xv. 8, he points out the Lord to be seen by me. When John says, "We declare unto you that which we have heard, which we have seen with these our eyes, which we have looked upon, and these hands of ours have handled, of that word of life," 1 John i. 1, he sets the Lord, as it were, before my face, that I may see him with mine eyes, I may hear him with mine ears, and may handle him with my hands, "to the end that my joy may be full," as he speaks there, verse 4. And, therefore, thou who art a faithful Christian hast cause to rejoice that the Lord so oft times appeared to his disciples for it was for thy cause, for the helping and confirming of thy weak faith, that he appeared so oft, that so thy joy may be the more full.

Now, I go forward unto the circumstance of the persons to whom the Lord appeared. There were seven of the disciples gathered together, for he says, "There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, who was called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the two sons of Zebedeus, and two other disciples." No question, it was not by fortune, or chance, or rashly, that so many of the disciples met together at this time; but it was by the determinate counsel and providence of God that they were assembled together, to the end that he might manifest and exhibit himself unto them, being assembled together. When the Lord hath a purpose to communicate his graces and benefits in a great measure, he uses commonly to call together a number of his own in one place, that he may communicate his graces the more liberally unto them, being assembled together: for he gives not his great graces, nor vouchsafeth not his glorious presence so much to private persons alone, as he does to a company of the saints assembled together; it is to them chiefly that he manifests himself. When the Lord was purposed to bestow the Holy Spirit, what does he? He gathers the whole number of the apostles together in one place, upon the day of the Pentecost, and then he sends upon them all the Holy Spirit, in the form of fiery and cloven tongues, as we read in the second chapter of the Acts, and the third verse. Our own experience may be a sufficient

THE FORTY-EIGHTH LECTURE.

OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

JOHN, CHAP. XXI.

1. After these things, Jesus showed himself again to his disciples at the sea of Tiberias; and thus showed he himself.

2. There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas, which is called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedeus, and two other of his disciples.

3. Simon Peter said unto them, I go a fishing. They said unto him, We also will go with thee. They went their way, and entered into a ship straightway; and that night caught they nothing. 4. But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore; nevertheless, the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

5. Jesus then said unto them, Sirs, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

6. Then he said unto them, Cast out the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. So they cast out, and they were not able at all to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

7. Therefore said the disciple whom Jesus loved unto Peter, It is the Lord. When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girded his coat to him, (for he was naked,) and cast himself into the sea,1

The Commentary takes up fourteen verses of this chapter, forming the subject of this and the next Lecture.

WE continue as yet, brethren, beloved in Christ, in the history of Christ's appearings after his resurrection, whereof this which we have set down in the beginning of the xxi. chapter of John is the seventh, if we reckon precisely all the particular appearings whereof any mention is made in the gospel. But if we count only the appearings unto his apostles assembled together, this is the third in number, as the Evangelist himself hereafter tells. In the first two appearings he manifested himself unto the eleven, being assembled together in a house, the doors being closed, only, Thomas was absent in the first appearing; now, here, he appears only unto seven, being together, not in a house, but without, at the fishing. As concerning the particular time of this appearing, what day it was from the first day of his resurrection, or how many days it was from his last appearing unto them, it is not particularly set down, and, therefore, we will pass by it; but the Evangelist marks particularly the place of this appearing. For he says, "Jesus showed himself again at the sea of Tiberias," which sea is otherwise called the sea of Gennesareth: for, according to the accustomable form of speaking among the Jews, a lake is called the sea.

Before we come to the rest of the circumstances of this appearing, it is expedient that we answer to a question that may be moved. It may be asked, What is the cause that the Lord appeared so oft times unto his disciples, and so many ways? had it not been enough that he had appeared to them once or twice? what needed there any more appearings? To this I answer, There are many great and weighty causes wherefore the Lord so oft times appeared. And, first, because faith in the resurrection from the dead is a thing very hardly and with great difficulty is obtained,— for among all the articles of faith there is none more contrary to nature, none appears to be more incredible, therefore, the Lord, that he might assure them that he was risen, and that they who are in him one day shall rise again, he appeared so oft times after his resurrection. Next, he appeared so oft to his disciples, because they were to be the first witnesses of his resurrection to the world. And, therefore, they needed oft times to see the Lord, to have

to enjoy his gracious presence, which was a great deal better than all their fishing, and all that they could have gained by that exercise; and Peter, after that once he knew that it was the Lord which spake to them, counted more of his presence than of all the huge and great number of fishes that were inclosed within the net: for he leaves them all, after that once he knew that it was the Lord that spake, and showed himself present unto them, yea, he casts himself into the sea, and hazards his life, to the end he may come speedily and soon unto the Lord. The Lord, who ever hath a regard of his own, makes all their actions and their sufferings to tend to their well and comfort, yea, to serve and further them to eternal life. When thou goest to perform any thing, when thou addressest thyself to any work, whatever it be, whether it be husbandry, fishing, merchandise, or any other exercise, I give thee my counsel, endeavour ever to entertain in thy soul a sense and persuasion of the love of God, and if thou so doest, thou shalt find that when the members of thy body are exercised in their labour, that thy soul likewise shall make a progress straightway to heaven. Well, they go to the fishing; but what success have they at the first? Not very great, their success was very slender-for it is said, "That night they caught nothing." How came this to pass? Was it through their unskilfulness? No, it was by the secret providence and direction of God, who often times delays the success of the labours of his own, and will not answer their expectation at the first, to the end that in his own appointed time he may give it more abundantly to their greater comfort: for this is the Lord's accustomed dealing with his own children. Of set purpose he will disappoint them for a time to their greater benefit and comfort thereafter. When Paul writes to Philemon concerning his servant Onesimus, who had fled away from him, he says, v. 15, may be that he hath departed for a season, that thou mightest receive him for ever." Next, the Lord uses to disappoint the hope of his own for a season, because that serves more to the glory of God than if they got it at the first time: for when men find a prosperous success in all their ways, and all things answering to their dc

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sire, scarcely do they consider and discern God's blessing; yea, many times it comes to pass, that in such cases men ascribe the praise of all to themselves, to their own wisdom, their travails, and labours; they flatter themselves, and sacrifice to their own net. But when they see themselves, notwithstanding of all their travails, disappointed of their hope, and thereafter find a blessing and good success, then they plainly discern that all things proceed from the blessing and favourable providence of God, and therefore give to the Lord the praise and glory of all. Last, when he delays the success which his own hope for in their labours, he gives them a fair recompence for the want of the temporal benefit for a season, and he gives them a spiritual benefit to their soul: for, when thereafter he gives them a success, he makes them to see his blessing, and opens their hearts, and looses their mouths to sound his praise, which is better than any earthly benefit that can be bestowed upon man. When the disciples had long laboured without success, at last the Lord comes, for the Evangelist says, "When the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the sea shore." Howbeit the Lord will long absent himself from his own, and give them no sensible blessing in their travails, yet at the last he will come in his own due time to their great comfort.

Now, the time is marked when the Lord comes, to wit, "in the morning" he tarries away all the night, and comes in the morning. The Scripture compares the time in the which we live without Christ unto the dark night: for as in the night no man can walk, nor be exercised in the work of his calling, no more can any man without Christ walk in the way of salvation, nor do any thing acceptable to God. Again, his presence and coming are compared to the morning; for, as in the morning, when the sun rises, men may see the way, and walk in the way, and be exercised in the works of their calling, so when Christ, that day-star, begins to arise, that Sun of Righteousness begins to shine into the souls of his own, then they see the way of salvation, and they have courage and pleasure to walk therein, and to do the works of light, which are acceptable unto God. When he is absent, there is no