Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

Death is our passage out of the swift river of time, into the boundless and bottomless ocean of eternity. 3. That the souls of all the righteous at death are immediately received into a state of happiness and glory; This day shalt thou be with me; not af ter thy resurrection, but immediately after thy dissolution. That man's soul is asleep, or worse, that dreams of the soul's sleeping till the resurrection: for why should the believers' happiness be deferred, when they are immediately capable of enjoying it? Why should their salvation slumber, when the wicked's damnation slumbereth not? How do such delays consist with Christ's ardent desires, and his people's vehement longing to be together?

44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth, until the ninth hour. 45 And the sun was darkened, and the vail of the temple was rent in the midst. 46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit; and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous man. 48 And all the people that came together to that sight, beholding the things which were done, smote their breasts, and returned. 49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

Observe here, 1. What prodigies in nature happened and fell out at the crucifixion of our Saviour: the sun was darkened at the setting of the Sun of Righteousness; and the veil of the temple was rent; signifying that God was now about to forsake his temple; that the ceremonial law was now abolishing, and the partition-wall betwixt Jew and Gentile being now pulling down, all may have access to God through the blood of a Mediator. Observe, 2. The last prayer of our Saviour before his death, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit; they are words full of faith and comfort, fit to be the last breathings of every gracious soul in this world. Learn hence, That dying believers are both warranted and encouraged by Christ's example, be

lievingly to commend their precious souls into the hands of God as a gracious father, Father, into thy hands. Observe, 3. What influence our Saviour's death had upon the centurion: He glorified God, saying, Verily this was a righteous man. Here note, That Christ had a testimony of his innocency and righteousness given unto him from all sorts of persons whatsoever: Pilate and Herod pronounced him innocent; Pilate's wife proclaimed him a righteous person; Judas, the traitor, declared it was innocent blood; the thief on the cross affirmed he had done nothing amiss; and the centurion owned him to be a righteous man; yea, the Son of God, Mark xv. 39. Only the Pharisees and chief priests, which were teachers of others; not ignorance, but obstinacy and malice,

blinded and hardened them to their ruin and destruction; instead of owning and receiving him for their Saviour, they ignominiously put him to death as the vilest impostor.

50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a counsellor; and he was a good man, and a just: 51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and deed of them :) he was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews; who also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. 53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid. 54 And that day was the preparation, and the sabbath drew on. 55 And the women also, which came with him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. 56 And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the sabbath-day, according to the commandments.

The circumstances of our Lord's funeral and honourable interment are here recorded by our evangelist; such a funeral as never was since graves were first digged. Where observe, 1. Our Lord's body must be begged before it could be buried; the dead bodies of malefactors being in the power, and at the disposal, of the judge that con

demns them. Observe, 2. The person that begged his body, and bestowed a decent and honourable burial upon it: Joseph of Arimathea, a worthy, though a close disciple. Grace doth not always make a public and open show where it is; but as there is much secret treasure in the bowels of the earth, though unseen, so is there much grace in the hearts of some saints, which the world takes little notice of. Observe, 3. The mourners that followed our Saviour's hearse to the grave; the women which came out of Galilee; a poor train of mourners. The apostles, who should have been most officious to bear his holy body to the ground, were some time since all scattered, afraid to own their Master, either dying or dead. Funeral pomp had been no way suitable, either to the end or manner of our Lord's death, and accordingly here is nothing like it. Observe, 4. The grave or sepulchre in which our holy Lord lay; it was a sepulchre hewn out of a rock; that so his enemies might have no occasion to say, that his disciples stole him away by secret holes, and unseen passages under ground. It was in a new sepulchre, wherein never man was laid before, lest his adversaries should say, it was another that was risen, who was buried there before him. And he was buried in a garden; as by the sin of the first Adam we were driven out of the garden of pleasure, the earthly paradise, so by the sufferings of the second Adam, who lay buried in a garden, we may hope for entrance into the heavenly paradise. Observe, 5. The manner of our Lord's funeral; it was hasty, open, and decent. Hasty, because of the preparation for the sabbath; open, that all persons might be spectators, and none might say, he was buried before he was dead; decent, being wrapt up in fine linen, and perfumed with spices. Observe, 6. The reason why our Lord was thus buried, seeing he was to rise again in as short a time as other men lie by the walls; doubtless it was to declare the certainty of his death, to fulfil the types and prophecies which went before him as Jonas's being three days and three nights in the whale's belly. He was also buried, to complete his humiliation. This was the lowest step to which he could descend in his abased state. In a

word, Christ descended into the grave, that he might conquer death in its own territories and dominions. Observe, 7. Of what use our Lord's burial is to his followers;

it shows us the amazing depths of his humiliation, from what, and to what, his love brought him, even from the bosom of his Father to the bosom of the grave. It may comfort us against the fears of death, and the terrors of the grave: the grave could not long keep Christ, it shall not always keep christians: it was a loathsome prison before, it is a perfumed bed now; he whose head is in heaven, need not fear to put his feet into the grave. Awake and sing, thou that dwellest in the dust, for the enmity of the grave is slain by Christ.

CHAP. XXIV.

The last chapter of St. Luke's Gospel contains the history of our Saviour's resurrection, and gives us an account of what he did upon earth, between the time of his glorious resurrection and triumph

ant ascension.

NOW upon the first day of the

week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with

them.

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre. 3 And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus, 4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments: 5 And, as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you, when he was yet in Galilee, 7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8 And they remembered his words, 9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven, and to all the rest. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and other women that were with them, which told these things unto the apostles. 11 And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not. 12 Then arose Peter, and

[blocks in formation]

The Lord of life, who was put to death upon the Friday, was buried in the evening of the same day; and his holy body rested in the silent grave all the next day, being the Jewish sabbath, and some part of the morning following. Thus rose he again the third day, according to the scriptures, neither sooner nor later; not sooner, Jest the truth of his death should have been questioned that he did not die at all; not later, lest the faith of his disciples should have failed. Accordingly, when the sabbath was passed, Mary Magdalene getting the other women together, she and they set out very early in the morning, to visit the holy sepulchre, and about sun-rising they get to it, intending with their spices and odours farther to embalm the Lord's body. Observe here, 1. That although the hearts of these holy women did burn with an ardent zeal and affection to their crucified Lord; yet the commanded duties of the sabbath are not omitted by them; they keep close, and silently spend that holy day in a mixture of grief and hope. A good pattern of sabbath sanctification, and worthy of our imitation. Observe, 2. These holy women go, but not empty handed she that had bestowed a costly alabaster upon Christ whilst alive, prepares no less precious odours for him now dead; thereby paying their last homage to our Saviour's corpse.

But what need of odours

to perfume a precious body, which could not see corruption? True, his holy body did not want them, but the love and affection of his friends could not withhold them. Observe, 3. How great a tribute of respect and honour is due and payable to the memory of these holy women, for their great magnanimity and courage: they followed Christ when his cowardly disciples left him; they accompanied him to his cross, they attended his hearse to the grave, when his disciples did not, durst not appear, and now very early in the morning they visit his sepulchre, fearing neither the darkness of the night, nor the presence of the watchmen, though a band of rude soldiers. Learn hence, That courage and resolution is the special gift of God: if he gives it to the feeble sex, even to timorous and fearful

women, it shall not be in the power of armed men to make them afraid. But to a close consideration of the several circumholy Lord: Note 1. With what pomp and triumph our holy Lord arises: two men, that is, two angels in the shape of men, ver. 4. are sent from heaven to roll away the stone. But could not Christ have risen then without the angels' help? Yes, doubtless he that raised himself could easily have rolled away the stone himself; but God thinks fit to send an officer from heaven to open the prison door of the grave; and by setting our Surety at liberty, proclaims our debt to the divine justice fully satisfied. Besides, it was fit that the angels, who had been witnesses of our Saviour's passion, should also be witnesses of his resurrection. Note, 2. Our Lord's resurrection declared, He is risen, he is not here. Almighty God never intended that the darling of his soul should be left in an obscure sepulchre. He is not here, said the angels, where you laid him, where you left him; death has lost its prey, and the grave has lost its prisoner. Note, 3. It is not said, He is not here, for he is raised; but, He is risen; ver. 6. The original word imports the active power of Christ, or the self-quickening principle by which Christ raised himself from the dead, Acts i. 3. He showed himself alive after his passion. Hence learn, That it was the divine nature or Godhead of Christ, which raised the human nature from death to life; others were raised from the grave by Christ's power, but he raised himself by his own power. Note, 4. The persons to whom our Lord's resurrection was first declared and made known; to women, to the two Marys. But why to women? and why to these women? To women first, because God sometimes makes choice of weak means for producing great effects; knowing that the weakness of the instrument redounds to the greater honour of the agent. In the whole dispensation of the gospel, God intermixes divine power with human weakness. Thus the conception of Christ was by the power of the Holy Ghost; but his mother, a poor woman, a carpenter's spouse. So the crucifixion of Christ was in much meanness and outward baseness, being crucified between two thieves; but the powers of heaven and earth trembling, the rocks rending, the graves opening, showed a mixture of divine power. Thus here, God selects women to declare, that he will ho

stances relating to the resurrection of our

nour what instruments he pleases, for the accomplishment of his own purposes. But why to these women, the two Marys, is the first discovery made of our Lord's resurrection? Possibly it was a reward for their magnanimity and masculine courage. These women clave to Christ, when the apostles forsook him: they assisted at his cross, they attended at his funeral, they waited at his sepulchre: these women had more courage than the apostles, therefore God makes them apostles to the apostles. This was a tacit rebuke, a secret check given to the apostles, that they should be thus outdone by women: these holy women went before the apostles in the last services that were done for Christ, and therefore the apostles here come after them in their rewards and comforts. Note, 5. The quick message which these holy women carry to the disconsolate disciples, of the joyful news of our Saviour's resurrection; they returned from the sepulchre, and told all these things to the eleven, ver. 9. And the other evangelists say, That they were sent and bidden to go to the apostles with the notices of the resurrection, Go tell the disciples, says the angel, Matt. xxviii. 7. Go tell my brethren, says Christ, ver 10. A most endearing expression. Christ might have said, "Go tell my apostate apostles, my cowardly disciples, that left me in my danger, and durst not own me in the highpriest's hall, that durst not come within the shadow of my cross, not within sight of my sepulchre." But not one word of all this by upbraiding them for their late shameful cowardice, but all words of divine indulgence, and endearing kindness; Go tell my brethren. Where mark, That Christ calls them brethren after his resur

rection and exaltation, thereby showing, that the change of his condition had wrought no change in his affection towards his poor disciples: but those that were his brethren before, in the time of his humiliation and abasement, are so still, after his exaltation and advancement: Go tell my brethren. One thing more must be noted with reference to our Lord's resurrection, and that is, why he did not first choose to appear to the Virgin Mary, his disconsolate mother, whose soul was pierced with a quick and lively sight and sense of her Son's sufferings; but to Mary Magdalene, who had been a grievous sinner? Doubtless this was for the comfort of all true penitents, and administers great consolation to them: as the angels in heaven rejoice, much more

doth Christ, in the recovery of one repenting sinner, than in multitudes of holy and just persons (such was the blessed Virgin) who need no repentance. For the same reason did our Saviour particularly name Peter, Go tell my disciples, and Peter; he being for his denial of Christ swallowed up with sorrow, and standing in most need of consolation; therefore speak particularly to Peter: as if Christ had said, "Be sure that his sad heart be comforted with this joyful news, that I am risen; and let him know, that I am friends with him, notwithstanding his late cowardice."

13 And, behold, two of them went that same day, to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened. 15 And it came to pass, that while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him. 17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them whose name was Cleopas, answering, said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? 19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: 20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel : and beside all this, to-day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre: 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, That they had also seen a vision

21

of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said; but him they saw

not.

Here we have observable, 1. The journey which two of the disciples took to Emmaus, a village not far from Jerusalem. The occasion of their journey is not told us, but the scripture acquaints us with their discourse in their journey, and as they were

walking by the way. It was holy and useful, pious and profitable discourse, that they entertained one another with as they walked; they discoursed of Christ's death and resurrection; a good pattern for our imitation, when providentially cast into such company as will bear it That our lips drop as the honey-comb, and our tongue be as choice silver. Observe, 2. How our holy Lord presently made one in the company; when they were discoursing seriously about the matters of religion, he overtook them, and joined himself to them. The way to have Christ's presence and company with us is to be discoursing of Christ and the things of Christ. Observe, 3. Though Christ came to them, it was incognito; he was not known to them, for their eyes were holden by the power of God, their sight was restrained, that they could not discern who he was, but took him for another person, though his body had the same dimensions that he had before. Whence we learn, The influence which God has upon all our powers and faculties, upon all our members and senses, and how much we depend upon God for the use and exercise of our faculties and members: Their eyes were holden that they could not know him. Observe, 4. That the notion of the Messias being a temporal Saviour, was so deeply rooted in the minds of the disciples, that it remained here with them, even after he was risen from the dead. They here own and acknowledge him to be a prophet mighty in deed and in word, but they question whether he were the Messias, the Redeemer of Israel. They could not reconcile the ignominy of his death with the grandeur of his office; nor conceive how the infamy of a cross was consistent with the glory of a king: We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel. As if they had said, "We were full of hopes, that this had been the Messias so long ex

pected by us; but, this being the third day since he died, we fear we shall find ourselves mistaken.”

25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses, and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village whither they went and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?

Observe, 1. Our Saviour reproves, and then instructs them. He reproves them for being ignorant of the sense of scripture. They thought the death of the Messias a sufficient ground to question the truth of his office, when it was an argument to confirm and establish it: O fools, ought not Christ to suffer? As if he had said, “ Do you not find that the person described by the prophets in the Old Testament to be the Messias, was to wade to his glory through a sea of blood? Why then do you think yourselves deceived in the person who suffered three days ago, when his death doth agree so well with the predictions of the prophets, who foretold, that the Messias should be cut off, but not for himself, and be smitten for the iniquities of his people? Here we may observe, The great wisdom and grace of God, who makes sometimes the diffidence of his people an occasion of farther clearing up the choicest truths unto them: never did these disciples hear so excellent an exposition of Moses and the Prophets concerning the Messias as now, when

« AnteriorContinuar »