The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 42
THE XLII. LECTVRE OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST.
LVKE CHAP. XXIIII.
verse 41 Hee ſaide, vntounto them, HaueHave yee heere anie meate?
verse 42 And they gaue him a piece of a broyled fiſh, and of an honie combe,
verse 43 And hee tooke it, and did eate before them.
verse 44 And hee ſaide vntounto them, Theſe are the wordes, which I ſpake vntounto you while I was yet with you, that all must bee fulfilled which are written of mee in the Lawe of Moſes, and in the Prophets, and in the Pſalmes.
verse 45 Then opened hee their vnderſtanding, that they might vnderſtand the Scriptures,
verse 46 And ſaide vntounto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooued Christ to ſuffer, and to riſe againe from the dead the thirde day.
WEe continue as yet (beloued Brethren) in the Hiſtory of the appearing of Chriſt after His glorious Reſurrection: His fift appearing was to the eleuē (who were ſo called after the defection of Iudas) and the others: The common ranke of His Diſciples conuened together in the night, in a ſecret pl…ce of Hieruſalem: and while they are ſitting together, hauing their conferences one with another, & each one perſwading & certifying another of the Reſurrection of the Lord: in the meane time the doore being ſhut, the LORD on a ſuddaintie comes in ere they wiſt, and Hee ſtandes in the middes of them, & ſtanding in the middes of them, He wiſhes His peace to them, and He ſayes, Peace be vntounto you: they ſeeing Him, and ſuppoſing Hee had bene a Spirit, or an Angell in the likeneſſe of a man, they were abaſhed, and aſtoniſhed: The Lord aftherwards ſettles them with a litle ſharpe rebuke: Hee beginnes to ſhew vntounto them, that He was no ſpirit, but a very body: and that ſame very man called Ieſus, vvho before His Paſſion vvas conuerſant with them, that ſame man that ſuffered, and therefore He holdes out His handes and His feete, which were both marked with the print of His wounds on the Croſſe: See (ſayes He) feele (ſayes He) looke if I be not that ſame man which ſuffered, a Spirit hath not fleſh and blood, as I hauehave, Ergo, I am no Spirit. When He had in this manner, led them by the very ſenſe to know Him, by the eye to beholde Him, by the eare to heare His familiar voyce, & ſalutation, by the hand to handle Him. What effect followed, Yet ſayes the Scripture, they beleeued not, and they could not beleeue, for exceeding joy wherewith they were rauiſhed, for admiration, and wondering they could not beleeue for a piece of time: Faith dwelles in a ſetled heart: and if there be any vanitie, and any emptineſſe in the heart, Faith will preſſe out the vanitie, and will fill vp that emptineſſe in the heart, and the faithfull man is the moſt ſolide and ſettled thing in the world: and hee who is the vnfaithfull man, is a vaine hearted man, his heart is blowne vp with vanitie, albeit he had all the naturall wit in the world. Now the joy that Faith brings with it, is not an admiration and rauiſhing of the heart, but it is a ſolide joy, a ſolide apprehenſion of ſpiritual things in the heart: ſo the heartes of the diſciples at the firſt ſight became rauiſhed in admiration, the vaile of their heartes were not touched with joy, they had not that ſettled joy, that they had afterward.
Nowe to come to the Text that wee hauehave read: In it, firſt, the Lord yet continues in aſſuring them that it was He: He ſtriueth on with their infidelitie: then when He hath ſhewed them viſibly the action of a body, in eating in their ſight, then He comes to a ſweete Sermon, wherein Hee inſtructes them in two points: firſt, that all things that befell to Him, as His Paſſion, and Reſurrection behooued to hauehave befallen to Him: ſecondly againe, that as thoſe things befell to Him of neceſſitie: ſo of neceſſitie thoſe things behooued to be preached to the world. So He inſtructes them in theſe two neceſſities. Then Hee comes on in the ſecond part of His preaching, and giues direction to them, to be preachers, and witneſſes to the worlde of all theſe thinges, promiſing againe to them that Spirit, which He had promiſed them before His Pasſion, and that they ſhould hauehave the greater ſecuritie. He giues them commandement, not to depart out of Ieruſalem, vntill they were endued with vertue out of Heauen: this is the effect.
To come to the firſt part: When they heard Him ſpeake with a voyce familiar, wherewith they had beene acquainted, and that homely ſalutation, Peace bee vntounto you: yet they would not knowe Him, when they had ſeene His hands and feete, yet they beleeued not that it was He, when they had handled Him, and felt Him, yet they beleeued Him not for all this, they were rauiſhed with joy, yet they beleeued not. The Lorde will not leaue them in this vnbeliefe, but He will let them vnderſtand that it was He, He teaches them by the ſight of a bodily action. Hee askes if they had a…y me…t: They preſent to Him A piece of roſted fiſh, and that was all the delicate they gaue Him, and with it A piece of hony combe, Hee takes and eates in their ſight, Hee eates the piece of the roſted fiſh, and the hony combe: Not that the Lord after His Reſurrection, had any need to eate any of their meat, Hee who nowe vvas immortall after His Reſurrection, that was glorious, and that vvas full of God, and had all the powers of His ſoule filled with God: What needed He their piece of fiſh, or their hony combe to eate: So it was not for any need He had, that Hee eated, but that He eated in their ſight, that they ſhould beleeue that the Lord was a body: a Spirit eates not, neither drinkes. The Lord therefore ſhewes them that He vvas no Spirit. In doing this, Brethren, no queſtion, He humbled Himſelfe, beeing now immortall and glorious, and full of God: Was not this a humbling of Him, an immortall bodie to take that mortall bread? It is a wonderfull thing, to ſee, how Ieſus Chriſt humbled Himſelfe, ay whilſt He vvas yet ſtill in this vvorld: Beeing ſayes Paul Philip in the forme of God, & thought it no robberie to be equall with God. He made Himſelfe of no reputation, taking on Him the ſhape of a ſeruant, That is, the nature of man & in the nature of man became obedient to the Father for vsus to the death, & to a vile death euen to the death of the Croſſe, a foule de…th, and a ſore death. Then, vvhen after He vvas once …ade and riſen againe, …nd ſhould hauehave entred to His glory, and hauehave paſſed to Heauen imm…diately after His Reſurrection, to ſit at the right hande of that Majeſtie: Hee would not immediatly doe ſo, but did deferre and delay it the ſpace of fourtie dayes, and all this time humbling Himſelfe, it was a ſmall thing, that when He was mortall to humble Himſelfe: but when He was immortall, that Hee ſhould hauehave continued ſo long humbling Himſelfe for the cauſe of man, it is a wonder, & amongſt all the partes of His humiliation, this is one part, that He ate this mortall food. And thou, when thou ſhalt be glorified, thou ſhalt not bee ſo farre humbled, as to eate any food of this world: thou ſhalt not be ſo farre humbled, as IESVS CHRIST was humbled. Was this, Brethren, for the Apoſtles cauſe only, Was it for Peters cauſe, Iohn, Iames and the reſts cauſe? No, Paul ſayes, All is yours, ſpeaking to the Church, whether it be Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or thinges preſent, or things to come, or life, or death, all is yours, and ye are Chriſtes, and Chriſt is Gods, 1. Epiſt. to the Corinthians, the 3. Chapter, and the 21. and 22. verſes. So all the Apoſtles themſelues, were for the Churches cauſe, I ſpeake to you, Paul, Iohn, Iames, &c. were for your cauſe, and all this homelineſſe of Chriſt, with them was for your cauſe, as they were for your cauſe: ſo ſeeing the LORD hath ſo farre and ſo many wayes humbled Himſelfe, conſider, if wee hauehave not great cauſe, to meete Him, or not: If any will bowe ſo lowe, as to take thee by the hand, wilt thou not put out thine hande againe, and meete Him: and thinke ye, that this humbling of the LORD of glorie hath taken an ende, it endes not ſo long, as this Miniſterie continues: Know yee, what this Miniſterie, and this preaching is? It is but an humbling of GOD from Heauen, and that for thy cauſe: looke what Paul ſayes, in the 2. Epiſtle to the Corinthians, the 5. Chapter, and the 20. verſe: We are Ambaſſadours for Chriſt, as though GOD did beſeech you through vsus, we pray you in Chriſts ſtead, that ye be reconciled to God. There ye ſee, that by this Miniſterie, GOD humbles Himſelfe, to pray thee to be reconciled with Him, is not this an humbling of God? euen that He ſhould pray thee to be reconciled with Him, He becomes a ſuter, and ſoliſter for thy cauſe: ſayes the Apoſtle, We pray you, that y… ſhould be reconciled to Him: & what is it to God to humble Himſelfe, if not this when He beſeeches and requeſts vsus by His Meſſengers and Ambaſſadours, that wee bee reconciled to Him.
This exceeding humbling of the LORD, as it lets vsus ſee His louelove vnſpeakable towardes vsus, ſo it requires a meeting on our partes, as wee would eſchew fearfull judgements. If the firſt humbling of GOD, when He humbled Himſelfe in our nature, will not mooue thee to make Him a meeting, it ſhall bring on a judgement: If the ſecond, wherein He humbled Himſelfe after His Reſurrection ſo many wayes will not mooue thee, it ſhall double thy judgement: if the third humbling of Him, now in the Miniſterie will not mooue thee: if thou contemneſt the word, and the Miniſterie, it ſhall triple the judgement, albeit thou wereſt the King of the world: O that judgement and wrath! that ſhall bee heaped vponupon thee, thou ſhalt be thruſt downe, and plunged in Hel, to be tormented for euermore.
Can GOD humble Himſelfe for nothing? No, either ſhall it be for paſſing merciemercy, or els for a paſſing judgement to thee, for euer more.
Then, Brethren, yee ſhall marke in this place, and I ſhall onelyonly touch it by the way: The Lord after His glorious Reſurrection eated the meate they gaue Him: Hereof it followes: That after His glorious Reſurrection, Hee kept theſe naturall powers, as eating and drinking: if Hee kept them not, how could Hee eate at this time, if there was not a power attractiue in His ſtomacke? how could the meat goe ouer to His ſtomacke. This I ſpeake, to let you ſee, when we ſhall riſe & be glorified, and ſee our Lord▪ & vvhen this humbled bodie ſhall be tranſlated to the likeneſſe of His glorious body: as vvee ſhall keepe the ſame ſoule and body: ſo vvee ſhall keepe all the naturall povvers and faculties of them.
Nothing ſhall bee loſt in the Reſurrection: We ſhall keepe all, but after another manner: all theſe povvers nowe are infirme and weake: all are vile, vvithout glorie, then all ſhall bee glorified, facultie of eating and drinking ſhall bee glorified and made ſpirituall. Wilt thou then deſire meat, wilt thou hunger, as thou doeſt now: vvill thy ſtomacke deſire meat, as it does now: No, all thy naturall povvers ſhall be filled vvith GOD. 1. Cor. Chapter 15. verſe 28. God ſhall be all in all: Hee ſhall bee meate and drinke, and all thinges to thee. In the 21. Chapter of the Reuelation, and the 22. verſe. Hee ſhall bee the Temple: Thou ſhalt not neede to goe to the Church, Thy God ſhall be a Temple: Thou ſhalt not neede Sunne, nor Moone, or a lanterne, or a candle, Thy God ſhall be all in all to thee: So long as we are here, we hunger, we thirſt, we hauehave this meat, and that meat, and we muſt hauehave the Sunne, by day, and the Moone by night, and a candle, all this neceſsitie importes an imperfection: Eateſt thou, drinkeſt thou, all is an argument of imperfection, and albeit God filles thee in a part (GOD beginnes to fill thee in this world, and thou wilt feele His ſweetneſſe) yet He giues vsus heere in this life, but a litle taſte: GOD is not all in all to vsus, and therefore, ſo long as vvee are heere, we muſt eat and drinke: but after that once GOD ſhall fully poſſeſſe vsus, and repleniſh our ſoules, when vve ſhall ſee our Lord againe, vve ſhall neuer hunger nor thirſt, there ſhall neuer be want againe, there ſhall be fulneſſe, not of periſhing joy, but a fulneſſe of ſuch glory, as no tongue can expreſſe, and all the povvers of thy ſoule ſhall be repleniſhed with an vnſpeakable pleaſure: the vvorlde knovves not vvhat this meanes: and vvhen it is ſpoken to them, they thinke it vanitie. To enter heere curiouſly about this meat, and to diſpute: What became of this meat? vvhether it vvas digeſted, and turned to nutriture, and vvhether it vvas auoided againe, I thinke it needleſſe: But to ſpeake it in a vvorde: It vvas an eaſie matter to the LORD IESVS CHRIST, vvho made all of nothing, vvho made thee of nothing, vvho made thy meate and drinke of nothing, vvho made that piece of fiſh of nothing, and vvho made that honey combe of nothing, to turne it into nothing againe, without a concoction or digeſting in the ſtomacke.
Novve, to goe forvvarde to the ſecond part of the Text, and to come to His ſvveet Sermon: No queſtion, He deliuered it at great length: but Luke hath ſummed it ſhortely: Heere IESVS CHRIST preaches after His glorious Reſurrection: yee heard many of His preachinges before His ſuffering, in Iohn, heare this now after His Reſurrection: The firſt thing Hee does, He informes His Diſciples of a neceſsitie: It behooued Chriſt to die, & it behooued Him to riſe againe after His buriall the third day, there is a neceſsitie: Hee prooues this: What euer thing, ſayes Hee, vvas vvritten of mee, in Moyſes firſt, in the Prophets next, and in the Pſalmes laſt: all behooued to bee accompliſhed, eueryevery jote of it, of neceſsitie vvould the LORDE ſay, muſt bee accompliſhed, Heauen and Earth muſt paſſe avvay, ere one jote of that vvhichwhich is ſpoken of Mee, paſſe avvay, but all muſt be fulfilled.
To touch this, Hee takes vp all the vvhole Olde Teſtament into three partes: Firſt, the bookes of Moſes: Secondly, the Prophetes: Thirdly, the Pſalmes of Dauid.
Commonly, wee vvill heare the Olde Teſtament diuided in two partes: Firſt, the bookes of Moſes: Next, the Prophetes, novve He makes the Pſalmes the third. In the Pſalmes vve hauehave continuall prophecies of CHRIST, yet I thinke this is the principall cauſe of it, becauſe the Pſalmes are ſongs, vvhichwhich Dauid ſung vntounto GOD, and thereafter put in vvrite, and this is the chiefe purpoſe of the Pſalmes. It is true, that in the Pſalmes there are Prophecies contained concerning CHRIST: and therefore the Pſalmes vvere before rekoned vvith the Prophecies, and Dauid counted amongſt the Prophets, Luke Chapter 24. verſe 15. Yet the chiefe purpoſe of the Pſalmes, is to ſing vntounto the LORD, and then hee prophecies, hee ſtandes as a viue and expreſſe type of CHRIST, wherein he differs from other Prophets, vvho in their prophecying vvere no types of CHRIST. But to returne: What euer thing, ſayes CHRIST, is written of Mee, it behooued that to bee accompliſhed: But ſo it is, all theſe thinges hauehave beene vvritten and foretolde of Mee, my ſuffering and my Reſurrection, Moſes, the Prophets, and Dauid hauehave foretolde them: Ergo, of neceſsitie I behooued to ſuffer, and to riſe againe the third daye. Yee ſee then, vvhat Hee is doing, Hee is binding the Faith of His Diſciples, to beleeue of Him that Hee vvas riſen, vrging them vvith ſuch a neceſsitie, that they could not eſcape.
It is not ſo eaſie a thing, (as the vvorlde thinkes it) to beleeve: Aske at a vvanton companion, if Hee beleeues: He vvill anſwere: Why beleeue I not, vvhen in the meane time His ovvne mouth, nor His heart, hath no more ſmell of Faith, than the thing Hee touched neuer: and yet the blaſphemous knaue vvill ſay, He hath Faith: but to get Faith, of all things thou ſhalt finde, that it is the moſte hard and difficill thing, and ere euer thou beleeueſt, thou ſhalt be ſtraitted: The ſoule ſhall be ſo forced and conſtrained to beleeue, that thou canſt not ſay othervviſe.
Well, Brethren, vvee hauehave done vvith it, and vvee hauehave made ſhipvvracke of ſaluation, if vve beleeue not this Goſpell, and this Hiſtorie of the death and Reſurrection of IESVS CHRIST.
Beleeueſt thou not that IESVS CHRIST hath died, and hath riſen againe for thee, thou ſhalt neuer ſee Ieſus to to thy comfort: But ere euer thou or I beleeue that this is true that is written of CHRISTS ſuffering, and His glorification, ere euer thou beleeueſt the Hiſtorie of the New Teſtament of the Paſsion and riſing againe of Chriſt done and ended: thou muſt be perſwaded: there is a neceſſitie that all theſe thinges that are ſpoken in the Olde Teſtament behooued to be done: if then thou wouldeſt knovve the neceſſitie of theſe thinges, caſt thine eyes to the Olde Teſtament, and caſt it ouer, Beginne at Moyſes, and then come to the Prophets, and laſtly, to the Pſalmes of Dauid. Reade the Old Teſtament, and that write ſhall ſhewe thee ſuch a neceſſitie of theſe things that more poſſible had it bene, that the world ſhould hauehave vaniſhed away, than that theſe thinges ſhould not hauehave come to paſſe: and then vvhen yee take the New Teſtament, and ſees theſe things which are foretolde to bee accompliſhed, yee will not beleeue with how great joy, the heart will reſt vponupon Ieſus, and it will ſaye, I vvill beleeue this, that Chriſt hath ſuffered, and is riſen for mee: then thy pleaſure vvill be, to turne ouer the Olde and Newe Teſtament, that thy Faith may be the more confirmed.
To goe forwarde with the propoſition of the argument, vvhen He ſayes, It behoued all theſe things to come to paſſe: He propones it not ſimply, but whilſt He telles it, He ſecretly rebukes them, Heard ye not of this before? Are not theſe the words, which I ſpake to you while I was yet with you? Why hauehave ye novv forgote them, ſeeing not long ſince I tolde you them? I finde in the diſciples of Chriſt, a very great ignorance at the firſt: Thinke ye that any of them knew one word of this, notwithſtanding they vvere foretolde in Moſes, in the Prophets, and in the Pſalmes: No, not a worde: then vvith this ignorance, I ſee a great forgetfulneſſe, albeit they knew not, ſhould they not hauehave remembred, what their Lorde ſaide to them before His Pasſion? and yet when they ſee Him ſuffer, and ſee His Reſurrection, this cannot waken their memorie, to ſay, My Lord tolde me this: & therefore I will beleeue: in them thou mayeſt ſee thy nature, howe ignorant, and forgetfull thou art by nature: let thee ly ſtill, albeit thou wereſt Peter or Paul, or the beſt of them, let thee ſleeepe on, thou ſhalt die ſleeping: if theſe diſciples had not beene wakened, they had died, & this is the great and ſpeciall merciemercy of God, that He ſhewes to His own: He wil let them fall in a ſlumber, & ly a while in ignorance but incontinently He will come, & giuegive them a putte, with ſharpneſſe & merciemercy, & waken them. Thou who refuſeſt ſharpnes, O that ſharpe wakening that ſhall abide thee! Therefore, aſſoone as the Miniſter of God cries vntounto thee, O Catiue! ſleepeſt thou? death and damnation abides thee, if thou wakeneſt not: but if thou wilt waken in time, thou ſhalt finde mercy: pray vntounto the Lord, that thou mayeſt be wakened, for if thou wakeneſt not in time, heauie ſhall the judgement be, that ſhall ouertake thee: wofull ſhall thy wakening be, and the dolour that ſhall come on thee, as the paine of a woman in trauell: Our men for all our crying, will not bee wakened, but if they continue ſleeping, they ſhall goe to Hell.
Nowe to come to the aſſumption: Theſe things are written of mee, that I ſhould die, and riſe againe: and no doubt, when Hee telles this to them, He falles out in a diſcourſe of the Scriptures, alleadging teſtimonies out of Moſes, the Prophets, & the Pſalmes, as the words following, declare. But to proceed: Is the Lord content to alleadge the Scriptures ſimply? Does He no more? Marke it well: as Hee alleadges and opened the Scriptures vntounto them: So Hee opens their minde and vnderſtanding, that they might vnderſtand the Scriptures. Would ye hauehave an effectuall preaching, there is an effectuall preaching: when theſe two goe together: when the Scriptures are opened, and the Lord puts in His hande, and opens the heart, and the dead ſoule that is ſleeping, to vnderſtand that piece of Scripture, which is opened. Would yee hauehave the difference betweene the preaching of Chriſte, and the preaching of His ſeruants: all their preaching is nothing, in reſpect of His, Moſes, the Prophets, and all the Apoſtles, are nothing to Him: when He preached, that ſame LORD that ſpake, had power in His owne hande, and made His owne Spirite, to open the heart: neuer a preacher had that, that the Lord Ieſus had, He had His owne Spirit to giuegive vntounto His owne, when Hee ſpake His owne word: the preachers hauehave not that Spirit to giuegive, but referres it vntounto the Lord, 1. Cor. 13.5.6.7. Paul ſayes to the Corinthians, who eſteemed much of Paul: O vaine men, Paul is nothing, he only plants, Apollos is nothing, he wateres, but it is God that giues the increaſe: if he bleſſed not the labour of Paul, or of any other preacher, all were loſt labour: if the Lord giuegive not His Spirit with the word, man teaches in vaine. In the 16. of the Actes, verſe 14. When Paul is preaching, we read not, that any are conuerted for all his preaching, but only one woman, Lydia, happie Lydia: When Paul preached, it is not ſaid, that Paul opened her heart, but that the Lorde opened her heart: Paul deliuered the doctrine, but the Lorde▪ and not Paul had the Spirite, to giuegive vvith the preaching: therefore vvhen yee heare, and come to heare, euer crie, Lorde, open mine heart, No creature, no Miniſter, none Angell: yea, all the Angels of Heauen, will not open the heart of a ſinner. Crie for that Spirite, that He would open thine heart, that thou mayeſt feede vponupon that food of life.
Nowe conſider at what time it is, that the mindes of the diſciples are opened to vnderſtand: It was euen when Hee is exponing the Scriptures, then their mindes are opened, and at none other time, to let you ſee, in deſpite of the worlde, that there is none opening of the heart, none illumination of the Spirit, but by this word, by the hearing, and by the reading of this worde. Away with theſe fantaſticke reuelations of the Anabaptiſtes, awaye with the Pope, and the crue of His ſhauelings, who affirme, that the Spirit will be effectuall at the preaching of his vnwritten verities, at the dreames and fantaſies of men, which is not only not found in the Scripture, but alſo is altogether contrarie and repugnant to the Scripture. I pronounce, let them heare, albeit it were a thouſand yeere, the Spirite of Ieſus ſhall abhorre that traſh and peltrie. Set me vp the Pope, to preach theſe vanities to thee: I denounce, thy minde ſhall not be opened, that Spirit ſhal neuer come to open the mindes, neither of them, who preach, nor yet their mindes who heare them. Goe vntounto Rome, ſit and heare, and lend thine eare to a flattering ſocietie of their Clergie, heare them on, thy ſoule ſhall the more be blinded, the more thou heareſt: the Spirit of Chriſt, will only accompanie His owne word. Looke what is our nature in the Diſciples of CHRIST, knoweſt thou it not? their mindes were blinded, & ſound ſleeping, while the Lord opened them. They knew not what Moyſes ſaid, or what the Prophets ſpake of Chriſt, while the Lord opened their vnderſtanding. Nothing in nature, but euill, nothing but blindneſſe in the mind. Away with the Papiſt, and his freewill, fye on thee, that thinkeſt thy ſelfe better than thou art: fye on thee, that knoweſt not thy naturall blindneſſe, and deadneſſe, thou wilt come and ſpeake of thy Free-will, and of the light of thy minde: thou wilt ſaye, that thou haſt a Free-will to encline to heauenly things: be not deceiued with the conceite of this engine, & naturall quickneſſe. Indeede in humane thinges, a man will hauehave a great quickneſſe and ſharpneſſe, but bring him to the Scriptures of God to Moyſes, to the Prophets, & Apoſtles, he is as blind as a Moldewarpe, & as fond as a foole: the greater naturall wit and quickneſſe that thou haſt, (a ſore thing) the greater excecation and fooliſhneſſe in ſpirituall things: ſpeake to the naturall man of the Scripture, of all the fooles in this world, he is the greateſt: the more naturall wit thou haſt, if it be not ſanctified, the more fooliſh ſhall the Croſſe of Chriſt, and His Reſurrection to glorie▪ ſeeme to thee: for the wiſdome of the fleſh, is enimitie againſt God. I tell thee, thou muſt not bring thy naturall wit to the Scriptures, Paul telles thee, If thou wouldeſt bee wiſe in God, thou muſt be a foole, that thou mayeſt be wiſe. Art thou wiſe in the world, when thou commeſt to the Church, leaue thy wiſdome behinde thee: art thou a Lawyer, keepe it to the Seſſion-houſe? art thou a Mediciner? Haſt thou any great wiſdome? leaue all behind thee, and come like a ſillie childe that hath no wit, or els, the more thou heareſt, the greater ſhall bee thy blindneſſe and induration.
Now come to the concluſion of the Argument, Hee concludes, That it behooued Chriſt to ſuffer, and to riſe againe from the dead the thirde day. There is a neceſsitie of Chriſts death and Reſurrection, and ſo a neceſsitie, that they ſhoulde beleeue them: for to the ende that we may beleeue in the Goſpell: there muſt be a neceſsitie laid vponupon vsus, to wit, that wee be aſſured, that otherwiſe it could not be, but it behooued Chriſt to ſuffer, and riſe againe, as the Euangell recordes. Now this neceſsitie we ſhew you before: We may know by the olde Teſtament, Moſes, the Prophets, & the Pſalmes: for this we muſt lay as an infallible ground, that whatſoeuer was foretold by them, of neceſsitie it behooued to come to paſſe: and ſo wee ſee, that the Olde Teſtament, ſerues greatly to ſtrenthen our Faith, for vvhen vvee ſee the thinges that vvere foretolde to be all fulfilled in Him, all matter of occaſion of doubting is taken away. The Lord worke this Faith in our heartes, for Chriſts ſake: To whome with the Father, and Holy Spirit, be all praiſe, honour, and glory, for euermore.
AMEN.