A Golden Chain

for the unjust : and again, Christ Jesus the just (saith S. John) is the reconciliation for our sins. And in his execution, we shall have manifest declarations of his righteousness and justice, consisting in two most worthy points. First, when he was upon the cross, and the soldiers were nailing his hands and feet thereunto, and racking his body most cruelly, he prayed, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do. These soldiers were by all likelihood the very same that apprehended him, and brought him before Caiaphas, and from thence to Pontius Pilate, and there platted a crown of thorns and set it on his head, & buffeted him, and spitefully entreated him as we have heard: and yet Christ speaks no word of revenge unto them, but with all patience in the very extremity of their malice and injury, he prayeth unto his father to forgive them. Hence we are taught that when injuries are done unto us, we ought to abstain from all affection of revenge, and not so much as manifest the same either in word or deed. It is indeed a hard lesson to learn and practice: but it is our parts to endeavor to do it: and not only so, but to be ready for evil to do good: yea, even at that instant when other men are doing us wrong: even then (I say) we must be ready, if it be possible to do them good. When as Christ's enemies were practicing against him all the treachery they could, even then he performeth the work of a Mediator, and prayeth for them unto his father, and seeketh their salvation. Again, whereas Christ prayeth thus, Father, forgive them, we gather, that the most principal thing of all that man ought to seek after in this life, is the forgiveness of sins. Some think that happiness consisteth in honor, some in wealth, some in pleasure, some in this, some in that: but indeed the thing which we should most labor for, is reconciliation with God in Christ, that we may have the free remission of all our sins. Yea this is blessedness it self, as David saith, Blessed is he whose iniquity is forgiven, and whose sin is covered. Here then behold the madness of the men of this world, that either seek for this blessing in the last place or not at all.

The second testimony of Christ's righteousness given in the midst of his passion was, that he beheld his mother standing by, and commended her to the custody of John his disciple: whereby he gave an example of most holy obedience unto the fifth commandment, which prescribeth honor unto father and mother. And this his fact showeth, that the observing of this commandment standeth not in outward show and reverence only; but in a godly recompense, in procuring unto parents all the good we can, both concerning this and a better life. It often falls out that children be as it were Cain's to father and mother: some rail on them, some fight with them; others see them pine away and starve, and not relieve them. But all dutiful children must here learn, that as their parents have done many duties unto them, and brought them up: so they again must in all reverence perform obedience unto them both in word and deed: and when occasion is offered relieve them, yea in all they can, do good unto them. Again in this we may see what a wretched state is that which the Church of Rome calleth the state of perfection; namely to live apart from the company of men, in fasting and praying all the days of a man's life: for hereby the bond of nature is broken, and a man cannot do the duty unto his parents which God's law requireth, and Christ here himself practiseth, nor the duties of a member of Christ which are to be done to the whole Church, and to the rest of the members thereof.

The place where Christ suffered is called Caluarie or Golgotha, that is, the place of dead men's skulles, without the walls of Jerusalem. Concerning the reason of this name, men be of diverse opinions. Some say it was so called, because Adam was buried there, and that his skull being there found gave the name to the place. And this is the very opinion of some ancient divines, that Christ was there crucified where Adam was buried; but because it hath no certain ground, I leave it as uncertain. Others think it was called Caluarie, because the Jews were wont to carry out the bones of the dead men, and there to heap them together, as in times past the manner was in the vauts of sundry Churches in this land. And some others think it was called Golgotha or Caluarie, because thieves and murderers, and malefactors were there executed, stoned, burned: whereby it came to pass that many skulls and bones of dead men were found there.

The time when Christ was executed, was at the Jews passover, when not only the Jews, but also many Proselytes of many countries and nations were assembled: and therefore this execution was not in a private corner, but openly in the view of the world. For as he was a Savior not to the Jews only but also the Gentiles: so it was very requisite that his death should be public before all men both Jews and Gentiles. As for the hour of the day, in which he suffered, there is some difficulty in the Evangelists: for S. John saith, that he was condemned about the sixth hour of the day: and Saint Mark saith, he was crucified the third hour. Hence it may be demanded, howe both these can stand together. Ans. Howesoeuer the Jews natural day began at evening, yet the arti • ificiall day began at sun-rising, and ended at sun-setting: and it was divided two ways. First, into twelve partes called twelve hours, whether the days were longer or shorter. Secondly into four partes or quarters, and every part contained three hours: as from the first hour to the third was one part called morning : from the third hour to the sixth, another part called the sixth hour: from the sixth hour to the ninth, the third part called the ninth hour: and from the ninth hour to the twelfth, the fourth part called evening. Now when Saint John saith, Christ was condemned about the sixth hour: it must be understood of the second quarter of the day, called the sixth hour: and whereas Saint Mark saith he was crucified the third hour of the day, he speaks of the lesser hours, twelve whereof made the whole day: and thus they both agree, for the third hour of the day and the beginning of the second quarter follow each other immediately. Again it may be answered, that Christ was condemned at six of the clock after the Roman account, which begins the day at midnight; and crucified at three (which is nine of the clock in the morning with us) after the Jews account who begin their artificial day, as I said, at the sun rising.

The fourth and last point, is the order and whole proceeding of Christ's execution; which may be reduced to four heads: the I. his going to execution, the II. his crucifying, the III. his death, the IV. the consequents of his death. Again in his going to execution we may consider many points.

The first, that he is brought out of Jerusalem as a malefactor. For the old and ancient custom of the Jews was to put those whom they judged to be notorious offenders to death without their te • ts when they wandered in the wilderness, and without the walls of Jerusalem, least they should any way be defiled with their blood. And this fell out by the special providence of God, that that might be fulfilled in Christ which was prefigured in the sacrifices of the old testament, when the bodies of beasts were not eaten of the priests, but burnt without the campe: therefore (saith the holy Ghost) even Jesus that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gates.

Hence may all Christians learn to know their own estate and condition: first, in this world they must look to be accounted the ofscouring of the earth, and the filth of the word, as the Apostle saith, and we must all prepare our selves to bear this estate. They that will be God's children must not look to be better accepted of in the world then Christ was. Secondly by this everyone of us must learn to be content to use this world, as strangers and pilgrims; being every day and hour and ready to leave the same. For if Christ the son of God himself was brought out of Jerusalem, as not being worthy to have his abode there, then must every Christian man look much more for the like extremity. And therefore it is not good for us to have our hearts tied to the world, and to seek always to be approved of the same: for that argueth that we are not like to Christ: but we must rather do as poor pilgrims in strange countries; and that is only to look for safe conduct thorough the miseries in this world, having in the mean season our hearts, wills, and affections set on the kingdom which is in heaven. The second thing is, that Christ was made to bear his own cross: for so it seems the manner of the Romans was to deal with malefactors. And this must put us in mind of that notable lesson which Christ himself taught his disciples; namely, that if any man will be his disciple, he must deny himself, take up his own cross d • ily, and follow him: where by the cross we must understand, that portion of affliction, which god hath allotted to everyone of his children: for there is no child of God to whom he hath not measured out as it were some bitter cup of misery in this life. And therefore Paul saith, Now rejoice I in my suffering for you, and fulfill the rest of the fu • ferings of Christ in my flee •• . By Christ's sufferings he meaneth not the passion of Christ, but the sufferings of the body of Christ, that is, the Church whereof Christ is the head. Moreover we must suffer as he did, & that daily: because as one day followeth another, so one cross comes in the neck of another. And whereas Christ bears the cross that was laid on him by the hands of the soldiers, it must teach us not to pull crosses upon our selves, but wait til God lay them on us; and when that time comes we must willingly bend our shoulders, stoop down, and take them up; whether they be in body or in soul: and that every day if it be God's will so long as we live: and by this shall we most notably resemble our Savior Christ.

Thirdly, when Christ had carried his cross so long til he could carry it no longer, by reason of the faintness of his body, which came by buffets, whippings, and manifold other injuries, then the soldiers meeting with one Simō of Cyrene a stranger, made him to bear the cross: where we are put in mind, that if we faint in the way and be weari • ed with the burden of our aff •• ctions, God will give good issue, and send as it were some Simon of Cyrene to help us, and to be our comforter.

The fourth point is, that when Christ was carrying his own cross, and was now passing on towards Golgotha, certain women met him, and pitying his case wept for him: but Christ answered them and said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but for yourselves, and your children, &c. By this we are first of all taught to pity the state of those that be in affliction and misery, especially those that be the children of God: as the Apostle exhorteth us, saying, Remember them that are in bonds, as though you were bound with them: and them that are in affliction, as though you were afflicted with them. In this lande by God's especial blessing we have enjoyed the Gospel of Christ with peace a long time, whereas other countries and churches are in great distress: some wallow in palpable ignorance and superstition: others have liberty to enjoy the Gospel and want teachers: and some have both the word and teachers & yet want peace, and are in continual persecution. Now when we that have the Gospel with peace do hear of these miseries in our neighbor churches, we ought to be moved with compassion towards them, as though we our selves were in the same afflictions. Secondly, whereas Christ saith, Weep not for me, but for yourselves, he doth teach us to take occasion by other men's miseries to bewail our own estate: to turn our worldly griefs into godly sorrow for our sins, which causeth us rather to weep for our offenses, thē for our friends, although even this may also be done in a godly manner. When a man by bleeding at the nose is brought into danger of his life, the Pysician lets him blood in another place, as in the arm, and turns the course of the blood another way to save his life: & so must we turn our worldly sorrows for loss of goods or friends, to a godly sorrow for our offenses against God: for as S. Paul saith; Godly sorrow causeth repentance unto salvation, not to be repented of: but worldly sorrow causeth death.

The fifth point is, that when Christ was brought to the place of execution, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with myrrh and gall: some say it was to intoxicate his brain, and to take away his senses and memory. If this be true, we may here behold in the Jews a most wicked part, that at the point of death when they were to take away the life of Christ, they for their partes had no care of his soul. For this is a duty to be observed of all magistrates, that when they are to execute malefactors they must have a special regard to the good and salvation of their souls. But some think rather that this potion was to shorten and ende his torments quickly. Some of us may peradventure think hardly of the Jews, for giving so bitter a potion of Christ at the time of his death: but the same doth every sinner that repenteth not. For whensoever we sin, we do as much as temper a cup of gall, or the poison of asps, and as it were give it to God to drink: for so God himself compareth the sin of the wicked Jews to poison, saying, There vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the vines of Gomorrhah, their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters be bitter, their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel gall of asps. And for this cause we ought to think as hardly of our selves as of the Jews, because so oft as we commit any offense against God, we do as much as mingle rank poison, and bring it to Christ to drink. Now afterward, when this cup was given him he tasted of it, but drank not, because he was willing to suffer all things that his father had appointed him to suffer on the cross, without any shortening or lessening of his pain.

Thus we see in what manner Christ was brought • orth to the place of execution: Now followeth his crucifying. Christ in the providence of God was to be crucified for two causes: one, that the • igures of the old testament might be accomplished and verified. For the heave-offering lifted up and shaked from the right hand to the left, and the brazen serpent erected upon a pole in the wilderness, prefigured the exalting of Christ upon the cross. The second, that we might in conscience be resolved, that Christ became under the law and suffered the curse thereof for us, and bare in his own body and soul the extremity of the wrath of God for our offenses. And though other kinds of punishments were notes of the curse of God, as stoning and such like; yet was the death of the cross in special manner above the rest accursed, not by the nature of the punishment, not by the opinions of men, not by the civil laws of countries and kingdoms, but by the virtue of a particular commandment of God, foreseeing what manner of death Christ our redeemer should die. And hereupon among the Jews in all ages this kind of punishment hath been branded with special ignominy, as Paul signifieth when he saith, He abased himself to the death, even to the death of the cross: and it hath been allotted as a most grievous punishment to most notorious malefactors. If it be said that the repentant thief upon the cross died the same death with Christ and yet was not accursed, the answer is, that in regard of his offenses he deserved the curse and was actually accursed, and the sign of this was the death which he suffered, and that in his own confession: but because he repented, his sins were pardoned, and the curse removed. It may further be said, that crucifying was not known in Moses days, and therefore not accursed by any special commandment of God in Deuteronomy. Answ. Moses indeed speaks nothing in particular of crucifying, yet nevertheless he doth include the same under the general. For if everyone which hangs upon a tree be accursed, then he also which is crucified; for crucifying is a particular kind of hanging on the tree. Lastly it may be alleged, that Christ in his death could not be accursed by the law of Moses, becavse he was no malefactor. Answ. Though in regard of himself he was no sinner, yet as he was our surety he became sin for us, and consequently the curse of the law for us, in that the curse every way due unto us, by imputation and application was made his.

Furthermore Christ was crucified not after the manner of the Jews, who used to hang malefactors upon a tree binding them thereto with cords, and that when they were dead, but after the usual manner of the Romans; his body being partly nailed to the cross, and partly in the nailing extremely racked, otherwise I see not but that a man might remain many days together alive upon the cross. And here we have occasion to remember that the Papists who are so devout and zealous towards crucifixes are far deceived in the making of them. For first of all, the cross was made of three pieces of wood, one fastened upright in the ground to which the body & back leaned, the second fastened towards the top of the first overthwart, to which the hands were nailed: the third fastened towards the bottom of the first, on which the feet were set and nailed: whereas contrariwise popish carvers and painters fasten both the feet of the cross to the first: secondly the feet of Christ were nailed asunder with two distinct nails, and not nailed one upon another with one nail alone as Papists imagine, and that to the very body of the cross: for then the soldiers could not have broken both the legs of the thieves, but only the outmost: because one of them lay upon the other.

Let us now come to the use which may be made of the crucifying of Christ. First of all here we learn with bitterness to bewail our sins: for Christ was thus cruelly nailed on the cross, and there suffered the whole wrath of God, not for any offense that ever he committed, but being our pledge and surety unto God, he suffered all for us: and therefore just cause have we to mourn for our offenses, which brought our Savior Christ to this low estate. If a man should be so far in debt that he could not be freed, unless the surety should be cast into prison for his sake; nay, which is more, be cruelly put to death for his debt, it would make him at his wits end; and his very heart to bleed. And so is the case with us by reason of our sins; we are God's debtors, yea bankrupts before him, yet have we gotten a good surety, even the son of God himself, who to recover us to our former liberty was crucified for the discharge of our debt. And therefore good cause have we to bewail our estate every day, as by the prophet it is said, They shall look on him whom they have pierced, they shall l • meant for him as one mourneth for his own son: they shall be • orie for him as one is sorry for his first borne. Look as the blood followed the nails that were stricken through the blessed hands and feet of Christ, so should the meditation of the cross and passion of our Redeemer be as it were nails and spears to pierce us, that our hearts might bleed for our sins: and we are not to think more hardly of the Jews for crucifying him then of our selves, because even by our sins we also crucified him. These are the very nails which pierce his hands and feet, and these are the spears which pierce through his side. For the loss of a little worldly pelf, oh how are we grieved! but seeing our transgressions are the weapons whereby the son of God was crucified, let us (I say it again and again) learn to be grieved for them above all things, and with bleeding and melting hearts bow and buckle under them, as under the cross.

Secondly, Christ saith of himself, as Moses lift up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the son of man be lifted up: the comparison is excellent and worthy the marking. In the wilderness of Arabia the people of Israel rebelled against God, and thereupon he sent fiery serpents among them, which stung many of them to death: now when they repented, Moses was commanded to make a brazen serpent, and to set it upon a pole, that as many as were stung might look unto it and recover: and if they could but cast a glance of the eye on the brazen serpent, when they were stung even to death, they were restored to health and life. Now every man that liveth is in the same case with the Israelites; Satan hath stung us at the heart, and given us many a deadly wound, if we could feel it, and Christ who was figured by the brazen serpent was likewise exalted on the cross, to confer righteousness and life eternal to everyone of us: therefore if we will escape eternal death, we must renounce our selves, and lift up the eyes of our faith to Christ crucified, and pray for the pardon of our sins: and then shall our hearts and consciences be healed of the wounds and gripes of the devil: and until such time as we have grace to do this, we shall never be cured, but still lie wounded with the stings of Satan, and bleeding to death even at the very heart, although we feel no pain or grief at all. But some may ask how any man can see him crucified now after his death? Ans. Wheresoever the word of God is preached, there Christ is crucified, as Paul saith, Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth, to whom before Jesus Christ was described in your sight, and among you crucified? meaning that he was lively preached among them. We need not to go to wooden crosses, or to golden crucifixes to seek for him; but where the Gospel is preached, thither must we go, and there lift up our eyes of faith to Christ, as he is revealed unto us in the word; resting on him and his merits with all our hearts, and with a godly sorrow confess and bewail our sins, craving at his hands mercy and pardon for the same. For till such time as we do this, we are grievously stung by Satan, and are every moment even at deaths door. And if we can thus behold Christ by faith, the benefits which come hereby, shall be great: for as Paul saith, the old man, that is, the corruption of our nature, and the body of sin that reigneth in us, shall be crucified with him: for when Christ was nailed on the cross, all our sins were laid upon him; therefore if thou dost unfeignedly believe, all thy sins are crucified with him, and the corruption of thy nature languisheth and dieth as he languished and died upon the cross.

Thirdly, we must learn to imitate Christ: as he suffered himself to be nailed to the cross for our sins, so answerably must everyone of us learn to crucify our flesh, and the corruption of our nature, and the wickedness of our own hearts, as Paul saith, They that are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with the lusts and affections thereof. And this we shall do, if for our sins past we wail and mourn with bitterness, and prevent the sins to come into which we may fall by reason of the corruption of our natures, by using all good means, as prayer and fasting, and the word of God preached, and by flying all occasions of offense. We are not to destroy our bodies or to kill our selves, but to kill and crucify sin that liveth in us, and to mortify the corruption of our nature that rebels against the spirit. Christianity stands not in this, to hear the word of God, and outwardly to profess the same, and in the mean season still to live in our sins, and to pamper our own rebellious flesh; but it teacheth us always to have in readiness some spear or other to wound sin, and the sword of the spirit to cut down corruption in us, that thereby we may show our selves to be lively followers of Christ indeed.

Fourthly, by this we may learn that the wrath of God against sin is wonderful great, because his own Son bearing our person, and being in our place, was not only crucified, and racked most cruelly, but also bare the whole wrath of God in his soul: and therefore we must leave off to make so little account of sin as commonly we do.

Fifthly, whereas the person crucified was the son of God, it showeth that the love of God which he bare unto us in our redemption is endless; like a sea without bank or bottom, it cannot be searched into: and if we shall not acknowledge it to be so, our condemnation will be the greater.

Sixthly, in this that Christ bare the curse of the law upon the cross; we learn that those that be the children of God, when they suffer any judgment, cross, or calamity, either in body or in mind or both, do not bear them as the curses of God, but as the chastisments of a loving father. For it doth not stand with the justice of God to punish one fault twice: and therefore when any man that putteth his whole confidence in God, shall either in his own person, in his good name, or in his goods feel the heavy hand of God, God doth not as a judge curse him, but as a father correct him. Here then is condemned the opinion of the Church of Rome, which hold, that we by our sufferings do in some part satisfy the justice of God: but this cannot stand, because Christ did make a perfect fatisfaction to the justice of his father for all punishment. And therefore satisfaction to God made by man for temporal punishment is needless, and much derogates from Christ's passion.

In the crucifying of Christ, two things specially must be considered: The manner of the doing of it, and his continuance alive upon the cross. Touching the manner, the spirit of God hath noted two things. The first, that Christ was crucified between two thieves, the one upon his left hand, the other upon his right; in which action is verified the saying of the Prophet Isaiah, He was numbered among the wicked: and the Jews for their parts do hereby testify, that they esteemed him to be, not some common wicked man, but even the captain and ringleader of all thieves and malefactors whatsoever. Now whereas Christ standing upon the cross in our room and stead, is reputed the head and prince of all sinners, it serveth to teach everyone of us that believe in him, to judge our selves most vile and miserable sinners, and to say of our selves with Paul, that we are the chief of all sinners. The second thing is, that Christ was crucified naked: because he was stripped of his garments by the soldiers when he was to be crucified. The causes why he suffered naked, are these. First, Adam by his fall brought upon all mankind death both of body and soul, and also the curses of God which befall man in this life: among which this was one, that the nakedness of the body should be ignominious; and hereupon when Adam had sinned, and saw himself naked, he fled from the presence of God, and hid himself even for very shame. Christ therefore was stripped of his garments, and suffered naked, that he might bear all the punishment and ignominy that was due unto man for sin. Se • ondly, this came to pass by the goodness of God, that we might have a remedy for our spiritual nakedness, which is, when a man hath his sins lying open before God's eyes; and by reason thereof he himself lieth open to all God's judgments. Hereof Christ speaketh to the Angel of the Church of Laodicea, saying, Thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and knowest not how thou art wretched, miserable, blind, and naked. So when the Israelites had committed idolatry by the golden calf, Moses telleth them that they were naked, not only because they had spoiled themselves of their earings, but especially because they were destitute of God's favor, & lay open & naked to all his judgments for that sin. And Solomon saith, Where there is no vision, there the people are made naked, that is, their sins lie open before God; and by reason thereof they themselves are subject to his wrath and indignation. Now Christ was crucified naked, that he might take away from us this spiritual nakedness; and also give unto us meet garments to clothe us withal in the presence of God, called white raiment, as Christ saith, I counsel thee to buy of me white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that thy filthy nakedness do not appear: and, Long white robes dipped in the blood of the Lamb, which serve to hide the nakedness of our souls. What these garments are, the Apostle showeth when he saith, All that are baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. And, Put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Our nakedness maketh us more vile in the sight of God, then the most loathsome creature that is, can be unto us; until we have put on the righteousness of Christ to cover the deformity of our souls, that we may appear holy, and without spot before God. Thirdly, Paul saith, We know if our earthly house of this tabernacle be destroyed, we have a building given of God, &c. For therefore we sigh, desiring to be clothed with our house which is from heaven, because if we be clothed we shall not be found naked. Where it is like that the Apostle alludeth to the nakedness of Adam after his fall; and therefore giveth us another reason why Christ was crucified naked, namely that after this life he might clothe all his members with eternal glory.

If this be so, that a part of our rejoicing stands in the glorious nakedness of Christ crucified, there is no reason why we should be puffed up with the vanity of our apparel. It should rather be an occasion to make us ashamed, then to make us proud. The thief may as well brag of the brand in his hand, or of the fetters on his heels, as we may of our attire; because it is but the covering of our shame: and therefore should put us in mind of our sin and shameful nekednesse.

The abode of Christ upon the cross, was about the space of six hours. For the death of the cross was no sudden but a lingering death. And in this space of time there fell out five notable events. The first, that the soldiers having stripped Christ of his garments, divided them into four parts, and cast lots for his coat, because it was woven without seam. And by this appears the great love of Christ to man, who was not only content to suffer, but also to loose all that ever he had, even to the garments on his back to redeem us; teaching us answerably that if it please god to call us to any trial hereafter, we must be content to part withal for his sake, that we may win him. Again, in these soldiers we may behold a picture of this world: when they had nailed Christ to the cross, they will not loose so much as his garments, but they come and devide them and cast lots for them: as for Christ himself, the Savior and redeemer of mankind, they regard him not. And thus fareth the world; it is a hard to find a man to accept of Christ, because he is Christ his redeemer: but, when gain comes by Christ, then he is welcome. Esau that esteemed nothing of his fathers blessing, made great account of his brothers pottage. The Gaderenes made more account of their swine, then of Christ: for when they heard that they were drowned, they beseech him to depart out of their coasts. Nay so bad is this age, that such as will be taken to be the special members of Christ, do not only with the soldiers strip Christ of his garments, but more then this, they bereave him of his natures and offices. The church of Rome by their transubstantiation strip him of his manhood: and by making other priests after the same order with him, which do properly forgive sins, strip him of his priesthood: and of his kingly office, by joining with him a Vicar on earth, & head of the Catholic church, and that in his presence: whereas all deputiships and commissions cease in the presence of the principal. And when they have done all this, then they further load him with a number of beggarly ceremonies; and so do nothing else but make a feigned Christ, instead of the true and alone Messias.

The second event was, that Christ was mocked of all sorts of men. First, they set up the cause written why he was crucified, namely, This is the King of the Jews: then the people that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads at him, and said, Thou that destroiest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself, &c. Likewise the high Priest mocking him, with the Scribes and Pharisees & the Elders, said, He saved others, let him save himself. The same also did one of the thieves that was crucified with him, cast in his teeth. Behold here the wonderful strange dealing of the Jews: they see an innocent man thus pitifully and grievously racked, and nailed on the cross, and his blood distilling down from hands and feet: and yet are they without all pity and compassion, and do make but a mock and a skoffe at him. And in this we may plainly see how dangerous and fearful their case is, who are wholly given up to the hardness of their own hearts: and we are further admonished to take heed how we give our selves to jesting or mocking of others. And if any man think it to be a light sin, let them consider what befell the Jews for mocking Christ. The hand of God was upon them within a while after, and so remaineth to this day. Little children wickedly brought up, when they saw Elisha the man of God coming, they mocked him, and said, Come up thou bald pate, come up thou bald pate: but Elisha looked back on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord, and two wild bears came out of the forest and tare in pieces two and forty of them. Julian once a Christian Emperor, but after an Apostate, did nothing else but mock Christ and his doctrine, and made ieasts of sundry places of Scripture: but being in fight against the Persians, was wounded with a dart (no man knowing how) and died scoffing and blaspheming. And such like are the judgments of God, which befall mockers and scorners. Let us therefore in the fear of God learn to eschew and avoid this sin.

Furthermore if we shall indifferently consider all the mocks and scornings of the Jews, we shall find that they cannot truly convince him to the least sin; which serveth to clear Christ, and to prove that he was a most innocent man, in whose ways was no wickedness, and in whose mouth was found no guile: and therefore he was most fit to stand in our room, and suffer for us which were most vile and sinful. And here by the way a question offereth it self to be skanned. S. Matthew saith, The thieves which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth which the Scribes and Pharisees did. S. Luke saith, that one of the thieves mocked him. Now it may be demanded, how both these can be true? Ans. Some reconcile the places thus; that the Scripture speaking generally of anything, by a figure doth attribute that to the whole, which is proper to some part only; and so here doth ascribe that to both the thieves which agreeth but to one. Others answer it thus: that at the first both of the evil doers did mock Christ, and of that time speaketh Matthew: but afterward one of them was miraculously converted, then the other alone mocked him, and of that time spake S. Luke. And this I rather take to be the truth. But what was the behavior of Christ, when he is thus laden with reproach? In wonderful patience he replies not, but puts up all in silence. Where we are taught, that when a man shall rail on us wrongfully, we must not return rebuke for rebuke, nor taunt for taunt: but we must either be silent, or else speak no more then shall serve for our just defense. This was the practice of the Israelites, by the appointment of Hezekiah, when Rabshakah reviled the Jews, and blasphemed the name of God; the people held their peace, and answered him not a word: for the kings commandment was, answer him not. So Hannah being troubled in mind, prayed unto the Lord, and Hely marked her mouth, for she spake in her heart, and her lips did move only, but her voice was not beard, therefore Hely thought she had been drunken, and said, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy drunkenness from thee. Such a speech would have moved many one to very hard words: but she said, Nay, my lord, but I am a woman troubled in spirit, I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink: but have poured out my soul before the Lord. This is a hard lesson for men to learn; but we must endeavor our selves to practice it, if we will be followers of Christ, and overcome evil with good.

The third thing that fell out in the time of Christ's crucifying, was the pitiful complaint, in which he cried with a loud voice, El • , El • , lamasabacthani, that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? In the opening of this complaint many points must be skanned. The first is, what was the cause that moved Christ to complain? Ans. It was not any impatience or discontentation of mind, or any despair, or any dissembling, as some would have it: but it was an apprehension and a feeling of the whole wrath of God, which seized upon him both in body & soul. The second, what was the thing whereof he doth complain. Ans. That he is forsaken of God the father. And from this point ariseth another question. How Christ being God, can be forsaken of God? for the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost are all three but one and the same God. Ans. By God we must understand God the father the first person. According to the common rule, when God is compared with the Son or the holy Ghost, then the father is meant by this title, God; as in this place: not that the father is more God then the Son, for in dignity all the three persons are equal: but they are distinguished in order only, and the father is first. And again whereas Christ complaineth that he was forsaken, it must be understood in regard of his human nature, not of his godhead. And Christ's manhood was forsaken, not that his godhead and manhood were severed, for they were ever joined together from the first moment of the incarnation: but the godhead of Christ, and so the godhead of the father did not show forth his power in the manhood, but did as it were lie a sleep for a time, that the manhood might suffer: when a man sleepeth, the soul is not severed from the body, but lieth as it were dead, and exerciseth not it self: even so the godhead lay still, & did not manifest his power in the manhood, & thus the manhood seemed to be forsaken. The third point is, the manner of this complaint; My God, my God, saith he: these words are words of faith, I say not of justifying faith, whereof Christ stood not in need: but he had such a faith or hope, whereby he did put his confidence in God. The last words, why hast thou forsaken me? seem at the first to be words of distrust. Howe then (will some say) can these words stand with the former: for faith and distrust are flat contraries? Ans. Christ did not utter any speech of distrust, but only make his mone and complaint, by reason of the greatness of his punishment: and yet still relied himself on the assistance of his father. Hence we learn first that religion doth not stand in feeling but in faith: which faith we must have in Christ, though we have no feeling at all: for God oftentimes doth withdraw his grace and favor from his children, that he may teach them to believe in his mercy in Christ then, when they feel nothing less thē his mercy. And faith and feeling cannot always stand together; because faith is a subsisting of things which are not seen, & the ground of this hoped for, and we must live by faith, and not by feeling. Though feeling of God's mercy be a good thing, yet God doth not always vouchsafe to give it unto his children: and therefore in the extremity of afflictions and temptations, we must always trust and rely on god by faith in Christ; as Christ himself doth when he is as it were plunged into the sea of the wrath of God. Secondly, here we may see how God dealeth with his children: for Christ in the sense and feeling of his human nature was forsaken, yet had he sure trust and confidence in God, that caused him to say, My God, my God. God will oftentimes cast his deer children into huge gulfs of woe and misery, where they shall see neither bank nor bottom, nor any way to get out: yet men in this case must not despair, but remember still that that which befell Christ the head, doth also befall his members. Though Christ him-self at his death did bear the wrath of God in such measure, as that in the sense and feeling of his human nature he was forsaken: yet for all this he was the son of God, and had the spirit of his father, crying, My God, my God. And therefore though we be wonderfully afflicted either in body or in mind, so as we have no sense or feeling of God's mercy at all, yet must we not despair and think that we are cast-awaies, but still labor to trust and rely on God in Christ, and build upon this that we are his children, though we feel nothing but his wrath upon us; against mercy cleaving to his mercy. This was David's practice: In the day of trouble (saith he) I sought the Lord: my sore ran and ceased not in the night: my soul refused comfort. I did think upon God and was troubled: my soul was full of anguish: and so he continueth on, saying, Will the Lord absent himself forever? and will he show no more favor? hath God forgotten to be merciful? but in the ende he recovereth himself out of this gulf of temptation, saying, Yet I remember the years of the right hand of the most high: I remember the works of the Lord, certainly I remember the wonders of old. Wherefore this practice of Christ in his passion, must then be remembered of us all, when God shall humble us either in body or soul, or both.

The fourth thing which fell out when Christ was on the cross was this: after Christ knew that all things were performed, and that the scriptures were fulfilled; he said, I thirst, and then there standing a vessel full of vinegar, one ran and filled a sponge therewith, and put it about an hyssop stalk, and put it to his mouth: which when he had received, he said, It is finished. The points here to be considered, are four. The first, that Christ thirsteth. And we must know that this thirst was a part of his passion; and indeed it was no small pain, as we may see by this: when Sisera was overcome by Israel, and had fled from his enemies to Iaels tent, he called for a little water to drink, being more troubled with thirst, then with the fear of death at the hand of his enemies. And indeed thirst was as as grieuour to men in the East country, as any torment else. And hereupon Sampson was more grieved with thirst, then with fear of many thousand Philistines.

Again, whereas Christ complains that he thirsteth ; it was not for his own sake; but for our offenses: and therefore answerably we must thirst after Christ and his benefits, as the dry & thirsty land where no water is, doth after rain: and as the heart brayeth after the rivers of water, so must we say with David, My soul panteth after thee, O Lord, and the benefits of thy death.

The second that a sponge full of vinegar tied upon an hyssop stalk, was reached to Christ upon the cross. Now it may be demanded, how this could be, considering the stalk of the hyssop is not past a foot long. Ans. As the tree of mustard seed with the Jews is far greater and taller then with us, in so much that the birds of lieauen build their neasts in it: so it may be that hyssop groweth much longer in those countries then with us. Or, as I take it rather, the hyssop stalk was put upon a reed, and by that means the sponge was put up to the mouth of Christ.

The third point is, that Christ drinketh the vinegar offered: but when? Not before all things were finished that were to be done on the cross. And by this he shows his exceeding care for our salvation. He laid aside all things that would turn to his own ease, that he mightfully work our redemptiō, & sulfil the will of his father who sent him into the world for that end. The like care • ust everyone of us have to walk dutifully; and, as it were, to go with though • ugh-stitch in our particular callings, that God may be glorified by us. Whē Abraham's servant came: to Bethuel to get a wife for Isaac, meat was set before him, but he said, I will not eat before I have said my message: so likewise we must first see God's glory procured in our affairs, and then in the second place, if commodity or praise redound to us, we must afterward take it.

The last point is, that when Christ had drunk the vinegar, he said, It is finished. Which words may have a double sense: one, that such things as were figured by the sacrifices of the old testament are accomplished; the other, that now upon the cross he had finished his satisfaction to the justice of his father for man's sin. And this of the twain I rather think to be his meaning. If it be said, that the burial and resurrection and ascension of Christ, &c. which are very necessary to man's redemption, were not yet begun, the answer is, that the works of Christ's priesthood which follow his death serve not to make any satisfaction to God's justice for sin, but only to confirm or apply it, after it is made and accomplished on the cross. And if this be so, that Christ in his own person accomplished the work of redemption, and made a full and perfect satisfaction for us, as these words import, It is finished, then human satisfactions to gods justice for sin are altogether superfluous.

The fifth event that fell out when Christ was upon the cross was, that he cried with a loud voice, and said, Father, into thy hands I lay down my spirit, that is, I commend my soul as being the most precious thing which I have in this world into thy custody, who art a most faithful keeper thereof. These words are taken by Christ out of the Psalms: for when David was in danger of his life by reason of Saul, and had no friend to trust, he makes choice of God to be his keeper, and said, Into thy hands, O Lord, do I commend my spirit. Now our Savior Christ being in the like distress, both by reason of the Jews, who every way sought his final destruction & confusion, & especially because he felt the full wrath of God seizing upon him, doth make choice of David's words, and apply them to himself in his distress. And by his example was are taught not only to read the general history of the bible, but also to observe the things commanded and forbidden, and to apply the same unto our selves, and to our particular estates and dealings whatsoever: thus the prophet David saith, In the roll of the book it is written of me, that I should do thy will, O my God ! How can this be? for no part of Scripture penned before the days of David saith thus of him. True indeed; but as I take it, David's meaning is, that he read the book of the law, and found general precepts and commandments given to Kings and Princes, that they should keep all the ordinances and commandments of God: which, he being a King, applies particularly to his own person, and thereupon saith, In the volume of the book it is written of me, &c. And this duty is well practiced by the people of God at this day; for the Psalms of David were penned according to the estate of the Church in his time: and in these days the Church of God doeth sing the same with the same spirit that David did, and doth apply their several estates and conditions.

Now in that Christ commends his soul into the hands of his father, he doth it to testify that he died not by constraint, but willingly: and by his own practice he doth teach us to do the like, namely to give up our own souls into the hands of god: & because this duty is of some difficulty, we must observe three motives or preparatives which may induce us to the better doing of it. The first is, to consider that God the father of Christ, is the creator of our souls, and therefore he is called the father of spirits. And if he be a creator of them, then is he also a faithful preserver of them. For sure it is, that God will preserve his own workmanship. Who is or can be so careful for the ornament & preservation of any work as the crafts-master? and shall not God be more careful then man? Wherefore S. Peter exhorteth us to committee our souls unto God, as unto a faithful creator. The second motive is this: we must look to be resolved in our consciences, that • od the father of Christ is our father: every man for himself must labor to have the assurance of the pardon of his own sins, and that the corruption of his soul be washed away in the blood of Christ, that he may say, I am justified, sanctified, and adopted by Christ. And when any man can say thus, he shall be most desirous and willing to commit his soul into the hands of God. This was the reason which moved Christ to lay down his soul into the hands of God, because he is his father. The third motive or preparative is, a continual experience & observation of God's love and favor towards us, in keeping and preserving him; as appears by David's example, Into thy hands (saith he) I commit my soul: for thou hast redeemed me, O thou God of truth.

The time when we are specially to commend our souls into the hand of God, is first of all the time of any affliction or danger. This was the time whē David commended his soul into the hands of God in the Psalm before named. We know that in any common danger or peril, as the sacking of a city, or burning of an house, if a man have any precious jewel therein, he will first fetch that out, and make choice of a faithful friend, to whose custody he will commit the same: even so, in common perils and dangers we must always remember to commit our souls as a most precious jewel into the hands of God, who is a faithful creator. Another more special and necessary time of practicing this duty, is the hour of death, as here Christ doth, and Stephen, who when the Jews stoned him to death, called on God, and said, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. And as this duty is very requisite and necessary at all times, so most especially in the hour of death; beca • se the danger is great by reason that Satan will then chiefly assault us, and the guilt of sin will especially then wound the conscience. Lastly, at all times we must commit our souls into God's hands: for though we be not always in afflictio • , yet we are always in great danger: and when a man lieth down to rest, he knoweth not whether he shall rise again or no: and when he ariseth, he knoweth not whether he shall lie down again. Yea, at this very hour we know not what will befall the next.

And great are the comforts which arise by the practice of this duty. When David was in great danger of his life, and his own people would have stoned him, because their hearts were vexed for their sons and daughters which the Amalekites had taken; it is said he comforted himself in the Lord his God. And the practice of Paul in this case is most excellent: for the which cause (saith he) I suffer those things, but I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to ke • pe that which I have committed unto him again • t that day. This worthy servant of God had committed his life and soul into God's hand: and therefore he saith, In all my sufferings I am not ashamed: where we see, that if a man have grace in his life-time to commit his soul into God's hand, it will make him bold even at the point of death. And this must be a motive to cause every man daily and hourly to lay down his soul into the hands of God, although by the course of nature he may live twenty or forty years longer. But howsoever this duty be both necessary and comfortable, yet few there be that practice the same. Men that have children are very careful and diligent to bring them up under some man's tuition; & if they have cattle, sheep, or oxen, they provide keepers to tend them: but in the mean season for their own souls they have no care: they may sink or swim or do what they will. This shows the wonderful blindness or rather madness of men in the world, that have more care for their cattle, then for their own souls: but as Christ hath taught us by his example, so let everyone of us in the fear of God, learn to commit our souls into the hand of God.

Again, in that Christ lays down his own soul, and withal the souls of all the faithful into the hands of the father, we further learn three things. The first, that the soul of man doth not vanish away as the souls of beasts and other creatures: there is g • eat difference between them: for when the beast dieth, his soul dieth also: but the soul of man is immortal. The consideration whereof must moooue every man above all things in this world to be careful for his soul: if it were to vanish away at the day of death as the soul of beasts do, the neglect thereof were no great matter: but seeing it must live forever, either in eternal joy, or else in endless pains and torments, it stands us upon, every man for himself, so to provide for his soul in this life, that at the day of death when it shall depart from his body, it may live in eternal joy and happiness. The second, that there is an especial and particular providence of God, because the particular soul of Christ is committed into the hands of his father, and so answerably the souls of everyone of the faithful are. The third, that everyone which believes himself to be a member of Christ, must be willing to die when God shall call him thereunto. For when we die in Christ, the body is but laid asleep, and the soul is received into the hands of a most lo • ing God and merciful father, as the soul of Christ was. Lastly, whereas Christ surrendering his soul into his fathers hands, calls it a spirit, we note, that the soul of man is a spirit, that is, a spiritual, invisible, simple essence without composition created, as the angels of God are. The question whether the soul of a child come from the soul of the parents as the body doth come from their bodies, may easily be resolved. For the soul of man being a spirit, cannot beget another spirit, as the angels being spiritual do not beget angels: for one spirit begetteth not another. Nay which is more, one simple element begetteth not another, as the water begetteth not water, nor air begetteth air: and therefore much less can one soul beget another. Again, if the soul of the child come from the soul of the parents, then there is a propagation of the whole soul of the parent or of some part thereof. If it be said, that the whole soul of the parents is propagated, then the parents should want their own souls and could not live. If it be said that a part of the parents soul is propagated: I answer • that the soul being a spirit or a simple substance cannot be parted: and therefore it is the safest to conclude, that the body indeed is of the body of the p • rents, and that the soul of man while the body is in making, is created of nothing: and for this very cause God is called the father of spirits.

Thus much of the crucifying of Christ: now followeth his death. For having laid down his soul into the hands of his father, the holy Ghost saith, he gave up the ghost: to give us to understand, that his death was no fantastical but a real death, in that his body and soul were • euered as truly as when any of us die. In treating of Christ's death we must consider many points. The first, that it was needful that he should die, and that for two causes. First, to satisfy God's justice: for sin is fo odious a thing in God's sight, that he will punish it with an extreme punishment: therefore Christ standing in our room must not only suffer the mi • eries of this life, but also die on the cross, that the very extremity of punishment which we should have borne, might be laid on him: and so we in Christ, might fully satisfy God's justice: for the wages of sin is death. Secondly, Christ died that he might fulfill the truth of God's word which had said, that man for eating the forbidden fruit should die the death. The properties of Christ's death are two: the first, that it was a volūtarie and willing death: the second, that it was a cursed death. For the first, whereas I say Christ's death was voluntary, I mean that Christ died willingly, and of his own free accord gave up himself to suffer upon the cross. Howsoever the Jews did arraign, and condemn, and crucify him, yet if he had not willed his own death, and of his free accord given himself to die: not the Jews nor all the whole world could ever have taken away his life from him He died not by constraint or compulsion, but most willingly: and therefore he saith, No man taketh my life from me, but I (saith he) lay it down of myself: I have power to lay it down, and have power to take it again. And our Savior Christ gave evident tokens hereof in his death, for then Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. Ordinarily men that die on the cross, lāguish away by little & little, & before they come to yield up their lives they loose their speech, and only rattle or make a noise in the throat: but Christ at that very instant when he was to give up the ghost, cried with a loud voice: which showeth plainly, that he in his death was more then a conqueror over death. And therefore to give all men a token of his power, and to show that he died voluntarily, it pleased him to cry with a loud voice. And this made the Centurion to say that he was the Son of God. Again, Christ died not as other men do; because they first give up the ghost, and then lay their heads aside: but he in token that his death was voluntary, first lays his head aside after the manner of a dead man, and then afterward gives up the ghost. Lastly, Christ died sooner then men are wont to do upon the cross, and this was the cause that made Pilate wonder that he was so soon dead. Now this came to pass not because he was loath to suffer the extremity of death: but because he would make it manifest to all men that he had power to die or not to die. And indeed this is our comfort that Christ died not for us by constraint, but willingly of his own accord.

And as Christ's death was voluntary, so was it also an accursed death, and therefore it is called the death of the cross. And it containeth the first and the second death: the first is the separation of the body from the soul: the second is the separation of body and soul from God: and both were in Christ: for beside the bodily death, he did in soul apprehend the wrath of God due to man for sin: and that made him cry, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

And here we must not omit a necessary point, namely how far forth Christ suffered death. Answer. Some think that he suffered only a bodily death, and such pains as follow the dissolution of nature: but they, no doubt, come to short, for why should Christ have feared death so greatly if it had been nothing but the dissolution of nature. Some again think that he died, not only the first, but also the second death: but it may be they go to far: for if to die the first death be to suffer a total separation of body and soul, then also to die the second death is wholly and every way to be severed from all favor of God, and at the least for a time to be oppressed of the same death as the damned are. Now this never befell Christ, no not in the midst of his sufferings, considering that even then he was able to call God his God. Therefore the safest is to follow the mean; namely that Christ died the first death in that his body and soul were really and wholly severed, yet without suffering any corruption in his body, which is the effect and fruit of the same: & that withal he further suffered the extreme horrors and pangs of the second death, not dying the same death nor being forsaken of God, more then in his own apprehension or feeling. For in the very midst of his sufferings the father was well pleased with him. And this which I say doth not any whit lesson the sufficiency of the merit of Christ: for whereas he suffered truly the very wrath of God, and the very torments of the damned in his soul, it is as much as if all the men in the world had died the second death, and had been wholly cut off from God forever and ever. And no doubt Christ died the first death only suffering the pangs of the second; that the first death might be an entrance not to the second death which is eternal damnation, but a passage to life eternal.

The benefits and comforts which arise by the death of Christ are specially four. The first is the change of our natural death, I say not the taking of it away, for we must all die; but whereas by nature death is a curse of God upon man for eating the forbidden fruit, by the death of Christ it is changed from a curse into a blessing: and is made as it were a middle way and entrance to cōuaigh men out of this world into the kingdom of glory in heaven: and therefore it is said, Christ by his death hath delivered them from the fear of death, which all the days of their lives were subject to bondage. A man that is to encounter with a scorpion, if he know that it hath a sting, he may be dismayed; but being assured that the sting is taken away, he need not fear to encounter therewith. Now death in his own nature considered, is this scorpion armed with a sting: but Christ our Savior by his death hath pulled out the sting of our death, and on the cross triumphantly saith, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? and therefore even then when we feel the pangs of death approach, we should not fear but conceive hope, considering that our death is altered and changed by the virtue of the death of Christ. Secondly, the death of Christ hath quite taken away the second death from those that are in Christ: as Paul saith, There is no no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, which walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Thirdly, the death of Christ is a means to ratisie his last will and testament: For this cause was Christ the Mediator of the new testament, that through death (which was for the redemption of the transgressions which were in the former testament) they which were called might receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must be the death of him that made the testament: for the testament is confirmed when men are dead: for it is yet of no force as long as he is alive that made it. And therefore the death of Christ doth make his last will and testament which is his covenant of grace, authentical unto us. Fourthly, the death of Christ doth serve to abolish the original corruption of our sinful hearts. As a strong corasiue laid to a sore, eats out all the rotten and dead flesh: even so Christ's death being applied to the heart of a penitent sinner by faith, weakens and consumes the sin that cleaves so fast unto our natures and dwells within us. Some will say, howe can Christ's death which now is not, because it is long ago past and ended, kill sin in us now? Answ. Indeed if we regard the act of Christ's death, it is past, but the virtue and power thereof endureth forever. And the power of Christ's death is nothing else but the power of his Godhead, which enabled him in his death to overcome hell, the grave, death, and condemnation, and to disburden himself of our sins. Now when we have grace to deny our selves, and to put our trust in Christ, & by faith are joined to him, thē as Christ himself by the power of his godhead overcame death, hell, and damnation in himself; so shall we by the same power of his godhead kill and crucify sin & corruption in our selves. Therefore seeing we reap such benefit by the death of Christ, if we will show our selves to be Christians, let us rejoice in the death of Christ: and if the question be, what is the chiefest thing wherein we rejoice in this world? we may answer, the very cross of Christ, yea the very least drop of his blood.

The duties to be learned by the death of Christ are two: the first concerns all ignorant and impen • tent sinners. Such men whatsoever they be, by the death of Christ upon the cross, must be moved to turn from their sins: and if the consideration hereof will not move them, nothing in the world will. By nature every man is a vassal of sin, and a bondslave of Satan: the devil reigns and rules in all men by nature, and we our selves can do nothing but serve and obey him. Nay (which is more) we live under the fearful curse of God for the least sin. Well now, see the love of the son of God, that gave himself willingly to death upon the cross for thee • that he might free thee from this most fearful bondage. Wherefore let all those that live in sin & ignorance reason thus with thenselves: Hath Christ the son of god done this for us, and shall we yet live in our sins? hath he set open as it were the ve • ie gates of hell, and shall we yet lie weltering in our damnable ways and in the shadow of death? In the fear of God let the death of Christ be a means to turn us to Christ: if it cannot move us, let us be resolved that our case is dangerous. To go yet further in this point, everyone of us is by nature a sick man, wounded at the very heart by Satan: though we feel it not, yet we are deadly sick: and behold, Christ is the good phisitian of the soul, and none in heaven or earth, neither Saint, angel, nor man can heal this our spiritual wound but he alone: who though he were equal with the Father, yet he came down from his bosom and became man, and lived here many years in misery and contempt: and when no herb nor plaster could cure this our deadly wound or desperate sickness, he was content to make a plaster with his own blood: the pain he took in making it caused him to sweat water and blood: nay the making of it for us cost him his life, in that he was content by his own death to free us from death: which if it be true, as it is most true, then woeful & wretched is our case if we will still live in sin, and will not use means to lay this plaster unto our hearts. And after the plaster is applied to the soul, we should do as a man that hath been grievously sick, who when he is on the mending hand, gets strength by little and little. And so should we become new creatures going on from grace to grace, and show the same by living godlily, righteously, and soberly, that the world may see that we are cured of our spiritual disease. O happy, yea thrice happy are they that have grace from god to do this. The second duty concerns them which are repentant sinners. Hath Christ given himself for thee, and is thy conscience settled in this? then thou must answerably bear this mind, and if thy life would serve for the glory of God and the good of his Church, thou wouldst then give it most willingly if thou be called thereto. Secondly, if Christ for thy good hath given his life, then thou must in like manner be content to die for thy brethren in Christ, if need be: He • (saith Saint John) laid down his life for us, therefore we • ought to lay down our lives for our brethren. Thirdly, if Christ was content to shed his own heart blood not for himself, but for the sins of everyone of us, then we must be thus affected, that rather then by sinning we would willingly offend God, we should be content to have our own blood shed: yea if these two things were put to our choice, either to do that which might displease God, or else to suffer death • we must rather die then do the same. Of this mind have been all the Martyrs of God, who rather then they would yield to Idolatry, were content to suffer most bitter torments and cruel death. Yea, every good Christian is so affected, that he had rather choose to die then to live, not moved by impatience in respect of the mis • ries of this life: but because he would cease to offend so loving a father. To sin is meat and drink to the world, but to a touched and repentant heart there is no torment so grieuou • as this is, to sin against God, if once he be persuaded that Christ died for him.

Thus much for Christ's death: now follow those things which befell Christ when he was newely dead; and they are two especially. The first, that his legs were not broken as the legs of the two thieves were. Of the first, S. John r • ndreth a reason, namely, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, not a bone of him shall be broken: which words were spoken by Moses of the pascal lamb, and are here applied to Christ, as being typically figured thereby. And hence we observe these two things. First, that Christ crucified is the true pascal lamb, as S. Paul saith, Christ our passover is sacrificed: and S. John saith, Behold the lamb of God, distinguishing him thereby from the typical lamb. In this that Christ crucified is the true pascal lamb, the child of God hath wonderful matter of comfort. The Israelites did eat the passover in Egypt, & sprinkled the blood of the lamb on the posts of their doors, that when the angel of God came to destroy the first borne both of man and beast, and saw the blood upon their houses might pass over them, that the plague should not be upon them to destruction. So likewise if thou dost feed on the lamb of God, and by a lively faith sprinkle the door of thine heart with his blood, the judgments of God in this life, and the terrible curse of death, with the fearful sentence of condemnation at the day of judgment, and all punishments due unto thy sins shall pass over thee, and not so much as touch thee. And whereas the legs of our Savior Christ were not broken by the soldiers, who sought by all means possible to work against him all the mischief they could: we may note, that the enemies of Christ and his Church, let them intend to show never so much malice against him, they cannot go beyond that liberty which God giveth them, they can do no more for their lives then that which God willeth. The Medes and Persians are called the Lord's sanctified ones: Cyrus is called the man of God's counsel, because whatsoever they intended against the people of God, yet in all their proceedings they did nothing but that which God had determined before to be done. And when Sennacherib came against the Jews as a wild beast out of his den, the Lord telleth Hezekiah concerning Ashur that he will put his hook in his nostrils, and his bridle in his lips, and bring him back again the same way he came, that is, he will so rule him that he shall not do the least hurt unto the Jews, more then God will. This is a matter of great comfort to God's church oppressed with manifold enemies, Papists, Jews, Turks and all infidels, maliciously bent against it for Christ's sake. For though they intend and practice mischief, yet more then God's will and counsel is, they cannot do: because he hath his ring in their nostrils, and his bridle in their lips to rule them as he listeth.

The second thing which fell out immediately upon the death of Christ is, that the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and thence issued water and blood. The use which ariseth of this point is twofold: first, it serves to prove that Christ died truly, and not in show, or a feigned death: for there is about the heart a filme or skin like unto a purse wherein is contained clear water to cool the heat of the heart, and therefore when water and blood issued out after piercing of the side, it is very likely that that very skin was pierced: for else in reason we cannot conjecture whence this water should come. Saint John an eye-witness of this thing, being about to prove that Jesus the son of Marie was the true Messias, bringeth in six witnesses: three in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost: & three in earth, the Water, the Spirit, and the blood: where no doubt he alludeth to the water and blood that issued out of the side of Christ: by spirit we may understand the efficacy and operation of God's spirit making men to bring forth the fruits of the same, as love, peace, joy, &c. And the second witness, namely water, hath relation to the water that came forth of Christ's side, which signifieth the inward washing away of sin, and the purging of the heart by Christ's blood: which also is and was signified by the outward washing of the body with water in baptism. The third witness he calls blood, alluding to the blood that issued out of Christ's side: whereby is signified the expiation or satisfaction made to God's justice for man's sin. The same use had the ceremonial sprinkling in the old testament, typically signifying the sprinkling of Christ's blood. Now these three witnesses are not to be sought for in heaven, but every Christian man must search for them in his own heart and conscience, and there shall he find them in some measure. And this water and blood flowing out of the side of Christ being now dead, signifieth that he is our justification and sanctification even after his death: and that out of his death springs our life: and therefore as Eve was made of a rib taken out of the side of Adam: so springs the Church out of the blood that flows out of the side of the second Adam.

Having thus entreated of Christ's execution, let us now come to the last point, namely the excellency of Christ's passion, consisting in these two points: I. a Sacrifice: II. a triumph. For the first, when Christ died he offered a propitiatory and real sacrifice to his father: and herein his death and passion differeth from the sufferings and deaths of all men whatsoever. In this sacrifice, we must consider four things: I. who was the priest. II. what was the sacrifice. III. what was the altar. IV. the time wherein this sacrifice was offered. The priest was Christ himself, as the author of the epistles to the Hebrews proves at large from the third chap. to the 9. and of him we are to consider these four points. The first, what is the office of Christ's priesthood. Ans. The office of Christ's priesthood stands in three things: I. to teach doctrine, and therefore he is called the high priest of our profession, that is, of the Gospel which we profess, because he is the author and Doctor of the same. II. to offer up himself unto his father in the behalf of man, for the appeasing of his wrath for sin. III. to make request or intercession to God the father, that he would accept the sacrifice which he offered on the cross for us. The second point is, According to which nature he was a priest: whether in his manhood, or in his godhead, or both together? Ans. The office of his priesthood is performed by him according to both his natures: and therefore he is a priest not as the Papists would have him, according to his manhood only, but as he is both God and man: for as he is a Mediator, so is he a priest: but Christ is a Mediator according to both natures: each nature doing that which is peculiar to it, & conferring something to the work of redemption: and therefore he is a priest as he is both God and man. The third point, After what order he is a priest? Ans. The Scripture mentioneth two orders of priests: the order of Levi, and the order of Melchizedek. Christ was not a priest after the order of Aaron: and yet notwithstanding in that priesthood were many notable rites whereby the priesthood of our Savior Christ was resembled, and we may note five especially. First in the annointing of the high priests, as of Aaron and his sons after him, oil was poured on his head, and it ran down to the very edge of his garments, whereby was signified that Christ the true high priest was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows, that is, that his manhood was filled with the gifts and graces of God, both in measure, number, and degree above all men and angels. Secondly, the sumptuous and gorgeous apparel which the high Priest put on, when he came into the sanctuary, was a sign of the rich and glorious robe of Christ's righteousness, which is the purity and integrity of his human nature and of his life. Thirdly, the special parts of the high Priests attire were, first the Ephod, the two shoulders whereof had two onyx stones, whereon were engraven the names of the twelve tribes of Israel: six names on the one stone, and six on the other, as stones of remembrance of the children of Israel to God ward: secondly, the breastplate of judgment like the work of the Ephod, wherein were set twelve stones according to the names of the children of Israel, graven as signets everyone after his name. Now by these two ornaments were figured two things in Christ: by the first, that he carries all the Elect on his shoulders, and supports them by his spirit so long as they are in this world, against the world, the flesh, and the devil. By the second, that Christ our high priest being now in his sanctuary in heaven, hath in memory all the Elect, & their very names are written as it were in tables of gold before his face, and he hath an especial love unto them and care over them. Upon this ground the church in the Canticles prays on this manner, Set me as a seal on thy heart, and as a sign • upon thy arm. And indeed this is a matter of comfort unto us all, that Christ hath our several names written in precious stones before his face, though he be now in heaven and we on earth: and that the particular estate of everyone of us is both known and regarded of him. Again, God gave to Moses the Vrim and Thummim, which was put on the breastplate of the high priest, when he was to ask counsel from God of things unknown, before the mercy seat, whence God gave answer. What the Vrim and Thummim was, it is not known: and it is like it was not made by any art of man, but given by God; and how it was used we cannot tell: but yet the signification of the words affordeth matter of meditation. Vrim signifies lights, and Thummim signifies perfections. And by this a further matter was prefigured in Christ, who hath the perfect Vrim and Thummim in his breast: first, because in him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge: secondly, because he reveals to his Church out of his word such things as none can know but the children of God: as David saith, The secret of the Lord is revealed to them that fear him. And for this cause the spirit of Christ is called the spirit of wisdom and revelation: and the spirit of God, whereby we know the things that are given unto us of God: as namely, our election, vocation, justification, and sanctification in this life, and our eternal glorification after this life: yea to every member of Christ within his Church he gives a special spirit of revelation out of the word, whereby he may know that God the father is his father; the son the redeemer, his redeemer; and the holy Ghost his sanctifier and comforter. Lastly, the high priest had a plate on his forehead, and therein was engraven the holiness of Jehovah: this signified the holiness of Christ: for as he is God, he is holiness it self: and as he is man, he is most holy, being sanctified by the holy Ghost for this ende, that he might cover our sins and unrighteousness, with his righteousness and holy obedience.

The second order of priesthood is the order of Melchizedek, of which order Christ was, as David saith, Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek: and that in two special respects. I. Melchizedek was both a priest and a king: so was Christ. II. Melchizedek had neither father nor mother, because his history is set down with mention of neither: so likewise Christ as he is God, had no mother; and as he is man, he had no father. The Papists avouch Christ to be a priest of this order in a new respect, in that as Melchizedek offered bread and wine, when Abraham came from the slaughter of the Kings: so (say they) Christ in his last supper did offer his own body & blood under the forms of bread and wine. But this is a frivolous device of theirs: for if we read Hebr. 7. where this point is handled, there is no comparison at all made of their two sacrifices; but the resemblances before named are set down, in which, person is compared with p • rson. Again, it is not said in Genesis that Melchizedek offered sacrifice; but that he brought forth bread and wine, and made a feast to Abraham and his company. And if Christ should be of the order of Melchizedek, in regard of the offering of bread and wine, yet would this make much against the Papists. For Melchizedek brought forth true bread and true wine; but in the sacrifice of the mass there is no true bread nor true wine: but (as they say) the real body and blood of Christ under the form of bread and wine.

The fourth point is, whether there be anymore real priests of the new Testament beside Christ or no? Ans. In the old testament there were many priests one following another in continual succession, but of the New Testament there is one only real priest, Christ Jesus God and man, and no more: as the author of the Hebrews saith, because he endureth forever, he hath an everlasting priesthood: and the word translated [ everlasting ] signifieth such a priesthood, which cannot pass from him to any other, as the priesthood of Aaron did. And therefore the priesthood of Christ is so tied to his own person, that none can have the same but he; neither man nor angel, nor any other creature, no not the Father nor the holy Ghost. But the factors of the church of Rome will say, that Christ may have men to be his deputies in his stead to offer sacrifice. Ans. We must consider Christ two ways: I. as he is God: II. as he is Mediator. As he is God with the father and with the holy Ghost, he hath Kings and Magistrates to be his deputies on earth: and therefore they are called Elohim, that is, gods. But as he is Mediator, and so consequently a priest and a King, he hath neither deputy nor vicegerent; neither king to rule in his stead over his Church, nor priest to offer sacrifice for him: nay he hath no Prophet to be his deputy, as he is the doctor of the Church. And therefore he saith to his disciples; be not called doctors, for one is your doctor. Indeed he hath his ministers to teach men his will: but a deputy to offer sacrifice in his stead he hath not. And therefore we may with good conscience abhor the massing priesthood of the church of Rome, as a thing fetched frō the bottom of hell: and their massing priests as instruments of Satan; holding this for a very truth, that we have but one only priest even Christ himself God and man. Indeed all Christians are priests to offer up spiritual sacrifice: but it is the property of Christ alone to offer an outward and real sacrifice unto God now in the New Testament.

Thus much of the first point who is the priest. The second followeth: what is the sacrifice. Answ. The sacrifice is Christ, as he is man, or the manhood of Christ crucified. As the priest is both God and man; so the sacrifice is man, not God. So it is said, we are sanctified by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ. Touching this sacrifice, sundry questions are to be skanned. The first, what kind of sacrifice it was? Ans. In the old testament there were two kind of sacrifices: one, propitiatory which served to satisfy for sin: the other eucharistical for praise and thanksgiving. Now the sacrifice of Christ was a sacrifice propitiatory specially prefigured by the typical sacrifice, called the whole burnt offering; for as it was all consumed to ashes upon the altar, and turned into smoke, so the fire of God's wrath did seize upon Christ on the cross, and did consume him as it were to nothing to make us something. Secondly, when Noah offered an whole burnt offering after the flood, it is said, God smelled a savor of rest: not because he was delighted with the smell of the sacrifice, but because he approved his faith in Christ. And hereby was figured, that Christ upon the cross was an offering, & a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savor unto God: because God was well pleased therewith. Now whereas Christ was content wholly to offer up himself to appease the wrath of his father for us: it must teach us to give our bodies and souls, as holy, living, and acceptable sacrifices, wholly dedicating them to the service of God.

The second question is, how oft Christ offered himself? Ans. Once only and no more. This must be held as a principle of divinity: With once offering hath he consecrated forever, them that are sanctified: and again, Christ was once offered to take away the sins of many. And it serveth to overthrow the abominable sacrifice of the mass, in which the true body and blood of Christ is offered under the forms of bread and wine, really and substantially (as they say) for the remission of the sins of the quick and the dead, and that continually: but if this unbloody sacrifice of Christ be good, then it is either the continuing of that which was begun on the cross by Christ himself, or the iteration of it by the mass priest. Now let Papists choose whether of these two they will: if they say it is the continuing of the sacrifice of Christ, then they speak outrageous blasphemy: for it is in effect to say, that Christ's sacri • ice was not perfect, but only begun on the cross, and must be accomplished by the mass priest to the end of the world. If they affirm the second, that it is an iteration of Christ's sacrifice, then also they speak blasphemy: for hereby they make it also an imperfit sacrifice, because it is repeated and iterated: for upon this ground doth the author to the Hebrews prove, that the sacrifices of the old testament were imperfit, because they were daily offered. And whereas they say there be two kinds of sacrifices, one bloody once only offered upon the cross: the other unbloody, which is daily offered, I answer, that this distinction hath no ground out of God's word: neither was it known to the holy Ghost who saith, that without blood there is no remission of sins.

The third question is, what is the fruit of this sacrifice? Ans. The whole effect thereof is contained in these four things: I. the oblation of Christ purgeth the believer from all his sins whether they be original or actual: so it is said, If we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another: and the blood of Jesus Christ his son purgeth us from all sin: whether they be sins of omission in regard of our duties: or of commission in doing evil. II. the oblation serveth for the justifying of a sinner before God, as Paul saith, We are justified by his blood, and are reconciled to God by his death. This being here remembered, that in the passion of Christ we include his legal obedience, whereby he fulfilled the law for us. III. the oblation of Christ serves to purge men's consciences from dead works; How much more then shall the blood of Christ, which through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your consciences from dead works to serve the living God. IV. the oblation of Christ procures us liberty to enter to heaven, By the blood of Christ Jesus we may be bold to enter into the holy place, by the new and living way which he hath prepared for us through the veil, that is, his flesh. By our sins there is a partition wall made between God and us: but Christ by offering himself upon the cross, hath beaten down this wall, opened heaven, and as it were, trained the way with his own blood, whereby we may enter into the kingdom of God, and without the which we cannot enter in at all.

The last questiō is, how this sacrifice may be applied to us. Ans. The means of applying this sacrifice be two: I. the hand of God which offereth. II. the hand of the believer that receiveth the sacrifice offered. The hand of God whereby he offereth unto us his benefit, is the preaching of the word, & the administration of the Sacraments, baptism, and the Lord's supper; and wheresoever these his holy ordinances are rightly administered and put in practice, there the Lord puts forth his hand unto us, and offereth most freely the virtue and benefit of the death of Christ. And then in the next place cometh the hand of the believer which is faith in the heart; which, when God offereth doth apprehend and receive the thing offered, and make it ours.

The third thing to be spoken of is, the altar whereon Christ offered himself. The altar was not the cross, but rather the godhead of Christ. He was both the priest, the sacrifice, and the altar: the sacrifice, as he is man; the priest, as he is both God and man; the altar, as he is God. The property of an altar, is to sanctify the sacrifice: as Christ saith, ye fools and blind, whether is greater the offering, or the altar that sanctifieth the offering? Now Christ as he is God, sanctifieth himself as he was man: and therefore (saith he) for their sakes sanctify I myself, by doing two things: I. by setting apart the manhood to be a sacrifice unto his father for our sins. II. by giving to this sacrifice merit or efficacy to deserve at God's hands remission of our sins: the manhood of Christ without the Godhead hath no virtue nor efficacy in it self to be a meritorious sacrifice: and therefore the dignity and excellency which it hath is derived thence. As for the chalkie and stony altars of the Church of Rome; they are nothing else but the toys of man's brain. Christ himself is the only real altar of the new testament. And instead of altars which were under the law, we have now the Lord's table whereon we celebrate the Sacrament of his body and blood, to show forth his death till he come.

The fourth point is, concerning the time of Christ's oblation, which he himself calleth the acceptable year of the Lord: alluding unto another yere under the law called the year of Jubilee, which was every fifty year among the Jews, in which at the sound of a trumpet all that had set or sold their possessions received them again: all that were bondmen were then set at liberty. This Jubilee was but a figure of that perfect deliverance which was to be obtained by Christ's passion, which was not temporary deliverance for every fifty year, but an eternal freedom from the bondage of sin, hell, death, and condemnation. And the preaching of the word is the trumpet sounded which proclaimeth unto us freedom from the kingdom of darkness, and invites us to come and dwell in perfect peace with Christ himself. Well, if the year of perpetual Jubilee be now come, in what a wretched estate all our loose and blind people that esteem nothing of that liberty which is offered to them, but choose rather to live in their sins, and in bondage under Satan and condemnation, then to be at freedom in Christ.

Now follow the uses which are to be made of the sacrifice of Christ. The prophet Aggai saith, that the second temple built by Zorubbabel was nothing in beauty unto the first which was built by Solomon: and the reason is plain, for (as the Jews write) it wanted five things which the first temple had: I. the appearing of the presence of god at the mercy seat between the two Cherubims. II. the Vrim and Thummim on the breast-plate of the high priest. III. the inspiration of the holy Ghost upon extraordinary Prophets. IIII. the Ark of the Covenant: for that was lost in the captivity. V. fire from heaven to burn the sacrifices. Yet for all this, the Prophet afterward saith, The glory of the last House, shall be greater then the first. Now it may be demanded, how both these sayings can stand together. Ans. We are to know, that the second Temple was standing in the time when Christ was crucified for our • inns; and it was the sacrifice of Christ which gave glory and dignity to the second temple, though otherwise for building and outward ornaments it was far inferior to the first. And by this we are taught, that if we would bring glory unto our own selves, unto our houses and kindred, either before God or before men, we must labor to be partakers of the sacrifice of Christ, and the sprinkling of his blood to purge our hearts. This is the thing that brings renown both to place and person, how base soever we be in the eyes of the world. Secondly, all oblations and meat offerings were sprinkled with salt, and every sacrifice of propitiation which was to be burned to ashes, was first salted: and hereby two things were signified. The first, that everyone of us in our selves are loathsome or vile in the sight of God; like unto stinking carrion or raw-flesh kept long vnpoudered. A dead and rotten carkeise is loathsome unto us; but we in our selves are a thousand times more loathsome unto God. The second, that we are as it were salted and made savory and acceptable to God by the virtue of the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. Our duty then is to labor that we may feel in our selves the biting and sharpness of the oblation of Christ, to wast and consume the superfluities of sin and the corruptions of our natures. And we must withal endeavor, that the whole course of our lives, and our speech it self be gracious and poured with salt, least God at length spew us out of his mouth. To this ende hath God appointed his ministers to be the salt of the earth, that by their ministry they might apply the death of Christ, and season the people. And it hath pleased God to be sprinkle this land with more plenty of this salt then hath been heretofore. But, alas, small is the number of them that give any relish of their good seasoning. The more lamentable is their case. For as flesh that cannot be seasoned with salt, putrifies: so men, that cannot be sweetened and changed by the sacrifice of Christ, do rot and perish in their sins. The waters that ishued from under the threshold of the Sancturie, when they came into the dead sea, the waters thereof were wholesome: but miry places and marishes which could not be seasoned, were made saltpits. Now these waters are the preching of the gospel of Chrtst, which flowing through all the parts of this I will, if it do not season & change our nation, it shall make it as places of nettles & saltpits, & at length be an occasion of the eternal curse of god. Thirdly, Christ's priesthood serves to make everyone of us also to be priests. And being priests, we must likewise have our sacrifice and our altar. Our sacrifice is the clean offering, which is the lifting up of pure hands to God without wrath or doubting in our prayers: also our bodies and souls, our hearts, and affections, the works of our lives, and the works of our callings: all which must be dedicated to the service of god for his glory, and the good of his Church. The altar whereon we must offer our sacrifice, is Christ our redeemer, both God and man, because by the virtue of his death as with sweet odors he perfumes all our obedience, and makes it acceptable to God. The ministers of the Gospel are also in this manner priests, as Paul insinuateth when he calleth the Gentiles his offering unto God. And the preaching of the word is as it were a sacrificing knife, whereby the old Adam must be killed in us; & we made an holy & acceptable sweet smelling oblation unto God, sanctified by the holy Ghost. Therefore everyone that heareth God's word preached and taught, must endeavor that by the profitable hearing thereof, his sins and whole nature may be subdued and killed; as the beast was slain & sacrificed upon the altar by the hand of the Levite. Lastly the exhortation of the holy ghost must here be considered. Seeing (saith he) we have an high priest, which is over the house of god, let us draw near with a true heart in assurance of faith, sprinkled in our hearts from an evil conscience, and washed in our bodies with pure water: the meaning of the words is this, that if Christ have offered such a sacrifice of such value and price, which procureth pardon of sin, justification, sanctification, and redemption, then we must labor to be partakers of it; to have our bodies and souls purified and cleansed by his blood, and sanctified throughout by the holy ghost, that thereby we may be made fit to do sacrifice acceptable to God in Christ. This is the use which the Apostle maketh of the doctrine of Christ's priesthood in that place, which also every man should apply unto himself: for why should we live in our sins and wicked ways, every hour incurring the danger of God's judgments, seeing Christ hath offered such a sacrifice whereby we may be purged and cleansed, and at length freed from all woe and misery.

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Thus much of Christ's sacrifice: now follows his triumph upon the cross. That Christ did triumph when he was upon the cross, it is plainly set down by the Apostle Paul, where he saith, that putting out the hand writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, he even took it out of the way, and fastened it upon the cross, and hath spoiled the principalities and powers, and hath made show of them openly, and hath triumphed over • hem in the same cross. This triumph is set forth by signs and testimonies of two sorts. I. By signs of his glory and majesty. II. By signs of his victory on the cross. The signs of his glory and majesty are principally seven. The first is the title set over his head upon the cross, Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews. The ende why titles were set over the heads of malefactors was, that the beholders might know the cause of the punishment, and be admonished to take heed of like offenses, and be stirred up to a dislike of the parties executed for their offenses. And therefore no doubt, Pilate wrote the title of Christ for the aggravating of his cause, and that with his own hand. Yet mark the strange event that followed: for when Pilate was about to write the superscription, God did so govern and over-rule both his heart and hand, that instead of noting some crime, he sets down a most glorious and worthy title, calling him, Jesus of Nazareth king of the Jews: which words contain the very sum and pith of the whole gospel of Christ, delivered by the Patriarchs and prophets from age to age. We must not think that Pilate did this of any good mind; or upon any love or favor that he bare to Christ: but only as he was guided and overruled by the power of God for the advancement of the honor and glory of Christ. The like did Caiaphas, who though a sworn enemy to Christ, yet he uttered a prophecy of him, saying, that it was necessary that one should die for the people: not that he had any intent to prophecy: but because the Lord used him as an instrument to publish his truth. And when Balaam for the wages of unrighteousness would have cursed the Lord's people, for his life he could not; nay all his cursings were turned into blessings. By this then it appears, that it is not possible for any man, do what he can, to stop the course of the gospel of Christ: nay: (as we see) God can raise up the wicked sometime to spread abroad and to publish the truth, though they thenselves intend the contrary. Furthermore let us mark that when the Jews did most of all intend to bring disgrace and ignominy upon our Savior Christ, then did they most of all extol and magnify his name: they could not for their lives have given him a more renowned title then this, that he was King of the Jews. And the same is the case of all the members of Christ: for let a man walk in good conscience before God and man, he shall find this to be true, that when he is most disgraced in the world, then commonly he is most honored with God and men.

Further, Pilate wrote this superscription in three languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. And no doubt the end thereof in the providence of God was, that the passion of Christ, as also the publishing of his kingdom & Gospel might be spread over the whole world. This shows the malice of the Church of Rome, which will not suffer the word of God to be published but in the Latin tongue, least the people should be entangled in errors.

Again, when Pilate had thus written the superscription, the high priests and Pharisees offended thereat, came to Pilate willing him to change the title, saying, Write not the King of the Jews, but that he said, I am the King of the Jews: but Pilate answered them again, That which I have written, I have written. Though Pilate had been over-ruled before to condemn Christ to death, against his own conscience, yet will he not in any wise condescend to change the superscription. Howe comes this to pass? Surely, as he was ruled by the hand of God in penning it, so by the same hand of God was he confirmed in not changing it. Hence we learn sundry instructions. First, that no man in the world, let him endeavor himself to the uttermost of his power, is able to stop the course of the kingdom of God: it stands firm and sure, and all the world is not able to prevail against it. Secondly, whereas Pilate being but an heathen man was thus constant, that he will not have his writing changed; we may note, how permanent & unchangeable the writings of the holy word of God are. They are not the words of heathen men, but were spoken by the mouth of the Prophets and Apostles, as God gave them utterance. The book of Scripture therefore is much more immutable, so as no creature shall be able to change the least part of it till it be fulfilled. Thirdly, by Pilate's constancy, we learn to be constant in the practice and profession of the religion of Christ: this is a necessary lesson for these days, wherein men's professions do fleet like water and go and come with the tide. Many zealous professors today, but tomorrow as could as water. And the complaint of the Lord touching times past, agrees to our days: O Ephraim, What shall I say to thee? thy righteousness is like the morning dew.

The second is, the conversion of the thief: a most worthy argument of the godhead of Christ. For by it when he was upon the cross, and in the very midst of his passion, he gives unto all the world a lively and notable experience of the virtue and power of his death, so as his very enemies might not only behold the passion it self, but also at the same time acknowledge the admirable efficacy thereof. And therefore with the passion of Christ, we must join the conversion of the thief: which is as it were a crystall glass wherein we may sensibly behold the endless merit and virtue of the obedience of Christ to his father, even to the death of the cross. And therefore I will briefly touch the special instructions which are to be learned by it. First let us mark that both the thieves in every respect were equal, both wicked and lewd livers: and for their notorious faults both attached, condemned, and executed both on the cross at the same time with Christ: yet for all this, the one repenting was saved, the other, was not. And in their two examples we see the state of the whole world, whereof one part is chosen to life eternal: and thereupon attains to faith and repentance in this life: the rest are rejected in the eternal counsel of God, for just causes known to himself, & such being left to themselves never repent at all. Secondly we are taught hereby, that the whole work of our conversion and salvation must be ascribed wholly to the mere mercy of God: of these two thieves the one was as deeply plunged in wickedness as the other, & yet the one is saved, the other condemned. The like was in Jacob & Esau; both borne at one time, and of the same parents, and neither of them had done good nor evil when they were borne: yet one was then loved, the other was hated: yea if we regard outward perogatives, Esau was the first borne, and yet was refused.

Furthermore, the thief on the cross declareth his conversion, by manifest signs and fruits of repentance, as appears by the words which he spake to his fellow, Fearest not thou god seeing thou art in the same condemnation. Though hands and feet were fast nailed to the cross, yet heart and tongue are at liberty to give some tokens of his true repentance. The people of this our land hear the word, but for the most part are without either profit in knowledge or amendment of life: yet for all this, they persuade themselves that they have good hearts and good meanings, though they cannot bear it away, and utter it so well as others. But alas, poor souls, they are deluded by Satan: for a man that is converted, cannot but express his conversion, and bring forth the fruits thereof. And therefore our Savior Christ saith, If a man believe in me, out of his belly shall flowe rivers of water of life. The grace (as Elihu saith) of God is like new wine in a vessel which must have a vent; and therefore he that showeth no tokens of God's grace in this life, is not as yet converted; let him think and say of himself what he will. Can a man have life, and never move nor take breath? and can he that bringeth forth no fruit of his conversion live unto God? Well, let us now see what were the fruits of the thiefes repentance. They may be reduced to four heads. First, he rebukes his fellow for mocking Christ, indeauouring thereby to bring him to the same condition with himself, if it were possible: whereby he discovers unto us the property of a true repentant sinner, which is, to labor and strive, so much as in him lieth, to bring all men to the same state that he is in. Thus David having tried the great love and favor of God toward himself, breaketh forth and saith, Come children, hearken unto me, and I will teach you the fear of the Lord: showing his desire that the same benefits which it had pleased God to bestow on him, might also in like manner be conveyed to others. Therefore it is a great shame to see men professing religion, carried away with every company, and with the vanities and fashions of the world, whereas they should rather draw even the worst men that be to the fellowship of those graces of God which they have received. That which the Lord spake to the prophet Jeremiah, must be applied to all men: Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them. In instruments of music the string out of tune must be set up to the rest that be in tune, and not the rest to it.

Again, in that he checks hi fellow, it shows that those which be touched for their own sins, are also grieved when they see other men sin and offend God. But to go further in this point, let us diligently and carefully mark the manner of his reproof, Fearest thou not God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation. In which words he rips up his lewdness even to the quick, and gives him a worthy item, telling him that the cause of all their former wickedness, had been the want of the fear of God. And this point must everyone of us mark with great diligence. For if we enter into our hearts and make a through search, we shall find that this is the root and fountain of all our offenses. We miserable men for the most part have not grace to consider that we are always before God; and to quake and tremble at the consideration of his presence: and this makes us so often to offend God in our lives as we do. Abraham coming before Abimelech, shifting for himself, said, that Sara was his sister, and being demanded why he did so, answered, because he thought the fear of God was not in that place: insinuating that he which wants the fear of God, will not make conscience of any sin whatsoever. Would we then even from the bottom of our hearts turn to God, and become new creatures, then let us learn to fear God: which is nothing else but this, when a man is persuaded in his own heart and conscience that wheresoever he be, he is in the presence and sight of God, and by reason thereof is afraid to sin. This we must have fully settled in our hearts, if we desire to learn but the first lesson of true wisdom. But what reason useth the thief to draw his fellow to the fear of God? Thou art (saith he) in the same condemnation, that is, by thy sins & manifold transgressions thou hast deserved death, and it is now most justly inflicted upon thee; wilt thou not yet fear God? Where we are taught, that temporal punishments and crosses, ought to be means to work in us the fear of God; for that is one end why they are sent of God. It is good for me (saith David) that I have been chastised, that I may learn thy statutes. And Paul saith, When we are chastised, we are nurtured of the Lord. And the Jews are taught by the prophet Micah to say, I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against him.

The second fruit of his conversion is, that he condemneth himself and his fellow for their sins, saying, Indeed we are righteously here, for we receive things worthy for that we have done, that is, we have wonderfully sinned against God's majesty, and against our brethren: and therefore this grievous punishment which we bear, is most just and due unto us. This fruit of repentance springs and grows very thin among us, for few there be which do seriously condemn themselves for their own sins: the manner of men is to condemn others, and to cry out that the world was never so bad, but bring them home to themselves, and you shall find that they have many excuses and defences as plaster-work to cast over their foul and filthy sins: and if they be urged to speak against themselves, the worst will be thus; God help us, we are all sinners, even the best of us. But certain it is, that he which is thoroughly touched in conscience for his sins, both can and will speak more against himself for his manifold offenses, then all the world besides. Thus Paul when he was converted, calls himself the chief of all sinners. And the prodigal child confessed that he had sinned against heaven and against his father, and was not worthy to be called his child.

The third fruit of his conversion is, that he excuseth our Savior Christ, and giveth testimony of his innocence, saying, But this man hath done nothing amiss. Mark here: Pilate condemned Christ, Herod mocked him, all the learned Scribes and Pharisees condemned him, and the people cry, away with him, let him be crucified: and among his own disciples Peter denied him, and the rest ran away: there remains only this poor silly wretch upon the cross to give testimony of Christ's innocence: whereby we learn, that God chooseth the simple ones of this world, to overthrow the wisdom of the wise: and therefore we must take heed that we be not offended at the Gospel of Christ, by reason that for the most part simple and mean men in the world embrace it. Nay mark further, this one thief being converted had a better judgment in matters concerning God's kingdom, then the whole body of the Jews. And by this all students may learn, that if they desire to have in themselves upright judgment in matters of religion, first of all they must become repentant sinners: and though a man • have never so much learning, yet if he be carried away with his own blind affections and lusts, they will corrupt and darken his judgment. Men which work in mines and coal-pits under the earth, are troubled with nothing so much as with damps, which make their candle burn dark, and sometimes put it quite out. Now every man's sins are the damps of his heart, which when they take place, do dim the light of his judgment, and cast a mist over the mind, and darken the understanding and reason: and therefore a needful thing it is, that men in the first place should provide for their own conversion.

The fourth fruit of his repentance is, that he prayeth for mercy at Christ's hands, Lord (saith he) remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom: in which prayer we may see what is the property of faith. This thief at this instant heard nothing of Christ but the scornings and mockings of the people, and he saw nothing but a base • state full of ignominy and shame, and the cursed death of the cross, yet nevertheless he now believes in Christ, and therefore intreats for salvation at his hand. Hence we learn, that it is one thing to believe in Christ, and another to have feeling and experience: and that even then when we have no sense or experience we must believe: for faith is the subsisting of things which are not seen: and Abraham above hope did believe under hope: and Job saith, though thou kill me, yet will I believe in thee. In Philosophy a man begins by experience, after which comes knowledge and belief; as whē a man hath put his hand to the fire, & feels it to be hot, he comes to know thereby that fire burns: but in Divinity we must believe though we have no feeling: first comes faith, and after comes sense and feeling. And the ground of our religion stands in this, to believe things neither seen not felt to hope above all hope, and without hope: in extremity of affliction to believe that God loveth us, when he seemeth to be our enemy, and to persevere in the same to the end •

The answer which Christ made to his prayer was, This night shalt thou be with me in Paradise. Whereby he testifies in the midst of his sufferings the power which he had over the souls of men: and verifies that gracious promise, Ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you: and withal confutes the popish purgatory. For if any man should have gone to that forged place of torment, then the thief upon the cross, who repenting at the last gasp wanted time to make satisfaction for the temporal punishment of his sins. And by this conversion of the thief we may learn that if any of us would turn to God and repent, we must have three things. I. The knowledge of our own sins. II. From the bottom of our hearts we must confess and condemn our selves for them, and speak the worst that can be of our selves, in regard of our sins. III. We must earnestly crave pardon for them, and call for mercy at God's hands in Christ, withal reforming our lives for the time to come: if we do, we give tokens of repentance; if not, we may think what we will, but we deceive our selves, and are not truly converted. And here we must be warned to take heed least we abuse, as many do, the example of the thief, to conclude thereby that we may repent when we will, because the thief on the cross was converted at the last gasp. For there is not a second example like to this in all the whole Bible: it was also extraordinary. Indeed sundry men are called at the eleventh hour, but it is a most rare thing to find the conversion of a sinner after the eleventh hour, and at the point of the twelfth. This mercy God vouchsafed this one thief; that he might be a glass in which we might behold the efficacy of the death of Christ, but the like is not done to many men, no not to one of a thousand. Let us rather consider the estate of the other thief, who neither by the dealing of his fellow, nor by any speech of Christ could be brought to repentance. Let us not therefore defer our repentance to the hour of death: for then we shall have sore enemies against us: the world, the flesh, the devil, and a guilty conscience; & the best way is before hand to prevent them. And experience shows that if a man defer repentance to the last gasp, often when he would repent he cannot. Let us take Solomon's counsel, Remēber thy creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come. If we will not hear the Lord when he calleth us, he will not hear us when we call on him.

The third sign was, the ecclipsing or darkening of the sun from the sixth hour to the ninth. And this eclipse was miraculous. For by the course of nature the sin is never eclipsed, but in the new moon: whereas contrariwise this eclipse was about the time of the passover which was always kept at the full moon. Question is made touching the largeness of it: some moved by the words of Luke, who saith that darkness was upon the whole earth, have thought that the eclipse was universal over the whole world: but I rather think that Saint Luke's meaning is, that it was over the whole region or country of Jury. For if such a wonder had happened over the whole world, all Historiographers Greek and Latin and Astronomers, diligent observers of all ecclipses, would have made special mention thereof. And though some writers say that it was over the whole earth, and that it was set down in record both by the Romans and Grecians, yet all their writings prove no more but this, that it was over Jury and Galely and the countries bordering near unto. The uses of this miracle are manifold. I. This darkening of the sun gives a check to the Jews for their crucifying of Christ: they were not ashamed to apprehend, accuse, and condemn him: yet this glorious creature the sun pulleth in his beams, being as it were ashamed to behold that, which they were not ashamed to do. II. It serves to signify the great judgment of God to come upon the Jews. For when as Christ suffered, darkness was over all the land of Jury, and all the world besides had the light of the sun, so shortly after blindness of mind was over the whole nation of the Jews, and all the world besides saw the son of righteousness shining unto them in preaching of the gospel. III. It serves to advertise us that such as carry themselves towards Christ as the Jews did, have nothing else in them but darkness, and they that sit in darkness and shadow of death ; and therefore not able any whit better to see the way that leadeth unto life, then he which is cast into a dark dungeon can; who if they thus remain, shall at length be cast into utter darkness. This being the estate of all them that be forth of Christ, we must labor to be freed from this darkness, that the day-star may rise in our hearts, and shine upon us, and put life into us. IV. This miraculous and wonderful darkening of the sun doth convince the Jews, that Christ whom they crucified was the Lord of glory, and the Savior of the world: and it is very like that this was the principal ende of this miracle. For whereas neither his doctrine, nor his former miracles could move them to acknowledge him for that Messias, yet this one work of God doth as it were strike the nail to the head, and stop all their mouths. V. Besides this, whereas at the very instant when Christ was about to make a satisfaction to the justice of his father for our sins; the sun was thus darkened: it teacheth us first to think of the passion of Christ, not as of a light matter, but as one of the greatest wonders of the world, at the sight whereof the very frame of nature was changed: secondly, to think of our own sins, as the vilest things in the world, and that they deserve the intolerable wrath of God: considering that at the time when they were to be abolished, the course of nature even in the very heavens is turned upside down.

The fourth sign is, the rending of the veil of the temple from the top to the bottom. The temple was divided into two parts: the one more inward into which no man might come but the high priest, and that once a year; and it was called the holy of holies: the other was that where the people came and offered sacrifices unto the Lord. Now that which parted the temple into these two parts was called the veil, & at the time of Christ's passion it was rent from the top to the very bottom. This hath diverse uses: I. The holy of holies signified the third heaven, where God showeth himself in glory and majesty unto his Saints: and the rending of the veil sigureth unto us, that by the death of Christ heaven which was otherwise shut by our sins is now set open, and a way made to enter thereto. II. It signifieth, that by the death of Christ we have without impediment, free access to come unto God the father by earnest prayer in the name of Christ; which is a most unspeakable benefit. III. It signifieth that by Christ's death an end is put to all ceremonies, to ceremonial worship, and the sacrifices of the old testament: and that therefore in the new testament there remaineth one only real and outward sacrifice, that is, Christ crucified on the cross: and the whole service and worship of God for outward ceremonies most simple and plain. IV. The temple was the chief and one of the most principal perogatives that the Jews had; it was their glory that they had such a place wherein they might worship and do service to the true God: and for the temples sake God often spared them, and therefore Daniel prayeth: O Lord, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplication, and cause thy face to shine upon the sanctuary that lieth wast for the Lord's sake. Yet for all this, when they began to crucify the Lord of life, their perogatives helps them not, nay they are deprived thereof, and God even with his own hand rendes the veil of the temple in sunder, signifying unto them, that if they forsake him, he will also forsake them. And so may we say of the church of England. No doubt for the gospels sake we have outward peace and safety, and many other blessings, and are in account with other nations: yet if we make no conscience to obey the word of God, & if we have no love of Christ and his members, God will at length remove his candlestick from us, and utterly deprive us of this ornament of the Gospel, and make our land as odious unto all the world, as the land of the Jews is at this day. Let us therefore with all care and diligence show forth our love both to Christ himself and to his members, and adorn the gospel which we profess by bringing forth fruits worthy of it.

The fifth sign is the earthquake, whereby hard rocks were cloven a sunder. And it serves very fitly to signify further unto us, that the sin of the Jews in putting Christ to death was so heavy a burden, that the earth could not bear it, but treēbled thereat, though the Jews themselves made no bones of it. And it is a thing to be wondered at: that the earth doeth not often in these days, tremble and quake at the monstrous blasphemies and fearful oaths by the wounds and blood and heart of Christ, whereby his members are rent asunder, and he traitorously crucified again. Secondly, the earthquake shows unto us the exceeding and wonderful hardness of the hearts of the Jews, and ours also: they crucified Christ and were not touched with any remorse; and we can talk and hear of his death, yea we can say he was crucified for our sins: and yet are we nothing affected therewith, our hearts will not rend when as hard rocks cleave asunder. Thirdly, the moving of the ea • th, and the rending of the rocks asunder, may be a sign unto us of the virtue of the doctrine of the gospel of Christ: which is nothing else but the publishing of the passion of his death: which being preached, shall shake heaven and earth, sea and land. It shall move the earthen, hard, and rocky hearts of men; and raise up of mere stones and rocks children unto Abraham. But the main use and ende of this point is, to prove that he that was crucified, was the true Messias the son of God: and therefore had the power of heaven and earth, and could move all things at his pleasure.

The sixth sign of the power of Christ is, that graves did open, & many bodies of the Saints which slept arose, and came out of their graves after his resurrectiō, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. The use of this sign is this: it signifies unto us, that Christ by his death upon the cross did vanquish death in the grave, and opened it • and thereby testified that he was the resurrection and the life: so that it shall not have everlasting dominion over us: but that he will raise us up from death to life, and to everlasting glory.

The seventh sign is the testimony of the Centurion with his soldiers which stood by to see Christ executed: S. Mark saith, when he saw that Christ thus crying gave up the ghost, he said, truly this was the son of God. Thus we see it is an easy matter for Christ to defend his own cause: let Judas betray him, Peter deny him, and all the rest forsake him, yet he can if it so please him make the Centurion that standeth by to see him executed to testify of his innocence. But what was the occasion that moved him to give so worthy a testimony? S. Matthew saith, it was fear, and that fear was caused, by hearing the loud cry of Christ, and by seeing the earthquake & things which were done. And this must put us in mind not to pass by God's judgments which daily fall out in the world, but take knowledge of them, and as it were, to fixe both our eyes on them. For they are notable means to strike and astonish the rebellious heart of man, and to bring it in awe and subjection to God. After that the two first captains with their fifties commanding the Prophet Elias to come down to king Achaziah, were consumed with fire from heaven, the king sent his third captain over fifty with his fifty to fetch him down: but what doth he? it is said, he fell on his knee before Elijah, and besought him, saying, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the lives of these fifty servants be precious in thine eyes. But what was the cause why he prayed thus? Surely he observed what judgments of God fell upon his two former fellow captains, Behold, saith he, there came down fire from heaven, and devoured the two former captains with their fifties: therefore let my life be precious now in thy sight. Thus laying to his own heart and making use of God's judgments, he humbled himself and was spared with his fifty. And Habaccuk saith, When I heard the voice, namely of God's judgments, rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself that I might be safe in the day of the Lord. Now what this fear of the Centurion was, there is a further question, and it is very like that it was but a sudden motion or a certain preparative to better things. For he was but an heathen man, and had as yet no knowledge of Christ, and whether he repented or not it is vncerten: and we must not marvel at this, for there are many sudden motions in show very good, that upon like occasions rise in the hearts of natural men. When God plagued the land of Egypt, then Pharaoh sent for Moses and confessed that the Lord was righteous, but he and his people were wicked; and desired Moses to pray to God to take away the plague, who did so: but so soon as the hand of God was stayed, he returned to his old rebellion again. And as a dog that cometh out of the water shaketh his cares, and yet returneth into it again: so is the manner of the world: when crosses and calamities befall men, as sickness, loss of friends or goods, then with Ahab they outwardly humble themselves and go softly: they use to frequent the place where the word is preached and God's name called upon: but alas, common experience shows that these things are but fits arising of vncerten and flittering motions in the heart. For so soon as the cross is removed, they return to their old by as again, and become as bad and as backward as ever they were: being like to the tree that lies in the water, which for a while is green, but afterward withereth. And therefore we for our parts, when any good motions come into our hearts as the beginnings of further grace, we (I say) must not quench them but cherish and preserve them, remembering that the kingdom of heaven, is like a grain of mustard seed, which when it is sown is the least of all seeds: but afterward it groweth up into a tree, that the souls of the heaven may build their nests in it: and like to this are the first motions of God's spirit, and therefore they must be cherished and maintained.

And thus much for the seven signs of the power of Christ's godhead. Now follows the second part of the triumph of Christ, which containeth signs of his victory upon the cross, notably expressed by Paul when he saith, And putting out the hand writing of ordinances which was against us, which was contrary to us, he even took it out of the way and fastened it upon the cross, and hath spoiled the principalities and powers, and hath made a show of them openly, and hath triumphed openly in the same. In which words he alludeth to the manner of heathen triumphs: for it was the custom of the heathen princes when they had gotten the victory over their enemies, first to cause a pillar of stone, or some great oke to be cut down, and set up in the place of victory, upon which either the names of the chief enemies were set, or their heads were hanged, or words were written in the pillar to testify the victory. This being done, there followed an open show, in which first the conqueror prepares for himself a chariot of victory wherein he was himself to ride, and then the chief of his enemies bound and pinioned, were led openly after him. Now on the same manner upon the cross there was a pitched field; the Emperor on the one side was Christ; his enemies on the other side were the world, the flesh, hell, death, damnation, the devil, and all his angels: all which, banding themselves against him were all subdued by him upon the same cross: and he himself gave two signs of his triumph, one was a monument of the victory, the other an open show of his conquest. Now the monument of Christ's victory was the cross it self, whereon he nailed the obligation or bill which was against us: whereby Satan might have accused and condemned us before God. For we must consider that God the father is as a creditor, and we all debtors unto him: he hath a bill of our hands which is the law, in that it giveth testimony against us; first by the legal washings, which did show and signify that we were altogether defiled and unclean; secondly by the sacrifices that were daily offered for the propitiation for our sins. Now Christ was our surety, and paid every iotte of the debt which we should have paid, and requiring the acquittance, taketh the ceremonial law, and the curse of the moral law, and nails them to the cross.

Furthermore in the show of conquest, the chariot is the cross likewise: for it was not only a monument of victory, but also a chariot of triumph. And the captives bound and pinioned which follow Christ, are the principalities and powers, that is, the devil, and his angels, hell, death, and condemnation: all which are as it were taken prisoners, their armor and weapons are taken frō them, and they chained and bound each to other.

The meditation of this point serveth to admonish us to abandon all manner of sin, and to make conscience of every good duty if we will aright profess the gospel of Christ: for when we sin, we do as it were pull Christ out of his chariot of triumph, and untie Satan's bonds, & give him weapons, and (as much as we can) make him valiant and strong again. Now for any man to make Satan and sin valiant and strong against himself, whereas Christ hath weakened him, and even bruised his head, is no better then to become an enemy to the cross of Christ. Again, hereby we are taught to pray unto God that our blind eyes may be opened, that we may discern aright of the passion of Christ. It is a wonder to see howe men are carried away with a liking of vain shows, games, and interludes: how they spend even whole days in beholding them, and their money also that they may come to the places where they are: oh then how exceedingly ought our hearts to be ravished with this most admirable show, in which the son of God himself rides most gloriously in his chariot of triumph, and leads his and our most cursed enemies captive, yea treads them under his foot. This triumph is set forth unto us in the preaching of the Gospel, and may be seen of us all freely without money or money-worth. What wretches then shall we be, if we suffer our hearts to be filled with earthly delights, and in the mean season have little or no desire to behold with the eyes of our mind this goodly spectacle that is to be seen in the passion of Christ, that serves to revive and refresh our souls to life eternal.

Thirdly, if Christ when he was most weak and base in the eyes of men, did most of all triumph upon the cross; then everyone of us must learn to say with the Apostle Paul, God forbid that I should rejoice in anything but in the cross of Christ Jesus our Lord. That we may say this truly, first of all we must labor to have the benefit of the cross of Christ not only in the remission but also in the mortification of our sins: secondly, we must not be discomforted, but rather rejoice and triumph therein. A Christian man can never have greater honor then to suffer for the Gospel of Christ when God calleth him thereunto: and therefore Saint Paul setteth forth another most glorious show which all those must make that suffer anything for God's cause. They must encounter with the world, the flesh, and the devil, and are placed as it were on a theater: and in this conflict the beholders are men and angels; yea, the whole host of heaven and earth: the umpire or judge is God himself, who will give sentence of victory on their side, and so they shall overcome. We must not hereupon thrust our selves into danger: but when it shall please God to call us thereunto, we must think our selves highly honored of him. As when God sendeth loss of friends, of substance, or good name, or any other calamity, we must not despair, or be over grieved, but rather rejoice and address our selves then with our Savior Christ to make a triumph.

Thus much of Christ's triumph, and the passion of his cross. Now followeth the second degree of his humiliation, in these words, And buried. Where we must consider these points: I. why it was needful that Christ should be buried. II. who was the author of his burial. III. the manner or preparation to his burial. IV. the place and time where and when he was buried. Of these in order. For the first; the causes are many, but especially four why Christ was to be buried. I. that the truth and certainty of his death might be confirmed unto us, and that no man might so much as imagine that his death was a fantastical death, or his body a fantastical body: for men use not to bury a living but a dead man, or a man in show but a true man. II. that his burial might be unto him a passage from the estate of humiliation to the estate of exaltation, which began in his resurrection: and he could not have risen again if he had not been first buried. III. that the outward humiliation in the form of a servant, which he took upon him, might be continued upon him to the lowest degree of all: and therefore it was not sufficient that he should be crucified even to death, but being dead, he must be also buried. IV. Christ was buried, that he might not only vanquish death on the cross, but even after the manner of conquerors subdue him at his own home, and as it were pluck him out of his own cabine or den.

The authors of Christ's burial were Joseph of Arimathea, and Nicodemus, who came to Jesus by night. Now concerning them and this their fact, there are many things worthy to be considered in this place. First of all they were disciples of Christ, and the difference between them and the rest is to be considered. The other disciples though in number they were but few, yet in the feast before his passion they openly followed him: but when Christ was to be arraigned, and the persecution of the Church of the new testament began in him, then Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, and the rest fled away: yet even at the same instant these two secret disciples of our Savior Christ, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take courage to themselves, and in time of danger openly profess themselves to be Christ's disciples by an honorable and solemn burial; God no doubt opening their hearts and enabling them to do so. The like is to be seen in all ages since the passion of Christ in the Church of God, in which men zealous for the Gospel in peace have been timorous in persecution, whereas weak ones have stood out against their enemies even unto death it self. The reason is, because God will humble those his servants which are oftentimes endued with great measure of graces, and contrariwise exalt and strengthen the weak and feeble: and the same no doubt will be found true among us, if it should please God to send any new trial into the Church of England. This serves to teach us to think charitably of those which are as yet but weak among us: and withal in our profession to carry a low sails and to think basely of our selves, and in the whole course of our lives creep alow by the ground, running on in fear and trembling, because the Lord oftentimes humbles those that be strong, and give courage and strength to weak ones boldly to confess his name. Secondly, whereas these two disciples have such care of the burial of Christ, we learn that it is our duty to be careful also for the honest and solemn burial of our brethren. The Lord himself hath commanded it, Thou art dust and to dust thou shalt return. Also the bodies of men are the good creatures of God, yea the bodies of God's children are the temples of the holy Ghost, & therefore there is good cause why they should be honestly laid in the earth. And it was a curse and judgment of God upon Jehoiakim that he must not be buried, but like a dead asse be drawn and cast out of the gates of Jerusalem. And so the Lord threatens a curse upon the Moabites, because they did not bury the king of Edom, but burnt his bones into lime. And therefore it is a necessary duty one neighbor and friend to look to the honest burial of another. Hence it follows, that the practice of Spain and Italy and all popish cuntries, which is to keep the parts of men's bodies and such like relics of Saints unburied, that they may be seen of men and worshipped, hath no warrant: dust they are and to dust they ought to be returned.

Furthermore the properties and virtues of both these men are severally to be considered. And first to begin with Joseph, he was a Senator ; a man of great account, authority, and reputation among the Jews. It may seem a strange thing that a man of such account would abase himself so much as to take down the body of Christ from the cross. It might have been an hindrance to him and a disgrace to his estate and calling: as we see in these days, it would be thought a base thing for a knight or lord to come to the place of execution and take down a thief from the hand of the hangman to bury him: but this noble Senator Joseph for the love he bare to Christ, made no account of his state and calling, neither did he scorn to take upon him so base an office, considering it was for the honor of Christ: where we learn, that if we truly love Christ, and our hearts be • et to believe in him, we will never refuse to perform the basest service that may be for his honor, nothing shall hinder us. It is further said that he was a good man and a just: and also a rich man. And the first appeareth in this, that he would neither consent to the counsel nor fact of the Jews in crucifying Christ. It is rare to find the like man in these days. From this example we learn these lessons. I. that a rich man remaining a rich man may be a servant of God, and also be saved: for riches are the good blessings of God, and in themselves do no whit hinder a man in coming to Christ. But some will say, Christ himself saith, It is easier for a cable to go through the eye of a needle • then a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. Answ. It is to be understood of a rich man, so long as he swelleth with a confidence in his wealth: but we know, that if a cable be untwisted and drawn into small threads, it may be drawn through the eye of a needle: so he that is rich let him deny himself, abase himself, and lay aside all confidence in himself, in his riches and honor, & be as it were, made small as twine thread, and with this good Senator Joseph become the disciple of Christ, he may enter into the kingdom of heaven. But Christ saith in the parable that riches are thorns, which choke the grace of God. Answ. It is true, they are thorns in that subject or in that man that putteth his trust in them; not in their own nature, but by reason of the corruption of man's heart, who makes of them his God. Saint John saith further, that Joseph was a disciple of Christ, but yet a close disciple for fear of the Jews. And this shows, that Christ is most ready to receive them that come unto him, though they come laden with manifold wants. I say not this, that any hereby should take boldness to live in their sins, but my meaning is, that though men be weak in the faith, yet are they not to be dismayed, but to come to Christ, who refuseth none that come to him. Draw near to God (saith S. James) and he will draw near to you. Christ doth not forsake any, till they forsake him first. Lastly the holy Ghost saith of him, that he waited for the kingdom of God, that is, he did believe in the Messias to come, and therefore did wait daily till the time was come, whē the Messias by his death and passion should abolish the kingdom of sin and Satan, and establish his own kingdom throughout the whole world. The same is said of Simeon that he was a good man and feared God, and waited for the consolation of Israel. This was the most principal virtue of all that Joseph had, and the very root of all his goodness and righteousness, that he waited for the kingdom of God. For it is the property of faith whereby we have confidence in the Messias to change our nature, and to purify the heart, and to make it bring forth works of righteousness. There be many among us, that can talk of Christ's kingdom, and of redemption by him, and yet make no conscience of sin, & have little care to live according to the Gospel which they profess: and all is, because they do not soundly believe in the Messias, and they wait not for the kingdom of heaven, & therefore there is no change in them: but we for our parts must labor to have this affiance in the Messias with Joseph, and to wait for the second appearance, that thereby we may be made new creatures, having the kingdom of Satan battered and beaten down in us, and the kingdom of God erected in our hearts.

Touching Nicodemus Saint John saith, that he came to Jesus by night. Many men build upon this example, that it is lawful to be present at the Mass; so be it, in the mean season we keep our hearts to God: and indeed such men are like Nicodemus in that they labor to bury Christ as much as they can, though now after his resurrection he should not be buried again. But though Nicodemus durst not openlie at the first profess the name of Christ, yet after his death when there is most danger he doth: and by this means he reformeth his former action.

Thus much of the persons that buried Christ. The third thing to be observed is the manner of Christ's burial, which standeth in these four points. First, they take down his body from the cross: secondly, they wind it: thirdly, they lay it in a tomb: fourthly, the tomb is made sure. Of these in order. First, Joseph taketh down the body of Christ from the cross whereon he was executed, but mark in what manner: he doth it not on his own head without leave, but he goeth to Pilate and beggeth the body of Christ, and craveth liberty to take it down, because the disposing of dead bodies was in Pilate's hand, he being deputy at that time: whereby we learn, that in all our dealings and actions (though they have never so good an end) our duty is to proceed as peaceably with all men as may be, as Saint James saith: the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable; gentle, &c. Again, this teacheth us, that in all things which concern the authority of the Magistrate, and belong unto him by the rule of God's word, we must attempt or do whatsoever we do by leave. And by this we see what unadvised courses they take, that being private men in this our Church, will notwithstanding take upon them to plant Churches without the leave of the Magistrate being a Christian Prince. Having thus taken the body of Christ down, they go on to wind it. And Joseph for his part brought linen clothes, and Nicodemus a mixture of myrrh and aloes to the quantity of an hundred pounds for the honorable burial of Christ. His winding was on this manner: they wrapped his body hastily in linen clothes, sweet odors put thereto. Besides all this, in the Jews burials there was embalming and washing of the body, but Christ's body was not embalmed or washed, because they had no time to do it, for the preparation to the Passover drew near. And whereas these two men bury Christ at their own cost and charges, we are taught to be like affected to the living members of Christ: when they want we must relieve and comfort thē liberally • and freely. It may here be demanded, whether men may not be at cost in making funerals, considering even Christ himself is with much cost buried. Ans. The bodies of all dead men are to be buried in seemly and honest manner, and if they be honorable, they may be buried honourably: yet now there is no cause why men's bodies should be washed, anointed, and embalmed, as the use was among the Jews: for they used embalming as a pledge and sign of the resurrection; but now since Christ's coming we have a more certain pledge thereof, even the resurrection of Christ himself, and therefore it is not requisite that we should use embalming and washing as the Jews did. And the clause which is specified in Saint Matthew is not to be omitted, that Joseph wrapped Christ's body in a clean linen clothe: whereby we learn, that howsoever the strange fashions fetched from Spain and Italy are monstrous and to be abhorred: yet, seeing the body of a man is the creature of God, therefore it must be arrayed in cleanly manner, and in holy comeliness. Paul requires that the minister of the Gospel in all things be seemly or comely: and herein he ought to be a pattern of sobriety unto all men. Thirdly, after they have wound the body of Christ, they lay it in a tomb, and lastly they make it sure, closing it up with a stone rolled over the mouth of it. Also the Jews request Pilate to seal it that none might presume to open it: besides, they set a band of soldiers to watch the tomb, and to keep it that his body be not stolen away. Many reasons might be alleged of this their dealing, but principally it came to pass by the providence of God, that hereby he might confirm the resurrection of Christ. For whereas the Jews would neither be moved by his doctrine nor by his works and miracles to believe, he causeth this to be done, that by the certainty of his resurrection he might convince them of hardness of heart, and prove that he was the son of God.

Thus much of the manner of his burial. Now follows the place where Christ was buried. In the place we are to mark three things: first, that Christ was laid in Joseph's tomb, whereby we may gather the greatness of Christ's poverty, in that he had not so much ground as to make himself a grave in: and this must be a comfort to the members of Christ that are in poverty. And it teacheth them, if they have no more but food and raiment, to be therewith content, knowing that Christ their head and king hath consecrated this very estate unto them. Secondly, the tomb wherein Christ was laid was a new tomb wherein never any man lay before. And it was the special appointment of God's providence that it should be so, because if any man had been buried there aforetime, the malicious Jews would have pleaded, that it was not Christ that rose again but some other. Thirdly we must observe, that this tomb was in a garden, as the fall of man was in a garden, and as the apprehension of Christ in a garden beyond the brook Cedron. And here we must note the practice of a good man. This garden was the place of Joseph's delight and holy recreation, wherein he used to solace himself in beholding the good creatures of God; yet in the same place doth he make his own grave long before he died: whereby it appears, that his recreation was joined with a meditation of his ende: and his example must be followed of us. True it is, God hath given us his creatures not only for necessity, but also for our lawful delight; but yet our duty is, to mingle therewith serious meditation and consideration of our last end. It is a brutish part to use the blessings and creatures of God, and not at all to be bettered in regard of our last end by a further use thereof.

The time when Christ was buried was the evening, wherein the Sabbath was to begin according to the manner of the Jews, which began their days at sun setting from evening to evening according to that in Genesis: the evening and the morning was the first day. Now Joseph cometh a little before evening and beggeth the body of Christ and burieth it: where note, that howsoever we are not bound to keep the Sabbath so strictly as the Jews were, yet when we have any business or work to be done of our ordinary calling, we must not take a part of the Lord's Sabbath to do it in, but prevent the time, and do it either before as Joseph did, or rather after the Sabbath. This is little practiced in the world. Men think if they go to Church before and after noon to hear God's word, then all the day after they may do what they list, and spend the rest of the time at their own pleasure: but the whole day is the Lord's, and therefore must be spent wholly in his service both by public hearing of the word, and also by private reading and meditation on the same.

To conclude the doctrine of Christ's burial. Here it may be demanded, howe he was always after his incarnation both God and man, considering he was dead and buried, and therefore body and soul were sundered, and a dead man seems to be no man. Ans. A dead man in his kind is as true a man as a living man: for though body and soul be not united by the bond of life, yet are they united by a relation which the one hath to the other in the counsel & good pleasure of god; and that as truly as man and woman r • main coupled into one flesh by a covenant of marriage, though afterward they be distant a thousand miles asunder. And by virtue of this relation every soul in the day of judgment shall be reunited to his own body, and everybody to his own soul. But there is yet a more straighter bond between the body and soul of Christ in his death and burial. For as when he was living his soul was a mean or bond to unite his godhead and his body together: so when he was dead his very Godhead was a mean or middle bond to unite the body and soul: and to say otherwise is to dissolve the hypostatical union, by virtue whereof Christ's body and soul though severed each from other, yet both were still joined to the godhead of the son.

The use and profit which may be made of Christ's burial is twofold: I. It serveth to work in us the burial of all our sins. Knowe ye not (saith Paul) that all who have been baptized into Christ; have been baptized into his death, & are buried with him by baptism into his death? If any shall demand howe any man is buried into the death of Christ, the answer is this: Every Christian man and woman are by faith mystically united unto Christ, and made all members of one body, whereof Christ is the head. Now therefore as Christ by the power of his godhead when he was dead and buried, did overcome the grave & the power of death in his own person: so by the very same power by means of his spiritual conjunction doth he work in all his members a spiritual death and burial of sin and natural corruption. When the Israelites were in burying of a man, for fear of the soldiers of the Moabites, they cast him for hast into the sepulcher of Elisha. Now the dead man, so soon as he was down, and had touched the body of Elisha, he revived and stood upon his feet: so let a man that is dead in sin be cast into the grave of Christ, that is, let him by faith but touch Christ dead and buried; it will come to pass by the virtue of Christ's death and burial that he shall be raised from death and bondage of sin to become a new man.

Secondly, the burial of Christ serves to be a sweet perfume of all our graves and burials: for the grave in it self is the house of perdition; but Christ by his burial hath as it were consecrated and perfumed all our graves: and instead of houses of perdition, hath made them chambers of rest and sleep, yea beds of down, and therefore howsoever to the eye of man the beholding of a funeral is terrible, yet if we could then remember the burial of Christ, and consider howe he thereby hath changed the nature of the grave, even then it would make us to rejoice. Lastly, we must imitate Christ's burial in being continually occupied in the spiritual burial of our sins.

Thus much of the burial. Now followeth the third and last degree of Christ's humiliation: He descended into hell. It seems very likely that these words were not placed in the Creed at the first, (or as some think) that they crept in by negligence, because above threescore Creeds of the most ancient counsels and fathers want this clause: and among the rest the Nicene Creed. But if the ancient and learned fathers assembled in that Counsel had been persuaded, or at the least had imagined that these words had been set down at the first by the Apostles, no doubt they would not in any wise have left them out. And an ancient writer saith directly, that these words, he descended into hell, are not found in the Creed of the Roman Church, nor used in the churches of the East: and if they be, that then they signify the burial of Christ. And it must not seem strange to any • that a word or twain in process of time should creep into the Creed, considering that the original copies of the books of the old and new testament have in them sundry varieties of readings and words otherwhiles which from the margin have crept into the text. Nevertheless considering that this clause hath long continued in the Creed, and that by common consent of the Catholic Church of God, and • t may carry a fit sense and exposition; it is not as some would have it, to be put forth.

Therefore that we may come to speak of the meaning of it, we must know that it hath four usual expositions, which we will rehearse in order, and then make choice of that which shall be thought to be the fittest. The first is, that Christ's soul after his passion upon the cross, did really and locally descend into the place of the damned. But this seems not to be true. The reasons are these. I. all the Evangelists, and among the rest S. Luke, intending to make an exact narration of the life and death of Christ, have set down at large his passion, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, and withal they make rehearsal of small circumstances, therefore no doubt they would not have omitted Christ local descent into the place of the damned, if there had been any such thing. And the ende why they penned this history was, that we might believe that Jesus is Christ the son of God; and believing, we might have life everlasting. Now there could not have been a greater matter for the confirmation of our faith then this, that Jesus the son of Marie who went down to the place of the damned, returned thence to live in happiness forever. II. If Christ did go into the place of the damned, then either in soul or in body, or in his godhead. But his Godhead could not descend, because it is everywhere, and his body was in the grave. And as for his soul it went not to hell, but presently after his death it went to paradise, that is, the third heaven, a place of joy and happiness, Luk. 23.43. This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise: which words of Christ must be understood of his manhood or soul, and not of his Godhead. For they are an answer to a demand: and therefore unto it, they must be suitable. Now the thief seeing that Christ was first of all crucified, and therefore in all likelihood should first of all die, makes his request to this effect: Lord, thou shalt shortly enter into thy kingdom, remember me then; to which Christ's answer (as the very words import) is thus much. I shall enter into paradise this day, and there shalt thou be with me. Now there is no entrance, but in regard of his soul or manhood. For the Godhead which is at all times in all places, cannot be said properly to enter into a place. Again when Christ saith, thou shalt be with me in Paradise, he doth intimate a resemblance, which is between the first and second Adam. The first Adam sinned against God, and was presently cast forth out of paradise. Christ the second Adam having made a satisfaction for sin, must immediately enter into paradise. Now to say that Christ in soul descended locally into hell, is to abolish this anolagie between the first & second Adā. III. Auncient councils in their confessions and Creeds omitting this clause show, that they did not acknowledge any real descent, and that the true meaning of these words, he descended, was sufficiently included in some of the former articles, and that may appear, because when they set down it, they omit some of the former: as Athanasius in his Creed setting down these words, he descended, &c. omits the burial, putting them both for one, as he expounds himself elsewhere. Now let us see the reasons which may be alleged to the contrary.

Object. I. Matth. 12.40. The son of man shall be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, that is, in hell. Ans. I. This exposition is directly against the scope of the place: for the Pharisees desired to see a sign, that is, some sensible and manifest miracle: and hereunto Christ answers that he will give them the sign of Jonah, which cannot be the descent of his soul into the place of the damned, because it was insensible; but rather his burial, and after it his manifest and glorious resurrection. II. The heart of the earth may as well signify the grave as the center of the earth. For thus Tyrus bordering upon the sea, is said to be in the heart of the sea. III. This exposition takes it for granted that hell is seated in the midst of the earth: whereas the scriptures reveal unto us no more but this, that hell is in the lower parts: but where these lower parts should be, no man is able to define.

Object. II. Act. 2.37. Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption. Answer. These words cannot prove any local descent of Christ's soul. For Peters drift in alleging of them is, to prove the resurrection, and he saith expressly, that the words must be understood of the resurrection of Christ, verse. 31. He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ. What? namely these words, his soul was not left in hell, &c. Now there is no resurrection of the soul, but of the body only, as the soul cannot be said to fall, but the body. It will be replied that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cannot signify the body, and the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the grave. Ans. The first word signifies not only the spiritual part of a man, the soul; but also the whole person, or the man himself, Rom. 13.1. 1. Cor. 15.41. And the second is as well taken for the grave, as for hell. Apoc. 20. 14. Death and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 are cast into the lake of fire. Now we cannot say, that hell is cast into hell, but the grave into hell. And the very same word in this text, must needs have this sense. For Peter makes an opposition between the grave into which David is shut up, and the hell out of which Christ was delivered, verse. 29.31. Again it will be said, that in this text there be two distinct partes: the first of the souls coming forth of hell, in these words, Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. The second, of the bodies rising out of the grave, in the next words: neither wilt thou suffer my flesh to see corruptiō. Ans. It is not so. For flesh in this place signifies not the body alone, but the human nature of Christ, as appears verse. 30. unless we shall say that one and the same word in the same sentence is taken two ways. And the words rather carry this sense: Thou wilt not suffer me to continue long in the grave; nay which is more, in the time of my continuance there, thou wilt not suffer me so much as to feel any corruption; because I am thy holy one.

Object. III. 1. Pet. 3.19. Christ was quickened in spirit, by the which spirit he went and preached to the spirits which are in prison. Answer. The place is not for this purpose. For by spirit is not meant the soul of Christ, but his godhead, which in the ministry of Noah preached repentance to the old world. And I think that Peter in this place alludes to another place in Genesis 6.3. where the Lord saith, My spirit shall not always strive with man, because he is but flesh. And if the spirit do signify the soul, then Christ was quickened either by his soul or in his soul. But neither is true. For the first, it cannot be said, that Christ was quickened by his soul, because it did not join it self to the body: but the godhead joined them both. Neither was he quickened in soul: for his soul died not. It could not die the first death, which belongs to the body: and it did not die the second death, which is a total separation from God: only it suffered the sorrows of the second death, which is the apprehension of the wrath of God; as a man may feel the pangs of the first death, and yet not die the first death, but live. Again, it is to no ende that Christ's soul should go to hell to preach, considering that it was never heard of that one soul should preach to another, especially in hell, where all are condemned, and in conscience convicted of their just damnation, and where there is no hope of repentance or redemption. It will be answered, that this preaching is only real or experimental, because Christ shows himself there to convince the unbelief of his enemies: but this is flat against reason. For when a man is justly condemned by God, and therefore sufficiently convicted: what need the judge himself come to the place of execution to convict him. And it is flat against the text. For the preaching that is spoken of here, is that which is performed by men in the ministry of the word, as Peter expounds himself, 1. Pet. 4.6. To this purpose was the Gospel also preached unto the dead, that they might be condemned according to men in the flesh, that they might live according to God in the spirit. Lastly, there is no reason why Christ should rather preach and show himself in hell, to them that were disobedient in the days of Noah, then to the rest of the damned.

And this is the first exposition, the second follows. He descended into hell, that is, Christ descended into the grave, or was buried. This exposition is agreeable to the truth, yet is it not meet or convenient. For the clause next before, he was buried, contained this point: and therefore if the next words following yield the same sense, there must be a vain and needless repetition of one and the same thing twice, which is not in any wise to be allowed in so short a Creed as this. If it be said that these words are an exposition of the former, the answer is, that then they should be more plain then the former. For when one sentence expoundeth another, the latter must always be the plainer: but of these two sentences, He was buried, he descended into hell, the first is very plain and easy, but the latter very obscure and hard, and therefore it can be no exposition thereof: and for this cause this exposition neither is to be received.

Thirdly, others there be which expound it thus, He descended into hell, that is, Christ Jesus, when he was dying upon the cross, felt and suffered the pangs of hell and the full wrath of God seizing upon his soul. This exposition hath his warrant in God's word, where hell often signifies the sorrows and pains of hell, as Hanna in her song unto the Lord saith, The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell and raiseth up, that is, he maketh men feel woe and misery in their souls, even the pangs of hell, and after restoreth them. And David saith, The sorrows of death compassed me, and the terrors of hell laid hold on me. This is an usual exposition received of the Church, and they which expound this article thus, gives this reason thereof: The former words, was crucified, dead, and buried, do contain (say they) the outward sufferings of Christ: now because he suffered not only outwardly in body, but also inwardly in soul, therefore these words, he descended into hell, do set forth unto us his inward sufferings in soul, when he felt upon the cross the full wrath of God upon him. This exposition is good and true, and whosoever will may receive it. Yet nevertheless it seems not so fitly to agree with the order of the former articles. For these words, was crucified, dead, and buried, must not be understood of any ordinary death, but of a cursed death in which Christ suffered the full wrath of God, even the pangs of hell both in soul and body: seeing then this exposition is contained in the former words, it cannot fitly stand with the order of this short Creed, unless there should be a distinct article of things repeated before.

But let us come to the fourth exposition, He descended into hell, that is, when he was dead and buried, he was held captive in the grave, and lay in bondage under death for the space of three days. This exposition also may be gathered forth of the Scriptures. Saint Peter faith, God hath raised him up, (speaking of Christ) and loosed the sorrows of death, because it was impossible that he should be holden of it. Where we may see, that between the death and resurrection of Christ, there is placed a third matter, which is not mentioned in any clause of the Apostles Creed, save in this; and that is his bondage under death, which cometh in between his death and rising again. And the words themselves do most fitly bear this sense, as the speech of Jacob showeth, I will go down into hell unto my son mourning. And this exposition doth also best agree with the order of the Creed; first he was crucified and died, secondly he was buried, thirdly laid in the grave, & was therein held in captivity and bondage under death. And these three degrees of Christ's humiliatiō, are most fitly correspondent to the three degrees of his exaltation. The first degree of exaltation, he rose again the third day, answering to the first degree of his humiliation, he died: the second degree of his exaltation, he ascended into heaven, answering to his going down into the grave, was buried: and thirdly his sitting at the right hand of God (which is the highest degree of his exaltation) answering to the lowest degree of his humiliation, he descended into hell. These two last expositions are commonly received, and we may indifferently make choice of either: but the last (as I take it) is most agreeable to the order and words of the Creed.

Thus much for the meaning of the words. Now follow the uses. And first of all Christ's descending into hell, teacheth everyone of us that profess the name of Christ, that, if it shall please God to afflict us, either in body or in mind, or in both, though it be in most grievous and tedious manner, yet must we not think it strange. For if Christ upon the cross not only suffered the pangs of hell, but after he was dead, death takes him, and as it were carries him into his den, or cabbin • and there triumpheth over him, holding him in captivity and bondage, and yet for all this was he the son of God: and therefore when God's hand is heavy upon us any way, we are not to despair, but rather think it is the good pleasure of God to frame and fashion us, that we may become like unto Christ Jesus as good children of God. David a man after God's own heart was by Samuel anointed King over Israel, but withal God raised up Saul to persecute him, as the fowler hunteth the partridge in the mountain, in so much that David said, there was but one step between him and death. So likewise Job a just man and one that feared God with all his heart, yet how heavily did God lay his hand upon him: his goods and cattle were all taken away, and his children slain, and his body stri • k • n by Satan with loathsome byles from the sole of his foot unto the crown • of his head: so as he was fain to take a potsherd and scrape himself sitting among the ashes. And Jonah the servant and Prophet of the most high God, when he was called to preach to Nineveh, because he refused for fear of that great city, God met with him, and he must be cast into the sea, and there be swallowed up of a Whale, that so he might chastise him: and thus doth he deal with his own servants, to make them conformable to Christ. And further, when it pleaseth God to lay his hand upon our souls, and make us have a troubled and distressed conscience, so as we do as it were struggle with gods wrath as for life and death, and can find nothing but his indignation seizing upon our souls, which is the most grievous and perplexed estate that any man can be in: in this case howsoever we cannot discern or see any hope or comfort in our selves, we must not think it strange, nor quite despair of his mercy. For the son of God himself descended into hell, and death carried him captive, and triumphed over him in the grave: and therefore though God seem to be our utter enemy, yet we must not despair of his help. In diverse Psalms we read how David was not only persecuted outwardly of his enemies, but even his soul and conscience were perplexed for his sins, so as his very bones were consumed within him, and his moisture was turned into the drought in summer. This caused Job to cry out that the arrows of God were within him, and the venyme thereof did drink up his spirit, the terrors of God did fight against him, & the grief of his soul was as weighty as the sand of the sea, by reason whereof he saith, that the Lord did make him a mark and a but to shoot at: and therefore when God shall thus afflict us, either in body or in soul, or in both, we must not always think that it is the wrathful hand of the Lord that begins to bring us to utter condemnation for our sins, but rather his fatherly work to kill sin in us, and to make us grow in humility, that so we may become like unto Christ Jesus. Secondly, whereas Christ for our sakes was thus abased even unto the lowest degree of humiliation that can be, it is an example for us to imitate, as Christ himself prescribeth: Learn of me that I am meek and lowely. And that we may the better do this, we must learn to become nothing in our selves, that we may be all in all forth of our selves in Christ: we must loath and think as basely of our selves as possibly may be in regard of our sins. Christ Jesus upon the cross was content for our sakes, to become a worm and no man, as David saith, which did chiefly appear in this lowest degree of his humiliation, when as death did as it were tread on him in his den; and the same mind must likewise be in us which was in him. The liking that we have of our selves must be mere nothing, but all our love and liking must be forth of our selves in the death and blood of Christ.

And thus much of this clause, as also of the state of Christ's humiliation. Now followeth his second estate, which is his exaltation into glory, set down t • these words, The third day he arose again from the dead, &c. And of it we are first to speak in general, then in particular according to the several degrees thereof. In general, the exaltation of Christ is, that glorious or happy estate, into which Christ entered after he had wrought the work of our redemption upon the cross. And he was exalted according to both natures, in regard of his godhead, and also of his manhood. The exaltation of the godhead of Christ, was the manifestation of the glory of his godhead in the manhood. Some will peradventure demand, howe Christ's godhead can be exalted, seeing it admits no alteration at all. Answer. In it self it cannot be exalted, yet being considered as it is joined with the manhood into one person, in this respect it may be said to be exalted: and therefore I say, the exaltation of Christ's godhead is the manifestation of the glory thereof in the manhood. For though Christ from his incarnation was both God and man, and his godhead all that time dwelt in his manhood; yet from his birth unto his death, the same godhead did little show it self, and in the time of his suffering did as it were lie hid under the veil of his flesh as the soul doth in the body, when a man is sleeping, that thereby in his human nature he might suffer the curse of the law, and accomplish the work of redemption for us, in the lo • e and base estate of a servant. But after this work was finished, he began by degrees to make manifest the power of his Godhead in his manhood. And in this respect his godhead may be said to be exalted. The exaltation of Christ's humanity stood in two things. The first, that he laid down all the infirmities of man's nature, which he carried about him so long as he was in the state of a servant, in that he ceased to be weary, hungry, thirsty, &c. Here it may be demanded, whether the wounds and skars remain in the body of Christ now after it is glorified. Ans. Some think that they do remain as testimonies of that victory which Christ obtained of his and our enemies, and that they are no deformity to the glorious body of the Lord, but are themselves also in him in some unspeakable manner glorified. But indeed it rather seems to be a truth, to say that they are quite abolished; because they were a part of that ignominious and base estate in which our Savior was upon the cross: which after his entrance into glory he laid aside. And if it may be thought that the wounds in the hands and feet of Christ remain to be seen, even to the last judgment, why may we not in the same manner think that the veins of his body remain emptied of their blood, because it was shed upon the cross.

The second thing required in the exaltation of Christ's manhood is, that both his body and soul were beutified and adorned with all qualities of glory. His mind was enriched with as much knowledge & understanding as can possibly befall any creature, & more in measure then all men & angels have: and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his will and affections: his body also was incorruptible, & it was made a shining body, a resemblance whereof some of his disciples saw in the mount: and it was endued with agility, to move as well upward as downward • as may appear by the ascension of his body into heaven, which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion, but by a property agreeing to all bodies glorified. Yet in the exaltation of Christ's manhood we must remember two caveats: first, that he did never lay aside the essential properties of a true body: as length, breadth, thickness, visibility, locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more, but keepeth all these still, because they serve for the being of his body. Secondly, we must remember that the gifts of glory in Christ's body are not infinite but finite: for his human nature being but a creature, and therefore finite, could not receive infinite graces and gifts of glory And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false, which hold that Christ's body glorified, is omnipotent and infinite, every way able to do whatsoever he will: for this is to make a creature to be the Creator.

Thus much of Christ's exaltation in general. Now let us come to the degrees thereof, as they are noted in the Creed, which are in number three: I. He rose again the third day: II. He ascended into heaven: III. He sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty. In the handling of Christ's resurrection we must consider these points: I. why Christ ought to rise again: II. the manner of his rising: III. the time when he rose: IV. the place where: V. the uses thereof. For the first, it was necessary that Christ should rise again, and that for three especial causes. First, that hereby he might show to all the people of God that he had fully overcome death. For, else, if Christ had not risen, howe should we have been persuaded in our consciences, that he had made a full & perfect satisfaction for us: nay rather we should have reasoned thus: Christ is not risen, & therefore he hath not overcome death, but death hath overcome him. Secondly, Christ which died, was the son of God; therefore the author of life it self: and for this cause it was neither meet nor possible for him to be holden of death, but he must needs rise from death to life. Thirdly, Christ's priesthood hath two parts: one, to make satisfaction for sin by his one only sacrifice upon the cross: the other, to apply the virtue of this sacrifice unto every believer. Now he offered the sacrifice for sin upon the cross, before the last pang of his death, and in dying satisfied the justice of God: and therefore being dead must needs rise again to perform the second part of his priesthood, namely to apply the virtue thereof unto all that shall truly believe in him, and to make intercession in heaven unto his father for us here on earth. And thus much of the first point.

Now to come to the manner of Christ's resurrection, five things are to be considered in it. The first, that Christ rose again not as every private man doth, but as a public person representing all men that are to come to life eternal. For as in his passion, so also in his resurrection, he stood in our room and place: and therefore when he rose from death, we all, yea the whole Church rose in him, and together with him. And this point not considered, we do not conceive aright of Christ's resurrection, neither can we reap sound comfort by it.

The second is that Christ himself and no other for him, did by his own power raise himself to life. This was the thing which he meant, when he said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will build it up again: & more plainly, I have (saith he) power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again. From whence we learn diverse instructions. First, whereas Christ raiseth himself from death to life, it serveth to prove that he was not only man, but also true God. For the body being dead, could not bring again the soul and join it self unto the same, and make it self alive again; neither yet the soul that is departed from the body, can return again and quicken the body: and therefore there was some other nature in Christ, namely his godhead, which did revnite soul and body together, and there • y quicken the manhood. Secondly, if Christ give life to himself being dead in the grave then much more now being alive and in heaven glorified, is he able to raise up his members from death to life. We are all by nature even stark dead in sin, as the dead body rotten in the grave: and therefore our duty is, to come to Christ our Lord by humble prayer, earnestly entreating him that he would raise us up every day more and more from the grave of our sins to newness of life. He can of men dead in their sins, make us alive unto himself to live in righteousness and true holiness all the days of our life.

The third thing is, that Christ rose again with an earthquake. And this serveth to prove that he lost nothing of his power by death, but still remained the absolute Lord and King of heaven and earth, to whom therefore the earth under his feet trembling doth him homage. This also proveth unto us that Christ which lay dead in the grave did raise himself again by his own almighty power. Lastly it serveth to convince the keepers of the grave, the women which came to embalm him, and the disciples which came to the sepulcher, and would not yet believe that he was risen again. But how came this earthquake? Ans. Saint Matthew saith, there was a great earthquake. For the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, &c. This shows that the power of angels is great, in that they can move and stir the earth. Three angels destroyed Sodom and Gomorrhah. An angel destroyed the first borne of Egypt in one night. In the host of Sennacherib one angel slue in one night an hundredth fourscore and five thousand men. Of like power is the devil himself to shake the earth, and to destroy us all, but that God of his goodness limits and restrains him of his liberty. Well, if one angel be able to shake the earth, what then will Christ himself do when he shall come to judgment the second time, with many thousand thousands of angels? oh how terrible and fearful will his coming be! Not without cause, saith the holy Ghost, that the wicked at that day shall cry out, wishing the hills to fall upon them, and the mountains to cover them for fear of that great and terrible day of the Lord.

The fourth thing is, that an Angel ministered to Christ, being to rise again, in that he came to the grave and rolled away the stone, and sat upon it. Where observe, first how the angels of God minister unto Christ, though dead and buried; whereby they acknowledge that his power, majesty, and authority is not included within the bonds of the earth, but extends it self even to the heavens themselves and the hosts thereof, and that according to his humanity. Wicked men for their parts labored to close him up in the earth, as the basest of all creatures: but the angels of heaven most readily accept him as their sovereign Lord and king: as in like manner they did in his temptation in the wilderness, and in his agony in the garden. Secondly, that the opinion of the Papists and others, which think that the body of Christ went through the grave-stone when he rose again, is without warrant. For the end, no doubt, why the angel rolled away the stone was, that Christ might come forth. And indeed it is against the order of nature that one body should pass through another, without corruption or alteration of either; considering that everybody occupies a place, and two bodies at the same instant cannot be in one proper place.

Furthermore it is said, that when the angel sat on the stone, his countenance was like lightening, and his raiment as white as snow: and this served to show what was the glory of Christ himself. For if the servant and minister be so glorious, then endless is the glory of the lord and master himself. Lastly it is said, that for fear of the angel, the watchmen were astonied, and became as dead men: which teacheth us, that, what God would have come to pass, all the world can never hinder. For though the Jews had closed up the grave with a stone, and set a band of soldiers to watch, least Christ should by any means be taken away, yet all this availeth nothing: by an angel from heaven the seal is broken, the stone is removed, and the watchmen at their wits ends. And this came to pass by the providence of God; that after the watchmen had testified these things to the Jews, they might at length be convicted that Christ, whom they crucified, was the Messias.

The fifth and last point is, that Christ rose not alone, but accompanied with others: as S. Matthew saith, that the graves opened, and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many after Christ's resurrection. And this came to pass that the church of God might know and consider that there is a reviving and quickening virtue in the resurrection of Christ, whereby he is able not only to raise our dead bodies unto life, but also when we are dead in sin, to raise us up to newness of life. And in this very point stands a main difference between the resurrection of Christ, and the resurrection of any other man. For the resurrection of Peter nothing avails to the raising of David or Paul: but Christ's resurrection avails for all that have believed in him: by the very same power whereby he raised himself, he raiseth all his members: and therefore he is called a quickening spirit. And let us mark the order observed in rising. First Christ riseth, and thē the Saints after him. And this came to pass to verefie the Scripture, which saith that Christ is the first borne of the dead. Now he is the first borne of the dead • in that he hath this dignity and privilege to rise to eternal life the first of all men. It is true indeed that Lazarus and sundry others in time rose before Christ: but yet they rose to live a mortal life, and to die again: Christ he is the first of all that rose to life everlasting and to glory: never any rose before Christ in this manner. And the persons that rose with Christ are to be noted, they were the Saints of God, not wicked men: whereby we are put in mind that the elect children of God only are partakers of Christ's resurrection. Indeed both good and bad rise again, but there is a great difference in their rising: for the godly rise by the virtue of Christ's resurrection, and that to eternal glory: but the ungodly rise by the virtue of Christ, not as he is a redeemer, but as he is a terrible judge, and is to execute justice on them. And they rise again for this ende, that besides the first death of the body, they might suffer the second death, which is the pouring forth of the wrath of god upon body and soul eternally. This difference is proved unto us by that which Paul saith, Christ is the first fruits of them that sleep. Among the Jews such as had corn fields gathered some little quantity thereof, before they reaped the rest; and offered the same unto God, signifying thereby that they acknowledged him to be the author & giver of all increase: & this offering was also an assurance unto the owner, of the blessing of God upon the rest, & this being but one handful did sanctify the whole crop. Now Christ to the dead is as the first fruits to the rest of the corn, because his resurrection is a pledge & an assurance of the resurrectiō of all the faithful. When a man is cast into the sea, and all his body is under the water, there is nothing to be looked for but present death; but if he carry his head above the water, there is good hope of a recovery: Christ himself is risen as a pledge that all the just shall rise again: he is the head unto his Church, and therefore all his members must needs follow in their time. It may be demanded what became of the Saints that rose again after Christ's resurrection. Answ. Some think they died again, but seeing they rose for this ende to manifest the quickening virtue of Christ's resurrection, it is as like, that they were also glorified with Christ, and ascended with him to heaven.

Thus much of the manner of Christ's resurrection. Now follows the time when he rose again, and that is specified in the Creed, The third day he rose again. Thus saith our Savior Christ unto the Pharisees, As Jonah was three days and three nights in the whales belly: so shall the son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. And though Christ was but one day and two pieces of two days in the grave; (for he was buried in the evening before the Sabbath, and rose in the morning the next day after the Sabbath) yet is this sufficient to verify this saying of Christ. For if the analogy had stood in three whole days, then Christ should have risen the fourth day. And it was the pleasure of God that he should lie thus long in the grave, that in might be known that he was thoroughly dead: and he continued no longer, that he might not in his body see corruption. Again, it is said, Christ rose again in the end of the Sabbath, when the first day of the week began to dawn. And this very time must be considered, as the real beginning of the new spiritual world, in which we are made the sons of God. And as in the first day of the first world, light was commanded to shine out of darkness upon the deeps: so in the first day of this new world, the son of righteousness riseth and gives light to them that sit in darkness, and dispells the darkness that was under the Old Testament. And here let us mark the reason why the Sabbath day was changed. For the first day of the week, which was the day following the Jews Sabbath, is our Sabbath day, which day we keep holy in memory of the glorious resurrection of Christ: and therefore it is called the Lord's day. And it may not unfitly be termed Sunday, though the name came first from the heathen, because on this day the blessed son of righteousness rose from death to life.

Let us now in the next place proceed to the proofs of Christ's resurrection, which are diligently to be observed, because it is one of the most principal points of our religion. For as the Apostle saith, He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification: and again, If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and our faith is also vain. The proofs are of two sorts: first, Christ's appearances unto men: secondly, the testimonies of men. Christ's appearances were either on the first day, or on the days following. The appearances of Christ the same day he rose again are five. And first of all early in the morning he appeared to Marie Magdalene. In this appearance diverse things are to be considered. The first, of what note and quality the party was, to whom Christ appeared. Ans. Marie Magdalene was one that had been possessed with seven devils, but was delivered and became a repentant sinner, and stood by, when Christ suffered; and came with sweet odors when he was dead to embalm him. And therefore to her is granted this prerogative, that she should be the first that should testify his resurrection unto men. And hence we learn, that Christ is ready and willing to receive most miserable wretched sinners, even such as have been vassals and bondslaves of the devil, if they will come to him. Any man would think it a fearful case, to be thus possessed with devils, as Marie was: but let all those that live in ignorance, and by reason thereof live in sin without repentance, know this; that their case is a thousand times worse then Marie Magdalens was. For what is an impenitent sinner? Surely nothing else but the castle and hold of the devil, both in body and soul. For look as a captain that hath taken some hold or skonse, doth rule and govern all therein, and disposeth it at his will and pleasure: even so it is with all blind and impenitent sinners; not one devil alone, but even legions of devils possess them, and rule their hearts: and therefore howsoever they may soothe themselves and say, all is well, for God is merciful; yet their case is far worse then Mary's was. Now then, would any be freed from this fearful bondage? let them learn of Marie Magdalene to follow Christ, and to seek unto him, and then albeit the devil and all his angels possess their hearts, yet Christ being the strong man, will come and cast them all out, and dwell there himself.

The second is, what Christ in his appearance said to Marie. Ans. He said, Touch me not: for I am not yet ascended to my father. Marie no doubt was glad to see Christ, and therefore looked to have conversed as familiarly with him as she was wont before his death, but he forbids her to touch him, that is, not to look to enjoy his corporal presence as before, but rather to seek for his spiritual presence by faith, considering he was shortly to ascend to his father. For this cause when he appeared to his disciples, he stayed not long with them at any time, but only to manifest himself unto them, thereby to prove the certainty of his resurrection. This prohibition shows first of all that it is but a fond thing to delight in the outward picture and portraiture of Christ, as the Jesuits do, who stand much upon his outward form and lineaments. Secondly, it overthroweth the popish crucifixes, and all the carved and molten images of Christ, wherein the Papists worship him. For corporal presence is not now required: therefore spiritual worship only must be given unto him. Thirdly it overthrows the real presence of Christ in the Sacrament. Many are of mind that they cannot receive Christ, except they eat and drink his body and blood corporally: but it is not much material whether we touch him with the bodily hand or no, so be it we apprehend him spiritually by faith. Lastly, as we must not have earthly considerations of Christ; so must we on the contrary labor for the spiritual hand of faith, which may reach up it self to heaven, and there lay hold on him. This is the very thing which Christ insinuateth unto Marie in saying, Touch me not. And Saint Paul saith, Henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea though we had known Christ after the flesh, yet now know we him no more, that is, we know him no more as a man living among us, and therefore he addeth, If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: and this new creation is not by the bodily presence of Christ but by the apprehension of faith.

The second appearance was to Marie Magdalene and to the other Marie, as they were going from the grave to tell his disciples: at which time, Christ meeteth them, and bids them go tell his brethren that he is risen again. And whereas Christ sendeth women to his disciples, he purposed hereby to check them for their unbelief. For these women forsook him not at his death, but stood by and saw him suffer, and when he was buried they came to embalm him: but all this while what became of Christ's disciples? Surely Peter denied him, and all the rest fled away, even James and John the sons of thunder, save that John stood aloof to behold his death. Hereupon Christ to make them ashamed of their fault, sendeth these women unto them to publish that to them which they by their calling ought above all other to have published. Secondly this teacheth, that whereas Christ buildeth his kingdom and publisheth his Gospel by Apostles, Evangelists, Pastors, teachers, he can if it so please him, perform the same by other means. In this his second appearance, he used weak and silly women to publish his resurrection, and thereby shows that he is not bound to the ordinary means, which now he useth. Thirdly, he sent them to his disciples, to show, that howsoever they had dealt unfaithfully with him by forsaking him and denying him, yet he had not quite forsaken them, but if they would repent and believe, he would receive them into his love and favor again, and therefore calleth them his brethren, saying, Go and tell my brethren. This teacheth us a good lesson, that howsoever our sins past are to humble us in regard of our selves, yet must they not cut us off or dismay us from seeking to Christ; yea even then when we are laden with the burden of them, we must come unto him, and he will ease us. Fourthly whereas silly women are sent to teach Christ's disciples, which were scholars brought up in his own school, we are admonished, that superiority in place and calling, must not hinder us sometime to hear and to be taught of our inferiors. Job saith, he never refused the counsel of his servant: and Naaman the Syrian obeyed the counsel of a silly maid which advised him to go to the Prophet of the Lord in Samaria to be cured of his leprosy: and when he had been with the Prophet, he obeyed the counsel of his servant, that persuaded him to do all the Prophet has said, Wash and be clean.

Now after that the women are come to the disciples and make relation of Christ's resurrection, the text saith, Their words seemed as feigned things unto them, neither believed they them. Hence we learn two things: the first, that men of themselves cannot believe the doctrine of Christian religion: it is a hard matter for a man to believe sundry things in the work of creation. The temporal deliverance of the children of Israel seemed to them as a dream: and the resurrection of Christ even to Christ's own disciples seemed a feigned thing. The second, that it is an hard thing truly and unfeignedly to believe the points of religion. Disciples brought up in the school of Christ, and often catechised in this very point of Christ's resurrection, yet dull are they to believe it. This confuteth & condemneth our carnal gospellers, that make it the lightest and easiest thing that can be to believe in Christ: and therefore they say their faith is so strong, that they would not for all the world doubt of gods mercy: whereas indeed they are deceived and have no faith at all, but blind presumption.

The third appearance was on this manner. As two of Christ's disciples were going from Jerusalem to Emmaus about threescore furlongs, and talked together of all the things that were done, Jesus drew near and talked with them, but their eyes were holden that they could not know him: and as they went he communed with them; and proved out of the Scripture his resurrection, expounding unto them all things that were written of him: then they made him stay with them, and their eyes were opened, and they knew him by breaking of bread; but he was taken out of their sight. In this notable appearance we may observe these four points. The first, that Christ held their eyes that they could not know him: they saw a man indeed, but who he was, they could not tell. By this it is more thē manifest, that the use of our outward senses, as seeing, feeling, smelling, &c. is supplied unto us continually by the power of Christ; and therefore even in these things we must acknowledge the continual goodness of God. Now if one man cannot so much as discern another but by the blessing of Christ, then shall we never be able to discern the way of life from the way of death without him: and therefore we must pray unto God that he would give us his holy spirit to enlighten the eyes of our understanding, whereby we may be able to see and know the way that leadeth unto life, and also to walk in the same.

The second, that as Christ was in expounding the Scriptures unto them their hearts burned within them. By this we learn, that howsoever the ministers of God publish the Gospel to the outward ears of men; yet is it the proper work of Christ alone to touch and inflame the heart by the fire of his holy spirit, and to quicken and raise men up to the life of righteousness & true holiness: it is he only that baptizeth with the holy Ghost and with fire. And it further admonisheth us, that we should hear the word preached from the mouth of God's ministers with burning and melting hearts: but, alas, the ordinary practice is flat contrary; men's eyes are drowsy and heavy, and their hearts dead and frozen within them: and that is the cause why after much teaching there follows but little profit.

The third thing is, that Christ did eat with the two disciples and was known of them in breaking of bread. It is very like that our Savior Christ did in some special manner bless the bread which he brake, whereby his disciples discerned him from others. And in like manner we must by blessing our meats and drinks distinguish our selves, though not from such as are the servants of God, yet from all ungodly and careless men. Many being silent thenselves do make their children to give thanks, and to bless their meats. And indeed it is a commendable thing if it be done sometimes to nurture the child, but for men to disburden themselves wholly of this duty is a fault. And it is a shame that, that mouth which openeth it self to receive the good creatures of God, should never open it self to bless and praise God for the same. Therefore in this action of eating and drinking, let us show our selves followers of Christ, that as by blessing the same he was known from all other; so we may also hereby distinguish our selves from the profane and wicked of this world. Otherwise what difference shall there be between us & the very hog that eats mast on the ground, but never looks up to the tree from whence it falls. And as Christ revealed himself unto his disciples, at that time when they caused him to eat meat with them; so let us suffer Christ to be our guest, and let us entertain him in his members, and no doubt he will bless us, and withal reveal himself unto us. The fourth thing is, that having eaten, he is taken out of their sight. And this came to pass not because the body of Christ bec • me spiritual, but because either he held their eyes as before, or he departed with celerity and speed according to the properties of a body glorified.

The fourth appearance of Christ was to Peter alone, mentioned only by S. Paul, He was seen of Cephas.

The fifth appearance was to all the disciples together save Thomas. In it we must consider three things, which are all effectual arguments to prove Christ's resurrection. The first, that he came and stood in the midst among them, the doors being shut. Now it may be demanded, how this could be. Ans. The Papists say, his body was glorified and so passed through the door, but (as I have said) it is against the nature of a body, that one should pass through another, as heat doth through a piece of iron, both bodies remaining entire & sound: therefore we may rather think, that whereas Christ came in, when the doors were shut; it was either, because by his mighty power he caused the doors to give place, the disciples not knowing how: or else because he altered the very substance of the doors, that his body might pass through, as he thickened the waters to carry his body when he walked upon the sea. Now if this be true, as very like it is, that these dumb creatures gave place to Christ, and became pliable unto his commandment, then much more ought we to carry our hearts conformable and pliant to the will of our Lord Jesus in all his commandments. The second point is, that when as the disciples thought Ch • ist to have been a spirit, he to prove the truth of his manhood, showeth unto them his hands and his feet, and the wound in his side, and calls for meat, and eats it among them. But it may be asked how this could be, considering that a glorified body hath no blemish, and needs not to eat, but is supported by God without meat: for if this be true in our bodies when they shall be glorified, then much more was it true in Christ. Ans. True it is, a glorified body hath no blemishes; but our Savior Christ had not yet entered into the fullness of his glory. If he had been fully glorified, he could not so sensibly and plainly have made manifest the truth of his resurrection unto his disciples: and therefore for their sakes and ours he is content after his entrance into glory still to retain in his body some remnants of the ignominies and blemishes, which if it had pleased him, he might have laid aside; he is also content to eat, not for need, but to prove that his body was not a body in show but a true body. This teacheth us two lessons: I. if Christ for our good and comfort be content to retain these ignominious blemishes, then answerably everyone of us must as good followers of Christ refer the works of our callings to the good of others, as Paul saith, He was free from all men, yet he was content to become all things unto all men, that by all means he might win the moe. Secondly we learn, that for the good of our neighbor, & for the maintaining of love & charity, we must be content to yield from our own right, as in this place our Savior Christ yields of his own glory for the good of his Church.

The third point is, that he then gave the disciples their Apostolical commissions, saying, Go and teach all the nations: of which, three points are to be considered: the first, to whom it is given. Answer. To them all, as well to one as to another, and not to Peter only. And this overthrows the fond and forged opinions of the Papists concerning Peters supremacy. If his calling had been above the rest, then he should have had a special commission above the rest: but one and the same commission is given alike to all. The second, that with the commission he gives his spirit; for whom he appointeth to publish his will and word, them he furnisheth with sufficient gifts of his holy spirit to discharge that great function: & therefore it is a defect, that any are set apart to be ministers of the gospel of Christ, which have not received the spirit of knowledge, the spirit of wisdom, and the spirit of prophesy in some measure. The third point is, that in conferring of his spirit he useth an outward sign, for the text saith, He breathed on them, and said, receive the Holy Ghost. The reasons hereof may be these. First when God created Adam and put into him a living soul, it is said, he breathed in his face. And so our Savior Christ in giving unto his disciples the holy Ghost, doth the same, to show unto them, that the same person that giveth life, giveth grace; and also to signify unto them, that being to send them over all the world to preach his Gospel, he was as it were to make a second creation of man, by renewing the image of God in him which he had lost by the fall of Adam. Again he breathed on them in giving his spirit, to put them in mind that their preaching of the gospel could not be effectual in the hearts of their hearers, before the Lord doth breath into them his spirit, and thereby draw them to believe: and therefore the spouse of Christ desireth the Lord to send forth his north and south wind to blow on her garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. This garden is the church of God, which desireth Christ to comfort her, and to pour out the graces of his spirit on her, that the people of God which are the herbs and trees of righteousness, may bring forth sweet spices whose fruit may be for meat and their leaves for medicines.

Thus much for the five appearances of Christ the same day he rose again: Now follow the rest of his appearāces which were in the forty days following, which are in number six. The first is mentioned by Saint John in these words, Eight days after when the disciples were within, and Thomas with them, came Jesus when the doors were shut, and stood in the midst of them, & said, Peace be unto you. In it we must consider two things: I. the occasion thereof. II. the dealing of Christ. The occasion was this: after Christ had appeared unto the other disciples in Thomas his absence, they told him that they had seen the Lord: but he made answer, Except I see in his body the print of his nails, and put mine hand into his side I will not believe. Now eight days after, our S • uiour Christ appeared again unto all the disciples, especially for the curing of Thomas his unbelief, which was no small sin, considering it contains in it three great sins. The first is blindness of mind, for he had been a hearer of our Savior Christ a long time, and had been instructed touching the resurrection diverse times: he was also with Christ and saw him when he raised Lazarus, and had seen, or at least wise had heard the miracles which he did: and also he had heard all the disciples say that had seen the Lord, and yet will it not sink into his head. The second is deadness of heart. When our Savior Christ went to raise Lazarus that was dead, Thomas spake very cōfidently to him and said, Let us go, that we may die with him, yet when Christ was crucified he fled away, and is the longest from Christ after his resurrection, and when he is certainly told thereof he will not acknowledge it or yield unto it. The third is willfulness: for when the disciples told him that they had seen the Lord, he said slatly, that unless he saw in his hands the print of the nails, he would not believe, and that which is worse then all this, he continued eight days in this willful mind. Now in this exceeding measure of unbelief in Thomas; any man, even he that hath the most grace, may see what a mass of unbelief is in himself, and what willfulness and untowardness to any good thing, in so much that we may truly say with David, Lord, what is man, that thou so regardest him. And if such measure of unbelief was in such men, as the disciples were, then we may assure our selves, that it doth much more exceed in the common professors of religion in these days, let them protest to the contrary what they will.

Now the cause of his unbelief was this: he makes a law to himself that he will see and feel or else he will not believe: but this is flat against the nature of faith which consisteth neither in seeing nor feeling. Indeed in things natural a man must first have experience in seeing and feeling, and then believe: but it is contrary in divinity: a man must first have faith and believe, and then comes experience afterward. But Thomas having not learned this, doth ouershoot himself: and herein also many deceive themselves, which think they have no faith because they have no feeling. For the chiefest feeling that we must have in this life must be the feeling of our sins and the miseries of this life: and though we have no other feeling at all, yet we must not therefore cease to believe.

In Christ's dealing with Thomas we may consider three actions. The first, that he speaks to Thomas alone, & answers him according to the very words which he had spoken of him in his absence, and that word for word. And by this he labored to overthrow his unbelief, and to convince him, that being absent he knew what he spake. And by this we learn, that though we want the bodily presence of Christ he being now in heaven, yet he knoweth well what we say, and if need were could repeat all our sayings word by word: and if it were not so, how could it be true that we must give an account of every idle word. Now this must teach us to look that our speech be gracious according to the rule of God's holy word. Secondly this must make us willing and ready to direct our prayers to Christ, considering he knoweth what we pray for, and heareth every word we speak. The second action is, that Christ condescends to Thomas, and gives him liberty to feel the print of the nails, and to put his finger into his side. He might have rejected Thomas for his willfulness, yet to help his unbelief, he yieldeth unto his weakness. This showeth, that Christ is most compassionate to all those that unfeignedly repent them of their sins and cleave unto him, although they do it laden with manifold wants. David saith, that the Lord hath compassion on all them that fear him, as a father hath compassion on his children: and he adds the reason, For he knoweth of what we are made. And the prophet Isaiah, He will not break the bruised reed, and smoking flax he will not quench. When a child is very sick, in so much that it casteth up all the meat which it taketh, the mother will not be offended thereat, but rather pity it. Now our Savior Christ is ten thousand times more merciful to them that believe in him, then any mother is or can be. The third action is, that when Thomas had seen & felt the wounds, Christ revived his faith, whereupon he brake forth and said, My Lord, and my God. In which words he doth most notably bewail his blindness and unbelief; and as a fire that hath been smothered, so doth his faith burst forth and show it self. And in this example of Thomas we may see the state of God's people in this life. First, God giveth them faith, yet afterward for a time he doth as it were, hide the same in some corner of their hearts, so as they have no feeling thereof, but think themselves to be void of all grace: and this he doth for no other ende but to humble them: and yet again after all this, the first grace is further renewed and revived. Thus dealt the Lord with David and Solomon (for whereas he was a pen-man of Scripture, and therefore an holy man of God, we may not think that he was wholly forsaken) with Peter, and in this place with Thomas. And the experience of this shall every servant of God find in himself.

The second appearance of Christ was to seven of the disciples as they went on fishing, in which he gives three testimonies of his godhead, and that by death his power was nothing diminished. The first, that when the disciples had fished all night and caught nothing, afterward by his direction they catch fish in abundance, and that presently. This teacheth us, that Christ is a sovereign Lord over all creatures, and hath the disposing of them in his own hands: and that if good success follow not when men are painful in their callings, it is because God will prepare and make them fit for a further blessing. Christ comes in the morning and gives his disciples a great draught of fish: yet before this can be, they must labor all night in vain. Joseph must be made ruler over all Egypt, but first he must be cast into a dungeon where he can see no sunn nor light, to prepare him to that honor. And David must be King over Israel, but the Lord will first prepare him hereunto by raising up Saul to persecute him. Therefore when God s • ndeth any hindrances unto us in our callings, we must not despair nor be discouraged, for they are the means whereby God maketh us fit to receive greater blessings at his hands either in this life or in the life to come. The second is, that the net was vnbroke though it had in it great fishes to the number of an hundred fifty three. The third, that when the disciples came to land, they saw hot coals and fish laid thereon and bread. Now some may ask, whence was this food? Answ. The same Lord that was able to provide a Whale to swallow up Jonah, and so to save him: and he that was able to provide a fish for Peters angle with a piece of twenty pence in the mouth: and to make a little bread and a few fishes to feed so many thousands in the wilderness: the same also doeth of himself provide bread and fishes for his disciples. This teacheth us, that not not only the blessing, but also the very having of meat, drink, apparel is from Christ: and hereupon all states of men, even the kings of the earth are taught to pray that God would give them their daily bread. Again, when we sit down to eat and drink, this must put us in mind that we are the guests of Christ himself: our food which we have comes of his mere gift; and he it is that entertains us, if we could see it. And for this cause we must soberly and with great reverence in fear and trembling use all gods creatures as in his presence. And when we eat and drink, we must always look that all our speech be such as may beseem the guests of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Vsually the practice of men is far otherwise; for in feasting many take liberty to surfeit, & to be drunk, to swear, & to blas • heme: but if we serve the Lord, let us remember whose guests we are, and who is our entertainer; and so behave our selves as being in his presence, that all our actions and words may tend to his glory.

The third appearance was to James, as S. Paul recordeth, although the same be not mentioned in any of the Evangelists.

The fourth was to all his disciples in a mountain, whither he had appointed them to come.

The fifth & last appearance was in the mount of Olives, when he ascended into heaven. Of these three last appearances because the holy Ghost hath only mentioned them, I omit to speak, and with the repeating of them, I let them pass.

Thus much of the appearances of Christ after his resurrection: the witnesses thereof are of three sorts: I. angels. II. women that came to the grave to embaulme him. III. Christ's own disciples who did publish and preach the same, according as they had seen and heard of our Savior Christ: and of these likewise I omit to speak, because there is not any special thing mentioned of them by the Evangelists.

Now follow the uses, which are twofold: some respect Christ, and some respect our selves. Uses which concern Christ are three: I. whereas Christ Jesus being stark dead rose again to life by his own power, it serveth to prove unto us that he was the son of God. Thus Paul speaking of Christ saith, that he was de • lared mightily to be the son of God touching the spirit of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead. And by the mouth of David God said, Thou art my son, this day I have begot thee. Which place must be understood not so much of the eternal generation of Christ before all worlds, as of the manifestation thereof in time after this manner. This day, that is, at the time of thine incarn • tion, but especially at the day of thy resurrection, have I begotten thee, that is, I have made manifest that thou art my son: so is this place expounded by S. Paul in the Acts. Secondly Christ's rising frō death by his own po • er, proves unto us evidently that he is Lord over all things that are: & this use S. Paul makes hereof, for saith he, Christ therefore died that he might be Lord both of the dead & of the quick. And indeed whereas he rose again on this m • ner, he did hereb • show himself most plainly to be a mighty prince over the grave • death, hell, & condemnation, & one that had all • sufficient power to overcome them. Thirdly it proves unto us, that he was a perfect priest, and that his death & passion was a perfect satisfaction to the justice of god for the • inns of mankind. For whereas Christ died, he died for our sins: now if he had not fully satisfied for them all (though there had remained but one sin for which he had made no satisfaction) he had not risen again: but death which came into the world by sin, and is strengthened by it, would have held him in bondage: and therefore, whereas he rose again, it is more then manifest, that he hath made so full a satisfaction that the merit thereof doth and shall countervail the justice of God for all our offenses. To this purpose Paul saith, If Christ be not risen again, your faith is vain, and you are yet in your sins, that is, Christ had not satisfied for your sins, or at least you could not possibly have known that he had made satisfaction for any of them, if he had not risen again.

The uses which concern our selves are of two sorts: comforts to the children of God, and duties that are to be learned and practiced of us all. The comforts are especially three. First Christ's resurrection serveth for the justification of all that believe in him, even before God the father: as Paul saith, Christ was given to death for our sins, and is risen again for our justification: which words have this meaning: when Christ died, we must not consider him as a private man, as we have shown before, but as one that stood in the stead and room of all the elect: in his death he bare our sins and suffered all that we should have suffered in our own persons forever, and the guilt of our offenses was laid upon him: and therefore Isaiah saith, he was numbered among the wicked. Now in his rising again he freed and disburdened himself not from any sins of his own, because he was without sin, but from the guilt and punishment of our sins imputed unto him. And hence it comes to pass that all those which put their trust and affiance in the merit of Christ, at the very first instant of their believing have their own sins not imputed unto them, and his righteousness imputed.

Secondly the resurrection of Christ serveth as a notable means to work inward sanctification, as S. Peter saith, We are regenerate to a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. And S. Paul, We are then (saith he) buried with him by baptism into his death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of his father, so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we be grafted with him to the similitude of his death, we shall be also to the similitude of his resurrection. Which words import thus much, that as Christ by the power of his own Godhead, freed his manhood from death and from the guilt of our sins: so doth he free those that are knit unto him by the bond of one spirit, from the corruption of their natures in which they are dead, that they may live unto God. In the natural body, the head is the fountain of all the senses and of motion: and therefore by sundry nerves dispersed through the body, the power of moving and of sense is derived even to the least parts; so as the hands and the feet move by means of that power which comes from the head: and so it is in the spiritual body of Christ, namely the church: he is the head and the fountain of life, and therefore he conveyeth spiritual life to everyone of his members: and that very power of his Godhead whereby he raised up himself when he was dead, he conveyeth from himself to his members, and thereby raiseth them up from the death of sin to newness of life. And look as in a perfect body, when the head hath sense and motion, the hand that is of the same body hath also the sense and motion convenient for it: so likewise Christ being the resurrection and the life; as there is spiritual life in him, so every member of his shall feel in it self spiritual sense and motion, whereby it is raised up from sin and liveth unto God. For the better conceiving of this, we must consider two things: the outward means of this spiritual life, and the measure of it. For the means, if we will have common water we must go to the well: and if we would have water of life, we must go unto Christ, who saith, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. Now this well of the water of life is very deep and we have nothing to draw with, therefore we must have our pipes and conduits to convey the same unto us, which are the word of God preached, and the administration of the sacraments. Christ saith, The dead shall hear the voice of the son of God, and they that hear it shall live ; where by the dead is meant, not the dead in the grave, but those that are dead in sin. And again Christ saith, the words which I speak are spirit and life, because the word of God is the pipe whereby he conueieth into our dead hearts spirit and life. As Christ when he raised up dead men did one • y speak the word and they were made alive: and at the day of judgment by his very voice, when the trump shall blow, all that are dead shall rise again. So it is in the first resurrection: they that are dead in their sins, at his voice uttered in the ministry of the word shall rise again. To go further, Christ raised three from the dead. Jairus daughter newly dead: the widows son dead and wound up and lying on the hearse: Lazarus dead and buried and stinking in the grave; and all this he did by his very voice: so also by the preaching of his word, he raiseth all sorts of sinners, even such as have lien long in their sins as rotting and stinking carrion. The sacraments also are the pipes and conduits whereby God conueieth grace into the heart, if they be rightly used, that is, if they be received in unfeigned repentance for all our sins, and with a true & lively faith in Christ for the pardon of the same sins. And so, I take it, they are compared to flagons of wine, which revive the Church being sick and fallen into a swound. As for the measure of life derived from Christ, it is but small in this life and given by little and little, as Ose saith, The Lord hath spoiled us, and he will heal us, he hath wounded us, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us, and in the third he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. The prophet Ezekiel in a vision is carried into the midst of a field full of dead bones, and he is caused to prophecy over them, and say, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord: at the fi • st there was a shaking, and the bones came together bone to bone, and then sinews and flesh grew upon them, and upon the flesh grew a skin. Then he prophesied unto the winds the second time, and they lived and stood upon their feet, for the breath came upon them, and they were an exceeding great army of men. Hereby it signified not only the state of the Jews after their captivity • but in them the state of the whole Church of God. For these temporal deliverances signified further a spiritual deliverance. And we may here see most pla • nely, that God worketh in the hearts of his children the gifts & graces of regeneration by little and little. First he giveth no more then flesh, sinews, and skin: then after he giveth them further graces of his spirit, which quickeneth them and maketh them alive unto God. The same also we may see in the vision of the waters that ran out of the temple: First, a man must wade to the ankles, then after to the knees, and so to the loins: then after the waters grow to a river that cannot be passed over: and so the Lord conveyeth his graces by little and little, till at the last men have a full measure thereof.

Thirdly the resurrection of Christ serves as an argument to prove unto us our resurrection at the day of judgment. Paul saith, If the spirit of Christ that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you: he that raised Christ from the dead, shall also quicken your mortal bodies. Some will say, that this is no benefit, for all must rise again, as well the wicked as the godly. Answ. True indeed: but yet the wicked rise not again by the same cause that the godly do. They rise again by the power of Christ, not as he is a Savior, but as he is a judge to condemn them: For God had said to Adam; at what time he should eat of the forbidden fruit, he should die the death; meaning a double death, both the first and the second death. Now then the ungodly rise again that God may inflict upon them the punishment of the second death, which is the reward of sin, that so God's justice may be satisfied: but the godly rise again by the power of Christ their head and redeemer, who raiseth them up that they may be partakers of the benefit of his death, which is to enjoy both in body and soul the kingdom of heaven, which he hath so dearly bought for them.

Thus much for the comforts: Now follow the duties, and they are also three. First as Christ Jesus when he was dead rose again from death to life by his own power, so we by his grace, in imitation of Christ, must endeavor our selves to rise up from all our sins both original and actual unto newenesse of life. This is worthily set down by the Apostle, saying, We are buried by baptism into his death, that as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the father, so we also should walk in newness of life: and therefore we must endeavor our selves to show the same power to be in us every day, by rising up from our own personal sins to a reformed life. This ought to be remembered of us, because howsoever many hear and know this point, yet very few do practice the same. For (to speak plainly) as dead men buried would never hear though a man should speak never so loud: so undoubtedly among us there be also many living men, which are almost in the same case. The ministers of God may cry unto them daily, and iterate the same thing a thousand times, and tell them that they must rise up from their sins and lead a new life, but they hear no more then the dead carkas that lieth in the grave. Indeed men hear with their outward ears, but they are so far from practicing this duty, that many judge it to be a matter of reproach and ignominy. And those which make any conscience of this duty, how they are laden with nicknames and taunts, who knoweth not? I need not to rehearse them: so odious a thing now a days is the rising from sin to newness of life. Sound a trumpet in a dead man's ears, he stirs not: & let us cry for amendment of life till breath go out of our bodies, no man almost saith, What have I done? And for this cause undoubtedly, if it were not for conscience of that duty which mē owe unto God, we should have but few ministers in England. For it is the joy of a minister to see the unfeigned conversion of his people: whereas, alas, men generally lie snorting in their corruptions, and rather go forward in them still, then come to any amendment; such is the wonderful hardness that hath possessed the hearts of most men. He which hath but half an eye may see this to be true. Oh! howe exceeds Atheism in all places, contempt of God's worship, profanation of the Sabbath: the whoredoms & fornications, the cruelty and oppression of this age, cry to heaven for vengeance. By these & such like sins the world crucifies Christ again. For look as Pilate's soldiers with the wicked Jews took Christ and stripped him of his garments, buffeted him, and slue him; so ungodly men by their wicked behavior strip him of all honor, and slaie him again. If an infidel should come among us, & yield himself to be of our religiō, after he had seen the behavior of men, he would peradventure leave all religion: for he might say, surely it seems this God whom these men worship, is not the true God, but a God of licentious liberty. And that which is more, whereas at all times we ought to show our selves new creatures, and to walk worthy of our Savior and redeemer, and therefore also ought to rise out of our sins, and to live in righteousness and true holiness, yet we for the most part go on still forward in sin, and every day go deeper then other to hell-ward. This hath been heretofore the common practice, but let us now learn after the example of Christ, being quickened and revived by his grace, to endeavor our selves especially to come out of the grave of sin, and learn to make conscience of every bad action. True it is, a Christian man may use the creatures of God for his delight, in a moderate and godly manner, but Christ never gave liberty to any to live licentiously: for he that is free is yet servant unto Christ, as Paul saith: and therefore we must not enterprise anything but that which may be a work of some good duty unto God; to which ende the Apostle saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and stand up from the dead, and Christ shall give thee life. If this will not move us, yet let the judgments of God draw us hereunto, Blessed is he (saith the holy Ghost) that hath part in the first resurrection: for on such the second death hath no power: where mention is made of a double death: the first is the separation of soul and body, the second is the eternal condemnation of soul and body in hell fire. Would we now escape the second death after this life? we must then labor in this life to be partakers of the first resurrection, and that on this manner: Look what sins we have lived in heretofore, we must endeavor to come out of them all, and lead a better life according to all the commandments of God. But if it be so that ye will have no care of your own souls, go on hardly to your own peril, and so ye shall be sure to enter into the second death, which is eternal damnation.

Secondly, we are taught by the example of Saint Paul to labor above all things, to know Christ and the virtue of his resurrection. And this we shall do, when we can say by experience, that our hearts are not content with a formal and drowsy profession of religion, but that we feel the same power of Christ whereby he raised up himself from death to life, to be effectual and powerful in us, to work in our hearts a conversion from all our sins, wherein we have lien dead, to newenesse of life, with care to live godly in Christ Jesus. And that we may further attain to all this, we must come to hear the word of God preached and taught with fear & trembling; having heard the word, we must meditate therein, and pray unto God, not only publicly but privately also, entreating him that he would reach forth his hand, and pull us out of the grave of sin, wherein we have lien dead so long. And in so doing, the Lord of his mercy, according as he hath promised, will send his spirit of grace into our hearts to work in us an inward sense and feeling of the virtue of Christ's resurrection. So dealt he with the two disciples that were going to Emmaus; they were occupied in the meditation of Christ his death and passion; and whiles they were in hearing of Christ who conferred with them, he gave them such a measure of his spirit as made their hearts to burn within them. And Paul prayeth for the Ephesians, that God would enlighten their eyes, that they might see and feel in themselves the exceeding greatness of the power of God, which he wrought in Christ Jesus, when he raised him from the dead.

Thirdly as Saint Paul saith, If we be risen with Christ, then we must seek the things that are above. But howe and by what means can we rise with Christ, seeing we did not die with him? Ans. We rise with Christ thus. The burgesse of a town in the parliament house beareth the person of the whole town, and whatsoever he saith, that the whole town saith, and whatsoever is done to him, is also done to all the town: so Christ upon the cross stood in our place, and bare our person; and what he suffered, we suffered; and when he died, all the faithful died in him: and so likewise as he is risen again, so are all the faithful risen in him. The consideration whereof doth teach us, that we must not have our hearts wedded to this world. We may use the things of this life, but yet so as though we used them not. For all our love and care must be for things above, and specially we must seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, peace of conscience, and joy in the holy Ghost. We must therefore sue for the pardon of sin, for reconciliation to God in Christ, and for sanctification. These are the precious pearls which we must seek, and when we have found them, we must sell all that we have to buy them; and having bought them, we must lay them up in the secret corners of our hearts, valuing and esteeming of them better then all things in the world beside.

Thus much of Christ's resurrection, containing the first degree of Christ's exaltation. Now followeth the second in these words, He ascended into heaven: in the handling whereof we are to consider these special points: I. the time of his ascension. II. the place. III. the manner. IV. the witnesses. V. the uses thereof. For the first, the time of Christ's ascension was forty days after his resurrection, when he taught his disciples the things which appertain to the kingdom of God. And this shows that he is a most faithful King over his Church, procuring the good thereof. And therefore Isaiah saith, The government is on his shoulder: and the Apostle saith, he was more faithful in all the house of God, then Moses was. Hence we gather that whereas the Apostles changed the sabbath from the seventh d • y to the eight, it was no doubt, by the counsel and direction of Christ before his ascension: and likewise in that they planted Churches and appointed teachers and meet overseers for the guiding and instruction hereof, we may resolve our selves that Christ prescribed the same unto them before his ascension: and for these and such like causes did he ascend no sooner.

Now look what care Christ at his ascension had over his Church, the same must all masters of families have over their households when God shall call them out of this world. They must have care not only that their families be well governed while they live; but also, that after their death; peace, love, and good order may be continued in their posterity. And therefore the prophet Isaiah is sent to Hezekiah King of Judah, to bid him set his house in order: for he must die, signifying that it is the duty of a good master of a family, to have care not only for the government of his house whilst he is alive, but also that it may be well governed when he is dead. The same also must be practiced of God's ministers: a part of whose fidelity is this, that they have not only a care to feed their particular flocks while they are alive, but also that they further provide for the people after their departure, as much as they can. Example whereof we have in Peter, who saith, I will endeavor always that ye may be able also to have remembrance of these things after my departure.

The place of Christ's ascension was, the mount of Olives near Bethany: and it was the same place from whence Christ went to Jerusalem to be crucified. One place served to be a passage both to pain and torments, and also to glory. This shows that the way to the kingdom of heaven is through afflictions. There are many which have God's hand heavy upon them in lingering sicknesses, as the dead palsy and such like; wherein they are saine to lie many years without hope of cure, whereupon their beds which should be unto them places of rest and ease, are but places of woe and misery. Yet may these men hence have great comfort, if they can make good use of their sicknesses: for the beds whereon they suffer so much torment, shall be places from whence they shall pass to joy and happiness. Again, there be many that for the testimony of the truth, and for religions sake suffer imprisonment, with many afflictions; now if they can use their afflictions well, their prisons shall be Bethanies unto them: although they be places of bondage, yet God will at length make them places of entrance to liberty. Many a man for the maintaining of faith and good conscience, is banished out of his country, and is fain to live in a strange place among a people to whom he is unknown: but let him use it well: for though it be a place of grief for a time, as Bethany was to Christ when he went to suffer, yet God will make it one day to be his passage into heaven.

Thus much of the place of his ascending. The third thing to be considered, is the manner of Christ's ascension; and it containeth three points. The first, that Christ being now to ascend, lifts up his hands and blessed his disciples. In the Scripture are mentioned diverse kinds of blessings. The first when one man prayeth to God for a blessing upon another: and this blessing do Kings and princes bestow upon their subjects, and parents on their children: and for this cause children are well taught to ask their fathers and mothers blessing, that they may pray to God to bless them. There is another kind of blessing, when a man doth not only pray for a blessing, but also pronounceth it. This did the priests in the Old Testament: and thus Melchizedek when he met Abraham blessed him, saying, Blessed art thou Abraham of God, the most high possessor of heaven & earth. And this was the ordinary duty of the priests, prescribed by God himself: & therefore the very form of words which they used is set down after this manner, The Lord bless thee, and keep thee, the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, &c. The third kind of blessing is, when a man doth not only pray to God, & pronounce blessing, but by the spirit of prophecy doth foretell a particular blessing upon any. Thus Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, particularly foretelling both their estates. And Jacob blessed the twelve Patriarchs by the same spirit, foretelling them what should befall them many hundred years after. Now our Savior Christ did not bless his disciples any of these three ways: and therefore there remaineth a fourth kind of blessing which he used, & that was after this manner: Christ in blessing his disciples did not only pronounce or foretell a blessing that should come to his disciples, but did confer & give the same unto them. For he is the fountain and author of all blessings. And therefore Paul saith, that God the father hath blessed us in all spiritual blessings in Christ. Hence we learn, first that all those which deny themselves & fly to Christ, and put their affiance in him, shall be freed from the curse of the law, & from the wrath of God, due unto them for their sins, whatsoever they are. Secondly, that the curses of men must not discourage us from doing well. For though men curse, yet Christ blesseth: and for this cause he saith, Woe be unto you, when all men speak well of you: as if he should say, then you want the blessing of God. And we must remember, that when men shall curse us for doing our duty, even then the blessing of God shall be upon us; & the curse causeless shall not hurt. And God saith to Abraham, he will curse them that curs • him. Thirdly, we learn that no witchcraft, nor sorcery, (which often are done with cursing) shall be able to hurt us. For look where Christ will bless, there all the devils in hell can never fasten a curse. This is found true by experience. For when Balaam the wizard should have cursed the people of Israel, & had assayed to do it many ways, but could not; at length he said, there is no sorcery against Jacob, nor soothsaying against Israel. This is a notable comfort to the people of God, that witches and sorcerers, do what they can, shall never be able to hurt them. It may be, that their bad practices may annoy men's bodies and goods, yet the Lord will turn all to a blessing upon his servants either in this life or the life to come.

The second point is, that Christ went apart from his disciples, and ascended upward toward heaven in their sight. For the right understanding of this, sundry special points must be observed. The first, that the lifting up of his body was principally by the mighty power of his godhead, and partly by the supernatural property of a glorified body, which is to move as well upward as downward, without constraint or violence. The second, that Christ did go from earth to heaven really and actually, and not in appearance only. The third, that he went visibly in the sight of his disciples. The fourth, that he went locally, by changing his place and going from earth to heaven, so as he is no more on earth bodily, as we are now on earth. It may be objected, that Christ made a promise that he would be with his Church to the ende of the world. Answ. That promise is to be understood of the presence of his spirit, or godhead, not of the presence of his manhood. Again it may further be alleged, that if the godhead be on earth, then must the manhood be there also, because they are both united together. Answ. It is not true, that of two things conjoined, where the one is, there must the other be also. For the sun it self, and the sun-beams are both joined together, yet they are not both in all places together. For the body of the sun is only in the heavens, but the sun-beams are also upon the earth. The argument therefore follows not: Christ's manhood subsists in that person which is everywhere: ergo his manhood is everywhere. And the reason is, because the Son of God subsists not only in his divine nature, but also by it: whereas he doth not subsist at all by the manhood, but only in it: for he subsisted before all eternity, when the manhood was not. Nay rather because the manhood doth subsist by the person of the Son, therefore the person extends it self further then the manhood which is assumed and sustained by it; and hath his existing thence. For that very thing whereby any other thing either essentially or accidentally is, extends it self further then the thing whereby it is. As the human nature whereby Peter is a man, extends it self further then to Peter, namely to all other men: and the whiteness whereby the snow is white, extends it self further then to that snow which a man holds in his hand.

The third point is, that in the ascension a cloud took Christ from the fight of his disciples. And whereas he caused a cloud to come between their sight and himself, it signified unto them that they must now be contented with that which they had seen, and not seek to know further what became of him afterward: and the same thing is taught unto us also: we must content our selves with that which God hath revealed in his word, and seek no further specially in things which concern God. For the like ende in the giving of the law in Sinai, God appeared in a cloud: and when he did manifest his glory in the temple which Solomon made, a thick cloud filled the same.

The fourth point to be considered, is concerning the witnesses of his ascension, which were his own disciples in the mount of Olives at Bethany, and none but they. Now it may be demanded, why he would not have all the whole natiō of the Jews to see him ascend, that so they might know that he was risen again, and believe in him. Answ. The reason may be this: it was his good pleasure that the points of faith and religion, whereof this article is one, should rather be learned by hearing, then by seeing. Indeed Christ's own disciples were taught the same by sight, that they might the better teach others which should not see: whereas now the ordinary means to come by faith, is hearing.

The uses to be made of Christ's ascension, are of two sorts: some are comforts to God's Church and people, and some are duties. The comforts are especially four. The first is this: Christ Jesus did ascend up into heaven, to lead captivity captive ; a most worthy benefit. By captivity is meant, first sin and Satan, which did and do lead men captive into perdition: secondly death and the grave, which held him captive and in bondage for the space of three days. And he leads them all captive two ways: first in himself, in that he began his triumph upon the cross, as I have shown, and continued the same till his very ascension: secondly in all his members, because by his mighty power being now ascended, he doth subdue and weaken the power of sin and Satan; which he manifesteth every day by killing the corruption of their natures, and the rebellion of their flesh. But it may be demanded, how Christ doth lead his enemies captive, considering the devil reigns everywhere, and the world, and death, and hell. Answ. Christ's victory over his and our enemies hath five degrees. First, it is ordained by God, secondly it is foretold, thirdly it is wrought, fourthly it is applied, lastly it is accomplished. The ordaining of it was before all worlds: the foretelling of it was in all the ages of the old testament: the working of it was upon the cross, and afterward: the applying hath been since the beginning of the world more or less: and it is only in part in this life; that while Christ is in bruising of the head of Satan, he again may bruise his heel: the accomplishment shall not be before the last judgment. From this great benefit bestowed on God's Church, there are many duties to be learned. First here is an instruction for all ignorant persons and impenitent sinners, which abound among us in every place. Whosoever they be, that live in the blindness of their minds, and hardness of their hearts; they must know this, that they are captives and bondslaves of sin and Satan, of hell, death, and condemnation: and let no man flatter himself of what state or degree soever he be (for it is God's truth) if he have not repented of all his sins, he as yet is no better then a servant or vassal, yea a very drudge of the devil. Now then, what wilt thou do in this case? The best thing is, to lay to thy heart this benefit of Christ. He is ascended up to heaven to lead captive and to vanquish the devil and all his angels, under whom thou liest bound, and that not only in himself, but in his members. Now then if thou wilt become a true member of Christ, he will free thee from this bondage. Therefore take heed how thou continuest longer in thy old sins, and in thy gross ignorance: & seeing Christ hath made a way to liberty, let us seek to come out of this spiritual bondage: he is ascended for this end and purpose to free us frō it; therefore if we refuse this benefit, our state will be the more damnable. A man lies bound hand and foot in a dark dungeon, and the keeper comes and sets open the prison door, and takes off his bolts, and bids him come out; if he refuse and say that he is well: may it not be thought that he is a mad man, and will any be sorry for his case? No surely. Well, this is the state of all impenitent sinners. They lie fast fettered and bound under the power of sin and Satan, and Christ it is who is ascended into heaven to unloose them of this bondage: he hath set open the prison door, and hath unlocked our fetters: if we refuse to come out, and lie still in our sins, there remaineth nothing for us but everlasting thralldom. Let us therefore in the fear of God, if we have a care of our own souls, receive and embrace this benefit which redoundes unto us by Christ's ascension.

Secondly, in that Christ is ascended to heaven to lead captive sin and Satan, here is a good consolation for all those that are afflicted in conscience for their sins. There is no man in this case but he hath great cause to fear, yet must he not be discouraged. For Christ by his ascension like a noble captain hath taken sin and Satan prisoners, and hath pinnioned them fast, so as all the power they have, is in Christ's hand: and therefore for this cause although they are suffered to exercise and afflict us, yet by his grace they shall never be able to prevail against us. Therefore we may safely cast our care upon God, and not fear overmuch. Hence also we may learn a third duty. There is no man that knoweth what sin meaneth, and what the blood of Christ meaneth, but in regard of the corruption of his own nature, he will say with Paul that he is sold under sin, and in regard thereof will cry out with him also, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? yea it will make his heart to bleed within him. Now what shall he do in this case? surely let him remember the ende of Christ's ascension, which is to vanquish and subdue the rebellion of his nature, and labor to feel the benefit thereof: and then he shall no doubt find that Christ will