_'!48 Boo~I~_ _JLool\tn!!_.~m:~~£f~~ ~up. =~ecb. thy heart? doth rhe fpirit affure thee, that Chritl: the Printe of peace harh m>de pelC~ Jfa. 52· 7• and reconciliation benvixt God and thee, betwixt the .King and thee, a rtbel ro his Crown ~nd dignity ? 0 how beanri(11l upon the monnt"ins wouldthe .{fn of him be, tbt Jhould pubt.{h peace, that fhould brmg the{e good t)'dmgs, that thoJ< ttrt a Citiz.en cf th"t Pfal.122,3. fent[altm, wkereGodisKing, and Chrift the Prince of peace? v;hcre all the bul!dinus are compaa toge:h:r, M a _G_ity thou is at lf,nity within it {elf.? c:. 3. Mufc on hts appamton to all the Apofiles, when they were all convened and Thom.u with them.. This Apparition wos occafione4 by Thoma/s incredulity ; ;.,·cept John 20• 15 .( fatd he) I feemhuhandsthefrmtof the .nmls, and p111 my fi;tger t>Jtotheprint of the nazls, andthmfl my hand wto nu .fide, Iwt!l not believe. Now therefore faith jefus to Thoma;, Come, reach huher thy finger, and behold my hands, and reach hither thy hand, t<nd thruflot tntomy fide, andbe not fauhlefs, but believing. Merhinks lfee Thom, 1 s's finger on Chrtll's boared. hand, and Thoma/s hand in Chrill's pierced lide. Here's a ftrong Argument to. convtnce my foul rhar Chrift is rifen from the dead; why, f<e; this 1s the fame Chrtft tbar was cructfied; tbe fame Chrift that h•d his hands boned with nail>, and that had his heart pierced with afpear; though the wounds are healed ~s to fenfe of pain, yet rbe skars, and holes, and clefrs remain a> big as ever : the hole 10 h1s hand IS yet fo large, that Thom.u may put his finger nor only on it, but into it . and the cleft in his fide i• yet fo large, tlm ThomtU may rhrull his whole hand inro hi~ fide, and with. hisfin_gers touch that hear~ rhar i!Tued our !lrea~ns of blood for my fal– vatton. In t!HS medttatton be not too cunous, whether the prrnr of the mils were but continued rill Chrill: had confirmed his Difciples faith; or whether he retains them Hill for fome further ufe? it is a better confiderarion to look upon them fo as to conhrm thy own faith; is there not too much of Tho•w's incredulity in thy breaft? dolt is not fometimes feel fome doobtings of Chrift's rifing? or at lea!I dofi thou nor queftion whether Chrill's refurredion belongs unto thee? is not Satan bufie with a temptation? is not thy confcience troubled for thy (ins ;and efpecially for tby fin ofunbelief? if fo, (and I know not·but it may be fo with rbee, and rbe bell: of Saints) Come then, and reach hither thj finger, and behold Chrift's hands; andreach hither thy hand, and 1 hmft it imo hi& fid<'( my meaning is, come with the hand of faith, and lay hold on Chrilf, yea hide thy felf in the holes of the rock; Be lik§ the Dove chat mak§th her neft in the Jer. 4 8 · 28 • fide of the holes momh; the Dove tbat would be fafe from the devouring Birds, or from the Fowlers fnare, fue flyes to the hole in a rock ; and thus Chrift invites his Spoufe, Cant. 2. 14. 0 my Dove that art in the clefts of the rock_, in the fecret places of the ftairs! let me fee chy Brr. Ser.6t, in cotmtenance, let me hear thy voice. In the clefts of the rock I am fafe, (faid Bernard) C<llt. there If/and firmly, there I am femre fromSatan'sprey. It is ftoried of a Martyr, that suri·•t in vit> writing to his \'\life where fue might find him, when he was .fled from home; 0 my S"n11i El';!"- Dear ( faid he) if thou defirefl to fee ""' feek.. me in the fide of Chrijf, in thecleft of ru. the rock_, in the hollow of hi& wounds, for there have I made my neft, there will I dw~U. lUrn. ibid. 1itrb:zbor,[ed 11011. frtl·lurba~ bor q:tia V!il– mrwn cbri(li ruord;hor. Aug. there Jbalt thou find me, and no where elfe but there. 0 my foul, that thou wouldfi make this ufe of the wounds of Chrift! are they not as the citie; of refuge, whitbe~ thou mayft By and live? 1Voching i4 more ejficaciom to cure the wotmds of confciene<, than a frequent and feriom meditation of eh' wottnds of Chrifl. Come, be not fairhlefs, bur believing; rhefe Monuments of Chrill's refurrcdion are for rhe confirmation of thy faith ; if well viewed and handled , they will quiet thy confcience, quench the fiery darrs of Satan, increafe thy faith, rill thou comeft to a!Turance, and fay· eft with Thom.u, My Lord, and my God. I may be trohbled, but I ]hall not beover– u·helmed; becaufe I will remember the print of the nails, and of the fpear, in the hands and fide of Jifm Chrifl. . 4· Mufe on his Apparition to the feven Difciples at the Sea of Tiberim. firft, Chnft appears, an1works a Miracle; he difcovers himfelf to be Lord of Sea as ~ell as Land ; at his word multitudes of Fillies come to the Net, and are caught by hts Apoftles; Mat. '3· 47 • nor is this Miracle without aMyftery ; The Kingdom of Heave~, i&likf a drawn net, caft into the (ea, which when it i4 {llll men drmv to land ; what IS. tillS d1vrne trade ~f ours but a (piritual filhing? rhe world i>a fea, fouls !tke fiflres fwtm at ltberry rn rhts deep, and the nets of wholefome doctrine arc they that draw up fome to the il1ore of grace, and glory. 2. Upon this Miracle, The Difciple whom j t(u;/•ved, j:1id unto Pe– ter, it i< the Lord. }ohn is more quick-eyed than ~I! rhe reft, fie confiders rhe Mtrade, and him that wrought it ; and prefenrly he concludes, le .s the Lord; 0 my foul medl· ta~e on rhe myftery of rhis difcovery ; if ever foul be convened and broughr homero - Chw1,
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