04. The Apprehension of Christ

The Apprehension of Christ What doth Jesus say to her?

’Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?’ The first words that ever Christ spake after his resurrection to them he appeared to, is, ’Woman, why weepest thou?’ It is a good question after Christ’s resurrection. What cause of weeping when Christ is risen? Our sins are forgiven, because he, our head and surety, hath suffered death for us; and if Christ be risen again, why weep we? If we be broken-hearted, humbled sinners, that have interest in his death and resurrection, we have no cause to grieve. It is therefore a good question to them that believe, ’Why weepest thou? whom seekest thou?’ They were questions, not for satisfaction to him—he knew it well enough—but to draw out her mind, and to draw out by confession what God had hid in her heart, that he might comfort her afterwards.

’But she, supposing him to be the gardener, said, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me,’ &c.

She had a misconceit of Christ, as if he had been the gardener. Beloved, so it is with a sinner, especially in times of desolation of spirit and disconsolate condition. They present Christ to themselves as an enemy. She in passion thinks Christ the gardener. Do not many, when they be melancholy of body and troubled in mind, conceive of Christ as an austere judge, that will undoubtedly damn such wretches as they are, who present Christ to themselves in that fashion, that the Scripture doth not? Doth not he bid all that be weary and heavy laden come to him? Mat 11:28. And yet they, out of passion, will present Christ to be an austere judge, that will take them at their disadvantage, observe all their ways, and will surely damn them.

It is a great violence that passion and opinion offers to truth, and to saving truth, and the hardest matter in the world for a distressed conscience to apprehend God aright, and to apprehend Christ aright. Secure persons apprehend God under a false notion. They apprehend God as a God all of mercy, and Christ as if he were not a judge of the world; as if he observed them not, nor their sinful courses; and therefore they care not whether they serve him or no, Acts 17:31. And Satan presenteth Christ all of mercy, and Satan and their hearts meeting together, the mistake is dangerous. It is a great art of faith, and an excellent skill, to apprehend Christ suitable to our condition that we are in. When we be in any sin, then think him a judge; then think of Moses rather than of Christ; then think of Christ as one that will judge both quick and dead for their hard and wicked actions. But when we be humble and broken-hearted, and touched with sense of sin, present him as a sweet Saviour, inviting and alluring all to come to him: ’Come to me, all ye,’ &c., Mat 11:28; present him as a gentle shepherd; present him in all the sweet relations he names himself by in the Scriptures, lest otherwise we do Christ dishonour, and ourselves wrong, Isa 40:11.

’If thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.’

She was a likely woman indeed to take Christ away; for a weak woman to take a heavy body away! But love thinks nothing impossible. Faith and love agree in this, nothing is impossible. ’Love is strong as death,’ Song of Solomon 8:6. Neither love nor faith care for difficulties; they arm the soul to break through all.

’Tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.’

One would think the dead body might have frighted the woman, and the heavy body might have been above her strength. But she was in such an ecstasy of love and desire, and grief for want of desire, that she considered not well what she said.

They be words of passion; and, indeed, if you observe the story of Mary Magdalene, she was a woman of extremity in all conditions. Like Jonah, when he grieves, he grieves exceedingly; when he rejoices, his joy is wound to the highest pitch. So she was full of love when she loved, and full of grief when she grieved, and full of joy when she joyed. She had large affections. All were in the highest measure, and strained to the highest pin in her; and that made her say, ’If thou hast,’ &c.

Jesus could not endure [to keep] her longer in this perplexed condition. He was too merciful; and therefore saith, ’Mary.’ She turned to him, and saith, ’Rabboni,’ which is to say, Master.