ing, "It behoved him to suffer." And so say I; there was such a necessity laid upon him that he behoved to suffer, and all the world could not save him from it, being once come down into this world. Therefore, the Lord, by his prophets, had foretold this necessity, that he should suffer death; and, therefore, seeing he foretells it, it behoved him to suffer, all the world shall not bring it back again. The Lord, as he had foretold it, so he had ordained it from all eternity. Wilt thou call back again that that the Lord hath decreed? Thou mayest reduce the decreet of man, but all the world cannot reduce the decreet of God. These are the causes of his suffering; but I shall come to a lower and a subordinate cause: I say to thee, thy sin made this necessity. The Lord taking upon him the burden of thy sin, and becoming Mediator, that immaculate Lamb, that had no sin, neither in body nor in soul, he taking once the burden of our sin upon him, he was, in a manner, holden out of heaven for a time, and he was made accursed; and, therefore, before he suffered for sin, he could not get entry into heaven, for wheresoever sin is, there is death. Be it inherent within thee, if thou get not one to die for thee, thou must die1 for this is plain talk, (but would to God it were well learned,) death must ever follow sin; if thou lay it not on him, and he die not for thee, thou shalt die for ever. Thou makest but a pastime of harlotry, and murder, and theft; but I say, there is no satisfaction of thy harlotry and murder but death. I say to thee, harlot, thou art dead; murderer, thou art but dead; albeit thou be a lord, I tell thee thou art but dead, if thou get no relief in the Mediator; without satisfaction for thy sins thou shalt never see heaven. Christ saw not heaven, after he took on our sin, till he was dead, and offered his blood. The high priest durst not enter into Sanctum Sanctorum without a basin full of blood, under pain. of death. Even so, Christ entered not into heaven but with his own blood. And if thy sin held an innocent out of heaven, O miserable body! thinkest thou that thou, who art altogether de

1 In Commentary: Peccatum enim, sive id inhæreat sive imputetur, perpetuo intercludit aditum ad cœlos, tantisperdum abolitum.-P. 1092.

filed, canst come to heaven? Nothing can enter there that is defiled. Murderer, thou shalt never see heaven, except thou go to Jesus, and lay on the burden of thy sin upon him, and say, "Lord, take this burden from me ;" and if thou canst say this, from thine heart, he will take it from thee.

Now, brethren, a question would be asked. If Jesus hath died for thy sins and mine that we might get an entry, thou mayest say to me, "What to do have I to suffer, seeing the Lord hath prepared the way? what to do have I to suffer in soul or body? or why should I be afflicted, seeing the Lord hath made the way patent?" I will not answer with the Papists, for they will say, "Thou must pay one part;" but I say to thee, in despite of thine heart, if thou pay any part, thou must pay the whole. But I answer, all these sufferings are no satisfaction to bring thee to heaven. Then thou wilt say, "Why should I suffer, if it help not to bring me to heaven ?" I answer,-all the afflictions which are laid on thee, are laid on thee for the slaughter of the remaining corruption. Feelest thou not a remaining corruption within thee? all the afflictions which are laid on thee, as sickness, want of goods, loss of friends, &c., all is laid on thee to slay that remaining corruption.' Brethren, I will tell you plainly, the death of Jesus and his suffering is the only mean to enter into heaven, in despite of all the Papists. Again, I say, look what need we have of his death, we have as much need of affliction in our own persons to slay that sin which remains in us. Suppose there be many ways to slay sin, yet except thou be chastised and vexed with affliction, outwardly and inwardly, as it pleases the Lord to lay it on thee, thou shalt never see heaven. So cast thee not to sleep, but make thee for affliction and trouble to mortify thy sin, or else thou shalt

1 This distinction between justification and sanctification is clearly expressed in the Commentary: Respondeo afflictiones nostras non esse vel satisfactionem, vel partem ullam satisfactionis. Verum cum non minus necesse sit ut mortificetur corrupta nostra natura quam ut ipsi justificemur, mortificatio autem carnis non perficiatur sine afflictionibus, profecto usque adeo sunt eæ necessariæ, ut nihil magis.— P. 1092.

" i. e. Whatsoever.

never see heaven. And well is thee that art afflicted, and made like Christ by thine afflictions. What words can be truer than the words of Paul and Barnabas, Acts xiv. 22, "It behoveth you to enter into heaven by many tribulations?" the apostle says, "there is a necessity." And, again, he says, Heb. xii. 14, " Without holiness" (affliction brings holiness) "no man shall see the Lord." Well, thou that delightest to pollute thy body, I tell thee, if thou be not holy thou shalt never see God. And I say more ;— without affliction, either in soul or body, thou shalt never be holy. Thou that sleepest securely, and hast mind of nothing but thy dinner and thy supper, good cheer and good company, I tell thee once, twice, yea, thrice, thou shalt never be holy, and thou shalt never come to heaven; and if thou sleepest on in this estate, thou art not one of his compt-book. Let him, or her, who is afflicted, thank God, and take it out of his hand, and say, "The Lord hath sent it to sanctify me. Lord, give me thy Spirit, that I may be holy, that I may see thy blessed face one day, to my everlasting joy in Jesus." To whom, with the Father and Holy Spirit, be glory for Amen.

evermore.

i. e. Book of reckoning, of remembrance, (Malachi iii. 14.)

THE THIRTY-NINTH LECTURE.

OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

LUKE, CHAP. XXIV.

27. And he began at Moses, and at all the prophets, and interpreted unto them in all the Scriptures the things which were written of him.

28. And they drew near unto the town which they went to; but he made as though he would have gone further.

29. But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us; for it is towards night, and the day is far spent. So he went in to tarry with them.

30. And it came to pass, as he sat at table with them, he took the bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it to them.

31. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him, and he was no more seen of them.

32. And they said between themselves, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and when he opened to us the Scriptures?

We insist yet, beloved in Christ, in this part of history concerning the two disciples of Christ, who, in the day of his resurrection, went out from Hierusalem to a village near by, called Emmaus. We heard these days past what Cleopas, one of the two, spake by the way to Christ, whom he took to be a passenger, because his

1

eyes were bound up, that he could not see him nor discern him, neither by his voice nor by his face. All his speech tends to this, "Our hope is gone, we thought Jesus should have been the Redeemer; but he is dead, and continues under death." We entered in the answer which Jesus makes, speaking to him like a passenger. The first entry is rough language: "O fools," says he, "and dull of heart to believe all that the prophets had spoken of Jesus!" A hard entry. Thereafter he begins to instruct them, and to teach them. The chief point of doctrine is first laid down in these words: "It behoved that Christ should suffer, and by suffering enter into his glory." Of this which we heard the last day, I repeat nothing.

In this text, as God shall give us grace, and as time shall suffer, we have the confirmation of this doctrine. He proves this necessity, "that he behoved to suffer," by many testimonies. And then, in the second, we have how he manifested himself, and how their eyes were opened, and how he let them see that he was Christ. And, in the third part, we have the effects which it wrought in them after that they knew him to be their Lord and Master. Then, to begin at the first. To prove that Christ suffered, and so entered into his glory, he searches the Scriptures; "He begins at Moses, and from Moses he comes to the prophets, interpreting unto them what Moses and the prophets had spoken concerning Christ," interpreting that which concerned his passion, and that which concerned his glory after his passion. The matter is set down summarily. Here no Scriptures are expressed, neither such as were taken out of Moses or the prophets; but summarily it is said, that he proved all out of Moses and the prophets. There he alleged not a bare testimony, but he declared and expounded every one of the testimonies to these two disciples. And then, when he hath interpreted them, he gathered the conclusion, "That it behoved himself to suffer."

Now, brethren, we see in this place, what the preaching of the gospel is in effect; it is none other thing but the declaration of