c Like adds, his feet roo. Thoſe parts of his body where were the ro undeniable marks ef the death he had ſuiſered upon the Crots a Thenthe Diſciples, who gave lictle credit ro What Mary Magdalene and the other Women, and the two Diſciples going to Emma had reported, believed ; ſeeing the Lerd, and being exceeding glad at this confirmation of their Faith,
218 Then ſaid Jefus to them again, Peace be unto
fat. 23.18. You e*: as my Father hath ſent me, even fo ſend 1
Ch 17. 18. you f.
wy
e The repeating of this ſaſutation, {peaketii it more than an ordj- nary complmeat, or form offiluration, It figniftzrh his reconcilia- ton to them, norwithſtanding their error 21401 toking him, and fly- ing ; i; prepared their attention for the grezt things thar he was now
peak fo them; it alfo fignified, thar he was about to Preach 00.1 of Peace to all Nations. f | have now fulfilled my Mini- 2nd am aow ging to my Father whofent me; now by the
'e Autuority that T am fent, I ſend you, to gather, inſtru&, and covern my Church; I fend, orT will fend you cloathed with the ſame Aurgority with which T am cleoathed, and tor the fame ends in part
1: . y Whit TIT wasent,
,
22 And whon he had faid this, he breathed on them and faith unto tim, Receire ye the holy Ghoſt g.
7 The Apolles couid not be apprehenſive how great a work their [1:4 had Ja:d upon them, in ſending them as his Father had ſent him, io car;y the Goſpel over the World ; Mo ( faid Paul afterward ) is
theſe things * Our Lord therefore fortifies them with 33 ear2eJe of that more plentiiul eftafion of the Spirit, which they aiterward icceived 1 the days of Pextece/?. They before this bad re- ceived the Spirit, as 2 Spirit of Saniijfication, and had received a rower to Work Miracles. They did not rill after this, receive the £:/7 of :0ugues, &c. Bur he here aflures them of the preſence of the {10!y Spirit with them, in their more ordinary Miniftry,in inſtru&ting and Governing the Church. This conferring of the Spirit upon them, be confirms to tem by breathing, as an exterior ſign or Symbal. The name $pr77, fignifieth a breath; and it is ſaid, that in the Crea- {107 (od breathed into Adam the breath of life. Chriſt breatheth into his apoſtles the holy Spirit ; thereby ſhewing, thar the holy Spirit proceedeth as from che Father, fo alſo from him ; as the breath of a man proceedeth from bim. He alſo uſeth words, expounding his aQi- v0 12 breatinng, and carrying with them an Authority, which be. 125 ence tpoke, the thing was done,
3 bg OY ad ETICBEL! j 7
23 * Wholſdoever fins ye remit, they are remitted unto inem, aud whoſeloever ſms ye retain, they are re- tained b.
- Whether 3a:th. 18. 18. be a parallel Text to this, I doubt (ſee the notes nothat Verſe ) Our Lord here ſpeaks of the /ins of perſons ; whoſe fins ſorver ye remit, Oc. he ſaith there, whatſoever you ſhall bind o: looſe. This Text hath cauſed a great deal of conteſt. All remifſicn of tins, is either 4«thoritative; io it is moſt true, that zone -an forgive ſinbut God ; and if we had no Scripture to prove it, yet r=alon will reil as, none can diſcharge the Debtor but the Creditor to whom the debt is owing: or elſe Miniſterial. Thus he who is not
A,
HM
the Creditor, (amongſt men) may remir a tebt by vitueeF , 7... of Attorn:y maCeto him, Authorizing him ſo todo. The Se: therefore arongſt Divines 15, M/4ct her Cprift in thi; ext, Ts Big: aut herity to his Miniſters attually 19 a'ſcharge men of th; guilt of Gi. ſims * Or only to declare unto them, that if their R, Ls Faith bc true, their ſins are really forgiven them. The former i.
many contended for ; bur 1t doth nor feem realonable, j_ Th,. (7 ſhould betruſt men with ſuch a piece of hisPrerogative. «1, » © God who knoweth the falthood of mens hearts, and the inabiliey the bet Miniſters to judge of the trnth of any mans Faith o: Mts tance ; 35 alſo the paſſtonsro which they are ſubje&, ſhould Pive tot any of the Sons of men an abſolute power under him, ang ;. 1. name to diſcharge any from the guilt of fin ; for certain it jc. 1. without truce Repenrance and Faith in Chriſt, no man hath his "ol FR given; fo as no Miniſter that knoweth not the heirrs of men = poſſibly ſpeak with any certainty to any man. ſeying, His fm _ forgiven. Whar knowled;e the Apoſtle: might have by the Spirit of diſcerning, we cannot lay. Bur certain 3t 15, none hath any ſuch ce, rainty of knowledge now of the truth of any man, declaring his Faith and true Repentance ; from whence it is to me apparent, Thar 2 man hath any {urther power from Chriſt, than to decluety het that if indeed they truly bzlieve and repent, their ſins are really for. given. Only the Miniſter being Chrilt's Interpreter, and Embaiſigg. and betrer abic ro judge of true Faith and Repentance than Othee: (tho not certainly and infallbly) fuch declarations from + Eaithf;) able Miniſter, are of more w23zght and authority than from other; . and this is the moſt I can conceive ſhould bein this matter ;.2ng that if by thoſe words any further power be granted to the Apoſtle, ir was by reaſon of that power of diſcerning Spzrits, 1 Cor. 12, jo, which ordinary Miniſters ſince the poſter £3zes, or in latter Ages, cans; with any modeſty pretend unto. :
24 © But Thomas, one of the twelve * called Didymys was not with them, when Jeſus came z. "G
i Whether Thomas had ever ſince they all forſook our Saviqurin th. garden and fled, returned again to a communion with the ref}, ,, was abſent through ſome occaſion, 1s not ſaid ; but upon this ſore have ſtarted a queſtion, Whether Thomas being abſent, received the Holy Ghoſt at this time as the reſt did 2 Some think he did nor, he. cauſe of his unbelief. Some of the Ancients think hedid ; for vw 11. 26, 27, When God gave out the Spirit to the ſeventy Elders Eldad and M:dad (tho abſent) had their ſhare of it, wer. 27. the oye. ter 1s not much.
25 The other viſciples & therefore ſaid unto him, We hire ſeea tne Lord, But he faid unto them, Except Iſhall (;s In his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger jntg the print of the nails, azd thruſt my hand into his fide, | will not beiieve /. |