the hat

4. From prophetical predictions; "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption," Psa. 16:10. "After two days he will revive us, in the third day he will raise us up,' Hos. 6:2. He will raise us up (i. e.) his Son united to us, our flesh assumed by his Son, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee," Psa. 2:7. Acts 13:33. "I laid me down and slept, I waked, for the Lord sustained me," Psa. 3:5. Above all, how plain was the prophecy of Christ himself, "That he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, and chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day?" Matth. 16:21.

2. The especial arguments are exceeding many: as, 1. The angel's assertion, "He is not here, for he is risen, as he said: come, see the place where the Lord lay," Matth. 28:6. 2. The great earthquake," And behold there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door," Matth. 28:2.

3. The apparitions of raised bodies, and the graves were opened, and many bodies of saints which slept arose, and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many," Matth. 27:52,53.

4. The sudden courage of the apostles; whereas a little before they durst not peep out of doors, they presently after compassed the whole world, and confidently taught, "That there was no other name given under heaven, whereby men may be saved, but the name of Jesus," Acts 4: 12. 5. The martyrs' sufferings even for this truth. 6. The adversaries' confessions even to this truth. 7. The Jews' punishment even to this day for not believing this saving truth. There is one Rabbi Samuel who six hundred years since, wrote a tract in form of an epistle, to Rabbi Isaac, master of the synagogue of the Jews wherein he doth excellently discuss the cause of their long captivity, and extreme misery; and after that he had proved it was inflicted for some grievous sin, he sheweth that sin to be the same which Amos speaks of "For three transgressions of Israel and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof, because they sold the righteous for silver," Amos 2:6. The selling of Joseph, he makes the first sin: the worshipping of the calf in Horeb the second sin; the abusing and killing of God's prophets the third sin; and the selling of Jesus Christ the fourth sin. For the first they served four hundred years in Egypt; for the second, they wandered forty years in the wilderness; for the third, they were captives seventy years in Babylon; for the fourth, they are held in pitiful captivity even until this day. 8. The last argument, on which only I shall insist, is the several apparitions that Christ made to others after his resurrection, some reckon them ten times, others eleven times, and others twelve times; according to the number of his twelve apostles.

1. He appeared unto Mary Magdalene apart; as a woman was the first instrument of death, so was a woman the first messenger of life; she brought the first tidings of the resurrection of Christ, which is the surest argument of man's salvation.

2. He appeared unto all the Marys together as they returned homewards from the sepulchre; never any truly sought for Christ, but with these women they were sure to find Christ.

3. He "appeared to Simon Peter alone," Luke 24:34. he was the first among men to whom he appeared; he went into the sepulchre, and he first saw him that was raised thence: he was called first, and he confessed

Christ first to be the Son of God; and therefore Christ appears first to him: the angel bade the women to "tell his disciples and Peter, (that is to say and Peter especially) that he was risen and gone before them into Galilee," Mark 16:7. Of this speaks Paul, "He was first seen of Cephas, and then of the twelve," 1 Cor. 15:5.

4. He appeared to the two disciples journeying towards Emmaus; the name of the one was Cleophas, and probable it is, the other was Luke, *"Who out of his modesty concealed his own name," saith Theophi lact.

5. He appeared unto the ten apostles when the doors were shut. Some controversy there is in this, because the evangelist saith expressly, That "the eleven disciples were gathered together, Luke 24:33.-And as they spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them," verse 36. Now Judas was hanged, and Matthias was not elected, and Thomas Didymus was not with them when Jesus came, John 20:24. How then could he appear to eleven apostles, considering at this time there were but eleven in all? Some say it is a certain number put for an uncertain. Others say, That the eleven might be together when the two disciples came, and when Jesus came, Thomas might be absent, and gone from amongst them. And if the text be viewed well there is no contradiction in this saying. But I must not dwell on controversial points.

6. He appeared to all the disciples, "and Thomas was with them," John 20:26. and then he shewed them his wounds, to strengthen the weak faith of his wavering servants. Thomas would not have believed unless he had seen, and therefore Christ shews him the wounds of his body, that he might cure the wounds of Thomas' unbelieving soul.

7. He appeared to "Peter, and John, and James, and Nathanael, and Didymus, and two other disciples," John 21:2. when they were a fishing at the sea of Tiberias; there he proved the verity of his Deity by that miracle of the fishes, and the verity of his humanity by eating meat with them. And this was the third time that he shewed himself publicly and solemnly unto all, or to the most part of his disciples, verse 14.

8. He appeared unto more than five hundred brethren at once; of this we read not in the evangelists, but the apostle Paul records it, "After that he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greatest part remain unto this present; but some are fallen asleep," 1 Cor.

15:6.

9. He appeared unto James, the brother of the Lord, (i. e.) the cousin. german of Christ according to the flesh; he was called James the just, in regard of his upright and innocent life. Jerome, in his book De viris illustribus, tells us, That before Christ's death, this James made a vow, that he would eat no bread till Christ was risen again from the dead; and now Christ appearing to him, he commanded bread and meat to be set on the table, saying to James, "O my brother, now rise and eat, for now I am risen again from the dead." Of this apparition Paul makes mention, "After that he was seen of James," 1 Cor. 15:7.

10. He appeared to the eleven disciples on mount Tabor in Galilee. And this Matthew intimates when Jesus bade the women "tell his brethren that he was risen, and that they should go into Galilee, and there they should see him; and accordingly in that mountain where Jesus had appointed them, they saw him and worshipped him," Matth 28:10.16,17. 11. He appeared to all his apostles and disciples upon mount Olivet by

* Theoph. super. Luk.

Jerusalem, when in the presence of them all he ascended up into heaven. This mountain is expressed by Luke, when after Christ's ascension it is said, That "the disciples returned back to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet," Acts 1:12.

250 Paul travelling unto Damascus, this indeed was abode upon the earth; and yet this Paul mentions amongst the rest of his apparitions; and, last of all, he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time," 1 Cor. 15:8.

My meaning is not to speak of all these apparitions in order, for some of them we are neither assured of the order, nor of the time: but of the most considerable and most edifying we shall treat.

SECT. V. Of Christ's apparition to Mary Magdalene.

Ox the first day were many apparitions, but I shall speak only to one or two, as related by the evangelist John.

1. Christ appeared unto Mary Magdalene apart: "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre," John 20:1. She came whilst it was yet dark, she departed from home before day, and by that time she came to the sepulchre, the sun was about to rise: thither come, she finds the stone rolled away, and the body of Jesus gone; upon this she runs to Peter and John, and tells them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him." Then Peter and John ran as fast as they could to see, they looked into the sepulchre, and not finding the body there, they presently returned. By this time, Mary Magdalene was come back, and howsoever the disciples would not stay, yet she was resolved to abide by it, and to see the issue.

We find this apparition, for our further assurance, compassed and set about with each needful circumstance: here is the time when, the place where, the persons to whom, the manner how he appeared; together with the consequents after his apparition.

1. For the time when he appeared; "now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning," John 20:1. It was the first day of the week, the next day to their Sabbath; I shall speak more particularly to this in the next apparition; and it was "very early in the morning;" the apparition was early, but Mary's seeking of Christ was so early, that " it was yet dark:" she is going to the grave, when by course of nature she should have been in her bed; she sought him early whom she loved entirely; giving us to learn, that we should seek Christ betimes, “even in the days of our youth," Eccl. 12:1. That in these first days of the week we should rise up early to inquire after Christ: they that will not seek Christ until they have given over seeking other things, may justly fear to miss Christ, "First seek the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and then (saith Christ) all other things shall be added unto you," Matth. 6:33.

2. For the place where he appeared, it was in the garden where Christ was buried; in a garden Adam first sinnned, in a garden Christ first appeared, in a garden death was first threatened and deserved, and in a gar den life is restored and conferred upon us; Christ makes choice of a garden, both for his grave, and resurrection, and first apparition, to tell us where we might seek him, if we have lost him, "My beloved is gone down into his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, and to gather lilies," Sol. Songs 6:2. That is, Jesus Christ is to be sought and found in the particular assemblies of his people; they are the garden of

his pleasure wherein are varieties of all the beds of renewed souls, there he walks, and there he feeds, and there be solaced himself with those fruits of righteousness and new obedience, which they are able to bring forth to him. O! there let us seek him, and we shall find him.

3. For the person to whom he appeared, it was Mary Magdalene; she that sometimes lived a sinful life, that was no better than a common courtezan, now is first up to seek her Saviour. Let never any despair of mercy, that but hears of the conversion of Mary Magdalene: Dionysius tells us, "That she that was loose and dissolute in her youth; betook herself in her old age to a most solitary life; that she sequestrated herself from all worldly pleasures in the mountains of Balma, full thirty years; in all which time she gave herself to meditation, fasting and prayer." The text tells us, "That much was forgiven her, and she loved much," Luke 7:47. Her love to Christ appears at this time, "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping, and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre," John 20:11. This scripture we may call "a song of loves," or, if you will, 66 a song of degrees;" every word is a step or degree of love more than another. As:

1. "Mary stood at the sepulchre;" she stood by the grave of Christ, it signifies her great love to Jesus Christ; many would stand by him while he was alive, but to stand by him dead, none would do it; those we love most, we will wait on them living, or if they die, we will bring them to the grave, and lay them in the grave, but there we leave them;-Only Mary chooseth Christ's tomb for her best home, and his dead corpse for her chief comfort, she praised the dead more than the living, and having lost the light of the Sun of righteousness, she desired to dwell in darkness, in the shadow of death.

2. "But Mary stood;" q. d. others did not, but she did: Peter and John were there even now, and when they could not find Jesus, away they went, but Mary went not, she stood still: their going away commends her stay. ing behind: how many circumstances we may observe in Mary, setting out her love to Christ above them all To the grave she came before them; from the grave she went to tell them; to the grave she returns with them; and at the grave she stays behind them. Certainly there was in Mary a stronger affection, than either in Peter or John, and this affection fixed her there, that she could not stir; go who would, she would not go, but stay still, "but Mary stood without."

3. "But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping:" this was love indeed; see how every word is a degree of love. But Mary stood there weeping: when Christ stood at Lazarus' grave-side weeping, the Jews said then, Behold how he loved him; and may not we say the very same of Mary, Behold how she loved him? her very love runs down her cheeks, she cannot think of Jesus as lost, but she weeps: she weeps for having lost him whom she loved: at first she mourned for the departing of his soul out of his body, and now she laments the taking of his body out of the grave; at first she mourned because she could not keep him alive, yet that sorrow had some solace, in that she hoped to have enjoyed him dead? but when she considers that his life was lost, and not so much as his body could be found, Oh! she weeps, and weeps. The last office she could do, was to anoint his body, and to bewail his death: and to that purpose she comes now unto his grave, as sometimes she had washed his feet with her tears, now she would shed them afresh upon his feet, and head, and hands, and heart, and all: but when she saw the grave open, and the body gone,

and nothing of Christ now left her to mourn over, she weeps the more, she weeps most bitterly: "But Mary stood there weeping."

4. "And as she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre." She did so weep as she did seek withal; her weeping hindered not her seeking, she sought and sought: to what purpose? That Christ is not in the tomb, her own eyes have seen: the disciples' hands have felt, the empty winding sheet doth plainly avouch; Peter and John had looked in before, nay, "they went into the sepulchre, and saw the linen clothes lying, and the napkin that was about his head, wrapped by itself," John 20:6,7. and yet for all this she will be stooping down, and looking in; she would rather condemn her own eyes of error, and both their eyes and hands of deceit, she would rather suspect all testimonies for untrue, than not to look after him whom she had lost, even there where by no diligence he could be found: "It is not enough for love to look in once." You know this is the manner of our seeking, when we seek something seriously; where we have sought already, there will we seek again; we are apt to think we sought not well, but if we seek again, we may find it where we sought: and thus Mary sought, and when she could think of no other place so likely to find Christ in, as this, she sought again in this, she will not believe her own senses, she would rather believe that she looked not well before, than she will leave off looking. When things that are dearly affected are gone and lost, love's nature is, never to be weary of searching, even the oftenest searched corners; there must still be an haunt for hope. Oh! love thinks it hath never looked enough; in the first verse she look ed, and saw the stone taken away from the sepulchre; and now again she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre.

4. For the manner how he appeared; it was first by his angels, and se. condly by himself.

1. There was an apparition of angels, she seeth "two angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain," John 20:12,13. I will not stay here, only for the opening of the words I shall answer these questions; as, 1. What means the apparition of angels? I answer, it is only a preparation to Christ's appari. tion. Mary's loss must be restored by degrees; though she saw not Christ at first, yet she saw his angels; it often pleaseth Christ in the desertions of his people, to come to them by degrees, and not at once, he comes first by his angels, so it was at his birth, and so it is at his resurrection.-But, 2. What do angels in a sepulchre? It is a place fitter for worms, than angels: we never read of angels being in a grave before this time, they are blessed creatures, and is the grave a fit place for them? O yes! since Christ lay in the grave, that very place is a blessed place; "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth," Rev. 14:13. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints," Psal. 116:15.— But, 3. Why are the angels in white? Solomon answers, that white is the color of joy," Let thy garments be always white, and let thy head lack no ointment," Eccles. 9:8. When Christ was transfigured, his "raiment was all white, no fuller in the earth could come near it," Mark 9:3. And the saints in heaven are said to "walk in white robes," Rev. 7:9. And here the angels are in white, to signify the joy they had in Christ's resurrection from the dead.-But, 4. Why is the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain? Some answer, That as Mary Magdalene had anointed his head and feet, so at those two places the two angels sit, as it were, to acknowledge so much for her sake. Others think it speaks comfort to every one of us; if we are but in Christ,