The Passion Resurrection and Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Lecture 40
THE XL. LECTVRE, OF THE RESVRRECTION OF CHRIST.
MARKE CHAP. XVI.
verse 13 And they went and tolde it to the remnant, neither beleeued they them.
verse 14 Finally, hee appeared vntounto the eleuen as they ſate together, and reproched them for their vnbeliefe and hardneſſe of heart, becauſe they beleeued not them which had ſeene Him, beeing riſen vp againe.
LVKE CHAP. XXIII.
verse 33 And they roſe up the ſame houre, and returned to Ieruſalem, and found the eleuen gathered together, and them that were with them,
verse 34 Which ſaide, The Lord is riſen indeede, and hath appeared to Simon.
verse 35 Then they tolde what things were done in the way, and how Hee was knowen of them in breaking of bread.
verse 36 And as they ſpake theſe things, Ieſus Himſelfe ſtood in the middes of them, and ſaid vntounto them, Peace be to you.
IHON, CHAP. XX.
verse 19 The ſame day then at night, which was the firſt day of the weeke, and when the doores were ſhut where the diſciples were aſſembled for feare of the Iewes, came Ieſus and ſtood in the middes, and ſaid to them, Peace be vntounto you.
WEE hauehave heard (Beloued in Chriſt) theſe dayes paſt, of the conference which was betwixt Chriſt, and theſe two Diſciples, who were going to Emmaus. Chriſt reproued thē ſharplie, becauſe they thought that Chriſt being crucified, all hope of Redemption was paſt. Next, He inſtructed them, affirming, that it behooued Him to ſuffer, and by ſuffering to enter into His glorie. This His doctrine, which Hee prooued by manie Teſtimonies of Scripture; beginning at Moſes, and from Moſes Hee comes to the Prophets, interpreting vntounto them, what they had ſpoken concerning Chriſt, concerning His Paſſion, and concerning His glorie after His Paſſion: for the preaching of the Goſpell is nothing elſe, but an expounding of Moſes, and the Prophets, and Ieſus Chriſt is the foundation whereupon the doctrine of Moſes, and the Prophets, is builded: He is the end of the law all tendes to Him. Thereafter, we heard how Chriſt manifeſted Himſelfe to theſe Diſciples: for, when as Hee made Himſelfe as though Hee woulde hauehave left them, beeing conſtrained by them, Hee went in to tarrie with them: and as He ſate at table with them, in the bleſſing, and breaking, and distributing of the bread, their eyes were opened, and they knowe Him. Laſt, wee hearde vvhat effectes vvere vvrought in them, vvhen they ſawe Hee vvas their Lorde and Maſter: Howbeit Hee left them, yet they vvere not ſadde: but that ſight which they got of Him, left exceeding great joye and comfort in their heartes: and ſo they call to mind that burning which they found in their heartes when He ſpake vntounto them, whereby they are more confirmed, that it was the Lorde that ſpake to them: for the burning of the heart which a man will finde in himſelfe, is a ſure token of the preſence of Chriſt. Nowe in the Text which we hauehave preſently read, we hauehave ſet down their returning to Hieruſalem, with great expedition, & how they declare to the Apoſtles, & others, who were there aſſembled, all things yt fell out vntounto thē by the way: theſe things which they ſaw with their eyes, & which they had heard with their ears. Therafter we hauehave ſet doun another appearing of Chriſt, which fell out this ſame very time yt theſe two Diſciples are talking together with th'eleuē, of theſe things. Thē to come to the words: It is ſaid, They roſe vp the ſame houre, and returned to Hieruſalem. The circumſtance of the time of their returning vvould be weighed: They make no delay: they ſtay not all night in Emmaus, albeit it was late, and they were before of intention to hauehave remained there till the morning: but they vſe all poſſible expedition, and they riſe that ſame houre to returne to Hieruſalem, that they might ſhew the Diſciples what they had heard and ſeene, & make them partakers of their joy. Compare this their returning to Hieruſalem, with their comming out of Hieruſalem to Emmaus: ye will find a great difference: Whē they came out of Hieruſalē to Emmaus, they went ſlowly with ſad hearts & ſad conference: and when the Lord, whom they ſuppoſed to be a paſſenger, met them, & inquires what conference that was, that they had amongst themſelues? They take leaſure enough to tell Him the ſorrowfull newes that had fallē out in Hieruſalem, of the crucifying of Ieſus of Nazareth. But in their returning to Hieruſalem they make great ſpeede: they goe quickly, they goe with joyefull heartes, haſting to communicate to the diſciples the great joye which they themſelues had conceiued vponupon the things which both they ſawe and heard. The leſſon is plaine. When the children of God are caſten downe, when their hearts are grieued, when they hauehave no joyfull and comfortable newes to tell, but ſadde and heauie tidinges, concerning Chriſt, and His Goſpell, and the eſtate of His Kirke; then they will goe ſlowlie, and with heauie cheare: they will ſpeake ſlowly, and with ſadneſſe, they will hauehave little pleaſure in any thing that they doe; for the griefe of their hearts takes hand and foote from them: ſo that they can doe nothing willingly, and with chearefulneſſe. But by the contrarie, when their hearts are joyfull, when they hauehave joyfull and comfortable tidinges, to tell to others of Chriſt and His Kirke; then are they quicke and ſpeedie, and chearefull in al their doings, they will goe with expedition and chearefulnſſe, they will ſpeake with chearfulneſſe, with chearfulnes they will make haſte to communicate their joye to others: for ye joy which they conceiue in their hearts, cheares vp and encourages all the members of their bodies to doe their duetie vvillinglie, vvith chearfulneſſe and pleaſure: Yea, ſuch is the force of the joye in the heart, that it will ſwallow vp & ouercome all troubles, all ſtayes, & impediments, which can be caſtē in to hinder a good purpoſe: and therefore, if thou ſeeſt a man ſlow to a good action, and namelie, to preach the Goſpell of IESVS, thou haſt juſt occaſion to ſuſpect that he hath found little joy in his heart through the Goſpel: as by the contratrie, if thou ſeeſt a man haſten with chearfulnes to preach the Goſpell, it is a ſure token, that he hath his heart filled with the ſenſe of joye through the Goſpell. Nowe when they came to Hieruſalem, They founde the eleuen Diſciples of the Lorde, and beſide them, they founde ſundrie others gathered together with them. Appearinglie theſe men vvho were gathered together vvith the Diſciples vvere ſuch as had heard the Lord Ieſus teaching when He was conuerſant in the worlde and had founde the power of His Preaching effectuall to their conuerſion: for as euill men delite in the ſocietie of euill men, becauſe conformitie in manners makes men to entertaine ſocietie together: as the harlot with the harlot, the drunkarde with the drunkard, the thiefe with the thiefe, &c. Euē ſo good men take pleaſure in the company of good men, that they may be a mutuall furtherance one to another of the glorie of God, & their own ſaluation. When theſe two Diſciples finde th'eleuen, & the reſt that were with them in Hieruſalem, looke howe they are exerciſed: They are telling one to another, that the Lord Jeſus was riſen indeed. Theſe two Diſciples came to tell thē theſe newes, ſuppoſing they had knowne nothing of them: but they found themſelues preuēted, they found that the Lords diſciples tel them that ſame that they came to hauehave informed them of, to wit, that the Lord Ieſus was riſen indeed. And this they prooue by the teſtimonie of Simon Peter, who had affirmed to them, that he had ſeene the Lord: for among others to whom the Lord appeared after His Reſurrectiō, He appeared in particular to Simon Peter, as Paul teſtifies, 1. Cor. 15.5. where he telles that He was ſeene of Cephas, before He was ſeene of the reſt of the twelue. So theſe two diſciples that made haſte vponupon ſet purpoſe to further, ſtrenthē, and comfort others, they are furthered, ſtrengthened, & comforted by others, and ſo they find their comming to bee profitable to themſelues. The leſſon ſhortly is this: Often times it comes to paſſe, that they who come of ſet purpoſe to declare to others, that joy which they hauehave found to be wrought in their ſoules by the Holy Spirit, by the preaching of the Goſpell, are preuented by others, & hea…e of others theſe ſame glad tidings that they came to ſpeake themſelues, before they can get time or leaſure to vtter them thēſelues, and ſo they finde that ſame joye communicated to them, vvhichwhich they come to communicate to others: or if they be not preuented, then it falles out, that they heare theſe ſame glad tidings of others, that they themſelues declare to others, and ſo receiue mutuall comfort: or if others ſpeake nor to them, at leaſt this fall out, that of their owne meſſage, and of that ſpeach that they vtter of IESVS CHRIST, they will find their joye to encreaſe more and more, & to abounde: ſo that it falles out, that their preaching is not onelie powerfull and comfortable to the ſoules of others, but euen to themſelues: & when they preach to others, they preach to themſelues. If thou haſt gotten a ſpiritual grace or comfort to thy ſoule, bee carefull to communicate it vntounto others: for by ſo doing, thou ſhalt find thy grace and joye to encreaſe: feare not, that by communicating of thy grace, it ſhall bee empaired: for theſe ſpirituall graces, are not like worldlie benefites, whereof the more thou giueſt to others, there is the leſſe behinde: but the more thou giueſt of theſe ſpirituall graces vntounto others, the more thou haſt behinde to thy ſelfe, the more ſhall they encreaſe: For to him that hath, it ſhall bee giuen, and hee ſhall hauehave abundance. Matth. Chap. 25.29. But it vvoulde bee marked: Albeit theſe two Diſciples finde themſelues to bee preuented by the eleuen, who were telling that ſame thing that they came to tell them: yet they are not ſo ſilent, nor conceale not the thinges vvhichwhich they had hearde and ſeene: but it is ſaide, that they alſo tolde what thinges were done in the waye, and howe CHRIST was knowne of them in breaking of bread: and ſo they goe about to confirme the APOSTLES in that which they themſelues were telling of the Reſurrection of CHRIST.
Nowe a queſtion may bee mooued heere. Howe is it that LVKE ſayes, that vvhen the two Diſciples came of purpoſe to tell the eleuen, what had befallen to them in the waye, and vvhat they had hearde and ſeene concerning IESVS, the eleuen preuentes the two, and telles them, that IESƲS was riſen, and had appeared to Peter; ſeeing MARKE, ſpeaking of this ſame matter, ſayes, that when theſe two went, and tolde Christes appearing to them, to the remnant, that they beleeued? Howe agree theſe two together? To this I anſwere: Firſt, That when LVKE ſayes, that they tolde the two Diſciples, that the Lorde was riſen indeede, and that hee had appeared to Simon Peter, hee meanes, that there was a number among them, who beleeued: and that which was proper to ſome, hee aſcribes it indefinitelie to the whole. And on the other part, when MARKE ſayes, they beleeued not, it is to bee vnderſtoode, that there vvere certaine of them, vvho beleeued not. And ſo both the EVANGELISTES according to the accuſtomed forme of ſpeaking in the Scripture, attribute that indefinitelie to the whole, which was proper to a part. Next, I anſwere: When Marke ſayes they beleeued not, he ſpeakes of a full and perfect Faith, that was free of all doubting wauering, and vnconſtancie: but Luke ſpeakes of a begunne Faith, which in the meane time wantes not the owne doubting: for wee may perceiue in the Hiſtorie, that ſundrie times after this, they were in doubt, as yee ſee hereafter in the 41… verſe of this Chapter, where it is ſaid, that after Hee had ſhewed them His hands, and His feete, they beleeued not: their heartes were not conſtantly ſettled with an aſſurance of His reſurrection.
Novv in the next part of our Text, vve hauehave ſet dovvne another appearing of Chriſt after His reſurrection, which falles out in this ſame very time, when theſe two diſciples were talking with the eleuen, & this is His firſt apparition: we hauehave heard of foure alreadie, His firſt appearing was to Marie Magdalene, the ſecond was, to certain other women, the third was, to ye two diſciples, who were going to Emmaus, the fourth was to Peter, which we ſhewed you before: Luke touched in a worde, verſe 34. Now in this His fift appearing He appeares vntounto the diſciples, beeing aſſembled together. The three Euangeliſts, Marke, Luke, & Iohn, ſet downe particularly the circumſtances of their aſſembling & meeting together, which circumſtances would be well conſidered, becauſe they ſerue for the clearing of the Hiſtorie, the firſt circumſtance is of the perſons, that were conueened, who, and how many they were: Marke ſayes, that He appeared vntounto the eleuen: & yet we muſt vnderſtand by the Hiſtorie yt followes in Iohn, that Thomas was not preſent at this meeting: but here he giues ye name of the whole, to ye moſt part, & after Iudas death they were commonly called the eleuen. Iohn ſayes, generally, & indefinitely, That the diſciples were aſſembled. Of this circumſtance we marke: The diſciples of the Lord for the moſt part euer vſed to meete, and aſſemble together: they aſſembled together before His Paſſion: they aſſembled together, euen in the verie time of His Paſſion, and hanging on the Croſſe (for it is ſaide in the 23. Chapter of Luke, and the 49. verſe: And all His acquaintance ſtood afarre off, and the women that followed Him from Galile, beholding theſe things) and now they aſſembled together after His Paſſion. So yee may ſee: They who are Chriſtes, are euer going about to meet & to holde themſelues together, that they may ſpeake, & conferre of all thinges, that fall out concerning Chriſt, and the eſtate of His Church, whether they be joyfull, and comfortable, or ſad & ſorrowfull, that they may edifie, & further one another, mutually in the courſe of their ſaluation, that they may be joyned together, and make vp, and compleete one body. And why not? For as there is one GOD the Father, one head the LORD Ieſus, one Spirit, one Faith, one Baptiſme, one hope of vocation: ſo there ſhould bee but one body, the members whereof, ſhould endeuoure, to entertaine louelove and vnitie amongſt themſelues, Epheſ. Chapter 4 verſes 3 4, 5, 6. This meeting together, of the members of the body of Chriſt, and their mutuall conference, brings with it, an exceeding great conſolation and joy: for the Lord hath promiſed to ſend that Comforter the Holy Spirit, to theſe meetings of the Sainctes: and Chriſt ſayes, in the 18. Chapter of Matthew, and the 20. verſe: Where two or three is gathered together in my Name: there will I be in the middes of them. If thou deſpiſeſt theſe holy meetings, and diſdaineſt thou the holy conference, I denounce to thee in the Name of Chriſt, thou ſhalt neuer finde a ſolide joy, or conſolation: manie there are, who contemne the meetings of the faithfull, and the aſſemblies of the Sainctes, and diſdaine the meanes of grace, godly ſpeeches and conferences: and yet will dreame to themſelues, that the Holy Spirit vvill dvvell in their ſoules, and that they will finde joy, and conſolation: but the end will prooue, that their corrupt and falſe hearts hauehave deceiued them.
Nowe I come to the ſecond circumſtance, which is concerning their exerciſe in that meeting. What were they doing? Marke ſayes, They ſate together: Luke ſayes, They were ſpeaking of theſe things that they had heard by the report of ſundrie perſons, concerning the Lords Reſurrection: ſo ye ſee, their exerciſe was holy, their conference was ſpirituall, & this was a very good preparation going before the Lords comming, & appearing to them: yea, no queſtion, it was wrought by the force and power of the Lord Himſelfe, when He was approaching and drawing neare to them: for when the Lord is drawing neare, & approaching to vsus, then that Holy Spirit who dwelles in our heartes, beginnes to moue and vtter Himſelfe, He wakens vp joy in our heartes, Hee opens our mouth to ſpeake with freedome and libertie, and to entertaine purpoſe of ſpirituall and heauenlie thinges: for that Spirit in our ſoules hath a forecaſt, and feeling before hand, of the LORDS comming, & this is it that ſhall mooue the godly in that great day, when they ſhall ſee the tokens of the comming of the LORD, to looke vp, and lift vp their heades, knowing that their redemption dravves neare, Luke 21.28. for except the Lord did ſend before a ligt to ſhine in their ſoules, as a meſſenger going before Him to tell Him, that the Lorde is comming, they would neuer lift vp their heads: and therefore when the Lord commands His diſciples to looke vp, and to lift vp their heades before His comming, it is as much, as if He had ſaide to them, that Hee will furniſh them ſtrength at His comming, to lift vp their heades, and to be waiting for Him.
Nowe followes the third circumſtance, concerning the time of this meeting: Iohn in ſetting it downe, is more particular, than any of the reſt of the Euangeliſts, He ſayes. It was the ſame day, at night, which was the firſt day of the weeke: That is, it was the ſame day that He roſe, which for that ſame cauſe is called the Lords day, and it was in the Euening, after Sunne-ſetting, when it began to be darke night: for it was after the returning of the diſciples from Emmaus, and they returned not to Ieruſalem, vntill it was very late: for wee heard before, it was towards night, when they deſired the Lorde to ſtay with them, and they returned from Emmaus to Ieruſalem, after the Lord had ſtayed ſome ſpace with them, and had eaten, and manifeſted Himſelfe to them in the breaking of bread, Luke 24.29.30. Iohn telles the cauſe why they aſſembled in the night, rather than in the daye: For feare of the Iewes, who as they were malicious againſt the Lord Himſelfe, ſo would they hauehave vttered their malice againſt His diſciples, and all them that loued Him: ſo they make a choyſe of a time that was leaſt dangerous: for, Brethren, it is the Lordes will, that His children make a choyſe of the time, that is moſt conuenient, & which may ſerue moſt for their ſafetie in their aſſemblies and meetings: it makes not at what times meetings be kept, whether in the daye, or in the night, if ſo be, that they who aſſemble and meete together, be holy: for all times are ſanctified to the faithfull, and them who are holie themſelues: for it is true that Paul ſayes, To the pure, all things are pure, Tit. 1.15. Likewiſe Chriſt Himſelfe ſhewes His preſence to His own indifferently, at any time when they are met together, whether it be day, or night: it is not theſe outward things, that Chriſt chiefly reſpects, neither the time, nor the place, nor no ſuch outward circumſtāce, but Chriſt lookes chiefly to the perſons, that meete together, & to their diſpoſition whether they be holy or not: the outward things ſanctifie not the perſon, but the perſon ſanctifies the outward things: manie thinke th…t if they come to the Church on the Lordes daye, becauſe both time and place, is holy, that they are holy enough: but if thou haſt no holineſſe in thine heart, all thinges are polluted vntounto thee, the time is polluted, the place is polluted, the exerciſe of the word is polluted: For vntounto them that are defiled, and vnbeleeuing, nothing is pure, but euen their mindes and conſciences are defiled, Tit. 1.16.
The laſt circumſtance is of the place: The Euangeliſts make no particular mention of a ſpeciall place, wherein they did meet: only Iohn markes, That the doores were ſhut, and therefore, that they kept themſelues cloſe, and quiet: and in this their meeting & exerciſe they were ſecret, ſo that the Iewes knew not either where they were or what they were doing: Iohn ſayes, it was for feare of the Iewes that the doores were ſhut: As they had holy wiſdome in chooſing of the time: ſo they had holy wiſdome in chooſing of the place. God will hauehave His children to be wiſe in all things, and when Chriſt ſendes out His Apoſtles, He exhortes them To be wiſe as ſerpents, Matth. 10.16. The faithfull are compaſſed about, with many perills, and dangers on all ſides, which hardly they will eſchew, except they hauehave holy wiſdome. Now, it was not only the feare of danger, from the Iewes, that made them ſhut the doores, but likewiſe that they might be ſecret: for when the Sainctes are exerciſed in godly conference, and in ſpirituall and heauenly exerciſes, and when they are handling ſecret and hid myſteries of ſaluation, then they ſhould bee ſeparated from the worlde, and from the ſocietie of prophane men: prophane men ſhould be debarred from ſuch holy exerciſes, and from the meetings of the Sainctes, and one day they ſhall be fully debarred, and put out of their companie: for when they ſhall be gathered vntounto the Lorde Ieſus, to enjoy His glorious preſence in the Heauens, the wicked ſhall get none entrance there, to trouble them any more with their prophanitie.
Thus farre, wee hauehave ſpoken ſhortly of the circumſtances of the diſciples meeting: Now it followes we ſhould ſpeake of the appearing it ſelfe. Whilſt the diſciples thus gathered, were ſpeaking one to another, of the Reſurrection of Chriſt, in the meane time, Ieſus himſelfe comes, & ſtands vp in the mids of them. He preſentes Himſelfe to them, when the doore were ſhut, after an extraordinarie manner, a marueilous manner, and verie ſuddenly: for a glorified bodie hath a very ſwift and ſpeedie motion. Iohn lets vsus ſee, that His appearing and comming to the houſe to them, was miraculous, for hee ſayes, Hee came when the doores were ſhut: but the particular …nner of His entering in, by what way Hee came into the houſe is not expreſſelie ſet downe by anie of the Euangeliſts: and therefore ſundrie men hauehave ſundry opinions of the manner of His comming in, euerie one farre different from another: Firſt, The Papistes affirme, That the bodie of our Sauiour pearced thorow the doore, the ſubſtance and bodie of the doore remaining whole, vnbroken, & vnaltered in anie part: ſo that both the bodie of the LORDE, and the bodie of the doore, at one time, vvere in one place. And this they affirme, that they may hauehave ſome appearance of a grounde to eſtabliſhe that vaine and fooliſhe dreame and fantaſie of the bodily and locall preſence of the bodie of our Lorde in the Sacrament of the Supper. Of the which doctrine of neceſſitie it muſt follow, That one, and that ſelfe ſame bodie may be in manie places at one time: for if it were true, yt two bodies might bee in one place at one time, then it would followe, that one bodie at one time might be in manie places. But both theſe aſſertions are directlie repugnant to the nature of a bodie, whatſoeuer it bee, whether it bee a glorified bodie, or a bodie not glorified. It is but a vaine diſtinction, which the Papiſtes hauehave inuented, betwixt a bodie glorified, and a bodie not glorified: for a glorified body remaines a true body, the glorifying of it takes not away the nature, nor the natural properties of a bodie: and therefore it cannot bee at one time in manie places, but onelie in one place: neither can it bee in one and the ſelfe ſame place with another bodie.
Next, others thinke, That when the body of the Lord went in at the doore▪ the body of the doore was rarified, and yeelded, and gaue place to the Lords body, that it might enter in: & when it had gone in, it returned to its own eſtate, & was thickned & made ſolide, as of before: euen as when the Lord was walking on the ſea, the ſea was thickned & made hard & ſolide vnderunder His feet, yt it might beare Him aboue, & therafter again incontinent it returned to its own nature. This opinion is more tollerable than the former, becauſe it ſtands well enough with the Omnipotent power of God, where as ye former ſentence of the Papiſts cannot ſtand with His omnipotency, becauſe it includes a manifeſt contradiction.
Thirdly▪ ſome thinke, That whē the Lord was entring in, the dore opened to Him, and after He was come in, the dore incontinent & moſt ſpeedily cloſed again. This opiniō ſemes to be moſt probable: wee read in ſundrie places the like to hauehave bene done, as in the 5. Chapter of the Actes, the Angell of the Lorde opens the doores of the Priſon, where the Apoſtles were, and ſhuts them againe. And in the 12. Chapter of the Actes, when the Angell brings Peter out of priſon, the yron gate opened vntounto them of the owne accorde. And likewiſe in the 16. Chapter of the Actes: When Paul and Silas beeing in priſon, prayed, and ſung Pſalmes to God, all the doores of the priſon opened, and eueryevery mans bands were looſed: in the which places yee ſee, When the Lord deliuered His ſeruants, whether by the miniſterie of His Angels, or without their miniſterie, the doores were opened: But in no place of Scripture we reade of the rarifying of a bodie, and much leſſe, any thing of that vaine opinion of the Papiſts, That two bodies may be in one place at one time: and therefore this laſt opinion ſeemes to be moſt likely: But in this point wee inſiſt not: Only one thing we marke out of this place, that the LORDS comming is very ſudden, and vnlooked for: how ſo euer it be, that the LORD comes vntounto men, vvhether it bee in merciemercy, as Hee vſes to come to His ovvne: vvhether it be injuſtice to the vvicked, His comming is euer ſudden, and vvithout their expectation: and therefore we ſhould not be ſo carefull, curiouſly to enquire about the particular comming of the LORD, as vve ſhould be carefull to prepare our ſelues, that vvee may bee readie, vvaiting for His glorious appearing, that vvhen euer Hee comes, Hee may finde vsus with oyle in our lampes, readie to enter in with Him. Watch (ſayes the LORD) for yee knowe neither the day, nor the houre, when the Sonne of man will come.
Now to end ſhortly: Hauing ſpoken already of the circumſtances of the meeting of the diſciples, as alſo of the marueilous appearing of the Lord to them: it followes laſt, that we ſpeake of His ſaluting of them: when He comes in amongſt the mids of them, He is not ſilent, but He ſalutes them, & ſayes, Peace be vntounto you. This was His cōmon ſalutation, which they were acquainted with: & no queſtion, He vttered it with ſuch a homely & familiar voyce, that they might eaſily hauehave known that it was He, & none other yt appeared & ſpake vntounto them: for Hee vvent about by all meanes poſſible, to remooue all doubting out of their heartes, that ſo they might hauehave a full aſſurance of His Reſurrection: and yet, for all this very hardly could they bee perſwaded, that it was He: and therefore Marke ſayes, He reprooued them for their vnbeliefe, & hardneſſe of heart, becauſe they beleeued not them which had ſeene him beeing riſen vp againe. For ſuch is the infidelity, & dulnes of our hearts, that al the meanes that GOD vſes, is litle enough to make vsus to beleeue. Now when the LORD ſayes to His diſciples, Peace be vntounto you, wee muſt not thinke, that this was a bare and ſimple vviſhing and deſiring of peace vntounto them, without any further effect. No, wee muſt not thinke ſo: This word was powerfull, this wiſhing of peace behooued to bee effectuall in their ſoules, becauſe it proceeded from Him, who is the fountaine and author of all peace, and who Himſelfe is our peace, as the Apoſtle ſayes, Epheſ. 2.14.17. And when the Lord, who is peace Himſelfe, comes to preach peace: How can it be poſſible, except the heartes of men be harder than the flint, or adamant: but that preaching of peace, muſt be effectuall in their ſoules. The Lord in this wiſhing of peace is not like man, the moſt that a man can doe, is to wiſh peace, and to deſire peace to others, No man, albeit He were neuer ſo holy, can doe more, hee cannot giuegive his peace that he wiſhes, he cannot make his peace effectuall: But Chriſt, when Hee wiſhes peace, Hee giues and communicates that ſame peace: He workes that ſame peace in their heartes: and therefore, when Hee is departing out of the world, comforting His diſciples, Hee ſayes, Peace I leaue with you, my peace I giuegive vntounto you, not as the world giues, giuegive I vntounto you, Ioh. 14.27. He ſayes not only, I leaue peace with you, but I giuegive you my peace, and that, not as men in the world, who can doe no more but wiſh, I make my peace effectuall, by giuing you peace. The Lord make eueryevery one of vsus partakers of this peace, that wee may euer hauehave matter of rejoycing in IESVS. To whome with the Father and Holie Spirit, be all praiſe and honour, for euermore.
AMEN.