peace of Conscience nor agrement with men amonge them bycause they wante the goodwil of God For God hath made so many accepted in his beloued Sonne Iesus Christe onely as hee hath chosen to the same purpose 15. And it came to passe as soone as the Angells were gone away from them into heauen the Sheepherds said one to another Let vs go now euen vnto Bethlehem and see this thing that is come to passe which the Lord hath shewed vnto vs. And it came to passe as soone R. So the Angell is sayde to goe oute of Gedeons sight Iudg 6.21 This going away was not a flyinge into the vpper Region of the Ayre like Byrdes flyinge but it is a vanishing out of our sight And wheÌ„ the Aungells goe from vs to Heauen they haue no neede to trauaile far For whersoeuer GOD dwelleth there is heauen God dwelleth euery where Ier. 26.24 I fulfill sayth hee Heauen Earth Also â—ay 66.1 Heauen is my seate the earth is my footestoole Seeinge therefore Angells doe appeare visibly â—pparitiâ—ns of Anâ—ells they are sayd to bee in Earth and when they vanishe out of our sighte agayne they are sayd to goe into Heauen Wherevpon it followeth that though they be in Heauen yet notwithstandinge they are with vs in earth and do attend vppon vs. Math. 18.10 Their Angels sayth Christe doe allwayes beholde the Face of my Father which is in Heauen The Sheepherds sayd one to another C. Here the obedience of the sheepherdes is described vnto vs for seeing the Lord had appoynted them to bee Witnesses vnto the whole Worlde hee spake effectually vnto them by Angells leaste that which was spokeÌ„ vnto theÌ„ should be forgotten They were not expresly commauÌ„ded to come into Bethlehem but bycause they perceiue that such was the purpose of God they make speede to see Christe Euen as at this day seeinge wee knowe that Christe is reuealed vnto vs to this ende that our hearts may come vnto him by Fayth wee haue no excuse for our negligence and slouth Neyther doth the Euangelist teache in vayne that the Sheepheards tooke counsaile to go to Bethlehem so soone as the Angels were departed But to this ende that wee might not suffer the Worde of GOD as many doe to goe in at one Eare and out of the other but to take deepe roote in our hearts that it may bring forth his fruite when our eares heare the same no more Furthermore wee must note that the Sheepheards take mutuall counsayle one of the other BV. Therefore the Sheepheards doe belieue the Angells Wordes and accounte their Woorde for the Woorde of God Wherefore beinge not Idell Hearers they stirre vp and exhorte one another to followe Gods callinge and to seeke the Sauiour of the Worlde B. Thus we may see that faith so draweth vs vnto God and bringeth to passe that we bend our Selues thither with all our strength where wee know Christe to be that is to say where wee know that those works are which are approued and accepted of God And see this thinge that is to come passe Or And see how this thing which the Lord hath tolde vs is fulfilled For they do rightly ascribe that vnto the lord which they had heard onely of the Angell For to him whom they acknowledge to be the seruant of the Lord they geue so much authority as if hee were the Lord him selfe For this cause the Lord calleth vs vnto him least the maiesty of his worde might be vile in the sight or be holding of men Wherefore let vs also at this Day acknowledg that whatsoeuer we haue heard hetherto concerning the byrth of the Messias is the worde and worke of the Lord God C. Moreouer here we see what a shame the Sheepheardes thinke it for them to neglect the seeking of that treasure which the Lord had shewed vnto them For they thinke it necessary for them vpon the knowledg which they had receiued to goe into Bethlehem to see Euen so it is meete that euery one of vs accordinge to the measure of faith which wee haue receiued be ready to follow whethersoeuer it shall please God to call 16. And they came with hast fouÌ„d Mary Ioseph and the Babe layed in a Maunger And they came wyth haste R. Wonderfully is the Fayth of the sheepheardes who doe so firmely belieue the woorde of God the leauing their flocke in the fielde they seeke after Christe with speede Let no man thinke that they tooke this Iourney with small peril of all that they had For they fed kept the Flocke which belonged to other men Wherefore they put in pearill both their goods Bodies But God which bringeth into perills saueth also those that are in perill and geueth vnto them greater Benefits For while they obay Gods calling with perill of the losse of their flocke they do not only keepe their flocke in saufety but do also finde the Messias C. Therefore in this Luke coÌ„mendeth obedience that he sayth they made haste euen as also the readines of faith is required of vs. And they founde Mary and Ioseph Bu. No man is deceiued with the word of God no man belieuing with a true faith in the true God is confounded as we here see for the Sheepheardes founde all thinges in euery respect after the same maner as the Aungell had foretolde them These thinges coÌ„mend and approue vnto vs the truth certainty of the prophesies of God He is true which promiseth and fulfilleth all thinges at the full which hee doth promise And the Childe layed in a MauÌ„ger A. In this thinge also the sheepherds declare the greatnesse of their Fayth C. For this was such a deformed and odiouse sighte that by the same alone they mighte haue bene drawen away from Christe For what is more vnsauory than to beleeue him to bee the King of the People which was more base in outwarde shew than any of the common sort of People To looke for the building vp of the Kingdome and for saluation to come from him who by reason of his Pouerty neede was constrayned to lye in a Stable Notwithstanding Luke writeth that none of all these thinges stayed the Sheepeheardes but that they praysed GOD with admiration namely bycause the Maiesty of GOD was before their Eyes and the reuerence of the woorde fixed fast in their myndes they easely ouerpasse by the height of their faith what soeuer they sawe to bee base and contemptible in the person of Christe And verely there is no other cause why the least Offences doe hinder our Fayth or tourne vs out of the righte way than bycause wee hauing lesse regarde vnto GOD than wee oughte are easely caried euery way For if so be we had this cogitatioÌ„ only throughly fixed in our mindes that we haue a sure and faithfull Witnesse from heauen it should be a sure stay against all temptacions and shoulde sufficiently fortefie vs against all kinde of temptacions These
5.20 What haue yee to do with the day of the Lord sayth the prophet the Day of the Lorde is darkenes not light Zach. 9.9 Contrarywyse Zacharias commaundeth the daughter of Syon to reioice for the comming of the king And that iustly because as Esaias sayth the same day which bryngeth to the reprobate wrath and vengeaÌ„ce Esay 35.4 bringeth fauor and redemption to the faithful Therfore Christ teacheth that the light of ioy shal arise to his Discyples by his coÌ„ming that they shall tryumph to se the wicked coÌ„foâ—nded with feare 1. Co. 1.7 2. Ti. 4.8 And for this cause Paule sayth that the Godly loke for loue the coÌ„ming of the lord Because your redemption draweth nie Paule also calleth that same day the day of redeÌ„ption because wee shall then haue the fruition of that delyuerance which Christ hath purchased for vs. For the rest vnto the 34. verse read 24. cap of Mat. verse 32. 34. Take hede to your selues leaste at any time your harts be ouercome with furfeting dronkennes and cares of this life and so the Daye come vpon you vnawares R. There is nothing more effectuall to put away careles slouthfulnes then the certaintie of perils at hand there is nothing of greater Force to make men watch then the vncertainty of the time with the which perils come Wherefore Christ ioyneth them both together to make his disciples diligeÌ„t in theyr office He said that moste certainely calamities should come vpon the Iewes yea vpoÌ„ the whole world now he saith that there is nothing more vncertaine or more vnknowen then the comming of the foresayd day So also it is said in Math. Watch therefore for ye know not the hower when your lord will come But here he willeth them to beware least theyr hearts be ouercome with surfeting and dronkennes C. For they which by liuing intemperately haue their sences ouercome with meat and wine shall neuer haue theyr mindes eleuated to the meditation of a heauenly life R. Paule also forbyddeth surfeting and dronkennesse in his epystle to the Romanes RoÌ„ 13.13 35. For as a snare shal it come vpoÌ„ all those that dwel on the face of the erth Bu. This speach is borrowed of fowling For the vndiscrete birds are takeÌ„ with the snare Euen so the last Daye shall ouerwhelme the blinded wycked which looke for no perill but feede euen as do folish birdes in the myddest of snares with the which they are intangled or euer they beware VVyth these wordes of the lord agreeth thys saying of S. Paule When they shall say peace and safety then shall sodayne destruction come vpon theÌ„ as sorrow vppon a Woman with chyld and they shall not escape A. 1. The. 5 3 So in Noes time they did eat they dranke they maried euen vntill the Day that Noe entered into the arke Lu. 17.27 the floud came and destroied them all 36. Watch yee therefore and praye continually that yee may bee accouÌ„ted vvorthy to escape al these Thynges that shall come and that yee may stand before the son of man C. Because there are many Snares of the Fleshe by which mens myndes are intangled there is neede of greate watching Because also it is nedefull for vs to seeke for Ayde and Helpe at Gods Handes Prayers are necessarie by which our infirmities are holpen And Chryst prescribeth heere vnto vs a forme of prayer Fyrst that it would please God to deliuer vs from the daunger of so many snares Secondly that we may stand in safety before the Face of that son of God For we may not come thither except woÌ„derfully we escape a thousand Deathes That ye may be couÌ„ted worthy E. This speache is as much as if he had sayd That yee may be able to stand in the preseÌ„ce of God make continuall prayers vnto him 37. In the Day time he taught in the temple and at Night he went out and abroad in the Mounte that is called Olyuet BV. Hereby the Ministers of Godds word are taught how carefull and dylligent they ought to be in preachynge the Gospell after the exaÌ„ple of Christ the Prynce of sheepeheards Also how dylligent they ought to be in praying For in that he went to the mountayne it was to pray as may playnelie appeare by the words of Mathew saying And when he had sent away the people he went alone into the mountayn to pray Ma. 14.23 Mar. 6.46 Therefore Chryst taught and prayed For his office and callinge was to preach the Gospell concerning remission of sinnes Lu. 4.18 and the Reconcylliation to his heuenly Father euen as he him selfe testefieth out of Esay And the nearer his death approached the more vigilant hee was in following his calling 38. And all the people came earelye in the morning to him in the temple to heare him E. Hereby wee see the feruente desyre which this people had to hear Christ in that they are sayd to come early in the morninge to heare hym Therefore they may be ashamed before whom Chryst setteth his Gospel daily in the Church and yet notwythstanding neglect to come to heare the same rather following their temporall businesse A. The ferueÌ„t desire of this people shal condempne the contempte of these men in that so ernestly they soughte to heare Christ preach the Gospel ⧠CHAPTER XXII THE FEASTE OF sweete Breade drewe nyghe which is called Passeouer A. The Euangelist Luke in this cap beginneth to descrybe vnto vs the Hystorye of the passion of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Chryst in the whych he repeateth a fewe things which the other omitted Concerning this Feast and the reste which followeth in thys Chapter Read the 26. cap of Mathew verse the second and the 14. Chapter of Marke verse 10. 15. And hee sayde vnto them I haue earnestly desiered to eate this Passeouer with you before that I suffer R. Here let vs note the desire of Christ to worke our SaluatioÌ„ In this feast of passeouer Chryste was to suffer a most shamefull and cruell death Another man woulde haue desiered by all maner of meanes to shunne and escape so horrible a death But Christ rather desiereth to suffer the same Not that Death it selfe was so pleasaunte but because he so earnestly thyrsteth after our Saluation which we attained vnto by his Death RoÌ„ 9.33 Therefore thys desire of Chryst ought to styrre vp euery carelesse and slouthfull person to repente in time If Chryste had called vs to such labor as might rather haue brought dauÌ„ger then profit we might peraduenture make excuse and turne our selues another way but nowe hee hath called vs to those labors nay rather to those Felicities which shal alway brynge Saluation with them For euery one that beleeueth in hym shall not be confounded Why then do we delay to take them in hande and to follow them Also this desyre of Christ ought to strengtheÌ„ their minds which feare that Chryst neither behouldeth them nor receiueth
dispence to his Brethren Neither is there any that hath not his proper office and Vocation Wee must watch therefore Faythfully to dispence the giftes of the Lord according to his will But specially it is the portars office to watch because the custody of the house is committed vnto hym Euen so truly they muste watch more then the reste to whome the care of congregations is committed By this parable therefore Chryste speaketh thus vnto vs. It fareth with you as it fareth wyth Seruaunts which are set in Authority by their Mayster to gouerne the house Among whome the portar hath receiued speciall charge to watche agaynst the Thiefe that commeth in the Night Therefore as euery one of thē do theyr office and the portar diligently playeth the Watchman euen so I requyre of you aboue all things dilygent and faythfull watching For I departe in Bodye but the time wyll come when I shall retourne agayn in Iudgemente But for that I poynte no certaine Day I shew no certayne time onely I shewe that I wil moste certainely come the time being vncertaine to you Watch therefore alwais loking for that my comming Reade the 24 Chapter of Mat for the next Verse 37. And that I say vnto you I say vnto all watche Least any man should think the same which was spoken to the disciples not to pertaine vnto them these Woordes were added Watche BV. Not without cause these wordes of the Lord watch ought alwaies to sound in our Eares For it telleth vs what we should do all our Life tyme. Our life is a warfare vpō erth Therfore we must alwaies watch FINIS Chapter the 14. AFter two Dayes was the feast of Passouer of vnleauened bread and the hye Priestes and the Scribes sought how they might take him by crafte and put him to death BV. Now the Euangelist Marke commeth to the absolute perfectiō of our saluation Namely to the description of the salutiferous and wholesom Sacrifice of our Redemption by the Death of Chryst in the which first he rehearseth the causes of his death the which in deede appertayneth to the Aduersaries of Chryst to the hie priestes I mean and to Iudas the traitor who being blynded with couetousnes and Enuy sould the Lorde for a small price And then he maketh mention of his last supper All the which Thynges are at large expounded in Math. Read the 26. cap for that which followeth vnto the 10. Verse 10. And Iudas Iscarioth one of the twelue went away to the hie priests to betray him vnto them The Euangelyst Luke sayeth that Sathan entered into Iudas in these wordes And Sathan entered into Iudas whose Syrname was Iscarioeh which was one of the twelue We haue plentifully intreated here of in the 26. of Math. where you may read of the same 47. And one of them that stoode by drew out a Sword and smote of a Seruaunt of the hie Priests cut of hys Eare. Luke addeth saying But Iesus answered and sayd suffer ye thus farre forth and when he had touched hys eare he healed him R. Iesus turning to his Disciples sayd God forbid that ye should fighte with the Swerd I wil that ye suffer my Aduersaries to shew theyr cruelty vpō me so far forth as it is permitted vnto them I know not you to bee my Aduengers there is an other to whome I haue committed all Vengeonce he when hee seeth time conuenyent will reuenge all iniury done vnto me Wherfore suffer ye them to rage against me at this time so far as they can For in healing Malchus Eare hee sufficiētly declareth that he misliketh of Peters deede aboue all the rest So that the more infirme and weak christ seemeth to bee at this time the more respect wee oughte to haue vnto thys Myracle For he was captiue vnto his Enemies in body but not in Power and Maiesty For although he vseth not his maiesty to the oppressinge of his enemies he declareth notwithstāding by thys healing of Malchus that the same is present with him to the end he might declare that hee was a Captiue by his owne free will and not by mans force 51 And there followed him a certaine younge man clothed in linnen vpon the bare and the yonge Men caught him C. How it commeth to passe that certaine imagin this to be Iohn wee knowe not neither doth it make any great matter it pertaineth more to the matter to note wherefore our Euangelist onely maketh mention of this story He dyd it truly to this end that we might know howe shamefully and ragingly the wicked rāged and hanched theyr pray in apprehending a man vnknowen to them and not suspected of any matter Who this yonge man was as it may be by probable reasons cōiectured wee haue shewed in the 2◠cap. of Math. 54 And Peter followed him a gret way of euen till hee was come into the Pallace of the hye Priest and hee sate wyth the Seruants and warmed himselfe at the fire BV. It is a token of greate loue that Peter followeth the lord and of feare in that he followeth him a farre of of rash foolishnes in intruding hymhimselfe into the Courte of the highe priest For the reste that followeth in this Chapter read the 26. of Math. FINIS Chapter the fiftenth ANd a none in the Davvning the hyghe Pryestes helde a Councell vvith the Elders and the vvhole Congregation and bound Iesus and led him avvay and deliuered him to Pylate BV. Now Marke declareth what was done with the Lord before Pilate the Deputy to whom the Iewes delyuered him to be put to death Al these things are more plentifullye expounded in the 27. of Mathew 6. At that Feast Pylate did deliuer vnto them a Prisoner vvhomesoeuer they vvould desire BV. The intente of the Deputy is declared in that he goeth aboute to deliuer an innocent and one that deserued no punishment but in vain for he was ouercome by the wickednes of the Iewes Furthermore Pilate delte not so seriously and with so great constancy as it was needefull Yee shall haue a more plentifull Exposition of these Thynges both in Mathewe and in Iohn 16. And the Souldiers ledde him away into the Hall called praetorium he called together the whole band BV. Fyrst the Euangelyst noted what the Lord suffered of the ministers of the Iewes in the palaice of the hie Priest now he teacheth what hee suffered at the hāds of Pilates seruāts a heathē Iudge after he was cōdempned in the Iudgement hall and finally ly how hee was led vnto the Death of the Crosse All these things are to be sene more at large in Mathew and Iohn And they brought him to a place named Golgatha whych is if a mā interprete it is the place of deade mens Sculles Marke diligently describeth what was done after his condempnation in the place call Caluary Namely howe Chryste was nayled and hanged on the Crosse betweene two Theeues what hee dyd speake on the crosse what
the rashe and vnaduised speache of his tongue did shee still remayne doubtfull likewise for the space of fiue monethes together Also her Woordes playnely shewe that her Hope was not suspended or doubtfull For when shee sayth Thus hath the Lorde delte wyth mee shee doth playnely and boldely pronounce that his grace was knowen vnto her And there might bee two causes why shee hid her selfe The first was least she might make the wonderfull worke of God to bee talked of amonge men before the same was euident according to the common maner of the World which was euer woonte to talke and prate rashly and vnreuerently of the workes of God The other was that when men should sodenly perceiue her to bee great with Chylde they might bee styrred vp the more to prayse God For those Woorkes of GOD which shewe them selues by litle and litle are often tymes when they are finished litle or nothinge of vs regarded Elizabeth therefore did not hide her selfe for her owne cause so much as for the respecte which Shee had vnto others 25. Thus hath the Lorde delte with mee in the dayes wherein he looked on mee to take from mee my rebuke amonge men Thus hath the Lord delt with me C. This is a thanks geuing whereby Shee attrybuteth all thinges vnto God the author of the worke It is likely that her husband had enformed her by writing of the same which the Lord had promysed for the which cause the more assuredly with a more cheerefull mynde shee pronoūceth God to be the author of this benefite as appeareth by these words also In the dayes wherein he looked on mee For she noteth this to bee the cause of her barrennesse for that the Lorde at that time had turned away his fauour from her A. For by these wordes loked vpon mee shee noateth that grace and benefite which had happened vnto her of her parte vndeserued The contrarye whereof is turnde fro and to looke another way Psa 138.6 Hereupon the Prophet Dauid saith Hee looketh vpon the humble as for the proud he beholdeth them a far of That is to say hee hath compassion vpon the lowly but vppon the proude not so And it doth not much differ frō the worde Mercy sauinge that to beholde signifieth the Iesture of him that hath compassion and mercy is the affection of Gods good will toward vs. Elyzabeth therefore accounteth it for a singuler benefite of God that shee is great with Childe And not without cause C. For the Scripture maketh speciall mencion of this among the temporall blessings of God that God geueth vnto vs the Fruite of our Body And not in vayne For if so be the fertillity and increase of brute beastes be his blessinge looke howe much more excellent is the increase of mankinde so much the more account ought we to make of the same And this is no meane or small honor that seeing God is and ought to bee accounted our onely Father Children are the blessing to God Psa 127.3 hee admitteth the sonnes of men to be partakers with him of this name Wee must hold fast therefore this doctrine that Children are the inheritance that commeth of the Lord and the fruite of the Wombe his rewarde But Elyzabeth had a farther respect because she being barren and an olde Woman had by a singuler myracle contrary to custome and the order of nature conceyued Barrennesse vvas counted a reproch among the IEWES To take from mee my rebuke Barrennesse was not without cause alwayes a reproch seeing the blessing of the wombe is reckoned among the speciall testimonies of Gods loue Some thinke that this was a speciall thing most acceptable to this auncient people because Chryste was to come of the seede of Abraham But this only belongeth vnto the Trybe of Iuda The Iudgement of others is much better which affyrme that the multiplicatiō of the holy people was prosperouse and happy euen as it was sayde to Abraham Gen. 13 16. Thy seede shal be as the sande by the seas side and as the starres of Heauen Moreouer the vniuersall blessinge which is extended to all mankinde the promise made to Abraham which specially belongeth vnto the Church of God ought to be Ioyned together Therefore they which want Chrildrē seeme to be depriued of that grace and benediction which was spoken of by the Prophets sayinge Psa 128.3 God shall blesse thy Wombe Also Thy Wyfe shal bee as the fruitefull Vyne vppon the Walles of thy House On the cōtrary parte God cursseth when either he geueth not or taketh away the fruit of our bodies Notwithstanding this is but a temporall cursse Let therefore all Parents learne to be thankefull vnto God for the Chyldren which they haue receiued and let them which are without fruit in this pointe learne to humble themselues Amonge men Elizabeth restrained this reproch vnto men because it is a temporall punishment for the which we loose nothinge in the kingdome of Heauen Therefore the godly man which is without fruite ought thus to consider and way with him selfe that God will not make him partaker of this honor for some Iust cause It is the tytle of God to be a Father as we haue sayd already in that therefore men are called Fathers it is because God vouchsafeth to geue vnto them this name of honor Therefore this cursse is not a signe of reiection but it is an erudition to humility R. Let vs learne here by the example of Elizabeth to ascribe that which wee haue receyued of God not to our owne power but to his deuyne grace least we be to proude but be rather brought to humility 26. And in the sixte moneth the Angell Grabriell was sent of God vnto a City of Galile named Nazareth In the sixt moneth A. That is to say after that Elizabeth had conceyued The Euangelist Luke diligently noteth the time For the Angell sayde afterwarde to the Virgin Also beholde thy Cosine Elizabeth hath conceyued a Sonne in her olde age and this is her sixt moneth which was called barren Wee hearde euen now also that Elizabeth after her conception hid her selfe for the space of fiue moneths Therfore in the sixt moneth vnder the raigne of Herode in the 32. yeare of his raygne these thinges followinge came to passe By which we gather that Iohn the Baptist was elder then the Lorde Christe by certayne Monethes Vnto a City of Galile named Nazaret C. Wonderfull is the ordering of Gods counsayle and farre differing from the common Iudgement of men in that God would haue a more noble beginninge of Generation in the Forerunner Iohn the Baptist then in his owne sonne Christe is promised to the Virgin The prophesie concerning Iohn was in the Temple but Christe is promised to the Virgin in an obscure place of Iudea and the sayd prophesie remayned buryed in the bosome of the Virgin onely But this same ought to be fulfilled euē from the byrth of Christ That God hath
rashly wythout consideration geuen by men but by the Aungell from heauen Secondly that IOSEPH and MARY obayed the commaundement of GOD. And this is the agremēt of our Fayth with the worde of God Namely that hee speakinge vnto vs firste by hys VVoorde our Faith also aunswereth and consenteth vnto hys promises Specially LVKE commendeth vnto vs the order of Preaching the word when he sayth that Saluation was Preached by mans voyce to proceede from the mere grace of CHRYST which was promised of GOD by the Aungell 22 AND vvhen the Dayes of purification after the Lavve of Moyses were ended they broughte hym to Hierusalē to present him to the lord And when the Dayes of her R. Two Lawes are set before vs in this place out of the old Testamente the one concerning the purging of woin Chyldbed and the other concerning the offering and sanctifying of the first begotten The Law concerning the vncleanes of a VVoman in Chyldebed is thus descrybed Leu◠72.2 When a Woman hath broughte forthe Seede and borne a Man Chylde shee shall bee vncleane seuen Dayes lyke as shee is vncleane when shee is put a parte for her Dysease And in the eighte day the foreskyn of the Chyldes flesh shal be cyrcumcysed And shee shall continew in the Bloud of her purifyinge three and thyrtie Dayes C. Therefore it was meete that shee should fulfill the ryte of her Purging the 40 day after her deliuerance Notwithstandyng Mary and Ioseph came to HIERVSALEM for an other cause Namely to presēt Christ vnto the Lord because he was her first borne Sonne Now we must first speake of purifying Purification C. Some Translations haue AND vvhen the Daies of theyr purification c. C. By which VVoordes Luke maketh both Mary and Chryste Partakers of the purifying For this Pronowne there cannot by any meanes be referred to Ioseph And it is no absurdity to say that Chryst who should be made accurssed for vs vpon the Crosse tooke vpon him for our sakes our vncleannesse althoughe as touching him selfe he was without all Spot of Sinne that is to say if the VVell of all purenesse would be coūted impure and vnclean to wash away our spottes They are deecyued whych thinke thys to be onely a polliticall Lawe as though the VVoman were vncleane before her husbād and not before God When as rather both the Corruption of Nature is set before the Eyes of the IEVVES Originall sin proued by the lavv of purifying and also the remedy of Gods Grace And this one Law is sufficiente to proue oryginall sinne as it containeth a notable Testimony of the Grace of God For the cursse of Mankind could not be more euydently declared then when the LORDE testified that the Infant commeth impure and Vncleane from his Mothers VVomb inso much that the mother her selfe is thereby polluted and defiled Verely excepte man were borne a sinner and were by Nature the chylde of VVrath and had remayninge in hym some Dregges of sin hee should not neede purifying VVherefore it followeth that all were corrupted in ADAM seeinge by the Mouth of the LORD they are condempned of Vncleannesse Neyther is it any Thynge Repugnaunte vnto this that the Ievves are called Holie Brawnches spryngynge from a Holy Roote Rō 11.16 because this Holinesse came not of them selues For althoughe by the Pryuilege of Adoption they were chosen to be a holie People Yet notwithstanding they had fyrste that naturall Corruption whych commeth from ADAM Therefore wee must distinguyshe betwene the first nature and the peculyar benefite of the couenaunt by which God doth deliuer his people from the common cursse And to this end belonged the legall purifying that the Iewes might know that theyr spottes whych they brought with them into the worlde were washed away by the Grace of Chryst Hereby also wee learne howe horrible the contagion of sin is whych doth in some part defile the lawful order of nature We graūt that neither wedlocke nor Chylde bearing of them selues are vncleane nay we confesse that the vice of vncleanes is couered wyth the holines of Wedlocke yet notwythstanding so deepe and profounde is the Welspryng of sin that from thence do issue alwaies some vices which doe defile that which otherwise is cleane To present him before the Lord Ex. 34.19 Exo 13.1 Nu. 8.16 E. Or to offer and geue hym vnto the Lord Concerning the presentinge of the first borne before the Lorde the Law prescribeth a forme as is to bee seene in these places coted in the margent Whereuppon it followeth 23. As it is written in the lawe of the Lord. Euery man Chyld that first openeth the Wombe shal bee called holy vnto the Lord. As it is written in the Law C. The Lord commaunded that all the male Children should be dedicated vnto him for a remembrance of the redemption Because when the Aungell killed all the first borne of Aegypt hee spared the first borne of Israell afterward it was lawfull for euery one to redeme his first begotten with a certaine price that was the olde Ceremony Now seeing the Lord is the redeemer of all men hee doth by ryghte challenge vs all vnto him from the least to the greatest That first openeth the wombe E. Or which is first begotten Shall bee called holy vnto the Lorde The Hebrew Phrase is Hee shall be hallowed or consecrated euē as it is sayd Exo. 13.2 Exo 34.19 Sanctify vnto me euery first borne that openeth the Matrix Also Euery first borne is mine The Euangelyst Luke hath not set downe the words of the Law Verbatim but thoughte it sufficent to set downe the sence onely of the places before cited out of the Bookes of Exodus and Numbers 24. And to offer as it is sayd in the Lawe of the Lorde a payer of Turtle Doues or 2. younge Pigeons R. Concerning the Oblations of women after theyr deliuerāce in the day of theyr purifying it is thus writtē in the Law And when the dayes of her purifying are accomplished for a Son or for a Daughter Leuit. 12.6 shee shall offer a Lambe But if shee can not offer a Lambe shee shall offer two Turtle Doues or two yonge pigeons C. Therefore this Sacrifice belonged to the right of purifying least any man should thinke that the same was offered for the redeming of the first begottē Or two yonge Pigeons C. When the Euangelist speaketh of a payer of Turtle Doues or of two younge Pigeons he taketh it as graunted vnto him that the pouerty of Ioseph and Mary was so great that they wer not able to offer a Lambe For this Exception is plainely set downe in the twelfth of Leuiticus If any man Obiect and say that the Magi a litle before offered Gold vnto Chryst Mat. 2.11 wyth the which they myghte haue bought a Lambe wee aunswer that we must not thinke that they brought such plenty of Gold wyth them as inriched Mary and Ioseph For wee doe not read that they brought with
which seeme to be most ielouse of the Glory of God are blynded with pryuate Affection of the Flesh R. If a man receyue hurte of an other he thinketh it Equity and right to doe Iniurye agayne and to reuenge Another cursseth his Aduersarie another wisheth to his Ennemy not onely Death but also an infinite sorte of Deuils and Hell fire it selfe And as these Thynges are done so sometime they are thought to be iustly done And why so For say they he hurt me first Why should hee doe vnto me such iniury who haue don no harme but good And why is it not lawfull for mee to doe that whych the Prophets dyd Elyzeus wheÌ„ he was mocked of Chyldren curssed them in the name of the Lord and two Beares came and tare forty of them in pieces And Sampson concerning the Philystines sayd 4. Ki. 1.23 As they haue don to mee so haue I done to them Iud. 15.11 If theÌ„ it wer lawful for holy men to cursse and to do euill to theyr Aduersaries Why may not I do the like which haue receyued so many and so great iniuries A. Beholde here the common Disease of the Flesh Yea beholde the preposterous peruerse and mischieuous zeale of men R. By which the desire of pryuate Reuenge is not onely counted iust but also acceptable before God Wherefore excepte our zeale bee gouerned by the Spyrite of God it shall profite vs nothing at all to make any Excuse for whatsoeuer we haue done For the Spyrite doth gouern vs with his Counsaile wisedome least we should take any thinge in hand vnwisely contrary to our office or calling yea it will endue our mindes with right affections putting away all the dregges of the Flesh that we may desire nothing but that which is according to Gods wil. S. Therfore Christ by this Reprehension forbiddeth Reuenge as a vyce of our corrupte Nature and willeth vs to goe beyond nature as to loue our enemies to beare with the Aduersaries of the truth to suffer iniuries and to pray for those that hate vs. For the Kingdome of Chryst is the Kingdome of the Crosse of patience of meekenes of peace of humanity and such like Chryst also here separateth his Kingdome from the kingdome of this World and ChrystiaÌ„ meÌ„ from the Chyldren of Darkenesse Moreouer he teacheth that the Kingdome of GOD is not a Kingdome in the which the matter must be tryed with Swordes and Clubbes Ye wot not what maner Spyrite ye are of S. He calleth heere the internal motion with the whych they were led the Spyrite They which haue the Spyrite of GOD are led by the Holy Ghost and they which haue the spirite of the Flesh are gouerned by the Flesh Therefore Chryst putteth a difference betwene the Spyrite of the Flesh and of corrupte nature and betwene the wyse Spyrite of God and those thinges which are of God and wythall hee reprehendeth his Disciples because they being farre froÌ„ the Spyrite of ELYAS vsurpe vnto theÌ„ selues amisse that which he did R. As if he should say Ye vnderstand not that your mynd your Spyrite and your desire is so euill that if all Synners shoulde bee delte vvythall alyke not onely these vnthankefull SAMARITANS but also you your selues and all Mankynde should vtterly bee destroyed C. ELYAS whose Example yee alleadge executed that Iudgement of GOD which was commauÌ„ded hym by the spyrit but ye wyll fal to Reuenge not at the Commaundement of GOD but at the motion of the Flesh Hereby we learne that the Examples of the Saynctes doe nothyng at all serue our tourne except the same Spyrite whych was theyr Dyrector dwell in vs R. There are some which reade thys Sentence by interrogationâ— thus Know ye not what Spyrite ye are of As if he should say Know ye not that in speaking thus ye are led by the Spyrite of the flesh For the Spyrite of my Father by whych yee oughte to ve gouerned seeketh not reuenge Or els Know ye not of what Doctrine ye are the dysciples and of what Religion ye are the Professors For fyrst ye are the Disciples of the Law Ma 5.44 and I haue taught you oute of the Law that ye must doe good not onely to your friends but also to your Enemies Secondly ye are my Disciples which am that Sonne of man which is called the Messias or Christ sent for the common Saluation of meÌ„ 56. For the Sonne of man is not come to destroy mens liues but to saue them And they went to another Towne A. Hee sheweth the cause why they should not seke reuenge but rather desire that all mighte repent and bee saued because hee which is the Lorde came to saue all Luk. 19.10 Euen as it is sayd in another place The Son of maÌ„ came to seeke and to saue that which was lost Io 3.17 And agayne he sayth God sente not his Son into the worlde to iudge the World but that the Worlde might be saued through him R. The which words bryng no small consolation to the conscience in all afflictions 1. Ti. 1.15 For they doe explicate the proper office of Chryste namelie that he doth not destroy but saue If so bee the wages that is to say Afflictions Pouerty Sickenesse Infamy Exile Death and Hell vexe thee Why arte thou faynte harted Chryst doth not destroy but saue 〈◊〉 1â— 23 Aâ—â— in the Prophete it is sayde I liue sayth the Lord. I will not the deth of a Sinner but rather that hee bee conuerted and liue Beleue therfore in Chryst and thy sinnes are forgeuen thâ—e and thou shalt liue safe from destruction And they went to another towne A Chryst would goe to another place rather then hee woulde satisfie the vndiscrete and rash zeale of his disciples For the Exposition of the reste whych followeth vnto the 61. verse reade the eight Chapter of Mat. beginnynge at the 19. Verse 61. And another sayd Lord I wil follow thee but let mee first goe bid them farewell which are at home at my House C. Mathew maketh no mentioÌ„ of this thyrd man but it appeareth that hee was more bent vnto the worlde then preste and ready to follow Christ Hee offereth himselfe to be a CompanioÌ„ of Chryst but with an exception as wheÌ„ hee hath bid them at home at his house farewell that is to say when hee had set those thinges whych were in hys house in a readines as they are wonte which take theyr leue This is the cause why Chryst doth so sharpely repreheÌ„d him For in word he professed himself to bee a Companion of Chryst then forsooke him vntill hee had ended hys worldly busines B. But whosoeuer wil haue Christ to bee theyr Sauiour must forsake al thinges and geue themselues wholie vnto Chryst 62. Iesus sayde vnto him No maÌ„ that putteth hys Hand to the Ploughe and loketh backe is apt to the Kingdome of God B. As if he should say Thou muste not haue such Respect vnto those
of people to heare the worde of God The circūstance of time is also noted whē Christ is sayd to teach on the Sabothes Now this was the most conuenyente time to receiue Doctrine as we haue noated out of diuers places Therfore although the word of God be tyed to no places or Circumstances of times Yet notwythstanding at the wisedom and discretion of the teacher the same ought to be taught when ther is greatest hope of fructifying 11. And he holde there was a womā which had a Spyrit of Infirmitye eightene yeres was bowed together and could in no wise lifte vp her selfe C. Here is declared a myracle in the woman which was healed and the offence malitiouslye Conceiued of the IEWES because the LORDE had healed her on the Saboth Day LVKE sayth that the woman had the Spyrite of Infirmity in such wise that by the Contraction and shrynkynge of the sinnes her body was croked Because hee doth not otherwyse shewe what maner of disease it was it is lykelie that it was no common disease or such a one as the cause thereof was known to the Phisitions therefore he calleth it the Spyrite of infirmitie For wee know that by the Deuils means men are very much afflicted with straūge euils and vnnaturall diseases For although diseases come of naturall causes Yet notwithstanding there is no doubt but that they are punishmentes which the Lord sendeth for sinne And Sathan vseth them so often as it seemeth good vnto him Wee see what happned to Iob the Scripture is full of such Testimonies And was bowed together This Disease had so bowed the Womans backe that shee could not looke vp straite to heauen but went stouping downe to the groūd A. So that it seemeth that this was an extraordinary disease with that which Sathan afflicted this miserable Woman both in Body and minde C. Whereby the power of Chryste more euidently appeared by which he triumphed ouer Sathan not that sathan hath rule ouer men at his owne wyl but in that he hath power geuen vnto him of God to hurte 12. Whē Iesus saw her hee called her to him and sayd vnto her woman thou art loased from thy dysease C. In this miracle as in others also Chryst declared as well his power as his grace For he had further respect then to the disease For so long as wee sustaine the punishment of sin Sathā holdeth vs bound without mercy but Chryst is sayd to loase this woman How loaseth he her Doth hee loase her because he restoreth to her her mēbers No not for that onely but that externall solution was a signe of the inward loasing in soule For she myght haue ben deliuered from her disease and not haue bene loased frō the bondes of Sathan The cause therfore muste be ioyned with the effect So the saynts do oftentimes ioyne the wrath of God with theyr Sinnes euen as here the deliuerance from the disease and the cause are ioyned together And hee vseth the Preterperfectence or the time past Thou art deliuered when as not withstanding she was not deliuered or loased vntill Chryst had layd his hāds on her But she was loased alredy because the Lord had taken compassion on her and had decreed to heale her What then remained but that shee should receiue and apprehend by faith that which Chryst gaue vnto her Thus wee must haue respect vnto God by hope otherwise we shall see the diseases but shal be ignoraunt of the causes 13. And he layd his hands on her and immediately she was made strait and glorified God And he layd his hands on her A. Chryst vsed this externall signe so oftē as it pleased him For it was not necessary seeing we read that many wer healed of him with his word only but when it seemed good vnto him he vsed thys externall signe C Concernynge the vse whereof we haue spoken in an other place And glorified God here we haue in the womā an example of thanks geuing For to glorify God is to geue him thanks for the benefit receiued by Christ his son This gloryfiing of God is the effect of faith whych testefieth that the womā had faith the which whosoeuer hath he cannot be vnthākeful vnto God for his benefites Also that to glorify God to geue thanks vnto God are al one it is manifest by the example of the leper of whō it is said Luk. 17.16 Hee fel downe on his face at his feete and gaue him thankes There are not found that returned to geue Glorye vnto God but only this straunger 14. And the Ruler of the Sinagogue aunswered with Indignation because that Iesus had healed on the Saboth day and sayd vnto the people There are sixe dayes in which men ought to worke in thē therefore come that ye may be healed and not on the Saboth day Aunswered with Indignation A. That is to say he spake with Indignation because Chryst healed on the Saboth Day the which hee therefore did that the hypocrite might haue occasiō to speake agaynst the miracle It was not a matter done of purpose and yet notwithstanding all this was done by the prouidence of God Euen so the Lord doth oftentymes discouer the wickednesse and Hipocrisie of the wicked that they myghte bee knowne to the world There are sixe Dayes C. This Ruler durste not openly reprehend Chryst but tourneth the poysō of his waywardnes another way ouerthwartly condēning Chryst in the Person of the common sorte of people But this was wonderfull outragious mallice He telleth thē that there are sixe Dayes appoynted for labor but how foolishly doe they define that to be Labour which is permitted to be done onely wythin the compasse of sixe Dayes Why doth he not kepe them frō entering into the Sinagogue least they breake the Saboth Day VVhy doth he not commaund thē to ceasse from all the workes of piety But if men be restrayned from theyr workes onely on the Saboth day how vnmeete a thinge is it for the grace of God to bee tyed then He commaundeth them to come vpon other dayes to craue health as though the power of GOD lay a sleepe on the Saboth day and did not specially extende the same on that Day for the healthe and comforte of his People To what end serue Holy Assemblies but onely that the Faythfull might call for the Ayde and helpe of God VVherefore this wicked hypocrite speaketh as if the lawfull obseruation of the Saboth did stop the course of Gods Benefits exclude men frō calling vpon him and dyd depryue them of the Sence and feeling of his grace 15. But the Lorde aunsweaed him Thou Hypocrite doth not each of you on the Saboth Day loose hys Oxe or his Asse from the Staule and leade him to the Water C. In that he calleth him Hypocrite he doth it not to reproach him but sheweth that he which was a wicked man in heart preferred holines before Externall thinges Doth not ech one of you on the Saboth Day C. VVhen
Iudgemēt euē to be punished at that time the self same thing the Diuells whereof Luke maketh mencion do signifie when they intreate Iesus that he would suffer them to enter into the Swyne Luke 8. declaring in deede by manifest wordes that they are free from extream punishmēt which they should haue in the deepe And in the Gospell after Mathew it is sayd Math. 15. Depart frō me yee curssed into Hell fyer which is prepared for the Diuell and his Angels He sayth that eternall fyer is prepared for the Diuell and his Angells and not that they do now burne in this fyer When as therefore Sathan doth thinke that he must forsake all men so soone as Chryste appeareth and that hee with his fellowes must go out of hand to hell fyer he thinketh that he hath iust cause to complayne and to reason with Christe that he is destroyed before the time I knovv thee vvhat thou arte The Diuells truly were wonderfully indewed with vnderstanding wherevpon they were called in Greeke Daemones that is to say knowing Euen that holy one of God C. It is lykely that this tytell of the holy one of God was taken of the common and vsual maner of speach which was vsed at that time And they did therefore so cal the Messias because he should be seperated frō the number of all other men as one indewed with singuler grace and as the heade of the whole Church A. But to what ende this confession which the Diuell made did pertayne it is shewed in the 23. verse going before 25. And Iesus rebuked him saying holde thy peace and come out of the man And Iesus rebuked him B. He cōmaūdeth the diuell to be silent suffreth hym not to gieue testimony vnto him although it be true leaste men should thinke that he had any fellowship with Diuells For the Phariseys sclaūdered him saying that he had a Diuell and that he cast out Diuells by the help of Belzebub the prynce of Diuells Math 12. By this deede also he declared how detestable the testimony of those men is vnto him who as the Diuells did preache him with a hollow and deceiptfull mynde As it is written to the wicked and vngodly man sayd God Psalm 50. Why dost thou take my lawes in thy mouth For hee wil haue none but such as are most holy and founde to beare witnesse of him that is to weete to preach the Gosple We are also hereby admonished that we attribute nothing at all to Satanicall aunsweres and deedes although they seeme to be true and not euill For the Diuell is a lyar and the author of a ly Iohn 8. neyther doth he say or doe any thinge then to the ende he may disceaue 26. And whē the vncleane spirit had torne him and cryed wyth a loude voyce he came out of him VVhen the vncleane spirite had torne him Luk. 4. C. The Euangelist Luke doth somewhat more mittigate this matter saying And when he had throwne him in the middest yet notwithstandinge in sence they very wel agree because both of them went about to teach that the Diuell was cast out by violence Therefore hee did so throwe the man to the groūd as though he would haue torne him notwithstanding Luke sayth that he was disapoynted of his purpose not that the man suffered this violence wtout any hurte or griefe at all but because the man was afterwarde delyuered safe and sound from the Diuell BV. Here therefore Sathan maketh a shewe of his power that his worshipers may knowe what they ought to looke for of him namely at the length to be throwne to the ground torne in pieces For his flattering fayre speach his desire to abide stil is only that he might at the length haue ful power authority ouer vs so might myserably torment vs. Hee vvent out of the man Sathan goeth forth notwithstanding by constrainte not of his owne freewill being ouercome by the power of Chryste 27. And they were all amased insomuch that they demaunded one of another sayinge what thinge is this what newe doctrine is this For with authority commaunded he the foule spirites and they obeyed him And they vvere all amased A. The Euangelist Luke hath Luk. 4. And feare came on them all and they spake among thēselues saying what sayinge is this For with authority and power he commaundeth the foule spirites and they come out C. The fruite of the myracle is that they are constrayned to suspecte Christe to be somewhat more thē a man And wisely they doe referre the glory and power of the myracle to the doctrine What newe doctryne is this say they to the which the very Dyuels are constrayned to gieue place They call the doctrine of Christe here newe doctrine not in reproche but because they see in the same somewhat that is extraordinary and neuer seene before They call it not new therefore to derogate any credit from the same but they rather wonder at the matter affirming that it is neyther cōmen nor humaine And truly it was a thing belonging vnto God to haue power ouer vncleane spirites wherevpon they do not with iust cause meruayle to see Chryste indewed with such power C. In this only they offend that they stand still in doubt when as it becommeth the children of God to go forward and to profite more more And they obeyed him A. Luke hath And they came forth 29. And forth with when they were come out of the Synagoge they entered into the house of Simon and Andrewe with Iames Iohn But Simōs mother in law lay sick of a feuer A. Reade the eight Chapter of Mathew BV. By the Publique benefite which was openly done in the Synagoge to him which was vexed of the Diuell the Lorde was knowne to the godly and nowe also by a domesticall benefite he waxeth better acquaynted and knowne vnto them and declareth his power to this ende and purpose that he might allure and drawe all men to the faith might declare vnto all men how great he is in dignity authority mercy and power C. This also is to be noted that wheresoeuer Christe is receiued he sheweth some testimony of his power he neuer commeth empty vnto vs but bringeth with all those benefits to bestowe vpon vs which hee hath receiued of the father Neyther is this done onely in Christe but also in his mēbers For they which receyue and harbour straungers the poore the fatherlesse and the Wydowe do receiue the promise of a hundered foulde but this is specially to bee considered in Christe who neuer commeth but hee bringeth plenty of his Benefites wyth him 30. And anon they tell him of her B. This our Euangelist sayeth that Christe was toulde of her but Luke sayth that intercession was made for her she being sicke of a feuer for the Euangelists do often times pretermit many things in the which we haue an example of loue which sorroweth for another bodies
followed him Very few and briefe are the Words but there seemeth nothing to be more wōderfull and harde and lesse possible for a man to doe then this worke whych Mathew did For Mathew was very rich and had greate possessions Beside thys he had such an offyce that thereby he receiued yerely gayne And yet for all this hee followed Iesus But what other thinge seemed this to bee then a playne pathway to his ignominy decay yea and to present death For he heard that Iesus was coūted amōg the Rulers of the people an Heretique a seditious person and worthy of extreame punishment But Mathew notwithstanding passed through all these narrow and daungerous straightes by faith because he beleued this Iesus to be the very true Messias 15. And it came to passe as Iesus sate at table in his house many Publicanes and sinners sate at table also vvith Iesus and his disciples For there vvere many that follovved him And it came to passe as Iesus sat at Table A. Luke addeth somewhat before this saying And Leuy made him a greate banquet in his house Many publicanes and sinners also Luke hath There was a great cōpany of Publicanes also and of other that sate at the table with them 16. And vvhen the Scrybes Phariseys savv him eate vvith the Publicanes and sinners they saide vnto his disciples Hovve is it that hee eateth and drynketh vvith Publicanes and Synners A. Luke sayth that they murmured agaynst his Disciples This truly aboue all other is worthy to bee noted that the Scribes and Pharisies that is to say those which seemed to ioyne the Relygion purenesse of lyfe wyth the knowledge of the Scriptures and for that cause were counted more excellent then the rest of the people that they I say shoulde backe byte and sclaunder the Lorde before all other should condemne al his words deedes were they neuer to so excellent purpose and good effect But this is the proper Nature of humayne righteousnes that the same being nothing but externall and deceiptfull doth not withstandinge despyse set at naught all other thinges in respect of it selfe Reade the ninth of Mathevv 17. Novve vvhen Iesus heard it hee sayd vnto them The vvhole haue no neede of the Phisition but they that are sicke I came not to call the ryghteouse but sinners to repentaunce The vvhole haue no neede of the Physition Reade the nynth Chapter of Mathevv going before I came not to call the righteouse R. By these wordes it appeareth that the Publicanes had polluted defiled their life with great sinnes notoriouse crimes which els had bene good for he calleth them sinners as the rest also whom he calleth to repentaunce 18. And the disciples of Iohn and the Pharisies did fast and came and sayd vnto him vvhy doe the Disciples of Iohn and of the Pharisies fast and thy Disciples fast not Reade the nynthe Chapter of Mathevv going before 19. And Iesus sayde vnto them Can the Chyldren of the mariage Chamber fast vvhyles the Brydegrome is vvith them as long as they haue the Brydgrome vvyth them they cannot fast And Iesus sayd vnto them B. Th Euāgelist Luke hath Can yee make the Childeren of the wedding Chāber to fast as longe as the bridgrome is with them S. Mathew hath Can yee make the Children moorne but in the same sence For fasting is as it were a certayne mourning according to this place of the Prophet Esay 58. Wherefore haue wee fasted thou seest it not we haue punished our selues and thou regardest it not Who seeth not here that these wordes we haue fasted and punished are put for one thing Hereby we may gather what was the cause why our Elders fasted for their fast was not to take meate only once a day and to eate fishe but once to put away all delightes and pleasures and to vse a certayne kynde of mourninge and a iust castigation or chastisment of the body Whereupon that the hypocriticall Phariseys might seeme so to fast they disfigured their faces and fared outwardely as though they did mourne punish them selues as appeareth by the which is writen in the sixt of Mathew Math. 6. Contrary vnto the which counterfayting was washyng and anoyntinge as we haue noted by many places of scripture in the foresayde Chapter of Mathevv Wherefore the fasting which the Lord commaunded to the Chyldren of Israell in the day of reconcilliation is called not a fasting but an affliction humbling of the mynde For thus it is written Leu. ◠23 The tenth of this same moneth shal be a day of reconsilliation shal be an holy cōuocation vnto you and yee shal humble your soules And a litle after it followeth For euery person that humbleth not him selfe that same day shall euen bee cut of from his people For fasting as it signifieth only an abstayning from meate is a parte of that fast whych was commaunded to the people of Israell to obserue for the humbling and depressing of the mynde Iudg 2◠The children of Israel being twise put to flight of the Beniamites are sayd to mourne and fast before the Lord vntil the euening and to offer sacrifice 1. King 7 Such was the fasting of the people in Maspha by which they cōfessed and bewayled their sinnes 1. King 31 After the same maner did the citizens of Iabes fast when they buried Saule and his sonnes 1. King 1 In like sorte Dauid and the men that were with him fastinge mourning vntill the euening bewayled the death of Saule and Ionathas and the people also which perished with them 3. King 21 Such a fast did Achab obserue when he shewed himself penitent for the death of Naboth The lyke consideration of fasting was that whereof Daniell Ioell and Zacharias the Prophets make mencion Hereby wee may perceyue what is ment by the worde mourning which Mathevv vseth 20. But the dayes vvyll come vvhen the Brydegrome shal be taken from them and then shal they fast in those dayes As cōcerning the exposition of this verse reade the 9. Chapter of Math. 21. Also no man sovveth a piece of new cloth in an olde garment for els the nevve piece taketh avvay the filling vp from the olde and the breach is vvorse Luke addeth more than this saying And he put forth a similitude vnto thē Reade our exposition vpon Math. for this verse and the 22. also 23. And it came to passe as he vvent through the Corne on the Sabboth day that his disciples as they vvent on their vvaye began to plucke the eares of corne Began to plucke the eares of Corne S. Luke addeth and to rub them betwene their handes and to eate them 24. And the Phariseis sayd vnto him Beholde vvhy doe they on the Sabboth day that vvhich is not lawfull S. Luke writeth that certayne of the Phariseis rebuked the disciples wyth these wordes Why doe yee that which is not lawfull to bee done on the Sabboth
prouyde meate and other necessaryes to leade Sheepe and Oxen to the water to drawe an Oxe or Asse out of a pit and such lyke Some workes pertayned to sanctification as to circumsise Chyldren to kill sacrifices such lyke And of both these kynde of workes Christe maketh mencion wheÌ„ he declareth the Saboth in this place saying that it is lawfull to do good on the Saboth day as to heale the sicke and to saue a mans Lyfe that is in health For this worke doth not let but that a man may heare the preaching of Gods worde and may be present at the sacrifices for these were the coÌ„mon works of the Saboth commaunded in that time of the lawe By these thinges truly it is manifest when the Lawe sayeth Thou shalt doe no maner of vvorke on the Saboth that it speaketh not simplely of all maner of workes but only of those which are an impediment and let that the Saboth cannot be sanctified that is to say that those works caÌ„not be done which specially pertayne to the worship of God as to heare the word of God to do sacrifice to the coÌ„firming testifying of fayth By these things also we may perceyue what we ought to thinke of the Sonday which the Christians obserue and keepe in the steede of the Saboth For seeing it is meete that we come together to heare the worde of God at certayne dayes appoynted and to be partakers of the mysticall breaking of the Breade and also to Ioine in prayer furthermore seeing seruaunts other labourers must rest and cease from worke it ought not to seeme newe vnto vs if the day which wee call Sonday be a day selecte and chosen for that purpose But there are same which speake against this day of rest affyrminge that Christians continewe in Iudaisme because they retayne some obseruation of dayes These men that thus â—eake are murmurers agaynste all order in the Church For we obserue these dayes and yet are voyde of all Iudaisme because in this poynt we differ far from the Ievves For we doe not vse it as a Ceremony necessarye to Religion by which we might thinke the spirituall mistery to be figured but wee receyue it as a necessary remedy to retaine and keepe order in the Church Neyther did our Elders without great consideration poynte that day which wee call Sonday in steede of the Ievves Sabaoth For seeing it is the ende and accomplishment in the resurrection of the Lorde of that true rest which the olde Sabaoth did shadowe all Christians are admonished not to cleaue vnto the shadowed Ceremony B. But whereas the Lorde doth requyre so seuerely certaine solemnities of the Ievves as we may reade in dyuers places of the Law and the Prophets when as godlynesse notwythstanding did litle coÌ„sist in the obseruation of them there are truely two causes The first was because in them the people myght learne the lawe of the Lord and increase fayth to the which things we ought to be caryed wyth all diligence Wherefore these solempnities could not be neglected without as well the great contempt of the goodnes of God as the neglectâ—ng of piety and godlynesse The 2. cause being more special why so great a religion was made of daies is this be cause it might be a figure of the rest of a minde not lyuing to it self but vnto God For it is certayne that so farre as the Saboth was appointed to be kept holy a tyme to cease from externall labor was a figure of the liâ—e in the which we do nothing so much after our owne will as we doe after the will of the Lord the which we ought to seeke onely for euer For we must meditate in this worlde of that thynge which we hope to obtayne in the world to come And we hope to enter into the rest of the Lord that as hee after hee made the Heauen the earth and all other creatures rested from all his labour euen so we should cease from all our laboures when wee should inioy the euerlasting rest To do good or to do euell A. What hee meaneth by doing good he playnely sheweth when he restoreth health to the sicke man Therefore of the contrary it is to do euell not to be carefull for a sicke person and to helpe him if thou maiste The which what is it els then to destroy and kill a man E. The wordes of Christ therefore are as much in effecte as if he should haue sayd Yee see this miserable creature to whom there is no good man but he wisheth health whom who so euer would haue neglected he sheweth him selfe not only farre from humanity but also from Religion To what ende therefore doe yee thinke that the Saboth was ordayned Eyther to doe euell as to neglect those whom yee may help Or els to doe good Furthermore wee must note by this question of the Lorde that not to doe good when thou mayest is to doe euill not to saue when thou mayest is to destroy But they held theyr peace Neyther the misery of this sicke person which they euidently sawe neither the equitye of the cause so manyfest coulde chaunge on whit the cruelty of the Phariseys wheÌ„ they had nothing to auÌ„swere they rather held their peace than to confesse that which they thought in Conscience to be true They durst not say that it was rather lawfull to doe euell then to doe good on the Sabboth day althoughe they would haue sayd so neither would they say that it was lawful to do good They held their peace therefore which challenged to them selues only authority to make aunswere of matters concerninge the lawe what ought to bee done and what ought not to be done 5. And when he had looked round about on them wyth anger mourning for the hardnesse of their hearts hee sayth to the man Stretche forth thy hand And he stretched out and hys hande was restored as whole as the other B. Who would not haue bene angry at such contemners and open despysers of the manifest power and goodnesse of God Christe truely is angery but his anger is mixt with mourning for our blyndnesse by the which agayne hee declareth his loueing kyndnesse towards vs namely that althoughe we by our obstinacy and blyndnesse doe prouoke him to anger yet notwithstaÌ„dinge hee accordinge to his goodnesse doth no lesse mourne for vs and oure blindnesse than a father lamenteth the vntowardnesse of his children Strech forth thy hand Reade the 12. Chapter of Mathew going before 6. And the Phariseys departed and strayghte vvaye gathered a Councell with the Herodians against him that they might destroy him BV. The darkenesse of this world caÌ„not abyde the cleare lyght of the Gospell but doe flee from the same yea so much as they can they seeke to destroy it This thing we may see in the Phariseys who in all haste roome out of the Synagoge and ioyne them selues to the Herodians whom except it were to conioine in this
worthynes sake but by the mere grace and goodnes of Christ For if yee vnderstand the wordes so that they were chosen which were more excellent then the rest what shall we think then of the calling of Iudas The meaning therefore is that the Apostleship was not geuen according to the deserte that was in man but they which were least worthy by the mercy of God were aduaunced to that dignity and so is it fulfilled which Chryste pronounced in another place sayinge Iohn 15 Yee haue not chosen mee but I haue chosen you And they came to him B. This is the very same which Mathew sayth And when he was sitten downe his Disciples came vnto him Luke hath And hee called his Disciples Afterwarde Marke and Luke describe the election of the twelue Apostles which Mathew omitteth 14. And hee ordayned twelue that they shoulde bee with him and that hee myght sende theÌ„ forth to preach A. The cause why our sauiour Christ would haue twelue Dysciples neyther more nor lesse is declared already in the tenth of Mathewe And that he might send them forth C. Christe did not send them forth by and by as it is sayd before but after they had profited in his doctrine 15. And that they might haue power to heale sicknesses and to cast out diuells A. This place teacheth that signes and myracles are seales and testimonies of the doctrine of the Gosple 16. And hee gaue vnto Symon to name Peter C. Although it becoÌ„meth all Chrystians to bee lyuely stones of the spirituall Temple yet notwythstandinge Christe accordynge to the measure of Grace by the which he would instruct Symon gaue vnto hym a peculiar name By this Name the inuincible strength and constancy of Peter by which hee continewed euen to the death is set forth 17. And he called Iames the sonne of Zebedee and Iohn Iames brother gaue theÌ„ to name Boanerges which is to say the sonnes of thunder And he called Iames A. Because there was another Iames the sonne of Alphe there is heere a dyfference put betwene the one and th' other as in other places also And gaue them to name Boauerges B. This our sauiour Chryste doth accordinge to his wonted maner to declare that the excellency of the office was such whereunto he had chosen them that they must become other meÌ„ then they were before and therefore must be called by other names So he gaue newe names to Abraham Sara and to Israel who as they were the authors of the carnal Israell so they were spirituall types But specially hee gaue names to these three namely to Peter and to the two sonnes of Zebede because hee woulde chiefly vse their worke and dilligence to the settinge vppe of his kingdome Wherefore hee was more familliar with these than with the rest and when hee did any matter hee tooke them to him more than any other as the Euangelicall hystorâ—es playnely declare Boanerges B. This woorde is corrupted whose right pronunciation accordinge to the Hebrew tongue is Bene reges or regas but it is not vnknowne how easely a word may be chaunged when they are translated into another tongue In the Chaldei tongue it is Bene rigus the sonnes of raging and tumulte or as our Euangelist interpreteth it the sonnes of thunder For it is wellynough knowne that the Lord vsed then the vulgar tongue which wee call eyther the Syriak or the Chaldei tongue in the which ragus or rigus is called raging tumult or thunder as Marke expoundeth it Christe called the sonnes of Zebede by this name because he ment to geue them a sounding voyce the which they shoulde thunder through out the whole worlde B. For it was so appoynted that they shoulde strike the world with their thundring voyce more then the rest And that this was done by Iames this is an argument that Herode put him to death before any other no doubt because he did more earnestly inueygh against him by the preaching of the Gosple then the rest C. Thunder also is heard out of the mouth of Iohn at this day euen as the Euangelicall history and the Epistle which hee lefte vnto vs doe testify As touching the 18. verse reade the exposition of Mathew the 2. verse of the 10. Chapter 19. And Iudas Iscarioth which also betrayed him and they came into the house A. This Iudas by two notes is discerned from the rest For he is called Iscarioth eyther of the village where he was borne or els of the tribe of Isachar and the same which betrayed him But the other Iudas is called the brother of Iames Lebbeus â—â—â—ddaeus QuestioÌ„ But heere aryse many questions First of all Why Christe wittingly of set purpose chose Iudas whom hee knewe to be vnworthy of that dignity and also that he should be a traytour Secondarily why God being so earnestly prayed vnto of his sonne would suffer such a wicked and false person to creepe into the first order of Church to be one of the Pillers as it were as though he had reiected his son Chryst Thirdly why he would haue the first fruites of his Church to bee polluted with such a foule blemishe Fourthly why it came to passe that Christ wittingly and willingly would preferre Iudas before honest and faithfull mynisters Answer The first obiection is thus aunswered that the Lord sought to preuente offencs to come leaste wee shoulde bee troubled aboue measure so often as false teachers are placed in the Church or when of Professors of the Gosple they become Apostataes and also that he ment to geue an example in the person of one man of horrible defection falling least they should thinke towell of themselues which were set in hygher degree of Dignity The second obiection may thus bee answered that Christe was not reiected of his father when that the father by his wonderfull counsell and decree adioyned one Diuell to 11. Angles for he so gouerned the successe and end of the matter that the fall of him did rather confirme the fayth of his Church than shake the same This same aunswere also may serue for the third question As touching the aunswere of the fourth Obiection thus much is to bee sayd that Christe did not preferre Iudas before godly and holy Dysciples but setting him a lofte in that place from whence he should fal he ment to make him a spectacle and ensample for all men to behold from time to time that they might learne to beware how they abuse the honor which God bestoweth vpon them 20. And the people assembled together agayne so that they had no leysure so much as to eate breade A. When hee was in the house there was one possessed of a Diuel that was brought vnto him as Mathew declareth in hys twelueth Chapter The Lord beinge weryed with laboure retourned home that he myght breath a little and after meate to prepare hymselfe to labour againe But the importunate seeking of the people which desiered to heare
Ephatha is the imparatyue or commaunding moode in the Chalde tongue which signifieth be thou opened that is to say haue thou or receiue thou open or hearyng eares a leuse Tongue C. The Euangelist Marke doth not without cause put down the Chalde word but that it might bee a witnes of the Deuine power of christ BV. And further that we myghte know that the Lord vsed no wordes of Inchauntement inhealing Dyseases For hereby euery man may nowe gather that the vertue of healynge was not in the wordes but in the power of Chryst which had his proper effect in all things that he commaunded 35 And straight way his eares were opened and the string of his Tongue was loused and he spake playne A. The cyrcumstance of the time doth not a little set forth the power of oure sauiour Chryst 36 And he commaunded thē that they shoulde tell no man but howemuch soeuer he forbad them the more a greate deale they published it But hovv much soeuer he forbad them the more C. Certayne interpreters wrest thys commaundement diuersly and to the contrary parte as thoughe Chryste of purpose had pricked them forward tocelebrate the fame of his miracle not withstanding the simple and true meaning therof is that he would not haue had it published vntill a more fit and conuenient time Wherefore there is no doubte but that theyr zeale wanted the more dyscretiō for that they make somuch hast to speake being commaunded to Sylence Notwithstanding it is no meruayle that men vnacquainted with the Doctryne of Chryst were rashly moued to doe that which they shoulde not Howbeit Chryst maketh that to turne to his glory which they rashly attempted Because the miracle was known and all that region despysing the Author of heauenly giftes was made void of excuse 37 And were beyonde measure astonyed saying he hath dō al things well Hee maketh both the deafe to heare and the dumbe to speake C. The Euangeliste Mathew after he hath gathered many Myracles hee addeth at the length this little sentence namely that the people merueiled and praysed the God of Israel because God shewinge his power by vnwonted meanes renewed the memorye of his couenaunte But our Euangelist hath He hath done all thinges vvell In the which wordes there semeth to be an Antithesis or comparison For because the rumor of Chryst was diuers the people seeme to say that they are euill disposed which speake euil of his deedes when they rather deserue prayse then reproche And we knowe by the sence of nature that there is nothing more vnmeete then to enuy and calumniate benefits that are bestowed of good will He maketh both the deafe to heare C. The Lord is not slowe neyther doth he differre hys benefites Chryste taketh not a longe time as commonlye Phisitions doe to heale diseases but doth it quickely and out of hand Here uppon it is sayd he hath done all thinges well no man can speake euill of his doinges FINIS Chapter the Eyghte 1. IN those Dayes when there was a very greate company and had nothing to eate Iesus called his dysciples to him and sayd vnto them Bu. Our flesh alway standeth in fear that it shall want at some tyme those things which are necessary for the body Whereuppon it commeth to passe that many neglecting the woorde of God and Holy Exhortations set all theyr mynde vppon gaine and how to encrease theyr substance But the Lord Iesus doth openly teach that nothing shal be wanting at any time of thynges necessary and pertayning to the Body to those that seeke after the worde of God and lyue in sincere Godlinesse And beside that the soule of the iuste man shall not hunger for euer For the reste that concerneth thys Verse and the residewe following vnto the twelfth verse Read the 15. cap. of Mathew 12 And when he had sighed deepely in his Spirite he sayth Why doth this Generation seeke a signe Verely I say vnto you there shall bee no signe geuen to this Generation And vvhen he had sighed deepely Read the 16. Chapter of Mathew beginning at the third Verse There shall no signe be geuen to this Generation The Euangeliste Mathewe hath the wicked and Adulterous Nation requyreth a Signe but there shal no Signe be geuen to them As touching the Exposition of this Verse and the Verses following vnto the 22. Verse Reade the sixetenth of Mathew 22. And he came to Bethsaida they broughte a blynde man to him and desyred him to touch him And he came to Bethsaida A. This was a City of Galile Iohn .1 of the which Peeter Andrew and Phillip the Apostles were And they brought a blynd man to hym Only this our Euangeliste Marke maketh mention of this miracle 23 And he caughte the blynde by the hand and led him out of the towne and when he had spit in his Eyes and put his hands vpon him he asked him if he saw ought And he caught the blynd by the hand A. As Chryste tooke the deafe and dumbe man aparte from the multytude wherof before mention is made so now he being aboute to heale this man leadeth him out of the towne to the ende the rude and such as were vnmeete witnesses mighte not behoulde his glory And vvhen he had spit in his Eyes C. It seemeth that Marke made mētion of this miracle omitted by the rest specially for this Circumstance namely because Chryst restored not sighte vnto the blynde in a moment or at a sodayne but by litle and litle and wyth circumstances The which is likely to he done that he might geue vs a lesson in this man of his free Dispensatiō that he is tyed to no thing but that he may shew his power by what meanes he will He doth not therefore so opē the eyes of the blinde that they should by and by be able to do their office but doth geue vnto them an obscure confused sight After that by the other laying on of hands he maketh them to se perfectly I◠asked him if he savv ought At the first touching this blynde man as we sayd euē now saw not perfectly For the Lord ment that hee shoulde feele after a sort his power bestowing the same by litle and litle no doubt to to this end that by the benefite receyued he might more certainly and fully acknowledge him to be the Sauioure Howbeit he obserued not one manner of healing teaching thereby that wee should simpely commit our selues to his goodnes not appointing vnto him how and after what maner he shal help vs with his grace For hee doth not geue vs all things at the first to the end he might the more inflame our desire as no doubte the mind of this blynde man was set on fire when he saw that he was somwhat holpē And he which knew all things asketh the blinde whether he saw any thing not so much for himselfe as for the others sake and for our sakes also 24. And hee looked vp
him because so soone as they see him they salute him yea and his presence doth cease the rage of the Scribes because wheÌ„ they wer asked whereof they disputed they held theyr peace For it followeth 16 And he asked the Scribes what dispute ye among your selues B. The Lord suffered his Disciples here to be not a little confounded because they could not cast out the deuil Notwithstanding he came to them in time least they seming to be ouercome by the Scribes should not only bryng shame and reproch to themselues but also to the Gospell which they preached But theyr owne vnbeliefe was the cause of al the Ignominy whych they suffered Let vs therefore at all times boldly trust in the Lord and he will neuer suffer vs to be confounded For by vnbeliefe the glory of the Father is hyndered As concerning that which followeth vntill ye come to the 20. Verse Reade in the seuentene Chapter of S. Mathew 20 And they broughte him vnto him and when he saw him straight way the Spyrite tare him and hee fell downe vppon the Grounde wallowing C. Heereby we see that the presence of God oftentimes when the time of manifesting his grace is come dothe make the Deuill to rage For althoughe hee seeth that he is not equal with God yet notwithstanding hee seeketh to resiste him asmuch as he can Euery man by experience knoweth what great difficultye there is in ouercomming temptations when he feleth the God the which temptations truly the wicked do not feele Notwithstanding sometimes he doth so raigne that hys kyngdome doth not appeare Let euery man way and consider with himself how long time he hath bene vnder Sathan when he liued in Superstitions The nearer that Chryst commeth the madder is the Deuil a manifest profe wherof we haue in this history Who would not haue sayd seeing the deuill so to rage What profite hast thou in brynging thys thy son This man is commonly a prouocation to the Deuill to make him more mad but we may not iudge by the beginning we must alwayes waighte for the ende For at the firste the Chylde was torne and rente Iohn 2 but after that he was deliuered When Chryst coÌ„mauÌ„ded to fill the vessels with water who woulde not haue sayd that it had ben a ieste as though the Water had bene the better in them but the purpose of the Lord was not yet knowne To the ende therefore the Deuill might hynder the fayth of the Father and moue the people to the hatred of Christ he raged the more behemently and tare the Chylde After the same maner SathaÌ„ pricked Pharao forth to oppresse the People of Israell more and more before theyr departure out of Aegypte and also to brynge them to desperation to make them enuy Moses and Aaron the seruants of God 21 And he asketh his father hovve longe is it ago since this came vnto him And he said of a Chylde A. Chryst demaundeth this question as though he were ignoraunt who knoweth notwithstanding all thynges before they come to passe And he sayde of a Chylde C. If hee had this Disease from his infancye it is certayne that it was not a punishment layed vppon him for any sinne that he had committed but rather the secrete Iudgemente of God It is most certaine truly that euen the very infants so soone as they come forth of the mothers womb are guilty before God but the punishmeÌ„ts of God haue oftentimes secrete causes and that to proue our obedience we cannot more iustely honour God then if we reuerently modestly adore hys iustice when it is hydden from vs we know what Chryst sayde in an other place Neyther the blynd man neither his Parentes haue sinned that he should be born blynd Iohn 9. He denieth blindnes to be a punishment for sin and yet notwithstanding it is certayn that he was not innocent 22 And oftentimes he casteth hym into the fyre and into the water to destroy him but if thou canst do any thynge haue Mercy on vs helpe vs. A. Hereby we may gather that thys Chylde was preserued by the grace of God from a thousand Deathes And further that Sathan can not do what him lysteth For seeing hee is a murtherer from the beginning hee seketh by and by to kill those vppon whome he hath any power But truly the Lorde of Hoste doth restrayne this his cruel tyranny The which wee may euidently so in Iob and in diuers others But if thou canst do any thing C. We do see heere how litle honour he doth attribute vnto Chryste for he thinking him to be some Prophete whose power might be lymitted hee commeth vnto him doubtfully But truly the first Foundation of Fayth is to imbrace the immesurable power of God 23 Iesus sayd vnto him thâ—â— thing if thou canste belieue all thyngs are possible to him that belieueth C. Because the Father of the chyld thought nothing of Chryst more then of a man his false Opinion is corrected For it was necessary that his Faithe should be framed so that it might bee capeable of the grace which hee desiered For this exception of Chryst If thou canst belieue is as much as if he had sayd Thou prayest me to helpe if I can but truly thou shalt finde in me a bottomles well of Vertue if so bee thou bringe with thee a Buckette of Faith bigge inough to draw the same To the ende therefore thou shouldest not doubte but that I can I requyre of thee thy Fayth If thou haste not the which thou demaundest the faulte is in thee not in mee And heere a verye profitable Doctrine may be gathered which shall Generally pertayne to vs all Namely that the cause why we haue not the Fruition of Gods Benefites oftentimes is the weakenesse of our Fayth Oftentimes we complain of God because hee is not present with vs and because wee feele not hys power but such complayntes are Wycked seeing we our selues are the cause All things are possible to him that belieueth There is no doubte but that Chryste taught that the fulnes of goodnes was geuen to him of the Father and that we should hope no lesse to receyue all maner of helpe at hys Hand then at the hands of hys Father as if he had said Onelie Belyeue and thou shalt obtayne So in the Gospell after Mathew he sayth Yf yee haue Faith like a Grayne of Mustard Seede yee shall say to this Mountaine remooue from hence thyther and it shall remoue neither shall any thinge be impossible to you All thynges are sayd to be possyble wyth GOD because hee can gieue and bryng to passe all thynges And all things are sayd to bee possible vnto men when they are capeable of some thinge as waxe can receiue the Seale beyng Impressed in it that which is impossible for the stone and Water do All thinges therefore are possible to him that belieueth that is ther is nothing which the belieuing man can not obtayne at the
abstayning also from all outward apparance of euell 7. And they had no Chylde because that Elizabeth vvas barren and they both vvere nowe vvell strooken in Age. And they hadde no Chylde BV. The Euangelist prosecuteth his narration vntill hee come to the conception of Iohn the Baptist C. And it came to passe by the singuler purpose of God that Iohn was begotten not after the common and vsual order of Nature The same also came to passe in Isaac in whom God had determined to shewe forth a rare and notable example of his Grace Elizabeth was barreine all the florishinge tyme of her youth the which tyme being past Ge. 17.10 and 21.2 Age maketh fruitefull Women barrayne Therefore in two lettes there appeareth a double myracle of the power of God and that to this ende that the Lorde as it were by his stretched out Arme from Heauen myghte declare that the Prophet was sente from him Hee was Borne a Mortall man of earthly Parents but a supernaturall meane doth no lesse cōmende him than if hee were fallen from Heauen Because that Elizabeth was barren E. Barrennesse was very reprochfull amonge the Iewes as Elizabeth her selfe testifieth when shee sayth Luke 1.25 Thus hath the Lord delt wyth me in the dayes vvherein hee looked on me to take from me my rebuke from amonge men So Moises speaketh of Abraham and Sara sayinge Ge. 18.11 Nowe Abraham and Sarah vvere olde and striken in age 8. And it came to passe vvhen Zacharie executed the Priests office before God as his course came And it came to passe A. Now he beginneth to shewe how Iohn was promised to Zacharias himselfe namely when hee was executinge the office of the Priest Before God That is to saye when hee entered into that parte of the Temple which is called Holy the which was rightouer against the Sanctum Sanctorum in the which was the Arke of the Lord vpon the which hee appeared Leui. 16.18 for the which cause the Arke sometime beareth the name of God him selfe as in this place and oftentimes also in the olde Testament These thinges hee declareth in the verse followinge saying 9. Accordinge to the custome of the Priests office his lot was to burne Incence when hee went into the Temple of the Lord. Accordinge to the Custome of the Priestes offyce C. The Lawe commaunded to burne Perfume twyse a day that is to say in the Morninge in the Eueninge And whereas the Priestes did serue by turne that was so appoynted by Dauid as we shewed before Therefore that which is spoken here of burning Incence the Law of God expresly cōmaunded For thus it is wrytten in the Lawe Thou shalte make an Aulter for sweete Perfume of Shittim Woode thou shalt make it Exo. 3.1.7 And in the seuenth verse following it is sayd And Aaron shall burne thereon sweete Incence euery morning Exo. 40.26 whē hee dresseth the Lampes thereof shal he burne it C. But whatsoeuer was more it was added by Dauid Howbeit that which he appoynted was not disagreing from the Lawe For he only shewed the way howe euery one might disdischarge that office which was inioyned him When hee wente into the Temple of the Lorde C. By this worde Temple is ment the holy place The which is therefore to be noted because sometime this woorde Temple comprehendeth the Churchyarde But Zacharie is sayd to go into the Temple whether it was lawfull for none to goe but the Priests only Therefore Luke saith that the People stoode a farre of betwene whom and the Aulter vppon which they burnte Incence there was a great distaunce because in the midest there was an Aulvpon which they offered burnte sacrifice And it is to bee noated that Luke sayth Before God For so often as the Prieste entered into the holy place The priest a mediator betvvene God and the People hee came as it were into the presence of God that he might bee a Mediator betwene God and the people For God woulde haue this knowne vnto his People that no man had accesse vnto Heauen but by the mediation of the Prieste yea and that so longe as men liue vpon the Earth they come not vnto the heauenly Throane but in the person of a Mediator Therefore seeing there were many Priestes it was not cōuenient that two of them at once should execute the office of Intercession for the people but they were therefore appointed tournes that one alone might enter into the sanctuary and that so there mighte bee but one Prieste at once Insence the vse thereof in the lavve And to this ende pertayned the burninge of Incence that the faythfull mighte bee admonished that smell of their prayers did not asscende into Heauen but by the sacrifice of Mediator But how these Fygures are applyed to vs reade the nynthe Chapter of the Epistell to the Hebrues 10. And the whole multitude of the people were without in praier while the Incence was burning And the whole multitude C. The multitude was not in the holy place when the high Priest entered into the same at that time when Insence was burnte euen as Moses wryteth Leui. 16.17 There shall bee no man in the Tabernacle of the Congregation when the highe Prieste goeth in to make an attonement for him selfe and for the People But the multitude aboade without in the Courte or Yarde the expresse forme whereof and of the holy place with the Aulters for Incence burnt Sacrifices is to be seene in those bybles which Robert Stephanus hath prynted in the sixt Chapter of the thirde Booke of Kinges 11. And there appeared vnto him an Angell of the Lorde standing on the right side of the aulter of Incence 12. And when Zacharias sawe him he was troubled and feare came vpon him And when Zacharias sawe him C. Although GOD doth not therefore appeare vnto his seruauntes to terrefie them Feare is very necessary yet notwithstandinge it is profitable and very necessary that they should be made a fearde that they being confounded in them selues may learne to geue the due honor vnto God And Luke doth not only shew that Zacharias was a fearde but also addeth And feare came vpon him Where by hee gieueth vs to vnderstande that hee was so afearde that hee was ouercome therewith And the feare which commeth vpon men at the presence of God doth not onely bringe them to reuerence but also humbleth the pride of the fleshe which is so peruerse that men will neuer submitte themselues vnto God except they be violently constrayned thereunto Whereby also we gather the mē neuer flatter thēselues wax proude but when God is absent that is to saye when they wythdrawe themselues from his presence sighte For if so bee they did beholde God as a Iudge they could not but presently be a fearde And if this happened to Zacharias at the sight of the Angell to whom the prayse of ryghteousnesse is geuen the which Angell is
saued the Faythfull through foolishnesse 1. Cor. 1.21 But he so layed vp the Treasure of this Mystery with the Virgin that at the laste in due time it was knowen to all the godly Wee confesse that this kinde of custody was very contemptible but yet notwithstaÌ„dinge such as serued excellently well both to the allowing of the humillity of faith and also to the beating downe of the pryde of the wicked And let vs learne modestly to submit our selues vnto God yea although reason do not strayte way appeare vnto vs and let vs not bee ashamed to haue her our Schoolemaistres which caried Christ in her Wombe the euerlasting Wisedome of God Wee ought verely to take heede of nothing more than least wee by proud coÌ„tempt depriue our selues of the knowledge of the incomparable mystery the which God woulde haue reuealed to Babes such as are apt to be taught A. Finally Nazareth was a litle town of smale reputation the which hee chose which came to teach men humility Of the which we haue spoken in the second Chapt. of Math. vers 23. 27. To a Virgin spoused to a man whose name was Ioseph of the house of Dauid and the Virgins name was Mary To a Vyrgin spoused to a man E. Or betrothed to a man Both are allowed of good Authors The Greeke participle which the Euangelist vseth here signifieth that the Virgin was then promised to a Husband but not geuen vnto him to bee his Wyfe For it was very vsuall amonge the Iewes for the Parents to keepe their Chyldren for a tyme at home after that they handfasted them to their husbandes that should bee otherwise the Lawe which is extant coÌ„cerning the corruptions of the men betroathed had ben superfluous vaine For thus it is written by Moses Deu. 22.23 If a Mayde bee betroathed vnto an Husband a man finde her in the town and lye with her c. And this seemeth to be the cause why GOD chose a Virgin espoused to a man being the very same which we alleadged before namely that so the humility of Faith might be approued the Pride of the wicked therewithall beaten downe C. Origus imagination is very corrupt when he saith that the Lord did this that hee might hide from Sathan the saluation which hee prepared to geue vnto men Therefore the vale of Matrimony was drawen before the Eyes of the Worlde that the godly at the last might know him to bee the Sonne of God whom the common sort beleued to be the sonne of Ioseph Wherefore Christe came not forth so deuoyde of glory but that his heauenly Father declared from the beginning the glory of the deuinity which was in him For the Angels tolde that a sauiour was borne but their Voyces beinge onely hearde of the Sheepheardes sounded not farre One myracle might haue ben much spoken of which the Magi published in diuerse partes which came from the East how that a starre appeared vnto them witnessinge the byrth of a great King Yet notwithstandinge wee see how God kept his Sonne as it were in secret vntill the full time came in the which hee should be made manifest vnto the whole Worlde Whose name was Ioseph A. All these thinges make to the certaynty of the history Luk. 2.4 Of the house of Dauid The EuaÌ„gelist Luke saith afterward Because Ioseph was of the House and Linage of Dauid Of the which the Euangelist Luke therefore maketh mencion because the kinreds of men were wonte to be spoken of with their names Of the which thing we will speake more in another place E. Therefore this Virgin was betroathed to a man very base accordinge to the estimation and Iudgment of the worlde but very acceptable vnto God for the vertues of the mynde by arte hee was a Carpenter his Name was Ioseph comminge of the stocke Lynage of Dauid From the which Stocke also his Spouse had her Ofspringe leaste that Prophesie shoulde not be fulfilled which promysed that the Messias should come of the course and stocke of Dauid the king For it was meete that the man the Wyfe should bee of one Tribe as you may see in the first of Mathew verse 16 that Ioseph was 28. And the Angell went in vnto her and sayd Hayle thou that art freely beloued the Lord is with the blessed art thou amonge Women And the Angell went in A. Now the Messenger sente of God executeth his office And sayd Haile E. The Greeke woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the which wee haue Haile here may be englyshed God speede Be of good cheere Thou that art gratiouse C. Because this message which the Angell was to reporte was very strauÌ„ge and almost incredible the Angell beginneth with the commeÌ„dation of the grace of God And seeing our myndes accordinge to the smale capascity of our vnderstanding are not able to comprehend the exceedinge greatnesse of the woorkes of God this is a notable remedy if wee lift vp the same to meditate and consider the infinitnesse of his grace Seeinge therefore the gate of Fayth is the feeling of the goodnes of God the Angell doth very well obserue this order that in causing the Virgin to muse of the grace of God hee might bring her to the conceiueing of the incompreheÌ„sible For the greeke participle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Luke vseth expresseth the free fauoure of God as may more euidently appeare by that place of Paule where hee speakinge of our reconcilliation sayth God in his welbeloued Sonne â—phe 1.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is hath receiued vs into grace fauoure which were before Enemies E. For hee may bee deere vnto vs or beloued who hath coÌ„mended himselfe vnto vs by his dutifullnesse but no man can be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but hee whom we loue of fauoure freely Therefore the Angell goinge about to shewe the most excellent benefite of Gods goodnesse towards men and now ready to bee offered to the Worlde so saluted Mary that hee put her in comforte to looke for some notable and ioyefull thinge The Lord is wyth thee This is an explication and proofe of that which the Angell sayd before in callinge her gratious For hee which hath gotten grace and fauour with God hath God with him who loueth him and powreth his benefits vpon him C. Therefore the third parte is added Blessed arte thou amonge Women For hee putteth the blessinge as the effecte and proofe of Gods fauour For praise is not ment hereby but rather felicity So the Apostell Paule first wisheth grace Rom. 1.7 and then peace that is to say al maner of goodnesse geueing vs to vnderstand that wee are then blessed and ryche when wee are loued of God the author of all goodnesse Wherefore if so bee the felicity righteousnes and lyfe of Mary came from the free loue of God and if so bee all her verâ—ues excellency was the free and meere liberality of God they doe toto wickedly which
teache vs to craue that of her which shee her selfe hath receyued and shall receiue wyth vs from another Also to grosse is the Ignorance of the Papists which turne this salutacion as it were by Magicall exorcisme into a Prayer yea and they haue vrged the same so farre that none of their Preachers may craue the grace of the Spirite before their Sermon but by their AVE MARIA AVE MARIA a Popish prayer In the which there is nothinge contained but a salutacion and what foolishnes is that to salute one which is absent 29. And when she sawe him she was troubled at his saying and cast in her minde what maner of salutacion that should bee And when shee sawe him shee was troubled C. The Euangelist Luke sayth not that the Virgin was troubled at the sighte of the Angell but at his sayinge Why then doth he make mencion of his sight This seemeth to be the cause for that Mary knowinge that there was some heauenly glory in the Angell conceyued a sudden feare of the reuerence of God Therefore shee was troubled because shee perceyued that shee was saluted not of a mortall man but of the Angell of God Fonde and Childishe then is their opinion which thinke that Shee was troubled because shee feared least they were some entiseinge wordes of a Louer to some euell But there is no doubt but that a maiesty and glory shined in the Face of the Angell in such wyse that shee coulde suspecte no such thinge but mighte rather knowe him to bee sent C. Moreouer Luke doth not say that Shee was so troubled that shee cryed out but doth rather expresse the signe of an attentiue mynde and well aduysed as appeareth by this And cast in her minde what maner That is to say whereto this salutacion tended and what the meaning of it was after the which consideration shee perceiued that the Angell was not sent for naught BV. Shee vnderstoode that it was a singuler and speciall salutacion contayninge some mistery in it but what it should be shee coulde not tell C. By this example wee are taught first that the woorkes of God are not rashly to bee vnderstoode secondly that they ought so to be wayed of vs that wee haue first Religion and feare 30. And the Aungell sayd vnto her Feare not Mary for thou hast found grace with God Feare not Mary BV. Although the Virgin aunswered neuer a woorde to the Angell yet neuerthelesse hee perceyued by her countenance and behauiour that shee was after a sorte afearde Therefore out of hand hee openeth vnto her at the full the salutacion which was a remedy for her feare and therewithall briefly and exactly declared the scope and ende of his message And first hee saith Feare not Mary All those thinges which thou fearest are in safety and to the ende thou mayest playnely vnderstand I will expounde vnto thee the reason of my salutacion and why I come to thee a messenger from God C. In that the Angell willeth her to lay aside feare let vs alway haue in minde the imbecillity of our fleshe the which cannot but feare so often as the least sparke of Gods glory appeareth For we may not thinke that the presence of God is without effect when wee seriously conceiue of the same Therefore seeinge all men are subiect to his Iudgement Feare coÌ„eth of the infirmity of the flesâ— of feare commeth tremblinge vntill the Father shewe hymselfe The holy Virgin sawe such a great heape of wickednesse in her Nation that shee had Iust cause to feare great vengeance Wherefore the Angell to take away feare pronounceth him selfe to be the Messenger of an incomparable benefite sayinge For thou hast founde Grace wyth God Z. This is a confirmation of that which hee sayd before Hayle thou that arte freely beloued The like kinde of speach wee haue in Moyses Exo. 33 1â— Thou hast founde fauour in my sight Also And now I praye thee if I haue founde fauoure in thy sight c. Agayne Exo. 33. â—7 Because thou haste founde grace in my sight The Iewes by this maner of speach declare that God is the cause and well springe of grace and powreth his Grace into vs freely without our merite and that hee bestoweth his benefits vppon vs of his mere liberality and goodnesse For hee is not sayd to finde grace which seeketh the same but he to whom the same is offered without seeking Z. Thus wee reade that Noe found fauour in the sight of the Lorde The which is as much as if the Scripture had sayd God had compassion vppon Noe hee loued Noe and blessed him Therefore Mary founde fauour wyth the Lord that is to say the Lorde of his goodnesse and ready good will had compassion on her powred his grace and gyfts into her loued her and ordayned her to great honor 31. For beholde thou shalt conceyue in thy Wombe and beare a Sonne and shalt call his name Iesus For beholde thou shalt conceyue R. Now the Angell sheweth the cause of his ambassage C And hee confirmeth his wordes first of all by the prophesie of Esay â—ay 7.14 and afterwarde by other places of the Prophets to th ende they mighte the better sinke into the minde of the Virgin For such Prophesies were very well known among the godly Howbeit herewithall wee muste note that the Aungell did not speake priuately onely in the Eare of the Virgin but that hee brought the Gospell which shortly after was to be preached throughout the whole world Wherefore it came not to passe without the counsayle of God that the consent and agreemente amonge the olde Prophets was so plainely expressed and the present message concerninge the reuealinge of Christ â—say 7.14 â—at 1.23 A. The Prophet Esay sayth Beholde a Virgin shall conceiue The which Mathew tourneth thus Beholde a Virgin shall be with childe And Luke Thou shalt coÌ„ceiue in thy Wombe and beare a sonne the which are all one in signification C. Also this worde Conceyue is sufficient to cofute both the Heresie of Marcion and Manichaeus For hereby we may gather that Mary brought not forth a Phantasticall body but the very same which shee first conceyued in her Wombe And thou shalt call his name Iesus The reason of this name is geeuen in Mathew namely Because he shall saue his people from their sinnes 32. Hee shal be great and shal be called the sonne of the Hyghest and the Lorde God shall geeue vnto him the Seate of his Father Dauid Hee shal be great BV. The Aungel very diligently sheweth how great and who this Iesus shal be speakinge of the glory and eternity of his Kingdome Hee doth not declare his whole office hee counteth it sufficient to declare him to bee the Messias and promised Redemer in the Lawe and Propheths He sayth that he shal be great C. The which also the Angel had spoken concerning Iohn the Baptist in the 15. verse going before whom notwithstanding his purpose
because he was wōderfully cōceiued by the power of the holy ghost but they reasō amis for although he wer manifested the son of God in the flesh yet it doth not follow but that he is the worde begottē of the father before al worlds But rather the very same which was the son of God in his eternal diuinity appeared also the son of God in humain flesh A. Therefore he saith that chryst shal be called the son of God that is to say he must be acknowledged to bee such a one of men as he was alwais with the father C. Moreouer this place doth not onely cōmend the vnity of the person in Christ but also sheweth that christ in that he toke vpon him our humane nature is the son of god Therfore the name of the son of god as it was proper frō the beginning to the deuine essēce euen so now also it belōgeth ioyntely to both natures because the secret heauēly reason of generation exempteth him from the common order of men In other places oftentimes to proue himselfe to be very man he calleth himselfe the son of man but the verity of his humane nature doth not let but that the deuine genetion may challēge honor vnto him aboue all other Men and that because wythout the Ordinary manner of nature hee was Conceyued by the Holy Ghost Heereuppon Wee haue iuste cause to Fortefye our Faith that we may more bouldly call vppon God the Father who because hee mighte make vs to haue fellowship with him would haue hys onely Son to bee our brother Wee muste also note that Christ in that he was conceiued by spirituall power is called the holy Seede For as it was meete that he should be very man to make satisfaction for our sins and to cōquer death Sathā in our flesh to be a true mediator so it was necessary that he should be free from all pollution and vncleanenes that he mighte purge vs. Therefore although Christ was borne of the Seede of Abraham yet notwithstanding hee toke no vncleanes from his vitious nature because the spirit of God kept him pure euen frō his original and not onely that he might be holy himselfe but rather that hee myghte Sanctifie those that are his A. According to this sayinge of the Apostell ◠Cor. 1.30 who was made vnto vs of God wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redemption C. Therefore the very manner of his conception teacheth that hee was seperated from sinners to be our mediator Concerning the which matter read the 7. cap. of the Epistle to the Hebrewes beginning at the 26. verse 36. And behould thy Cousin Elyzabeth she hath also conceiued a Sonne in her olde age and this is her sixt which was called barren And behold thy Cosin Elizabeth C. The Angel by a domesticall Familliar example confirmeth Maries Faith and putteth her in hope of the miracle R. As if hee shoulde say Elizabeth hath hitherto suffered the reproche Ignominy of barrenesse amonge all men And nowe this is the sixt Moneth since her conception of a sonne in her old age Therfore if it were possible for God to make an olde Woman far stricken in age to be with chylde how much more possible is it for hym to make a Virgin to conceiue a chyld without mans seede Wherfore there is no cause O Mary why thou shouldest leaue so much to the vsuall meanes of Nature seeing thou mayst behold so manifest a proofe of Gods deuine power in thy kinswoman But here a Question may bee demaunded how it came to passe that Elizabeth which was one of the daughters of Aron and Mary Obiection Nūb. 36. ◠whych was of the linage of Dauid were Cousins And this also seemeth to bee Repugnant with the Law which forbad wowen to marry out of their Tribe As touching the Law Ansvver if wee haue respect vnto the same it onely forbad those mariages which might mingle one inheritance with another But there was no such daunger if so bee a woman of the Tribe of Iuda maryed with a Priest to whome the Inheritance could not come Also the like was if so be a woman of the Trybe of Leuy were placed out of her kyndred And it may be that the mother of the holy Virgin came of the tribe of Aaron and so the kindred or consanguinitie mighte bee betweene Mary and Elyzabeth And this is the sixt moneth C. This is spoken to proue the certainty of the thinge Because seeinge the woman doth feele the Child quick at the fifth Moneth the sixte moneth taketh away all doubte Mary ought to haue bene so contēted with the simple word of God that shee shoulde not haue needed to haue had her faithe confirmed by an other meanes but least she shoulde doubte any more the Lord vouchsafeth to confirme his promise by this meane The like yea and greater forbearance the Lord of his mercy sheweth daily towards euery one of vs whē our faith is weake Therefore leaste his truthe might be doubted of vs hee vseth dyuers testimonies to approue the same vnto vs. Mary excelled diuers wayes yet notwithstanding it is not superfluous that the Aungell bringeth an example to confirme and strengthen her For with God shall no word be impossible Our English translation is For with God shall nothing be impossible C. If we vnderstande this worde worde in his proper and Naturall sence then the meaning shall be God will bringe to passe whatsoeuer hee hath promised because nothing can withstand his power And the Argument shal be of this forme God hathe promised this Therefore he will performe it because no impossibility ought to bee obiected agaynst his word But because this word word according to the phrase of the Hebrevve Tongue is taken oftentimes for thys woord Thinge our English trāslation may serue very well as is before set downe Howbeit we must alwais haue this in mind as a sure ground that they are wide which do imagin any thinge of the power of God wythout his word Because wee muste so thinke of his incomprehensiblenesse that the same may geue vs occasiō of hope and trust But now we shall not only rashly and vnprofitably but also daūgerously dispute what is possible vnto God except we also consider of his will And the Aungell doth that thing here which God himselfe is wonte to doe in diuers places of the scripture Namely when by a general doctryne he confirmeth a particuler Promyse And this is the right and true vse of general doctrine to apply diuers promises to the present cause so often as we are careful and vexed For so long as they are indefinite and not applyed they are colde A. Therefore the Angell vseth an Vniuersall conclusion namely that the power of God is infinite the which if wee keepe in minde we shall not any more accordynge to our manner distruste C. Wherefore it is no meruaile that the Aungell preacheth the power of God vnto Mary whose distrust doth very much
that she came not simply to make enquiry because she had the son of God no lesse in her hart through faith then in her woÌ„be neither is it likely that she came only to see how shee dyd but partely to increase and confirme her Faith and partely to set forth the grace of God in each Poynte And there is no cause why wee should thynke it absurde that shee sought the Confyrmation of her Faythe by the sighte of the myracle the whych the Angell not wythout cause reuealed vnto her For although the faythfull are coÌ„tent wyth the bare worde of GOD yet notwithstanding they Neglect nothyng of hys Woorkes whych they knowe may serue to the coÌ„fyrmation of theyr Fayth And there was great cause why MARY shoulde receiue that Confyrmation offered vnto her excepte shee woulde reiect that whych the LORD had willingly geuen vnto her FVRTHERMORE the Mutuall sighte of eche other of them might aswell moue her as Elizabeth to the greater thankefulnesse as appeareth by the texte For the Power of god was the more manifest and notable in one sight of double grace because the very comparison dyd not a little manifest the same Into a City of Iuda E. In the which Zacharias dwelte C. Luke doth not shew what this City was in the which Zacharias dwelt but onely sayth that the same pertayned to the tribe of Iuda and that the same was cituate in the Hill couÌ„trey Whereby we may gather that it was further from the city of Nazareth theÌ„ Hierusalem 40. And entered into the House of Zachary and saluted Elizabeth A. Mary entered not without gret feruency of minde into the House of thys olde Prieste and saluted her Cosine 41. And it came to passe that when Elizabeth hearde the Salutation of Mary the babe sprange in her woÌ„be and Elizabeth was filled with the holy Ghost And it came to passe R. Heere is a notable miracle at the Salutation of Mary Iohn being an infante leapeth and spryngeth in the wombe of Elyzabeth C. It is a naturall thinge for an Infant to moue in a great bellied woman at a sodayne Ioy but the purpose of Luke is to note some extraordinary matter Howbeit it is far from the purpose to trouble our selues with intricate questions whether the infante felte the preseÌ„ce of Chryst or whether this was rather a feeling of Godlynes Let this one thing suffice that the infant sprange by the secret motioÌ„ of the spyrite For Luke doth not attrybute vnto him any proper feling but doth rather gieue vs to vnderstande that this was a part of the Deuine operation in the Mother her selfe that the infant sprange in her wombe And Elizabeth was filled with the holy Ghost That is to say she was sodainly replenished with the spirite of prophesie contrary to her vsuall maner For she was not before voyd of the giftes of the Spyrite but then a much more plentifull vnwonted force appeared 42. And shee cryed with a loude Voyce and sayd Blessed arte thou amonge women and the fruit of thy Wombe is blessed Blessed art thou amonge women A. The very same thing the Angel had spoken to Mary before And the Fruite of thy Wombe is blessed C. Hee seemeth to put the mother and the son in one degree which could not be meete and conuenient But we know that there are diuers degrees of Gods blessings For as Mary was blessed so Chryst far excelled her who is the bottomles well of all Grace Christ is a Bottomles vvel of grace Therefore he is not blessed by mesure but his fulnes is Infinite and aboue measure from whence we receyue all blessing that is to say the abundance of all good thinges and Felicitye of whose fulnesse wee haue al receiued saith Saint Iohn Iohn 1 1â— For this blessynge signifieth not Fame and prayse And there is no doubte but that the Coniunction And in this place is taken for the reason of the matter as thus Blessed art thou amonge women because the Fruite of thy Wombe is blessed And althoughe this was not the chiefe Felicitie of Mary to haue christ in her Wombe but was a thynge of lesse Dignity then by the Spyrit of god to be born again into a new lyfe yet notwtstanding she is iustly called blessed whom God hath aduanced to thys Dignity that shee should bring forth a sonne to the worlde â—egeneraâ—on is â—essednes in whome shee was spyritually begotten again And we cannot at this Day call to mynde the blessing that commeth by Chryst but wee muste also remember howe greatly God hath honoured Marie in appointing her to be the mother of his onely begotten sonne A. Notwithstanding her speciall Dignity as we sayd euen now consisted in this that shee belieued in her Sonne whome shee conceiued Whereuppon a certaine Woman saying to Chryst â—oh 11.27 Blessed be the wombe that bare thee and the Pappes which gaue thee sucke Hee answered her againe and sayde Nay rather blessed are they that heare the worde of God keepe it Also Elyzabeth sayth heereafter Blessed is shee that belieued For those thinges shall bee perfourmed whych were toulde her from the LORDE 43. And whence commeth thys to me that the mother of my Lorde should come to mee And whence commeth this to me C. We must note this moderatioÌ„ that Elyzabeth waying and considering the great Graces of God in Mary doth geue vnto her due Honor doth acknowledge her to haue done more then was meete And also that the same appertayned not vnto her And yet for all that she doth not extoll her higher then it became her to the derogating of Gods Glory For such is the wickednes of the world that there are very few which haue not one of these two faultes that is to say They wil either haue to good a lyking of them selues that they alone may excel maliciously contemning the gifts of God in theyr brethren or else they excel meÌ„ so superstitiously that they make vnto them selues Idoles of them Hereuppon it is come to passe that Chryste being put as it were into the benâ—hehoale Mary hath his seate and Dygnity Contrariwise Elyzabeth in coÌ„mending her is so far from obscuring the Glory of God that shee rather referreth all things to God himselfe And although she knoweeh that Mary was exalted aboue her and others yet she enuyeth not the same and confesseth that more was done to her self then was due Notwithstanding this is commonly seene Charity iâ— rather beneficiall theÌ„ couetous that if any of our Neighbours neglecte to doe vnto vs theyr duty we can straight way espye the same but when wee forslew or for get to do that which becommeth vs towards them we are blynde But Charity teacheth the contrary There are some also who hauing receyued a benefite thinke that they owe nothinge for the same What hath he done say they Hee hath done no more then the Lord coÌ„maunded But we ought not to coÌ„sider what is other mens dutyes towards vs but
what we our selues ought to do vnto others If any man honor another endued with Gods Giftes he gieueth honor vnto GOD himselfe And contrariwyse if he contemne the same he despyseth God himselfe Therfore sayth Elyzabeth The mother of my lorde We cannot geue honor vnto God but we must also honor his grace when and wheresoeuer wee see the same The Mother of my Lorde C. In that Elyzabeth calleth Mary the mother of her Lorde the vnitie of the Person is noted in the two natures of Chryst As if she had sayde that he which is borne a Mortall man in the VVomb of Mary is also God Euerlastyng For we must remember that the woman speaketh not of her owne brayne but onely vttereth that which the holy Ghost put into her minde For thys name properly beloÌ„geth vnto the â—â—n of GOD manifested in the flesh to whome all power is geuen of the Father and who is ordayned to be the chyefe Ruler in Heauen and in Earth by whose Hande God gouerneth all Thyngs Howbeit hee is chyefly the Lord of the Faithfull who wyllingly submit themselues to hys Gouernment Christ the head of 〈◊〉 body onely For he is the Head but of his body Therfore Paule saith Although there be many called LORDES in the Worlde 1 Cor 8. yet not withstanding we which are of the Housholde of Fayth haue but one Lorde For loe as soone as the Voyce of thy Salutation sounded in my eares the Babe sprange in my Wombe for Ioy. C. She amplyfieth this grace of God of which she speaketh of the sodaine motion of the Infant which she had in her VVombe VVherby ther is no doubte but that shee would declare that she had the feeling of some Supernaturall and deuine thyng Read the 42. verse going before 45. And blessed is shee that beleued For these Thynges shall be perfourmed vvhych were toulde Her from the Lorde And blessed is she that belieued A. Thys is to be ioyned to the 42. Verse in the which the Angel called her blessed amonge women that shee might not simply be called blessed because she should be the mother of the Lord but because she beleeued C. And seeing it is euident by the former Testimony of Luke that Elizabeth spake by the secret motion of the Spyrite it must needes be the same Spyrite which pronounced Marye blessed because she beleued and praysing the Fayth of Mary he generally sheweth in what the true felicity of man consisteth Mary is happy who imbracinge with her heart the promise of God conceiued and broughte forth saluation for her self the whole world This was special vnto her but because we can haue no lyfe righteous or any goodnes without the Lord offer vnto vs his woord it is Fayth only which maketh vs partakers of true felicity being deliuered froÌ„ extreame neede and misery And there is great wayght in this part of the seÌ„tence following For those things shal be performed For the sence meaning of it is this that Fayth submitteth it selfe to the promises of God that they may haue theyr effect in vs It is certayne that the truth of God doth not depend vppon the wyll of men but this is rather true that God doth alwayes remaine true although the whole VVorlde which is vnbeleuing and ful of lies goe about to discredit the same Rom. 3.4 But because the vnbeleuing are vnworthy to reape any fruite of the Promyses therefore the Scripture teacheth that they are effectuall onely by fayth to our Saluation For Gyd offereth his benefits generally to all meÌ„ but faith openeth our bosome to receiue them and incredulity suffereth them to fall that we might not receiue them If so be there had bene any vnbelyefe in Mary yet notwythstanding the same could not haue let but that God wold haue brought his purpose to passe by some other meanes that had pleased him â—nbeliefe â—fisteth â—od but shee is called blessed because She receiuing by fayth the blessing of God offered vnto her gaue place vnto God to finishe his worke euen as on the coÌ„trary parte vnbeliefe resisteth him putteth away hâ—s hand from the worke that they which defraude the same of the praise of his vertue might not feele it a sauing hand Wee must also note the relation betwene worde and fayth by which we gather what it is to beleue to weete when we subscribe vnto God which speaketh and are fully perswaded that hee will performe and fulfill that which hee promiseth From the Lorde The which soundeth not as though the Lord himselfe had spoken but because these thinges were spoken vnto her in the name of the Lorde or from the Lord. For the promyse was brought by the Angell but it came only from God Whereby wee gather that whether God vse the mynistery of men or of Angells hee would haue no lesse honor geuen vnto his woorde than if hee him selfe should openly descende from Heauen But the former sence doth best agree 46. And Mary sayd My soule magnifieth the Lord. And Mary sayd C. Nowe is declared the notable and worthy song of the holy Virgin by which playnly appeareth with what plenty of the Spirite she excelled And this Canticle or Psalme consisteth of three partes The first part setteth forth the thankesgeuing of Mary for the mercy of God shewed towardes her In the second part she coÌ„mendeth the power Iudgmentes of God with generall Tytells Last of all Shee applyeth them to the present cause where Shee speaketh of the redemption promised longe a goe vnto the Church and nowe performed My Soule magnifieth the Lord E. The Virgin beginneth with thankes geueinge testefyinge her thankefullnesse The thankesgeuing of MARY R As if Shee shoulde say God hath bestowed an inestimable benefite vpon mee and nowe I am confirmed by a greate certainty of Faith by a Sygne foreshewed of the Angell Wherefore I am so Ioyfull in my Conscience that I cannot staye my selfe but I muste needes burst forth into the commendation of the name of God C. Therefore because Hypocrites ofteÌ„times with shrill voyce and pleasaunt time without any affection of the heart doe singe the prayses of God Mary saith that shee prayseth God from the inward affection of the mynde And in very deede they doe nothinge els but prophane the holy name of God which set forth his glory not with the mynde but with the tongue onely But seeing these woordes Soule and Spirite are diuersly taken in the Scripture yet notwithstandinge beinge Ioyned together they signifie two principall powers of the Soule For this worde Spirite is taken for vnderstanding and this woorde Soule for the place of the affections That wee may vnderstand the minde of the holy Virgin Ioy of the spirit is required before thaÌ„ksgeuing we must note that the same is put in the Seconde place which should be in the first For that the wil of man may be styrred vp to praise God it is necessary that there goe before the reioysinge of the
spirite Euen as S. Iames teacheth sayinge Iam. 3.13 Is any man merry Let him singe Psalmes For Heauinesse and sorrowe doe both clogge the mynde also do hinder the tongue from celebrating the goodnesse of God Therefore so soone as Maries mynde reioyced it brast forth into the prayse of God E. Whereuppon for Soule Spirite the scripture oftentimes vseth this word heart and it is a phrase of speach very vsuall with the Hebrewes Psal 103.1 Psal 35.3 specially in the Psalmes Praise the Lorde O my Soule Also Say vnto my Soule I am thy saluation There is great force in these phrases of speach much more is expressed then if it were sayd Praise the Lord I magnify the Lord Say vnto my soule I am thy saluation Hereby wee are taught that if we will truely praise God we must praise him from our heart for if the heart be not moued the Lord reiecteth abhorreth our prayse Therefore the true fouÌ„dation of thanksgeuing is the inward affection of the minde Thankesgeuinge vvith lips only is abhominable by these speaches we may see the difference betwene the spirite truth hypocrisie which magnifieth God with the mouth lyps only The Lord This is a word of power by which MARY preacheth the power of God by which he wrought in her works passing nature Moreouer she arrogateth non of these benefits vnto herselfe because she is the mother of god because she was blessed among women because she behaued her selfe modestly she chalengeth nothing to her selfe but a ioyful merry heart toward God Wherefore she acknowledging the receiuing of them froÌ„ him praiseth his holy name Thus we ought to leane vnto God only not to Creatures or to our giftes 47. And my spirite hath reioyced in God my Sauiour And my Spirite reioyced in God C. This is as it were a reason of the cause For there can be no true affection of praysing GOD except there be first Ioy. For in the scripture the cause is oftentimes made subiect to the effect as in this place And she calleth the spirite as we sayd euen now the minde and vnderstanding of the soule She so reioyced that shee gaue vnto him that prayse of all goodnes and whosoeuer do not the like are vnthankefull Verely this reioysing is the effect or signe of a quiet Conscience which by Faith was certaynely perswaded that God was pacified and fauourable In GOD my Sauiour C. Shee doth not without cause geue vnto God the name of a sauiour when she speaketh of the Ioy of her heart For vntill he be acknowledged God the sauiour mens mindes shall neuer haue the true and perfect Ioy but shal be alwaies heauy and careful Saluation in Christâ— vvorketh true Ioy. so that it is the only fauoure of God the saluation the commeth of him which make vs Ioyfull To be short this is the principall thing in the which the faithfull haue to Ioy that their saluation is in God for the which they must also be thankefull vnto him S. The Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a Deliuerer and Preseruer Which is somewhat more than a Sauiour This Tytell be longeth only vnto God in whom we al consist Mary after the maner of the Psalmes of Dauid calleth him the sauiour Deliuerer bycause nowe her whole minde was inflamed with the consideration of the saluation which was begon to be wrought in her 48. For Hee hath looked on the lowe degree of his Handmayden for loe nowe from hence forth all Generations shall call mee blessed For he hath loked on the low degre C. She sheweth the cause why the Ioy of her heart is founded vpon God namely bycause he had respect vnto her frely of his mercy For in acknowledging her lowe degree shee maketh herselfe voide of all worthinesse that shee may ascribe vnto the free goodnes of God the whole cause of reioysing For the low degree of the which mencion is made in this place doth not signifie submissioÌ„ modesty or the habite of the minde as certaine vnlearned men haue thought but signifieth only an abiect vile and vase condition The Sence and meaninge therfore is this Whereas I was base contemned of low degre it hath pleased God notwithstanding mercifully to looke vpon mee Therefore the Virgin calling to minde the benefits of God as we ought to do when we geue thanks firste of all wondereth the God had such respect regarde vnto her being base and of low degree that he chose her to be the mother vnto his sonne For this is the which she saith For he hath regarded the low degre of his handmaideÌ„ Where there is any dignity or worthinesse of the fleshe there is a vaile which will not suffer vs to beholde the grace of God Therefore vpon iuste cause shee maketh mencion of her low Degree R. As if she should say I came of the stocke of the famouse king Dauid but looke by how much my auÌ„cetors were more noble than I by so much am I the more miserable For that I may speake nothing of the Kingdome taken away from our kinred by tyranny to make no mencion of the great neede which I a maiden of kingly race haue a longe time suffred this verely of all other is the greatest misery that the tyrauntes which now enioy our kingdome doe so lye in wayte for the life of al those that are come of the stock of Dauid that hauinge already killed certaine men not so much as wee poore maydes women are in safety so that wee being not so much coÌ„temned as wee are a coÌ„mon scorne to all men know not where to leade a secure life But to her whom men despyse the Lord turneth his eyes of mercy hath chosen me to gret dignity He might haue regarded the dignity of others which far exelled me in nobility in riches but he would none of them hauing respect vnto me a poore needy Virgin This maketh mee Ioyfull for this I geue thankes vnto God To be short I am nothing for what soeuer I am haue the same coÌ„meth only vnto me because God hath respect vnto me by the grace of God I am that I am The Virgin coulde not morefully prayse God his grace C. Thus we see how Mary abaseth her selfe to exalte God alone And it was not a setting forth of fayned humility But a simple true confession of her perswasion which she had fixed in her mynde For shee was both of no estimation in the sight of the world she also esteemed of her selfe nothing the more M. And here we haue specially expressed vnto vs what the Nature of God is God bâ—holdeth things of lovv degre namely to haue respecte vnto thinges of small reputacion and to the lowest thinges Hee cannot looke vpward because there is nothing aboue him neyther can he looke on eyther side of him forsomuch as hee hath none nygh vnto him that is his
his hand lifted him vp being prostrate and layed on the Grounde Religion was a thousand wayes contaminated In publique Doctryne there was nothinge sincere the gouernment of the Church was quite out of order nothing appeared but mere barbarisme the pollitique gouernment was ouerthrowne the body of the people was rent torne by the Romaines by Herod as by brute Beasts Wherefore the more gloriouse was their deliuerance which they had no hope to enioy And that which the Lorde did then hee doâ—h also dayly For those are his whom he helpeth and deliuereth For that must be fulfilled in vs which happened vnto the people of the Iewes If we fall there is no cause why wee shoulde dispayre let vs looke when the Lord shal stretch forth his hande to helpe vs. This is a notable consolation And by this name Israell hee comprehendeth the vniuersall Church of all the faithfull Israell is here called the Seruaunte of the Lorde as in many other places also because hee was admitted and receiued into the Housholde of GOD. B. But they are the true Israelites which imbrace Christe the Sauiour For all which are of Israell are not Israelites before GOD but onely they which are partakers of the promise Rom. 9.7 Galat. 3.7 euen as Paule proueth in many words That hee might be mindefull of his mercy C. Mary sheweth the cause why a People proane to Destruction was receiued of God yea why GOD would lift them vp nowe that they are fallen namely that in sauing of them he might declare his mercy Notwithstandinge Shee sayth expresly the God remembred his mercy the which hee might seeme after a sort to haue forgotten in sufferinge his People so miserably to bee vexed afflicted For it is a vsuall thing to attribute Affections vnto God accordinge as men gather that hee is eyther angery or pleased with them Therefore God neuer forgetteth his mercye nor chaungeth his Affections But this is not alwayes knowne vnto vs but is oftentimes hid from vs. Therefore Mary sayth that it was Reuealed to Israell that God had remembred his mercy Thus it happeneth vnto vs oftentimes For we are often times so destitute and without all helpe that we cannot tell what to thinke els but the God hath forgotten vs his mercies When we feele that we are destitute of all helpe then let vs remember this that GOD hath holpen his seruaunte Israell And note here that hee calleth the promises of Saluation the mercies of God least any man should thinke that God is moued by any other thing then by his onely mercy to promise and to performe his promises then by the reuealed saluation in Christe 55. Euen as hee spake to our Fathers namely to Abraham and to hys Seede for euer Euen as hee spake to our Fathers C. Bycause mens myndes do not conceiue the Mercies of God no farther then he offereth and testefieth the same by his word here Mary reduceth her selfe and others to the Promises teachinge that God hath bene faithfull and constant in his promises In this sence God is oftentimes called Gentle and true bycause wee shall neuer be perswaded and assured of his good will towarde vs excepte wee remember his worde by which hee hath bounde him selfe vnto vs which worde also doth couple tye with an inseperable knot our saluation with the goodnesse of God Moreouer Mary sheweth by the same wordes that the Couenaunte which God had made longe before with the Fathers was free and without deserte bycause there Shee deriueth the promised saluation from the mere mercy of God as from a well And hereby wee gather that shee was wel exercised in the doctrine of the scripture Mary exercised in the scriptures Euery one at that time looked for the Messyas but fewe grounded their Faith vppon such sincere knowledge of the Scripture Namely to Abraham C. After shee had spoken generally of the promises of God she coÌ„meth to the particuler as if she should say Hee spake not onely to the Fathers but to all their Posterity If you reade it appositiuely it seemeth an absurde alteration of the case For it ought rather to haue bene sayd To Abraham and his seede But it is not a simple apposition Bycause Marye doth not only shewe who those fathers were to whom God spake but doth also extend the force and the effect of the Promises to all the Posterity which were the naturall seede of Abraham Whereupon also it followeth that she speaketh of the solemne couenant which was specially made with Abraham his Posterity For other Promises which were geuen to Adam to Noe and to others did belonge to all Nations generally And to his seede That is to say to the posterity of Abraham Faith maketh the Gentiles the seede of AbrahaÌ„ Galat. 3.7 looking for Christe by Fayth as did Abraham C. For as their owne incredulity cut of many of the sonnes of Abraham and were deuided from the house and Linage of Abraham bycause they were Bastards euen so we which were Forrayners being ingraffed by faith are sayd to bee the true seede of Abraham B. For they which are of Faith saith the Apostell Paule are the Sonnes and seede of Abraham C. Therefore let vs knowe that God spake so in olde time to the Fathers that the grace offred vnto them pertayneth also vnto the Posterity Secondly that the Adoption of all the Gentiles was made by Faith that they might be the spirituall Sonnes of Abraham which were not so by Nature For Marye speaketh not here of Christ the Seede of AbrahaÌ„ as many to curiously write but of Abraham and of the Posteritye of Abraham to whom Iesus the Sauiour was promised For euer As if shee should say that the seede of AbrahaÌ„ should endure to the ende of the world 56. And Mary abode with her about three Monethes and returned agayne to her owne house C. Mary aboade with her Cosine almost three Monethes namely vntil the day of her Childbyrth For it is probable that there was no other cause of so longe tariance but onely this that she might beholde the grace of God which was tolde her of the Angell for the coÌ„firmation of Faith B. As therefore their friendship onely is true whom the grace of God linketh together in friendship euen so they caÌ„not by and by depart one from another which come together in the Lord except the same glory of God which broughte them together doe also put them a sunder the which glory they can better seeke beinge seperated in Body then when they are ioyned together notwtstanding in myndes they are neuer distracted And returned againe to her owne house A. There is no doubte but that Mary greatly reioysed in hearte in all this Iourney 57. Elizabethes time came that she shoulde bee Deliuered and Shee brought forth a sonne C. The suÌ„me of this story is that the birth of Iohn the Baptist was made notable wonderful by diuers miracles which foreshewed that there should be
had commaunded concerning his name Otherwise he had not obayed the cōmaundement of God But hee shal be called Iohn C. Why God gaue this name vnto Iohn the Baptiste wee haue declared before verse 13. Bu. We haue also an example of faithful obedience in the Parents of Iohn in that they obayed the cōmaundement of the Angell receyued not counsailes aduice of their kinsfolkes who not knowing the coūsaile of God thought it best to retayne the approued Custome But custome ought alwayes to gieue place vnto the truth though it be neuer so exellent 61. And they sayd vnto her There is none in thy Kynred that is Named wyth this Name B. This must be vnderstoode of such as were presently aliue or at least of those which were not longe before disseassed For amonge his auncetors many were called by the name of Iohn as he which was Priest when the Temple was builded by Salomon the King And it agreed very wel that looke what name the Priest had vnder the Typical Salomon the same the Priest of the true Salomon shoulde haue For this our Iohn now that the kingdome of Christe began and the building of the spirituall Temple being settinge vp had the office of the more true Priesthoode teaching the people the most wholesome knowledge C. And wee see the custome is taken for a sufficient testimony It was sufficient for them to alleage the Auncient maner and custome the which is geuen to all men almost by Nature Custome vvithout the truth is vayne But what other thinge is custome oftentimes then meere corruption That therefore which is builded vppon Custome alone is infirme and vaine 62. And they made Sygnes vnto his father how he would haue him called A. To make an ende of the contencion the Kinsfolkes seeke to be certefied by makinge Sygnes vnto Zacharias by what Name hee would haue the Childe called who was before instructed of the same by the Angell 63. And hee asked for wrighting tables and wroate sayinge his name is Iohn And they marueiled all B. Hee meaneth waxen Tables in the which in olde time they were wonte to write BV. That which his Tongue coulde not doe hee doth by his hande and by wrtinge requiring Tables by signes and beckes and not by voice E. For when the Mother and Kynsfolkes coulde not agree the Fathers authority was requisite to ende the cōtencion But hee had not as yet the vse of his Tongue when hee stoode in moste neede of the same Therefore when by signes it was demaunded of him what name hee woulde haue geeuen to hys Sonne hee vnderstanding the matter required his writinge Tables that by dumbe Letters hee mighte vtter that which by voyce hee coulde not And when the Tables were broughte vnto him hee wroate thus His name is Iohn Geuinge them to vnderstande that this name was geuen vnto him by the Angell before hee was conceiued Sayinge his name is Iohn If he spake what needed hee to write Wherefore this word saying in this place muste not bee referred to Zacharias him selfe but to the writinge of Zacharias which spake after a sorte And at this agrement of the Parents they marueyled all 64. And his Mouth was opened immediately and his Tongue loosed hee spake and praysed God C. GOD doth adorne and make noble the byrth of his Prophet by restoringe to his Father his Tongue For there is no doubt but that hee put of this Benefite vnto that Day to this ende and purpose that hee might draw all men to the admiration of Iohn And praysed GOD C. Zacharias is sayd to prayse GOD not onely to shewe him selfe thankefull but also that they might knowe that their kinsman and neighbour was punished bycause hee was to slowe to beleeue For hee was not ashamed to glorifie GOD to his owne shame And thus it was knowne to all men that the Infante was not borne by Chaunce or according to common order but promised by heauenly Oracle 65. And feare came on all them that dwelte nyghe vnto them and all these sayings were noised abroade through out all the hyll Countrey of Iury. And feare came on all them C. In this place Feare signifieth Reuerence which came from the feeling of Gods power For the workes of God ought so reuerently to bee considered that they oughte to make vs seriously affected And God doth not dally in his miracles but stirreth vp the mindes of men which he seeth to be sluggish and dull Throughout all the hill Coūtrey of Iury A. The Lord wrought not a miracle to the ende a fewe onely might know the same but to the ende many might be brought to reuerence by this so notable a worke C. Therefore LVKE sayth that the Fame of these things was spred abrod throughoute all the Hill Countrey of IVDEA Howbeit it profited many nothinge at all that they were so touched with the power of GOD for a time bycause when IOHN began his Office of Teachinge fewe remembered how wonderfull his birth was But GOD woulde haue the Fame of these thinges bee spred abroade not onely for their cause which heard but also bycause the miracle might bee more certayne in all Ages which at that tyme was knowne in diuers places 66. And all they that hearde them laide them vp in their hearts sayinge what maner of Chylde shall this bee And the Hande of the Lorde was with him Layde them vp in their hearts A. This is spoken accordinge to the Hebrew phrase and signifieth as much as to consider with ones selfe to deliberate in the minde of any thinge what the meaninge and Effecte of the same should bee C. And here we haue a common spectacle of mans Ingratitude set before our eyes For when vaine and friuolouse thinges doe take to deepe roote in our myndes the rememberaunce of geuinge thankes vnto GOD which oughte for euer to remayne vanisheth away Luke speaketh not of sencelesse wicked men or of the cruell Contemners of God For hee sayth that they layed them vp in their heart meaning that they had a deepe consideration of these thinges And it is lykely that some were mindefull of them for a time but the greater parte within a while after put away that feare which they had cōceiued Notwithstandinge wee must note that they wente not out of the way when they referred the miracles which they sawe to that exellencie which the Infante shoulde haue For we sayd that such was the coūsayle and purpose of GOD that Iohn might afterwards come abroade with great commendation Therefore they sayd What maner of Chylde shall this bee B. Bycause they sawe the mightie power of the Lord which was shewed in sundry Myracles concerninge the Childe there was cause why they should looke for great things concerninge him and should bee as it were afearde for the more present maiesty of the Lord. And so are the hearts of men framed that the more they see his outstretched Arme and power the more they feare God Hereupon it
coÌ„meth that all signes and Woonders which doe manifestly declare the power of God doe much terrefy men And the hand of the Lord was with him C. That is to say by many thinges the Grace of God was to bee seene which declared that IOHN was no common person And this is a Figuratiue kinde of Speach which declareth that the Power of GOD was no lesse reuealed than if his hand had bene openly seene that euery one might acknowledge God to be present For all men knowe that the hande of God signifieth power And the hande of the Lorde is sayd to bee with one when hee hath the better of his enemies Also with a Prophet when he constantly executeth the woorke of his callinge and teacheth with Successe Therefore wee muste Iudge by circumstance what the hand of God is 67. Then his Father Zacharias was filled with the holy Ghoste and prophesied sayinge C. Luke doth shewe that Zacharias had restored vnto him not onely that vse of his tongue but also sunge a Psalme by the motion of the holy Ghoste Was filled wyth the holy Ghoste C. Wee shewed euen now what it is to bee replenished with the more plentifull grace of the Spirite of the which notwithstanding others are not voide So wee reade that the Spirite was geuen to the Prophets Not that they wanted the same at some times but bycause the power of the same did more fully shewe it selfe in them so often as they were broughte forth to bee seene of all men as it were by the hande of God to doe their Office So that we must note the Ioyninge together of two partes which Luke putteth downe as that Zacharias was filled with the holy Ghoste and prophesied For he geueth vs to vnderstande that hee was then extraordinarily inspired from aboue in so much that hee spake not from flesh and bloud as a coÌ„mon man but that hee vttered onely the heauenly doctrine So also the Apostell Paule Ioyneth Prophesie with the Spirite Sayinge Quenche not the Spirite 1. Thess â— 19 Despyse not Prophesyinges To the ende wee might know that by the contempt of doctrine the light of the Spirite is extinguished And this goodnesse of God was to bee remembred that to Zacharias not onely his speache was restored of the which hee was depriued by the space of nyne Monethes but also his Tongue was made the InstrumeÌ„t of the holy Ghoste And Prophesied sayinge Prophesiing vvhat it is R. To Prophesie is not onely to explicate Prophesies spoken before but also to Prophesie thinges to come For hee explicateth here those Promises which were openly preached many hundered yeares before concerninge CHRISTE and he doth also foreshewe the Offyce that Iohn shoulde execute and what Benefits the People should receiue by the comming of CHRISTE whose way IOHN shoulde prepare And we must note that all this Psalme proceeded from the holy Ghost yea euen that part also which containeth a thankes gieuing Thankes geuing procedeth from the holy Ghost â—sal 51.16 For wee can not speake any thing to the praise of God without the Grace of the Spyrite Wherefore Dauid desiered the Lord to opeÌ„ his mouth Also we must note that this hymne is an Epitome or briefe rehearsall of al those promises which were spoken coÌ„cerning Chryst and also a manifest explication of the whole concerning Christ Iesê° 68. Blessed be the lord God of Israell because he hath visited redeemed his People Blessed be the Lord God C. Zacharias beginneth with thankes gieuing But by the Spyrite of prophesie he celebrateth the fulfilled redemption promised longe before in Chryste whereuppon the Saluation and Felicitie of the Church depended By this Exordium or beginning we are taught that so often as we speake of the benefits of God we should ioyne therewith thaÌ„ks gieuing Of Israell R. The Lord is not onely the God of Israell but also of the Gentiles and of all Creatures for the whole World is Subiecte vnto his Dominion Notwithstanding hee is sayd peculiarly to be the God of Israell first because by a publique couenaunt he bound himselfe to the people of Israell Euen as it is to be seene in the 17. Chapter of Genesis Secondly because hee had geuen vnto this People Patriarkes Prophetes the Lawe the worship of God and the promises concerning Christ to come Lastly because Chryst was to be borne of this people after the flesh But after that Chryste was come that was not the true Israell which was Israell after the Flesh but which was and is the Israel by faith which is in Chryst Iesus VVherefore although the Lorde by his power and gouernement be the Lorde of all nations yet notwithstanding he is properly said to be the God of the Faithfull in Iesus Chryst because hee acknowledgeth these aloane to be the heyres of his heauenly Kingdome Therefore in respecte of the Couenaunt he is specially called the GOD of that Nation And in that he is not called the God of Adam the God of Abell and of others this is the cause Namely for that he would haue his Couenaunte to bee had in remembrance and will bee acknowledged to be such a one as hee manifesteth himselfe to be leaste wee should seke for more or least we should imagine any vncertayn thing of him should geue this or that vnto him but that we might simpely imbrace him as he reuealeth himselfe vnto vs. C. Therfore because God had made his Couenaunt with one Nation onely of the which Zacharias is about to make meÌ„tion he doth vppon good consideration make mention of that Nation to whome properly or at leaste in the first place the Grace of Saluation was appoynted Because hee hath visited E. He speaketh as of a matter already finished For this Verbe of the Preterperfecte Tence doth declare the certainty of the thinge euen as if the Visitation and Redemption had bene already finished which was a greate while after to be perfourmed fulfilled by Christ B. To visite is properly to haue a care for one God is alvvay present vvith vs. as he which will visite his brother visiteth him that he may knowe how to helpe him But it is certaine that God is alway presente with vs although we do not alway feele the same Esay 62.21 Ier. 14 10. Amos. 3.2 And when hee sheweth himselfe to bee presente by some manifest worke then he is sayd to visite Moreouer to visite is taken two maner of wayes in the Scripture Hereof God is sayd to visite sinnes when he punisheth For the plagues declareth that God hath punished them In the which kynd of speach is added sometime a rod Psal 89. or plague or Sword or such like Isay 27.1 As I will visite theyr transgression with the Rod and their iniquity with stroakes Also In that day the LORD with his soare and great and mighty Sword shall visite Liuiathani Esay 29.6 Again Thou shalt be visited of the Lorde of Hoastes with thunder and shakynge and a greate
as Paule teacheth that the Gospell is contemptible after the fleshe that our faith might be grounded vpon the power of the spirite and not vpon the lofty words of mans wisdome or vpon any glory of the World euen so GOD hath placed from the beginning this incomparable treasure in earthen vessells 2. Cor. 4◠1. Cor. ◠1◠that he might the better proue the obedience of faith wherefore if we desyre to come vnto Christe let vs not bee ashamed to followe those maysters whom the Lorde hath taken as it were from the dungehill to beate downe the pride of the World Therefore so soone as Christe was borne he would be knowen vnto men firste of all of the sorte of men which to all men are base vile and of no reputacion that is to say of Sheepeheardes Therefore as wee learne his humility of the place so let vs see how hee instructeth vs to humility when hee woulde haue Sheepeheardes to bee his first Disciples to be preferred before Philosophers Math. 1. ◠Neuerthelesse we must waigh that not only Idiots are Christians all others excluded for the Magi or Wise men are also called But if he had begoon with these Philosophers and Wisemen wee woulde haue geuen this praise vnto art as vnto the foundation Therefore to the ende the Lord might ouerthrow this pryde he began with Sheepeheardes The Sheepheard would rather be knowne vnto sheepheards then to Emperors to Kings to Liefetenaunts to Pharises Scribes and high Priestes BV. These Sheepheards dwelt neere vnto Bethlehem We reade in Genesis Gen. 35. that neere vnto Ephrath which was also called Bethlehem the Tower of Eder was builded and that in olde time to this ende that the same being in a most fertill place of pasture might be a house for the flocke and the Sheepeheardes against all tempestious weathers for the which cause no doubt it was named Eder For Eder signifieth a flocke or a gathering together of Beastes Also Hierom sayth If wee follow the order of the way there is a place of Sheepeheardes neere vnto Bethlehem Hierom in traditionibus Hebraicis where eyther the angells sunge at the byrthe of the Lorde or ells where Iacob fed his Flockes geuinge a Name to the Places or elles which is more true by a certayne Prophesie the Mistery which was to come was shewed euen then And watching their flocke by night As if hee shoulde say lookinge for nothing lesse then a reuelation of Christ Merite is here excluded that Grace might be commended 9. And loe the Angell of the Lorde stoode hard by them and the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afrayde And loe the Angell of the Lorde C. Wee must consider and beholde Christe in an abiect shewe but withall wee must know that before God his Angells no part of his glory was deminished He lyeth in a stable but the Angells pronounce him to bee the Redemer and the sonne of God hereby also declaringe them selues to bee his ministers And by the very same deede his dyuinity was declared For it was meete that heauenly messengers should firste of all declare that the king of Heauen was borne And seeing that heauenly spirites doe serue the glory of Christ wee see that his humility hath deminished nothing at all of his glory Here the Angell seemeth to bee alone when he declareth his Natiuity For it followeth in the 13. verse And straiteway there was with the Angel a multitude of heauenly Souldiers praysing God and saying c. stoode harde by them E. The Greeke worde signifieth that the Angell was a lofte ouer them than standing by them And the glory of the Lord C. Luke saith that the Glory of the Lorde shone rounde aboute the Sheepeheards whereby they knewe the Angell For that which the Euangelist reporteth had profited litle to haue bene tolde them of the Angell except God had testefied by some visible signe that the same which they hearde proceeded from him Therefore the Angell apeared vnto them not in any cōmon forme or without Dignity but shininge with heauenly Glory which stirred vp the mindes of the sheepheardes so that they receiued the worde brought vnto them no lesse then if it had proceded out of the mouth of God Bu. Therefore this deuine Glory shyning vpon the sheepheards round about draue away the darkenesse of the night brought authority vnto the messenger causing so many as were partakers of this news to credit it For thus they were the better prepared to heare the Gospel But if the Angel had spoken like a man as Angells haue oftentimes appeared in the likenesse of men they woulde peraduenture haue geuen small heede vnto them But the Lord gaue vnto him a marke bycause hee woulde haue his seruants taught Therefore we vnderstande that God would not speake simply whose glory was a signe marke of his diuinity least they should dispise those things wch were spoken of God At this day when we heare the word of God we see not such a sight neither is it necessary For hee hath sufficiently confirmed the worde by Miracles If wee seeke for externall Signes let vs geue care vnto those things which are already done Are we not blinde at his workes if so be all those miracles preuaile nothing at all with vs Furthermore the principall authority cōsisteth in the testimony of the Spirite when as God testefieth that it is he which speaketh in vs. Whereupon the Apostell saith In whom also yee hoped Ephe. 1.13 after that ye heard the worde of truth the Gospell of your saluation wherein also after that yee beleeued were sealed with the holy Spyrite of promise Therefore we want nothing the Gosple hath bene confirmed by Miracles and hee hath now sealed it with the testimony of the Spirite And they were sore afrayde A. It is no marueile if the Sheepheards were sore afraide at the glory of GOD shining rounde about them C. For what is man in respect of GOD. Wee thinke well of our selues when GOD is absent we are contented with our Estate but when GOD doth manifest himselfe vnto vs wee awake from our sleape and wee see our owne fraylenesse And to bee shorte it is the onely presence of God which beateth downe our pride C. Therefore with this feare GOD is wonte to humble the hearts of men that they may geue reuerence vnto his worde as wee haue declared before Luk. 1.12 10. And the Angell sayd vnto them bee not afraide for behold I bring you tydings of great Ioy that shal be to all people Bee not afrayde C. This exhortation pertaineth to the mittigatinge of feare Feare bringeth reuerence tovvardes God For although it bee profitable for the mindes of men to bee afearde that they may learne to geeue due honour vnto GOD yet natwithstanding they haue neede of cōsolation feast they be quite ouerwhelmed For it cānot bee but that the maiesty of GOD muste needes swallowe vp the
fryers seeme to exell the coÌ„mon sorte of Christians Notwithstanding Ihon meteth them with such reproche that hee calleth them generation Vypers But this is the office of a Preacher of the worde and not reproch For so ought all Hypocrites to bee handeled who flatteringe them selues in their hearts goe about to deceiue God and men For this verse and the other two verses following reade our Annotacions vppon the third of Mathew beginninge at the 7. verse 10. And the People asked him sayinge what shall wee doe C. Luke intreateth of the particuler Sermons of Ihon euen as hee hath begon For the former reprehension pertayned to the Pharises nowe hee addeth that which pertayneth to the people Therefore the coÌ„mon People aske him saying what shall we do C. The true Affection of repentance causeth this carefulnesse that the sinner greedely inquireth what is the will of GOD and what GOD commaundeth A. That is to say what oughte to bee done to obtayne Saluation So the Iewes when they had heard the Sermon of Peter were pricked in heart and sayd vnto Peter and to the rest of the Apostells Acts. 2.37 Men and Bretheren what shall wee doe Also the Keeper of the Prison sayd to Paule Silas Maisters Acts 16.30 what must I doe to bee saued 11. He answereth saith vnto them Hee that hath two coates let him parte with him that hath none hee that hath meate let hym doe lykewise C. This answere of Iohn doth briefly define the condigne worthy fruites of repentance for the Worlde euer coueteth ceremonies in the worship of God neyther is it more proane to any thing then to worship with fayned and counterfeyt worship so often as hee calleth to repentance But what fruites doth Iohn the Baptiste coÌ„mend vnto vs in this place Surely the duties of loue and of the second table Not that GOD neglecteth the externall Profession of Pietie and of his true Worship but bycause this note of difference is more certaine doth lesse deceiue For Hypocrites doe very busily occupy themselues to proue them selues to bee the Worshippers of GOD by Ceremonies hauing no care in the meane time for true righteousnesse when as they are eyther Churllish and discourteous to their Neighbours or ells geuen to fraude and Rapine Wherefore they are necessarily to be brought to a more grosse triall as whether they liue honestly amonge men whether they help the poore whether they bee fauorable to those that are in misery whether they â—oe gentlely participate with others those thinges which the Lord hath bestowed vppon them For this cause Christe calleth the principall pointes of the Lawe Mat 23.23 Righteousnesse Mercy and Faith The Scripture doth oftentimes coÌ„mend righteousnesse and Iudgement Wee must note this first of all that the duties of Charity are named not bicause they are more exellent then the worship of GOD but so far forth as they are Testimonies of mans Piety that their Hypocrisie may be discouered which boast that thing with their mouth which no doubt is farre from their heart But it may bee demaunded whether Iohn did precisely lay this Lawe vppon all men Question whom hee soughte to frame make Disciples for Christe that they should not haue two Coates First of all wee must note that it is a sinecdochall kinde of speach AuÌ„svvere bycause vnder one particuler hee comprehendeth a generall doctrine Hereupon it followeth that wee must drawe forth that sence and meaninge which may agree with the Rule of Charity as it is prescribed of God namely that euery one of his aboundance doe help and relieue the neede of the poore Euery man ought to waigh consider howe much the Lord hath geuen vnto him he ought also to be carefull for the neede and necessity of his Bretheren and to vnderstande that his goods are therefore geuen vnto him that he might dispence and bestowe the same vpon others These things are pentifully and plainly set downe by S. Iames Iam. 2.15 1. Ihon. 3.7 and by S. Iohn in his first Epistell Therefore the meaning of Iohn the Baptist is that wee must help and relieue the necessity of our bretheren of that abundance which God geueth vnto vs. 2. Cor. 9.7 The Apostell sayth that the Lord loueth a cheerefull gieuer We speake this to this ende that men may know how acceptable and sweete smelling a sacrifice it is vnto God to geue of their goods vnto the poore But those kinde of men which doe make it as a Lawe that no man shall possesse his owne doe not onely bringe feare and dreade into the Consciences of men but do also quite ouerwhelme them with desperation R. For Ihon did not appoint here that mens goods should bee common as the Anabaptists teache and the seditiouse desire neyther doth hee take away the ciuill diuision of thinges ordayned by publique Lawes For althoughe ryches are sometime spoken against for the euell abuse thereof yet notwithstanding of them selues they are the good creatures and the gift of God Pro. 10.22 The blessinge of the Lord saith Salomon maketh men rich And in Iob it is sayd Iob. 42.12 And the Lord doubled vnto Iob all things that hee had before two foulde Also the lord saith to Salomon 3. ki 3.12 I haue gieuen vnto thee those thinges also which thou requiredest not that is to say Ryches and glory in such wise that no Kinge hereafter shal be lyke vnto thee Thus you see by the testimony of Gods woorde that riches are the gifte of God But who so much voide of shame that he will deny it to bee lawfull for a Christian to haue and to possesse the gyfts of God For the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse of the same And Christians are the Lords What then should bee the cause that they may not lawfully possesse the gifts of the Lord their God Moreouer that is to bee considered which is written in the Lawe Thou shalt not steale By the which commaundement is vndoubtedly confirmed the Diuision of thinges and Superiority But if it were vngodly for a man to possesse his owne goods verely there would be no place left for wicked theft euen as hee coÌ„mitteth not theft which vseth the Ayre bycause by Naturall right the Ayre is coÌ„mon to all men Psa 62.11 1. Ti. 6.17 Moreouer consider what the Prophet saith in the Psalmes Yf ryches increase set not thy heart vpon theÌ„ The Apostell Paule also teacheth the same They coÌ„maund not to cast away Riches but they teach vs not to repose our trust in Riches Wherefore S. Ihon in this Sermon teacheth not a new Law but expoundeth and interpreteth the olde naturall Law not onely to the Iewes but also to the Gentiles For the Naturall Law is this What soeuer yee would that men should do vnto you Mat. 7.12 euen so doe yee vnto them There is no man which in hunger colde which would not wishe to bee sustained and clothed
moment And this error broughte forth another as commoÌ„ly it commeth to passe For he iudged that Christe was no Prophet because he knew not as he thought what maner of woman it was but although we see the some thing at some time was hidden from the Prophetes because the Lorde onely reuealed so much vnto theÌ„ as was nedeful for theÌ„ yet notwithstanding Chryst the true Prophet knew well inough what she was and he dyd not onely knowe her but also he would haue present and by her Example beate downe the pryde of the Phaâ—isie Here therefore we see how greatly wee oughte to beware of presumptuous opynions because they brynge vs into other errors the which euill wee shall easely withstande if so be we iudge onely of matters of the which we are certayne 40. And Iesus aunswered and sayde vnto him Symon I haue somewhat to say vnto thee And he said Mayster say on C. Chryst doth not tarry vntyl the Phariseâ— vtter his mynde but preuenceth him geuing a signe of his Diuinity in bewraying the secrete thoughtes of his hearte For in declaring what hee thought he sheweth that he is much more excellent then any Prophet and that not onely for Symons sake but that we mighte all thereby learne that it is not to be feared least he reiecte any sinner who is no lesse ready as it were with stretched oute armes to receyue all then he doth gentely and friendlie call all saying Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden and I wil refresh you Ma. 11.28 41. There was a certayne Lender which had two Debters the one ought fiue hundred pence and the other fiftye C. By this simillitude Chryste sheweth how greately Symon erred But bicause the Aduersaries of the Gospell denying the free remission of sins brynge in this place thereby to proue that remission of sinnes commeth by merites and satisfactions as thoughe this woman had deserued pardon by her teares by the anoynting and kyssing of his feete must take dyllygence heede and consideration of the same least hereafter any man be deceiued by such Iusticiaries in the InterpretatioÌ„ of the same Therefore this is the sence and meaning of this place The Pharisie as we sayd before thought wythin him selfe that the Lord knewe not the Woman whom hee admitted to his Company with such facility For For he thought that he would not haue admitted her if he had knowne what maner of sinfull woman shee had ben And herof he gathered that he was no Prophet which might after that maner be deceyued The Lorde to shewe that shee was no Sinner whose sinnes were alreadye forgieuen propoundeth a parable the summe whereof is that Symon doth erre in condeÌ„pnyng the woman whom the heaueÌ„ly iudge doth absolue There was sayth hee a certayne Lender which had two Debters the one ought fiue hundred peÌ„ce and the other fiftie The Debte was forgeuen to both Which of the two had greatest fauour The Pharisie aunswered He to whome hee forgaue moste Then our Lorde sayd Knowe hereby that this Woman sinnes are forgeuen her because she loued much By which Words Chryste proueth that this VVoman is iuste not because she made satisfaction vnto God but because her sinnes were forgeuen her For otherwyse the simillitude wer vnapte where Chryst doth plainlg expresse that the debters which wer not able to pay had the Debte freelye forgeuen them So that the Argumente which Chryst vseth was not taken of the cause but of the Effecte because both one must first receiue a benefit before hee geue Thankes and also fre remission is noated heere to be the cause of mutuall loue Therefore he maketh not the womans Loue the cause of remission of sins but the probation For these are the wordes Many sinnes are forgeuen her because shee loued much being taken from the simillitude oâ— that Debter to whoÌ„ fiue hundreth pence wer forgeuen to whom he said not that they were therefore forgeuen because she had loued much but that shee therefore loued much because many sins wer forgeuen her Also how she obtayned remission of Sinnes the Lorde himselfe testefieth saying Thy Fayth hath saued thee Therefore by Fayth we obtaine remission of sinnes and by loue we geue thankes vnto the Lord acknowleging his mercy and goodnes 44. And he tourned to the Woman and sayd vnto Symon Seest thou this Woman I entered into thy thy house thou gauest me no Water for my Feete but shee hath washed my feete with teares and wyped them wyth the Hayres of her Heade C. The Lorde seemeth so to compare Symon wyth the Woman that he condempneth him onely of small offences But this is a maner of grauntyng as if he had sayd Admit Symon that thy faulte were small which the lord hath forgeuen thee and that this Woman is guilty of many grieuous crimes Notwythstanding thou seest by euideÌ„t Testimony that she is forgeuen For what meane such flowing teares such often kyssing my feete such anoynting with precious Oyntment but onely that she confesseth herselfe to be oppressed with greate and deepe Dampnation And now in the greater Necessity she feeleth her selfe to be the more ferueÌ„â—ly shee imbraceth the mercy of God Therefore By the words of Chryst it cannot be gathered whether Symon dyd owe much or little or whether his faulte were forgeuen him More credyble it is as he was a blynde Hypocrite that he was as yet drowned in the filthynes of his sins But christ standeth vppon this one thinge that how wicked soeuer this woman was the signes of her righteousnes were manifeste because to declare her thaÌ„kfulnesse she omitted no kynd of dutie and by all maner of meanes declared how much she dyd owe vnto God And by the way Chryst admonisheth SimoÌ„ that there is no cause why hee shoulde flatter himselfe as though he wer free from all faulte for because he himselfe had neede of mercy I entered into thy house That which followeth is added to amplify the matter to shew how greatly this woman loued the Lord for the sinnes whych he had forgeuen her For euery man the more that he feeleth his sinnes to bee forgeuen him the more vehemently he loueth God and the more feling wee haue of Loue the more we shal know that we haue profited in Remission of sins and in Fayth Hereby let vs note that no man can be righteous before god but he which loueth God although loue as we said euen now is not the cause of righteousnes Thus Paule proueth righteousnes out of the Psalme saying Blessed are they whose Iniquityes are forgeuen Psal 32.1 Rom. 4.5 2. Co. â— 1â— and whose sins are couered And in another plâ—ce he sayth God was in Christ reconcyling th world to himselfe not imputing vnto theÌ„ their sins For no man is iuste but he which hath the true feeling of his sins neither can he imbrace true righteousnes except he fele them with a true affectioÌ„ And whosoeuer hath this knowledge that his sinnes are forgeuen him by
Chryst he must needes loue God Thou gauest mee no water for my Feete Christ speaketh not these thinges to reproue his hoste SymoÌ„ of negligence as though hee had not honoured him sufficiently or courteously ynough entertained him but rather to beate down the pharisaicall pride and to shew that he was not hidden of hym to his house with a sincere pure hart seeing hee did not geue vnto him those things which the Iewes were wont at diuers Times to geeue vnto their guestes Gen. 18.4 Gen. 19.2 Iâ—d 19.21 C. So that we must note the comparisons in the which the Woman is preferred before Symon namelye because she with her Teares watered Chrysts feete and anoynted his heade when as hee commaunded not so much as common water to bee geuen vnto him because she did not let to kisse hys feete when as he did not receiue christ with a kisse of entertainement because she poured precious Ointment vppon his feete when as he anointed not hys head with oyle And this was the cause why the lord which was a singuler exaÌ„ple of sparingnes suffered that oyntment to be spent because by this means the miserable sinful woman declared that shee oughte all duty vnto him For hee sought not for pleasaunt delights nâ—yther was he delighted wâ—th sweete odors neither did hee allowe Gloriouse worship but loked for the onely odor of true vnfained repentance of the which her flowing teares were manifest witnesses 45 Thou gauest mee no kisse but she since the time I came in hath not ceassed to kisse my feete My Heade with oyle thou didest not anoint but shee hath anointed my Feete with oyntmeÌ„t Thou gauest me no kisse A. The Iewes vsed to entertaine theyr friends and acquaintance wyth a kisse euen as we doe at this day wyth imbracing or with shaking by the hand as may euidentlye appeare to such as reade the Scriptures My head with oile thou diddest not anoynte The Iewes did vse to anoynt with oyntment in their feasts as wee haue shewed in our Exposition vppon the 26. cap. of Mat. Verse 7. 47 Wherefore I say vnto thee many sins are forgeven her for she loued much to whom lesse is forgeuen the same doth lesse loue Wherefore I say vnto thee BV. As if he shoulde say Therefore I would not haue thee to condempne her as a prophane and abhominable person who being iustyfied by her sinnes is no more a Sinner as shee was before but holy and iust C. VVherfore Loue in this place is not sayde to bee the cause of forgeuenesse but the following Signe of forgeuenes For hys VVoordes are in effecte thus much They which behoulde so large a desier and Loue of Godlynesse in the woman and iudge not that GOD is nowe Mercifull vnto her freely forgieuynge her all her Sinnes are peruerse Iudges For CHRIST doth not heere shew how men shall bee buy the Grace of GOD but proueth that GOD hath now pardoned this miserable sinfull Woman leaste mortal men should misâ—ike of her 48. And hee sayd vnto her Thy sins are forgeuen thee A. Now Christe comforteth the woman For although the Woman came not thither without faith yet notwithstanding she had neede of some consolation For she was vexed with the feeling of her sinnes for her Teares proceeded from great sorrow But if she had not bene afflicted this consolation might seeme superfluous Notwithstanding shee had faith C. Therefore it may be demaunded why Christe now promiseth pardon vnto her which shee had gotten already and of the which she was assured Some say that this sentence was spoken not somuch for her as for other mens sakes Other some beter Iudge that in these words he had speciall regarde of the Woman the which euideÌ„tly appeareth by that which followeth And there is no doubt but that she which had already tasted of the grace is nowe throughly absolued by the voice of Christe of whom she was perswaded that he was her only refuge of saluation Euen so daily our faith must go before when we craue remission of sinns at the hands of the Lord. Therefore although this woman brought with her a coÌ„ceiued trust of the grace which she receiued yet notwithstanding this promise was not superfluouse which serued very much for the confirmation of faith 49. And they that sate at meate with him began to saye wythin themselues who is this that forgeeueth sinnes also C. Here wee see the men being ignorant of the office of Christe do bring vnto theÌ„ selues new offeÌ„ces And this is the roote of the mischife that no man doth consider his owne misery the which no doubte would haue moued euery one of theÌ„ to seeke a remedy But Hypocrits which sleepe in their sinnes murmur as at a new thing when as Christe remitteth sinnes saying who is this this is an interrogation of the contempt of that person As if they should say what vile contemptible person is this which forgeueth sinnes specially seing the same belongeth to God only As we haue shewed in the 2. Chap. of Mar. 7. verse 50. And he said to the woman thy faith hath saued thee goe in peace C. Christe to stop the mouthes of these whisperes also to coÌ„firme the woman praiseth her faith As if he should say how soeuer these mutter grudge abide thou coÌ„stantly in that faith which hath brought thee sure saluation By the way Christe challeÌ„geth vnto himselfe the authority geuen to him of his father for bycause he had power to heale faith is rightly directed vnto him And hereby he geueth to vnderstand that the Woman was not rashly or erroniously mooued to come vnto him but by the motion of Gods holy spirit WhereupoÌ„ it followeth that wee can beleue in no other but in the son of God but wee must make the same the disposer of life death for if so be we beleue rightly in Christ bycause the heaueÌ„ly father hath geueÌ„ him power to remit sinns hee must needes bee robbed of his honor so soâ—e as faith is geuen to another Also by this place their error is confuted which thinke the sinnes are redemed with loue For Christ doth far otherwise define here as wheÌ„ by faith we imbrace the mercy of God The liâ—e speach we haue in the 9. Cap. Math. vers 22. Goe in peace B. As if hee should say Thou which hast beleued and hast geeuen credit to the preachinge of Repentaunce and to Remission Sinnes beinge tourned from thy wicked wayes and haste vnfaynedly declared thy selfe to take and to Worshippe mee for thy Sauiour and hast also testefied thy exceedynge Loue towards me goe in peace and be of a quiet mynd My Father wil neuer remember thy sins Thy Faith in me hath made the safe thou hast beleued that I caÌ„ restore thee into my fathers Fauour and obtain pardon of thy sins beholde thou hast receiued that whych thou beleuest go thy way now in safetie thou art the Chyld of God Heere Chryst declared himselfe to be the Sauiour by
And then goe to saith the Lord let vs talke together thoughe your sinnes be as red as scarlet they shal be as white as snowe And behold all thinges are cleane vnto you C. By these words Christe doth neyther extenuate the grace of God nor yet reiecte the Rytes Ceremonies of the Law as vaine vnprofitable bicause he speaketh against those which carelesly serue God with bare signes as if he had sayd that is only a lawful vse which sanctifieth the meates and they do rightly iustly vse their meates which of their abouÌ„daÌ„ce help the neede of the poore Therefore it were better to geue almes of the plenty which ye may spare theÌ„ scrupulosly to neglect the poore by washing of hands cups And wheras the Papists vpoÌ„ this place do infer the almes deedes are satisfactions by which we are delyuered clensed from our sinnes it is fond that it neede not any refutacion For Christ doth not here shewe with what pryce we may here seeke to get remission of sinnes but declareth that they do eate breade purely which geue parte vnto the poore R. The Conscience is not purged but by repentance The which repentance consisteth of two partes the one by the acknowledginge of our sinnes and the other by fayth bycause through Christe sinnes are remitted Therefore when as Christe coÌ„maunded the Pharises to pourge their conscience from sinnes by the same also he admonished theÌ„ to acknowledge their sinnes and to beleue that they are forgeuen by Christe A. For he alone can reconcile vs vnto God and make satisfaction for our sinnes Then he addeth the fruites of repentance which are the workes of Charity proceeding from a true fayth For the exposition of the rest which followeth vnto the 52. vers reade the 23. Chapter of Math. vers 23. and 4. 52. Wo vnto you yee Lawears for yee haue taken away the Key of Knowledge yee entered not in your selues them that came in yee forbad The Key of Knowledge E. That is to say yee haue taken vpon you the office of teachinge B. The key is erudition and instruction for to explicate the metaphor he addeth of knowledge signifying by the Key of knowledge the explication of the scriptures instruction in religion This Key is not a certaine externall lordship or rule in this Worlde but it is the publique Mystery of preaching the worde of God by the which Mynistery the kingdome of Heauen is opened and shut Whose sinnes yee remit they are remitted Iho. 20.23 Mat. 23.13 sayth Christe and vvhose sinnes yee retaine they are retayned 53. When hee thus spake vnto them the Lawears and the Pharises began to vrge him vehemently and to prouoke hym to speake many thinges 54. Layinge wayght for him and seekinge to catche somethinge out of his mouth whereby they myght accuse him C. Nowe Luke hauinge repeated diuers maledictions concludeth at the length that all the Scribes were the more styrred vp against Christe in somuch that captiously they soughte to get some aduauntage of his wordes A. Thus wee see the disposition of the Scribes and Pharises who were vtterly hardned in their impiety The more they are reprehended and called to saluation the farther of they goe from the same To them agreeth that which the Prophet spoke concerninge their Auncetors Thou hast scourged them but they tooke no repentance Iere. 5.3 thou hast corrected them for amendment but they refused thy correction they made their faces harder then a stone would not amend R. And although Christ did not reprehend theÌ„ to destroy them yet notwithstanding those peruerse Contemners of Gods Iudgements lay snares for Christ to render euill for good And this is the fashyon of pestilent men to hate nothing more then wholsome reprehensions Whereby they mighte accuse him For they knew that they could not destroy him excepte they had somewhat to accuse him to the Deputy FINIS ⧠THE XII CAP. IN the meane time wheÌ„ there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people in so much that they trod one another he began to say vnto his Disciples first of all beware of the leuen of the Pharises which is Hypocrisie R. Christe now returneth to geue instructions vnto his Disciples that he mighte confirme and grounde them in wholsome doctrine and mighte arme them against dauÌ„gers to come whom hee mynded to make Teachers of the whole Worlde Concerning this Leuen reade in the 16. Chapt. Mat. vers 5. For the exposition of the rest which followeth vnto the 10. ver reade 10. of Mat. beginning at the 26. vers For the 10. vers reade the 12. of Math. vers 31. And for the 11. 12. verses reade 10. of Math. vers 19. and of Marke 13. vers 11. 13. One of the company sayde vnto him Maister speake to my Brother that hee deuide the Inheritance with mee R. This man bewrayeth hys notable ignoraunce in that hee knewe not the kingdome of the Messias nor the ende of his offyce â—sal 72.2 For hearing out of the Prophets that the Messias shoulde establishe the kingdome of Dauid in iudgment and in righteousnesse and should Iudge the poore with equity and had â—eard also that this Iesus was the Messias which taught that no man ought to doe harme vnto his Neighbour he thought that Iesus oughte not onely to teache wyth Woordes but also to shewe with deedes that one ought not to hurte another A. Therefore he calleth Christ to proceede against his brother of his authority Speake vnto my brother sayth hee to deuide the Inheritance with mee As if he should say Seeing thou seemest to bee the Messias and dost so often times teach Brotherly loue bring to passe that my brother may shewe that in deede towards mee which thou teachest in worde and which the office of the Messias requireth Hee bewrayeth also here his couetousnesse For whereas Christe called his Dysciples to the confession of his Name and commaunded them to prepare them selues against the persecution to come this man as thoughe no daunger were at hand was so tyed to his Inheritance that hee sought for nothing els but for the riches pleasures of this Worlde and seeketh not to follow Christe but to gather riches together as may easely be noted by the Sermon of Christe followinge For this cause Chryste reprehendeth both his ignorance his couetousnesse 14. And he sayd vnto him Man who made mee a Iudge or a deuider ouer you C. The Lord being required to geeue his Iudgmente for the deuidinge of the Inheritance refused the same Question But seeing this thinge tended to the mayntayning of Brotherly concord and seeing it was the office of Christe not only to reconcile men vnto God but also to bringe them to mutuall agreement it may be demauÌ„ded what was the stay why hee did not take away the contencion betwene the two bretheren Surely AuÌ„svvere it apeareth that there were two causes why he abstained from the office of Arbyterment The first was
bicause the Iewes thought that the kingdome of the Messias should bee an Earthly kingdome hee would not mayntayne their Error by that Example For if they had seene him to deuide Inherytaunces the rumor thereof shoulde by and by haue bene spread abroade So in like maner many looked for a Carnall Redemption the which they too earnestly desired the wicked boasted that he went about to make a chauÌ„ge and to pull away the state of the Romaine Empyre Wherefore hee coulde not doe better then geue this answere by which they might all know that the kingdome of Christe was spirituall Therefore let vs also learne soberly to behaue our selues and to take nothinge in hande that may cause vs to bee euell spoken of Furthermore the purpose of the Lorde was to put a difference betwene the Polliticall gouernment of this Worlde and the gouernment of the Church For hee was ordayned of the Father to be a Teacher who with the Sworde of the Woorde should cut the thoughts Affections of men and pearce into their foules ☞ Thus the latrocinie and Robbery of the Pope and his is condemned who boastinge them selues to bee the Sheepheardes of Christe do take vppon them to inuade earâ—hly prophane Iurisdiction For there shal be somewhat lawfull of it selfe which shall not pertayne to euery one Wherefore Christe woulde not haue all thynges mixte and confounded For the gouernment of the Church is spirituall the politicall gouernment pertayneth to the coÌ„mon life of men We must therefore alwayes haue respect vnto our calling and what is meete for the fame For those things which are most exelleÌ„t are somtime in the sight of God most vile There was also a 3. particuler cause namely bycause Christ saw that this man leauing the doctrine of God had respect vnto his domesticall profite And this disease is to generall and coÌ„mon in somuch that many professing the Gosple let not to abuse the same by making it a cloake to couer their couetousnesse Wee may easly gather this by the circumstance of exhortacion for except the man had abused the titell of the Gospell for hys owne Gayne occasion had not bene gieuen vnto Christe to condemne couetousnesse Therefore the text doth sufficiently shew that this man was but a couÌ„terfeit Disciple whose minde was wholly occupied with his land coÌ„modity Moreouer the Anabaptists do to absurdly infer vppon this place that it is not lawefull for a Christian man to deuide Inheritances or to take vpon him any ciuill office Whereas Christe only denyeth him selfe to be a Iudge bycause he was ordayned of the Father to another ende Let this therefore be as rule vnto vs to keepe euery man wythin the boundes of his callinge whereunto he is called of God 15. And hee sayde vnto them Take heede and beware of couetousnes for no mans Life standeth in the abundance of the things which hee possesseth Take heede beware of couetousnes E. For couetousnes the Greeke word is Pleonexia which signifieth an insatiable desier of the which Christe commaundeth vs to take heede For no mans Life standeth in the abuÌ„dance By which words the spring internall originall froÌ„ whence an insatiable desier of hauing doth come is noted For bycause men do coÌ„monly iudge him to bee happy which possesseth most doe imagine ryches to bee the cause of a blessed life hereof coÌ„meth the imoderate desier which seÌ„deth out his flames like a hoate Fornace yet neuertheles is nothing abated in heate wtin But if wee were persuaded the riches were but necessary helps for this preseÌ„t life which the Lord reacheth vnto vs with his hand the vse whereof he blesseth this only cogitacion would easly asswage al wicked desiers that which the faithful know to be true by experience For whereupon commeth it to passe that they hange vpon God alone but only bicause they do not tye submit their lyfe vnto abuÌ„dance but do only rest theÌ„selues vpon the prouidence of God who alone doth both sustaine vs with his power also geueth vnto vs so much as is needefull And that which is spoken heere of Ryches may be extended to honors to all the helpes of this presente life 16. And he put forth a similitude vnto them sayinge The ground of a certaine ryche man brought forth plentifull fruites C. This similitude doth set forth as in a glasse the proportion of that sentence the men liue not in their aboundance For when life is taken away from the most riche what doth it help that they haue heaped together much ryches We all grauÌ„t this to be true yet notwithstanding few regarde the same but rather all men for the most parte doe so order their Liues that they goe quite from God placinge their life in the present abundance of things Therefore all men must needes waken them selues least they fayninge them selues to be blessed with ryches doe tangle them selues in the Snares of Couetousnesse Plentifull fruites First of all wee see here the truth of this common Prouerbe The more wicked the more fortunate For the riche man of whom mencion is made here was wicked yet notwithstanding his Land brought forth plentifull fruite What meaneth Moses then to write sayinge that vngodlinesse is accurssed If thou wilt not hearken saith hee to the voyee of the Lord thy God Deu 28.17 curssed shalt thou be in the fielde curssed in thy Barne c. Why then was the fielde of the wicked ryche man blessed Question The word of the Lord pronouÌ„ced by Moses is not in vaine For so God hath ordained that blessing and good should befall the Godly and curssinge and euell happen to the wicked Yet notwithstanding God doth somtime suffer his ordinance to be chaunged to the which he is not tyed partly that by this meanes hee may declare his exceeding clemencie Mat. 5.45 by which hee suffereth hys Sunne to shyne vpon the euell and his Rayne to fall vpon the vniust partely that thereby hee may declare that there shal be another Iudgement and another world in the which all thinges shal be ordred not by words only as in this worlde it is seene but by deede according to lawfull order partely that hee may exercise the good and Godly in Fayth and to driue them to seeke after the ryches to come and partely to call the euell by this goodnesse to repentance and that if they doe not repente hee may more grieuously afflicte and punishe them Hereupon the Prophet sayth Iere. 12.3 Psal 73. â—8 Take them away lyke as a flocke is caryed to the slaughter house and appoynte them for the day of slaughter Therefore when the fieldes of this riche man brought forth plentiful fruit it was not for the deserte of his Godlinesse bycause he was a wicked man but that he might be inuited to repentance and that if he did not repent his punishment should be the more C. Furthermore in this parable is set forth vnto vs the transitory
the God hath geuen vnto vs a Kingdome and that for no other cause but because it it was his pleasure wee see most manifestly that the same is not gotten by the merite of Workes Therefore so often as the Lord doth put vs in hope of Eternall Life let vs remember that there is no cause why we should feare the lacke of Daily foode 33. Sell that ye haue and geue almes prepare you Bags which wexe not olde euen a Treasure that faileth not in Heauen wher no thefe commeth neither Mothe corrupteth Sell that yee haue The like charge the Lord geueth in the 19. Chapter of Mathew Verse 16. and in the tenth of Marke Verse 17. Where we shall haue the Expostion hereof By these woordâ— the Lord geueth vs to vnderstand that he would haue in all Chrystians a selling mynd that is to say a mynd so affected that it trusteth not in Riches but prepared to forsake them at the wil and pleasure of God Psal 62 11 1. Ti. â— 17 Then he requyreth at our hands that wee be willing and ready to helpe such as bee in neede and necessity with our goods RoÌ„ 12.8 2. Co. â— â— Oâ—e 6.7 Luke 3.11 For this is a generall saying I vvill haue mercy and not sacrifice And agayne Let him that hath two coates chare with him that hath none Therefore that which Christ speaketh heere concerning the sellinge of possessions oughte not so precisely to be vrged as though it were not lawful for a Chrystian man to keepe soÌ„what in store for himselfe Onely hys purpose is hereby to teach that we muste not onely geeue vnto the poore of our superfluity but also that we must not spare our Landes if so be we haue not money lying by vs to helpe and releue the poore As if he should haue sayde Let your Liberallity be extended eueÌ„ to the deminishing of your Patrimony and to the selling away of your lands For the reste of this Verse reade our annotations vpon the 6. Chapter of Math. Verse 19. 35. Let your Loynes be girded about and your Lights burning C. Chryst doth here shew very briefly in few wordes how the Faithful must walke in this world For first of all he setteth the gyrding of the Loynes against Idlenes and burning Candels against the darkenesse of Ignoraunce Chryste therefore commaundeth hys Disciples to bee ready and prepared for theyr Iourney that they may speedely goe throughout the Land that they may seke no sure or quiet abiding any other where then in heauen An admonition very profitable For although also prophane men haue the chariot of Life in theyr mouth Yet notwtstanding we see how they lye groueling vpon the Earth But God dothe not aduaunce any to the honor of hys Sonnes but those which acknowlege themselues to be inhabitaunts on the Earth for a time and which are not onely prepared always to wander but doe also runne all theyr course to the Celestiall Life And now because al the whyle they are in Earth they are incloased in Darkenesse he appoynteth vnto them lightes as haue they which walke in Darkenes and in the night As touching the gyrding of the Loynes it is a speach taken from the common manner of those that dwell in the East partes â— Ki 18.46 4. Ki 4.19 â—ere 1.17 which vse longe Garmentes R. And in the holy Scriptures the girding of the loynes signifieth celeritye and speede to finishe any matter to bee taken in hande by those Seruauntes which vsed to weare long Garmentes which they vsed to gyrde vp wheÌ„ they wente any whether By gyrded loins and burnyng Candels the Lord meaneth that we must be ready always to goe with him 36. And ye your selues bee like vnto men that wayte for theyr Lorde when hee will returne from the Wedding that when hee coÌ„meth and knocketh they may open vnto him immediately C. Christe here vseth another similitude which Mathew omitting is more briefe in this matter then Luke For he likeneth him selfe vnto the Maister of a house who being mery abroade at a mariage or beinge ells where from home makinge good cheere will notwithstanding haue his seruants to behaue themselues modesty and soberly at home and being occupied with their lawfull woorke to looke dayly for his returne Therefore although the sonne of God be now absent from vs being taken vp into the blessed Rest of Heauen yet notwithstanding bycause hee hath enioyned to euery one his duety it is very absurde that any man should sleepe Idell Furthermore bycause he promiseth that he will come againe vnto vs it becommeth vs to be ready euery moment to receiue him least hee finde vs sleeping and Idell For if so be a mortall man loke for this seruice that at what hower soeuer he returneth home his seruaunts shall be ready ready to go and meete him how much more lawfully may the Lord require the like seruice at the hands of his seruauntes that being sober and watching they may alwayes waight for his comming 37. Happy are those seruants whom the Lord when he commeth shall finde wakinge verely I say vnto you that hee shall gyrd himselfe make them sit downe to meate and will come forth and minister vnto them Happy are those seruaunts A. The Lord exhorteth to watchinge by many similitudes in Mathew in Marke but here he semeth to speake somwhat more For hee addeth Verely I say vnto you that he shal gyrd him sele C. In the which wordes to the ende he may the better encourage his Dysciples he saith that Earthly maysters are so much delighted with the readynes and diligence of theyr Seruants that they will also serue them Not that all maisters vse this but because thys commeth sometime to passe that the Mayster which is gentle and curteous doth admit his Seruauntes as Companions to his own Table Bu. Wherfore we may not so vnderstande thys saying of Chryst as though the Lorde should minister seruelely in Glory to those that are happy and blessed but because he geueth vnto them full and perfecte rest and shall make theÌ„ partakers of his owne Glory For the Lyfe and all the Ioye of the blessed commeth of Chryst and is in Christ For he came not to be ministred vnto Ma. 20.28 Luk. 22.27 but to minister and to geue his lyfe a redempcion for many 38. And if hee come in the seconde watch yea if hee come in the thyrd watche and finde them so happie are those Seruauntes R. This is the behauiour of faithfull seruaunts which loke for the coÌ„ming of theyr lord in the night from a feaste or mariage they gyrd theyr coat vnto them and carry in theyr handes burning torches they prescribe not to their Lord any time when he shall come but being watchfull and careful they wait for his comming home that so soone as he knocketh at the dore they may open vnto him and may geue him light with theyr torches Euen as if the lorde comming in the first watch findinge
as the Lorde mighte easely haue vsed many Arguments to refelle this grosse mallice he was contented with this one That if it be lawful to shew humanity to brute Beastes on the Saboth day it is out of order to make such a precise Holynes in the same that the Children of God may not be holpen 16. AND ought not this Daughter of Abraham whome Sathan had bounde loe eightene yeres be loased from this Bond on the Saboth Day C. There is a double comparison in the wordes of Chryst as of the Oxe wyth the Daughter of Abraham and of the Halter with the which the Asse or the Oxe is bound to his cribbe or staule wyth the bondes of Sathan with the which hee holdeth men bound to Destruction Ye sayth he which are such scrupulous obseruers of the Saboth dare loase your Oxen and Asses to lead them to the water And why may not I shew so much humanitie to the Electe people of God specially when there is greater necessity as whē one is to be deliuered out of the Bondes of Sathan And although the Wycked reprehender and cauiller helde his tongue for shame yet notwythstāding we see that there was nothynge so well done by Chryst whereat the wicked tooke not occasion to cauill And it is no marueile if Sathan endeuoured himselfe by all meanes possible to peruerte the Glory of Chryst which ceasseth not daily to disperse abroad his cloudes thereby to obscure the holy workes of the Faithfull Whō Sathā had bound lo eightene yeres R. Is then Sathan the author of Diseases Is hee which is diseased bound of Sathan Question Shall we say that hee which is sicke in Body is bounde captiue with the bonds of Sathā Is not the Lord our God sayd to send vnto vs Diseases and afflictions Ansvver To aunswer this we must first note what God is by his owne nature For God if thou well weigh his true and proper nature is nothing els but the chiefe and most excellent fountain of goodnes and health There is nothing in the nature of God whych is euill or diseased Wherefore God by his owne Nature doth neither make nor send Diseases vnto vs. For howe should he which is the chiefe Health and health it self create diseases How should the moste excellent ioy make sorrow and griefe Then thou wylte say whereof come Diseases Verely euen of sinne For if so be Death entered into the world by sinne then verely diseases also entered wyth Death which are foremessēgers of the same And Sathan is the Author of sinne He sayth Chryst was a murderer frō the beginning and aboade not in the truth because ther is no truth in him When he speaketh a lie he speaketh of his owne because he is a lyar Ioh. 8.44 and the father of the same It resteth therfore that Sathan be the Author of Diseases also and diseases are rightly called the Bondes of Sathan Notwithstanding we must thinke that GOD himselfe sendeth Diseases and other manner of afflictions vnto vs. Fyrst because God geueth liberty vnto Sathan to annoy vs with Diseases For so he sayd vnto Sathan concernynge Iob. Beholde he is in thy hande Iob. 1.12 and 2.6 but yet saue his Lyfe Secondly because after that Sathan by the permission of God sendeth Diseases God receiueth them into his owne hand and vseth them as an Instrument to our Saluation For euen as the wycked facte which the Sonnes of Iacob committed against theyr Brother Ioseph by which they sould him vnto straūgers was the worke of Sathan and God taking the same into his owne hande vsed it for an Instrumente to worke the Saluation of the house of Israell Ge. 50.20 For so Ioseph himself expoūdeth it saying Ye thought euil against me but God tourned it vnto good to bringe to passe as it is thys day to saue much People aliue Euen so also Diseases are the works bonds of Sathan by which he worketh our Saluation Iob. 1 21 Iob. 2.10 So Iob thought of his afflictiōs The Lord geueth the lord taketh away Da. 9.7 So Danyell confesseth that the Exile into Babilon came of the Lorde for the which cause the Lorde tooke the same into his handes turned it to the Saluation of the Israëlites Wherefore when Diseases or other afflictions are sent vnto vs wee must acknowledge our sinnes wee must acknowledge them to bee in the power of Sathan for sinne Notwithstanding we must not thinke or iudge of afflictions and diseases as they are styrred vp of Sathan but as the Lord our GOD hath taken them into hys hands who being not onely the beste but also the moste wise and mighty Workeman of his singuler goodnes and wisedome Rō 8.18 bryngeth to passe that all thinges turne to good to thē that loue him Howbeit this woman was captiue vnto Sathan after a certaine speciall maner C. This also is to bee noted that Chryst calleth her the daughter of Abraham whose bodie was vexed by Sathan eightene yeres and that not onely in respecte that she was a Iewe but also because shee was one of the true members of the Churche Whereby also we may perceiue that to be true which Paule teacheth that some are deliuered to Sathan for the destruction of the Flesh 1. Cor. 5.5 that the Spirit might be saued in the Day of the Lord. Eightene yeres The Lorde noateth the space of time to certefy vs that although he doth not out of hand releue our miseries yet notwithstanding we must not dispayre A. The people of Israell were longe afflicted in the Land of Aegipte yet notwythstanding at the length they were deliuered from thence by the mighty hand of God So in like manner hee which lay by the pooles side was diseased eight and thyrty yeres yet notwithstanding at the last when he was paste all hope Ioh. 5.5.9 he found remedy in Chryst 17. And when he sayd these thinges al his Aduersaries were ashamed and all the people reioysed for all the excellent deedes that were dō by him All his Aduersaries were ashamed C. The Euangelyst meneth not that his Aduersaries were so ashamed that they chaunged theyr mind but he meneth that they were quite conuinced put to silence insomuch that all men knew theyr mallice and wickednesse in resisting the Lord. And all the people reioysed The people reioised be cause al things hapned to the Glorye of Christ because the Aduersaries had nothing to answer They were impudēt in reprehending yet notwithstāding now theyr mouthes are easely stopte Euē so there is no worke so good and excellente which shall not finde some slaunderous withstāders of the same For the Exposition of the reste whych followeth vnto the 22. verse Reade the 13. Chapter of Mathew verse 31. 22. And he went through all towns and villages teaching Iournyinge towardes Hierusalem Iournying toward Hierusalem C. It is vncertain whether hee speaketh of one onely iournying Mat. 9.3 Mark 6.6 or whether he meaneth
felicity Therefore hee goeth forward in his Iourney to Hierusalem which hee had begon And hauing gotten hytherto by his doctrine and myracles so great authority that hee was secretly counted for the Messias and reported already to be going to Hierusalem there to begin his Kingdome hee went forwarde with a great company of men following him For one being afflicted another beinge oppressed with neede this follow with Infamy and that with the tyranny of the Magistrate some with Domesticall trouble and some otherwise and thinking that the Kingdome of Christe should be a carnall earthly kingdome and should bring with it corporall felicity euery one hoped that if hee followed Christe that hee should be deliuered not only from his affliction but also should obtaine some kingdome or Principallity And Chryste was contented that they should follow him and should heare Sermons of the Gospell but he could not abyde that they shoulde promise to them selues in him and by his kingdome external and corporall Felicity and should seeke after nothing but the commodities of this Worlde Therefore turning himselfe to them hee sayd that his kingdome was another maner of kingdome then they dreamed of and he setteth before them certaine lawes which they must needes obserue and keepe which will follow him and be his Disciples 26. If any man come to mee and hate not hys Father and Mother and Wyfe and Chyldren and Bretheren and Sisters yea and his owne lyfe also hee cannot bee my Disciple 27. And who soeuer doth not beare his Crosse and come after me cannot bee my Dysciple For the Exposition of these two verses reade our annotacions vppon the 10. Chapt. of Math. beginning at the 37. verse And the 16. Chapt. vers 24. And the 8. of Marke vers 34. And the 9. Chapt. of Luke vers 23. 28. For whych of you dysposed to builde a Tower sitteth not downe before and coūteth the cost whether he haue sufficiēt to performe 29. it Least after hee hath layed the Foundation and is not able to performe it all that beholde it begin to mocke him sayinge 30. This man began to builde was not able to make an ende C. Leaste it should grieue any man to follow Christe to forsake him selfe his Affections in all thinges we haue here put downe vnto vs a very profitable admonition to meditate and consider aforehand what the profession of the Gospell requyreth For thereof it cōmeth that many doe faynte in the most light temptations bycause they promised vnto them selues nothing but mere Pleasures and Delightes as though they should be alway in case and rest For he shall neuer be a meete seruante for Chryst which hath not a long time before prepared him selfe for the warre So that the Simylitudes whych Chryste bringeth here serue very well for the purpose It is a paynetull and tedious thing to builde and requyreth great cost and charge Also no man without hee bee constrayned will take Warre in hand bycause it bryngeth so many incommodities wyth it yea it threatneth almost destruction to all man kinde And yet notwythstandinge the profit of Inhabiting allureth men to spend their substance about the same Necessity also constrayneth that men refuse no expences in mayntayninge Warre But there remayneth a farre more excellēt rewarde for the Builders of the Lords Temple for the Souldiers of Christ For Chrystians labour not for a transitory buildinge or for a momentany triumph But where as Christe sayth that if a Kinge bee not able to Encounter wyth his enemy seeketh peace leaste hee bee ouercome to his Ignominy Shame it ought not to be applyed to the present cause as though we should haue any reconciliation wyth our spyrituall Enemy if wee bee not able to match him For it were fond to straine all thinges in Parables to the matter which is in hande But the Lord meaneth simplely that wee ought to be so appoynted least wee being founde vnarmed tourne our Backes in the conflicte And as by this Doctrine theyr rashnesse is reproued which passe their boundes without Wit or discretion or which promyse vnto them Selues pleasure not consideringe the burthen of the Crosse so also wee muste take heede least this meditacion to the which Christe exhorteth doe terrefy or discourage vs. Many bycause they are not by by deliuered oute of Pryson abandon all Pacience and forsake their course for they cannot abyde to be Christians vnlesse they may be free from the Crosse Othersome hauing a straight and vnsauerye Condition of Lyfe set before them dare not come vnto Christe But there is no cause why our neede or Pouerty shoulde Dyscourage vs whom the Lord helpeth in due time Wee confesse that if we waigh the cost and Charge wee are so poore and vnprouided that wee are not able to laye one Stoane towarde the Foundation nor yet to lyft vp the Sworde against the enemy But seeing the Lord trom Heauen doth beare our cost and doth arme and fortefie vs against the Enemy wee shall haue no excuse to cloake our slouth and negligence withall Therefore the purpose of Christe is to put his Disciples in minde concerning the bearing of the Crosse the they might arme themselues with fortitude They are deceiued which thinke that the Lord forbiddeth vs here to enterpryse more then we are able to discharge We are to slow in taking in hand any good act 33. So likewise whosoeuer hee bee of you that all that hee hath hee cannot be my Dysciple As if he should say So in like maner shall hee bee laughed to Scorne which forsaketh mee after hee hath followed me bycause hee did weigh and consider with himselfe as making his account before he imbrased the Gosple that he must constantly persist in bearinge all maner of Crosses euen to the ende of his Race not onely to the losse of his goods but also of his Lyfe C. Therefore in these wordes Christe declareth what he meaneth by castinge of an account with the which he cōmaundeth his Dysciples to begin namely that they must haue euer in their minde to forsake all that they haue For they do in vaine intrude themselues to professe Christianisme who are delighted with a life that is sweete pleasante and vnexercised with the Crosse Act. 14.22 2. Ti. 3.12 A. For wee must enter into the kingdome of God And all they which will liue godly in Christe Iesu must suffer persecution C. But let vs vnderstande that to forsake all is so to preferre Christ before our own life and the desiers of the flesh that nothing do stop vs from the right course For it were to Chyldishe and grosse an Interpretacion so precisely to vrge the letter that none shal be accoūted the Disciple of Christe but he which casteth all his goods into the Sea and forsaketh his Wyfe and Children By such foolishe Imaginations fond men haue bene brought to Monchary in somuch the seeking to come vnto Christe they haue forsaken all humanity But no man doth more truely
very dede that he was alwaies ready to hear our prayers Who neyther feared God Thys is an Example of an Vniuste Iudge and not of a Godly and mercyfull Iudge in whome there was no Shame whereas hipocrites are not voyde of shamefastnes For his words are thus much in effect If the wycked be cōstrained to do that which is right how much more shall God performe that which he promiseth who is by nature good yea goodnes it selfe As it is said in another place If you then being euill know howe to geeue vnto youre Chyldren good thynges howe much more shall your Father which is in Heauen Mat. 7.11 geue good thynges to them that aske of him Therefore thys Description preuayleth very much to amplify that we may be sure that we shal be hearde of GOD if wee persist in prayer 3. And there was a certayne Widow in the same City and she came vnto him saying Auenge mee of my Aduersaries C. Whereas Chryst setteth before vs a Widow which obtayned of the Vnrighteous and cruell Iudge her petycion because shee did not ceasse Daily to call vpon him this is the Summe that God doth not by and by helpe hys Seruaunts because he will be after a sorte wearied with prayers Moreouer although they are miserable and despised which call vpon him yet notwtstanding if so be they doe not faynt but persist in prayer he will behold them at the last and will helpe theyr necessities Howbeit this is not a comparison of thinges equall for there is great difference betwene a wicked cruell man and God which is mercifull but the purpose of Chryst was to teache that we ought not to doubt but that the faithfull by continuall prayer shall intreate the Father of mercy seeing that men which are geuen to cruelty by importunate callyng vppon will yeelde The wicked and hard hearted Iudge could not abyde the importunate cryes of the widow insomuch that he was constrained at the length to graunt How then can the prayers of the Faithful bee wtout fruite if so be they be continuall Therefore although we be wearye or if so be we persist not either if because Gods Eares seeme to be stopte the feruencie of our prayer waxe colde Yet notwithstanding wee may assure oure selues to preuaile thoughe no likelyhoode thereof appeare and with this perswasion let vs so fighte against our Impatience that long delay cut of our prayer Reuenge mee of my Aduersary C. This seemeth absurde vnto some that Chryst attributeth heere to the Electe a desyre to reuenge the which in another place he forbiddeth If any reply that the same must not bee asked before men but may be asked before God it is but a small shifte for he commaundeth vs to pray for our enemies How then can those thinges agre that a man should commend his Enemies vnto God and should also pray that he would punish them As touching the significatiō of the word the Greke word Ecdikein signifieth to reuenge or to take Vengeaunce it signifieth also to restoare a man to his right or to deliuer from Iniury in the which sence also the Latines vse the word Vindicare which though it properly signyfieth to reuenge yet it is often vsed for to deliuer from oppressiō or wrōg But if a man wyll stande vppon the Interpretation and will expound it to reuenge yet notwithstandynge there can nothing be gathered oute of this parable but that which Luke hath put downe in the first verse which is And he put forth vnto them a Parable to this ende that men oughte alwayes to pray and not to be wearye Therefore wee may not stande vppon one word thereby to draw out a sence contrary to the Doctrine of Chryste So God affyrmeth himselfe to bee the Reuenger of the Faithfull in the seuēth Verse not to lewse the Raines to the affections of the Flesh but hereby also to inuite vs to put our trust in his Defence and to perswade vs that hee is careful for our Saluation If so be we being pure and free from the desyre of Reuenge do by the motion of the Spirite call for help at Gods handes our request shal be holy and acceptable vnto GOD and hee will graunt it But bicause there is nothinge more harde then to put away those vicious affections that our prayers may bee holy and pure we must pray vnto the Lord to purge and to dyrect our harts by his holy Spirite and so our Praiers shall be acceptable he wil make vs answer 7. And shal not God auenge his elect which cry Day and Nighte vnto him hym yea though hee deferre them C. This vniuste Iudge whō Chryste depainteth vnto vs neither to feare God nor yet to care for man or hys owne shame did at the laste open hys Eyes to behold the misery of the Widow Euen so no doubte the Faythful shall receiue the like profite so that they ceasse not to call vppon God For if so be the vniuste Iudge being ouercome with her prayers was constrained to deliuer her from her Enemy GOD which is most iust merciful towarde his Electe beinge called vppon wyth theyr continual prayers and cries can not but heare and deliuer them from the violence of theyr oppressors And we muste note that Chryste applyinge this simillitude to his purpose doth not make God like vnto a wicked and cruel Iudge but showeth another maner of cause why God differreth hys Faithfull for a longe time and doth not reach out his hand at the first vnto them namely because he is patiēt Wherefore if at any time God suffer vs to bee Oppressed longer then wee would let vs know that the same is dō by his Fatherly Counsaile and Wisedome to teach vs patience sufferance For the longe sufferaunce of God towardes the wicked is not an eternall and Generall Quietus est 8. I tell you that he will auenge thē and that quickely Neuerthelesse when the Sonne of man commeth shall he finde Faith on the Earth C. In that he promiseth that God shal quickely auēge them it must be referred to his prouidence because accordyng to our Carnall Imagination he doth not helpe vs soone inough But if it were lawfull for vs to enter into his Counsayle we should knowe that his ayde is alway ready and timelie ynough S. Therfore he saith iustly that God will soone take vengeance Neuertheles when the Son of mā commeth As in the 26. Verse of the Chapter going before Chryst toulde his Disciples that a litle before his cōming there should be great security in the world so nowe in this sentence hee sayth there shall bee at the same tyme as greate scarsity of Fayth In Math. we haue these wordes And because Iniquity shall abound the loue of many shal waxe colde Ma. 24.12 but he that indureth to the ende shal be saued And a litle after he sayth And excepte the Lord had shortened those Dayes no flesh should bee saued but for the Electes sake he hath
Moises saith that he was mighty in words deedes And in this place it is doubtfull whether Chryst be called mighty in worke for his myracles as if he had sayd that he was endued with powers deuine which might proue that he was seÌ„t froÌ„ heueÌ„ or whether this was more large as if he had said that he excelled as well in the gift of teaching as in holynesse of life and other excellent gyftes And this latter sence doth best agree Neither is this addition superfluous Before God all the People whych sheweth that Chrysts excellencye was so manifest in the sight of all men that it was without all couler and vayne ostentation And hereeby may bee gathered a short definition of a true prophet which is such a one as ioyneth the vertue power of his workes to his words which wil not seke only to excel in the sight of men but also before GOD to walke sincerely with an vpright heart 21. But we trusted that it had ben hee which should haue redemed Israel as touching all these things to day is eueÌ„ the third day C. It shal euideÌ„tlly appeare by the text that they had not forsâ—ken the hope which they had conceyued coÌ„cerning Chryst though at the first sighte the woordes may seeme to importe the same But because the reporte of the commendation of Chryste contained in the 20. verse might haue discouraged a man hauing no tast of the Gosple Cleophas setteth against this offence the hope of the resurrection And although hereafter he shew himselfe fearefull and wauering in the hope thereof yet notwithstanding he dylligently gathereth all the helps hee can to support the same For it is likely that hee noted the thyrde Day to no other ende but because the Lord had promised vnto him that he would rise againe the thyrd day Also whereas after that he sheweth that the body was not fouÌ„d of the women and that they saw a vision of Angels and that the Women had spoken concerning the empty Sepulcher is referred to this ende that Chryste was risen Thus the Godly man hanging betwene faith Feare helpeth his faith and fighteth agaynst feare so much as he is able 22. Yea and certaine women also of our Companye made vs astonyed whych came Early vnto the Sepulcher Made vs astonyed R. Is this iuste cause of astonishment They ought rather to haue geeuen thankes vnto the Lord because those women knew these thinges Hereby we see how slowe wee are to beleue God whether he declare his will by wordes or by deedes Chryst had oftentimes spoken of hys Resurrection here signes are shewed and yet notwythstanding they doe not beleue Therefore it commeth of the singuler goodnes of God wheÌ„ our herts are opened to receiue his worde Hee may speeke a hundred times but hee shall finde no faith in vs vntil he himselfe worke the same in vs. 25. And he sayd vnto them O fooles and slowe of hearte to beleeue all that the Prophets haue spoken This reprehention seemeth to sharp for the infirmity of man But he which wayeth all circumstances shall easely vnderstaÌ„d that the disciples were not wtout cause so sharpely reprehended of our Sauiour Chryst vpon whom hee had ill bestowed so longe time his Labour which was almost without profite For we muste noate that the same which is spoken heere is not onely restrayned to these two but also a common faulte is set before them whych the rest of their fellowes might heere anon at theyr mouthes Chryste had so oftentimes tould them before of hys death so oftentimes also he had spokeÌ„ of a new and spyrituall life had confirmed his Doctrine by the sayings of the Prophets and yet notwithstaÌ„ding his words were spoken as it were to deafe men or rather to stockes and stones and being astonished wyth the feare of Death they wauer wyth the wynde Therefore he doth iustly attribute this wauering to folishnesse and maketh slouth and negligeÌ„ce the cause thereof because they were not more ready to beleue And he doth not only cast in their teeth that they were to slow to learne of him he being so excellente a Scholemaister but also hee casteth in their teeth theyr small regard to that sayings of the Prophets Euen as if he had sayd that their dulnesse had no excuse because the same could not staÌ„d but by them seeing both the Doctrin of the Prophets was so playne manyfest of it selfe and also so notably set forth vnto them Euen at this Day the greater parte of men beare the same blame of folly because they are vnapte to be taught But some man may demauÌ„d whether this O Fooles and slow of heart bee not a rayling sentence Question Whether also Chryst himselfe taught not saying Who soeuer sayth vnto his Brother thou foole shal be in daunger of Hell fire How commeth it to passe then that he obserueth not his owne doctrine I answere that Chryst both taught well and also did well Hee taught that it is a certaine kynde of murther to reproch our brother with words with priuat rashnesse and carnall affection to geue vnto our neighbour the name of foole But that which he spake in this place is not rayling or reproch but dutye it is not carnall affection but Spirituall Zeale it is not pryuate rashnes but publique Authority For in that hee calleth his Disciples fooles and slowe of heart to beleue it is a parte of that Sermon which being reuealed from heauen and confirmed with an innumerable sorte of myracles bryngeth Saluation vnto vs. For that holy sermon which of all other is most necessary for vs to Saluation consisteth of two parts The first part is a rehersal of the ten Commaundements The second is the Gospell of Chryste By the first we know that we are fooles dull abiecte curssed and dampned seeyng we doe none of these workes perfectly which the law of God commaundeth Therefore when Chryste blameth reprehendeth these his two Disciples he taketh vpon him the office of the law and sheweth vnto them their sinne and vnbeliefe that by this way hee myght bryng them to the knowledge of them selues that so they might the more coÌ„ueniently know Chryst their saluation R. If so bee Chryst had not sought theyr profite this sentence had bene a reproch But seeing such reprehensioÌ„s as this is proceeded of Charitie we must not counte them reproches neyther must we iudge by the words but by the affection C. Therefore let vs note that Chryst seeing his Disciples to be to negligent slouthful to make them more dilligent beginneth wyth reprehension So also muste they bee delte withall whom we knowe to bee neglygent or stubborne Yet notwythstanding the same must bee don wythout bytternesse For we must haue coÌ„passion vppon them which had rather beare a heauy yoake then obey the word of God 26. Ought not Chryst to haue suffered these thinges and to enter into his Glory C. There is no doubt but that the lord
and dilligence 49. I am come to send fire on the earth and what is my desire but that it be already kindled C. By this sentence it may easely bee gathered that this was one of the laste Sermons that Chryst made and not put downe by Luke in his due place time But the sence is this that the whole Disturbaunce and trouble of the World was layed vppon Chryst euē as if hee would confound Heauen and Earth For the Gospell is compared Metaphorically vnto Fyre because it transformeth al thinges with violēce Therefore when the Disciples falsely surmised that the Kingedome of God should come to such as were quiet and a sleepe Chryst setteth before thē terrible burning with the which that world must first be set on fire And because his Disciples might feele the present power of the Gospell he encourageth them As if he had sayd thus Seeinge already great motions begin to burn ye ought to be so litle made aferd therby that the same ought rather to geue you occasion to bee of good courage For I am glad to see this fruit of my Labor R. Therfore he declareth what should be the state to come accordyng to the outward shew of that time which should endure from his first cōminge in the flesh vnto his second and last cōming in maiesty And he taketh away the Offence which mighte discourage the Faythfull from the true Faith of the Gospel because of the troubles calamities which aryse when the Gospell is reuealed For the Prophetes had promised all maner ioyfull and happie thynges at the comming of Chryst As when it is sayd His dominiō shall bee enlarged Esay 9.7 there shal be no ende of his peace Agayne Esay 2.4 One Nation shall not lyfte vp the sworde agaynst another neyther shall they be exercised in Warre Also Esa 1.6 The Wolfe shal dwel with the Lambe and the Leoparde shall lye downe by the Goate Furthermore Violence and Robberye shall neuer be heard of in the Lande Esay 60 1◠neyther harme and Destructiō within thy Borders thy Walles shall be called health and thy Gates the praise of God To be short there is no felicitie which the Prophets do not ascribe to that time in the which the Patriarkes were promised that Chryst should come Therefore Chryst teacheth that his Kyngedome is not of this world and that those thinges which were spoken by the Prophetes concerning the Felicity of hys time are not to be drawē to the externall Felicity of this World For hatreds debates and murders were to followe the preaching of the Gospell C. Now let all ministers of the Gospell apply this vnto themselues that whē all the world is on a roare they may with the better courage followe theyr office Also we must noate that with the same fire of Doctrine both Chaffe stubble are consumed but Golde and siluer are purged 50. Notwithstanding I must be baptised with a Baptisme and howe am I payned vntyll it be ended C. By these wordes the Lorde affyrmeth that his last parte and act is yet behinde that by his death hee mighte worke the renouation of the Worlde For because that tempest of the which he had spoken was terrible and that burning also of mankinde ful of feare he teacheth that he must in his owne person be the firste that must offer the first fruites of the same And he cōpareth Death to Baptisme because the Chyldren of God being drowned for a time in the Destruction of the Flesh doe rise within a while after agayn to Life that death may bee nothing else but as a swifte passage throughe the water And how am I payned Hee sayth that he is payned vntill he hath ended this Baptisme in the whych wordes he comforteth eueryone of vs by his Example to be ready bothe to beare the Crosse and also to suffer Death Not that any man can naturally desire death or any inclination of the present state but because when we behoulde on the lee shoare Celestyall blessednes Glory and immortal rest we so desire these that we doe not onely patiently suffer death but are also willingly carried whethersoeuer faith and hope will drawe vs. For the reste vnto the 54. Verse Read the tenthe Cap. of Math. verse 34. 54. He sayd also to the People whē yee see a Cloude ryse out of the West straite way ye say ther cōmeth a shower and so it is The like of this we haue in the 16. Chapter of Mathew Verse 2. sauing that the signes of the Tempest which hee nameth heere differ from those which he noateth there For hee sayth here When yee see a Cloud rise out of the Weste For the Iewes had the Sea on the west part And it is a sure rule that when a Cloude ryseth from the Sea it bryngeth with it Rayne Whereupon Elyas also after three yeres Drouth hearing his Seruaūt say 3. Ki. 18.43 that there arose a litle cloud from the Sea the which is westward from the Iewes sayd that ther should come great Rayne 57. Yea why iudge ye not of your selues what is right C. Chryst doth heere reueale the cause of the euill and doth as it were touch and laūce the soare to the quick namely bicause they did not descende into theyr owne consciences nor enquyre there what was right before God For hereuppon it commeth that hipocrites are so ready to cauill because they doe not consider theyr wickednes nor set them selues before the tribunal seate of God that truth may haue the victory What is ryghte The Lorde vsed this example in the fifth Chapter of Mathewe Verse 25 Where hee exhorteth to agree out of hand with our Aduersarie And nowe he admonisheth the Iewes not to neglect and omit the conuenient time geueth them to vnderstand that they are more wise in any thinge then in that which apertaineth to theyr Saluatiō For if so be they were drawen to the Law by theyr aduersary he sayth they will by and by agree with him leaste they incurre a greater displesure whē they come before the Iudge but they neglecte to seeke the fauour of God whē as he willingly offereth his grace vnto them not weighing that they shall not feele his Iudgemente wtout theyr Eternall Destruction R. Other some expound his wordes as if he had sayd thus Why doth not euery one consider and weighe wyth himselfe which is iust and right ☞ If so be euery one did know the law in each poynte skarce one among a thousand would come into Westminster Hall but euery one is blynde in his owne cause that which blindnes commeth two wayes Fyrst of simplicity and Ignoraunce Secondly of set mallice when as a man shutteth his Eyes for the nōce and will not see that which he seeth ¶ One trusteth in Lies another in his Eloquence one in power another in Friends The most part of mē presuming of these thinges and not vpon the goodnes of their cause contende goe to the
law Wherefore the Lorde here exhorteth that if any man contend in Lawe with his Brother hee shoulde rather end the matter then suffer the same to be brought before the Iudge For there may bee some remission hoped for at the hands of the creditor not of the Iudge who pronounceth the Sentence of the Law without fauoure remitting nothinge Hee therefore which is wise so soone as he is called before the Iudge seeketh to agre with his Aduersary A. Thus this Verse may be expounded if it be ioyned with that which followeth But if wee will ioyne it with that which goeth before the former Exposition is beste Concerning the rest which followeth Read the fifth chap. of Math. Verse 25. c. ⧠CHAP. THE XIII THERE WERE PREsent at the same Season certayne men that shewed him of the Galileans whose Bloud Pilate had mingled vvyth their owne Sacrifice R. Chryst in this Chapter doth euen the very same which alwaies and in all places he doth and for the which he was also sente into the world For hee exhorteth men vnto repētance C. And he doth withall correcte that Naturall desease in vs by which we are to seuere Iudges towards others flatterers of our selues in our sinnes And so it commeth to passe that we doe not onely to narrowly sifte the sins of our Brethren but doe also condēne them for wicked men and Reprobates so soone as any Aduersitye happeneth vnto them In the meane time who so is not vrged with the hand of God slepeth securely in his sinnes euen as if God were fauourable and mercifull vnto him in the which there is a double fault For so oftē as God doth chastise one in our sight he putteth vs in mynde of his Iudgementes that all men mighte learne to examine themselues and to weighe what they haue deserued And whereas he spareth vs for a time he doth by that benignity Clemencie inuite vs to repentaunce R. Mans reason therefore iudgeth amisse of sinne by the punishment whē as God doth neuer lay on those externall and visible punishmēts according to the maner of sins For God doth oftētimes so dispose the things of this present life that the most wicked do lyue in peace with abundance and plentie of al thinges that oftentimes the most holy are afflicted As we may see by the example of the rich glutton begging Lazarus in our Lord Iesus Chryst himself Also against this error of mās wisedom the whole booke of Iob disputeth Luk. 16.19 C. Therefore to the ende Chryste might correct the wicked and euil iudgment by which we are wont to be enemies to such as are in misery and calamity Fyrst of al he teacheth that they are not worste of all other whych are handled moste sharpelye because God exerciseth his Iudgementes in such order and maner as semeth good vnto him that some may be punished and other some liue in ease and pleasure Furthermore he pronounceth the looke how many calamities there happē in the world so many testimonies there are of the wrath of God Whereupon we gather what destruction hāgeth ouer our heads except we repent To be shorte the occasion of this exhortation came herof that some tould him how the Pilate mingled mans bloud with the sacrifices that by such a hainous fact the sacrifices might be abhorred Anti boke 18 Cap. 7. Z. Of this matter Iosephus wryteth in his eightene boke of the antiquities of the Iewes where we may gather that the factious had theyr Sacrifices in mount Garisim And many thinke that these things were don in Christs time For when Christ taught that so often as GOD shewed signes we ought to be cyrcumspect and repent except wee woulde sustain the punishment euen at the same instante some came which toulde him such things C. But because it is likely that this was spoken to the reproch of the Samaritans who were declyned from the true worship of God the Iewes were redy by condempning the Samaritans to commend themselues but the Lord disapointeth their expectations For because they hated and detested the impiety of that nation he demaūdeth whether they thought those miserable men whome Pilate had slaine to bee worse then any other or no. 2. And Iesus aunswered and said vnto them Suppose ye that these Galileans were greater sinners thē all the other Galileans because they suffered such punishment C. As if he should say ye know wel inough nough that the same lande is filled with wicked vngodly men and that many which were worthy of the same punishment are left yet a liue He is theefore a blind and vniust Iudge which iudgeth mens sins by the present punishmentes For he which is worste is not firste punished but GOD choseth a few out of many to bee punished shewing in their person to the rest that he wil take vengeance that al might be terrefied I tel you nay but except ye repēt ye shal al likewise perish R. As if hee should say Pilate punished these Galileās to discharge his office to pacefy the sedition ready to arise But the Lorde our God suffered this thing to be don not that ye should iudge thē alone to be sinners but that by their punishmēt yee might be put in mind of your sins so So in like maner whereas God hath ordayned that they which are knowen and open sinners should be openly punished it was not therefore done because they were the greatest sinners aboue al others but that the Lion to speake prouerbially might be chastysed with the Dogges strypes FOR as they which take in hand to tame a Lion are wont to take a younge Whelpe and to beate hym with a cudgell in the sight of the Liō that the Lion being terrefied with the cry and howling of the whelpe might be made gentle Euen so God setteth before our Eyes the open punishmēts of the wicked that by theyr Example the rest might be admonished of theyr sinnes and repent 4. Or those eightene vpō which the Tower in Siloë fell and slue them Thinke ye that they were sinners aboue all Men that dwelt in Hierusalem C. After the Lord had spoken of the Samaritanes he commeth more nere vnto the Iewes themselues For when as in those Dayes the fall of a tower in Hyerusalem kylled eightene men he denyeth them to be the most wicked but saith that in theyr Destruction matter of feare was propounded vnto all other because if God declared hys Iudgemēt vpon them others should nothing the more escape hys Hande though they were suffered for a time The Tower in Siloë R. In Hebrewe it is called SILOAH Esay 8.6 Iohn 9. ◠which is the name of a poole whereof mention is made in Esay Neare vnto the which poole this Tower that fel was builded and falling it slue eightene Citizens of Hierusalem 5. I tell you Nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish C. Chryst doth not forbid the faithfull to consider the