Looking Unto Jesus, Book 7 · Chapter 2 · Section 2
SECT. II. Of conſidering Jeſus in that reſpect.
2. LEt us conſider Jeſus, carrying on this work of our ſalvation for us in his reſurrection. It is not enough to know a ſaving neceſſary truth, but it is required further that we digeſt truths, and that we draw forth their ſtrength for the nouriſhment and refreſhing of our poor ſouls. As a man may in half an hour chew and take into his ſtomack that meat, which he muſt have ſeven or eight hours at leaſt to digeſt; ſo a man may take into his underſtanding more truths in an hour, than he is able well to digeſt in many; what good thoſe men are like to get by Sermon's or Providences, who are unaccuſtomed to this work of meditation, I cannot imagine; it is obſerved by ſome, that this is the reaſon why ſo much preaching is loſt amongſt us; why Profeſſors that run from Sermon to Sermon, and are never weary of hearing or reading, have notwithſtanding ſuch languiſh ſtarved ſouls, becauſe they will not meditate. And therefore God commanded, Joſhua, not only to read the Law, but to conſider of it,Joſh. 1.8. and dwell upon it; This Book of the Law ſhall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou ſhalt meditate therein day and night; why, this is the duty that I am now preſſing to; if thou knoweſt theſe things, conſider, …uminate, meditate, ponder on them again, and again. And becauſe this work requires enlargedneſs of heart and ſpirit, therefore take it into parts, and conſider of each of them apart by it ſelf. As—
1. Conſider of the time when Chriſt roſe again. As Chriſt had his three dayes, and no more, ſo muſt thou have the ſame three dayes like unto his; the firſt day was called the day of preparation; the ſecond was the Sabbath-day; and the third was the reſurrection day; ſo thy firſt day is a day of preparation, a day of paſſion, wherein thou muſt ſtrive and ſtruggle againſt ſin, and Satan, wherein thou muſt ſuffer all their bitter darts till thou dyeſt, and give up the Ghoſt. And thy ſecond day is a day of reſt, wherein thy body muſt lye in the grave, and thy fleſh reſt in hope; wherein thou ſhalt enter into peace, and reſt in thy bed, until the trumpet ſound, and bid thee ariſe, Iſa. 52.7.and come to judgment: And thy third day is a day of reſurrection unto glory. It is the firſt day of the week, or the firſt beginning of a never ending world. Thus conſider the time of Chriſt's reſurrection, and thence mayſt thou draw down ſome uſe for thy ſouls nouriſhment.
2. Conſider of the reaſons why Chriſt aroſe; was it not to confound the Jews? they could not endure to hear of Chriſt's reſurrection, and therefore when Peter and the other Apoſtles preached that point,Acts 9.33. They were cut to the heart, and took councel to ſlay them. It is the caſe of them to ſay, We will not have that man to reign over us; they that by their ſins crucifie Chriſt every day, cannot without horror think of his exaltation, it cuts them to the heart that Chriſt is riſen to be their Judge. Again, was it not to confirm the faith of Chriſt's followers? till he was riſen, their faith was but a weak faith; weak in knowledge, weak in aſſent, weak in confidence, weak in aſſurance; much ado had Chriſt with them, many a time had he chid them, Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith? but after he had ſhewed uimſelf alive by many infallible proofs, they could then cry it out, My Lord, and my God. Again, was it not to evidence that he had fully ſatisfied all our debts? the Apoſtle tells us, that Chriſt was our Surety; Heb. 7.22.at his death he was arreſted, and caſt into Priſon, whence he could not come till all was payed: and therefore to hear that Chriſt is riſen, and that he hath brokens the bolts and fetters of the grave, it is a clear evidence that God is ſatisfied, and that Chriſt is diſcharged by God himſelf. Oh what breaſts of conſolation are here? Again, was it not to conquer ſin, death, and devil? now he took from death his ſting, and from hell his ſtandard; now he ſeized upon the hand-writing that was againſt us, and nailed to his croſs, now he ſpoiled Principalities and Powers, and carried the keys of death and hell, at his own girdle; now he came out of the grave as a mighty Conqueror, ſaying as Dehorah did in her ſong, O my ſoul, Judg. 5.21.thou haſt trodden down ſtrength, thou haſt marched valiantly. Again, was it not to become the firſt-fruits of them that ſleep? Chriſt was the firſt that roſe again from the grave to dye no more; and by vertue of his reſurrection (as being the firſt-fruits) all the Elect muſt riſe again; As in Adam all dye, even ſo in Chriſt ſhall all be made alive; 1 Cor. 15.22, 23.but every man in his own order, Chriſt the firſt-fruits, and afterwards they that are Chriſt's at his coming. Some may wonder, can the reſurrection of one, a thouſand ſix hundred years ago, be the cauſe of our riſing? yes, as well as the death of one, five thouſand ſix hundred years ago, is the cauſe of our dying; Adam, and Chriſt were two heads, two roots, two firſt-fruits, either of them in reference to his company whom they ſtand for. And now O my ſoul, thou mayſt ſay with Job, I know that my Redeemer liveth, Job 19.25.and that I ſhall ſee him at the laſt day, not with other, but with theſe ſame eyes. If Chriſt live, then muſt I live alſo; if he be riſen, then though after my skin worms ſhall destroy this body, Ver. 26.yet in my fleſh I ſhall ſee God. Again, was it not that he might be declared to be the Son of God? was it not that he might be exalted, and glorified? this is the main reaſon of all the reſt; ſee thou to this! O give him the glory, and praiſe of his reſurrection; ſo muſe, and meditate, and conſider on this tranſaction, as to aſcribe to his Name all honour, and glory; what, is he riſen from the dead? Hath God highly exalted him, Pſal. 2.11.and given him a name above every name? O then let every tongue confeſs, that Jeſus Chriſt is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
3. Conſider of the manner of Chriſt's reſurrection; he roſe as a common perſon; in which reſpect his reſurrection concerns us no leſs than himſelf. We muſt not think that when Chriſt was raiſed, it was no more than when Lazarus was raiſed; his reſurrection was the reſurrection of us all; it was in the name of us all, and had in it a ſeed-like vertue to work the reſurrection of us all. O the priviledge of this communion with Chriſt's reſurrection! if I believe this truly, I cannot but believe the reſurrection of my body, and the life everlaſting; why, Jeſus Chriſt hath led the dance, and though of my ſelf I have no right to Heaven or Glory, yet in Chriſt my Head I have as good right to it as any heir apparent to his lands.—2. He roſe by his own power; and ſo did none but Jeſus Chriſt; from the beginning of the world it was never heard that any dead man raiſed himſelf; Indeed one Inſtance we have that a dead mans Corps ſhould raiſe up another dead man, They caſt the man into the Sepulchre of Eliſha, 2 King 13.21.and when the man was let down and touched the bones of Eliſha, he revived and ſtood up on his feet; dead Eliſha raiſed up a dead man from the grave, but dead Eliſha could not raiſe up himſelf from the grave; only Chriſt aroſe himſelf, and at the ſame time he raiſed many others; and here was the argument of his God-head,John 10.18. I have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it up again; how ſhould we but truſt him with our life, who is the reſurrection and the life? He that believeth in him though he were dead, yet ſhall he live. O my ſoul, he was able to raiſe himſelf, much more is he able to raiſe thee up; only believe, and live for ever.—3. He roſe with an earthquake; O the power of Chriſt in every paſſage! what ayled thee O earth to skip like a Ram? was not the new Tomb hewn out of a Rock? and was not a great ſtone rolled to the door of the Sepulchre? the ground wherein he lay was firm and ſolid,Job 18.4. Pſal. 99.1. and ſhall the rock be removed out of his place? O yes; the Lord reigneth, and therefore the earth is moved; Oh what a rocky heart is this of mine? how much harder is it than that rock; that moves not, melts not at the preſence of God, at the preſence of the God of Jacob? the Sun (they ſay) danced that morning at Chriſt's reſurrection; the earth (I am ſure) then trembled; and yet my heart is no way affected with this news; I feel it neither dance for joy, nor tremble for fear; O my ſoul be ſerious in this meditation, conſider, what a poſture wouldſt thou have been in, if thou hadſt been with thoſe Souldiers that watched Chriſt; ſo reallize this Earthquake, as if thou now felt it trembling under thee.
4. An Angel miniſtred to him at his reſurrection; An Angel came, Mat. 28.2.and rolled back the ſtone from the door, and ſate upon it. Angels were the firſt Miniſters of the Goſpel, the firſt Preachers of Chriſt's reſurrection; they preached more of Chriſt than all the Prophets did; they firſt told the woman that Chriſt was riſen; Luke 24.6.and they did the firſt ſervice to Chriſt at his reſurrection, in rolling the ſtone from the doors mouth; O my ſoul, that thou wert but like theſe bleſſed Angels! how is it that they are ſo forward in God's Service, and thou art ſo backward? One day thou expecteſt to be equal with the Angels, and art thou now ſo far behind them? What! to be equal in Reward, and behind them in Service? Here's a Meditation able to check thy Sloath, and to ſpur thee on to thy Duty. — 5. Many of the Bodies of the Saints aroſe out of their Graves at His Reſurrection; as the Angels miniſtred, ſo the Saints waited on Him. In this Meditation, trouble not thy ſelf whether David, Moſes, Job, Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob were ſome of thoſe Saints, as ſome conjecture upon ſome Grounds: It is a better Conſideration to look upon them as the Fruit of Chriſt's Reſurrection, and as an Earneſt of thy Own: The Vertue of Chriſt's Reſurrection appears immediately, and it will more appear at the general Reſurrection Day. As ſure as theſe Saints aroſe with Him, and went into the Holy City, and appeared unto many; ſo ſure ſhall thy Body riſe again at the Laſt Day; and (if thou art but a Saint) it ſhall go with Him into the Heavenly Jeruſalem, and appear before God, and His Son Jeſus Chriſt in Glory. —6. Chriſt roſe again with a true and perfect Body, with an Incorruptible and Powerful Body, with a Spiritual and an Agile Body, with a Glorious Body, brighter than the Sun in his utmoſt Glory. On theſe things may the Soul expatiate: O it is a worthy, bleſſed, ſoul-raviſhing Subject to think upon; and the rather, if we conſider that Conformity which we believe:Phil. 3.20, 21. We look for a Saviour (ſaith the Apoſtle) the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who ſhall change our vile Bodies, that they may be faſhioned unto His Glorious Body. O my Soul, that this Clay of thine ſhould be a Partaker of ſuch Glory! That this Body of Duſt and Earth ſhould ſhine in Heaven like thoſe Glorious Spangles of the Firmament; that this Body that ſhall rot in Duſt, and fall more vile than a Carrion, ſhould riſe, and ſhine like the Glorious Body of our Saviour on Mount Tabor: Surely thou oweſt much to Chriſt's Reſurrection. O conſider of it, till thou feelleſt the Influence, and comeſt to the Aſſurance of this Bleſſed Change.
4. Conſider of the ſeveral Apparitions of Jeſus Chriſt, eſpecially of thoſe written by the Evangeliſt John. As,—
1. Muſe on His Apparition to Mary Magdalen: Oh the Grief before He appeared! And, Oh the Joyes when He appeared!— 1. Before, ſhe apprehended nothing, but that ſome or other had took away her Lord; theſe were all the words ſhe uttered before he appeared; They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him; ſo ſhe told Peter and John: And when Two Angels appeared in White, asking her; Woman, Why weepeſt thou? ſhe gives the ſame Anſwer to them; They have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him. A Soul in deſertion knows not what to do, but to weep and cry; Oh my Lord is gone! I have loſt my Lord, my God, my Jeſus, my King! In this Meditation, conſider, O my Soul, as if thou hadſt been in Maries Caſe: Was it not a ſad Caſe, when the Angels of Heaven knew not how to comfort her? Suppoſe any Son of Conſolation had ſtood by, and had ſuch a one perſwaded; O Mary, ſuppreſs thy Sadneſs, refreſh thy Heart with this Bleſſed Viſion; thou didſt ſeek but One, and thou haſt found Two; a dead Body was thy Errand, and thou haſt light on Two alive: Thy Weeping was for a Man, and thy Tears have obtained Angels: Obſerve them narrowly; the Angels invite thee to a Parley, it may be they had ſome happy News to tell thee of thy Lord: Remember what they are, and where they ſit, and whence they come, and to whom they ſpeak; they are Angels of Peace; neither ſent without Cauſe, nor ſeen but of Favour; they ſit on the Tomb, to ſhew they are no Strangers to thy Loſs: They come from Heaven, from whence all happy News deſcendeth; they ſpeak to thy ſelf, as if they had ſome ſpecial Embaſſage to deliver unto thee. No, no; theſe Cordials are in vain; neither Man nor Angel can do her good, or comfort her drooping Soul: Either Chriſt Himſelf muſt come in Preſence, or ſhe cryes; Miſerable Comforters are ye all! Alas! ſmall is the Light that a Star can yield, when the Sun is down: A ſorry Exchange it is, to go & gather Crumbs, after the Loſs of the Bread of Life. Oh, What can theſe Angels do? They cannot perſwade me that my Maſter is not loſt; for my own Eyes will diſprove them: They can leſs tell me where He may be found; for they themſelves would wait upon Him, if they knew but where: I am apt to think, they know not where He is; and therefore they are come to the Place where He laſt was, making the Tomb their Heaven, and the Remembrance of His Preſence the Fewel of their Joy: Alas! What do Angels here? I neither came to ſee them, nor deſire to hear them: I came not to ſee Angels, but the Creator of Angels, to whom I owe more than both to Men and Angels.
2. After He appeared, ſhe was filled with Joy; for ſo it was, that when nothing elſe would ſatisfie, or comfort this poor Creature, Jeſus Himſelf appears: At firſt He is unknown, ſhe takes him for the Gardiner of the place, but within a while he utters a voice that opens both her ears, and eyes; And Jeſus ſaith unto her, Mary. It was the ſweeteſt ſound that ever ſhe heard; many a time had ſhe been called by that name, but never heard ſhe a voice ſo effectual, powerful, inward, feeling as at this time; hereby the cloud is ſcattered, and the Sun of Righteouſneſs appears; this one word Mary, lightens her eyes, dryes up her tears, chears her heart, revives her ſpirits that were as good as dead. One word of Chriſt wrought ſo ſtrange an alteration in her, as if ſhe had been wholly made new, when ſhe was only named. And hence it is that being raviſhed with his voice, and impatient of delayes, ſhe takes his talk out of his mouth, and to his firſt and only word Mary, ſhe anſwers, Rabboni] which is to ſay, Maſter, q. d. Maſter, is it thou? with many a ſalt tear have I ſought thee, and art thou unexpectedly ſo near at hand! thy abſence was hell, and thy preſence is no leſs than heaven to me: Oh how is my heart raviſhed at thy ſound? if the babe leaped in the womb of Elizabeth when ſhe but heard the ſalutation of Mary, how ſhould my heart but leap at thy ſalutation? I feel I am exceedingly tranſported beyond my ſelf. Inſtead of my heavy heart and troubled ſpirit, I feel now a ſweet and delightful Tranquility of mind; thou art my ſolace, and ſouls delight; whom have I in heaven but thee? and whom deſire I upon earth in compariſon of thee? and yet I am not ſatisfied; not only fruition of thee, but union with thee is that which my ſoul longs after; not only thy preſence, but thy embraces, or my embraces of thee can give content; come then, and give me leave, my Lord, my God, to run to the haunt of my chief delights, to fall at thy ſacred feet, and to bathe them with my tears of joy; O my Jeſus I muſt needs deal with thee, as the Spouſe dealt with thee: Now I have found thee whom my ſoul loves dearly, I will hold thee, Cant. 3.4.and I will not let thee go.
I know not in all the Book of God a ſoul more depreſſed with ſorrow, and lifted up with joy: O meditate on this! if Chriſt be abſent, all is night; but if Chriſt appear, he turns all again into a lightſome day; there is no ſorrow like that which apprehends Chriſt's loſs, and therefore in hell it is looked upon as the greateſt pain; of the two (ſay Divines) it is a greater torment to loſe God, and to loſe Jeſus Chriſt, than to endure all thoſe flaming whips, unquenchable fires, intollerable cold, abominable ſtench; and on the other ſide, there is no joy in heaven like to that which apprehends Chriſt's preſence: In thy preſence there is fulneſs of joy, Pſal. 16.11.and at thy right hand there are pleaſures evermore. I had rather be in hell with Chriſt (ſaid one) than in heaven without Chriſt. This is the very top of heavens joy, the quinteſſence of glory, the higheſt happineſs of the Saints; O my ſoul, ſeek with Mary, yea ſeek and weep, and weep and ſeek, and never reſt ſatisfied till Chriſt appear. If thou art but in the uſe of means, he will appear ſooner or later; or what if thou never ſaweſt a good day on earth, one ſight of Chriſt in heaven will make amends. Surely if thou kneweſt the joy of Chriſt's preſence, thou wouldſt run through death and hell to come to Chriſt: it was Paul's ſaying, I deſire to be diſſolved, and to be with Chriſt which is far better; Phil. 1.23.he cared not for death ſo he might go to Chriſt, for that was better than very life it ſelf.
2. Muſe on his Apparition to the Ten Diſciples,John 20.19. When the doors were ſhut for fear of the Jews, then came Jeſus, and ſtood in the midſt, ſaying to them, Peace be unto you. Before his Apparitions, ſorrow and fear had poſſeſſed all their ſpirits: ſometime they walked abroad, and were ſad; and ſometimes they kept within, and ſhut the doors upon them, as being exceedingly afraid: In this condition Jeſus Chriſt (that knows beſt the times and ſeaſons of grace and comfort) comes and ſtands in the midſt of their Aſſembly; he comes in, they know not how; and no ſooner he is in, but he ſalutes them in this manner, Peace be unto you.
This was the prime of all his wiſhes; no ſooner is he riſen, but he wiſheth peace to all his Apoſtles; no ſooner meets he with them, but the very opening of his lips was with theſe words; they are the firſt words, at the firſt meeting, on the very firſt day.—A ſure ſign that peace was in the heart of Jeſus Chriſt; howſoever it is with us, peace, or war; there is a Commonweal where Chriſt is King; and there is peace, and nothing but peace; come, ſift, try, and examine; art thou, O my ſoul, a member of this body? a ſubject of this Common-weal? hath the influence of Chriſt's peace (wrought and declared at his reſurrection) any force on thee? haſt thou peace with God? and peace within? and peace without? doſt thou feel that ointment poured upon Aaron's head, and running down to the skirts of his garments? doſt thou feel the dew of Hermon, and the dew that deſcends upon Mount Sion, dropping (as it were) upon thy heart? doth the ſpirit aſſure thee, that Chriſt the Prince of peace hath made peace and reconciliation betwixt God and thee, betwixt the King and thee, a rebel to his Crown and dignity;Iſa. 52.7. O how beautiful upon the mountains would the feet of him be, that ſhould publiſh peace, that ſhould bring theſe good tydings, that thou art a Citizen of that Jeruſalem, Pſal. 122.3.where God is King, and Christ the Prince of peace? where all the buildings are compact together, as a City that is at unity within it ſelf?
3. Muſe on his Apparition to all the Apoſtles, when they were all convened, and Thomas with them. This Apparition was occaſioned by Thomas's incredulity; except (ſaid he) I ſee in his hands the print of the nails, John 20.15.and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thruſt my hand into his ſide, I will not believe. Now therefore ſaith Jeſus to Thomas, Ver. 27.Come, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thruſt it into my ſide, and be not faithleſs, but believing. Methinks I ſee Thomas's finger on Chriſt's boared hand, and Thomas's hand in Chriſt's pierced ſide. Here's a ſtrong Argument to convince my ſoul that Chriſt is riſen from the dead; why, ſee; this is the ſame Chriſt that was crucified; the ſame Chriſt that had his hands boared with nails, and that had his heart pierced with a ſpear; though the wounds are healed as to ſenſe of pain, yet the skars, and holes, and clefts remain as big as ever: the hole in his hand is yet ſo large, that Thomas may put his finger not only on it, but into it; and the cleft in his ſide is yet ſo large, that Thomas may thruſt his whole hand into his ſide, and with his fingers touch that heart that iſſued out ſtreams of blood for my ſalvation. In this meditation be not too curious, whether the print of the nails were but continued till Chriſt had confirmed his Diſciples faith; or whether he retains them ſtill for ſome further uſe? it is a better conſideration to look upon them ſo as to confirm thy own faith; is there not too much of Thomas's incredulity in thy breaſt? doſt not thou ſometimes feel ſome doubtings of Chriſt's riſing? or at leaſt doſt thou not queſtion whether Chriſt's reſurrection belongs unto thee? is not Satan buſie with a temptation? is not thy conſcience troubled for thy ſins; and eſpecially for thy ſin of unbelief? if ſo, (and I know not but it may be ſo with thee, and the beſt of Saints) Come then, and reach hither thy finger, and behold Chriſt's hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thruſt it into his ſide; my meaning is, come with the hand of faith, and lay hold on Chriſt, yea hide thy ſelf in the holes of the rock; Be like the Dove that maketh her neſt in the ſide of the holes mouth; Jer. 48.28.the Dove that would be ſafe from the devouring Birds, or from the Fowlers ſnare, ſhe flyes to the hole in a rock; and thus Chriſt invites his Spouſe, O my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock, Cant. 2.14. Ber. …er. 61. in Cant.in the ſecret places of the ſtairs? let me ſee thy countenance, let me hear thy voice. In the clefts of the rock I am ſafe, (ſaid Bernard) there I ſtand firmly, there I am ſecure from Satan's prey. It is ſtoried of a Martyr, that writing to his Wife where ſhe might find him,Surius in vita Sancti Elzearii. when he was fled from home; O my Dear (ſaid he) if thou deſireſt to ſee me, ſeek me in the ſide of Chriſt, in the cleft of the rock, in the hollow of his wounds; for there have I made my neſt, there will I dwell, there ſhalt thou find me, and no where elſe but there. O my ſoul, that thou wouldſt make this uſe of the wounds of Chriſt! are they not as the Cities of refuge, whither thou mayſt fly and live? Nothing is more efficacious to cure the wounds of conſcience, than a frequent and ſerious meditation of the wounds of Chriſt. Bern. ibid.Come, be not faithleſs, but believing; theſe Monuments of Chriſt's reſurrection are for the confirmation of thy faith; if well viewed and handled, they will quiet thy conſcience, quench the fiery darts of Satan, increaſe thy faith, till thou comeſt to aſſurance, and ſayeſt with Thomas, Turbabor, ſed non perturbabor quia vulnerum Chriſti recordabor. Aug.My Lord, and my God. I may be troubled, but I ſhall not be overwhelmed; becauſe I will remember the print of the nails, and of the ſpear, in the hands and ſide of Jeſus Chriſt.
4. Muſe on his Apparition to the ſeven Diſciples at the Sea of Tiberias. Firſt, Chriſt appears, and works a Miracle; he diſcovers himſelf to be Lord of Sea as well as Land; at his word multitudes of Fiſhes come to the Net, and are caught by his Apoſtles; nor is this Miracle without a Myſtery;Mat. 13.47. The Kingdom of Heaven, is like a drawn net, caſt into the ſea, which when it is full, men draw to land; what is this divine trade of ours but a ſpiritual fiſhing? the world is a ſea, ſouls like fiſhes ſwim at liberty in this deep, and the nets of wholeſome doctrine are they that draw up ſome to the ſhore of grace, and glory. 2. Upon this Miracle, The Diſciple whom Jeſus loved, ſaid unto Peter, it is the Lord. John is more quick-eyed than all the reſt, he conſiders the Miracle, and him that wrought it; and preſently he concludes, It is the Lord; O my ſoul meditate on the myſtery of this diſcovery; if ever ſoul be converted and brought home to Chriſt, it is the Lord; but oh whither is Chriſt gone, that we have loſt ſo long his converting preſence? Oh for one Apparition of Jeſus Chriſt! till then we may preach our hearts out and never the nearer; do what we can ſouls will to hell, except the Lord break their career; Miniſters can do no more but tell, thus and thus men may be ſaved; and thus and thus men will be damned: He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life, John 3.36.and he that believeth not the Son ſhall not ſee life; but when they have ſaid all they can, it is only God muſt give the bleſſing: Oh what is preaching without Chriſt's preſence? One hearing what mighty feats Scanderbag's Sword had done, he ſent for it, and when he ſaw it, Is this the Sword (ſaid he) that hath done ſuch great exploits, what's this ſword more than any other ſword? O (ſayes Scanderbag) I ſent thee my Sword, but not my arm that did handle it: ſo Miniſters may uſe the ſword of the Spirit, the Word of God, but if the Spirits arm be not with it, they may brandiſh it every Sabbath to little purpoſe; when all is done, if ever any good be done, it is the Lord. No ſooner John obſerves the Miracle, that a multitude of fiſhes were caught and taken, but he tells Peter of a bleſſed diſcovery, it is the Lord—3. Upon this diſcovery, Peters throws himſelf into the Sea; O the fervent love he carries towards Chriſt! if he but hear of his Lord, he will run through fire and water to come unto him; ſo true is that of the Spouſe, Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it; Cant. 8.7.if a man would give all the ſubſtance of his houſe for love, it would utterly be contemned. If I love Chriſt, I cannot but long for communion and fellowſhip with Chriſt;Ʋbicunque fueris O domine Jeſu, &c. Aug. Whereſoever thou art O bleſſed Saviour, give me no more happineſs than to be with thee; if on the earth I would travel day and night to come unto thee, if on the Sea with Peter I would ſwim unto thee, if riding in triumph, I would ſing Hoſanna to thee, but if in glory, how happy ſhould I be to look upon thee? Chriſt's Apparitions are raviſhing ſights; if he but ſtand on the ſhore, Peter throws himſelf over-board to come to Chriſt; why now he ſtands on the pinacles of heaven, waſting and beckoning with his hand, and calling on me in his Word, Riſe up my love, my fair one, and come away; O my ſoul make haſte;Cant. 2.10. in every duty look out for another Apparition of Jeſus Chriſt: when thou comeſt to hear, ſay, Have over Lord by this Sermon: and when thou comeſt to pray, ſay, Have over Lord by this Prayer to a Saviour; neither fire nor water; floods, nor ſtorms; death, nor life; principalities nor powers; height nor depth; nor any other creature ſhould hinder thy paſſage to Chriſt, or ſeparate thy ſoul from Chriſt. Conſider what I ſay, 2 Tim. 2.7, 8.(ſaith Paul) and the Lord give thee underſtanding in all things; remember that Jeſus Chriſt of the ſeed of David was raiſed from the dead according to my Goſpel: that Chriſt was raiſed is a Goſpel-truth; ay, but do thou remember it; do thou conſider it, and the Lord give thee underſtanding in all things.