touched his pretious body both afore his death and after his resurrection and so that which wee so many waies assuredly know to be true declare we vnto you For albeit the word of life being very God of very God is neither visible nor palpable yet in respect of the personall vnion of the two natures in him it may be safely said againe and againe that which we haue seen and heard And we saw the glory of it as the glory of the onely begotten sonne of the Father full of grace and truth Iohn 1.14 And in this sense the word of life yea the Lord of life is said elsewhere to be killed and crucified Thirdly in regard of the profit because Christ is the word of life not onely formaliter in respect of himselfe but in respect of vs effectiue being authour of our naturall life for in him we liue and mooue and haue our being Aâ—t 17.28 Of our spirituall life Thus I liue yet not I now 〈◊〉 Christ liueth in mee saith Paul Galath 2.20 Of our eternall life for he is the way the truth and the life Iohn 14.6 The resurrection and the life Iohn 11.25 yea that eternall life 〈◊〉 it is in our present text So that if weâ— will embrace the Gospell and receiue these glad tidings of peace we shall haue fellowship with the blessed Apostles and in conclusion it will bring vs vnto fulnes of ioy The which is not in this life for here many sorrowes are mixed with a few ioyes Hee was a blessed man who said O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Our reioycing is in part as our knowing is in part and our prophecying in part Here God giueth his children sometimes a good measure of ioy shaken together and pressed downe but hereafter in his kingdome of glory when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and all cares from our heart then onely our ioy shall be full and as Christ speakes elsewhere running ouer Let all Doctors of Diuinitie learne by this Diuine to shun new dubious vnprofitable quirkes of learning and to deliuer vnto Gods people that which was from the beginning a true Gospell and a certaine procuring an happy communion with God and a fulnesse of ioy God is light Almighty God is compared vnto light in many respects As first for that all things are naked and open vnto his eyes as to the light Secondly as wee cannot see things earthly without lighâ— so wee cannot discerne things heauenly vnlesse the father of lights illuminate our minde and giue vs an vnderstanding heart Thirdly for that as the light of the sunne dasseth our eyes if they gaze too much vpon it euen so the Diuine Maiestie dwelling in the light which no man can approach vnto confoundeth all such as curiously pry too much into it according to that of Salomon in the vulgar latine quâ— serutator est maiestatis epprimetur à gloria But God is called here light as expelling â—ll darknesse of sin ignorance being in himselfe pure sincere righteous in al his waies holy in al his works Our Apostle then argueth against hypocrites and tale-gospellers often and openly boasting of their Communion with God à natura Dei from the properties of God after this sort God is light Ergo none can haue fellowship with him except they walke in the light If we say we haue communion with him and walke in darknesse we lie and doe not the truth Our wilfull ignorance and sinnes vnrepented are called in holy Scripture darknesse as hauing their beginning from Satan the Prince of darknesse and their end in hell which is the pit of darknesse and therefore though hypocrites out-mouth as it were true Christians in bragging of their familiaritie with God and his Sonne yet the truth is as long as they walke in darknes it is impossible they should be children of God for in him is no darknesse nor so much as a shadow Iam. 1.17 What communion hath light with darknesse or what concord hath Christ with Belial or what fellowship hath righteousnesse with vnrighteousnesse God is without wickednesse himselfe and hateth all manner of wickednesse in other according to that of the Prophet in the fifth Psalme thou art the God that hath no pleasure in wickednesse neither shall any euill dwell with thee Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatâ—st all them that worke vanitie Thou shalt destroy them that speake leasing the Lord will abhorre both the bloudthirstie and deceitfull man I conclude this point in the words of our Apostle Little children let no man deceiue you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous It is not sufficient to say that hee is righteous for if wee say we haue fellowship with God and walke in darknesse we lie and doe not the truth that is we lie to our selues and doe not the truth vnto other because they be misled through our example mentimur commissione veâ—itatem nor facimus omissione If we walke in the light An argument from the effect to the cause for our studiousnesse to walke in the light and to doe good in our callings is not the cause of our fellowship with God and of the remission of our sinne by the bloud of Iesus Christ his sonne but an effect or consequent It is a signe that we are the sonnes of God if wee bee followers of God as deare children if wee will embrace the Gospell and receiue these glad ridings of peace we shall haue fellowship with the blessed Apostles and in conclusion it will bring vs vnto fulnes of ioy The which is not in this life for here many sorrowes are mixed with a few ioyes Hee was a blessed man who said O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from this body of death Our reioycing is in part as our knowing is in part and our prophecying in part Here God giueth his children sometimes a good measure of ioy shaken together and pressed downe but thereafter in his kingdome of glory when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes and all cares from our heart then onely our ioy shall be full and as Christ speakes elsewhere running ouer Let all Doctors of Diuinitie learne by this Diuine to shun new dubious vnprofitable quirke of learning and to deliuer vnto Gods people that which was from the beginning a true Gospell and a certaine procuring an happy communion with God and a fulnesse of ioy God is light Almighty God is compared vnto light in many respects As first for that all things are naked and open vnto his eyes to the light Secondly as wee cannot see things earthly without light so wee cannot discerne things heauenly vnlesse the father of lights illuminate our minde and giue vs an vnderstanding heart Thirdly for that as the light
seeke Christ in the time of Herod the King 2. From what part of the world from the East 3. To what Citie to Ierusalem 4. By what guide by the leading of a star 5. For what end to worship him 6. What gifts they presented vnto him gold frankincense myrrhe 7. What way they returned home after they were warned of God in a sleepe that they should not goe againe to Herod they returned into their owne country another way In the time of Herod the King The Patriarke Iacob prophecied of the Messiah that the kingdom should not depart from Iuda not a langiner from his feâ—t vntill Sâ—â—lo come Now Herod was not a branch of the Kings of Iuda but an alien from their Common-wealth a stranger and a tyrant crept in by the fauour of the Romane Emperour and therefore the Wisemen enquiring after the birth of Christ in the daies of Herod the King obserued their right quando because now the scepter had departed from Iuda The which as it confutes the Iewes expecting as yet that Christ should come so it confirmes the faith of Christians assuring vs vndoubtedly that this same whom the Wise-men sought is the very Sauiour of the world and as the Wise-men in seeking euen so Christ in comming kept his right quando For when Herod was King and sinne most abounded Iesus was borne in Bethlehem a Citie of Iurie when his Israel sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death then he visited and redeemed his people Luk. 1.68.79 according to that of Dauid Thou shalt arise and haue mercy vpon Sion for it is time that thou haue mercy vpon her yea the time is come and why Thy seruants thinke vpon her stones and it pittieth them to see her in the dust Some thinke these Wise-men came to Ierusalem about two yeeres after Christs birth and the ground of this assertion is in the 16 verse of this present chapter Herode seeing that hee was mocked of the Wise-men was exceeding wroth and sent forth and slew all the male-children that were in Bethlehem and in all the coasts thereof from two yeeres old and vnder according to the time which hee had diligently searched out of the Magi. But the Wise-men had proued themselues none of the wisest men if they should at that time haue sought for Christ in Iurie when hee was in Egypt For so the text plainely Ioseph according to the direction of an Angell appearing to him in a dreame tooke the babe Iesus and his mother by night and departed into Egypt and was there vnto the death of Herod and that was in Nicephorus account 3 yeeres as Iansenius 5 yeeres as Sabellâ—câ—â— 7 yeeres I thinke therefore that the Wise-men came to Ierusalem according to the Churches institution of this feast vpon tht twelfth day after the birth of Christ. If any desire to bee satisfied how they could performe in so short a time so great a iourney let them at their leasure peruse the Commentaries of Maldonat vpon this text and Cardinall Baron annal Tom. ad an 1. fol. 53.54 From the East The first sinne committed by man in the world was eastward for Adam and Eua did eate of the forbidden fruit in Paradise planted Eastward Gen. 2.8 〈…〉 her Abel was an inhabitant of the East Gen 4. â—â— The builders of the Tower of Babel also came from the 〈◊〉 Gen. 11.2 And there 〈◊〉 Christ 〈…〉 that hee might 〈…〉 and take away the sinne of the world called at his 〈◊〉 appearing Wise-men from the East and hee was crucified 〈◊〉 toward the 〈◊〉 as hauing put all our sinnes behind his bâ—cke Eâ—a â—â— 17 And for this 〈◊〉 happily 〈◊〉 with other whereas the 〈…〉 toward the South and sectaâ—â—â— to the West 〈…〉 and thaâ— from the very time of theâ— Apostles vse to pray toward the 〈◊〉 And it 〈…〉 that such as were to bee baptized should in their renunciation of the deuill and all his workes euer turne their face toward the Wâ—â—l and on the contrary when they made their con 〈◊〉 of the faith of Christ 〈◊〉 the East as 〈…〉 and Cyrâ—l apud Baron 〈…〉 58 fol. 564. Our Sauiour said Matth. 8.11 that mary shall 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and shall sit downe with 〈…〉 Isaac and Iacob in the kingdome of heauen These 〈◊〉 came from the East and 〈◊〉 from the West and 〈◊〉 knowledged Christ to bee King of the Iewes Magi ab 〈…〉 hoc est nasâ—ents the autem occidenti hoc est 〈…〉 regi Iudeorum That these Magi came from Persia most accord but whether they were Kings or Philosophers or both it is vncertaine It was a receiued opinion among the Popish Friers heretofore that these Magi were Kings and that Matthew in terming them Wise-men gaue them a title more honourable then that of Kings 〈…〉 A scepter may be put into the hands of a foole The name then of Magus in that age when Philosophers did raigne was of greater account then that of Magnus Other Papists of better note for their learning confesse that they were not reges but reguli not puissant Princes of a whole Country but pettie Lord of some little Towne aâ— Gen. 14. Bera King of Sodome Birsha King of Gomâ—rrah Shâ—â—ab King of Admâ—th But that these were crowned Kings and but three whose names are Melchior Gaspar Balthasar Const. 〈◊〉 pictura sed noâ— ex scriptura is a tale painted on a wall not written in the word That I say these were but three whereof one was an olde man another a yong man and the third of middle age whose dead bodies haue been translated first from India to Constantinople Secondly from Constantinople to Millane Thirdly from Millane to Colon and thereupon commonly called the three Kings of Colon is thought by Protestant Diuines a ridiculous fable better fitting the signe of a Tauerne then the wall or window of a Temple That they were Wise-men is said in this text and proued also for in seeking the Lord when and where hee was to be found they shewed themselues wisemen indeed according to that of the Prophet Let not the wise man glory in his wisedome but let him that gloâ—uth glory in this that hee vnderstandeth and knoweth mee that I am the Lord which exercise louing kindnesse iudgement and righteousnesse in the earth for in these things I deâ—â—â— saith the Lord. It is likewise consonant to the text that these Magi were aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel as the shepheard were the first fruits of the Iewes so these Wise-men the first fruits of the Gentile They were neere these came from farre both met in Christ the chiefe corner stone who made of both one that is of two walles one house for the Iewes and Gentiles are all one in Christ Galat. 3.28 A mysterie which in times past as you haue heard in this daie Epistle was not opened
many as the Lord our God shall call And Act. 3.26 Vnto you hath God raised vp his sonne Iesus and him hee hath sent to blesse you in turning euery one of you from your iniquities And here Ye men and brethren children of the generation of Abraham and whosoeuer among you feareth God to you is the word of this saluation sent And vers 38. Be it knowne vnto you that thorough the man Iesus is preached vnto you the forgiuenesse of sins Now that our Apostle might the better insinuate himselfe into the minds of his hearers and thereby more powerfully perswade the truth of his doctrine hee cals them brethren children of the generation of Abraham and such as feare God The first title was among the Iewes held gratious the second and third glorious esteeming it euer the greatest honour to be the seruants of God and sonnes of Abraham And whereas Christ crucified is vnto the Iewes a stumbling blocke for what Iew will out of his owne iudgement admit him for the Sauiour of Gods people who was condemned by the chiefe Priests and rulers and inhabitors of Gods owne City Hierusalem of which it is said the law shall goe forth of Sion and the word of the Lord from Hierusalem our Apostle remoues the scandall of Christs crosse retorting and answering this obiection in his ensuing discourse First hee retorteth it and maketh it aduantage in his present businesse As if hee should say ye men of Antioch children of the generation of Abraham especially such as feare God among you I say ye should the rather embrace the word of saluation sent vnto you because the men of Hierusalem and their rulers killed the Lord of life condemning him in whom they found no cause of death Hierusalem vnderstood not the things appertaining to her peace but murthered the Prophets and stoned such as were sent to her Take heed therefore ye men of Antioch that ye commit not the like sinne and ingratitude lest that fall on you which is spoken of in the Prophets behold ye despisers and wonder and perish Secondly S. Paul heere giueth answere to this obiection It is true that the men of Hierusalem and their rulers haue crucified the Lord of glory but it was out of their ignorance because they knew him not nor yet the voices of the Prophets which are read euery Sabbath day They killed him indeed but heerein they fulfilled all the Scriptures that were written of him especially that Scripture the same stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner And lastly though it be granted vnto you that the Sauiour Iesus through whom is preached vnto you forgiuenesse of sins had a death full of ignominy for that hee was hanged on a tree yet his rising againe from the dead the third day was exceeding glorious in that hee lead captiuity captiue triumphing ouer death hell and the graue Now that Christ is risen againe from death he proues by the witnesse Of Apostles himselfe we declare c. For Christ after his resurrection was seene of Paul 1. Cor. 15.8 Other who went with him from Galilee to Hierusalem of whom hee was seene many daies as being witnesses chosen of God for the same purpose Act. 10.41 Prophets Esay chap. 55.3 Dauid Psal. 2.7 16.11 The first testimonie cited by Paul is in the second Psalme thou art my sonne c. the which I finde expounded of Dauid and of Christ. If we take this spoken of Dauid he may be called the sonne of God as A King for Princes haue their power from God and so stiled the children of the most high Psalm 82.6 Man for we are the generation of God it is he who made vs and not our selues Psal. 100.2 and is not hee thy father that made thee Deut. 32.6 Regenerate man for euery one that is new borne is borne of God adopted his sonne and made his heire Rom. 8.15.17 Thus it may be said by God vnto Dauid in type this day haue I begotten thee but onely to Christ in truth And therefore Rabbi Solomon and other Doctors among the Iewes vnderstand this of the Messias and assuredly Paul in his Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 1. vers 5 did the rather cite this text to proue that Christ is God for that hee knew their Rabbines vsually constâ—ued it of Israels Sauiour The maine proposition of the second Psal. is thâ— the Messias is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords euen Gods onely begotten sonne very God of very God The which is concluded in this argument Hee that is to bee worshipped and kissed of all Princes on earth is doubtlesse the King of Kings but the Messias ought to be worshipped of all other Kings and Rulers and Iudges of the earth ergo the Messias seated vpon Gods holy hill of Sion is the King of Kings euen the Lord who dwelleth in heauen If the Princes of the world stand vp and take counsell together against the Lord and against his anointed it is but in vaine For if his wrath be kindled yea but a little they shall instantly perish hee shall bruise them with a rod of iron and breake them in peeces like a potters vessell On the contrary blessed are they who kisse the sonne and put their trust in him happie men and wise Kings are they who serue the Lord in feare and reioyce before him in reuerence God onely killeth and maketh aliue bringeth downe to the graue and raiseth vp Ergo the Messias hauing his absolute power of life and death is vndoubtedly Gods onely begotten sonne whom he hath made heire of all things and iudge of all men And therefore Diuines interpret the cited words as properly spoken of Christ and that in respect of his generation temporall eternall Resurrection Some construe this of his temporary birth in saying thou art my sonne God sheweth his diuine generation and in saying this day haue I begotten thee his humaine natiuity For hodie signifieth in holy Scripture the present life Heb. 3.7 Psalm 95.8 to day if ye will heare his voice So that I haue begotten thee this day as if he should haue said I haue brought my first begotten sonne into the world I haue caused thee to become flesh and in the fulnesse of time to be borne of a woman Other vnderstand this of Christs eternall generation As if God should haue said other are my sonnes improperly but thou art my sonne properly filius meus naturalis singularis substantialis A sonne not by creation as the whole world nor through adoption as the whole Church but a sonne by nature my begotten and onely begotten sonne Iohn 3.16 The very brightnesse and expresse character of my person Hebr. 1.3 Whereas Arrians and other obiect against this interpretation the word hodie Saint Augustine answereth appositly that with God vnto whom all things are
are written for our comfort for if these great pillars of the Church had such a shake let vs not despaire though happily sometime many mountaines of distrust arise in our troubled harts Assure thy selfe thou hast a good measure of faith if thou feele want of faith As a woman that seeleth the mouing of the child in her body though very weake assureth her selfe that she hath conceiued and goeth with child so if wee haue these good affections and vnfaigned desires of faith in our soule if hungring and thirsting after righteousnes wee say with the man in the Gospell I beleeue Lord help mine vnbeleefe let vs not in any case doubt but that we haue the holy spirit who is the giuer of these godly motions dwelling in vs and so consequently that wee haue true faith It is said Psalm 10.19 that the Lord heareth the desire of the poore yea that he fulfilleth the desires of all such as feare him Psalm 145.19 It is sufficient then in the middest of any grieuous tentation if thou truly desire to repent and beleeue For God accepting the will for the deed taketh a heart desirous to repent and beleeue for a penitent and a beleeuing heart indeed It is recorded in the 20. chapter of S. Iohns Gospell that Mary Magdalene seeking Christ at his sepulchre found afore the felt him He talked with her and stood high her and comforted her and yet the text saith at the 14 verse she knew not that it was Iesus In like fort the spirit of Christ is sometime present with vs and within vs helping our infirmities albeit we haue little sight or sense therof he is a secret friend and doth vs often most good when we least perceiue it Saint Thomas here said we know not the way nor whither thou goest and yet truth it selfe anowed the contrary whither I goe ye know and the way ye know They knew the way but they did not know that they knew saith Augustine Sciebant 〈◊〉 sed se scire nesciebant See the long of S. Simeon and the grace of our Lord c. in the Liturgie I am the way the truth and the life That is as Ferus Exorduins salutis ergo via medium salutis ergo veritas finis salut is ergo vâ—a The beginning of heauenly happinesse and therefore the way the meane and therefore the truth the end and therfore the life 〈◊〉 incipientium veritas â— oficientium vita perfectoruus Or as Euthymius if I am the way then I am able to bring you to the man ieâ—s in my fathers house if the truth I he not in sâ—ying I goe to prepare a place for your if the life then neither Angels nor principalities nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor death it selfe shall separate you from me but I will receiue you to my selfe that where I am there ye may be also Or as Leo the great The conuersations sancte veritas doctrine diuine vita beatiâ—udinis sempiterne The which is expressed by S. Bernard in these words elegantly Via in example verita promise vita in premio The 〈◊〉 in my workes and the truth in my words and the life in my rewards Via ducens veritas listens vita pascens With such as waÌ„der in a bie way I am the high way to such as are doubting in the way I am the truth vnto such as are wearied vnto heir heauie burthen in their courses I am the life Or as Cyril vpon the place for as much as we shall ascend to the mansions in Gods house by faith hope charity of all which onely Christ is the donor he may be tearmed the way for giuing vs an example that we should loue one another as he hath loued vs that truth in deliuering such infallible rules of faith the life by coÌ„forting vs with an assured hope that we shal one day raign with him in his fathers house for euermore Thus Christ is via in qua per charitatem ambulare veritas cui per sidem adhaerere vita ad quaÌ„ per speÌ„ attolli de bemus or as Aug. Christ is the truth the way qua itur the life quo itur And in another place Permi v nitur ad me prouenitur in me permanetur in me Other taking this phrase for an hebraisme construe it thus I am the true way leading to life which is euerlasting Or I am the way to truth and life making truth and life but Epitheta to way Or I am the way and the true light going before you in the way to life as hee doth expound himselfe in the words immediately following No man commeth to the father but by me called else where the light as well as here the life which occasioned Bernard to say Nos populus â—uas oues pascus tue sequamur te per te ad te I will end this obseruation with a meditation of S. Ambrose Ingrediamur banc viam reneamus veritatem vitam sequamur Via est que perducit veritas est que confirmat vita qua per se redditur Suscipe nos domine quasi via confirma quasi veritas vinifica quasi vita nam in te sumus vinimus mouemur mouemur quasi in via sumiu quasi in veritate viuimus quasi in vita eterna This one sentence doth afford many comforts vnto troubled hearts if Christ bee the way to life there is none other name whereby we must be saued Aliter qui vadit cadit If the truth all other religions opposite to the Christian faith are â—ither ignorant fantasies or else arrogant heresies It the life let vs nor despaire in death â—ur redeemer hueth he which is the resurrection and the life shall at the last day raise our vile bodie making it like his glorious body receiuing vs to himselfe that where he â— in his fathers house there wee may be also The Epistle Acts. 1.1 In the former treatise O Theophilus wee haue spoken of all that Iesus began to â—ive and teach IN this History of S. Luâ—e two points are more principally remarkeable namely the Context or connexion of this treatise with his Gospell vers 1.2 Text or narration it selfe throughout the rest of the whole booke diuided into two portions 1. Generall as setting downe the acts of all the blessed Apostles in the twelue former chapters 2. Particular as containing more specially the acts of S. Paul in the sixteene latter chapters In the former treatise Saint Luke hauing alreadie penned a tract of all that Iesus did and taught He commeth in this present history to shew what his Apostles did and taught declaring at large that their doings and doctrine were conformable to the workes and words of their master These two treatises howsoeuer dedicated vnto one man are notwithstanding parted into two volumes