Eighteen Choice and Useful Sermons, Sermon 10
The Tenth SERMON.
MAT. 11.5.
The blind receive their ſight, and the lame walk, the Leapers are cleanſed, and the deaf heare, the dead are raiſed up and the poor have the Goſpel preached unto them.
THeſe words are an anſwer which was ſent by Chriſt unto John the Baptiſt. For John the Baptiſt, as we ſee before, had ſent two of his Diſciples with this queſtion to ou… Saviour, Art thou he that ſhould come, or do we look for another? Chriſt to prove himſelf to be the Meſſias, refers them to the works which were done by him, Goe, ſaith he, and ſhew John what ye hear and ſee, The blind receive their ſight, and the lame walk, the Leapers are cleanſed, &c. Which words will not well admit any diviſion; but for order ſake we may obſerve two things in them, the perſons and the cure which was wrought upon them. The perſons ye ſee are of divers ſorts; ſome blind, ſome lame, ſome Lepers, ſome deaf, ſome dead, and ſome poor, and every one of them had their ſeverall cure. The blind received their ſight, the lame walked, the Leapers were cleanſed, the deafe heard, the dead were raiſed up, and the poor had the Goſpel preached unto them. But it may be demanded, how Chriſt did ſhew by theſe works which he did, that he was the Meſſias; when we read that the like works have been done by others.Acts 9.17. Did not Ananias Acts 9. reſtore Paul to his ſight, when he was ſtruck blind? Did not Peter and John, Acts 3. reſtore the cripple, Acts. 3.6.7.that had been lame from his mothers womb? 1 King. 17.23.Did not Elias and Elizeus raiſe ſome that were dead: and have not the like miracles been wrought by others? But the anſwer is, That between the works which,2 King. 4.36. were done by them, and which were done by Chriſt, there is a great difference. For firſt, the miracles which they wrought, were not wrought by their own power, but by the power of God, God uſing them as his inſtruments to work thoſe miracles. Therefore ſaith Saint Auſtine, Sancti non propria virtute miracula fecerunt, ſed deo in illis operante. Thoſe holy men did not work miracles by their own power and virtue, but by the power of God that wrought ſo them. Therefore we ſee, that they alwayes wrought them in his name, and prayed unto him that he would inable them.Acts. 9.17. The Lord hath ſent me (ſaith Ananias to Paul) that thou mighteſt receive thy ſight. Acts 3.6.In the Name of Jeſus of Nazareth (ſaith Peter to the Creeple) ariſe, and walk. O Lord my God, 1 King. 17.23.I pray thee (ſaith Eliah when he raiſed the Widowes ſon) let this childs ſoule come unto him again. And ſo Elizeus prayed, when he reſtored to life the Shunamites Son.2 King. 4.36. All ſhewing thereby that they did not theſe miracles by their own power, but as God inabled them. But Chriſt did all by his Word and Command, as by his own power. This was that which the Centurion acknowledged, Speak (ſaith he) but the word, and my ſervant ſhall be healed; Mat. 8.8.and he proves it in the words following by an excellent reaſon, For I am a man (ſaith he) under authority, and have ſouldiers under me, and I ſay to this man, go, and he goes, and to another, come, and he comes, and to my ſervant, do this, and he doeth it. As if he had ſaid, If I can do this by my authority, then what canſt thou do? I am a man, and thou art God, I am under the authority of another, but thou art Lord over all; I have ſouldiers and ſervants at my command, to do as I will them; Sickneſſe is thy ſouldier, and health is thy ſervant, and thou mayeſt command them; Say but thou to the palſie, go, and it will be gon; ſay thou to health, come, and it will come: and what thou willeſt them to do, they will do the ſame. Therefore in the Goſpell, we ſee how he commanded when he wrought any miracle. So when he raiſed the young man to life, Luke 7.14. Young man (ſaith he) I ſay unto thee, Mat. 8.3.ariſe. So when the Leper ſaid to Chriſt, Mat. 8. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canſt make me clean. He preſently anſwered, I will, be thou clean. Luke 18.42.So to the blind man, Luke 18. Receive thy ſight. And thus he wrought miracles by his Word and Command which others did not.
Secondly, Though others have wrought ſome miracles, yet Chriſt hath wrought more then they all together. Some have cured the lame, but have not reſtored the blind; ſome have healed the ſick, but have not raiſed the dead; ſome have done one cure, but not another, but Chriſt did all: Healing as we ſee Mat. 4. all manner of diſeaſes among the people, Mat. 4.23.and doing thoſe works, John 15.24.as himſelf teſtifies, John 15. which were never done by any other: as we ſhall ſee in handling the ſeverall cures which he wrought here. Where firſt, it ſaid, That the blind receive their ſight.
We read in the Scripture of a two-fold blindneſſe, the one outward, the other inward; the one corporall, the other ſpirituall; the one of the body, the other of the ſoul. Chriſt cured many that were outwardly blind, whereof ſome were ſuch as had loſt their ſight, and could have ſeen before, and ſome that were born blind, and could never ſee at all, as the blind man that we read of John 9. the like cure whereof was never done by any but by Chriſt,John 9.32. ſince the World began. The blindneſſe of the body is very grievous. For that which the Sun is to the world, the eye is to the body, which being void of ſight, remains in a perpetuall night of darkneſſe. A man would count it a very grievous puniſhment to be kept in darkneſſe, but for a twelve-monethmonth together, where he might ſee no light. How grievous then muſt it needs be to them, who for want of their ſight do abide in darkneſſe, and ſee no light for their whole life time? Truly ſaith Solomon, Eccleſ. 11.7. the light is ſweet, and a pleaſant thing it is, for the eyes to behold the Sun. Therefore we read of ſome Countries which are near to the Pole, where the night continues divers monthes together, and the Sun doth not ſhew himſelfe all the while, that the Inhabitants at the end of ſo long a night, at ſuch a time as the Sun is wont to appear, and bring the day among them, they get up to the top of their higheſt mountains, as ſtriving to have the firſt view of the Sun, which as ſoon as they ſee, they crie out for joy, Behold the Sun, the Sun appears, and they put on their beſt apparell, and feaſt one another, So welcome is the light of the Sun among them, when they have wanted it long. For darkneſſe, ye know, is moſt uncomfortable: therefore though God ſent darkneſſe as a plague among the Egyptians, Exod. 10.22.23.yet his people had light in all their dwellings. And therefore as hell is ſhadowed forth in the Scripture by the name of darkneſſe, to expreſſe the uncomfortableneſſe and horrour of it,Mat. 22.13. Coloſ. 1.12. ſo heaven is illuſtrated by the name of light, to expreſſe the great comfort we ſhall finde in it; yet they which are in darkneſſe, and have not the light of the Sun among them, may have fire and candle, and other helps, to give them light, and to take away darkneſſe; but they who are blind, are always in the dark, and have no help againſt it. So uncomfortable a thing it is to a man to want his ſight. In which regard, whereas it is ſaid of Abraham, Gen. 25.8. That he gave up the Ghoſt, and died a good old age, and old man and full of years, and was gathered unto his people: It is only ſaid of Iſaac, Gen. 35.29. That Iſaac gave up the Ghoſt, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old, and full of dayes. It is not ſaid of him, as it is ſaid of Abraham, That he died in a good old age: but this clauſe is omitted in the death of Iſaac, as Divines obſerve; and they give this reaſon, Becauſe Iſaac's old age, by reaſon of his blindneſſe, could not be ſo good and comfortable unto him. For they want many comforts which others have, who do want their ſight. Therefore when our Saviour askt the blind man, Luke 18:Luke 18.41. What he would have him to do for him, he preſently anſwered, Lord, that I may receive my ſight? as being more deſirous to have his ſight then any thing beſides.
It is a grievous thing for a man to want his ſmelling or taſting, or any of his ſences, or his hands or feet, or any of his limbs, but far more grievous to want his eyes, becauſe the eye is the guide of the whole body, and directs every part and member of it, without which the tongue knows not before whom it ſpeaks, the hand knows not what it is it takes, the foot knows not whither it goes; but the tongue will erre, the hand will miſtake, and the foot will ſtumble, vvhere there is not an eye to vvatch over all, and to preſerve them from danger. Therefore God hath placed the eyes in the head, vvhere they may look to the whole body, becauſe every part hath uſe of the ſight to guid and direct it. When therefore vve read, That Chriſt cured the blind, and gave them their ſight, vve may vvell imagine, that it vvas a vvonderfull benefit that he did for them. And therefore it … fuſed dravv us to bethink our ſelves, vvhat a bleſſing it is that God hath given us our ſight, vvhereby vve take comfort in the ſight of the creatures, in the ſight of our parents, and children, and friends, and vvhereby vve are freed from ſo many dangers. Yet this is a bleſſing vvhichwhich fevv do ever think of, but find the benefit and comfort of it, Carendo magis, quam fruendo, rather vvhen vve vvant then vvhen vve have it. If vve vvanted our ſight, vvhat a benefit ſhould vve loſe, vvhat a loſſe ſhould vve have, and vvhat vvould vve not give that vve might recover it? And therefore vvhen vve hear hovv Chriſt cured the blind, or vvhen vve ſee any that vvant their ſight, it ſhould put us in mind vvhat a bleſſing it is that vve can ſee, and therefore ſhould be thankfull to God for it: yet though it be grievous to vvant the ſight, and a great bleſſing to have the ſame: yet it is far more grievous vvhen the mind is darkened, and vvants the eyes of knovvledge and underſtanding. For that vvhichwhich the eye is to the body, the ſame is the underſtanding unto the ſoule; and vvhat blindneſſe is to the one, the ſame is ignorance to the other. And therefore vvhen Chriſt did cure them outvvardly, ſo vve may vvell think, that he cured them invvardly, as he took avvay their blindneſſe, and gave them their ſeeing, ſo he took avvay their ignorance, and enlightned them vvith knovvledge and underſtanding. And this vvas a greater cure then the other. Men commonly think that a man that is blind, is far more miſerable then he that is ignorant; and that he, on the contrary, is in better condition that hath a ſound and comely body, then he whoſe mind is adorned and beautified with grace and virtue.
But as the ſoule is more excellent then the body, ſo knowledge and underſtanding is more excellent then the ſight, becauſe the ſight doth onelyonly give light to the body, underſtanding to the ſoule. They who want the eyes of their body, yet they know they want them, and therefore will carefully ſeek for help if they may be cured: and if they cannot be cured, yet they have this help, that they may have one to lead and guide them. But they who want the eyes of their mind, do not know their blindneſſe, and therefore do not ſeek to have any help, but think themſelves well though they live in ignorance; vvhereby the Devill leads them blind-fold to hell before they be aware.2 King. 6.18.19. As the Army of the Syrians, being ſtruck with blindneſſe, were led into Samaria amongſt the midſt of their enemies, and …ew not where they were, till they were come thither, we may ſee then by that which I have ſpoken, that it is a grievous thing to want the outward ſight, but far more grievous when the mind is darkened. And therefore as the blind here came unto Chriſt to be cured of their blindneſs, ſo we muſt likewiſe come unto him, to remove our ſpiritual blindneſſe from us: becauſe he is that day-ſpring from on high, as Zacharie ſaid, that came to viſit us, to give light unto them that ſit in darkneſſe, and in the ſhadow of death, Luke 1.78.and to guide our feete in the way of peace.
And thus much concerning the firſt cure which is here mentioned, that the blind received their ſight. And ſo I come to the next, that the lame walked.
As it is a great bleſſing to have the uſe of our eyes, and to be able to ſee, ſo it is a great bleſſing to have the uſe of our feete, and to be able to go. For God in framing the body of man, hath ſo diſpoſed of every part and Member of it, that we cannot ſpare any one of them all, becauſe all are neceſſary, every part being both ſerviceable one to another, and ſerving for the good of the whole body. If any part of the body do want any thing, all the reſt will afford it the beſt help they can, the tongue will aske what will do it good, the eare will liſten where it may be had, the eye will look after it, the foot will go for it, and the hand will bring it: and if any part be wanting, every part is the worſe for the want of it. The eye ſaith St. Paul, 1 Cor. 12.21.cannot ſay to the hand, I have no need of thee, nor the head to the feet, I have no need of you. For as the eye doth ſerve to ſee for the body, ſo doth the hand to work for it, and as the head is made to rule and govern the body, ſo the feet to uphold it, every part having his ſeveral uſe and office, and no part being needleſſe.
Therefore Livie reports, that when there was diſſention between the Senators and the Commonalty of Rome, and the Commonalty refuſed to yield them aide, and the whole body of the Common-wealth was much troubled about it, Menenius Agrippa that was an excellent Orator being ſent to make reconciliation between them, did tell them this fable; That upon a time there fell out ſome variance between the belly and the reſt of the Members. The Members objected againſt the belly, that they were ſet a work to provide for it, and the belly in the mean while remained idle and conſumed all. And therefore they all conſpired together, that they would not provide any longer for it, as they had done before. The foot refuſed to go any more for it, the hand refuſed to reach any meat to the mouth, the mouth denied to take it, the teeth to chew it; but what became of this? The belly being almoſt ſtarved with hunger, the whole body was the worſe, the eyes waxt dim, and the eares dull, the hands grew weak, and the feete feeble, and all the Members began to faint and languiſh: and therefore in the end when they ſaw the danger, they were glad to be reconciled, having learned by experience, that there is not any part of the body needleſs, but where any one Member performes not the Office which belongs unto it, the whole body hath a want and is the worſe for it. Though the tongue can ſpeak, yet if the eare cannot heare, though the mouth can eat, yet if the hand cannot work; though the eye can ſee, yet if the foot cannot goe, it is a great defect to the whole body. Therefore as our Saviour reſtored the blind, and made them to ſee, which before they could not: So he cured the lame, and inabled them to walk, who before were not able to go or ſtand. Now ſome ye know fall lame by miſchance, as Mephiboſheth did, by falling when he was young out of his Nurſes Armes.2 Sam. 4.4. Some are borne lame from their Mothers wombe, as the Creple that we read of in the 3. of the Acts. How theſe became lame which were here cured by Chriſt, it is not ſet down,Acts 3.2. but to be freed from their lameneſs howſoever it came, was a wonderfull bleſſing. For that which the foundation is to the building, the ſame are the feet unto the body, as being made by God to bear and ſupport it. Therefore God hath placed them under all the reſt, to uphold all, becauſe the body is no more able to ſtand without them, then a building to ſtand without a foundation. Neither ſerve the feete onelyonly to uphold the body, but likewiſe to carry it from place to place, whereſoever we have occaſion to go, without which we cannot ſtir from one place to another without paine or trouble. So grievous a thing it is to be lame, and ſo great a benefit to have the uſe of our feet, which as it may put us in mind of this duty, to be thankfull unto God for giving us the perfect uſe of our lims, which we might have wanted as well as others. So it may likewiſe teach us to uſe them well; to uſe our Members,Rom. 6.19. as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, as Servants unto righteouſneſſe. We find in the Goſpel, that many were every where brought unto Chriſt that were lame and impotent, and we cannot go any where but we ſee the like, all which are as it were ſo many Preachers unto us, to admoniſh us what God hath done for us, in giving us our lims, and therefore that we ought to uſe them well, to his glory, our good, and the benefit of others,Job. 29.15. by being an …ye to the blind, and a foote to the lame, as Job was, that though we cannot heale them as Chriſt did, yet that we do help them the beſt we can, by having compaſſion on their infirmities, and helping them with relief that ſtand in need thereof, and cannot help themſelves.
And thus much briefly for the lame that were cured. The next cure which is here mentioned is that the Lepers were cleanſed.
The Leproſie was a grievous and fowle Diſeaſe, and the condition of a Leper, was of all other that were diſeaſed, the moſt wretched and miſerable.
For firſt,Levit. 13.46 as we ſee the Leper by Gods appointment was to live alone, and to be ſeparated from the fellowſhip of Gods People, as unworthy to come into a clean Company. In which reſpect, the four Lepers, that are mentioned when Samaria was beſieged,2 Kings 7.3. Numb. 12.14 dwelt out of the City, Myriam though ſhe was the Siſter of Moſes and Aaron, was removed out of the Camp, and Azariah though he were the King of Juda, yet being ſmote by God with a Leproſie, 2 King, 15.5he lived a part in a ſeveral houſe. So uncomfottable it was to have this Diſeaſe, becauſe they were excluded (as they are now that have the Plague) from all Company, which made many no doubt to pine away with grief and ſorrow, as being forlorne, and left utterly deſt tute of all help and comfort in their greateſt extremity.
Secondly, The Leper did weare four markes to be known by, his garments torne, his head bare, his mouth covered,Levit. 13.45. and he was to cry unclean, unclean, that others might know that he had the Leproſie, and might ſhun and avoid him. For the Leproſie was a Diſeaſe among the Jewes that was ſtrangely infectious, which infected not onelyonly the perſons themſelves, but their Garments and Houſes, and that in ſuch a manner, that as we ſee in the 14. of Leviticus, the infection might be ſeen and diſcerned upon them, it would fret into their Garments, and eat into the very morter and ſtones of their walles; and though the walles were plaſtered all over again, yet it would break through them, that they were faine ſometimes to pull down their houſes. Inſomuch, that ſome think (and it is very probable) that the Jewes in a proper and peculiar manner, were troubled with this Diſeaſe, which is unknown in theſe dayes, as ye know there are many Diſeaſes now, which have not been known in former ages.
Now though the Leproſie was a grievous Diſeaſe, yet there is a Diſeaſe, the Leproſie of ſin, that is farre more grievous. The outward Leproſie infects but the body, but this ſpiritual Leproſie infects the ſoule; ſo that no Leper is ſo unclean in the ſight of man, as the ſinner is loathſome in the ſight of God. If we know of a man that hath an infectious Diſeaſe, we will be very wary how we come in his Company, for fear he infect us: But for thoſe whoſe Company is far more dangerous, who by drunkenneſſe and the like communicating ſins, do infect mens ſoules, many are ſo far from ſhunning their Company, that they take pleaſure therein, as if they took delight to be infected by them. We have not any of thoſe kind of Lepers which the Jewes had, but of theſe kind of Lepers, that by drunkenneſſe do daily infect others, I would we had not too many in every place. Thoſe Lepers were ſeparated from the Congregation, and were not ſuffered to come among them; but theſe Lepers that are drunk from morning to night, almoſt every day in the week, and ſo continue infecting others all the year long, are not aſhamed to ſhew their faces amongſt us, but come openly to Church into the Congregation. Thoſe Lepers were conſtrained to live a part by themſelves, but theſe have liberty to frequent Tavernes and Ale-houſes, where for the moſt part they are the welcomeſt gueſts. Thoſe Lepers had their Cloathes rent in ſigne of their ſorrow, and did acknowledge themſelves unclean; but theſe are ſo far from acknowledging their fault, that they take a pride in their ſin, and glory in their ſhame, boaſting that they are able to make others drunk, as if it were a Credit and commendation unto them. Thoſe Lepers would gladly have been rid of their Diſeaſe, and therefore came unto Chriſt to be cleanſed, and he did cleanſe them. But what hope can theſe have to be cleanſed by Chriſt, who delight in their Leproſie and are unwilling to leave it? Chriſt indeed is that skilfull Phyſitian, that cures both our corporal and ſpiritual Diſeaſes, but it is onelyonly of ſuch as are loaden and weary of the burthen of their ſins, and deſire nothing more then to be rid of them. And therefore if they would be cured of their ſpiritual Leproſie, they muſt be weary of it, and have an earneſt deſire, and do their beſt indeavour to be freed from it, and then coming to Chriſt, as theſe Lepers did, they ſhall be cleanſed.
The next cure which is here mentioned, is that the deaf heard. We read in the Scripture of two ſorts of deafneſſe, the one corporall, the other ſpirituall. The corporall deafneſſe when the eare cannot hear is a great defect, and in ſome reſpect, it is better for a man to want his ſight then to want his hearing; becauſe by hearing we attaine more knowledge then we do by ſeeing. For hearing is the ſenſe of knowledge and diſcipline: in which regard, Salomon when he begins to teach us Wiſdom, Proverbs 1.8. firſt knocks at the doore where Wiſdom muſt enter and cries, hearken my Sonne. For Wiſdom and Knowledge is got chiefly by hearing, and, as ſome have thought, is rather leſſened and impared then increaſed by ſeeing. Therefore we read of ſome of the Philoſophers, who purpoſely put out their own eyes, that they might the better attaine unto knowledge, wherein they thought that their ſight would hinder them, and diſtract their minds with variety of objects. And we read of many blind men that never ſaw at all, but were born blind; and yet have been famous for their wiſdome and knowledge. But we never heard of any man that was deafe from his birth and could never hear, that ever attained to knowledge and underſtanding in any meaſure. For how ſhould they have underſtanding in any thing, to know what they ſhould do or leave undone, which they were never taught? and how ſhould they be taught who could never hear, and ſo are uncapable of learning any thing? Therefore though God have ſtrook ſome blind; and ſome dumb; yet he ſtrook them not deaf but ſpared their hearing. Though he ſtrook Zachary dumb Luke 1. for his unbelief,Luke 1.20. Acts 9.9. & Paul blind Acts 9. for perſecuting the Church; yet he left them their hearing, becauſe if he had ſtrook them deaf withall, they could not have known his will. Bleſſed is he that readeth, Revel. 1.3.and they that hear the words of this Prophecy. Some cannot read, as they which are blind, and they which were never taught; yet they are not excluded from this bleſſing, becauſe they may hear it read: but they who are deaf can neither read it themſelves, nor hear it read by others. Yet I ſpeak not this as if they who are born deaf, are therefore abſolutely excluded from this bleſſedneſſe, but that they are excluded from the means of it. Yet God can ſave them without the means; and we may well think that God who is ſo gracious, will not exact the imployment of a talent, where he hath not given it.
I might further ſhew you many great inconveniences which come by deafneſſe, whereby we might ſee, what a benefit it was which Chriſt did for them, in taking their deafneſſe away from them; and what a bleſſing we have of God, in that he hath given us the ſenſe of hearing. But though this outward deafneſſe of the eare, be a grievous defect, yet there is a deafneſſe, the deafneſſe of the heart, (whereby obſtinate ſinners will not ſuffer that which they hear with their eares to enter into their hearts) which is farre more grievous. Such are they, who are compared by the Prophet David to the deafe adder, that will not hearken to the voice of the charmer; Pſal. 58.4, 5. Pro. 1.20.but though wiſdom cry aloud in the ſtreets, yet they will not hear her. Such a one was Pharaoh, who though Moſes & Aaron cryed daily unto him, Dimitte populum, Let my people goe, and though God thundred from Heaven with his judgements upon him, yet he would not heare them. And ſo though a man, as God willed the Prophet,Eſay 58.1. life up his voice like a Trumpet, and cry never ſo loud, againſt covetouſneſſe, oppreſſion, drunkenneſſe and the like; yet many ſtop their eares, and will not ſuffer what they hear to ſinke into their hearts. This is a willfull and obſtinate deafneſſe. And this deafneſſe, untill our hearts be opened as Lydia's was, is by nature in every one of us. And therefore as the deaf here came unto Chriſt: ſo every one of us muſt come unto him to be cured of this deafneſſe.
The next cure which is here mentioned, is Chriſt's rayſing of the dead.
His rayſing of the dead was a more miraculous cure then any of the former. The blind and the deaf whom Chriſt reſtored, did onelyonly want their ſight and their hearing, and had the reſt of their ſences, the lame whom he cured did onelyonly want the uſe of their feet and had the reſt of their limbs; the Lepers whom he cleanſed did onelyonly want their health, and had the uſe of their limbs and ſences; but they which vvere dead had none of them all, but vvere deprived of them altogether: and ſo his rayſing of ſuch as vvere dead was a greater work then any of the former. Therefore whenſoever he raiſed the dead, the people did greatly admire, and honour him when he cured two blind men,Mat. 9.31. Math. 9, They ſpread …abroad his fame throughout all the land. When he raiſed to life the Widowes ſonne in Naim, Luke 7.16.Luke 7. All that were preſent praiſed God and ſaid, A great Prophet is riſen up amongſt us, and God hat… viſited his people. And vvhen he raiſed Lazarus from the dead, John 11. it is ſaid there, that many of the Jewes that ſaw what Jeſus did, John 11.…5.believed in him. While a man is alive, though he be never ſo much diſeaſed or ſo dangerouſly ſick; yet vve ſend for Phyſitians, and uſe other means, becauſe there is ſome hope that he may recover; but when he is once dead, there is no more hope, and therefore we trouble our ſelves no further: ſo when the Rulers daughter was ſick, he came unto Chriſt and beſought him for her, My little daughter ſaith he, lyeth at the point of death; but I pray thee come and lay thy hands on her and ſhe ſhall live. Mark. 5.23. Mark. 5.35.But his daughter dying before Chriſt came to her, ſome brought the Ruler word, Thy daughter is dead, why troubleſt thou the Maſter any further? as thinking it in vain when his daughter was dead to ſeek for help; becauſe the Phyſitian is not ſought to for the dead, but for the living. But Chriſt that was as well able to revive the dead, as to heale the ſick, raiſed diverſe in the Goſpel from death to life, whereof ſome are not named, but onelyonly mentioned ingenerall; as here it is ſaid, that the dead were raiſed up, without ſpecifying in particular who they were: ſome are mentioned in particular, as the Rulers daughter whom he reſtored to life, when ſhe was newly dead, Marke 5.Mark 5.42. Luke 7.15. Joh. 11.17. The Widowes Son that was carried forth to be buried, Luke 7. and Lazarus that had been foure dayes dead, and was laid in his grave, John 11. If Chriſt then were able to raiſe the dead, while he lived here in the form of a ſervant, we may well he aſſured, that being in glory at the right hand of his Father, he is both able to raiſe our ſouls from the death of ſinne to the life of grace; and to raiſe our bodies, when they lie dead in their graves, to the life of glory.
Indeed the raiſing of the body being dead, ſee us a thing incredible unto fleſh and blood. And therefore when St. Paul Acts 17. did preach to the Athenians about the reſurrection, they were ſo far from believing that the dead ſhould riſe, that they counted him a babler and laughed him to ſcorne. But as Chriſt here raiſed ſome from death to life: ſo at the …ſt day he will raiſe all;Act. 7.60. the one being as eaſie to him as the other. Therefore our bodies when they die, are ſaid in the Scripture to …all a ſleep, becauſe Chriſt can as eaſily raiſe our bodies being dead as one man can wake another when he is faln a ſleep. If many be fallen aſleep in a Chamber together; yet one voice you know, is able to waken them all: and ſo the voice of Chriſt at the laſt day, ſh…ll raiſe all that are dead in the whole world together. The hou…e ſhall come ſaith our Saviour John 5.John 5.28. in the which, all that are in their graves ſhall hear the voice of the Sonne of Man, and they ſhall come forth that have done good, unto the reſurection of life, and they that have done evill unto the refurrection of condemnation. 1 Cor. 15.42.And therefore the buriall of our bodies is fitly reſembled by St. Paul 1 Cor. 15. to the ſowing of ſeed, becauſe, as the ſeed being ſowen in the ground, doth afterwards revive and ſpring up againe: ſo our bodies after they are dead and buried, ſhall be revived and quickned. Qui tibi grana ſeminum mortua et putrefacta vivificat, Auguſt. de ver. Apoſt. Sermo. 34.per quae in hoe ſaecul… vivas, multo magis te ipſum reſuſcitabit ut in aeternum vivas. He, ſaith St. Auguſtine, that quickens for thee the graines of Corne, when they are dead and rotten, whereby thou mayſt live upon the earth for a time. much more will he raiſe thy ſelf hereafter, that thou mayſt live for ever in Heaven. For he hath not onelyonly redeemed our ſouls but likewiſe our bodies; and therefore will not ſuffer them to periſh in their graves, but will quicken them again, that both our bodies and ſouls may live with him. And thus much concerning his rayſing the dead.
The laſt thing which is here mentioned, is that the poore had the Goſpel preached unto them.
It is the ſaying of the Prophet Eſay, Chap. 61.1. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, becauſe he hath annointed me to preach good tydings unto the poore, he hath ſent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaime liberty to the Captives, and the opening of the priſon to them that are bound. Which words Chriſt expounding Luke 4. when he preached in Nazareth, he applies them to himſelf, This day ſaith he,Luke 4.21. is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares; to ſhew that he was annointed of God to preach the Goſpel unto the poor. Now by the poor to whom he preached the Goſpel, they are underſtood, who are ſaid by our Saviour Math. 5.3. to be poor in ſpirit. For there are two ſorts of poverty, the one outward, vvhen a man hath not means to maintain himſelf but wants outward neceſſaries; the other inward vvhen a man is deſtitute of ſpirituall graces. And thus every one of us all are poor, but ſome do not ſee their poverty and want, as the La…diceans, Revel. 3.17. that thought themſelves rich, and increaſed with goods, when they were poor and naked. Some ſee their poverty, and find in themſelves a want of grace, and therefore do hunger and thirſt after it; and theſe are the poore to whom Chriſt is ſaid here to have preached the Goſpel. Therefore in the place which I named before, the Prophet ſhews to what poor the Goſpel ſhould be preached, by naming preſently the broken hearted, And Eſay 66.2. The Lord promiſeth, to have reſpect unto him, that is poore and of a contrite Spirit; the latter of theſe explaining the former, that they are the poor whom God reſpects, who are humbled with the ſight of their ſpirituall wants, and bewaile nothing more then their want of grace. Such were they to whom Chriſt here preacht, as knowing that the Goſpel which is the glad tydings of ſalvation, would be moſt welcome unto them, becauſe it offers grace unto thoſe who finding in themſelves a want of grace, do unfeinedly and earneſtly deſire the ſame.
Here then we ſee who they be that are fit to hear the Goſpel, and that do find comfort in hearing of it; namely, ſuch as do ſee their ſpirituall poverty, and feele in their hearts a want of grace; & therefore renouncing their own righteouſnes, do flie unto Chriſt to find…reſt to their ſouls.Mat. 11.28. Therefore Chriſt in the Goſpel invites only ſuch to come unto him as finde themſelves weary & heavy laden, and rejected the Phariſees that truſted in themſelves,Mat. 9.12. Mat. 18.11. Mat. 9.13. becauſe the whole have no need of the Phyſitian. For he came into the World to ſave that which vvas loſt, and he came not (as he ſaith) to call the righteous, but ſinners to repentance.
To draw then briefly to a concluſion of all, if we would reape comfort by the preaching of the Goſpel, vve muſt labour to ſee our ſpirituall poverty, to find in our ſelves our vvant of knowledge, our want of faith, our vvant of grace, and then the good tydings of the Goſpel will be as vvelcome to us, as cold waters to a traveller that is weary,Prov. 25.25. and as the bringing of good newes from a far Country.
FINIS.