The heads of some sermons preached at Finnick, the 17 of August. 1662 By…

YE have heard several reasons of this inhibition served upon this Truth in the mouth of the Disciples, which doth not warrant any man to conceal this gracious Truth, unless they have a peremptory command for the doing of it, as the Disciples here had. He did it as a Minister, not seeking his own glory, he did it as much pitying the Disciples in their weak and unsettled condition, because they could not well maintain that Truth before the Jews and learned Rabbis, which Truth was controverted then, they being then unsettled, until the Spirit was poured-out upon them from on high, that the Son of Man was risen. He did it also as a ⟨p. 50⟩plague upon the Jews, because they abused this truth, therefore as a just punishment and recompense of their sin, he lays on an arrestment on the Truth, that they should tell no man, that he was Jesus the Christ, the Saviour of sinners, the King, Priest, and Prophet of his People. He did it as a recompense of the sins of many for the accusing of the Truth. But one of the greatest Reasons of this inhibition was to make way for another glorious design, which was on foot in Heaven anent Christs suffering at Jerusalem, for, saith the Apostle, if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Jesus Christ knowing that he behooved to go to Jerusalem, and suffer, and to redeem the world, and so he sets them at liberty to crucify him, by their not knowing that he was the Lord of glory, and so he leaves them to a latitude to persecute and crucify him, that so he might accomplish the great design that his Father and He had on foot anent the Redemption of the World. And the Doctrine I shall here hold forth upon this Reason of the inhibition is this, that the Lord by the most uncouth and strange Dispensation in his Church brings about the most glorious Purposes and Works of God, that can be imagined in the world. There was no Dispensation almost that was more uncouth and more strange, and more dark, & more desperate-like, than this was, Let no body know that I am the Christ, Let none know that I am the Saviour of the world, yet all was don by the burial of that Truth. The Lord Jesus Christ brought about the most glorious work that ever was wrought for his Church, which was by the death of a stain Christ, which was occasioned here some way by his hiding of this Truth from those that were to crucify him.