are their successors Neither doth he saye only in respecte of tyme that the prophetes were before them but because they are of the same order and that therefore they must frame them selues according to their example Finally this sentence bringeth great cōsolatiō to the disciples of Christ Neither can they easely be remoued whē that they knowe them selues to be the fellowes of the prophetes M. Moreouer we must here note howe great the iniquitie is of this present world which letteth not to trouble the people of God yea his speciall ministers with lyes reproches and persecutions Nowe for so muche as this hapned to them in the Churche of God to the which they were appointed what shall become of them that are without the churche Euen so the Prophetes Christe him self and the Apostels suffered all kynde of reproche and trouble layde vpon them by the Church of Israel Therefore what can be more blockishe and foolishe then they whiche thinke that none at this day can be afflicted and oppressed with iniury by the heads of Churches As though the state and condition of the ministers of Christe were better at this day then was the state of Christe him selfe his Prophetes and Apostels in their tyme Let the ministers of Christe therefore haue respecte vnto the lot and chaunce of thē which were before them in the office and ministery of the woorde of God neither let them hope in their tyme to haue better estimation and fauour if they teache Christe sincerely then had the Apostels and Prophetes which were before time 13 You are the salte of the earth but if the salte hath lost his saltnes what shal be seasoned there with it is then good for nothing but to be caste forthe of the doores and to be troden vnder feete of men You are the salte of the earth E. Nowe he doth bothe exhorte his disciples by reason to beare and suffer all kynde of euell for his kingdom and also to followe and immitate whatsoeuer is ioyned with excellent vertue C. Christ here doth referre the propertie of the doctrine to the persons to whome he had committed his ministration For in calling his Apostels the salte of the earth he meaneth that it is their office and dutie to salte and season the earthe because men haue nothing but that whiche is altogether vnsauery vntill they be seasoned with the salte of heauenly doctrine M. Christe our sauiour therefore by these woordes doth signifie and teache that all mankind hath nede to be seasoned least that it putrifie and perishe for it is altogether vnsauory and wholy subiecte to corruption and destruction if it be not seasoned with the heauenly salte and so preserued The doctrine of the Gospell is this salte with the whiche al men ought to be seasoned that they maye attayne to the sauer and taste of the heauēly and euerlasting life This doctrine for the sharpenes therof is hated enuied of the corruptible worlde for it requireth mortification of the flesh a liuely faythe and true repentaunce frō deade workes and suche lyke which are not very pleasaunt to the fleshe Preache thou the woorde saithe saint Paule be feruent in season and out of season improue rebuke exhorte with all long suffering and doctrine B. Certainly it was necessary that the doctrine of the infallible truthe whiche is the present medicine of the whole worlde should byte searche smarte burne purifie dissolue and heale by certayne reason notwithstanding and iust meane For as the salt is a certayne seasoning of the meate and as the temperate vse of the same bringeth some pleasaunt taste and pleasure euen so the immoderate mixture and ouergreat quantitie maketh the meate very vnpleasaunt This doth signifie that the pastors and teachers ought to do all thinges with iudgement and aduisedly least that they make the doctrine of truthe to be hated of many in beynge to curious in reprouing But if the salt haue lost C. After our maister Christe had taught his disciples wherunto they were called he doth denounce vn-them greuous and horrible iudgement except they discharge their office duty And he sheweth farther that the doctrine which they preache is so ioyned to a godly and and a honest lyfe that the corruption whiche is tollerable in others is coūted in them detestable and monstrous As if he should haue sayde If other men be vnsauery before God to you is geuen salte to make them sauore and to haue a taste or relishe but if you your selues haue lost youre saltnes whence will you seke for the remedy whiche you shoulde geue to others M. For as the salte beinge vnsauory cannot season any thyng neither can the salte it selfe hauing loste the proper nature by any meanes be seasoned againe euen so if those do amisse to whome it belongeth to exhorte and instructe others to the study of godlynes these twoo inconueniences and dammages shall ensue The one is that the foolyshenes and corruption of mankynde cannot by any other kynde of doctrine be amended for here neither the shewe of serimonies neither mans traditions and inuentions are of any force here vayne is the perfection of Philosophers yea vayne is here the holines of fleshe The other is that the ministers of the Churche if they falle if they erre if they do amysse then can not they by the seasoninge of other mens disciplyne be amendended and restored The whiche truly not onely the experience of the tyme paste but also of this tyme present dothe plainly enoughe declare namely that the corruption of ecclesiasticall ministers is incurable It is then good for nothing els but. Christe very aptly doth prosecute his metaphor when he saythe that other thinges whiche do degenerate from their nature are notwithstanding by some meanes proffitable after their corruption but the salte also to be very hurteful as to bryng barrens euen to the dounge hyll The effecte therefore is this that the disease is incurable when the ministers them selues do erre and are deceyued because they ought to season all the worlde with their salte B. For as the well head beyng dryed vp from whenche all other do spryng and flowe and as the lyghte being extinguyshed from whence all other candels are lighted there can no other water or fyer bee founde from whence they may receyue their qualitie agayne Euen so truly by foolyshe teachers who shal learne wisdom and knowledge and by blynde guydes who shall be conducted and led the ryght waye This therefore is a wonderful inconuenience and incurable E. Finally this admonition is not only proffitable to the ministers but also to euerye Christian man For so muche as God intendeth to season the whole earthe with the salte of his worde it followeth that whatsoeuer wanteth the same salte is not only vnsauory but putrified also corrupted before him although he seme to be seasoned in the sight of men Wherfore there is nothing better then to admitte and receiue
nie at hande euen so ye c. C. By the whiche woordes Chryste dothe not onely meane that the perturbation and trouble before mentyoned is as certayne a signe of his commynge as the grenenesse and buddynge of the tree is a sure token that sommer is at hande but doth also note a further matter For as the tree beinge stayed and bounde a longe whyle by the harde and byndinge rigour of the frost beginneth neuerthelesse in his tyme to budde and brynge forthe fruite euen soo his Church although it be bonde and staied for a season by the sharpe and cruell stormes of persecution yet notwithstaÌ„dynge in dewe tyme it shall bring forthe his fruite to the glory of god For as the internall sappe and moysture whiche is in euery parte of the floryshinge tree by his force doth mollifie renouate restore and reuiue that whiche was before dead and decayed euen so the Lorde by the internall and secrete woorkynge of his holy spirite maketh the corruption of man to beare and brynge forthe that fruite whiche he coulde not elles beare Wherfore the somme of Christes wordes is that we shoulde not be dismayed at the weake estate and externall shewe of the Churche but rather that we shold hope for the glorye whiche the Lorde by the crosse and trybulation hath prepared For that whiche Paule affirmeth of euery partycular member must be fulfylled in the whole body for thoughe our outwarde man perishe yet is the inwarde man renewed day by day c. 33 Euen so ye when ye se these thynges come to passe vnderstande that he is nye euen at the doores Euen so ye vvhen ye see these thinges Bu. As sommer is not come by and by so sone as we see the buddes of the fygge tree but fyrst the bud cometh then the blossome then the leafe then the figge and last of all the rypenesse of the same euen so wée muste vnderstande that all those thynges whereof Christe hathe spoken shall not come at the fyrste but by degrees in order that when we se the beginning we doubte not but that the middest wyll come shortely after and when the midst is come that we thyncke it not long vntyll the ende by fynished Euenso when the disciples of Christ sawe that manye at the fyrst exalted them selues for Christes seduced many they knew streight way that warres and rumors of warres wold followe yet notwithstandyng that Hierusalem shoulde not be destroyed immediately but that they shoulde fyrste suffer many persecutions and the Gospell be preached euery where And then they looked for the desolation of the holy citie and after that that many false prophetes and false Christes shoulde preuaile and so orderly they knewe that the ende of the worlde should come In like manner when we knowe that manye of those thinges whereof the lorde hath spoken here come to passe we ought to acknowledge that the kyngedome of god and the day of the lord is eueÌ„ at the dozes and therefore to be loked for by framing oure selues with diligence to godlynesse and vertue For if wee followe the estymation of God as in these thynges wée muste a thousande yeres with vs are before hym as one daye yea as a watche in the nyghte Vnderstande that he is nye euen at the doores C. That which Mathewe here speaketh obscurely the Euangeliste Luke more plainlye expoundeth sayinge that the kingdome of god is nie eueÌ„ at the dores And this place the kingdome of God as often times in other places is so called not of his beginniÌ„g but of his perfectioÌ„ and that accordinge to their vnderstandinge whome Christe taughte For they did not apprehende the kyngdome of God in the Gospel in the peace ioye of faith in spirituall righteousnes but they sought for that blessed reste and glorye which is hyd vnder hope vntill the laste daye Bu. It is sayd to be at the dores by an allegory because it is at hand A. So S. Iames saith Beholde the Iudge standeth before the gate 34. Verely I saye vnto you this generation shall not passe tyll all these thinges be done Verely I say vnto you Bu. Leaste any man shoulde doubte in anye pointe of these thinges or esteme them as vaine threateninges and therefore to be despysed he dothe confirme that whiche went before as coÌ„cerning the calamities to come like a Prophete with an oathe sayinge Verely I saye vnto you This generation shall not passe C. Although oure Sauioure Christe vseth a vniuersall note yet notwithstandinge he dothe not speake generally of all the miseries of the Churche but doth simplely teache that before one age or generation be â—…oon out whatsoeuer he had spoken as concerning the destruciton of the temple should be proued by the euente and successe For within fyfty yeares after the Citty was beseged the temple destroyed the whole contrye wasted and spoyled the worlde shewed it selfe obstinate against God cruel madnes also waxed whote to take awaye the doctrine of saluatioÌ„ there arose false teachers whiche peruerted the syncere Gospell with their lyes Religion by wonderfull meanes shaken all the company of the godly was miserablely vexed and molested And althoughe a longe time after the same mischiefes continued in like order continuallye yet notwithstanding it was truely saide of Christe that before one generation was ended the faithful should perceiue in very dede and by plaine experience how truely he had prophesyed of these thinges for the Apostels suffered the like that the blessed martyrs and saints suffer at this day For it was not the purpose of Christe to promise to his Disciples the ende of calamitys to be within a shorte time because if he had so done he shoulde haue beene contrary to himselfe for that he had told theÌ„ before that the end was not yet come But he rather sekinge to confirme them in sufferance and pacience plainely telleth them that it pertayneth to the generation of their time The sence and meaning therefore of the place is this as if he should haue saide This prophesy is not of those euels whiche are a farre of the which the posterity shall sée that commeth long after but it is of those plages which are now at hande and that in one heape in so much that this age shal waÌ„te no parte thereof Therfore the Lorde heapinge all kinde of plages vppon one age did not exempte their posterity froÌ„ the same but onelye commaundeth his Disciples to be prepared constantlye to suffer all thinges 35 Heauen and earthe shal passe but my wordes shall not passe Heauen and earth shall passe A. This sentence is diuersly expounded B. Some will haue it an Hebrewe comparison as if a man should saye heauen and earthe shall sooner perishe than my woordes M. Other some referre the passing away of heauen and earth to the last daye in the whiche their transitory state shal be abolished A. Of the whiche the Apostel Paule writteth in many places C. But because ther is no doubt but that Christ
those punishements that were dewe vnto vs and so he was made in dede the man full of sorowes of whome Esay speaketh And truely they are to foolishe whiche settinge a syde this parte of the redemption doe onely stande vppon the externall punishemente of the fleshe For to the ende Christe mighte make satisfaction for vs it was necessary that he should be brought before the tribunall seate of god And there is nothinge more horrible than to feele the Iudgemente of GOD whose anger is farre aboue all deathes Therefore when a shewe of temptation was obiected vnto Christe as thoughe God beinge his enemye hee were geuen to destruction he was horribly afrayde in suche wyse that if anye mortall manne hadd felte the lyke hee hadde beene swallewed vppe of the same a hondered tymes Neyther dothe hee faynedly complayne himselfe to bee forsaken of the Father And where as many doe thynke that hee so spake it is very farre amis For the inwarde heauines of the mynde by his force and feruency constrayned hym to burste forthe into this crye Neyther was it an outwarde redemption onelye whiche he made but as he offered himselfe for vs so he woulde in dede for our sakes suffer the Iudgemente of god But some manne will saye it is an aâ—…surde thinge that Christe shoulde burst foorthe into the voyce of desperation Obiection Wee aunswere that although the sence of the fleshe dyd féele destruction yet for all that faythe dyd abide fyrme in hys harte by the whiche he did beholde God presente of whose absence hee complayneth Moreouer the Deitye gaue place to the infirmity of the fleshe â–ª because the worke of oure Saluation was in hande that Christe mighte fulfill all the partes of a redemer There is also a difference to be noted betwene the sence and felynge of nature and the knowledge of faythe Wherefore Christe mighte conceyue in his minde that he was forsaken of God accordynge to the maner of the fleshe and also beleue that God was mercifull vnto hym The whiche thing sufficientlye appeareth by the twoo partes of the complainte For he before he expresseth the temptation hee declareth that hee fleeth vnto God as vnto his God and so by the bucler of fayth he putteth away that persuasion whiche came into his minde that he was forsaken of god Therefore Christe felte the heauye burthen of Gods seueritye because hee beinge stryken and afflicted by the hande of God felte all the signes and tokens of an angery and seuere God. He fought wyth desperation yet he was not ouercome thereby For they whiche are desperate can not call the Lord their god When he sayth my God my God be triumpheth ouer the temptation Hereby wee maye gather no small comforte and consolation seing that he striuynge with the power of the deuel with the horror of deathe and wyth the paynes of hell got the victorye ouer them and triumphed leaste when wee hereafter shoulde enter into death we should take the same as the cursse of Goddes wrathe and that wee woulde not feare those thinges whiche oure prince and captayne hath ouercome But that wee might get vs to that victory whiche this Christe hath gotten for vs. 47. Some of them that stoode there when they harde that sayd this man calleth for Helias Some of them that stoode A. Here the Euangeliste Mathewe teacheth howe this voyce was taken of the hearers namely ridiculously and sclanderously This man calleth for Helias C. They which referre this to the soldiers beinge ignorante and vnskilful of the Syriake touÌ„ge and not accustomed or acquainted wyth the religion of the Iewes are deceyued For they thynke that they were deceyued by the likenes of woordes Ely soundinge somewhat lyke Elyas But truelye it is probable that they erred not throughe ignorance When as rather they wente aboute to mocke Christ and sclanderously to peruerte that whiche he spake For Sathan hathe no practise more mete to destroye the saluation of the Godly than when he dryueth them from the inuocation and callyng vppon god Therefore he setteth his ministers so muche as he maye to make vs haue a desyer to synne Euenso he caused the enemis of Christ peruersly to laughe at his prayer meanynge by this subtill practise to spoyle Christe of all his power and strengthe And truelye this is a verye greuouse temptation when wee seme to bee so farre from profyte that GOD dothe rather suffer his name to bee reproched than to shewe hym selfe to bee fauorable to oure requestes Therefore this scoffe or barkinge voyce signifyetth thus muche as if they hadde sayde that he had nothynge to doe wyth God because hee callynge vppon Helias seeketh an other refuge Wee do sée that he was so dexed in euerye pointe that beinge ouerwhelmed wyth desperation that he did cease for a tyme to call vppon God. B. Euenso in mockedge and reproche the enemys sayde before He trusteth in God lette hym delyuer hym if hee wyll haue hym 48. And straite waye one of them ranne and tooke a sponge and when hee had filled it full of vineager he put it on a rede and gaue him to drinke And straite vvaye one of them ran C. Hereby wee may haue a probable coniecture that when Christe hadde once refused drinke it was offered vnto hym agayne to trouble hym Howbeit it is also lykely that in the begynninge galle was offered vnto hym in a cuppe before he was lyfted vppe on the Crosse and that afterwarde when hee honge vppon the Crosse the sponge was put vnto his mouth A. As it may bee gathered by the woordes of Sainct Iohn For thus hee writeth After these thinges Iesus knowinge that all thinges were nowe performed that the Scripture mighte be fulfylled he saith I thirste So there stoode a vessel by ful of vineager Therefore they fylled a sponge wyth vineager and wounde it about wyth ysope and putte it to hys mouthe C. When Saint Iohn sayth that there stoode a vessell by he speaketh as of an accustomed thinge And it is lykely that this kynde of drinke was made to hasten the deathe and to make it shorte when miserable men had ben tormented longe inoughe But Christe calleth not for drinke vntill all thinges were fulfylled whereby hee declared the singuler care and loue that he hadde for oure saluation But howe dothe he saye in Saint Iohn that all thinges are fulfilled Question seinge as yet the special parte was wantinge that it to wit death it selfe And againe was not the resurrection the fulfillinge of our saluation Wee aunswere that Saint Iohn comprehended that whiche followed afterwarde Christe was not yet deade neyther was he yet risen But he sawe that there remayned nothynge nowe to lett but that hee muste go forwarde to his deathe and resurrection A. The like maner of speache we haue in an other place where it is sayde I haue fynished the woorke whiche thou gauest mee to doe Where Christe speaketh of all the partes of his ministerye as thoughe he hadde
that is to say the first daye after the Sabothe in the weeke followinge The whiche hee so calleth because the Iewes accordinge to the manner of the Scripture beganne the day from the eueninge accordinge to this saying of Moyses And the eueninge and the morninge was made one daye The Euangeliste Marke hath Early in the morninge the first daye of the Sabothe S. Luke hath But vppon the first day of the Sabothes very earlye in the morninge when it was yet darke These three do sufficientlye declare what the eueninge of the Sabothes is euen as if one shoulde saye In that nighte the morninge whereof was the beginning of the first day of the weeke All the Euangelistes therefore do meane that the Saboth beinge ended the women consulted to meete betymes in the morninge to see the Sepulcher Came Mary Magdalene c. Mathewe sayth here that there came onlye two of the Maryes to see the Sepulcher Marke ioyninge the thirde sayth that they boughte sweete odoures to anoynt the bodye And by the wordes of Luke it may be gathered that there came not onelye two or three but manye But this is verye vsuall amonge sacrede writers amonge manye to expresse a fewe To see the Sepulcher C. These ment when they had found the body of Christ to anoint it with oyntmentes and sweete spyces as Iosephe and Nicodemus had done Notwithstandinge it may be demaunded howe this dilligence of the women mingled with superstition pleased god But there is no doubte but that they takinge the maner of anoynting the dead frō the fathers did apply it to this ende that they might get consolation in the sorrowe of death by the hope of the life to come Therefore they sinned in this that they remembred not the whiche their Lorde had sayd before as concerninge his resurrection but sought the lyuinge amonge the deade 2. And behould there was a great earthquake for the Angell of the Lorde descended from Heauen and rolled awaye the stone frō the dore and sate vppon it And behoulde there vvas a great earthquake C. The earthquake was made before the women came to the Sepulcher but truly not without the counsayle of god For it was meete that there shoulde be some testimonye of the resurrection of Christe Euen as if a kinge shoulde anoynte his sonne before the people euen so God declared by the resurrection and consecrated his sonne a kinge This earthquake therefore was a token of deuine power it was also a type of the earthquake to come with the whiche the earthe shal be striken when it shall geue vp the bodies of the deade Moreouer this wōderfull signe was necessary to styrre vp the mindes of the women that they should not conceyue any humaine or terestrial thinge but shoulde lift vp their mindes to the new worke of God and vnloked for For the Angell of the Lord descended C. The cause of the earthquake was the comminge downe of the Angell from Heauen If the force of an Angell be suche that his descendinge from Heauen should shake the earth what shall wee loke for at the comminge of Christ to Iudgement And rolled avvay the stone The Angell came not because of Christ as though hee coulde not come oute of the Sepulcher withoute his helpe but to the ende the women and the Apostles mighte beleeue that Christe was rysen that the Sepulcher was opened by the Angell that it might be shewed to be emptie But it is certaine that hee arose went out of the Sepulcher the stone lyinge still in the mouthe of the same Howbeit there are some whiche saye that Christ arose and went forth of the Sepulcher without anye myracle by the worke of the Angell But hee whiche was able by his owne power to rayse himselfe in the Sepulcher was able also by the same power to go out of the Sepulcher the dore thereof beinge shut with a great stone that hee might be myraculouslye raised without any worke of the Angel. 3. His coūtenance was like lighteninge and his rayment white as snowe His countenaunce vvas like lighteninge A. As in the earthquake a certaine heauenly power of Christe was declared euenso also in the apparell and forme of the Angell the brightnes of the dietye as it were by beames shewed forthe it selfe to the ende the women mighte knowe that hee was not a mortall man whiche beinge nye vnto them seemed like a man For althoughe neither the brightnes of the lighte nor the whitenes of the snowe is nothinge to the glory of God in comparison yet notwithstandinge hee teachinge himselfe to be nere by externall tokens doth call vs vnto him accordinge to the weakenes of our capascitye This one thinge onely we must know that visible signes of his presence are offered vnto vs that our mindes may apprehende him being inuisible and that vnder corporall formes a tast of his spirituall essence is offered vnto vs that wee may seeke him spiritually Notwithstandinge there is no doubte but that a certaine internall efficacye was ioyned to the externall signes whiche did printe in the harts of the women the feelinge of the dietye For althoughe they were made afrayde in the beginninge yet notwithstandinge by the order of the texte it shall appeare that they beinge incouraged againe were so taught by little and little that they felte the present hande of god M. But there are manye appearinges of Angels mencioned in the Scriptures in the whiche such excellente brightnes and forme as is here described is not to be founde because there is a difference betwene this that was done in them and that whiche was done in the resurrection of Christ Moreouer as they in respect of theyr nature are not corporall euenso vnto men they are inuisible of themselues but to the ende they maye be seene and perceiued of men they take vnto themselues externall formes accordinge to the commoditye and fitnes of the presente busynes or matter in hande and they do take them not to kepe them cōtinually but for a time vntill they haue discharged their ministery in this world for the which they were sent So Angels appeared to Abraham and to Lot in the forme of wayfayringe men C. This is the onely difference betweene the two Euangelistes that Mathewe and Marke make mencion but of one Angell onely when as Luke and Iohn make mencion of two But this shew of repugnancye is easlye put awaye because wee know how oftentimes the figure Synecdochen is vsed in the Scripture Two Angels therefore were seene first of Marye after that of her fellowes But because the other which did speake did specially turne their mindes vnto him Mathewe and Marke thoughte it sufficient to make mēcion of his imbassage Moreouer where as Mathew in the verse going before sayth that the Angell sate vppon the stone it is husteron protaeron or at least the order of the history is neglected because the Angel appeared not at the first vntill the newnes of the thinge caused the women to be