God hath a wonderful respect to others. It is strange that Christ should say, ' Go and be reconciled to thy brethren, and then ofier thy sacrifice,' Mat. V. 24. As if he would have his own sacrifice neglected, rather than we should not be reconciled to others. And so a work of charity and love is preferred before an ajficium and compliment to himself. Let us shew our love to the first table in the second, our love to God by our love to man. Everything hath its measure and time. Away therefore with this over-much embracing and^touching. Go thy way, thou hast another work * In margin here, ' Mitte fidem in caelum et teiigisli.' — G.
A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE. 431
to do : ' Go to my brethren.' And so you see, as I take it, the full mean- ing of the words.
Observe the circumstances. Who must go ? Here is a commission and command. And to whom ? To the disciples of Christ. And when doth Christ bid her go ? When he was risen, and in the first estate of glory. What is the message ? ' Tell my brethren I am ascending to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God.' It is worth your consider- ing a little.
1. Who is sent? A woman. A woman to' be the apostle of apostles, to be the teacher of the great teachers in the world. Mary Magdalene was sent to instruct the apostles in the great articles of Christ's resurrection and ascension to heaven. By a woman death came into the world, and by a woman life was preached to the apostles ; because indeed she was more affectionate, and affection taketh all. And that makes that sex more addicted to religion, by the advantage of their affection; for religion is merely a matter of affection. Though it must have judgment shine before it, yet it is specially in the heart and affections. And she had shewed a great deal of affection. She stood out when the rest went away, John xix. 25. She was constant, and broke through all difficulties ; and then God honoured her to be the first preacher of his resurrection.
God's course is to trust secrets in earthen vessels, that earthen vessels should carry heavenly treasure ; and therefore stick not at the vessel, but look to the treasure, 2 Cor. iv. 7. A woman may teach the greatest apostle. Look not to the man, but to the message. Elias will not refuse the meat because the raven brought it, 1 Kings xvii. 4. .And a condemned man will not refuse a pardon, because a mean man bringeth it. Take off pride in spiritual respects. When God honours any man to bring news of reconciliation, stoop to him, of what condition soever he be.
2. To ivhom must she go ? ' Go, tell my brethren,' the apostles. Goto the apostles, that are disconsolate men, now orphans, deprived of their Master and Lord. Disconsolate men, and not in vain, so not without cause ; for they had reason to be discomforted, not only for their want of Christ, but for their own ill carriage towards Christ. One of them denieth him, and the rest forsake him ; and yet ' my brethren,' ' go tell my brethren.'
3. When did he speak this ? After his resurrection, in the state of glory; in the beginning of it, and when he is ascending to heaven ; and yet he owneth them as brethren, though such brethren as had dealt most un- brotherly with him.
But how came they to be his brethren ? And how come we to be Christ's brother. Christ is the first-born of many brethren, Rom. viii. 29. He is the Son of God b}^ nature ; and all others now, by grace and adop- tion, Rom. viii. 17. Christ is the jJi'imo-r/enitns amongst many brethren; and in Christ we have one Father with Christ. We have one honour, and we shall be all kings and heirs of heaven, as he is. ' If sons, then heirs,' Gal. iv. 7 ; the apostle makes the coherence. Now we are all in Christ sons of God, heirs with him. To go to the condition of nature that he took, our nature ; and therefore having our flesh, he is our brother, Heb. ii. 14. The very reprobate may say so. Yet that is a ground of comfort, that he is a man as we are. But that is not the main thing con- siderable. He is our brother in a spiritual respect, in regard of adoption. He is the first Son of God, and we in him sons. He is the first heir of God, and we in him are heirs. And therefore ' go to my brethren.'
432 A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE.
Beloved, it is a point of marvellous comfort, that Christ was not ashamed to call them brethren, Ps. xxii. 22 : ' I will declare thy name amongst thy brethren,' saith Christ. Our Saviour Christ alluded to that psalm in this passage ; and so it is read, Heb. ii. 12, out of that psalm. Christ hath taken all relations, that are comfortable, upon him towards us. * He is the ever- lasting Father, the Prince of peace,' Isa, ix. G. He is * a second Adam,' and therefore a father in that regard. The first Adam is the father of all that perish ; the second Adam is the father of all that shall be saved. As he is our brother, so our husband. He could not be our husband, except he were our brother. He must take our nature, and be one with us, before we can be one with him. He is our friend. Before this time he called them friends, as you see in John : ' I will call you friends,' John xv. 15. But here is a sweeter term, ' brethren.' There is no relation that hath any comfort in it, but Christ hath taken it on him. He is our head, husband, friend, father, brother, and whatsoever can convey comfort to us.* And the truth of it is, he is these things more truly than any relation is made true on earth. For these relations of husband and wife, and brother and sister, and father and child, are but shadows of that everlasting relation that Christ hath taken upon him ; the reality and truth itself is in Christ. 'We think there is no brother, but the brother in flesh ; no father, but the father in flesh. Alas ! these are but shadows, and quickly cease : ' the fashion of the world passeth away,' 1 Cor. vii. 31. Brother is another relation, whereof these are but shadows. These do but represent the best thin'-'s that are in heaven. Christ is the father, brother, friend, and what- soever is comfortable in heaven ; therefore ' go tell my brethren.'