day it shall bee sufficient for vs briefly to shewe that the wordes of the Angell are falsely wrested of them to a yearely reioyseinge of a byrth day seeing the Angell simply commendeth the Ioy which shoulde come to all the Godly by the fruite of his Doctrine For they reioyced that a prophet was borne vnto them by whose mynistery they were brought into hope of saluation B. Therefore when wee see that Iohn was so great and notable a Seruant of God we haue also great cause to reioyce that such a Preacher is sent vnto vs which in some part should premonstrate Christe vnto vs. For howsoeuer hee serued his age and time yet notwithstanding hee speaketh still vnto vs and that notable Sermon Beholde the Lambe of God is directed vnto vs. 15. For hee shal be great in the sight of the Lord and shall neyther drinke Wyne nor stronge Drynke and hee shal be filled with the holy Ghoste euen from his Mothers Wombe For hee shal be great C. The Angell confirmeth that which he had spoken concerning Ioy because Iohn was appointed to a greate and wonderfull calling In the sight of the Lorde Z. Here now the third time he sayth In the sight of the Lord but not all in one sence Here in this place In the sight of the Lord signifieth in the businesse and worke of the Lord. C. For here the vertues in the which he excelled are not so much commended as the greatnesse and excellency of the offyce is extolled Euen as Christe when he affyrmeth him to be the most excellent among Womens Children hee hath not respect so much to the holynesse of Life as to the Mynistery Math. 11.11 And hee shall neither drinke Wine nor strong Drinke C. The purpose of Luke was not to repose the greatnesse of Iohn in the abstinency of Wyne and strong Drinke onely his intent was to shew that he should haue some speciall gifte disagreeinge from the common life of men not that this of it selfe simply is so great a matter for wicked men are founde to abstayne but the Lord ment by this euident signe Abstinencie of Iohn to geue a badge vnto his seruaunt whereby the world might knowe him to bee a perpetuall Nazarite The Priests also abstayned from Wyne and strong Drinke when their turne came to serue in the Temple Leui â—0 9 The same abstinency was prescribed to the Nazarites vntill such time as their vowe was at an ende Num 6.3 The Rechabites also abstayned for euer Ieâ—e 356 because it was so commaunded them of their Father But God shewed by a notable token that Iohn was dedicated a Nazarite vnto him during his lyfe Iudg. 13 euen as wee reade also of Samson B. Moreouer it was meete that Iohn should excell all the Prophetes which were before him in deuine preachinge beside this that hee was specially appoynted a Prophet to the Iewishe Nation Wherefore it was meete that he shoulde wante nothinge of the most excellente holinesse euen in externall things that there myghte bee no occasion taken at him to reiecte the Gospell which hee should preache Howbeit this serued not the Reprobate For when they saw that he farre excelled all that went before him Math. 1â— they sayd notwithstandinge hee had a Deuell C. Moreouer we may not vnder the pretence of this place faine a worship of God in abstaininge from Wyne as doe the apishe Papistes who imitate the Fathers in euery thinge Only let euery one imbrace temperancie Let them which feele harme by drinking of Wine willingly abstayne from the drinking of the same and let them which want wine be content to misse the same And he shal be filled with the holy Ghoste C. By these words nothing els is noted but that there shall appeare such a towardnes in Iohn which shall shew the hope of his greatnes to come And wee speake not of such towardnesse as is in Prophane men but with such as agreeth with the excellencie of the Office Therefore the sence and meaning is this The power and Grace of the spirite shall not onely then shew it selfe when he shall begin his Office but he shall excell in gyfts of the spirite so soone as hee commeth oute of his Mothers wombe which as certayne tokens shal testefie what he shal be For from his Mothers Wombe is as much to say as from his first infancie We coÌ„fesse that the power of the spirite wrought in Iohn when hee was as yet included in his mothers Wombe but the Angell hath here a farder meaning namely that Iohn being yet an Infante should be openly discouered with singuler coÌ„mendation of the grace of God Therefore there were two signes namely the externall signe which was the abstineÌ„ce of Wyne and strong drinke and in the inwarde signe which was excellente gyftes There is no neede that wee shoulde here subtilly dispute or rather tryfell and spende the time in vayne concerning the fulnesse of the spirite because the Scripture by this name meaneth nothinge els but the great abundance of the gyftes of the holy Ghoste â—n 1.16 â—or 12.11 â—e 4.7 We knowe that the spirite was geuen aboue measure to Christe alone that we all might receiue of his fulnesse but to others it is geueÌ„ by measure But they which are indued with such plenty of grace that the common sorte of men haue no such measure are sayd to bee full of the Spirite Moreouer as the plentifull power of the Spirite was the extraordinary gyfte of God in Iohn so wee must note that the spirite is not geuen by and by to all men from their Childhoode but when it seemeth good vnto God Iohn bare a badge froÌ„ his mothers wombe of the grace to come Saule all the while that hee was a Keeper of beastes had no maner of kingly shewe in him but being chosen at the length to be king he was sodainely chosen into a newe man Therefore let vs learne by this Type that there is the free operation of the spirite in men from the first Infancie vnto extreame olde age 16. And many of the Chyldren of Israel shal he turne to their Lord God And many of the children of Israel BV. At that time in the which Iohn liued among men true Religion among the Iewes lay so defiled and corrupted with Pharasaical traditions and with an innumerable sorte of other impieties in somuch that there appered no shewe of that Religion which the Patriarkes imbraced and the Prophets preached Math. 10 1â— Iohn therefore came to reforme true Religion as our Sauiour Christe also testefieth by the seuere exposition of the lawe and by feareful threatnings of grieuous punishments reuoking the Iewes from wicked Hypocrisie to followe true repentaunce Now sayth he is the Axe layed vnto the Roote of the Trees Math. 3.10 euery Tree therefore which bringeth not foorthe good fruite is hewen down and cast into the fier He inuiteth the Pharises and Saduces to repeÌ„tance vpon paine of
to baptise Iohn 3. Maister say they hee which was wyth thee beyond Iordane to whome thou gauest witnes behold the same baptiseth al meÌ„ that come vnto him A. To conclude the euil men may haue power to doe miracles in the name of Chryst it is euideÌ„t by this testimony Many shall say vnto me in that Day Lorde Lord haue not wee prophesied in thy Name and by thy name haue cast out deuils don many wonders 39 But Iesus sayd forbid him not for there is none which if hee do a miracle in my name can lightly speak euil of me Forbid him not C. Chryst wold not haue him forbidden not that hee was his author or allowed his deede or would haue his disciples to think wel of him but because wheÌ„ God is glorified by any occasion the same is to bee borne withall and to bee reioysed at So Paule reioised as ye may read in the first to the Philippians M. Hereby let vs learne not to reiect any preaching or confessioÌ„ of the Glory of Chryst but rather to admonish those that do it not so deceÌ„tly as they ought to doe that the same which is wanting may bee in them and not to discourage theÌ„ froÌ„ the which of it self maketh to the glory of God EueÌ„ so at this day a maÌ„ may find many both princes others also which fauor the Glory of Goe but yet do seeke the aduaÌ„cemeÌ„t of the same more in others theÌ„ in theÌ„selues seeking rather to liue in pleasure For there is none vvhich if hee doe a myracle C This reason which is added is to be noted namely that it caÌ„not be that he shold speake euil of christ which doth miracles in his name For her upoÌ„ it followeth that if the Disciples had not more sought for their own glorye thaÌ„ the glory praise of their mayster they wold not haue beÌ„ grieued when they saw the same to be aduaÌ„ced by a forrein strauÌ„ge meanes 40. For hee that is not against vs is on our part A. that is to say He which resisteth not our gospel he which persecuteth not our doctrine but professeth the same is on oure side although he led not his life in our external coÌ„gregatioÌ„ C. And yet notwtstaÌ„ding Chryst doth not so acknowlege that he counteth those to bee of hys flocke whtch ar on the midle part or indiffereÌ„t betwene his enemies and hys freÌ„ds but he meneth that so farre as they hurt not they do profit helpe 41. whosoeuer shal in my name geue you a cup of cold water to drinke because ye beloÌ„g to christ verely I say vnto you he shal not lose his reward B. The like seÌ„teÌ„ce we read of in the 10. of Mat. but vpoÌ„ another occasioÌ„ After that christ answered that such ought not to be prohibited as work miracles in his name he goeth forward by by to exhort his disciples that they seeke not to excel shewing that they ar in estimatioÌ„ inough with the father insomuch that whosoeuer geueth theÌ„ a cup of water only shal not lose his rewarde As coÌ„cerning the which is coÌ„tained in the 2. verses following read 18. of Mat. 6. verse that 5. of Mat. 29 verse 18. of Mat. 8. verse the 25. of Mat. the 41. verse 44. Where their worm dieth not Esay 66. the fire goeth not out B. This place is takeÌ„ out of the prophecy of Esa where the prophet speaketh of the punishment of the wicked saying And they shal go forth loke vpoÌ„ the dead carkaces of the men that haue traÌ„sgressed against me For their worm shal not die neither shal their fier be queÌ„ched they shal be an abhorring vnto al flesh We may not so vnderstaÌ„d the words of the prophet here nor the words of chryst as though he spake of natural worms which bite the harts of the wicked such as the Poets faine of Prometheê° others neither of a material fire For they are metaphoricall loquutioÌ„s by the which neither Chryst nor the prophet meÌ„t any thing els theÌ„ that the wicked shal be tormeÌ„ted in Eternal punishmeÌ„ts eueÌ„ as if a worm shoulde gnaw the hart of any maÌ„ or the fire burn Esay 32. yet neither the gnawing the burning euer to haue any ende The like Metaphors the same prophet vsed saying For hel is prepared of old it is eueÌ„ prepared for the king he hath made it depe large the burning therof is fire much wood the breath of the Lord like fire and brimstone doth kindle it The Scripture setteth before oure Eyes Fyer and compareth the Punishments of the wicked vnto fire that it might the more terrifie For what doth make men more afrayd theÌ„ fyre to whose capascity the Spyrite of the Lord doth apply it selfe in the Scriptures They therefore which go about by this place to proue that Hell Fyre is materiall it is necessarye that they confesse the woer there to bee material also According to the opinion of Theophilacte For the Exposition of that whych followeth vnto the 49. Verse Reade in the fifth Chapter of Mathewe beginning at the 29. Verse 49. Euery Man shall bee salted with fire and euery Sacrifice shal be seasoned with Salte R. As if he should say As in time past no Sacrifice without Salt was accepted of God so Whosoeuer wyll rightly offer himselfe vnto God it is necessary that he be seasoned as wel with fire as with salte And it is a most apte translation that as fire to boyle or seeth and salte take away and purge with his sharpenesse corrupte and superfluouse humors Euen so must we season our affections the which thinge the mortification of the olde man bryngeth to passe The Lord had sayd before that it was better for a man to pull out his Eye to cut of his right hand then to haue all the body to perish But because it is sharpe and harde so violently to haÌ„dle himselfe Chryst bryngeth in the simillitude of the Sacrifice and exhorteth his to offer them selues nowe to God to be seasoned with fire Salte that they may be holy Sacrifices least they bryng vppon them for theyr sinns that fire which shal neuer be queÌ„ched B. The Salte truly doth byte but yet it purgeth The lyke doth fire also Let vs not therefore take it gryeuously to be offered vnto God in sacrifice after this manner Now let vs see the occasion of this sentence In the Law the Lord expresly commaundeth no Oblation to bee made without Salt For thus it is written And thou shalt season with salt euery Oblation of thy Sacrifice neither shalt thou suffer the Salte of the Couenaunt of thy God to bee lackynge from thy meate offering but vppon all thyne Oblations thou shalt offer Salte Leuit 2. C. But now he teacheth the faythfull to be salted with the Word of the Gospell that they may be sanctified 50. Salte is good but if the Salt be vnsauory with what thing shall yee season it Haue
eternall destruction O Generation of Vipers who hath taught you to flee from the Vengeaunce to come Brynge forth therefore due Fruites meete for repentance And hee shall conuerte many but not all and as the Prophet sayth only the reliques Esay 10.22 The Reliques of Iacob sayth hee shall be conuerted C. But there seemeth here more to bee attributed vnto Iohn then belongeth vnto a man Obiection For seeing the conuersion vnto God doth renewe men into a spirituall Lyfe it is not only the proper worke of God but it doth also surpasse the very creation of men So that by this meanes the Mynisters maye seeme to be equall with God yea and to be preferred before him as hee is the Creator seeing it is a greater matter for men to be borne agayne into a heauenly lyfe then for mortall men to bee borne in the earth Answere The solution hereof is easie to be made because the Lord in geuing so great prayse to the external doctrine doth not deuide the same froÌ„ the secret power of his Spirite For because GOD doth choose men to be Mynisters vnto him selfe that he may vse their labor to the buildinge of his Church hee doth also worke by them by the secret power of his spirite that their labour might bee effectuall and fruitefull So often as the Scripture commendeth this efficacie in the Mynistery of men i. Cor. 3.7 let vs learne to referre the same to the grace of the spirite with out the which men shall spende their breath in vayne So that Apostell Paule when he boasteth him selfe to be a mynister of the Spirite hee doth vsurpe nothing to him selfe as of himselfe although by his voyce he pearced into the heartes of men but hee preacheth the power and grace of the Spirite to be in his Ministery These maner of speaches are worthy to bee noted because Sathan wonderfully seeketh to extenuate the effect of doctrine that he mighte also weaken the grace of the spirite annexed vnto the same We grauÌ„t that the externall preachinge can preuayle nothinge of it selfe beinge seperated from the internall operation of the spirite but because it is the instrument of the deuine power to our saluation and an effectuall instrument by the grace of the Spirite let vs not seperate those which GOD ioyneth together Moreouer to the ende the glory of coÌ„uersion and of faith may abyde to God aloane the Scripture doth often times tell vs 2 Cor. 3.7 that the Mynisters are nothing of them selues but doth compare them with God leaste any man shoulde geue vnto them that honor which he hath taken from God To be short those whom God conuerteth vnto him selfe by the labor of the Mynister the Minister is sayd to conuert because he is nothinge els but the hand of God and both are plainely expressed in this present place Conuerâ—on vnto God by the preaâ—ing of the Worde BV. Neuerthelesse we must note that the ende of the Mynistery of the worde of God is that the People might be conuerted vnto their God And we are conuerted vnto the Lorde when his woorde pearceth into our myndes The which verely doth not pearce as it is vttered by man for we knowe the obstinacie of mans heart but it is the spirite that pearceth C. For how farre vnable the Ministers are to turne men vnto God we gather hereby because Iohn did conuert all men that hearde him the which no doubte hee would haue done if he might haue had his owne defier but he conuerted those onely whom it pleased God to call In fine the Angell teacheth the very same here which the Apostell Paule doth in another place sayinge Ro. 10. â— that fayth coÌ„meth by hearing but yet that none haue the illumination of fayth but they to whom the Lord inwardly reuealeth his Arme. 17. And he shall go before him with the spirite power of Elias to turne the hearts of the Fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdome of the iust men to make ready a perfect People for the Lord. And he shall goe before him C. In these wordes he defineth what the office of Iohn should be by this note hee discerneth him from the rest of the Prophetes to whom a certaine proper ambassage was comitted seeinge that Iohn was sent only to this ende that hee might goe before Christe as a haruinger forerunner of a kinge to prepare the way For so saith the Lord vnto Malachias Behold I send my Angell which shall prepare the way before me Briefly the vocation of Iohn tended to no other ende then to prepare an auditory for Christe and Disciples also Note here that he sayth Before him namely before God For in the verse going before he had made mencion of God to the ende we might know that Chryst was the same God which spake by the Prophet Malachy C. Hereby therefore is proued the euerlasting deuinity of Christe Z. But howe Iohn wente before Christe Mathew declareth in his third Chapter With the spyrite and power of Elias C. By these words Spirite and Power we vnderstande the vertue or excellencie of the Spirite with that which Elias was endued For we must not here imagin the dreame of Pythagoras that the Soule of the Prophet passed into Iohns body but the same spirite of God which had wrought mightely in Elias shewed the lyke power efficacie afterwarde in Iohn the Baptiste But this worde Power was added expositiuely to expresse that kynde of grace with the which Elias specially excelled for that hee beinge armed with heauenly power wonderfully repayred the decayed worship of God abrogated the false worship of Baale For such reformation far excelled humane strength Now the same which was begon by Iohn was no lesse wonderfull wherefore it is no marueyle if so be it was necessary that hee shoulde be endued with the same gyft A. Whereupon also Christe himselfe expounding Malachy saith that Iohn is Elias in office and power not in person because of the likenesse of spirite power that was betwene them who as did Elias excelled in great gyftes and vertues Reade the 7. Chapter of Mathew beginning at the 10. verse To turne the hearts of Fathers to the Children C. Here the Angell noteth in what Ihon was most lyke vnto Elyas Therefore he affyrmeth that he must bee sente togather together the scattered people into the vnity of faith For the conuersion of the Fathers vnto the Children is the bringing backe agayne from enmity to fauour whereuppon it followeth that there was a certayne breach which cut of and deuided the People R. For Elias when in his time true Religion was defiled with the Idolatrouse worship of Baal the sonnes of the Patriarks followed another kinde of Religion then the Patriarkes theÌ„selues had followed so restored true religion that he reformed the religion of the Patriarks among their children reformed the Religion of the Children by the Religion of the Patriarks the
that our owne dulnesse is an impediment vnto vs that we vnderstand not that which the Lord worketh in vs. C. But the Disciples doe not gather that it was Chryste simpely by thys bare signe namely because his woorde was effectual to inflame theyr mynds but because whyle hee spake wyth the mouthe hee inwardely inflamed theyr heartes 2 Co. 3.8 Paule reioyseth that the mynistery of the spyrit is geuen vnto him And the Scripture doth often tymes geue vnto the ministers of the Woord these Tytles as that they conuerte and illuminate mens mindes that they renue men and make them pure and holy oblations but in geuing to them these tytles it doth not shewe what they are able to doe by theyr owne Power but rather what the lord bryngeth to passe by them But it belongeth vnto Christ alone to speke with the external voice and effectually to frame our hearts to the obedience of Faith For it is he only which baptizeth with the holy ghost and wyth fyre 〈◊〉 3 1◠A. Therefore in thys place the ministery of the word of God is commended vnto vs. R. For the holy Scripture is an Instrumēt by which the hearers are inflamed with that heate of the holy Ghost For if thou compare the Externall letters onely of the Holy Scripture with the Letters and wrytings of Heathen Authors thou shalte finde them all one But if thou cōsider the ordynaunce of God by which the holy Scripture is made an instrument of the holy Ghost it shal be called no more a deade letter but a quickening spyrit For although the greatest part of hearer a conceiue not faithe by the Scriptures yet notwithstandinge this is not by the defaulte of the Scripture but by the corruption of the incredulity of the hearers For faithe commeth by hearing Rō 10.17 and hearing by the word of God Howbeit not all do beleue whych heare 33. And they roase vp the same Hower and returned againe to Hierusalem and found the eleuen gathered together and them that were with them C. The cyrcumstance of the time and the distance of the places sheweth what earnest desire these two men had to cary newes vnto the Disciples Seeyng they entered into theyr Inne about the euening it is likely that the Lord was not reuealed vnto them before it was darke night and it was very inconuenient to take a iourney of three houres longe in the vntimely night yet notwtstanding at the very same momēt they arise and run with speede to Hierusalem And we may easely coniecture that omitting all theyr owne businesse they dyd that which was more necessarye when they tould to the other disciples that the Lord was risen For thys was of so great waight that nothing ought to haue ben greatly regarded in cōparison of the same Wherefore wee are taught by this example so often as the Glory of the Lord is in hande to omyt all other things yea though they be neuer so much for our owne profit Hereby also we are taught that it is not sufficient to publish the Glory of the Lord but we must vse diligence also least we put of that til to morrow which ought rather to be don to day And found the eleuen gathered together That is to say the eleuē Apostles from whom although as it is likely Thomas was then absent yet notwtstanding because after that Iudas was hāged this was a general name of the Apostles the greater number of them is rightly expressed by this name A. The Apostles onely were not gathered together but other disciples of Chryst also Whereby their great care and diligence is noted in that they watched the most part of the night and ceassed not to common together vntill the Resurrection of Chryst were more fully known by many testimonies 34. Saying the Lord is risen in dede and hath appeared to Simon Saying the Lord is risen C Thys word saying is referred to the Apostles and not to these two straungers So that by these words Luke geueth vs to vnderstand that they which brought ioyfull Newes to the Apostles to confirme theyr myndes were taughte in like manner concerninge the other Vision And there is no doubte but that God rewarded this theyr diligēce with mutuall confirmation And wee may gather by the order of the tyme that after Peter wa returned from the sepulcher hee was very carefull vntyll Chryst had shewed himselfe vnto him and therefore the same day in which he had seene the Sepulcher he had his desire 1. Co. 15.1 Hereof came this reioysing amōg the eleuen that now there must bee no more doubting because the Lorde appeared to Simon C. But whereas Luke saith here that the Apostles beleued that the Lord was risen saying The Lord is risen c. He semeth to disagree with the wordes of Marke who speaking of these two straunge Disciples saith Mar. 16.13 And they went and told it vnto the residue they beleued not these things also Obiectiō For how can it bee that they should doubte of that of the which they are assertained For in saying that hee was risē in dede they confesse the matter to be without al controuersie Aunsvver First we say that in this generall speach ther is a figure called Synecdoche because some of them were harder of belief thē other some Thomas was more obstinate then al the rest Therfore some beleued some beleued not For the scripture so oftē as it speketh of diuers mē in whom there are diuers affections it speaketh generally on either parte Therefore that which Marke sayeth must be so taken that there were some obstinate among the disciples And that which Luke also saith ought to bee vnderstoode concerning parte as that there were certaine of the Disciples whych truly beleued that Christ was risen 35. And they told what things were done in the way and how they knew him in breaking of bread R. The disciples conferre among thē selues concerning the testimonies of the Resurrection of Chryst and although all of them conceiue not as yet a perfect faith yet notwithstanding they begin to receiue comfort and to shake of the former dispayre and to aspyre to a more perfect ample Faith for Faith hath her beginning and encreasing 36. AND as they thus spake Iesus hymselfe stoode in the middest of them and saith vnto them Peace be vnto you C Luke sayth not heere that Chryste opened the Doores by hys Deuyne power which were shut but yet notwythstandyng his Woordes seeme to import so much For howe coulde the Lorde in the Night stand sodainely in the myddest of them except he had entered wonderfully Peace be vnto you C The like salutation we haue in the twenty chap. of Iohn Ioh 20.19 where you may read further for the Exposition thereof 37. But they were abashed and afrayd and supposed that they had seene a spyrit C. Iohn maketh no mention of thys feare but when he sayth also the Chryst shewed vnto his Disciples his