The Tenderness of Christ, Book I: Demonstrations after Christ's Resurrection

Demonstrations from passages and expressions after Christ’s Resurrection.

THESE demonstrations have been taken from his carriage and sermon before his death, even at his first breaking of his mind unto his disciples concerning his departure from them. Let us now take a view of our Saviour in his behaviour after his Resurrection, whence a further indicium of his heart, how it would stand towards sinners when he should be in heaven, may be taken, and his love demonstrated. For his Resurrection was the first step unto his glory, and indeed an entrance into it; and when he laid down his body, he laid down all earthly weaknesses, and passions of flesh arid blood. It was sown, as our’sis, in weakness; but with raising of it up again, he took on him the dispositions and qualifications of an immortal and glorious body, it was raised in power. And the days of his fash (or frail estate) as the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, by way of distinction speaks, were past and over at his Resurrection: and the garment of his body was new dyed, and endowed with new qualities; and thereby it was made of a stuff fit to bear and sustain heaven’s glory: and there fore, what now his heart upon his first rising shall appear to be towards us, will be a certain demonstration what it will continue to be in heaven. And to illustrate this the more, consider, that if ever there were a trial taken, whether his love to sinners would continue or no, it was then at his resurrection, for all his disciples (especially Peter) had carried themselves the most unworthily towards him in that interim that could be; and this then when he was performing the greatest act of love towards them, (namely, dy mo tor them) that ever was shewn by any. And by the way, so God often orders it, that when he is in hand with the greatest mercies for us/and bringing about our greatest good, then we are most of all sinning against him; which he doth to magnify his love the more. You know how they all forsook him, and in the midst of his agony in the garden, (in which he desired their company merely for a relief unto his sadded spirit) they slept, and lay like so many blocks, (utterly senseless of his dolours) which had they had any friendly sympathy of, they could never have done; Could you not watch with me one hour? Then you know how foully Peter denied him with oaths and curses; and after that, when he was laid in the grave, they are giving up all their faith in him, Vie trusted it should have been he, say two of them, that should have redeemed Israel: they question whether he was the Messiah or no, Luke xxiv. 21. Now when Christ came first out of the other world, from the dead, clothed with that heart and body which he was to wear in heaven, what message sends he first to them? we would all think, that as they would not know him in his sufferings, so he would now be as strange to them in his glory; or at least, his first words shall be to rate them for their faithlessness and falsehood; but here is no such matter, for John xx. 17, his first word concerning them is, Co tell my brethren, &c. You read elsewhere, how that it is made a great point of love and condescending in Christ so to entitle them, lie is not ashamed fa call them brethren, Ileb. ii. 11; (surely his brethren had been ashamed of him.) Now for him to call them so when he was first entering into glory, argues the more love in him towards them. He carries it as Joseph did in the height of his advancement, when he first brake his mind to his brethren; lam Joseph your brother, says he, Gen. xlv. 4. So Christ says here, Tell them you have seen Jesus their brother; I own them as brethren still. This was his first compilation; but what was the message that he would first have delivered unto them? That 7, says he, ascend to my Father, and to your Father. A more friendly speech by far, and

arguing infinitely more love than that of Joseph s did, (though that was full of bowels) for Joseph after he had told them he was their brother, adds, whom you sold into Egypt, he reminds them of their unkindness; but not so Christ, not a word of that, he minds them not of what they had done against him. Poor sinners who are full of the thoughts of their own sins, know not how they shall be able at the latter day to look Christ in the face, when they shall first meet with him; but they may relieve their care and fear, by Christ’s carriage now towards his disciples, who had so sinned against him: be not afraid, your sin* will he remember no more. Yea further, you may ob serve, that he minds them, not so much of what he been doing for them; he says not, tell them I have been dying for them; or, that they little think what I have suffered for them; not a word of that ither: but still his heart and his care is upon doing more; he looks not backward to what is past, bu°t forgets his sufferings, as a woman her travail, for joy that a man child is born. Having now dispatched that great work on earth for them, he hastens to heaven as fast as he can to do another: and though he knew he had business yet to do upon earth, that would hold him forty days longer, yet to shew that his heart was longing, and eagerly desirous to be at work for them in heaven, he speaks in the present tense, and tells them, I ascend; and he expresseth his joy to be, not only that he goes to his Father, but also that he goes to their -Father, to be an advocate with him for them, of which I spake before. And is Jesus our Brother alive indeed? and doth he call us brethren? and doth he talk thus lovingly of us? Whose heart would not this overcome?

But this was but a message sent his disciples be fore he met them; let us next observe his carriage and speech at first meeting together. When he came first amongst them, this was his salutation, Peace be to you, ver. 19, which he reiterates, ver. 21, and it is all one with that former speech of his used in his parting sermon, Mij peace I leave with you. After this he breathes on them, and conveys the Holy Ghost in a further measure into them, so to give an evidence of what he would do yet more plentifully in heaven: and the mystery of that his breathing on them, was to shew that this was the utmost expression of his heart, to give them the Spirit; and that it came from the very bottom of it, as a man s breath doth; as well as that the Holy Ghost proceeds from him, as well as from the Father, which was also the meaning of it. And to what end doth he give them the Spirit? Not for themselves alone, but that they by the gifts and assistance of that Spirit, might

Jorgive men $ sins by converting them to him, Whose sins soever i/c remit, (namely, by your ministry) they are remitted to them. His mind you see is still upon tinners, and his care for the conversion of their souls. And therefore in another Evangelist, his

last words recorded are these: Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel unto even, creature; and he that believeth shall be saved, &c. Mark xvi. 15. And in Luke xxiv. 46, 47, his last words on earth there recorded are: Thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise; that repentance and remission of sins should be preached among all nations; and adds, beginning at Jerusalem, where he had been but a few days before crucified. Of all places, one would have thought he would have excepted that, and have charged them to pass by it, but he bids them begin there; let them have the first fruit and benefit by my death, that were the actors in it. And, to that end, he also says, Behold, I send you the promise of my Father, £c. ver. 49. Another time he appears to two of them, and then inded he rates them, saying, O yc fools, and slow of heart; but for what is it? But only because they would not believe ou him, for no other sin; not for that they had forsaken him: so it follows, O ye Jools, and slwv of heart to believe, £c. Luke xxiv. 25, and this because he is glad when we believe, as John xi. 15. And after that he appears to all the eleven, and upbraids them, (the text says) but with what? with their unbelief and hardness oj heart; still because they believed not, to verse J4. No sin of theirs troubled him but their unbelief;

which shews ho w his heart stands, in that he desire* n 9 nothing more then to have men believe in him; and this, now when glorified. Afterwards he meets Thomas, and scarce chides him for his gross unbelief; only tells him, it was well that having seen, he believed ;. but pronounce th them more blessed, wJio though they have not seen, yet believe; and so he is reproved, John xx. 29. Another time he shews himself to his disciples, and particularly deals with Peter, but yet tells him not a word of his sins, nor of his forsaking of him, but only goes about to draw from him a testimony of his love to himself: Peter, (says- he) lovest thou ‘me? Christ loves to hear that note; full well da those words sound in his ears, when you tell him, you love him, though he knows it already; as Peter tells him, Thou knowest all things, thou famcest I love thee, Jolm-xxi, 15; and this Christ puts him thrice upon. And what was Christ’s aim in drawing this acknowledgment of love from Peter to him, but only to put an engagement upon Peter, that if he loved him as he professed, and would ever shew it, then to feed his lambs? This is the great testimony that he would have Peter to shew his love in, when he should be in heaven; and this is- the last charge he gives him: which how great a testimony is it, to shew how his own heart was affected, and what his greatest care was upon? His heart runs altogether upon his lambs, upon souls to be converted. He had said before, (John x. C) Sheep I have which arc not of this fold, them I must bring in; — and he left his apostles to do it. But this here was a more moving and affectionate expression; for sheep can shift for themselves but poor little lambs cannot. Therefore

Christ says unto Peter, Feed my lambs; even as the apostle John, to express the more love unto those he writes to, calls them, my little children.

And to what end doth the Evangelist record these things of him after his Resurrection? One of the Evangelists that recorded them informs us. In the 20th of John, verse 30, it is said that Jesus did many other signs, namely, after his Resurrection; (for in the midst of the story of those things done after his Resurrection he speaks it); which arc not written in this book; (but partly recorded by other Evangelists, and partly concealed) but thcxc things arc written that ye might believe that Jeans is the Christ, that is, that so you might come to him as the Mes siah, the Saviour of the world: and therefore, the most of the things recorded tend to shew Christ’s heart and carriage towards sinners, that so we might believe on him, and that believing we might have //’<• through his name.