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
these woordes Simeō geueth vs to vnderstand that Chryste was ordayned of God that all People might enioy his Grace and that shortely after hee shoulde be exalted on hyghe that hee might bee seene of all men And in this woord hee comprehendeth all the Prophesies that haue ben concerning the enlarging of the kingdom of Chryst Wherefore if Symeon imbracyng the tender Infante in his Armes coulde extend his minde vnto the vtmost ends of the World that he might acknoweledge his Power to bee present euery where how much better oughte wee to thynke of him at this Day nowe that hee is made the Saluation of the Gentyles and hath reuealed himself to the whole world A. Chryst therefore is offered vnto all people that all men may behould him as the only author of Saluation C. Wherefore they are far oute of the way which would haue GOD soughte without Chryst by whom we are dyrected the right way vnto the Father God is hidden from vs and is inuisible If wee will seeke him ther is no other way but Chryst he is the marke whych GOD hath appoynted if wee will come vnto him 32 A Lyght to lighten the Gentyles and the Glory of the People Israell E. In this last Verse Symeon declareth to what end the Father reuealed Chryst before all People Namelie to lighten the Gentiles whych before were in darkenes and to be the glory of the People Israell A light to lightē the Gentiles is as much to say as that he may geue light vnto the Gentiles expell al darkenesse out of their minds Also Chryst himselfe testifieth of hymselfe I am the Light of the World Iohn 8.12 who so followeth me walketh not in darknes but shall haue light of Lyfe And hee compareth darkenesse wyth Light Good vvorkes not vvrought In◠Chryst are darkenes Colo. 3.5 Ephe. 5.3 1. Cor. 6.9 in the which darkenesse the Gentiles wer And whatsoeuer good thing is wrought without Chryst is darkenes so is the wisedome of the World the wisedome of the flesh and al maner of sinnes of the which the Apostle speaketh in these Chapters coated in the margent out of the which places the Interpretation of this place also may be gathered As by these words also of Chryst himselfe vnto Paule I haue appeared vnto thee for thys purpose to make thee a Minister and a witnes both of those thinges which thou hast seene and of those thinges in the which I will appere vnto thee deliuering thee frō the people and from the Gentiles vnto whom now I send thee to open theyr Eyes that they may be turned from Darkenesse to Light and frō the power of Sathan vnto God that they may receiue forgeuenes of Sinnes Act. 26 16 and Inheritaunce amōg them which are sanctified by faith that is towards mee Therefore the Reuelation of the Gentiles is theyr illumination and the opening of theyr Eyes by which they see by which they see that they are in the darkenes of sinnes and that they must flee vnto Chryst for remission of sinns and newnes of life Esa 42.6 R. But this parte of the verse seemeth to bee taken out of the wordes of the prophet speaking of Chryst thus I haue made thee a light of the Gentiles to open the eyes of the blynd to brynge those oute of Pryson that were bounde and in darkenes And agayne he saith It is but a smal thinge that thou art my Seruaunt to set vp the Kindreds of Iacob and to restore the Destruction of Israell Esa 49.6 For I haue made thee the Lighte of the Gentiles that thou mayst be my health vnto the ende of the World Also hee sayth Get thee vp betimes and bee bright O Hyerusalem for thy Light commeth and the glory of the Lord is rysen vp vppon thee Esay 60.1 The Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kynges to the bryghtnes that spryngeth out vpon thee And the glory of the People Israel C. Symeon doth not without cause put a difference betwene Israel and the Gentiles because by the righte of Adoption the Chyldren of Abrahā were neare vnto God but the Gentiles with whome God had made no couenaunce were forreiners from the Church Exo. 4.22 For the which cause Israell is not onely called the Sonne of God but also his first begotten Rō 15.8 And Paule teacheth that Chryste came to be a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God to confyrme the promises made vnto the Fathers Moreouer so Israel is preferred before the Gentiles that all men generallie obtaine Saluation in Chryst For by this place we gather that men are naturally depryued of Lighte vntill such time as Chryst the Son of righteousnes doth shyne vnto them As touching Israell though GOD hath greately aduaunced him to Honour yet notwithstanding Symeon sheweth that his whole Glory depēded vppon the Head alone Christ promised to the Ievves belōged to Ievves Gētiles because a redemer was promised vnto him R. Although therefore Chryst bee the Glory of all those which beleue in him whether they be Iewes or Gentyles yet notwythstandyng he is chiefly said to be the Glory of Israell because hee was specially promised vnto thys Nation and because whatsoeuer excellēcie and maiesty happened vnto the People of Israell in this World the same happened vnto him for Chryste and through Chryst For God multiplyed the seede of Abraham and gaue vnto it victory ouer all his Ennemyes the Lande of Chanaan the Kingydome Scepter of the same not for their own Righteousnesse but for Christes sake that they might be a People in the which the promises concerning Christ might bee reuealed and mighte bee kepte vntyll his Natiuitie Because of these things the Iewes boasted as witnesseth Paule saying Behoulde thou art called a Iewe and restest in the Law and makest thy boaste of God c. And a litle after that he saith Thou that makest thy boaste of the Lavve through breaking the Law dishonerest thou God Rom. 2.17 To be shorte because Chryst was borne of Israell according to the Flesh then the which Glory none hath happened more Glorious to any people in the whole world Therefore the Iewes had cause to reioyse when they sawe Chryst borne of theyr Nation according to the promises concerning the which matter Read these places coated in the margent 33. And his father and mother marueiled at those things which wer spoken of him R. It may seme straūge why Ioseph and Mary shoulde marueile at these wordes of Symeon who were certefied before by so many Testimonies that this Infant was the true Messias and Sauiour of the World Had not Mary learned of the Aungell Gabriell that shee should be the mother of the Messias the Sonne of the highest Was not Ioseph tould by the Aungell that his Wyfe had conceyued by the Holy Ghost the Sauioure of the VVorld Did they not see the Magi VVorshippe and acknowledge him for the most high king VVhat then happened vnto
in the preaching of Iohn the Baptist For then at the last the law the prophets had an ende as it is written Luke 16. The Law the Prophets raigned vntil Iohn since that time the Kingdome of GOD is preached and euery man stryueth to goe in And to this aptly agreeth the Testimony of the Prophet Mallachy which hee alleadgeth To the ende the Lorde might the more inflame mens myndes to desire the promysed saluation he purposed and determyned to depryue the people for a time of new prophesies And wee know that Mallachy was the last of the lawful and vndoubted Prophets But least the hungery Iewes should pearish in the meane time hee exhorteth them to keepe thēselues vnder the Lawe of Moyses vntill the promised redemption appeare For he only maketh mention of the Lawe because the doctrine of the Prophets did nothing differ from the same but was only an appendix and more perfect exposition that the whole order of gouerninge the Church myght hange of the Lawe Neyther is it a newe or vnwōted thing in the Scripture to haue the prophesies cōprehended vnder the name of the Lawe because all were sent vnto it as to theyr wellspryng and scope But the Gospel was not as it were an inferiour augmentation of the Lawe but a newe forme of teachinge whych should abrogate that former maner of instruction And Mallachy making the state of the Church of two sortes appoynted the first vnder the Lawe and begynneth the other at the preachinge of Iohn For there is no doubt but that hee meaneth Iohn the Baptist whē he sayth Behould I send my messenger because as we sayd euen now there is here put a manifest difference betwene the law and the new order and state of the Church which should succeede In the same sence he alleaged a litle before the same place that the euangelist Marke hath for the places are like in al pointes saying Beholde I send vnto you Elias the Prophet before that great day of the Lord come In lyke maner hee sayth Mala. 3. Behold I will send my messenger whych shall prepare the way before mee and the Lorde whom yee would haue shall soone come to hys Temple Because in both places a better condition of the Church is promysed than was vnder the lawe the beginning of the Gospell without all doubt is noted But truely before the Lorde shoulde come forth a preparer or forerunner is sayd to come which shoulde proclayme hym to be at hand Whereby wee gather that the abrogation of the lawe and the beginning of the Gospell is properly placed in the preaching of Iohn Moreouer seeing Iohn doth commend and set forth Christe in the fleshe both his natiuity and also the whole history of offeringe saluation is contayned vnder the Gospel But Marke intreateth here how the Gospell began to be preached and published openly Wherefore hee doth not without good cause begin at Iohn who was the first minister thereof And here by the heauenly Father went about to keepe the lyfe of his sonne buried as it were in silence vntill the tyme of full perfect reuelation came For it was not done without the certaine prouidence of God that the Euāgelists should pretermit all that time in which Christe led a priuate lyfe with his parents at home and shoulde omit all the tyme of his infancy vntill hee was thirty yeares of age at what time he comminge forth was openly declared to the whole world to be the redeemer Only the Euangelist Luke doth briefly shew a proofe of his calling to come about the twelueth yeare of his age Luke 2. This thing truly did greatly pertaine to the matter first of all to know that Christe was a true man and then that he was the sonne of Abraham and Dauid This thinge the Lorde woulde haue to be declared vnto vs by witnes The other thyngs which Mathew and Luke doe shewe of the Sheepeherdes of the wyse men and of Symeon they pertayne to prooue his dyuinity But whereas Luke doth speake specially of Iohn of his Father Zacharias it was a certayne entraunce and preface of the Gospell The beginning of the Gospell If we place these wordes after this maner it wil be a more perfect sentence The Gospell of Iesu Christe the sonne of God began after the same maner as it is written in the Prophets Or els The Gospel of Iesu Christ the sonne God had such a beginning as the Prophets declared before that it should haue namely Esay and Mallachy That is to say that Iohn shoulde bee the forerunner and should be the first that should begin to preach the Gospell and not Christe although he were the head of the Gospel For the same Iohn began to preach the the Gospell and to declare him to bee at hand which was promised And thus it pleased God that Iohn should be the forerunner with a certayne seuere and austere kinde of lyfe because he was so nigh to the seuere strayte lawe But Christ being meeke and gentle was familliarly conuersaunt among men because he was the pledge of Gods grace and mercy In this hee tooke from the Iewes all excuse leaste they should accuse the Gospell eyther to seeme to gētle or to seuere Iohn therefore was the first that began to preache the Gospel as the Prophets foreshewed Of Iesu Chryste the sonne of God The Euangelist Marke saith here that Christ is the sonne of God but Mathew sayth onely that hee was the sonne of Abraham and Dauid But the meaning of Marke is that wee should not hope for redemption but onely of the Sonne of God As it is vvrighten in the Prophets E Two olde Greeke bookes haue In Esay the Prophet but it is more truely red In the Prophets Whereuppon also hee Ioyneth two Testimonies to declare that it was Iohn of whom both the Prophets spake Behold I send my messenger C. The chaunging of the person in these words hath no absurdity So God hymselfe speaketh by the Prophet Mala 3. saying I send my Angell which shall prepare the way before me And Marke bringeth in the Father speaking to the sonne But we do see that Marke went about nothing els than more playnely to expresse the mynde of the Prophet Before thy face E. This was spoken to the ende men might knowe that Chryste which was preached was at hand already come As concerninge the exposition of the rest of the seconde verse reade the eleuenth chapter of S. Mathew 3. The voyce of a Cryer in the Wildernesse prepare yee the way of the Lord and make his pathes strayte A. That is to say I am a crying voice I teach no other thing then that which the Lord hath appoynted mee I teach not my owne but the words of the Lord. For I am a voyce So the Lord spake vnto Moses saying Speake vnto Aaron Exod 4. put these words in his mouth and I will be thy mouth and with hys mouth Beholde
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
and sauiour for that which cause it shal be good to keepe company with sinners A. Concerning the two verses following reade the 18. Chap. of Math. vers 12. 7. I say vnto you that lykewise Ioye shal be in Heauen ouer one sinner that repēteth more then ouer 90. and nine iust persons which neede no repentance Iust persons whych neede no repentance B. The Lorde speaketh here of deuine and spirituall matters commonly as of humaine things to frame his speach accordinge to the capascity of the common sorte In this place he calleth them Iust which Imbrace the truth of the Gospell and forgettinge worldly matters doe alwayes goe forwarde towardes the marke which is set before them who notwtstandinge haue alway neede to pray Math. 6.12 Forgeue vs our debtes Ouer such Ryghteouse men which are already of the Lords flocke there is no such speciall Ioy as there is ouer one sinner who being far from the kingdome of God a lost sheepe cōmeth home agayne knoweth God is Ioyntd to the rest of the Lords flocke A. The other similitude of the lost great tendeth to the same effect that this doth therfore nedeth no farther explication 10. Lykewise I saye vnto you shall there be Ioy in the presence of the Angells of God ouer one Synner that repenteth C. If the Angells reioyce among them selues in heauen when they see that restored to their company which went astray it becōmeth vs also to Ioy with them Question But how doth hee say that the Angells doe more reioyce at the repentances of one wicked man than at the perseuerance of many Iust men who delight in nothinge continually than in righteousnesse Ansvver I answere that all the Angells do rather desire the men should alway stand in puernesse and integrity yet notwithstanding bycause the mercy of God doth more shine in the deliuerance of sinners which are cut of from the body as rotten braunches he attributeth the more Ioy vnto Angells after the maner of men who Ioy more for that which cōmeth vnloked for then for that which they haue already in their possession Furthermore the name of Repentance is specially restrayned to their conuersion who beinge tourned quyte away from God doe ryse as it were from death to life For otherwise there oughte to bee a continuall meditacion of Repentance throughout our where lyfe neyther is any man exempted from the necessity hereof seeing euery one feeleth his owne vices working dayly in him But there is difference betwene stumblings or falles or swaruinges from the marke when thou arte already entered into the right race and betwene the cōming from error into the right way They haue no neede of such repentance which haue begun already to frame their liues according to Gods law to lyue a holy and Godly lyfe howbeit they must needes sigh vnder the infirmities of their flesh must endeuour themselues to correct them 11. And hee sayde A certayne man had two Sonnes C. This Parable is nothing els but a confirmation of the doctrine going before And by the firste parte thereof is shewed how ready the Lord is to pardon our sinnes in the other part is shewed how wickedly they behaue them selues which speake euell of his mercy And vnder the parson of a certayne prodigall younge man who was brought to extreme beggery by riotous dissolute life retourned with submission toward his father against whom he had bene stubborne disobedient Christ describeth all sinners who being weried with their former folly come vnto the grace of God And he compareth God vnto an earthly father which doth not only pardon his sonnes offences but also preuēteth him with mercy before he aske forgeuenesse 12. And the yoūger of them sayd vnto his father geue mee the portion of goods that to me belōgeth And he deuided vnto thē his substance C. Wee may not as wee sayd before stand vpon euery word in parables as though there were a mistery in them yet notwithstanding it is not set downe without cause in this parable the one of the sonnes would needes parte his Inheritance which hee afterwarde spent Fyrst of all a signe of wicked arrogancy is described here in the yoūge man in that he desiring to departe from his father thought him selfe not well except hee might liue lasciuiously at his owne liberty without the yoake of obedience toward his father We haue also to consider here his ingratitude in that hee forsakinge his Father an olde man did not only depriue him of the duty which belonged vnto him but doth also deminishe his Domesticall Substance Last of all followeth his prodigallity dissolute wickednes by which hee consumeth all that he hath By thus many sinnes he deserued the displeasure of his father So that vnder this Image we haue most liuely depaynted vnto vs the vnspeakable goodnesse and mercy of God to the ende that the haynousnesse of no offence might draw vs away from the hope of obtayning pardon The comparison shall not be amisse if so be a man say that they are like to the foolish and prodigall younge man who hauinge great plenty of all good things with God yet notwithstanding being stirred vp with a blynde mad desire will deuide the Inheritance with him that they may be free to doe what they list themselues as though it were not more to be wished to liue vnder the fatherly care and gouernment of God than vnder any other kingdome Surely we shall be rych ynough if so be our substance be Ioyned with the ryches of God the Father But if so be we will needes deuide it must needes come to passe that all thinges goe miserabelly to waste For this was the cause of destruction in the beginninge vnto men and first of all to our Parent Adam For hee was created after the Image of GOD. If so bee hee had taryed in his Fathers house and would haue had no deuision hee had bene ryche Inough and mighte haue lyued well in great Felicity but when hee woulde haue somewhat seuerall for him selfe it happened vnto him as it happened vnto this miserable man which wasted all his Substance For what did the free will and excellency which hee had conceyued profite hym that hee should be lyke vnto God Euenso at this day if wee arrogate nothinge vnto our selues but are contented with the grace of God we shall wante nothing appertayning to saluation But wee deceiue our selues in this that wee woulde haue somewhat proper to our selues whereby it cōmeth to passe that wee must needes perishe Notwithstandinge if wee be of the number of Gods Electe GOD will not suffer vs so to perishe but we cannot stande of our selues For except the wonderfull mercy of God did holde vs vp wee must needes be vtterly ouerthrowen 13. And not longe after when the yoūger sonne had gathered all that hee had together he toke his Iourney into a farre Country there wasted his goods with ryotouse liuinge C. Here Christe sheweth
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
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
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
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
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
equall Wherefore hee looketh onely vnto those thinges that be belowe Therefore the more lowe and abiect that thou arte the more earnestly doe the Eyes of the Lorde beholde thee As testefieth the Scripture specially the Psalmes as where it is sayd Who is like vnto the Lorde our God that hath his dwellinge so hyghe Psal 113.7 Psal 138.6 Who abaseth hym selfe to beholde thinges in the Heauen and in the Earth Hee rayseth the needy out of the dust and lyfteth vppe the poore out of the Dunghill Also The Lorde is highe yet hee beholdeth the lowly but the proude hee knoweth a farre of Wherfore he can abide neither knowledge nor power nor any other thing for the which a man is proude or conceyueth any truste For hee hateth all pride For loe now from hencforth C. By these wordes she geeueth vs to vnderstand that this benefite of God shal be remembred for euer Wherefore if it were so notable that all men ought to talke of the same it became not Mary her selfe vpon whom it was bestowed to be silent And note that the Virgin Mary doth ground nothing vpon her owne blessednesse but acknowledgeth all that shee hath receiued to proceede from the grace of God I shall sayth shee be counted blessed throughout all generations Came this blessednes by her owne vertue or because she sought this praise Nay she rather imputeth the same only to the worke of God saying 49. Because hee that is mighty hath magnified me holy is his name C. Here shee playnely acknowledgeth God to be the author of her blessednes As if shee should say I am called blessed not that I haue obtayned blessednesse by my owne vertue but because God which is mighty hath wrought a wonderfull and straūge worke in mee a silly maide They shall so call me blessed that they shall know the same to be the worke of the Lord and not myne And in very deede they do truly preach Mary to be blessed which do acknowledg Christe to be the author of all felicity whom we haue receiued a perfect man through her And hereby wee see how farre the vayne Papistes differ from the Virgin Mary The Virgin MARY superstitiously honoured of the Papistes who rashly setting her forth with their vayne Immaginations do almost make no account of all those graces which shee hath receyued from God They heape vpon her mighty nay rather proude tytells callinge her the Queene of Heauen the Sea starre the way of saluation the gate of lyfe yea Life it selfe sweetenesse hope and saluation Yea Sathan hath brought them to such impudency and madnesse that they haue made her Ruler ouer Christe For this is their continuall songe Roga Patrem inb◠Natum that is pray the Father commaunde thy Sonne Seeinge none of these things proceeded from the Lord the holy Virgin in one worde confoundeth them all when shee placeth her whole glory vpon the benefits of God For if shee be to be remembred for this cause only namely for the God hath magnified her there is no place left for fayned tytells which come from men Moreouer wee can doe her no greater dishoner than to take from the sonne of God that which belongeth vnto him to adorne and magnifie her with that which is taken from him Nowe let the Papists goe and cry that we are iniurious vnto the mother of Chryste because wee reiectinge the lyes of men onely set forth the benefites of God in her But we geue vnto her that which is most honorable and these false worshippers spoyle her of the same For we willingly imbrace her as our schoole-maistresse and obay her Doctine and Commaundements Verely that which shee speaketh is not obscure the which not regarded but contemned the Papistes so much as lyeth in them doe discredite her sayinges But let vs remember that a common Rule is heere prescribed in praysinge both of Aungells and also of men that the Grace of God may bee magnified in them Euen as also nothinge is praise worthy which cometh not from the same When she sayth GOD which is mighty hath magnified mee Shee geeueth vs to vnderstand that God had no helpe from any other Gods povver hath the preheminence that his Power alone mighte haue the preheminence And holy is his name C. This is the second part of the songe in the which by generall Sentences the holy Virgin commendeth the Power of God his Iudgementes and mercy For this is a full sentence and not ioyned to that which wente before Mary had exalted the grace of God of the which shee had experience in her selfe Hereuppon takeinge occasion Shee proclaymeth his name to bee holy and his mercy extended through all generations R. And the name of God is taken for his power oftentimes for God him selfe as hee manifesteth him selfe vnto vs. Reade the 6. Chapter of Mathew the 9. verse That also is properly called holy which is seperated from the prophane and common vse of thinges And that which is seuered is kepte in secret Whereupon that which is holy is also called hidden GOD therefore is called holy because his workes are hidden farre from humane reason and are so wonderfull that mans wisedome cannot comprehend them For God worketh glory by ignominy Ioy by sorrow happines by misery and life by death Than the which manner of working what can bee sayd to be more wonderfull And this wonderful maner of workinge was also declared in Mary Moreouer the name of God is called holy because it deserueth the chiefest reuerence So that so often as mencion of GOD is made wee must therewithall remember his reuerent Maiesty 50. And hys mercy is on them that feare him from Generation to Generation And his mercy is on them that feare him A. This sentence is taken out of the couenante of God C. Where it is sayd I will bee thy God Gen. 17.7 the God of thy Seede for euer Agayne Shewinge mercy vnto thousandes of them that loue mee Also Exo. 20.6 I am God shewing mercy vpon a thousand Generations Moreouer Deut 7.9 Hee hath alway remembred his Couenaunt Psal 105. ◠and promise that hee made to a thousand Generations By which woordes the Lord doth not only testefie that he will be like himselfe but doth also expresse his continuall fauoure which he beareth towarde those that are his that after their Death hee may Loue their sonnes their posterity foreuermore Wyth this continuall Loue God loued the posterity of Abraham because hee hauinge once receiued the Father Abraham into his grace and fauoure made an euerlastinge couenante with him But because not all which came of Abraham after the fleshe are the true Sonnes of Abraham Mary restraineth the effecte of the promise to the true worshishippers of God saying On them that feare him A. That the wicked might not be proude by the pretence of the name this is spoken for they are puffed vp with vayne security Rom. 2.17 as sayth
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
Miche 5. ◠It was meete that the same Taxe should serue this matter The which neyther CAESAR nor his Liefetenaunte knew 6. And so it was that while they were there the dayes were accōplished that she should be deliuered A. Howe longe Mary was in Bethlehem before the time of her Childebirth wee cannot gather by the Wordes of Luke onely this wee know that then the Prophesie was fulfilled concerning the place of Christes Natiuity 7. And shee brought forth her firste begotten sonne and wrapped him in swadling clothes and layed him in a Maunger bycause there was no roome for them in the Inne And shee brought forth her first begotten Sonne B. That is called the first begottē sonne before whom there came no other by the same Parentes althoughe there were neuer any other borne after him He saith not His first begotten but Her first begotten son And in that hee sayd her sonne as Epiphanius noteth he geueth vs to vnderstand that hee was borne of her after the fleshe The same which is here called her first begotten was also called the first begotten of al Creatures Colo. 1.15 Rom. ◠19 not Ioyned to any Creature but begotten before any Creature was Hee is called also the first begotten among many bretheren not in that he was borne of Mary as though there were other sonnes of her but among those which are worthy to receyue the adoption of the sonnes of God by him But he is called both the first begotten and also the sonne of Mary not bycause she had other sonnes For the like appellation is also in his first and deuine generation before his cōming in the fleshe For hee which is in deede the first begotten Sonne of his heauenly Father before all creatures is not called the first begotten because others were begotten after him of the Father for hee hath no second brother but is the only begotten Sonne so also the case standeth in his cōming into the fleshe For he is the sonne and the first begotten of Mary but the same is also the onely begotten Sonne of MARIE hauinge no seconde Brother And wrapped him in swadlinge Clothes B. It is to be coniectured that these Clothes were not torne Cloutes For Marye though she were poore was clenly and neate Bycause there was no roome for them in the Inne C. Heere wee see not onely howe great the neede of Ioseph was but also howe seuere the cōmaūdement was in that all excuse layed aside Ioseph is cōstrayned to bring his wyfe with him in a very vnfit time she being neere her trauaile And it is likely that they which came of Kingly race were handeled more sharply and contumeliously then the rest Ioseph was not so heedelesse but that he was carefull for the Chylde birthe of his Wyfe Wherefore hee woulde willingly shoonned this necessitye But bycause hee coulde not hee commeth against his will and committeth himselfe vnto God Thus wee see what a beginning of Lyfe the Sonne of GOD had B. It pleased the Lord to bee borne in extreame pouerty and neede to teache vs to contemne the Worlde and to desire heauenly thinges Hereuppon it came to passe that a more Commodiouse place coulde not bee had for his Mother being neere her traueile then the stawle of Oxen when as no doubt manye wicked Persons had the moste hansome places to enioye their Pleasures Heere a man may see what difference there is betweene the Iudgement of GOD and the Iudgement of the Worlde BV. But wee must note that hee beinge Riche was made Poore for our sakes geeuinge vs a woonderfull example of true humility The World hath heere sufficient cause to stande in admiration and to bee thankefull and matter also to followe all the Dayes thereof For the Sonne of GOD commeth downe from Heauen and with extreame Humillitye humbleth Him selfe that Hee mighte Exalte vs into Heauen and mighte teach vs Charity and modesty of Mynde C. Therefore Hee was caste into a Stable stawle and placed in a Maūger and was denyed place of Rest amonge men to the ende wee mighte haue enteraunce and Inheritaunce in Heauen and fellowship with Angells So that wee receyue him by Fayth who is sente vnto vs of GOD to bee a Kinge and a Sauiour though in a contemptible forme Concerninge the great abiection of our LORD and the Example of Humillitye which is set before vs in that hee abased him selfe PAULE handeleth verye notablelye in the Seconde Chapter of his first Epistle to the Philippians Verely to be wrapped in simple Clothes and to bee layed in a Mawnger are arguments of pouerty as was also the offering of two yoūge Pigeons in the time of purification Wherefore most truly he sayd Math. 9.20 Foxes haue hoales and the Byrdes of the Ayre Neastes but the sonne of man hath not where to rest his heade The Lord also humbled himselfe euen to the basest things least any man should blame his maiesty to bee a stay and let that hee coulde not come vnto him and beleue in him saying Hee is the most hyghe I dare not presume to come vnto him being earthly and a wretch Pouerty in Christ is an example for vs. B. And let Rich men of the Worlde hereby learne not to like the better of them selues bycause of their Riches nor the poore the worse bycause of their pouerty but let both come vnto him with sure confidence and with greate Submission and Faith Heb. 4.15 to him I say which hath felt al the miseries of man sinne onely excepted B. It is better to way these things than curiously to dispute of the maner of his birth and to obscure the truth of God with mans Inuencions Our Lord was a true perfect man hee had a very mother and therefore shee brought him forth accordinge to the cōmon order of Nature Who the more that hee tooke vpon him the infirmities of our Nature the more hee declared his loue towarde vs the which being wayed wil increase faith towardes him and loue towardes our neyghbors with all maner of modesty 8. There were in the same Countrey Sheepheards abyding in the field and watching their flock by night There vvere in the same Countrey Sheepheards C. It had bene superfluouse for Christ to be borne in Bethlehem except the same had ben knowen to the Worlde Notwithstandinge the maner which Luke describeth seemeth in the Iudgement of men vnfit First Christ is reuealed but to a few Witnesses that in the darke night Secondly when as God had at hande many Witnesses endued with honour and exellency settinge them aside hee chose onely Pastors or Sheepheards a contemned sorte of men and of no Estimation Here of necessity all reason and prudence must be foolishe and we must needes confesse that the Foolishnesse of God 1. Cor. i. i5 doth exceede all the Wysedome in the Worlde And this was a parte of his humility by which no part of his glory was deminished but lay hid onely for a time Furthermore
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
1. Cor. 8.6 and there is one Lord Iesus Christe by whom are all thinges and wee by him And thus hee is declared to bee not onely Maister teacher to whom when hee teacheth we must geue eare but also a Prince to whose gouernmente wee must be subiect and whose commaundement wee must obay For the Father hath geuen vnto him in his house the Dignity of the first begotten that hee might haue the Superiority ouer his Bretheren with power and might order and dispose the ryches of the Inheritaunce In the City of Dauid Before in the fourth verse Luke saith that the City of DAVID is called Bethlehem Hee noteth dilligently the place of the Natiuity bycause of the truthe of the Prophesie written by Micheas Miche 5. of the which Mathew maketh mencion M. As if hee shoulde say Math. 2 6 searche and consider what GOD hath Promised to DAVID and what MICHEAS hath prophesied cōcerning Bethlehem compare those thinges with these wordes and yee shall see that the most true GOD hath performed those things at this day which he had promised to the Fathers in many Ages from the beginninge C. Therefore the Angell framed his speache to his Hearers which were not altogether Ignorant of the promised redemption and hee Ioyned the Gosple with the Doctrine of the Law and the Prophets euen as the same sprang thereof 12. And take this for a signe Yee shal fynde the Chylde vvrapped in swadlinge Clothes and layed in a Maunger BV. Least the Sheepheardes shoulde doubt of the new wonderfull tydings for credits sake he geueth vnto them a signe saying Experience it selfe and the truth of the matter shall certifie you that I haue toulde you nothinge but truth Goe yee therefore to Bethlehem and seeke the newe borne Childe whom I haue preached to be Christe the Lord yee shall finde him wrapped in swadling Clothes and layed in a maunger The Angell imitateth the cōmon maner of men For we are wonte in great and doubtful matters to Ioyne signes vnto our Wordes Wherein the goodnesse of God doth shine framing himselfe to our infirmities C. Moreouer the Aungell preuenteth an offence by which the Faith of the Sheepheards might easely haue bene hindered For what a scorne is it to see him lying in a maunger which is promised of God to bee a King and the only Sauiour Therefore least so vile base a Condition in Christe should discourage the Sheepheards from in belieuing in Christe the Angell telleth them aforehande what they should see And the Lorde vseth this order dayly towarde vs which may seeme in the Iudgmēt of man ridiculouse and absurde For by the Voyce of the Gospell which is come from heauen hee commaundeth vs to imbrace Christ crucefied and he setteth signes before vs in earthly and transitory elements which may exalte vs into the glory of blessed immortality So hee promisinge vnto vs spirituall righteousnesse setteth before our eyes a litle Water and promisinge the euerlasting life of the Soule hee sealeth the same with a smale taste of Bread and Wyne Wherefore if so be the Rude stawle did not offend the Sheepheardes nor stay them from seeking Saluation in Christe nor from submitting themselues vnto his gouernment no signe be it neuer so contemptible ought to obscure his Glory in our sight but that wee shoulde adore and worship him especially seeinge that hee is now ascended into heauen and sitteth at the righte hand of his Father BV. This signe which is geuen to the Sheepheards is not agreeinge to humaine sence but is quite contrary to the Wisedome of the fleshe Wherefore they had to beholde and consider another thinge and in their mynde to apprehende another matter God accordinge to his maner doth not set before vs glorious things to the ende hee mighte confounde and ouerthrow humaine reason 13. And straite way there was wyth the Angel a multitude of heauenly Souldiers praysing GOD and sayinge 14. Glory to GOD on high peace on the Earth vnto men a good will C. The Euangelist accordinge to the maner of the Scripture calleth the Angells heauenly Souldiers the similitude beinge taken from earthly Princes This verely was done that he might haue the greater Maiesty For although the glory of God was in parte reuealed in one Angell yet notwithstanding GOD would more gloriously adorne his sonne and that as well for our confirmation as for the Sheepheardes With men the credite of two or three witnesses is sufficient to take away a doubt but the heauenly Army with one consent and one voyce geueth testimony vnto the sonne of God How obstinate then shall we be if we singe not to this cōmon title of the Angells by which out saluation in Christe is celebrated Whereby we gather how detestable a thynge to GOD vnbeliefe is which troubleth this sweete Harmony of Heauen and Earth Moreouer we are worse than brute beastes if the Songe which the Angells sunge with one consent to geue vs an example doe not kindell in vs both faith also a desire to praise God Vnity of faith commended to vs by the song of the Angells Moreouer God by this melodious Harmony cōmendeth vnto vs the vnity of faith and exhorteth vs to sing his prayses with one cōsent vpon the earth A. The which Paule wisheth may be geuen to all the Godly when hee writeth thus Rom. 15.5 The God of all patience and consolation graūt you to be like minded one towardes another after the ensample of Christ Iesus that yee all agreeinge together may with one mouth prayse God c. Glory to God on high Bu. That is to say Glory be vnto God which dwelleth in the highest R. By these words they geue to vnderstande that firste of all their office is to prayse God with a lowde voyce continually Whereupon in the Prophet the Seraphim doe cry the one to the other Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth Esay 6.3 all the whole Earth is full of thy Glory But to prayse God is not onely in words to geue vnto God glory and holinesse but it is also to confesse the power righteousnesse holinesse goodnesse truth and happinesse belonge to God alone and that God standeth in neede of nothinge but that all creatures stande in neede of him also that God can bee benefited of none but that it is hee which benefiteth all C. Moreouer the Aungells begin with thankes geuinge or with the praises of GOD bycause the Scriptures in diuers places teach vs that wee are Redeemed from death to this ende that wee mighte shewe our thankefulnesse towardes God as well with our tongue as with our workes Therefore let vs remember that this was the finall cause why God hath reconciled vs vnto him by his only sonne that by the reuealinge of the ryches of his Grace and exceedinge mercy hee might glorifie his name And at this day looke how much any one of vs is incouraged by the knowledge of his grace to set forth the
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
Israell From that time the IEWES haue neuer ceassed to spurne kyck agaynst God but specially they withstoode Chryst Now at this Day they whych call them selues Chrystiās vse the like outrage yea they which doe proudly arrogate vnto themselues the pryncipal gouernement of the Church do bende theyr whole power to oppresse Chryst But let vs remember that they so lytle preuayle that at the lengthe they are crushed and broken to pieces For vnder this word Destruction the holie Ghost threateneth such grieuouse punishment vnto the vnbeleeuing to the end we may learne to keepe our selues far from Fellovvship vvith Christs ennemies is perillous least our fellowship with thē bryng vppon vs the lyke Destruction And yet we may not beare the lesse loue vnto Chryst because at his rysing many fall 2. Cor. 2. because the sauour of the Gospel is alway sweete and acceptable vnto God although to the wicked world it be deadely If any man demaunde how Chryst is an occasion of destruction to the vnbeleeuing which are already in Destruction though he were not wee easely aunswer that they are in double Destruction which do willingly depryue themselues of that saluation which God offereth vnto thē Therefore Destruction heere signifyeth a Double punishment whych remayneth for all the vnbeleeuing after that they haue wittingly and wyllingly warred agaynst the son of God A. The very same thinge our Sauyour Chryste noted by the Similitude whych he propounded saying Whosoeuer falleth vpon this stone shall bee broken Mat 21.44 Ioh. 9.37 but vppon whome soeuer it falleth it shall al to grynd him For when the kingdome righteousnesse of GOD is openly Preached Sathan styrreth vp those whome he houldeth Captiue that the more clearely the truth is offered vnto them the more they withstande the same and that the more they fill vp the measure of theyr Impiety so much the more they might be stricken wyth furor and madnesse in somuch that a man may see many voyde of common sence and reason This same happened to the Israelites For they which in their owne conceypte seemed to be very wise being offended at the Doctrine of Christ were made so blynd that they omitted no Cruelty vnpractysed vppon our sauiour himselfe Vntill they hauyng sufficiently prouoked the wrath of God vppon themselues were quyte cut of and cast into perpetuall Destruttion And vprysing agayne S. That is to say to be an occasion of vprysinge of Saluation For in what a remnaūt of Israell were saued and are as yet saued Chryst is the occasion thereof being apprehended by fayth C. Therefore this Consolation is set agaynst the first parte which mytigateth the matter odiouse vnto oure sence For this is grieuous to be heard If nothing else be added that chryste is a stone of offence which with hardnes breaketh the greatest part of men Therefore the Scripture putteth vs in mynde of hys other office also Namely that the Saluation of men standeth vppon him as sayth also the Prophet Esay 8.13 Blesse yee the LORD of Hostes let him be your Forte and he shall bee your Defence and stronge Tower Reade the second Chapter also of the first Epystle of Peter beginninge at the 4. verse Therefore least this bee to terryble vnto vs that Chryst is sayd to bee a stone of offence let vs by and by set agaynst it that he is also called the corner stone by which the Saluation of all the Godly is sustayned Yea let vs call to mynde to our comfort that the one is Accidentall and the other proper C. Furthermore it is worthy to be noted that Chryst is not called the Piller of the Godly but the Resurrection For the state of mē is not such that it is good for them to abide in the same Therefore before they rise from Death they must begin to liue Of many in Israell S. Hee excepteth heere those remnaunts of the which the prophet speaketh The Remnaunt of Iacob shall bee conuerted vnto the Lord their God Esay 10.11 Read the 11. to the Rom. Verse 4. 35. And moreouer the sword shall pearce thy Soule that the thought of many hearts may be opened Moreouer the Swerde E. This word Moreouer is not here superfluously added signifying that the person is chaunged and that there is heere the beginning as it were of new sorrow C. This Admonition serued very well to the comfortyng of the Vyrgins mynde that it might not be ouerwhelmed with griefe when she should come to sustayne those sharpe bruntes Assaultes whych shee could not auoyde R. It may be that it pleased the Lord thus to presse her downe leaste shee should waxe prowde vpon truste of the Flesh For if so be a prycke of the flesh were geuen to Paule least the gretnes of the Reuelations should puffe him vp VVhy may we not thinke that the lyke was geuen to Mary being so highely aduaunced to honour 2. Cor. 12. Therefore she is admonished to prepare her self to beare sorrow For in this place this word Soule signifieth the Place of the Affections as if hee should say And thou which art the mother of the sonne of GOD considerest how great this grace is and hast iuste cause to glory in GOD but yet thou shalt not be in euery point blessed For thy Son came not to lead a life fre frō al sorrow paine but to abide sharpe conflictes Therefore thou shalte bee partaker with him in his Crosse and not onely that but also thou shalt feele great griefe euen as if a sword wer thrust through they brest C. Wherefore although Maryes Fayth were shaken with many tēptations yet notwithstanding she had bitter contention with the Crosse with the which Christ might seeme to be quyte ouerwhelmed with destruction And although she was at no time swallowed vp of grief yet neuertheles she had not such a stony heart so flinty but that the same was grieued euen as the constācy of saints differeth much from senceles blockishnes That the thoughts of many harts may be opened When the light of the Gospel ariseth sundry persecutions therwtal thē do appeare the affections of the hart which before wer hid For mās simulatiō may be so cloked hid that wtout Chryst they cānot be sene But Christ with his light discouereth al deceipte maketh hipocrisy naked Therefore by right this office is geuen vnto hym that he maketh the secret affections of the heart manifest But when the crosse is ioyned with doctrine hee doth more narrowly examine the hearts of mē for they haue imbraced Chryst by external professiō cannot abide to beare the crosse because they se that the church is subiect to sundry afflictiōs they quickly forsake their place G. This was manifest in the time of Chryst passiō For they which imbraced Christ only in outward shew discouered their hipocrysy on the cōtrary part they which estemed better of Christ as did Ioseph of Aramathia Nicodemus declared their sincere affectiō
was consecrated by the voice of the Father and by the aparition of the spirite into his office of teachinge and Redeeminge of all those which belieue in him Concerning the originall of Ihon and his appointment to this Worke that hee mighte manifest Christe vnto Israell and prepare the People for him by preachinge Repentaunce wee haue spoken in the first Chapter S. And now to the ende he might shew further that the time of the Messias is fulfilled hee dilligently noteth the Emperour in whose raigne the Gospel began to bee preached Pontius Pilate beinge Liefetenante C. It is very likely that this was the seconde yeare of Pilates gouernemente as may appeare by that which Iosephus reporteth in his 18. booke of the Antiquities of the Iewes at which time the Gospell began to be preached by Ihon. Herod beinge Tetrarch of Galile C. This Herod was the second Heire of Herod the great which succeeded his father by his will and Testament For the Trarche of Iudea was geuen to Archelaus But when hee was sent into Vienna by Augustus that parte fell as a Pray to the Romaines Where fore Luke maketh mēcion here of two Sonnes of Herod namely of Herod Antipas who beinge made Tetrarch of Galile possessed Samaria Perea and of Philip who being tetrarch of the Region of the trachonites and of Iturea raygned from the Sea of Tiberias or Genezareth vnto the foote of Libanus from whence springeth the Riuer of Iordane And Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene C. Some haue falsly supposed Lysanias to be the sonne of Ptolomaeus Mennaeus which was King of Chalsis who was killed of Cleopatra 30. yeares before Christe was borne As Iosephus writteth in his fiftenth booke of Antiquities He coulde also scarsly bee his Nephewe whom Iosephus reporteth to be the author and stirrer vp of the war of Parthia for hee shoulde haue bene then aboue threescore yeares olde Futhermore seeing hee prouoked the Parthians to warre vnder the raigne of Antigonus it must needes be that he was at that time come to mans state And Ptolomaeus Mennaeus dyed long after that Iulius Caesar was stayne being entered into the order of the Triumuiri betwene Lepidus Antonius and Octauius as testefieth Iosephus in the 23. Chap. of his 14. Booke But seeing that this Nephew of Ptolomaeus was called as was his father also Lysanias hee might leaue his son so sirnamed also Howbeit without all controuersie their error is to be reiected which Immagine that Lysanias which was killed of Cleopatra lyued threescore yeares after his death This name of Tetrarche is here improperly taken as thoughe the whole Coūtrey were deuided into 4. partes But seeinge in the beginning Countreys were deuided into foure partes and other alterations followed afterwarde againe for honoures sake this name was the farther stretcht In the which sence Plini reckeneth vp seuentene Tetrarches in one Region or Countrey Reade our Comentary vpon the 14. Chapter of Math. verse 1. When Annas and Caiphas C. It is certaine that there were neuer two high Priests in the priesthoode at one time Iosephus testifieth that Cayphas was appoynted high Prieste by Valerius Gratus a litle before hee departed out of the Countrey At what time that Pilate was Liefetenaunt of Iury wee reade not in Iosephus that any alteration was made by him Yea when hee was put from the Gouernement and place and was commaunded to goe to Rome to answere his cause then Vitellius Liefetenaunt of Syria depriuinge Caiphas aduaunced Ionathas the sonne of Anani to the Priesthoode And whereas Luke nameth two high Priestes wee may not so vnderstand him as though hee gaue vnto them both all one tytell but hee nameth two bycause one halfe of the dignity of the Priestehoode remained to Annas the high Priestes Father in Lawe Wherefore Luke geueth vs to vnderstand that the state was so confounded disordered that there were was at that time no one true high Prieste but that the holy priesthood was rent and torne by ambition and tyrannical power Concerning Caiphas reade the 26. Chap. of Mathew and the thirde verse The worde of the Lord came to Ihon This Hebrewe Phrase of speache is very common in the Scriptures The woorde of the Lord came to Osee to Zachary and to others that is to say The Lorde spake vnto them and appointed them by his cōmaundement to their office bycause no man ought to vsurpe an office to himselfe for that were great rashnesse Such did nothinge of them selues but by Gods appointment C. Therefore Luke before hee shew that Ihon tooke his office in hande declareth that hee was called vnto the same by God that his ministery mighte sufficiently bee warranted vnto vs by authority Hereby wee gather that none are true Teachers but they which are called vnto their office by God For it is not sufficient to haue the worde of God except there bee Ioyned vnto the same a speciall callinge If therefore the most exellent Prophets taried vntill they were called of GOD what are they which at this day intrude them selues without such deuine callinge 3. And hee came into all the Coastes about Iordane preaching the baptisme of Repentaunce for the remission of sinnes And hee came into all the Coastes A. Mathew and Marke make mencion only of the Wildernesse but Luke sayth here that Iohn preached in all the Coastes round about Iordane But we haue reconciled these places in ou◠exposition vpon the thirde Chap. of Mathew the 1. verse Preachinge the baptisme of Repentance Marke also vseth the same kinde of speach Mark ◠4 Acts 19 4. And the Apostell Paule also in the Actes C. This forne of speach doth first of all generally shew which is the right vse of the sacraments Secondly wherefore Baptisme is instituted and what it contayneth A Sacrament therefore is not a dumbe Ceremony which sheweth forth some goodly shew without doctrine but it hath the Word of God annexed thereunto which quickeneth the externall Ceremony it selfe When wee speake of the Worde wee meane not that Word which some exorciste by magicall whisperings muttereth but which is pronounced with a loude and distincte voice to the Edification of Faith For Iohn is not sayd simply to baptize into repentaunce as though the Grace of God were included in a visible Signe but to preache what the profit of baptisme was that of the worde preached there might be an effectuall signe And this is proper vnto baptisme that it is sayd to bee a signe of repentance for the remission of sinnes S. Here therefore wee see that Baptisme is a signe of Renouation For men were inuited to repentance that they might bee new Creatures Wherefore this Sacrament is called the Baptisme of Repentaunce of his ende not that the externall signe is sufficient to repentance for Hypocrits do sufficiently shew how farre a sunder the truth and the figure are but here first of all the Institution of GOD is respected then the power of the holy ghost vpon the which dependeth the
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
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
note that Zache doth not offer vnto God the pray of his Rapine and Robbery as many rich men do which geue vnto God parte of theyr euill gotten Goodes that they may haue more liberty to oppresse and deceiue afterwarde and that the Iniuries done aforetime may escape vnpunished but Zache doth so sacrifice the one halfe of his goods to God that hee intendeth to make recompence for all the wroÌ„gs he had done Whereupon we gather that the remainder of his goods after satisfaction were well and lawefullie gotten So that Zache was not onelie ready to make restitution of whatsoeuer he had gotten by fraude but also geueth his iust and rightly gotten patrimony to the poore Wherby he sheweth that of a wolfe he is not only become a sheepe but also a Shepeherd Moreouer Zache by his example hath not necessarilie tyed all men to geue a way halfe theyr goods but wee must onely obserue the rule which the Lord prescribeth heere namely that we consecrate our selues and al that we haue to a holy and Godly vse and so it will come to passe that euery maÌ„ shal help the poore as hee is able R. Charite ought to moderate all these thinges So the widow caste onely two mites into the Treasurie Lu 2i 1 Ma. 10.42 and had her commendation of the Lord. So a Cup of cold water geuen hath his reward And S. Paule sayth For if there be firste a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath not according to that he hath not Truly not that other be set at ease and yee brought into combrance c. 2. Co. 8.12 And againe He which soweth lyttle shall reape litle 2. Co. 9.6 and he that sovveth in geuing largely and frely shal reap plentiously Let euery man doe as he hath purposed in his heart not grudgingly or of necessity For God loueth a chearefull Geuer Therefore in that Zache geeueth the one halfe of his goods vnto the poore it is not the prescripte and ordinaunce of Christ as touching the quantie but it is the willing Liberallity of that faith and Charitie in Zache If he had promised to haue geueÌ„ but the thyrd part of his goods Chryst would not haue reiected the same who vouchsafeth to receiue a cup of coâ—de water so that it come from a sincere affection of the gieuer Therefore let vs learne of thys man to bryng forth the fruites of true repentaunce 9. Iesus sayd vnto him This Day is Saluation come to this House because that he is also the Chylde of Abraham C. Chryst gieuing testimony vnto Zache pronounceth that there is no deceipte or dissimulation in him and yet notwithstanding hee doth not ascrybe the cause of saluation to Zaches good workes but because that conuersion was an assured pledge of Gods adoption he doth iustly thereof gather that the same house was the heyre of Saluation And this is the meanynge of Chrystes wordes For because Zache was one of the Sonnes of Abraham he affirmeth that his house was saued and he which will be reckened among Abrahams Chyldren must necessarily follow his Faith Yea the Scripture geueth this prayse properly to Fayth that it discerneth the true ChildreÌ„ of Abraham from forreners Therefore let vs know that the same is commended in Zache for the which it came to passe that his workes were acceptable vnto God And there is no doubte but that Zache was taught by Chryste before he was conuerted Wherfore this was the beginning of Saluation to heare Chryst preaching concerning the free mercie of God concerning the reconcilliation of men vnto him and coÌ„cerning the redemption of the Church and that this Doctrine was to be imbraced by Faith Therefore not onelie Liberallity is commended in Zache but Faith also by which his Workes were accepted And whereas Chryst saith that saluation is come to this house hee meaneth the person of Zache For because God when he adopteth the mayster of the house promiseth that hee will bee the God of the whole house also by righte Saluation is extended from the head to the whole body A. Wee see also heere that to bee true whych the Lord said to the Rulers of that people Ma. 21.31 The Publicanes and Harlots shal enter into the Kingdome of God before you 10. For the Sonne of man is come to seeke and to saue that whych vvas lost R. In these wordes Chryst maketh answere vnto theyr murmuring whych sayde that he went to tarry wyth a man that was a sinner the whych hee coÌ„futeth by his office which is to seke and to saue sinners C. Moreouer lest the former Life of Zache might seeme to haue excluded him from saluation Chryst beginneth first with his office prouinge thereby that there was nothing in this coÌ„uersion or chaÌ„ge which ought to offend any man because hee was sente of the Father to saue those which were loste R. For they whych are stronge haue no neede to the Physition but they that are sicke Ma 9.12 This sentence of Chryst verely is a Golden sentence setting forth vnto vs the chiefe proper Office of Chryst for that which hee came into this Worlde For they which are afflicted and are at the brink of destruction thinke because of theyr miserie that they are not regarded of Chryste and that there is no way for them by which they may attaine Saluation But Chryst for this cause specially came into the world to seeke and saue that which was loste One perisheth with sinnes another with sickenes another with pouertie another with infamy and another with the horror of death and of hell What then Shall we therefore dispayre God forbid But we must then specially bee of good chere hope trust for the best For Chryste came not because wee first soughte him but to seeke vs not onely to seeke vs but also to saue vs and to saue not that whych was whole and in good case but that which was loste Read the selfe same sentence in the 18. Chapter of Math. Verse 11. The which Saint Paule expoundeth thus It is a sure saying by all meanes worthy to be receiued that Iesus Chryste came into the World to saue sinners 1. Ti. 1.15 11. And as they heard these thinges he added and spake a parable because he was nighe to Hierusalem and because they thoughte that the KingdoÌ„ of God should shortly appeare R. Now followeth the parable of a certaine nobleman who going into a far Countrey to receiue a Kyngedome calling his Seruants vnto him gaue vnto euery one of them a Pounde that in his absence they might bee occupyed And vpoÌ„ what occasioÌ„ Christ toulde this parable the Euangelyste sheweth in few and manifest wordes BV. The Disciples as we haue said oftentimes thought that the Kyngedome of Chryst should be Carnal and Earthly and that it should eueÌ„ shortly begin at Hierusalem Wherefore the Lord sheweth that his kingdom shall be celestiall and that he would asceÌ„d into