The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 18
THE XVIII. LECTVRE, OF THE PASSION OF CHRIST.
LVKE CHAP. XXIII.
verse 43 Then Ieſus ſaid vntounto him, Verely, J ſay vntounto thee, to day ſhalt thou be with me in Paradiſe.
IOHN CHAP. XIX.
verse 25 Then ſtood by the croſſe of Ieſus his mother, and his mothers ſister, Marie the wife of Cleopas, and Marie Magdalene. verse 26 And when Ieſus ſaw his mother, and the diſciples ſtanding by, whome he loued, He ſaid vntounto his mother, woman, beholde thy ſonne. verse 27 Then ſaid He to the diſciple, behold thy mother: and from that houre, the diſciple tooke her home vntounto him.
WEE heard the laſt day (Beloued in Ieſus) of the repentance of one of the Thieues that hung on the Croſſe with Chriſt: in a moment, wonderfully hee begins to be penitent for all his miſdeedes, and former life: and hee vtters his penitencie, and the diſpleaſure that was in his heart for ſinne in ſundry effectes: Firſt, hee rebukes bitterlie that blaſphemie that the other Thiefe ſpeakes out againſt the Lord, and ſaies, Fearest thou not God, ſeeing thou art in the ſame damnation? Thou and I ſuffer justly, for we hauehave demerited all this: but this man (pointing out Chriſt) hath done nothing amiſſe. When hee hath thus rebuked the Thiefe, hee turnes him about to Ieſus Chriſt, who hung in the middeſt, and hee directs his prayer to Him, and ſaies, Lord remember mee when thou commest to thy Kingdome. The other, the blaſphemer, would faine hauehave liued in the vvorlde: And therefore, becauſe hee ſawe that IESVS had no power to giuegive him this earthlie life: therefore, hee blaſphemeth CHRIST in His face.
But the penitent Thiefe ſeekes not this preſent life, but deſires that hee may gette entrie in to that Heauenly Kingdome. The laſt day I ſpake concerning the petition of the penitent Thiefe. I repeate nothing. OnelyOnly wonder not at the Thiefe, or at ſuch an earneſt repentance in him ſuddenly: b… wonder at Ieſus Chriſt, vvho in ſuch vveakneſſe, hanging ſo ſhamefully vponupon the Croſſe, yet vttered ſuch merciemercy, and ſuch infinite power, yea, one of the moſte miſerable catiues that euer was in the vvorlde. I goe forwarde, and firſt I ſhall ſhewe you of the anſwere that the Lord giues to the penitent Thiefe: and then I ſhall come to the earneſt recommendation that Ieſus made of His Mother MARIE, vntounto IOHN. The Lord anſweres him, Verily I ſay vntounto thee, this day thou ſhalt be with me in Paradiſe. The anſwere containes a promiſe: and the thing that the Lord promiſes, is, Thou ſhalt bee vvith mee: thou ſeekeſt to bee vvith mee in my Kingdome: thou ſhalt bee vvith mee, and thou ſhalt bee a ſubject vvith mee and more, a follower: and vvhereas thou wereſt a vile Thiefe, I ſhall make thee a glorious King in the Heauen. And when ſhall this bee? Without delay: it ſhall not be to morrowe, or other morrowe, but this ſame day immediately thou ſhalt bee tranſported to that vnſpeakeable glorie. And where ſhall this bee? It ſhall bee in Paradiſe. Thou ſhalt not goe to Purgatorie, but into Celeſti…ll Paradiſe. Of this worde Paradiſe wee reade in ſundrie places of the Newe Teſtament, as namely, 2. COR. 12.4. (where PAVL ſpeakes of his rauiſhing to Paradiſe) and alſo REVEL. 2.7. But to leaue the vvordes, and to come to the meaning: This Paradiſe ſignifies none other thing, but that Houſe of the Father, in the which is manie manſions, as wee ſaide in the foureteenth Chapter. Nowe woulde yee knowe the place of it? PAVL ſaies, It is farre aboue theſe viſible heauens, where Chriſt himſelfe aſcended, EPHES. 4.10. It is the place of the Throne of that Majeſtie of that Glorie, and of that euerlaſting reſt of the Kirke of Ieſus Chriſt, and of His Sainctes, where they ſhall reſt in a wonderfull glorie euerlaſtinglie. The vvorde is borrowed from that Paradiſe, that Parke of pleaſure, in the vvhichwhich ADAM and EVAH vvere planted, to liue in a vvonderfull pleaſure for euer, if they had ſtoode vvithout ſinne.
But to come to the matter. Firſt in this anſwere that the Lord makes to the penitent Thiefe, yee may ſee a vvonderfull readineſſe in Chriſt, to heare the petition of a miſerable ſinner: for hee hath ſcarcely ſpoken the worde, when the Lord makes an anſwere: and no maruell; for Hee that preuentes thee with grace, ere thou thinkeſt of grace, Hee will followe after with grace: Hee who giues grace to begge grace, Hee will giuegive a gracious anſwere. ROMAN. 8.26. The Spirite of GOD interceadeth for vsus, with ſighes vnſpeakeable. That is the firſt grace. Then hee ſubjoynes▪ The Lord who ſearcheth the heart, knoweth the ſenſe and meaning of his owne Spirite. There is the ſeconde grace. Thou ſhalt not ſo ſoone open thy mouth to ſpeake to Him with the Spirite, but Hee ſhall as ſoone heare thy vvorde: thou ſhalt not ſo ſoone hauehave a meaning, but it ſhall as ſoone touch the heart of the Lorde, as it touches thine heart: becauſe it is not thy ſpirite, but the Lordes Spirite who ſpeakes in thee. So all the difficultie and hardneſſe, is, to gette the firſt grace to praye: there is no difficultie of the next. And there are wonderous fewe vvho gettes this grace, to begge, to ſigh, to ſobb, &c. yea, where one hath it, ten wantes it: and when this is once gotten, the other followes of its owne will: for if thou askeſt ſpirituall graces, of neceſſitie thou ſhalt gette thy petition graunted. And, if wee aske earthly thinges, either ſhall wee gette our petition, or elſe the Lord once ſhall ſhewe vsus, why Hee will not graunt it: and ſo wee ſhall hauehave contentment to vndertake His will, and ſhall heartily thanke Him. There is more yet in this anſwere: Beſides this eaſineſſe to heare, marke an abounding merciemercy, and exceeding liberalitie, of the Lord, paſſing aboue the petition: The Thiefe onelyonly prayed the Lord to remember him, when He came in His Kingdome: The Lord aunſweres, Beholde, euen I giuegive thee more than thou requireſt, for thou ſhalt be with me this day in Paradiſe, ſo thou needeſt not to feare that I forget thee. The Thiefe ſeekes but a little thing: the Lord giues him more than hee can ſeeke: the hande of the Lorde is not ſo ſcarce. Wilt thou ſeeke a litle thing? the Lord shall giuegive a thouſand times more than thou canſt ſeeke: the Lord hath neither ſcant nor want. Brethren, the glory which we shall finde one day, ſhall bee greater than we can looke or hope for in this world. No, things Heauenlie, which He shall giuegive, ſurmountes further aboue our capacitie, than the Heauen does aboue the Earth. Yea, if thou ſpeakeſt of earthlie things, findes not many by experiēce, that they get ſuch an eſtate in the world, as they would neuer hauehave looked or hoped for: I ſought but life (ſaies Dauid, Pſal. 21.5) yet the Lord gaue me to be a king: that is, He gaue me not only a priuate & obſcure life, but a glorious life in the ſight of the people. Beſides this eaſineſſe and liberalitie of the Lord, to grant to a poore man, aboue that that he durſt preſume, He preſcribes no time, but this ſame day. I know not if he durſt hauehave bene ſo bold, as to hauehave ſought ſuch a time, that ſame day. Marke further here, a wonderfull power in the Lord, at that time when Hee was in a moſt vile and ignominious death, which was the image of Hell, to pull a man quicke on the Croſſe, to breake Him on a Croſſe. The Lord is weakned: the Iewes thought more of the dirt they trode on, than of Ieſus: yet ye ſee what a wonderfull power which ſtrikes out from Him to the thiefe: this is the power of a King, This day thou ſhalt be with Me in Paradiſe What Emperour durſt ſpeake this? Yea, He vtters the power of GOD Himſelfe: This promiſe is proper to GOD only, to promiſe participation of that heauenly Kingdome. What Angell durſt doe this? None, but the eternall and immortall GOD. It is true, the LORD Ieſus, whilſt as Hee hang vponupon the Croſſe, was wonderfully weakned, and that glorious Godhead that dwelt in the humane Nature kept it ſelfe cloſſe for a time, and held in the beames of His glorie for a time, within that vaile of His bodie (for if Hee had not kept cloſſe that Glorie of His Godhead, the world, could not hauehave crucified Him) yet He kept Him not ſo cloſſe, but in the Croſſe Hee manifeſts Himſelfe, Hee does the part of a King, and fought a fiercer battell, than all the Kings in the world. Hee fought againſt all the enemies, and in the ende Hee triumphes in that Croſſe, as in a Chariote, and leades them all, as thieues before Him: And if there were no more to ſhewe that Hee was a King, than this haſtie conuerſion of the thiefe, it may tell you, if Chriſt had ſuch a power, whilſt as Hee hang in ſuch weakneſſe on the Croſſe: What power hath He now when He is in the Heauen, exalted in the Throne of glorie. If it bee ſo, that wee feele not CHRIST powerfull in vsus to life, as the thiefe felt. Blame not IESVS, as if Hee wanted power ſufficient nowe in glorie, who had ſuch power in His humilitie: but blame thy ſelfe: Thou wants that which the thiefe had: thou wants Faith in Chriſt glorified: the thiefe may ſhame thee, who beleeued in Him, whē He was in extreame ignominie. Then to end all this yt hath bin ſpokē of this anſwere in a word. Seeing ye Lord of lords, ye Lord Ieſus is ſo readie (Neuer was there King ſo ready to heare a ſubject, as Ieſus is:) if thou wereſt the vileſt bodie that goes, a Thiefe, a Harlot, &c. yet if thou wilt ſaye this, Lord, remember on mee, and giuegive mee a part of thy Kingdome: if thou prayeſt to Him from a penitent heart, with confidence and aſſurance, I promiſe vntounto thee, Heauen and Earth ſhall goe together, ere thou vvanteſt thine asking. Seeing our Lord Ieſus is ſo liberall, then ſeeke more than enough, more than a Kingdome, and thou ſhalt get more. The only cauſe why we want, is in vsus, we hauehave no hearts to ſeeke it. And laſt: Seeing He is ſo powerfull, let vsus ſeeke from Him with this aſſurance, that Hee can giuegive all thinges which either wee can ſeeke, or can conceiue, and that according to His effectuall power working in vsus. Now I end with this Hiſtory of the Thiefe, & I come to the other Hiſtory, concerning that recommendation that Ieſus makes of His Mother Marie, to John, His Diſciple, whom Hee loued. The Lord Ieſus hanging on the Croſſe in extreame torment & paine: He is not only a ſufferer (howbeit indeed He ſufferes all extreamitie) but in ſuffering Hee does manie workes: Firſt, Hee does like a King, in giuing life and glorie to the Thiefe. All the Kinges in the Earth in their Royall Robes, ſhall not doe ſo much as Hee did on that vile Croſſe. Nowe next, Hee vtters a verie naturall and louing affection to His Mother, who bare Him, when He is to depart out of this life and to be taken away haſtily, He is carefull how ſhee ſhall liue when Hee is gone from her. To come to the Hiſtorie: Wee hauehave firſt the occaſion that bringes on this: and ſecondly, the commendation it ſelfe: and thirdly, how Ihon accepts of her. As concerning the occaſion: There ſtandes by the Croſſe, a man and three women, whileſt the LORD is hanging quicke in extreame torment, Hee ſpyes out theſe foure perſons, MARIE His Mother, and MARIE His Mothers Siſter, that is, her kinſwoman according to ther HEBREVV phraſe, who was either the Wiſe, or the Daughter of Cleopas, and MARIE MAGDALENE, a kinde vvoman, out of vvhom He had caſten ſeuen deuils: (kindneſſe meetes kindneſſe) Their heartes vvere vvith Him, howbeit Hee vvas hanging vponupon the Croſſe. Then, if thou canſt doe no more vntounto Him, yet follow Him with theſe women to the death of the Croſſe. There are three Maries, better Maries were neuer in the world: and Iohn, whom here he calles the diſciple whō Jeſus loued: this ſtile he gets in ye Goſpel, becauſe, as Ieſus loued him entirely, ſo hee findes this louelove deeply ſetled in his ſoule: & well is he that finds that the Lord loues him: All the Kingdoms in the Earth are nothing in reſpect of that ſenſe. Well. Theſe are the foure that are ſtanding by the Croſſe, together. As for Iohn, I ſee now certainely this doing of his in the following of the Lord, & this ſtanding by the Croſſe, ſhewes, albeit that Faith in Ieſus Chriſt, in the heart of Iohn, and all the reſt, was wonderfully ſmoothered, for all were offended in Him that night: yet that Faith in his heart was not altogether quenched: No, it was not quenched in one of the Apoſtles, nor in Peter, who denied Him. To ſpeake of Iohn, Thinke, ye that except hee had had Faith, that euer hee would hauehave followed Him to the Croſſe, and except hee had beleeued that Ieſus after ſuch a death ſhould hauehave riſen againe in glorie, except he had looked for a glorious reſurrection, that euer hee could hauehave beholden ſuch a miſerable ſpectacle: Faith gaue him boldneſſe to follow Chriſt to the Croſſe, Hope furniſhed him comfort, when he beheld Him in ignominie and paine. Theſe three women vtters a tender and louing heart towards Him. Brethren, if there had bene no more, but this naturall louelove that a mother beares to the ſonne, Marie would neuer hauehave followed her Sonne, to ſuch a vile death, if ſhee had not beleeued that death ſhould hauehave turned into ſuch a glorious Life. Would ſhe hauehave ſtood beſide her Sonne, and ſeene Him torne and rent quicke in ſuch torments? What mother would hauehave done it? 1. Theſſ, 4.13. ye read what Paul writes to them: I would not hauehave you ignorant, that yee mourne not for them which are aſleepe, as the Gentiles who are deſperat in their displeaſure. If thou hauehave but a naturall louelove in thine heart, when thou ſeeſt him, or her, whom thou loueſt, depart, that louelove ſhall worke but impatiencie in thee, & a deſperate diſpleaſure, that is, if with that louelove thou hauehave no hope of a glorious reſurrection, deſperate ſhall be thy dolour, and it were better for thee to want thy naturall affection. Indeede it is true, our Faith▪ and Hope of glorie after this life, will not extinguiſh the naturall louelove, neither puts it away the dolour that one ſhould hauehave.
I deſire not that a man ſhould bee ſenſleſſe without louelove: and I count more of a ſtone, than of one without louelove, and better were it, that that perſon were a ſtone So I ſay, Faith and Hope will not extinguiſh diſpleaſure, but it will mitigate it ſo, that in a wonderfull heauineſſe it will finde joy, and thou wilt ſay, albeit wee ſunder nowe, the day will come, wherein wee ſhall hauehave a joyfull meeting.
Come yet to theſe women: They may teach all men and women to the end of the worlde: Thinke yee not, that they ſhould hauehave bene terrified at ſuch a Croſſe, and that Marie ſhould hauehave thought ſhame of her Sonne, ſo ſhamefully tormented, and railed out on by all men. Well then, if theſe women by the ſight of that ſhameful death of Ieſus Chriſt on the Croſſe are not terrified nor diuerted from following, albeit they ſaw His glorie to come, but very obſcurely, and if their hearts were knit with Him, whilſt as Hee hang on the Croſſe, and there was neuer a band ſo ſurely knit, as their hearts were with Him. Fye on all men and women after theſe women, who will thinke ſhame of the Croſſe of Chriſt, albeit they hauehave greater preſence and ſight of the glorie of Ieſus Chriſt, than theſe women had. Shall a ſillie worde, ſhall the ſword, ſhall the fire, terrifie thee? And if it bee ſo, theſe ſame women ſhall ſtand vp and condemne thee in that great day. Now let vsus conſider theſe wordes, whereby He recommends His mother to Iohn. The Lord, as He is looking from Him, He ſees theſe foure ſtanding together, (for wicked ſcorners ſtood together, ſo the godly who mourne for Chriſt drew together) and Hee directs His ſpeech to two of them: Firſt, to Marie, and next to Iohn: Woman, He ſayes, Beholde thy ſonne, poynting to Iohn, not to Himſelfe. This ſtile that He giues her would not be paſſed by, He calls her not mother, but Woman, and this is the common ſtile which Ieſus gaue her, whilſt as He was in the world: it lets vsus ſee whilſt Ieſus was in the worlde, as at all times, ſo eſpecially at the houre of death, whilſt Hee is liuing in the world, He had His eyes raiſed vp from all earthly and carnall things, which men in this life count much of, as are, mother, ſonne, daughter, husband, wife, kinred, Countrie: And by His example, Hee would teach vsus, when we are here to know none according to the fleſh: No, not Chriſt Himſelfe: for in Heauens there ſhall bee neither father nor mother, nor husband, nor wife: but we ſhall be (all olde things which accompanie the olde creature, beeing aboliſhed) like Angels in Heauen. Therefore, Ieſus, as a patterne, teaches vsus this, to turne away the eye piece and piece from this Earth, & all that is in it, that we count not much of them, but that …e behold that heauenly life. Paul. 2. Cor. 5.16. When he was ſpeaking of the redemption that the Lord bought with His precious blood, ſayes, From henceforth I will knowe no man according to the fleſh, and if I did know Jeſus ſometimes according to the fleſh now I will not know Him & hee giues a reaſon Who euer is in Chriſt, let him bee a newe creature, the olde creatures are paſt away, behold all things are made new. Fye on thee, that haſt thine heart fixed on theſe earthly thinges, and forgetteſt Heauen. This for the ſtile that He giues her: Come to the words, He ſayes, Behold thy ſonne: As if He had ſaid, Woman, I am to depart this life, and I put Iohn in my ſtead, and I ordaine him to take the protection of thee, and to doe the dutie of a ſonne to thee, in my ſteade: then Hee turnes Him to Iohn, and Hee ſayes, Beholde thy mother: As if Hee had ſaid, I goe out of the world, and I leaue my mother to thee, and I ordaine that thou be a ſonne to her, and ſhe a mother to thee, and that thou keepe her, and intertaine her, ſo long as thou and ſhe liue together. It may be asked, The LORD IESVS CHRIST going to Heauen, might Hee not from the Heauen hauehave kept His owne mother? might Hee not hauehave taken the defence of His owne mother? might He not hauehave preſerued Her from all dangers? No queſtion, He might hauehave kept her well eneugh: yet He committes her to Iohn, whom Hee loues, becauſe He loues His mother well, Hee commends her to a man whom He loued intierely, He will not contemne the ordinarie meanes, and manner of doing, this ſame Hee does dayly, the LORD IESVS hath power to ſaue His Church, and all the members of the ſame, to protect and defend them, but He will not contemne theſe ordinarie meanes, He will hauehave eueryevery one to keepe another, as Hee commended His mother to Iohn to bee kept: And woe bee to thee, who may, if thou keepe none: And namely the LORD hath a care of that infirme ſexe, that women bee kept by the protection of men, who are faithfull. She who is kept vnderunder the protection of any in the worlde, let her giuegive CHRIST glorie for it: for it is by His direction: as Marie was directed to Iohn. Conſider heere further: The LORD at this time is in the ſeruice of His heauenly Father: and there was neuer a man ſo occupied in His life, as He was at this houre, and He was neuer ſo occupied all His time, as now: and Hee was now occupied chiefly in ſuffering. It is an eaſie thing to bee occupied in performing duties of the ſeruice of GOD, in reſpect of ſuffering: it is a ſore thing to ſuffer, as to be caſt in a fire, to bee nailed on a Croſſe: yet in ſuffering albeit He is occupied ſo, that He forgets His owne ſelfe, yet when Hee ſees His mother, Hee forgets not her. I would all men ſhould marke this leſſon: The malediction of GOD ſhall fall on theſe that deſerue the curſe of their mother, who glorie in it, let them glorie in it as they will: our dutie to GOD prejudges nothing our dutie to father or mother: thou was neuer ſo occupied in the ſeruice of GOD, as was Ieſus Chriſt, at this houre, who in the middeſt of all this did His dutie to His mother: and Chriſt will let vsus ſee, that our dutie to our GOD ſtands well with our duetie to man. Wilt thou pull the firſt and the ſecond Table aſunder, the one from the other: Wilt thou ſay, that the firſt prejudges the ſecond, thou doeſt lie: But looke the order: That CHRIST keepes in theſe duties: doth He firſt His dutie to His mother? No, firſt, He doth His dutie to His Father: Hee is obedient to His Father, to the death, and in the middeſt of that obedience to the Father, Hee doth His dutie to His mother. Beginne at thy GOD, if thou wouldeſt doe thy dutie: and next, come to man, and if thou paſſeſt by GOD, to doe thy dutie to man, thou ſhalt doe nothing of louelove, nor of ſinceritie. Fye on thee, and that louelove, and that dutie thou vttereſt to man: followe not on that louelove thou beareſt to GOD, and wilt thou ſay this: I ſee my dutie to the King, and to my father bindes me, I will doe my dutie to them, and laſt, I will ſerue GOD: any thing will ſerue Him: wilt thou jeſt ſo with the LORD, I ſay to thee, if thou beginneſt at man, euen at the King, or at thy father or mother, and poſtpone the LORD, I ſay to thee, the LORD will hauehave none of thy ſeruice: And if thou hateſt not, ſayes CHRIST, father and mother for my cauſe, thou art not worthie of mee, Luke 14.26. Then, what ſhall become of them, who preferre father and mother to GOD, he is but a knaue, that will take on him the name of a Chriſtian, and will ſerue men before GOD: No, that name ſhall turne to thy ſhame. Therefore vnderunder the paine of thy life, doe thy dutie firſt to GOD, and then for GODS cauſe doe thy dutie to man, that GOD may hauehave the glorie of it. Further, there are ſome in the houre of death that will take ſo litle care of the worlde, and of them whome they leaue behinde them, that they are deſtitute of naturall affection, that they regard not if they die, though all the world ſhould fall in one moment: for men wanting that naturall affection, will ſay, What care I, if once I bee gone from the world. Nowe there are others, albeit they looſe not altogether that naturall affection, who hauehave their ſenſes ſo occupied, and exerciſed about the preſent paine, that they will not know their parents, kinsfolks, or any that appertaine vntounto them. Who was euer in ſuch a paine as Ieſus was? And yet out of the middeſt of torment, of blaſphemies, of wraſtling with death euerlaſting, with the wrath of the Father, and with all the Infernall powers, Hee is carefull of His Mother. No man was euer borne, that had ſuch a naturall affection as Hee: no ſonne in this worlde euer loued his mother ſo well as Hee. And except thou be in Ieſus Chriſt, and He ſanctifie thy affections, that in the houre of death thou mayeſt ſleepe in Him ſweetly; either thou ſhalt looſe altogether this naturall affection, or elſe it ſhall bee ſuffocate: that albeit thy Parentes, and all thy kinred were about thee, thou ſhalt hauehave no care of them: No, thou ſhalt not once by thine head and countenance vtter anie meaning, that thou haſt a care of their weale. IESVS CHRIST honoured His Mother beyonde anie man, euen on the Croſſe, in ſuch a paine, and ſuch a diſpleaſure. And this teſtifies, that naturall affection was greater in Ieſus, than in anie man. Further: Seeing Ieſus from the Croſſe, in ſhame, in torment, in that fearefull battell, &c. commendes His Mother to Iohn, it telles vsus, that the duety which wee owe to Parentes, ſtandes not in ceremonies, ſo much as in performing of neceſſarie dueties. One word is greater in the houre of death (or the meaneſt care; than all that thou couldeſt doe being in health. It is ſaid, Honour thy father, and thy mother. But our lordes and gentlemen thinke it enough to take off their hats, and to bowe their knees to them. Standes the honour of thy Parentes in a ceremonie? Commendes God hypocriſie? Learne at Ieſus Chriſt: the honour of thy Parentes ſtandes in performing all eſſentiall partes of thy duetie to them. Was thy Mother bounde to giuegive thee ſucke? and to bring thee vp in thy youth? I ſaye thou art as ſtraitly bounde to honour thy Mother, and to nouriſhe her in her olde age. Woe to them that procure their mothers curſe, and who are not tender to their mothers, and will neither foſter them, nor hauehave a care of them. This example of Ieſus Chriſt, which is regiſtrate in the Goſpell, ſhall beare witneſſe againſt thee, when thy conſcience ſhal rent and teare thee. Men are come to ſuch vnnaturalneſſe, that the Lyon was neuer ſo cruell, as men in Scotland, to them out of whoſe bellies they came. Now what does Iohn? He takes her home heartily. John takes ano…her mans mother and entertaines her, and he gets but this direction from the Croſſe Fie on thee that getteſt a direction from the throne of heauē, to honour thy own mother. I ſay not (ſaies Chriſt) my mother, but thy mother. When men will not obeye Chriſt from that Heauēly Throne, what ſhall become of them in that great day? Shame ſhall be heaped on them. And Iohn who tooke not home his own mother, but another mans mother, ſhall ſtand vp & condemne thee, who would not entertaine thine own mother. All the ſpeaches of the worlde will not learne men in this wicked generation. Further, this is not to be p…ſſed by, that Iohn had an Houſe, and ſo had the reſt of the Apoſtles: ſay not yt they were beggers: it is but folly to place religion in beggery. I ſay it in a word, Theſe priuiledges in the world, Houſes, wiues, children, &c. are as well ſanctified to a Miniſter, as thy lordſhip is to thee. Nowe I beſeech thee, as euer thou woldeſt yt the Lord ſhold bleſſe thee & thy poſſeſhōs in this world, & ſhold giuegive thee an hope of yt life to come, let the Miniſters of the Goſpell hauehave a part of their own: (It is not yours:) as euer ye would giuegive an accompt to the Iudge, & to be anſwerable to Him in yt great Checker: for all the blood of periſhing ſoules ſhall bee required at them, who with-draw theſe temporal things whereon thoſe ſhould bee ſuſtained, whom God hath ſent to feede the ſoules of men and women to that Heauenly life. To the Lord of that life, be all Honour, Praiſe, and Glorie, for euermore: Amen.