The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 41
THE XLI. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST.
LVKE CHAP. XXIIII.
verse 37 But they were abaſhed and afraide, ſuppoſing that they had ſeene a ſpirit.
verse 38 Then hee ſaide vntounto them, Why are yee troubled? and wherefore doe doubtes ariſe in your heartes?
verse 39 Beholde mine handes and my feete: for it is I my ſelfe: handle mee, and ſee: for a ſpirit hath not fleſh and bones, as yee ſee mee hauehave.
verse 40 And when hee had thus ſpoken, hee ſhewed them his handes and feete.
verse 41 And while they yet beleeued not for joye, and wondered, &c.
IOHN, CHAP. XX.
verse 20 And when hee had thus ſaide, hee ſhewed vntounto them his handes and his ſide. Then were the Diſciples gladde when they had ſeene the Lord.
BELOVED in CHRIST IESVS, vvee hauehave in hand as yet the Hiſtorie of the appearing of Chriſt after His glorious Reſurrection: Firſt Hee appeares to MARIE MAGDALENE at the graue: Next, He appeares to another companie of vvomen as they returned from the graue: Thirdlie, Hee appeared to two of His Diſciples that ſame daye of His Reſurrection, as they went from Hieruſalem to Emmaus Fourthlie, Hee appeared to Simon Peter alone: And now laſt, (and this is His appearing which vvee hauehave in hand) He appeares to a companie of His Diſciples, to the eleuen, (Thomas being excepted) with others of the common ſort, where they were gathered together in the night, in a ſecret place of Ieruſalem. The laſt day, as God gaue the grace, we ſpake of this conuention of the diſciples, & of His miraculous and ſudden comming, and ſtanding vp in the middes of them, the doore beeing ſhut. Wee heard, when Hee ſtood vp amongſt them, what He did, He ſalutes them after His olde faſhion, and ſayes, Peace be vntounto you, in ſuch ſort, that they might hauehave vnderſtood that it was the Lord, by the voyce, and that ſalutation, wherewith they were acquainted: but ye ſee, what effect His preſence, His voyce, and His ſalutation workes in them.
In the beginning of this Text, which wee hauehave read, when they ſee Him, and heare Him, it is ſaid, That they are abaſhed, & troubled in heart, and terrified with Ieſus. Why? Becauſe they thought, they had ſeene a ſpirit, or an Angell in the ſhape of a man: this His preſence ſhould hauehave confirmed and ſtrengthened their Faith, which euen they pretended to hauehave of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, but it falles out otherwiſe. This is an haſtie change, and litle before, they are ſpeaking confidently one to another of Him, and of His Reſurrection: Theſe that were conueened at Ieruſalem before, were ſpeaking of Him, and aſſuring the two diſciples, that He was riſen indeede, then the two aſſuring them, that Hee was riſen: now in an inſtant they are aſtoniſhed, ſo abaſhed, and afraide, that when they ſee Him, they cannot beleeue, that it is He, their Faith almoſt euaniſheth. A litle before, in their minde there was light, there was knowledge, now in ſteade of that light, comes in blindneſſe, and dimneſſe in the eyes of the minde: a litle before, there was Faith in the heart, and joy in the Reſurrection of Chriſt, now there is ſuch infidelitie, that they wil not beleeue their owne ſenſes: in ſtead of joy there is trouble, this is a ſudden change from the better to the worſe: yee ſee, howe ſuddenly the ſoule of man will bee changed: now he will beleeue, now Faith in an inſtant will bee turned in infidelitie, now he will rejoyce, and euen now his joy will bee turned in dolour. This is our eſtate, ſo long as we liue in the world: but Brethren, it would be marked, where begins this change? There are two partes in the ſoule of man: there is the minde, the eye of the ſoule, that giues light to the ſoule, and to all the partes of it, and to the whole man, then there is the heart, and the affections that ſhould be guided by the minde, which is the eye of the ſoule: both are changed in the diſciples in an inſtant: but where beginnes the change? Not at the heart, nor the affections firſt, No, but it begins at the minde, the minde deceiues it ſelfe, and ſhe beleeues when ſhe ſees Chriſt, ſhe ſees a Spirit: when ſhe ſees one thing, ſhe ſuppoſes ſhee ſees another, ſhee blindes her ſelfe: and when ſhe hath blinded her ſelfe, then followes terrour, and all the affections of the heart are troubled, by reaſon of the falſe imagination of the minde. Brethren, there is not one of vsus, but we hauehave this minde, this heart, theſe affections, and theſe mutations: Why then ſhould wee not knowe them: I marke this, to let you ſee the vanitie of the reaſon of man: the beſt thing in man is his reaſon, but ſhe is full of vanitie: ſhee that ſhould hauehave guided all the inferiour powers of the ſoule, ſhe is firſt out of order.
It is a miſerable Commonwealth, where the head is out of order: for then it beeing out of order, all is miſordered: commonly, it is this minde, that puts all the affections out of order, and by her vaine imaginations, reaſonings, and toyes, ſhe will giuegive in ſuch terrours in the ſoule, as is wonderfull. If there be any power of the ſoule, that hath need to be reformed and renued in IESVS CHRIST: I ſay, the wit and minde of man hath moſt need to be renued, and illuminate by the Spirit of IESVS CHRIST: And therefore the Apoſtle exhortes the Epheſians, To be renued in the ſpirit of their minde, Epheſ. Chapter 4 verſe 23. Plato was a foole, and Ariſtotle, and all the Philoſophers, who were accounted wonders in the world, for their wiſdome in naturall things, who ſaid, the minde of man was perfect, and placed reaſon, as a Queene in the ſoule, to guide and holde all the affections in order.
The Papiſtes are a litte better than the Philoſophers: for they aſc…ibe too much to the minde and reaſon of man: they ſet themſelues to aduance man, and to extenuate grace, and their wiſdome is farre from the wiſdome of God.
The Spirit of God ſayes, in the Epiſtle to the Romanes, Chapter 8. verſe 7. That the wiſdome of the fleſh, is enimitie against God: for it is not ſubject to the Law of God, neither can it be.
But to goe forwarde: When they ſee CHRIST, They ſuppoſed, that Hee had beene a ſpirit. I doubt not, but He appeared in ſome glorious forme, they may not abide the ſight of Him, without great terrour and feare: they are blinded with the ſight of Him, this eye of the bodie, ſubject to mortalitie (all is mortall, the eye, and all) is ſo infirme and weake, that it may not abide to ſee a thing immortall, glorious and heauenly: All that vve ſee, is mortall, the Earth & the Heauens are mortall: an heauenly & ſpirituall thing, the eyes of the bodie cannot behold: I ſay more, let be the eyes of the body, and this outvvarde ſenſe, the eye of the ſoule that ſhould be clearer in ſight than the eye of the body, may not abide any immortall and heauenly object, ſo long as we are in this life, it may not beholde an heauenly thing: I ſpeake by naturaull diſpoſition: a man that hath but nature, may not looke to God, and heauenly things: but ſo ſoone as theſe glorious objects are laide before the eye of the minde, there goes a great dimneſſe ouer it, and that exceeding brightneſſe blindfoldes it ſo, that it is not able to beholde it. The fault of this is not ſo much in the glorious object, as it is in thy ſoule (and if it vvere right) heauenly thinges ſhould comfort thee. The fault is in the euill diſpoſition of the eye of thy ſoule, it is but a bleered eye like the eye of the body, looking to the Sunne growes blinde, & is worſe than of before: ſo is it vvith the eye of the ſoule: for the eye of our ſoule, is but bleered: there vvas neuer ſuch a bleered eye in the body as in the ſoule: the fault then is in the canker and vile diſpoſition of the ſoule of man.
This is their change: at the ſight of Chriſt, they are blinded in minde, and troubled in heart. What does the Lorde? Lets Hee them be? lets Hee them ly in that blindneſſe and terrour? No, He departs not, but trauells to change them ouer againe in mind, heart, and affection: it is the worde of Ieſus onelyonly, that is able to alter and change the heart of man, and that euill diſpoſition and blindneſſe which is there, when all the affections of the heart are out of order, it is the worde of Chriſt onelyonly, that hath povver to change them, all the Angells in Heauen, and all the men in the Earth vvill not bee able to put thine heart in order, if it bee troubled. Therefore he or ſhe that hath blind terrours, let them reſort to the hearing of the word of God: I ſaye to thee, if thou diſdaineſt this worde, and if thou ſeekeſt to this man, or ſeekeſt to that man, or ſeekeſt to Angels, thou ſhalt neuer get reſt nor reliefe in thy trouble. So it is the word of Ieſus Chriſt, that muſt giuegive light and conſolation.
But what ſort of word muſt this be? Muſt it be a ſoft, a gentle and calme vvord to the eare? No, vvhen the minde hath blinded it ſelfe, and vvhen the affections are out of order, ſhee muſt bee tamed, the affections are hammered and throwne downe, becauſe the pride of the ſoule reaches vp to Heauen, to reaſon againſt God, 2. Epiſtle to the Corinthians, Chapter 10. verſe 4, 5. Therefore ſhe muſt be ſubdued by ſharpe threatning and ſad ſpeeches, to hammer her downe. So the Lord ſayes, Why are yee troubled? Why let yee vaine fantaſies ariſe in your heartes? No doubt, theſe words had power to repreſſe and hammer dovvne the miſordered vanities in their heartes: then the diſordered affections muſt be compelled to bee in order, not by faire vvords, but by threatning, and ſaying, away to your order, they muſt bee beaten and ſtrucken downe. Let no man deceiue himſelfe: thinking, that he ſhould alwayes heare ſoft and gentle words: No, that vvill neuer make a change in the ſoule.
Come to the words: Wherefore doe doubts ariſe in your heartes? In the vvordes the Lord lets you ſee, how the minde blindes her ſelfe, when a ſpirituall object is ſet before it, the vvord Aſcending, that is vſed, lets vsus ſee, that firſt of all, a ſmall cogitation enters in, and then it growes to a mountaine: When ſhe ſees an heauenly object, God, or the word, or Chriſt, in the which God, or Chriſt is ſeene: aſſoone as this heauenly object is laid before the eye of the minde, ſhe begins to reaſon, ſhe gets not the blenck ſo ſoone, but aſſoone ſhe reaſones, and the diſcourſe ariſes vp like a mountaine, ſo that the light of the Spirit ſhall bee taken out of her eye, and ſhall make ſuch concluſions, that ſhall riſe vp and ſtand like mountaines, and blinde her, and if ſhee hath any ſight, pull it out of her, as yee ſee ſometimes, when the Sunne vvill be ſhining bright vvithin a ſhort time a cloude vvill ariſe from belovv, and vvill take away the light of the Sunne: Euen ſo, from the reaſon of man ariſe doubtes like a foome (all thy reaſon is but ſtinking foome) and it will ſtand vp like a foule blacke ſmooke, betvvixt thee and God, Rom. 1.21.
Reade yee not, what the Apoſtle ſayes: The Gentiles and Philoſophers beginning at reaſon, put out the blencke that they had of God, and in their wiſdome they became madde fooles.
This day, the Papiſts, and their Doctours, hauehave blinded themſelues vvith vaine Philoſophie, and vvith their thornie queſtions they hauehave drowned Chriſt, and ſo obſcured Him, that Hee could not bee ſeene to the worlde, and they drowne themſelues in their ovvne dung.
Let all men then take this leſſon: When the vvorde of the LORD is offered to thee, Bee not too curious: Bevvare of thy learning, beware of thy reaſoning, leane not too much to it, that it ſtand not vp betweene thee, and GOD, and blinde thee: let not cogitations ariſe: When it comes to the Scripture, reaſon, Why not? but with ſoberneſſe, with a ſoule deſirous to learne, with prayer, with calling on that Spirit: No light in that word, but by that Spirit of light, who dited the Scriptures: If thou getteſt that Spirit, then light ſhall be offered and giuen to thee, but if thou vaniſheſt in thy minde, and followeſt thy wit, except thou caſteſt away thy reaſoning, reade not one worde: I forbid thee to reade one worde of the Scriptures, leſt thou aggreadge thy damnation.
Now, I goe forward: When thus way by checking, Hee hath beaten downe the imaginations, reaſonings, and cogitations that ſublimely roſe out of the minde, and when by an angrie worde, Hee hath beaten downe the affections which were out of order, nowe in gentleneſſe Hee beginnes to teach and inſtruct them, and He teaches them two things: Firſt, that He is a bodie: Secondly, that He is not a Spirit, and that He is that ſame CHRIST, that ſame man, that ſame bodie, and none other, that before His Paſſion, haunted with them, teached them, and wrought miracles in their preſence, Hee teaches them, by a familiar argument: Firſt, by the ſight: Beholde, ſayes He, mine hands, and my feete: He holdes vp His handes, not His handes onelyonly, but alſo the markes of the wounds of His hands, He lets them ſee His feete, and the print of the nailes.
Next, Handle Mee, ſayes He, if ye will not ſee, feele: What better argument would yee hauehave? than to feele fleſh, blood, and bones. Next, Hee prooues, that Hee was no Spirit, but a man, with the body of a man, A ſpirit, or an Angell, hath not body fleſh, and bones: but ſo it is, I hauehave them, Ergo, I am no ſpirit. This is a ſenſible argument: and ſee, how Hee dimittes that glorious body to their eyes, and to their hands to bee ſeene, to bee touched, that He might make them to beleeue: albeit Faith be a ſpirituall worke in the ſoule, yet it is wrought, and confirmed in the ſoule by the eye, & by ſight, by the hand by touching. This place lets vsus ſee how damnable is the doctrine of the Papiſtes who would hauehave vsus to beleeue that in the Supper of IESVS CHRIST, there is a locall and bodily preſence of CHRISTS body, and that the whole bodie is there, and that the blood is there drunken by thee, and the body is eaten by thee, after a bodily manner with the mouth of thy bodie, and not ſacramentally and ſpiritually. How dare theſe deceiuers of the world, theſe vile knaues affirme, that they eate the body of IESVS CHRIST, and puts it in their vile mouthes. What reaſonable man, can be perſwaded of it. Will they teach me, as CHRIST teached His diſciples, will they let mee ſee viſibly vvith mine eye, and feele ſenſibly vvith mine hand, a body, then ſhall I beleeue, otherwiſe, no Papiſt, will cauſe me beleeue, that I eate CHRIST really and bodily with my mouth, no more than the diſciples would beleeue that CHRIST was a body, till they felt Him, and ſawe Him, I will be of the Faith of the diſciples. Beleeue them who will, I ſhall neuer beleeue them, by the grace of GOD. Let mee ſee a bodie, not the roundneſſe and whiteneſſe of the bread, and let me feele this, that CHRIST let His diſciples feele: if thou vvilt not let mee feele that, I will neuer beleeue thee: holde thee content, and I am not bound to beleeue thee: yea more, if I beleeued thee, I vvere faire in the wrong, I ſhould ſinne againſt the LORD, and againſt the trueth of His body. Why? If I beleeue thee, neither ſeeing, nor feeling ſuch a thing, then I ſhould beleeue, the body of Chriſt to be vnuiſible, and vntractable, and to beleeue that, is to beleeue the body of CHRIST to bee no bodie. That bodie that is not ſeene, nor handled, is not a body, theſe properties beeing taken avvay from a bodie, there remaines no bodie, yea, ſight and feeling are ſuch vnſeparable accidents of the bodie, that the verie glorified bodie cannot be vvithout them.
The Papiſts caſt vntounto vsus a friuolous diſtinction betwixt the glorified body of CHRIST, and His vnglorified bodie: No, the verie glorified bodie is as vvell viſible and tractable, as an vnglorified bodie. The godlie in the latter daye ſhall ſee whether it be viſible, or not. Goe thy way with thy bodily preſence, thou debarreſt thy ſelfe from that preſence, that the godlie ſhall ſee, one daye to their conſolation.
Furthermore, Brethren, There is another thing to be marked: I ſee IESVS CHRIST, after His glorious Reſurrection, to hauehave kept the markes of the wounds, Hee ſhewes His handes and His wounded hands. Hee ſhewes them His feete, and His wounded feet, & He ſhewed His ſide to Thomas, when he would not beleeue & made him to put his handes in His ſide. Yee woulde maruell, that Chriſt, riſing vp in glorie, ſhoulde hauehave kept the markes of infirmitie. When the Lord roſe, it became Him to ſhake off all infirmitie: and the markes of His woundes are a part of infirmitie. See ye not howe it hath pleaſed the Lorde to humble Himſelfe for our cauſe, to the ende, that vvee ſhould beleeue. Not onelie roſe Hee, and appeared vntounto them, but alſo after He roſe, Hee keepes the marks of His vvoundes, that no vvayes they ſhoulde doubt, but fullie beleeue, that it vvas Hee, and none other. It is a vvonderfull thing to ſee the humilitie of Chriſt for our cauſe: as all His life vvas but an humbling of Himſelfe: ſo after His Reſurrection, for thine exaltation, vvhen Hee ſhould hauehave gone to glorie, Hee abides fourtie dayes, to cauſe His Diſciples beleeue. Art not thou, who art duſt and aſhes, bound to humble thy ſelfe for Him, ſeeing that Hee, who is ſo glorious, humbled Himſelfe ſo low for thee? Now whether the Lord keepe theſe markes or no, or vvhether vve ſhall ſee Him come vvith them or no in that great day, I vvill not be curious: but this I knowe, the freſh memorie of the vvoundes, and of the Croſſe, ſhall neuer vaniſhe out of the hearts of the Elect: and in the Heauen thou ſhalt remember a thouſande times better, than in the earth, vvhen thou ſhalt ſee Him as Hee is: when thou ſhalt beholde Him vvhom thou haſt pearced thorowe, thou ſhalt mourne, ſayes the Prophete Zacharie. There is the remembring of the vvoundes. And as that Croſſe ſhall neuer goe out of the eye of the Father, (for it is as preſent now before the eye of the Father, as it was that houre that He was crucified:) So vvhen thou ſhalt come to Heauen, alwayes thou ſhalt hauehave a memorie of the Croſſe: And in this reſpect He is called an euerlaſting Sacrifice, and an euerlaſting Prieſt. And, as the ſight of that Croſſe pacifies the vvrath of GOD: (vvere it out of the eye of the Father, the flame of His vvrath vvoulde deuoure and conſume thee, for the pacifying of the vvrath ſtandes in the ſight of the Croſſe:) So the joye and peace of thy conſcience in Heauen, ſhall ſtande in an euerlaſting remembrance of the Croſſe and His bloodie vvoundes. There are two groundes of our Eternall joye and peace in Heauen: Firſt, our joye and peace ſtandes in the ſight of that preſent glorie of Chriſt in Heauen. Next after the ſight of that glorie, they ſtand on a remembrance of His by-gone Croſſe: Theſe ſhall bee the two pillars of the euerlaſting joye and happineſſe vvhichwhich the Sainctes ſhall hauehave in Heauen. So Hee ſhall ſtand in as good ſtead to thee in the Heauen, as Hee did in the earth. Learne to ſeeke Him, to embrace Him, and to bee homelie with Him: for in Him ſtandes thy joye euerlaſtinglie, and euer thou bee happie, thou muſt bee vvith Him. Now this for Chriſts part. Hitherto hath Hee taught them, by the ſenſes and thinges ſenſible: But looke vvhat this vvorkes in them: It is ſaide, That for joye they coulde not beleeue, and they fell out in a wondring. There is the effect that it vvrought: There is ſomething heere vvrought: to vvit, a joye, and a vvondering. Yet the thing that they ſhoulde hauehave, is not as yet vvrought, that is, Faith: for joye and wondring by appearance ſtayes their faith. So harde a matter is it to cauſe a man to beleeue. It is an eaſie thing to thee, who knoweſt not what Faith is, to ſaye, I beleeue: but when thou art put to the proofe, thou wilt finde howe harde a thing it is, to cauſe thee to beleeue. There is as great contrarietie betwixt our nature, and faith in Chriſt, as is betwixt water and fire: And if thou beleeueſt, there muſt bee as great chaunge in thy nature, as to change water into fire, and fire into water. Nature muſt bee turned into grace. But howe comes it to paſſe, that joye and wondering ſhoulde ſtaye Faith? Conſider it: That which one would faine hauehave comming to paſſe, yee knowe hee cannot eaſilie beleeue it, when one telles him, that it is come to paſſe: And that which leaſt wee woulde hauehave comming to paſſe, we moſt eaſilie beleeue that it hath come to paſſe. A man that feares euill, will credite an euill report readilie: but hee that earneſtlie wiſhes a good thing, will not ſo ſoone credite a good report: hee will thinke it almoſte impoſſible. But yet when a man heares tell of a thing which hee would faine hauehave comming to paſſe, although hee beleeue it not, yet the heart will leape for joye. This was the diſpoſition of the Apoſtles: The thing that faineſt they would hauehave cōming to paſſe, was a ſight of IESVS. And if thou were acquainted with Chriſt as theſe men were, if Hee were taken out of thy ſight, thou wouldeſt gette no pleaſure, till that thou ſaweſt Him, as PAVL ſayes, I deſire to be diſſolued, and to bee with CHRIST: Hee had ſuch a thirſt to ſee Chriſt, that hee woulde not care for death, nor for the graue, to ſee Him. Howbeit they cannot beleeue, yet they hauehave joye, and their ſoules are rauiſhed with admiration. Faith is not ſo much in a rauiſhed and carried heart, as in a ſet…ed ſoule. A faithfull heart is the moſte ſetled heart in the worlde. If there bee vanitie in the heart, faith is ſo ſolide that it will preſſe out vanitie. Faith is a ſolide thing in a ſetled heart. A faithfull man, is a ſetled man: and a man without faith, is as an emptie veſſell, and as a bagge of winde: his joye is light, and proceedes onelyonly from the ſwarfe of the ſoule. But after once faith bee ſetled, there will bee ſolide joy that comes in with pleaſure, and ſearches the leaſt corner of the heart: a joye vnſpeakeable and glorious begunne heere, which will hauehave none ende, till wee ſee Chriſt. So this their joye goes not farre enough downe in their heartes: for they are rauiſhed with joye, but had not ſolide faith. When I marke this place, I ſee in it what ſhall be the eſtate of the godlie when they ſhall meete with their LORD: The firſt ſight ſhall rauiſhe them ſo, that they ſhall wonder, that euer there coulde hauehave beene ſuch a glorie. Wilt thou but ſuſpende thy judgement for a while, thou ſhalt ſee that which thou neuer ſaweſt, and that which thou neuer heardeſt tell of, and that which neuer coulde enter into thine heart. When thou ſhalt ſee this, thou ſhalt fall into an admiration: Then after once thou knoweſt Him, then after the admiration ſhall follow a ſolide faith, a ſolide joye, and a ſetled apprehenſion of thinges ſpirituall, and that not for a time, but for euermore. Nowe it laſtes not, ſcarcelie is it preſent when it euaniſhes: But after the full ſight, ſhall followe the ſolide joye that neuer ſhall hauehave ende. As by the contrarie, This ſhall bee the eſtate of the reprobate: The firſt ſight and ſenſe of that wrath that ſhall ceaze vponupon them ſo fearcelie, as neuer before they coulde hauehave ſuſpected, ſhall aſtoniſhe, confounde, and dammiſhe them. Thou kneweſt neuer what meaſure of wrath is hidden vp in the treaſure of GOD. Thou who art a reprobate, till thou feeleſt it, there ſhall come ſuch a terrour vponupon thee, that it ſhall cauſe all the haires of thine head ſtande ouer ende: and it is called foreign, ſuch an aſtoniſhment as Chriſt ſuffered in the Garden, a little before Hee was taken. Then ſhall followe on them that anguiſhe, and fearefull dreadfulneſſe, preſſing them, when they hauehave beene aſtoniſhed at the ſight and ſenſe of vvrath vvhichwhich is called foreign, vvhichwhich vvas the LORDES ſeconde perturbation, vvhichwhich is a more ſetled feeling of vvrath, and more conſtant apprehenſion of dolour, ſorrowe, and anguiſhe for euermore in the Helles: And it ſhall bee ſo vveightie vvhen they are ſhotte into Hell, that it ſhall preſſe the ſappe out of them. The LORDE ſaue vsus from it, and giuegive vsus grace to bee founde in CHRIST, that wee maye bee ſaued from that vvrath vvhichwhich is to come, in Him: To vvhome vvith the Father, and the Holie Spirite, bee all Praiſe, Honour, and Glorie, for euermore: Amen.