Thy soul's and thy faith's servants in the work of the ministry for Jesus' sake,
Simon Ash.* James Nalton.* Joseph Church.*
* For notices of these names, see Vol. IV. page 311. — G.
VOL. VI.
Dd
A HEAVENLY DISCOURSE BETWEEN CHRIST AND MARY, AFTER HIS RESURRECTION.
Jesus sailh vnto her, Mary. She turned herself, and said to him, Rahboni ; that is to say. Master. And Jesus said to her. Touch me not ; for I am not yet ascended to my Father : but yo to my brethren, and say to them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God. — John XX. 16.
The same love of Christ that drew him from heaven to the womb of the virgin, from the womb of the virgin to the cross, and from the cross to the grave, the same love of Christ moved him to discover himself after he was risen from the grave to them that he knew did entirely and wonderfully love him. And therefore, before he would ascend to heaven, he did vouch- safe many apparitions* and discoveries of himself, partly to instruct them in the certainty of his resurrection, and partly, but especially, to comfort them : those that he knew did love him.
His first apparition of all was made to Mary, the woman out of whom he had cast seven devils, Luke viii. 2. She was much beholding to him, and therefore loved much, Luke vii. 47. No sex may discourage any sinner from Christ. She expresseth her love of Christ by her desire of finding him, by her seeking and weeping, notwithstanding all impediments, before she found him. As she wept, she stooped down and looked into the sepulchre, and there saw two angels in white : a colour of glory, purity, and joy, because it was a time of joy. ' They were one at the head, and the other at the feet. As in the law, when the mere}'- seat was made, two cherubims were also framed, and placed one at the one end, and the other at the other end thereof, with their faces looking one towards another, Exod. XXV. 20. And when Christ was risen, there were two angels, one at the head, another at the feet, to shew that peace was to be expected in the true propitiatory, Jesus Christ.
One at the head, the other at the feet of the body of Jesus. And they Bat there. It was a time of peace. Peace was made between heaven and earth, God and man ; and here is a posture of peace, ' They sat quietly.' In Christ, angels and we are at one ; God, and we, and all. There is a recapitulation and gathering of all things in heaven and earth, Col. i. 20.
* That is, ' appearances.' — G.
A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE. 419
The angels, tliey attended on Christ in all the passages of his life and death till they brought him to heaven.* They brought news of his birth, comforted him in his agony ; they were at his resurrection, and you see here they attend. At his ascension they accompany him. And as they did to the Head, so they will to the members. In our infancy, they take charge of our tender years ; in our dangers, they pitch their tents about us ; in our deaths, they carry our souls to Abraham's bosom, a place of happiness. At our resurrection, their office is to gather our bodies to- gether. That service and attendance they afforded the Head they afford to the members ; to mystical Christ as well as natural. Therefore let us comfort ourselves in the service they did to Christ.
Now, besides the apparition of the angels, here is the speech of the angels : ' Woman, why weepest thou" ? ' They knew she had no cause of weeping, for Christ whom she sought was risen again.
She answereth, ' Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.' If it had been as she supposed, there had been cause enough of her weeping, if her Lord had been taken away ; for when the Lord is taken away, what remaineth that is comfortable ? And if the Lord be not taken away, it matters not what is taken away. For he is all in all. Carnal people, so they have their wealth, and friends, and comforts in the world, they care not what is taken away. But she is of another mind. * They have taken away my Lord,' and what comfort can I have if my Lord be taken away ?
But it was but the speech of an opinion ; she did but think it. And there were two things might lead her, truth and probability, which is the foundation of opinion. Probabiliti/ : he is not here, therefore he is taken away. Truth : Christ promised he would rise again, therefore he would take away himself. There was certain truth to ground faith, and weak probability to ground opinion. Yet such is the nature of weak persons in distress. If there be probability and certain truth, yet they will be sure to cleave to their probabilities. Oh, theirs be great sin ! Ay, but there is greater mercy for faith to lay hold upon. So the presumptuous sinner saith, ' God is merciful.' Ay, but God hath excluded thee from heaven ; thou art an adulterer, a swearer, a filthy person ; thy opinion is grounded scarce upon probability. ' God is merciful,' but not to such sinners as live in sins against reconciliation as thou dost, 1 Cor. vi. 9. Therefore, when one hath but probability to ground opinion, and the other certain truth to ground faith, be so wise for our souls as to take the best and leave the other. If she had remembered his promise to raise himself out of the grave, she needed not to have doubted.