The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 35
THE XXXV. LECTVRE, OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST.
MATTH. CHAP. XXVIII.
verse 9 And as they went to tell his diſciples, beholde, Jeſus alſo met them, ſaying, God ſaue you. And they came, and tooke him by the feete, and worſhipped him.
verse 10 Then ſaide Ieſus vntounto them, Bee not afraide. Goe, and tell my Brethren, that they goe into Galile, and there ſhall yee ſee mee.
MARKE CHAP. XVI.
verse 10 And ſhee went, and tolde them that had beene with him, who mourned and wept.
verse 11 And when they hearde that hee was aliue, and had appeared to her, they beleeued it not.
BELOVED BRETHREN, theſe dayes paſt vvee hauehave heard firſt the Hiſtorie of Marie Magdalene, how ſhee returned home, and how ſhee came againe to the graue of her LORD, and of her mourning and weeping at the graue, of her looking againe in to the graue, of the ſight of th'Angels meeting with her, of Chriſtes wordes vntounto her: firſt Hee ſpake aloofe, and afarre off vntounto her, Woman, why weepest thou? whome ſeekest thou? Then Hee ſpeakes homelie vntounto her, calling her by her name, and ſayes, Marie: Shee anſweres Him, Rabboni: as Hee had named her homelie, ſo ſhee anſwered Him homelie: Hee named her like a Maſter, and ſhee anſwered Him like a reuerende Diſciple: Hee calles her as a Sheepehearde, and ſhee anſweres Him as one of His flocke, knowing Him by His voyce, ſhee offers to embrace Him, but Hee preuentes her, and ſayes vntounto her, Touch mee not, for I am not aſcended to my Father: perceiuing her to bee ouer much addicted to His bodilie preſence: before Hee will permit her to touch Him, Hee will hauehave her firſt to beleeue in Him, and to touch Him in glorie, by the hande of faith. Then Hee ſendes her in commiſſion, Goe to my Brethren, ſo calling His Diſciples: A louing ſtile: Tell them of other tidinges than euer they hauehave hearde yet: They hearde of my Reſurrection, but they beleeued not: but nowe I goe to the Heauens, to my Father, and to your Father, to my GOD, and to your GOD: And this is the commiſſion: Marie receiuing it, ſhee executes it, and runnes to the Diſciples to tell them: and, as Iohn ſayes, ſhe preaches to them the thing that ſhee had heard of the LORDE. MARKE ſayes, that when ſhee came to them, ſhee founde them weeping: This was a weeping time, but ſhortlie after followed a time of joye. This change of courſes yee ſee in the worlde: for though thou bee wanton and laugh heere neuer ſo much, yet thou wilt weepe ſoone after: But wilt thou weepe and mourne heere for a while, when there is matter of mourning, thou ſhalt laugh and rejoyce ſhortlie afterwarde. Nowe when Marie findes the Apoſtles weeping and mourning, ſhee telles them, that the LORD is aliue: ſhee confirmes it that Hee ſpake, and ſayes, ſhee ſawe Him with her eyes, But howe takes the Apoſtles with this commiſſion? They remaine faithleſſe for all that ſhe could ſay: they would not beleeue her: No, it is an hard matter to beleeue the Article of the Reſurrection, That a man that is dead can riſe againe, and take life: fleſhe and blood will neuer dite this vntounto thee, that one that is dead can liue againe. The women vvho vvere more ſimple, and not ſo vviſe in vvorldlie vvit, as the Apoſtles vvere, are more readie to credite the Reſurrection than the Apoſtles, vvho vvere ſtrong, according to the fleſhe. The Reſurrection is harde to be beleeued of anie man: but this is ſure, The Reſurrection is hardeſt to bee beleeued of them, vvho are vviſeſt in this vvorlde: No, hee that hath this worldlie vviſedome, hee countes theſe Heauenlie and Spirituall thinges but follie, till hee bee made a foole, that hee maye bee made wiſe, as the Apoſtle PAVL ſpeakes, 1. CORIN. CHAP. 3. VERS. 18. That is, till hee renounce this worldlie wiſedome, hee ſhall neuer beleeue theſe Spirituall thinges. When I conſider the wordes of MARKE, I finde manie faultes in the Diſciples: They were lying mourning: this vvas a vaine mourning: What cauſe had they of mourning for Him whome they thought vvas dead, but yet vvas aliue? So they had matter of joye, and not of mourning. And from vvhence proceeded this mourning? Firſt, they vvere ignorant of the Scriptures, which had foretolde that he ſhoulde riſe againe: Then, they had forgotten the vvorde vvhichwhich the LORDE had ſpoken vntounto them, That hee ſhoulde die, and riſe againe the thirde daye: Yet there is vvorſe in them than this: The firſt companie of vvomen, vvho tolde them of CHRISTES Reſurrection, they woulde not beleeue them: Then the next companie comes, neither woulde they beleeue them one vvorde. And laſt, MARIE came, vvho not onelie met vvith the Angels, but alſo vvith the LORDE, and receiued a commiſſion: and yet they vvoulde not beleeue her, notwithſtanding ſhee tolde them that ſhe had ſeene Him. So there is not onelie an vnbeliefe, but a ſtiffeneſſe in them. So that if yee will count theſe faultes, their dolour is firſt without comfort, and ſecondlie an ignorance of the Scriptures, and thirdly, a forgetfulneſſe of the worde of the LORDE: and laſt, there is an infidelitie, that they would neither beleeue the women, who came from the Angels, nor MARIE, that came from the LORDE, and ſawe Him, and ſpake with Him: So that they are as new to enter to learn, as though they had neuer ſeen nor known Chriſt. Yet there was ſome good thing in them, for certainly, howbeit the dolour came of ignorance, forgetfulneſſe, and incredulitie, yet I am ſure of this, that the louelove which they carried towardes CHRIST cauſed them to mourne, for if they had not loued Him, they had not mourned for Him. No, there was none of the High Priestes that wet their cheekes for His death. So of neceſſitie, louelove cauſed them to mourne for Him. And this ſponke of louelove, that was couered & kept down afore, in end it brake out, & burnt thorowe all their imperfections. It is a wonder to ſee howe the LORDE will keepe in a ſponke of grace vnderunder an hundreth imperfections. And this ſhoulde make vsus to bee loath to judge, and to giuegive out ſentence: for all the euill that wee ſee in anie, it maye bee that the LORDE will let thee ſee, that there was ſome ſponke of grace in that man couered; which ſponk will breake out in its owne time.
Nowe I hauehave ended the Hiſtorie of MARIE MAGDALENE, who loued the LORDE ſo well, and ſo entirelie. In the words following, to wit, in the Goſpell of MATTHEVV, there are two diſcourſes: The firſt is, of the two companies of women, at their turning home againe: as they met with the Angels afore, nowe they meete with the LORDE Himſelfe: In the next diſcourſe, wee hauehave a piece of an Hiſtorie of them that were ſet to keepe the graue, who returned to the Scribes, and to the High Priestes vvith theſe ſame tidinges, Hee is riſen againe. Nowe I ſhall goe thorowe this daye the firſt diſcourſe, and piece of Hiſtorie, as GOD shall giuegive vsus grace. Then to returne to the women: It is ſaide, that as they returned home, The LORDE met them: but Marie was returned before theſe women came foorth: ſhee had met with CHRIST, and returned home againe. This company meetes with the LORDE as they returned homewarde. Ye will perhaps aske, what was the cauſe that Hee met with Marie Magdalene? No doubt this was the cauſe, She loued Him beſt, ſhee loued Him aboue them all, and ſhee had the greateſt languor to ſee Him, and ſhee reſted neuer, till ſhee had ſeene Him, and met with Him. What was the cauſe that theſe women ſawe Him afore the Apoſtles? No queſtion their languor to ſee IESVS, was next to MARIE: The Apoſtles languor was laſt, and therefore they got the laſt ſight of Him. Nowe the leſſon is eaſie: Thou that longeſt moſte for the LORDE IESVS, ſhalt ſee Him firſt, with MARIE MAGDALENE: A man will thirſt for earthlie thinges, and bee diſappointed of them: but it is vnpoſſible, if thou thirſt for CHRIST, and to ſee thy LORDE, but thou ſhalt ſee Him: So, Bleſſed are they that hunger and thirſt for righteouſneſſe: for they ſhall be ſatisfied, Matth. Chapter 5. verſe 5. So, if thou vvouldeſt ſee CHRIST, firſt, long for Him (and thou ſhalt neuer get that bleſſedneſſe, till thou ſeeſt Him) Then, if thou canſt not be the firſt, in care and deſire to ſee Him vvith Marie Magdalene, yet bee next in care vvith the reſt of the vvomen: and if thou canſt not attaine to the firſt, nor ſecond, looke that thou be in the third roome, at leaſt, that thou long vvith the Apoſtles, and thou ſhalt get the thirde ſight: for bleſſed are they that get any ſight, yea, the laſt ſight: Bleſſed are they that come either firſt, or laſt to Heauen, but thinke not, that this dravving neare of ours, to Him, is the cauſe that Hee dravves neere to vsus: No, if Hee drevve not neare vntounto vsus firſt, vve vvould neuer thinke of Him, let be to dravv neare vntounto Him.
So, Brethren, the cauſe vvherefore our heartes doe dravv neare vntounto the LORD, is not in vsus, but in Him, becauſe He thirſtes for vsus, and dravves vsus vntounto Him: and vvouldeſt thou hauehave an argument, that the LORD is neare vntounto thee: looke if thine heart dravves neare vntounto Him, and if thou findeſt thine heart longing and thirſting for Him, then the LORD is neare vntounto thee, and Hee is preſent with thee: and if thou findeſt no ſenſe nor feeling of Him in thine heart, nor no deſire of Him, nor no languour for His preſence, in the vvhichwhich is ſacietie of joy: and if thou hauehave no languour, bee ſure, the Lord is farre from thee, for if Hee be farre from thee, albeit thou hadſt all the world about thee, thou art but a miſerable body.
When Hee meetes vvith theſe vvomen, Hee is not dumbe, and Hee ſpeakes not to the eare only, but alſo to the heart, He ſayes, God ſaue you: the word in the own language would be wel marked, it ſignifies rejoyce: Is not this a great thing, that Hee that hath joy to giuegive thee, ſhould bid thee rejoyce: and no doubt, it was an effectuall vvord, and it made them to hauehave joy vnſpeakable. A man when Hee bids thee, rejoyce, hath no power to worke joy in thee, but the LORD is joy it ſelfe: who hath joy to giuegive? but the LORD Himſelfe? or who can giuegive peace, but the LORD: aſſoone as He drawes neare to any perſon, and giues His preſence to Him, to ye end that His preſence may worke, He giues a joyful word: the word of the Lord is of power, as Paul ſayes, Rom. 1.16. The Gospell is the power of GOD vntounto ſaluation, vntounto eueryevery one that beleeueth: So, if thou contemneſt this word, that bids thee rejoyce, thou ſhalt get no portion of that grace that is with Him: ſo this word is the only miniſter that miniſters joy to the ſoule: all the thinges in the world, ſhal neuer miniſter joy to the ſoule that is afflicted. Whē He hath ſpoken this word (and no queſtion it was very effectuall) they are ſo filled with joy, that they tarie not to make anſwere, but they fell dovvne at His feete, And embrace Him by the feete, and adore and worſhip Him, as Thomas did, vvhen hee put his hande in His ſide: he ſaid, Thou art my Lord, and my God, IOHN Chapter 20. verſe 28. Hee refuſes not this honour, becauſe Hee vvas their LORD and GOD. Yee ſee heere, how effectuall the preſence of the LORD is, albeit it were but one worde, Reioyce: the povver that is in that worde, workes ſuch a joy in the heart of a ſinner, that the poore ſinner muſt meete Him: the LORD cannot meete thee, but if thou feeleſt that joy, but thou muſt meete Him againe, and ſtriue to hauehave Him in thine armes: No, ſvvord, nor fire, nor hunger, nor nakedneſſe, nor nothing can ſeparate thee from Him, if thou feeleſt Him in thine heart, but thou muſt meete Him againe, and cleaue faſt to Him. The feeling of this joy, which is through the preſence and worde of GOD, mooues vsus to deſire to embrace Him, and makes our conjunction vvith Him, vvhereupon ariſes our joy againe, farre greater than before: The joy that wee hauehave novv, is but by Faith, and a farre meeting, as farre as is betvvene the Heauen and the Earth: yet ſayes Peter in his firſt Epiſtle, the firſt Chapter, and the eight verſe: Wee not ſeeing Him, but beleeuing in Him, reioyce with a ioy vnſpeakable and glorious. So, beleeuing in Him, vvee finde joy: but vvhen thou ſhalt ſee Him face to face: (Alas, lookeſt thou not for this) then thorovv thy conjunction with Him by ſight, there ſhall be praiſe, honour, and glory for euer: No, ſuch ſhall bee thy joy, as eye neuer ſavve, eare neuer heard, nor neuer could enter into the heart of man: thou ſhalt vvonder vvhen thou ſeeſt it, that euer there could bee ſuch joy prepared for thee: and therefore meaſure it not by thy capacitie.
Yet this vvould not be paſſed by: They goe not to His throat, to His necke, or to His middle: but they fall dovvne, and takes Him by the feete, and vvorſhips Him. Marke it, Brethren: a ſinner vvill be homely indeede vvith his God, vvith CHRIST: No, there vvas neuer a creature ſo homely vvith another, as the ſinner vvill be vvith the LORD. But marke it: This homelines vvill not be vvith miſnourturneſſe, and vvith an opinion of paritie: albeit thou wilt bee homely with Him, as with thy brother: yet thou mayeſt not make thy ſelfe as companion to Him, and count lightly of Him, but thou muſt be lowly, thine head muſt be reuerenced: Hee is our Head, Epheſ. Chapter. 1. verſe 22. If therefore wee ought to reuerence Him: for He is in a wonderfull ſublimitie, and highneſſe, aboue His Church: and as this is true, that the ſoule which is joyned with Him in this life by Faith, ſees in Him ſuch a Majeſtie, that it ſtoupes before Him: ſo much more vvhen wee ſhall ſee Him face to face in glorie, and His Majeſtie fully reueiled, wee ſhall reuerence Him, and in humilitie fall at His feete, ſinging, Holy, Holy, Holy, as yee hauehave in the ſixt Chapter of Eſay, and in the Reuelation. Nowe to goe forward: While they are ſitting at His feete, the LORD ſpeakes to them, and ſuffers them to feele Him: and all to this ende, that they might beleeue Hee was riſen, and liuing, Then He ſayes to them, Feare not: this encouragement importes, that notwithſtanding all their embracing of Him, and confidence, there vvas a piece of feare and lying backe in them: I will not commend it, becauſe the Lord hath diſcommended it. It is true indeed, our joyning with Him by Faith, ſhould be with ſuch a confidence, that it ſhould be without any feare or doubting, but with joy. This ſhould be: but marke it againe: There is ſuch an holineſſe in that Majeſtie that we joyne with, there is no ſpot in Him, & then ſo long as we are here, there is ſuch vncleanneſſe, & ſuch an euill conſcience in vsus, that our Faith is joyned with doubting and feare: ſo that, if thou haſt not a recourſe to Him, no peace for thee, we will feare that that Holy one conſume vsus that are ſo vnholy: but the Lord who knowes thy feare, He comfortes thee: thou knoweſt not thine owne feare ſo well as the Lord does: thou feeleſt Him not ſo ſoone by Faith, but as ſoone He knowes thy feare and thine heauineſſe, as Hee did the feare of the women, and Hee ſayes to a ſinner that faine would embrace Him: feare not, thou haſt no cauſe of feare: My terrours hauehave taken thy terrours away: And as the Apoſtle ſayes, Heb. Chapter 4. verſe 16. Let vsus goe boldly to the throne of grace, with confidence, that we may receiue merciemercy: & if thou heareſt this voyce, thou mayeſt goe boldly, and He ſhall put away all te…rours and feare. But in that life to come when all matter of ſeare, as ſinne and corruption of nature, is away, albeit vve ſhall ſee Him more clearelie, and bee conjoyned vvith Him more perfectlie, yet all feare ſhall bee taken awaye, for perfect louelove caſtes out feare, as Iohn ſaieth in his first Epistle, Chap. 4. verſ. 18.
Nowe to goe to the commiſſion, Goe, and tell my Brethren, that they goe into Galile, and there ſhall they ſee mee: They woulde ſee mee: bid them goe before mee into Galile, and there they ſhall ſee mee. There is heere then a commiſſion giuen vntounto the vvomen to the Diſciples: There was afore a commiſſion ſent vntounto the Diſciples by the Angels: Firſt, of a companie of vvomen, and afterwarde another companie: and next, MARIE was ſent from the Lorde Himſelfe. Nowe Hee ſendes a newe commiſſion, to tell them, that Hee was riſen, yet they neuer beleeued. Heere vvee ſee a marueilous patience, in ſuffering their incredulitie ſo long. What King vvoulde hauehave had euer the tenth part of this patience. With this Hee joynes the louing ſtile, Tell my Brethren. Hee ſayes not, Tell theſe ſluggiſhe and faithleſſe bodies. His patience is joyned with louelove vnſpeakeable. All the worlde cannot expreſſe the lenitie and patience of the LORDE towardes His owne: though they ſhoulde bee neuer ſo vnbeleeuing, yet Hee calles them His Brethren. Wee ſhoulde ſtudie night and daye to knowe that the LORDE loues vsus: for our ſtanding is not in our louelove towarde Him, but in His louelove towardes vsus: and if thou finde thy ſelfe rooted in His louelove, as the Apoſtle ſpeakes to the EPHESIANS, thou ſhalt neuer bee ſeparated thorowe anie occaſion from that louelove that is in CHRIST. Then againe, I ſee Hee hath a marueilous ſtudie to gette them inſtructed. Hee ſayes not, I hauehave ſent manie alreadie, and yet they will not beleeue: No, Hee ſendes euerie companie after another till they beleeue, and till faith be wrought in their heartes. What meanes all this care to inſtruct them? The Lorde was to ſende them foorth to teach others, and therefore all His ſtudie is, (before they inſtruct others,) that they might beleeue themſelues. No, if the Lorde ſende thee to tell of His Death, His Reſurrection, and Aſcention to the Heauens, and of His comming againe to Iudgement, He will hauehave a care that thou be inſtructed, and that thou beleeue that which thou deliuereſt vntounto others. No, I will not giuegive a pennie for a Miniſter that hath no aſſurance, no feeling, nor no ſight of the death and Reſurrection of CHRIST, and that will ſtande vp, and ſpeake to the people of GOD. Beſides this patience, this louelove, and this care that Hee hath to inſtruct them who are to bee employed in His ſeruice, Hee ſhewes a marueilous wiſedome in humbling them thorowe the teaching of the women: And therefore Hee will not ſende an Angell vntounto them, but infirme women, to ſchoole them, and ſhame them: and howbeit the commiſſion beares not this in expreſſe wordes, yet Hee will hauehave the women to ſaye in effect, Fie vponupon you, yee are ſluggiſhe bodies, yee ſhoulde hauehave taught vsus, and not wee you. This is it that the Apoſtles ſhoulde hauehave vnderſtood: They vnderſtoode His wonderfull wiſedome, Hee was to ſende them to the worlde. He was carefull to inſtruct them, He ſendes not Angels to ſchoole them, but women, to learne them humilitie, that they neuer forget this, that they were ſchooled in the ſchoole of women: for as it is required that the ſeruantes of GOD hauehave knowledge and a perſwaſion, ſo they muſt hauehave humilitie, or elſe they cannot bee faithfull Preachers. Nowe one worde, and ſo I ſhall ende, Bidde them, ſayes Hee, goe to Galile: Hee ſayes not, Goe to Hieruſalem: No, the LORDE had turned His backe on Hieruſalem: for theſe who contemned Him when Hee was humbled in the fleſhe, the LORDE will diſpiſe them when Hee is glorified. Woe to them whome Hee forbiddes His ſeruantes to goe vntounto: Woe to vsus, if Hee ſaye once, Goe not to EDINBVRGH: Woe is them, and woe to that Towne where the Lorde forbiddes His Meſſengers to goe. Beware of this, that the Lorde ſaye not to His Meſſenger, Goe to the North or South, but goe not to EDINBVRGH, for then ſhall wrath and deſtruction light vponupon it. What confuſion and deſtruction lighted vponupon Hieruſalem, after that the Lord had once turned His backe vponupon it? Yet ſayes the Lorde, Bid them goe to Galile, and there they ſhall ſeeme: They beleeued not others, who tolde them of mee, but there I ſhall ſpeake vntounto them mine owne ſelfe. This is the great merciemercy of the LORDE towardes His Diſciples, vponupon whome the LORDE ſhoulde neuer hauehave looked, if Hee had reſpected their infidelitie: but albeit they were vnfaithfull, yet Hee remained faithfull and mercifull: for Hee coulde not denie Himſelfe, but where there ſinnes abounded, there His grace ſurmounted aboue them all: for, as the APOSTLE ſayes, Where ſinne abounded, there grace abounded much more. Now al the world was full of ſinne when Chriſt came, yet grace ſuperabounded. Now this was a meeke dealing with them, that they ſhoulde ſee merciemercy aboue their ſinnes, to this ende, that they ſhoulde by experience teach others: for hee that feeles both miſerie and merciemercy, is the beſt teacher in in the worlde. So beeing to ſende them to teach others, Hee lets them finde grace to ſuperabounde. PAVL, Roman. 5.20. ſayes, Where ſinne abounded, there grace ſuperabounded. Reade the firſt Epiſtle to Timothie, Chap. 1. verſ. 13. there the Apoſtle ſayes, J was a blaſphemer, and an euill liuer, and a perſecuter: this was his miſerie: and if the LORDE had neuer looked to him, hee had neuer beene an Apoſtle, nor a Chriſtian man. But what ſayes hee thereafter? The grace of the LORDE IESƲS ſuperabounded: and for as high and weightie as my ſinne was, yet His merciemercy was greater, and it weighed it downe. So then yee ſee the LORDE cares for them that lye in miſerie, to tell them of it. I tell you this daye, yee are lying in miſerie, and Hee is carefull that the Preacher hauehave a ſenſe both of miſerie, and of merciemercy, to tell of the wrath of GOD, which is manifeſt from the Heauen vponupon all impenitent ſinners: And, if thou wilt repent thee, I aſſure thee, though thou vvere the greateſt ſinner that euer was, thou ſhalt hauehave merciemercy: and therefore, if thou haſt gone long on in ſinne, yet euen for GODS cauſe at laſt, take vp thy ſelfe: and I promiſe thee exceeding merciemercy in that bloodie Sacrifice of our LORDE and SAVIOVR IESVS CHRIST, who hath died both for thee, and mee, and all penitent ſinners: To Him therefore, with the Father and Holie Spirit, bee all Honour and Glorie for euermore, AMEN.