THE FIFTY-THIRD LECTURE.

OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

MATTHEW, CHAP. XXVIII.

16. Then the eleven disciples went into Galilee, into a mountain, where

Jesus had appointed them.

17. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. 18. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

19. Go, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

MARK, CHAP. XVI.

15. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.1

WELL-BELOVED brethren, these days bypast we followed out the history of the resurrection of the Lord, and of his manifold appearings unto sundry, but especially unto his disciples, as they are set down by the Evangelist John, who insists more largely in describing his appearings to his disciples than any of the rest; and,

1 The Commentary takes up Matth. xxviii. 16-20; Mark xvi. 15-18.

as God gave the grace, the last day we ended his gospel, and spake last of the conclusion thereof. Now it rests that we follow out so much as remains of the history of the resurrection, as it is set down by the rest of the Evangelists; for John wrote his Evangel after all the rest, and omitted purposely such things as were written by the rest, willing us to address ourselves to the rest of the Evangelists, that there we might read and follow out the rest of the history of Christ which he left off. And so, we are this day to enter into the description of another appearing of Christ after his resurrection, as it is set down by Matthew and Mark. This appearing of the Lord seems to be the ninth in number, for the first was to Mary Magdalene, the second to other women, the third to two disciples as they went to Emmaus, the fourth was to Simon Peter, the fifth to James; then three several times he appeared to his disciples, being gathered together, as ye heard out of John. So this is the ninth appearing, wherein it is likely that he shows himself not only to the eleven disciples, being met together, but also to a great number of brethren, being together with them; for this seems to be the appearing whereof the Apostle Paul makes mention, 1 Cor. XV. 6, where he says, "He was seen of more than five hundred brethren at once."

In this appearing there are sundry things to be considered,— as the circumstances of time and place, the disciples worshipping of him when they saw him, the doubting of some of them, his communication with the disciples, and sending them out with a commission to preach to all nations. Apparently this is that meeting which the Lord, in his appearing to the women, enjoined to the apostles; for by the women he gave the apostles a direction to meet him in Galilee, Matth. chap. xxviii. ver. 10. According to this direction, it is said, "The eleven disciples went into Galilee, unto a mountain where Jesus had appointed them." So, the place was in that mountain of Galilee wherein the Lord had appointed them to meet. The time is not particularly mentioned, yet it is likely,

1 See Note, page 604.

that, as the Lord gave a direction concerning the place, so did he also concerning the time of their meeting. Then this whole meeting, the time, the place, and all, is according to the direction and appointment of the Lord. Now, as they keep this meeting upon hope to see the Lord, according to his promise, so they are not disappointed of their hope. The Lord is as good as his promise, he shows himself present unto them. Mark the lesson. The Lord, who has appointed and ordained the meetings and assemblies of his own, and has promised "to be amongst them when they are gathered together," he disappoints them not of his promise, but shows himself to be present with them. This the disciples found by experience; when they met together by his appointment, the Lord shows himself present unto them. This same have all the godly found in all ages, and the faithful find it this day in their meetings. For, albeit he show not himself present after a bodily manner as here he did to his disciples, yet he is present, yea, no less present with his own now than he was then,—but he is now present after a spiritual manner,—and the faithful find his presence to be no less powerful and effectual now than it was then. For from whence comes this unspeakable joy, comfort, and peace of conscience, which the faithful find in their meetings, but from the presence of Jesus? For, except the Lord Jesus were present in our souls by his Spirit, it were not possible that we could find such a powerful working, and such sweet motions, and alterations in them. Vain and foolish men, who are touched with no sense of sin, disdain and scorn the meetings of the saints, they think them all to be but feckless and for the fashion, they think they feed upon fantasies. But the faithful find by experience, that the presence of Christ in their meetings is so powerful and comfortable, as no tongue can utter, nor the heart of man is able to conceive. And thou that contemnest and scornest these meetings, thou shalt find one day, by sorrowful experience, of how great comforts thou hast deprived thyself. And, if thy conscience were once wakened with

Matth. xviii. 20.

the sense of sin, thou wouldest find that there were no joy nor comfort to thy soul but by these meetings. Then thou wouldest have greater pleasure to frequent these meetings, than ever thou hadst to eat or drink when thou werest hungry and dry.

Now, when the Lord appears to them, what do they? what is their behaviour? It is said, "When they saw him, they worshipped him." What made them to fall down and worship him? what saw they into him? No question, they saw in him a glorious majesty. By all appearance, at this time, he has showed himself in greater glory than he did of before. So, beholding his glory on the one part, and their own unworthiness on the other, as he approaches unto them, they humbly fall down and worship him. This their behaviour teaches us, that wheresoever the Lord of Glory is present, there he should be worshipped and adored. His presence requires adoration. Seest thou the Lord present with thee? Then in humility fall down and worship him. But thou wilt say, "I cannot see him, how then can I adore him? The apostles saw his glorious presence with their eyes, therefore they ought to have worshipped him; but as for us, who live in these days, after his ascension to heaven, we see him not, and, therefore, how can we worship him?" But I answer thee, It is true, thou seest him not now with the eyes of thy body, but thou seest him with the eyes of thy soul, thou seest him with the eyes of faith, thou seest him in the word and sacraments, first crucified, and then glorified. And if thou wilt not worship him when thou seest him here present in the word and sacraments, thou wouldest not have worshipped him, if thou hadst seen him with the eyes of thy body face to face. Those profane bodies, who will not worship him now when they see him present in the mirror of the gospel, they will never get leave to worship him in the kingdom of heaven. Thinkest thou not that the Lord is seen present in his word? What means Paul, then, when he says, "That an unlearned man coming into the meetings of the faithful, where many are prophesying, finding himself rebuked and judged of all, and the secrets of his heart made manifest, that he will fall down on his face and worship God, and say plainly,

that God is among them indeed ?" 1 Corinth. chap. xiv. ver. 24 and 25. What sees the unlearned man among them, that makes him to fall down and give such a confession? No question, but the glorious light of the gospel shines into his soul, and Christ offers himself present to be seen by the eye of faith. The faithful, this day, by experience, find in their meetings this same presence of the Lord. And, therefore, it becomes us, in all our meetings, ever to worship the Lord, and to sit, with fear and reverence, to hear the word, and to prepare our hearts to receive the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord promises, and offers with the preaching of the word to all his chosen. Again, this their behaviour teaches us what force and power there is in the glorious presence of Christ Jesus. His presence is powerful to humble and bow both the body and soul of the creature. This made Paul to say, "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, both of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth," Philip. ii. 10. For that sublimity and highness whereunto the Father hath exalted him is so effectual and powerful in all creatures, and of all sorts, that either sweetly and willingly it moves them to worship him in all humility, or else it breaks and bruises them with fierceness and violence, and compels out perforce obedience of them. The sight and sense of this sublimity and highness makes the blessed angels in heaven, in all reverence, to worship him. The sense of this sublimity makes the saints on earth, when either they speak or hear of him, reverently and in humility to bow both their bodies and their souls unto him. And, by the contrary, the sight and sense of this same sublimity raises up, in the devil and his angels, such horrors and dread as cannot be expressed. The sense of this sublimity makes the wicked, how proud and jolly soever they be in their own conceit, oft times, when they hear of him, to quake and tremble.

The Evangelist Matthew notes that, notwithstanding of their worshipping of him, yet some of them doubted. But who were these that doubted? Even some of these who before worshipped him. And what moved them to doubt? Apparently that same