saith Hebr. 1.1 that God the Father in olde time spake by the Prophets Esay doth ascribe this vnto the Sonne My people shall know my name in that day they shall know that I am he who sent to them and the reason hereof is plaine because all the workes of the sacred Trinitie quoad extra be common vnto all the three persons and so God the Father and God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost send The persons diuersitie then alters not the sacred Identitie but as Interpreters obserue that text of Malachie compared with this of Matthew proues notably that God the Father and God the Sonne are all one their power equall their maiestie coeternall My messenger In the vulgar Latin Angelum meum Origen therefore thought Iohn was an Angell but other expositours more fitly that the Baptist was Angelus officioÌ„ non naturâ so Malachie cals other Prophets Angels in his 2. Chapt. 7. The Priests lips shall preserue knowledge and they shall sâ—eke the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts Angelus Domini so Preachers are called Angels in the new Testament that is messengers and ambassadours of God and here the Gospell agrees with the Epistle This is a paterne of S. Pauls precept Preachers are to be respected as the Ministers of Christ and stewards of God for God saith of Iohn the Baptist Behold I send my messenger c. Happily some will obiect if ordinarie Prophets are called Angels how doth this testimonie proue Iohn to be more then a Prophet Answere is made by Zacharie that Iohn is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Prophet here by Matthew that Angell as it were bedell or gentleman vsher vnto Christ. As then in a solemne triumph they be most honoured who goe next before the king so Iohn being next vnto Christ euen before his face is greater then they who went farre off he was the voice Christ the word now the word and the voice are so nâ—ere that Iohn was taken for Christ. Againe Iohn may be called that Angell in regard of his carriage so well as his calling for albeit he did no miracle yet as one said his whole life was a perpetuall miraâ—le first his conception was wonderfull begotten saith Ambrose with prayer Non tà m complexibus quà m orationibus An Angell from heauen auoucheth as much in the first of Luke verse 13. Feare not Zacharie for thy prayer is heard and thy wife Elizabeth shall beare thee a Sonne and thou shalt call his name Iohn It was another miracle that a babe which could not speake yea that was vnborne began to execute his angelicall office and to shew that Christ was neere that dumbe Zacharie should prophesie was a third wonder at his circumcision and so the whole life of Iohn was very strange liuing in the wildernes more like an Angell then a man and in a word those things which are commendable in other seuerally were found in him all ioyntly being a Prophet Euangelist Confessor Virgin Martyr liuing and dying in the truth and for the truth I know not as Ambrose speakes whether his birth or death or life was more wonderfull How Iohn doth prepare the way before Christ is shewed in the Gospell on next Sunday yet obserue this much in generall that it is the Ministers office to shew men the right way to saluation and to bring them vnto God our Sauiour hath promised to come vnto men it is our dutie therefore to knocke at the doores of your heart by preaching faith and repentance to prepare the way for our master that when himselfe knocks he may be let in and so sup with you and dwell with you and you with him euermore Amen The Epistle PHILIP 4.4 Reioyce in the Lord alwaies againe I say reioyce A Text of reioycing against the time of reioycing whereby the Church intimates how wee should spend our Christmas ensuing not in gluttonie and drunkennesse in chambâ—ring and wantonnesse doing the diuel more seruice in the twelue daies then in al the twelue moneths but rather in Psalmes and hymnes and spirituall songs making melodie in our hearts vnto the Lord I say the Church allotting this scripture for this Sunday teacheth vs how this holy Time should be well imploied not in vnholinesse and mad meriments among Lords of misrule but in good offices of religion as it becomes the seruants of him who is the God of order obseruing this festiuall in honour of Iesus not Iacchus alway praising our heauenly Father in louing vs so well as to send his Sonne to saue his seruants and lest we should erre in our spirituall reuels obserue in this Epistle both The Matter Of our ioy The Manner Of our ioy The matter and obiect of our ioy reioyce in the Lord. The manner how Long alway reioyce The manner how Much againe and againe reioyce It is an old rule in Philosophie and it is true in Diuinity y t affections of the mind as anger feare delight c. are in their own nature neither absolutely good nor simply euill but either good or bad as their obiect is good or bad As for exaÌ„ple to be angry or not angry is indifferent Be aâ—grie and sin not saith Paul there is a good anger Whosoeuer is angrie with his brother vnaduisedly saith Christ is in danger of iudgement there is a bad anger So Matth. 10.28 Feare not them that kill the body and are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him which is able to destroy both soule and body in hell So likewise to reioyce or not to reioyce in it selfe is neither absolutely disgracefull nor altogether commendable we may not reioyce in the toyes of the world in frowardnes or doing euill faith Salomon Non in vitijs non in diuitijs saith Bernard Woe bee to you that thus laugh for yee shall waile and weepe but wee may delight in the Lord saith Dauid Reioyce in Christ saith Mary then our ioy is good when as our ioyes obiect is good yea God as Paul here Reioyce in the Lord. As sorrow is a straitning of the heart for some ill so ioy the dilating of the heart for some good either in possession or expectation Now Christ is our chiefe good as being author of all grace in this life and all glorie in the next and therefore we must chiefly reioyce in him and in other things only for him in him as the donor of euery good and perfect gift for him that is according to his will as the phrase is vsed 1. Cor. 7.39 If her husband be dead sâ—ee is at libertie to marrie with whom shee will only in the Lord. So then we may reioyce in other things for the Lord as in the Lord we may reioyce in our selues as being the Lords and in other because they reioyce in the Lord. Psal. 16.3 All my delight is vpon the Saints that are in the earth
our selues in the waies of wickednesse a worke it is but blacke worke a deed of darkenesse in that it doth begin from Satan who is the Prince of darknesse and end in hell which is vtter darknesse See before the song of Simeon and Aquin. lect 3. vpon this Chapter Holy vertues are called armour of light armour because with them a Christian must fight against his enemies Ephes. 6. See Epist. Dom. 21. post Trin. Light in three respects 1. As proceeding from God who is the Father of lights Iames 1.17 2. Shining before men as lights in the world Mat. 5.16 3. Enduring the light Iohn 3.20.21 He that doth euill hateth the light but he that doth truth commeth to the light Let vs walke honestly c. That is comely night walkers are negligent in their habits an old gowne will serue their turne without ruf or cuf or other handsome trimme But in the day men are ashamed except they be in some good fashion according to their qualitie Seeing then the night is past and the day is come let vs put off our night-clothes and put on our apparell for the day so walking as we care not who seeth vs in all comelinesse and honestie The drunkard is in his night gowne the fornicator in his night-gowne the factious schismaticke full of strife in his night-gowne too for he loues no comelinesse in the Church Not in eating and drinking neither in chambering and wantonnesse neither in strife and enuying Here the Nonelists except against our translation For we should read surfetting and drunkennesse I answere first in particular that as the Scripture must bee construed by Scripture so the Church by the Church it being an axiom in our law that euery man must interpret himselfe And another rule Sententia benignior in verbis generalibus seu dubijs est praeferenda Now the Church elsewhere translates and expounds it as they would haue it Ergo their cauill is causelesse In generall concerning mistranslation I referre them vnto those whom it more properly concernes I know they know we can easily find faults in the Geneua translation of the Psalmes in English meeter vsed most and preferred best of all Scriptures in their priuate and publike deuotions If a Salamandrie spirit should traduce that godly labour as the silenced Ministers haue wronged our Communion booke they would obiect peraduenture that sometime there wants in it reason as well as rhythme Lâ—â—â—antius reports of Arcesilas that hauing throughly considered the contradictions and oppositions of Philosophers one against another in fine contemned them all Et constituit nouam non philosophandi philosophiam euen so worldlings and Atheists expending the differences of Christians in matters of religion haue resolued to be of no religion And vnderstanding the violent contentions about formes of prayer and translations of Scriptures vse no prayer no bible but make Lucian their old testament and Machiauel their new The Church as Paul meanes too much eating and drinking for it is lawfull to eat all manner of meat whether it bee flesh or fish But there be certaine hedges ouer which we may not leape The first hedge is Leuit. 19.26 Thou shalt not eate the flesh with the bloud that is to say raw flesh for if wee should ordinarily deuoure raw flesh it would ingender in vs a certaine crueltie so that at length we should eate one another as Diuines expound that place we may not be Canibals or man-eaters against this sinne God hath set an high hedge Thou shalt not kill extreame famine made mothers murtherers and turned the sanctuarie of life into the shambles of death extreame necessitie breakes all hedges of nurture and nature but in ordinarie course man is no meate for man but as Ignatius said only manchet for God a seruice and sacrifice for his maker Happily some will say well then if I deuoure not mans flesh I may eate whatsouer I lift howsoeuer I get it No God hath set a second hedge Thou shalt not steale thou mayest not take thy neighbours oxe out of his stall nor his sheepe out of his fold nor his fish out of his poole but thou must feede on thiâ—e owne meate bought into thine owne house or brought vp in thine house on that only which is giuen or gotten honestly Neither mayest thou commit gluttonie with thine owne for there is a third hedge Luke 21.34 Take heed to your selues lest at any time your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennes The gut is a gulfe vitae charybdis as Diogenes aptly for some man draweth all his patrimonie thorow his throat As the Babylonians vsed daily to sacrifice to their Bell so the glutton to his belly making it his god Philip. 3.19 Eate therefore moderately â—â—eate that is meete not too much but so much as doth neither praecidere nor excedere necessitatem It is lawfull sometime to feast and to prouide delicates as well as cates vsing daintie bread in stead of daily bread but we may not with the rich Epicure fare deliciously euery day for this is dissipare non dispensare bona Domini prodigallie to waste not frugallie to spend the gifts of our Lord bestowed vpon vs. Neither mayest thou take vnmeasurablie what and when thou lift for there is a fourth hedge Rom. 14.15 Destroy not him with thy meate for whom Christ died Haue respect to thine owne and others conscience first thou must instruct thy brother in the truth and then if he continue still in his old Mumpsimus and will not beleeue but is offended out of obstinate wickednesse rather then any weakenes eate not regarding his frowardnes especially where the Princes law commands thee to eat for that is another hedge Rom. 13.1 Let euery soule submit himselfe vnto the authority of the higher power Obseruing of Lent and fish-dayes is a policie of the State for the maintenance of fisher-townes and increase of fisher-men and therefore this Statute must be obeyed not only for feare of punishment but also for conscience saith Paul I say conscience not of the thing which of it owne nature is indifferent but of our obedience which by thâ— law of God we owe to the Magistrate The particular lawes of Princes grounded vpon the generall lawes of God euen in things indifferent makes our obedience not indifferent but necessarie Thus thou mayest eate food of thine own moderately without offence to thy brother or disobedience to thy gouernour Concerning drunkennes and the rest often elsewhere yet by the way note the craftines of the Diuell and vnhappines of sinne which seldome or neuer commeth alone it is vnlike the Raile which flieth solitarie and in this respect most like the Partridge who calles one another till they make a couey first Paul brings in sinne by the brace gluttony and drunkennes chambering and wantonnes strife and enuying then as it were by the whole couey for all these birds of a feather flie
Antichrist is the Babylonians ioy the Diuell Câ—licuts ioy but onely Christ is our ioy We will reioyce and be glad in thee I am my beloueds and my beloued is mine Christ is so much the Churches as that he is none others ioy for as Cyprian and other Catholike Doctors He that hath not the Church for his Mother hath not God for his Father and he that hath not God for his Father hath not Christ for his Sauiour Per portam Ecclesia intramus in portam paradisi No Church no Christ no Christ no ioy This exultation appertaines only to the Church He that is not a sonne of Sion a Citizen of Hierusalem is in the gall of bitternes and hath no part nor portion in this happines Now concerning the act the matter is to reioyce The maner greatly to reioyce with iubilation and shouting It is a receiued opinion in the world that religion doth dull our wits and daunt our spirits as if mirth and mischiefe wâ—nt alway together but it is taught and felt in Christs schoole that none can be so ioyfull as the faithful that there is not so merry a land as the holy land and therefore Zachary doth double his exhortation Reioyce greatly shout for ioy and Zophony doth triple it Reioyce â— daughter Sion be ye ioyfull ó Israel be glad with all thine heart ô daughter Hierusalem Exulta laetare iubila Now iubilation as the Fathers obserue is so great a ioy that it can neither be smothered nor vttered Hilaris cum pondere virtus In the words of Christ My yoke is easie my burdeâ— is light A new yoke is heauie but when it is worne and dried it waxeth easie Christ therefore did first weare and beare this yoke that it might be seasoned and made light for vs he commanded vs to fast and himselfe did fast he commanded vs to pray and himselfe did often pray he commanded vs to forgiue one another and himselfe pardoned Againe when he saith My yoke is sweet and my burden is light he doth insinuate that the yokes of other are bitter and their burdens heauie that it is a sorie seruice to be Sathans vassall or the worlds hireling so that the good man takes more delight in performing his dutie then the wicked can in all his villanies vanities I was glad saith Dauid when they said vnto me we will goe into the house of the Lord. And Psalm 84.2 My soule hath a longing desire to enter into the courts of the Lord. And Psalm 81. Sing we merily to God c. An vpright Christian is a Musician a Physician a Lawyer a Diuine to himselfe for what is sweeter Musicke than the witnes of a good conscience What is better Physicke then abstinere sustinere good diet and good quiet what deeper counsell in Law then in hauing nothing to possesse all things and what sounder Diuinitie then to know God and whom he hath sent Iesus Christ On the contrary the wicked is wearied in his wayes and discontented in his courses A malitious man is a murtherer of himselfe the prodigall man a theese to himselfe the voluptuous man a witch to himselfe the couetous man a diuell to himselfe the drunkard all these to himselfe a murtherer to his bodie a theese to his purse a witch to his wit a diuell to his soule The blinde Poet saw so much Semitacertè Tranquillae per virtutem â—atet vnica vita Salâ—iaâ—â—s hath pithily comprehended all in a few words Nâ—mo alâ—orum sensu miser est sed suo ideo non possunt cuiusquam falso iudâ—cio esse miseri qui sunt verè suâ— conscientiá beati hoc cunâ—tis beatiores sunt religiosi quia habent quae volunt meliora quà m quae habent omninò habere non possunt Fiâ—ei praesentis oblectamenta capiunt beatisudinis futurae praemia consequentur Hitherto concerning the Prophets exultation his exaltation followeth Ecce rex tuâ—s c. The word Behold in the Bible is like Iohn the Baptist alway the forerunner of some excellent thing and indeed all our comfort consists in this one sweet sentence Behold thy King commeth vnto thee Behold looke no more for him but now looke on him Happy are the eyes which see the things that ye see King a reall and a royall Prince Reall in regard of his right and that by a thrâ—efold title iure creationis merito redemptionis donâ— patris might as being the Lord vers 3. who commands and it is done vers 6. for he can doe whatsoeuer he will and more then he will A royall Prince both in his affections and actions A tyrant doth rob and spoile the people but the Messias is Iesus a Sauiour of his people Matth. 1.21 A tyrant is a wolfe to scatter and destroy the sheepe but Christ is the good shepheard who gaue his life for the sheepe Iohn 10.11 Thy promised vnto thee borne of thee bred vp with thee flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone not euery ones King for Satan is Prince of the world but thy King for he is God of Israel his comming was sufficient for the whole world but efficient only for Sion Or thy King because it is not enough to confesse in generall that Christ is a King for the Diuell himselfe beleeues the Maior of the Gospell but the daughter of Sion must assume and beleeue the Minor that Christ is her King Esay 9.6 To vs a child is borne to vs a Sonne is giuen There is great diuinitie saith Luther in Pronouns a great Emphasis in nobis and noster as Bullinger Caluin note Commeth Christ is the way we wanderers out of the way so that if the Way had not found vs we neuer should or could haue found the way nec opibus nec operibus nec opera Vnto thee tibi sicredis contra te si non credis if incredulous against thee but if beleeuing for thee for thy not his good he gaue himselfe for thee Nascens se dedit in socium conuescens in cibum moriens in pretium regnans in praemium See Epist. Dom. 3. Quadrages What could haue been said lesse and yet what canst thou wish for more for if Chrâ—st be a King then he is able if thine then willing if he come he respects not his paine if he come vnto thee he regards not his profit and therefore reioyce daughter Sion shout for ioy daughter Hierusalem These glosses are common in the Fathers and Friars and I shall often touch vpon them especially Epist and Gospell on Christmas day The second part of this Gospell insinuates how wee must entertaine Christ in our Thoughts The second part of this Gospell insinuates how wee must entertaine Christ in our Words The second part of this Gospell insinuates how wee must entertaine Christ in our Deeds For the
to be with mâ— she gaue me of the tree and I did eat Eua must needs be a virgin because so soone as she was made she was maried and yet the text calles her woman at that time when there could bee no time for man to corrupt her On the right hand we must shun the rockes of Valentinus and Nestorius of Valentinus who taught Christ had not his body from Mary but that he brought it with him from heauen and passed thorow the wombe of the virgin as water thorow a conduit pipe contrary to the text here made of a woman Ex muliere non in muliere not in a woman but of a woman And the preposition ex notes the matter as an house is made of timber and stone bread is made of wheat wine of grapes and therefore Christ had the materials of his body from Mary so some copies haue it here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet Christ had not his formale principium of Mary for the holy Chost was agent in his wonderfull conception and therefore fitly said here to be borne or as we reade to be made not begotten of a woman By this also we may shun Nestorius his rocke who thought Mary might not be called the mother of the Sonne of God for the text is plaine God sent his Sonne made of a woman Ergo the Sonne of God was the sonne of Mary For the confutation of this error the famous Councell of Ephesus was assembled wherein it was concluded and that in the first canon that Mary should be called the mother of God See before the Creed Art Borne of the virgin Mary Bond to the law Though he were Lord of the law yet made he himselfe subiect to the law circumcised according to the law and presented in the Temple according to the law yea it executed vpon him all the iurisdiction it had ouer vs. It doth by good right accuse conuince condemne vs. For alas all of vs are sinners and by nature the children of 〈◊〉 but Christ did no sinne neither was there guile fâ—und in his mouth yet notwithstanding the law was no lesse cruell against this innocent and blessed lambe then it was against vs cursed and damnable sinners yea much more rigorous For it made him guilty before God of all the sinnes of the whole world It terrified and oppressed him with such an heauinesse of spirit that he sweat blood and in fine condemned him to death euen the death of the Crosse. Thus Christ was made bond vnto the law to redeeme them which were bond vnto the law for hee died for our sinnes and indured all this for our sakes and so being vnder the law conquered the law by a double right first as the Sonne of God and Lord of the law secondly in our person which is as much as if our selues had ouercome the law for his victory is ours And therefore remember alway this sweet and comfortable text in the midst of all dangers all assaults of tyrants all temptations of Satan in the houre of death especially saying to the law Thou hast no power ouer me for God the Father hath sent his Sonne to redeeme mee from thy bondage thou dost accuse terrifie condemne in vaine for I will creepe into the hole which bloudy Longinus made with his speare in my Sauiours side There will I hide my selfe from all my foes I will plunge my conscience in his wounds death victorious resurrection glorious ascension besides him I will see nothing I will heare nothing The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the law But thanks be vnto God which hath giuen vs victory through our Lord Iesus Christ. The Nouelists exception against our translating naturall sonnes is idle for our Communion booke doth not call vs naturall sonnes as Christ is Gods naturall Sonne by eternall generation but as it were naturalized by spiritual regeneration adopted through election and grace so Paul elsewhere termeth vs Coheâ—res with Christ. Neither doth this paraphrase wrong the Patriarks before the law nor the Prophets vnder the law for as I haue noted out of Martin Luther Chirst who came in the flesh once comes in the spirit daily crying Abba Father as it followeth in the text he is one yesterday and to day and shall be the same for euer Yesterday before the time of his comming in the flesh today now he is reuealed in fulnesse of time For euer the same lambe of God slaine from the beginning of the world The Fathers then had Christ in spirit which holy spirit made them free from the bondage of the law so that they and we are saued by one and the same grace by one and the same faith in one and the same Christ. How the blessed Spirit crieth in our hearts assuring our spirit that we are the children of God helping our infirmities and making request for vs with sighes which cannot be expressed see before The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ c. This Epistle doth accord with the Gospell which intimates in particular how Christ became the Sonne of man that hee might make vs the sonnes of God how Christ is Iesus and Emmanuel Both fit the time that in the midst of Christmas our soule might magnifie the Lord and our spirit reioice in God our Sauiour who was made of a woman and made bond vnto the law to redeeme those who were bound vnto the law that wee might bee sonnes and heires of God through him The Gospel MATTH 1.1 Liber generationis Iesu Christi filij Dauid filij Abraham SVmma Theologiae Scriptura summa scripturae Euangelium summa Euangelij 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 summa summarum Iesus Christus filius Dauid filius Abraham ille primus ille postremus Alpha legis Omega Euangely principium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amen Velatus in veteri Testamento reuelatus in nouo in illo praedictus in isto praedicatus Vno spiritu dicam breuissimè nihil aliud continet verbum Domini nisi verbum Dominum Innuit hoc in praesentiâ—itulo Matthaeus annuit Paulus ad Corinthios primâ— Non statui quicquam inter vos scire nisi Iesum Christum crucifixum Apertiùs ait Augustinus confessionum quinto cap. 4. Infoelix homo qui scit caetera omnia te autem nescit beatus autem quite scit etiamsi illa omnia nesciat qui verò te illa nouit non propter illa beatior sed propter te solum beatissimus Est ars artium scientia scientiarum ea legere agere quae narrantur in hoc libro generationis filij Dauid filij Abraham Cuius frontispicij duo sunt luminae Inscriptio Euangelij Descriptio Christi Inscriptionis vt ita loquar duo praecipus sunt radij respâ—cientes Euangelium 1. Quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2. Quòd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Descriptionis item duo
and valediction the which custome is reteined in the Christian Church that no man depart out of the Temple before the diuine prayers and sermon end so the 4. Councel of Carthage decreed excoÌ„municating all such as offend in this kind Thus you see Christ was instructed by good lessons and life so that if Iesus had not been Iesus to be saued and not a Sauiour hee might haue said of his mother Mâ—râ— which Augustine writes of his mother Monica Mâ—â—ori sollâ—citudiâ—e me parturiebat spiritu quà m carne pepererat parturiâ—it carne vt in hanc tempâ—ralem nascerer corde vt in aeternam lucem râ—nascerer Now for his bodie when he was missing Ioseph and Mary sought him instantly with all diligence till hâ—e was found Behold thy father and I haue sought thee weeping Where literally note Maries humble carriage toward her husband Ioseph and the care of them both ouer Christ their childe The dutifull respect of Marâ— toward Ioseph is obserued ex ordine verborum in that she saith thy father and I not I and thy father as Cardinall Wolsees stile Ego rex meus I and my king is insupportable in the Politâ—kes so I and my husband insufferable in the Oeconomicks It was Assuerus his edict and it is Gods law that all women both great and small shall giue their husbands honour and that euery man shall beâ—re rule in his owne house for the man is the wiues head and the wife is her husbands subiect Subdita eris sub potestate viri Thou shalt bâ— subiect to thine husband and he shall rule ouer thee Gâ—n 3.16 So that a woman murthering her husband is accounted by the Ciuill lawes a parricide by the statutes of our land a traitor The next remarkable point is the ioynt care of them both ouer Iesus Thy father and I haue sought thee weeping As Paul said to Timothie so we to euery father serâ—a deposiâ—um keepe that which is committed to thee Haue a tender eye ouer thy childe which is a pledge of Gods goodnesse and that happily which may moue thee more flesh of thy flesh and bone of thy bone not only a liuely picture but a liuing and walking image of thy selfe Barren Sâ—ra was so glad of a childe that she called her onely sonne Isack that is laughter How wicked then is that parent who neglecteth his owne flesh his owne childe which is a token from heauen and ordinarilie the best monument of himselfe after death on earth As this example concernes the naturall father so likewise the ciuill and ecclesiasticall for incuria praepoâ—iti iniuria depositâ— detrimentum pecoris ignominia pastoris c. Pastor and Prince must sâ—â—ke the good of such as are vnder them as Ioseph and Mary did Christ with carefull hearts c. In a mysticall sense these words insinuate when where and how Christ is to be found of vs. 1. When On the third day 2. Where In the Temple 3. How Socialiter in vnitie thy father and I. Desidâ—rabiliter with an earnest desire to finde Lachrymâ—biliter with teares haue sought thee sorrowing First Christ is to be found on the third day vers 46. It came to passe three daies after that they found him in the Temple The first day was the time before the law in which as Christ told his Apostles all the Patriarks and holy fathers desired to see the things which they saw and could not see them and to heare the things which they heard and could not heare them The second day was the time vnder the law when also the Priests and Prophets expected Christ but they could not finde him therefore the Prophet Esay crieth out in his 64. Chapter Oh that thou wouldest breâ—ke the heauens and come downe The third day is the present time thiâ— acceptable time of grace wherein Christ is to be found hora est nâ—nc The houre is now Therefore to day while it is to day seâ—ke the Lord euen while he may be found call vpon him while he is neer for the next day which is the fourth day is the time after death and then he cannot be found or sought Ioseph and Mary could not finde Christ among their kinsfolke c. Non humana cognatione nec cognitione comprehenditur He that wil finde Christ must forsake friends forget his owne people and his fathers house They found him in Ierusalem that is in the Church among the faithfull not among barbarous Heathens or blasphemous heretikes his dwelling is at Sion there you may finde him among the Doctors in the Temple not in the market not in the tauerne but in the Temple for hee is to be found in his word in his sacraments among the Doctors and Preachers If this lesson often taught were once learned it would make you to frequent Gods house more diligently thirst after his word more greedily respect Christs ambassadours more reuerently The third point to be considered is how Christ is to be found Socialiter in vnitie pater tuus ego God is loue and his followers are the children of peace and his Ministers the messengers of peace his doctrine the doctrine of peace and therefore if we wil finde him we must follow the truth in loue God said to the serpent I will put enmitie between thee and the woman and betweene thy seed and her seed But if wee seeke Christ in contention all the feud is among our selues and not betweene Satan and vs. Odium in nos ipsos conuertimus all our fight is against our friends and not against our foes Againe we must seeke Christ earnestly Quaerebamus te nihil extrate Iesus for Iesus and lastly we must seeke Christ lachrymabilitèr sorrowing Now Mary did feare for three causes as Interpreters obserue 1. Lest Christ should leaue her and ascend to his father in heauen 2. Lest he should fall into the hands of persecutors 3. Lest he should forsake the Iewes and goe to some other nation So we must seek Christ with three sorts of teares of Deuotion lest he withdraw his gracious countenance froÌ„ vs. Contrition when he doth absent himselfe for a time Compassion when any member of his is afflicted and persecuted And he went downe with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them As the former part of this Gospell is a paterne for parents how they should instruct their children so this latter is a glasse for children how they should obey their parents Omnis enim actio Christi instructio Christiani For euery line of Christ is a copie for a Christian. In that therefore the Lord of all submitted himselfe to the gouernment of his supposed father and vnderling mother as Hierome notably Venerabatur matrem cuius ipse erat pater colebat nutritium quem nutriuerat and that for the space of thirty yeeres executing filial and oeconomicall duties
imploy them and so multiplie them vnto the Donors glorie who gaue some to be Apostles and some Prophets and some Euangelists and some Pastors and Teachers for the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the ministerie and for the edificatioÌ„ of the bodie of Christ. If any giâ—â— lâ—t him doe it with singlenes With an vpright intention not to bee seene of men or to gaine much by giuing a little for that is not simplicitie but duplicitie Or because Paul speakes of Deacons publike guardians of the poore such as wee call Almoners and ouerseers he would not haue them deale subtilly for their own benefit but simply for the common good distributing the Churches beneuolence committed vnto their charge without respect of persoâ—s according to the seuerall necessities of the Saints Let him that ruleth doe it wiâ—â— diligence The slothfull and idle person is the diuels shop there he workes euer busie when men are lasie Wherefâ—re doe that which is in thine hand with all thy power especially take heed that thou doe not the worke of the Lord negligently That which Christ said of our redemption euery Christian must say of his particular vocation It is meate and drinke for me to doe my fathers will Vnto diligence there are two maine motiues 1. In regard of God who bestowes his gifts for this end that they may be well imployed in his holy seruice 2. In respect of our selues for vnto euery one that hath it shall be giuen and hee shall haue abundance and from him that hath not euen that hee hath shall be taken away The priuate duties are Generall Hate that which is euill cleane to that which is good Particular concerning our Faith Be feruent in spirit continue in prayer Hope Reioyce in hope be patient in tribulation Charitie in Giuing due respect to Superiours In giuing honor go one before another Equals Be kind one to another with brotherly loue Inferiours Distributing to the necessity of y e saints harboring the distressed equalling our selueâ— to theÌ„ of the lower sort Forgiuing Blesse them that persecute you c. All which offices are to be performed Freely Fully Fitly Freely with cheerefulnes and compassion Be merie with the merie weepe with such as weepe Fully without sloth or dissimulation Let loue be without dissimulation Fitly Applie your selues to the time for there is a time for all things and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth fit the place better then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Luther postil Erasm. Martyr in loc His meaning is not that we should alter our manners and religion according to the time like the Polypus and Camelion for in the beginning of this chapter hee doth aduise the contrarie Fashion not your selues according to to the world But that we should apprehend the best hint to doe good in the Church euermore redeeming the time Ephes. 5.16 so shall we be sure to serue God in obseruing the time The Gospel IOHN 2.1 There was a mariage in Cana c. MAriage is honorable saith Paul Honoured of God the Father Sonne Holy Ghost Father instituting it at the purest time in the best place for it was his first ordinance in Paradise when man was innocent Honoured of God the Sonne by his presence and first miracle wrought as the text saith at a wedding Honoured of God the holy Ghost who did ouershadow the betrothed virgin Mary Christs mother Honoured of the whole blessed Trinitie both in Deede for in the worlds vniuersall deluge maried persons and couples onelie were deliuered Gen. 7. Word comparing it to the kingdome of heauen and holinesse to a wedding garment calling it a great mysterie representing the spirituall vnion betweene Christ and his Church Honoured by the primitiue fathers as a fruitfull seminarie which fils earth with men and heauen with Saints Honoured of Iewes honoured of Gentiles honoured of all except heretikes and Papists herein appearing rather like diuels then Diuines as Paul tels vs 1. Tim. 4. The Papists in making mariagâ— a sacrament seeme to commend it more then wee but in affirâ—ing that holy Prâ—esthood is prophaned by this holy sacrament is to honour it as the Iewes honoured Christ in clothing him with a purple robe Mariage is a sacrament and yet a sacrilege So Bellarmin plainly Coniugia post solennia vota non coÌ„nubia sed sacrilegia so the rest of that vnchast generation generally such as vow first chastity then marry begin in the spirit and end in the flesh mad men saith Luther not vnderstanding what is the spirit or what is the flesh For in single life to burne with lust when one concubine wil not serue to commit villany with many strumpets are manifest workes of the flesh on the contrary for a man to loue his owne wife to gouerne his family to bring vp his children in instruction and information of the Lord are fruits of the spirit We might rather say that in heat of youth as Augustine speakes inquietâ adolescentia to vow single life were a sinne for whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Sed de talibus perpetuae virginitatis votis fides nulla nulla in sacris literis est litera Saint Ambrose writes peremptorily that all the twelue Apostles had wiues except Saint Iohn and almost all the Romish Postils obserue that Iohn was the bridegroome at this wedding If this annotation bee true why doe they condemne mariage in Priests If false why doe they suffer it for currant as well in their accurate new writers as in their olde fustie Friers If any desire to be further satisfied in this curiositie let him reade Maldonat vpon the first of Saint Iohn in the preamble and Cardinal Baronius annal Tom. 1. fol. 94. In this historie foure things are regardable 1. The occasioÌ„ of the miracle want of wine at a wedding described by circumstances of Time the third day Place in Cana a town of Galile Persons Guests inuited as Christ and his disciples Gossips comming of their owne accord to further and helpe the businesse 2. Certaine passages of speech vpon this occasion betweene Christ and his mother vers 3.4 3. The miracle it selfe vers 6.7.8.9 4. The consequent and effect of the miracle vers 11. And the third day These circumstances of time place persons are set downe to confirme the truth of the miracle The time was the third day mystically there are three daies of the world the first before the law the second vnder the law the third after the law The world was instructed before the law by the Patriarks example by the writings of the Prophets vnder the law but in the third day which is the gospels acceptable time by Christ and his miracles or literally the third day from his being in the wildernes as Euthymius or the third day after his conference with Nathaniel as Epiphanius or the third day after he
say vnto the people This part of our Sauiours answere concernes the commendation of Iohn if Alexander the great accounted Achilles happie for that he had so good a trumpeter of his honor as Homer what an exceeding glory was it for the Baptist to be thus extolled by Christ who being truth it selfe would not flatter and could not lie Diuines out of these circumstances of persons and time note Christs wisdome and sinceritie wisdome who did not magnifie Iohn before those who did already praise him too much his sinceritie that would not flatter him before his owne disciples albeit hee did extoll him before the people when they were gone It is an olde saying of Gregorie Plus nocet lingua adulatoris quà m gladius persâ—cutoris The word of the flatterer hurts more then the sword of the persecuter A malicious enemie doth often good by telling vs of our vices but a fauning friend wrongs vs in telling vs of our vertues either commending that which wee haue not or too much extolling that which wee haue the which is termed in the Canon law simonia linguae verball simonie Salt was vsed in the legall sacrifices but not hony that our lips may offer vp acceptable sacrifice to God We must haue salt in our speech and not honey complements as being more desirous to correct our acquaintance wisely then to flatter them basely Sidona non sunt dona quae dant hostium Nec verba quae dant verba sed sunt verbera The Parasite saith the Poet hath bread in one hand and a stone in the other vsing vs as the Iewes did Christ carrie vs vp to the top of an hill and then cast vs downe headlong Christ therefore rebuked the Pharisies before their face but commended Iohn behinde his backe not to his owne but to the people lest they should entertaine an ill conceit of him who was a Preacher and a Prophet and here by the way note that the difference betweene the Disciples of Christ and Iohn in matter of ceremonies as fasting and washing of hands made no schisme in the Church but Iohn gaue this testimonie of Christ that he was not worthie to loose the latchet of his shoe and Christ here commends highly both the carriage and calling of Iohn affirming of the one that hee was not an inconstant or vaine man of the other that he was a Prophet and more then a Prophet There are three kindes of Prophets according to the threefold distinction of time some write of things past as Moses In the beginning God created c. penning an hexameron many yeares after the world was made some of things to come so Christ was foretold by the mouth of all his holy Prophets euer since the world began some of things present as Zacharias in his song Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people Christ being then conceiued had begun his visitation and such a Prophet was olde Simeon at Christs circumcision Mine eyes haue seene thy saluation Now Iohn is more then any of these because he is all these prophesying of things past I am the voice of him that crieth in the wildernes opening an olde text of Esay prophesying of things present Behold the lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world prophesying of things to come Repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Secondly Iohn is more then a Prophet for whereas other prophesied onely in their life Iohn was a prophet in his mothers bellie before hee was borne for when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary the babe sprang in her wombe the which was so sensible a prophesie that Elizabeth instantly called Mary the mother of our Lord. Thirdly Iohn was greater then the Prophets vnder the lawe because they prophesied of Christ to come but Iohn bare record that he was come being as diuines haue tearmed him a midling betweene a Prophet and an Apostle a propheticall Apostle and an apostolicall Prophet Limes inter vtrumque constitutus in quo desinerent vetera noua inciperent The Baptist then is more then a Prophet in pointing him out with the finger who is the very center of all the Prophets aime Fourthly greater then a Prophet in that he baptized the Lord of the Prophets But what need we looke any further when as our Sauiour in the very next verse giues a sufficient reason of this assertion out of the Prophet Malachie This is he of whom it is written Behold I send my messenger before thy face c. Other Prophets are sent to men but Iohn to God from God the Father to God the Sonne Behold saith God the Father I send mine Angell before thee c. Christ in all his Sermons vsually cited text for the proofe of his doctrine so Iohn the Baptist I am the voice of a crier as saith the Prophet Esay So Saint Peter This is that which was spoken by the Prophet Ioel so Saint Paul buildeth all his exhortations and conclusions vpon euidence of holy writ teaching vs hereby that howsoeuer the descant bee fetched out of the schoole yet the grounds of all our preaching must be taken out of Gods owne booke Beleeue this for it is written doe this for it is written Aâ—di dicit Dominus non dicit Donatus aut Rogatus aut Vincentius aut Hilarius aut Augustinus sed dicit Dominus Expound one text by comparing it with another for the Prophets are commentaries vpon Moses and the Gospell is a short exposition of both and that you may the better performe this examine the questions harmonies concordances annotations glosses of the learned Doctors in Christs Church from time to time for it was an impudent speech of Abelardus Omnes sic sed ego non sic and worthily censured by Bernard Os talia loquens â—ustibus iustâ—â—s tunderetur quà m rationibus refelleretur For as the word of God was not penned in olde time so lâ—kewise not to be consâ—â—ued in our time by any priuate spirit 2. Pâ—t 1.20.21 â—eâ—old I seâ—â— my 〈…〉 Our Euangelist reports 〈◊〉 spokeâ— by God the Fathâ—â— but the Prophet as 〈◊〉 by the Sonne Bâ—hâ—ld I 〈◊〉 â—end my â—essâ—nger and 〈…〉 before me This alâ—ering of the persons hath troubled Interpreters a little some therefore thus I send my messenger before my face that is before my Sonne Hebr. 1.3 This obseruation is true but not pertinent for to send a messenger before a mans face is nothing els but to send a messenger before him as Hab. 3.5 Before him went the pestilence and Ieremie Lament 1.5 Her children are gone into captiuitie before the enemie Ante faciem tribulantis and so Christ expounds it here before thy face that is before thee Now for the changing of the persons it is vsuall in the Bible Saint Peter affirmes thaâ— the word of God was written by the holy Ghost but Saint Paul