, that she that was loose and dissolute in her youth, betook herself in old age to a most solitary life; that she sequestered herself from all worldly pleasures in the mountains of B • lma; full thirty years; in all which time she gave herself to meditation, fasting and prayer. The texts tells us, That much was forgiven her, and she loved much. Her love to Christ appears at this time. But Mary stood without at the Sepulcher weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the Sepulcher: this Scripture we may call a song of loves, or if you will a song of degrees; every word is a step, or degree of love more than other: As—

1. Mary stood at the Sepulcher; she stood by the grave of Christ; it signifies her great love to Jesus Christ; many would stand by him while he was alive, but to stand by him dead none would do it; those we love most we will wait on them living, or if they die, we will bring them to the grave, and lay them in the grave, but there we leave them: —only Mary chooseth Christ's Tomb for her best home, and his dead corps for her chief comfort, she praiseth the dead more than the living, and having lost that light of the Sun of righteousness, she desired to dwell in darkness, in the shadow of death.

2. But] Mary stood. q. d. others did not, but she did: Peter and John were there even now, and when they could not find Jesus, away they went, but Mary went not, she stood still: their going away commends her staying behind; how many circumstances may we observe in Mary, setting out her love to Christ above them all? to the grave she came before them; from the grave she went to tell them; to the grave she returns with them; and at the grave she stays behind them. Certainly there was in Mary a stronger affection than either in Peter, or John, and this affection fixed her there, that she could, not stir; go who would, she would not go, but stay still. But Mary stood without.

3. But Mary stood without at the Sepulcher weeping: This was love indeed; see how every word is a degree of love. But Mary stood there weeping, when Christ stood at Lazarus's grave-side weeping, the Jews said then, Behold how he loved him, and may not we say the very same of Mary, Behold how she loved him, her very love runs down her cheeks, she cannot think of Jesus as lost, but she weeps; she weeps for having lost him whom she loved; at first she mourned for the departing of his soul out of his body, and now she laments the taking his body out of the grave; at first she mourned because she could not keep him alive, yet that sorrow had some solace, in that she hoped to have enjoyed him dead; but when she considers that his life was lost, and not so much as his body could be found, Oh she weeps, and weeps. The last office she could do, was to anoint his body, and to bewail his death; and to that purpose she comes now unto his grave; as sometimes she had washed his feet with her tears, now she would shed them afresh upon his feet, and head, and hands, and heart, and all; but when she saw the grave open; and the body gone, and nothing of Christ now left her to mourn over, she weeps the more, she weeps most bitterly; But Mary stood there weeping.

4. And as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the Sepulcher. She did so weep as she did seek withal; her weeping hindered not her seeking, she sought and sought; to what purpose? that Christ is not in the tomb her own eyes have seen; the Disciples hands have felt, the empty winding sheet doth plainly avouch; Peter and John had looked in before, nay, They went into the Sepulcher, and saw the linen clothes lying, and the napkin that was about his head wrapped by itself; and yet for all this she will be stooping down, and looking in; she would rather condemn her own eyes of error, and both their eyes and hands of deceit; she would rather suspect all testimonies for untrue, than not to look after him whom she had lost, even there where by no diligence he could be found. It is not enough for love to look in once. You know this is the manner of our seeking, when we seek something seriously; where we have sought already, there we will seek again; we are apt to think we sought not well, but if we seek again we might find it were we sought: And thus Mary sought, and when she could think of no other place so likely to find Christ in as this, she sought again in this, she will not believe her own senses, she would rather think that she looked not well before, than she will leave off looking. When things that are dearly affected are gone and lost, loves nature is never to be weary of searching, even the oftenest searched corners; they must still be an haunt for hope. O love thinks it hath never looked enough! in the first verse she looked, And saw the stone taken away from the Sepulcher; and now again she stooped down, and looked into the Sepulcher.

4. For the manner how he appeared; it was first by his Angels, and secondly by himself.

1. There was an apparition of Angels, she seeth two Angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain. I will not stay here, only for the opening of the words I shall answer these questions; As 1. What means the apparition of Angels? I answer, it is not only a preparation to Christ's apparition. Mary's loss must be restored by degrees; though she saw not Christ at first; yet she saw his Angels; it often pleaseth Christ in the desertions of his people, to come to them by degrees, and not at once, he comes first by his Angels; so it was at his birth, and so it is at his resurrection.—But, 2. What do Angels in a Sepulcher? it is a place fitter for worms than Angels: we never read of Angels being in a grave before this time; they are blessed creatures, and is the grave a fit place for them? O yes! since Christ lay in the grave, that very place is a blessed place; Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord from henceforth. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints. But, 3. Why are the Angels in white? Solomon answers, that white is the color of joy. Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment. When Christ was transfigured, his Rayment was all white, no Fuller in the earth could come near it; and the Saints in Heaven are said to walk in white Robes. And here the Angels are in white, to signify the joy they had in Christ's resurrection from the dead. —But, 4. Why are they one at the head, and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain? Some answer, that as Mary Magdalene had anointed his head and feet, so at those two places the two Angels sit; as it were to acknowledge so much for her sake. Others think it speaks comfort to everyone of us; if we are but in Christ, we shall go to our graves in white, and lie between two Angels, who are said to guard our Bodies even dead, and to present them alive again at the day of the resurrection.

But in this apparition we see further, a question, and answer; 1. The Angels question Mary, Woman why weepest thou? May I paraphrase upon these words? it is as if they had said, O Mary! what cause is there for these tears? where Angels rejoice, it agrees not that a woman should weep; thou couldst before with a manly courage arm thy feet to run among swords when thou camest to the grave, and art thou now so much a woman that thou canst not command thine eyes to forbear tears? O woman, why weepest thou? If thy Christ were here in his grave, under this Tomb-stone, we might think thy sorrow for the dead enforced thy tears, but now that thou findest it a place of the living, why dost thou stand here weeping dead? for if thy tears be tears of love, as thy love is acknowledged, so let these tears be suppressed; if thy tears be tears of anger, they should not here have been shed, where all anger was buried; if thy tears be tears of sorrow and duties to the dead, they are bestowed in vain where the dead is now revived; and therefore, O woman, why weepest thou? would our eyes be dry, if such eye-streams were behooveful for us? did not Angels always in their visible resemblances represent their Lord's invisible pleasure; shadowing their shapes in the drifts of his intentions? As for instance, when God was incensed they brandished swords; when he was appeased, they sheathed them in scabbards; when he would defend, they resembled Soldiers; when he would terrify, they took terrible forms; and when he would comfort, they carried mirth in their eyes, sweetness in their countenance, mildness in their words, savor, and grace, and comeliness in their presence: why then dost thou weep, seeing us to rejoice? dost thou imagine us to degenerate from our nature, or to forget any duty, whose state is neither subject to change, nor capable of the least offense? art thou more fervent in thy love, or more privy to the counsel of our eternal God, than we that are daily attendants at his Throne of glory? O woman, why weepest thou? Thus for Paraphrase.

2. For her answer; She saith unto them, because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him: Here was the cause of Mary's tears; 1. They have taken away my Lord. 2. I know not where they have laid him, q. d. He is gone without all hope of recovery: for they, but I know not who, have taken him away, but I know not whither; and they have laid him, but I know not where; there to do him, but I know not what. O what a lamentable case is this! she knows not whither to go to find any comfort; her Lord is gone, his life is gone, his soul is gone, his body is gone, yea gone, and carried she knows not whither; and do they ask her, Woman, why weepest thou? why, here's the cause, They have taken away my Lord, (i.e.) the dead body of my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. Where a little of Christ is left, and that is lost, it is a lamentable loss. Mary had sometimes a possession of whole Christ, she had his presence, she heard his words; she saw his divinity in his miracles, and in casting seven devils out of her own Body; but now she had lost all Christ, his presence lost, his preaching lost, his divinity lost, his humanity lost, his soul lost, and last of all his body lost. O what lamentable loss was this! Mary would now haven been glad of a little of Christ; O ye Angels, fill but her arms with the dead body of her Jesus, and she will weep no more; one beam of that Sun of righteousness would scatter all the clouds of Mary's grief.

But doth Christ ever leave his totally?

I answer, not indeed, but only in apprehension. In desertions a Christian may to his own apprehension find nothing of Christ; and this was the Case of Mary Magdalene: or if Christ desert a soul indeed, and truth (for desertions are sometimes in appearance, and sometimes real) yet never doth he forsake his own both really and totally: The Lord will not wholly forsake his people, for his great Name sake; the acts of his love may be withdrawn, but his love is still the same, it is an everlasting love; those acts which are for well-being may be withdrawn, but his acts of love that are for being, shall never be removed. No such good things will God withhold from them that walk uprightly. Or Christ may go away for a season, but not forever; For a moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee; in a little wrath have I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer; It was Christ's promise to his Disciples, I will not leave you comfortless, or as Orphans, but I will come again. Though his compassions may be restrained, yet they cannot be extinguished; as the Sun sets to rise again, and as the tender Mother lays down her Child to take it up again, so deals Christ with his, only for the present it is a sad thing; O it is a lamentable thing to lose all Christ; though but in our own apprehensions. To hear Mary's pitiful complaints, They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid my Lord, it would make a flint to weep; methinks I hear her cries, O my Lord, What's become of Thee? Time was that my Soul was an enclosed Garden, and the chiefest of Ten Thousands did walk in the shadow of the Trees; but now the Fence is down, my Love is gone, and Sharon is become a desert: Time was that I sat at the Feet of my Lord, and I received daily Oracles from his Mouth, but now he hides himself, and will not come at me; I pray, and he hears not, I hearken after him, but he speaks not, I call, but he answers not. O my Lord, if I had never known thee, I could have lived without thee, but this is my misery, not so much that I am without thee, as that I have lost thee, many are well without thee, because they never enjoyed thee; the children of beggars count it not their misery that they are not Princes, but oh the grief when the children of Princes shall be turned to beggars! O my Lord, once I had thee, but now I have lost thee; yea, I have lost thee every jot, and piece, and parcel of thee; O ye Apostles, Where is the dead body of my Lord? O Sir Angel, tell me if you saw his torn, his macerated, crucified body? O grave! O death! show me, is there anything of Christ's body (though but a few dead ashes) in your keeping? no, no, all is gone; I can hear nothing of what I would hear; death is silent, the gra • e is empty, the Angels say nothing to the purpose, the Apostles are fled, and they, (I know not who) have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.

2. After this, Christ himself appears; but first as unknown, and then as known; 1. As unknown, She turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus: Jesus saith unto her, Woman, Why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? she supposing him to be the Gardener, &c. In this Apparition of Christ unknown, I shall only take notice of Christ's que •• ion, an • Mary's inquisition; his question is in these words, Woman, Why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? 1. Why w • epest thou? This very question the Angels asked her before, and now Christ asks it again; sure there is something in it, and the rather we may think so, because it is the first opening of his Mouth, the first words that ever came from him, after his rising again. Some say that Mary Magdalene represents the state of all m • nkind before this day, viz. One weeping over the grave of another, as if there were no hope: and now at his resurrection Christ comes in with weep not; Woman, Why weepest thou? q. d. there is no cause of weeping now, Lo I am risen from the dead, and am become the first-fruits of them that sleep.

And yet we may wond • r at the question, Why should Christ demand of Mary, why she wept? but a while since, sh • saw him hanging on a tree, with his head full of thorns, his eyes full of tears, his ears full of blasphemies, his mouth full of gall, his whole person mangled and disfigured, and doth he ask her, Woman, Why weepest thou? scarce three days since, she beheld his arms, and legs racked with violent pulls, his hands and feet bored with nails, his side and bowels pierced with a spear, his whole body torn with stripes, and gored in blood: and doth he ask her, Woman, Why weepest thou? she saw him on the cross yielding up his soul; and now she was about to anoint his body, which was the only hope she had alive; but his body is removed, and that hope is dead, and she is left hopeless of all visible help, and yet doth he ask her, Woman, Why weepest thou? O yes! though it may be strange, yet it is not a question without cause, she weeps for him dead, who was risen again from the dead; she was sorry he was not in his grave; and for this very cause she should have been rather glad; she mourns for not knowing where he lay, when as indeed, and in truth, he lay not anywhere; he is alive, and present, and now talks with her, and resolves to comfort her; and therefore, Woman, Why weepest thou?

2. Whom seekest thou? she seeks Christ, and Christ asks her, Woman, Whom seekest thou? We may wonder at this also; if she seek Christ, Why doth she not know him? or if she know Christ, Why doth she seek him still? O Mary! Is it possible thou hast forgotten Jesus? there is no part in thee but is busy about him, thy eye weeps, thy heart throbs, thy tongue complains, thy body faints, thy soul languisheth, and notwithstanding all this, Hast thou now forgotten him? What, are thy sharp eyes so weak sighted, that they are dazzled with the Sun, and blinded with the Light? O yes! a shower of tears comes betwixt her and him, and she cannot see him, or it may be, Her eyes were holden that she should not know him; or it may be he appeared 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in some other shape, such as resemble the Gardener; whom she took him for; howsoever it was, She saw Jesus standing, but knew not that it was Jesus, and therefore saith Jesus to her, Woman, Why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? There is a double presence of Christ, felt, and not felt; the presence felt, is when Christ is graciously pleased to let us know so much, and this is an heaven upon earth. The presence not felt, is that secret presence, when Christ seems to draw us one way, and to drive another way. So he dealt with the Woman of Canaan, he seemed to drive her away, but at the same time he wrought in her by his Spirit an increase of faith, and by that means drew her to himself. Thus may a soul suppose Christ lost, and seek and weep, and weep and seek, and yet Christ is present.

2. For Mary's enquiry, She supposing him to be the Gardener, said unto him, Sir, If thou hast born him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.

In the words we may observe, first her mistake; 2. Her speech upon her mistake.

1. Her mistake, She supposing him to be the Gardener; O Mary! hath Christ lived so long, and labored so much, and shed so many showers of blood, to come to no higher preferment than a Gardener? this was a very strange mistake; and yet in some sense, and a good sense too, Christ might be said to be a Gardener; As 1. It is he that gardens all our souls, that plants in them the seeds of righteousness; that waters them with the dew of grace, and makes them fruitful to eternal life. 2. It is he that raised to life his own dead body, and will turn all our graves into a garden-Plot, Thy dead men shall live together, with my dead body shall they arise, awake and sing ye that dwell in dust, for the dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Besides, there is a mystery in her mistake; As Adam in the state of grace and innocence was placed in a garden; and the first office allotted to him, was to be a Gardener; so Jesus Christ appeared first in a garden, and presents himself in a Gardiners likeness. And as that first Gardener was the Parent of sin, the ruin of mankind, and the Author of death; so is this Gardener the ransom for our sins, the raiser of our ruins, and the restorer of our life. In some sense then, and in a Mystery Christ was a Gardener: but Mary's mistake was in supposing him the Gardener of that only place; and not the Gardener of our souls. Souls in desertion are full of mistakes, though in their mistakes are sometimes many mysteries.

2. Her speech upon her mistake; If thou hast born him hence, &c. we may observe,—

1. That her words to Christ are not much unlike the answer she gave the Angels; only she seems to speak more harsh to Christ, than she did to the Angels; to them she complains of others; They have taken away my Lord; but to Christ she speaks as if she would charge him with the fact, as if he looked like one that had been a breaker up of graves, a carrier away of Corpses out of their place of rest; Sir, if thou hast born him hence. But pardon love, as it fears where it needs not, so it suspects very often where it hath no cause; When love is at a loss; he, or any that comes but in our way, hath done it, hath taken him away.

2. That something she spoke now to Christ which she had not mentioned to the Angels. She said not unto them, tell me where he is, but reserved that question for himself to answer, Come, tell me where thou hast laid him, q. d. thou art privy to the place, and with the action of removing Christ my Lord; Oh how she errs, and yet how she hits the truth! Jesus must tell her what he had done with himself, sure it was fittest for his own speech to utter, what was only possible for his own power to do.

3. That the conclusion of her speech was a mere vant or flourish, And I will take him away. Alas poor woman, she was not able to lift him up, there are more than one or two allowed to the carrying of a corps; and as for his it had more than an hundred pound weight of myrrh and other odors upon it; sure she had forgotten that women are weak, and that she herself was but a woman; how was it possible that she should take him away? she could not do it; well, but she would do it though; there is no essay too hard for love; she exempts no place, she esteems no person, she speaks without fear, she promises without condition, she makes no exception, as if nothing were impossible that love suggesteth; the darkness could not fright her from setting out before day, the watch could not fear her from coming to the Tomb where Christ was laid; she resolved to break open the seals, and to remove the stone, far above her strength; and now her love being more incensed with the fresh wound of her loss, she speaks resolutely, I will take him away, never considering whether she could or no, love is not ruled with reason, but with love; it neither regards what can be, nor what should be; but only what itself desireth to do.

4. That through all this speech she omits the principal verb, she enquires for Jesus, but she never names him whom she enquires after. She could say to the Angels, they have taken away my Lord; but now she talks of one under the term of him if thou hast born him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away: him, him, him; but she never names him, or tells who he is; this is solaecismus amoris, an irregular speech, but loves one dialect; q.d. who knows not him? why, all the world is bound to take notice of him; he is worthy to be the owner of all thoughts; & no thought in my conceit, can be well bestowed upon any other than him. And therefore Sir Gardener, whosoever thou art, if thou hast born him hence, thou knowest who I mean, thou canst not be ignorant of whom I love; there is not such another among the sons of men; as the psalmist, he is the fairest among the Children of men; or as the Spouse, he is the chiefest of ten thousands; and therefore tell me some news of him; of none but him: of him, and only of him: O tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away. A soul sick of love, thinks all the world knows her beloved, and is therefore bound to tell her where he is; the daughters of Jerusalem were very ignorant of Christ, Can. 5.9. and yet I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem (said the Spouse) if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him I am sick of love.

2. Christ appears as unknown: Jesus saith unto her, Mary; she turned herself, and saith unto him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Sorrow may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning; she that hitherto had sought without finding, and wept without comfort, and called without answer, even to her Christ now appears; and at his apparition these passages are betwixt them, first he speaks unto her, Mary; and then she replies unto, him, Rabboni, which is to say Master.

1. He speaks unto her, Mary! it was but a word, but O what life? what Spirit? what quickening and reviving was in the word? the voice of Christ is powerful; if the Spirit of Christ come alone with the Word, it will rouse hearts, raise spirits, work wonders. Ah poor Mary, what a case was she in before Christ speak unto her? she ran up and down the Garden, with O my Lord, where have they laid my Lord? but no sooner Christ comes, and speaks to her by his Spirit, and with power, but her mind is enlightened, her heart is quickened, and her soul is revived. Observe here the difference betwixt the Word of the Lord, and the Lord speaking that word with power and Spirit; we find sometimes the hearts of Saints are quickened, fed, cherished, healed, comforted in the use of the means; and sometimes again they are dead, senseless, heavy, and hardened; nay, which is more, the very same truth which they hear at one time, it may be affects them, and at another time it doth not; the reason is, they hear but the Word of the Lord at one time, and they hear the Lord himself speaking that word at another time; Mary heard the Word of the Lord by an Angel, woman, why weepest thou? but her tears dropped still; she heard again the word of the Lord by Christ himself, woman, why weepest thou? and yet she weeps, and will not be comforted; but now Christ speaks, and he speaks with power, Mary! and at this word her tears are dried up, no more tears now, unless they be tears for joy; and yet again, observe the way how you may know and discern the effectual voice of Jesus Christ; if it be effectual, it usually singles a man out; yea, though it be generally spoken by a Minister, yet the voice of Christ will speak particularly to the very heart of a man, with a marvelous kind of Majesty and Glory, stamped upon it, and shining in it, take an humble, broken, drooping Spirit, he hears of the free offer of grace and mercy in Jesus Christ, but he refuseth the offers; he hears of the precious promises of God in Christ, but he casts by all promises, as things that are generally spoken and applied by man; but when the Lord comes in, he speaks particularly to his very heart, he meets with all his objections, that he thinks, this is the Lord, and this is to me. Thus Mary before heard the voice of an Angel, and the voice of Christ, woman, why weepest thou? it was a general voice, no better title was then afforded, but woman; thou weepest like a woman; O woman, and too much a woman, why weepest thou? but now Christ comes nearer, and he singles her out by her very name, Mary! Oh this voice came home, he shown now that he was no stranger to her, he knew her by name: as sometimes God spake to Moses, thou hast found Grace in my sight, I know thee by name; so Christ speaks to Mary, thou hast found grace in my sight, I know thee by name. Why how should this voice be ineffectual? Oh now it works! now she knows Christ; which before she did not; and indeed this is the right way to know Christ, to be first known of Christ. But now (saith the Apostle) after that ye have known God (and then he corrects himself or rather are known of God; for till he know us, we shall never know him aright. Now her dead spirits are rai • ed, which before were benumbed; and no marvel that wi h a word he revive her spirits, who with a word made the W • rld, and even in this very word shown an omnipotent power. The Gardener had • one his part ( • aith one) to making her all g •• en on a sudden. But even now her body seemed the hearse of her dead heart, and her heart the coffin of her dead soul; and see how quickly all is turned out and in: a new world now; Christ's resurrection is Mary Mag • alens resurrection too; on a sudden sh • revives, raised (as it were) from a dead and drooping, to a lively and cheerful state.

• She laid u • to him, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. As she was ravished with his voice, so impatient of delay she takes his talk out of his mouth, and to his first and only word, she answered but one other, Rabboni, which is to say, Master. A wonder that in this verse but two words should pass betwixt them two; but some give this reason, that a sudden joy rousing all her passions, she could neither proceed in her own, nor give him leave to go forward in his speech. Love would have spoken, but fear enfor • ed sil •• ce; hope framed words, but doubt melts them in the passage; her inward concei • s served them to come out, but then her voice trembled, her tongue faultered, her breath •• iled; why such is the estate of them that are sick with a surfeit of sudden joy • her joy was so sudden, that not a word more could be spoken, but Rabboni, which is to say, Master. Sudden joys are not without some doubts or tremblings; when Jacob heard that his son Joseph was alive, his heart fainted, he was even astonished at so good a news; when God restored the Jews out of captivity, they could think of it no otherwise then as a dream; when Peter was by an Angel delivered out of prison, he took it only for a vision or apparition, and not for truth; when Christ manifested his resurrection to his Disciples, it is said, that for very joy, they believed not; their fears (as it were) kept back, and questioned the truth of their joys. As in the Sea when a storm is over, there remains still an inward working and volutation; even so in the mind of man, when its fears are blown over and there is a calm upon it, there is still a motus trepidationis, a motion of trembling, or a kind of solicitous jealousy o what it enjoys. And this might be Mary Magdalens case; though she suddenly answered Christ, upon the first notice of his voice, yet because the novelty was so strange, his Person so changed, his presence so unexpected, and so many miracles were laid at once before her amazed eyes, she found (as it were) a sedition in her thoughts; her hope presumed best but her fear suspected it to be too good to be true; and while these enterchange objections and answers, she views him better; but for the present cannot speak a word more save this Rabbony, which is to say, Master.

5. For the consequents after this apparition, Jesus saith unto her, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go to my brethren and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and to your Father; and to my God and your God.

In these words we may observe, a prohibition and a command; the prohibition, touch me not; the command, but go to my brethren, and say unto them, &c.

1. Touch me not. It seems Mary was now fallen at his sacred feet, she was now ready to kiss with her lips his sometimes grievous, but now most glorious wounds. Such is the nature of love, that it covets not only to be united, but if it were possible, to be transformed out of itself, into the thing it loveth. Mary is not satisfied to see her Lord, nor is she satisfied to hear her Lord, but she must touch him, embrace his feet, and kiss them with a thousand kisses; Oh how she hangs, and clings about his feet! or at least, how she offers to make towards him, and to fall upon him!—but on a sudden he checks her forwardness, touch me not.

What a mystery is this! Mary a sinner touched him, and she being now a Saint, may she not do so much? she was once admitted to anoint • is head, and is she now unworthy to touch his feet? what meant Christ to debar her of so desired a duty? she had the fi • st sight of Christ and heard the first words of Christ after his resurrection, and must she not have the privilege of his first embracing? there is something of wonder in these words; and it puts many to a stand; and many an interpretation is given to take off the wonder; I shall tell you of some of them, though for my p • rt I shall cleave only to the last.

1. Some think that Mary not only essayed to kiss his feet, but to desire the fulfilling of the promise of the Spirit of Christ; this promise Christ made to his Disciples at his last supper, I will send you the Comforter; and she expected it to be now performed after his resurrection: to which Christ answered, that he would not then give the Spirit unto her, for that as yet he was not ascended into heaven; whence the Spirit should come, q. d. forbear Mary; if this be the meaning of thy complement, hands off, O touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.

2. Others think that Mary was forbidden to touch, because of her unbelief: she had not the least thought till just now that Christ was risen, or that he should ascend; and therefore she deserved not the least favor at his hands. q. d. Touch me not, for in thy faith I am not risen, nor shall I ascend unto my Father; thou complainest of men, they have taken away my Lord, thou seekest for the living among the dead, and therefore thou art unworthy of a touch, or any approach: O touch me not.

3. Others think that Christ forbade Mary's touch, because she looked upon it as the most manifest confirmation of her faith touching Christ's resurrection. There was a more sure and certain evidence of this thing than touching or feeling, and the discovery of that was to be after his ascension when the holy Ghost should be given, q. d. touch me not, for I would not have my resurrection chiefly approved by the judgment of sense, rather expect a while, till I ascend to my Father in heaven, for then I will send the holy ghost, and he shall declare the truth and certainty of my resurrection far surer and better.

4. Others think that this touch was forbidden, that Christ might show his approbation of chastity, and sanctity, and inward purity; Mary was now alone with Christ, and that he might give an example of most pure chastity, he forbids her touch, which afterwards in presence of others he admits her, and other women too; for so it is said, that they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. And to this exposition the reason affixed doth well agree, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, q. d. for an example of holy chastity, touch me not now, but hereafter in heaven I will give thee leave; when men and women shall be as the holy Angels, and shall neither marry, nor be given in marriage, then mayest thou touch; there will be no need of the like example then as now; then I will not forbid thee; but till then, especially if thou art alone, Oh touch me not!

5. Others think that Mary too much doated upon that present condition of Jesus Christ; she looked upon it as the highest pitch of Christ's exaltation; she desired no more happiness than to enjoy him in that same condition wherein now she saw him, and thereupon said Christ, touch me not, for I am not yet ascended; q. d. O Mary fix not thy thoughts so much upon my present condition, in as much as this is not the highest pitch of my exaltation; I am not as yet attained to that, nor shall I attain to it until I ascend; the degrees of my exaltation are first my resurrection. 2. My ascension. 3. My session at God's right hand; but that is not yet.

6. Others think that Mary carried it with too much familiarity towards Christ; she looked upon Christ as she did formerly, she had not that reverence or respect of Christ as she ought to have had; she differenced not the mortal state of Christ from his new glorified state after this resurrection, whereas with him the case was quite altered; he is risen in a far otherwise condition than he was, for now his corruptible hath put on incorruption, and his mortal hath put on immortality, he died in weakness and dishonor, but he is risen again in power and glory; and as in another state, so to another end, he was not now to stay upon earth, or to converse here any longer, but to ascend up into heaven, q. d. though I be not yet ascended to my Father, yet I shall shortly ascend; and therefore measure not thy demeanor towards me by the place where I am, but by that which was due to me; and when thou wilt rather with reverence fall down a far off, than with such familiarity seem to touch me; Thus touch me not.

7. Others think this prohibition was only for that time, and that because he had greater business for her in hand, Christ was not willing now to spend time in complements, but to dispatch her away upon that errand, Go to my brethren, &c. And the reason following suits with this comment, for I am not yet ascended to my Father, q. d. thou needest not so hastily to touch me now, for I am not yet ascended; though I be going, yet I am not gone, another time will be allowed, and thou mayst do it at better leisure, only forbear now; and the first thing thou dost, go to my brethren; it will do them more good to hear of my rising, than it will do thee good to stand here touching, and holding, and embracing; and therefore in this respect, now touch me not.

8. Others think, that Christ in these words meant to wean her from all sensual touching, and to teach her a new and Spiritual touch by the hand of faith; and to this sense the reason agrees well, for I am not yet ascended, or, I shall quickly ascend unto my Father; till Christ were ascended she might be touching with a sensual touch, but that would neither continue nor do her any good; but if she would learn the Spiritual touch, no ascending could hinder that; one that is in heaven might be touched so: and hence it is, that if now we will but send up our faith, we may touch Christ to this day, and there will virtue come out of him. It was Christ's care to wean Mary from the comfort of his external presence, and to teach her how to embrace him by a true and lively faith: he was not long to be seen in his visible shape, being shortly to ascend unto his Father; and therefore the main business was to learn that touch, that would both continue and do her good to her souls health. And I believe for this very cause, Christ would not stay long with any of his Disciples at any time; he only appeared to manifest himself, and to prove his resurrection, and then to wean t • em from all sensual and carnal touching; he would quickly have been gone. Observe, that a Spitual touch of Christ by faith, is that which Christ prefers before all touches: it is the Apostles saying, henceforth know we no man aft • r the fl • sh, yea, though we ha e known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more The words have a double interpretation; As, 1. Henceforth know we him no more; if we had any earthly carnal thoughts of Christ like unto the rest of the Jews, that he, as the King of Israel, should begin an earthly Temporal Kingdom, and that we should enjoy all manner of earthly carnal privileges; as honor, riches, power, yet now we kno • him no more, we have put off all such carnal imaginations of his Kingdom. Or, 2. Henceforth know we him no more; we stand no longer affected towards Christ after any merely human, civil, or natural manner of affections, such as those bear to him, who conversed with him before his resurrection, but altogether in a divine and Spiritual manner, agreeable to the state of glory, whereunto he is exalted. Some vilified the Ministry of Paul, below that of the rest of the Apostles, because he had not been conversant with Christ in the flesh; to which Paul answers, away with this fleshly knowledge, henceforth know we no man after the flesh; our way to deal with Christ is in a Spiritual manner, yea the blessing is upon this manner, and not on that; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. It is said of Mary his mother, that she had a double conception of Jesus Christ, one in the womb of her body, another in the womb of her soul; the first indeed was more miraculous, the second more benefical; that was a privilege singular to herself, but this was her happiness common to all the chosen; it is the work of the inward man that God accepts; a Spiritual touch of Christ by faith is that which Christ prefers before all touches.

2. But go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to my God, and your God, this was the command of Christ; instead of touching him, she must go with a message to his Apostles, and this was more beneficial both to her and them. The first preacher of this resurrection (besides the Angels) was Mary Magdalene; she that before had seven devils cast out of her, had now the holy Spirit within her; she that was but a woman, is now by Christ made an Apostle; Apostolorum Apostola, the Apostles, for to them she was sent, and the message she was to deliver, it was Christ's rising and ascending; and what were they but the Gospel, yea the very Gospel of the Gospel? this was the first Sermon that ever was made by any mortals of Christ's resurrection; and this her fact had some reference unto Eves fault; a woman was the first messenger of this our joy, because a woman was the first Minister of that our sorrow.

But what means he to speak of the ascension, when as yet we are but upon the resurrection? I suppose this was to prevent their mistake, who might have thought, if Christ be risen, why then we shall have his company again as heretofore; no saith Christ, I am not risen to make any abode with you, or to converse with you on earth as formerly; my rising is in reference to my ascending, look how the stars no sooner rise, but they are immediately in their ascendent: so Christ no sooner risen, but he is presently upon his ascending up.

But whither will he ascend? to his Father, and our Father; to his God, and our God. Every word is a step, or round of Jacob's ladder; by which we may ascend up into heaven: As, 1. Father is a name of much good will: there is in it bowels of compassion. Oh what tenderness is in a Father? and yet many a Father wants good means to express his good will unto his Child; now therefore God is added, that he may not be thought to be defective in that way; Oh Blessed message! this is the voice of a Father to his Son: all that I have is thine. Now if this Father be also God, and if all that is God's to be also ours, what can we desire more than all that God hath; or all that ever God was worth? Oh but here's the question, whether his Father and God be also ours? that he is Christ s Father, and Christ's God, is without all question; but that his Father should be our Father, and that his God should be our God, this were a Gospel indeed; O then what a Gospel is this, Go to my brethren, and say unto them, that our relations and interests are all but one; the same Father that is mine is theirs, and the same God that is mine is theirs; his relations are made ours, and our relations are made his interchangeably. No wonder if Luther tells us that the best divinity lay in pronouns; for as there is no comfort in heaven without God, and no comfort in God without a Father, so neither is there comfort in Father, Heaven, or God, without ours, to give us a property in them all. O the blessed news that Christ tells Mary, and that Mary tells us, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, to my God, and your God. Oh what dull hearts have we that are not more affected with this blessed news? no sooner was Christ risen from the dead, but he takes care in all haste to appear to Mary; and no sooner he appears to her, but he sends her away in all haste to others; go to my brethren, and tell it them: he would both have Mary and the rest of his Apostles to hear of his loving kindness betimes in the morning; why alas! they had for some days been amazed with sorrow and fear, but now he provides for their joy; and no sooner they heard the news, but the • joy according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide they spoil Christ's resurrection was a cause of unspeakable joy to them, how is it that we hear the same glad tidings, and yet we are no more affected with them? come Christians, since the occasion extends to us, and is of equal concernment to us, let us tune our hearts to this key; that as upon Christ's absence, we may Weep with them that weep; so upon his return, we may spring out in joy, and rejoice with them that rejoice. So much of the first Apparition.

SECT. VI. Of Christ's Apparition to his ten Disciples.

ON this day some reckon five apparitions; but of them five, as we have seen the first, so I shall now only take notice of the last. Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut, where the Disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you; and when he had so said, he shown unto them his hands and his feet. In these words we have the apparition of Christ, with all its circumstances.

As, 1. When he appeared. 2. Where he appeared. 3. To whom he appeared. 4. How he appeared. So necessary was it to confirm this point, that not a needful circumstance must be wanting. And first is laid down the time; then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week.

How exact is the Evangelist in this circumstance of time? it was the same day, the same day at evening; and yet lest the day might be mistaken, it was the same day at evening, being the first day of the week. 1. It was the same day (i.e.) the very day of rising; he could not endure to keep them in long suspense; the Sun must not down, before the Sun of Righteousness would appear. The same day that he appeared to Peter, to the two Disciples going to Emmaus, to the woman coming to the sepulcher, and to Mary Magdalene, as we have heard; the very same day he appears to the ten. Oh what a blessed day was this? it was the day of his resurrection, and the day of these several apparitions.

2. It was the same day at evening. Both at morn, noon, and evening Christ shown himself alive by many infallible proofs. Early in the morning he appeared to Mary, and presently after to the three Mary's, who touched his feet, and worshiped him. About noon he appeared to Simon Peter; in the afternoon he travelled with two of his Disciples almost eight miles, to the Castle of Emmaus; and in the evening of the same day he returned invisible from Emmans to Jerusalem. At all times of the day Christ is prepared, and preparing grace for his people.

3. It was the same day at evening, being the first day of the week. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that is, in one of the Sabbaths; but the Greek words are an Hebraism, and the Hebrews use often by one to signify the first, as in Gen. 1.5. the evening and the morning were one day (i.e.) the first day. And whereas the Greeks found one of the Sabbaths, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , must be understood either properly, for Sabbaths; or else figuratively signifying the whole week; and this acception was usually with the Jews; so the Evangelist brings in the Pharisee speaking, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , I fast twice in the Sabbath (i.e.) in the week; for it is impossible to fast twice in one day; and hence the translator renders it thus, primo die h • bdomadis, on the first day of the week. In which is a discovery of his mercy; Christ took no long day to show himself to his Apostles, nay he took no day at all, but the very first day. When Joseph shown himself unto his brethren, he would not do it at first, and yet he dealt kindly, and very kindly with them; O but Christ's kindness is far above Joseph's; for on the first day of the week, the very same day that he arose from the dead he appears unto them. Thus for the time.

2. For the place, it is laid down in this passage, where the Disciples were assembled. Now if we would know where that was, the Evangelist Luke speaks expressly, it was in Jerusalem; but in what house of Jerusalem it is unknown; only some conjecture that it was in the house of some Disciple, wherein was an upper room. This upper room, according to the manner of their buildings at that time, was the most large and capacious of any other, and the most retired and free from disturbance, and next to heaven, as having no room above it. Mede tells us expressly, this was the same room wherein Christ celebrated the passover, and instituted the Lord's supper, and whereon the day of his resurrection he came, and stood in the midst of his Disciples, the doors being shut; and where eight days after, the Disciples being within, he appeared again to satisfy the incredulity of Thomas; and where the Apostles met after Christ was ascended. Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the Mount called Olivet, —and when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and the rest. If this be true, it should seem that this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 this upper room first consecrated by Christ at his institution, and celebration of the Lord's supper, was thenceforth devoted to be a place of prayer, and holy assemblies; and for certain the place of this 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 was afterwards enclosed with a goodly Church, known by the name of the Church of Zion; to which Jerome made bold to apply that of the Psalm, The Lord loveth the gates of Zion, more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Now of this upper room the doors are said to be shut, and the reason, by way of adjunct, is for fear of the Jews; they were shut up as men environed and beleaguered with enemies; and here a question is raised, whether Christ could enter, the doors being shut? the text is plain, that he came in suddenly, and because of his sudden presence (the doors being shut) they were terrified, and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. The ancients speaking of it, tell us, that he entered while the doors were shut, and yet he was no phantasme, but he had a true body consisting of flesh and bones. Now, how such a body consisting of crass parts should enter into the room, and no place at all open, is a great question; but 'tis generally answered, that it was by miracle. As by miracle he walked on the sea, Mat. 10.25. and as by miracle he vanished out of their sight, Luke. 24.31. so by miracle he came in, the doors being shut. I know it is against the nature of a body, that one should pass through another, both bodies remaining entire; and it is an axiom in Philosophy, that penetration of bodies is merely impossible; yet for my part, I shall not dispute the power of the Almighty; this answer is enough for me to all the objections either of Papist or Lutherans, that the creature might yield to the Creator, and the Creator needed not to pass through the Creature; Christ came in when the doors were shut, either causing the doors to give place, the Disciples not knowing how; or else altering the very substance of the doors, that his body might pass through them without destru • tion, I know not but he that thickened the waters to carry his body, might also attenuate the doors to make way for his Body.

3. For the persons to whom he appeared, they were his Disciples; they that were shut up in a conclave, not daring to step out of doors for fear of the Jews, to them now Christ appeared. It is Christ's usual course to appear to them who are full of fears, and griefs, and most in dangers; when thou passest through the wate • s I will be with thee, and through the Rivers they shall not overslow thee; yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil (saith David) for thou art with me. He was with Joseph in prison, with Jonas in the deep, with Daniel in the Lions den, with the three Children in the fiery furnace: Lo I see four men (said Nebuchadnezzar) walking in the midst of the fire, and the form of the fourth is lik • the Son of God. And thus he was with Paul when he stood before Nero, though all men f •• sake me, yet Christ the Lord stood by me, & strengthened me. And do not his apparitions th •• day speak thus much? when Mary was full of grief, then Christ appeared to her; when the two disciples travelling towards Emmans, talked together of all those things which had happened, and w r • sad, then Christ appeared to them. And when all the Apostles were afraid of the Jews, and therefore shut the doors that none might enter, then Christ appeared to them, they were his Disciples, his sad, distracted, timorous Disciples, to whom Christ appeared.

4. For the manner how he appeared; it appears in these passages: 1. He stood in the midst. 2. He said peace be unto you. 3. He shown unto them his hands and his side.

1. He stood in the midst. Herein he represents himself as a common good; things placed in the midst are common; and he stands in the midst as a common Savior: and hence it is that our faith is called a common faith, to Tytus my son after the common faith: and our salvation is called a common salvation I gave all diligence to write unto you of the Common salvation. And in that way as salvation is common, Christ Jesus is called a common Savior; behold I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people; for unto you, (unto all you) is born in the City of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. This posture of Christ (standing in the midst) decla • es that he despiseth none, but that he takes care of them all. Some observe, that all the while Christ was on earth, he most-what stood in this posture; at his birth he was found in a stable in the midst of beasts; in his Childhood he was found in the Temple in the midst of the Doctors; in his manhood, John the Baptist told them, there standeth one in the midst of you, whom ye know not; and he said of himself, I am in the midst of you as one that seveth; at his death that very place fell to his turn: for they crucified him in the midst betwixt two theeve • , one on the right hand, and the other on the left. And now at his rising there we find him again, the Disciples in the midst of the Jews, and he in the midst of his Disciples. After this in Patmos, John saw him in heaven in the midst of the throne; and in earth he saw him in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; and in the last day he shall be in the midst too, of the sheep on his right hand, and of the goats on his left.

But I find there is yet more in it, that he stood in the midst: for the midst is Christ's place by nature, he is the second Person in the Trinity; and the midst is Christ's place by office, he dealeth betwixt God and man; and the midst is Christ's place in respect of his Person, he is God-man, one that hath interest in both parties; it was the middle Person who was to be the middle one, that undertook this mediation betwixt God and us. We read in the Roman history, that the Romans and Sabines joining battle together, the women being daughters to the one side, and wives to the other, interposed themselves and took up the quarrel; and by their mediation, who had a peculiar interest in either side, they who before stood upon highest terms of hostility, did now join themselves together into one body and state. God and we were enemies, but Christ stood in the midst to reconcile us unto God, and to slay this enmity; and to this purpose Christ is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , a Mediator, a term peculiar to the Scriptures, not to be found amongst profane Authors. O what comfort is here to see Jesus Christ stand in the midst; now may the Disciples behold him as their blessed peace maker, their Mediator, as one that hath slain the enmity; not only that enmity betwixt men and men, J • ws and Gentiles, but also betwixt God and men. This he did by his death, and now he declares it at his resurrection; for so the Apostle there goes on, having slain the enmity, by his Cross, he came and preached peace; and so the evangelist here goes on, after his resurrection, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said unto them, peace be unto you. You see how he stood.—

2. What he said, this is the next passage, he said peace be unto you, a seasonable salutation; for now were the Disciples in fear and trouble; they had no peace with God, or man, or with their own consciences; and therefore a more welcome news could not have come; I suppose this refers to all these. As,—

1. It speaks their peace with God: sin was it that brought a difference betwixt God & man, now this difference Jesus Christ had taken away by his death, Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the World; he had taken it away in its condemning power, or as • o it's separating power betwixt God and them; this was the great design of Christ's coming to make peace betwixt God and man; his Father imposed this office upon him, and Jesus Christ undertook it, and discharged it, and he proclaims it, in the first place to his Disciples, Peace be unto you.

2. It spakes their Peace with man: I know no reason why we should exclude civil peace out of Christ's wish; many, & many a promise and precept we have in the Word scattered here and there to this purpose, And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid.—and thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and thou shalt know that thy Tabernacle shall be in peace, and seek the peace of the City—and pray unto the Lord for it, for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace. And follow peace, and holiness, without which no man shall see God. Orbem pecatum was ever a clause in the prayers of the primitive Church, that the world might be quiet; I am sure it is Christ's command, if it be possible as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

3. It speaks there peace among themselves, peace one with another; such is, or should be the condition of the Church, Jerusalem is built as a City that is compact together, or unity within itself, the Apostle dwells in this unity, there is one body, and one Spirit, and one hope, and one Lord, and one faith, and one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. The Church is a Court, whose very pillars are peace; the building of Christianity knows no other material to work upon; if we look upon the Church itself, there is one body; if upon the very soul of it, there is one Spirit; if upon the endowment of it, there is one hope; if upon the head of it, there is one Lord: if upon the life of it, there is one faith: if upon the door of it, there is one Baptism; if upon the Father so it, there is one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. It was sometimes Christ's commands unto his Apostles, have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another; and as a blessed effect of this salutation, (for I look upon them as words full of virtue) the Apostles and Churches of Christ in primitive times kept a most sweet harmony, the multitude of them that believed, were of one heart, and of one soul.

4. It speaks peace within, peace of conscience; the Apostles had exceedingly fallen from Christ; one betrayed him, and another denied him, but all run away, and left him alone in the midst of all his enemies; and yet to them he speaks this salutation, peace be unto you; I know not a better ground for comfort of poor humbled sinners than this is, it may be you have dealt very unkindly with Jesus Christ, you have forsook him, denied him, forsworn him; O but consider, all this hindered not Christ's apparition to his Apostles; he comes unexpected, and quiets their spirits; he stays not till they had sued to him for mercy, or pardon, but of his mere love, and free grace, he speaks kindly to them all, he stills the waves, and becalmes their troubled Spirits, working in them according to his words, peace be unto you.

O the sweet of peace! it is all wishes in one; this little word is a breviary of all that is good; what can they more, than to have peace with God, and peace with men, and peace within? sure there is much in it, because Christ • is so much upon it; at his birth the Angels sung, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace; at his baptism the form of a dove lighted upon him, and what meant this but peace? in his life the sort of integrity was his court, and what was here but peace? near his death he gives peace as a legacy to his Church, peace I leave with you, my peace I give you; at his resurrection his first salutation to his Apostles is a wish of peace, peace be unto you: what can I say more to make us in love with peace; why all Christ did, and all Christ suffered was for peace; he prayed for it; neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me,—that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us. And he wept for it, if thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day, the things which do belong unto thy peace. And he died to 〈…〉 but ye who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace. Of this we need no other proof or sign, but that of the Prophet Jonah, when the sea wrought and was tempestuous, what shall we do unto thee (said the Mariners) that the sea may be calm unto us? and he said, take me up and cast me into the sea, so shall the sea be calm; when that great enmity was betwixt God and us, what shall I do (said God) that my justice may be satisfied, and my wrath appeased, and that there may be a calm? why, take me (said Christ) and cast me forth into the sea, let all thy waves and thy billows go over me, make me a peace off • ring and kill me, that when I am dead there may be a calm, and when I am risen I may proclaim it, saying, peace be unto you. You hear what he said.

3. What he shown; this is the next passage, he shown unto them his hands, and his side. I look upon this as a true and real manifestation of his resurrection: And we find that without this, Thomas professed he would never have believed, except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. But a question or two is here raised, as whether these wounds and prints of the nails & spear, can possibly agree with a glorified body? and why Christ retained those wounds and prints? for the first, whether those prints could agree with a glorified bo • y? some affirm it with much boldness; and they say that Christ not only retained those prints whilst he abode upon earth, but now that he is ascended into heaven he still retains them; for my part I dare not go so far, because Scripture is silent; but the day is a coming when we shall see Christ face to face, and then we shall know the truth of this: only I conceive that Christ's body yet remaining on earth was not entered into that fullness of glory, as it is now in heaven; and therefore he might then retain some skars, or blemishes, to manifest the truth of his resurrection unto his Disciples, which are not agreeable to his state in heaven. But this I deliver, not as matter of Faith; reasons are produced both ways by the ancient writers, and I refer you to them.

For the second, why Christ retained these wounds and prints? many reasons are rendered, though I shall not close with all.

1. Some think those skars or prints were as the trophies of his victory; nothing is more delightful to a lover, than to bear about the wounds undergone for his beloved; and nothing is more honorable for a Soldier than to show his wounds undergone for his countries good; what are they but as so many arguments of his valor, and trophies of his victory; this was Bedes sense, Christ reserved his skars, not from any impotency of curing them, but to set out the glory and triumph of his victory over death and hell.

2. Others think those skars or prints were for the setting out of Christ's splendor and beauty, as in cut or pinck garments the inward silks do appear more splended, so in Christ's wounds there appears inwardly far more beauty. Aquinas affirms, that in the very place of the wounds, there is a certain special comeliness in Christ. And Augustine thinks, that the very martyrs may retain some skarrs of their wounds in glory, because there is no deformity, but dignity in them; and besides, a certain beauty may shine in their bodies answerable to their virtues wherein they excelled.

3. Others think that Christ retains those skars that he might by them intercede for us: upon these very words, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: they comment thus; that God is appeased by Christ, representing to him the prints and skars of his human nature. Christ's wounds are as so many open mouths, which cry at the tribunal of his Father for mercy, as Abel's blood cried for revenge.

4 Others think that Christ retains those skars, that thereby in the day of judgment he might confound the Jews, and all the wicked in the world. It is Augustine's judgment, that as Christ shown Thomas his hands and side, because otherwise he would not believe; so at the last day will he show those wounds to all his enemies, saying, Come, behold the man whom ye have crucified; come, see the prints of the nails, and the print of the spear; these be the hands and feet that you nailed and clenched to a piece of wood: this is the side you pierced; by you, and for you was it opened, but you would not enter in that ye might be saved. And for this opinion they allege this text, Behold, he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even so Amen.

5. All think that Christ retained his skarrs, that he might convince the unbelieving Disciples of his resurrection; hereby they are assured that Christ is raised, and that the same body of Christ is raised that before was crucified; and to this we cannot but subscribe, the skars of his wounds were for the healing of their doubts. Luke brings in Christ, he bespeaking his Disciples thus; Behold my hands and my feet, that 'tis I myself, handle me and see: q. d. Come, let your Fingers enter into these prints of the Nails, and let your hands he thrust into the depths of this wound; come, and open these holes in my hands, open this wound in my side; I will not deny that to my Disciples for their faith, which I denied not to mine enemies in their rage; open, and feel till you come to the very bone, that so both bones and wounds may witness, that I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive forever more. Amen.

What testimonies are here to convince the world of Christ's resurrection; surely this argues the goodness of God, that strives thus wonderfully with the weak saith of those that are his. At first he appeared to one, even to Mary Magdalene; and after he appeared to two, saith Matthew, to Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary; or to three, saith Mark, to Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome; but of this apparition he is seen of ten at least; and to confirm their faith, not a considerable circumstance must be wanting; here is time, and place, and persons to whom he appears, and the manner how he appears, he stands in the midst to be seen of all, he speaks to them, breaths on them, eats with them, and shows them his hands, and his side; O the wonderful condescensions of Christ! what helps doth he continually afford to beget in us faith? if we are ignorant he instructs us, if we err, he reduceth us, if we sin he corrrects us, if we stand he holds us up, if we fall down he lifts us up again, if we go he leads us, if we come to him he is ready to receive us; there's not a passage of Christ betwixt him and his, but 'tis an argument of love, and a means either of begetting, or of increasing Faith; O then believe in Christ, yea believe thy part in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; considering that these apparitions were not only for the Apostles sakes, but if Christ be thine, they were for thy sake, that thou mightest believe, and be saved. But I shall have occasion to speak more of this in the Chapter following. So much of the second apparition as it is recorded by the Evangelist John.

SECT. VII. Of Christ 's Apparition to all his Apostles.

IMmediately after this apparition to his ten Apostles, the next is to all his Apostles, not one being absent; and after eight days, again his Disciples were within, and Thomas with them, then came Jesus, the doors being shut and stood in the midst, and said peace be unto you; then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing; and Thomas answered, and said unto him, my Lord, and my God; Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

In the whole story we have Christ's apparition, and fruits of it.

1. For the Apparition (as in the former) we have, 1. The time. 2. The place. 3. The Persons to whom he appeared. And, 4. The manner how he appeared.

1. For the time, and after eight days; it was on the same day seven night after the former apparitions, which was the first day of the week, and now because of his resurrection, and apparitions, called the Lord's day; I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, (this in my apprehension) makes much for the honor of the Lord's day: the first assembly of the Apostles, after Christ's death, was on the first day of the week; and the second Church assembly that we read of, was again on the first day of the week, and after eight days; a sign that the Lord's-day Sabbath was on the first day instituted, and that the more solemn assemblies of God 's people, were henceforth to be on the Lord's days. It is an usual observation, that things and persons which are named the Lord's, are sacred and venerable, in an high degree; as the grace of our Lord, Rom. 16.24. the spirit of the Lord, 2. Cor. 3.17. the beloved of the Lord, Rom 16.8. the glory of the Lord, 2. Cor. 3.18. the word of the Lord, 1 Tim. 6.3. the cup of the Lord, 1 Cor. 11.27. Augustine tells us that the Lord's resurrection promised us an eternal day, & that it consecrated unto us the Lord's day. Surely then this day must needs be venerable, & a solemn day among us Christians. Now it was that as the rising of the Sun dispelleth darkness, so Christ the Son of righteousness shined forth unto the world by the light of his resurrection; and hence we read of the Apostles observation of this very day above all others; The first day of the week, the Disciples being come together to break bread, Paul preached unto them: — and concerning the collection for the Saints, as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye: upon the first day of the week, let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God had prospered him. Charitable contributions, and Church-assemblies were in use, and practice on the first day of the week, (i.e.) on the Lord's day. An argument sufficient to me against all the opposers of this sacred truth, that the first day of the week is our Christian Sabbath; why then Christ arose, and at sundry times appeared before his ascension, and after his ascension: Christ sent down the holy Ghost on that very day; and after the sending of the holy Ghost, the Apostles then preached, the Churches then assembled, Charities were then gathered, the Lord's Supper was then celebrated; Christ's first apparition was on that day, and after that day finished, not any other apparition before this time: And after Eight days.

2. For the place, it is said to be within; probably it was the same house wherein the former apparition was; the house wherein Christ celebrated the Passover, and instituted the Lord's Supper; wherein was the large upper room made ready for Christ; In this upper room immediately after Christ's ascension, was that famous assembly of all the Apostles; as we have heard. And in this upper room was that other famous assembly of all the twelve, when the holy Ghost came down upon them in cloven tongues of fire, at the feast of Pentecost; and if we may believe tradition; in this upper room the seven Deacons (whereof Stephen was one) were elected and ordained. And in this upper room the Apostles, and Elders of the Church at Jerusalem held that council, the pattern of all councils, for the decision of that question, whether the Gentiles that believed were to be circumcised? in this upper room the Apostles and Disciples frequently assembled for prayer and supplications; Yea they continued there with one accord in prayer and supplication: And hence Cyril who was Bishop of the place, calls it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the upper Church of the Apostles. But of this upper room, and of the doors of it being shut, we have spoken before.

3. For the persons, they were his ten Disciples, to whom he had appeared formerly, only now Thomas was with them, and so the number is complete, which before was not; his Disciples were within, and Thomas with them: and, Why Thomas with them? was not Thomas one of them? was not Thomas a Disciple of Christ, as well as the rest? I grant; but Thomas is added, because Thomas was not present at the last apparition, and this apparition was more especially for Thomas 's sake; O the admirable love of Christ towards poor sinners! observe, in Christ are bowels of mercy to his straying sheep; the Disciples in danger had fled away from Christ, but he will not fly away from them; no, no, he seeks them, he stands in the midst of them, and he comes again with an Olive branch of peace, saying, peace be unto you. Of all these we have touched before; but here is something new; a new mercy breaking out on faithless Thomas? Christ proves it by lively examples, and strong arguments, that He will not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed; that he came to seek, and to save that which was lost: that he was sent to bind up the broken hearted, and to heal the sick, to reduce the abject, and to bring to the fold the straying sheep; for the sake of one Thomas, Christ appears again, that to him as well as the rest he might communicate his goodness, bequeath his peace, and confirm him in this necessary point of faith, that he was risen again. O the goodness of Christ! like as a Father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; he that left the ninety and nine in the wilderness, to go after that sheep that was lost, declares his desire to save sinners; Of all that thou hast given me, I have not lost one, not one of his sheep; he may suffer them a while to stray, as this one Disciple, who continued incredulous for one whole week, but a Lord's day comes, and then Christ appears in the midst of the candlesticks: The Lord is not slack concerning his promise (as some men count slackness) but he is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Humbled sinners that despair in themselves may here find encouragement; it is their usual cry, O my sins, these sins are heinous, these sins will damn me. Oh but consider, hath not the Lord pardoned as great sins? if thou art wicked, consider the Publican; if thou art unclean, remember Magdalene; if thou art a thief, a man-slayer, muse on that thief that was crucified with Jesus Christ; if thou art a blasphemer, call to mind the Apostle Paul, who was first a Wolf, and then a Shepherd; first lead, and then gold; first a Saul, and then a Paul; if thou art faithless, d • ffident, an unbeliever, one that hast turned thy back on Christ, fled away from thy colors, look on Thomas, he fled away from Christ, as soon as any, and he is longest from Christ, after his Resurrection of all the rest; and though his fellow Disciples say, They have seen the Lord, and that he was risen indeed; yet this will not sink into his head, he will not acknowledge it, but is most peremptory; Except he see in his hands the print of the nails, and put his fingers into the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into his side, he will not believe; Why should any sinner despair of Mercy? thou sayst, I am wicked; and God saith to thee, As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way, and live: thou sayst, I am an unbeliever, I am shut up in the prison of unbelief, under bolts, and fetters, that I cannot stir one inch towards Heaven; Why? so was Didymus, and yet he obtained mercy; and the Apostle tells us, that God hath concluded all, or shut up altogether in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. He despiseth none, rejects none, abhors none, unless they continue to despise, reject, and abhor the Lord: Oh what a sweet point is here to gain sinners, to move, to melt, to thaw hard hearts? the incredulity of this Disciple turns to our profit; and tends more to the confirmation of our faith, if we are but weak, than the very faith of all the other Disciples of Jesus Christ, had not Thomas disbelieved, we had not received so great encouragements, to have believed in Christ, as now we have.

Excuse me, that I speak thus much to encourage sinners to come in to Christ, I would be sometimes a Boanerges, and sometimes a Barnabas; a son of thunder to rouse hard hearts, and a son of consolation to cheer up drooping spirits. All Ministers may learn of the great Shepherd, and Bishop of our souls, to have a respect in their minist • y to one sinner, to one incredulous Thomas; we cannot be ignorant of these Scriptures, Him that is weak in the faith receive you.— And to the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak.— And we exhort you b • ethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble minded, support the weak, be patient towards all men. — And of some have compassion, making a difference; and others save with f • ar, pulling them out of the fire. — And brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness. — And the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God peradventure will give them repentance. Dear souls! How do we long for your conversion and salvation? how are you in our hearts, in our Prayers, in our Sermons? My little children, How do we travel in birth again, until Christ be formed in you? how gladly would we spend, and be spent for you, though the more abundantly we love you, the less we are loved of you? If I knew but one Thomas in the great assembly of God's people, I should think it as a crown, and the glory of my ministry to persuade this man into faith. Christ in this apparition, eyes one especially above all the rest; When his Disciples were within, and Thomas with them, then came Jesus.

4. The manner how he appeared, 1. He came, the doors being shut. 2. He stood in the midst. 3. He said, peace be unto you. All these we have dispatched in the former apparition; I shall therefore proceed to that which is peculiar to this, Then said he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. In this apparition he argues his Resurrection. 1. From words. 2. From deeds.

1. From words. Thomas had said, Except I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. 1. Now Christ repeats the very self-same words, and therein gives in one argument of his resurrection; for if Christ could know what Thomas had said, how is he but alive, and risen from the dead? the dead have not sense, much less the use of reason, but least of all the knowledge of another's mind; but Christ hath sense and reason, science and omniscience; observe, Though Christ be absent as in his bodily presence, yet he understandeth all our thoughts, and if need were, he could repeat all our sayings, word by word; How then may this convince all unbelievers in the world, that Christ is risen, that he that was dead, now liveth, and that he is alive forever more?

2. He appears arguing his Resurrection from deeds, wherein is an act and object. 1. The act is, Thomas seeing and feeling, and q. d. Thomas, thou wilt not believe except thou seest, and feelest, now this is against the nature of saith; it consisteth not in seeing or feeling, but on the contrary, Faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen. Indeed in things natural a man must have experience; and then believe: but in divine things a man must first believe, and then have experience, and yet to help thy unbelief (saith Christ) I am willing thus far to condescend, and yield unto thy weakness, come, feel the print of the nails, and of the spear, Come reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side, and be not faithless, but believing. Christ compassionates his children, though full of weakness and wants; He pities them that fear him, for he knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are but dust. 2. The object is Christ seen or felt; his prints, and skars, are the very witnesses of our redemption, and of his resurrection; they declare that Satan is overthrown, that death and hell are swallowed up in victory, that He hath spoiled principalities and powers; and to this purpose are these texts, Who is this that cometh from Edom, with died garments from Bozrah? By Edom, is meant death, by Bozrah (the chief City of Edom ) is meant the state of the dead or hell; from both which Christ returned at his glorious resurrection, For, thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption, Psal. 16.10. Now saith the Prophet, or some Angel, Who is this that cometh from Edom, with died garments from Bozrah, who is this that cometh so triumphantly, with the keys of Edom, and Bozrah, of death and hell at his girdle? to which the answer is given, I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save; as much as to say, it is I Jesus Christ, I that am righteous in speaking, and mighty in saying; whose Word is truth, and whose Work is salvation, it is I, even I; this answer given, another question is propounded, Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-fat? q. d. here's nothing but skars, and wounds, and blood; if thou art so mighty to save, How comes thy apparel to be so red, and sprinkled, or stained with blood? to which Christ answers, I have trodden the wine-press alone, — and I will tread them in mine anger. I was troad, and pressed, till the very blood streamed out of my hands, and feet, and side, so pressed, that they pressed the very soul out of my body. See here, Behold my hands, and my feet, and my side; that it is I myself, I have tread the wine-press alone. But as I was troad, so I will tread; up he gets, and he treads on them that troad on him, his enemies of Edom and Bozrah, are now like so many clusters under his feet, and he tramples upon them, as upon Grapes in a fat, till he makes the blood spring out of them, and all to sprinkle his garments, as if he had come out of the wine press indeed. See here a double sight, his own blood, and his enemies blood; here's the blood of the Lamb that was slain, and the blood of the Dragon that was troaden upon; here's a show both of his passion, and his resurrection; of his suffering and triumphing, — another text of this nature; And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thy hands? then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I know in the stead of Christ some have employed these words to the false Prophets, as if they had passed through the Churches discipline, and so had received their wounds. But others refer them to Jesus Christ, of whom without controversy the next verse speaks; and of whom the first verse of this chapter speaks, and to whom after a long Parenthesis the Prophet seems to return; And one shall say unto him (who was the fountain opened) what are these wounds in thy hands? or as the Septuagint, in the midst of thy hands? a wonder it is to see those prints, and skars in the hands of Christ; and therefore is the question, What are these wounds? to which Christ answers, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends (i.e.) in the house of my beloved, the children of Israel, my brethren according to the flesh, the people of the Jews; why these are the wounds they gave me, and which now I show as the signs of my victory, and as the marks of my resurrection.

Thus far of the first head, the apparition of Christ.

2. For the fruits of this apparition, they contain Thomas 's confession, and Christ's commendation of him in some respects.

1. Thomas 's confession, And Thomas answered, and said unto him, my Lord, & my God, a few words, but of great weight; 1. He acknowledgeth Christ a Lord; into whose hands are put the very keys of heaven; all power is given unto me in heave • & in earth. 2. He acknowledgeth Christ God; whom he saw with his eyes, and felt with his hands, he looks on, not as a mere man, but as God, and as the second person in the God-head. 3. He acknowledgeth Christ to be his Lord, and his God; this apropriating of Christ, is the right character of a faith, by which he brings home all the benefits of Christ unto his own soul, I shall a while insist on all these.

1. He acknowledgeth Christ a Lord, How is he a Lord? I answer, 1. By essence, as God is Lord, so Christ is Lord, the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Ghost is Lord; and yet they are not three Lord's, but one Lord.

2. By creation, Christ is before all things (saith the Apostle) and by him all things consist. This very thing is an argument of his Lordship. To us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

3. By redemption, unction, office, and Mediatorship, unto which he was designed by his Father; and therefore the Apostle saith, that God hath made him Lord and Christ; he is a Lord by his office, and by the accomplishment of his office, in dying, rising, and reviving, he became Lord both of quick and dead, For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of dead and living. And thus he is a Lord in two respects. 1. A Lord in Authority, to command whom, and what he will; he only is Lord over our persons, over our faith, over our consciences; to him only we must say, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Lord save us, or we perish. 2. A Lord be is in power, he hath power to forgive, and power to cleanse; he hath power to justify, and power to sanctify; he hath power to quicken, and power to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him; he hath power to hold fast his sheep, and power to cast out the accuser of the brethren; he hath power to put down all his enemies, and power to subdue all things unto himself; in every of these respects Christ is a Lord. True, say blasphemers, he is Lord by office, but he is not Lord by essence, as God is Lord, No? peruse some texts in the Old Testament where the title of Lord is essentially spoken of, and we shall find the very same texts, and titles applied to Christ in the New Testament. As for instance, in Isa. 6.5. Woe is me (saith Isaiah) for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts; now this John refers to Christ; these things saith Isaiah, when he saw his Glory, and speak of him. In Psal. 68.17, 18. the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place, thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive, thou hast received gifts for men; now this the Apostle applies to Christ, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. In Psal. 110.1. the Lord said unto my Lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. Now this Jesus Christ applies to himself, saying, that David in spirit called him Lord, saying, the Lord said unto my Lord. In Isa. 40.3. the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord; now this the Evangelist applies to Christ. This is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. No wonder if Thomas call Christ Lord, why, both the Old and New-Testament agree in this, that Christ is Lord; Lord by creation, and Lord by redemption; Lord by office, and Lord by essence.

2. He acknowledgeth Christ to be God, as well as Lord; my Lord, and my God. But how is he God? I answer, not only by participation, similitude, or in some respects, as Angels, and men are called gods; but simply, absolutely, essentially, and without any restriction. Sometimes we read in Scripture, that Men or Angels, good and bad, are called God's; And the Lord said to Moses, see, I have made thee a God to Pharaoh. — And thou shalt be instead of God to Aaron. Thus Nebuchadnezzar is called the mighty one, or the God of the Heathens; and Satan is called the god of this world. Thus Magistrates are called gods; thou shalt not revile the gods. I have said ye are gods; Angels are called gods, before the gods will I sing praises unto thee; but in all these there is some restriction, or improper speech; Moses is called Pharaoh's God, and Aaron's God, not absolutely, but with restriction to Pharaoh and Aaron; Nebuchadnezzar is called the god of the heathen, and Satan the god of this world; not absolutely, but with restriction to the heathen, and this world; Magistrates are called gods, and good Angels are called gods, not absolutely, but in respect of some offices or excellency, which they partake of from God. Only Jesus Christ is called God without any restriction, and not only in respect of some office, or similitude, but absolutely, essentially, properly; as being from all eternity God of God; as being God of the substance of the Father before all worlds. What, is Christ only God, as an Angel is God? I challenge here all blasphemers in the world. Unto which of the Angels said he at any time, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? Or unto which of the Angels said he at any time, Thy Throne O God is forever and ever? or to which of the Angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, my own Son, my only begotten Son? unto which of the Angels said he at any time, this is the true God; the great God; who is over all, God blessed forever, Amen? unto which of the Angels are those divine Attributes given, as of eternity, immutability, omnipotency, omniscience, omnipresence? and yet are all these given to Christ; for eternity, I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was; for immutability, thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. For omnipotency, all things are delivered unto me of my Father; For omniscience, he needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man. For omnipresence, lo I am with you always unto the end of the world.

Men, Brethren, and Fathers: I am forced to make this defense of the divinity of Christ, because of the blasphemy of those Arians, Photinians, Eunomians, now again raked out of hell. O who would think that such a generation of men should be amongst us in this Island, where the Gospel hath shined so brightly for so many years? we maintain Christ is God, and Christ is Lord; we say with Thomas, my Lord, and my God. Ah say blasphemers, Christ is God, and Christ is Lord, as Magistrates and Angels are called God's and Lord's: I hope I have said enough to difference betwixt Christ and them; howsoever I conclude with the Apostle, Though there be that are called God's, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be God's many, and Lord's many) yet to us there is but one God, the Father of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him,

3. He acknowledgeth Christ to be his Lord, and his God; And Thomas answered, and said unto him, my Lord, and my God. Now his saith broke out; from the things seen and felt; he is raised up to believe things neither seen nor felt; he sees the prints and skars in the manhood of Christ, and now he believes that Christ is God, yea that Christ is his God; my Lord, and my God. Observe here, that faith gives the soul a propriety in God and Christ. As God loves some with a special and peculiar love, so faith answers God and Christ's particular love, by a particular application, my Lord, and my God, and my Christ. Faith is an apropiating, an applying, an uniting grace; in the actings of faith on God, or on Christ as God, we may observe these steps,—

1. It sees God in his Glory and Majesty, in his Greatness and Goodness, and all other his attributes; it sees God as the infinite fountain of all good, and it considers what an infinite dreadful thing it were to be separated from this God; it sees God, and the sight makes a deep impression on that very soul; the love of that God is more to the soul than all the world; and the least displeasure of that God is more trouble to that soul, than all the miseries that all creatures under heaven are able to bring upon it.

2. It discovers the reality of this Glory and Majesty, of this greatness and goodness of God. Before any faith is planted in a soul, the very use of reason may come to understand much of God and Christ, but in comparison it looks upon God and Christ as notions, conceits, and imaginary things; only faith convinces the soul thoroughly of the certainty and truth of such things; where true faith is, the things we believe are more certain to us than things we see, or feel, or handle; faith is so sure in its apprehensions of God and Christ, that it will venture soul and body, the loss of all upon that account; it will bear any hardship, yea it will venture the infinite loss of eternity upon them.

3. It enables the soul to cast itself upon God in Christ for all the good and happiness it ever expects. Alas, saith the soul, I have formerly rested on worldly things, I looked upon them as the only, real, sure excellences that I had to enjoy; but now I find they are vain things, deceitful things, no better than reeds of Egypt, vanity of vanities; and nothing is real, sure, excellent on this side God and Christ, and therefore I will rely upon him, and none but him; it is only God is an all-sufficient good, it is only Christ that is the rock that will never fail, on him will I role myself, unto him will I make an absolute resignation of all, I will betrust him with all I have, and all I am; I will commit all unto him forever, and ever.

4. As faith relies all upon God in Christ, so it apropriates all God, and all Christ unto itself, I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine; there is a mutual propriety betwixt Christ and the Church, and betwixt Christ and the soul; Christ hath a propriety in me, and I have a peculiar propriety in Christ, Christ is mine, so as I have none in the world so mine, whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee, Christ is mine, and mine in a peculiar manner, there is a propriety with peculiarity, my Lord, and my God. O the excellency of Faith! this step goes beyond all the rest; it is a blessed thing to have a true sight of God, there is much Power in it; but to see God in his glory, Majesty, greatness, goodness, as my God; to see all the att • ibutes of God as those things that my soul hath an interest in; to see Christ coming from the Father for me, to be my redeemer; to see Christ in whom all fullness dwells, (in whom the treasures of all God's riches are, not only Christ dying as man, but rising as God for me, and my salvation; to see Christ, and then to lay hold on Christ, and to say, my Lord, and my God. O this is the work of precious saith; and to this now is Thomas arrived in this confession of his, my Lord and my God.

2. Hereupon follows Christ's commendation and correction; Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed; In the first place Christ commends Thomas's saith, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed, q. d. thou seest me a man; but considering how I am risen from the dead, thou believest in me as God; I commend thy faith, but 'tis a weak faith in respect of its rise; now therefore to correct it, I pronounce those blessed to all generations, that when I am gone, as in regard of my bodily presence, yet they will believe in me; blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. I am afraid of tediousness, and therefore I shall not enlarge anymore on this apparition.

SECT. VIII. Of Christ's apparition to some of his Apostles at the Sea of Tiberias.

THere is but one apparition more recorded by John; after these things Jesus shown himself again to the Disciples at the sea of Tiberias, and on this wise shown he himself. In these apparitions the Evangelist useth one and the same method; As in the former, so here again is set down the time when, the place where, the persons to whom, the manner how he appeared; not one of these circumstances must be wanting to show the evidence, and certainty of his resurrection.

1. The time, after these things; after the three former apparitions he comes to a fourth, and he concludes with this, as therein making some mention of himself, with which he concludes the whole book: This is the Disciple which testifieth these things, and wrote these things, and we know his testimony is true.

2. The place, at the sea of Tiberias; or at the lake Genezareth; where he had called them to the Apostleship, there now he appears to these Apostles; they were at first fishers, and now they are at their Calling upon the sea, Christ standing on the shore.

3. The Persons to whom he appears, they were Disciples, their names are in the next verse. All Christ's apparitions were to the Disciples of Christ; we read not that ever he shown himself after his resurrection to any but to his followers; he shown himself openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses, chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead, Act. 10.41. strangers to Christ must be no witnesses of Christ's resurrection, and this was his meaning; yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more, but ye see me, Joh. 14.19.

4. For the manner of his apparition, on this wise shown he himself.

1. He shown himself, so it is in this verse twice repeated, after these things Jesus shown himself, and in this wise he shown himself. Christ now was not seen, or known to the bodily eye (for his body was immortal) unless by dispensation he condescended thereto. I deny not, but that glorified bodies are ever actually seen of bodies that are glorified; but of mortal men who are yet in this veil of tears those glorious creatures cannot be seen actually, except there be some peculiar and divine dispensation. As the air is too subtle to be seen, or as the Sun is too glorious for a weak eye to behold; so are glorified bodies too subtle, too solendid for a mortal eye to pierce: our Savior tells us, that the bodies of the Saints do shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father; and that they are as the Angels. And the Apostle tells us, that their bodies are spiritual bodies; there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body? now without dispensation we cannot see spiritual things. And hence it is, that when Christ shown himself to the two disciples at Emmaus, it is said that their eyes were opened, & they knew him, & he vanished out of their sight. Mark, first their eyes were opened, why, no question but their eyes were open before; they did not walk with him, and talk with him, and sit with him, and eat with him, but their eyes were then opened; ay but now their eyes were opened in another manner, as it is said of Elisha 's servant, that at the prayers of Elisha, The Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold the mountain was full of horses, and chariots of fire, round about Elisha; in like manner their eyes were so opened, that they knew Jesus. And then, 2. He vanished out of their sight; in a strange unusual manner they lost his sight, and they could not tell what was become of him; in a moment he was invisible to them whose eyes he had opened: it plainly shows that glorified bodies, as corpulent, and commensurable, may be seen of mortals; but as they are subtle, and spiritual, they cannot be seen actually without dispensation. Christ appeared (saith Damascene) not by necessity, but by his own free will; not by the law of nature, but by way of dispensation. It was his mere condescension, permission, that he would show himself at any time unto his Disciples.

2. He shown himself on this wise; There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, called Dydimus, &c. In the whole narration we may observe. 1. The occasion; and 2. The Apparition; in the occasion we have a council among the Apostles what to do; and 'tis concluded they would go a fishing; they did so, though to no purpose; for they fished all night, but caught nothing. In the Apparition. 1. Christ is unknown, He stood on the shore, but the Disciples knew not that it was Jesus: in this condition we have Jesus speaking, and then working a Miracle; he bids them cast the net on the right side of the ship, and then draw; but they were not able to draw for the multitude of the fishes. 2. Hereupon Christ is known, Therefore that Disciple whom Jesus loved, saith unto Peter, it is the Lord: the alarm given, now all the Disciples bestir themselves. 1. Peter, he casts himself into the sea. 2. The other Disciples they come in a little ship to the land; and there they dine, and commune with Jesus; which is the end of the history, and so ends this Book of our Evangelist John.

CHAP. II.