CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

To open this Consider,

1. That there was a time when the Apostles and Believers had not only a spiritual enjoyment of Christ by Faith but also a visible and corporal one, viz. in that time when Christ was familiarly conversant with them in the flesh, Then they saw Christ face to face, and rejoiced in him as one friend with another: Now this in it self could not be but unspeakable comfort with our own eyes to see Christ, with our own ears to hear him speak, and with our own hand• to handle that Word of Life, as 1 Joh. 1.1. Luk. 10 24. Our Saviour himself calls them blessed, even because they lived in that age wherein they might corporally see him, Many Kings and Prophets have desired to see and hear the things you do, Prophets though they had immediate Revelations and Visions from God, and so were called Seers, yet they desired to see Christ in his bodily presence; And Kings though they had the temporal glory of the world to behold, yet they desired to see Christ in the flesh; No wonder then if it were one of the three things Austin so desired, that he might have lived in those times when Christ was here upon the Earth; Do but judge within your selves, Would you not go many miles if it were certain Christ were in such a place teaching and working Miracles; Now the Disciples by Christs visible presence had many advantages, when they were in any outward straits he provided for them, though he sent them without any money upon his work, yet they confessed ⟨p. 335⟩they lacked nothing all that while; When they were discouraged with their wicked Adversaries he comforted their hearts; When they were in any temporal danger, as when the Ship was tossed with Tempests he saved them, and which is above all, he was a visible Doctor and Teacher unto them, so that there was nothing in Religion they doubted of, but he could infallibly direct them in; It's that which the Papists so much plead for, that there must be a visible infallible Head in the Church, who is to decide matter of faith, otherwise there cannot be any certainty, but one will pretend to the Truth as well as another: Now the Apostles had such a visible Head of the Church to direct them, though we have none now, but the Spirit of God by the Word doth direct and guide such as walk humbly: