j!,oolting nnto ']Jcfu.s. ---- Book lV. 4H ~.t.ScCl.6. !lance ofthe doors,that his body might pafs through them without defrrudion;I know not but he rhatthickened the waters ro cari·y his body, might alfoattenuatethedddts to make way for his body. . . . , 3 . For the pcrfons to whom he appeared , they were hts Dlfctples ; they that were lhut up in a- coccb·.e, not danng to ftep out ofdoors for thefear of the Jews, to tllem now Cbrifl: appeared. It is Chrifts ufual courfe to appear to them who are full of fears, and griefes, and moft in dangers; when tf,o" paffeft throt~gh ;he wat:rs I will be with . rhee, and through the riversthey jhall not overflow thee.--yeathough I walk_ through the vajle1 1/ 1 •1 41· 1 • of the jh.,dow of ~:ath, ~ will fear :10 evil (f•ith D_avid)for l~ou art with me. ~e v:as l [d • '3· .,. with j o]Cph mpnfon, wtth [on M m the deep, With Dame/ m the Lyons den, With the three children in the fiery furnace, L oI JCe foHr men (faid Nebuch~dnev:J<r ) wal"= ingin the midff ofthe (tre, and the forme of rbefo~trth i; lik§ rhe Son of God. And thus he was with P~ul, whenhe ftood before Nero, though all men forfak§me,yet Chrijf /he Lord DJn. 3· '4· flood by me,andflmt<~thned me. And do not his.apparitions thisday fpeakth_us much?.'vhe~ l· Mary was full of gncf; rl:en Chnfl appearea to her; when the two Dtfcrples travelling towarJs Emm:!u<, talked together ofall thofe things which had happened, and were fod, rhen (brill: appeaced ro them. And when all the Apoflles were afraid ofthe Jews, and z. T1m. 4• t6; therefore (hut the doors that none might emer, then Chrift appeared to them, they were '7· his l)tfci 2 le;, his fad, dHlracr•d, timerous Difdples to whom Chri!t appeard, 4 . For the manner how he appear•d ; it appeares in thefe paff1ges. I. He flood id the r 1 idjf. 2. Hefaid peacebeunto.JOI<. 3· Hejheweduntothem huhandsandhitjide. I. He flood in the midj/'. Herem he ~ept'efems hrmfelf as a common good; things luk. 24• , 7: placd in the mid(\ are common; and he I lands !n rhe mtdfl as a commo:1 Saviour, and hence it is char our fatth rs ea\led a common fanh, to Tytus my fon 4ter the ca,n;,on faith: and our falvation his called a common falvation. ! lA;'e all diligence to write 11 nto y 01 ,.f,heco>nmon falva~ton. And m that wa}' as falvauon IS common, Chn!t Je- Tir.: 1• 4, fus is ea led a common Savtour ; behold I brmg yougladtydmgf ofgreat JOY which ]hall Jud. ~. be to all people, for mtto Y•", ( _umo all you ) H born tn the CJty Of David a SitvioJtr, which i; Chrifr the Lord. Thrs pofiure of Chrrfl: ( il:andmg m the mtd!t )declares that Luk. z.to.rr· he defpifeth none, but that he takes care of them all. Some obferve, that all rhe while Chrift was on earth, he moll: what Jl:ood in this pofiuie; at h'is birth lie was found in a fiable in the nnidfi of beal1s ; in his childhood he was found in the Temple in the mid{f ofrhe Do[/ors ; in his manhood, John the Bapti(l told ti:l~m, there flMdeth one in the miilftluk; '· 49• of yo11, whom yta k,now not ;and he faid ofhimfelf, I dm inthemidft ofyoua.ane th,'itfcr- )oh. '· 7 6. veth; at his death that very place feli to his turn: for ihey crucified him ih the Luk. "· •1· mid!t betwixt t? theev~s,one onth: right hMd,a~1d the other on the left. And now at his riling there we find lum agam,theDtfcrples m the tmdll of the Jews, and he in the midfl of his Dilciples. After this in Patmos, John faw him m heaven in the midfl of the throne· and in earrh he faw him in the midft ofthe [even golden candleftickJ, and in the la!t dav h~ Luk. •3· 33• !hall be in the midfitoo, of the jheep on his righthdnd, and of thegoatesonhis lift. But I find there is yet more in it, that heflood in the midjl: for the midfl is Chrifis Rve. 7"7··· place by nature, he is the_fecood perfon in the Trinity; _andr!\emid!t isChriflsplace Mar;,;: ~t by office, he dealeth betwtxt God and man ; and the mtdflts Chri!ts place in t'efpect' of his petfon he is God man,_ one tbat barb imerefl in both patties ; it was the middle perfonwho was to be the mrddle one, that undertook this mediation betwin God and us, We read in the Roman hill:ory, that the Romans and Sabines joyning ba:ttel ro- Eph. 2• z6. gether,the women being daughters to the one !Jde, and wives to the other, imerpofed · rhernfe!.ves and rook up. the·quarrel ; and by th~ir n\ediarion who had a peculiar intereft metther fide, they who before flood upon higheft termes ofho!tiliry, did now joyn themfelves together into one body and !tare. God and we were enemies, but Chrifl: Ver. 1 7i flood iTI the rnidft eo reconcile us unto God, and to /lay this enmity ; and ro this purpofe Chnft Ius Called.!'•,;,,. Mediator, tearme peculiar to the Scripture's, notto be found smongft prophane Authors. 0 what comfort is here to fee Jt'fus Chrifl !tand inthemidft ? now rmy the Difciples behold him as their bleffed peacemak'er, their Medtaror, as o:1e rlm bath jlain the errmity ; not only that enmity betwixt men and men, Jews and Gentiles, bur alfo .betwixt God and men· This lu! did by his death, a•d n?w he decllres 1t at hiS refurrecl:ion ; for fo the Apo!tle there goes on, hav- •ngflam the enrr.tty, bv '"' croft, h< ca?;e and preached peace ; and fo the Evangeli!t here goes on, after hiS re[urredionJefu<ca nemtdjfood iN the midji,andfaid tento th,m, prace be ~<mo )'OJ/. You f~:e how he fiood. - -- 2. What
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