THE CLEANSING OF THE TEN LEPERS OR Briefe notes on Luke 17. vers 14 15 16 17 18. By MATHEVV CAYLIE Minister of Gods Word at Maidford in Northamptonsh LONDON Printed by I L. for William Sheffard and are to be sold at his shop at the entring in of Popes head Allie out of Lumbard-streete 1623. To the VVorshipfull Master Richard Trist of Maidford in Northamptonsh WOrthy Sir Not to prefixe a tedious Epistle before so small a Treatise hauing a resolution for the publication hereof for reasons knowne to my selfe and perhaps not vnknowne to some that know mee I make bold I hope not too bold to present the same vnto you to testifie my respect of you Your Acceptance Perusall Patronage are the onely things I desire though I cannot say as the Iewes concerning the Centurion in the Gospel that either it or my selfe is worthy for whom you should doe this The God of heauen the giuer of all good blessings blesse you yours prosper and preserue you blamelesse vnto the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ A Petitioner for you vnto the throne of grace MATH CAYLIE THE CLEANSING OF THE TEN LEPERS OR Briefe notes on Luk. 17. vers 14 15 16 17 18. And when he saw them hee said vnto them Goe shew your selues vnto the Priests And it came to passe that as they went they were cleansed And one of them when he saw that he was healed turned backe c. IN the three former verses where this Historie of Christs cleansing the ten Lepers beginneth the Euangelist setteth downe First the time and that was when he went to Hierusalem which going is to be referred to his last iourney thither Hee went thither though he knew as hee foretelleth his Disciples in the next chapter that he should bee mocked spitefully entreated spitted on scourged and put to death that by his going thither so freely hee might shew that he suffered there willingly Secondly the place hard by a certaine village the Lepers being prohibited to enter into any village Thirdly the persons themselues that were cleansed and they are described first by their number ten secondly by their disease which was a leprosie thirdly by the place where they stood and that was a farre off fourthly the occasion 1. their meeting our Sauiour 2. their petition they lifted vp their voices and said Iesus Master Haue mercy on vs. Now concerning these verses In the 14. verse there may be obserued foure particulars 1. Our Sauiours compassion when he saw them 2. his commandement He said vnto them Goe shew your selues vnto the Priests 3. the Lepers obedience they went 4. their cleansing It came to passe that as they went they were cleansed And in the verses following there is set downe what followed vpon their cleansing 1. that one of them who was a Samaritane returned and glorified God and gaue thankes 2. The ingratitude of the other nine which how our Sauiour detested hee shewed 1. by his interrogation Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine 2. by his collaudation of the other being a stranger There are not found that returned to giue glory to God saue this stranger Whom therefore he dismisseth with this encomium Arise goe thy way thy faith hath made thee whole ver 19. Now to such obseruations as the words will afford And when he saw them Obser Wee may here behold our Sauiours easinesse to be entreated his readinesse to looke vpon and helpe distressed petitioners These poore men cryed he heard them He neither like scornefull persons amongst vs who will not vouchsafe to looke vpon a poore bodie withdrew his eyes from their persons for he saw them neither like our deafe worldlings who will not heare the cries of the needy turned he his eares from their prayers for hee heard them Neither like our churlish Nabals who refuse to releeue the distressed denied he their requests for he cleansed them Thus the eyes of the Lord are vpon the righteous his eares are open vnto their cry and he deliuereth them out of their distresse The Lord who dwelleth on high and hath respect vnto the lowly heard Ionah though he was in the sea in a lowe place euen in the fishes belly when he cryed Hee heard the pensiue Publicane though knowing his owne filthinesse by reason of sin the spirituall leprosie as these lepers by reason of their corporall leprosie he stoode afarre off when hee prayed Surely The Lord is nigh vnto all them that call vpon him to all that call vpon him in truth Hee will fulfill the desire of them that feare him hee will heare their cry and saue them Psal 145. 18 19. When the Lord called Samuel Samuel Samuel answered Speake Lord for thy seruant heareth When a godly man in his minde calleth Lord Lord the Lord will graciously answer Speake seruant for thy Lord heareth Salomon said to Bathsheba desiring as shee said one small petition of him I will not say thee nay but yet he denyed her request but the Lord who hath said Aske and it shall be giuen you he will not refuse to giue to them that doe aske Indeede the woman of Canaan cryed but our Sauiour at first answered her not a word shee eryed againe and said Lord helpe me yet he helped her not but hereby he sheweth not that he is vnwilling to heare and helpe but how willing hee is to haue vs holde out in praying Hee denyeth vs present audience to make vs cry with the more instance and they that with that woman cry instantly and doe holde out perseuerantly shall at length as shee did finde that the Lord though he be not alwayes presently entreated yet is easie to be entreated and ready to heare and grant such requests as are made according to his will as S. Iohn saith Vse 1 Here then may they iustly be checked who as if the Lord was inexorable will rather runne to any other then vnto him in the day of trouble This is the reason why so many liue in want because they will not betake themselues to the meanes for supply they haue not because they aske not In this it is true Spare to speake and spare to speede First aske and then not before it shall be giuen vnto you Mat. 7. 7. 2. Heere is comfort for poore Christians worldlings are vnmercifull the times are hard and the prices of victuals high but yet the Lord is bountifull and open-handed As his plenty is not abated so his goodnesse is not diminished and he is now as heretofore easie to be entreated In the siege of Samaria when the famine was so great as mothers made their children their meate one of them cryed vnto the king of Israel saying Helpe my Lord O King And he said If the Lord doe not helpe thee whence shall I helpe thee But whosoeuer cryeth vnto the king of heauen and saith Helpe my Lord O King he will say If no man succoureth thee yet
that in these last dayes men should be vnthankfull 2. Tim. 3. 2. We see the truth therof People haue tongues to aske hands to receiue but remember not to glorifie God when they haue receiued what they aske In time of famine sicknes or any aduersity they vsually pray vnto the Lord for helpe but when he deliuereth them out of their distresse doe they then as the Psalmist exhorteth Psalm 107. 6. 8. praise him for his goodnesse or may it not rather bee saide of them as it was of Hezekiah that they render not againe according to the benefite done vnto them I know there are certain words of course as God bee praised I thanke God c. in most mens mouthes Many there are that giue thanks and glorifie God formally coldly and superficially but few that doe it feruently zealously as this Samaritane did who with a loud voice which was argumentū zeli a token of his zeale glorified God Few cal vpon their souls to performe this duty as Dauid did Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee blesse his holy name Psa 103. 1. But let vs be exhorted alwayes in all things to giue thankes vnto God As we pray for them so let vs praise his Name for them let vs glorifie him for what hee graciously giueth vs It is a good thing to giue thanks vnto the Lord and to sing praises vnto thy Name O most High Psal 92. 1. Thankesgiuing saith one was an exercise in Paradise and it shall be an exercise in heauen It shall continue when others shall cease In the next life wee shall not neede the Word nor Prayer nor Sacraments but the praising of God shall not cease beeing a peculiar exercise of the Angels and Saints in heauen Now if wee would euer praise him in heauen we must first praise him on earth we must glorifie him here if we desire to bee glorified and to glorifie him hereafter I say then as the Apostle to the Hebrewes Let vs offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giuing thankes to his Name and alwayes remember that in thanksgiuing as wee glorifie God so wee benefite our selues The Lord will willingly giue vs what wee doe aske him when hee seeth vs thankefull for that hee hath giuen vs thankes for former blessings is the way to gaine and procure future blessings When he saw c. hee Text. turned c. Againe wee may obserue from Obser hence That as thankesgiuing is required so it is speedily to bee rendered as it is not to bee omitted so it is not to be deferred When Sisera was ouerthrowne Deborah and Barak euen on that day sang saying Praise ye the Lord for the auenging of Israel Iudg. 5. 1. 2. And as soone as this Samaritane sawe that he was cleansed he turned backe viz. from the Priests glorified God and gaue thankes Vse 1 Remember then to doe this presently after the receipt of any blessing As we must be swift to heare the word of God so must we bee swift to returne thankes to God Indeede we must as S. Iames saith bee slow to speake to wit against the truth that is deliuered but not Gods praises for blessings receiued we must bee as quicke in thanksgiuing as God is in giuing as ready to glorifie him as hee to gratifie vs to giue him thanks as hee to giue vs blessings Vse 2 Secondly as thanksgiuing is not to bee put off so neither is any other Christian and religious duty This Samaritane deferred not his glorifying of God so we must not deferre our seruing of God Dauid made hast and delayed not to keepe Gods commandements No sooner did Ionah cry in the streetes of Nineueh Yet forty dayes and Nineueh shall be ouerthrowne but they cryed mightily vnto God repented and turned from their euill way Our Sauiour hauing called Simon and Andrew they straightway followed him Mark 1. 18. And Zacheus made haste to receiue him Luke 19. 6. Alasse people in these times who make quicke dispatch of their worldly affaires are exceeding slow in the most important busines of their soules Good courses for the present are onely allowed not followed Conuersion and amendment the most purpose but yet deferre them young men till they bee old old men till they be a dying But as for young men they must remember their creator feare him serue him now in the dayes of their youth and not put off all this till their vncertaine old old age and Audite senes Heare ye old men it is sufficient for you that yee haue spent the time past of your life in the base seruice of the world sin and Sathan now while it is called to day turne from your sins to serue the liuing God And let all both young men and maidens olde men and children take heede of this delay and procrastination set themselues about religious courses Christian duties with all speede and expedition That thou doest doe quickly said our Sauiour to Iudas Ioh. 13. 27. As hee made haste to saue our soules so must wee make hast to amend our liues As Rebeccas friends could by no requests hinder Abrahams seruant from speedy returne vnto his master so let nothing hinder vs srom present conuersion to God our Master Make no tarrying saith the Sonne of Syrach to turne to the Lord and put not off from day to day for suddenly shall the wrath of the Lord come forth and in thy security thou shalt bee destroyed and perish in the day of vengeance Eccles 5. 7. Were there not tenne Text. cleansed Here we may note that kindnesse is shewed by God vnto the wicked These nine vnthankfull lepers were cleansed aswell as the tenth the thankfull one Thus wee see that true which we reade Luk. 6. 35. That God is kinde vnto the vnthankfull and to the euill And as our Sauiour cleansed the bodies of these vngratefull lepers so filled he the bellies of his carnall and fleshly followers Iohn 6. according as the Psalmist speaking of men of the world which haue their portion in this life saith that their bellies the Lord filleth with his hid treasure Psal 17. 14. As he filleth their bellies so he filleth their barnes also Yea and so loadeth them sometimes with this worlds good that their barnes are not large enough to receiue their fruits and to hold their goods as appeareth by the parable of the rich man Luk. 12. 16. Thus corporal and temporall benefits Impijs impertitur Dominus the Lord imparteth to vngodly men And this he doth First that they might bee the more inexcusable and haue nothing to alleadge for themselues at the day of their account Secondly that if they haue or seeme to haue any good things in thē they might not bee altogether vnrewarded Thus Ahabs temporary humiliation was recompenced with the remoouall of a temporall iudgement and these lepers temporary faith with the remoouall of
their leprosie Farre be it then from Vse 1 any man to imagine that the enioyment of temporall things is an infallible testimony of Gods speciall loue that the Lord beares entire affection vnto him because he hath temporall blessings bestowed on him No man saith Salomon knoweth either loue or hatred by all that is before him that is no man can assure himselfe of Gods loue by the fruition or of his hatred by the want of external things All such things come alike vnto all saith he and are common both to the righteous and to the wicked As is the good so is the sinner and he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath The want of outward things as of health soundnes wealth beauty c. is not a token of Gods displeasure neither the possession of them a sure signe of his gracious fauour A man may be poore diseased full of sores and yet be regarded by the most High here and eternally beautified hereafter as we may see in Lazarus And againe a man may be healthfull wealthfull cloathed richly and fare sumptuously and yet be hated of God in this life and euerlastingly condemned in the life to come as we may see in the rich glutton Luk. 16. Againe let not any be offended to see profane and vnthankfull persons lusty and strong their eyes stand out with fatnesse and their strength firme neither be enuious when he beholdeth the prosperity of the wicked Iudge them not to be happy but goe into the Sanctuary of God then shalt thou vnderstand their cursed estate Surely their health will end in vnhappinesse their soundnesse and strength of bodie in destruction both of soule and body and whatsoeuer they solace themselues withall in desolation Vse 3 Lastly As Gods goodnesse is extended vnto the wicked who are his enemies so must our kindnesse enlarge and stretch foorth it selfe euen to our enemies If they hunger wee must not thinke too much to feede them if they thirst to giue them drinke Wee must do good to them that hate vs That so we may bee the children of our Father which is in heauen for he maketh his Sunne to rise on the euill aswell as on the good and sendeth raine as on the iust so on the vniust Matth. 5. 44 45. Were are the nine Text. There are not found c. From hence obserue that The mostare commonly the worst The fewest the best Before the flood all flesh had corrupted his way vpon the earth onely Noah was vpright and preached righteousnesse The people of Sodome were all vicious onely Lot was righteous and vexed with their vncleannesse Of those that were sent to search the land of Canaan ten were vnfaithfull onely two Caleb and Ioshuah were faithfull And of these ten lepers that were cleansed nine were vngratefull one onely a Samaritane thankfull The flocke whereof Christ is sheepheard is but a small flocke Luke 12. 32. There were but a few names that is a few persons in Sardis which had not defiled their garments that is which were faithful and had not beene infected with those sinnes which reigned in that Church Reuel 3. 4. Many are called saith our Sauiour but few are chosen If but few euen of those that haue an outward calling how much more few if you consider the rest of the world beside The way of righteousnes as it is a narrow way so it hath but few followers whereas the way of wickednes as it is of greater latitude so it hath a greater multitude of passengers as it is of larger extent so there are many that walke in it Math. 7. 13. The Apostle saith to the Philippians Walke Vse 1 as yee haue vs for an example but wee are neuer wished to walke as we haue the most for an example Looke vnto the most and thou shalt finde them neglecters of Gods worship prophaners of his Sabbath contemners of his word wallowing in wantonnes delighting in drunkennes liuing in couetousnesse c. Iudge now if such persons are fit patternes to follow the more a man goeth after them the farther he wandreth from God whosoeuer walketh with them in the broad way it will at last leade both them and him to destruction Enter not therefore into the way of the wicked walke not in the way of euill men be they neuer so many The Lord hath commanded Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do euill Exod. 23. 2. We must not goe after the many As the Lord said to Ieremy Let them returnevnto thee but return not thou vnto them Ier. 15. 19. So let the most follow vs but let not vs goe after them though they worke iniquity yet that is no ground or warrant for vs rather a warning to vs to flye iniquity the more they pursue euill the lesse must we and the more praise shall wee haue if wee follow after that which is good Secondly let vs looke not what the multitude doth but what wee our selues ought to doe it was worthily spoken of Iosuah vnto the people If it seeme euill vnto you to serue the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serue but as for mee and my house we wil serue the Lord Iosh 24. 15. Though many of our Sauiours disciples went backe and walked no more with him yet his true disciples cōtinue stil with him and say Lord to whom shall wee goe Thou hast the words of eternall life Ioh. 6 66. 68 Though these nine lepers turned their backs against Christ yet this Samaritane alone by himselfe turned backe vnto him and thus must wee doe our duties though few beare vs company wee must set our selues about whatsoeuer is required of vs though none ioine with vs. And that wee may doe so let vs remember that it is better far better to be saued alone or with few then to bee damned with many There are not found Text. c. All these lepers began fairely nine quickly made an end one onely returned and perseuered and as herein hee went beyond the others so for this he is preferred before the others and commended by our Sauiour Now obserue heere Obser last of all that to begin well is not sufficient but perseuerance and constancy is required without continuance faire beginnings and glorious proceedings are nothing worth What auailed it Iudas that he was an Apostle that he preached that he carryed himselfe in an outward honest and reformed conuersasation a long time when hee continued not but by transgression fell What did it profit Saul that he began to reigne well when hee turned aside and fell away what Demas that hee was a professour yea that he went far in his profession when afterwards hee forsooke it and fell in loue with the world And what Iohns hearers That they reioyced in his light when it was onely for season a It was nothing worth that the Iewes hearing Christ speake of bread from heauen earnestly desired it saying Lord euermore giue vs this bread when