18. Others think, that Christ in these words meant to wean her from all sensual touching, and to teach her a new and Spiritual touch by the hand of faith; and to this sense the reason agrees well, for I am not yet ascended, or, I shall quickly ascend unto my Father; till Christ were ascended she might be touching with a sensual touch, but that would neither continue nor do her any good; but if she would learn the Spiritual touch, no ascending could hinder that; one that is in heaven might be touched so: and hence it is, that if now we will but send up our faith, we may touch Christ to this day, and there will virtue come out of him. It was Christ's care to wean Mary from the comfort of his external presence, and to teach her how to embrace him by a true and lively faith: he was not long to be seen in his visible shape, being shortly to ascend unto his Father; and therefore the main business was to learn that touch, that would both continue and do her good to her souls health. And I believe for this very cause, Christ would not stay long with any of his Disciples at any time; he only appeared to manifest himself, and to prove his resurrection, and then to wean t•em from all sensual and carnal touching; he would quickly have been gone. Observe, that a Spiritual touch of Christ by faith, is that which Christ prefers before all touches: it is the Apostles saying, henceforth know we no man after the fl•sh, yea, though we ha e known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more The words have a double interpretation; As, 1. Henceforth know we him no more; if we had any earthly carnal thoughts of Christ like unto the rest of the Jews, that he, as the King of Israel, should begin an earthly Temporal Kingdom, and that we should enjoy all manner of earthly carnal privileges; as honour, riches, power, yet now we kno• him no more, we have put off all such carnal imaginations of his Kingdom. Or, 2. Henceforth know we him no more; we stand no longer affected towards Christ after any merely humane, civil, or natural manner of affections, such as those bear to him, who conversed with him before his resurrection, but altogether in a divine and Spiritual manner, agreeable to the state of glory, whereunto he is exalted. Some vilified the Ministry of Paul, below that of the rest of the Apostles, because he had not been conversant with Christ in the flesh;
18. Others think, that Christ in these words meant to wean her from all sensual touching, and to teach her a new and Spiritual touch by the hand of faith; and to this sense the reason agrees well, for I am not yet ascended, or, I shall quickly ascend unto my Father; till Christ were ascended she might be touching with a sensual touch, but that would neither continue nor do her any good; but if she would learn the Spiritual touch, no ascending could hinder that; one that is in heaven might be touched so: and hence it is, that if now we will but send up our faith, we may touch Christ to this day, and there will vertue come out of him. It was Christ's care to wean Mary from the comfort of his external presence, and to teach her how to embrace him by a true and lively faith: he was not long to be seen in his visible shape, being shortly to ascend unto his Father; and therefore the main business was to learn that touch, that would both continue and do her good to her souls health. And I believe for this very cause, Christ would not stay long with any of his Disciples at any time; he only appeared to manifest himself, and to prove his resurrection, and then to wean t•em from all sensual and carnal touching; he would quickly have been gone. Observe, that a Spitual touch of Christ by faith, is that which Christ prefers before all touches: it is the Apostles saying, henceforth know we no man aft•r the fl•sh, yea, though we ha e known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more The words have a double interpretation; As, 1. Henceforth know we him no more; if we had any earthly carnal thoughts of Christ like unto the rest of the Jews, that he, as the King of Israel, should begin an earthly Temporal Kingdom, and that we should enjoy all manner of earthly carnal priviledges; as honour, riches, power, yet now we kno• him no more, we have put off all such carnal imaginations of his Kingdom. Or, 2. Henceforth know we him no more; we stand no longer affected towards Christ after any meerely humane, civil, or natural manner of affections, such as those bear to him, who conversed with him before his resurrection, but altogether in a divine and Spiritual manner, agreeable to the state of glory, whereunto he is exalted. Some vilified the Ministry of Paul, below that of the rest of the Apostles, because he had not been conversant with Christ in the flesh;
- 1Christus loquitur de tactu, & de ascensione, non corporali, sed spirituali. Etexinde Magdalena a Christ Domino illuminata fuit, ut deinceps non solum credideret, sed & alias feminas ad credendum instruerit. vid. Aug. Tract. 21. in Joh. Serm. 60. de verbis Domini, & 252. & 155. de tempore Ambros. Luc. Ultim. & lib. de Isaac. & anima. c 5. & Ser. 58.Christus loquitur de tactu, & de ascensione, non corporali, sed spirituali. Etexinde Magdalena a Christ Domino illuminata fuit, ut deinceps non solum credideret, sed & alias feminas ad credendum instruerit. vid. Aug. Tract. 21. in Ioh. Serm. 60. de verbis Domini, & 252. & 155. de tempore Ambros. Luc. Ultim. & lib. de Isaac. & anima. c 5. & Ser. 58.
