430 Book IV. 1Lootitng unto 'jjcfn.S'. Chap~ ---------.: And the reafon following fuits with this comment, for I ~m ,;ot yet ~fcmd<d to rr.y ·'"' Father, q. d. thou needell not fo halltly to touch me now. for I am not )'et afcen– dcd ; though I be going. yet I am not gone, another time will be allowed, and thou mayll do it at better leafure, only forbear now ; and the .~rft thing dwu doll, go to my brethren ; 1t wJll do them mo1 e~ood to heare of my nhng, than 1t will do tl.ce good to ftand here touclung, and holdmg, and embracing, and therefore in this refpect, now touch me not. cbnd'fl"' ~qui8. Others chink, that Chrill in thefe words meant to weane her from all fenfual touch1111 ·' ta"u'""' · d 1 h d r . . I I b I t I f' . de af""fione, mg, an to teac 1 er a new an 1p1r1tua roue 1 y t 1e 1anc o I3Ith ; and to this fenfe ''" ea>-pO>·ali, the reaf~n agrees well ,for I am n~tyet afemded,_ or I Jhall quickly afccnd unto my father; cd {pmwlr. ull Chni! :vere afcended ll~e mtght be touchmg wtth a fenfual touch, bur that would f.dEt exm1•Mh•g'fl- netther contmue nor do her any good, but if llte would Iearne the fipiritual touch no af- "1'"' a c " d. Id I . d h h . . H . I ' /)omiuo illu- cen mg cou un er t at ; one t at IS. m eaven m1ght be tou.c 1ed fo; and hence it is, miutafuit, ut that If now we wJII but fend up our fatth, we may touch Chnll to t!usday, and there dli,eps ."'"Will venue come out of him. It was Chri/l's care to weane A£ rn• frol]l the comfort ofhis \.~;11~d ~:;~~1;; external prefence, and to .reach her bow to embrace him in by a true and lively faith : p:/;.,, ad ere- he wa; not long to b_e feen m hts vthb!e /hape, bemg nHmly to afcend unto his Father ; d,d 11 m inJlru- and therefore the main bulinef! was to learn that touch, that would both continue and n-it. Vid.Au~. do !>er good to her fouks healeh. And I believe for this very caufe, Chrilt would J~~.~~r~~~·6~ not fray long with any of his Oefciples at_any rime ; l1e Ot •ly appeared to manifdl: de verbis Do, htmfelf, and to prove. to P' ove Ius refurrechon, and tbeo to wean th_em from all fen– mini, & 25 2. fual and carnal touchmg, he would qmrkly have been gone, Oblerve, chat a./pin– &t55·detem- tual t•uch of Chrift by f•irh, is that which Chrift prefers before all touches, it is the r~~~SI'ri~.0[ Apoftles faying, hence forth /zno~ Il'e 110 .".:an after the fiejh, yea thou.r.h we have k,,>10lM fb d ![aac Chrt{t after the flejb, yet now YJence{o>·w -~nc..v- Ive htm no rr.ore. 1he words have a ~ ~ni~:t. c. 5: double interpretation ; As; I, Henceforth k!rolV we him no more ; if we had any &Scr.58. earthly carnal thoughts ofChnll ltke umo the.refl: of the Jews, that he asthel\ing of lfraelllwuld begm an. ~archly temporal K!~gdom, and that we Jlwuld enjoy all manner ofearthly carnal pnvdedges, as honour, nches . power, yet now we know him no more, we have pur off all fuch carnal imagioation' of ltis 1\in~;dom. Or, 2. Henceforth lznow we him 110 more ; we !land no longer affected towards Chrill af– ter any meerly humane, civil, or nacura] manner of affections, fuch as thofe bear w him, who converfed wich him before his refurrection, but altogether ina divine and fpiritual manner, agreeable tO the ftate of glory, whereunto he is exalted. Some vilified the Miniilry of Ptm!, l>dow that of the reft ofthe Apollles,becaure he had not been converfant with Chriil: in the flefh ; to wl1ich Paul anfwers, away with this fle/hly knowledge. henceforth k!1o1V Ire no man after the fl•f" ; our way ro deal with Chriflis in a fpiricual manner, yea thebleilin&isuponthismanner,andnot on that, bleffed are thcJ'i.that have riot Jeen, and )'<t have believed. It is faid of Mary his mother, that lhe had a double conception of Jefus Chrifl:, one in the womb of /!er body, another in the wombof her foul ; the firil: indeed was more maraculous 'the fecond mort beneficial ; that was a priviledg ·Jingular to her fclf, but this was her happinefs common to all the chofen ; it is the work of the inward man that God accepcs ; a fpiritual touch of (brill by faith is that which Chriil prefers before all touches_ 2. But go to my brethren, and fay 1mto them, I aft;end !Into my Father, Pnd y011r Father, and to my God, ttnd your God, this was the command of Cltrill ; inftead of touching him, llte mull: go with a melfage to his A?o.!l:les, and tillS was more bene– ficial both to her and them, The firll Preacher ofthts refuerect!On ( befides the An– gels ) was )f.1ary Mag~alew ; /he that before had feven devil~ ca!l out of ~er, had now the holy Spirit Withm her ; ll~e that was but a woman, IS now by Chnll made an Apofl:le ; Apoftolomm .Apoj/ola, the Apoil:le, for to them ll1e was fem, and the mef– fage Jhe was eo deliver, it was Chrij/s rifing and afcending, and what were they but the Gofpel, yea the very Gofpel ofthe Gofpel.? this w~s the firft Sermon that ever was made by any mortals of C!mfts refur~ed10n ; and thtsh~r fact l1_ad fome reference unto Eves fault ; a wom1n was the firft meffenger of thts our JOY, be– caufe a woman was the fir!l: Minifter of that our forrow. I3ut what meanes he to fpeak of the afceniion, when as yet we are but up.on the refurrection ? I fuppofe this was to prevent t~eir millake, wh~ might have ~bought, if Chrill be rifen, why then we Jl!lll have Ius company agam as beretotor~ ; ~o faith Chri!l:, 1 am not t-ifen to make any abode with you , or eo converfe wuh you
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