that the gospel is preached in vaine yet must we beleue that amongest so great a company of misbelieuers God hath some elect that gladly here his worde and kepe the same although as we haue saide the numbre of those be very small The sonday called Quinquagesima Luc. 18. IEsus toke vnto hym the twelue sayd vnto them Mat 18. Mar. 8.9 d 10. Luc. 9. c and. 17 Behold we go vp to Ierusalem and all shal be fulfilled that are written by the prophetes of the sonne of man For he shal be delyuered vnto the gentyls and shal be mocked and despitefully intreated and spitted on and when they haue scourged hym they wyll put hym to death and the thyrd day he shal arise again And they vnderstode none of these thinges And this saying was hyd from them so that they perceaued not the thinges which wer spokē Mat 16 17. b Mar. 9. Luc. 2. g and. 9. f Mat 20 Mar. 11 And it came to passe that as he was come nighe vnto Hierico a certain blind man sate by the way side begging And when he herd the people passe by he asked what it ment And they sayd vnto him that Iesus of Nazareth passed vi And he cried sayīg Iesu the son of Dauid haue merci on me And they which wēt before rebuked him that he shuld hold his peace But he cryed so much the more Mar 10 thou son of Dauid haue merci on me And Iesus stode stil cōmaūded hī to be brought vnto hī And whē he was cum neare he asked him saying What wilt thou that I do vnto the And he said lorde that I may receaue my syght And Iesus saide vnto hym receaue thy sighte thy fayth hath saued the. And immediatly he receaued hys syghte and folowed him and praysed God And all the people when they sawe it gaue prayse vnto God THE EXPOSITION The passion of Christe is oft rehersed IT is not without great cause that Christ so often times did shew and speake to his disci-disciples of his passion and death that was to come and that not onli in the gospel of this day but also in diuerse other places And to let passe the other euangelists I pray you how often times is it spoken of in the gospell of S. Iohn Ouerlooke the same euangelist through out from the beginning to the ende and thou shalt finde that the same faithful teacher Christ with all diligence did instruct strength his Apostels against the slaunder of the crosse Wherefore we shulde considre the same and marke wherfore Christe did it and why he made so many wordes thereof to his disciples First yt is manifest very plain that our nature flesh when it is not inlyghtened by the holy ghost cannot abide stedfast in time of persecution The fleshe hath persecution for the fleshe loueth herselfe and bitterly hateth persecution and deliteth more in long and mery dayes thē to abide trouble and vexacion with a quiet mynd As Nicodemus when he came in the night to Christ for feare of the Iewes Mat. 20 hard by and by of him these wordes That that is borne of the fleshe is fleshe And although the children of Zebedeus said Mat. 10 they coulde drinke of the cuppe that Christ shuld drink of And Peter also might well say Luc. 22. that he was readye euen to dye with Christ yet without the holye ghost it is impossible and is a highe presumption so to say And seinge that oure Lorde Iesu Christe knew very well the same frailenes of the fleshe not only in his disciples but in vs all he vseth the office of a good and faithfull maister and instructeth vs with the wholsome doctrine of the word of God againste persecution to come that when it shulde come vppon vs wee shulde be ready and not dispaire As thoughe he shulde saye I knowe verye well that yt is harde for a manne to stande styflye in persecution and to suffer all aduersities wyth a pacient minde but the prophecy muste needes bee fulfilled of me Doth not Zacharias say of me Zac. 13. I wyll stryke the shepeherde and all the flocke shal be sparsed abroad Wherfore now I shew you before bycause it muste needes bee that when so euer it shal be done you maye remember this and not bee offended therewith but rather beleue that it is my fathers wyll in heauen which will delyuer you through my death from sinne death the diuel and hell And although I shal dye the vylest death yet wyll I rise the third day and comforte you Thou seyste here how Christe comforteth his Apostelles whereby they may learne to haue respecte only to the good wyll of god in all tribulacions In necessities we muste haue respecte to the good wyl of God And this was not only done for the apostels sake but for vs also to learne and folowe the same In persecution and tribulacion we may not think that the wicked be as fierse in crueltye towarde vs as the Iewes were in persecuting Christ euen to very death but we muste looke to the good and mercyfull wyll of God the father whose will is that we for his sake shuld be dispised suffre persecution in this world The vse profite of the passion of Christe Secondaryly Christes intent is to shew in this gospel the vse profit of his passion in that that he saieth Al thinges shal be fulfilled that be writtē by the prophets of the son of man Yf then it be necessary that al these thinges must be done trewlye ther is no small profite hid vnder this passion And this profit doth S. Paul very cūningly shew vnto vs Cap. 5. in his epistle to the Romaines saiyng Lyke as by the synne of one condemnacion came on al men so also by the righteousnes of one came iustificacion of lyfe vppon all men And in this place Sainte Paule conferreth Adame and Christ together Adam Christe and sheweth what we haue obteyned at both their handes of Adam we receiue deathe and of Christe lyfe Adam by synne brought in death and Christ with his death hath chaunged death into lyfe By the fall of Adam and his disobedience we are made the children of the deuel and by Christ we ar made the children of God For Christe onlye for vs hath broken the hedde of the serpent Gen. 3. that is the diuell Well then is not this a wonderfull profite of the passion of Christ that through the same we be receyued into fauoure And is it not to be taken as a greate benefite that hereafter by the passion and death of Christe we shall no more be the children of the diuel but the children of god And hereto pertayneth all that is saide of the passion of Christe in the 53. chapter of Esaias and the 13. chapiter of Oseas It is very necessary that the ministers of the worde of God Harken well do diligently
beholde there came a certaine ruler worshipped him saiyng My doughter is euen nowe disceased but come and lay thy hand vpō her and she shall liue And Iesus arose folowed him and so did his disciples Mar 5. Luc. 8. Leu◠15 and behold a womā which was diseased with an issue of bloud xii yeres came behynd him and touched the hemme of his vesture For she sayd within her selfe If I may touche but euen his vesture only I shal be safe But Iesus turned him about when he sawe her he sayd Daughter be of good comforte thy fayth hath made the safe and the woman was made whole euen that same tyme. THE EXPOSITION WE haue two examples of fayth in this Gospel One in the Ruler that came to Christ to get helpe for his doughter whiche Ruler sainct Marke calleth Iayrus And another in the woman that was diseased with a bluddy fluxe and healed by Christe In this woman was a perfecte sayth but the rulers fayth as yet was not perfect but weake Fyrst it was a point of fayth in this ruler because he beleued that Christ could rayse his daughter to life though she were dead wherewith he confesseth Christ to be God and a Lorde ouer life and death Then if Christe bee a Lorde ouer death he must nedes bee a Lorde ouer synne forasmuche as Adam through his synne brought death into the worlde and suche a Lorde dothe of death and of synne is he that both death and synne by his death he hath ouercome abrogated and taken away But howe and to what purpose That they should haue no power to cōdempne vs that beleue in Christ For vndoubtedly we can not liue without synne whyle wee bee in this mortal life as it is written Pro. 24 A iust man falleth vii tymes in a day ryseth vp againe But the synne so that we beleue shal haue no power ouer vs nor condempne vs. Lykewise Rom. 6. although this naturall death is not cleane taken awaye yet is it so ouerthrowne that it is no more dampnable vnto vs but is the beginnyng of the true principal life Iho. 11 as Christ saith He that beleueth in me shal not dye euerlastyngly This must wee surely holde fast if we will be christian menne That is we must beleue that by the death and bloud of Christ wee are deliuered from synne death deuil and hell so that we perseuer in a true fayth we shall haue euerlastyng life through Christ And this beleueth Iayrus partly But in asmuche that he beleueth not that Christe by the might power of his worde could make whole his doughter except he had been personally present we must nedes confesse that his fayth was imperfect But what shall we say of the fayth of this woman She surely had so great confidence in Christ that she cōcluded by her selfe that she should bee whole if she might touche only the hemme of his vesture Not that the vesture dyd make her whole for as S. Marke sayth he felte great vertue go from him and speaketh nothyng of the vesture but only the great fayth that she had in Christ Wherfore Christ highly prayseth and cōmendeth the fayth of this woman saiyng Doughter be of good comforte thy fayth hath made the safe Lo there thou hast an example both of perfect and vnperfect fayth Secondarily we see in this gospel howe frendly and familiarly Christe suffered the weakenes and imbecilitie of this Ruler and with the miracle done vnto the woman augmentyng and bryngyng him to more parfect fayth For he sheweth himselfe willyng at the desire of Iayrus foloweth him straight wayes home declaryng with his dede that whiche he had taught before saiyng Mat. 11 Come to me al ye that labour and are laden I wyll ease you But what happened in the way Beholde a woman that had been diseased xii yere with an issue of bloudde holdyng her peace by fayth gat and obtayned health She had determined also by her selfe that in holdyng her peace and in silence would haue gone home againe Mat. 5. But as a citie buylded vpon an high hyll can not be hyd so likewyse it was neither mete nor yet conuenient that suche great high and excellent fayth should be hyd And dothe not Christe say in the Gospell Mat. 10 There is nothyng hyd that shal not bee openly shewed and nothyng secrete that shall not be knowen So likewyse he wyl that the fayth of this woman should be manyfest brought to light And enquireth and sayth Who hath touched me The Apostles ignoraunt of this miracle answered him and sayd The people thruste thee But the woman feared and trembled for she knewe what was done in her came and fell doune before him and tolde him the whole truth Wherin Christ commendeth her fayth before al the people not only that this should bee an example for the people to folowe but also to strength Iayrus fayth that he should not doubte but that suche benignitee and mercy as was shewed vnto this womā should likewyse bee shewed vnto his daughter Could Christe behaue him selfe more gentely or bee indued with greatter loue mekenes pitie and mercy He declareth with the very deede that he can helpe and succour vs in all trouble necessitee yea in the point of death and is ready and willyng therto But we of our nature are so indurate deaffe and blind that we wil neither with holsome doctrin and teachyng nor yet with miracle be moued vnto fayth Truely it is to be feared lest we take and receiue like ende with the styffe necked and blynde Iewes For wee can not excuse oure selues but the same that was spoken vnto the Iewes might likewyse be spoken vnto vs Ioh. 15. where Christe sayd If I my selfe had not come and spoken vnto theim then should they haue had no sinne Is not Christ come through his gospel and hath shewed the same Do we not heare his worde dayly but when do we heare the same for any amēdement of our life I pray the take it once to heart and remembre the goodnes frendlynes myldenes of Christe howe louyngly through his worde and miracles he intyseth allureth vs vnto fayth Howe familiarly he taketh and suffereth our imbecilitee and weakenes and howe feruently he desireth vs to be iust and blessed Let these thynges so moue vs that by the meditacion hereof we may not only encrease in fayth but perseuer in the same and therby get euerlastyng saluacion Thyrdly wee see in this miracle howe the woorkes of Christe are counted and adiudged in the world for foolishenes yea and are skorned and dispised For Christ saiyng The mayd is not dead but sleapeth what did they but laught him to skorne Doest thou not thinke it a miserable thynge that the creature shuld scorne his maker creatour of all thinges That vngracious and blynde fleshe stondeth well in his owne conceite and thinkinge him selfe to haue done a highe feate when it
adultery in an other man it is necessarye that I be fautles thereof my selfe And when I shal speake against surfeting and dronkennes then muste not I my selfe be a glotton And yf I shal rebuke theft then must I beware least I my selfe at any tyme be accused of thefte Or else S. Paule geueth me a check in his Epistle to the Rom. saying Rom. 2. Loke wherin thou iudgest an other man thou condemnest thy selfe in so much that thou that iudgest doest euen the same And more ouer the holy ghost shall sende suche an other lyke songe into mine eares saiyng Wherfore doest thou shew abrode my rightousnes and hast my testament in thy mouth Psal 49 thou hatest my doctrine and doest cast my saiyngs behind the When thou sawest a thefe thou rannest wyth hym and with adulterers thou haddest thy portion And very trewth it is that before god we be all sinners vncleane and must therefore continually aske forgiuenes for our dayly fautes yet must the outward conuersacion of a christian man be vnreprouable chiefly of hym that preacheth the word of god least the enemies of the word 1 Tim. 3 through our vnhonest conuersacion may take occasion not only to slaunder but also to persecute the gospell Secondarely Wee shuld not be ignorante of Christes gospell Christe dothe commende his doctrine as it which is the very trewthe and therein hee signifieth againe that the Iewes withoute annye cause or mattier dothe reiecte hys doctrine seinge he teacheth nothynge else but the playne trewth receaued of hys heauenlye father And where as before he withstode the Iewes with his most pure and vncleane lyfe nowe doth he obiecte vnto them his doctrine whiche trewlye came from his father in heauen and not as the Iewes dyd lye and faine from the diuell But and yf the preacheâ— can not do this what shall he do He must needes be assured of the doctrine that it is of God howe so euer his lyfe be For through false doctrine many be brought to the diuell My vncleane lyfe condemneth no man but my selfe Wherfore if I shuld needes chuse one of the two and might none other wise bee I had leuer haue an vnchrifte to my teacher and preacher that woulde instructe me in the right and trew doctrine then a good and deuoute man that wolde leade me frome the worde of god to mennes tradicions and hypocrisye of workes And therein Christe agreeth with me when he sayeth that we shuld heare them that syt in Moyses chayre that is Mat. 23 those that teache the worde of god as Moyses dyd but we shulde not do accordinge to theyr workes Here he dothe reiecte the euell workes of the preacher and not his doctryne whiche is of god Wherefore thinke you dyd Paule reioyse so much Gal. 1. that he had receyued his gospell and preaching by the reuelacion of Iesu Christ Dougheteles he wolde the Iewes to vnderstande that the doctrine he taughte was not his but gods Now seing we be assertained that the doctrine is not ours but goddes we muste with all diligence study and endeuour to defende and knowledg the same against all aduersaries and slaunderers thereof euen to blodde shod and death as in this place Christ defendid al that was laid against his doctrine and that he was not possessed of a dyuell nor dyd speake any thinge through the dyuell And as much as touched his personage he let passe and medled not there with Therefore we muste be assured of oure doctrine that we receyue teache or preache nothinge els but that is very trewthe As Christ also saith of his fathers doctrine Ioh. 12. Thy word is trewth Thirdely Whye the Iewes wold not hear the worde of God Christ sheweth a reason in this gospel why the Iewes can not heare the worde of god and beleue him saying He that is of God heareth the worde of God and bycause ye be not of God therefore ye hear not his word Se here what great difference in as much as concerneth iustificacion is betwene the iudgement of the flesh and the iudgement of Christ The Iewes iudged this that seing they came of the seede of Abraham and the patryarkes and that they had circumcision therfore they muste needes be goddes people and children But how doth Christ iudge he saithe They be not of Abraham nor of the Patriarkes but the children of the diuell And that he proueth on this wise Bicause thei do not hear the word of god beleue it as Abraham dyd but doth rather despise set at naught and persecute the same Wher is now the boasting pryde and arrogancy of the Iewes what preuailet now their circumcision Or what helpeth it theÌ„ to be vnder the lawe and borne of the fathers Verely all is not worth a strawe neither is there lefte any hope at al We muste hear goddes word yf the word of god be not heard and stedfastly beleued No nor Abraham himselfe shuld haue byn numbered amongest the children of god excepte he had receiued the word of god and beleued the same as it is witnessed in scripture Abraham beleued in God and that was accompted to hym for righteousnes Ioh. 17 Moreouer scripture saith There is none other way to saluacion but to beleue in hym whome God hath sente into this worlde If nowe thou wylte knowe the children of God Howe the children of God are knoweÌ„ froÌ„ the children of the dyuell frome the children of the diuell marke this The dyuels children can by no meanes abyde or heare Goddes worde howe good iuste and holly so euer they apeare or seeme to vs. They will not haue theyr workes reiected and condemned although thei deserue none other but condemnacioÌ„ The chyldren of God do willyngly heare goddes word and receiue it in theyr hartes and beleue it considering that all theyr felicity and saluacion is set therin The power of Goddes worde Fourthly this gospell declareth vnto vs the power of the worde of god in that that Christ sayeth If a man keepe my worde he shall neuer se deathe that hath he confirmed with an oth And thinkest thou that that pleased the Iewes No no bycause they ascribed his doctrine to the diuell before they coulde in no wise be pleased with such a noble commendacion of his doctrine but were thereby the more steryd to enuye and hatred And lette them be angrye as long as they wyll Christe neuerthelesse goeth forth and ceaseth not to say the treuth howe wrothe so euer they be Therefore we seâ—tynge all mennes wrothe apart shall considre of this texte what our heauenly father by the words of hys welbeloued sone Iesu Christ wyll worke in them that hear beleue the same he saith They shall neuer se death O the excelent noble power of gods word From Adame by ryght inheritaunce Deathe through Adam Rom. 5. we tooke our damnacion and death so that no man in the world by any his works
the grace and mercy of the gospell that the church gathered of the gentyles and of the Iewes shal be made one flocke and haue one shepeharde But here marke and take hede in what manner this callyng shal be Christe alone must bringe it to passe and performe yt as he saithe I haue yet other shepe that be not of this folde and those same must I bring also c. Christe muste bringe the gentils whereout it foloweth necessarily that the gentiles of them selues without they be brought by Christe can not come And yf they can not come of them selues it is manifest and playne that we throughe grace and mercye be iustified and saued as saith S. Paule By grace are you saued throughe faythe Ephe. 2. and that not of your selues for it is the gifte of god not of workes least any man shulde boaste him selfe Now yf we are called to righteousnes and euerlasting lyfe by grace why do we then boast vs of oure workes Whervnto is now free wil become why do not you leaue Christe his honoure Wylte thou become a thefe and priuily steale awaye christes honour Is it not sufficient that the pharisies those glorifiers in workes are called theues If ye are wyse take counsayle with the scripture and beleue the same if ye will be saued which saith No man knoweth the father Ioh. 14 but the sonne and to whome the sonne wil reuele it .. Marke diligently that he saith To whō the sonne wyl reuele it And in this gospell he saith also I I I my selfe muste bringe them When Christe doth bringe vs through his word and spirite then do we heare his voyce then do we willingly obey him and mortefie the old Adame in vs. To make shorte we lyue according to goddes will and pleasure Some there be that suppose that by this sentence Ther shalhe one flocke and one shepard is promised through out all the worlde Vnity concord in the doctrine of Christs faythe is not to be loked for vnitie and concorde in the doctrine and faithe of Christe but they be deceyued For this saiyng is fulfilled when both the Iews and gentyles are called by the word of god into the communion of one churche And in th ende of the worlde finally it shal be fulfilled when the faithfull as well of the Iewes as of the gentiles shal be disseuered diuided from the kiddes that is frome the vnfaithfull and taken into the kingdome of Christe Whiche God the father graunt vs through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen The thirde sonday after Easter Ioh. 16 AFter a whyle ye shal not se me Ioh. 7. agayne after a whyle ye shal se me for I go to the father Thē sayde some of hys dysciples betwene them selues What is this that he sayeth vnto vs after a whyle ye shall not se me and agayne after a while ye shal se me and that I go to the father◠They sayde therfore what is this that he saith after a whyle we can not tell what he saith Iesus peceaued that they wolde aske hym and sayde vnto them Ye enquyre of this betwene your selues bicause I sayde After a whyle ye shal not se me and agayne After a whyle ye shall se me Verely verely I say vnto you ye shall weepe and lament but contrary wyse the worlde shall reioyce Ye shall sorowe but Ioh. 2◠your sorowe shal be turned to ioye A woman when she trauayleth hath sorowe bycause he thow◠is come but as sone as she is delyuered of the chyld she remembreth no more the anguyshe for ioye that a man is borne into the world And ye now therefore haue sorowe but I wyll se you agayne and your hartes shall reioyse and your ioye shall no man take frome you THE EXPOSITION Chryste sheweth his passion resurrectiō to his disciples IN this gospell diligently we shall note foure thinges First how Christ shewed before vnto his disciples his passion and resurrection Furthermore in what wise through his resurrection he shuld raign in his kingdome and go to the father This sermon and teaching muste needes be verye necessary whē Christ so oftentimes and with so many wordes repeteth it and sheweth yt his disciples Yea truly it is very needful considering the infirmitie of our flesh and the hard vnderstandynge of these articles Wherefore Christe after the manner of a faithfull maister and instructours ceasseth not contynuallye to inculcate and driue into the apostles hartes suche artycles that in all poyntes he mighte trulye and iustelye execute hys office And this is the exposition and meanynge thereof After a little while I shal be delyuered vnto the Iewes and they shal condemne me scourg me and at the last crucify me And lykewise as Ionas was three dayes and three nyghtes in the belly of the whale Mat. 21 so shall I be three dayes and so manny nyghtes also in the hart of the earth And that is the same that I say vnto you After a little while yee shall not see me and yet after a litle that is the thirde daye whan I am risen frome deathe yee shall see me But that shal be no great whyle for I muste go to the father and receaue my kingdome whiche is spirituall With the whiche hee instructethe and teacheth his dysciples what maner of kyngedome hee shall haue and in what wyse he shall entre into it The kīgdom of Christ Eph. 14 The kyngedome of Chryste lyeth herein That Christe hath ouercomme sinne deathe hell and the dyuell and hathe all the auctorytye and power of the father in heauen and in earthe that hereafter he beinge ordeined the moste mighty kinge vppon the hollye hyll of Sion Psal 2. shuld strength and rule his faithfull and electe through the holy ghoste And into this kīgdom he hath entred through his passion death and sheding of his blode as the prophete Dauyd sheweth before Psa 109 He shall drynke of the brooke in the waye therefore shall he lyfte vp his heade The Apostles knewe yet but little of the spirituall kingedome and thought it shulde haue been temporall vntill suche time that they receiued the holy ghost which opened their eyes and instructed them what manner of kingedome it shulde be how we shulde come vnto it and abide in it And if we desyre to enter into this kingedome and wyl ouercome synne death the diuell and hell it is moste conuenient necessarye that we know Christe oure Lorde and sauioure oure kinge and bysshoppe and that by his bloode wee are reconcyled to the euerlastinge father And we must do also as Paule monissheth vs in the epistle to Timothe sayinge 2 Tim. 2 If wee be dead with him we shall lyue with him also If we be patient we shall also raigne with him If we deny him he shall denye vs. Secondarily here is layde before vs in the apostles an exaumple of our ignoraunce An exaūple of our ignoraunce For as the