this saying Bee of good cheere arise Iesus calleth thee By the which words the blynde man conceiued such hope that casting away his cloake by the which he was defended from the coulde that he sprang ran to Iesus As touching that whych followeth concerning the exposition of the other two verses following Read the 20. cap. of Mathew 51. And Iesus answered and sayde vnto him What wilt thou that I doe vnto thee The blynd man sayd vnto him maister that I might receiue my sighte Mayster A. Our Euangelist vseth here the Chalde word Rabboni maister for the which the Hebrewes haue Rab or Rabbi The Euangelist Mat. hath Lord that our eyes may be opened Luke hath Lord that I may receiue my sight 52. Iesus said vnto him Go thy way thy faith hath saued thee And immediately he receiued his sight followed Iesus in the way Go thy vvay thy faith A. Luke hath receiue thy sight thy faith hath saued thee And by by he receiued his sight and followed him glorifying god And all the people when they saw it gaue God the praise As concerninge this faith Read the 9. of Mat. BV. Fayth truly saueth vs not our workes nor merits For it coÌ„meth by the deuyne mercy free grace of God that we liue And follovved Iesus in the vvay Whersoeuer faith is there is a diligent study to heare Gods word a following of Chryst without delay For Faith before all other thinges iustifieth vs and keepeth vs in the obedience of the law of Chryst that we may at no time depart from his way FINIS Chapter the 11. ANd wheÌ„ they came nie to IerusaleÌ„ vnto Bethphage Bethany at the mount of Oliues hee sendeth forth two of his Disciples Our Sauiour Chryst at the laste commeth to Hierusalem in the which he should be offered a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world and should redeme the beleuing from sin and deth But before he plaid the priest in offering himself he would shew himselfe to be a king also and a deliuerer of his faithfull people For therfore he entereth with kingly pompe into HierusaleÌ„ 4. And they wente theyr waye and founde the Coulte tyed by the dore without in place where two wayes met and they loosed him A. Thys our Euangelyst Luke also make a large description how the Apostles went to bring the asse and the coulte In steade of the which the EuaÌ„gelist Mathew onely hath And the disciples weÌ„t did as Iesus coÌ„maunded them And found the coulâ— Luke more briefly sayth And they found as he had sayd vnto them 5. And diuers of them that stode there sayd vnto them What do yee loosing the Asse Luke wryteth that they were the Owners of the asse that asked this questioÌ„ what do ye loosinge the ass That is to saye whye do ye lose the asse Or eles it is thus much to saye what will ye do when yee haue loosed the Asse As touching the rest and that whych followeth Reade the one and twentye Chapter of Mathew 9. And they that went before they that followed cryed saying Hosanna Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. And they that vvent before B. At what time this acclamatioÌ„ or cry was made vnto Chryste by the multitude S. Luke declareth in these woords saying And when hee was now come to the goyng downe of the Mounte of Oliues the whole Multitude of the Dysciples beganne to reioyse and to prayse GOD wyth a loude Voyce for all the Myracles that they had seene saying Blessed be the Kynge that commeth in the Name of the Lord. And straighte way hee addeth that which neither Mathew nor our EuaÌ„gelyst Marke addeth sayinge Peace in Heauen and Glory in the hyghest By the which Wordes the People mente to declare that then trewe Peace was geuen to men in Heauen and that the Glory of GOD shined forth Luke 19. As if they had sayd The Heauenly GOD is pleased with vs. Wherefore we must exalt him he dwelling in the hye Heauens seeinge hee sendeth vnto vs the promised king we do well perceiue that hee is at one with vs. Whereuppon wee wil glorify and prayse his name which only of his mercy and goodnes hath perfourmed that vnto vs which hee promised C. It may be the men may be at peace amonge themselues and in the meane time at Warre wyth God S. Paule sayth that Chryst hath pacifyed all things both in Heauen Coloss â— and in Earth Christ therefore is the bond of our coniunction Wherefore God must be glorified for that peace For then he reuealed his Glory which shyneth in all his workes but specially in this his mercy and redemption Luke beside these things addeth saying And some of the Pharisies of the Company sayd vnto him Mayster rebuke thy Disciples Hee sayd vnto them I tell you that if these houlde theyr Peace then shall the Stones crye And afterward when the Children cryed to him Hosiahna in the Temple they were displeased which were the chiefe Pryestes because the honour of the Messias was attributed vnto him and they sayde vnto him Doest thou heare what these say Reade the one and twenty Chapter of Mathew Chryst doth plainely declare that those thynges which are here done are don by the Spyrite of God If these sayth hee houlde theyr peace the stones shal cry R. That is to say God hath so appoynted that Chryst at this time shold be made manifest and shall enter into his Kyngdome And who can make the decree of GOD of none effecte That whych is done is Gods worke Luke 19 And who can let that this Worke of God shall not bee promoted If Men houlde they re peace then shall Chyldren cry And if Chyldren keepe silence then shall the stones make anoyse For Chryst must be reuealed maugar the Heads of the hie priests Scribes and Pharises After these thinges hee addeth by and by saying â—uke 19 And when he was come nye hee saw the City and wepte ouer it saying Yf thou hadst knowne c. The which wee will declare when we come to the same chapter of Luke As concerning the Exposition of that which followeth vnto the 18. Verse Read the 21 cap. of Mathew 18. And the Scribes and hyghe Priestes hearde it and soughte howe to destroy him For they feared him because all the People was astonyed at his Doctrine A. The Euangelyste Luke hathe And he taught daily in the temple but the hie Pryestes Scribes Elders of the People sought to destroye him c. B. Let euery Chrystian here note in these high Pryestes and Scrybes the nature of true impiety That which Chryst did was the worke of the Holy Ghost whereat the Scribes and Sacrifising Pryestes might iustly haue merueiled And because they had the lawfull administration of Ecclesiasticall matters they should haue followed it But behoulde impiety it is so farre from acknowledging it to be the worke of God and from repentance that
discredit the promises In word all men will confesse that God is omnipotent Notwithstanding if hee promise any thinge vnto vs which is aboue our capascitie we doubte and distrust Whereof commeth this but because wee attribute no more power vnto him then our sence and reasō can comprehende Therefore Paule commending the faith of Abraham sayth that he gaue glory vnto God Rom 4.20 because he was full certified that what he had promised he was able to performe And in another place speaking of the hope of eternal life he calleth to mind the power of God saying For I know whome I haue beleued and am perswaded that he is able to keepe that which I haue committed to him agaynst that day 2. Ti. 1.12 This seemeth to be a small portiō of fayth because no man though hee be neuer so wycked wil openly derogate from God the Title of omnipotencie Gods power 〈◊〉 cōprehēded by faith but he which hath rightly and throughly the power of God fixed in his heart shal easely ouercome all other impedimentes of Fayth Notwtstanding we muste note that the effectuall power of God is apprehended by true faith For god is mighty and will be so acknowledged that euen in his word hee may declare himselfe to be true And Mary sayde Behold the Handmaiden of the Lord bee it vnto mee according vnto thy woord And the Angell departed from her And Mary sayd C. Wee see that the virgin disputeth no further and cutteth of also all occasion of Disputation which mighte come into her mynde yeelding her selfe wholy to the wyll and Pleasure of the LORD and framyng her mynde to the Obedience of the Aungell And this is the true Probation of Fayth when wee restrayne our Myndes and kepe them as it were in Subiection The tokēs of faith of Infidelity that they presume not to Obiecte this or that agaynst GOD. Euen as on the contrary part the Vnbridled lycence of Disputing is the mother of Infidellity Let therefore the wyll of god bee vnto vs in steede of all reasō And there is no small waighte in these Woordes Behould the handmayd of the LORDE For shee offereth and gyeueth her selfe wholy vnto GOD that he may vse his owne wil and pleasure For the vnbeleuing doe wythdrawe them selues from his Hande and doe hynder his Woorke so much as in them lyeth Faith bringeth forth obedience But Faith maketh vs preste and ready to obay the Will of GOD. Wherefore if so bee the holy Virgin were therfore the Handmayden of GOD because shee obedyently submitted her self vnto his Will there is no greater contumacie and Contempt then by fleeing to deny him that which obediēce deserueth and requireth To be bryefe as Fayth onely maketh vs the obedient seruants of God and submitteth vs to his Power Euē so Infidellity maketh men rebellious and obstinate Starteawayes A. Therefore Mary calleth herselfe the handmayden of the Lord. At thys Day the Papists call her the queene of heauen and the lady of the worlde By which Names they doe vnto her great iniury seeing shee submitteth her selfe wholy vnto the gouernment of God and vsurpeth not vnto herself the gouernmēt of creatures Be vnto me according vnto thy worde C. This part may be expounded two waies either that the virgin came now to make her petition prayer or else that stil with one speach she goeth forward in submitting her self vnto god But this may simpely bee interpreted that she being now perswaded of the power of God willingly following whether she was called doth therewtall subscribe vnto his promise and so doth not only looke for the effecte but also earnestly desireth the same E. Shee speaketh seriouslye and in good earnest not ciuilly or for a fashion The vnbeleuing doe not refuse to obey God but they make such delaies that they turn away themselues quite and cleane from him A. But Godly mindes do by and by geue themselues wholy vnto God and obey him And the Angel departed from her BV. This is not added withoute cause but to this end that by the very departure we might know the matter to he perfected and fully finished for the which he came He had not gon away before hee had ended his Ambassage seeing he was the faithful seruant of God 39. And Mary arose in those Dayes and wente into the hil countrey with hast into a City of Iuda And Mary arose B. Seing this prouerbe is true in all thinges Lyke will to like that GOD doth alwayes bringe like vnto lyke in Gods matters this is by so much the truer by how much the same are the more Syncere and soūd For they are capable of onely sincere sound and iust Friendship Euen so the blessed Virgin the chosen Vessel of GOD whych is blessed amonge Women when shee hearde that Elizabeth was blessed though she were a Virgin and wythout all doubte not accustomed to Trauayle went out of Nazareth into Iuda to exhillerate make Ioyfull her Cosine for the blessing pronoūced vnto her and for those things which had happened vnto her So that hee ioyneth them together not onely in Body but also in mind whome the Spyrite of CHRIST truly possesseth Hereuppon the Apostle Paule had so Earnest a desire oftentymes to see his Brethren Hereuppon also hee so often tymes saluteth them VVhereuppon we haue greate cause to feare at this Day that many are very smally Possessed wyth the Spyrite of CHRIST as yet whych recken them selues amōg the Chyefe mayntainers of the Gospell because they haue so smal consideration of the Friendeship coniunction and Familiarity which they ought to haue with theyr brethren To whom soeuer Christe is rightly knowen the same cannot choose but hee must bee caryed thyther where he belieueth that hee dwelleth that is to say to all those which confesse his name with their mouth and deny him not with their deedes Let vs therfore behould the feruent desire of Mary who ran not as it is likely for the satisfying of her fantasie but rather being carried with a Godly zeale Neither had she regard to that which she might haue considered if she had ben ambitious Why should she not come rather and see me For Elyzabeth was her Elder and neere her time As it becommeth the Faythfull to bee ready to do their duty one towards another so they oughte to preuent one another in doing of the same The which Mary did in going to see her Cosin Therefore this going of the whych Luke maketh mention testifieth that the faith of Mary was not gone because the promise of God vanished not away with the sight of the angell but rested stil in her mind And wēt with hast into the hil countrey C. This hast betokeneth a serious feruente affectiō Hereby we may gather that the virgin estemed preferred thys grace of God as it was mete before all other things Notwithstanding it may bee demaunded to what purpose she tooke this iourney Questiō It is certain
not haue prayed at all except they had had some hope Euen so the Children of God are wonte to bee mooued and to tremble throughly when they are seriously tempted and yet notwithstandinge their fayth and truste in the Lorde doth not quayle as wee may often times perceiue in the Psalmes of Dauid And therefore alwayes in time they feele the presence of the Lord. Maister carest thou not that vve pearishe C. They seeme not here to pray simplely but to chyde with their Maister The Euangelist Luke hath Maister Maister wee pearishe Which words haue a confused feare as it might seme Reade the 25. of the 8. of Math. 39. And hee arose and rebuked the Wynde and sayd vnto the Sea peace and be still and the Wynde ceassed and there followed a great calme And hee arose and rebuked the vvinde B. What doth the Lorde heere Hee would haue his to bee tempted not to pearish And rebuked the vvinde The Euangelist Luke addeth And the tempest of Water What is ment by rebuking the Winde our Euangelist declareth in these words Peace bestill Reade the 26. verse of the 8. Chapter of Math. And the vvinde ceassed Luke hath And they ceassed and there was made a great calme So that wee see consolation is coÌ„monly measured by the measure of affliction Herevpon the Prophet Dauid sayth In the multitude of the sorrowes that I had in my heart â—salm 94. thy comfortes haue refreshed my Soule And the Apostell Paule As the afflictions of Christe abounde in vs â— Cor. 1. euen so by Christ our consolation doth abounde 40. And he sayd vnto them why are yee fearefull how is it that yee haue no fayth Mathewe hath Why are yee afrayde O yee of litle fayth A. How cometh it to passe that yee dispayre of safegarde I being with you B. Luke hath Where is your fayth The Children of God are tempted to this ende that they may that better know themselues and God also that they feelinge their owne infirmity and the great goodnesse of God may forsake themselues and flee vnto him onely in time of neede 41. And they feared exceedingly sayde one to an other Who is this For both Wynde and Sea obey him And they feared exceedingly B Luke hath And they being afrayd merueiled and sayd among themselues who is this that Wynde and water obay him Our Euangelist hath For both wynde and Sea obay him Here let vs note the great effect of true miracles for alwayes by them the power of God and Christe is set forth that the godly may see how safely they may commit them selues vnto him which hath power of all thinges and wyth how great feare and reuerence they ought to worship of God Reade the 27. verse of the 8. of Math. FINIS Chapter the fifth 1. ANd they came ouer to the other side of the Sea into the Countrey of the Gadarenites And they came ouer to the other side of the Sea BV. That which the Apostell Iohn doth shew by the holy Sermons of the Lord the other three Euangelists doe demonstrate and set forth by the wonderfull and most effectuall workes of Christe that Christe is the lorde of all things to whom the Worlde the Diuell sinne diseases calamities lyfe death are subiect and that the rule of those thinges is gieuen of Christe the deliuerer by fayth to all those that imbrace the Gospel The Hystory following teacheth that Christ is the Conquerer of Sathan whose force cruelty is declared by many wayes to this end that the strength power of him that ouercommeth him myght the more appeare Into the Countrey of the Gadarenites B. Mathew in his eight Chapter sayth that he came into the Countrey of the Gergesites For so that Region or Countrey lying on the other side of Genesar Luke 8. and ouer against Galile as Luke maketh mencion was called of the City Gadara of which Iosephus maketh much mencion In that Country as Hierom sayth there was a City called Gergessa to the boundes whereof the Lord peradueÌ„ture arriued by this passage and that therefore it is written of Math. that the Lord cam into the CouÌ„trey of the Gergesites Therefore when he came out of the Ship to lande as Mark Luke make mencion straight way there met him 2. possessed of Diuells Our Euangelist Marke Luke make meÌ„cion only of one because they mighte as well describe and set forth the power of Christe in one as in two For they tooke not in hand to write the hystory of those whom the Lord healed but of the Lorde hymselfe which did heale that his power and not the number of those that were holpen by him might be knowne Reade the 28. verse of the eight of Mathew 2. And when he was come out of the ship immediatly there met him froÌ„ amonge the townes a man possessed of an vncleane spirite B. Luke addeth Out of the City As touching this verse and the 3. 4.5 6. and 7. Reade our exposition of the eight Chapter of Math. 8 For he sayd vnto him Come out of the man thou foule spirite This is the cause why the Diuell sayde he was tormented For there is no greater torment to the Diuell than to haue those taken from him whom hee thought to be his owne Furthermore the Kingdome of Chryst is a torment vnto him than the which nothing is more agaynst him They are not yet so tormented as they shal be tormented after the comming of Chryst but they are tormented now by them selues The neerer the Kingdome of Chryste approcheth the more they burne To be shorte as Peter teacheth that the Soules of the Godly were delyuered by the comminge of Christe euen so the Diuell and all the wicked shall haue the greater payne because hee is shewed vnto them to their dispayre 9. And he asked hym What is thy name And he aunswered and sayde vnto him My name is Legion For wee are many C. Hee asketh what the Diuells name is not that the Diuel hath names but because he would shewe the power of the Diuell My name is Legion Heere the certayne number is put for the vncertayne by the which he declareth that he is of a great number Whereby wee gather that to bee a vayne Opynion by which many men thinke that euery one hath two angels appoynted him the one good the other euell the which error came from the Gentiles who so thought of good and euell Angells But why one Legion possessed one man it is not our part to enquyre except hee therefore call him selfe a Legion because hee hath more power in one than in another as when God hath more care for one then for another he geueth the greater company of Angells not that hee lacketh so great a number but so hee declareth the aboundaunce of his grace R. Seeinge therefore hee nameth himselfe a Legion he declareth that he goeth about this one thing namely that he might doe much hurt and also that he is of the
vppon the owners to beate them and by Force of armes to brynge the same with them but onely to aunswere them wyth hys word and by his word to doe that whych they were commaunded For the word that is to say the preching of the Gospell which is the commaundemente of Chryste is that Instrumente by which the Kingdome of God is set vp and preserued This Sword and these weapons are oures Wee spake not now of the Office of the ciuill Magystrate who hath to vse the sworde according to the Lawes and to defende his Subiectes that they may leade a quiet lyfe wyth all Godlinesse and honestie but we speake of the Offyce of the Apostles and ministers of the Church whose Sworde is the worde of God by which Sworde not onely the Externall face of the Church is preserued but also the conscience is in safetie from the inuasion of Sathan that we may be broughte to Euerlastynge Saluation Concerning the exposition of the rest which followeth vnto the 41 verse Reade the 21. Cha. of Mathewe verses 7.9.12.14 41. And when he was come neere he beheld the Citie and wepte on it 42. Saying If thou haddest knowne those thinges which belonge vnto thy peace euen in this thy Daye but now they are hid from thyne Eyes And when he was come nere R. Now the Euangelist sheweth how Christ was affected toward his people the Iewes when he was come into the view of Hierusalem the Metropolitan Citie of Iury And wepte on it C. Seeing Chryst desiered nothing more then to discharge the office whych the Father had committed vnto him and knew that this was the ende of his calling to gather together the lost shepe of Israel he wished that his comming might be wholesome and profitable to all men and sauing health This was the cause why he being touched wyth mercy and compassiō wept for the imminent Destruction of Hierusalem For when he considered that the same was ordayned of God to bee the holy Seate in the which the Couenaunt of euerlasting Saluatiō should abyde the Sanctuarie from whence Saluation should come to the whole world it could not be but that he must needes greatly Lament the Destruction thereof When also hee sawe that people to perish miserably by they re owne Ingratitude and mallice which was adopted to the hope of Eternall Life it is no marueile if hee could not refrayne from teares And whereas some thinke it verye absurde for Chryst to bewayle that Euill which he might haue holpen they may easely be aunswered For as he descended from heauen that taking vpon him our flesh he might be a witnesse minister of Gods sauing health so in like manner hee tooke vppon him the true and naturall Affections of man so farre forth as was necessary for the function which he had taken in hand And we must wisely waigh and cōsider what person he representeth whē he speaketh or seeketh the Saluation of Mankinde Euen as in this place that he might faythfully fulfil the commaundement of his Father it was necessary for him to desire that the fruite of Redemptiō might come to the whole body of Gods Electe people In that therefore that he was geuen vnto this people to bee a minister of Saluation he bewayleth theyr Destruction according to his office Wee confesse he was God but so often as it was meete for him to execute the Office of a teacher his Godheade rested and hyd it selfe as it were least it might hynder the office of a mediator There these teares of Chryst were not fayned he did not as plaiers commonly doe which counterfeite theyr iesture but it was a true affectiō which brast forth those Teares from him And there is no doubte but that hee would wholly frame and bend himself to that people to whom hee was sente And as hee was man so he was moued with compassion as the Apostle Paule teacheth saying Wee haue not such an high prieste as knoweth not howe to haue cōpassion on our infirmities c. He. 4.15 There is nothing more proper to the Nature of man then affections specyally of humanity Therfore as he was God he was immouable from that which hee had decreed in the beginninge and as he was man appoynted to be the sauiour of the people of the Iewes hee sorrowed for that he saw Hierusalem to refuse so greate Grace offered vnto her and because shee knewe not the fruite of his comming Rō 15.8 Paule sayth the Chryst was a minister of the circumcision And the Lord himselfe sayth Ma. 15 24 I am not sent but to the lost sheepe of the house of Israell C. Hee came not therefore to thys ende that the Iewes mighte feele hys wholesome comming So that when he sawe that hee was come in vayne to the Iewes to whom he was specially sente hee abstayneth not from teares when I say he saw the chosen City in that which God would be called vppon to reiecte the author him selfe of Saluation Moreouer by thys his weepyng he did declare that he did not onely Brotherly Loue those for whose sake he was sente but also that the Spyrite of Fatherlye Loue was powred by God into mans nature If thou haddest knowne This is an abrupte kynde of speach C. For we knowe that they in whō there are vehement affections can not vtter theyr meaninge so fully as they woulde Moreouer it may be that two affections meete heere together for Chryst doth not onely take Compassiō vpon the Destruction of the City but doth also cast the vnthankefull people in the teeth with haynous wickednesse for that they reiecting the Saluation offered vnto them willingly broughte vppon themselues the horrible iudgement of God B. For it is likelie that this Cogitation disquieted the Lords minde Beholde I come vnto thee O Daughter Sion and Hierusalem thy Kinge and thy Sauiour euen as thy Prophetes haue promised thee But poore and humble Therefore thou cōtemnest mee at whose handes alone thou mightest receyue righteousnesse Life O that thou haddest knowne the thinges which belonge vnto thy peace and haddest not bene so blynde in thine owne euill And that in this thy Daye when so many so wonderful thinges doe cal thee to know these things For now whilest thou hast mee preachyng the Kingedome of Heauen vnto thee that day of saluatiō visitatiō is risē vpō thee which thou oughtest to know by my life by my Doctrine by so many myracles lately shewed But O thryse yea foure times vnhappy nowe these thinges are hidden from thyne eyes therefore thou arte outragious mad agaynst mee and seekest my Bloude whom thou oughtest with moste Ardent affection to receiue for thy Sauiour and King as doth this multitude Hereuppon it shal come to passe that thou being besieged of thyne enemies shall at the length be layed euen wyth the ground thy Children being slaine and thy houses and costly buildyng beinge beaten downe insomuch that in thee one stone shall not be lefte vppon