First, Mary Magdalene, a woman, a sinner, is used in the great work of an apostle, to be an apostle to the apostles. I would there were that love in all men to teach what they know ; and that humility in others, to be instructed in what they know not. It were a sweet conjunction if it were so. She was a mean person to instruct the great apostles. But, beloved, where there is a great deal of love, there they will teach what they know ; and where there is humility, there they will be taught . what they know not, though they be never so great. And God will humble the greatest to learn of the meanest sometimes. Therefore he sendeth Mary to the apostles.
I beseech you, in matters of salvation, stand not on terms. Let us take truth from Christ, let us see God and Christ in it, see our own comfort in it, not stand upon persons. Aquila and Priscilla teach the great men knowledge, Acts xviii. 2, seq. And so it is. Sometimes mean persons are honoured to be instruments of great comforts to persons greater than them- selves. She is to go to the apostles under the name of brethren : ' Go tell my brethren.' And she must go to the apostles that were Christ's brethren, and owned to be so now, when he was in glory, when he was risen and exempt from all abasements of the cross and grave, where he was held captive three days under the dominion of sin, when he was freed from all enemies of salvation, and had triumphed over all. ' Go tell my brethren.' So you see there is a sweet affinity and nearness between Christ and his. Christ took our nature on him for this end : he became flesh of our flesh, and bone of our bone, that we spiritually might be flesh of his flesh and bone of his bone. It is no comfort at all ; an inducing comfort it is, but no actual, present comfort, that Christ was incarnate for us ; for all the world might have comfort in that, Turks, Jews, Pagans, that had the nature of man in them. And all have some comfort in it, as their nature is dignified ; and that he took not on him the nature of angels, but the nature of man, his spouse, his church it is that hath the comfort of it. Therefore it is not sufficient that he be bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh ; but we must be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh. We must be ingraflfed and bap- tised into him by faith, and then the term holdeth, and never till then ; so that there is a sweet nearness between Christ and his. ' Brother ' is a most comfortable relation. It is a comfort that he took our nature upon
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bim, that God would take ' dust and ashes,' earth, into the unity of his per- son. For God to become man is a great dignifying of man's nature. But to take not only our nature on him, but to take our person particularly near to him ; thou and thou to be a member of Christ, there is the honour of it. It induceth us to come to Christ that hath loved our nature so much. But the other is an actual, present comfort, when we can say, ' I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.'
Our hearts are too narrow a great deal to embrace the whole comfort that this word affords unto us, that Christ should own us as his brother after his resurrection, for that sheweth a reconciliation. ' Brother ' is a term of fi'iendship, nay, more than a term of reconciliation, for a man may be recon- ciled to an enemy ; but it is a term of amity, to shew that when we believe in Christ and are one with him, our sins are quitted ; death is overcome ; Satan's head is crushed when God is reconciled. What have they to do with us ? They are only to serve our turns to bring us to heaven, and fit us for it. I beseech you, consider of the excellent freedom and dignity of a Christian ; his freedom in that he is the brother of Christ ; free from all, being owned by Christ after his resurrection, all being quit by his death who was our surety, else he should be in the grave to this day. And then think of our dignity, to be brother to him that is Iving of heaven, Lord of lords, ruler of the whole world ; that hath all things subject to him. Oh that our hearts were enlarged to conceive the wonderful comfort that every Christian hath in this relation ! * Go tell my apostles,' under the sweet term of ' brethren.'
Who art thou, will Satan say, flesh and blood, a piece of earth, wretched sot ; wilt thou claim kindred of Christ ?
Ay, saith the Christian, believing soul, it is true. If it were my own worthiness it were another matter, but I will give him the lie. When he owned me for his brother after his resurrection, shall I deny the relation ? Therefore never believe Satan's tempting words and sinful flesh ; for Satan Cometh to us in our own flesh, and maketh us think God and Christ to be such and such. Ay, but what saith Christ himself ? Believe him and not Satan, that cometh to thee in thy own despairing, dark, doubting flesh. Believe the word of Christ, who calleth thee brother, if thou believest on him, and castest thj'self upon him.