Christ Chose Mary
invariable, and for ever the same. I only touch it, as the foundation of wonderful comfort, which they undermine that hold the contrary.
Christ Chose Mary The next point is, that Christ chose Mary to go tell his brethren, and under the sweet title of 'brethren,' to deliver this sweet message, 'I am going to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God.'
He telleth them the sweetest words in the worst times.
This point differeth from the former thus. The former was, that Christ's love is constant, and always the same. But now Christ most sheweth his love when we are most cast down: in the worst times, if our casting down be with repentance. He never said 'brethren' before, but reserved the term of 'brethren' for the worst time of all.
The sweetest discoveries of Christ are in the worst times of all to his children. Mothers will bring out any thing to their children, that is sweet and comfortable to them, in their sickness. Though they frowned on them before, yet the exigency of the child requires it.
When there is need, any thing cometh out that may please the child.
The poor disciples were not only in affliction, being the scorn of the world, the shepherd being smitten and the sheep scattered, but their inward grief was greater. They were inwardly confounded and ashamed to see Christ come to such an end. They were full of unbelief. Though Christ had told them he would rise again, they could not believe; and so what with fear, and what with doubt, and what with grief for their using of Christ so unkindly and leaving him, certainly they were in a perplexed and disconsolate condition; yet now, 'Go and tell my brethren.' We see, then, that after relapses, when we be in state of grace, to deal unkindly with Christ, must needs be matter of grief and shame; yet if we be humbled for it and cast down, even then Christ hath a sweet message for us by his Holy
Spirit: 'Go, tell my brethren.' In the Canticles, the church, the spouse of Christ, had dealt unkindly with Christ, by losing him and forsaking him, chap. 3:5. In the third chapter, she had lost him, and sought
him on her bed, but found him not. She rose, and went to the watchmen, and then went through the city, but found him not. At length she found him whom her soul loved. Then Christ speaks most sweetly and comfortably to her in the beginning of the fourth chapter, but especially in the sixth chapter, after she had dealt most unkindly with Christ. He standeth at the door knocking and waiting, till his locks dropped with rain, in resemblance of a lover that standeth at the door, and is not suffered to come in. Afterwards he leaveth her for this unkindness, yet not so, but that there was some sweet relish left upon the door. God always leaveth something in his children to long after him; and at length, after much longing, Christ manifesteth himself sweetly to her, chap. 4:4, and breaketh out,
'Thou art beautiful, O my love, as Tirzah, comely as Jerusalem, terrible as an army with banners; turn away thine eyes from me, for they have overcome me; thy hair is as a flock of goats,' &c., and so goeth on, 'My love, my dove, my undefiled one.' He could not satisfy himself in the commendations of his church, being, as it were, overcome with love. And this sheweth, that after we have dealt unkindly with Christ, and our consciences are ashamed and abashed with it, as it is fit they should, yet if we will wait a while, and be content, nor be desperate, nor yield to temptation, if we stay but a while, Christ will manifest himself to us, and shew that he valueth and prizeth the hidden graces we cannot see. He can see gold in ore.
He can see hidden love, and hidden faith and grace, that we cannot see in temptations; and he will manifest all at length, and shew his love when we stand most in need of it. We see it in David, who was deeply humbled for his folly with Bathsheba, for there was not one, but many sins, as murder and adultery, &c.; yet being now humbled,
God sent him and Bathsheba wise Solomon, to succeed him in his kingdom. He forgetteth all; and so you see our Saviour Christ forgetteth all their unkindness. He biddeth her not 'Go, tell my renegade disciples, that owned not me; they care not for me: I care not for them; I am above death and all, and now will use them as they did me.' Oh no. But 'Go, tell my brethren,' without mentioning any thing that they have done unkindly.
What is the reason? It is sufficient to a gracious soul that it is thus; it is the course of God. But there be reasons to give satisfaction.
Reason 1. First, The love of Christ to a poor, disconsolate, afflicted soul is most seasonable. When they have relapsed and dealt unkindly with Christ, then Christ not only forgiveth, but forgets all; nay, and calleth them under the term of 'brethren,' which is more than forgiving or forgetting. Oh now it is seasonable. For there is a wonderful dejection of spirit after unkind usage of Christ, in a soul that knows what Christ means. It is as a shower of rain after great drought. It falleth weighty upon the soul.
Reason 2. Secondly, The freedom of Christ's love most appeareth then, when no desert of ours can move it. For is not that love free, when we have dealt unkindly with him, and joined with the world and with the flesh, and dealt slipperily with him, that then he would speak kindly to us and make love to us? Lord, if I had had my due, what would have become of me? If he had sent them word according to their deserts, he might have said, 'Go, tell the apostate, base people that have dealt unworthily with me, whom I will send to hell.'
Oh no. But 'tell my brethren.' His free love appeareth most at such times, when our souls are most dejected.
Reason 3. Thirdly, Satan roareth then most, then he most of all sheweth his horns, when we are relapsed. Oh, saith he, if thou hadst never found kindness, it had been something; but thou hast dealt unworthily that hast had so many favours, and dost thou so requite the Lord of glory? Now this love of Christ doth exceedingly confound
Satan, and trouble his plots. He knoweth then that God leaveth men, and he joineth with a guilty conscience, and a guilty conscience maketh them to fear all they have deserved, Shall I look God in the face, and Christ in the face when I have used them thus? Shall I receive the sacrament and join with God's people? Now Satan doth join with guilt of conscience, and carrieth it further; and when God seeth them dejected and humbled for this, he speaketh more comfort to them than ever before.
There is none of us all, I can except none, but had need of this. Have we dealt so unkindly with Christ since our conversion? Have not we dealt proudly, and unkindly, and carelessly with him? And if we have the love of Christ in our breasts, it will shame and abash us. Now if we have joined with a temptation, Satan will say, Will you go to God, and to prayer, that have served God thus? Shall I yield to this temptation? If we can shame ourselves and say, Lord, I take all shame to myself, I have dealt most unworthily with thee, we shall hear a voice of comfort presently. And therefore whatsoever our conditions be, be invited to repentance, though thou hast fallen and fallen again. 'I have dealt unkindly.' Did not Peter so? and yet, 'Go, tell my disciples, and tell Peter.' The pope will have him head of the church. I am sure he was head in forsaking of Christ, and indeed
Christ never* upbraided Peter with forsaking of him. Now only he biddeth him feed, feed, feed, that he might take more notice of it; but he was so kind that he never cast it into his teeth, John 21:15–17.
Obj. But saith the poor drooping soul, If I had never tasted of mercy it had been something.
Ans. But object not that, for though Peter's offence was great, yet his repentance was great; and though thy sins be great, yet if thy repentance and humiliation be answerable, thou shalt have most comfort of all. And therefore let no man be discouraged.
If we go on in sinful, desperate courses, as the fashion of the world is, speak what we can, if we speak out our lungs, many will not leave an oath, nor their profane base courses and filthy ways; ill they have been already, and ill they will be till they come to hell. Some such there be, but better we are to speak too. Whosoever thou art, that are weary of thy profane, base, godless courses, be humbled for them.
When thou art humbled and broken-hearted, then think of Christ, as he offers himself; think of nothing but love, nothing but mercy. Satan will picture him thus and thus, but when thou beest humbled and broken-hearted, he is readier to entertain thee than thon art to fly to him. And therefore at such times consider how Christ offereth
himself to thee. He that died for his enemies, and seeks them that never sought him, that is found of them that sought him not, will he refuse them that seek him? If thou hast an heart humbled, and hast a desire of favour, will he refuse thee, that receiveth many in the world.
Therefore do not despair. We as ambassadors beseech you, saith the apostle. Thou desirest God's favour and Christ's love. Thou desirest them, and Christ entreateth thee, and then thou art well met. Thou wouldst fain have pardon and mercy, so would Christ fain bestow it upon thee. Therefore join not to Satan. Take heed of temptations in such a case as this is. Take heed of refusing our own mercies. When
God offers mercy in the bowels of his compassion refuse it not. Christ is ready to shew great kindness in our greatest unkindness, if we be humbled for it.
But this belongeth to those that be broken-hearted, that can prize and value Christ. They that go on in presumptuous courses shall find
Christ in another manner of majesty. They shall find him as a judge whom they despised as a brother; and they that will not come in and subject themselves to his mercy, they shall find his justice. If they will not come under this sceptre, they shall find his rod of iron to crush them to pieces. And therefore let no corrupt, careless person, that will go on, fortify their presumption from hence. It belongeth only to them to be humbled and abased with the sight of sin, and consideration of their unkindness and unworthy dealing with Christ.
I know such as are most subject to discouragement, and Satan is most ready to close with them in strong temptations above all. Oh, but never let them despair, but consider what the apostle saith:
'While sin aboundeth, grace aboundeth much more,' Rom. 5:20. If there be height, depth, and breadth of sin in us, there is now more height, and depth, and breadth of mercy in Christ; yea, more than we can receive.
I have fallen from God, saith the soul. What if thou hast? but God is not fallen from thee. Peter denied Christ, but did Christ deny Peter?
No. Christ hath not denied thee. What saith the Lord in Jeremiah?
'Will the husband take the wife when she hath been naught? no; yet
return to me, O Israel,' Jer. 3:1. But say, thou hast been false, and committed such and such sins; whatsoever they be, though adultery, yet return to me.
Quest. Oh, but is it possible God should do it?
Resol. Yea, it is possible with him: 'His thoughts are not as thy thoughts; his thoughts are as far above thine as heaven is above earth,' Isa. 55:8.
Obj. Why, no man will do it.
Ans. Ay, but here is the mercy of a God, 'I am God, and not man;' therefore his comforts fail not. If he were so, he would not regard one that hath been so unkind; but he is God, and not man.
'Go to my brethren.' I come now to the matter of the commission.
Tell them, 'I ascend to my Father, and your Father; to my God, and your God,' which is all included in 'brethren;' for if we be God's in Christ, then God is our Father. But we must not deal in few words with disconsolate souls, but come again and again with the same words. As how many times have you the comfort of the Messiah in Isaiah and the rest of the prophets, again and again? Our hearts are so prone to doubt of God's mercy, of Christ's love, especially after guilt, that all is little enough; and therefore our Saviour studieth to speak sweetly to the heart, 'Go, tell my brethren.' That which a carnal heart and curious* head would count tautology and superfluity of words, a gracious heart thinks to be scantiness. Oh, more of that still;
I have not enough! This is the pride of men, that will have all things to satisfy the curious ear; but a gracious heart hath never enough.
And therefore Christ addeth comfort to comfort: 'Go, tell my brethren, I ascend to my Father, and their Father; to my God, and their God.' The message itself is Christ's ascension. The place whither is to the Father, a common Father to him and them. Every word hath comfort.